I’ll tell you how it happened. Whilst I would like to say it has been down to the effect of a retrograde Mercury causing havoc in astral communications, or a Barbary ape making off with my iPad, the blame lies firmly with me, myself and I for taking a bit of time to do some thinking. A lot of thinking. The trigger for this thinking has been from working through, and completing, Part 3 of my Healer training. It has raised lots of ‘stuff’ that needed deep consideration and thought of the ‘contemplating one’s navel’ variety. Of course, other stuff has happened, to whit I shall fill you in now…
1) the first batch of baby swallows (those from the previous post on 11th June) have fledged and flown. Four in all, right mess they’ve made in the laundry - I shall have to take a stiff broom and lots of hot, soapy water to the concrete floor once Autumn arrives and the swallows are on their way to Africa…
2)…and thus they left room in the nest for Mummy and Daddy Swallow to set about producing Brood Number Two which hatched last week so will probably fledge by the middle of August and make even more mess. It’s a mucky job, running a birdie B & B.
3) The garden is looking grand! Greenhouse full of tomatoes and chilli peppers. Chilli pepper production has gone into overdrive this year. Gardeners will recognise the point when you can’t give away courgettes from your traditional courgette glut. Well, I reckon we’ll hit that sweet spot with chilli peppers, too…
4)…and yes, we have a courgette glut, too. Sigh…I know…curried courgette soup, here I come…
5) Been harvesting beetroot and kohlrabi. Gooseberries and blackcurrants.And raspberries. Oh my goodness - sooooooo many raspberries! The freezer is chock full of them. The jam is spectacular! The summer ones have finished now. This morning, Andy picked the first handful of the Autumn crop. Still to come we have carrots and parsnips, broccoli, chard, cabbage and apples. Plums and damsons will be thin on the ground because their blossoms were had by the late frosts. But hey…raspberries!! Win some, lose some.
6) I’m making more plans for the garden. Next year is going to be Year of the Flowers. And rhubarb. We shall also be in full veg production because we have been compost-making a-go-go and, fingers crossed, all eight beds will be full and ready to rock’n’roll.
7) Remember the pompom rug I made to use up all the odds and sods of wool from my wool stash? Well, I’ve started a similar project to use up all the odds and sods of fabric in my fabric stash. Random patchwork ahoy!
It’s going to be a cheerful little number. Not sure what it’s going to be, or how big it will grow. But it’s keeping me entertained, away from the cake tin AND is a good activity for thinking to. 8) The back bedroom is going to be redecorated AT LAST. It’s the only room we haven’t touched since we moved here but the new bed arrived on Thursday, the mattress is imminent, the Carpet Man is coming out on Tuesday with his tape measure and samples, and I’ve been eyeing up paint and wallpaper and coming to the conclusion that, as the room is small, it’d be best to keep everything off-white. Or maybe a very pale green. Anyway, it’s being done, a year later than planned, but done. Hurrah!
9) Mollie and May are taking turns being broody. Mollie gets broody over May’s eggs and stops laying. As soon as she has got the idea I’m not letting her sit on eggs, she starts laying again, and then May goes broody over Mollie’s eggs. Anyway, it means that more often than not I am turfing a grumpy hen out of the nest box. Magnus and Tootsie continue to be idiots. Bambino Bobble Wilson has lost weight and is looking very sleek and sexy and no longer like a massive black furry dollop of watermelon.
And that’s about it. Part 4 of my Healer Training starts in October and I’ve plenty of studying and practise to do ‘twixt now and then. Still working two days a week, sometimes three, which is fine. Reading loads. Have tuned all the house radios to Classic FM. Am avoiding the news. Bought new cropped pyjamas from M & S. I’ve called them my Goldilock pyjamas because they are neither too long, nor too short, too hot nor too cold - they are just right! They do not smell of porridge.
Life is good!
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