Sorting Mother's Garden & Hot News!

Overslept after setting the alarm early, I obviously needed the extra hours! Spent the afternoon at Mother's house sorting out the garden with Vivien and Ray who had arrived in the morning and done tons already. Well, to be honest I didn't do that much – I pruned all the buddleias outside the front gate, balanced on a step ladder, so mother can see the pond and changed the water in the bird drinking baths. The pond area and willows is excellent for Spring migrants, but if the neighbour's get their way with their planning permission, this wonderful view could cease to exist. I do wish that people who move into little cottages and want to extend them to twice the size and ruin the history of 'my' village, would leave, go elsewhere and simply buy a bigger property! There will be serious issues if the cottage is extended with the 'new parking area' re-located to opposite where I currently park, as I have no intention of moving my car, so how will they get out/in of their drive?!!! Oh dear! I have a feeling my mother's immediate neighbour will do the same with her car – we are not happy at all and neither is anyone else in the road. Also, the road is not tarmacked and is privately owned amongst the residents and is a quagmire when there has been a heavy downpour – any increase in traffic will churn up the road even further.

Another neighbour who had complained about mother's owl box, will now be very happy to hear that the fallen box (in recent high winds) has now been removed expertly by Ray. It had fallen and was hanging, suspended by a thick rope around the tree and could have fallen at some point and the neighbour had complained that it might fall into his garden and hit him on the head! This would have been highly unlikely as the angle it was positioned, mean't that it was much more likely to land into mother's garden. Mother has been worrying about it constantly, so NOW it is her garden, which should keep the neighbour happy! Thanks to Ray and Vivien for sorting it – they both did loads of other work and are hoping to have a big bonfire in the next few weeks.

After having a hot drink, we all departed and headed home. I then picked Lucy up at around 6.20pm and took her back to my house so she could sit at my Apple iMac to mark down the 'bowings' for the next concert she is playing in. Cooked my tea whilst Lucy was doing this – she finished at 8pm and then sat with me to watch the 'Call The Midwife', but chatted all the way through, so I didn't really get to watch it all! Took her home at 9pm and then made a wonderful 'Beetroot Couscous with roast squash and feta' for work tomorrow. Busy weekend, but lots achieved!

I also joined 'Weight Watchers' last Wednesday and signed up and paid for the next four months! I have been comfort eating so much over the last couple of years and things have got out of hand. I have to take back control of my health before I end up on my own ward!!! I realised how much better this diet is than Slimming World, as with WW you simply have 23 'Smart Points' a day and 42 extra for the week – long story short, this way of dieting works much better for me – so, here we go!