Half term hangover

A half term hangover is exactly what I've got, and despite not undertaking any, much needed gardening activities during the half term week, I could not bring myself to visit the allotment today. It was so grey and depressing and frankly I'm recovering, I have another week away from work so have a little time to do a few things.

Recovering from what you may ask - just non stop activity and child entertainment.

We went to my mum and dads in Cardiff on the Saturday, the two boys and me, the journey is the bit I dread especially the stop at the service station. Keeping track of both children, obtaining a hot coffee, refueling the children and a nappy change all take about an hour of full on stress. We got there.

In wales we did a lot of the usual favorites, visited St Fagans (The museum of welsh rural life), Cardiff bay, The National Museum and Penarth with its pier. We also went swimming at the pool. Everything apart from the swimming was free and if you know my mum and dad that includes board and lodge! Thanks Mum.

My mother is well ahead with the seed sowing, on every window ledge something was germinating and her spuds were chitting. I viewed the scene with a sense of urgency to get started with my seeds, I think last year I started a little early but now I'm not so sure. Ahh, I'm always running late with my gardening.

We returned home on the Thursday, its fair to say that Huw had really missed his dad. On Friday Huw returned to Nursery and I planned a special day with Owen. We went to the Fitzwilliam museum, Owen likes the Egyptian stuff in particular and Owen also chose to draw a picture of a horse rider in armour while we were there. They had an exhibition of Japanese prints on which were just fantastic it took us ages to find the tree frog on the convolous plants in one print. We nipped into the Cambridge botanic gardens (naughty mum squeezing in some plants) its free at the moment on weekdays up until the end of February, I took some pictures of snowdrops, TTVstyle.

Friday evening I went to a private view for the local photographic society I belong to, I have a picture in the display so enjoyed a quick glass of wine and looking at everyone else's submissions

On Saturday we went on a family weekend to and stayed in Derbyshire, we took a trip on the Midland railway the boys loved the steam train. We visited Dub Freeze on the Sunday which is a rag tag of VW fanatics its full of show off vehicles and scrap metal for sale. It is amazing how much time and effort people spend "pimping their rides"! We didn't manage to get a suitable skylight for our camper van. I'm not sure if I would be keen to go again it was far too busy and not that entertaining.

I was glad it was back to school today and I did indulge in some retail therapy at the garden centre. It was a bit of a wild and impulsive purchase - a cranberry bush - I have no idea if it suitable or easy to grow. So a little bit of goggleing might be in order to find out how to care for it - any advice greatly received the garden centre guys weren't very convincing with there input.