Daily Routine

Whilst still cold, it has been a beautiful day with the sun shining.  It is amazing how quickly some of the plants have grown.  The potatoes have already been earthed up once and are ready to be earthed up again.

That's Mickey in the corner of the photo, our dog not a wayward sheep.  He is in dire need of grooming and a good trim but tomorrow is another day.

The spring onions are now ready to be potted on and separated a little.

The mixed lettuce have been a great success and are over flowing from their tubs.  I am thrilled with their progress.

The tomatoes too are doing well.

There are a lot of varieties that need separating and potting on along with courgettes, rocket, beetroot and a selection of herbs.

Some have done better than others.  It was always going to be a gamble with some of the seeds as they were out of date. 

We have also been working on the dividing wall in the outbuilding.  It is hard work as we are stripping pallets and using the wood.  I think it is worth the effort as it looks amazing and I feel that once it is painted or stained it will be even ore effective.  It is still a work in progress but I will let you have a sneak peek.

We seem to have settled into a daily routine of getting our house jobs done as we get up and then having a couple of hours outside once it has warmed up a little.  We still love to watch the hens as they peck and scratch their way around the garden.  Who knew they would bring us so much pleasure and of course their eggs are an added bonus.

The grass already in need of cutting...maybe tomorrow!

A joy also to see the lambs that surround us in every direction.  Their first faltering steps as they suckle their Mums to the frolicking leaps as they chase each other around.  Each moment a reprieve from listening to the latest doom and gloom. 

Then back inside and a little stitching before finally settling down for the evening and listening to the latest news.  We are now in a recession, well no surprise there.  I have such a lot to be thankful for not least a roof over my head and food on the table but above all the love of my family.  What more do I need?

Another stack of face masks made and ready for those that need one.  A neighbour dropped me some cotton round but I am now getting short of elastic.  I need to spend some time on the internet trying to locate and buy some.  Take and stay safe.

See you soon.

A Stroll In The Garden

What a busy week I have had, although I must admit I did take my time with everything.  Taking time for reflection and to take in the beauty that surrounds me.  Gerard and our lovely daughter had done an amazing job clearing up after the workmen downstairs.  Sadly my little craft empire was in a sorry state.  The men had done a great job cleaning and left no mess at all but the sheer volume of things made it very difficult for them to put everything back in the right place.  I have found the process of looking through it all very therapeutic.  The memories of when and where some of the things were bought or given to me was just the therapy I needed.  I decided it wasn't the right time to get rid of things instead taking delight in the clutter and enjoyed getting to know it all again.  Thankfully, the boiler and indeed the whole system pipework and radiators have been replaced so we no longer have the worry or the expense of its disrepair. 

We are expecting more workmen next week as we have the outer doors replaced.  It does sadden me to lose those beautiful old wooden doors, but the draughts they create are not conducive to keeping this old cottage warm.  We have now had two Winters here and despite many attempts to stop the draughts we have had no success.  Once the doors have been replaced we can then get on with replacing the floor in both the kitchen and the outer vestibule that we use as a utility room.  There is also a big gap where the boiler was situated as we have had the new one placed outside.  Shelving may provide the answer, time will tell.

Mickey has had a good grooming and looks quite handsome, sadly it doesn't last long.

We have bought some solar lights for the garden.  Although not needed at this time of year we are hoping that it will help in the Winter months to light the paths.  Let me take you on a little tour of the front garden.  The pots are starting to take on some colour and are a delight.

There is still a little morning dew on them which gives them added beauty.  We are still working on the back, although we have now quite an established herb garden.  The mint is prolific, spreading from the tyre all around.  Its strength knows no bounds, so I am going to let it spread for a little while.

The little lanterns make me smile, though some hidden weeds that I can now see in the photographs do not.  Just when you think one area is done it all starts all over again.  The never ending task of keeping the weeds and the garden under control.

Time once again is rushing by so I must finish and get ready for my aerobics class.  I do thank you for your continued support, your emails and cards despite my lack of posts please know that you are in my heart.

See you soon.

How Does Your Garden Grow

Once again I am going to have to take a blogging break.  This time I am travelling down to England later today to visit my parents.  We were due to visit them in March but our plans had to change after Gerard's heart attack.  Their health has sadly deteriorated over the last few months and Dad had a fall late last week.  Whilst there doesn't appear to be any serious injury it has unsettled me.  I am flying over to Edinburgh and then on to Norwich where I will be met by our daughter Victoria, it will be nice to have some quality time with her too.  Gerard will remain here as he is still in rehab and has hospital appointments pending.  I have been busy batch cooking lots of meals for the freezer so he won't have the bother of cooking for one.

I have taken lots of photos of the garden so that I have them for our records, along with some notes has to how they fair in this windy area.  We are quite open to the elements here, not far from the sea so wind can be quite damaging.

We have just put up a little picket fence around a small patio area which is quite sheltered.  Our intention is to move some of the pots of herbs there.

The front garden area is protected by a stone wall so the plants there are doing quite well.  Let me take you on a little tour.

I am quite pleased with the start we have made and will work on one little area at a time, enjoying the process.

I must admit to feeling a little unsettled, excited to see my parents but nervous about leaving Gerard.  Time will tell how everything will work out.  I will be back soon.

See you soon.

Summer Bounty

The weekend was quiet after such a hectic week, but we enjoyed the peace and getting the house back in order.  Our next lot of visitors arrive tomorrow, Lucy and the girls.  Then we are all driving down to Ampthill to Amie's for a barbeque on Saturday.  A day of rest Sunday and Victoria and the boys arrive Monday.  I love the crazy hectic days of Summer.  We still have not been able to book our holiday as Gerard is  on weekly blood tests and visits to the hospital fortnightly.  The right medication has been a little elusive this time round and taking longer than normal to sort.  Time will tell how things progress.

We have been enjoying the bounty from our garden once again, lettuce and spring onions are been harvested on a daily basis.  I have just pulled the last of the broad beans and intend to freeze them for a taste of Summer in the cooler months.

 

I have also picked the gooseberries off one bush and was inspired by a blog that I had read earlier to add a load of strawberries to make strawberry and gooseberry jam.  Gooseberries have a high pectin content so the jam sets rapidly.

 

 

I did pick the last of the strawberries from the garden but I have put them in the fridge for after our meal this evening.

 

 

The strawberries I used for the jam were some that I picked up yesterday on a yellow sticker for 13p a punnet from our local supermarket.  At that price it was rude not too.  I used the River Cottage cookbook recipe for the jam, it certainly reached setting point very quickly.

 

 

4 jars were made for the Winter store cupboard, a wonderful taste of Summer in a jar to evoke the amazing memories of a long hazy Summer filled with love and laughter and lots of rain but I am trying to forget about that.  The tomatoes have been a complete disaster this year, must check back and see what variety we used so not to use them again next year.  We have been lucky, a man sells his surplus from small holding so we are getting home grown, you can certainly taste the difference from those bought from the supermarket.

 

The skies on an evening too are a joy to behold, we have managed to stroll along the beach a couple of times and it has been amazing.  The gentle lapping of the sea as it rolls onto the sand is music to my hears, a stark difference to the crashing of the waves in the Winter months.

 

 

 

Summer at its finest.   What Summer memories do you want to treasure?

 

See you soon.

 

The Sweet Taste Of Summer

The weather at the moment is glorious, perfect for sitting in the garden with an iced tea chatting watching the world go by.  We have had a quiet weekend marvelling and taking full advantage of the sun just sitting in the garden.  We did go for a stroll around the garden centre and had a meal there, although it didn't really save me cooking as I needed to make soup for my Dad.  I made a rather luxurious leek and mushroom one which was very tasty.

  I also used up the last of the parsnips from the freezer and made a parsnip and sweet potato soup, adding peppers, celery and onion to give it an extra burst of flavour.

 

Not forgetting the nutmeg a must with parsnips.

 

We really have been rewarded on a daily basis for the fruits of our labour in the garden.  We are harvesting and revelling in the taste of summer.

 

 

Lettuce, onions and strawberries.  The onions are a delight and add flavour to most of our meals at the moment.

 

 

Broad beans and peas are been harvested and are a real delight.  A few peas added to our salads are a sweet surprise.

 

 

My little plot of containers are producing well and are a great reward, the beautiful sweet taste of summer.  What could be better.

 

See you soon.