Bee happy (ish)

No bee photo, unfortunately.
Not many bees around to photograph. But it is a more promising day for bees today after the announcement of a ban on neonicotinoid pesticides.
This massive delphinium which is coming back into life and growing fast is also looking promising and is one of the bees' favourites. Last year it got to 6ft high and 3ft wide, and it's looking like it will be even bigger this year.

I had a bit of a slow, achy day, taking pain killers, drinking lots of tea and generally muddling through.

After months of umming and ahhing, we think Gemma and Joel have finally decided what they are doing next year. After being accepted for A levels at the local college, Joel has changed his mind (twice) and has applied to study engineering instead.
I knew he would. When he was really little I wrote on a Christmas card to an old school friend that he had the sort of interests that I thought would lead to engineering. I didn't tell him that though. I didn't want him to be put off by my opinions!

Gemma's withdrawn from her university applications and is doing an access course next year instead. I'm secretly relieved that we can put off seeing her off to uni for another year.

Richard went to the doctor this morning. He's still wheezing and coughing, and is tired all the time. The doctor has given him more inhalers and a thing to blow in - what's it called? a peak flow monitor?

I planted some more strawberries today. I've been thinking a lot recently about what fruit and veg we buy most of and spend the most on when I do the shopping, and strawberries are a biggie. I'm also growing lots of broccoli and lettuce and - hopefully tomatoes (they've been bad in recent past years though). I want to spend less and less money in supermarkets. I'm making my own bread, we're buying milk and eggs and chicken locally. The supermarkets won't notice the difference but the village store will and so will we. I can also do it all without using pesticides and weedkillers, so can hopefully give nature a bit of a chance whilst I'm at it.

I'm not trying to sound smug - I'm just reminding myself why I'm doing all this and have back ache and mud everywhere!