Spanish Poppy
Got up, went back to bed, got up again (with an audible expression of pain), sat on the edge of the bed, fiddled with my socks, considered the waste of time that has been my life . . .
Cheered up considerably after a breakfast of Weetabix and berries. Pretty sure I’d have been even more cheerful if I’d had bacon and eggs but I really do have to eat less and become healthy. Checked WP and planned the next part of my day. This consisted of going to the shop, sifting through some junk boxes and chatting to my ex-work colleagues. When your only social life consists of WP and visiting the place you used to work it does rather highlight your lack of social life.
Went home, chatted to Julia, watched TV and performed mental gymnastics. That takes the form of playing chess, Nine Men’s Morris, Othello/Reversi and Sudoku on my tablet. Yes, I have a tablet. One of the kids bought it for me a few years ago. I used it as a back-up Kindle. Then I lost it in a book case for a while (they are very thin and easy to lose), then found it and started using it to read again. A couple of weeks ago ago I decided that I needed to keep my brain active so started playing games on it each night. Just a few, but enough to keep the little grey cells ticking over (I hope).
Tea is cooking now – a pan of roasted vegetables and (in a few minutes) some gammon steaks. This is reasonably healthy, for me if not for the pig.
After eating I will try to do some serious work. I now have very few days left if I am to submit any poetry by the end of the month.
Cheerful picture from may 2016. It all seemed so simple then . . .
We have a national crisis on our hands. I would call that orange one an Icelandic poppy, because that’s what Mrs T tells me. However, looking on the internet, I see that you may be right. I will have to broach the matter carefully with the gardener.
I started off describing them as Welsh poppies because one of the neighbours told me they were an orange form instead of the norml yellow one. When I checked up I did wonder about Icelandic poppies as we had planted some years ago and I wondered if they hd come back. I finally fixed on Spanish poppies as they grow from cracks in the concrete and only bloom for a day. or less. Despite this, they could still be Icelandic. I will stick to “Orange Poppies” in future. They are definitely orange..
Having gone over the matter with Mrs T and Duck Duck Go, we think that our poppies are Spanish Poppies, though Mrs T can’t work out why as she has never planted Spanish poppies.
I have planted Icelandic Poppies and Oriental Poppies in the front garden. They have always petered out after a few years. I have Welsh Poppies growing out cracks in the concrete (as do a number of people along the street) and I have the orange ones also growing out of cracks in the concrete. The Welsh ones and the orange ones just started growing. I didn’t plant them or even think about planting them. That is the magic of gardening. That’s also how we got honesty, teasel and two shades of red valerian.
Mrs t has been inspired by our conversation to say that she is going to try to plant proper Icelandic poppies again. Like you, our planted poppies seem to come and go a bit.
I was going to do roo9t cuttings of the oriental poppies but, as usual, forgot and they died off. Good luck with the new ones. We once planted a beautiful drift of California poppies on the farm but the farmer’s mother wittered on about them being weeds and managed to persuade him to destroy ll out work. Much the same as her constant campaign against the guinea fowl.
Your change of style today suggests a certain urgency for get up and go
In my head I have a vast backlog of material. On paper, I have very little. Time for action!
Sounds like you are enjoying retirement, Simon! Weetabix and berries sound like a good, easy breakfast. I like oatmeal myself.
The poppy photos are beautiful! Looking forward to reading more of your poetry.
Yes, I must get writing . . . 🙂