Allotment Update

Now March is here (coming to an end actually) it's time for me to get planting if I want to make the most of this year and get my family some fresh, home grown veggies to eat this summer.  It is difficult getting down to the allotment with a one year old, he isn't walking yet so has to either sit in the car or his pushchair which he doesn't like much, so I usually only get half an hour or so there at a time.  Luckily I got a few bits into the ground in the winter so I feel that has put me ahead a little.  So far I have perpetual spinach, broad beans, onions, garlic, rhubarb and last week I planted by first peas of the year.  I am excited because things are happening, but also worried I am not going to be able to keep on top of it.  My motto is "little and often" with the allotment so I am hoping it serves me well.  Take a look:

Here you can see the broad beans coming up

Here is the garlic and beyond that is where I planted the peas

The compost box I put together myself from 4 large pallets

The perpetual spinach

The rhubarb

What are you planting?  Next I am going to do spring onions, hopefully some more peas and broad beans and I am keen to get beetroot in so I can make this chutney again.
Hope you are having a good week.

My baby ate blackberries!

On Friday we took Orren to the allotment for a foraging session and gave him a blackberry to enjoy.  He examined it carefully the gently stroked it's shiny black bumps before squashing it into his little fist and slurping it from his hand.  He had juice all over his face, hand, arm and top, but a happy smile on his face!  I think he enjoyed it.

Sexism at the Allotment

I had a rather unpleasant experience at the allotment this afternoon with an older gentleman whose allotment is opposite mine; leaving me thinking that sexism is still alive and kicking in certain corners of the UK.  Fortunately I learnt a lesson from the experience so it wasn't a total waste.  Let me tell you what happened.
I was happily pulling up harvesting nettles when I saw a car approach, I had pulled my car as far over as possible and went over and asked if there was room.  He criticised my parking with the usual adage "women drivers" and said "well move then" I tried to be all jovial and jolly and all "ha ha isn't it funny, silly old me, what a terrible parker", and got in my car to move it, of course stalled and got all faffy trying to squeeze into my space and in the end gave up and reversed into another allotmenter's space.  He passed and I began to move back to my space (I didn't think I should park in someone else's spot) and he said "lazy bitch" and something about not walking a few meters.  I wasn't sure how to take this.  He still seemed to be jokey and talked as if having a laugh, but I didn't really appreciate being called a bitch, I said something about wanting to park near my baby and said to him that I was leaving in a minute anyway.  I started packing my things up feeling a bit cross and annoyed at myself for not saying something sensible and he came over and said "leaving already, you have only been here 10 minutes"  (bearing in mind I had been there over an hour and who the hell was he to criticise my time spent there when he had only just arrived)  He actually often says this and it has become a bit of a running joke.  Yes I can only spend a short time at the allotment, I have a 5 month old baby!  Anyway, I didn't take it amusingly this time, I was quite annoyed and said "yep off home now" still trying to be polite.  He then asked if I was on my school holidays now (I am an art teacher) I said I was still on maternity leave and he then proceeded come up with all manner of criticisms for my being on maternity leave, complaining that he was paying for me to be off, the bemoaning the fact that men can only have a couple of weeks.  I said I had payed my taxes and he joked that I had hardly been out of school long and that I hadn't payed my dues.  This went on back and forth, him throwing out some sexist criticism and me trying rather pathetically to defend myself, and I got more and more annoyed, in the end I said "Look, when men start lactating then they can take a year off work"  and closed my car door and left. 
On my way home I felt really cross and upset and suddenly felt like all my energy had been zapped from me, I felt cross at myself for not coming up with some witty response or argument to defend myself better, thinking about what I had said, re-running the scene in my mind wishing I had said something else.  I almost felt like crying, I just wanted to go home and sit in front of the TV.  I had to do some shopping so went to Asda and got a few bits, and as I was walking round feeling totally drained from the whole thing, I suddenly realised, "it's not me, it's him".  He has never been horrible to me before, in fact he has been quite kind, lending me his strimmer and black plastic to cover my weeds, I had done nothing wrong to provoke such a response.  I thought to myself, maybe he had had a bad day, maybe his wife had upset him before he left, maybe he has had some kind of unpleasant run in with a woman that has left him feeling emasculated, maybe he needed to make himself feel big and manly, what ever it was, it wasn't my fault he felt that way so why was I carrying the upset and the anger that he had put onto my shoulders, and suddenly I felt lighter, relieved, like a weight had been lifted, "it's not me, it's him"  "it's not me it's.......(inset name of someone who has upset me in the past)".  If only I had realised this a long time ago I could have lived my life without carrying other people's burdens.  I am so glad that I have realised it now, and just hope that I apply it to similar situations in future,  it has enabled me to feeling forgiveness, sympathy almost for people who have hurt me.  "It's not me, it's them". 

Review of 2011

Last year I made some new years resolutions, so though I would now take the opportunity to see which ones I achieved, which ones I nearly achieved and which ones I didn't achieve (and why)  So these were my resolutions for 2011:

1. Read the Bible in a year - I have very nearly done this, I am about two months behind and am proud of that alone, I have never got this far through the Bible before.  I have found the process of reading it very useful, though I have to confess often I am just reading the words and I feel they are not really sinking in, however the odd verse jumps out at me and speaks to me on a really personal level.  My aim now is to read the rest before the baby arrives!

courtesy of weheartit

2. Buy nothing new for a year - Although I did of course buy new things this year, I think I was much more thoughtful when making purchases, I did consider if I could make things or get them second hand and have come to the conclusion that if there is something out there that I really really want (but can't afford), then I can get it one way or another, either I buy something similar second hand or make it myself.

Vintage map bunting for sale in the craft shop

3. Exercise at least 3 time a week - for a long time I was cycling to work every day, but since I fell pregnant I have been too frightened to cycle in case I fall off or hurt myself on the handle bars, so I have stuck with walking; walking to the shops when I can and going for long woodland walks at weekends.

Me on one of our many woodland walks,

4. Eat more healthily - I started the year eating very healthily but in the spring I started medication for Poly-cystic ovarian syndrome which made me feel very sick, then I fell pregnant and felt even more sick to the point where vegetables made me gag (I can't think why my body didn't want me to eat veg but I couldn't) however I did keep eating lots of fruit so don't feel too bad about not being super healthy.

Courtesy of weheartit.com

5. Finish my wedding scrapbook - hmmm still not finished, or even close!

Unfinished wedding scrapbook,

6. Grow more veg - I struggled with this because I had a very difficult start to my pregnancy and as a result wasn't able to work the allotment...AND I got an eviction letter :(  On the bright side I am now sharing the allotment with a friend so hopefully it will be more manageable in 2012, I can't wait to spend time there with my child, showing him or her the wonders of nature,

Courtesy of weheartit.com

7. Make £400 per month of crafts, photography etc - Didn't manage £400 per month, but I was pleased with what I achieved in 2011 in terms of independent money making.  I am going to carry on with my Etsy craft shop, although I have closed the art shop because it wasn't as successful as I had hoped.  I am on maternity leave from photography now, but will start again in late March/April.  Having said that I am definitely happier with the craft side of things than the photography, and am going to work on this more in 2012,

32 sales yippy!

8. Pay off overdraft -  I did this!!  Purely on saving and spending less, so very pleased with myself,

Courtesy of weheartit.com

9. Watch less TV - I did this and re-read "Remotely controlled" to motivate me further, I am going to continue watching less TV and hope that when our baby comes I will be far to busy!  Really don't want to look back on my life and have wasted 12 years watching TV (The average amount British people watch TV in their lifetime!)

Courtesy of weheartit.com

10.  Have 100 followers on the blog - I have 106 lovely lovely followers, I have love for you all, I love your comments, thankyou thankyou for following my blog.

My fabulous followers!

As for 2012, I am not making New Years resolutions but I do have many hopes for my life with my husband and our new baby which I am sure I will share with you as time goes by.  I am really looking forward to 2012.

(Photos are mine unless linked to weheartit.com)

A Photo An Hour

Today I took one photo per hour from 7am to 7pm.  So here is my day in photos:

7.00am - It's a sunny day, yippee!  Putting the washing on the line after waving my husband off on his way to work.  So housewifey! p.s. the sky was really blue, didn't show on the camera.

8.00am staring on a project that I am going to post a tutorial on when I have finished.

9.00am Put the piggies out in the garden , the light is beautiful, still working on my little project,

10.00am starting a loaf of bread off,

11.00am My tomatoes happily growing in the sun, sitting on the floor, listening to Jack Johnson and Red Hot Chilli Peppers, still working on my project,

12.00pm off the the allotment to do some weeding, want to plant some onions, four a dead mouse under the black plastic, worried that I stepped on it,

1.00pm Didn't plant the onions, or do much weeding, stood talking to my allotment friend David for about an hour!

2.00pm back from the allotment, put the piggies out on the grass and clean out their hutch, keep working on the project,

3.00pm enjoying the sun, working outside in the garden, no need for a cardie because it's so hot, just staring to go pink from standing in the sun too long, oops!

4.00pm using tissue paper on my project, kneed loaf to prove a second time, watching the second Sex and the City movie.

5.00pm making dinner for the hubby and me, first bbq of the year, with this delicious salad!

6.00pm bread ready and out of the oven. 

Had a really lovely day today, enjoying he sun and doing a little craft project, Easter holidays next week!  Yippee, got lots of blog posts in mind for the coming weeks.  Can't wait to relax and enjoy myself, visit friends and see my family. ttfn!

New Years resolutions

What I love most about new years is not the drinking and partying (although that can be good too), but the feeling of starting a fresh.  For some reason the transition of one number to another on the calendar gives us a feeling of having another chance, a new start to life.  And this year is no different.  I have many many hopes for the year ahead, I am so excited about it but I didn't want to over do it with the ol' New Years Resolutions so have just come up with 10 (maybe that seems like a lot).  I have tried to be really specific with them rather than making sweeping generalisations and grand gestures:

1.     Read the bible in a year - following my new "Read the Bible in a year" book,

2.   2. Buy nothing new for a year – Only buy new if I can’t make what I need or find it second hand, I am not going to beat myself up if I do buy something, but I am going to try to keep this in mind before making purchases,

3.   3. Exercise – at least 3 times per week, workout videos and walking/jogging, I want to get fit, but also want to enjoy myself, not torture myself,

4.       Eat more healthily - don't buy something ready made when I could make it for myself, eat at least 5 piece of fruit and veg per day,

5.   5.Finish wedding scrapbook before 2^nd anniversary in July.

6.   6. Grow more veg – Tidy allotment and plant over the whole of it, spend at least 1hr per week, (don't get eviction letter), eat what I grow,

7.   7.Make £400 per month through photography, art and craft by August, this is the amount I will be losing by going part time at teaching,

8.   8.Pay off overdraft, be at least at 0 at the end of every month,

9.       Watch less TV -  it is no secret that I am a telly addict so I am going to try to only watch the TV for specific programs and not just put it on because it is the default entertainment activity,

10      Have 100 followers of blog by May,

Le    Let's see how I get on shall we...
          (All photos from weheartit)

Allotment update

I can happily report that I am still the proud owner of an allotment plot thanks to the Parks and recreation manager finally seeing sense.  Apparently it was covered in snow last time he went to visit!?  beggars belief!
In other news only one week and a day till Christmas holidays begin!!  Wooooo! 

Fury!!

I am absolutely furious today to find another letter from the council on my door mat giving me notice of eviction from my allotment!!  I am sure you remember my previous rant about the letter I received saying that my allotment was "weedy and uncultivated"  I am sure you also remember the photos of before and after showing the amount of effort Hubby and I put in to tidying it up and the resultant hole in my welly from the frantic digging that went on.  Clearly all that effort and even a late night digging in the dark session that I did a few weeks ago has gone unnoticed.  I was utterly fuming about it and phoned the council immediately.  Luckily for him the Park Supervisor was not working today; if he had been then he would have had a piece of my mind.  Instead, I ranted on the phone to his assistant and ended up bursting into tears.  Not good at all.  (I think the tears were not just about the allotment, I have had a pretty hard week so far, plus am very tired and not quite right hormonally.)
Anyway, I will be sure to be on the phone to Mr Parks Supervisor tomorrow ASAP to tell him about all my hard work, the fact that the ground has been frozen for the past two weeks and the fact that I have two fruit bushes, a rhubarb plant, two beds of onions, two beds of broad beans and a patch of strawberry plants in my plot that I have lovingly attended yo for he last three and a half years.   Hopefully I will have calmed down a bit by tomorrow as well and will be able to talk sense without crying like a baby. 

Exciting News

I have exciting news for me to share today (as in it's exciting news for me that I will share with you today!)
I have been thinking and talking to my hubby, for perhaps a year or so now about reducing my days at school, but have always thought it was impossible and that they would never let me do it.  Well a few weeks ago some factors came together that made me think that perhaps it would be possible for me to reduce my days per week of teaching.  So I went and spoke to my headmaster and just asked about the possibility, he said he would discuss it with the deputy but thought it would be possible, so I though I would just wait it out and see what he said, pretty much thinking they would say it wouldn't work with the timetable.  Next thing I know, yesterday I was told that not only is it definitely possible but it is happening!!  I can't believe how quickly this has all come together.  I don't know what day I will have off yet but I am really excited about it.  I feel I am finally taking a step in the right directing and doing something to change my life rather than just moaning about it. 
I will go down to four days per week in January and I am just itching when I think of all the things I am going to do with my extra day.  My main focus will be my Art work but I will also use the time to organise more photography so I have still got that extra income. My husband and I have talked about it and said that I am going to have to be really disciplined with my time, make plans for what I am going to do, make sure I follow things through and make sure I am making money (we still have a rather large mortgage to pay after all). It would be great if I didn't have to worry about the money, but for us it is a fact of life and I just have to live with it. 
I can't believe in just two weeks time I will have a new timetable and a different working week, so exciting.  I can;t wait to share everything with all of you, I really hope it is going to be a success, it makes me feel very nervous, but I know I am doing the right thing.

Allotment update

Take a look at this letter I received from the council last week:

Uncultivated and weedy indeed?!?  Pah, what a cheek!

Hmm well maybe they were right, it is pretty weedy.  (Even though I did plant two beds of broad beans and onions two weeks ago!)

So the hubby and I spent an hour in the rain, I put my fork through my welly and hubby pulled a muscle in his leg, but we ended up with this:

I think you will agree it is much better, still a bit of digging to go though.  Needless to say afterwards we were wet and exhausted.

Tutorial - nettle tea.

Finally I am getting round to doing a tutorial.  I do loads of stuff but forget to photograph it so then can't do a tutorial, however I remembered to take photos whilst I was making a batch of nettle tea so thought I would share it with you.

According to teabenefits there are loads of health benefits to drinking nettle tea. 

• Nettle tea fights coughs, tuberculosis and asthma;
• Nettle tea counters arthritis, rheumatism, tendonitis and other disorders of the muscles and joints;
• Nettle tea combats a variety of intestinal disorders;
• Nettle tea fights skin problems;
• Nettle tea fights allergies like eczema, and hay fever;
• Nettle tea is used to treat urinary tract infections,

The main reason I drink it is to help with my hay fever, i helps because it contains something which is a natural anti-histamine.  It also helps with my allergic rhinitis. 

To begin with I pick some nettles.  It's important that you only pick nettles that are away from the roadside, or fields with crops that may have been sprayed .  I pick them from my allotment where they are plentiful! (Don't forget to wear gloves!)
Next I wash them really well to get rid of any insects or other nastys wearing washing up gloves to protect myself from the stings.
I then put them onto a fine ish mesh over tray and put them in a low oven,

at about 50 degrees for as long as it takes for them to go crispy, keep checking them regularly, you might even want to keep the oven door  open a little to make sure the oven doesn't get too hot.

Take them out of the oven and let them cool, then scrunch all the leaves up into little pieces so it looks like tea.  Although the nettles have now lost their sting I do this part wearing washing up gloves because they can be spikey.

I store them in a jar, they keep for ages,

Now all you need to do is make the tea itself.  I use a deep tea strainer and make it in the cup but there are allsorts of re-usable and disposable tea bags you can buy and fill yourself. 

The nettels swell up and go a lovely green. They do need to be soaked longer than regular tea to get the full flavour and benefit.

Then just drink up!  Yummy...

Hope you have a lovely bank holiday!!