...And, just like that, spring 2022 was history. This post is arriving a bit late due to various reasons, although it was not a particularly busy spring when compared to past years. You may remember that the year did not start out particularly well as my grandmother suddenly passed away on the same day of the Russia/Ukraine conflict (at the end of February), and the the project I have been on at work has been a very challenging one. I've also had to sit out and wait a six-month probation, which was completed in the middle of May. So, that's a bit of good news.
A beautiful little garden park in Cardiff
However, other personal goals have been delayed for one reason or another. The cost of living has spiraled due to post-pandemic reasons and also due to the war. On top of that, the bloke was struggling from mid-May as there were issues with his workplace, and there was talk about closing and not being able to pay wages. This dragged on for nearly two months, and it's just been resolved this week...at least until second stage funding is needed. Hopefully that won't be any issue, though. We have had a whirlwind of disappointment. I'd hoped to go away in late June, excited to have passed my probation, but when I had come to make the booking that very weekend, the issues kicked off with the bloke's job. It seems like we cannot win. We have still not been away for years, and I don't mean since the start of the pandemic like most people. I really do mean years. Okay, we had a handful of long weekends in the U.K. in the past two years, four long weekends in Europe spanning eight years, and a fleeting visit to my cousin's wedding in the states, but the last proper holiday was when we went to Ireland for two weeks with my parents in 2014!
Eactcote House Gardens - iris flowers
So, we have had to wait this out. Because of the fuel cost and these other worries, we have not been going out too much. There's been many weekends at home. My new job doesn't allow the half day fridays, which I really miss, so I've not had that much-needed mental break and balance. Having that time was a perfect refresher for my mental health, and I mainly used to to unwind and for exercise. Eastcote House Gardens was a favourite place for me in 2021 and when we were locked away.
Yellow flowers at Eastcote House Gardens
Wisteria - Eastcote House Gardens
Wisteria
There were a couple of weekends away. Over Easter, I visited Cardiff, and we were lucky with the weather.
Psychic Sally
One of my friends got tickets to Psychic Sally at Uxbridge, so we headed over to see that. There were several very sad stories and a couple of funny ones too. There was an older lady whose life partner had suddenly passed away in the garden, and she found him as she was bringing him a cup of tea. There was another person whose brother or cousin was brutally murdered in Canada, and no one knows what the motive was. There were other sad stories too. My impressions were that Sally is just an entertainer. She throws words, names, and scenarios out there and expects the audience to take the breadcrumbs while she listens and throws additional information out to keep the momentum as well as to provide some encouragement to the living.
Masala & Coal
There were a couple of after-work drinking sessions with two-for-one cocktails with a friend, which were enjoyable. Masala & Coal is in Ruislip Gardens, one of the local pub venues. It's more than a pub. Think Indian-style tapas and cocktails. You can read more about my bottomless brunch experience at Masala & Coal here.
Masala & Coal 2-4-1
Buckatree Hotel
There was a weekend visit to Shropshire, and the weather was very nice on the first day. The hotel (Buckatree Hotel) was a voucher, and it was lovely. It included a three-course dinner and breakfast. The room was quite large, though our room over-looked the car parking and road into the hotel whereas other rooms had garden and lake views with balconies. Food was pretty good, and I enjoyed a couple large glasses of wine and a book outside.
Pornstar Martinis
I learned how to make excellent Pornstar Martinis (passionfruit martini) at home. They're better than most that I've had in pubs and restaurants. I had two or three drinking sessions with friends.
A yard-bombed postbox with a vase of knitted tulips
Yarn-bombed postboxes are a big thing here. Postbox toppers is what they're called, and new ones get added for each season. There were a lot put up for the Jubilee, but I never got to walk and see most of them as some of them got damaged. I liked the above one.
Eastcote's The Black Horse
There are a lot of wonderful restaurants and pubs in this area, and I decided to try The Black Horse, a pub at Eastcote. Instead of English pub food, it's actually an Indian restaurant with delicious meals. I really enjoyed the food here, so I will visit it again. Apparently, they do music in the evenings on sunny days. The day I visited was a rainy one in between nice weather, so it was a bit disappointing.
One of my friends had a birthday in early April, and she wanted to have a Sunday roast. We headed over to Arens Bar and Grill and then stayed later with drinks and cocktails. You can read about my bottomless brunch at Arens here, or you can see my post about their Sunday roast in their older venue between Eastcote and Northwood Hills here. Since then, they've moved into a pub in Ruislip, and the decor is completely different.
Peggy Porschen Easter
I loved this Peggy Porschen's Easter cupcake.
The cornflowers and wildflowers started to make an appearance, and I love them. This field is where I walk to get the tube and in the grounds of a school that had some renovation work during the years of the pandemic.
Last but not least, I captured a photograph of the June moon looking very full and bright.
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