Day 1: Self imposed blogging challenge

There I was, standing waiting at the checkout at Coles wondering why I was so tired all of a sudden. The man in front of me wanted to know my opinion on whether someone was rude or not. I told him I wasn't listening and wanted to be in bed. It was 9pm after all and I was at the shops and I still hadn't completed a blog post.

I had decided on my bike ride home from work (more on that in a minute) that I was going to set myself a challenge to blog for the next 5 days. You see I feel like I have been neglecting this blog, I haven't had much inspiration because I have been a relatively good mummy recently and very busy!

So yes, I rode my bike to work today. On average I have been riding my bike to and from work 1 day a week for about 5 or 6 weeks. It started last year when a group at work asked if I wanted to participate in Ride to Work day. Sure! Why not? Well to start with I was (am) so unfit that I thought I might die on that day. By the time I rode the 9km to work I wasn't feeling so great, and I couldn't eat for hours. I caught the train home.

Trusty steed in my office

Earlier this year I got a bit freaked out about turning 40 and thought I should perhaps get my body moving a bit faster than it had been. I walk a fair bit and go to pilates and yoga but haven't done anything resembling cardio for a while. I don't really like puffing. Maybe if I just rode to work by myself I wouldn't feel like I would have to keep up with the people who actually look ok in lycra?

This was a good idea. I can go at my own pace, enjoy the ride a bit when I'm not concentrating on breathing or getting run over, and arrive at work not wanting to vomit. Winning.

On today's ride I actually sped up on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and when I arrived at work I felt that I may have improved, and actually be a little fitter. Winning.

The ride on the way home is generally quite pleasant. There is a lot more down than up, the ride is much faster and I don't feel the pressure to get there quickly, like I do in the morning. I was feeling quite pleased with myself, powering up a small hill near home when a man, rode past on what can only be described as a "leisure bike". I had my head down peddling like a demon, my quads screaming but feeling "powerful" and fit (even though my stomach kept hitting my knees), when this man glided past, gently peddling his long legs, wearing dark jeans (it was 27 degrees) and a short sleeve button up t-shirt. No effort, no puffing. I may have well been standing still. Bastard. Not winning.

I arrived home without any injury except for my pride and helped with feeding and bathing the small boys, had a shower and then wrote a grocery list. We are having a little dinner for Aiden's birthday on Wednesday night and then going away for the Easter weekend. In an effort to be a bit organised I thought I had better grocery shop tonight.

Arrived home at 9.15pm, unpacked groceries, wrapped some birthday presents for Aiden and now I'm off to bed! Phew!

Frustrated Gardener

So what do you do when on a sunny Sunday morning, you have been given the morning off from participating in a Sydney Spring Cycle event (with the 3 boys out of the house) because you are sick? 

Arran, Charlie and Aiden off to Spring Cycle! Cuteness

The sensible person would curl up on the lounge, drink cups of tea and watch rubbish TV. Or perhaps a slightly less sensible, but social person would join a couple of girlfriends who invited you to go visit the Matt Blatt showroom at nearby Leichart and drink coffee. Or perhaps, if you had a small sadistic streak, you would put together around 30 pieces of Ikea furniture for an upcoming party at the house. Or if you were feeling domestic you might fold the mound of washing that is taking over your bedroom.

I didn't do any of these things. 

Even feeling pretty low with the onset of a sinus infection (that I finally succumbed to after the rest of the household has been sick for the past month or so), the thought of half a day to get some stuff done was too attractive. I went into a small frenzy.

Saturday was Charlie's first birthday party and I bought these amazing potted hydrangeas from Michael at Glebe General Store. 

They were so nice I got inspired and wondered how they would look in the ground. Well established hydrangea plants are dotted all around Glebe. I have written about them before, so I figured the climate must be ok for them here. I have a little strip of ground in the backyard which when we bought the house contained the start of a camellia hedge. Unfortunately they were a bit straggly and at different levels of growth. Not being much of a gardener and not liking camellia's that much meant my passion for saving them was on the low side. They got pulled out. I have had a bare patch there for a while now, cultivating weeds. I had planned to plant bamboo there to act as a screen, but we have been talking about having the whole back yard redone so I haven't done anything about that. 

Pretty inspiring, huh?

We have a little party coming up so I thought it would be nice to have some bright colour in the yard. I spent Saturday night thinking about planting hydrangeas in this spot and so given the opportunity off I went to Flower Power first thing on Sunday morning. 

How great do they look?

Ahhh...

I have decided I must be a frustrated gardener. When given the choice I wouldn't choose to get into the garden. I don't get a buzz out of having my fingers in the earth or get some kind of Zen feeling from connecting with nature while pulling weeds. I don't want a big back yard with lots of grass and would be just as happy living in an apartment with a nice balcony. Who needs a big yard when you live in Sydney's inner city? The Sydney City Council have done an awesome job of upgrading and creating the parks in the "villages" that make up the Sydney council area. We have an amazing park,  Dr H J Foley Rest Park right across the road from our house and I walk around the Glebe Foreshore at least a couple of times a week. Love.

Of course I am incredibly grateful to have a nice outdoor space to enjoy and entertain in. Any amount of space at your house in the inner west should be treasured, however most days I'd much rather be doing something to the inside of the house. I think what gets me out into our lovely outdoor space is the need to make it, and keep it looking beautiful. I don't particularly like the process of gardening but I like the finished result. If the plants don't die. And I have learned that the best way to prevent plants dying is not for me to pay more attention to them, but to buy plants that suit being neglected.

Wish my hydrangeas luck!