Joy in the Everyday Ordinary - May, 8-14

Hi there again everyone 😀

This is the second of my series of posts where I'm trying to capture a photograph each day which reflects something that either made me smile or brought me joy. Something that perhaps is just part of the everyday ordinary and isn't quite significant enough to make a post of its own, but is worth capturing for the memory, even if it was just a moment.

We certainly had a fun packed, but chilled out time over the last week. I wouldn't say it was a typical week and on some days I've struggled to choose between a number of images to include as we just crammed so much in.

It will be interesting to see what happens next week as Martin is now back at work for a couple of weeks and there isn't really anything exciting planned, so it really will be everyday ordinary. I hope I can still manage to find enough images to post, but I can worry about that next week.

For now here is our next seven days ...

Day 8 - We were up early and off on a road trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon for a few days, visiting the Shakespeare properties. We started off at Ann Hathaway’s Cottage before moving onto Hall's Croft. The sight and scent of this wisteria assaulted our senses by surprise as we rounded a corner in the town centre. It literally took my breath away.

Day 9 - Shakespeare's New Place is somewhere we have wanted to visit for ages. When we've visited Stratford before we've had sneaky peaks through the gate and the surrounding hedges and have been desperate to see more. Today we got to see it in glorious sunshine and this sculpture was one of my favourites.

Day 10 - It was time to head for home, but we'd had such a lovely time we weren't really ready, so decided to call in at Baddesley Clinton, a National Trust property, on the way back.

Day 11 - The first step of operation hanging baskets and summer pots. Our garden is always really colourful in the spring, but has tended to look very green over the summer. Over the last few years we have been working hard to improve on the summer colour in the borders, but nothing quite packs a punch as well as a basket or pot full of a riotous mass of vividly coloured tumbling blooms. We didn’t have any last year, as the garden was under some serious remodelling, but this year we are both really excited to get the summer pots and baskets planted up.

Day 12 - After an earlyish visit to the 'man on the market', to buy the rest of the summer bedding that we needed, Martin and I spent pretty much the whole of the day in the garden, just gently pottering. We managed to get all of the baskets and the urn planted up and the majority of the pots, before running out of compost. We finished the day with a simple BBQ ... just lovely.

Day 13 - We had spent the loveliest of days at a local steam festival and got back for our 3rd BBQ tea in the garden, in a row. It's the first time I've really sat in the new pergola, but I think I'm going to like this spot very much.

Day 14 - Having been off for the last two weeks, Martin was back at work this morning and I had a day of catching up with blogging planned, but not before having a mooch around the garden in the sunshine. This raised bed was a new addition to the garden last year and we have tried to plant it in my favourite colour of purple and it is just starting to show its first blooms. I'm really excited to see how it looks over the next few months, but it's certainly making a very good start.

*********************************************************************************