Friday 15 November 2013

Lucky Me!

Bless him! P, the builder, dropped round this afternoon. He's re-jigging his garden and has some surplus fruit bushes looking for a new, happy home. He thought of me :) How lucky is that?

White currants, redcurrants, blackcurrants, gooseberries, apricots, apples, plums - the list seems endless. These are all in addition to the fig he gave me earlier this year. He wouldn't take a penny for them so I've promised him the first pot of jam - well, the second actually since the first is always a disaster for me and fit only for pouring on pancakes (yummy).

Everything is establishing itself and growing - the peas and beans are shooting so I'll have to keep an eye on them; the hollyhocks have seeded and one of the cauliflowers has taken too. I'm doing successional sowing of the veg so next month I'll plant two more of each variety and nurture them through the Winter ready for planting out, well-established, when the frosts have fled next Spring.

One thing has dawned on me: I'll really have to think about buying another freezer and re-arranging the dining room - well, it's called a dining room because now that the carpets are finally laid I'll have  a dining table (extends to ten in the hope of grandchildren), six chairs and a sideboard, bookshelves & display cabinet in there but, in reality, I may as well sell the table and chairs and install a greenhouse and a bit of hydroponics instead. My eldest left on Tuesday to marry and live in America (another story) so the likelihood of me seeing him, his lovely girl or any sprogs again seems remote.  The only things I need in the dining room at the moment are the bookshelves since family meals seem to be a thing of the past.  I'm not inclined to share Suki's food any more than he's inclined to share mine (strange cat). I once had a cat (my Jazz) who loved everything except veg and fruit but when it came to potatoes, custard, curry, baked beans, you name it - he ate it.  He died last year at the age of nineteen and I still miss him - best cat ever.  I've also known Puss-Puss, Geronimo, Mishy, Samba, Bo, Chillum and several un-named rescues who went on to be re-homed.  At a pinch you could call me CatWoman.

The central heating works! There was an over-ride switch not detailed in the how-to manual.  Unfortunately, I now can't switch it off so have turned the thermostat down to the lowest possible setting and hope that does the trick.  I bet that boiler's confused!  I'm one of those annoying people who hates being enclosed and prefers windows and doors wide open - anything else seems like a prison.  I have a halogen heater for the evenings if it's needed and it gives light as well as heat so I should be a not-too-miffed bunny when the gas bill finally comes in.

British Gas have actually been a waste of space. I've given up phoning them now because it's been six months since I first phoned with the gas meter reading yet they still insist on sending me bills only for electricity.  Lord knows what the bill will be when it finally gets here.  The last rolled-out letter I had from them was addressed to a 'Shelly xxxxx'.  I ask you, do I look like a Shelly?

I've also attempted to pay Council Tax but apparently the last owners haven't notified 'The Authoritays' so I can't because it's all subject to a data protection act (really?) .  All these cock-ups 'twixt Council and British Gas will eventually land on my doorstep and, I have to say, I'm not looking forward to it.

On another subject, who needs drugs? TV will fulfill all your needs, if you let it, and copious amounts of freely available alcohol, cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine, heroin ensure that a government has a population just where they want it: living on benefits, half-witted, semi-comatose and unable to fight back against injustice.

Here's Suki snoozing in front of my halogen heater and surrounded by my latest bout of unpacking:



By the way, have you seen these?


As usual, please click to enlarge.





I don't know if I'm talking to myself or not so here's something for me, to keep me going amidst the chaos:





6 comments:

  1. No, you're not talking to yourself! :)

    Wow, that's so wonderful to get all those fruit bushes; I'm jealous! The only fruit I have at the moment is strawberry plants, but I do have seeds for a variety of melons, alas, they only grow in the summer and cannot be frozen, and I'm not sure what a watermelon jam would be like. Icky, I would think.

    I love your cat pic! I'm a "cat woman," too, even though my three died several years ago (they were elderly, though, and had good, long lives). I really miss my cats more every day (and I think it's not supposed to work that way). I am definitely getting a new one (or two) as soon as I can. They are so wonderful to have around.

    Your son has come to live in America? I'm so sorry. This is such a horrible time in our nation's history, and there is no guarantee that it's not going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better. I've actually toyed with the idea of emigrating to Australia (they seem to be getting their act together in so many ways), but that's really just a pipe dream.

    I've considered getting another freezer, too, but I suppose that can wait until I get an actual harvest that has more than I can eat (not the case so far, sadly).

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Fuzzy. It will get worse for you, just as it has worsened for us: 3536 comments and counting - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/10452130/Roma-in-Sheffield-When-it-goes-off-it-will-be-like-an-atom-bomb-here.html

    It's not only unprecedented to have such a number of comments on one article but it's also unprecedented that a msm newspaper would keep comments open. In the past they've shut down the comments facility on this newspaper with fewer than twelve comments - and without explanation. Something is afoot

    In ten days' time I'll be able to add another three Kissing Cousins to my life - daughter-in-law and her parents. They're Christians who carry guns (don't ask!). If I remember correctly they live in Alabama but my son and his girl will live in Nashville - I hope that's far enough away from the Federal Govt to shield them from the worst excesses for the time being.

    Our local councils could soon have the power to ban any protests/marches under the Localism Bill currently going through Parliament thru' the guise of 'anti-social behaviour'. Protest at Westminster has been banned for a long time unless it has prior approval from Councils & the MetPolice. Democracy?

    You gave us psychotropic drugs and psychologists and we gave you back two-fold. Apologies all round.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Christians who carry guns are pretty common on this side of the pond, so I don't have to ask ;)

    Your son and his new wife are certainly better off in the South, but . . . I am really worried about what will happen now that Obama and his traitorous horde have their backs against the wall. There's not really that much they can do to cause actual problems in terms of uprisings, but there are some things. Things they may well try. I really wish your son wasn't coming here now. But . . . hell, we're all here now and will deal with what comes as it comes.

    But we're at Nine Beanrows, so let's talk veg and fruit! I added you to my "Just Fuzzy" links because I really want to not be constrained by politics. The poop will or will not hit the fan, we're ready, the feds are ready (or they think they are), but in the meantime, we have lovely veg to grow and enjoy! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Fuzzy, there's a virus infecting America and Western Europe - maybe it will burn itself out in its haste for change. You at least, will not lie down. The English and England have been changed, apparently irrevocably, by immigration, and our culture and traditions are under threat in a way you wouldn't tolerate.

      Thanks for adding Beanrows to your list - reciprocated :) I haven't been too successful so far what with one thing and another - potatoes lovely but not many of them, onions rotted, cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower all fell prey to caterpillars and cats. The strawberries and tomatoes did well though and the garlic is pushing through now. I've just cheated and ordered some sunshine yellow primroses and cascading violas to brighten up the front over the winter months - I have a lovely Postie and I like to keep him whistling :)

      Take care - I do keep an eye on things over there and hope you will not fall as far as we have fallen.

      Delete
  4. No you are most certainly not talking to yourself - you do have at least one ear in the UK!

    All that fruit - where space is concerned you may well indeed be in a jam..............

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. More than one I hope, MrW. Yes, I'm looking forward to next year's harvest and am already planning the garden based on what I've learned this year, ie it rains an awful lot down here on the coast and it can be incredibly windy. Thank you for stopping by.

      Delete

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