A lovely day as spent the most of it in the garden, although most of the morning doing my paid blog, where I attempted to address the ethical issues surrounding Burma, Zimbabwe and 'overseas' problems which we may think we cannot do anything about.
I watched the Great North Run whilst doing my writing. Then I watched a bit of the replayed Grand Prix, which was exciting as it was so wet. Now it might seem odd that I enjoy watching fast cars when I don't actually like cars very much. However the race goes ahead whether I watch it or not, and by occasionally watching it, I don't really feel that I'm encouraging it or willing it to continue. I would be the first person to say 'good' if it was deemed unsustainable and therefore was going to be banned, as there are other exciting and greener things to get excited about. I really enjoy watching cycle racing too, even though I know that they have loads of motorised back-up and no cycle race is carbon neutral.
Anyway, I didn't watch the whole thing as I needed to get outside and continue hand-cutting the huge lengths of hedge we have in this garden... which I then put through the electric shredder to help it compost quickly and evenly. My neighbour gave me a huge pile of pruned lilac trees, branches up to 8cm thick, so I processed them too, and ended up with a large pile of shredded material to co-compost the food waste I collect. I did visit Martin's greengrocer mid afternoon and picked up several bags
Sunday, 30 September 2007
Saturday, 29 September 2007
Saturday 29th September 07
A good little lie-in... til after 9. Fairly soon after that my Sister rang, she'd come to York with her husband Douglas to experience the Food and Drink Festival, and meet some friends at lunchtime. We were warned last night that they wanted to see the boys, but weren't coming to our house... so we should meet them in town. We never go to town on a Saturday as it's always manic, however when we got the call, it was action stations as we had less than an hour to get to the Fountain in Parliament St. As Gill had failed to get the clothes required for our eldest son's trip away at Bewerley Park, she decided to come in on the bus with the boys and then go and do some shopping at Clifton Moor where she thought she'd get the clothes. I cycled in. I got my prescription and found an adapter plug for the battery recharger which comes with the digital camera my friend has got me.
Then I met my Anna and Douglas, and chatted for about 10 minutes before the rest of the family came. A + D bought us a crepe and we chatted for perhaps half an hour, before they went and Gill decided to go to 'Next' for the track-suit bottoms, rather than go to Clifton Moor. I got a couple of book tokens for my brother's children, who had their birthday last week (we forgot!) and cycled home via the greengrocers on Heslington Road.
I had lunch, and then took the opportunity to spend some time in the garden, and did a bit more hedge, shredding and layering the latest compost heap. When the others came in I also came in and did some housework, including blanching some grapes to make into raisins. If they're blanched before drying, any mould on them is killed and they dry cleanly... if dried without blanching they can go mouldy overnight, before they've lost enough moisture.
I did a lot of tidying in the conservatory, cutting down the old tomato plants which have stopped growing and started going mildewy and horrible. The crop this year has been very poor, partly due to my not adequately removing side shoots and partly because of bad weather and growing conditions. At least they were inside and didn't get blight! However whilst I was removing them I did find a good little pile of mixed tomatoes, some green but most ripe.
Gill incorporated lots of these into tea, which was delicious.
Then I met my Anna and Douglas, and chatted for about 10 minutes before the rest of the family came. A + D bought us a crepe and we chatted for perhaps half an hour, before they went and Gill decided to go to 'Next' for the track-suit bottoms, rather than go to Clifton Moor. I got a couple of book tokens for my brother's children, who had their birthday last week (we forgot!) and cycled home via the greengrocers on Heslington Road.
I had lunch, and then took the opportunity to spend some time in the garden, and did a bit more hedge, shredding and layering the latest compost heap. When the others came in I also came in and did some housework, including blanching some grapes to make into raisins. If they're blanched before drying, any mould on them is killed and they dry cleanly... if dried without blanching they can go mouldy overnight, before they've lost enough moisture.
I did a lot of tidying in the conservatory, cutting down the old tomato plants which have stopped growing and started going mildewy and horrible. The crop this year has been very poor, partly due to my not adequately removing side shoots and partly because of bad weather and growing conditions. At least they were inside and didn't get blight! However whilst I was removing them I did find a good little pile of mixed tomatoes, some green but most ripe.
Gill incorporated lots of these into tea, which was delicious.
Friday 28th September 07
A very busy day... got downstairs at 9am, Gill had taken the boys to school so I lit the stove and did a big wash-up as I didn't last night as I was on the computer til late. I went to town via a guest house on Heslington Road, to book a room for my friend from the States who's coming to visit York on the 9th October, and then on to Cycle Heaven where I was shown my new bike, still being built. Then onto the station to get train tickets for my trip next week, and had a chat with a friendly chap at the British Transport Police about a notice which was put into my pannier about leaving it empty and open for inspection... I was advised to meet with the Station Manager. So I went to that office and was given his name to write to. Then onto Out Of This World to do my usual pick-up, and got my monthly honorarium, so took it to the Credit Union to put it in my savings. Said Hi to Kenny at CVS and had a humourous discussion about the room hire last week which failed as I didn't know to pick up the key. We also chatted about CVS's desire to recycle more, and a couple of ways in which they could deal with the food waste left over from conferences.
Then onto my building society to shuffle some cheques in and out, and back via Martin's to pick up a box and a bag of compostables and a handful of locally grown 'mucky carrots' which taste divine. Back for a late lunch and then went into the garden to deal with the stuff brought back for composting.
Gill went to school early as it was 'meet the teacher' but I've met them all and didn't feel the need to do it officially, so I spent some time emailing and then went back into the garden, and cut hedge, shredded, composted.
In the evening had a laugh with the boys who have been given a joke book from a charity shop (30 pence from Woodland's MS Respite Care Shop) and watched some gardening programmes.
In the evening I got an invite to attend a gig on the 10th of October, via Graham Martin in Facebook, so I accepted and updated my info, and uploaded a photo!
Then onto my building society to shuffle some cheques in and out, and back via Martin's to pick up a box and a bag of compostables and a handful of locally grown 'mucky carrots' which taste divine. Back for a late lunch and then went into the garden to deal with the stuff brought back for composting.
Gill went to school early as it was 'meet the teacher' but I've met them all and didn't feel the need to do it officially, so I spent some time emailing and then went back into the garden, and cut hedge, shredded, composted.
In the evening had a laugh with the boys who have been given a joke book from a charity shop (30 pence from Woodland's MS Respite Care Shop) and watched some gardening programmes.
In the evening I got an invite to attend a gig on the 10th of October, via Graham Martin in Facebook, so I accepted and updated my info, and uploaded a photo!
Thursday, 27 September 2007
Thursday 27th September 07
I got a lie-in til 8.30, as the noise levels increased downstairs as Gill tried to get the boys ready for school, so I came down and chivvied them out of the house. It's amazing how much more quickly an 8 year-old boy will put their own shoe on when you offer to help them do it... they then have to prove that they don't need help and actually get on with it!
I was due to go to town and do various jobs before my little holiday next week, but I had a very leaky nose and felt grotty, then I looked at my diary and saw that Simon from Yellow Pages had booked to come and visit me regarding my advertising with them, so I lit the stove and got a coffee and did some washing up, Gill went out as she has more stuff to do in town. I did my emails to find out if my friend had landed, but there was no message, so I wondered what had happened.
The Yellow Pages rep recognised me from the telly programme last week, and we took some time to get onto the subject of advertising Professor Fiddlesticks. I didn't want to spend any more money with them, but was persuaded to have a listing with Yell (dot) Com and to afford this I am not having a one-line listing in the Leeds directory, which has not given me many returns. Apparently the Yell advert will give me a better coverage. But Simon did his job well and I'll be paying more next year than this!
I got an email from Community Care saying would it be possible to get my column in by this afternoon? I did some online research about Ethical Investment, which I don't know much about, and continued writing my 350 words.
Then I got an email from St Nicks saying that they would be sending someone over to pick up my apple press and crusher at 2pm, for use at Apple Day on the 6th of October. So I had to excavate that from the studio, all the time sneezing and snuffling and blowing my nose, and feeling rubbish.
I got my column typed in by 3pm and cycled down to school to pick up the boys. My youngest asked if he could visit one of his friends, so he went one way, and I came home with the eldest, who only noticed we didn't have his brother once we'd got home! On the way home I chatted with a friend of mine, who's a chemist and very well informed, and she's not convinced that the paint on top of the sleepers will stop the creosote coming through, and she said if she felt brave enough, she'd raise it at school at a meeting tonight.
Once I got home I felt so poorly I went to bed and fell asleep with New Scientist in my hand. I was woken by a phone call from my friend, who had sent me some emails since landing at Manchester Airport, but they'd not got through to me. I was pleased she was safe and sound.
I made my own tea, finishing up the weird-tasting mushroom soup and putting some pasta in, left over from Gill's tea, and heating that on the woodstove, plus making some eggy-bread the same way, using a discarded organic loaf with the crusts cut off. It was very filling and dirt cheap, a good thing considering that I'm about to spend a large amount on a new bicycle.
After tea, before it got dark, I did a bit of putting stuff on the newest compost heap, and cut a bit more hedge. Then came in and sorted out the stove, got enought hot water for my boy to have a bath. Then I refilled the pans as I want to have a bath later. Gill and I enjoyed watching Carol Vorderman on BBC's 'Who Do You Think You Are?', about ancestry and family origins. We had a game of Scrabble and I won, again.
Enjoyed my bath at midnight.
I was due to go to town and do various jobs before my little holiday next week, but I had a very leaky nose and felt grotty, then I looked at my diary and saw that Simon from Yellow Pages had booked to come and visit me regarding my advertising with them, so I lit the stove and got a coffee and did some washing up, Gill went out as she has more stuff to do in town. I did my emails to find out if my friend had landed, but there was no message, so I wondered what had happened.
The Yellow Pages rep recognised me from the telly programme last week, and we took some time to get onto the subject of advertising Professor Fiddlesticks. I didn't want to spend any more money with them, but was persuaded to have a listing with Yell (dot) Com and to afford this I am not having a one-line listing in the Leeds directory, which has not given me many returns. Apparently the Yell advert will give me a better coverage. But Simon did his job well and I'll be paying more next year than this!
I got an email from Community Care saying would it be possible to get my column in by this afternoon? I did some online research about Ethical Investment, which I don't know much about, and continued writing my 350 words.
Then I got an email from St Nicks saying that they would be sending someone over to pick up my apple press and crusher at 2pm, for use at Apple Day on the 6th of October. So I had to excavate that from the studio, all the time sneezing and snuffling and blowing my nose, and feeling rubbish.
I got my column typed in by 3pm and cycled down to school to pick up the boys. My youngest asked if he could visit one of his friends, so he went one way, and I came home with the eldest, who only noticed we didn't have his brother once we'd got home! On the way home I chatted with a friend of mine, who's a chemist and very well informed, and she's not convinced that the paint on top of the sleepers will stop the creosote coming through, and she said if she felt brave enough, she'd raise it at school at a meeting tonight.
Once I got home I felt so poorly I went to bed and fell asleep with New Scientist in my hand. I was woken by a phone call from my friend, who had sent me some emails since landing at Manchester Airport, but they'd not got through to me. I was pleased she was safe and sound.
I made my own tea, finishing up the weird-tasting mushroom soup and putting some pasta in, left over from Gill's tea, and heating that on the woodstove, plus making some eggy-bread the same way, using a discarded organic loaf with the crusts cut off. It was very filling and dirt cheap, a good thing considering that I'm about to spend a large amount on a new bicycle.
After tea, before it got dark, I did a bit of putting stuff on the newest compost heap, and cut a bit more hedge. Then came in and sorted out the stove, got enought hot water for my boy to have a bath. Then I refilled the pans as I want to have a bath later. Gill and I enjoyed watching Carol Vorderman on BBC's 'Who Do You Think You Are?', about ancestry and family origins. We had a game of Scrabble and I won, again.
Enjoyed my bath at midnight.
Wednesday, 26 September 2007
Wednesday 26th September 07
Gill woke me at 8.10 and asked me if I could take the boys in to school as her shoulder ached, so I leapt to her rescue and got ready for our usual 8.30 lift off. They cycled well, I am always proud of their cycling abilities, and I got back before 9am and spent a bit of time with Gill before she went out, as our youngest has broken his cycle helmet (deliberately, we think) and I did various bits and bobs around the house, before going out to my friend who had borrowed my bowsaw to sort out her woodwormy floorboards. On the way there I called in to Cycle Heaven and found out that my new bike frame has been delivered and it will be assembled tomorrow... so possibly ready by the weekend! When I got to my Freecycling friend, I had a good little chat and loaded up the trailer with floorboards and some of her next-door-neighbour's apple tree which they've started to chop down. I came back via Out Of This World and collected their recyclables, and got home before 2...... Gill had developed a flat tyre and had gone in by bus.
I chatted to my friend on Googletalk, the last scheduled time before she flies over to the UK.
I got the children at 3, and was very pleased to meet up with my friends Marina and Alan, over from the Balkans as Alan has a bit more research to do at the University, so he's brought the family over, and it's lovely to see them. At school, there'd been a ceremony to open the Japanese Garden which IRA Bob has finished. The school investigated my complaint about creosoted sleepers being used, and the City Council expert came down to check it, and said that the sleepers had to be painted with something to reduce the possibility of the tar/creosote coming out, and that had been done. The Japanese garden looked good.... I'd have preferred an organic vegetable garden, but the children chose what they chose, and all in memory of a child who died of cancer, so a memorial garden. I told Bob that it looked good and I was pleased that the sleepers had been painted. He was quite polite!
Marina, Alan and their 9 year-old daughter came back with us and had a chat, hot drink infront of the stove and a quick walk down the garden. We might see them at the weekend, hopefully.
I decided to do some work in the garden, so I got the ladders and pruned the variagated sycamore tree, as it has a load of green-only shoots, and if these aren't pruned out they take over as they are more vigorous. So a half hour's work every year keeps the tree looking lovely and variagated. I shredded the pile of unwanted branches, and made a 'woody' layer in the latest heap. I put the fruit/veg stuff collected today on the top, another compost heap is beginning to grow!
I had a microwaved potato and stir-fried veg in mushroon soup for tea. The children (well one of them.. censored!) broke two things today. An expensive (at least £6) 'paddle' hairbrush and my lovely 'light up' cycle reflector band which goes around my body when out cycling at night. This made me pretty annoyed, as I hate waste and I wish the particular child would be more careful.
I chatted to my friend on Googletalk, the last scheduled time before she flies over to the UK.
I got the children at 3, and was very pleased to meet up with my friends Marina and Alan, over from the Balkans as Alan has a bit more research to do at the University, so he's brought the family over, and it's lovely to see them. At school, there'd been a ceremony to open the Japanese Garden which IRA Bob has finished. The school investigated my complaint about creosoted sleepers being used, and the City Council expert came down to check it, and said that the sleepers had to be painted with something to reduce the possibility of the tar/creosote coming out, and that had been done. The Japanese garden looked good.... I'd have preferred an organic vegetable garden, but the children chose what they chose, and all in memory of a child who died of cancer, so a memorial garden. I told Bob that it looked good and I was pleased that the sleepers had been painted. He was quite polite!
Marina, Alan and their 9 year-old daughter came back with us and had a chat, hot drink infront of the stove and a quick walk down the garden. We might see them at the weekend, hopefully.
I decided to do some work in the garden, so I got the ladders and pruned the variagated sycamore tree, as it has a load of green-only shoots, and if these aren't pruned out they take over as they are more vigorous. So a half hour's work every year keeps the tree looking lovely and variagated. I shredded the pile of unwanted branches, and made a 'woody' layer in the latest heap. I put the fruit/veg stuff collected today on the top, another compost heap is beginning to grow!
I had a microwaved potato and stir-fried veg in mushroon soup for tea. The children (well one of them.. censored!) broke two things today. An expensive (at least £6) 'paddle' hairbrush and my lovely 'light up' cycle reflector band which goes around my body when out cycling at night. This made me pretty annoyed, as I hate waste and I wish the particular child would be more careful.
Tuesday, 25 September 2007
Tuesday 25th September 07
Woke to sounds of anger from downstairs and came down to see if I could assist Gill with getting the boys ready for school. A bucket of greywater (ex-washing up water) had been kicked over in the kitchen and there definitely seemed a need for a firm, stern person to come and ensure that they got ready for school, as walking today and that takes longer than cycling.
I had breakfast once they'd gone, and at 8.55 set out on my bike for school as we've a meeting with the head teacher, to give us re-assurance about how the boys are getting on. She was so nice, confirming that we are doing the right thing and that what we are going through is quite normal, and that boys do push the boundaries like they are doing, and that everything is actually OK. We were greatly resurred and went away after over an hour feeling better.
I had aranged to go and see James to help him prune a Eucalyptus tree, which was the other half of a trade I did, as he had given me a petrol chainsaw to pass on to Jules, and Jules had promised me logs for the chainsaw.... so this morning I completed the James/John part of the bargain, and I pruned his 10 - 12 metre tree down to about 4 - 6 metres, cutting off about 10 large branches which were up to 5 metres long, and then processing them into twiggy bits and good branches for chopping up, drying and loading the stove with. James was delighted with the work, and I met his social workers, who come every day to make sure he's OK and ensure he eats. I left him happy, with a pile of branches to process and knowing that he has a friend.
I got home for lunch and Gill came in from town having ordered some red glasses frames. I spent some time washing up and post lunch stuff, and went on the computer before chopping up some of the wood I'd brought back from James's. Gill got the boys and took them to the dentist on the bus, getting in shortly before 5pm. She was doing eggy bread for them but had no baked beans, so I popped to the Co-op to get some... and then went down the garden to manage some compost heaps and cut a hedge, did some shredding and loading of the latest heap to be emptied. No compost heap ever lies empty for long here!
Came in for tea at about 7, and had the mushroom soup I made yesterday, it tastes like what I remember oxtail soup did, and has the same brown colour. Glad I knew it was made from mushrooms!
Spent some time with family before the kids went to bed, and watched a very moving Bruce Parry programme 'Tribe' with him visiting the Penan people from Sarawak in Borneo, an amazing portrait of people suffering from the West's insatiable desire for wood and palm oil.
Spent some time chatting with my friend in America, who is flying over to Manchester tomorrow, arriving Thursday morning. I am looking forward to meeting up with her, and am trying not to feel too responsible or guilty about the carbon cost of the trip. I'm not the only person she's coming over to see, but I do want to share the responsibility of offsetting the carbon emissions, even if this is a flawed idea.
Got an email from my friend Jessica the photographer who has has been mugged.
I had breakfast once they'd gone, and at 8.55 set out on my bike for school as we've a meeting with the head teacher, to give us re-assurance about how the boys are getting on. She was so nice, confirming that we are doing the right thing and that what we are going through is quite normal, and that boys do push the boundaries like they are doing, and that everything is actually OK. We were greatly resurred and went away after over an hour feeling better.
I had aranged to go and see James to help him prune a Eucalyptus tree, which was the other half of a trade I did, as he had given me a petrol chainsaw to pass on to Jules, and Jules had promised me logs for the chainsaw.... so this morning I completed the James/John part of the bargain, and I pruned his 10 - 12 metre tree down to about 4 - 6 metres, cutting off about 10 large branches which were up to 5 metres long, and then processing them into twiggy bits and good branches for chopping up, drying and loading the stove with. James was delighted with the work, and I met his social workers, who come every day to make sure he's OK and ensure he eats. I left him happy, with a pile of branches to process and knowing that he has a friend.
I got home for lunch and Gill came in from town having ordered some red glasses frames. I spent some time washing up and post lunch stuff, and went on the computer before chopping up some of the wood I'd brought back from James's. Gill got the boys and took them to the dentist on the bus, getting in shortly before 5pm. She was doing eggy bread for them but had no baked beans, so I popped to the Co-op to get some... and then went down the garden to manage some compost heaps and cut a hedge, did some shredding and loading of the latest heap to be emptied. No compost heap ever lies empty for long here!
Came in for tea at about 7, and had the mushroom soup I made yesterday, it tastes like what I remember oxtail soup did, and has the same brown colour. Glad I knew it was made from mushrooms!
Spent some time with family before the kids went to bed, and watched a very moving Bruce Parry programme 'Tribe' with him visiting the Penan people from Sarawak in Borneo, an amazing portrait of people suffering from the West's insatiable desire for wood and palm oil.
Spent some time chatting with my friend in America, who is flying over to Manchester tomorrow, arriving Thursday morning. I am looking forward to meeting up with her, and am trying not to feel too responsible or guilty about the carbon cost of the trip. I'm not the only person she's coming over to see, but I do want to share the responsibility of offsetting the carbon emissions, even if this is a flawed idea.
Got an email from my friend Jessica the photographer who has has been mugged.
Monday, 24 September 2007
Monday 24th Sept 07
A slow start to the morning for me, but this was good, didn't mind waking at 9am at all!
However, after this, Gill went to town and I spent most of the morning washing up, tidying the stove area, filling woodbaskets and did some emailing.
When Gill got back, having got various things for the children and mended her glasses which fell apart, I cycled in, to get wellies and a rucsack, put in a cheque and pick up my compostables, all of which I did very quickly and got back at 3pm.
However, after this, Gill went to town and I spent most of the morning washing up, tidying the stove area, filling woodbaskets and did some emailing.
When Gill got back, having got various things for the children and mended her glasses which fell apart, I cycled in, to get wellies and a rucsack, put in a cheque and pick up my compostables, all of which I did very quickly and got back at 3pm.
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