Mary, Mary quite contrary...Project Balcony!

If one more person tells me to 'enjoy the sunshine' I'm going to give them a smack round the chops. Lucky UK have been experiencing crazy climes for March with the last 4 days reaching heights of 20+ degrees. It's beautiful out; meltingly hot. Too hot. To feel safe in the sun I have to go out smothered in 50+ SPF, parasol in hand, sporting the long sleeved top/compression vest combo. It's really uncomfortable in all those layers and I worry about over-exposing my face. I'm still not sure how long is too long.

Earlier this week I tried to go for a walk but the rays battered me back; there was no shade in the park and I was forced to retreat. I came home and wrote the blog post 'the temperature's rising; so is my temper' and slammed around on my balcony for a while.

Epiphany!

As I ranted down the phone about the weather I realised although the sun still blazed over London, I was actually a little bit chilly. The balcony gets the sun until around midday and then it's shade all the way. Hmmmm.

It was a guy who rented this place before us and boy, can you tell. The balcony was adrift with dirt, feathers, cigarette butts, crab claws and general paraphernalia dropped by seagulls. The railings were billowing with spider webs and daubed with bird 'splatter.' Wedged in the far corner was a dirty looking table. With a lack of things to do and a general rage bubbling lava-like inside me, I grabbed washing up liquid, Windolene, polish and set to work. Before long I had made a discovery...the table was yellow and blue!



At one end of the balcony there were huddled some sad, wind-beaten terracotta pots spewing out straggly weeds and at the other end a tangle of brooms. Before the close of day one we had a table, the balcony was swept clean and the pots washed out. I pondered my next move. As the last thing I probably planted was a salad cress Mr Potato Head age 8, I called my Mum.



Two days later after one trip to the garden centre, two plant-related trips to Asda and almost an entire day planting and cleaning, the balcony is ready to be revealed! I have several pansy pots, basil, coriander and parsley and a hanging tomato basket. A horticultural feast!



The fabulous thing is that when the weaker morning sun shines in I am able to sit and have my breakfast. It's a new sport - 'controlled sunbathing.' I can wear my cowboy hat/sunglasses/50 SPF/long sleeves without getting too hot and even better...there is no one to see me in my strange outfit! Later in the evening there's no sun anyway so dining al fresco is on the menu.

It's lucky I'm a resourceful person. I can see why people get beaten down after injuries and trauma. It's extremely exhausting to keep bouncing back and making the best out of things. To anyone in this situation, the only advice I can give is that you do feel better by keeping busy. Learn how to cook, sew, write haikus, plant pansies...anything that passes the time and gets you in the 'flow.' It's quite calming once you get into it and every day you finish is another day closer to complete recovery. And if getting resourceful still doesn't alleviate the frustration and anger, at least you have a pretty balcony to scream blue from...