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Gardening, knitting, etc
Been pottering a mixture of things the last few days.
Mowed the front lawn, raked it and mowed it again. I had to take occasional breaks. The great tits are nesting in the box above our front door, the chicks are quite noisy now and the parents tend to be nervous about visiting the box when I'm using the mower, so I gave them some chances to get in and feed the young.
There are blackbirds nesting in the ivy in the back garden. Their main concern is a long-hair tortoiseshell cat. I've got very good at recognising blackbird alarm calls, so if I'm in the kitchen/lounge and I hear them calling, then I come out and chase the cat away. They're not afraid of me if I'm working quietly in the garden, which is rather nice.
I'm working my way through the house, gradually clearing piles of stuff from here and there. The only problem is that some of the older piles are a bit dusty and the dust sets off my allergy and makes my hands really itchy. Occasionally I wear disposable gloves, but they do make your hands rather sweaty, so I prefer not to use them if I can help it.
The sock is making progress. I'm past the heel and about half way down the foot now.
Thanks to those who recommended Ravelry to me - the people there have already helped me solve one knitting problem.
The allotment is making progress. I've been watering because it has been so dry of recent, but the recent showers (while not really enough to soak into the ground) will at least have stopped the soil blowing away every time I hoe it.
The peas are several inches tall, spinach and beetroot seedlings are emerging. Rocket is growing in the way that rocket does. Rhubarb is being harvested (cook it with ginger for best effect). Sorrel has been split and replanted and survived. (dead easy to grow native perennial. Leaves taste of lemon and are nice in mixed salads). Ramsons (wild garlic) are flowing in the garden. They look beautiful, grow in awkward dark corners under trees and have leaves that are delicious in cheese sandwiches as well as in cooking.
I was going to be learning some Cotswold morris tunes from a friend today, but he's got to go and have a blood test, so I'll probably do some more work on the garden and the allotment.
Richard and Henry are massively busy today with an important work deadline.
I've got a jumper of Henry's to repair. (Got it in a charity shop originally, nice chenille knit that I thought he'd like). The sleeve caught on something yesterday, but I think I can fix it okay.
We've had steady income for over a year now, but the habits of eight years of little/erratic/no income die hard (and I'm not sure that I'd want the habits to die). I still buy nearly all my clothes in charity shops. I still scrutinise every annual renewal of insurance, gas, etc. and nearly always save at least 5% by either changing supplier or by simply phoning and asking for a reduction. If the premium goes up by more than inflation and I haven't made a claim, then I always ask for a reduction.
Many habits remain because they have environmental gains as well as monetary ones. I still don't use my tumble dryer (I may Freecycle it at some point). Hanging the washing to dry on the line is free, as well as reducing CO2 emissions.
Mowed the front lawn, raked it and mowed it again. I had to take occasional breaks. The great tits are nesting in the box above our front door, the chicks are quite noisy now and the parents tend to be nervous about visiting the box when I'm using the mower, so I gave them some chances to get in and feed the young.
There are blackbirds nesting in the ivy in the back garden. Their main concern is a long-hair tortoiseshell cat. I've got very good at recognising blackbird alarm calls, so if I'm in the kitchen/lounge and I hear them calling, then I come out and chase the cat away. They're not afraid of me if I'm working quietly in the garden, which is rather nice.
I'm working my way through the house, gradually clearing piles of stuff from here and there. The only problem is that some of the older piles are a bit dusty and the dust sets off my allergy and makes my hands really itchy. Occasionally I wear disposable gloves, but they do make your hands rather sweaty, so I prefer not to use them if I can help it.
The sock is making progress. I'm past the heel and about half way down the foot now.
Thanks to those who recommended Ravelry to me - the people there have already helped me solve one knitting problem.
The allotment is making progress. I've been watering because it has been so dry of recent, but the recent showers (while not really enough to soak into the ground) will at least have stopped the soil blowing away every time I hoe it.
The peas are several inches tall, spinach and beetroot seedlings are emerging. Rocket is growing in the way that rocket does. Rhubarb is being harvested (cook it with ginger for best effect). Sorrel has been split and replanted and survived. (dead easy to grow native perennial. Leaves taste of lemon and are nice in mixed salads). Ramsons (wild garlic) are flowing in the garden. They look beautiful, grow in awkward dark corners under trees and have leaves that are delicious in cheese sandwiches as well as in cooking.
I was going to be learning some Cotswold morris tunes from a friend today, but he's got to go and have a blood test, so I'll probably do some more work on the garden and the allotment.
Richard and Henry are massively busy today with an important work deadline.
I've got a jumper of Henry's to repair. (Got it in a charity shop originally, nice chenille knit that I thought he'd like). The sleeve caught on something yesterday, but I think I can fix it okay.
We've had steady income for over a year now, but the habits of eight years of little/erratic/no income die hard (and I'm not sure that I'd want the habits to die). I still buy nearly all my clothes in charity shops. I still scrutinise every annual renewal of insurance, gas, etc. and nearly always save at least 5% by either changing supplier or by simply phoning and asking for a reduction. If the premium goes up by more than inflation and I haven't made a claim, then I always ask for a reduction.
Many habits remain because they have environmental gains as well as monetary ones. I still don't use my tumble dryer (I may Freecycle it at some point). Hanging the washing to dry on the line is free, as well as reducing CO2 emissions.
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FF
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Good idea to use the old jeans to patch the new ones.
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Lovely wild garlic, I don´t have any but instead of it, I have lovely Melissa in those odd corners. I use it for delicious tea and for cooking meat.
I spent horrendous money on some plants and flowers for my window containers but it began raining so much that I had to rum home. They promise strong downpours and even floods! I hope I will be able to plant the cherry tomatoes, majoram and the rest of flowers tomorrow (hahaha, I have a day off, it is a substitution for numerous extra working hours).
I try to be more economical, and I always hang the washing on the line. Not today, thanks to the rain, for that case I have three lines in a laundry room.
I have bought lots of clothes for my boys in second-hand shop ( unfortunately we haven´t got any charity shops here) for work mostly. I bought a lovely cotton/flax brown top there - I hope the weather will allow me to wear it!
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Do you think it is possible to send the plant to England in a parcel? I would supply you!!!
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I shall have to try making the tea now!
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I wonder what you will say after sampling the tea:-)