A declaration of intent on our front windowsill...........

 

 December 2020 is proving to be rocky 

That Dratted Virus (TDV)........  very practical fallouts across our country as a direct result of TDV ......widespread heightened emotion as a result of TDV .....Brexit itself....... the process of Brexit.....shorter days......less chances for casual catching up with friends and neighbours.......weather finally took a dip......in short, we are all in a bit of a pickle and everyone seems to be reacting to our situation in different ways.

In the past I might have thrown myself into action, those days are long gone now.  The energy to be outraged is absent. There remains sadness that we can find ourselves in this situation, but I have no inclination to take to my keyboard and share my (very strong) thoughts on the leaders in Westminster. Maybe I will leave them to God, history and the universe.

 

A few years back, our local supermarket was selling these off in January and in spite of their probable far eastern origins.......they have grown on me. Eleven months of the year these animals are wrapped up safely in an old wooden chest, but Christmas is their time! Silly really how commercially produced ornaments can produce instant happiness, but there y'go, they really do.

As does 'Poetry Please' on BBC Radio 4 at Sunday tea time and catching Alison Brackenbury reading her poem "Honeycomb" was a highlight today.

Something else that goes into the old wooden chest is our little collection  of Christmas music. So OUT has come some dear old friends- Taverner, Part & Gorecki.......Rutter.......Cliff R.....a 1994 recording of Christmas Around Europe gives an interesting 74 minutes of eccletic music......and I am enjoying looking at the splatter painting covering on a 2002 home recorded section of Christmas music. 

Gosh

So long ago now!

The garden has been quite deliberately left this winter, I'm needing to see what it Might do as well as what it is bluntly incapable of. 

On the veg front, what I grow supplements our bought veg but:

Beetroot are still doing really well.

Carrots are improving. The odd minature is causing amusement though....

Lettuce at the very end, I foresee lettuce soup!

Spring onions are growing in height but not in girth, they will be placed in the greenhouse to sort themselves out.

Greenhoused onions had bird attack, maybe looking similar to worms? I lost three but the rest are OK.

Kale in this garden requires a kaleyard, it is there but threatening to bolt.

Chard I keep forgetting to pick. Next year I am toying with a sheltered space, need a polytunnel but will need to settle for something less spectacular! 

Celery in pots grew but, hey disappointing. We had soup but not at all good enough to eat raw. Some v tasty young leaves were turned into smoothies.

Miners lettuce in greenhouse require potting on, weather has stopped play but at the Very First Chance it will be done!

Swede, well let's just say I have two plants.......

Annual cauliflower tas been started as instructed and blow me down they are doing well. The repotting flurry needs to fall on me, but hey

Contemplating sowing peas inside for pea shoots.

Today I saw my elderly parent and had a chat! OK, not in real life but all the same via the delights of technology we could see each other and talk. This does not usually happen as they cannot cope with screens / mobile phones / ordinary phones even. We ve not seen each other since late February and yet  in spite of this not being arranged and prepared for ( at all), it was good to see them. It will be even better when we can meet up in person again

Oh well. 

It is December and the agreement was to keep a monthly record here

It might be rough for a while.

So lets agree to be kind and gentle with each other.

After all.

Who knows what nonsense others are going through.