How to Get Through The Tough Times The Old Style Way.

Mrs_Veg_Plot

OH has decided that our large chest freezer needs its annual defrosting and has asked me to start running it down. It's nearly full and will take weeks to run down. I have decided to re write this weeks menu plan to start using the contents up, and to be honest I need to empty it to make room for the veg I'm growing. Yesterday I defrosted some scones and some whipped cream from christmas. Have not frozen whipped cream before. It was quite runny when it defrosted but it whipped up nicely. Have taken some mince out for tea tomorrow and being MSE I will stretch out with lentils and veg to make two meals.

OH went for what we thought was his first counselling session tonight but it turned out to be another assessment session and the counselling starts in two weeks. Here's hoping all goes well.

I've got a couple of days leave now so hope to catch up on some house work before the weekend so that we can all relax and garden over the weekend.

coolcait

mama67 wrote: »

Have read and re-read the fictional series by Lillian Beckwith about crofting on an island and all that goes on the community, worth a look if nothing else.

Thank you for the reminder! I read those books ages ago, and loved them. I remember crying with laughter at some of the stories, and just crying at others.

Well worth a read, or re-read, to help with the emotional side of getting through the tough times.

katholicos

maryb wrote: »

feeling very frustrated at present - I did my back in BIG time on Friday and could hardly move all weekend. The osteopath fitted me in this morning and I can move again but I still need to be very careful. And it was such a glorious weekend and we still have the yellow ball today. I wanted to get so much done in the garden and I just have to be patient.

We've previously dug over about half the allotment (we only have a half plot anyway) and the new potatoes and runner beans are in and beginning to peep through. But we still have the other half to dig and I was hoping we would be able to make progress this weekend. We managed to clear a very small area before my back went and I got DH to sow two short rows of mixed salad leaves, one all green and one with red leaves plus a short row of spinach beet. If I can move tomorrow I want to get some spring onions in and some real spinach.

But we really need to get the other beds dug so I can plant the brassicas I raised from seed - cauliflower, broccoli and brussels sprouts. They're needing more room than they've got in seed trays. And I wanted to sow some carrots, courgettes and squash. I'm not growing onions this year because they didn't do very well last year and went soft in storage. They are cheap enough to buy anyway, same with maincrop potatoes (which we haven't got room for with only half a plot). I mainly grow summer veg but I really wanted to try for some autumn and winter veg as well

I know there are some experienced gardeners on this thread so at the risk of being sent off with a flea in my ear to the green fingered thread I thought I'd ask- What is really critical to get planted this month and what will still do well if it's more like May before we get the ground ready?

Sorry you are not feeling too well at the moment and hope you soon feel better. Don't be perturbed by the dates and months etc for veg growing, it's really more about what the weather is doing and when your last frost dates are likely to be.

If you have some smallish containers (morrisons black buckets the get flowers delivere in?) you can sow your seeds in those and then when they get bigger, transfer them. Alternatively, make some paper pots and sow seed in them and then the whole thing can be transferred to their permanent home at a later date. I don't have a greenhouse just a couple of placky growhouses but all my seedlings /germinating seeds are now in there. Waiting for the right time to be planted out.

mardatha

Sorry not been in lately, been a lot going on and I just didnt have time or energy. Garden half planted but I need more room and more strength Chickens settled and lovely and laying eggies. Even weather is behaving - but the ME is not !!!

maryb

sorry you're poorly Mardatha. I had ME in my 30s so I do understand. I was just so lucky that having a baby sorted me out - it does that sometimes due to the complete shakeup of the endocrine system. I must be the only woman in the UK who can say that having a baby made her less tired. At least with my back I know that going to the osteopath will sort me out (indeed I could actually get out of bed unaided this morning) but with ME the only thing is to rest.

Hope the yellow ball sticks around and you can get some sunshine while you are resting. They are saying that the more they study it the more they think Vitamin D is a miracle vitamin. Frankly I was always a bit of a maverick where my DDs were concerned because I never slathered them in suncream every time they went outdoors and although I sent them to school with a sunhat because it was school uniform so you had to, I wasn't too fussed if they didn't wear one. I made sure they didn't burn but I wanted them building strong bones. I think there will be a lot of osteoporosis in years to come because girls just aren't getting enough sun on a regular basis.

kidcat

Take care mardatha and Maryb. I have been up all night in agony - yesterdays trip has made my back sore which painkillers sorted but I also got toothache late last night that painkillers haven't even begun to touch. Am just praying dentist will see me cos I cannot take much more of this pain.

maryb

Kidcat sending hugs. I get the impression it's easier to get appointments at the moment because people who are finding things tough are putting off their routine appointments. Hope it doesn't cost too much.

mardatha

Funny- I was jsut reading about the link they've found between MS and sunlight/vitD. I'm the same maryb, I worked nights for a lot of years and missed out on sunshine (plus I live in a sunless country LOL) so we take mega doses of vitD. Buy it on Amazon and take 2400iu a day and have done for two years. Get the doc to check the levels every so often to make sure we aren't taking too much, but in 2 years I have only just reached "normal" levels. Is cool and grey here with rain in the wind. Still, nevmind, will do the wee seeds and tatties the world of good
Hope you get to the denstist fast KC xxx

silvermaid

Hugs to you all, mardatha, kidcat and maryb. Hope you are all painfree and refreshed asap x

DH is in the garden transplanting celery:) I like to take it to work, to eat with hummus. (Mind you these little sprouts will have to grow a lot before they can be used as crudite:))

We have the yellow ball here today so I will strip some more beds and get the bedding onto the line:)
Mardatha I hope you get the yellow ball to play with soon. I too was interested in the study linking incidence of MS to Vitamin D and Epstein Barr virus.

Hardup_Hester

I said in my last post that life's tough but I'm tougher, I'm going to need to be, my BIL is in hospital, he had a fall & ended up with 2 blood clots on the brain, he had 5 hours of surgery & is now 'stable' his ex is looking to get his house from him, hubby & I have been asked to make sure she doesn't!
3 guesses who is expected to take care of him when he leaves hospital, it seems everyone else is 'too busy', like I said, life just keeps getting tougher.
Still looking on the bright side, my washing machine's packed up but the sun is shining so hopefully my hand washed clothes will dry in a day.
Hugs Hester