I feel I haven’t got much to say for myself this week but I’ll start writing and see what happens. There has been sunshine, rain and Doris. I’ve spent too much time at my laptop or cleaning the house (something to do with spring approaching) and too little time in the garden. I reached the end of my tether with our old vacuum cleaner last week (one of those cumbersome, pull-along ones; it must be at least 14 years old). I drag it along roughly and thoroughly grumpily, cussing under my breath. Everyone knows to keep out of my way when I’m hoovering, even the dog. On Monday I had Had Enough and I ordered a new one. It arrived this morning and I used it straight out of the box. It’s brilliant – lighter, very manoeuvrable and there’s no flex to get in the way or plug to have to keep unplugging and plugging in again. I told the delivery guy that it was going to transform my life and he laughed (rather pityingly, I thought).
We’ve had school meetings to go to: one to explain UCAS and university funding (yikes) and one regular parents meeting. Both have resulted in long discussions with each boy about The Future. The eldest, who has decided he does want to go to university next year (next year?!!) is slowly coming round to the realisation that he should probably get his act together; the middle one, who takes his GCSEs next year, is totally on track. Honestly, there are 20 months between them but they couldn’t be more different. I do feel for our first-born, though – his parents have no idea what they’re doing. I often have this uncomfortable feeling that I’m slightly behind the curve, missing information that could help him and that I’m out of touch. We muddle along and do our best, make mistakes and hope we haven’t done any lasting damage. Our daughter gets the benefit of our third-time-round refined parenting skills – it’s probably no coincidence that she is a ray of sunshine.
Moving swiftly on… It was a glorious sunshiny day today, so welcome after yesterday’s storm, and I went outside to see if there was any damage (there wasn’t) and inspect new growth. Seeing spears of daffodils and tulips shooting up each year gives me such a huge amount of pleasure, more than any other type of plant I think. It’s their their promise of colour – gorgeous, rich, jewel-like colours – after the lack of it in winter. And I love the shapes and arrangement of the leaves and the way tulip leaves are often tinged with a hint of the flower colour to come. I’ve worked out that there are several bunches of tulips out there for cutting in a couple of months time. Or maybe a few of massive armfuls. Oh yes. There will be tulips galore and just the thought of that makes me happy.
I hope you’re not bored of seeing snowdrops yet; ours are at their peak now. I’ve noticed several clumps that need dividing and it’ll soon be the time to do that, when the flowers go over but they’re still in the green. I’m amazed by how easy-going they are and how far they spread without any help from us. Several single snowdrops have popped up in the front lawn this year, their little white nodding flowers dotted here and there. No lawn-mowing here for a while, that’s for sure. The weather forecast for the weekend is dry but cold so I plan to sort out seeds and sow some. We also need to move some hedging plants. We might have a bonfire.
Whatever you have planned, I hope you have a good one.
acoastalplot 
Your garden is so pretty Sam…and your home (your living room?) looks so light and inviting. I am intrigued by that line of stones or perhaps they are seashells? I don’t care what anyone says, a new vacuum cleaner brings joy to the home! A bonfire is always a good idea. Jane x
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Yes, that’s our living room, Jane. The only relatively tidy room in the house. The line in the wall is shells and stones – I added the decoration when David rebuilt the wall a couple of years ago.
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I could never get bored of snowdrops.
so much better than thinking about decisions about university……….
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You can never have too many snowdrops … or cordless power tools.
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Oh, I love the first flowers!! I have snowdrops, narcissus and crocuses planted, but I’m in Sweden so I won’t get to see them for at lest a month yet. 😦 But your pictures cheered me up! Spring is coming. My garden is mostly filled with early flowering plants because winter is so long here and I just can’t get enough of the first signs of life and flowers.
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Glad the snowdrops cheered you Frida.
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I’m very much muddling along, making mistakes and hoping there’s no lasting damage too. I understand your vacuum joy. I have a fantastic one after years of a dreadful one and I LOVE vacuuming now. Well, almost, you know. Thoughts of exams fill me with horror. I have only recently stopped having nightmares about my own exams. Gorgeous snowdrops. We are all about the frogs here, the pond is seething with them. Hope you have a good weekend too. CJ xx
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I can’t say that I love vacuuming now but it’s certainly miles easier! I’m not thinking about the exams…
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I did just the same last month, swapped the old pull along for a cordless. Aren’t they brilliant. The biggest problem has been where to stow it, near a plug so it can be constantly recharged and ready for action. It meant putting a new socket in a cupboard, taking a wire through the dining room ceiling… as you can imagine I was flavour of the month. No change there then!
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A cordless Hoover? I am behind the times, clearly. We only managed a new one a few years back when m had a go and discovered how naff the previous one was. I have learnt now- if i want a new hooever get him to use the old one ;o). Love all your snowdrops. Parenting, eh, hard work at times, isn’t it?! Xx
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My thoughts exactly. I’ve been encouraging everyone to have a go with the new hoover…
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You have a wonderful planting of snowdrops alongside plenty of spring promise Sam. I like the stones set in the wall.
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I have no comments to make about vacuum cleaners but you have do have a lovely crop of snowdrops! As you say, it is lovely to see how easily they spread even without splitting them. Saying that, I do try and split a clump or two each time I go down the garden
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Snowdrops infinitely more interesting than vacuum cleaners 🙂
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😃
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A good vacuum cleaner makes for an easy life. The delivery guy obviously has someone to do the hoovering for him. Parenting is terrifying at times! My oldest is also gearing up for University, he could technically go in autumn but decided to sit sixth year. It is all so awfully complicated, UCAS, what subjects to focus on without loosing the joy of learning and whatnot. I hope by the time number four gets to makes choices about his life, we’ll have learned it all. There was no UCAS when I finished school. I filled in a form with my intent to study and my grades and that was that. I did a baccalaureate so all subjects were examined and my options were completely open. I realise now that I was incredibly lucky! There can never be enough snow drops. Ours are passed, which makes me sad. The daffodils are nearly flowering so not all is drab. Good luck with the parenting and enjoy the garden when you have a chance (between hoovering and all). x
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Thanks, Christina. It’s all rather terrifying but we’ll muddle through. Thank goodness for gardens, hey?!
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I don’t think you can ever see too many snowdrops. We’ve got a really good show of them in the garden, though I think your other plants are a bit further on than ours. My eldest started uni in September – don’t let the funding boggle your brain; according to the Money Saving Expert, Martin Lewis, the trick is to take the loan and not try to pay off the fees yourself – you’ll find loads of help on his website if you’ve not already seen it xx
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Martin Lewis’s website is a mine of useful info, thanks.
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Never too many snowdrops! Especially as every one seems slightly different to the next. I’m the eldest of the family and my mother often says they practised on me, knew more or less what they were doing with the 2nd and 3rd and had given up by the 4th daughter.
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Ha ha, yes, I can relate to this. I was the eldest of two and my brother had a MUCH easier time (I still remind him).
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I did read this last week (on the contrary phone) but forgot to come back to comment. I do hope your students are settling better than my own! If only they would cop on and realise that we need them to make fortunes and finance our geriatric world cruise plans. If only.
More realistically, I am having similar struggles with my hoover (a cute Henry with a tendency to fall apart). What type did you buy? Do you really love it? Are the cordless ones not a bit heavy on the wrists? Your reply could change my life!
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The hoover is a Bosch Athlet and it’s cordless and bagless. I can’t say I love it exactly but it is fantastic to be able to whip it round quickly and not faff around with the cable and plug all the time. It is heavier than I was expecting but not disastrously so. My mother-in-law got one about a year ago and loves hers – she recommended it after trying to use our old one! I certainly prefer it to the previous one. It does the job well. Hope that helps!
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Thanks, Sam! I’ll make a note of the name and see if I can try one out somewhere.
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We have a yellow lab, so hoovers in my house have a short, hard life. Pet hairs are the bane of my life, and it is my dream to own a hoover that catches every last one. Currently using a pull-along Dyson which is pretty good, and cost a small fortune a couple of months ago. Like you, I was at the swearing and kicking the furniture out if the way stage with my old hoover. I love snowdrops too, amd last week noticed some biggish clumps behind our fence. I am planning to rehome them next weekend, by which time I think they will have gone over but still be in the green x
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