Simplifying Life - Mark II

2cats1kid

Well I went out and did the garden anyway - came in looking like I'd been mud wrestling LOL. Unfortunately newly turned soil is like a magnet for cats, so will need to give it a good clean up before the beds go in.

Dragging DH out to Homebase in a tick to get manure and compost for the raspberry trench, and maybe some more bits to make another raised veg bed. I have some lovely looking carrots growing just outside the back door as I planted some lates (Autumn King?) and they are nearly ready for pulling now. Still have some beetroot growing (and 2 jars of pickled in the pantry cupboard) and some broccoli and lettuce.

lightisfading

2cats1kid wrote: »

Well I went out and did the garden anyway - came in looking like I'd been mud wrestling LOL. Unfortunately newly turned soil is like a magnet for cats, so will need to give it a good clean up before the beds go in.

I tend to 'hedgehog' my bed with whatever sticks i have to hand, while bare and unused. It's not 100% effective but it helps (and it doesnt intefere with the weather/cold improving the soil structure).

mary43

Hi folks !
Happy to say I've nearly finished 'christmas' !!:j

Couple of things to concoct and that'll be that. Several things I meant to do and didn't but they'll keep till next year I'm sure.
Just need to get things sorted in the 'who's having who' boxes/baskets and then, hopefully, I can spend November and December relaxing.
I'll probably miss half the cut price offers shops always seem to have but as I was determined everyone should have a recycled (from charity shop stuff) christmas plus some really cheap concoctions (courtesy of Special Occassions Board) I'm sticking with it and won't be tempted to buy anything until January at least....................lol

Once I've sorted everything out all I have to do is the clearing up.........:eek:

sarahs999

I just wanted to say hello, and that I've read this and the old thread all the way through from the beginning. Can I have a cup of tea now please? I really feel like I know you all personally now!

I've been simplifying for a few years now without realising that's what I was doing, just knowing that 'stuff' was getting me down and that sorting it out made me feel better. We've been doing up our house and as we do each room I start again, only allowing things in there that are useful/beautiful, and it's made a real difference - I really love being in the rooms we've done now. We've got lots of storage in each room, most of which is given over to our three yr old's toys!

I've always cooked from scratch, and have been having a timid go at growing my own veg (tomatoes and lettuce this year, which were fine once I got rid of the snails....) I also really like making homemade presents so will be doing a bit of that this year. I've started up my own business making cupcakes this and have a regular weekly delivery at two local delis, plus extra work for any birthdays etc that people ask me to do. THis is on top of my full time job, which I desperately want to give up, but I have been supporting my musician husband through uni for the past two years - he's just started work as a music teacher, which means (hopefully) in the next two years we can move towards our dream of having another baby, me leaving work, and moving to live by the sea - he was brought up by the sea and really misses it. Since I had my son I massively re-thought what was important to me, and it's all about family. I've never really been interested in being a career girl, much prefer chosing a lifestyle I want to have and then working out how to get it. It used to be about living abroad, which I did for ages and still would love to, but with ageing parents it feels like I should be here. Also we're very lucky that DH's father looks after our son two days a week, so he gets priper family time more than half the week. Made me feel a little better about having to go back full time.

Sorry to ramble on - I've noticed this thread is quieter than it used to be, but I've found it really inspiring. I'm currently on day four of the 27 things project..... starting to get harder now!

Sarah

Charis

mary43 wrote: »

I'm surrounded by clutter but purely temporary I promise. All that de-cluttering I did earlier this year made me feel so much better - once the festive lark is out of the way my little den will be back to a space of sanity.

But Mary, you know as well as we do that you will begin preparing for Christmas all over again on the 6th January

2cats1kid

Hi Sarah! Welcome aboard. Yes, it is a bit quiet at the moment, but maybe during the summer there is more to report on the foraging/fruit and veg growing front.

lightisfading, I'm planning to get some straw (where from?) to put across the new beds as hopefully that will help keep the soil warm too.

I've got the front garden beds in now. I bought link-a-bord for speed rather than making like I have in the back garden, and they were ordered Sunday and arrived Tuesday so I was very impressed with that. You just slot all the bits together and you're good to go. I've got ericaceous compost to put in for the blueberries, and will hopefully get blueberries, rhubarb, gooseberries and blackcurrants in the beds this weekend. I've got some crocuses, bluebells and snowdrops to underplant them with, so hopefully they will naturalise and I'll have pretty spring flowers.

ceridwen

Hi sarah and welcome

Yep...another one who has bought that Link-a-Board type stuff (the V-gloo system in my case) - I've got loads of food plants out there growing away in a variety of containers at present. For next time round - I'll be using my readymade "square foot" gardening "beds" - I wanted the convenience of knowing my "beds" would be exactly 4' x 4' and they've also got a suitable "greenhouse" type cover - keeping it simple - making it as easy as possible for myself, as I dont want to be bothered with doing any more working out of whats what than I can possibly help:D

SARAH - I know what you mean by your O.H. wanting to be by the sea - I think that some of us at least have a sort of "soul hunger" to be in or at least near the countryside or seaside - it sort of "fills a gap" that yard after yard of concrete surroundings just don't do. I think there is an element of just wanting to know we can be in natural surroundings readily whenever we please - even if we don't actually do so - it's just knowing we can do. It is the case that to some people at least it is actually "painful" at one level to see more and more of our countryside/areas by the sea being built on bit by bit - as it is a necessity to know we can have access to this when we require it. There is too a sort of wish to have more of a connection with the natural rhythms of "life", the seasons, the weather, etc - that is harder to find in urban surroundings. I'm not expressing myself very well - but I guess you know what I mean.

I think we all need to work out what is important to us personally. I think many of us want to lead a more "authentic" life and not have things like money as our be all and end all. It is important and - if there isnt enough of it then one spends an inordinate amount of time and "energy" focused on the lack of it - rather than being concerned with more "important" things. I can relate to not wanting to focus primarily on a "career" - as can many of us.

Anyways - must see how my colcannon is getting on before I finish up the glass of red wine I have to hand. This is me trying to get back "in touch" a bit with seasonal "traditions" - a thing I am taking an interest in at the moment. I've found a savoury pumpkin recipe from another O.S.'er I shall be having a go at tomorrow - after heading out to get a last few bits for my foodgrowing. I'm quite getting into the idea of making connections with following the traditions of our ancestors at the moment.....back to my Celtic roots and all that....

mary43

Hello sarah and welcome. You lucky thing, simplifying without hardly noticing........oh how I wish. You'll have read early on in the thread how hard I found it to 'let go' of things.............but I did it.............and yes, now I'm cluttered with christmas stuff and so it seems to go on and on. And, as charis says, I'll no doubt start in January for next Christmas but hopefully in a more organised way............lol. I wouldn't have got in such muddle this year (I don't think??) had I not been lured by the Special Occassions Board and started 'creating' -if you can call it that - all sorts of things that resulted in pressies that cost next to nothing. That was the temptation.......making something for someone from bits abd pieces I had kicking around. And it worked out ok so I'm left with a feeling of satisfaction albeit also a cluttered room (or several if I'm honest).
But having come to terms with things earlier this year I'll manage ok to have a 'tidy up' way before christmas and feel content that I've spent my time in a sort of creative fashion and also been quite frugal.

2cats - you seem so organised now with the garden - what are you going to do during these dark winter months ? I've got plans to re-arrange my photo albums..........been collect some nicer ones (yes, for the time being more clutter!) and making that my new year project. Now the garden has 'gone to sleep' OH can take a break too.

ceridwen - not sure I'd like to live by the sea but my youngest son, for some reason, having moved to the south coast some years ago, cannot be parted from it. I do love looking at the cast expanse of water that seems to go on for ever and I do love the countryside (part of being brought up at grans very basic cottage I suppose.......wild flowers are never weeds to me) but I have to admit I do like living in a small market town. Most things are at my fingertips - well, 5 minutes walk away and I have neighbours -luckily, good ones that I get on well with...........and oh so handy if either me or OH are ill, run out of loo roll/cat food/ etc. -and it works both ways. And for some reason I feel more secure knowing there's someone just the other side of the fence. My own little insecurities coming out I expect.

Well, not much in the trick or treat door knocking tonight.........so I've several bags of kiddy sweets to dispose of - another good reason for neighbours....................lol

2cats1kid

Hi Mary - you always seem to be making something or other!

Ceridwen, my parents used to live on a Scottish island, and I can safely say that being by the sea can get really stale when it's blowing a gale! Although on a nice day just clambering over the rocks and having a bit of a commune with nature can be great.

Over the winter I plan to get my family history notes into shape. My niece and daughter are both showing an interest, so I want to get them sorted and explain it all to them, just in case. I've made a lot of progress recently, but most lines now are back about as far as they are likely to go, as they are from the Highlands and Islands, and I've got back to about the beginning of the old parish registers.

I'm also making a hat/scarf/gloves set for DD and using scraps to make a crocheted blanket. I'll probably knit and crochet quite a bit over the winter.

ceridwen

I see your point re the blowing a gale on a remote Scottish island:D - but I like my thunderstorms me.....loads of rain, lightning, thunder....lovely!:D