It's all about The Good Life (and raspberries)

Gooseberry and Mint Jam.

Well, so far so good with my ‘half hour allotmenting’ plan! I have been up there every night – I have even managed to drag a variety of family members up with the promise of “It’ll only be half an hour-tops”.

My useful book divides the half hour up into a list of jobs in descending order of importance. Picking, planting, weeding, watering then digging. In fairness I have struggled to get much beyond ‘picking’ as the raspberries and gooseberries have gone mad. Now, I like a raspberry or two but this is getting blooming ridiculous. I have made raspberry jam galore, raspberry jelly (that didn’t turn out so well), raspberry ice cream and raspberry crumble. Not to mention raspberry muffins and raspberry eton  mess. I am now scouring books for other interesting raspberry recipes to ring the changes a bit!

My raspberry collection device - proving most handy!

I tackled the gooseberries today. They aren’t my favourite fruit either to eat or to harvest (my poor arms) but I figured that as we had inherited a few bushes on the plot it was the least I could do to try and put some to good use. I have made a batch of gooseberry and mint jam and the rest we are turning into alcohol J I’m assured that gooseberry wine is very lovely indeed.....

DH wields the uncapping fork!

With all the picking and making it does all seem a little ‘Good Life’ round here but I am loving it! We managed to extract about 15lbs of honey from one of our hives which was an added bonus as we didn’t expect any. Fingers crossed there might even be a little more before the end of the season.  The garden is also producing well – broad beans are coming in and the ruby chard looks almost too beautiful to eat! Some things are struggling though – all the squashes are very behind and I don’t think we will see much from them this year. The courgettes are tiny (which isn’t a bad thing!) and the runner beans are only just making their way up the poles. I have even picked some sweet peas to enjoy in the house after I read somewhere that they produce far more flowers if you pick them regularly.

Well, off to create more exciting things with a raspberry – I’ve just seen something called a ‘miniature raspberry and basil financier’......I’m assuming it is for eating and not offering sound financial advice but I will let you know!

I love the weekend!

Blue skies - hooray.

It’s Sunday afternoon already – how did that come around so quickly?

I’ve had a weekend of mostly pottering about which has been blissful. Saturday started with me wandering up to the village hall to partake in an hour of yoga. I have discovered the most fabulous class right on my doorstep and first thing on a Saturday morning is just perfect for me! It’s also been really nice to reconnect with some other ladies from the village. Since I stopped working at the village pre-school to take up full time work in Oxford I have missed the contact with other villagers – I rarely visit the pub (honest, guv) and have not yet taken the radical step to becoming a fully paid up member of the local WI and so opportunities to be social are fairly limited (also, I am not all that sociable – another flaw in my plan!) But the yoga is great, physically and socially. I am feeling the benefits in supplementing my own morning practice with something more structured and it’s great to have some feedback on ways I can improve my positions. I am not yet able to put my legs behind my ears but I am a lot bendier than I was a few months ago :)

I have been working hard to tame my magazine addiction – I am still checking out the mag stands but am not buying! What a step forward. I have also made headway with the vast collection I have at home, sorting some out to recycle, passing some onto people I think might enjoy them (and not be tempted to hoard them) and I have even uttered the words “just recycle them or pass them on if you don’t want them” instead of “have a flick through then GIVE THEM BACK (please).” It’s been hard but I feel better for it. Honest.

Some of my treasures - probably rare and very valuable!

I have caught up with household chores and checked out some blogs. I have started a new mindfulness book which is proving better than Dummies (thanks Claire!) and today saw some more work in the garden. Well, I started focussed enough, pruning the raspberry canes and weeding in the fruit cage. But then I got waylaid playing Time Team. This basically involves finding ‘treasures’ and then making up preposterous stories about what the small fragments of pottery/china/whoknowswhat could have been. As our house is on the site of a 14^th century chapel there is the very real possibility that some of the fragments are actually something interesting. As I have no real knowledge of archaeology other than Time Team my wild guesses are probably far off the mark. I would imagine many of my treasures are, in fact, 20^th century Woolworths. But it’s a fun game nonetheless. In my head.

To top it off, there have been some glimpses of real sunshine this weekend too – and I am loving how this seems to lift everyone’s spirits. My friend Kathy bought me some daffodils and I have been admiring their cheery yellow loveliness and can’t wait to see more as they flower in my garden. I’d love to hear about what’s been making you happy this weekend! 

It's all in the detail.....

It's Saturday. The sun is shining. I have absolutely nothing I have to do. (there's plenty I should be doing, but nothing that can't wait!)

Doing absolutely nothing! Blissful :-)

Last post I wrote about my Gratitude Lists and I have been continuing to list 5 things every day that I am grateful for. Working in such a beautiful place has allowed me to add some amazing nature moments - slo worm watching, newly fledged green woodpeckers, great crested newts (not all at the same time!!). I have also added the obligatory culinary delights (raspberries from my garden) and even the odd social interaction - just proving I am not a total hermit!
Doing this has made me think about all those tiny beautiful things that happen each day that can easily pass by if we don't stop and take note.

I have tried really hard to do more photography this week too. Since Unravelling stopped I have found it difficult to have a subject on what to focus (see what I did there). One of the ladies from our post-unravel group suggested the title "two".... so simple and yet such a huge word!! However, it has got the old brain ticking and has encouraged me to get the camera out!
A few years ago I read an article in a magazine about someone who used photographs of hands in the same way others photograph facial portraits. (I didn't think to note the name of the artist). They had a fantastic selection of hand portraits - each sitter posing with an item which said something about them or their lives/hobbies. The article really struck me and has stayed with me and so - for "two" I thought it time to have a go.

DH and his customary grease and spanner!

 

DS#2 chose his bow as the X-Box lead wasn't long enough to reach outside!

 

Journaling has continued apace. Apart from the 'serious' writing and note taking I have been creative too. I have big plans for the extension and reorganisation of my shed into a 1950's inspired place of beauty. So, the creative journal is now bulging with inspirational pictures and DH is reeling from a mile long detailed to-do list. As I said, it's all in the detail!!

Journaling, reading and drinking tea!