Tulip

A trip into town this morning for a series of errands, called slightly short by the hairdresser being unexpectedly full (why I thought we could just wander in on the morning before the Easter holidays began I don't know). Anyway, she could fit Mr B in a 2pm so all was well. On then to the homewares store to collect a canopy thing for the 'terrace' which I'd tried to buy on Wednesday. I was rather confused by her saying they couldn't find it in the store room, until today I saw the store room - rammed floor to ceiling with boxes higgledy piggledy and no light. Regardless, our canopy thingy was liberated and is now in the 'dining room' until after Easter.

Just so you know, the 'terrace' will lose its inverted commas when it is more civilised. It took a step towards that today with part of it being strimmed. The grass was past my knees, so it was really time. Tomorrow perhaps I'll dig out the plants from it I want to keep, and try and eradicate the rest of the weeds. I suspect it will remain a slightly lumpy assemblage of soil and grass tussocks, with occasional brambles, for the rest of this summer - but maybe next year those inverted commas can be properly shed. The 'dining room' needs a table to lose its commas. Obviously.

Last day at school for the kids today, and for Katherine the happy realisation that she has now been in French school for one school year. And a chance for us all to realise how for they've come. We're not quite at the anniversary of living here, but nearly.

This is a tulip. You probably guessed that already. You could have won a shot of the bizarre inside of a tulip, or some teeny basil seedlings, but in the end this bloom was looking so perfect that I couldn't resist it. Anyone tried growing tulips from seed? I hear it takes many years from seed to flower, but I thought I might give it a shot.

And now, the holidays begin in earnest.