One Girl Went To Mow...

The last 48 hours have been fun. This time Thursday I was preparing a science lesson all about dandelions. Then we had a Sunday School meeting. Friday I was teaching all day.

Science in the afternoon- dandelions

The children were fascinated that the name comes from dent-de-lion [lion's tooth] because of the jagged edge of the leaves.

Apparently the name has been around in England for centuries, since the Normans. What I haven't worked out is when or why the French started calling in pissenlit for it's diuretic properties. Decided against telling the children that - but when someone asked a related question, I said "Well, in some countries they call it wet-the-bed"

When I got home from school on Friday, I took Bob over to the garage where his car was in for repair, then left him and drove to Cornerstones. Arrived at 7.30, had a cup of tea, then cut the grass till about 9pm. Went to bed with a book.

Saturday - up at 8, in the garden by 8.30am, more grass cutting...

The garden has a very healthy crop of dandelions. We know all about dandelions now, don't we children? How they have very long taproots which make them hard to shift!! And brilliant seedheads which disperse the seeds to make hundreds of new plants...

After six weeks without a mower the grass was really long.

The first cut is the deepest, as they say

As it was so early, some flowers had not opened...

I love the fact that the name daisy comes from day's eye because they open and shut with the sunlight. Next door's lilac tree was looking stunning.

Everything looked much better trimmed, and I did lots of weeding at the front too. I worked for nearly three hours!

The sun was getting hot, and I am not a gardener.

I have arranged with a neighbour that he is going to cut the grass for us from now on!

I had to stop eventually because the bin was full

It always feels strange being at Cornerstones on my own. I had decided that driving all that way simply to cut grass was a little uninspiring, so arranged to meet up with Chris for lunch.

As I left the village, I saw this sign

So parked and went in and got a dozen - from the very trusting people at the farm who leave eggs and money box out for customers to help themselves. [dozen - another non-metric measure!]

We enjoyed a lovely Carvery at the Hill House [thanks, Chris!] Then she and I pottered around the Market Place, where the Dereham Festival was in progress. Chris says the churches are doing a Songs Of Praise - I hope the weather is as good for them tomorrow as it has been today.

Clowns

Morris Men People

Music

Then I drove home, getting back at 4.45

Bob cooked sausages and mushrooms and garlic bread on the barbecue, and with a salad it made a lovely meal, eaten outside in the garden. I love summer time, and the sounds of the neighbours' children laughing and playing .

But all that driving and gardening has left me with aching muscles, in places I never knew I had muscles!

I confess I would much rather be one of the Ladies Who Lunch...

...than the Ladies Who Mulch!!