I’ve run out of excuses – so I’ve got a confession to make. I appear to have misplaced my muse. I last remember seeing it just before Christmas, so I suppose it could have got put up in the attic with the Christmas decorations when we tidied them away.

I spent ten minutes last night staring at a blank page, I’d also got open several other pages with short paragraphs on them and one page that was completely full but didn’t fit in with the plot – it’s a bit ahead of it’s self.

Around that time Sommer e-mailed me. She probably got the fright of her life from the quickness of my reply. I think it would be fair to say I’ve probably left her wondering why I’ve developed a sudden interest in the Ransom Flower (wild garlic). Which she tells me is used in soups or like a herb in Germany. The leaves are used before the flower blooms. It’s smells like garlic but has a more delicate taste. It's not something we normally talk about.



Beautiful isn’t it? I’ll also admit that although I’m a country girl I’ve never seen that flower before, or at least I’ve never noticed it. Just how much of your life do you spend walking around with your eyes closed, or at the very least blinkered?


Anyway, I'm not inspired to write at the moment - all bribes have failed. I'm sure that I'll get motivated eventually.


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Sunday was spent at Bodenham Arboretum. We walked around the outer fields first; just over 2 miles and then had lunch in the restaurant. The rest of the day was spent wandering around the farm, the lakes, the pools and the gardens - followed by afternoon tea. Talk about stuffed.




It was a beautiful place and it made me think again about just how much I’ve never noticed. A great deal of my life has been spent looking after my children and my mum. I don’t regret that for a minute, I chose that route myself but it’s made me think just what life has to offer me now – most of it’s free as well.

And how's this for Camouflage?

After I shared the photos I'd uploaded to Kodak with everyone, Chris commented on the fact I’d sent a batch of eighty pictures. He pointed out that I was suppose to pick and choose. I soon put him right – there were 192 to start with; he should count his blessings, he got off lighty.

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And my eldest and his fiancée are off on holiday to Rhodes today. They called around last night and we gave then some pocket money. No, it doesn’t make any difference how old your children are, you still give them some money to take on holiday. It’s a Mummy and Daddy thing.

Although actually getting some euros wasn’t that straight forward. I tried on Saturday in Co-op Travel in Kidderminster, where I was told that without ID I couldn’t pay via switch. It was to stop card fraud. Now I don’t usually carry much money around with me and I didn’t fancy the walk back into town to the bank so I thought I’d leave it until Monday.

Of course I didn’t get chance on Monday so I went in yesterday. This time I went to the bank first and then to Stourport Co-op Travel. Where apparently they aren’t concerned about card fraud – I could have paid via switch and without ID. Obviously the people of Stourport are more trustworthy than the people of Kidderminster.

And Tracy is off to New York today too. She’s going with her sister-in-laws to see her nephew and his wife. He works over there. And as you would expect there is a very selfish reason for wishing her a good trip; last time she brought some sweeties back for me. Especially nice was the mint fudge - which let’s be honest, was to die for. She has promised that if she can find the shop again she’ll bring me some more back. I’m counting the days till her return.