Spring has Sprung.

It's very definitely Spring today.  How do I know? .....

1.  I've just cut the grass for the first time this year.  It's always a worry - will the lawn mower spring into action when required?  It wouldn't be the first time that I've ended up with a pulled shoulder, and blisters on my hand from pulling the starter cord so many times before giving up and turning into a Basil Fawlty lookalike, kicking it in frustration.  But today it worked perfectly.   I topped it up with fresh petrol first, following past advice from my uncle Mick,  and my Dad (and what they don't know about engines and lawnmowers isn't worth knowing) and after a couple of good pulls the engine fired into life.  It's not a great lawn - it has too many weeds and far too much moss for that, but it still looks much better for a trim.

2.  I saw my first butterfly for this year.  I can't tell you what make it was, but it was a citrus-y lemon-y colour if that helps.

3.  And, best of all, it was warm enough to do this ...

Lunch in the garden!

Yesterday my friend Jill and I had a trip out to Berkamsted, because I'd read about an Antique Centre that we fancied visiting.

It was quite interesting, lots of little rooms off rooms full of, well, mostly old stuff.  I think the term 'antique' was pushing it a bit - it was more vintage junk than antiques, but more interesting to us because of that.  What it did confirm to us is that you should NEVER throw anything away - we both saw things that were marked up for sale that we'd thrown out in the past.  Saw several things I liked, but managed to resist.

I might not have bought anything there, but we did have a root through a number of charity shops and I got these little treasures ...

Oh,  and then we found a Laura Ashley shop and I bought these ....

Some lovely new handles for the cupboards in my sewing room, a 'Gilly Pink' icecream sundae glass,  and a pretty mug (that was actually from Waitrose).    They have a very nice Waitrose at Berkhamsted, and we spent quite some time smelling all the scented candles that they had to offer.  As I said to Jill, some women have to spend fortunes on a pair of Jimmy Choos or the latest "It" bag - but give us a couple of charity shops, and let us sniff the posh scented candles in Waitrose - and we're happy.

Maybe that's why I like the CD I've been listening to recently - I bought Paolo Nutini's new album 'Sunny Side Up'.  Not my usual musical choice, but it's very 'summery' and I especially like Track 6 with the lyrics "I've got food in my belly, and a licence for my telly, and nothin's gonna bring me down"

My sentiments exactly, Paolo.