But, you said….

“But, you said that there would be no more holes to dig!”

Ah. Yes. I might have said something like that.

My suggestion that the teens might like to join me in the garden to dig a new flower bed, went down like a lead balloon. The memory of digging holes during the first lockdown, apparently wasn’t as much of a dim and fading memory for them, as I hoped. In fact, I suspect, from the feeling and volume of their joint reaction, the experience was far from forgotten.

Now, in my defense, back in the balmy weeks at the end of Lockdown version 1, I had said “for the moment”. It seems that one person’s moment can be on a totally different scale to someone else’s concept of time.

This, you will not be surprised to hear, is why Sunday afternoon, you would have found me in the garden, digging alone.

I planted a rose and a couple more plants, along with plenty of spring bulbs, in my new hole. Fingers crossed, it should look glorious next year. I’m already anticipating future me sending her thanks.

This is on one side of the gate that separates our drive from the front garden. I call it the front garden, but, due to the way our garden/cottage is set up, I’m not sure anyone but us would call it that. I literally spent years trying to persuade the children that it was the front garden. Even the front door that it leads up to, isn’t used as a conventional front door.

Anyway, in an attempt to make everyone believe that this is the front garden, I’m planting it up as a cottage garden. I may even make a sign, to seal the deal. This weekend, I’ll dig up the left hand side of the gate and plant the rest of the bulbs.

Fingers crossed that the hound does not decide to dig them right back up again.

“But, you said we were having cottage pie”

Yes, I have a habit of changing the menus. I meal plan most weeks, but then add a mish mash of double ended arrows and crossing outs when I don’t fancy whatever it is I noted down. I am spontaneous in nature. I’m the sort of person that would prefer to turn up at an airport and book a flight to somewhere that took my fancy, at that moment, rather than planning for weeks in advance. That is, of course, before we had children and travel was still a thing.

(I don’t think I ever managed to book at the airport, but I did book the day before, at least once. Ferries were always last minute. So long as I have time to buy a guide book and a phrase book, I’m good to go. Also, to this day, I still book our summer holidays a week or two before we go. I suspect it is a reaction to my working life, which is far more ordered.)

Back to meal planning. This week, I have stuck to the plan. No changes. No stress about forgetting to defrost, or start early enough. Less food waste. So much easier now I’m cooking three meals a day. The difference was that I stopped hiding my plan in a book and put it on the fridge. More accountable it seems.

(We still didn’t have cottage pie.)

(knitted acorn)

“But, you said that you wanted to look at Chemistry”

We had our first A level options evening for Middle Teen.  A few years ago, when it was Eldest Teen’s turn, we went into school and trailed around the classrooms, listening to the presentations. This time, we participated via Teams, from the comfort of the kitchen. I did not miss the drive, in the dark, down twisty, country lanes before hand. I was happy to drink tea out of my own mug and multi task when needed. If ever there was a silver lining or two.

(Incidentally, Middle Teen side stepped me setting up this meeting and accidently unmuting the microphone, by bringing her laptop through already set up. As if I would.)

The presentations were excellent. I was ready to sign up for the Maths and Physics course with her, until Teen pointed out I already had a Maths A level and the school was not targeting the courses at middle aged mothers of three. She put it in other words, but that was the general gist of it.

We did look at Chemistry, Art and English too. Very impressed with the English and how different it is from when I took my English A level. She’s unlikely to take this one. She had a fifth presentation to fill, so we opted for that one, as she hadn’t ruled it out.

(Second birthday cake for Middle Teen, because one cake didn’t seem enough this year.)

“But, you said….”

This week, the dreaded ‘rona came a step closer than it has before. Up to now, it has always been elsewhere (although we think we had it last Christmas, but that doesn’t count). Not near us. Youngest Teen’s school year has had the school’s first case. Several of his friends are now in isolation and he says that classes are feeling very empty and boring as he has no one to chat with. Personally, I think that is a good thing, although I wish them clear and back soon. There has been one other case, but in the lower years. It all feels closer somehow.

Eldest Teen’s bestie has also caught it. I really feel for her especially as she’s in her first year at Uni. Fortunately, they haven’t met up since lockdown started, but it feels much closer this week.

So that was my week, where for better or worse, everything stayed to plan.

Joining in with Anne’s Word of the Week. What would your word be?