It's that funny week between Christmas and New Year, when the excitement of Christmas has gone (and by then I am quite glad to see it go) and anticipating New Year and a fresh new start. I would normally try and get some hill walking done or started tidying the garden but the weather has been so wet it's not happened. After the heavy rain and end of the latest storm, the news and social media was full of videos, accounts and photos of the serious flooding across the country. We have been lucky here at home and the nursery with no damage, especially considering how close some of the flooding is to us. I feel so sorry for those who start the new year having to rebuild homes and business out of the floods.
On Wednesday after a long lie David and I went along to the nursery to check everything was still standing, which it was. I checked the cafe flowers and topped up the water and we treated ourselves to a mocha. One of the farm tunnels has lost it's covered but as Pete the farmer said, he's got eight years out it, so you know. In the afternoon I worked on a goal setting list for the beginning of 2016 until my laptop started playing up, it's less than a year old so I suspect I am going to have to go through the torture of taking it back and getting it looked at. So I didn't get as much done as hoped, but the manual mouse is working, so until it goes in to be fixed all is not lost. I had an unusual night at home on my own as all the boys and David were out to the cinema to see Star Wars.
Thursday was another dull, overcast day as we headed into Glasgow to take middle son and his Christmas stuff back to his flat. He was planning to celebrate new year with his friends and has studying and work to do. After helping take everything up two flights of stairs (good exercise) we headed back along the motorway to Livingston to do some shopping. We needed another steak pie for New Years day dinner as the one that came with the shopping delivery was way too small for three of us. A few bits and pieces picked up in Hobbycraft and then off to the local aquarium and fish shop to buy some new fish for the tanks and a new fish to take over from the lately departed Dave the Siamese Fighter. I got him and his tank from David for Christmas last year and he sadly died in November. I wanted another scarlet like Dave but got a blue and red who is now called Brian! (queue quotes from the Monty python fans in the house) We also got some new neons for Brian's tank (the bigger existing ones have gone into the big tank in the lounge along with a few new corys, a silver shark and some zebra danios.
I can't believe 2015 is over, it's certainly been a lot different from what I anticipated a year ago. It's been a year of highs: getting engaged, buying the nursery (didn't expect that at all) and meeting new enthusiastic positive people. The lows, well it wouldn't be life without them I guess: not having Malcolm in our lives, the devastating news of my sister's cancer and watching her battle through the treatment (I still can't put into words how that has made me feel this year). In between there has been lots of other wee things, learning curves, challenges (good and bad), trips to new places, seeing our kids grow and develop. Who knows what next year will bring, hopefully health, love and happiness to us all and to you too. Thank you to those who have supported, listened, helped us weed and build the nursery, laughed with us and listened to me rant. It wouldn't be the same without you.
Friday, New Years day, overcast, cold, a sprinkling of snow overnight, a long lie and catching up on wee jobs before taking youngest son to his Dad's for the weekend. It's just eldest, David and I for New Years dinner, such a contrast from years gone by when we had big family get togethers on New years Day. That's the difference one difficult person can make, sadly.
It is Saturday I believe, I am losing track of what day it is by the time we get to this point in the holidays. I did get my set task for the day done (part of 100 goals) which was to make a list of events, holidays and awareness days that we could use to tie in an event or sales at the nursery. Yesterday's task was to finish filling in my diary and planner. I am feeling very motivated and got all the decorations and tree down and packed away. The needles got hoovered up when the hoover wasn't on strike, hmmmmm. I even got the ironing done, that's how motivated I feel! Now I will need to go and lie down. Sunday and I've updated the website for Quercus and sorted a few glitches, come up with a rough list of blogs I want to do and started working on events for 2016 at the nursery. I've got to make the most of feeling like this before I hit a slump.
Unlike this lazy doglet, this Quirky bird has had another busy achieving day. Lots done in the house, cleaning, Christmas decorations in the attic and a trip to Biggar to get another gas tank for the greenhouse heater as the temps are forecast to drop again. The heater has been off again for the past few nights, which though mad for January here in Scotland, certainly helps save money! I've spent a large part of the day again working on back ground planning for the nursery and finished my day 4 task, which was a bigger one today. I challenged myself to get on and finish the perennials page on the website. I've been avoiding it for a while as it involves sitting down and putting in lots of information. Anyway I did it, much progress again. You can see the page here Quercus Garden Plants perennials. So far so good with the 100 days challenge, I've completed every one I have set myself so far and achieved a lot more besides, it certainly provides focus and it's great to read everyone else's progress and challenges in the group.
Last day off today, back to work tomorrow, but I feel I am going back really organised and motivated. Youngest was back at school today, we managed to get up in time for the school bus, and it all went to plan ............ or so I thought. I had a phone call from school jut after 9am to say Dan had forgotten his PE kit and geography folder, could I bring them, good thing it was my day off. In fact it motivated me to do the last few errands I should have done before going back to work: another pile of stuff to the charity shop, a new blazer for Daniel bought, banking and letters posted. The rest of the day was spent in the warmth of the office (it's another driech cold day out there) working on a new page on the website. I got it done from start to finish, so quite chuffed with myself, you can see it here, herbs and fruit. It was also my task for today as part of the 100 days goal challenge. The difficult part of this challenge will be when I go back to work, as a lot of the tasks I've set myself are outdoors in the nursery and are weather dependant. But I've built in flexibility in that every second day is an indoor task, so I can switch days around.
So that's it, another festive season over, another year begun, where will this one take us? The last few for me have thrown up huge changes, challenges and surprises, I can't imagine 2016 will be any different.
Have a great week.
 |
| Flooding in York two years ago when we visited, it was a lot worse this week, sadly |
On Wednesday after a long lie David and I went along to the nursery to check everything was still standing, which it was. I checked the cafe flowers and topped up the water and we treated ourselves to a mocha. One of the farm tunnels has lost it's covered but as Pete the farmer said, he's got eight years out it, so you know. In the afternoon I worked on a goal setting list for the beginning of 2016 until my laptop started playing up, it's less than a year old so I suspect I am going to have to go through the torture of taking it back and getting it looked at. So I didn't get as much done as hoped, but the manual mouse is working, so until it goes in to be fixed all is not lost. I had an unusual night at home on my own as all the boys and David were out to the cinema to see Star Wars.
 |
| Youngest son seems to think his chocolate is at risk of being eaten! |
Thursday was another dull, overcast day as we headed into Glasgow to take middle son and his Christmas stuff back to his flat. He was planning to celebrate new year with his friends and has studying and work to do. After helping take everything up two flights of stairs (good exercise) we headed back along the motorway to Livingston to do some shopping. We needed another steak pie for New Years day dinner as the one that came with the shopping delivery was way too small for three of us. A few bits and pieces picked up in Hobbycraft and then off to the local aquarium and fish shop to buy some new fish for the tanks and a new fish to take over from the lately departed Dave the Siamese Fighter. I got him and his tank from David for Christmas last year and he sadly died in November. I wanted another scarlet like Dave but got a blue and red who is now called Brian! (queue quotes from the Monty python fans in the house) We also got some new neons for Brian's tank (the bigger existing ones have gone into the big tank in the lounge along with a few new corys, a silver shark and some zebra danios.
 |
| Meet Brian |
 |
| The big tank |
I can't believe 2015 is over, it's certainly been a lot different from what I anticipated a year ago. It's been a year of highs: getting engaged, buying the nursery (didn't expect that at all) and meeting new enthusiastic positive people. The lows, well it wouldn't be life without them I guess: not having Malcolm in our lives, the devastating news of my sister's cancer and watching her battle through the treatment (I still can't put into words how that has made me feel this year). In between there has been lots of other wee things, learning curves, challenges (good and bad), trips to new places, seeing our kids grow and develop. Who knows what next year will bring, hopefully health, love and happiness to us all and to you too. Thank you to those who have supported, listened, helped us weed and build the nursery, laughed with us and listened to me rant. It wouldn't be the same without you.
Friday, New Years day, overcast, cold, a sprinkling of snow overnight, a long lie and catching up on wee jobs before taking youngest son to his Dad's for the weekend. It's just eldest, David and I for New Years dinner, such a contrast from years gone by when we had big family get togethers on New years Day. That's the difference one difficult person can make, sadly.
It is Saturday I believe, I am losing track of what day it is by the time we get to this point in the holidays. I did get my set task for the day done (part of 100 goals) which was to make a list of events, holidays and awareness days that we could use to tie in an event or sales at the nursery. Yesterday's task was to finish filling in my diary and planner. I am feeling very motivated and got all the decorations and tree down and packed away. The needles got hoovered up when the hoover wasn't on strike, hmmmmm. I even got the ironing done, that's how motivated I feel! Now I will need to go and lie down. Sunday and I've updated the website for Quercus and sorted a few glitches, come up with a rough list of blogs I want to do and started working on events for 2016 at the nursery. I've got to make the most of feeling like this before I hit a slump.
 |
| Sleepy doglet |
Unlike this lazy doglet, this Quirky bird has had another busy achieving day. Lots done in the house, cleaning, Christmas decorations in the attic and a trip to Biggar to get another gas tank for the greenhouse heater as the temps are forecast to drop again. The heater has been off again for the past few nights, which though mad for January here in Scotland, certainly helps save money! I've spent a large part of the day again working on back ground planning for the nursery and finished my day 4 task, which was a bigger one today. I challenged myself to get on and finish the perennials page on the website. I've been avoiding it for a while as it involves sitting down and putting in lots of information. Anyway I did it, much progress again. You can see the page here Quercus Garden Plants perennials. So far so good with the 100 days challenge, I've completed every one I have set myself so far and achieved a lot more besides, it certainly provides focus and it's great to read everyone else's progress and challenges in the group.
 |
| I do like amareti biscuits and I love the tins too, they are taking over the top of the dresser, this is just a few of them! |
Last day off today, back to work tomorrow, but I feel I am going back really organised and motivated. Youngest was back at school today, we managed to get up in time for the school bus, and it all went to plan ............ or so I thought. I had a phone call from school jut after 9am to say Dan had forgotten his PE kit and geography folder, could I bring them, good thing it was my day off. In fact it motivated me to do the last few errands I should have done before going back to work: another pile of stuff to the charity shop, a new blazer for Daniel bought, banking and letters posted. The rest of the day was spent in the warmth of the office (it's another driech cold day out there) working on a new page on the website. I got it done from start to finish, so quite chuffed with myself, you can see it here, herbs and fruit. It was also my task for today as part of the 100 days goal challenge. The difficult part of this challenge will be when I go back to work, as a lot of the tasks I've set myself are outdoors in the nursery and are weather dependant. But I've built in flexibility in that every second day is an indoor task, so I can switch days around.
So that's it, another festive season over, another year begun, where will this one take us? The last few for me have thrown up huge changes, challenges and surprises, I can't imagine 2016 will be any different.
Have a great week.
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You can now sign up for our monthly newsletter on the facebook page or by emailing us to be added to our mailing list
All contents and photographs © Rona, unauthorised reproduction & use of these images is strictly forbidden
All the very best for you all in 2016 Rona - I don't know about you but I'm kind of glad it's all passed and normality has set in once again!
ReplyDeleteYou've been very focused, I'm impressed!
Hi Angie, I agree, much as I like Christmas, it's always a relief to get back to normal and get on with the next year, I'm making most of being motivated with energy while it lasts, there will be a dip at some point. I'm looking forward to seeing how your garen fills out this coming year, here's hoping we get some sun and warmth too :)
ReplyDeleteWhat an achieving few days you are having! It must be the New Year I think. I can't compare mine with yours but I do seem to be full of energy right now. You are right - we need to catch the wave!
ReplyDeleteHi Elizabeth, yes it's very much learning to go with the flow, at long last I've realised that that works and fighting it doesn't, we get there eventually :)
Delete