Nobody likes a wallow-er (the possible exception being pigs wallowing in mud – that’s an acceptable form of wallowing).  By last Friday I felt the need to wallow, but it seemed completely pointless.  So I gave myself a couple of hours to feel sorry for myself and then decided enough was enough.  From Saturday I would just ‘get on with it’ day.  I did a lot.  And learned a few lessons:

For the first time in months I got on my bike and within ½ mile I’d got to a road closed sign.  As other cyclists will know, this is more of a challenge than a command so I carried on….and came to a rather large fire and number of firemen.  As the fire was under control (It was a file of something in a field rather than someone’s home) I chatted to them, asked if they had enough tea and coffee and they said all they were really missing was bacon sandwiches.  That seemed like a reasonable request to me so after my ride, I went to the local shop, bought the goods and made up 8 butties.  In return, I requested a photo:

Lovely smiley firemen :o)

Lesson:  Get outside.  You never know what you’ll find or how many people you will be able to make smile.

I tackled the garden. 

Lesson:  It’s not the best idea to have loud music in your ears and secateurs in your hand.  On the upside, nobody else will have trees pruned in quite the same way as me…my garden is looking…unique. 

Washed the car.  This is a dangerous activity as I think my car is mostly held together with the dirt it is covered in. 

Lesson: I’m pleased to report that not only does it still work but it is now a rusty/silver colour rather than its usual ‘mud’.

Did the embroidery for 6 Christmas stockings

Lesson: It may be possible to multitask when doing this, but possibly not when the additional activity is pruning the garden.  The constant stretch-run-crouch-run was probably a good bit of exercise.

Went to the sewing shop for thread that was rapidly being used up

Lesson: Perhaps next time a change of clothes having spent a few hours over pruning the garden would be a good idea.  Or a bit of hair brushing.  Anything to remove the garden and reduce the pulled-through-hedge-backwards look.

Made 2 chocolate and banana loaves

Lesson: These can feed 5 people.  They could probably feed 6 if you don’t put them on the top shelf of the oven that is so high they don’t rise.  Still, a flat topped chocolate and banana loaf is a bit different.

That was Saturday.  Sunday morning I realised another lesson: If you rush around doing all the above the end result is a house that looks like it’s been burgled by an interesting trio – a gardener (explaining the trail of mud and tree), a seamstress (thread and material coated part of my lounge) and a chef (raw banana loaf all over the kitchen).  It means a lot of cleaning.

Hey ho.  At least I didn’t wallow and achieve nothing  :o)

The only acceptable form of wallowing