Before my day took off with a bang, I thought I'd be good and do Pilates. I'm trying to be more consistent with getting exercise and mornings are a good time. So I did 50 minutes of Pilates. Finally, I'm starting to realize I DO have some muscle! I could hold teaser for perhaps the first time ever! (Teaser is a move where basically you are sitting on the mat and your upper and lower body form a V.)
Well, Joanne and I got breakfast and then walked to the bank and then to HomeBase (think HomeDepot) to get some gardening things. (Pause for one moment. My family keeps emailing me saying...?!?! Hope? Bike rides and gardening? Now listen here, dear family, I've always enjoyed biking! Need I remind you that I grew up riding my bike several kilometers to a stable to then ride horses for a few hours? And as for the gardening, I did help my mother garden, mostly without complaining! Additionally, am I not the one who convinced my two younger cousins to "clean up the barn" because I thought it was too dirty for the cows to live in? Ok, resume.)
So we spent about £30 on gardening things and managed to entertain the staff there. We bought seeds for our flower bed, new gloves, a potted plant, weed kill, plant food....We also bought a huge bag of potting soil, dreading the thought that we had to carry our purchases the 1.3 miles home. The men at HomeBase did seem to be skeptical, but as the one told us, "I used to know a woman who did kickboxing. I was terrified of her. Ever since then, I haven't dared to doubt a woman's strength." Wise man.
We were equally wise. We took the bus, which wasn't direct, but saved us part of the trip. We also walked by a fruit and veg stand, and added onions, apples, and apricots to our handfuls. (That part wasn't wise.)
Once home, we ate a quick lunch and dug in (pun intended) to the gardening. We had to pull lots of weeds, cut back the most impossible bush with huge thorns (we have marks to show for our efforts) and planted some seeds.
This is what we took turns carrying home!
If that wasn't enough, we then walked to Paul and Claire's, another 20 minute walk, to check on their house and feed the fish, and then to the high road to get some groceries. By the time we go to Tesco, we were so hungry we just bought a frozen pizza and Pepsis for dinner. (Another sign of my genetic heritage.) Hopefully soon we will have some little sprouts to show in our flower bed, aside from the few little flowers that have withstood the destructive power of weeds through the years. I'll be sure to post pictures :)
I posted my picture from my bike ride yesterday on Facebook. A friend in a very dry climate commented on the greenness of the park in envy. Michele, I had to laugh. We clearly live in different climates. I take the green for granted. What I notice and celebrate is the blue clear sky!
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