Slow Progress

Since I started volunteering at the CS, home and garden projects have taken a bit of a back seat, due to lack of time and progress has been slow.  Having said this, progress is still being made, and I have made inroads into some jobs that I've been putting off for a long time, which is great.

I think the contrast of being out of the house two days a week or more and then spending time at home on the other days, has made me appreciate spending time at home more, and made me want to make my surroundings at home as simple and as pleasurable as possible.

Seeing how much 'stuff' comes through the shop, also keeps confirming to me, that I'm on the right track and that I don't actually need as much as I think I need, to live happily and simply.

Contrary to what I thought, I don't find myself tempted to buy much at all whilst I'm there either, although the odd small item does find it's way home with me.

The last couple of weeks have been all about getting up to scratch with the allotment and clearing out the garden shed, on the days when I'm not at the shop. I visited the allotment again yesterday and did some more clearing of weeds, so it's looking better, but there's still quite a bit to be done.

As well as doing some clearing, I managed to dig up a few plants for the garden at home whilst there, including a small blackcurrant bush, a comfrey plant, a couple of small crowns of rhubarb and a clump of chives.

There are also a few red gooseberry plants that have set down roots by layering themselves in the soil, so I intend to dig those up too and bring them home. I also cut some comfrey leaves to make comfrey tea and brought them home in a bucket to steep and use as plant food.

I was going to return there today, but unfortunately I seem to have handled a plant (possibly comfrey) and then I've touched my eye, or I've been bitten by something near my right eye and today it has swollen up pretty badly.  It's not a good look.  I look like I've been punched, but without the bruising.

The discomfort from the swelling woke me up at 4 am this morning and I eventually got up at 5 am and decided to go downstairs and apply an ice pack, rather than toss and turn in bed. I've taken some anti-inflammatories and it is feeling a little better, but I'll have to see how it goes. The allotment, however, can now wait for another week or so.

Today, I need to visit the hospital for a thyroid blood test, as I have a medication review appointment next week at my GP surgery. I tried to go on Tuesday, but at 9 am there was a roomful of people waiting and some outside of the room too, so I left it as I was on my way to the CS anyway and didn't want to be too late.

This visit, I'm going to go at 8 am when it opens and hope I fare better, then walk the dog when I get back, so getting up so early was probably not such a bad thing after all.  I  may have to wear sunglasses though, to cover my eye.

The rest of the day I'm spending at home.  I think I might tackle the mess on the table at the back of the shed and do a bit of re-organising, or alternatively make some home made beauty products, as I've run out of stick deodorant, hand wash and bath bombs.  If I get super productive, I might manage to do both jobs, which would be a bonus.

Wishing you all have a lovely weekend.