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Thursday 10 March 2022

10 on the 10th - March

 Is This Mutton blog answers 10 questions on the 10th March about spring

Today I'm joining Leslie and Marsha for the monthly 10 on the 10th post. which this time is asking questions about my favourite season, Spring. 

Your favorite thing about spring?

Can I be greedy and ask for two things? The garden stirring back to life, and Easter. 

It's so exciting to see all the shoots and buds first appearing. To me it's a bit like magic. The sequence starts with my favorite bulbs, snowdrops, daffodils, tulips and then the forsythia hedge is a golden explosion, followed by my three huge Clematis Montanas. After that, there's a steady stream of new additions as spring gets warmer and more plants start to flower, including my very favorite roses. Below: bowl of crocuses in my garden

Easter is a joyful time and I love decorating the house, planning family get togethers, and Easter treats like hot cross buns and Simnel cake. It is also the most significant time in the Christian calendar, far more important to me than Christmas.

Crocus bowl in the garden of London blogger Gail Hanlon from Is This Mutton

What puts spring in your step?  What does your favorite pair of shoes look like?  When do you wear them?

They're not very glamorous but these new walking boots have been waiting in the wings for some time! My last pair, bought in 2017, have finally given up the ghost after covering more than 3000 miles. I bought this pair, the same style and brand, when we last went to the Lake District on a walking holiday, "just in case" they were needed.  They certainly put a spring in my step on my regular walks around Epping Forest.

Around St. Patrick’s Day we see invitations to ‘kiss me, I’m Irish’ on graphic tees and images everywhere.  Are you Irish?  If not, what would your graphic tee read?  ‘Kiss me, I’m…”

I have very diluted Irish blood, according to my Ancestry DNA test, but I haven't discovered the Irish ancestors yet in my family tree research.  My husband's parents were both Irish, and if I put an "O" in front of my surname Hanlon, it becomes an Irish surname. 

What flowers would make up your perfect spring bouquet?  What is your favorite floral fragrance?

Definitely stocks and lily-of-the-valley for my spring bouquet. I always look for my bottle of Diorissimo when spring is here because that delicate lily-of-the-valley scent makes me think of spring. There's a lilac tree in my road which always lifts my spirits: I like to stand under it and inhale the fragrance.

Spring cleaning?  A necessary evil or overrated?  What’s your favorite cleaning tip?  Cleaning product?

My recent survey on cleaning showed that spring cleaning is dying out, but not at Mutton Towers! I like to give the front porch a good clean and also the windows (inside the house, and the inside and outside of the conservatory). 

My favorite cleaning tip is to use the right cloth or brush for the job. I buy special cloths for dusting, cleaning tech gadgets, bathroom, floor and windows. I used to use an all purpose cloth for everything but you get better results with the cloth designed for the task.

My favourite product is Zoflora, the scented disinfectants.  I start using "Hello Spring" in March. 

Slinkies are coiled spring toys.  Did you ever have a Slinky?  Silly Putty?  What was your favorite toy as a child?

I remember Slinkies vaguely but maybe they were after my time or not very big in the UK. I didn't have one.  We call Silly Putty "Play Doh." I love the smell of it. My favorite toys were usually ones that were a bit messy and/or creative, like Spirofoil, or the paper doll you dressed with cut-out clothes.

When we ‘spring forward’ on March 13, what do you hope to do in that extra daylight?

We start to spend time sitting in the garden in the early evening and savouring a glass of wine. I rush around the garden every day with secateurs, dead heading and removing weeds. Sometimes the roses have so many blooms it can take an hour to do the dead heading! 

The following colors will be trending for spring soft lilac, canary yellow, hot pink, salted caramel, scarlet, sky blue.  Will you be styling any of these?  Is there a color you will avoid?

I will embrace lilac, hot pink and sky blue, but because I've had my colors analysed, I'll be avoiding salted caramel and canary yellow because they do nothing for me. 

What will you be reading this spring?  Do you have a favorite devotional or quiet time routine?

I've just started a book by a new author to me,  Hilma Wolitzer. It's a People magazine 'Book of the Week' and New York Times Editors' Choice. 

Share an inspirational thought or spring quote.  Why does this speak to you?

I love Monet's artworks that feature flowers: the poppy field, water lilies, his garden at Giverny. And I adore flowers myself, all year round. If only I had a big garden, where I could plant flowers and trees for every season. In my small garden I only have room for spring and summer. If it was bigger, I'd have witch hazels, dogwoods and daphnes for winter, and chrysanths, asters and echinacea for autumn. 

Sharing this post with: #SpreadtheKindness at Shelbee on the Edge, #AnythingGoes at My Random Musings, Rena at Fine WhateverTalent Sharing Tuesdays at Scribbling Boomer, Traffic Jam Weekend at My Bijou Life

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