#how skip bins supports our growth

[diversionedge]

Leveraging Skip Bins for a Fresh Start and Self-Improvement

Have you ever thought about how a basic skip bin could be the solution to organizing your area and beginning anew and enhancing yourself? Skip bins, typically linked to waste disposal, can act as effective instruments for changing both your surroundings and mindset. Let’s explore how making use of skip bins can result in a refreshed area and a rejuvenated self. The power of decluttering using…

[amelinksanatomy]

amelink season 16 trying to hide their pregnancy from their co workers

Our Little Secret

A/N: I’ve started this with the 16x03 scene but with a twist to get into the rest of the fic. Thanks for the prompt! It’s a little long but hope this is what you were after, enjoy!

“Hey,” Link smiles, running down the stairs as he spots Amelia, “I was just trying to call you. Are you going to the meeting?”

“Mhm, on my way now.” Amelia smiles as they begin to walk together, “Have you uh... told anyone?” 

“Just Jo.” Amelia gives him the side eye, thoughts running through her head about how this news could spread like wildfire, and what would happen if something went wrong, “Which... was apparently very wrong and I’m sorry.”

Link noticed her worried posture, “Did something happen?” he asks softly, trying to grasp if she is ok, “No, no.” Amelia swallows hard, trying to suppress the nausea she’d been feeling since she woke up, “I just, this is scary enough, I don't want everyone finding out, I don't want all the eyes on me.”

“That’s ok, we don’t have to tell anyone, not until you're ready.” Link smiles, reaching his arm out to place a hand on her back, “It’s our little secret.”

“Thank you.” Amelia smiles up at him, feeling safe once again.

“Can I ask how you're feeling?” Link asks, quietly, as they reach the door, opening a side each and stopping to face each other, “Uh, sleepy... and pukey.”

They pout at each other, Link feeling bad for inflicting this on her, “My two favourite dwarves.” he smirks, causing her to laugh and shake her head as she turns to start walking again, making their way to the staff meeting.

The staff meeting had been going on for 20 minutes already. By the time Amelia and Link had arrived, almost all the seats had been taken but they’d managed to secure the last two. With every minute that passed, Amelia’s nausea worsened. 

As Bailey continued talking, Amelia scanned the room trying to plan how she was going to get out of there if she needs to. The last time she was pregnant, she hadn't realised until later on meaning she skipped all the first trimester symptoms. This time, she’d been hit hard. 

Amelia didn't know how much longer this meeting was going to go on for but she did know; she wasn't going to make it to the end without throwing up.

She could feel it coming. She knew she had to get out of that room. 

Amelia reached over under the table, placing a hand on Link’s leg to get his attention. He turns his head away from Bailey to look at her, immediately registering the panic on her face. He mouths a ‘What’s wrong?’ but doesn't need an answer as she lifts her hand to her mouth. She stands up, moving away from her chair and quickly beginning to make her way to the door through the crowds of people standing around the table. Although Bailey continues talking, all eyes are on her. Link quickly gets up, following her out the door. Link presses a hand to her lower back, guiding her out of the room. The second they were out, Amelia ran over to the waste bins across the hall, throwing the lid open just seconds before emptying her stomach.

“Okay. That’s it. I’ve got you.” Link comforts, having already scraped her hair back and beginning to rub circles on her back.

Once Amelia had finished, Link had guided her to the attending lounge down the hall, holding her waist to support her as she sat down at the table. Link poured her a glass of water, placing it in front of her as he sits beside her. 

“So much for not wanting all eyes on me.” Amelia says, placing her head in her hands and rubbing her palms across her eyes, “Everyone knows I'm pregnant now.”

“Amelia, no one knows.” Link reaches across to hold her hand, “Theres a million reasons why you could’ve puked. We’re fine. I promise. It’s still our little secret.”

“Yeah, right. You’re right. As long as I don't do that again.” she shivers at the thought of what had just gone down. Link smiles, moving his chair closer to her so he can rest an arm around her shoulders and places a hand on her still flat stomach, “And you, need to not do that again. Not at work.” Amelia smirks, rubbing her hand across his for a second before they both pull away.

“Do you feel better?” he asks as Amelia leans her head on his shoulder, “A little, I guess. Probably not for long though.”.

-------------------------------------

“Shit.” Amelia groans, standing in front of the mirror in the attending lounge having just changed into scrubs.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Link panics, turning around to face her from where he was stood at the sink.

It was just the two of them in there. They had been late to work because Amelia had decided she needed donuts for breakfast so, most of the doctors on their shift were rounding already. 

“It’s too small.” Amelia turned to face Link, gesturing to her stomach and the way her usual scrub top was clinging to the round shape of it. 

Amelia was now 18 weeks pregnant meaning they had successfully made it through 10 weeks of keeping it between them. The only people besides them who knew about the baby was Jo, Maggie and Meredith. Now though, almost overnight, Amelia’s bump had popped.

“It’s so obvious!” Amelia pulled at the hem of her top, trying to make it work. She pouts up at Link, who had made his way over to her side, “I need one of yours.”

Link smirked, walking over to his cubby and pulling out his spare scrub top. He hands it to Amelia, his eyes lovingly fixated on her belly as she changes. She smooths the new top over her small bump, turning around to face the mirror again. 

“That’s better.” she states, making some final adjustments to the way it was laying and releasing the breath she didn't realise she’d been holding.

“Amelia,” Link moves towards her, placing his hands on either side of her bump, stroking it with his thumbs, “Just remember, this is a good thing. Our baby is growing.”

“Oh. Uhhh. Sorry, I didn't mean to-” Link pulled his hands away quickly, turning to see who had walked in, “Alex, I uhhh-”

“You’re pregnant?” Amelia nods, smiling, a hand subconsciously moving to the underside of her bump feeling relaxed that it was him who had caught them since she had confided in him about Christopher a couple of years ago. Alex walks over, hugging Amelia quickly and shaking Link’s hand.

“I’m happy for you, Shepherd.” Amelia smiles, “Thank you.”

Link wraps his arm around Amelia’s waist, pulling her closer as Alex walks towards the door, “Alex,” Amelia starts, pulling Alex’s attention back “Please don’t tell anyone.”.

---------------------------------

“Alright, Amelia, this is gonna be cold.” Carina warns, shaking the bottle before squeezing some gel onto Amelia’s bump.

Amelia winced at the coolness of the gel. She looked to Link, who was stood beside her, holding her hand for support and smiling reassuringly. Carina pulled the probe out, holding it above Amelia’s belly.

“Ready?” Amelia nods, taking a deep breath, “Here we go then.”

Carina presses the probe onto Amelia’s stomach and begins moving it around, trying to find how the baby was positioned. Link’s eyes were fixated on the screen, fascinated that he was looking at his unborn baby. 

“Everything looks perfect, Amelia.” Carina smiles, turning the screen to the parents-to-be.

“Everything’s fine?” Amelia asks, looking for confirmation before she lets herself relax, “Absolutely. This is a perfectly healthy baby. 20 weeks, just like we thought. Growth and development looking completely on track.”

Amelia sighs, relief washing over her. Link squeezes her hand causing Amelia to look up at him, their teary eyes meeting and smiles wide. 

“Here’s the head annnnd,” Carina moves the probe down “Heres the arms and legs, all 10 fingers and all 10 toes.

“Do you want to know the sex?” Link looks to Amelia, ready to go along with whatever she wanted, she smiles at him and nods her head gently.

“Yes, please.” Link says, squeezing Amelia’s hand in anticipation.

“Okay,” Carina moves the probe again, pointing at the screen “It looks like you guys are having a baby boy! Congratulations!”.

Amelia and Link gasp simultaneously, their smiles widening as they look at each other before Link leans in to kiss her, “Oh my god! Amelia! A boy!”.

Carina presses some buttons on the machine before pulling the probe away and wiping it down. She grabs a paper towel and wipes the gel from Amelia’s stomach and pressing the button to sit the bed up. Amelia pulls her scrub top back over her bump, smoothing it down and resting a hand over it protectively. Carina hands her a series of pictures from the ultrasound, smiling and congratulating them once more before leaving the couple alone.

“Everything’s okay.” Amelia says softly, smiling up at Link.

“He is perfect.” Link smiles back, running his thumb across the scan photo.

Link leans in, placing a hand on her bump and kissing her lips softly. After pulling away, their attention goes back to the photos of their baby boy. 

“Link.” Amelia breaks the silence, “Mhm”

“I think I'm ready to tell people about him.” she says, smiling and placing her hand over where his resides on her belly, Link nods “You sure?”

“Mhm. Tomorrow though. I want one more day with him as our little secret.”

[castlepinesmusic]

Proletariat Punk Rock

Punk Rock Proletariat

A Modern Music Manifesto

We use it everyday,  consciously or not, you are absorbing it like air in a restaurant or coffee shop.    In our times of grieving and drinking ourselves to sleep it is there. When we wake up and rub the boogers from our eyelids we use it with a cup of coffee to invigorate us. 

We use it when we have dinner, when we have sex, when we attend sporting events, when we graduate from high school, when we learn to drive, when we kiss our first time, when we are withered and gray and draw a final, shallow breath it is there. Film and movies, all the things we use to distract us from the realities of life would not be the same without it.  

It is music. 

Music is a conundrum for me to think about.  It is one of the greatest joys of my life (apart from my wife) and music is also one of the greatest so-called thorns or banes in my side.  Why?

To jump into its creation is to wade into the deep.  It is dauntingly massive and too much collective knowledge to understand every facet in one life time. 

To record it, to make it a tangible thing with 0’s and 1’s in the digital realm and to share the product of hours of anxious creation to the world is another difficult task. Thats why we are here.  To create and leave a legacy. But why I am currently writing this is another matter entirely.  

We as consumers, western or non-western, affluent or poor, need a better understanding of the model of music consumption that we presently face.  For an artisanal craft, usually passed down from sage to student throughout its course of history, Music has been devalued, defaced and devoid of any commercial value or integrity for more than 99% of those that create it.  We bastardized  one of the most beautiful of human creations. Millennia of culture, folk lore and traditions have become the plastic bullshit bargain bin “throw away”, one and done, mass produced flavors of the week.  And I am calling it out.  We need to be better.  

We will be better.  

Much like the food industry complex, we spend and consume, waste and throw away without knowing the painstaking process of creation.  The growth from the seed in the dirty earth, cultivated to become a singular tomato for us to scoff at its flavor.  

Music is this exactly.  

Years of tribulation, tumult and doubt of whether or not we will harvest.  For those of you who are music creators, you know exactly of what I speak of, time seemingly wasted in a vacuous industry where only Drake and corporate controlled radio stations shovel their sonic fodder with monstrous finance budgets.  The independent artist is a drop of sand in the swirling sea of constant consumption.  This leaves the humble, working musician distraught and disappointed, angry at the status quo and at the constructs of which their precious art is lost in the digital void of oblivion.

Even when the musician or collective manages to birth an album or song, there are mavens, gatekeepers and tastemakers who have the pseudo”final say” as to what is good.  The blogs, the critics, those that judge from their screens, another hurdle to pass on an unmapped road to reaching your audience.  We actually made a video for our new song “Woo Hoo” that brings light to this very issue.  We took all the negative reviews and petty comments from blogs and record labels and slapped them on some footage from our friend Are Jay.

 Watch it here:

https://youtu.be/pFju7IXsXII 

 It is how we consume, how we interact with Music.  I am not calling out all users of whichever poison they picked, whatever platform suited your fancy be it Spotify, Google Play, Apple Music, Soundcloud etc.  There are those that are active seekers in the endless noise.  But it is the majority, the groupthink mentality of glazing over the details and not engaging with the art they are consuming.  It is a tired argument “Spotify only pays 0.0001 per play!”  This is the current climate and technology the masses use to listen, and instead of griping about it, lets use the advantages of its convenience as an asset.  Don’t believe the tired “Rock Star” American Dream Story of rags-to-riches from yesteryear. That age is dead, and we live in the working class musicians era, where we have the tools and the means to create our own history, our own legacies.  

I started recording music, not knowing what I was doing with my friend Blake Miller when I was 22 in a garage littered with stale beer and cigarette ash.  I saw Wilco and Radiohead in concert at Golden Gate Park, and the muse of inspiration lit inside me and I wanted to make an audience encounter the same things I felt when I was stoned in a large crowd. Ten years have passed since then, after forming a band called Castle Pines with my friends, playing greasy dive-bars and recording several albums, I have the memory and legacy of these moments embedded in me.  A much different reward than I thought I would obtain when I was a young, dumb 20-something.

I went through homeless years, living out of my car years, drunk years, years with court cases, assaulted years, meandering years of self doubt and whatever meaningless office art thats says “Discovery” years.  And throughout these years I had the comfort of faith and music.  I have seen the transition from buying albums and music in person at a record store to the digital streaming model, and although they are very different, the latter can still hold value and provide somewhat of a living for the millions of creators that can’t turn a buck. 

 How do we consume music ethically and consciously?

3  Rules:

Rule # 1: if you appreciate the art, show gratitude to the artist. 

As self-serving and indulgent as it sounds, the common trope and meme of “artists need to eat too!” is true.  If you can, buy the song or the album.  If you can’t share it.  We are constantly engaged in the dribbling faucet of social media, so share the music, how it effected you, how it made you feel a certain way at a certain time.  Share the emotions a song illicit in your everyday, and this is an invaluable and free method of support.  We live in this weird period, where the most popular music being consumed is being infiltrated by corporations where it is repackaged and sold in the vein of authenticity.  You need a lot of money to turn a head, and financing to get attention.  This is the arms race for “Cool”, the stock market of social transactions peddling less than desirable lifestyles to the youth and the world. 

The popular green, sustainability movement of eating and shopping locally should be applied here.  The rise of the microbrew beer and etsy shop, handmade craft should be a lesson we use in listening.  Listen small.  Listen to the handcrafted and the workers.  

Rule #2, stray off the beaten path. 

This is one is hard because it asks something of the audience.  You skip the lines and fervor of the industry giants if you do a minimum amount of research and discover.  Whatever you use to listen, dig deeper and find something new, it could be the best song you’ve ever heard by a band that you’ve never heard of. 

Rule #3, Know what you like and grow it. 

I don’t know if it political divisiveness, social constructs of genre affiliation or what, but I do know that EVERY single genre, style and practice has VALUE.  We can go into how rock and roll, Hip-hop and mainly Black American artists formed the modern musical language and how we don’t appreciate or know where it comes from.  But all we need to do is “Anthony Bourdain” it, try a new dish, or flavor or something you are scared of.  Only listen to Rap and R&B?  Put some Black Metal on and listen to it without prejudgement or preconceived notions on what it should be. And vice versa, whatever genre you are stuck in, break out of it and try something completely new.  You are doing an injustice to yourself by going to the same party everyday.  Your music tastes are a combination of that nature nurture thing, your environment, what mom would play when you were still in the belly and what you heard at junior high dances. 

  Grow your musical genre vocabulary. 

I see so many artists, creators and musicians get discouraged or feel downtrodden, and I hope this brought some levity and lightness to your struggle and journey.  We are all in this together.  

 Our next song “Swim Team Sucker” drops Friday, September 14.   Pre-save it here:

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/castlepines/etyX

 Thank you for all of your support, and remember

Castle Pines is for life homies.

#CPporVida

WEBSITE: https://cpporvida.com SMART URL-ALL MUSIC: http://bit.ly/woohoo-cp  FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/CastlePinesMusic/  TWITTER: https://twitter.com/cpporvida INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/castlepines/  YOUTUBE: http://bit.ly/castlepines-youtube SPOTIFY: http://bit.ly/FollowCastlePines-Spotify iTUNES: http://bit.ly/iTunes-Castle-Pines SOUNDCLOUD: http://bit.ly/cp-soundcloud BANDCAMP: http://bit.ly/Castle-Pines-Bandcamp Hype Machine: http://bit.ly/Castle-Pines-Press TUMBLR: http://bit.ly/Castle-Pines-Tumblr EMAIL: CPporVida@gmail.com

[lovelyparanormalbooks]

Book Blitz: Grand Finale: Happily Ever Afters by Rachel Magee

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

Book Tour Grand Finale for

Happily Ever Afters

By Rachel Magee We hope you enjoyed the tour! If you missed any of the stopsyou can see snippets, as well as the link to each full post, below:

Launch - Author Interview

1. What is your motivation behind HAPPILY EVER AFTERS? I actually came up with the idea for Happily Ever Afters while I was on a girls’ trip. Several of my friends at the time weren’t married and there were a few handsome bachelors at the resort. I started wondering what would happen if two people who didn’t live anywhere near each other fell in love.

It's All About the Romance - Why You Need to Go on Vacation – Or Read a Book – Or Both

Who loves vacation? Me too! It doesn’t matter if it’s a weekend getaway to a town nearby or a longer trip to someplace a bit farther, I love them all. My passion for travel worked its way into my book HAPPILY EVER AFTERS, which is about a couple who meet while on vacation. The rest of their story involves meeting up at the different destination weddings of each of their best friends and visiting each other in their home cities. . . .

Adventures Thru Wonderland - Excerpt

“Excuse me.” The deep voice came from above me.

I cracked one eye enough to see a man standing there. He motioned to the large storage bin holding all the passengers’ bags stowed under the bench where I was sitting. Shifting out of his way, I didn’t let the interruption distract me from enjoying the tranquility of the sail.

Hearts & Scribbles - Promo

underneath the covers - Excerpt

“Nice to meet you, Lainey.” He flashed a charming smile and settled against the rail. My heart skipped a beat. “What brings you to Puerto Rico?” He casually folded his arms in front of his toned chest. “We’re celebrating my birthday.” “Happy birthday.” The cheerful sincerity of his voice coaxed my fake smile into a genuine one.

Paulette's Papers - Character Interview with Lainey on Location in Dallas

Hi y’all. Today we are in Dallas, Texas chatting with the heroine from Happily Ever Afters, Lainey Stratton. Hi Lainey. Tell us a bit about yourself. Hi! I’m an internal medicine doctor. I finished my residency last year and am working at a hospital in Dallas. I like sports, especially hockey, and I love spending time with my friends.

Getting Your Read On - Review

"It's more than just a sweet romance, it's a journey filled with emotion and growth. . . . The last part of the book is filled with emotion that yanked my poor heart out. I was fully invested in the lives of these characters. Their journey wasn't easy, but it was satisfying. I loved my time spent with this book. I'll be watching for more from Rachel Magee!"

The Bookworm Chronicles - 5 Reasons to Get Swept Away with Vermont

The second destination wedding takes place at a bed and breakfast in Vermont. For this wedding, I wanted a location with a charming fairy tale like setting that would be the perfect place for our couple to meet up again. And what’s sweeter than maple syrup from Vermont?

Katie's Clean Book Collection - Review

"Magee is a new-to-me author and I was blown away from the powerful impact of the emotion that I felt throughout, and not just because of the jabs to my heart. The romance was palpable; the friendships were strong; the joys were high and the sorrows were low. This is one author worth watching out for!"

A Baker's Perspective - Review

"Overall it was a cute story, much like a traditional romance. It was a clean read – although the characters were drinking, and some people may be bothered by that. Having never read something by this author before, I was unsure what to expect, but I found that I enjoyed it and will check out other books she has!"

Book Lover in Florida - Character Interview with Carter

Today we are talking with Carter Thompson, hero of Happily Ever Afters. Hi, Carter! Hi. No one’s ever called me a hero before. I’m flattered. And searching for my cape. Tell us about yourself. Like you said, I’m Carter Thompson. My official title is long, but it means that I’m an economist for the State Department. I’m 34 and I live right here in Washington, D.C.

Janice's Book Reviews - Review

"A fast reading book, even though some of the first parts were slow the story kept me interested from start to finish. About finding love, recovering from lost loves."

Wishful Endings - Excerpt

“Then I definitely think we should try them,” I whispered back. “Any idea what’s in it?”

He shrugged. “Nope. But tonight, I’m feeling daring. How about you?”

Daring was not a way I often felt. I preferred to make decisions based on fact and scientific reason. But for some reason, on this picturesque street with this handsome semi-stranger, daring sounded like a great idea.

Zerina Blossom's Books - Review

"Happily Ever Afters was aptly named. It was a adorably sweet romance with a happily ever after ending. It was not a fairy tale retelling, but it definitely had a fairy tale ending. I love books like this one. Lainey had definite struggles to overcome in her life and relationships. As mentioned in the synopsis, she faced a tragedy that rocked her world. And the pain in her past kept her from trusting easily. Both problems were genuine and well-addressed."

Bookworm Lisa - Review

"The road that the characters travel is a hard one. There is tragedy, loss, and pasts to deal with. Carter is a strong support for Lainey. You really can't help but like him from the moment he is introduced. In many ways he becomes her rock. . . . The book is well written, full of emotion (good and bad). I look forward to reading more from Rachel Magee."

Heidi Reads... - Review

"The twist midway through the plot is what brought out the emotion and connection for me. Seeing Carter be there for her and support her through such a hard time was great, and I thought the author did an authentic job of portraying Lainey's grief and overwhelming emotions. Of course some external conflicts also arose that had to be overcome, and I was swiftly turning pages until I found Lainey's perfectly sweet happily ever after."

Remembrancy - Review

"This book. Wow. The first third was fun. A vacation in San Juan, good friends, adventure with a gorgeous guy and meeting new friends. It set me up for a fun romp. . . . And then Pow! Now I’m crying, grieving along with Lainey at her loss, her loneliness, her heartbreak. . . . Rachel Magee’s debut novel is moving but, more importantly, it reminds us of the power of falling in love."

Jorie Loves A Story - Author Interview

When you were pitching Happily Ever Afters - how did you decide to focus on an Indie Publisher and what motivated you to seek out Clean Reads? What gives them the advantage over other Indies? I liked the idea of a small publisher because it allowed me to be more involved in all the decisions while still having the expertise and advice of people who had done this many times. Clean Reads was actually recommended to me by a good friend who thought it would be a perfect fit for this book. I’m so happy she did! They publish clean fiction in a variety of genres, so it was a great match for my love of writing sweet romances. It allows my story to shine in the specific market where it belongs. But more than the books they publish, they are an amazing group of people who inspire and encourage me. It’s a joy to be part of the Clean Reads team.

Rockin' Book Reviews - Review

"I love a good clean love story and this is one of those. . . . This story had so much emotion in it, I kept going from crying to laughing to being mad at one of the characters. It is a really good read. . . . I would highly recommend this book to other readers. I loved it."

And don't forget to enter the giveaway below, if you haven't already...

Happily Ever Afters

Rachel Magee

Contemporary Sweet Romance

ebook, 286 pages

September 19th 2017 by Clean Reads

Lainey Stratton does not fall in love with strangers she meets on vacation. It simply doesn’t make logical sense. So when Lainey meets Carter Thompson on the first day of her Caribbean vacation, she knows it could never amount to anything more than a crush. At the end of the vacation she will return to Dallas and he will return to D.C., and that will be the end of it. Well, unless he wants to join her at a friend’s destination wedding, which would be considered vacation too, right? But when an unexpected tragedy sends Lainey’s logical world spiraling out of control, she realizes her vacation crush might be the only one who can help her pick up the pieces of her shattered life. That is, as long as she can get out of the way of her own happiness. And as long as Carter’s past doesn’t catch up with him before she gets a chance.

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Rachel Magee wrote her first novel when she was twelve and entered it into a contest for young author/illustrators. Unfortunately, the judges weren’t impressed with her stick figures. So she dropped the dream of becoming a world famous illustrator and stuck to spinning stories. When she’s not busy working on her latest book, she loves to travel with her family and friends. By far, her favorite destination is the beach, which tends to work its way into most of her stories. Between vacations, you can find her at home in The Woodlands, TX with her wonderful husband, their two adventurous kids and a couple of spirited pets, all of whom share Rachel’s love of the ocean. Well, except the cat and dog. They’re both afraid of water. Find out more about what Rachel has been up to at rachelmageebooks.com.

Website│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│Google+

Tour Giveaway

Happily Ever Afters Prize Pack 1 (US residents only)

· Happily Ever Afters coffee mug

· Tea Sampler Pack

· Happily Ever Afters notebook

· Lilly Pulitzer pen

· Chocolates

· ‘Vacations’ picture frame

Happily Ever Afters Prize Pack 2 (US and International residents))

· $25 Amazon e-gift card

Giveaway ends October 4th a Rafflecopter giveaway

[ryanbayne]

This year I decided to blog, really blog! That will mean posts about everything from baking apple-crumble with the kids to my professional web development. My decision to share more happened during the winter, while I stood outside in the rain, snow, wind, hail, and mud. Lots and lots of mud…plus tonnes of stones, bricks, and other stuff.  Eight months ago we moved home, it was a week before Christmas this is one of the properties gardens.

Our New Home and Gardens

Eight months ago we moved home, it was a week before Christmas and I was feeling the whip. There was so much to be done, including wrap presents for four children. What a challenge and the adrenaline was pumping!

I got the new front-room (living-room) decorated 100%, in-time for Christmas Eve. By New Year I had already started on the garden. That was the beginning of a massive task which I did without much help and I learned a lot from it. The larger home, the new gardens, it all felt like a job by February because I worked around the clock, into the dark, through all winter weather, every day until…it was done!

What matters is that I enjoyed it a lot and that really got me thinking about all the time I spend behind a computer coding. I’ve worked hard all of my life but never done a job that relates to what I was doing outside and I started considering if I should be doing something physical even part-time.

That is when I realized how important it is to show character and general skills through our portfolios. We can use blogging to back up claims that we work hard and can multitask or take on just about any job. Maybe you don’t claim those things but I would like to.

Wild, Wild Garden

So the decorating was underway indoors and if I needed a break I just stayed inside to scrape wallpaper! That was my life for weeks and here is why.

Getting Started

House Brick Gardens

Rubbish Garden Beds

Groth Holding the Fence Up

Fence Rotted Through

The fence was actually being held up by the growth. I named it the floating fence and it was one of a few safety concerns I had with this garden. Someone else called it their garden and enjoyed it for many years. I was about to undo it within a couple of weeks because it was wild and out of control.

The trees were growing on top of house bricks which I discovered painfully in the wrist when digging into the roots.

Anything growing was in a high bed so the wind had caused everything to learn. There were four trees leaning on the fence separate next-doors garden. The top of that fence was all broken-up.

Our gardens fence was literally just hanging there, suspended by growth.

The entire garden was covered in tonnes of chips (small stones).

There was a car tire around the clothes pole, that really annoyed me. The idea that the creator of this garden cared about wildlife was apparent due to the bird feeders all around the garden and yet they displayed a car tire proudly.

My New Experience

At some point, I decided that all of my experiences mattered and took extra photographs to prove my abilities. I really was considering a line of work that would have me doing more of this, still am. Here is what I did, without much help, but plenty of support from my other-half.

I scraped and scooped what I thought was all of the chips into a pile. Then bagged them. Then lifted thick polyethylene to discover about 4 inches of chips around the edges of the garden, indicating an older layer of the garden.

I stacked the bricks, that picture shows just some of them.

I stacked the bags, that picture shows half of them.

I gathered the boulders, that was most of them.

I dug out roots that were growing through chain fences because they had been planted so high.

Emotional Times

So here is our garden at the start of the year and remember Christmas had just passed and we had just spent hundreds moving home. We weren’t in a position to pay for a skip, turf, fencing and labor costs straight away. We spent a lot getting the biodegradable stuff away alone. We filled those brown bins to the limit, and the neighbors too (with permission)!

The garden sat like this for weeks and during that time we were realizing that our son is likely to be autistic. All that new wallpaper I had put up, he was peeling it off and you can imagine the state of the carpets when the kids would get onto the mud. Stress levels peaked and the developing situation with our 2-year-old son was emotional for the whole family.

  Just none bio stuff to go now! This filled a large skip.

  My two eldest watching it all happening!

      Finished

    Well, sort of finished. This image is on the day the fence and turf were done. The state of the concrete is poor, look, there is still a house-brick stuck in there. I’m not complaining though. These things give us something to work towards and now we can think about a playhouse and some plant boxes for the whole family to enjoy.

      I don’t just code, I dig, shovel, and carry heavy stuff! This year I decided to blog, really blog! That will mean posts about everything from baking apple-crumble with the kids to my professional web development.