Revisiting my Visit Seven from 2020

Back in February 2020 when celebrating seven years of my blog I set myself the challenge of visiting seven gardens that year. At the time Coronavirus was something that was happening in the world, but none of us quite knew how it would go, or how long it would go on for, so there was no indication that my garden visit challenge would, well, be challenged. But as we know, quite a lot changed and pretty quickly.

We did get to visit some of the gardens on the list in 2020, both before and as the restrictions eased, but we postponed our Lake District holiday for a year and so my Visit Seven was also delayed.

We had that Lake District holiday last summer - and it was great - so I thought I’d take a look to see how I got on with my Visit Seven challenge, and I realised that I’d been pretty poor in editing my photos, and discovered - and relived - our visit to Holker Hall this past few evenings.

There were some changes along the way too as we didn’t get to Yorkshire - that will hopefully be in our plans for this year. Our Yorkshire trip was for a wedding which is now expected to take place this year, but the holiday we’re hoping to tag on will be different so it may be a while before I can tick that one off my list. Like the bride and groom I’m hoping the wedding will go ahead - third time lucky as they are both saying.

Taking a look back at my Visit Seven for 2020

The dates shown are the dates of my post, not the date of the garden visit.

1. RHS Wisley, Surrey

  • The Giant Houseplant Takeover

2. RHS Hyde Hall, Essex

3. Houghton Hall, Norfolk

4. Nymans, West Sussex

5. Sizergh, Cumbria

6. Holker Hall and Gardens, Cumbria

  • Discovering stunning plants at Holker Hall, January 2022

X 7. Scampston Hall, North Yorkshire

  • I’m keeping this one on my list, we may make it there but it’s likely that we won’t. If we don’t then at some point I think there’ll be another trip to be planned.

So, slow and steady wins the race right?

That’s my mantra for this challenge clearly! I recommend all of these gardens, so if you’re close to any of them do try and get along and see for yourself. Let me know how you get on.

The return of the Loo Series

Yes, it’s been a while but y’know, lockdown. It’s not exactly been the time to be out, let alone be out snapping pictures in loos. But last week we headed into the City for a meal at the city version of Bar Douro - so it was always likely to be photograph-able.

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And though it was small, it didn’t disappoint.

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So many different patterns, but mostly as you’d expect blue and white. The light fittings were unique too - that’s the metal sphere in the photo below.

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And yes, a mask wearing Loo Series entry.

PoCoLo

Irony and priorities

The irony of the timing and my choice of word aren’t lost on me, but as there’s no time like now to refocus and create new habits I’m going with it. I’ve posted here before about choosing a word for the year. It’s something I meant to do this year but never had the time to contemplate in ways I had previously - usually I post this in January, heck one year I even managed December, but here we are scraping in just before the end of April.

Irony isn’t my word for 2021, it is in fact priorities

And yes, I know if I was living my word then this post would have already been posted, but that’s exactly why it is the right word for me, and why I’m posting it now. With some time to think and structure those thoughts (a little) it seemed an obvious word to choose.

Like many people my pandemic-filled year has been pretty full on and busy with my day job, which I was fortunate to be able to continue to do from home. It’s usually a busy role and with Covid it stepped up several gears. Even after recruiting a team of two to work with me it’s still busy, and while I know I’ll never reach the end of my to do list (I’m at peace with that - I’ve realised over many years that there will always be more to do) it doesn’t really look as if it will be dialling down any time soon. So throughout the various lockdowns and whatnots I’ve been mildly annoyed with media suggesting that lockdowns have meant more free time, learning new skills and full of banana bread making and sourdough baking - even though I’ve made plenty of those during the past year, and will more than likely continue to.

I’ve realised that when I’m at work (even at home) I’m fully immersed, and when I’m not working and spending time at home I’m fully immersed there too. Something had to give and as you may know it’s been this space, and that’s not how I want it to be. I’ve been powered in both environments by “just one more thing” - so maybe I’m not totally at peace with not getting everything done, at work and at home, but not here.

But I’ve also realised that I can choose.

Choice - not a contender for my word, but could have been now I think about it - is in my gift, and so are sticking to my priorities, which I know may flex and adapt as life changes and flexes. I’m still working through what it means for me, and how I put that into practice but as Gretchen Ruben says in Better than Before:

Nothing is more exhausting than the task that’s never started, and strangely, starting is often far harder than continuing.

Reading is one of the things I’m doing more of too, and yoga. If I’m honest, I’m better at reading than yoga but I’m sure like most things, with practice, I’ll improve and be slightly less wobbly. That works for my word too, doesn’t it?

So here’s to feeling less torn in so many directions, or at least I hope that’s what it means - and to prioritising the things that are important to me, which realistically could be getting a piece of work out the (virtual) door, or even closing my laptop so that life outside work can take its time as my priority.

I’d say wish me luck, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to need more than luck to make the changes I want.

Photo by Sara Kurfeß on Unsplash

Photo by Sara Kurfeß on Unsplash

PoCoLo