0 comment Thursday, August 7, 2014 | admin
It's just that kind of day: incredibly overcast as all get out and too chill for me to want to venture outside for long. After a lovely Indian summer, proper fall returns and I was so very not ready for it! I made some comfort food - a very rich (possibly too rich for my digestion!) leek and potato soup with fresh local cream and cave-aged cheddar, chai tea, wholegrain bread. I have been buying my loaves rather than making them lately - I'm still very tired and trying to recuperate as much as I can, whilst still be productive and work - but I'm managing to cook slow-food to supplement some of the store-bought "sides". The garden is still sharing its bounty with me, and to my shock, the garlic I planted a week ago is trying to come up! I'm undecided; do I leave it? Do it cut it down? Since I intend on covering the bed with fleece I've opted to leave it.
Even though it's (for me) bitterly cold, I am now preparing the bed for planting again. This weekend I hope to put down the compost and cover the bed with cardboard, get another bag of soil in to topdress the houseplants (which have taken a bit of a beating due to me being in hospital and having young kittens untended!) as well as work into the bed outside. I'm thinning the chard and chicory as needed and I'll be ordering some more slug pellets from Tamar Organics and I found them very useful this year. They have some fleece offcuts which are going at a great price so I am purchasing some of that today as well. I have my mind well turned to the winter sowing and during half term I'll get sprog to help me do some "digging". I want to get some tulip bulbs planted outdoors for spring, as we're both very fond of tulips and I think a selection of purple, blue, black and white would look really unusual and stunning out there! I'll see what I can manage funds-wise in the next few weeks.
Actually, funds are proving to be easing up a load; part of the reason for this being sprog now eating school dinners (at his own insistence) and me qualifying for them being free. Add to this he is now attending the childminder three to four days out of the week and eating dinner there (and this is 80% paid for by my child credits). I'm increasing work hours for writing and art now, so tax creds are going up - more to the point I keep looking as if I'll hit my goal of getting my first material out by 10 November and into the e-book circuit, which, hopefully, will resort to a bit of cash return. My grocery bill has just been halved, essentially, and while I get bits and bobs for the pantry, the freezer is still heaving with meat, there's plenty of fruit and veg in the pantry and the cats are all well fed as well. I may end up with having more money available for other things, which is good as sprog is outgrowing his trousers for school rather quickly and I'll soon need to do a clothing shop for school uniforms and everything else.
I'm also going to be investing in a new crochet hook and working on doing some crochet work over the winter; I want to make some more arm and handwarmers, as well as a new scarf for sproggo. There's some lovely wool on sale at Folksy which I may invest in (delicious purple) and I may treat myself - it's been ages since I've done any crochet so I'll need to relearn the process (and try and keep the kittens out of it).
And of course, writing; it's all flowing very well and I get hit with inspiration constantly. I'm having to resort to "old school" - walking about with a small notebook and pen to write down when and how inspiration takes me; a discussion overheard on a train about the periodic table inspires a huge flight of fancy, and I scribble notes as a story unfolds in my head. I spent hours staring at the ceiling in the hospital and was struck at the amazing symmetry of the ceiling vents - I even took a photo of it and thought "good gods, that would make an amazing drawing". I feel I am making progress, and I'm sticking with the challenges of exercises and studies, even if they aren't always "art" or even particularly successful.
The kits need their second vaccination jabs, however I have opted to be irresponsible this week and I am treating myself and my dear friend who was absolutely a lifesaver during my stay in hospital to a spa treatment this weekend. Massage, facial, manicure, lunch out - an expensive bit of frippery but very needed and one of the best thank-yous I can manage to put together; she's been exemplary and I've been worried she's pushing her own condition to the brink in her selfless attempts to take care of mine. I think kits will be able to hold out for another couple of weeks before I subject them to jabs again.
Even though it's (for me) bitterly cold, I am now preparing the bed for planting again. This weekend I hope to put down the compost and cover the bed with cardboard, get another bag of soil in to topdress the houseplants (which have taken a bit of a beating due to me being in hospital and having young kittens untended!) as well as work into the bed outside. I'm thinning the chard and chicory as needed and I'll be ordering some more slug pellets from Tamar Organics and I found them very useful this year. They have some fleece offcuts which are going at a great price so I am purchasing some of that today as well. I have my mind well turned to the winter sowing and during half term I'll get sprog to help me do some "digging". I want to get some tulip bulbs planted outdoors for spring, as we're both very fond of tulips and I think a selection of purple, blue, black and white would look really unusual and stunning out there! I'll see what I can manage funds-wise in the next few weeks.
Actually, funds are proving to be easing up a load; part of the reason for this being sprog now eating school dinners (at his own insistence) and me qualifying for them being free. Add to this he is now attending the childminder three to four days out of the week and eating dinner there (and this is 80% paid for by my child credits). I'm increasing work hours for writing and art now, so tax creds are going up - more to the point I keep looking as if I'll hit my goal of getting my first material out by 10 November and into the e-book circuit, which, hopefully, will resort to a bit of cash return. My grocery bill has just been halved, essentially, and while I get bits and bobs for the pantry, the freezer is still heaving with meat, there's plenty of fruit and veg in the pantry and the cats are all well fed as well. I may end up with having more money available for other things, which is good as sprog is outgrowing his trousers for school rather quickly and I'll soon need to do a clothing shop for school uniforms and everything else.
I'm also going to be investing in a new crochet hook and working on doing some crochet work over the winter; I want to make some more arm and handwarmers, as well as a new scarf for sproggo. There's some lovely wool on sale at Folksy which I may invest in (delicious purple) and I may treat myself - it's been ages since I've done any crochet so I'll need to relearn the process (and try and keep the kittens out of it).
And of course, writing; it's all flowing very well and I get hit with inspiration constantly. I'm having to resort to "old school" - walking about with a small notebook and pen to write down when and how inspiration takes me; a discussion overheard on a train about the periodic table inspires a huge flight of fancy, and I scribble notes as a story unfolds in my head. I spent hours staring at the ceiling in the hospital and was struck at the amazing symmetry of the ceiling vents - I even took a photo of it and thought "good gods, that would make an amazing drawing". I feel I am making progress, and I'm sticking with the challenges of exercises and studies, even if they aren't always "art" or even particularly successful.
The kits need their second vaccination jabs, however I have opted to be irresponsible this week and I am treating myself and my dear friend who was absolutely a lifesaver during my stay in hospital to a spa treatment this weekend. Massage, facial, manicure, lunch out - an expensive bit of frippery but very needed and one of the best thank-yous I can manage to put together; she's been exemplary and I've been worried she's pushing her own condition to the brink in her selfless attempts to take care of mine. I think kits will be able to hold out for another couple of weeks before I subject them to jabs again.
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