Joining in with Taryn for her heartfelt Sunday tradition.
A time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful.
This week I have been grateful for...
...the rain staying away for an evening canoeing and a barbecue with our local Explorer Scouts.
...a long journey which gave me loads of time to get some knitting done for my youngest's birthday gifts.
...a fun afternoon with friends at a local castle to see the daffodils they were lovely.
...my local home ed group for organising a great afternoon of swimming and making boats with sticks and leaves to float down the river.
...a friend phoning and inviting us all for tea.
...a friend inviting my eldest over for a play just as he was asking when he could see home again.
..a day of help in the garden from my husband and youngest we got so many jobs done.
...trusting my instincts with a craft project, it worked I should try not to doubt myself more.
Sunday, 19 May 2013
Friday, 17 May 2013
Lunch
A while ago I decided that I would extend my meal plans to include lunches too. I had been wavering for a while, it felt like it would be a bit too organised most of my friends are impressed that I plan my evening meal as none of them do so to add lunches as well? I can't believe I took so long to cross that bridge, I tried it for a week and it was the best move I have made in a long time. It now means that I no longer have a 12 o'clock moment of oh my it is lunch time what are we going to eat and I have the ingredients in the house to actually make something interesting as opposed to sandwiches every day.
So recently I have included, omelettes, couscous or quinoa salads, soups, new, to me, homemade breads, homemade tortillas, buckwheat pancakes, cheese scones, bean salad and deep fried cheddar balls. So many of these I would like to have made in the past but I did not have the right ingredients or enough time to make them but with a bit of forward planning our lunches are far more interesting, ready at a time when we are hungry and healthy!
So recently I have included, omelettes, couscous or quinoa salads, soups, new, to me, homemade breads, homemade tortillas, buckwheat pancakes, cheese scones, bean salad and deep fried cheddar balls. So many of these I would like to have made in the past but I did not have the right ingredients or enough time to make them but with a bit of forward planning our lunches are far more interesting, ready at a time when we are hungry and healthy!
Thursday, 16 May 2013
Absence
My house is currently sporting that look that a house gets when you have been away, signs of unpacking mingled in with daily life, I have not been at home much since returning. We are so lucky to have a neighbour who minds our garden for us when we are not at home, watering the polytunnel and opening it up when it gets warm in there. Sadly we seemed to have miscommunicated about a cold frame we have in there which contains all our precious seedlings. In an effort to protect them from the mice we have been placing the lid on at night and taking it off during the day. It appears that it has been left on all the time and not watered so many of the very small seedlings have got scorched and died.
My journey as a gardener this year is one step forward and two steps back. I am of course immensely grateful to my neighbour but perhaps I should have gone to speak to him rather than my husband! All my efforts to get plants going early has now been stalled and I am no further forward than I have been in previous years. I am going to resow in the next few days but had rather been hoping that I would be planting out now instead.
I had also been hoping to go away for a longer period in late July or early August but I may need to rethink my plans as I feel that if I am to produce any vegetables this year I need to be around to make sure they are all properly looked after.
My journey as a gardener this year is one step forward and two steps back. I am of course immensely grateful to my neighbour but perhaps I should have gone to speak to him rather than my husband! All my efforts to get plants going early has now been stalled and I am no further forward than I have been in previous years. I am going to resow in the next few days but had rather been hoping that I would be planting out now instead.
I had also been hoping to go away for a longer period in late July or early August but I may need to rethink my plans as I feel that if I am to produce any vegetables this year I need to be around to make sure they are all properly looked after.
Monday, 13 May 2013
Moments...
...this week of...
...happiness staying with family and catching up with my brothers, a family party with my fathers cousins and their children and grandchildren we have not met up for over twenty years and it was wonderful to see them all again and to meet the next generation.
...sadness at the way humans treat each other following the escape of three young women this week.
...creating a knitted pig, casting on a scarf, a slowly growing hat, my youngest baking a cake with granma.
...reading the very funny These Foolish Things by Deborah Moggach.
...learning about Romans with a trip to a fantastic musuem and Egyptians with a great new, to us, book, to balance on bicycles.
...thinking about a dear friend who is having a hard time of it right now.
...wondering if I am going to be able to fit everything in I need to do on Wednesday.
...hoping my garden is doing alright without me there.
...looking forward to being at home again!
...thinking about a dear friend who is having a hard time of it right now.
...wondering if I am going to be able to fit everything in I need to do on Wednesday.
...hoping my garden is doing alright without me there.
...looking forward to being at home again!
Sunday, 12 May 2013
Gratitudes
Joining in with Taryn for her heartfelt Sunday tradition.
A time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful.
This week I have been grateful for...
...a free source of horse manure for the garden from our neighbours who have horses.
...making the time to catch up with a friend who really needs support at the moment as she is having a difficult time.
...my husband driving us safely to visit family.
...not having to cook for a few days.
...catching up with one of my brothers who I do not see that often.
...a wonderful distant relative organising a family party it was so good to catch up with people after so long.
...my nephew who is a wonderful playmate for my eldest they spend hours in each others company and never tire of each other.
A time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful.
This week I have been grateful for...
...a free source of horse manure for the garden from our neighbours who have horses.
...making the time to catch up with a friend who really needs support at the moment as she is having a difficult time.
...my husband driving us safely to visit family.
...not having to cook for a few days.
...catching up with one of my brothers who I do not see that often.
...a wonderful distant relative organising a family party it was so good to catch up with people after so long.
...my nephew who is a wonderful playmate for my eldest they spend hours in each others company and never tire of each other.
Saturday, 11 May 2013
Reading
I love to look in secondhand bookshops for preloved books, every now and then you find a gem. A book that at first glance looks ordinary, but interesting, and when you get it home and take a good look it turns out to be a real find. I found one of these books this week.
Song of the Earth by Mary Hoffman is a lovely book which explores the magic of the elements, earth, fire, water and air.
The book is beautifully illustrated by Jane Ray, each section has its own individual title page.
There is an introduction celebrating each element.
Myths, folklore, legends and the association of various mystical figures are weaved into the text.
The life giving properties of each element.
Contrasting with the life taking abilities, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and untamed fires.
Each section concludes to bring to the readers attention the misuse and ill treatment done to this vital components of our existence.
The illustrations on each page wonderfully bring the text to life. This book is a great introduction to so many interesting topics, ideas and concepts, I hope that it acts a springboard for further learning.
Joining in with The Children's Bookshelf a sharing of all things related to children's books.
Each section concludes to bring to the readers attention the misuse and ill treatment done to this vital components of our existence.
The illustrations on each page wonderfully bring the text to life. This book is a great introduction to so many interesting topics, ideas and concepts, I hope that it acts a springboard for further learning.
Joining in with The Children's Bookshelf a sharing of all things related to children's books.
Thursday, 9 May 2013
Soil
All the food that we eat grows from the soil or relies on earth to provide their food. Soil is vital to our lives so it is vital that we look after it. It is home for many animals who dig tunnels to make a place to shelter or those like the earthworm who passes the soil through its body breaking it up and making it crumbly and diggable. To grow any plants our soil needs to be good condition, full of the nutrients to enable plants to grow strong and healthy. There are many ways to keep a soil in good condition.
You can make your own compost or buy it, making your own is easy if you have space to you need a container to keep it in, two if you can fit them in, once one is to full leave to break down and start filling the other one. You can put so many things in a compost bin, it is a good way to reduce your rubbish for a start, this is a good list for a start if you are not sure what to put in it.
If you know some one that keeps horses they are likely to have loads of horse manure which is great for the garden they usually have so much that they give it away for free provided you can take it away!
If you do not have room for compost bins you could create or buy a small Wormery which are amazing at producing wonderful compost for the garden, ours also produces liquid as well which is a great fertiliser.
You can also make your own liquid fertiliser in a bucket using the leaves of plants such as comfrey, nettles or dandelions. These can get very smelly whilst they are brewing so it is a good idea to find something to use as a lid for the bucket. You add water and make a tea which you need to strain and use to fertilise established plants, it will be too strong for seedlings.
I have also used rock dust in my garden with some success it adds minerals and trace elements to the soil to improve the long term health of your soil.
If you don't fancy any of these methods then of course there is always chemical fertilisers. I have never been able to comprehend the use of these. If you have ever driven past a field that is barren, devoid of all plants not even weeds, it is highly likely that there are no nutrients left in the soil. They have been stripped due to fertiliser use and now nothing will grow on the soil unless you continue to apply fertiliser. It is not only the soil that is effected by the use of fertilisers much research has been carried out into the effect of its use on bees which are a vital part of our ecosystem, and the European Union has voted to ban the use of some of these. I am sure that Rachel Carson is turning in her grave as little has changed since she wrote about the worrying increase in the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in 1962.
You can make your own compost or buy it, making your own is easy if you have space to you need a container to keep it in, two if you can fit them in, once one is to full leave to break down and start filling the other one. You can put so many things in a compost bin, it is a good way to reduce your rubbish for a start, this is a good list for a start if you are not sure what to put in it.
If you know some one that keeps horses they are likely to have loads of horse manure which is great for the garden they usually have so much that they give it away for free provided you can take it away!
If you do not have room for compost bins you could create or buy a small Wormery which are amazing at producing wonderful compost for the garden, ours also produces liquid as well which is a great fertiliser.
You can also make your own liquid fertiliser in a bucket using the leaves of plants such as comfrey, nettles or dandelions. These can get very smelly whilst they are brewing so it is a good idea to find something to use as a lid for the bucket. You add water and make a tea which you need to strain and use to fertilise established plants, it will be too strong for seedlings.
I have also used rock dust in my garden with some success it adds minerals and trace elements to the soil to improve the long term health of your soil.
If you don't fancy any of these methods then of course there is always chemical fertilisers. I have never been able to comprehend the use of these. If you have ever driven past a field that is barren, devoid of all plants not even weeds, it is highly likely that there are no nutrients left in the soil. They have been stripped due to fertiliser use and now nothing will grow on the soil unless you continue to apply fertiliser. It is not only the soil that is effected by the use of fertilisers much research has been carried out into the effect of its use on bees which are a vital part of our ecosystem, and the European Union has voted to ban the use of some of these. I am sure that Rachel Carson is turning in her grave as little has changed since she wrote about the worrying increase in the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in 1962.
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