Sunday 24th February 08

Quite a relaxed morning, but before breakfast I unicycled along to the Co-op to buy a copy of The Observer, which has an article about CRAGs and part of the article is an interview with me. I then spent some time thinking about the Gardening Club at school and formulating a list of questions and things to think about for our first meeting, then emailed that off to the chairperson who has let me know we're meeting up on Wednesday.

I rang up my parents to tell them about the Observer article and had a brief chat with my Dad who did his best to upset me by comparing some of my views to those of Scientologists!!! I felt really insulted to be compared to these crackpots! I feel like I can't ring them up because of his behaviour towards me, which does upset me and I tend to 'retaliate' and this doesn't go down at all well! I'll have to do my best to not turn into him, and keep my mind open to other peoples' views... to at least give them the respect of listening to them and not instantly slagging them off and belittling them. It doesn't make you any friends!

Lunch was late but delicious, then did some washing up and listened to Gardener's Question Time on Radio 4.

During the afternoon I went down to the veg shop and then on to the lottie where I composted my valuable collected resources and then went on to my friend in Heslington to wish her a happy 40th birthday. Nice coffee and chat with her and her hubby, then back home.

A relaxed evening, researched my paid blog on Richard Branson's biofuel experiment, the first aeroplane journey using biofuel. Also had a successful skype call with my friend over the pond, which was wonderful.

Typed in my blog but it wouldn't save, so I lost it all after several hours work. Annoying.

Saturday 23rd February 08

Quite a good start to the day, went back to bed after breakfast but got up again soon and tried to get the children to tell me what they wanted to do... but whatever I suggested they weren't interested in and when I suggested they tell me what they wanted to do, they had no suggestions.

Talked to a journalist from The Observer on the phone about CRAGs, the article will be published tomorrow.

Then went to finish off refilling the compost bin I dug out yesterday and partly refilled. Gill came down the garden at 1pm saying the kids had agreed about what they wanted to do... and they were off to 'Leaping Lizards' shop to see if they sell Geckoes (the boys want a pet) and then onto Sainsburys and the charity shops in Goodramgate.

I came in for lunch, did some computery stuff and then started to prepare some veg for a soup or something for tea.

I got a phone call from my sister asking me about composting tea bags. She is digging out her compost pile I made for her last year, and she's riddling it into a large dustbin prior to using it later in the Spring. She'd found lots of uncomposted teabags, empty but obviously teabags. I was able to tell her that many teabags are made from a thin plastic fabric, and the tealeaves rot away leaving the bag which should be taken out of the finished compost and thrown away.

She then told me that she was encouraging her office to compost... she works for the Environment Agency and so she's being given a Waste Carrier's Licence so she can 'officially' take home the biodegradables for home composting.... totally wow! Something for my paid blog perhaps!

Signed an online petition about Carbon taxation: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/carbon-tax/