Labouring

So, what have I been up to this week?  Well it's been pretty full on.  Photog soc on Monday - hand in for the next competition, to be judged this coming Monday.  Then on Wednesday I was back at Tai Chi and, despite practicing and watching the DVD, I couldn't remember the moves.  Still I'll keep practicing and, who knows, maybe one day I'll get it right.  Not only are we walking backwards now, we're also balancing on one leg - this from the woman who finds it difficult to balance on two legs!

On Thursday we had the inaugural meeting of a new reading group (or book club, call it what you will).  We decided to call it Go With The Flow to show just how relaxed we're going to be about what we'll read.  We drew up a shortlist of books and, on Friday, I went to the library and made the whole thing official.

I am now the membership card holder and contact with the library.  There was a very friendly and helpful woman there who has sorted us out and reserved the necessary books for us (we're starting with The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith).  We'll have six weeks to read the books then tea and biscuits while we discuss them.  It will be a nice change to have adult conversation (in my family, conversation usually revolves around babies and children, how they are and what they are doing).

I spent the rest of  Friday afternoon window shopping and managed to prevent myself from spending £60 on a handbag (but it was beautiful) and instead spent £5 on a reed diffuser for my living room.  I had planned to spend the weekend in the garden, tidying up and disposing of the rubbish, cutting back shrubs and 'pruning' trees but it has rained all day.  Despite this, I did spent a couple of hours labouring, sorting out the mess left by various 'helpers' and clearing the side entrance.  I had to do this as the tree men are coming next Saturday.

If you look at this photo of my back garden...

...taken at the end of June last year, you can see that the tree is falling open.  I had three options

1. do nothing and hope it didn't cause any damage when it finally fell apart
2. rope the individual stems together to try and make it look neat and then cover with a net to retain the shape
3. chop it down

Originally I intended to keep the tree as it partially hid the house at the back but that house cuts out a lot of sunlight in the summer and I didn't need to lose more because of the tree.  In addition, the tree isn't native to this country so it doesn't really support much wildlife whereas the shrubs behind do.  The deciding factor was when I found a paved area around the base of the tree.  So the new plan is to chop the tree down leaving the trunks at about hip height and then to put a table top on those trunks for a permanent outside table.  I think it'll open out the garden and reveal several lovely shrubs that are currently hidden.

Anyway, this coming Saturday is when it happens so I had to clear a passage for the workmen.  Two hours in the pouring rain, three pairs of garden gloves soaked through and one very miserable Shiralee later and it was all done.  The rubbish is neatly stacked according to type, the potted plants have been moved and the various bits of brick, broken brick and broken paving slab have been moved to a more useful location.  Now I just need a new back to replace the aching one I have.