Almost Spring afternoons -

Yesterday I was able to cut the first small bunch of golden yellow daffodils

 for the house. . . . .how they brighten things up. 

These sunny days are special, the garden is coming alive, full of

 promises. . . . and a lot of work!

Afternoon tea on the porch has been so enjoyable this week. 

I used the spring colored citron colored Anthropologie mug. 

It's quote 'EXPLORE' has been on hold a long time, but surely days

 of getting out and about are coming soon. 

While shuffling through my 'tea box' I found some interesting tea bags to try.

This green 'Passionate Pear' from TEALEAVES was a pleasant change.

 I usually drink black tea but read that green tea is more healthy. 

Do my tea specialist friends out there agree with this?

My knitting was put away after several months early in winter when I made

 a few more cowls and scarves to warm cold necks. 

Today an email came from that wonderful yarn and haberdashery shop in

 London, LOOP, located in Camden Passage - take a look if you're a knitter, 

you will love their offerings. The colors for spring are just so beautiful I may

  be pulling out my needles again to knit something new.

If I ever get back to London this will be a go to shop for certain!

 

Have a fabulous weekend friends. . . . . . . .and a very happy 

Mother's Day on Sunday to all the UK mums.

Here in the US our clocks go forward on Saturday night!

Dressing up, or down, for Spring -

In my previous post, my sleeplessness story included just a mention of 'pandemic dressing.'  Elastic waist jogger pants I believe! I probably came across as an older woman who has now resorted to old lady dressing!  But that's not so. Yes, I am older but if you know me you also know I love fashion. Always have, always will.

However, you can't get away from it, fashion has changed a lot for most of us in this past year. I for one have not made any real 'fashionable clothing' purchases. . . . . have you?

These days getting dressed takes much less effort.  

Pull on a comfortable bottom - I so love those knit jogger pants for chilly days purchased at Target I went back and bought five more pairs - and pull something cozy, light, non-itchy over the head, and you're ready to go. "Go where?" you might say. That's a question to which most of us have a simple answer today. . . . . .and the past three to four hundred previous pandemic days!

But now spring is coming and we may soon want to dress a little differently. Lighter weight, prettier colors, linens and cottons etc. Maybe skirts rather than pants at times, looser, cooler knit tops with shorter sleeve lengths, sandals rather than sneakers and booties.

All these clothes in such inviting spring/summer colors are from the POETRY spring catalog. Somehow I got on their mailing list a couple of years back. They are based in England and do have online sales direct from across the pond. I have admired much of their clothing, styles/fabrics/colors, however their prices are somewhat high and I don't know anyone who has purchased from them so wonder if the quality is that good. If you happen to have purchased from them I'd love to hear from you, thanks.

Other news: I'm now 99% gray-haired. One more haircut and I can say it took 13 months of no color and several haircuts to go from my red, chin length, straight, blunt bob to a short wavy silver pixie! I was only able to handle this transformation because of the pandemic. Not going far from home, or needing to look put together with perfect hair, helped a lot. Wearing hats last summer when I looked so bad with half red and half gray tresses helped. Now perhaps I need to find new colors to wear with gray hair. Let's go shopping soon!

My daffodils are blooming - Spring is on the way!

By the light of the moon. . . . . . .

. . . . . . or the bedside lamp!

Do you sleep well?  Always a great sleeper until the mighty lifestyle changes of the past year came along, my nightly 7-8 hours were never disturbed and I'm told I rarely even moved, let alone turned over, all night long. Things have changed though and I never seem to sleep through the night any longer.  It's not so much the having to make a quick bathroom trip - that comes with age, taking medication, and the recommended drinking of a full glass of water before bed - it's the trying to get back to sleep again. On a recent night I spent almost two hours going through my life while hoping to fall back asleep. The history, the decisions made - both good and bad - the things I need to get done soon, the things I didn't do, but should have during this past useless year when time was abundant but spirit and energy was lacking. Perhaps I was beating myself harder than I should have.  After all, I'm no longer young and moving about pain free, or full of ebullient vitality and energy as in my younger days.

It feels part of the plan now. It goes with growing in the gray hair, wearing only comfortable shoes, pulling on jogger pants with elastic waistbands (even though jogging has become walking!), taking blood pressure pills, having two aspirin in a small plastic baggie close to the bed with instructions attached as to what with them if you're experiencing a heart attack, re-doing the Will, not planting young trees or slow growing shrubs, checking retirement communities and, God forbid, assisted living facilities, and whether or not to have the torn rotator cuff surgery. The list just goes on.

But, life also goes on as the list grows longer. There are good things ahead in old age too so perhaps I should write two lists.  Since getting my two COVID  vaccinations I'm beginning to feel better about life and the future. I'm ready to make plans again. I want to travel and have reservations made for going home to England this spring which I pray will be possible. I want to cruise again, do more short road trips in the USA - even though I've seen it all before I want to go again. I want to plant azaleas and hydrangeas along the back fence - they grow quickly if given TLC with sun and shade thrown in. I bought more daylily bulbs to plant for summer color, and soon I'll gather seed packets and fill pots with several types of basil and other summer herbs. Hopefully my good neighbor will supply the tomatoes again this year and I will make pesto!

All these things are keeping me awake at night - some good some bad. How about you - do you have sleep problems? Counting sheep does not work - but perhaps you have other tips to help one fall back into dreamland. . . . . . .and of course that's a whole other world to contend with. Yes, when sleep comes I dream a lot more than before!

We are having abundant sunshine at last, the ground is drying, trees are

 budding, bulbs are blooming, and the birds are singing and searching

 for nesting sites,

 I've yet another list of things to get done this week. . . . . . in the garden!