Ma Nature's lyrical, with her yearly miracle.

How wonderful is it to have the sun in the sky? Not just that, but when you are sheltered from the breeze some real warmth to it too?

Bit too much stuff going on for me to be my usual Mad March Hare self but I'm not so far off. Talking of off, I am off work for a week, my first proper time off since Christmas and boy am I enjoying it!
This gorgeous weather has seem me out in the garden for days on end. I'm putting it down to the Pilates but I haven't had anywhere near my usual stiff aching agony after a 6 hour stint in the garden.

Mind the teacher did nearly kill me last session, I think she either had a bad day or thought we needed an extra tough session due to having a week off over Easter. I don't do too badly, but then just when I get cocky about my agility, she makes us do a move that everyone except me and the two ladies in their 70s can do with ease.
Bah.
Oh and the 'clique' have decided to go to the later class so there was actually a bit of friendly banter before we started this time round too.

Anyway time for some gratuitous garden shots

Magnolia in full bloom, it got hammered by a late frost last year poor thing so it's lovely to see it in full glory this year.

Primroses that suddenly appeared in the lawn. I bought a wild primrose plant last year which disappointingly didn't do much flowering but was clearly having a shedload of babies instead so I shall stop grumbling.

Reduced hyacinth bulbs from Wilkinsons last year in full flourish this year.

I went out with my friends Simon and Liz for dinner last week and Simon gave us both this as an Easter gift

I shall be planting them this week too.

So what else? Himself and I went to see 'Return to the Forbidden Planet'.

I was going to take myself to see it, as it's a musical I have always fancied seeing but somehow never got round to over the years. As no one seemed keen to come with me I thought I'd do the matinee on my own.

For once though Himself was listening to me (joking dearest) and bought me tickets for a Christmas present.
I hadn't realised we were in the front row which was unnerving at first as we didn't know how participatory it was!
Thankfully it wasn't at all so we could relax and enjoy. It was great fun, I thoroughly enjoyed it and what a talented cast. There were only about 10 of them and they all acted, sung and played a plethora of instruments. Not just guitars and drums either, but things like trumpets and saxophones. Brilliant.   

I found out there was an official Snoopy shop online, I'm sure I probably already knew that but had blanked it out due to things like exchange rates and import taxes. Only now it seems they have a U.K branch now *Gulp*
I was very restrained and only bought a t-shirt.

Meant for Halloween but I know I will wear it all year round,

and a cloth bag which was too cute to resist.

I have been doing a LOT of shopping lately. Some for me, some for presents, you know, stuff. I will share more another time

I have come to the conclusion the red bag I bought in January is just a bit too small so my work handbag hunt begins again.

I ordered one from Accessorize but annoyingly they don't have dimensions on their website, sort that out will you Monsoon? It arrived and turned out to be the size of a small country, I returned it today. *sigh*

As I was at the post office I decided it would be rude not to browse a few charity shops. I found not one, not two, but three bags!
One which will do for work, it has the required separate zipped compartments that I demand in a work bag and is neither too big or too small. It is from Hotter and cost me a magnificent £4.

The other two are both vintage evening bags and cost a bargainous £1.50 and £2.50 respectively.

Finally I ventured down to the house clearance place I have mentioned before. The place where they pile it high and then pile it even higher just because they can. It means you can get a cracking bargain, but also means that often you spot a potential bargain but can't actually get anywhere near it without risk of death or at the very least serious injury. 
It has to be seen to be believed and the stuff comes as is, so filthy dirty on the whole. Today I spotted a late 60s early 70s coffee pot in a box of other stuff. It looked like it might have been blue and white though it was hard to be sure. I gingerly picked it up and turned it over and saw 'TG Green'

"Aye, aye" thought I, I'll find out how much it is. 

The girl behind the till took it off me, looked it over and said "Probably £4, that stuff has just come from a house clearance" so I nonchalantly said I'd take it.
She dithered a bit, turning it and looking at the mark on the bottom a couple more times. I'm guessing something was telling her she should know the make, that she was trying to place it but just couldn't, lucky for me the recognition didn't kick in so I paid my £4 and left.

I should have done a before and after but I just wanted to stick that thing in some hot soapy water and scrub!
Et Voila

The pattern is Jersey Blue, it's from 1968 (the year of my birth, which seems a good omen) and whilst I was researching that, I found one for sale for £50. Not a bad return for £4.