From my seat

I'm just watching the garden grow this beautiful, sunny afternoon. I have been out weeding, hoeing and planting the sweetcorn plants and French and runner bean seeds. More needs to be done but I'll have another go tomorrow if it's fine.

I shall go clockwise today. Straight ahead is the edible garden which is growing, some plants slowly and others a little bit faster. We are still eating the asparagus and will continue to do so until June. After that we'll let the ferns grow. I recall that someone commented that they were planting asparagus this year to eat the next but when we first planted we let it grow for four years before harvesting any in order to get it established. The cut and come again lettuce is ready to harvest and the mange-tout are about 6 inches high. Potatoes are growing along with spring onions, garlic, leeks and strawberries. The apple, pear and plum trees have a few blossoms between them! The grapevine is racing away in the greenhouse and is in need of a haircut again. I'm pinching out the side shoots on the tomatoes and some are flowering. Can you see the pointy plant to the left?

Turning right  and there is the collection of 'strange plants' some of which are flowering. The Easter cactus cutting has red flowers on it. The smiley stones are sunning themselves.

Here's more foliage.

And more.

Behind me is the back room. I like seeing the reflections in the window.

Round again to the other side and there are some more corn plants on the window sill. These were not big enough to put outside yet. Maybe next week. There are also 2 courgette plants which DH will pot on and keep inside until all danger of frost is past.

Here's the pointy plant - a Mother-in-law's tongue. It looks like it's trying to escape.

Here are some more pointy bits on my skirt. You can see me coming in this.

On my lap now is my rainbow blanket. It's really eating up the yarn and I have to pull out loads of yarn so I can 'flow freely' with my hook. Each colour way is different and reminds me of different things - the circus, winter, summer flowers, ice, rivers, trees, my friend's New Zealand pictures and ...

… babies' blankets.

Hope you've had a relaxing break this Bank Holiday.

xx

Ideal Home?

Looks good, doesn't it? Everything beautiful and beautifully put in its place. Windowsill looking gorgeous with fresh flowers and pegs in containers, lovely floral blind, tea towels artistically draped over the sink and stool, chopping boards standing to attention, casserole decorating the work surface, watering can ready to be of use and the veg in a harvest festival basket. Wonderful. Just like my home really.

Windowsill looking gorgeous with fresh flowers old flowers (near death)  

Plus a pipe cleaner (very useful!), a plastic tip from
a cat toy, 2 vases that have not been put away and
a plasticky thing that I've yet to identify but it must be
 off something. Note to self: Use that bit of broccoli
or throw it in the compost.

and pegs in containers,

Peg bag - Bread bag
Fire extinguisher - be prepared!

lovely floral blind no blind, tea towels artistically draped over the sink and stool, dumped on the worktop,

chopping boards (well used) standing to attention, 

casserole pans decorating the work surface in the cupboard because they need a good scrub,

Will I ever match up the jam jar lids to
the jam jars. Note to self: either throw out
that cardboard cone or take it upstairs to
and put it in the craft box. (Could be the
base of a Christmas tree) - on the other
hand - could be cardboard to chuck out!

watering can ready to be of use and the veg in a harvest festival basket veg in a cupboard (what there is of it). 

Note to self : only a few potatoes and onions left, put veg
on the shopping list

Wonderful. Just like my home really.

The cat loves it as well.

xx

PS Where was the dishcloth?

Life in bullet points

• Crochet - large Rainbow/useless/useful blanket still eating up my stash. It's surprising how much yarn I have stashed away. I'm now using up 4 ply and Chunky and various variegated wools which I would never have picked up to make anything. Grotty colours have been used and they sit happily married with other colours in the pattern of the blanket which looks quite stripey.

• Health - had to go to the dentist because one tooth was sensitive when I ate. Ended up with a filling which wasn't done correctly so had to go back. Still giving me gip and the sensitive tooth was still not identified. Will have to go back again. I hate dentists. :(

• Baking - made a fruit cake and ate it. Have been eating last year's rhubarb crumbles from the freezer - prior to making more with this year's rhubarb which is now growing strongly. Still baking bread 2 or 3 times a week.

• Wealth - still living frugally and gleaning great bargains from the CS so the 'wealth' that we have stays in the bank for just in case savings. I have splashed out on some more Dawgs flip flops because they are so comfortable.

• Meals - eating out of the freezer and making meals stretch. Had cottage pie tonight and will freeze 2 portions for next week. We're trying to eat less and lose a bit of weight (but not trying too hard).

• Blogs - reading regularly. Mine needed a kick up the backside so I thank Rachel Radiostar for giving me inspiration and hope she doesn't mind me pinching her bullet point idea! :)

• Life - pottering on dancing, gardening, volunteering, crocheting, studying, making music, reading and relaxing. Great really.

Thanks Rachel - hope your Bank Holiday is the best.

xx

First pick

The asparagus plants are getting old now and are refusing to grow in the shadier part of the garden.

Nevertheless the ones that are growing continue to delight the palete, having been cooked in water and butter in the frying pan.

xx

Little bits

Little bits of leftover veg went into my veggie stew along with the ends of 2 sauce bottles and some relish. There's enough for 2 more meals now. 

The little bits that are sprinkled on my muesli are kept in my small jars. There's also the little bit of sugar that was left in a packet and some rice.

I'm still using little bits of left over wool for the blanket (now re-named as the Rainbow blanket) and I'm un-doing previous crochet attempts that never came to fruition.

I knew that I'd find something little to be kept in these mini ice cream tubs which I brought home from the circus. I also keep my chopped up lemon in one in the 'fridge.

I couldn't throw away the little bits of spoon that came in an Easter egg, nor the little forks I pick up when we have fish and chips on the prom.

There are always 'bits' left on the work surface when there is a busy working kitchen. I decided to display mine before they went in the recycling bin in the evening.

I like my salad chopped into little bits which I mix altogether. DH likes it all separate.

My dressing today is mixed in a 'finished' mustard jar. The last little bit of mustard is shaken up with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and a squirt of lemon.

xx

Aladdin's Cave

Day out on DH business meant a 2 hour wait and there just so happened to be an Aladdin's Cave nearby. It was crammed with items from yesteryear. Mound and heaps of stuff.

We spent ages wandering round room after room of usual and unusual items.

Time soon passed.

Furniture, bric-a-brac, baskets, industrial, office and school furniture, lamps, bicycles - what a selection.

There was even something there for Vix!

xx

Useless?

Yes. The balls of wool were just languishing in the drawer not doing anything in particular, just there.

Unused?  Yes, I kept passing them over in favour of better colours, larger amounts, better feel.

But …

now I've been using them up in my latest blanket, I can't get enough of them. I keep hunting out more yarn to use and foraging through different cupboards and baskets in the hope of finding the odd ball. (I didn't put 'or two' because it sounded quite rude!)

I've been using them in not particular order. When one ball runs out another takes its place and it makes for a rainbow coloured blanket.

Is it turquoise?

or green?

or pink?

or red?

Is it white?

It's growing fast and is going to be very heavy because I'm using a large hook and 3 strands of wool.

So is the wool useless or unused?

No, not now.

I think I shall call it my 'Useless/useful blanket'.

"Everyone and everything has a purpose. You just have to take the time to figure out what that purpose is."

Quote - Unknown