My home is a mess

Emm-in-a-pickle

Good Evening to all.
Bearcub, it`s good to hear that the farm buyers will have to stay organic for a few years at least, and maybe the new owners will still allow you to ride on their land too. Re the basil, Greek horses & donkeys often have a sprig of basil tucked in their bridle to deter flies and a lot of the old men have a sprig tucked behind their ears too.

JPS, thanks for kind words - my DGD really is a delight to have around, so it`s no hardship! She`s quite untypical of her age group (14 in September) not a `pop` fan unless it`s Japanese (!!) and happily describes herself as a `geek` who prefers anti-heroes except Dr Who. The only thing that`s made her weak at the knees so far was meeting some of the cast of Red Dwarf recently at a convention. She`s he one who keeps me entertained really!

Today, I am PLEASED with myself.
I got back from farmshop & put stuff away, then (metaphorically) grabbed myself by the scruff and went into the garden....
I bought some plants at fs - they`re labelled dwarf chrysanths but they just look like large Daisies to me, nice & simple, and I`ve actually planted them out in the 2 half-barrels that last years` runner beans were in (3 plants in each). They are just under one of the bee-hotels so as it was cold & dull today there wasn`t much bee-activity going on and the bees and I weren`t disturbing each other! I`ve also weeded the lavender bed, and evicted a load of goosegrass and nettles from a loose scrubby patch between the decking and next door`s fence, & put in my little peat-pots of marigold seedlings. There are some nasturtium seeds in that lot too, but only a couple of them seem to have started sprouting. Over in the other little patch (not exactly `raised` bed but just a grass-free metre surrounded by decking wood) last years` nasturtiums and marigolds were left to self-seed, and there wasn`t much going on till today I can see a few nasturtiums sprouting at last, have removed some tin dandelions to give them a better chance. There also seems to be a potato plant in there, but I`ve no idea why or how...
I`ve planted a few pea plants donated by next door nearly a fortnight ago - these still look ok, so they`ve gone into a bit ceramic pot after I evicted some dandelions from it. And I`ve planted some Swiss Chard seeds in little peat pots, but keeping them indoors for a few days.
It feels good! I have been putting off stuff because of weather, but today was cold (wore a fleece and got rather warm whilst working!) and it rained a bit (so I got wet, but did not dissolve!) just feel silly that I didn`t get on with it sooner.
OH is going on a works` night out, I`m dropping him off soon. Last night`s chicken experiment was lovely, had it with rice noodles, and as there`s lots of chicken left I`ll do an eggy-fried rice to go with it. OH doesn`t stay late at these do`s, but I`ll have a couple of hours to myself with a couple of glasses of wine. Lovely.
Have a nice evening all. x

bearcub

Evening Messies.

Emms, I'm glad it was metaphorical, or it could have looked very odd. It sounds as if you were very busy, and it's always good if you feel satisfied with what you've achieved. Potatoes do tend to spring up unexpectedly, but only if there's a cahnce that bit of peeling has got into the soil somehow. Otherwise ......:question: The chrysanths sound like what are often called ageranthemums (think that's how it's spelled!) - very pretty.

Two WM loads done and dried, including the jacket that DD2 wears to the livery yard when she visits. I'm glad I didn't have to wash it by hand, as I hate to think what colour the water would have been. Have dusted the lounge, and more craft stuff has been put away - properly. I've recently ordered some CDs, and realsied that we have quite a few that we never play now, and probaly never will, so I've removed them from the tower, and put them with other items going to the CS.

jpscloud

Oh Emm what a discerning young lady your DGD is... Red Dwarf has been a huge favourite of mine since it first aired all those years ago! I love Robert Llewellyn especially. I can understand why you enjoy her company so much - anyone who loves Red Dwarf is obviously a great person!

Been out elderly relative visiting today, more rain this afternoon so another lazy one for me. I hope I get a chance to plant up those flowers before the end of the week!

A big WELL DONE to you re. the gardening as well! I totally get that exhausted happy feeling but hope you haven't overdone it.

I wonder if you'll get any spuds from that plant? I've got planted-on-purpose potatoes in, some of them were overwintered in the fridge and spritted so I planted them up and they are now poking up above the soil in their containers (can't do ground growing, too many cats and too much rubbish in the ground). They should be ready around August/September.

Bearcub I must do a CD cull too. Most of them are redundant now really, I just have a few faves that I keep in the car.

Sonastin, I meant to say - I haven't regretted getting a Dri-Buddy. It is a little expensive to run, but not as much as a tumble dryer and so useful for the things that need to be dry "today".

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi all

Camping was briliant. It stayed dry until it was time to pack up and come home and then it poured down so we ended up getting very wet taking the tent down. The kids were brilliant, no arguments or grumpiness and we had a lovely time on Tuesday night wrapped in fleeces playing silly card games until late.

So back home to reality. I have lots to do. Well done on the gardening Emms, I want to get some bedding plants in if it ever stops raining.

Sonastin, I bought a heated airer from lakeland and its great. They are expensive though, I justified it by selling some stuff on ebay.

Right need to get dressed and get moving. Washing and ironing to sort, the dog needs a walk and the kitchen looks like a bomb site. Need to find something for tea too, we are running low on supplies.

Have a good day everyone x

jpscloud

Glad the camping was fun YL - our family hols were always camping either in the lakes or in Dorset. Although we had very little money we had the most wonderful times even though the weather was sometimes cold or wet, as someone else said somewhere if you have a dry bed everything else is manageable!

Another wet start but it has stopped raining for the moment... might be able to plant up some baskets and pots in a bit!

Emm-in-a-pickle

Hi Messies!
Another dull damp day here up to now, but forecast to clear up later.

YL - I`m so glad your camping trip went well, it`s great for kids to enjoy simple pleasures, and to learn that fun doesn`t have to be expensive - or electronic!

Re spud plant - it won`t have the depth to produce anything much where it is now, so I am thinking of trying to move it into a container. Thinking back, I DID put some peelings, and some flattened cardboard layers, on top of some weed control fabric, when I was first setting up that box. But that was a couple of years ago, and it was full of rampaging nasturtiums last year, and just HEAVING with bees including lots of big bumbles- which is what I want again this year!

JPS, DGD originally got the Red Dwarf thing from DS (her dad), and she just loves the whole thing, all the characters, has all the DVDs, frequently quotes from it. DS was rather stricken with Hattie Hayridge... anyway, DGD is back here with us later today & staying till Sunday - one of the best things about me being off work now is getting to spend a lot more time with her.

Messy Status Report -
So far I`ve only done a kitchen clean-up (except the floor...) and got one WM load on (DS`s stuff - manky jeans/odd socks, etc) and another load mostly undies ready to go in.
I have identified an Urgent Need for changing/washing the LR woolly rugs again, they look ok-ish but have a doggy aroma, so that`ll be next to do.
I`ve thawed a YS leg of lamb to cook for tonight (with new pots & spring cabbage)
Am seriously considering a 10-minute timer session outside with garden shears to see how feasible it is to cut down some overgrowth...I could at least clear a bit to access washing line...in case we get drying weather here anytime soon!
Have a decent day all. x
Drags self away to feed WM again...

Emm-in-a-pickle

I am amazed. It took 15 minutes to cut about 3 square metres. With garden shears!
I wasted time looking for my timer upstairs, couldn`t find it & gave up as I was getting bogged down, ended up just doing what I could comfortably do, then checking time on LR clock! I`ve done the patch around the old nasturtium box, mostly long grass/ dandelions/nettles.
It looks a bit scruffy, and there are gaps now where I`ve raked away the cuttings so should give any old nasturtium seeds a fair chance there.
I`ve also got 2 WM loads pegged outside.
I feel I deserve this coffee now, and a little gloat.
It is very tempting to try to do a bit more, but I`m giving the snails & other groblies time to get away!

alec_eiffel

Nothing to report, just nipping in to catch up and say hi!

jpscloud

Hi alec! Hope you are having a good day.

Emm well done! I found nettles quite easy to pull up today, they are quite juicy and soft so a good grasp on the stem and a tug pulls them right off the root. I know they'll regrow but I found last year if I pulled them at the right time, the regrowth was very weak and slow. I have a lovely crop of nettles in the "rough" corner so any wildlife still has a haven!

I really need to get the grass cut again while it's not like making hay, but it's much too wet. Unless we get a lovely dry weekend some time in the next 7 weeks, it'll be summer before it gets done again.

Wow the sun just peeped out. And went straight back behind the clouds... sigh. Off to make some rice salad for tea now.

Emm-in-a-pickle

Hi Alec!
JPS, thanks - haymaking, that`s exactly what it`s like out here! The dandelion stems are crunchy when you step on them, makes me think I`ve trodden on a snail... I`ve pulled a few nettles up too but it`s like spitting in the ocean!
I`ll grind to a halt soon.
I`ve managed to get all the washing dry and brought indoors again, changed LR rugs, Daftie-dog bed, swept & mopped LR floor, and now one woolly rug is in WM.
Lamb is in the oven, cabbage rinsed & ready in pan, scraping taties next.
BUT
I still haven`t tackled kitchen floor, and there`s no chance now as there`s a queue for WM (dog bed stuff, mop-head, & 2nd woolly rug) in a heap on kitchen floor. I`ll plod on with that lot as forecast for tomorrow is sunny (please be right!) and I can put them out in the morning.
Lots of Springwatch to catch up on on i-player later. I`m so glad it`s back.
Have a lovely evening all, enjoy the rice salad JPS!
Drags self off to scrape taties...