Saturday 17 February 2018

Photo diary: week 7 (project 365)

We're on week 7 of Project 365 (take a photo each day), and I'm already losing my mojo. Maybe it was because this week we're on midterm break, and I found my hands full and mind distracted.
In my understanding if you have children, parents need to work as a team. I appreciate that this might be a purely theoretical and idealistic view. But when your husband never bothers to check any holidays or breaks in advance and plans his trips abroad exactly at the same time when the school is off, I call it pisstaking inconsiderate.
Most photos I took this week were of food that I was cooking and garden, as I felt totally lacking motivation.

Last Sunday I decided to make pancakes. These were Russian-style honey pancakes, and they were very tasty.


I finished reading Dance of Death by Edward Marston. I enjoyed the book, though I prefer his Railway Detective series. I used to collect vintage photos and cards, and this is some of my stash, acquired at the flea markets years ago.


Tuesday was a Pancake Day. Apologies for another pancake photo, but it was either that or the toy review image which I did that day.


On Wednesday our Papa was off to the States, and we didn't see him when he got up to catch an early bus to Oxford. Our friend Jen offered her services as a driver, and we visited the Burford garden centre, which both boys love. Sadly, by Sod's law, it was raining, so we didn't do much apart from having coffee and treats at the cafe, having a quick look at the food shop (where we must buy a box of jelly beans for Sash - he thinks that is an essential part of going to the garden centre) and about 10 minutes max at the playground. Such a shame, it was raining, the next two days we had perfectly sunny mornings. sigh


I was in a gloomy mood on Thursday, as Sash was extremely restless, and I was annoyed with my husband for gallivanting around the globe yet again, while I'm tied in like a prisoner with kids and home.
Apologies if I sound resentful, because I really am. Not so much for his freedom, but my lack of it.
The photo I took in the garden that day sort of matched my mood. Melancholy and decay.

We've inherited that dog-boot scraper with the house and garden, when we moved in here. He's been living in the garden, unmolested by our boots. Also I do need to start the spring-clean of the garden.


On the plus side, the snowdrops are taking over the garden, and look so pretty. For me they are a symbol of spring.


And just this morning I found out that we have a few dark purple hellebore under the plum trees. I always think of them as something suitable for Morticia Addams.


19 comments:

  1. Oh Galina, I can sympathise with you over a husband who is never around for school holidays, or any other time really. He wouldn't even think to take time off during the holidays. I've asked him so many times if he's actually taking any time off over Easter as it's also my 50th then, and nothing. I could rage about him a lot at the moment. The pancakes and flowers look lovely and I' rather envious of your postcard collection #365

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    1. Thank you, Mary! We should meet up and have a good rant about our DHs. My 50th is coming in two weeks, not looking forward to that.

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  2. So sorry to hear about your husband going away in the school holidays. Mine works very long hours, so parenting (and the dreaded mum taxi!) is always my job, but he only actually goes away about one night a month.

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    1. Thank you, Sarah! I often think that if Sash was "normal", our situation would have been so different. At almost 16, he would have been socialising with his friends and I would have had different kind of worries about him.

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  3. Yes, I know exactly what you mean - mine never wants to go out anywhere with the kids or get involved playing games or doing anything with them either so it all falls to me. I don't mind most of the time, but some days, it does seem unfair, especially as he drives and I don't !

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    1. Ah, Cheryl we need to start a revolution, don't we, form an all-female government and endorse our power for Dads to spend more time with children. Now there's a thought. :)

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  4. My ex husband is similar. I do all the school holidays really and he only contributes a few days. It's annoying because I still have to get my work done although it's easier now H is a bit older.

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    1. Thank you, Erica! It's probably unfair to generalise, but it feels it's us, Mums, who do the parenting the most time.

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  5. It sounds really frustrating and I'd feel the same too. Looking after and entertaining kids is hard work even with two parents, let alone one for a whole week!! Lovely photos though, I just love that teapot!

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    1. Thank you, I love that teapot too, it was my lucky find in one of the charity shops. The tea is always tasty, when brewed in that teapot.

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  6. Like Mary, I'm with you on the absent OH. Although at least he can have N with him on the farm when I need to work.

    I don't think I've ever been to burford garden centre before. Should make the effort next time we're in Burford.

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    1. Thank you, Emma! Burford garden centre is worth visiting. The cafe is overpriced, well, and the toy shop has crazy prices too, but it's a fun place, and there's a nice playground near the car park.

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  7. I completely understand where you are coming from with your OH. Why oh why do they make some if the seriously questionable choices that they do?! It baffles me too with mine. Side note: I adore the boot scraper and thank heavens he has been saved! #365

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    1. Thank you, Fee! I am fond of that boot scraper. It looks good in the garden.

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  8. yes my ex use to spend far to mush time in the pub or playing rugby and had no interest in the kids, but like you I had a child with issues who was serious hard work for the first 14 yrs of her life due to disabilities, who knows had she not been like that are marriage may have been different but he made his choices.
    Beautiful pic of ye olde postcards, great angle.
    We did not do pancakes.

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    1. Thank you, Elaine, and sorry to hear about your ex.

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  9. I can tell my husband over and over about my upcoming trips and he'll still book one of hie to coincide with the day I travel and leave me to last minute find kennels for the cat and dog....grrrrrr. The snowdrops looks so pretty. I didn't do pancakes as I was on my own and couldn't be bothered and I only remembered when I saw others posting pics, but by then with the time difference it was too late #365

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    1. Maybe it's men by and large who don't think in advance? Though it might be wrong to generalise. :)

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  10. Never apologise for a pancake photo! We never have them on the actual day #project365

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