Oh boy, oh boy!

Absolutely thrilled that the garden in the 'new' house has lilac trees. And a laburnam.

Both these bring back memories of my early teens and the house I lived in then en famille.

I had just started secondary school. Private, posh, all girls, high school that I went to on a scholarship. The top girls that passed their 11 plus were selected...I hated it.

At the same time we had moved from a terrace house with an outside toilet and a back yard and a wash house. Dont worry I am not going to take you down that memory lane.

We moved to a detached, with bathroom, my own bedroom, and a beautiful garden. In the garden were lilacs all along the front garden and laburnams down the side garden. Coming from a street, with back yards, not gardens, I can still remember the ecstacy of seeing all that colour that I could touch and smell.

Through all my moves of then on I never had a decent lilac or any laburnam. Our last move before we came here there was a white lilac, which, quite frankly, was an apology for a lilac. It flowered but was quite spindly and didnt smell. Here at Greenbrae there is a lilac. But it never flowers properly. The first year I realised it wasnt flowering so hacked it to the ground, as that what it said to do in a book. Well it grew back, lushly, and has only ever had one bloom in the last eight years. So I hardly ever felt like cutting it and bringing it in the house, that would be cruel!

Mike has just been to CC taking more outside stuff to park behind the garage there. And reported back on there being at least two lilacs. And we had already noted the laburnam. Just up the road from where we are now our neighbour has an open garden every other year and he has an avenue of laburnams, or is it a tunnel? Not sure of the proper description. To view that in full flower is awesome. But even one tree I shall take pleasure in. I am not that keen on yellow flowers but make an exception for laburnam.

Today I am shattered. Tired out. We spent almost all yesterday just sat around waiting. The stuff I had offered on freecycle blocking everywhere and waiting for people to collect. And waiting and waiting.
"I'll be there between 9a.m. and 10a.m."
No show.
"I'll be there between 11a.m. and noon."
2.30.p.m. "I was in the garden and forgot the time."
The table and chairs man never appeared. Every time I emailed him it bounced back .....
Then just as I was ready to sit down and relax the other lot arrived , who were to take the most and did so. Watching them depart with a precariously, piled high trailer, was a nail biting moment. They came back this morning and took the rest. Nice to know I have just about set up home for a lady that had nothing. She now has a cooker and a bed, a sideboard, wallpaper, paint, t.v. cupboard, bed side tables. Satisfaction all round. The man for the table and chairs also arrived. And our friends came for a wardrobe. So no more freecycling, till we move and find half the stuff we have taken we dont want!

I still do not have one empty room. Tell a lie, upstairs both bedrooms and bathroom have been cleared, but they never had much in them anyway! 5 more bedrooms and bathrooms to go.

The last Saturday here at Greenbrae. While the rest of Britain is apparently sweltering in a heat wave and yes, it is sunny and warm here too, but, as is fairly usual here, there is the wind. CC has high hedges all around so just maybe my next Saturday wine down will be outside and without having to anchor the table and holding the wine bottle between my knees. Cheers.