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Courtyard Patio - Day Four

We decided to go out today, His Lordship Malarkey and I, because of the whole doing the parking dance malarkey with Dan the Landscaping Man and his piles of building stuff and his van and trailer. Better out the way altogether, we thought. 

So, first thing we went to a garden centre to assess patio furniture, and came away with a) a great sense of disappointment at the options they offered and b) a bundle of ten garden canes because the tomatoes are going all flop in the greenhouse.

We returned to town as I had a dental appointment. I was due a check up but this coincided with a very back tooth having a bit drop off it about three weeks ago. The tooth has been heavily filled over the years so I wasn’t surprised. At the dentist I wasn’t impressed to discover my usual dentist had left the practice and my care had been passed over to a newbie chap who looked about 12 years old. Mind you, more and more people are looking 12 years old to me nowadays. 

The new chap inspected my very back tooth and confirmed that, yes, a bit had come off, but the filling was secure and he could repair the damage immediately. Was that okay? 

‘Yes please!’ said I, because I didn’t really want to have to fret about making a return visit. 

‘I shall give you anaesthetic, then do your checkup whilst it is taking effect, then do the repair,’ said the New Dentist. 

Which is exactly what he did! I was VERY impressed. My appointment started at 11.05 and at 11.30 I was paying the bill and on my way, teeth all ticketty boo, gums a clean bill of health. 

We headed off to visit a few more places that professed to sell patio furniture. Disappointingly, it was mostly that rattan-type stuff, which I don’t like. In the course of the morning, I purchased a new set of oven gloves with bees on them. Not real bees, that would be INSANE. The fabric was decorated with a bee pattern. Bright yellow trim, presumably representing pollen. Who knows? 

We then went to the pub for lunch. My face had regained its feeling by then, so lunch was very nice and not at all dribbly and tongue-biting as can happen when one has received a dental anaesthetic. And then we went to our local antique centre which is an amazing place where one can spend hours and hours in antique joy. I bought these…


….six side plates and a serving plate. And this absolutely perfect and lovely to hold Denby vase…


We had tea and cake at the antique centre but eventually the time came when we couldn’t string out out outing any longer and we returned home. 

Here, then, is the latest state of patio…


Last build day tomorrow (fingers crossed) to include doing whatever the patio equivalent is to grouting, making the second herb bed, filling in edges with gravel, adding topsoil to the bit next to the new steps and the new herb beds, re-gravelling the bit in front of the patio where all the mess has been happening, clearing up the mess. Stuff like that. It’s all looking rather fab! 

I shall need to give you an update on the baby swallows, too. They are growing very fast and are filling up the nest to almost bursting point! 



Comments

Anonymous said…
Finding good patio furnitures seem to be a bit of throwing a dart in the dark or accepting something equivalent to a minor mortgage. I do love a good rummage through antique shops. I try to avoid them though so not to be tempted. We have a market coming up soon. Not so much antiques as weird and wonderful. That’s my retirement plan, open a shop called “Weird and Wonderful”. The patio is really taking shape. It looks fab already!
KJ
24 June 2022 at 05:28
Anonymous said…
I forgot to say the plates are just perfect. Love the size and the colour
KJ
24 June 2022 at 05:29
Denise said…
Our local antiques place is called ‘Dagfields’ and it, also, is a treasure trove for the weird and wonderful, KJ. It has many barn-style buildings, plus a few more modern craft shops and TWO tea rooms! I rarely buy anything but the plates and vase I couldn’t resist. Perfect for Damson Cottage! We found a lovely patio dining set online today, so that should be arriving in the next two weeks.
24 June 2022 at 13:56
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