A quiet day... didn't do that much except spend a couple of hours shredding hedge down the garden, and preparing huge 'lumps' of hedge for shredding by chopping the twiggy bits away from the sticks, and the sticks from the stumps, so the sticks can be cut down to size for the stove and the twiggy bits fed into the shredder...
Earlier I did spend a short time at the lottie, putting 3 20kg sacks of compostable veg and fruit on top of the last layer of brambles and weeds. I had a chat with an old fella who saw 10 bunches of unsaleable spring onions and said 'you can plant those and they'll sprout and be perfectly edible' so I planted 3 bunches in 3 rows just to see what happens!
Helped Gill get the house ready for a few visitors tonight, by clearing up some of my mess.
Monday, 31 December 2007
Sunday 30th December 07
Woke with backache despite the firm mattress, but once had got up it went away as usual.
Good hard working morning managing the pile of stuff which answers for a compost pile... things just lobbed on, not managed at all! So I did some management! I'm good at compost pile wrangling.... dug it all out and put it onto a plastic sheet, put some layers of partially rotted leafmould into it plus some compost probably made from animal bedding, and chopped up some of the larger twigs and sticks, and forked it all back again, well mixed and aerated.
Lunch was soup and a sandwich, then showed Mummy my laptop as she's thinking of getting one, and then we were driven over to Norfolk Park to see Thomas and Katy and their kids again. As it was nice weather, I chopped logs (split them with a maul) and then stacked them when Tom came out to split the rest of the pile
Good hard working morning managing the pile of stuff which answers for a compost pile... things just lobbed on, not managed at all! So I did some management! I'm good at compost pile wrangling.... dug it all out and put it onto a plastic sheet, put some layers of partially rotted leafmould into it plus some compost probably made from animal bedding, and chopped up some of the larger twigs and sticks, and forked it all back again, well mixed and aerated.
Lunch was soup and a sandwich, then showed Mummy my laptop as she's thinking of getting one, and then we were driven over to Norfolk Park to see Thomas and Katy and their kids again. As it was nice weather, I chopped logs (split them with a maul) and then stacked them when Tom came out to split the rest of the pile
Saturday 29th December 07
Up early to go to Sheffield, as we had been invited to visit my parents to see their new house. Got a taxi to the station as we missed the bus, and got the 9.30ish train which took just 50 minutes to get to Sheffield. Then a little walk through the interchange to go to the 'Walkley' bus stop... and was in Upperthorpe/Walkley/Birkendale by 11am. The house is sort-of between all of these areas, not in the middle of anywhere.
The kids were very excited to explore the house and garden, and I helped my Dad take a gate off its hinges and then cut the hinges off the gatepost as the screws were completely rusted into the oak. Daddy is going to reposition the hinges and gate so it opens right back so he can easily get his car in.
Then we had lunch and soon after that we were driven to Thomas and Kate's to have our evening meal, and all the children played together so well. Anna and Douglas came too, it was lovely to have all three of us kids there, the parents and their grandchildren... the whole lot. We had the meal there as the folks don't have a proper cooker at the moment, and of course Thomas's house is so cosy and homely with it's two woodstoves!
We left after 8pm and when we got back to the parents' house, the kids were shattered and were soon in bed. We grown ups had a relaxed evening and watched a silly 'news bloopers' programme on telly, and were in bed soon after midnight.
The kids were very excited to explore the house and garden, and I helped my Dad take a gate off its hinges and then cut the hinges off the gatepost as the screws were completely rusted into the oak. Daddy is going to reposition the hinges and gate so it opens right back so he can easily get his car in.
Then we had lunch and soon after that we were driven to Thomas and Kate's to have our evening meal, and all the children played together so well. Anna and Douglas came too, it was lovely to have all three of us kids there, the parents and their grandchildren... the whole lot. We had the meal there as the folks don't have a proper cooker at the moment, and of course Thomas's house is so cosy and homely with it's two woodstoves!
We left after 8pm and when we got back to the parents' house, the kids were shattered and were soon in bed. We grown ups had a relaxed evening and watched a silly 'news bloopers' programme on telly, and were in bed soon after midnight.
Friday, 28 December 2007
Friday 28th December 07
Nice peaceful day as had a cycle into town in the morning to go to put cheques in and pay a bill, for an advert in Primary Times which is with an article by me about green/ethical parties. I went into Barnitts to get a new garden fork, as I have broken the handle of the one I got when we moved here in 2001... my fault as I've often left it outside and the wooden handle has been 'got at'. The new one also has a wooden handle, FSC timber apparently, and I hope it will last longer than the previous one (which I may be able to repair anyway). Then visited Anita who is still in a lot of pain from her car accident; she enjoyed a back massage, but the relief would have been only temporary, but we had a good chat too.
Back via Morrissons to see if they had Guinness Marmite, which is available in a branch in West Yorkshire but not here, apparently. Then home via Martins Country Fresh for a sack of compostables and Rashda's for a couple of sacks of twiggy bits which I have decided to put on one of my lottie heaps, without being shredded.
Home to an empty house as Gill had taken the boys into town on the bus to spend their book vouchers in WHSmith, so I had a quick lunch and got going in the garden... more hedge removal with my wrecking bar. The hedge comes out quite easily and is going to result in a vast amount of material for composting and the stove.
The rest of the family came back and I went to the allotment to do some more rescue work... and found a row of potatoes which I had forgotten about, and brought these home as a suprise for Gill.
Tea was new potatoes (not home grown this time) and quiche with rice salad. Lovely!
Back via Morrissons to see if they had Guinness Marmite, which is available in a branch in West Yorkshire but not here, apparently. Then home via Martins Country Fresh for a sack of compostables and Rashda's for a couple of sacks of twiggy bits which I have decided to put on one of my lottie heaps, without being shredded.
Home to an empty house as Gill had taken the boys into town on the bus to spend their book vouchers in WHSmith, so I had a quick lunch and got going in the garden... more hedge removal with my wrecking bar. The hedge comes out quite easily and is going to result in a vast amount of material for composting and the stove.
The rest of the family came back and I went to the allotment to do some more rescue work... and found a row of potatoes which I had forgotten about, and brought these home as a suprise for Gill.
Tea was new potatoes (not home grown this time) and quiche with rice salad. Lovely!
Thursday, 27 December 2007
Thursday 27th December 07
Not a bad day... spent some of it in the garden... had meant to go to the lottie but the garden beckoned and I did more clearing up and some hedge removal, shredding etc.
After lunch went with boys to Heslington to first see Melody and Simon for an hour. Gill arrived with the Bakewell Tart she's just made and we then went to visit our German friends who are moving to Leamington Spa in a few days. Our boys are friends with theirs, and Katrina and Ulrich are both 'Green', he works for HDRA/Garden Organic and she's a researcher currently looking at invasive plants. Several other people came to the afternoon's soiree, it was very jolly.
Left at about 6pm and zoomed home to light the stove and do a bit of tea for the boyos.
A quiet evening, good film 'The Queen' which was good, then a film/documentary about Greenpeace on C4+1.
After lunch went with boys to Heslington to first see Melody and Simon for an hour. Gill arrived with the Bakewell Tart she's just made and we then went to visit our German friends who are moving to Leamington Spa in a few days. Our boys are friends with theirs, and Katrina and Ulrich are both 'Green', he works for HDRA/Garden Organic and she's a researcher currently looking at invasive plants. Several other people came to the afternoon's soiree, it was very jolly.
Left at about 6pm and zoomed home to light the stove and do a bit of tea for the boyos.
A quiet evening, good film 'The Queen' which was good, then a film/documentary about Greenpeace on C4+1.
Wednesday, 26 December 2007
Wednesday 26th December 07
A bit of a lie-in as went to bed very late last night after avidly enjoying a fab film about big wave surfing, really exciting... another exciting and dangerous activity Id love to have tried but probably never will now I'm 'middle aged'! Did very little in the morning... did mean to go to the lottie but didn't get around to it, so did some stuff in the garden, cutting back last year's growth, mainly blackberries, but did some weeding too.
After lunch did more garden work... reconfigured a compost heap by digging it out and taking up the pallets, tidying up around them and redoing them with wire to hold them together. Started filling the new container with chopped brambles.
My neighbour asked me if I'd like to remove a couple of lengths of hedge which he'll replace with fence, to give more space and light and better soil conditions near the edge of the garden. The hedge is about 3 feet thick and 6 feet high... the deal is that if I remove and 'dispose' of the hedge, he'll pay for and put up the new fence. Sounds fair. There's a lot of work removing the hedge, but it will give me loads of materials for composting and for the stove.
Tea was last night's nutloaf with a cheese sauce on top.
Then got myself ready to do a gig at the MS Respite Care Centre over the road, for the guests who all have Multiple Sclerosis and are staying there as their carers are having some time off. I've entertained there on several previous occasions... the first was really difficult as I couldn't work out how to translate my interactive kids show to one for adult wheelchair users, but managed by going through the show in the form of an advert or run-through of what I do, and they seemed to enjoy it, and I've been invited back so something is working well. This time there were about 15 guests, several of whom were quite vocal and one was well enough to balance a feather and have a go at juggling, which was fun for the others too! I did the circus and the balloons, and took nearly two hours including chat.
Got back here at 9.30 and enjoyed a bottle of perry and some silly telly and chat on Googletalk.
After lunch did more garden work... reconfigured a compost heap by digging it out and taking up the pallets, tidying up around them and redoing them with wire to hold them together. Started filling the new container with chopped brambles.
My neighbour asked me if I'd like to remove a couple of lengths of hedge which he'll replace with fence, to give more space and light and better soil conditions near the edge of the garden. The hedge is about 3 feet thick and 6 feet high... the deal is that if I remove and 'dispose' of the hedge, he'll pay for and put up the new fence. Sounds fair. There's a lot of work removing the hedge, but it will give me loads of materials for composting and for the stove.
Tea was last night's nutloaf with a cheese sauce on top.
Then got myself ready to do a gig at the MS Respite Care Centre over the road, for the guests who all have Multiple Sclerosis and are staying there as their carers are having some time off. I've entertained there on several previous occasions... the first was really difficult as I couldn't work out how to translate my interactive kids show to one for adult wheelchair users, but managed by going through the show in the form of an advert or run-through of what I do, and they seemed to enjoy it, and I've been invited back so something is working well. This time there were about 15 guests, several of whom were quite vocal and one was well enough to balance a feather and have a go at juggling, which was fun for the others too! I did the circus and the balloons, and took nearly two hours including chat.
Got back here at 9.30 and enjoyed a bottle of perry and some silly telly and chat on Googletalk.
Tuesday, 25 December 2007
Tuesday 25th December 07 Christmas Day
Awoken rather early as at least one of our kids is still excited by Christmas and the presents that he recieves.... but went to sleep again and got up just before 9 to come downstairs to a happy post-breakfasted family. I had my usual branflakes and muesli, and the presents under the tree came out and were unwrapped. My favourite present was two packets of socks (yes really, I like useful presents!) or perhaps a rather cheeky present from Gill; a hardback book entitled 'The half-hour allotment' suggesting that it takes just half an hour's work each day of the week to manage an allotment, or an hour and a quarter on Saturday and Sunday. In the introduction it even mentions the letter I have recently recieved telling me to tidy up or get off!
Gill was very very happy with her tiny camera, and the boys immediately got into playing 'top trumps'.
However I had to get ready to go to work, so got the bike and loaded up the trailer with assorted Fiddlesticks stuff and my Father Christmas costume, wellies, and sandwiches for lunch. Only a short trip to the Novotel where I spent justabout 2 hours doing my circus and balloons to entertain the guests as they waited for their lunch. Then a half hour of sandwiches and getting into my St Nicholas persona, and then a short and sweet bomb round (sorry, slow walk round!) with a sack full of presents... all the same this time, so probably inappropriate for the older children (teenagers, embarrassed to get a visit from Santa!) and was finished at two pm.
Met several friends on the way home so didn't get in til nearly 3. I got unloaded and crashed out on the sofa.... and found myself watching Finding Nemo on TV... which I enjoyed considerably. Only one thing spoilt it for me.... the slight factual error of when the whale swallowed the fish and exhaled them out of the hole behind it's head.... but besides that it was a very enjoyable thing to slob out and watch...
Tea was delicious. Nutloaf made yesterday and baked in the oven tonight, roast potatoes and tiny carrots from Pocklington, sprouts also from East Yorkshire and gravy made on the woodstove...
Almost a traditional Christmas meal!
Had an evening of doing computery things and was DELIGHTED to get a sensible and kind comment from the anonymous Dr Evil. (see below) Happy Christmas to her and all of my readers.... if there are any other readers! Maybe I should install a counter....
Up late as watched a really good film about surfing called Riding Giants.
Gill was very very happy with her tiny camera, and the boys immediately got into playing 'top trumps'.
However I had to get ready to go to work, so got the bike and loaded up the trailer with assorted Fiddlesticks stuff and my Father Christmas costume, wellies, and sandwiches for lunch. Only a short trip to the Novotel where I spent justabout 2 hours doing my circus and balloons to entertain the guests as they waited for their lunch. Then a half hour of sandwiches and getting into my St Nicholas persona, and then a short and sweet bomb round (sorry, slow walk round!) with a sack full of presents... all the same this time, so probably inappropriate for the older children (teenagers, embarrassed to get a visit from Santa!) and was finished at two pm.
Met several friends on the way home so didn't get in til nearly 3. I got unloaded and crashed out on the sofa.... and found myself watching Finding Nemo on TV... which I enjoyed considerably. Only one thing spoilt it for me.... the slight factual error of when the whale swallowed the fish and exhaled them out of the hole behind it's head.... but besides that it was a very enjoyable thing to slob out and watch...
Tea was delicious. Nutloaf made yesterday and baked in the oven tonight, roast potatoes and tiny carrots from Pocklington, sprouts also from East Yorkshire and gravy made on the woodstove...
Almost a traditional Christmas meal!
Had an evening of doing computery things and was DELIGHTED to get a sensible and kind comment from the anonymous Dr Evil. (see below) Happy Christmas to her and all of my readers.... if there are any other readers! Maybe I should install a counter....
Up late as watched a really good film about surfing called Riding Giants.
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