Welcome and come on in. This week has given me nothing to complain about despite Bundy’s surgery but I’ll get to that. Before we start would you like a beverage – I have almost everything in the hot drink department and you are limited in the cold drinks to water, water or water with cordial. I do have fizzy water that you are welcome to try.
If we were having coffee I’d tell you that on Monday the dogs had their first summer grooming. They had become long and people were saying that Muffin and I were looking very alike (except my hair didn’t seem to be blocking my ability to see.)
We didn’t recognise Muffin whose fur came off like a fleece. Bundy suffered – not from the care of the cutter who was very good and gentle with him but he is just such an old dog his arthritis has flared up. We also discovered the cyst which we had the vet look at on our last visit was so vascular that it was constantly bleeding. We took him to the vet in the afternoon and arranged for surgery on the Wednesday. He survived it well so now we just have to get his arthritis under control again.
If we were having coffee I’d tell you that I haven’t had much time for reading this week as we have been working on the garden. We put up two screens to hide the service areas and create another garden room. I have bought two raised vegetable beds and when I clear out the mess of garden I plan on adding them. We have also planted some sods of grass which I hope will take over the bare patches in a fairly short space of time and we have started painting the fence. Already it is a much nicer place to be.
It is a work in progress and I am enjoying having a garden to play in again.
If we were having coffee I’d tell you that we had a lovely meal with friends. We have started dining once a fortnight and are attempting to go to places that we haven’t been before. Our way of taking a gamble. It’s a lot of fun.
If we were having coffee I’d tell you that I am struggling to achieve the things I really want to achieve – like finishing the edit on my first memoir, spending time on my new manuscript, organising my photos and scanning photos that are currently in albums and I want to publish by Christmas a book of flash fiction. The gardening side tracks me but so does all manner of other pursuits. I have decided therefore that I am going to write a list – being a goal oriented deadline driven person this will include realistic goals with a deadline it has to be done by. The secret is not to be too ambitious and be realistic in what can be achieved in the time you have available. Do you have any secrets for managing your time?
We are now in Spring and the weather is just perfect. Warm days with still coolish nights. We desperately need rain. If only we could work out a way of sharing the deluges. I send my thoughts for those in Houston who are awash with water. The clean up from a flood I think is the worst thing to deal with and my heart goes out to those affected.
Now it is your turn. How was your week? Has your weather been warmer/colder, wetter/drier. Have you read any good books or seen any good films? Thank you for dropping in for coffee and thank you to our weekend coffee host, Diana, from part-time monster for having us and giving us a place to meet up.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
Spring is one of my favourite season. I am however in an area that is entering into fall, another favourite season of mine. We are slowly harvest the vegetables out of our garden for the year and I will miss working in it till our spring. Great post, thanks for sharing.
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Thanks for dropping in for coffee. I agree that the two transitional seasons are my favourites as well. Autumn is my preferred because we get winds in Spring that can be a bit destructive. I’ve never lived somewhere that I can’t get out in the garden all year – I think I’d miss it but I’d probably catch up on all the inside jobs I put on hold. Have a good week.
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We are on opposite sides of the seasons (just entering fall), but we are yearning for rain too! We’ve had no rain this summer, plants are suffering, especially the larger trees. The rain supply seems a little out of whack these years!
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Everything seems a little out of whack. We are either getting too much (like Houston and Asia) or not enough. I fear we are already experiencing the effects of climate change.
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So happy to hear Bundy made it through surgery. Sending good vibes to him. ❤ Your gardening project looks like it's going well. Look forward to finished pictures.
This hit me: "I am struggling to achieve the things I really want to achieve…" Yeah, that's how I've been for months. But I'm getting there. And excited to hear you're publishing a collection and working on that memoir. 🙂 I have NO secrets on how to manage time and really struggle with it.
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Yes we are glad he made it through. I’m going to have one distraught husband when he goes. I think the thing I like about the gardening is that it is instant gratification that just continues to get better.
I think Sarah that so many of us struggle with this. I found it interesting that I got more done and had more time when I was doing my thesis. It was because everyone around me was really good and gave me space to work (and it wasn’t always on my thesis). Now that has gone writing just for the sake of writing seems to be devalued and insufficient reason to be given the time to hide away. As a result I now have less time and the things I really want to do are way down the list. Perhaps someone will come up with a suggestion that could help us both but I have read all the time management ideas and nothing seems to really work.
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It’s devastating to lose a pet (for those of us who consider them part of the family) so let’s hope you’ve got a long while with him.
I don’t like to link drop in comments (so I won’t) but, on my blog, I’ve been writing a lot about time and stress and managing to do lists and saying no and more. Trying to find more time and energy for things I actually want to do and getting rid of things I’m doing out of guilt or obligation. I’ve found some great books and Ted talks. Still…it’s tough. It’s a process. I am not surprised one bit that you were “given” more time when you were writing something of “value”. It’s awful, but I’ve experienced the same. Writing, if not to gain a degree or earn money, is devalued.
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Keeping the fingers crossed we have him for a long time yet.
I’ve missed you Sarah and your Sunday thought bubbles. I haven’t watched the TED talk yet but I will. I think it is a great idea to decide what you don’t care about and then stop caring about it. I too will make a list but that I think will be the easy part. Look forward to our journeys of saying no. I agree – it is devalued but I plan to start putting the value back into it.
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We need to put the value back in. However we can.
Yes, writing the list was the easy part. Then deciding not to care. Then putting that into practice. Ugh. Years of bad habits must be broken for that last one.
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I have also realised today that I also devalue it by allowing other things to be more important. It is time I said this is my writing time. Everything else can wait. By treating it as valuable myself perhaps it will rub off on others.
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This is EXACTLY what I’m trying to do right now. Yes, we devalue it, as well. “This is more important.” “This is a bigger priority.” And on… We need to hold each other accountable. 😉
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I’m in. I am definitely in the mood to change my mindset and influence others.
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Expect an email, my friend…. Let’s do this.
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Absolutely. Will keep an eye out.
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I am please Bundy made it. I like muffins hair cut. I been Diane post so late that my posts are now just on my own site. I broke my hip and leg August 21, Presently I am in a rehab. I hope to catch up my reviews Hope thing are positive for you.
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I’m sorry to hear you broke your hip Betty. How is the rehab going? I’ll pop over and visit your site. I was too late for the link up and there weren’t many people there. Wishing you a speedy recovery and a wonderful week of healing. Hugs
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You are really busy! I can’t wait to see photos of your garden when it’s matured. Muffin looks like a different dog (you sure you aren’t fooling us?) and I’m sorry to hear that Bundy isn’t feeling well. Hope you get back to your writing.
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We don’t recognise Muffin. We wondered if perhaps the groomer swapped dogs until she did some Muffin behaviour. I’m sure you’ll see more pictures of the garden. I have to say I’m impatient for it to mature as well. I hope I get back to writing to – the time seems to have evaporated.
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