A really good day, with more fun than most days. I got up soon after 9 and all was peaceful. A good start.
I wanted to join my friends in town at 11ish who were staging a 'Jam today, Jammed tomorrow?' stall in Parliament St. The York's Jammed campaign is being coordinated by York and Ryedale Friends of the Earth and they had invited people down to join in.. and suggested bringing circus toys down, so I decided to take my devilsticks (two sets). But I also had three sacks of Freshways 'resources' on my bike, so I took them, a garden spade and my composting knife to St Nicks where they have a composting area and copious volumes of sawdust (from a pet shop), and I spent half an hour chopping up aubergines and oranges, and covering them with sawdust and limp herbs. I washed my hands at the Environment Centre which was open, as it was an Eco-Active day.
Then down to Parliament St where the FoE stall was being set up, and boxes of sandwiches and scones all with jam were on offer. I spent a happy hour or so doing my devilstick, and there was a small boy who's mum was collecting for charity, and he had a go with my second set. Jennie did some poi as well. I chatted to a woman called Liz or Betty from Rotherham who was working with a Cliff Richard tribute singer... she was collecting for charity and giving out balloon models. I made her a couple of my favourites, the 'dog's dinner' and the 'weeble' which she was very taken with.
I left at about half past 12 and went to Sainsburys as I'd had an order for their very nice multigrain bread. Got home at 1, and got into the garden as soon as I could as it was a lovely day. Gill was still tidying and sorting... I took some of the stuff (my dumped mess mainly) down the garden for sorting, and the boys happily destroyed several wooden fruit boxes which I'd piled up in case they came in useful. They are now useful... kindling.
I did loads in the garden... more compost heap turning, some weeding, and later on, shredding.
Gill decided that she had been working so hard that she didn't want to cook... so she bought a pizza, some garlic bread, oven chips and frozen peas. This might seem 'normal' but in our house we generally cook from simple ingredients rather than buy ready-made.
So I came in at about 6.30 to have my share of pizza etc, and as usual, put my laptop on (especially as the incomprehensible Dr Who was on!) and was on facebook, and my facebook friend Tracey Smith sent me a message, saying she was doing her 'internet radio show' on Taunton Hospital Radio, and did I want to tune in? It's called Slow Down and Green Up, so I thought I'd give it a go. After a few minutes, during which we'd exchanged a few messages, she suddenly started talking about chatting to someone on facebook, and how she didn't really know how to use facebook so she was going to experiment and find out a bit more about who she was chatting to. So she said hello to me and clicked on my profile info page and started reading out my favourite music and quotations... and found this blog's URL and I thought she was going to start reading out my blog... but she ran out of time as her show finished at 8pm. Most unexpected.
I decided to use the last of the daylight to finish off some tidying... and within the hour both boys came out and we all had a go on the trampoline. We spent so long there that Gill brought the boys' supper out, and we stayed down there for quite a while until it was really dark and we could see the stars.
So a mixture of fun things, enjoyable activities, and warm sunny weather.
Showing posts with label compost heap turning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label compost heap turning. Show all posts
Saturday, 10 April 2010
Sunday, 17 January 2010
Sunday 17th January 10
A very odd night. I'd had a headache most of the previous day and so before bed time I went looking for a paracetamol. There was one left and I usually take two. Gill suggested having that plus an aspirin so I took both. Then I just couldn't get to sleep, just lay there from about 2am til 4am with my mind quite active but body tired and reasonably still, just listening to the sounds of Gill sleeping next to me and other noises. At 4am I gave up and came downstairs to say hello to the silverfish and spend some time on the computer. I heard Gill get up at 6am as she usually does, to go to the loo so I went upstairs to go to bed.
Later, when I'd had about 5 hours sleep, generally all I need, I came downstairs at 11am and Gill told me she knew why I'd not slept earlier... the aspirin she gave me had caffeine with it. I'm very sensitive to this, and ephedrine (in some decongestants) as I've had this happen before and realised the following day. But as long as I get a few hours sleep I'm all right.
So I had breakfast at lunchtime and then went outside as it was a lovely day, and the boys were playing with their friend who lives just up the road with a radio-controlled car, driving it over some ramps. To ensure fair play, I did some work in the front of the house... I had actually wanted to continue doing the compost heap I'm digging out but it was more sensible to stay near the children to intervene if anything needed adult intervention. But it didn't, and I was even allowed a single go with the car. But the play lasted less than an hour as the batteries started giving out, and I took the shredded pine stuff from yesterday down the garden and continued to dig out the big 1 cubic metre pallet heap which will be refilled very soon with all the materials I collected over the snowy time... quite a lot, and much of it will be composting away in it's boxes and sacks already. It won't be as pleasant a job as my normal composting activities.
When it was too dark to see what I was doing I came in and helped one of my sons with some homework and had a 'use it up' tea which included a bread-and-butter pudding which used up some spare bread thrown out by Freshways. I'll post a recipe to that soon, when I'm not typing away at 2am.
Lots of email traffic today for some reason. Spent a lot of time writing a couple of posts for this website: http://forum.homemadelife.com/ which I like as it covers lots of subjects I hold dear. My e-friend 'Compostwoman' invited me to join. Some of the emails were all the replies on the forum, each of which generated it's own email. Grrrr, should switch them off!
Later, when I'd had about 5 hours sleep, generally all I need, I came downstairs at 11am and Gill told me she knew why I'd not slept earlier... the aspirin she gave me had caffeine with it. I'm very sensitive to this, and ephedrine (in some decongestants) as I've had this happen before and realised the following day. But as long as I get a few hours sleep I'm all right.
So I had breakfast at lunchtime and then went outside as it was a lovely day, and the boys were playing with their friend who lives just up the road with a radio-controlled car, driving it over some ramps. To ensure fair play, I did some work in the front of the house... I had actually wanted to continue doing the compost heap I'm digging out but it was more sensible to stay near the children to intervene if anything needed adult intervention. But it didn't, and I was even allowed a single go with the car. But the play lasted less than an hour as the batteries started giving out, and I took the shredded pine stuff from yesterday down the garden and continued to dig out the big 1 cubic metre pallet heap which will be refilled very soon with all the materials I collected over the snowy time... quite a lot, and much of it will be composting away in it's boxes and sacks already. It won't be as pleasant a job as my normal composting activities.
When it was too dark to see what I was doing I came in and helped one of my sons with some homework and had a 'use it up' tea which included a bread-and-butter pudding which used up some spare bread thrown out by Freshways. I'll post a recipe to that soon, when I'm not typing away at 2am.
Lots of email traffic today for some reason. Spent a lot of time writing a couple of posts for this website: http://forum.homemadelife.com/ which I like as it covers lots of subjects I hold dear. My e-friend 'Compostwoman' invited me to join. Some of the emails were all the replies on the forum, each of which generated it's own email. Grrrr, should switch them off!
Saturday, 9 January 2010
Saturday 9th January 10
A reasonable day... Gill was getting ready to take our two and a friend to see Avatar, so I went to the baker and the Co-op and by the time I got back they were gone.
I did a bit on the computer and had lunch, and washed up, then went outside and did more woodpile. Also started to dig out a semi-finished pallet-bin and turn it into it's neighbour, to make way for the stuff which is currently awaiting it's final resting place alongside sawdust, hedge trimmings, straw and cardboard, and some warmer weather! I got very cold and was glad to come back in.
Gill had made a pizza dough before going out and when I got in, she was in the middle of cooking a pizza for the children. All of them had enjoyed Avatar, though the glasses had made Gill's eyes water.
So, a nice pizza for tea, with home-made baked beans. I'd done these earlier today: beans from the garden, soaked and boiled, then drained and put with a litre of out of date tomato juice, and brought to the boil again and left on the stove for a couple of hours simmering. Not bad at all!
The boys watched The Simpsons Movie on TV whilst I played Scrabble on facebook and waited for the bathwater to heat up enough on the stove for my bath.
Through facebook I was pleased to learn about the latest news from Georgina Downs' campaign to prevent pesticides being sprayed near where people live. She won in the High Court and the Government appealed and her victory was overturned. So she's taking the case to the European Court, and I hope she wins. See here for today's article in The Ecologist . The other thing I found was that the Royal Mail, apparently, are going to reduce the number of posties who use bicycles, and replace them with vans. How stupid is that? If you feel the same as me, and live in the UK, you can sign this 'Number 10' petition to the Prime Minister: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Royalmailbikes/
I did a bit on the computer and had lunch, and washed up, then went outside and did more woodpile. Also started to dig out a semi-finished pallet-bin and turn it into it's neighbour, to make way for the stuff which is currently awaiting it's final resting place alongside sawdust, hedge trimmings, straw and cardboard, and some warmer weather! I got very cold and was glad to come back in.
Gill had made a pizza dough before going out and when I got in, she was in the middle of cooking a pizza for the children. All of them had enjoyed Avatar, though the glasses had made Gill's eyes water.
So, a nice pizza for tea, with home-made baked beans. I'd done these earlier today: beans from the garden, soaked and boiled, then drained and put with a litre of out of date tomato juice, and brought to the boil again and left on the stove for a couple of hours simmering. Not bad at all!
The boys watched The Simpsons Movie on TV whilst I played Scrabble on facebook and waited for the bathwater to heat up enough on the stove for my bath.
Through facebook I was pleased to learn about the latest news from Georgina Downs' campaign to prevent pesticides being sprayed near where people live. She won in the High Court and the Government appealed and her victory was overturned. So she's taking the case to the European Court, and I hope she wins. See here for today's article in The Ecologist . The other thing I found was that the Royal Mail, apparently, are going to reduce the number of posties who use bicycles, and replace them with vans. How stupid is that? If you feel the same as me, and live in the UK, you can sign this 'Number 10' petition to the Prime Minister: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Royalmailbikes/
Thursday, 31 December 2009
Thursday 31st December 09
I enjoyed lots of time outside in the garden today, turned a compost heap, tried to mend my large Compostumbler which has rusted through in a couple of places, tidied up a raised bed and assorted other bits in the back.
I did a load of chainsawing too, in the front. And built a bit of logpile on the right of the front door. And let a neighbour have a wheelbarrow full of logs for their chimenea or whatever.
A difficult evening. Went to bed early. I read NewScientist and got up again at 11 when all was peaceful again. I filled two 700g peanut butter jars with dried apple rings and one with pear slices, plus a smaller jar with pear slices. I jarred up all the quartered and dried kiwi fruit, one 700r peanut butter jar managed to get 29 kiwi fruit in, that is 116 quarter portions! Then I re-arranged the bananas I'd done in the last day or two onto the bottom rack (36 of them) and peeled and prepared and placed very carefully another 48 bananas on racks for drying over the next 24/36 hours. By then, the older ones will be ready for their jars, and I'll move the current fresh ones down onto the lower rack. It's a slow production line, keeping fruit out of landfill and out of my compost heaps... and into my muesli and into the tummies of quite a few of my friends and relatives!
The whole family were together on the stroke of midnight but I wasn't in a celebratory mood. It was civil and sober. In fact, this must be one of the first New Years for some while when I haven't had anything to drink.
Happy New Year all! Let's hope it's one where the majority take on board the importance of conserving resources, polluting less, living more simply and being nice to each other. In particular, I'd like ordinary people to get the 10:10 message. I see this as a crucial year. Certainly a crucial decade.
I did a load of chainsawing too, in the front. And built a bit of logpile on the right of the front door. And let a neighbour have a wheelbarrow full of logs for their chimenea or whatever.
A difficult evening. Went to bed early. I read NewScientist and got up again at 11 when all was peaceful again. I filled two 700g peanut butter jars with dried apple rings and one with pear slices, plus a smaller jar with pear slices. I jarred up all the quartered and dried kiwi fruit, one 700r peanut butter jar managed to get 29 kiwi fruit in, that is 116 quarter portions! Then I re-arranged the bananas I'd done in the last day or two onto the bottom rack (36 of them) and peeled and prepared and placed very carefully another 48 bananas on racks for drying over the next 24/36 hours. By then, the older ones will be ready for their jars, and I'll move the current fresh ones down onto the lower rack. It's a slow production line, keeping fruit out of landfill and out of my compost heaps... and into my muesli and into the tummies of quite a few of my friends and relatives!
The whole family were together on the stroke of midnight but I wasn't in a celebratory mood. It was civil and sober. In fact, this must be one of the first New Years for some while when I haven't had anything to drink.
Happy New Year all! Let's hope it's one where the majority take on board the importance of conserving resources, polluting less, living more simply and being nice to each other. In particular, I'd like ordinary people to get the 10:10 message. I see this as a crucial year. Certainly a crucial decade.
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
Wednesday 16th September 09
A very busy and good day... maybe because Gill ensured that I had a lie in, and I came downstairs after 9am, and had some good chats over breakfast.
However, I had assorted things to do so I got on and did them.
I cycled down to Lawrence Street and measured three parking spaces which have a two-hour limit, so I could work out how much turf to get. This don, went on to Morrisons to get a big jar of Marmite, and some goats cheese for Gilly. Then on to St Nicks to discuss a job which has been advertised there, with the recycling team. I am wondering whether to apply for it. It's four days a week, 28 hours, and pays £10K. If I got it, it would be a big change for me as I'm used to pretty minimal paid work, and lots of free time to do things which reduce my cost of living. But the Fiddlesticks work is not that busy and I'm missing the writing work, so I might give the recycling job a whirl.
But I also needed to go to St Nicks to sort out the bags of stuff brought back from the Green Festival, all the paper plates and biodegradable containers, cardboard cups, wooden forks etc. I had to take out some plastic and a few cans and other non-compostable bits... but this left me with four sacks of material to bring home and put in assorted tumblers and daleks.
Home for a late lunch and then after that went up to B+Q to find out about the turf, and I easily bought what I needed. I got 12 rolls for £31. I'll collect them on Monday, the day before the stunt.
Then did a little bit of riddling, and dug out a pallet heap into a builders bag so I could re-load the pallet bin... and took some riddled compost down to Richard at Country Fresh, and brought back a huge load of perhaps 80kg. More composting, finished pruning the little cherry tree, and picked some pears. I prepared the pruned cherry wood into a 'magic staff' for one of my boys who desperately needed one.
Gill used the broccoli I bought to add to a lightly spiced curry that one of the boys had requested and we had that with rice and pitta bread.
I then popped out to see Lynn who's been requesting some dried fruit for weeks, and saw that she has got a garden parasol to lend to the Car Free Day event.
So a busy day. Productive, active, feels good.
However, I had assorted things to do so I got on and did them.
I cycled down to Lawrence Street and measured three parking spaces which have a two-hour limit, so I could work out how much turf to get. This don, went on to Morrisons to get a big jar of Marmite, and some goats cheese for Gilly. Then on to St Nicks to discuss a job which has been advertised there, with the recycling team. I am wondering whether to apply for it. It's four days a week, 28 hours, and pays £10K. If I got it, it would be a big change for me as I'm used to pretty minimal paid work, and lots of free time to do things which reduce my cost of living. But the Fiddlesticks work is not that busy and I'm missing the writing work, so I might give the recycling job a whirl.
But I also needed to go to St Nicks to sort out the bags of stuff brought back from the Green Festival, all the paper plates and biodegradable containers, cardboard cups, wooden forks etc. I had to take out some plastic and a few cans and other non-compostable bits... but this left me with four sacks of material to bring home and put in assorted tumblers and daleks.
Home for a late lunch and then after that went up to B+Q to find out about the turf, and I easily bought what I needed. I got 12 rolls for £31. I'll collect them on Monday, the day before the stunt.
Then did a little bit of riddling, and dug out a pallet heap into a builders bag so I could re-load the pallet bin... and took some riddled compost down to Richard at Country Fresh, and brought back a huge load of perhaps 80kg. More composting, finished pruning the little cherry tree, and picked some pears. I prepared the pruned cherry wood into a 'magic staff' for one of my boys who desperately needed one.
Gill used the broccoli I bought to add to a lightly spiced curry that one of the boys had requested and we had that with rice and pitta bread.
I then popped out to see Lynn who's been requesting some dried fruit for weeks, and saw that she has got a garden parasol to lend to the Car Free Day event.
So a busy day. Productive, active, feels good.
Sunday, 5 April 2009
Sunday 5th April 09
A super day... nice slow start and then did loads of my favourite activity in the garden, digging out a compost heap and riddling, also sorted out some of the pots from last year's tomatoes and other conservatory veg, by tipping out the spent growing medium and rubbing it through a riddle and taking out the biggest roots. The crumbly soil I put on the raised beds and around the garden where I feel the soil level needs building up.
The boys played in the garden too, my eldest helped cut up a pile of green potatoes thrown out by the grocers so they could go on the compost heap and have a chance of not growing!
Rakesh rang me and asked if I'd take some sacks of ivy he's cut down from a tree in his garden, as he cannot take them to Hazel Court as he has a van and it requires a permit, which he hasn't applied for. I told him I'd be happy to recycle his ivy for him, so he drove round and dropped it off. I'll feed it through the shredder and bung it in the now empty Compostumbler along with the next couple of week's greengrocer's 'resources'...
Gill made pizza dough and did a brilliant pizza, with the first of the purple sprouting broccoli out of the garden as a side dish, and potatoes from Country Fresh.
This weekend must have been one of the best weekends we've had for quite a while, pretty peaceful, lots of friends to play with and good weather so outside activities were possible and fun.
Let's hope for more days like these.
The boys played in the garden too, my eldest helped cut up a pile of green potatoes thrown out by the grocers so they could go on the compost heap and have a chance of not growing!
Rakesh rang me and asked if I'd take some sacks of ivy he's cut down from a tree in his garden, as he cannot take them to Hazel Court as he has a van and it requires a permit, which he hasn't applied for. I told him I'd be happy to recycle his ivy for him, so he drove round and dropped it off. I'll feed it through the shredder and bung it in the now empty Compostumbler along with the next couple of week's greengrocer's 'resources'...
Gill made pizza dough and did a brilliant pizza, with the first of the purple sprouting broccoli out of the garden as a side dish, and potatoes from Country Fresh.
This weekend must have been one of the best weekends we've had for quite a while, pretty peaceful, lots of friends to play with and good weather so outside activities were possible and fun.
Let's hope for more days like these.
Saturday, 3 January 2009
Friday 2nd January 09
An excellent day! It was a relaxed morning with no shouting or aggro, and then Gill went into town on the bus to try and find trousers for our eldest and so he could get a birthday present for his friend who's party he's going to tomorrow.
I took this opportunity to play with our youngest, he wanted to play on 'Mario Karts' on the Wii... and oh God it was difficult! I was rubbish... came last several times, but hey I'm a beginner and I'm old so both count against me. Half an hour left me exhausted! So much concentration... and then the phone rang and it was Rose up the road asking if our eldest was needing a lift to the party tomorrow... and I asked if her son was in and wanted a playmate? He was and did, so we walked up there and I came back to do a composting job which has been needing doing for a while: the bin made of Anderson Shelter corrugated iron was very well rotted down... I dug it all out and put the stuff in a builders bag, from where I'll bag it up or riddle it and bag it...
Then Gill came back, our eldest with no trousers but a nice appropriate prezzie for his friend.
I then bombed into town on the bike to pay our annual electricity bill to Good Energy through the bank (electronic transfer) and put in a cheque for £30 for 6 sacks of compost Alison had off me yonks ago, the stuff Barry Potter took up on his return journey from delivering the cider press back to me...
Back in time to put some rather overdue compostables which have been hanging about into the newly vacated container, and collect a pile of electrical flex I rescued a while ago which I've been putting off sorting. However, once I'd sat down and got going with the craft knife (pulling the flex into the blade, the blade held still next to my trousered leg), my eldest started to help by pulling apart the grey outer insulation and removing the inner thinner wires, and then when I'd shaved off a long sliver of plastic from the copper wire, he extracted the wire from the throw-away plastic sheath.
We did about two hours worth... a most excellent Father/Son activity, and we did about a quarter of what I've collected recently. Enjoyed the Royal Institution Lecture again, and took wood-heated bathwater up for the older boyo to have a bath before his party tomorrow.
A most enjoyable day. I want, no, NEED more days like this, where I feel like a good parent doing the right things re my offspring. All too often these days I feel like I'm just not coping, but today was a blinder! Mainly due to excellent behaviour from both boys.
I took this opportunity to play with our youngest, he wanted to play on 'Mario Karts' on the Wii... and oh God it was difficult! I was rubbish... came last several times, but hey I'm a beginner and I'm old so both count against me. Half an hour left me exhausted! So much concentration... and then the phone rang and it was Rose up the road asking if our eldest was needing a lift to the party tomorrow... and I asked if her son was in and wanted a playmate? He was and did, so we walked up there and I came back to do a composting job which has been needing doing for a while: the bin made of Anderson Shelter corrugated iron was very well rotted down... I dug it all out and put the stuff in a builders bag, from where I'll bag it up or riddle it and bag it...
Then Gill came back, our eldest with no trousers but a nice appropriate prezzie for his friend.
I then bombed into town on the bike to pay our annual electricity bill to Good Energy through the bank (electronic transfer) and put in a cheque for £30 for 6 sacks of compost Alison had off me yonks ago, the stuff Barry Potter took up on his return journey from delivering the cider press back to me...
Back in time to put some rather overdue compostables which have been hanging about into the newly vacated container, and collect a pile of electrical flex I rescued a while ago which I've been putting off sorting. However, once I'd sat down and got going with the craft knife (pulling the flex into the blade, the blade held still next to my trousered leg), my eldest started to help by pulling apart the grey outer insulation and removing the inner thinner wires, and then when I'd shaved off a long sliver of plastic from the copper wire, he extracted the wire from the throw-away plastic sheath.
We did about two hours worth... a most excellent Father/Son activity, and we did about a quarter of what I've collected recently. Enjoyed the Royal Institution Lecture again, and took wood-heated bathwater up for the older boyo to have a bath before his party tomorrow.
A most enjoyable day. I want, no, NEED more days like this, where I feel like a good parent doing the right things re my offspring. All too often these days I feel like I'm just not coping, but today was a blinder! Mainly due to excellent behaviour from both boys.
Sunday, 20 July 2008
Saturday 19th July 08
A relaxing day in some ways... firstly took my laptop around to Ben who has purchased a new screen and has offered to take the old one out and fit the new one. I paid him the £105 the new screen cost to buy and send, he wants Yorkys for the time it takes to do the work.
Then got my logsplitter out and split a large load of logs which I cut yesterday. Our youngest wanted to visit a friend so we rang up and he was with his grandparents, as parents away, and they were taking him to Eden Camp, and offered to take our boy too. Just before I left to take him to his friend's house, I got a phone call from Candy, who had asked a while ago if I could bring my chainsaw to do some of her logs, as her household has now got a woodstove... a Clearview of course, as they ARE the best! So I took the chainsaw and biodegradable oil with me, dropped off our little boy with his friend and went on to Fulford to do Candy's sawing, which took just half an hour. Good chats about carbon footprinting, which is what Candy does for a living, for businesses, I think. Eugene came back and he too was pleased with the chopped logs.
Back via the University waste logpile, loaded up an enormous one, and cut and split that when I got back. Visited Richard and bought veg, got compostables. Turned a sit and wait compost pile, using a builder's bag I found in a skip. Lots of small 'volunteer' potatoes in the pile, which I had for tea with some broad beans thrown out as the pods were discoloured!
Picked up our youngest.
In the evening, Ben came round with more-or-less mended computer... he put in a new hard drive as the old one was very slow and not working at all well, partly due to the knackered screen and my not being able to read instructions on it, and shutting down the computer whilst something was running, probably. However, still not able to send emails from Outlook Express, just able to receive... Frustrating. But the new shiny screen is lovely, despite a pixel not working.
Then got my logsplitter out and split a large load of logs which I cut yesterday. Our youngest wanted to visit a friend so we rang up and he was with his grandparents, as parents away, and they were taking him to Eden Camp, and offered to take our boy too. Just before I left to take him to his friend's house, I got a phone call from Candy, who had asked a while ago if I could bring my chainsaw to do some of her logs, as her household has now got a woodstove... a Clearview of course, as they ARE the best! So I took the chainsaw and biodegradable oil with me, dropped off our little boy with his friend and went on to Fulford to do Candy's sawing, which took just half an hour. Good chats about carbon footprinting, which is what Candy does for a living, for businesses, I think. Eugene came back and he too was pleased with the chopped logs.
Back via the University waste logpile, loaded up an enormous one, and cut and split that when I got back. Visited Richard and bought veg, got compostables. Turned a sit and wait compost pile, using a builder's bag I found in a skip. Lots of small 'volunteer' potatoes in the pile, which I had for tea with some broad beans thrown out as the pods were discoloured!
Picked up our youngest.
In the evening, Ben came round with more-or-less mended computer... he put in a new hard drive as the old one was very slow and not working at all well, partly due to the knackered screen and my not being able to read instructions on it, and shutting down the computer whilst something was running, probably. However, still not able to send emails from Outlook Express, just able to receive... Frustrating. But the new shiny screen is lovely, despite a pixel not working.
Friday, 18 July 2008
Friday 18th July 08
A funny old day...
I took the kids to school as my eldest was behaving as if he had a hangover... was actually as a result of being at a disco til 9pm and not getting to bed until 10ish. But, once on their bikes, they went into autopilot and zoomed down to school, no problem.
I had some phone conversations with assorted people from the council and the HSE about tarry sleepers in the school's Japanese Garden, and then went to St Nicks to turn the compost pile I constructed last week. It was really hot!
Nice chats with Catherine the head Rotter, who proudly showed me her new 'pet poo wormery' and to Ivana about activities over the summer for kids..
Lunch with Gill, did an hour's chainsawing, and went to school again to pick up our little darlings.
Was reminded that at 6 we'd been invited to Simon and Melody's 'Dr Who Party', so despite my not liking Dr Who, I took the boys down. However, before this I tried to download my emails and my computer just kept crashing. So when I got back from the party with two tired boys, I had a go getting onto my emails on Gill's laptop... and used the Tiscali webmail thing for the first time. Not the same as Outlook Express,but has different features like Blind Carbon Copy (which I don't think OE has?) but I find it not as easy and I cannot find all my inbox, so no deleting tonight! Also, Gill's laptop is really old and slow, very odd! But, hey, we are lucky to have been given it and it works, so no complaints!
The party cheered me up, I took the boys but Gill stayed at home to complete the accounts. Several people arrived whom I knew plus others whom I didn't know so well or at all, so there was lively conversation and good food, and I left with the boys at about 8.40pm. A good party, thank you to Melody and Simon.
I took the kids to school as my eldest was behaving as if he had a hangover... was actually as a result of being at a disco til 9pm and not getting to bed until 10ish. But, once on their bikes, they went into autopilot and zoomed down to school, no problem.
I had some phone conversations with assorted people from the council and the HSE about tarry sleepers in the school's Japanese Garden, and then went to St Nicks to turn the compost pile I constructed last week. It was really hot!
Nice chats with Catherine the head Rotter, who proudly showed me her new 'pet poo wormery' and to Ivana about activities over the summer for kids..
Lunch with Gill, did an hour's chainsawing, and went to school again to pick up our little darlings.
Was reminded that at 6 we'd been invited to Simon and Melody's 'Dr Who Party', so despite my not liking Dr Who, I took the boys down. However, before this I tried to download my emails and my computer just kept crashing. So when I got back from the party with two tired boys, I had a go getting onto my emails on Gill's laptop... and used the Tiscali webmail thing for the first time. Not the same as Outlook Express,but has different features like Blind Carbon Copy (which I don't think OE has?) but I find it not as easy and I cannot find all my inbox, so no deleting tonight! Also, Gill's laptop is really old and slow, very odd! But, hey, we are lucky to have been given it and it works, so no complaints!
The party cheered me up, I took the boys but Gill stayed at home to complete the accounts. Several people arrived whom I knew plus others whom I didn't know so well or at all, so there was lively conversation and good food, and I left with the boys at about 8.40pm. A good party, thank you to Melody and Simon.
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
Tuesday 8th July 08
Gill gave me a lie-in and I got up at 9 and had breakfast whilst chatting with Gilly. I rang Ali who is going through some difficult times with her daughter, who is in hospital, very worrying.
I did some paperwork, a cheque in the post, and various computery things whilst Gill went to town and got a futon for our front room, so her sister can have somewhere to sleep.
During the afternoon I went to the allotment to turn the compost heaps and do some weeding.
Gill went to school to get the boys, picked up the eldest and waited to pick up Yoga boy an hour later. I got in soon after she did.
At soon after 7 I went to the York in Transition meeting at St Nicks.
I did some paperwork, a cheque in the post, and various computery things whilst Gill went to town and got a futon for our front room, so her sister can have somewhere to sleep.
During the afternoon I went to the allotment to turn the compost heaps and do some weeding.
Gill went to school to get the boys, picked up the eldest and waited to pick up Yoga boy an hour later. I got in soon after she did.
At soon after 7 I went to the York in Transition meeting at St Nicks.
Monday, 9 June 2008
Monday 9th June 08
I took the kids to school and then did some paperwork, then took some of it to Archbishop Holgates School (booking a room for Hull Road Ward Planning Panel) and then to St Nicks (invoice for Saturday) then came home and did housework.
Infact spent most of the day inside, washing up, writing more letters, various other things and all too soon it was 3pm and time for me to go to school and pick up the boys.
However, after we were home I went into the garden and had a bit of time riddling, weeding, turning a heap and generally bumbling round in the sunshine. Gill called me in at about 6 for a 'mix and match' tea and it was delicious. Spent more time outside til after 9pm... and came in to do emails and relax.
Infact spent most of the day inside, washing up, writing more letters, various other things and all too soon it was 3pm and time for me to go to school and pick up the boys.
However, after we were home I went into the garden and had a bit of time riddling, weeding, turning a heap and generally bumbling round in the sunshine. Gill called me in at about 6 for a 'mix and match' tea and it was delicious. Spent more time outside til after 9pm... and came in to do emails and relax.
Friday, 25 April 2008
Friday 25th April 08
I took the children to school and when I came home spent quite a bit of time in the back garden riddling a load of compost and clearing up my messy shredding area.
During the afternoon I visited my friend Anna who has agreed a lease of a passageway next to her house so she can put a trampoline there... so she's had to remove a lot of saplings, brambles and other vegetation, and has invited me to take away the sticks for my stove and the other bits for composting. I was impressed to see some books of poetry she's 'self published' using a service called 'lulu' which I may investigate for publishing my book...
Gill got the boys home from school and I did some compost heap turning as one huge heap is a bit pongy and it needs more air...
A pleasent evening
During the afternoon I visited my friend Anna who has agreed a lease of a passageway next to her house so she can put a trampoline there... so she's had to remove a lot of saplings, brambles and other vegetation, and has invited me to take away the sticks for my stove and the other bits for composting. I was impressed to see some books of poetry she's 'self published' using a service called 'lulu' which I may investigate for publishing my book...
Gill got the boys home from school and I did some compost heap turning as one huge heap is a bit pongy and it needs more air...
A pleasent evening
Saturday, 22 March 2008
Saturday 22nd March 08
Was woken by shouting downstairs so came down to see if my being there might calm things down, which it did appear to, but an hour later, in the middle of a game Gill was playing with them to keep them occupied, and I'd been joining in with a bit, there was another unprovoked bout of shouting and throwing things which set off my feelings of depression again.
However, my computer was working again this morning... I wonder if the problem was with the server last night not me? I escaped from the anger in the other room and within a few minutes all was calm again. Unfathomable.
The rest of the day went well... a slow continuous pulling together of assorted bits so that we could go and celebrate my Sister's 40th birthday. We got a train at just after 3. We headed for Sheffield via Pontefract, which today is quicker than going the mainline way, as today the York to Doncaster line is having work done on it so the trains are going via Leeds and they are taking an extra hour or something, so the Pontefract brach line, which takes just an hour and 20 mins is a good one. We also like this route as the trains are not too packed and there's usually space to sit down.
So got to Meadowhall as the last mile or so is also being worked on, so we got a tram to the City centre, and then a bus to Walkley. It started snowing which was pretty.
I was a bit stressed seeing my folks as things are not always easy, but things went quite smoothly and I was able to help them by filling a compost compound which my Dad has created, so I used my energy and enthusiasm to move the compost pile I turned last time into the new pallet-bin compound. This kept me out of the way and gave me 'Brownie Points' before teatime.
Had a peaceful evening.
However, my computer was working again this morning... I wonder if the problem was with the server last night not me? I escaped from the anger in the other room and within a few minutes all was calm again. Unfathomable.
The rest of the day went well... a slow continuous pulling together of assorted bits so that we could go and celebrate my Sister's 40th birthday. We got a train at just after 3. We headed for Sheffield via Pontefract, which today is quicker than going the mainline way, as today the York to Doncaster line is having work done on it so the trains are going via Leeds and they are taking an extra hour or something, so the Pontefract brach line, which takes just an hour and 20 mins is a good one. We also like this route as the trains are not too packed and there's usually space to sit down.
So got to Meadowhall as the last mile or so is also being worked on, so we got a tram to the City centre, and then a bus to Walkley. It started snowing which was pretty.
I was a bit stressed seeing my folks as things are not always easy, but things went quite smoothly and I was able to help them by filling a compost compound which my Dad has created, so I used my energy and enthusiasm to move the compost pile I turned last time into the new pallet-bin compound. This kept me out of the way and gave me 'Brownie Points' before teatime.
Had a peaceful evening.
Thursday, 28 February 2008
Thursday 28th February 08
Got a phone call first thing to confirm that I was going to visit an old chap's compost heaps up Hull Road to give some advice, and met with my gardening friend Beth, who does 3 hours a week there but wanted to know more about managing lots of grass mowings. When I got there, I gave the usual message that this material needs to be balanced with cardboard, paper and twiggy bits, but essentially the heaps looked ok. I dug one out and turned it, managing to get about 2 sackfulls of finished stuff plus a dustbin full, ready for top-dressing on his garden. This was a freebie with my York Rotters hat on.
Then came back to try to catch up on some work on the computer, some York Green Festival stuff, some Channel 4 eco documentary stuff, and other things...
Did manage to do some stuff outside as well as inside, quite a good day really. Felt quite tired as moved a lot of stuff around.
At 3 I went to pick up the youngest and then at 4 picked up the other one, lots of cycling.
The evening was going well, we were discussing a possible holiday, when the chilled and easygoing mood suddenly went and all hell was let loose with one child becoming an instant teenager/alpha-male/tyrant... we just don't understand this and it is so difficult to cope with.
Anyway, once in bed all was calm again and Gill and I enjoyed watching George Monbiot and Justin Rowlatt on Newsnight.
Then came back to try to catch up on some work on the computer, some York Green Festival stuff, some Channel 4 eco documentary stuff, and other things...
Did manage to do some stuff outside as well as inside, quite a good day really. Felt quite tired as moved a lot of stuff around.
At 3 I went to pick up the youngest and then at 4 picked up the other one, lots of cycling.
The evening was going well, we were discussing a possible holiday, when the chilled and easygoing mood suddenly went and all hell was let loose with one child becoming an instant teenager/alpha-male/tyrant... we just don't understand this and it is so difficult to cope with.
Anyway, once in bed all was calm again and Gill and I enjoyed watching George Monbiot and Justin Rowlatt on Newsnight.
Sunday, 13 January 2008
Sunday 13th January 08
Up early... 8ish, and watched skiing on C4 whilst having breakfast and cuddling Gilly.
At 9 got a phone call from Caroline, who wants to deepen her raised beds with some of my compost, so I went to a finished 'sit and wait' heap and dug it out and bagged up 4 sacks worth plus 8 carrier bags worth... she'll collect this later today and I hope it's all right for her, and enough.
Came in for 11 to watch Countryfile and do emails, blog etc.
Had an early lunch and at 12.30 shot off down to town to pick up squished halved oranges and coffee grounds from Millers Yard and meet Lorna who came to York for a dance, and is taking the opportunity to have a hot chocolate with me. We met in the National Railway Museum car park and took a brief wander into town, then went for a short drive(!) to find a quiet place to sit and chat... which we did and it was lovely. She dropped me back at the NRM and I cycled home via Martin's veg emporium to collect a box of biodegradable goodies to compost. Got in just before 3 and prepared small potatoes for tea, boiled them on the stove, then did bathwater for the kids too. I put the oranges on two sit n wait heaps... and found a load of OK oranges which I'll be able to squeeze for juice. I have no idea why Dylan has thrown them away, they seem fine!
A tense evening as we all watched Time Team on C4, which was good, but the children's behaviour was disruptive but we tried hard to keep them with us and all calm and happy. Bathtime diffused all behavioural issues.
I wrote my paid blog this evening, and whilst doing that, got a comment posted from the anonymous 'Dr Evil' from this blog posting. She is obviously unhappy about my social life and seems to think that I shouldn't have friends, especially female ones. I don't think that my friends are her business really. If I am happy with my friends, and Gill is happy with whom I spend time with (and Gill knows exactly what I'm like... when we met in 1993 I was just as busy a person with a very active social life) and my friends are happy being my friends, well what exactly is the problem? I think she may not have many friends and could be jealous that I go visiting people and that we get plenty of visitors, but there might be something else in her psychology that I don't know of or cannot guess. I admit I am intrigued, and do want to know who she is, which would allow me to explain face to face in words of one syllable exactly how I choose to live my life and why it is perfectly OK to be who I am. Once again I will not be publishing derogatory or ignorant comments from anyone. I look forward to something more intelligent from her.
At 9 got a phone call from Caroline, who wants to deepen her raised beds with some of my compost, so I went to a finished 'sit and wait' heap and dug it out and bagged up 4 sacks worth plus 8 carrier bags worth... she'll collect this later today and I hope it's all right for her, and enough.
Came in for 11 to watch Countryfile and do emails, blog etc.
Had an early lunch and at 12.30 shot off down to town to pick up squished halved oranges and coffee grounds from Millers Yard and meet Lorna who came to York for a dance, and is taking the opportunity to have a hot chocolate with me. We met in the National Railway Museum car park and took a brief wander into town, then went for a short drive(!) to find a quiet place to sit and chat... which we did and it was lovely. She dropped me back at the NRM and I cycled home via Martin's veg emporium to collect a box of biodegradable goodies to compost. Got in just before 3 and prepared small potatoes for tea, boiled them on the stove, then did bathwater for the kids too. I put the oranges on two sit n wait heaps... and found a load of OK oranges which I'll be able to squeeze for juice. I have no idea why Dylan has thrown them away, they seem fine!
A tense evening as we all watched Time Team on C4, which was good, but the children's behaviour was disruptive but we tried hard to keep them with us and all calm and happy. Bathtime diffused all behavioural issues.
I wrote my paid blog this evening, and whilst doing that, got a comment posted from the anonymous 'Dr Evil' from this blog posting. She is obviously unhappy about my social life and seems to think that I shouldn't have friends, especially female ones. I don't think that my friends are her business really. If I am happy with my friends, and Gill is happy with whom I spend time with (and Gill knows exactly what I'm like... when we met in 1993 I was just as busy a person with a very active social life) and my friends are happy being my friends, well what exactly is the problem? I think she may not have many friends and could be jealous that I go visiting people and that we get plenty of visitors, but there might be something else in her psychology that I don't know of or cannot guess. I admit I am intrigued, and do want to know who she is, which would allow me to explain face to face in words of one syllable exactly how I choose to live my life and why it is perfectly OK to be who I am. Once again I will not be publishing derogatory or ignorant comments from anyone. I look forward to something more intelligent from her.
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