Gardening at Easter

I was aware that this Easter Sunday was going to be spent in Bath as I couldn't figure out if I was need for a get-in today or not. As it turned out - I'm not! So I decided to get the garden at the place I'm living now in order - it's just so lovely having a garden - even if most of it is gravel and paving slabs.

There are 2 raised beds containd by railway sleepers and me and Tate (Housemate) to some extent, have big plans for them. I spent today weeding, getting rid of anything I didn't want, trying to identify the large, red palm-y type thing taking up 1/3 of one of the beds (and then trying to figure out if it's dead...), moving some bulb type plants, re-organising the shed so I can use it as a sort-of-greenhouse (it has a window!) and then planting some new stuff.

Feeling quite chuffed with myself at all I've managed to get done - although only the next few days will tell if the stuff I've moved enjoyed the trip or not. Also want to get hold of some herbs to plant and possibly some beans/soft fruit too.

Not been to focused on the God stuff recently and weirdly doing all this today has really helped with some thinking and focusing :)

I am now going to cook a sort-of-roast for me & Paul (Housemate). Chicken Provencal with Yorkshire puddings, veg and gravy - followed by some Rhubarb crumble. Nom nom!

Aunty x 3

After the excitement of Matty's entrance into the world 1 month early in January and then my step niece Maisy being a week-and-a-half late giving her Mum a 32 hour labour which finally ended with a C-section, one would have hoped that Baby Wilson's (Banana to her friends - well, me) arrival would have been slightly less dramatic.

However she had other ideas...

After the first night of B&I we had retired to James' house for drinks and I was heading home at 1am (some of us had to be in work at 8:20!) my phone rang and it was John, who began the conversation "Hi Bex, how did the show go?" My reaction was fairly typical of anyone being rung at 1am regardless of if it was the 1st night of a show or not!

Banana had decided to be born 2 months early. Jo had had pre-eclampsia for a couple of days and then gone into labour that evening - they had decided not to ring me then and to call me after. I was very touched by this and also relieved, given the subject matter of the majority of the play!

A week and a half on and Banana has only her feeding tube still (although did insist on pulling it out several times and holding aloft in a victorious manner) screams louder than any baby on the intensive OR special care units where she has been and generally shown early signs of world domination - fabulous! :) Jo has had BP trouble but it seems to have been sorted now. They've spent a couple of nights in separate hospitals and been shifted from Cov to B'ham and back again.

I won't get to see her for a few weeks yet - but hopefully soon!

I got to see Matty yesterday when I helped J&V move house from one part of Hertfordshire to another and he is in fine form also, starting to get some proper chubby cheeks now :) Also - he smiles!!!

Blood & Ice - Final Thoughts

Well, the show finished a week ago yesterday - and I can safely say it was one of the best experiences of my life! So far outside my comfort zone and yet being made to feel so safe and professional by the cast, director and crew and, pulling off what I feel to be the best performance I could, made it a wonderful thing to be a part of. I still can't quite believe I was a part of it - or that the emotion and focus flowing through the character was actually me onstage - many fleeting out of body experiences occurred - and not all because of the tightness of the corset I was wearing.
The responses from the people who came to watch was very gratifying and again - quite surreal to have people I have never met coming up to me and enthusing about the play and out performances. But also what was interesting was the other conversations that were started about Mary, Byron, Shelley, their beliefs and society at that time.
I feel I know Mary quite well now, reading her diaries was certainly an eye opener and at times a little too close to home, especially when's she speaks of the emotions she is feeling and yet feels that, logically, she should be able to surpass these. Above all she was a highly intelligent woman who's first commitment was to her children.
Here are some photos for your perusal!