Expanding – my word of the week

A box of seeds landed on our door mat, this week. A very satisfying thud, I thought. A small, plain box yet full of so much potential. It’s hard to believe that a handful of these tiny seeds will grow to fill our garden, this summer. Adding colour and life, consuming the muddy regions and, let’s not forget, opening up a whole host of yummy menu options too. I’ve already sown several pots. I can almost taste the fresh tomatoes and lettuce already. The garden potential may be expanding, but it’s not been alone this week.

Balloons

We woke yesterday to the sound of hot air balloon burners. It’s not an uncommon sound for us. The field opposite is occasionally used as a take off location. This morning, it was going on a bit longer than usual, so I knew something exciting was happening.

Sure enough, it was. I opened our curtains to find the most enormous Thomas the Tank Engine peering in. Think Ghostbusters and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. It was big.

This was just the start. They went on to inflate at least another six or seven more. One at a time. In the end, I lost count. I have to admit, it will never grow old watching these gigantic structures expanding. All tethered to the ground, or just hovering above.  We think they were testing balloons coming out of storage, ready for recommencing the flying season. Small start, I’m sure, but a very necessary step.

Hello world 

The globe (photo at top), made the news this week. It was stored in a barn for the last twenty years and has recently been rediscovered. If it seems familiar, you might remember it featured between BBC programs during a five year period, while the continuity announcer informed us about what was coming up next. Floating over various fabulous landscapes. Yesterday, it made quite a sight floating effortlessly in our neighbour’s more humble cow field. First time inflated in decades.

What can I say? Sometimes fun just comes knocking on your door. Really felt like our very own balloon fiesta yesterday, which is not bad for a tiny hamlet.

Blodwen had an opinion on the plate Gina had used for the Welsh cakes and wondered if she should be left in charge of making them next year. Nerys quietly thought that Google Translate may be responsible for the size of  Gina’s cakes. Nerys decided not to enlighten Gina as she hoped expanding Welsh cakes to the size of a small family car, might catch on and that was no bad thing.

Other expanding moments

– Turns out that not everyone in the house likes Welsh cakes anymore. Youngest is not into them, so for St David’s day. I cooked up half the batch and stored the rest of the dough in the fridge for the weekend. Expanding St David’s Day by a week.

– Strike day at school. this week, was disappointing for Middle and Youngest Teen. Theirs were the only two years called in. Not sure it was a particularly educational expanding day for them and at least one of them kept mumbling about how much more work they would have done at home. That’s how the cookie crumbles, I guess. Or welsh cake.

– Eldest heard back about her year abroad options and she has got her first choice, which is truly exciting. A proud parent moment, as she has worked so incredibly hard. As for me, I’m looking forward to dusting off my passport and expanding my horizons.

– Small start on the glove making project. I didn’t have a big enough piece of leather, so I’ve had to mix and match. They’re cut out now and waiting on my sewing table to be stitched up. It is expanding my knowledge.

Well, that was my week. A good start to the growing season and expanding in general.

Joining in with Anne’s word of the week link up.