I can't tell you what a delight it is to finally have a real garden especially now that summer is on the way. I spent a while today just sitting in the sunshine outside and letting the warmth seep into my bones. One of the things I love about living in a drizzly, temperate country is the sheer joy you experience the first time you feel real warmth and sunlight after the winter. Warmth and sunshine all year round would be nice, but it wouldn't be anything special. It's part of my philosophy of life that — no matter how unpleasant it is — you have to experience the 'downs' to really appreciate the 'ups'.

Anyway, sitting outside today — looking at my newly planted flowers, watching the butterflies chasing one another around, the blue tits visiting my bird feeder and enjoying the smell of growth — was definitely one of the 'ups'.