Spring in Isolation.

So 4 weeks in and we have hit a rhythm. Himself working at the kitchen table and me ensconced in the living room. Work is still very busy and I'm actually grateful right now as the days zip by, in fact I was finding I am actually doing more work, instead of having to finish up to catch my train home, when you are at home already you just carry on. So I've been being a bit more mindful of my hours. My team at work been having virtual coffee breaks a couple of times a week to just hook up and talk none work stuff, we even had a virtual cocktail hour which was fun.

Himself and I try to take a walk at least every other day, mostly pounding the pavements around town, we have a couple of routes that are either 20, 30 or 60 minutes long.
I've noticed lots of houses have teddy bears in the windows (is that a thing everywhere?) and one house has them doing different activities every day which is pretty funny, I find myself looking to see  what they are up to as we go past which I guess is the point.
The most exciting thing was discovering there is a pot bellied pig living just down the road from us! For three years I've walked to and from the station and passed him (or her) every day and not even realised

Mid week we head out to Sainsbury's, about 3.30pm seems to be a good time. We split the list in two and go in separately reconvening down the street to walk home.
I know this isn't ideal but it's either that or one person making several trips as not having a car means we have to carry everything and there is only so much you can carry in one go!
I have to say I find the whole process incredibly stressful. Even though they only let so many in at a time, once inside there are many people who just wander about, coming right up to you and even reaching over you for items instead of waiting for you to move on. I find myself holding my breath, though what I think that will achieve I have no idea! It's still pretty impossible to get online delivery slots, hence us walking down and there are there are still items you can't get.

Before the lockdown I ordered 72 perennial plant plugs for the bargainous price of £4.99  and a new mini green house.

They arrived mid lockdown right when it was impossible to get any compost anywhere, luckily I had just enough left to pot them on but that was it.Everything else would just have to wait.
I also bought a couple of trays of pansies in Wilkinsons just before lockdown too. On my couple of days off work I tidied the front garden and planted them out to add a bit of colour until everything else flowers.

This week on of our local garden centres has opened again for home delivery so I have ordered some more compost. I'm going to grow some tomatoes as it looks like I'll be at home to water them. I still haven't cancelled our long weekend in Cornwall at the end of June even though in my heart of hearts I'm pretty sure it's not going to happen.

I did a load more pottering about in the garden over the fabulous Easter weekend. Just generally tidying & weeding pots, digging up weeds and washing seed trays, empty pots and the garden furniture.
The garden is a losing battle really but there is beauty even in all the ivy covered overgrown everything.

I love how this clematis has used the knackered bird table to scramble over
We wrestled the sun lounger frames from the spiders in the shed and sat out reading. I must say another plus of the last few weeks is I have actually made a dent in my book mountain in probably the first time ever.

I decorated my Easter branch, this year using the apple trees in the garden as my source which turned out to be doubly good because they were coming into blossom so I had gorgeous fragrant blossoms too.

By far the best bit of Easter was finally getting to see my Dad for the first time in 4 weeks. We hadn't been able to get through to the care home as one of the phones was broken and when we finally could they said we could bring down treats for Dad and drop them off so my brother and I arranged to coincide at the door (keeping our distance from each other of course!)
When we got there one of the staff had the great idea of wheeling Dad onto the balcony so we could stand in the car park below and call up to him. It was only meant to be for 15 minutes but we ended up being there for 45 as most of the staff came out one by one to chat too. I guess it was nice for them to have new faces to talk too.

I'll finish with my latest bag purchases, I have one more due to arrive at some point. I had a little flurry of online buying. Easter Monday I spent the day cleaning and mending my quarantined bags and trying to find somewhere for them in my collection. I really am going to have to stop slow down my bag buying I have finally run out of space!

I read something by Caitlin Moran saying you will become obsessed with the birds in your garden. I was pretty obsessed already but it has been wonderful to see who visits throughout the day and another plus point of a madly overgrown garden is it is full of nesting pairs.