MY LIFE TODATE.

I decided to have a change of theme and colour, well a change is as good as a rest they say. I tend to fiddle about a bit, until it feels comfortable, or I get fed up, it’s like a sort of website Feng Shui, if you believe in all that tripe. Personally I don’t, “Move a chair and feel happy” but I shift the furniture around at home. . . same thing.

I’m not usually nosey but as we speak the paramedics, ambulance and police are at the house next door, I can’t see much through net curtains but it looks like the old lady next door has passed away in the night. She has been ill and It’s not entirely unexpected, even so it’s a sad time for the family.

Phil is collecting one son from school then going on to pick up the shopping,unfortunately MIL (mother in law) is going too. Under the guise of “helping” she is ferrying him to the supermarket which is nice for a while, but she kind of elbows her way into your day, then it’s phonecalls about nothing,  something needs fixing NOW.  Oh! I don’t mean to moan … but dammit I’m gonna, she’s driving me NUTS! This is an ongoing problem,  things at home are getting pretty damn frosty and I see no solution. OK rant over. . .for now.

Out in the garden here, the rain/hail has done a great job of watering the plants which saves me the job . . . brilliant! June is almost upon us and we hope for an improvement any minute. . . . . still waiting.

SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN, REDUCED TO CLEAR.

Since last I posted Phil has been in hospital and had his back operated on, it was all done and dusted in 3 days thanks to keyhole surgery. With all that fixed we are hoping

for a better year all round although time will be needed to get back to his old self. Then he will take his old self down to the swimming baths and attempt to lose some weight!
I’m rid of the cold/virus thing that’s been hanging around me, I think I got run down, certainly felt like it.

It’s alotment day tomorrow,we will be both adding and subtracting to the plot, adding lettuce and subtracting weeds, to be honest, I don’t mind weeding but I can’t tell which is which I’m sure I pulled the carrots up last year. But we are more organised this year, not much but we have marked out the areas so we know what’s planted where. Last year the birds gobbled our greens, so to protect the lettuces,we have made a cloche. . .  out of Hoola-Hoops and net, picture to follow. TTFN

SQUARE FOOT GARDENING.

Busy, busy, busy this week, the weather is very nice and I am making some progress with my planting etc. I’ve invested in a small pvc greenhouse type thing which allows me to plant seed and leave them to develop without filling up the house with seedlings.

I have also discovered square foot gardening, which looks great fun especially for an amateur like myself (see video)It’s really caught on around the world and I’m excited at the idea, I will fill you in with more details later as the plants come along.

Today is the day my husband went in for surgery for the trapped nerve in his back he’s been waiting such a while and I’m pleased that he’s getting fixed. Unlike myself, an old hand having my parts overhauled ( we women usually are!) Phil is a surgical virgin and will be almost appoplectic come the morning, but it’s got to be done.

MIL took us to the hospital, but on returning home with the boys we discovered the dog had forced his way into the pvc jobby and munched his way through my plants,I don’t know what to say you can fill in the blanks.

SETBACKS AND SEEDS.

I’m well on my way with the seed sowing, tomatoes,potatoes and a few flowers are in and growing, a bit slow but growing nevertheless. The next thing in will be my beans and peas but I need bamboo poles for those.

Well if the garden centre had got their act together,I would have been well on the way towards my goal, but missing barcodes, missing staff and eventually after a lengthy wait. . .  a missing me, set things back, nevermind.

We have  a couple of raised beds in the garden/yard now (I use that term because yes, it is a garden but we had it paved because we have clay soil)Phils mum aka MIL, gets pensioner discount at the garden centre on Wednesday so we took advantage of that and bought three huge bags of compost to fill the beds  but. . . .we need more, still the beans are in Whoo Hoo! well done me.

Did I tell you about Phil’s back troubles? well he is waiting surgery and on the 6th of May he’s going in to get sorted out and not a moment too soon,not only for his sake but for mine. There are just some things I can’t do and for the last two years the allotment work has fallen largly on my shoulders. I don’t mind but I’m starting to feel the effects.

Iv’e decided to buy Heirloom seeds for the allotment etc, this allows me to save my own seeds for the future  unlike the F1 hybrids which don’t reproduce true to type ( It’s an education I tell you!)anyway lets see how it  goes. Watch this space.

WELCOME TO THE REVOLUTION.

What an inspiration this family is. I have watched this video several times and passed it on to others I know. I like his philosophy, growing your own food is liberating and after all, whoever controls the food. . .controls the people. Independant living out of the control of the government and the whim of the food industry. Another revolution.

GROW DAMMIT GROW!

The last couple of weeks have been rainfree which has been great after the heavy snow fall. Spring is in the air. . . somewhere, and eventually we’ll get it but for now we have to wait a while. Last year was a washout, literally, but we have more hopes for this year ( if I say it enough times I’ll convince myself)

The few plants I planted so far are just poking through the soil and I find myself checking them regularly to see if they have appeared I even pushed aside a bit of soil incase it was too deep, horticultural midwifery thats what it is.

This is how I go on, I’m almost willing the damn things to appear,I need results, everyday I think over what has been happening,  if I have achieved something,  I feel good but if not. . . .a shrink would have a field day in my head.
It will all be good practice for retirement whenwe get a small holding, raise chickens, Alpacas and anything else that takes our fancy. But for now I’m stuck here trying to hypnotise plants into growing.

I might be a plant whisperer. . . .maybe I need to shout!

 

NEW OZ CHART BUSTER SINCE THATCHERS DEATH.

Australians have always been outspoken and good for them.Since Margaret Thatcher died this week, the Aussie hit parade has a new hit song. I don’t think they liked her either, no surprise there then!.