New Beginnings

Progress

2008-05-15T07:29:00.000-07:00

I'm getting there, yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, have done most of the heavy work now at the plot just got a little bit left to dig over. I've shovelled barrows and barrows of manure, dug and dug, covered and covered with black plastic, weeded and weeded and chittered on :-) The broad beans, onions and garlic which I sowed in January are now healthy looking after giving them a good weeding, the new bed edged with logs is for strawberries, the nine mounds of manure are for summer and winter squash. I did cheat and go to the garden centre for some leeklets and sprouts coz I felt I was far too late to sow them, got them planted in, sowed some parsnips (thanks Ady) , got beetroot carrots, rainbow chard, turnip and kohl rabi sown oh and a row of peas. Just gotta plant some very late potatoes now :-)

Oh and I've got a greenhouse making its way to my plot soon. Even got the manpower to shift it for me and another lotty neighbour is gonna cut me some glass to replace the broken panes. So all in all I've got back from the plot feeling much happier, it was sooooooooooooooooooo daunting when I first went down and looked at it but now it seems alot more manageable. Granted I've covered some big areas but hopefully over winter I hope to plonk in some more raised beds and alteast with them covered I don't have to worry bout the weeds and it gives me more time to get cracking at home. Speaking of the garden at home it is becoming a hooooooooooooooooge bramble patch down one side!!!!!!!! I'm not doing much work on that area at the mo, worse case scenario is I'll have tonnes of fruit to make wine with in September. The important part of the garden is the area I look out on from the house, the rest will have to wait.

I seem to be mastering the art of mowing the lawn, have never used a lawnmower til a fortnight ago lololololol. I didn't get on very well with the strimmer though :-) I did recover the cold frame at home from the brambles though, it was not only full of brambles but surrounded by them too!!! anyway its clear now and all sparkly clean and full of calendula, cosmos, french marigolds which I'm hardening off and a cucumber. So I'm gonna pootle off outside now and do some pootling in the garden for the rest of the day :-)

take care

xx

Well you know what its like....................

2008-05-03T14:29:00.000-07:00

Once you start you can't stop, sowing seeds!!! Spent a happy few hours in the greenhouse pootling and sowing til I ran out of seed trays :-( and plant labels:-( but the good news is I've been to the plot and found seed trays and plant labels. I also finished cutting the grass today, I started it on Tuesday but it was very long in patches and hard going so and there really is jsut soooooooooooo much lawn. Anyway its done now so all I gotta do is keep on top of it so it isnt' as hard going next time. Need to attack the front tommorrow which has all of a sudden sprouted hooooooooooooge weeds everywhere. I've managed to almost kill a rosemary and lavender which are in pots by the front door, I haven't watered them all winter coz I kinda ignored the fact that they were under the porch, what a plonker I am!!!!! anyway I've now re-hydrated them and pruned all the dead off in the hope that I can rescue them, oh well I'll not forget next winter.

The piccies are of the plot, I'm trying to clear it bit by bit, even if just to show the old fellas that I'm here to stay! there were zillions of ladybirds down there tonight, and Mr Robin who spent ages sat on the pallets. There was only me there tonight, the evening when everyone else has gone home is my absolute favourite time at the plot :-)

The pic of Molly is how she sits for hours on end, she can see out of the bay window and see all the comings and goings because it is most important that she misses nothing!!!! :-)

A beautiful weekend

2008-04-27T13:27:00.001-07:00

Oh it was just lovely to feel the sun on my skin and not be shivering. Today I pootled to the garden centre to get a few plants for my new bed, anyway I seem to have a little problem, I need shrubs so I'm told, for structure, good point, cept, well I don't seem to like many shrubs. I got a buddleja coz I do like them, but then got stuck (blushing smilie). I may well predictably resort to my old faves, rosemary and lavender, but I cant' have a garden full of them can I???? Oh blimey, I was told of a Magnolia, but can't remember its name now, well anyway I liked that so may well have to got a hunting, when I remember the name (rolling eyes smilie). I also bought some phlox(think thats what they are called) and hardy geraniums, all of which I bunged in the new bed just before we had the most spectacular storm :-)

The photos are of the greenhouse, yeahhhhhhhhh I have actually sown seeds lol calendular, french marigolds, cosmos, and potted on some squash which I put in the propagator last weekend, so along witht he cukes, a pepper and some toms I bought last week which are still on the dining room windowsill I have actually got some stuff growing :-) Life does improve when growing begins!!!! Please take note of the carefully cultivated moss in the greenhouse, I know I hsould have cleaned it first but I figured what the heck, wait til a beautiful red hot day to get my bucket of water out, cleaning glass isn't a job for a cold day!!!!

The girls have spent a good amount of time outside on the trampoline too, I love to watch them play and giggle and forget about begin cool teenagers, Abbie was sat crossed legged on the trampoline while Jess bounced up and down in a vain attempt to throw Abbie up into the air and make her uncross her legs but they were well and truly superglued together!!! Little Molly didn't want to left out of the fun so was underneath trying to tickle their feet :-) The final pic is the trailing rosemary I planted up last September, I love rosemary flowers they just seem to appear from nowhere and are spectacularly perfect:-)

Toodle pip for now xx

Away with the Fairies......

2008-04-02T08:09:00.000-07:00

Thats where I've been for a few weeks!! I pootled off to London and Rome, sounds very jet set doesn't it lolol. The girls were with their dad for a week over Easter so I didn't fancy staying at home so jumped in my little brum and off I pootled. I visited D and T briefly, it was lovely to see them and the hens, I do miss my hens, I will most definately one day have hens again.

The garden in now secure, although Molly has been barking at the wire mesh which is now surrounding her escape route..........................coz if you stand there and bark pretending to be a very fierce dog then the wire mesh will just disappear and make escape and adventure possible, or atleast thats Mollys theory. She was non too impressed when her master plan didn't work and she had to just pootle around in the our garden.

Am gonna be especailly British now, but isn't the weather lovely, tommorrow it may well get up to 18 degrees, and then in an 'oh so fantasticaly British fashion' at the weekend its gonna struggle to get over 6 degrees and there will be snow lolololololol

The Dance Festival really is looming now , its starts on 14 April, oh how I luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurve Dance Festival week!!!! it only happens once a year but seems to come around oh so quickly. Its where I stand out like a sore thumb feeling quite self conscious because I'm obviously not a 'dancing mum' but Abbie hasn' tcomplained so if shes not worried then I shouldn't be either - I'll post some piccies soon.

Sorry not a great deal to report at the mo, especially seeing as I still haven't sown or dug anything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

take care
xx

Driving............

2008-03-08T07:55:00.000-08:00

Driving along on a beautiful afternoon with the window down and music on full blast, singing along at the top of my voice to Keith Urban............heaven!!! The only teensy problem is when you are trundling along quite merrily to spy Road Closed Ahead signs looming, oh heck a U turn on a bumpy country road with a cake sat on the passenger seat!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I thought I was doing so well with my precious cargo, it slid and slipped a ltitle bit but by the skin of my teeth we arrived all safe and sound.

Molly has discovered another escape route out of the garden, lololol, and my elderly neighbour bless her is quite understandably not impressed. I found the problem which ofcourse had to be underneath a extrememly prickly holly bush, so I pruned a little then crawled on my hands and knees, a pile of rubble which was hiding behind the adjoining gardens shed had tumbled and knocked my fence over. So the plan was to block the escape route until my landlord arrives to solve the problem a little more effectively, but my little tinker of a puppy dog still got through!!!!!! Today however I reckon I've got her sorted, the only thing I could find which was a little heavier and less easy for her to move was the old bathroom radiator!!!!!!!!! Anyway I dragged it down the garden and so far she hasn't attempted any further escape. I must say it looks very attractive propped up underneath my beautiful holly bush.

I am still on the case of finishing costumes, got Abbie to try on her very ornate Georgian National Costume today because I thought the hem may need taking down a little, and, well, blow me down and call me Harry the flippin thing won't even fasten, heck, this wasn't what I needed to happen atall. Hey ho I guess as little girls turn into little ladies these things happen, so I am putting out an SOS within the dance school, hopefully someone somewhere may have a Georgian costume hanging in the back of their wardrobe.......................well they might...........maybe...........hopefully, ok so I know its a long shot but I've gotta try :-)

I need a luuverly cuppa and to sit and watch the rest of the the rugby, hope our boys pick up their game in the second half!

toodlepip for now xx

That time of year again...............

2008-03-01T08:46:00.001-08:00

Costume making, it comes around very very quickly. The Dance Festival is in 5 weeks time and I am beginning to think about Abbies costumes, which is relatively organised for me, its a tie dying day today. I've already tie dyed 2 white leotards with grey dye am now gonna do them again with black, so hopefully there will be white and grey rings on the leotards. nest it will be sponging another white leotard with, blue green and white fabric paint to give a marbled effect!!!!...............hhhmmmmmmmmmmmm never done that before so it may get interesting, i really really hope it works. Abbies dance school is also doing their bi-annual Show in June and it'll be busy making props and costumes for that after Easter! Although I'm not committing myself to quite so much because spare time is much much more sparse now than it once was and I really would like to do some serious seed growing this year after last year went a bit pear shaped.

xx

a wee bit chilly...................

2008-02-21T07:02:00.000-08:00

Flippin eck, blow me down its been sooooooooooooooo cold, thankfully today the thermometre says 6.5 degrees today :-) Tuesday didn't see it get above freezing and Jess, bless her heart still turned out and spent the day at the stables looking after her beloved horse, Clive (what a name for a horse) lololololol these are pictures of the garden oh and I've popped one on of Jess and Clive taken on a slightly warmer day ...............I know its not the best of pics but it was taken before I had my new sooper dooper camera, toodlepip for now! xx

Sad News............

2008-02-18T09:42:00.001-08:00

This picture was taken only last week of Muppet and Noodle on their bed, sadly our young man was a bit of a wanderer and he was knocked over on Friday and didn't survive. He was found by a kind member of the public who took Muppet to the vets where his microchip was scanned and they rang to give us the news. He kinda knew how to live life on the edge, if ever there was a scrape to get into he found it and after suffering a fit last year his vision was impaired but that didn't stop him, he was an explorer and a wanderer and had a full, yet very short life. He was so loved and adored by us and his sister and we will always miss him, such a little character!

Noodle is very fussy and doesn't go far from me atall, we had a lovely time in the garden yesterday digging a new bed and lifting Molly back over the fence after she learnt how to hurdle the fence into next doors garden and then pretending she couldn't get back lolololol

Abica beauty is well and truly up and running, I've already taken and despatched internet orders the Dancers Balm is now for sale at a local dancewear shop, and existing clients are purchasing my products, so everything seems to be pottering on quite nicely with our New Beginnings.

2008-02-13T04:35:00.000-08:00

Well I did warn you I might be posting some piccies :-) This is the lovely Molly, being particularly possessive about her stick lolol, what the pic doesnt' show is that it was atleast 1.5m long and everytime you got close she picked it up and tried to run away while tripping up over the stick and getting it caught int he bushes.......................but in no circumstances ever ever ever was she gonna let go of 'her' stick :-)

Sun, Sun and more Sun!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-02-10T05:33:00.001-08:00

Molly is such a happy bunny shes pootling in and out of the garden claiming as many sticks as she can find for her own and rediscovering lots of toys she has left outside during the course of the winter :-) and I've been hit with the spring cleaning bug!!!!!! Been mucking out Abbies bedroom, think we might be getting there (shocked smilies)!!! Shes gonna get a shock when she comes home from dancing we are gonna sort out her clothes, she keeps everything for years and years and years, well, not anymore lololololol

I was gonna start sowing seeds but am putting it off til next month, they'll catch up anyway I reckon, I've kinda lost my sowing motivation!!!!! (lots of shocked smilies) Decided to cover over maybe half the plot coz its all a bit daunting this year with having such a big overgrown garden to sort out n'all, and if I don't get decisive and make a decision I'll end up just doing bits here and bits there and not really achieving much atall.

Business wise I've got balms and butters ready to despatch and will, by the end of next week, have everything ready to go, how exciting is that!

Jess has decided to take part in the exchange trip to China later this year, it was touch and go for a while whether she would go or not, but in the end she took the bull by the horns and took her deposit to school. I'm so chuffed for her, she is quite shy but is beginning to blossom and I think this trip will do her the world of good :-) Spoken like a very grown up adult (even more shocked smilie faces).

I've got a camera!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! another dead exciting piece of news so I'm busy clicking away so watch out I may get a little over enthusiastic and be posting lots of pics. Toodlepip for now....................the spring cleaning is calling....................:-) I don't often get the cleaning bug so I'd best relent and get on with it before I get bored :-)

xx

Less Pondering More Action

2008-01-21T08:13:00.000-08:00

The pondering seems to have stopped, and I've been motivated into action. My new venture, abica beauty, is making tentative steps towards reality :-) I've been sourcing suppliers, mixing and blending, creating new stationery and a website. Its a real life girlie adventure, both the girls are as excited as I am and we are busy choosing label designs this week :-)

So far I have created 2 ranges, the Lavender and Calendula Ranges, both of which have a soap, a scrub, a body butter and a balm in them. Quickly on their heels should hopefully be The Gardeners Range which will be unscented and therefore suitable to the boys as well as the girls lol

Plot wise, I have amazingly managed to get a few hours digging and building a bonfire before the rains came......................will it ever stop raining....................oh and I sowed some early peas :-) I am hoping to plonk in some more raised beds as I find them much more manageable, need to get sowing soon. Toms and chillis will be the first to be sown, I think last year I popped some celeriac in quite early and it bulbed up much better, I just didn't harvest it quick enough, a little creature had a good ole feast on them!!!!

I'd best go and get me wellies on and brave the puddles, not sure I should call them puddles coz they are hoooooooooooooooooooooge, but puddles will have to do :-)

xxx

Heck!!

2008-01-06T08:58:00.000-08:00

So where did the two weeks disappear to????!!!! its back to work tommorrow and much to the girls disgust its back to school too, their school is the only one reopening to students tommorrow the rest of the schools in our area don't return til Tuesday.................I'm not sniggering really lololol

Am wondering what this year will bring our way, my plans are to expand the business and spend more time at the plot. Oh and take the girls abroad, possibly Croatia although one of the smaller Greek Islands is a possibility too :-)

Christmas was wonderfully relaxed, I did miss the girls over New Year because they pootled off to the Isle of man with their dad. I did, I'm ashamed to say having moments of wallowing but tried to keep busy, built bonfires at the plot but it was too windy to light them and did lots of sewing, think I've made all the curtains and cushion covers that this house needs lololol We have everything we need to be comfortable now so its time to turn my attention to growing and making and launching my lotions and potions range :-)

So away I go to make myself a bit more presentable, I've slobbed about over the holiday and need to appear a little more groomed for work tommorrow (lots of blushing smilies).

take care
xx

Christmas

2007-12-19T09:02:00.000-08:00

Tis a strange time of year don't ya think?...................lots of pressure, lots of rushing around, well I seem to be letting it all bypass me this year, or atleast I thought I was til I took the girls late night shopping, I'm not good when sat 5 deep at the petrol station while the petrol light is flashing at me!!!!.

Its been a week of making this week, red onion chutney, pretty bows on bottles of red with herbs and spices to make mulled wine, and lots of other little surprises :-). Typically I was at the post office just in time to make the last posting date (am frantically rolling eyes here). Although I don't think I really really disorganised I do tend to leave stuff to the last minute. Last day at work tommorrow and I've got a whole 2 weeks of pootling to look forward to, I am really really ready for a break from work its been a long and life changing kinda year. So much can happen in a short space of time, I'm still flabbergasted when I think back to this time next year and what has happened since. If anyone had told me a year down the track I would have moved house and there would just be me and the girls I'd have giggled manically and thought they were bonkers!!

Ah well need to get some sleep now, will probably drift off thinking of what I can do in my 2 weeks off, I couldn't possibly just plan to do nothing now could I lololololol

Night Night
xxx

My Daft Little Cat

2007-11-27T14:06:00.000-08:00

My little fella, Muppet is having an eventful week. Late on Friday night he managed to knock the clothes airer over in the pantry which slammed the door shut and wedged it completely shut. So there he was crying his heart out stuck in the pantry, I couldn't force the door the hinges were on the inside and it was perfectly jammed. Thankfully Mr Loobs saved the day and made the 40 minute round trip to force the door off its hinges. Mum and son will be eternally grateful lololol

He has had 4 appointments at the vets for his immunisation boosters, and the little tinker always manages to be absent from the house and garden when its time to go gggrrrrrrrr. His little sis was wonderfully cooperative and curled up the cat carrier, think Muppet needs to take note lololol. Anyway tonight he came into the house at 5.30pm, so I rang the vets and they've popped us in before surgery starts because he now has a bit of a reputation for failing to show for his appointments. The girls have been given strict instructions (under my capable supervision lololol) to make sure he is shut in the living room before we open either the front or back door so he can't attempt the great escape before 8.15 am tommorrow. Fingers crossed!!!

Plant and growing wise nothing much is happening coz its been really really really cold and I need thermals before I attempt the great outdoors for any length of time, but I have bought myself an Aloe plant and a cyclamen so I've a bit of green other than herbs in the house.

Toodlepip for now

xxxxx

Sewing this weekend

2007-11-17T07:03:00.000-08:00

Well its 'orrible out there. Really really cold, grey and miserable so am staying indoors where its warm, bright and welcoming. So what to do, I've got 2 lots of fabric that I bought with the intention of making dresses, some stuff which needs altering, loads of scraps of fabric to make a patchwork quilt, really really want to try to make a rag rug, and then theres 2 more dancing dresses for Abbie I need to make. So where do I start (confuddled smilie) lololol

Ok will attack the alterations first I reckon!!

Had lots of parcels arrive this week with products and ingredients for soap and lip balm. So next week when I'm not working am gonna start experimenting with those.

My broadies have poked their noses through at the plot, as have the onions and garlic :-) I would like to get some areas covered soon coz they are very very weedy. It always amazes me how wonderfully relaxing it is to go to the plot, even if all I do is make a cuppa and pootle around a little. When you close the gates behind you its as if I leave all the 'everyday stuff' locked outside the gates and I can just escape and relax :-)

Oh and I need to find a 7 foot tall person to put up a curtain rail on the landing, my landlord can't reach and steps are difficult to use because its a dogleg staircase and the step up just where they would need to be is at an angle, but now the darker nights are upon us I would really really like to have curtains up there, it'll feel so much cosier. I'll have to ponder this one I think.

xxxxxxxxx

Here we go.........

2007-11-11T04:44:00.000-08:00

Looks like I must have been feeling all girlie when I chose this template :-)

Well seeing as the other blog disappeared I think its time to start again..........literally!!

So here we go, theres me, Jess aged 13, Abbie aged 12, Molly our slightly barmy labrador cross and Muppet and Noodle our little purring cats. We are 2 months into our new beginning, think we are getting nicely settled in our new house now after plenty of teething problems with broadband, BT, drafty doors and the whole new experience of there just being the 3 of us. The house has a lovely 'feel' to it and is full of giggling girls and is now loosing that first moved into spick and span look, its a 'home'.

The allotment needs loads and loads of tender loving care to recover from being virtually completely neglected, but hey theres always next year. We have a truly neglected garden to inject some life into. I have visions of a garden full of colour which has a rambling, probably slightly unkempt look about it, afterall there is Molly to consider lol.

Work wise it would seem as if I've taken a step backwards by having to leave the treatment room behind returning to mobile therapy.............but.............theres always a but isn't there lol, I am hoping to move in a new direction soon.

Oh and the piccies are a couple of 'before' ones of the garden :-)

xxx