Plaster, tea, run, repeat

Would you just look at that tulip! I've never seen anything like it - it looks like the edges have been dipped in iron filings. I love it. 

I've been thinking about flowers this week, although I don't have any other pictures to show you. I've spent a bit of time pottering in the garden, preparing it for when we sell the house. I'm slowly removing things that are high maintenance (looking at you, willow hedge) and plonking in all manner of pretty flowers for a riotous display - all the time wondering why I didn't do this before. 

'm most excited about my apple tree - I grafted it myself, and it lives in a pot, and so far it's only had a couple of flowers on each year, and I've never had an apple from it. This year there are lots of flowers, and I'm hoping for an apple or two... 

This week I've added two different varieties of ox-eye daisy, and I've also bought one of those giant red poppies - I have no idea what they're called but they're so spectacular I always stand and stare when I see one in someone's garden. I must take a picture of the unopened buds - they look like giant strawberries. 

Today has been a day of plastering, and I'm starting to realise why plasterers (and other traders I suppose) have apprentices. I could have done with one today to fetch water, clean trowels, mix plaster, run up and down stairs for things I've forgotten, move ladders, wash buckets, take things to the bin... Oh how lovely it would have been to have someone to order around to do all those things! 

But sadly I don't have an apprentice, and Peter, for all his admirable qualities, has more interesting things to do than spend his days running around after me. So instead it's me running up and down the stairs, moving things then moving them back, knocking things over and cleaning them up. 

I'm pretty sure I spend more time doing those things than actually plastering. This is how it goes. 

However, we are making progress, and I'm writing this as I take a short break for a cuppa in between plaster coats. I'm off work until next Wednesday, and I'm hoping by then that much of the upstairs plastering will be done. After that upstairs is pretty straightforward (famous last words...). 

Well, we'll see. As ever, as much as I try to concentrate on one thing, other thing sneak in. ​​

Like this little trip out yesterday to one of my favourite cafes. I don't get out here very often as it's not that close, but I have a friend who is often there, so I occasionally pop out to meet him. It's in an old flour mill, and you can sit and watch the little river idling past while you drink your tea. 

Tomorrow I'm meeting another friend in another cafe, and then another day of plastering before the half marathon. 

That's how things are round here right now. Plaster, tea, run, repeat. Not a bad life.