Friday 15th May 09

Got up late as went to bed at 3am. But once up and boogieing around, had a productive day, despite it raining. I cycled into town straight after lunch, popping in on Hazel Court Civic Amenity Site with a sackful of drinks cartons and an electrical flex, all to put for recycling (and the sack to come back for re-use!). Despite there being a ban on cyclists using the facility, no one took any notice of me whatsoever... rather disappointing actually as I am somewhat looking forward to seeing how the operatives might try to enforce the rule! But no confrontation is good.

From there I popped in to Sainsbury's as we rather like their multi-seed loaf, despite it being an expensive £1.19. But we save in other areas so now and again a pricey fresh loaf isn't too much.

From there went to the Council office to deliver the Planning Panel paperwork, and then to Boots for my asthma medication, two prophylactic puffs a night keeps me asthma-free (hope that reads right!!!) and home via Country Fresh where I picked up three boxes/sacks plus some shopping.

Home in time to get some plastic 35mm film canisters ready for a Freecycler who wants them for his school, as they are good for certain science experiments. I got a huge sack full several years ago from a photography shop, before digital was so popular. I've still got loads left, but was happy to share a carrier-bag full!

I had an email from a Freecycler who posted an offer of a train layout on a board, no rolling stock, but track and perhaps scenery, saying he'd be happy to give it to me. So I said I could pick it up this evening, but he said he was going out so I'll pick it up tomorrow morning. I don't think he believes it will fit on my trailer!

A little bit later, a chap called Mark arrived, whom I'd met through Freecycle, hoping to find an adult-sized tricycle. I'd said that if he couldn't find a free one, I was selling one and he was welcome to come and look at it. He hadn't really expected to get a free one, and checked the one I bought for Gill several years ago. At that time, Gill was less confident on her bike, and needed to cycle with our little boys, so I bought her the trike but she hated it, as it didn't lean like bikes do, and she found the steering most weird, so she just got better at cycling on 2 wheels... and now she's as confident as an average person. I was very glad to sell this, as it has freed up space and will be used by Mark's wife and 15 month old child.

After tea and Gardeners World, I did a bit of sorting out... putting stuff back in the garage and compostables down the garden, and a storm broke, which I love... an electrical storm at dusk, heavy rain and me working in it... lovely, but a tad damp.

Came in and got an email form a Green Party friend with a link to an amazing document published in March this year by people in Chester, a guide/blueprint to Chester 2050... how it will/may look like, and how we'll have to live if we're to be living sustainably. It is a very long read, much of it applicable to anywhere in the UK or the World, some of it pertaining to Chester and the local area. Lots of useful links, and a good document to send to decisionmakers and activists everywhere. Click on http://www.chester.gov.uk/pdf/Vision2050.pdf.

Friday 24th April 09

I cannot remember what I did this morning... it wasn't a particularly interesting morning anyway. I did assorted computery stuff... oh yes, sorted out two Freecycle gives, a demijohn to someone wanting to construct a watering system for seedlings, and paper sacks for someone wanting to use them for potato sacks... I watched videos of police brutality etc and found a brilliant vid of the most amazing cyclist, check this out!



I just love what this guy, Danny MacAskill, is able to do... I think this is Parcour on two wheels!

After lunch I cycled (in a normal, non-parcour way) down to town to visit several financial institutions.. my building society to get some money out to pay Diana for her Calendars of Climate Change and my annual National Insurance bill, and then to the Co-op Bank to pay the water bill (£50 a quarter for 20 cubic metres of water supplied and sewerage services), and then to the Post Office to pay a £1.17 fee to get an envelope with some leaflets in it... grrr to the organisation which didn't get the envelope weighed before sending it... Finally to my GPs to get a prescription, and home via the cycle track to pick up sticks...

I went round to a neighbour to pick up some softwood logs he's saved for me... he chopped down an enormous fir tree so I got 4 wheelbarrow's worth of big discs up to 60cm across. Then down to Country Fresh where Richard was in a good mood and I took a box of compostables and bought a bag of veggies, and got flour and caster sugar in the Spar next door, as Gill wants to make a cake.

Melody popped in with her son who loves trying to split logs with my maul (splitting axe) which is really too heavy for him... but he had a go with the fresh pine... not easy to split!

As I'd had quite a busy afternoon, I decided not to attend the party I'd been invited to.. I felt an evening in with Gardeners World would be more relaxing... and I've a busy day tomorrow with the Kirkbymoorside Transition Town Springboarding Day. I'm catching a train with Bryony and cycling from Malton. And back afterwards.

Friday 17th April 09

A slow start to the day and spent some of the morning on the computer dealing with an email issue... at lunchtime Gill and the boys went into town on the bus to go to City Screen and see Monsters vs Aliens. I had lunch, lit the stove, washed up and tried to find enthusiasm for planting seeds.

I didn't plant seeds... I made tea so when Gill got in she didn't need to do too much. I did a nutloaf with a layer of spinach in the middle, from the garden. Gill put some potatoes in the microwave when she got in, and I popped down to Country Fresh where I was delighted to find they had some tomato plants in... a 'Shirley', 'Moneymaker' and 'Super Sweet' which were 89p each, or £1.50 for two... Richard gave me a bit of a better deal than that. I'll have to riddle some more finished compost for him to sell... it's that time of year! So I came back with these three little plants and two sacks of compostables.

I popped into Scummerfield to get some stuff Gill wanted and came back to take stuff down the garden. Gill called me in an hour later saying that if I was any later, the nutloaf would be dried up! So came in for that and it was delicious. The children both said it was lovely! Hooray, a hit.

Watched Mastermind and Gardeners World. GW is turning into Blue Peter. It's got a cute squeaky kid and a 'make' ('here's one I made earlier') and a thing on Gnomes. HELP!
Later, on Jools Holland (hahahaha) I really loved seeing Grndmaster Flash... took me back over 20 years back to my days of body-popping... excellent!

Friday 16th May 08

A quite early start, woken by loud child noises, but Gill took them to school which was a treat for me to not have to do that. She found two dead baby moles on the school field and noticed that there were some empty plastic containers of what looked like chemicals had been (possibly) thrown into the Japanese Garden and she wondered if there was any connection. So she went into the office and asked about the plastic containers... and was told that the council had taken over the job, implying that the person who had been doing it, IRA Bob, who had been very aggressive with me (September 07) was not doing the work any more..... I wonder if the creosoted sleepers have anything to do with it? My research at the time indicated that creosoted sleepers were not allowed in school play areas and after I'd informed the school, Bob was asked to paint them... but since then, the paint looks like it has either come off or been absorbed, and the sleepers just look like creosoted sleepers. I want to find out more! I wonder if my original suggestion, that creosoted sleepers should NOT be used in this position, may have been the right thing to do? Gill and I even offered to buy one untreated sleeper.

Got home to a phone call from Jo saying that the York Rotters social had been cancelled tonight as too few people had said they were attending, so it's postponed. Jo and I met in town and went for a coffee at the Spurriergate Centre, I got my sandals repaired (the sole and upper had come apart) and I went to Barnitts to look at goblet blenders as ours has expired. I need to check with Gill about what type to get, how much to spend etc. The one which has gone phut was quite cheap.. perhaps about £30 and the motor hasn't lasted very long at all, about 3 years.

Collected a lot of stuff from Country Fresh and came home for lunch, Gill had been to say hello to her art-class friends and had then gone on to town to do the charity shops, and also visited Barnitts, to get another rat trap as one of our neighbours keeps mentioning that he's seen a rat. Next time he does, I'll ask him if he's set any traps or put down poison... not every rat in the vicinity is my responsibility or living in our garden! Just some of them......!

Did some work in the garden (set the traps!) and dug out a compost heap and got more planting media together, and all too soon it was time for me to go and pick up the kids. As I arrived, one of my offspring rushed out and headed for the gate... he'd been bullied or teased and had struck out at his tormentor, and was feeling guilty about his reaction. I went inside with him and the lovely headteacher listened to him and he calmed down very quickly. We had a good vigorous cycle home.

I did some more compost riddling and took some down to Country Fresh, where it is taken by customers 'for a donation'.

Gilly made a pizza dough and we all had individualised pizzas for tea.

Watched some good telly together, a lovely programme on trees and then Gardener's World, sadly without our favourite Monty Don. Hope he's ok!

I had been given a load of raspberries from Country not-so-Fresh and I sorted out the non-mouldy ones, stewed them on the stove and then immersed a load of dried apple rings in the stewed raspberries, let them soak up the juice and redried them... scrummy raspapple rings!!!

Had a long phone call with my dear friend Lucy whom I've known since my teens, and then had a game of Scrabble with Gill. We both put down two seven-letter words but I won. A good game, whilst listening to Jools Holland's musical guests.

Friday 27th April 07

Yet another good day, as I recieved a Freecycle goody... a person who is moving house had two lawnmowers going for free and I cycled over to Stockton Lane to pick one up. Ours is about 5 or 6 years old and is on the verge of breaking, is making a horrible noise and needs either some attention, the motor reusing for a robot or other similar project, or putting in the WEEE skip (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) to be recycled.

On the way back, called in on my friend James who was in a bit of a state (he has an alcohol problem) but was pleased to see me, I think. I owe him a eucalyptus tree pruning, in part payment for his old chainsaw. Will do this within the next couple of weeks.

Then home for lunch and Gill went to a 'reading group' meeting, her first, organised by Melody our friend, who knows Gill doesn't get much time for reading. I went to the allotment to put in another two varieties of potato which was a very pleasent hour. I then went to school to pick up the kids, and as pre-arranged, went back to Suzanne and Andy's house and had a coffee and chat, as my boys played with their daughter. We left in time to get back for 5 and the boys' tea, which Gill had created, a veg stew, realy nice.

I immediately went to the veg shop for a compostables collection, came back for tea and then went down to town to collect an enormous load from Out Of This World, back again for 7.30pm and relaxation infront of the telly. Enjoyed our usual Friday TV, Gardeners World.

Friday 20th April 07

Awoke very early when Gill go up but went back to sleep again, and slept til after 9 when Gill woke me to say bye, as she was off to Scarborough with Simon who's got a car, to visit Uncle Tom and help him vacate his flat so he can stop paying rent for it as well as the care home he now lives in. Fortunately that's in Scarborough too, so he'll not lose his friends or the places he knows so well, but he's giving up his computer and lots of his personal posessions. This must be really difficult, a sort of forced downsizing, preparing to spend his last days/months/years in a small room, with much more stuff being done for him after such an active and independent life.

It makes recieving his computer feel really sad, not a good feeling at all. So I got up and lit the stove and got water for a big wash-up, my late-night blogging and google-chatting means I am not doing the washing up in the evening so much, as I used to. I spent an hour or so doing housework and dealing with Fiddlesticks enquiries, then tore into town for my compostables pick up, which now includes, once a week, Miller's Yard Healthy living Centre on Gillygate. Nice chat with Dylan there, he is such a calm, chilled guy, even in the face of my high energy bouncyness!

Spent loads of time in the garden and then went to get the boys at 3. Gill back when we arrived in, with a big pile of Uncle Tom's stuff and tales of a frustrating and tough day.

Simple tea of vegetable omlette and bread. One more foody thing, our milk delivery (in reusable pint bottles) has stopped as our milkman is very ill in hospital and the couple have decided to sell the round. We are missing these deliveries, as now we have to get all our milk in plastic bottles, which although recyclable, are not nearly as 'green' and low impact as reusable glass ones. I know cow's milk isn't the greenest choice, and I wish we could get soya milk in reusable glass, delivered, maybe with the next milk delivery (optomist!). We did ask our previous one but he said it wasn't available. Hope we get a new delivery soon, and hope Graham the ex milko gets well again.

After tea did some more outdoor stuff and found a pile of plant pots requested by a nearby Freecycler, cycled them round to her.

Enjoyed the one-hour Gardeners World with Gill, but then she fell asleep and I spent a long time on the computer. Intense and fun times with friend in America over the net... really good to be back in touch and sharing our lives again.

Bath after midnight, with all the hot water heated on the woodstove.... wonderful and luxurious, and 'low carbon', low fossil carbon anyway.

Friday 30th March 07

Last day of term before the Easter Holidays... and Gill took the boys into school, and came back to inform me that as our youngest arrived into school, he got a puncture. So during the morning I cycled down, asked at the office, and unlocked his little bike and popped it on my trailer so the puncture could be repaired.

At midday, I had a visitor, Christina, who is organising the York Green Carnival on May 6th. There's to be a carnival procession with samba bands and choirs and jugglers, around the streets of the centre of York, followed by stals and live music in Parliament Street. I'm working on that day between 2 and 4, but am willing to be involved before and after work. I showed Christina the garden, shiitake mushrooms on logs, compost bins, compost toilet and the logpiles. She came in for a hot drink from the stove top, and asked lots of questions and told us all about the plans for her event. I shared my plans for the Green Festival on 29th July, I feel we will probably work together. She's studying Politics and Economics at the University, and is very keen to see how sustainability fits in (or doesn't, at the moment) with these subjects.

I had lunch towards the end of our meeting, and so she didn't feel left out, she had some stove-dried fruit. I then shot-off to the emergency York Rotters meeting. We have been offered another year's funding from City of York Council, but our wonderful worker, Keely, has had to resign and so we, the management group, have to advertise the job post, shortlist down to half-a dozen applicants or so, interview and choose our new project manager. We had to work out our timetable and some of the details of this process. York Rotters is a partnership between CoYC and Friends of St Nicks, so the selection team is one of the St Nicks trustees Pat, John the St Nicks manager, me and one of the CoYC wast minimisation team, recycling to most people.

So exciting times ahead, but sad to be losing Keely, although we're not losing her as she has said that she'll continue as a volunteer on a regular basis. This is good.

I cycled swiftly off to town to go to the bank to deal with our Suma Food Co-op account, as we're having a delivery next week. Then onto my friend Jean, in her care home on Poppleton Road. I gave her watch back, with replaced battery. She wasn't in her room as it was being cleaned after 'an accident', she was settling down to have some soup and sandwiches in the canteen. She was more confused than before, but very pleased to see me. So were two of the other ladies (they're mostly women) and I was attempting to have several conversations at once, with several deaf and not-always-making-sense women. It was quite distressing, seeing how they were. I really don't want to get old and end up like that, it's not the way anyone should live their life, it's not really living, it's waiting to die. I felt quite sad and contemplative cycling away, but happy that I'd visited and lifted their spirits for a while.

Then I collected the two remaining water-butts that were advertised in the back of the Press last week for a fiver each. One on the trailer, one on the bike rack. Popped in on my friend Y and had a good chat and a cup of nettle tea, my first I think. Then onto Out Of This World to pick up the compostables, and home with a heavy and bulky load, arriving about 7pm.

I had a 'use it up' tea, cooked on the woodstove, and watched some gardening telly with the family. My boys like watching Gardener's World but by the end of it their eyes were drooping and they needed help getting to bed. Gill was very tired after two trips to school, mending the puncture and cooking the boys' tea, so I did emails including a person researching LETS and Green issues in York.

Excellent programme about the amazing life of John Lennon late on at night. What a pity he's not around now. He is sorely missed. I'm too young to have been an original fan, but I recognise he was a really great man with his ethical, uncompromising attitude regarding the evils of war. I wish war was over. It is the least sustainable of all human activities.