Of gardening gadgets and concerts
For the last few years, we've been neglecting our garden. Oh, the lawn got mowed - because I pay someone to do that - and the necessary trimming to allow the car to get down the driveway, but that's about it. One of our neighbours has jasmine and it went riot in any other garden it could get to. So after years of neglect, the part of the garden that was supposed to grow herbs and veggies was not so much a garden as a jungle of jasmine and weeds of various kinds.
Finally, we have started taking drastic measures! Currently the area looks a bit like the devastation of Smaug, though without the burning. I have managed to replant some of the sections of the herb garden and we have been using our own dill, basil and rocket (ok, the latter not strictly a herb, but it's in the only part of the garden that's plantable at the moment).
So, plans are afoot for our garden, but some of them are very long term unless we win some money and can afford to pay someone else to do the things we want done. While there's a certain level of satisfaction in doing these things yourself, I'd really prefer to actually have it finished in a reasonable time.
On the gadget side, both Styvyn and I have become iphone wankers. I suspect the fascination will eventually wane. In the meantime, out friends have been very patient.
MUS, the choir I'm in, recently put on a concert. Nothing unusual in this per se - we do a few each year. However, this time the conductor who has been with the choir for 20 years left halfway through preparation for the concert. This meant a bit of extra stress for the choir in finding a new conductor for this concert and also starting preparation to find a new conductor on a long term basis. It was also a bit stressful on the conductor who took over. However, it went very well and I actually enjoyed singing most of it. This is surprising as there were a few pieces in it that are amongst my all time least favourite pieces of choral music. Fortunately, there were a whole lot more that I did like.
Finally, we have started taking drastic measures! Currently the area looks a bit like the devastation of Smaug, though without the burning. I have managed to replant some of the sections of the herb garden and we have been using our own dill, basil and rocket (ok, the latter not strictly a herb, but it's in the only part of the garden that's plantable at the moment).
So, plans are afoot for our garden, but some of them are very long term unless we win some money and can afford to pay someone else to do the things we want done. While there's a certain level of satisfaction in doing these things yourself, I'd really prefer to actually have it finished in a reasonable time.
On the gadget side, both Styvyn and I have become iphone wankers. I suspect the fascination will eventually wane. In the meantime, out friends have been very patient.
MUS, the choir I'm in, recently put on a concert. Nothing unusual in this per se - we do a few each year. However, this time the conductor who has been with the choir for 20 years left halfway through preparation for the concert. This meant a bit of extra stress for the choir in finding a new conductor for this concert and also starting preparation to find a new conductor on a long term basis. It was also a bit stressful on the conductor who took over. However, it went very well and I actually enjoyed singing most of it. This is surprising as there were a few pieces in it that are amongst my all time least favourite pieces of choral music. Fortunately, there were a whole lot more that I did like.