Roses and the Wall

Its been a really quick week - both in and out of work. My trainee is on holiday so I've been running the station myself, which makes the day go by much faster bringing my working part of the week to a close. For my weekend, which is 4 days, I spent the first day having a quiet one to recharge and then went out to see my mum on my day two.

After the success of the last visit to the Saughton Rose Gardens I decided to give it another go and my mum was very impressed at the changes they had made since I was little. We both lamented the loss of the greenhouse and fish pond, but agreed that in general, it was looking far prettier than it ever had a decade ago. She was particularly taken by the physicians garden, and we spent a lot of time reading all the little signs and discussing how this was a lost art, most of the plants being toxic in the wrong doses or preparation.

And that was that. Yesterday was the start of a actual weekend off with the hubby, so yesterday we decided to walk Missy around Beecraigs and stop in at Dobbies on the way home. Beecraigs was heaving. I've never seen it so busy. We had to park in a different car park from usual and then we went in the opposite direction of the crowds to find a quit place to walk.

Ice creams in hand, we met some lovely collies who were of the mild mannered sort and we briefly traded dogs with their owners, cooing over the fluffy dogs whilst they cooed over Missy. All was set to right when we went our separate ways again and Missy spent the rest of the walk seeking small furry things.

Our Dobbies stop was successful as we picked up two reduced price black current bushes. I was given a garden voucher for Christmas and finally got the opportunity to spend it. The bushes are looking much happier today having been repotted, and I plan to relocate them at the end of the season into the planter the leeks are currently growing in. My neighbour (who calls us The Good Life) was laughing as we explained the plan with them and we spent a while complimenting one another's gardens. Whilst we are officially drowning in kale and I had a moment of sheer joy at finding a pair of teeny tiny courgettes, my neighbours garden is awash in colour and flowers. We both lament that we'd love to have a garden more like the other, but at the same time, like our own too much!

Today was another revisit, this time to the Antonine Wall. We wanted to go somewhere we hadn't done in a while and, I'll be honest, it was a shock when I checked and realised it was November 2016 when we were last in the area! Needless to say, they've done a lot of improvements to the area about the Falkirk Wheel, and the advertised "Selfie Trail" to the Kelpies has us planing to return another day. As it would have been an 8 mile circular, we stuck to our original plan and managed a lovely picnic in the sunshine.

On the sewing front, I completed my second quarantine quilt. Missy approves, as you can see! It's a scrap buster as well, and I have officially made a debt in the scraps. They no longer overflow from their bag in a messy tangle, they are neatly packaged up in size and look lost in the bag. 

I'm sure it won't be long until its overflowing again! 

Do You Suppose she's a Wildflower?

It's been another topsy-turvy week for me with me working the weekend and my days off seem so far away now! We did manage to see some family and friends during the days off and the highlight was most definitely the Saughton Rose Garden. 

I have fond memories of the Rose Garden, we used to run round around the maze like paths as kids and watch the fish in the greenhouse pond. Afterwards we would go to the big play park and play on the orange monkey swings. 

As with all these things, it got shabbier and shabbier as we grew up and was eventually written off by everyone as overgrown and unloved. Last year however the decision was made to get it sorted and return it to its former glory. 

With life the way it is, and Missy being a dog who loves the wild places most, we just never got round to visiting after the grand reopening. It was my friends suggested meeting spot and we found a quiet corner where we could safely chat at a distance and enjoy the escape from the city. 

There is now a skate park, and the play park has had a revamp too, so the area is looking lovely. 

After that the weather turned, and its been threatening lightning storms since. I won't complain, its good to have an excuse to stay in and craft. 

I did manage to get my latest dungarees finished in time to enjoy the sun. Another varient on my Rosie the Riveter pattern, this purple linen outfit was meant to be another disney bound (Gadget, from Rescue Rangers), but I have held off the goggle/mouse ear combo that's to go with it until we know for sure when we are next at Disney. 

My adventures restart on Tuesday, so that's all for now!