Isn’t it strange what excites us now?

I ordered 3 boxes of Milton tabs just as lockdown was announced. Im so glad. I have been able to make up my own antiviral cleaning spray and still have loads and loads in reserve.

I am 87 and live on my own. As I am also disabled and stay at home all the time unless visited by my daughter who usually takes me out forlunch and a walk in my wheelchair, I am well taken care of by my son who lives just a few miles away so I have plenty iof food in stock. I have been offered a n Easter lunch by at least two of my neighbours and had offers of shopping and any help I need. Who says neighbourhoods arent as good as they used to be nowadays. , but in Brightlingsea they certainly are. I am so glad my husband and I came to live here! XXX

My camelia is in full pink glorious flower and I'm so chuffed! I moved house last year and wasn't optimistic that it would survive but it's bigger and better than ever.

I have a most wonderful forgetmenot, Smurf, better than any I've ever seen in my garden.

It's growing in the middle of the veg patch!

I wish I'd taken pelargonium cuttings as I have empty pots with nothing to put in them, unless some very old sunflower seeds germinate.

MamaCaz I’m not allowed away from home for 12 weeks so was delighted to see my first bluebells at the weekend hiding under my Apple tree - which is just showing tiny pink buds. The primroses have been beautiful for a few weeks now and the large patch of forget-me-nots are a mass of blue flowers. I have time to photograph all my other flowers too - tulips, daffodils and hyacinths (nearly over now). My pelargonium and geranium cuttings are also beginning to flower - amazing as I haven’t taken flower cuttings since the last century! ??. Lots of birds visit my feeders and water baths. The starlings are really funny to watch in there. And I have a pair of blue tits building in my nest box ??.

I’m also amazed at the insects which are visiting my garden including a pair of ladybirds which were enjoying life to the full! Lucky devils!! Life is all out there in my little patch and I’m enjoying every moment this year. ?? x

It's a warm sunny day and I've just had an Ocado delivery!

The tadpoles are swimming around in our pond. Although we had plenty of frog spawn, we were beginning to think that we wouldn't get any tadpoles this year.

I was elated yesterday morning to see that my tomato seedling ‘babies’ (seeds were squished out of a squashy tomato) are just beginning to show their first pair of ‘true’ leaves.

Was equally pleased to find, after a good rummage among all the mess of garden stuff, that I will have enough large pots and compost from last year, to put them in. Not to mention some ancient mini peat pots for the interim transplanting. ATM they’re all in a plastic Ricotta pot rescued from the recycling. ?

I thought I was happy when I got my grocery delivery this morning order placed on March 15th.

Later my dh came out of garage overjoyed because he had found some face masks he uses when he is sanding down wood, which he had forgotten he still had any left.

Look forward to 7pm skype date on Saturday with dd and dgs's.

Oh me too MamaCaz aren't they delightful, made my day.

Yesterday's thrill was hearing a woodpecker while I was walking the dog. Today I heard a cuckoo for the first time this year.
I wonder what will excite me tomorrow.

I sat up till 00.20hrs for 4 nights over the past week to get a slot for my brother in law who is 76 & lives alone & has learning difficulties.
Couldn't get a slot despite the fact that I've done Tesco delivery since 2001.
Managed o get a slot for me on 22 April - fingers crossed forf another the following week but must try for another for BoL
He will think that Christmas had come early tomorrow as has sa delivery fron Wiltshire Farm Foods & Tesco & I've ordered loads of things that he doesn't buy for himself as he normally goes to the cafe for lunch,
He never buys scotch lemmonade & ice or lagers & yogurts & sausage rolls & pork pies & crisps!

I get a buzz from my early morning nature walk. There’s something different every day. This morning I saw the first yellowhammer of the year and was thrilled to see a hare lolloping along the lane towards me. Set me up for the day!

Dh got excited when a little girl walking past our house pointed to the teddy in our window!

I was very excited when I got on the scales today and found I've dropped half a stone. It must be the daily walk - I swear I've had more exercise this past three weeks than I've had in the past six months. Obviously it's paying off, and a consequence of lockdown that I will maintain once we are freed.

I also got excited at seeing a plane the other day. We live very close to an airport, but rarely hear any planes although if we look to the left from our garden, there's a regular procession of them usually.

I planted lots of seeds recently - tomatoes, herbs, sunflowers and pumpkins (which my granddaughter was supposed to come and plant, but lockdown put paid to that, so I did those for her), sweetcorn, cucumbers, peppers etc, and I'm getting excited at checking to see if any have started to grow, even though I know, realistically, it's much too soon!

I managed to get one tin of kidney beans in my shopping delivery. No one has had any for weeks!!! Still cant get eggs though!!

..usually packed ...

Two mallards have been seen splashing in the fountain at the bottom of The Spanish Steps in Rome (usually paced with tourists).

Brian the buzzard flying over the garden and being chased off by a crow. We haven't got as far as giving the crows names yet, there are too many of them.

Oh, I bought two bottles of a very nice Sauvignon Blanc as well which was on offer for less than I would normally pay at the big Asda/Wal-Mart that, along with Sainsbury's, usually enjoys my patronage. Would have bought more but I knew I would have to schlep it up the hill home!

I don't drive, don't live within walking distance of any of the big supermarkets, and for the past few weeks have been using up what I had in the fridge/freezer/cupboards (supplemented with the odd trip across the road to the small local convenience shop - very expensive) but I was running out of stuff so today I had to venture out to the Tesco Express much further down the road. They had absolutely everything I needed (fresh fruit, veg, chicken, skimmed milk, etc) including stuff I didn't, like toilet paper, so I know I will be OK for the week or so. All in all a total success.
Plus I was able to pop into the fish and chip shop two doors down from Tesco, which was completely empty at just after 1.30pm, where the lovely man freshly fried some chips and a piece of haddock for me. Lunch sorted and no need to cook tonight, hurrah!

The hostas are coming through.

On the downside, the hydrangea in a large pot looks as if the frost got at it.

My excitement was a whole banana each on our cereal this morning because a friend left two on my doorstep. We’ve been having half a banana each to eek them out or none at all when they’ve run out.

I am getting a Sainsbury delivery every week but everything is in their orange plastic bags. Often one item in a bag. My help says they are alright for using as dog poo bags or picking up the cat poo from the lawn.
Have a thought for the people who have to get the order together and decide which substitute to choose. I find that Sainsburys own products are usually more available.
I always leave a tip for the driver who is surprised at the fact.

I

I don't have a garden as such, but there is a patch of grass/clothes drying green, surrounded by walls at the back of my block of maisonettes. We always have small birds, e.g. various tits, flying around and nesting on one ivy covered wall. But for the first time ever, over the last couple of weeks, most days I've seen two magpies, don't know if they're a pair. I know they have a bad reputation, but my goodness, they are very beautiful. I've stood at my sitting room window for hours watching them. I really miss them on the days they don't appear.