tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105978282024-03-19T09:16:49.077+00:00Garden of GaladrielThough I'm not here, I'm still blogging about my garden at https://gardenofgaladriel.blogspot.comGaladrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.comBlogger350125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-65484835127196378392020-08-20T22:28:00.000+00:002020-08-20T22:28:54.882+00:00Thank you for reading<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdUSmiEd84zw8kQnp1PHW7aurF3-aBxYYsxKE72s5QLfCWJGf7hVQ4HETnNDhnCTANcGgd4NxAflPuUVZZAXEPjd9fKNdWL5b724P4NL8XNeI8xdT-zQTtmeLtDQvfgN7X55ej/s2048/G_ulysses_mar2020.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdUSmiEd84zw8kQnp1PHW7aurF3-aBxYYsxKE72s5QLfCWJGf7hVQ4HETnNDhnCTANcGgd4NxAflPuUVZZAXEPjd9fKNdWL5b724P4NL8XNeI8xdT-zQTtmeLtDQvfgN7X55ej/w384-h512/G_ulysses_mar2020.jpg" width="384" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QxuWvJKpPw0-HCBgDvbwbJPvCXc36YIbh6W36zRm4WQDzpriQDGXNrmGwWYXXPo3Y6s1IWsJyGGt8d7ROyMHca2JTKyC7fTYOqm7CC_BGACMa3wK7Ld9Co9lcEDAH4v1Dvkc/s2048/IMG_20200315_115146.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QxuWvJKpPw0-HCBgDvbwbJPvCXc36YIbh6W36zRm4WQDzpriQDGXNrmGwWYXXPo3Y6s1IWsJyGGt8d7ROyMHca2JTKyC7fTYOqm7CC_BGACMa3wK7Ld9Co9lcEDAH4v1Dvkc/w384-h512/IMG_20200315_115146.jpg" width="384" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWvoeMIm1kS34gnqWTfsyM8eB9FZS-YVcV5N2kKhJ4D1aVCih0KnhWJMpYdfw_iWNEzbdb0X-8pILVxPsc8v4PpnHj4zaHF5bTcpwKUSSRbFu5tnNdGFLlxrX09Okyz_mFGkO9/s1280/DSCF0021.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWvoeMIm1kS34gnqWTfsyM8eB9FZS-YVcV5N2kKhJ4D1aVCih0KnhWJMpYdfw_iWNEzbdb0X-8pILVxPsc8v4PpnHj4zaHF5bTcpwKUSSRbFu5tnNdGFLlxrX09Okyz_mFGkO9/w512-h384/DSCF0021.JPG" width="512" /></a></div><p></p>
<p>I'm not planning on posting to this blog in the future. However, I thought I'd give one final update to my life and times before closing the door: our little girl J was born in March of this year, only a few days after her biggest brother's birthday. She's my lockdown baby, now five months old--lockdown happened one week after she was born. Although her birth wasn't quite as straightforward as my other births, she was born safely and the crisis that might have been a lot worse was quickly averted, thanks to the very capable and organized staff at the hospital.</p><p>I'm still blogging at <a href="https://gardenofgaladriel.blogspot.com/">https://gardenofgaladriel.blogspot.com/</a> though it's mostly garden talk there, with very little about the rest of my life. In a way I'm sorry to leave this blog behind, but I think I've said all I need to. Thanks for reading, and goodbye.
</p>Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-34815689675608623972018-10-27T14:16:00.000+00:002018-10-27T14:16:46.363+00:00Self reliance--in underwear!I hate bra shopping. Actually I'm not big on clothes shopping and mainly try and put it off as long as possible (to be honest I find shopping in general to be stressful and not enjoyable). This means for things like bras, I wear them to the absolute limit--and then carry on wearing them some more.<br />
<br />
Well, the time really had come and for all the good they were doing, I might as well not be wearing a bra than continue with the two I currently had. These two and their two predecessors were bought online, because did I mention how much I hate bra shopping? All that trudging around shops, trying on bra after bra to find one that fits <i>and</i> is in the right color <i>and</i> made of cotton--yeah right like that ever happens.<br />
<br />
Until now, that is. Because I bought a bra sewing pattern instead. And I cannabalized the hooks and rings (and even some of the elastic) off my old bras and now have two new bras. They fit, they are the right color and are made of cotton (an old t shirt from my scrap bag, actually). I can make more of them if I want--any amount of them, and even if I change size I can still make more because it's a multi size pattern. I never have to go bra shopping again! I think I'll move on to undies next :)<br />
<br />
(While I'm willing to write about my underwear online, I draw the line at showing it! Suffice it to say that one is all gray and the other is black with turquoise lace overlay.) Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-71835484601213163672018-07-27T19:55:00.000+00:002018-07-27T19:55:51.025+00:00Gardening (and writing about it) for pleasure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqEux3JMAGZSMPChUzeHPFU1BteqI-bmb0LhoBztdQjZqvZkfoW6z0r7mmA4WBfoYcZwba4Iway5V0hZi9ej_qDugA1tP8GDRuXPzIZoUEgmlboU3c5po65-rPk39Kl31Ttm3B/s1600/DSCF0033a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Close up of a cluster of apples growing against a fence" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqEux3JMAGZSMPChUzeHPFU1BteqI-bmb0LhoBztdQjZqvZkfoW6z0r7mmA4WBfoYcZwba4Iway5V0hZi9ej_qDugA1tP8GDRuXPzIZoUEgmlboU3c5po65-rPk39Kl31Ttm3B/s400/DSCF0033a.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
If I've been a bit lax in my posts here, it's because I'm channeling most of my energy into my garden, and its subsequent chronicles at <a href="http://gardenofgaladriel.blogspot.com/">http://gardenofgaladriel.blogspot.com/</a>. It's focused on my gardening exploits, methods and philosophy--with a strong emphasis on food production. I don't write much about myself or my family there: it's all garden.<br />
<br />
Still, I find it very therapeutic to document my successes and failures in the garden. Well, maybe not too many failures! But I sometimes almost feel a compulsion to write, and get it out of my system. I don't think I have very many readers at all (and I think my only reader here on this blog is Partner), but I don't mind; I'm not really writing for an audience, but for my own state of mind. I'm passionate about gardening (maybe even obsessive?) and that blog is an outlet for me.<br />
<br />
This blog? I have written about my garden here in the past, but I've moved away from that in the past few years. I suppose that is part of why I'm not updating here so often; my creativity has become diluted without the garden. What else do I have to write about?<br />
<br />
I'm living my life, day by day; going to work, keeping up the house daily, working on small projects like my knitting, or slightly bigger ones such as redecorating. Many days are similar, and perhaps boring to read about--although I'm not bored living them. I find a great deal of satisfaction in raising F, running the household, making and crafting, and putting meals on the table from good (homegrown, of course) food.Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-67521698415540524552018-07-04T18:20:00.002+00:002018-07-04T18:20:48.441+00:00One year on<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBh0OdBvUJM7gFr_tLFbEU-Vr9udxSe0vk_eyvgiZ39DEfqlZ65xS9asJJCVR5OVsC5P8u2OJgSkOxw6e2Eud74a2AFQ2xj2zrN_GRgaFJtlxMPDTc3j63McbsxsjyFj1pc_3/s1600/DSCF0027.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img alt="A small flock of chickens on grass" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBh0OdBvUJM7gFr_tLFbEU-Vr9udxSe0vk_eyvgiZ39DEfqlZ65xS9asJJCVR5OVsC5P8u2OJgSkOxw6e2Eud74a2AFQ2xj2zrN_GRgaFJtlxMPDTc3j63McbsxsjyFj1pc_3/s400/DSCF0027.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
It's been a year since <a href="http://meandgaladriel.blogspot.com/2017/11/the-story-of-teddy.html" target="_blank">our baby boy Teddy</a> was born and died. I'm not in shock any more, and rarely start crying suddenly. I've heard people say it gets easier with time; maybe this is true for some people. The grief I have is still just as extreme: it's just easier to compartmentalize. I can stick it in a box now, instead of being helplessly overwhelmed.<br />
<br />
That said, some things are more painful now: I'm sensitive to death at the moment, for instance. Our young rooster died suddenly a little while ago, and I found his still warm body under a tree. I grabbed him, warm and soft, and held him on my lap, doing chest compressions for ten minutes at least, desperate to get him breathing again. It was no good though: he was gone. That was really hard.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRjLVSjiqqKPtkiqohB5B-eI80EO2AIwlmn6zFh6k_Vcq-eShkauTnXEQon-oXAzlbuzwYVlllUsppHlUmpod1q9H7YFDevzTr8gvWbZ22L6OaIRDGqK8R2PGXO9hChjPnGlU/s1600/DSCF0060.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img alt="A little basket with several different colored eggs" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRjLVSjiqqKPtkiqohB5B-eI80EO2AIwlmn6zFh6k_Vcq-eShkauTnXEQon-oXAzlbuzwYVlllUsppHlUmpod1q9H7YFDevzTr8gvWbZ22L6OaIRDGqK8R2PGXO9hChjPnGlU/s400/DSCF0060.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
Still, nearly all my days are good and I can focus on the positive. It's easier to do this now in summer than it was in the dark, cold winter. In the first few months after Teddy's death, I was able to keep busy out in the garden, and with household projects. When it got too cold and rainy/snowy for outdoor work (from about November to April), I felt a bit lost. Going back to work in February was initially tough, but helped me get through the last of the winter.<br />
<br />
I've put a lot of work into my garden over the past year, and it really shows now. We're eating loads of vegetables, including the last of the broad beans, plenty of peas, lettuce, carrots, turnips and chard--and there's lots more things to come. We're picking plenty of berries, and are just finishing the sweet cherries (pie cherries finished a week ago). We have four new season chicks bred from, hatched and raised by our own chickens. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
I think about Teddy every day, mostly happy and not too many sad thoughts; as I wrote previously, I have no regrets about the choices we made and for that I'm grateful. Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-8847300800230994322018-03-17T21:17:00.000+00:002018-03-17T21:17:26.826+00:00Stop snowing already!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1Le7Q6X0nlH23HL2ua6vLoBsCbDzXRXQqdj05Xm4tZ_n8-NBUba7w0C4njc0tlY0uPO2e72DAH0ip7WJHYVjNDQlCweyOErmifgYn0gytcjlTlWc3zXBbRXNZnDCPPMglJbS/s1600/DSCF0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A little boy posing with a posse of tiny snowmen on a garden bench" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1Le7Q6X0nlH23HL2ua6vLoBsCbDzXRXQqdj05Xm4tZ_n8-NBUba7w0C4njc0tlY0uPO2e72DAH0ip7WJHYVjNDQlCweyOErmifgYn0gytcjlTlWc3zXBbRXNZnDCPPMglJbS/s640/DSCF0008.JPG" title="" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The snow family</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Winter's been a bit colder than the past few years, although luckily we haven't had prolonged snow cover like the winters of 2010 and 2011, when I thought we had somehow been transported to Iceland. But it's still been snowing far too much for this time of year. It's nearly spring equinox and still snowing.<br />
<br />
F had three days off school early this month because of snow, and consequently I had three days off work (my school in the next village over was closed two days). He had two days of snowball fights and snowmen with kids on our street, but by the third day--a Friday with even more snowing--we were all tired of it. <br />
<br />
My garden plans are on hold too. We've had a few nice, warmish days prompting me to get and do some jobs; seeds have been sown, fruit and rose bushes have been pruned. However, though March is generally a bonanza of seed sowing, most of it hasn't begun yet. I did some parsnip seeds a week ago, but I don't know if they'll handle the snow and cold.<br />
<br />
I'm also a little concerned about my almond tree, covered in little pink flowerbuds not quite open. It's so close to blossoming; I really hope it can hold on past this latest cold spell, otherwise we won't get almonds this year. The same with my little peach tree--it looks like it's finally forming flowerbuds for the very first time and I don't want to lose the first fruits that I've been waiting for these four years. <br />
<br />
Though to tell the truth, my main concern is that we don't get any more snow days off school! Almonds and peaches and parsnips are little luxuries and I don't need them really. Let's just get some spring please.Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-67350715679557187132018-02-13T13:26:00.000+00:002018-02-13T13:26:03.225+00:00Life skillsMy son Franklin is nearing eight years old. I've been thinking about his future and what we are doing now to prepare for it. For instance, he has a children's investment account which he will be able to access when he's 18, and we try to save a little for him each month. But more importantly I think, are the life skills he learns now. <br />
<br />
<b>Physical skills</b><br />
<br />
I didn't learn a lot of these when I was a kid--I had to teach myself as an adult, and some I still don't really know. The kind of skills I mean are basic cooking and housekeeping, easy home maintenance and repair, gardening, simple plumbing and electrics, pet/animal care, budgeting and saving, etc. There are a lot of useful things, which in the past all children learned from their family/community--either from observing or from helping. <br />
<br />
When I was young, my mother stayed home with us kids and did pretty
much all the housework and cooking; I didn't really learn how to do any
until I moved out. Though I eventually learned how to cook, I'm still not great
at housework. The more traditionally masculine skills, such as cutting firewood, I was not allowed to do (we were expected to conform
to gender roles); instead I was allocated caring for my younger siblings, something I didn't enjoy and has put me off childcare for life! <br />
<br />
I
want Franklin to know how to do many things (particularly without confining him to
stereotypical roles), and this means letting him do those things--even
if he does a terrible job at first. To this end, he has his own regular
chores including most of the chicken care, dishes twice a week, tidying
away his own toys and books, and making his own school lunch. He also
helps me do laundry (sort, wash, hang, fold, and put away), sweeps and
mops the floors once in a while, helps cook, changes his own bedding, and more. <br />
<br />
<b>Emotional/relationship skills</b><br />
<br />
Then there are less tangible skills which I hope Franklin learns, such as self-confidence, initiative and hard work; and others like compassion, optimism and honesty. I think he can learn these things only by example, and I try my best for him. I let him know I trust him by allowing him do things himself, and try not to show him my own fears and inhibitions (sometimes this is hard). I treat him with respect, and let him know I expect the same treatment from him.<br />
<br />
I encourage him to make his own decisions, and I always try to tell him the truth, even when he asks awkward questions; for instance, once he asked me why I killed our dog! But I don't want him to think there are things he can't talk about with me, so I didn't get upset but explained about how old and sick she was and we took her to the vet to help her die so she wouldn't hurt any more. <br />
<br />
<b>The goal</b><br />
<br />
Basically, he's learning how to be an adult now, while he's still young enough and willing to learn--he's usually willing, though not always! I hope he can grow up into a happy, well-rounded, well-skilled adult, capable and confident of taking care of himself.Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-55965490051451585142018-01-08T12:33:00.001+00:002018-01-08T12:33:41.273+00:00Slowing down this winter<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCdvfa09sQtwK-fKTcXS22ERAqnKB0w9QyyY5dP2ac9O0OKs3r1EJbC2KZg0li9L_jiuxfP2829MDJv9aemay_5WL7VC405bR_iNoeQ0EJvsX_8LUEad6drUkyknAICrt52JPt/s1600/DSCF0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A simple holly wreath on a front door" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCdvfa09sQtwK-fKTcXS22ERAqnKB0w9QyyY5dP2ac9O0OKs3r1EJbC2KZg0li9L_jiuxfP2829MDJv9aemay_5WL7VC405bR_iNoeQ0EJvsX_8LUEad6drUkyknAICrt52JPt/s400/DSCF0011.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our front door</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I made two festive wreaths this year, one for our own front door, and another for our baby Teddy's grave. I collected some trimmings from our own holly and fir trees, and using some dark green yarn, coiled them into simple wreaths. As you can see above, ours was just plain and rustic; Teddy's was made from the fir branches and had some berries we collected around our garden (honeysuckle and rosehips) as well as some we found in the woods. <br />
<br />
We had our usual quiet Christmas, although some of us were/are under the weather. I personally haven't got it (yet), but there's still time I guess! Instead, I've got a bit of insomnia, which is also not fun. I'm trying to get in a walk every day, and limiting caffeine. Probably all the Christmas sweets and treats weren't helping.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqDB3E7_NucQ20BMWruqAYBSmtnShlpYJVGSPpNylQIFpJe13d5Lj4UqyGuxkTmudzSXABQFZuyHstkYi-Vg-tDUFyvz3HuJA6eYu2v-7AzflzpM5bb1Q_8dDVuV6yvpk3iEa/s1600/DSCF0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A colorfully striped cardigan on a hanger" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqDB3E7_NucQ20BMWruqAYBSmtnShlpYJVGSPpNylQIFpJe13d5Lj4UqyGuxkTmudzSXABQFZuyHstkYi-Vg-tDUFyvz3HuJA6eYu2v-7AzflzpM5bb1Q_8dDVuV6yvpk3iEa/s400/DSCF0002.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crazy stripes!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We've had some snow and cold weather this past month, and I've been missing my garden time. However, I've been doing a lot of my usual winter crafting, especially knitting. I knit Franklin a very colorful striped cardigan (it has 11 or 12 different colors) and now I'm knitting a very colorful pair of socks, but in multi-colored yarn, so luckily I don't have to have 12 balls of yarn on the go, unlike the cardigan. At least I only did stripes (easy), unlike the one I did for him for Christmas a year ago:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMLgM9jjFb7QeOj1dyuATZCgBy-ebGrDA8J8-ZZRHtAi9Y0aUvA4Wc1i1tqDXCbwvlGUodh20v9tVoXpGohZMa3d2QmEMJlbgHs493TSwjdEEjbXacfTPZCObqV-f-k4v1hQU/s1600/DSCF0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A hand knitted Christmas sweater showing a snowy village under the moon" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMLgM9jjFb7QeOj1dyuATZCgBy-ebGrDA8J8-ZZRHtAi9Y0aUvA4Wc1i1tqDXCbwvlGUodh20v9tVoXpGohZMa3d2QmEMJlbgHs493TSwjdEEjbXacfTPZCObqV-f-k4v1hQU/s640/DSCF0016.JPG" title="" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yup, I knitted this too--for Franklin for Christmas 2016 (still fit him this year too)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That one took me a while! But I started early in the year to make sure it'd be finished in time. The stripey one was just a couple weeks in the making.Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-26910419066614689302017-11-30T20:29:00.000+00:002017-11-30T20:29:55.095+00:00The story of Teddy<head>
The life and death of my son, born with osteogenesis imperfecta.
</head>
My son Teddy, properly named Theodore Cassidy, was born on the 9th of June, 2017. He died peacefully in his father's arms in the early hours of the 10th of June.<br />
<br />
<b>Pregnancy </b><br />
<br />
Teddy was diagnosed with the most severe type of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) when I was about 26 weeks pregnant, and we were told that he would have no real chance of survival after birth. A difficult pregnancy became even harder after learning this. I was given the option to terminate; the law allows for termination at any stage of a pregnancy where there is severe mental or physical disability. To be honest, deciding to carry on was a difficult decision, especially when I saw my baby's many broken and part-healed bones on the scans. Knowing he would die anyway, and thinking he might be in agony made a very good case for termination.<br />
<br />
After several weeks of consideration, I decided to carry on for my own peace of mind; I felt I would regret making the decision to end his life, and I didn't want that guilt. I also wanted to meet him and hold him while he was alive. I still wanted him and loved him, even if he was going to die.<br />
<br />
I, the medical team, and Partner all made a very detailed birth plan to accord with my own wishes and to cope with every possible outcome. We signed what was basically a DNR for Teddy, and we asked that no invasive procedures be performed; we knew that it would not save him and would only cause more broken bones and pain. We only asked that Teddy be given pain relief upon birth, and that he not be handled or touched by anyone but his dad and me. Although we asked if a C section would be an easier birth for him, we were told that he would have to be roughly handled in order to get him out--it would likely be just as traumatic for him as natural birth--as well as a harder recovery for me.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zyRQG6OmxpFa7Xo9u2IL7GIcb64OBiO9ws3quDPPLY-4B1xO4RECEAksJlV12fKcpBJOaLYqHXfBoNZTL4p7TwB4EOKpu9ERN2nTtGo_CeNRgwY2rhUOe8EZeSGOpMyfYyIW/s1600/DSCF0056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pregnant woman standing in a garden" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zyRQG6OmxpFa7Xo9u2IL7GIcb64OBiO9ws3quDPPLY-4B1xO4RECEAksJlV12fKcpBJOaLYqHXfBoNZTL4p7TwB4EOKpu9ERN2nTtGo_CeNRgwY2rhUOe8EZeSGOpMyfYyIW/s400/DSCF0056.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Birth</b><br />
<br />
I requested the birth pool at the hospital to make Teddy's entry into the world as gentle as possible. I opted to have pethidine during labor, as it would pass through the placenta, giving him pain relief as well. My labor was fairly easy and Teddy was born at 11.59 PM, with Partner and one midwife in attendance. He weighed just 3 pounds and was 13 inches long. The only outward clues to his condition were his small size, and his arms and legs were shorter than normal, though not by much: he looked like a little baby doll.<br />
<br />
I held and cuddled Teddy in the pool; he was calm and not distressed at all. He only blinked a little and snuggled up to me; he didn't cry. To me, he was perfect and I loved him with all my heart. Partner took him once I got out of the pool, and held him skin to skin, covered in a warm towel; Teddy passed away quietly not long after. He lived for just about 15 minutes, though his official time of death was one hour and 36 minutes after birth.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As we had planned earlier, the hospital provided us with a cooled mattress pad called a cuddle cot, so that we could keep Teddy with us the rest of the night, and hold him if we wished. Because he was kept cool, holding him was like holding a sleeping baby: soft and relaxed. I washed him and dressed him in a tiny onesie I'd bought, and a knitted matinee jacket and hat I'd made; I wrapped him in a lacy shawl I'd knitted. In the cuddle cot, I covered him with the patchwork quilt my mother had made when I was a baby, and which I'd covered Franklin in too.
</div>
<table><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJgm0XpvtfK9Az45MbKcKVFAf7QVsKB7_aXlCC5_LwHBgDwb9gez1MvUiQbIYUrSDUR7l7ldDg912m5WpTkS3NP3jWK41BLmCQl_qRUvcgKyBzQwd3_xpmA15mOPZd6MhNoFw/s1600/DSCF0002.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Close up of a knitted matinee jacket" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJgm0XpvtfK9Az45MbKcKVFAf7QVsKB7_aXlCC5_LwHBgDwb9gez1MvUiQbIYUrSDUR7l7ldDg912m5WpTkS3NP3jWK41BLmCQl_qRUvcgKyBzQwd3_xpmA15mOPZd6MhNoFw/s200/DSCF0002.JPG" title="" width="200" /></a></div>
</td><td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMUc3J9_QYjqSRHMtjzDaX2jCA4i-ufa-Xxqx_ie2n-eI_xiUMDacr4OdPg63-LoGwCheP1orRt7i3kSWo4vqUBVjMMcpuFegbawXx6pNHqGdAuk3gAxsXXDZFJzG7c1f79vO/s1600/DSCF0005.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Two stripey knitted hats" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMUc3J9_QYjqSRHMtjzDaX2jCA4i-ufa-Xxqx_ie2n-eI_xiUMDacr4OdPg63-LoGwCheP1orRt7i3kSWo4vqUBVjMMcpuFegbawXx6pNHqGdAuk3gAxsXXDZFJzG7c1f79vO/s200/DSCF0005.JPG" title="" width="200" /></a></div>
</td><td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmuekHTF54Vx5hN6oXVSiax29zDH1iwTOKuST6ovy9lv-fElqJ2bC_c6LBf7RRAdkux0zkkwFc-8tdmJvW8uGG0Qg0qUNHoH8CE_fiV2z8_GShlWBsSNcN47Bk3AwGfynMASu/s1600/DSCF0010.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Detail of a knitted lace shawl" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmuekHTF54Vx5hN6oXVSiax29zDH1iwTOKuST6ovy9lv-fElqJ2bC_c6LBf7RRAdkux0zkkwFc-8tdmJvW8uGG0Qg0qUNHoH8CE_fiV2z8_GShlWBsSNcN47Bk3AwGfynMASu/s200/DSCF0010.JPG" title="" width="150" /></a></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The next day, along with Franklin, we went to Martin House hospice to stay for a week with Teddy, using their cuddle cot. We were able keep him with us the whole time while we arranged for his burial; we even took him for short walks around the hospice grounds several times. Being at the hospice meant that we didn't have to worry about the small things like meals and chores or dodging friends and neighbors; we were able to spend time as a family, loving Teddy for the little time we had with him.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<b>Burial </b><br />
<br />
On the day we buried him, we drove him from the hospice back home, to show him our house and garden and chickens. After I picked some rose petals to scatter on his grave, we drove on to the burial site.<br />
<br />
We buried Teddy one week after he was born, in a wicker basket woven specially for him by a local basketmaker. He was buried simply and privately, with just his parents and brother in attendance, in a natural cemetary where the forest and meadow meet. He was buried with things we made for him: the clothing and shawl I'd made, a necklace with his name made by his dad, and a little wooden airplane Franklin made. We laid bouquets of wildflowers picked at the hospice. My beautiful baby looked as though he was only sleeping; Franklin read him a bedtime story before we lowered his basket and buried him ourselves. We scattered the rose petals and a handful of wildflower seeds on his grave.<br />
<br />
<b>Memories</b><br />
<br />
Now that the grief is not so raw, I can safely say that every memory I have of Teddy is a happy one. I had a positive birth experience with him; because we had met with hospital staff beforehand and written a very specific plan, my wishes were followed throughout. My memories of the week we spent with him at the hospice are also happy, even though it was an intensely sad time. The hospice was a cheerful place, set up for whole families including siblings (Franklin loved it there). I'm so happy we had him with us for the entire week--I was able to kiss and cuddle him whenever I wished, right up to his burial. <br />
<br />
We have visited his grave every week since we buried him in June, to lay flowers and to walk the meadow and meditate; Franklin brings a little story to read at Teddy's grave. We will always love our sweet baby boy and we're glad we had him, even though it was only for a short time; I don't regret any of the choices we made. He will always be a beloved son and brother; we will never forget him.<br />
<br />
If I were to give advice to my past self it would be: make happy memories, starting right away. Before birth, talk out loud to your baby, read to your baby--love and be proud of your baby. You will have memories no matter what, and how much better to have happy memories than only sad ones.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWzHZeDpA8HUA5-dXb885AjEcVEt8RXonPqJZCS53Xw-tI5pGcUIyoHOzLbTjeWX6U4D86PS_5Ia29lIL8sJP5vN0YOdB_poeTqKCWPeZ9tu5hgMVnRBKiQ3wnhVgz_Rb3Iz0F/s1600/2017_06_11_Galadriel_Fredon_Teddy_Hill_0010072.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img alt="A family portrait with parents, a young boy and a newborn baby" border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWzHZeDpA8HUA5-dXb885AjEcVEt8RXonPqJZCS53Xw-tI5pGcUIyoHOzLbTjeWX6U4D86PS_5Ia29lIL8sJP5vN0YOdB_poeTqKCWPeZ9tu5hgMVnRBKiQ3wnhVgz_Rb3Iz0F/s400/2017_06_11_Galadriel_Fredon_Teddy_Hill_0010072.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-36480723290702091302017-09-25T21:07:00.001+00:002017-09-25T21:07:34.243+00:00Decorating the living room<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZBvtpvhxEqn0XNSTPw9x2PFQWB3rw6ebBN1rSFV8HKFa9ZGVYhK1cAjA418oxPNuCO-zU1KNGVdGn3APySfKEhLiqXynCBnTlj-WrNms9uTsv_VO9oYmrNVGrl0fUdbuSUDXT/s1600/DSCF0037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Many family photos, both on a wall and a table" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZBvtpvhxEqn0XNSTPw9x2PFQWB3rw6ebBN1rSFV8HKFa9ZGVYhK1cAjA418oxPNuCO-zU1KNGVdGn3APySfKEhLiqXynCBnTlj-WrNms9uTsv_VO9oYmrNVGrl0fUdbuSUDXT/s400/DSCF0037.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo corner</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This year we've been repainting and reorganizing some of the rooms in our house. We have a small semi-detached house (which means we share a wall with the house next door). There is a living room and kitchen/dining room downstairs, with three bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. That's it--unless you count the very small entryway and understairs cupboard. <br />
<br />
In January, Partner installed new laminate floorboards over the old exposed wooden floor in the living room, making it both warmer and brighter in there. We repainted later in the spring, covering up Franklin's old crayon marks; it's now a pretty powder blue (a few shades lighter than the previous sky blue walls).<br />
<br />
We also repositioned the pictures on the walls, and got some more of our photos out of the albums to display; I've been searching the charity shops for new photo frames and have found some good deals! As a result, we've got a lovely corner with many photos of our family. I actually have more photos to frame and hang--the corner's not finished yet. <br />
<br />
I'm on the lookout for a nice wooden dresser or sideboard to replace the rickety old bookshelf and tv cabinet which share another alcove--a secondhand (i.e. cheap) one from a charity shop would be perfect. And maybe another rug for under the piano, complementing the seagrass one under the sofa.<br />
<br />
I'm not really good at decorating, or house stuff in general--I'm more interested in gardening! But I know what I like and that's good enough.Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-68368229959176112632017-09-04T23:06:00.001+00:002017-09-04T23:06:08.820+00:00Enjoying the last of summer<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixOdlF4BSljdSN-Uk3dkolL3qZ19qMN7eR_nc56nrVxu4ffMB3B2RlnWXMZhfXjKxFxapCS6ZZUYC-xwl3RHluPwlsfPk7mgr1izPz1ljvZRCfhPQYhCdeJLdPjHZrpjFK3OS2/s1600/DSCF0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Close up of a daylily and multiple nicotiana flowers in the sunlight" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixOdlF4BSljdSN-Uk3dkolL3qZ19qMN7eR_nc56nrVxu4ffMB3B2RlnWXMZhfXjKxFxapCS6ZZUYC-xwl3RHluPwlsfPk7mgr1izPz1ljvZRCfhPQYhCdeJLdPjHZrpjFK3OS2/s400/DSCF0033.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daylily and nicotiana, next to the pond</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Well, it's back to school this week. Franklin drew a smiley face on the calendar (he crossed out the smiley face I put on the Last Day, too). He's excited about starting Year Three, and for me it's a little bittersweet. He's really growing up fast.<br />
<br />
My parents have been and gone; we ended up not really going anywhere with them, as our car is just too small for five people, especially when four are adults. On the few journeys we took I was claustrophobic in the back seat, but had the dubious honor of being the second smallest adult, at 5'8". In Partner's family, I'm the second tallest adult--the only one taller is Partner himself.<br />
<br />
It was a nice visit however, and they helped us do some jobs, namely installing a new fence in the front garden (facing the street), and stripping the wallpaper off the master bedroom. We've now repainted: a light blue-gray with white trim, and have installed new wardrobes. Just need curtains to complete the new look. The old color was "magnolia", which is apparently the most popular color of paint in Britain; it's a kind of pale peach, or pinky-yellow. Every room in this house has been decorated at least once (some more) since I've lived here, except this bedroom. Well, we're finally doing it.<br />
<br />
My garden is growing really well this year, and at this point we're eating lots of vegetables from it. Luckily there's been minimal slug damage this year, probably because it's been so dry and warm. It feels like there's a touch of autumn in the air, though, so I'm getting outside as much as possible before it gets cold again. Mainly I like to sit and watch the fish in the pond or the chickens. Or sit on my gardening cushion pretending to weed (but actually just hanging out with the vegetables, you know).Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-86224056329462308242017-07-19T18:48:00.002+00:002017-07-19T18:48:32.810+00:00Summer days<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgac4TIsuPkn0OH-t9z87hhDEoIkzn1SMWo8AmOnplCmYsvKUoqgqo0qZXsPd41QOFKUa4SG2fcAvkjo536jMkcVWPrpTY83G1XNVOtuYxv6_JZSRDUxTo51jui-cThKufpk-c-/s1600/DSCF0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo of a rosebush with two yellow roses blooming" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgac4TIsuPkn0OH-t9z87hhDEoIkzn1SMWo8AmOnplCmYsvKUoqgqo0qZXsPd41QOFKUa4SG2fcAvkjo536jMkcVWPrpTY83G1XNVOtuYxv6_JZSRDUxTo51jui-cThKufpk-c-/s400/DSCF0011.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow rose, lovely this year</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's been an unusually warm and dry spring and summer this year. I've got quite a tan, and even some highlights in my hair--all natural, of course. My garden is doing well, but needs regular watering: not a common occurance on this rainy island. <br />
<br />
We've been to the seaside a few times, taking advantage of the warm weather. We're about an hour and a half drive from our favorite beach and last time we went, we all went swimming: or doggy paddling, at least. The water was certainly warm enough; Franklin practiced keeping his mouth shut while jumping waves (normally he never shuts his mouth--we can't get a word in edgewise!) and I got wet all the way up to my neck. I dared Partner to do so too, and he rose to the challenge (eventually).<br />
<br />
On the downside, it's hayfever season too. I've been pretty miserable for a few days, without regular rain to wash away the pollen. Normally I'm hoping the rain will stop--but now I want a nice refreshing shower every day. Instead, I've had to take drastic measures: a shower every night before bed to wash pollen off me, newly washed clothing every day (normally I'll wear clothes for about a week before washing, unless they're noticeably dirty), and splashing my face and arms with cold water several times a day. I'm sick of it. Let it rain!<br />
<br />
This is Franklin's last week before school's out. I wrote "Last Day" on the calendar with a smiley face next to it; when he saw it, he told me I should have made a sad face instead. He'll be sorry to leave his teacher and said he likes school because he's learning things to be a grown up man. <br />
<br />
We don't have any particular plans for when school's out (I have the full six weeks off work, too), though his grandparents will be visiting us for about two weeks. Maybe we'll go to the beach.Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-73385955632205656062017-05-31T19:52:00.001+00:002017-05-31T19:52:33.367+00:00The joy of line drying<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KfnroyzijwUnpflAQroauO3pP6WaQZJXu8kXlUByw3OnzdZeKf_ckzcS1vK5UhAyOhsEtcRLtKSLQf_rLDYuWpRWlFEsKFKS4ihKqBMS-5tT3rQhys2EXU0nkpkegBTTNWwY/s1600/DSCF0048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo of sheets and pillowcases on a laundry line in a garden" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KfnroyzijwUnpflAQroauO3pP6WaQZJXu8kXlUByw3OnzdZeKf_ckzcS1vK5UhAyOhsEtcRLtKSLQf_rLDYuWpRWlFEsKFKS4ihKqBMS-5tT3rQhys2EXU0nkpkegBTTNWwY/s400/DSCF0048.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical sunny day in the garden</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On days like today (and for the past week and a half), drying my laundry on the line is such a pleasure. I love to go out with the basket in the morning and peg it to the line. It takes me about 8-10 minutes to get it out of the washing machine and onto the line out back--not a huge time commitment, though slower than shoving it in the dryer.<br />
<br />
But hanging it out, smelling the fresh air, listening to the birds and seeing the greenery and flowers all around is just lovely. It's a relaxing task and I truly enjoy it.<br />
<br />
Taking it off the line in the afternoon isn't always as fun, however; I have to fold it and put it away (though I leave Franklin's and Partner's clothing in piles for them to take upstairs themselves). I try to fold each piece as I take it off the line, and place it into its designated pile in the basket: all towels together, etc. I prefer to fold it right there, although if I'm in a hurry--like when it's starting to rain--I'll toss it in the basket quickly and fold (or rehang on the airing rack if still wet) indoors.<br />
<br />
On school days I'll generally put a wash on when I get up in the morning (around 8 am), but otherwise I'll put my wash on the night before; the regular wash cycle of my front loader is around 90 minutes and I prefer to sleep in an hour extra--I don't want to wait around for the wash to finish until 10.30 or later on these days. I can just get up and hang it on the line.<br />
<br />
And when I change the sheets, putting the new line-dried ones on, they smell and feel so fresh and clean--no comparison with machine dried bedding. I just love it.Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-64318603682716981252017-04-25T20:01:00.003+00:002017-04-25T20:01:22.136+00:00Our very first egg hunt, 2017<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHBLxS4_Qx-2L1jZ8350MjerVNLwlVVoxnfAz-FbXrklwgCkObdEO9-g3Utr5jahw6Tkz-wsUNFnCRHFXtbuseS9A3_1wwSfEKs3Q28x8DBIrjyVZ0SEgRD1NcD3Drtswgx-_3/s1600/DSCF0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo of green and orange eggs in a little rustic willow basket" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHBLxS4_Qx-2L1jZ8350MjerVNLwlVVoxnfAz-FbXrklwgCkObdEO9-g3Utr5jahw6Tkz-wsUNFnCRHFXtbuseS9A3_1wwSfEKs3Q28x8DBIrjyVZ0SEgRD1NcD3Drtswgx-_3/s400/DSCF0017.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our own Easter eggs--I wove the basket from my own willow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For two weeks before Easter, we saved an egg every day from our white Leghorn hen--she's the only one who lays white eggs from our flock, and as the shops around here only sell brown eggs, we're lucky to have her! We were determined to dye them and have an egg hunt in the garden, so we planned ahead.<br />
<br />
Our first attempt at dyeing failed, because of the lack of actual food coloring at any local stores (Partner went looking for it and came back with "natural colouring" which did not work whatsoever). Luckily for our second try, I had some leftover packets of Kool-aid which my mother sent me for dyeing yarn (works great on wool and animal fibers). I only had orange and green left, but that was just fine by us. Maybe I'll ask her to send me some red, blue, and yellow for next Easter.<br />
<br />
Anyway, the Kool-aid dyed the hardboiled eggs brilliantly--just add boiling water--and we invited some friends over for lunch and egg hunting a few days before Easter. They have a little girl just younger than Franklin and though it was a gray day, the two of them enjoyed both finding the eggs and hiding them for each other.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzP47ShTRAYc7B5xE9QwO5aSANddKz5FxAzAKOPfsmRRm9jC5wS-NcXJ1pEg7REiVdjk6PxRnVGgIEBLGrb7V4zVWvidC8TiKhTjvyVW1IdxuXCKavaiqTZcPAXIvPcAUVRixu/s1600/DSCF0021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo of a little boy in a garden, holding up a dyed Easter egg with a huge smile" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzP47ShTRAYc7B5xE9QwO5aSANddKz5FxAzAKOPfsmRRm9jC5wS-NcXJ1pEg7REiVdjk6PxRnVGgIEBLGrb7V4zVWvidC8TiKhTjvyVW1IdxuXCKavaiqTZcPAXIvPcAUVRixu/s640/DSCF0021.JPG" title="" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I found it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Did I mention Franklin broke his arm that week, too? His cast is under his hoodie in the picture; luckily the arm's healing nicely and he should have the cast off in another week's time. He was playing at the park with friends and fell off something that spins. He's been quite proud of his cast and the story behind it.Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-78457755746329307342017-03-10T19:54:00.002+00:002017-03-10T19:54:29.599+00:00Life in March<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQ4_m3DwY3mRN-pi4tNhO7DFm_8pjrScBHdso42YLogKb7Hf5RepAvz-UtODzoLJgzPQqI2NFY9CAvMkF_OZ4bRqoIPrbKPFEJW_5KxNnhOCnZzZPhCm1MlKl11bTsyE744SY/s1600/DSCF0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo of three chickens pecking a pile of grass clippings" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQ4_m3DwY3mRN-pi4tNhO7DFm_8pjrScBHdso42YLogKb7Hf5RepAvz-UtODzoLJgzPQqI2NFY9CAvMkF_OZ4bRqoIPrbKPFEJW_5KxNnhOCnZzZPhCm1MlKl11bTsyE744SY/s400/DSCF0016.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plucky, Tiny and Star, enjoying fresh grass clippings</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We made it through the winter without losing a single chicken. We ate Lavender the cockerel in November, clearly still in autumn. We have a couple of old ladies in the flock, but they're still happy and interested, though Plucky at about 4.5 years old is noticeably slower than the rest. However, she went through a big molt late last year and has a full set of soft new feathers, so we assume she'll be with us a bit longer.<br />
<br />
Franklin had his seventh birthday this week. He helped make his chocolate cake (we made our favorite brownie recipe, actually), and also picked out a cake from the shop to take to school. I'm not prepared to organize another birthday party for him (once was enough for me!), but the three of us are going to Manchester Legoland Discovery Centre at the weekend for his special birthday treat. Manchester is about a 60-90 minute drive from us, but it should be a fun day and luckily Partner's doing the driving.<br />
<br />
I work in a school kitchen now instead of the hotel restaurant. Most of the local schools are run by the same catering company, and over the course of the last year and a half I've worked at most of them! But I got a permanent contract at a school a few villages away starting last September. I've really enjoyed this little school and have got to know many of the children there at lunchtime. However, the company has lost some staff recently so there has been a reshuffle and I'm temporarily working at the local village school where Franklin attends. I've been told it's until more staff are recruited, but I suspect I may be there for the rest of the school year (July). It's nice to be able to walk to there, though it's a bit harder work seeing as they cater to more than twice as many kids as my old school. Still, I'm enjoying it while it lasts, and it's nice to get a wave and a smile from Franklin during lunchtime.Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-18308966566743157182017-02-05T18:49:00.000+00:002017-02-05T18:49:47.098+00:00Spring cleaningOh it's been a while! It's not that nothing's going on, though: just been living life.<br />
<br />
I hibernated for a few months this winter, from November till about mid January. I hardly went out into the garden, even. I've been busily pursuing my indoor crafts, including hand quilting another quilt (log cabin--much simpler than <a href="http://meandgaladriel.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/december-garden-and-my-applique-quilt.html" target="_blank">my last applique quilt</a>). I really want to make another rag rug, but am saving it till my quilt is finished. Maybe in spring.<br />
<br />
I've re-listened to Marie Kondo's book, and am going to restart her method. Last year I went through my clothes, books, and papers; I'm ready to move onto the next category, miscellaneous. It's the biggest category, and seemed very daunting before. I actually tackled a few sub-categories of it (such as fabric and stationery), but for the most part it's just there, huge and seemingly unconquerable. I'm ready to give it another shot, though.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPNncLIgysY9x4_ior4rxq16TgxcKDhqXVbaavnxBnn0nU9xxZqVFmon8Lk4p8ISLEVF3dFknnqx8Fi2ot6byzzZxKrfGBnjJXwK0k7aNxwx6TXmHRvvVpFcUM1u0ZrhGClKZ/s1600/DSCF0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo of a back garden, showing an untidy patio, lawn, trees at the back, and chicken coop in the far corner" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPNncLIgysY9x4_ior4rxq16TgxcKDhqXVbaavnxBnn0nU9xxZqVFmon8Lk4p8ISLEVF3dFknnqx8Fi2ot6byzzZxKrfGBnjJXwK0k7aNxwx6TXmHRvvVpFcUM1u0ZrhGClKZ/s400/DSCF0020.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from my back door, Feb 2017</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the meantime, I'm doing some deep cleaning, assisted by Franklin, age 6. Yesterday I scrubbed off about three years of his stickers from the freezer door--it's nice and white again! But there's a lot more to go; housework isn't my forte, after all.Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-67374567755072488902016-08-25T21:59:00.000+00:002016-08-25T21:59:17.298+00:00The last days before school starts<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8eKI_6CeTJoz4LUntPCptKCA9EiuYfgv_uyME1TlewBuLHzeE6IG9DdTZsYxDknm_k-94CaBS8_QSlyoqOLBD5UwIL2XMoD9xwycu837CHye7qTHUnaHeb-oSSrMRzAFsmzM/s1600/DSCF0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8eKI_6CeTJoz4LUntPCptKCA9EiuYfgv_uyME1TlewBuLHzeE6IG9DdTZsYxDknm_k-94CaBS8_QSlyoqOLBD5UwIL2XMoD9xwycu837CHye7qTHUnaHeb-oSSrMRzAFsmzM/s640/DSCF0002.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laundry basket of rutabaga, growing nicely</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With only two weeks left of our school summer break, I'm doing my best to relax before going back to work. <br />
<br />
Franklin and I have a goal to build with every single one of his legos, even the tiny ones. We started building a tower, but decided to tear it down and try something else. Over Christmas break we built a beach town with shops, vehicles, and animals like whales and fish--but we didn't manage to use every piece. We're on a mission!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCZQaW94fMnh96hQHtqN4FL2zFuGc3nj5SxTG9R6_NEeohn19Xd1kJxRA-oD0w_W_NMeGlwujKj7HFlk14_xZrQEDEkjpr2AUyBKeVtkcNdH1lm2U5jNuZ5zUgQNFUjLi5Oju/s1600/DSCF0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCZQaW94fMnh96hQHtqN4FL2zFuGc3nj5SxTG9R6_NEeohn19Xd1kJxRA-oD0w_W_NMeGlwujKj7HFlk14_xZrQEDEkjpr2AUyBKeVtkcNdH1lm2U5jNuZ5zUgQNFUjLi5Oju/s640/DSCF0007.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pond filter cleared the pond! What pretty fish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Partner's had some time off too, and will have next week off with us. Two weeks ago we all went to the beach, on a sunny day. We even went swimming in the sea! I really enjoyed paddling about; I don't think I've swum since I moved here, more than 10 years ago. I don't even have a swimsuit anymore. I swam in a black tunic and regular underwear. I say swim, but I didn't go past my waist, as I didn't want to get swept out. Still, it was deep enough to duck down and get wet all the way to my neck, and float around.<br />
<br />
I've been harvesting vegetables from my garden every day, and some of them are really producing well. We have so much chard; over the last two days I've picked 2 pounds of it! And the runner beans are finally taking off, almost a month later than last year. But I'm picking them every day, and salting some down for the winter, too. We've had one zuccini and one cucumber so far. The zuccini plant had slug damage early on and took a while to recover; it's still a bit sad. Cucumber likewise, but at least it's growing more fruits, unlike the poor zuccini. Still, we might get another couple before the season's done. And one of my friends from my knitting group gave me a sack of her zuccinis, so all is not lost.<br />
<br />
Before going back to school we hope to have a barbecue, maybe go to the beach again, and definitely pick a load of blackberries from the park. And I'd like to put my log cabin quilt together too: the top is all finished and it just needs a backing and some wadding (I have both--just need to assemble them).Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-6631357701841453912016-07-10T17:43:00.000+00:002016-07-10T17:43:24.454+00:00How we spent our anniversary<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3aNSMEJIVd6uaQox-46ruOLufJhZVSe0N5rJ25Y-YXIAVLH1N3PyRSED47bTEAGp-pqHnbp1eBP8NbNR5Eev3MtEebjMFwzA6rPaj1H45ADLum0a0HGk048dTxCbLvQKYOa9a/s1600/DSCF0005.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3aNSMEJIVd6uaQox-46ruOLufJhZVSe0N5rJ25Y-YXIAVLH1N3PyRSED47bTEAGp-pqHnbp1eBP8NbNR5Eev3MtEebjMFwzA6rPaj1H45ADLum0a0HGk048dTxCbLvQKYOa9a/s320/DSCF0005.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself and Partner with Chickens; photo by Franklin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's our wedding anniversary today. Erm...which one? More than 10, less than 15--it's been so long it's hard to remember! What did we do to celebrate? <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IOsBReXh4FH1ECe7tjnULXjxUjEU2a2z8rmQSiL1nZdooVUJ42SOKhktmewp7zEFAor-YqhCsaw22yqFwHriYyJk9d6fu6eb-j4uy9_ixKoDd4ml08i8DVF30VhT_zFXY8Gd/s1600/DSCF0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IOsBReXh4FH1ECe7tjnULXjxUjEU2a2z8rmQSiL1nZdooVUJ42SOKhktmewp7zEFAor-YqhCsaw22yqFwHriYyJk9d6fu6eb-j4uy9_ixKoDd4ml08i8DVF30VhT_zFXY8Gd/s320/DSCF0009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pond filter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Well, Partner spent a few hours redoing the pond filter--we obtained a second one from his mother--and I assisted him for about an hour. He emptied the old one, cleaned it out, and we moved and refilled it. I divided and replanted a pond sedge. Partner did the same with a pond iris.<br />
<br />
Franklin and I moved the chickens to a new patch of lawn. Partner dusted the hen house with DE (to kill chicken mites).<br />
<br />
We all went to the garden center and looked around, and bought three big bags of potting compost; I planted up an old slightly broken plastic laundry basket, and sowed some seeds in a few trays and planters. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmL9J8de6Za0PoD-w-I_giuXGpkt6V-b1sWYwuJ4CRS6oSydJQrTJJLWW6LNsGiqEoc46LngHpvvNSLjGbsh9lqis5jgTNmqHZ2oCFY-WsfHTthmg5jsZt4FSBQyTD_4f-3WH/s1600/DSCF0001.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmL9J8de6Za0PoD-w-I_giuXGpkt6V-b1sWYwuJ4CRS6oSydJQrTJJLWW6LNsGiqEoc46LngHpvvNSLjGbsh9lqis5jgTNmqHZ2oCFY-WsfHTthmg5jsZt4FSBQyTD_4f-3WH/s320/DSCF0001.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laundry basket planter: classy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We had beef stew for dinner with a big handful of garden chard (yum). I picked enough chard to freeze a third of it. I put yesterday's batch of frozen cherries into a freezer bag. <br />
<br />
I hung out the laundry on the line, and Partner and I both dashed out to save it from the rain (it stopped a minute later). Franklin and Partner played games on the Wii. I picked lots of of berberis berries for the chickens; I staked a tall snapdragon next to the patio. We ate some of the strawberry rhubarb jam I made, spread on rye crackers.<br />
<br />
It was a good day, especially since we spent it together as a family.Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-70906217998487365362016-05-26T22:35:00.003+00:002016-05-26T22:35:56.067+00:00Making, remaking, mendingI enjoy making things, particularly out of textiles. I do all sorts of textile crafts, including knitting, crochet, sewing, quilting, embroidery, and rug making.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibY7BzQmUBNLB6yGBW3h9rSgNCFZbH2MoUbJi9NgUYBja2CVV2WZfJ7kw-vZF1Y1QZvyh55POtvOwhhoTqLl2ciwIGyLnjIXiva2YdtfJnyUdZS3krRDQ0_REl-nLdNXjzYgL0/s1600/DSCF0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibY7BzQmUBNLB6yGBW3h9rSgNCFZbH2MoUbJi9NgUYBja2CVV2WZfJ7kw-vZF1Y1QZvyh55POtvOwhhoTqLl2ciwIGyLnjIXiva2YdtfJnyUdZS3krRDQ0_REl-nLdNXjzYgL0/s400/DSCF0001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">T shirt rug</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For a year or two I've collected Partner's old worn out t shirts, and this spring I finally took the plunge and made a rag rug from them. I've made one other rag rug before, by braiding long strips of rags and sewing them together. That took ages, and was really hard on my fingers. This new rug was braided/woven in as I went along, with each new round braided into the previous round. I'm not sure what the technique is called, but it went very quickly; I think I finished the rug in about a week, from cutting strips to finishing. This technique only needs short strips of rags, making it a great way to use up scraps. My rug took 8 men's L and XL shirts, and measures about 4'x3'. I would definitely make another one; it was a quick, satisfying project.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-Lr1Ncm8NhKz27tNnTajfC3U0_6YFNQB81mytY9DchG7agM18m2dNjzmMKDXIwF9FCJMrtRDZCjz1aybRzukqCv_GKJWb6htsT0Mu5_I1TMA9V9nncnwtbfAEXfHdoNy3M5h/s1600/DSCF0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-Lr1Ncm8NhKz27tNnTajfC3U0_6YFNQB81mytY9DchG7agM18m2dNjzmMKDXIwF9FCJMrtRDZCjz1aybRzukqCv_GKJWb6htsT0Mu5_I1TMA9V9nncnwtbfAEXfHdoNy3M5h/s400/DSCF0008.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Franklin's pullover</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I actually knit the above pullover for Franklin last year. It took me more than a month to complete, and I was so sick of it by the end! Though I'm very pleased with how it turned out, it was a very tedious knit: narrow yarn in dark colors. I won't be making any more dark colored knits like this any time soon. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGL9TO8xJ0uyTJGBU4Zd7FzPOYXMEOQZFBvAetFeks-aW4ZAv6dFbM4EsTs1yHXr66Zt2wi2ytv-839Agr7Y2kKsK1XJ-2H0KkOY2QNVyz0aiA1wXqmS3K9Ej3Fs0L5PdA9J3y/s1600/DSCF0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGL9TO8xJ0uyTJGBU4Zd7FzPOYXMEOQZFBvAetFeks-aW4ZAv6dFbM4EsTs1yHXr66Zt2wi2ytv-839Agr7Y2kKsK1XJ-2H0KkOY2QNVyz0aiA1wXqmS3K9Ej3Fs0L5PdA9J3y/s400/DSCF0010.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby v-neck pullover</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My mother in law gifted me some of her yarn stash and patterns, and I knit the above and below baby things using them. I made these without a recipient in mind, but enjoyed making something small and quick. I think they took me about a week apiece to finish. I still have quite a bit of leftover yarn; no doubt more baby things are in the future, if only to use it up.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanCNISrhuW8zc6J5xdJl6TraaRoV83w-k63-kRY_ZDW610zXOqKGETW8ghCb2D9yUbKsyXtwmLCYUA_OP7eStOW3e6xGjPj811j3hjUrHTpXxPCqt4-6emS_JECFT_Mc5uDtO/s1600/DSCF0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanCNISrhuW8zc6J5xdJl6TraaRoV83w-k63-kRY_ZDW610zXOqKGETW8ghCb2D9yUbKsyXtwmLCYUA_OP7eStOW3e6xGjPj811j3hjUrHTpXxPCqt4-6emS_JECFT_Mc5uDtO/s640/DSCF0012.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby v-neck cardigan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I generally have a knitting project on the go--at the moment I'm using up more of my MIL's stash to make another pullover for Franklin. He's getting bigger (six years old now) so it takes longer to finish. I prefer to finish my current project before beginning something new, but I sometimes have two different crafts at once: right now my second is a patchwork quilt. I enjoyed making my last applique quilt so much that I'm even contemplating hand quilting this one too...but I might just tie it instead and be done with it. <br />
<br />
Not only do I make textile crafts, I also mend them. Today I mended two torn seams on my favorite skirt, and patched a hole in an old pair of pajama bottoms. My pj top could do with some mending too, but maybe I'll save that for another day. I've got a pair of woolly leggings I sewed last year which I keep darning: they must have about 50 darns now! But I love them so much, it's worth my time to keep them going; and luckily I have matching wool so the darns don't really show. My other pair of leggings are full of holes, but I'm not sure it's worth it to repair them; they are storebought, made from nylon and to be honest, don't fit as well or feel as nice as the woollies. Still, I'm so cheap I might just darn them anyway rather than buy another pair. Maybe using wool thread so they feel nicer!Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-58898517436984508552016-05-10T21:46:00.000+00:002016-05-10T21:46:10.605+00:00Chick update, mid spring in the garden, and ratsOur new chicks are getting bigger and three of them are nearly completely feathered. We are down to five now (one of the bantam chicks died, and though we don't know for sure, we think it might have been a freak accident involving a boisterous large chick who is prone to step/jump on the small ones). I'm beginning to suspect that four of them are boys. I'm certain about two of them, and am tending towards it with two more. Of the last I'm unsure at this point; it's the smallest and weakest chick, however, and is only now (at seven weeks) growing some feathers. I hope it's a girl; we don't want to have to eat everybody! <br />
<br />
The three big chicks are all still very friendly and curious; one of them really enjoys sitting on our hands and getting comfy. Another--the boisterous chick--always comes barging over when we come by, and when we offer treats the strong tiny chick is the first to rush up and grab some; it can run right underneath the big chicks. The little weak chick runs away crying if we open their box, or even look at it.<br />
<br />
And now on to gardening. Last year I sowed sorrel seeds and we enjoyed a moderate harvest in the summer. A perennial, they began shooting up again last month, and I'm amazed at the growth on them. They are a bit too sour when cooked plainly, but chopped and added to a tomato sauce, make a great veg addition. It's so nice to have a vegetable from the garden at this time of year! We've had sorrel a couple times a week for a few weeks now. Franklin likes to pick and eat them fresh. <br />
<br />
It's not the first vegetable of the year though. I have harvested a couple leeks, which were sown last spring too; I still have around a dozen left, but it's about time to get them out of the bed to make room for my beans. I also have some leftover chard, cabbage (greens, not heads), and of course the rhubarb, all of which have been sampled this spring. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfyPkGGMWO0cvEiooK2ZLbYjtQfIuCupwkF2-Nwvy6KKKwEf_e6WvdCImYtv9b5gn-LTAFO9RtURYihzZvrEpOgU9WEt3BcnasFOtMx3OopF9x_hJeTHXXiAfCman8GcsIUnT/s1600/DSCF0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfyPkGGMWO0cvEiooK2ZLbYjtQfIuCupwkF2-Nwvy6KKKwEf_e6WvdCImYtv9b5gn-LTAFO9RtURYihzZvrEpOgU9WEt3BcnasFOtMx3OopF9x_hJeTHXXiAfCman8GcsIUnT/s640/DSCF0010.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patio gardening</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the midst of the spring gardening rush, I now have most of my seeds sown, and lots of seedlings planted out. I have plenty of peas on the go--2/3 of them are planted out now, with the last 1/3 ready for planting; the oldest batch is about 9 to 12 inches tall. I'm using my wooden raised bed on my patio as a seed bed temporarily, with vegetables and herbs coming up like crazy. It's just a mass of greenery at the moment. I've been moving them out (and eating some of them straight, like the arugula). In a week or two, I'll plant it with squash and cucumber, I think. <br />
<br />
My onion sets are coming along beautifully, and I have carrot seedlings popping up in my two big planters. My beet seedlings in the ground seem to be still alive (they were badly mauled last year by slugs). I bought extra seeds as a precaution. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtCCOZRPBcIkgTtksZjg_fSuKhGlbd6swhYij6-LfHmsbOOH8fu14Mzr7O2Ujx7Z-Z4t3FXk9k6wGFRgIq1_W68BxjBBYiujufFQyFiKba0n13dAxMxlMV-D5ta-AgjKetrRI/s1600/DSCF0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtCCOZRPBcIkgTtksZjg_fSuKhGlbd6swhYij6-LfHmsbOOH8fu14Mzr7O2Ujx7Z-Z4t3FXk9k6wGFRgIq1_W68BxjBBYiujufFQyFiKba0n13dAxMxlMV-D5ta-AgjKetrRI/s400/DSCF0011.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Onions growing nicely</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I also have new strawberry and asparagus plants out, both from seed. I still have a few older strawberry plants (two years old maybe?) but my original asparagus died a lingering death several years ago. I probably got about 20 spears in total from ten plants--over about five years. Hope these new seedlings are more successful...<br />
<br />
And of course, I've got flowers coming up everywhere. I've planted out about 10 different kinds of flowers grown from seed (marigolds, cosmos, nicotiania, clary, etc), and have plenty of familiar faces blooming now: tulips, iris, bluebells, honesty. My two cherry trees are covered in blossom, as is the berberis (an amazing orange), my new Asian pear, the two apples, and the red and black currants. My plum tree flowered for the first time and is forming tiny fruits; I'm very excited about it and about the little almond tree. Last year we got our first almond harvest (25 nuts) and the tree looks much more full and leafy this year. And there are two little figs forming on my tiny fig tree! <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1U7lonlARSw7_CyWsbF0bRqkoFKdKS_2sKFz5MlfzhyedU0iJDTLQzvncaq2iM6sQH8QuBriECfbTZHxd7myz_J9sNn7LYQ1gGPUxvHMJjhSD95-hxIrlxN4PtlndyfY_Z8i6/s1600/DSCF0008.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1U7lonlARSw7_CyWsbF0bRqkoFKdKS_2sKFz5MlfzhyedU0iJDTLQzvncaq2iM6sQH8QuBriECfbTZHxd7myz_J9sNn7LYQ1gGPUxvHMJjhSD95-hxIrlxN4PtlndyfY_Z8i6/s400/DSCF0008.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main veg garden with white cherry blossom and red tulips</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One unwelcome addition to my garden, however, is a family of rats. We had seen them helping themselves to chicken food, so have taken some measures to discourage them: chickens no longer have free access to food, but get three supervised meals a day (and all the grass, weeds, and bugs they can find). Kitchen scraps go into a covered compost bin and not an open pile. We have raised the hen house slightly, so a curious cat can fit under it: an eyewitness (that's me) saw a neighboring cat catch a rat next to the house. This cat has been a regular visitor, and it has made at least one other suspected--though unverified--catch. Hopefully without an easy source of food and with the help of that thoroughly excellent feline, the rats will move on.Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-12889404448585179292016-04-12T18:48:00.000+00:002016-04-12T18:48:27.670+00:00We're doing it again: chicksIt's that time of year: we bought chicks from a local breeder just over two weeks ago. We had a rocky start, with a couple fatalities, but now have six chicks in our kitchen. Like last year, we will be keeping the hens and eating the cockerels, but unlike last year, we don't know which is which just yet. <br />
<br />
We have three big chicks and three little bantams, and the big ones are growing quickly and getting some good feathers now, at nearly 3 weeks old. The bantams are much smaller, but all have grown a little since we got them. Our biggest chick is about four times bigger than the smallest! And has lovely feathers and markings, and I suspect may turn out to be a boy...But everyone is presumed female until proven otherwise, so we refer to them all as "she" and have given them girls' names. I just hope at least two are hens! Actually, Partner thinks he might know someone who wants a cockerel for breeding, so we shall see if one gets a reprieve after all. We simply can't keep cockerels because of our neighbors. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmyBflf4RDY2sey5Nl4J9IMuDeeTQbYhhXSQO4bsQ1daYaG9_Qam50qlGdY8vImIOCGbSJNidsfImJpKT1pWs0WCSTkr9Z56pm4ABzC2C0YzxJLl4sQDyX5ntEVEZxYrkreUE6/s1600/2016-03-26+19.21.54.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmyBflf4RDY2sey5Nl4J9IMuDeeTQbYhhXSQO4bsQ1daYaG9_Qam50qlGdY8vImIOCGbSJNidsfImJpKT1pWs0WCSTkr9Z56pm4ABzC2C0YzxJLl4sQDyX5ntEVEZxYrkreUE6/s400/2016-03-26+19.21.54.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">three day old chicks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Though we don't know the reason for our early fatalities, we believe the first one got chilled (it died the first night). For the others, I suspect the chick feed--it may have been too big for such small beaks, as further observation showed the little ones having real trouble picking the pieces up and swallowing. But it may have been something else entirely (Partner's not convinced it was the feed); we changed to a different feed (smaller pieces), gave them grit, and have been monitering their brooder temperature closely. We haven't had any more deaths since (knock on wood); it was certainly very distressing to lose them so early, and not even know the reason.<br />
<br />
By getting new chicks I want to ensure a regular supply of eggs--produced most reliably by young hens. I hope to make a yearly addition to our flock with new chicks, to keep our egg supply constant. Of course, there will come a time when we are at capacity; when this happens we plan on eating the oldest hens, to make space for new layers. This will also give us a source of healthy, naturally raised meat. I anticipate this happening in another three or four years. I also anticipate it will be difficult, even more difficult than killing our young cockerels. But that's life: everything dies someday, and everything becomes food for something else. <br />
<br />
I would like to note: all our adopted rescue hens will be allowed to live out their natural lifespan and will not be eaten. Though not explicitly stated, this is implicit in our agreement to adopt them from the hen charity. We currently have 7 rescue hens; they typically live around 1-3 years. <br />
<br />
But back to our new chicks! They're all very cute, very curious, and all different colors and markings; it's easy to tell them apart. We don't know what breeds any of them are, other than big and small. They don't like being picked up, but all willingly jump onto our hands if we offer them food; I was hand feeding them earlier today, and a small one jumped onto my hand and promptly fell asleep! Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-25111366883348607102016-03-20T23:50:00.000+00:002016-08-25T21:29:18.610+00:00Harvest totals<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRitniCGI2TrYgdmbVR4P6IjjmXEv7GXypYrjkTd-QNCd1F5NmPfl820j0f2RD60tyhAg47Fzg3IKGgp_4dDbMNI_EX1pkus-Nxr1m65c4nR0qBlKaHsp8K9sU2VXnFJlGrF9/s1600/DSCF0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRitniCGI2TrYgdmbVR4P6IjjmXEv7GXypYrjkTd-QNCd1F5NmPfl820j0f2RD60tyhAg47Fzg3IKGgp_4dDbMNI_EX1pkus-Nxr1m65c4nR0qBlKaHsp8K9sU2VXnFJlGrF9/s400/DSCF0016.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main veg garden (Brussels and daffodils and mulch!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I did it: I tallied up my garden totals for 2015 and the grand total is 66 pounds* of garden fruit and vegetables. This includes kale, chard, cabbage, potatoes, zuccini, pumpkin, runner beans, climbing beans, salad greens, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, and cherries. It does not include peas, herbs, almonds, strawberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, or apples--or truthfully most of the tomatoes too. I estimate there would be about 8-10 more pounds with the above included (mainly due to the apples and tomatoes).<br />
<br />
*Note: this is prepared weight; I weighed everything after trimming/peeling/chopping/etc. <br />
<br />
The most prolific producer was by far the runner beans, producing just under 16 pounds! The second best producers only came up to about 8 pounds: kale and zuccini. I actually couldn't believe I got that much kale, but according to my records, just before the caterpillar blitz, I was picking up to 13 oz a day. We didn't manage to eat a full 13 oz a day: some got frozen. Surplus runner beans were both frozen and salted. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
So far this year I have harvested one leek and some (forced) rhubarb, both weighing in at 5 oz. I never tried forcing rhubarb before--I put a big upturned black bucket on top of the plant in January and weighed it with a couple bricks so it wouldn't blow away. I left it for about six weeks and then picked the biggest stems--about a third of them. I wasn't sure if I should keep forcing it, so I left off the bucket after that harvest. We had the stems in a stir fry and they were beautifully tender and not too sour. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pFSPemn0K_fSqY3tnMmB1MZ8d9VNluB0prMZTpm4_Sfx0m-nzKdIYYlH5N1h8ZUWp9S41Ssde0yLs2EiYgerWMe28jj7ghnrDX8eWM3ffiCRSCpUhMFp2Wrw9_wuI22y89z7/s1600/DSCF0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pFSPemn0K_fSqY3tnMmB1MZ8d9VNluB0prMZTpm4_Sfx0m-nzKdIYYlH5N1h8ZUWp9S41Ssde0yLs2EiYgerWMe28jj7ghnrDX8eWM3ffiCRSCpUhMFp2Wrw9_wuI22y89z7/s400/DSCF0004.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot bed on my patio</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I've started sowing seeds in earnest now, both vegetables and flowers, and some are popping up. I have a new raised bed/giant planter made of wood next to my house. It used to be our sofa! Then it became Franklin's bed frame; now it's loaded with chicken manure and compost and has seedlings emerging rapidly. The idea is the chicken manure heats it up from underneath, and the glass shower door (remember it? it's still here) holds the heat in, encouraging early growth. I put lots of seeds in it, but typically did not label the rows... No matter; I'm pretty good at recognizing seedlings, and I'll transplant to the main garden when large enough, and hopefully grow pumpkins and/or cucumbers in the bed later in the year. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxHd9Zpc0wJ3u99Eaj2a4BIbV3PFG7B_YCp14YbavvUEYOfoHznZXdUgNHefJ1WKNCa6Ob-G5UOph8PvcG22WrL4vQqH018tUC7GI2fovYjDONjkb18uwXMLHNJZ_AwNbuaqN/s1600/DSCF0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxHd9Zpc0wJ3u99Eaj2a4BIbV3PFG7B_YCp14YbavvUEYOfoHznZXdUgNHefJ1WKNCa6Ob-G5UOph8PvcG22WrL4vQqH018tUC7GI2fovYjDONjkb18uwXMLHNJZ_AwNbuaqN/s640/DSCF0009.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ninja kick! I made this costume out of bits and pieces, including the applique dragon badge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Will this be the year I finally achieve my goal of producing all our vegetable needs for the whole year? Watch this space!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(When I took my camera out to the garden I couldn't find much of interest. But in the interests of <a href="http://meandgaladriel.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/sheet-mulch-growing-chicks-composting.html" target="_blank">Not Pretty</a> I figured some realistic photos would do.)</span>Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-46991469852082162252016-02-29T18:59:00.000+00:002016-02-29T18:59:43.222+00:002015 food garden review: discussion and conclusionsMy 2015 garden review: I'm completely unabashed about my lack of photos. I know it's more fun with photos, but we're just going to go with it.<br />
<br />
This winter has been pretty mild so far. We've had a few more frosts than last winter (which had a few more than the winter before). I like some good hard frosts to help kill off excess slugs. Two summers ago we had a plague of them. Last summer we had an infestation. Hopfully this coming summer we'll be back to normal proportions. I can handle slug bites in my vegetables; it's repeated vegetable fatalities which are hard to accept. Last summer they demolished all my attempts at root crops and cabbages. It was dreadful, but at least it was better than 2014, when they killed everything I put in the ground. I'm not even exaggerating. Only a few things in my planters and two (small) raised beds managed to survive.<br />
<br />
I decided it's no longer worthwhile to direct seed into the ground--because of slug pressure. Mainly I have direct seeded root and salad crops in the past (up until several years ago this was fairly successful for me). This year I will be transplanting lettuce, beets and celeriac, sown indoors in trays, and direct seeding carrots into planters. I've grown carrots in planters before, mainly to avoid carrot fly. Though not as big, any carrots are better than none. My two other root crops are onions and garlic; I planted garlic in November, and it's happily growing away, and I will soon be planting out onion sets.<br />
<br />
My pumpkins really benefited from the heavy application of fresh and semi composted chicken manure, producing loads of growth. However, having them in the ground saw them produce mainly vines at the expense of fruit. I harvested one medium pumpkin, and plenty of immature ones (picked off to encourage older ones to grow big, and eaten as zuccini). My one zuccini plant (the slugs killed the others) also had liberal amounts of chicken manure, but was more generous with fruit; I estimate I picked about a dozen altogether.<br />
<br />
Runner beans were planted near the pumpkins and zuccini, with a similarly generous harvest (while attempting to remove their supports yesterday, I discovered that their roots--little tubers--are still alive under the soil. Maybe they'll grow again this spring?). We had enough to eat fresh, and also freeze and salt.<br />
<br />
Of my four or five volunteer potatoes, we had a great harvest! I hadn't expected to get any potatoes, not having planted them in 2015, but we ate them fresh for about two months: they were good sized ones, good flavor, and almost no potato scab (an issue in the past).<br />
<br />
Kale and Brussels sprouts were hard hit by caterpillars in late summer, and did not recover well before it turned cold. I got a few good harvests of kale, both fresh and for the freezer beforehand, but the sprouts weren't ready at that time, and we only got one meal off six plants this winter. The chickens were allowed to self-harvest the remains after we'd had ours for Christmas dinner, though the plants themselves are still alive and trying to produce a few more sprouts. I may let them go to seed.<br />
<br />
Mostly unaffected by pests were chard, tomatoes, and peas. Chard was big and beautiful, and some is still growing now; we had it both fresh and frozen. I picked my last ripe tomato on Christmas day; it was growing in my uncovered raised bed next to my house. There were still a few more orange ones after that, but the slugs found them before I did. Tomatoes gave only a modest harvest: enough for eating fresh, but not enough to preserve; though a few seeds were saved, too. I think the peas survived better than many others because they were planted quite early before pests were very active. We mainly ate them fresh, but I also saved about 100 seeds (and the first 35 have already been sown). <br />
<br />
Leeks have been very slow growing, and still not very big! I harvested the first one (sown from seed last spring) earlier this month. At least they were not troubled by much.<br />
<br />
The chickens have remained a reliable source of food all year; of our chicks, raised last spring, we ate the six cockerels; they were about two-three months old when they began crowing. We killed them over a period of about a month: the last three we did all on the same day, which was both easier and harder than doing them one at a time. Two went into the freezer. We used nearly every part of all them, including most of the innards (other than the gallbladder and digestive system). The bits we didn't use went into our compost bin (head, feet, and the remains of the bones after making stock). The pullets began laying regularly since late summer, and continued all through winter. One was even laying double yolkers. We currently have eleven chickens, seven of which are rescued hens.<br />
<br />
Of fruit, my gallon of morello (sour) cherries in the freezer made a sumptuous cherry pie, following a recipe from the <i>Joy of Cooking</i>. We had about two dozen gorgeous red Sparta apples, and a few gold/orange Laxton Fortune apples. There were five Kordia (sweet) cherries, and 25 almonds which went into our Christmas stollen bread. And two amazing figs, even if some other small creature had the first bite off them (the tree is just over knee height). I told Partner it was probably a bird, but between you and me it was more likely a rodent...don't worry though, I washed them really well. We had a few handfuls of both strawberries and blackcurrants, nearly all of which disappeared down Franklin's throat (he also got most of the peas!).<br />
<br />
I recorded nearly all of my vegetable harvest last year by weight, though some things were missed off, including things like tomatoes and peas which we just picked and ate. I didn't record fruit harvest either, other than the morello cherries. Right now, that data is stuck to the side of my fridge on several sheets of notebook paper. Time to organize and tally it up, I think.Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-28216895130090046272015-12-05T14:14:00.000+00:002015-12-05T14:14:29.447+00:00December garden (and my applique quilt!)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwO6YmisDiXpKBPZh9JTzinrzqWVDeAc_kXoO_mtpWZXyUk_S9cG1f4j8Ae9EmXTG0fY7SG-roIZut5Eyb7GkkpdgarmHpkUuED4hxSKDYYAZgM5-sfPV21_pdMXLHZc6qHf_-/s1600/DSCF0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwO6YmisDiXpKBPZh9JTzinrzqWVDeAc_kXoO_mtpWZXyUk_S9cG1f4j8Ae9EmXTG0fY7SG-roIZut5Eyb7GkkpdgarmHpkUuED4hxSKDYYAZgM5-sfPV21_pdMXLHZc6qHf_-/s400/DSCF0006.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomatoes, in December!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In my December garden, there has been one frost, which killed off the pumpkin vines, the nasturtiums, and the one tomato growing in the ground. My remaining tomatoes, in planters next to the house, continue to ripe, one by one. I even picked a red one today! <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQRSp1vj84pdS0kUUqvY3dAhC8ZIg4hXH6zl5iHrzDW5Cxo6d7FcSKgDXYkxLuSO0UvwCBlKiS0zBonYMZeVVByvQBbNwR96cfmR2W32wgKWjYQdUiNxkmmrWPfeVXP2J2wVYh/s1600/DSCF0011.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQRSp1vj84pdS0kUUqvY3dAhC8ZIg4hXH6zl5iHrzDW5Cxo6d7FcSKgDXYkxLuSO0UvwCBlKiS0zBonYMZeVVByvQBbNwR96cfmR2W32wgKWjYQdUiNxkmmrWPfeVXP2J2wVYh/s400/DSCF0011.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's tomato harvest</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I can't remember the variety, but they are some kind of salad tomato. Throughout the summer I watered them with diluted urine about 2-3 times a week, and then just normal watering the rest of the time (using collected rainwater when possible). I stopped all watering at the end of August. I also began gradually picking the leaves off at the same time, to encourage the fruit to ripen. Finally I got my first tomatoes in September: only enough to eat fresh, which we proceeded to do. Since then, I have picked about 5-6 tomatoes per week on average, even up until now (December). I try to pick when they are just turning orange, and then ripen in the fruit bowl (generally overnight), as the slugs will munch them if fully ripe on the vine. Most of the fruit has been significantly bigger than the one shown above, thankfully!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLalH32zJZc9nuBlkijW56JacHrXMcfSuQdd04W5sYoRV8Hhn7HED-lukiccH_UtNZm_D5wo5G-Rx7Tel-wIPMz9xHcGzLg31M28avrBhxAsQpgaTQMdwiozYzyI0GsAsPwgT/s1600/DSCF0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLalH32zJZc9nuBlkijW56JacHrXMcfSuQdd04W5sYoRV8Hhn7HED-lukiccH_UtNZm_D5wo5G-Rx7Tel-wIPMz9xHcGzLg31M28avrBhxAsQpgaTQMdwiozYzyI0GsAsPwgT/s400/DSCF0001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main veg patch: the green bits are Brussels and kale</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Compare this photo above with <a href="http://meandgaladriel.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/in-my-spare-time.html" target="_blank">the one from my last post</a>; the runner beans on the fence are still gently ripening a few more seeds, once they have done so, I'll let the dead vines fall to the ground for in-place composting. I've already mulched a bit for winter with some moldy straw, and you can see the Brussels sprouts have made a little bit of a comeback from the caterpillar devastation; in the previous photo they were nothing but bare stems and stalks. They actually have leaves--and sprouts! now, which we'll be eating at Christmas. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDy-5_RyBMkVxUIbGO8InM42bvWj2XPWrO7zh0EuUHFswEekrmeL9C3EhNOsSWDd8NcDnnnaS8qvUrUsVvoSKbCv-hPyV_LWZplTHv_FRI19B40xYALteSwbcmduhmYhkrBRb/s1600/DSCF0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDy-5_RyBMkVxUIbGO8InM42bvWj2XPWrO7zh0EuUHFswEekrmeL9C3EhNOsSWDd8NcDnnnaS8qvUrUsVvoSKbCv-hPyV_LWZplTHv_FRI19B40xYALteSwbcmduhmYhkrBRb/s320/DSCF0010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My pride and joy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After all the amazing growth and vigor of my pumpkin vines, I only got one mature pumpkin. Last year I had two spindly vines which managed to produce me one each. Ah well. This one is bigger than either of them, though admittedly not by much! The vines actually produced lots of pumpkins, and I kept picking off the small new ones, to encourage the older ones to grow bigger (not a very successful tactic for me, as it turned out); we ate the small ones as baby summer squash. At one point I had about five biggish pumpkins growing, but one by one they turned moldy and fell off. I don't know why.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUl3CAdVV8JCRn0bWREfCEEHXFhcawd1x5t2gjyJwA-wZ584X3Eh_K_eLCQDxVzVFPnxl2biYfiJWmma15BaJAbyq6uCWNax6Ge_HhbA-c76kT39M1fjMFeURUPJrTMxWd09ZI/s1600/DSCF0003.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUl3CAdVV8JCRn0bWREfCEEHXFhcawd1x5t2gjyJwA-wZ584X3Eh_K_eLCQDxVzVFPnxl2biYfiJWmma15BaJAbyq6uCWNax6Ge_HhbA-c76kT39M1fjMFeURUPJrTMxWd09ZI/s400/DSCF0003.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garden cabbage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Last year I grew my pumpkins in planters next to the house; this year I planted them in the ground. I think, comparatively speaking, growing in planters was better for me; they took up less space, and I got more mature pumpkins. I think being in the ground meant they had unlimited access to water and food (it rained a lot, and I'd enriched the soil with plenty of chicken manure), so the vines put out rampant growth at the expense of fruit. When in the planters, water and food was limited, so the plants put all their effort into making fruit. That's my theory, anyway. I don't have a lot of garden space, and to have so much vine growth without any pumpkins was just a waste of growing space.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9QMBul7j92TV97Hal1sYRdYbcSiCxtszEMn41KR2ukO2ZJF6kiHaZrL0rmNKpZlF-LDP9McXVlwqNo4Ce4lX2UK36DdQ3LcZPJ6ntLf2GVg7vMtV7dey6HCow5Jymbm7-Bp0/s1600/DSCF0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9QMBul7j92TV97Hal1sYRdYbcSiCxtszEMn41KR2ukO2ZJF6kiHaZrL0rmNKpZlF-LDP9McXVlwqNo4Ce4lX2UK36DdQ3LcZPJ6ntLf2GVg7vMtV7dey6HCow5Jymbm7-Bp0/s400/DSCF0017.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love apple quilt: finished!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now it's December, there's not much light during the day. We get a lot of rain and cloud cover, and the sun isn't up for long anyway: I think we're getting about 8 hours of daylight. It's not been particularly cold yet, though we've had a few cold days and nights, but winter crops are growing slowly, if at all, because of the lack of light. Some of the kale has recovered from its caterpillar ordeal, as have the cabbage and spring broccoli, and have strong new growth--all of which I will probably harvest in spring. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_AGALbLLmLo8tqv2Ic7JA-p5tcXLRqp9I40FWfEc7GTBrLISP2Q8k8XnuyhdcG582s1WoBywsieL5akY4EZhLH1KB1B3krZ1DxEvKesc6E__HWDJJrJCPRC-i8m11et1hGTo/s1600/DSCF0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_AGALbLLmLo8tqv2Ic7JA-p5tcXLRqp9I40FWfEc7GTBrLISP2Q8k8XnuyhdcG582s1WoBywsieL5akY4EZhLH1KB1B3krZ1DxEvKesc6E__HWDJJrJCPRC-i8m11et1hGTo/s400/DSCF0018.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hand quilting stitches, shown from the back</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So though still mild, this winter is mainly a time for reflecting on the past year, eating the preserved harvest, and making plans for the upcoming season.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLdvF-bYY-n6tpmLdXlnbL26O1ZKI6s-LgkmS64UWFEAH1aIqJW0Sf8LyYJxjuzVGho8_b3egTUknXIgDpkQFwRSgxs-FcOMB4WimcMKnhbkXiA18c9eR2kLC_iFycX8YpKzU/s1600/DSCF0013.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLdvF-bYY-n6tpmLdXlnbL26O1ZKI6s-LgkmS64UWFEAH1aIqJW0Sf8LyYJxjuzVGho8_b3egTUknXIgDpkQFwRSgxs-FcOMB4WimcMKnhbkXiA18c9eR2kLC_iFycX8YpKzU/s400/DSCF0013.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My kitchen window</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-79886736100335858362015-10-17T18:21:00.004+00:002015-10-17T18:21:56.662+00:00In my spare time<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxdQg04ZxVQngK8UhcEgQ6HdulvPjN7mzjz3az335uCW-BblSeve3u0Lp7O5YdeTP1TZn9CQbLX-OOtrn7BEZVwehPev6XURCU-KIgK1dn7hlONp3pIUd1Bj55mS09HT3AvVx/s1600/DSCF0011.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxdQg04ZxVQngK8UhcEgQ6HdulvPjN7mzjz3az335uCW-BblSeve3u0Lp7O5YdeTP1TZn9CQbLX-OOtrn7BEZVwehPev6XURCU-KIgK1dn7hlONp3pIUd1Bj55mS09HT3AvVx/s400/DSCF0011.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almonds!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Since earning my BSc early this year, I have really enjoyed having that extra time back; I used to devote up to three hours a day to studies--for the past six years! Well, technically five years, as I took a year off when Franklin was a baby. Some of my newly regained time has gone to just plain goofing off: computer games, movies, sleeping...<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGzPNxttit_9LMJhl-8cdPvTi7Qn_LV0E6t90spdTCWVoedj3PYMWOxAezgbb2-9mFa48WEBR4HbSDBnkDx63LDzCwNip2F8RdqR83e9JIHpcZ8C5DOjoxpDz7-ea6KXz2rQE/s1600/DSCF0009.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGzPNxttit_9LMJhl-8cdPvTi7Qn_LV0E6t90spdTCWVoedj3PYMWOxAezgbb2-9mFa48WEBR4HbSDBnkDx63LDzCwNip2F8RdqR83e9JIHpcZ8C5DOjoxpDz7-ea6KXz2rQE/s400/DSCF0009.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love apple appliqued quilt blocks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But really, I've got a bunch of craft projects under my belt these past several months too. Most recently I'm hand quilting a full sized applique quilt. The applique and the piecing took very little time compared to hand quilting! I find it a meditative process, however, and am enjoying it; and I can't wait for it to be on my bed. <br />
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIyzafG5DJg8na2QatlcF4lYurZeFGTZJOI4_qYxdwN_q5GpmuGnbieMzbLlX9SEwMDS2jXwxZDsCJY9PFbuZ_UiULanLJ92V7loP0JxAx0IGTU7ipW5FpFWGs0DvU6nrLcE7N/s1600/DSCF0020.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIyzafG5DJg8na2QatlcF4lYurZeFGTZJOI4_qYxdwN_q5GpmuGnbieMzbLlX9SEwMDS2jXwxZDsCJY9PFbuZ_UiULanLJ92V7loP0JxAx0IGTU7ipW5FpFWGs0DvU6nrLcE7N/s400/DSCF0020.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main vegetable patch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I also have some time to catch up on six years of housework. Slowly but surely I'm deep cleaning, decluttering, organizing. It feels like a monumental task, but by doing a bit each day, little by little it's looking nicer and nicer. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8kfmmZ4EOBGNb9upFd3PPCzgZLYda8ZVWEFKKArwklNDg3XsaMsIvVTXMmEgbaVUwjVnNm9qTWGyc8ea-nb_WkwrP4SgowaEwLm6XDGwIG7bUn76SkTJu-h2l74ciKtnBbqgn/s1600/DSCF0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8kfmmZ4EOBGNb9upFd3PPCzgZLYda8ZVWEFKKArwklNDg3XsaMsIvVTXMmEgbaVUwjVnNm9qTWGyc8ea-nb_WkwrP4SgowaEwLm6XDGwIG7bUn76SkTJu-h2l74ciKtnBbqgn/s640/DSCF0018.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My gorgeous Sparta apples</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Did I mention that I also have a new job? Not, sadly, in any way related to my new degree though. In fact, it's a bit of a demotion in terms of title and status. However, it suits me and I enjoy it: I work for the local school district, making and serving lunch. It means no more evenings or weekends, and I only work during school hours--with holidays and summers off. I had worked as a chef at the hotel for almost ten years, and was just plain tired of the evenings and weekends. It's so nice to have a day time job, even if it's kind of a menial one, even if I am over-qualified and over-experienced. And for the most part, it's good to be working with ladies again, instead of young guys who only want to talk about video games, football, and the women they wished they could sleep with.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCr5kCIp95ARn3IgoRfzhyphenhyphenrU0-7PJA89rZarEqkh3cNVkOHm6QkWTjXy3lYMWZtoDWU9Yryn2i2f1nPcaduXKXJrgCnV8HumF3zpHbW6OwRTeLJZ-wcHL6zQSPSgYL7bkb1uA/s1600/DSCF0012.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCr5kCIp95ARn3IgoRfzhyphenhyphenrU0-7PJA89rZarEqkh3cNVkOHm6QkWTjXy3lYMWZtoDWU9Yryn2i2f1nPcaduXKXJrgCnV8HumF3zpHbW6OwRTeLJZ-wcHL6zQSPSgYL7bkb1uA/s400/DSCF0012.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Someone's been eating my figs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And of course, I have more free time to work in my garden, which has flourished this year. I have a freezer full of vegetables, and although it's definitely slowed down, I still have a few harvestables left, like leafy greens, pumpkins, and runner beans. My tomatoes (in big pots on the patio) are still slowly turning red, and not only did I get my first almonds this year, I even got two figs off my tiny fig tree. So tasty too, even though someone else had a bite of them first.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoAV5s_0WxSU0FiRSCeKPP9xpqCbOqVebeqG293MZA-AC4Y7pNJlrxsk5soUR4MkbxdLEXA-vKJG91lCR__iE5e0QalRMkFSc9-dwPpbMc3PloQVi9mtnWMQdLF2Xu5iuhg0_s/s1600/DSCF0024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoAV5s_0WxSU0FiRSCeKPP9xpqCbOqVebeqG293MZA-AC4Y7pNJlrxsk5soUR4MkbxdLEXA-vKJG91lCR__iE5e0QalRMkFSc9-dwPpbMc3PloQVi9mtnWMQdLF2Xu5iuhg0_s/s400/DSCF0024.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newly adopted chicken, looking bedraggled</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I got an email from our hen charity, asking if we could please take a few more hens, as they had 500 and if they weren't rehomed that week the poor things would be made into pies (paraphrasing here). I felt so guilty, I said we'd take five. Although little and quite bare, they have integrated with our flock quickly and fairly painlessly, and are enjoying life outdoors. We now have fourteen chickens! And only our youngest, the four chicks we raised this spring, are laying regularly--we're getting about six eggs a day. Still, it's worth it, seeing them grow into happy, normal hens--their previous life in cages forgotten.Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10597828.post-60075103905405191042015-08-07T20:18:00.003+00:002015-08-07T20:18:53.603+00:00Growing surplus food, into the freezer<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYf_bTj0hzBs0QeA7N4IdNJn1qvliq9M5qFtSBb1kStV0H0qmEop_sLfjaznmRew6YE4aXArnAd3JytdIUNgsODWrt_5ZCfs5tv8_pBW2IDGL7z6H-g9rDhfv-Vm2wpqzMqNZ/s1600/DSCF0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYf_bTj0hzBs0QeA7N4IdNJn1qvliq9M5qFtSBb1kStV0H0qmEop_sLfjaznmRew6YE4aXArnAd3JytdIUNgsODWrt_5ZCfs5tv8_pBW2IDGL7z6H-g9rDhfv-Vm2wpqzMqNZ/s640/DSCF0001.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Franklin, recovering from chicken pox</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Unlike last year, this year has been great for growing vegetables here in my garden. I've even had enough surplus to begin freezing. In fact, I'm a little low on freezer space... <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1L6xfSSp_m8U7uNYTZz2WUOOTpPV3p1GjNKfQSn8U_P6kxDIujEvBfsJ6bMlpffKRODOVcjY4yUq7VlMpuuDJuZzVigUQBZdIAR_IlJQiqbZzow0vCKMrsBqE9ESj-gfD0Ki2/s1600/DSCF0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1L6xfSSp_m8U7uNYTZz2WUOOTpPV3p1GjNKfQSn8U_P6kxDIujEvBfsJ6bMlpffKRODOVcjY4yUq7VlMpuuDJuZzVigUQBZdIAR_IlJQiqbZzow0vCKMrsBqE9ESj-gfD0Ki2/s400/DSCF0003.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mallow, feverfew, clematis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first thing to go in my freezer actually came from my neighbor's garden. I gave her a couple spare tomato and zuccini seedlings earlier this summer, and then promised to water her small growing patch while she's away for six weeks. Well, it rained for a solid week, so I didn't bother visiting, and when I finally did, her zuccini had made a monster! I picked two off her plant, one weighing in at just under 2 pounds, and the other a more modest 1 pound. I started off my freezer adventures with the monster zuccini (no picture, but I'm sure you know what I'm talking about).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuupA_i0Secj1pOunyW39dJgGjf3eSvhaoAQnfh_iTk7ExpyaKOUt9p24h62pIDO3-5WWvqhO7k52e81hZZfIfWZlY1_PMIl1JscrEyraoQQAyjm0CzWfmPJ2DPie67KJ00DrK/s1600/DSCF0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuupA_i0Secj1pOunyW39dJgGjf3eSvhaoAQnfh_iTk7ExpyaKOUt9p24h62pIDO3-5WWvqhO7k52e81hZZfIfWZlY1_PMIl1JscrEyraoQQAyjm0CzWfmPJ2DPie67KJ00DrK/s400/DSCF0005.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morello cherries, netted against birds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Though before I started freezing monsters, I froze a whole gallon of morello cherries from my little tree. This tree is so cute! It's not even as tall as me, but it had so many cherries this year. Last year I froze about a third of a gallon, so it was definitely a big increase.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TdveqNXkyl_O9IIyUI02-cCbqZ6ffyLom1deDvnJ4nSWX5BDUUfWt00FPEkr1q9IYwEWgcKD-OBeS4KSOkTqgCoS8PqL2uvDWmnxxDol1R4HR4Yml3xM31pAlsGBtkNKdydA/s1600/DSCF0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TdveqNXkyl_O9IIyUI02-cCbqZ6ffyLom1deDvnJ4nSWX5BDUUfWt00FPEkr1q9IYwEWgcKD-OBeS4KSOkTqgCoS8PqL2uvDWmnxxDol1R4HR4Yml3xM31pAlsGBtkNKdydA/s400/DSCF0012.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I built this barbecue! It's meant to be wood storage underneath, not brick storage </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Next in my freezer saga are the beginnings of my runner beans. I can't remember the exact number, but I planted approximately 40 plants, up against my neighbor's 1m tall fence. I hung bamboo canes from the top of the fence with S hooks, and then threaded some cotton string from the canes down to the ground, and tied each string to a bean plant. The strings and canes are now completely hidden, and I have been picking a large handful of beans every other day, some to eat and some to freeze.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEZdRRB9wg_xxODiPPu_dxEYITjTfnCR7VzsxBBV1HW7bkAPzdcVMmJaXYxv_7RTsdyXLY1De66z5SgSPmm2ZP8bNO298d2yY8KhgsyxLTBGt2erFar2lBr7y2-Ykz3AdY6jra/s1600/DSCF0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEZdRRB9wg_xxODiPPu_dxEYITjTfnCR7VzsxBBV1HW7bkAPzdcVMmJaXYxv_7RTsdyXLY1De66z5SgSPmm2ZP8bNO298d2yY8KhgsyxLTBGt2erFar2lBr7y2-Ykz3AdY6jra/s400/DSCF0022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red geranium, yellow calendula, white feverfew, orange crocosmia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The most abundant vegetable in my garden this year is definitely kale. I've got two different kinds, Tuscan (dark and crinkly), and Sutherland (smooth and wide). I think I prefer the Sutherland, as it's less work to clean; and since the leaves are a lot wider, there is a bigger proportion of leaf to stem: easier to chop. They both taste lovely though, the Tuscan a little milder in flavor.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuGD8JuekCxvJiYTzn8pTOxrXCu9p3_gdcFkXKbVrPPjFInPWzTrcQ0F28xgW6lvR5aW7BLFEjXlcHvGZiMJcQaYsTgvsFL1jVVruqZpwywSc5THnoOBLj__TfCbIfRRWiG7oR/s1600/DSCF0041.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuGD8JuekCxvJiYTzn8pTOxrXCu9p3_gdcFkXKbVrPPjFInPWzTrcQ0F28xgW6lvR5aW7BLFEjXlcHvGZiMJcQaYsTgvsFL1jVVruqZpwywSc5THnoOBLj__TfCbIfRRWiG7oR/s400/DSCF0041.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tuscan kale and orange crocosmia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I've frozen both kinds of kale; like the other veg, I chop it up, then blanch it for about a minute, and plunge in ice water to cool (shock). For the kale, I press it into a cup measure, and gently squeeze out excess water, and turn it out onto a tray to freeze, in a little ball shape. The other veg generally gets spread out over the tray in a single layer. Once frozen, it goes into a ziploc bag.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVh4ZoLHOfNalwEMxGfLK8O-gxN2MUAzK4iaFSCvEFsb3PvODRlYElriQ7NtXBHmRSq1qO6yfEzcAaXwvu8sEiET95z_Y0Dtkh_aWQ3M3nVPdtXKms1f7aqFl_bM9Tve1JEOIF/s1600/DSCF0032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVh4ZoLHOfNalwEMxGfLK8O-gxN2MUAzK4iaFSCvEFsb3PvODRlYElriQ7NtXBHmRSq1qO6yfEzcAaXwvu8sEiET95z_Y0Dtkh_aWQ3M3nVPdtXKms1f7aqFl_bM9Tve1JEOIF/s640/DSCF0032.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet cherry tree, hydrangea, and pink poppy, near the old chicken yard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I've been meaning to freeze some chard this way too, but haven't got around to it. I've got some absolutely beautiful rainbow chard this year; I've been saving my own chard seed for years now, and it never disappoints. This year's is bigger and brighter than ever. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6Eghs9psvsTFirR3kYXdCm5rucpzbiwRngd7qs2MRjc6axzmtWBTjYMPK7iS8UBkPVbRN09F9utmvZcrssv2YtGoP7ces6nQw3Tz6fyhh4uwkxx6nISZdSiqiDYEIitvBeSY/s1600/DSCF0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6Eghs9psvsTFirR3kYXdCm5rucpzbiwRngd7qs2MRjc6axzmtWBTjYMPK7iS8UBkPVbRN09F9utmvZcrssv2YtGoP7ces6nQw3Tz6fyhh4uwkxx6nISZdSiqiDYEIitvBeSY/s400/DSCF0033.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main veg plot, viewed from the back</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So that's the extent of my freezer exploits thus far, but I anticipate even more. There's the Brussels sprouts, climbing beans, my own zuccini, leeks, and of course the already mentioned kale, chard, and runner beans. I also have some which I won't be freezing, namely potatoes, lettuce and cabbage, plus apples and almonds. Here's to a long and bountiful summer of veg!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25ud9S4fscnPWst2QcWSEuY25fAJSjYJ4KsQf8rmovt7YnBLn1oYbpbjVpXqG_vzABSAY6eRh7fH4S22Hsxf7a6lLXfnm0Jtph1lXQhDX2tnmWnlxH1maTv_ZsGUjDUa9zciF/s1600/DSCF0038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25ud9S4fscnPWst2QcWSEuY25fAJSjYJ4KsQf8rmovt7YnBLn1oYbpbjVpXqG_vzABSAY6eRh7fH4S22Hsxf7a6lLXfnm0Jtph1lXQhDX2tnmWnlxH1maTv_ZsGUjDUa9zciF/s640/DSCF0038.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blueberries!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Galadrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695865849968553113noreply@blogger.com0