Fishy Delight...

What a beautiful sunny day for a Wandle Trust Trout in the Classroom fish release day!  Today we had kids, from 7 schools in the Wandle Valley, bring their buckets and tubs containing numerous trout fry to Morden Hall Park. They came in school uniforms... they came in street clothes... they came with daft fish hats, joyous banners and bags of excitement...

This was the biggest release day I had been to and there were plenty of Wandle Trust people and supporters there to marshall kids, prise them in and out of waders and lifejackets, help them in and out of the river, and take lots of pictures. We had camera men and camera crews. We had the Mayor of Wandsworth, a game old bird,  who hopped into a pair of waders and into the river with the kids, in full regalia no less. It was all a great day in the sun and with a roving volunteer distributing mini Easter eggs as well, the kids were pretty happy.

And I recieved the good news that I am being invited onto the Board of Trustees. So a more formal role with the Trust and lots of challenges ahead with the growth and development of this much beloved environmental, community oriented charity.

Spring Birthday

OK, in terms of birthdays, there comes a time when you no longer anticipate them with glee. I have decided I am definitely working backwards from now on...  But this birthday weekend was a real treasure.  As my friend Allan said, my birthdays are like Glastonbury - they last for 3 days.  And so it seemed this Whitstable weekend, where I was definitely Princess for the duration.

Yes, lots of eating out at lovely restaurants and pubs. Yes, lots of champagne (both pink and regular).  Yes, luncheon platters on the terrace in the Spring sunshine.  Flowers, cake, pressies - the lot.

The birthday itself was today, a Monday, and I took the time to meander back through Herne Bay, Margate and Broadstairs where I sat and had lunch in the sun. And arrived home to find flowers on the doorstep, followed shortly by phonecalls from family in NZ.

 So, I'm feeling happy and very satisfied with my lot.  Now to the couch with a last piece of chocolate birthday cake before I start a detox to compensate for the excesses of the weekend...

More baby stuff

Isabelle Lilly finally arrived on Monday the 12th March after a long and intermittent labour.  She's a wee treasure - 8 lbs 3oz of loveliness.

Her fellow Piscean step gran is heading down to vist tomorrow with the fruits of her knitting efforts (see pics). A bit of frantic pink daisy making was done at the last minute, but I am quite proud with how it all turned out... Mind you, all this knitting in front of the telly has brought to my attention that perhaps I need to start using my reading specs for close work....

Baby on the way...

No!  Not me! What are you thinking....  But yes, just got the news that my darling stepdaughter is in labour.  Well, she's had 16 hours of sporadic contractions which are not coming close enough yet to send her to hospital. According to her partner, she's being very brave. Said partner seems to be in bits mind you - he's posting facebook updates and feeling not very helpful right now.

I'm glad I drove down to see them both on Weds, even if it was nasty, blowy wet weather.  We mooched around, had nice chats and lunch in Hastings old town. And she was in fine form for a girl in advanced pregnancy. 

So that's me for the rest of the day I'm afraid (as if I could concentrate on anything else now). Little Piscean baby in no hurry to get here it seems.  Piscean step-gran on the other hand, is waiting to hear whether bump is a girl or boy (if a girl, she will hastily embroider pink and white daisies on the primarily blue/aqua garments she has knitted).

Fingers crossed...

Car Alarm

Cough. Cachunkagacachunkagacachunkaga. Rattle rattle. My poor car has been running a bit rough lately and when the engine service light came up on the dashboard, I knew it was time.

So off it was today to my local Toyota dealer (sharks, the lot of them, but they have comfy chairs and a good coffee machine.) I dropped it off and walked and bussed home in a perishing wind. 

I knew the news wasn't going to be good. And sure enough, the phone call came a few hours later. Numberplate light, fog lights,wipers, front brushes, stability bar yada yada yada (I tuned out at this stage).

"So what's the damage" I asked. "£846" he said. I'm too scared to ask whether it's VAT on top. I suspect it is. But she's been a good car - not too heavy on the pocket for the last 5 years, so I figure it was due. And on cue, the car insurance bill dropped in the letterbox today.  Heavy sigh....

Spring fever

Yes, the days are warmer and the lawn is showing an enthusiastic burst of growth.  Although in terms of Spring flowers, only the snowdrops have made an appearance to date.

While I've pulled out the outdoor chairs and copped a bit of Vitamin D over the last few days, now it's time get a few chores done. (Before I get onto the pretty planty flowery picky things.)

Firstly, attacking the nasty thorny climbing rose from next door that didn't get an adequate pruning in Autumn and is now forming a Sleeping Beauty like barrier to the side access and gate.

Next, quickly taking the secateurs to the hydrangeas and cutting back to the first new growth.  They need a proper deadhead and haircut frankly (a bit like me in fact).

And then of course, giving the lawn a good mow and a dose of feed and moss killer (it's more moss than grass at the moment). Also, unfortunately, some of the emergency seeds I liberally scattered on the snow for the local birds over winter, seem to have sunk through and taken root. It will be interesting to see what comes up - sunflowers perhaps?