Botanical blunderings on a budget - good life starts here.

MrsMoo2U

Wow, busy day there Pippi. I have no idea what an elderberry looks like. Must look into this. Hoping to head off to check the blackberries later but (sorry Pippi) tis very hot here and not sure Moo is up to plodding up to the hill fort.

redsquirrel80

Mmm yum elderberry cordial is lovely (especially hot with some nice wintery spices added). Really amazed you're STILL getting flowers Pippi - fab though :T There's an elder tree on my way to work which actually has some almost ripe berries, but the one in our garden is still quite green.

Pippilongstocking

Pippilongstocking wrote: »

Hey up chaps

Back to the semi-grind

[STRIKE]Paid work today in the morning [/STRIKE] 3 hours paid yay!
Doing a bit of web work this afternoon from office
[STRIKE]Corrections during paid work in am,[/STRIKE] something to do when being as quiet as a mouse
Got poles for polytunnel ordered - waiting to hear when they will arrive
Need sort out price for concrete post mix
[STRIKE]Bank to check[/STRIKE]
Eggs to collect
Hens to feed
[STRIKE]Invoice to write for a garden job been doing at 1hr a week[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Reply to text about free dinner next week[/STRIKE]
Bloglet to do..................
[STRIKE]Think about applying for a couple p/t jobs - one is maternity cover, one is in a bakery thinking hard[/STRIKE] :japplied for job via email, will see how it goes!:j
[STRIKE]Watering to do at work for chap being away in Londonium[/STRIKE]
Collect the last of the flowers for elderflower cordial - yup still making it - and very yummy it is too - thank you squizz
Two days til gamerboys results - hope he's done OK
Take lunch in not buy anything

Will catch up with all your shinanagains later on when awake/after morning work

Banks a bit bleurghish but under od limit and couple dd's off
CC near limit but not over - need keep up pads to each

Thankfully no MORE galavanting this month and not much in the way of expenses (keiss brought a lovely lot of stripey shop stock up and a lovely contribution to the house) so that will make a huge difference:A

Cupboard and freezer eating, try and reign in the nsd's this month -starting today - I'll try and make it a Nsd infact I'll leave my purse here:o

A few things done this am, slow and steady wins the race - noted my interest in maternity cover for a job locally on recycling site (p/t 2.5 days week)

Started working on corrections

Lunch time though, tummy hungry! What have I got with me............

Cheery_Daff

Oooh, new job, very exciting! :T :T

Now then young lady - we're leaving for our cheery holidays in a week and a half - need to get planning! What would you like us to bring?? (stripey socks shopping, or treats, or stuff you can't get up there, or whatever Let me know and I'll start shopping! :T

Triciaxx

Karmacat wrote: »

Couple of questions about planty/eaty things:

- can you do anything with elderberries, or is just elderflowers?

- there's a tree near me that looks like a plum tree - the fruits are tiny, not llike you see in the shops, but I've just cut into one, and it looks like a plum on the inside too. Can't remember what shape the leaves are, but I can go check. This sounds really stupid, but is there anything that could kill me that looks like a plum :rotfl::o:rotfl::o:rotfl::o ?

I make Elderberry wine. It's one of the best reds. I made 2 gallons last year and it is much better than the supermarket wines and literally pennies per bottle :money:

Could the fruits be sloes or blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)? or Cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera?) Neither ought to be ripe yet but - this year - who knows!

Glad your adventures were good, Pippi.

lucielle

Hi Stripes, well done on applying for jobs.
L

vl2588

In holiday in Wales we found something that looked like small blueberries and tasted similar, growing on upland heathland - obviously not the same thing but yummy so I thought I'd share! Ooh via this site (http://www.countrylovers.co.uk/wfs/wfsberries.htm) I have remembered they were bilberries! YUMMY!

Yay for potential bakery jobs and polytunnel plans! :T

Lemon_Tree

glad you had a lovely holibob, nice to see you back here. good luck with the job, 2.5 days sounds like a great compromise and will keep you afloat.

MatyMoo

Lovin the sound of the holibobs (other than camping in the rain!, yeeeuuuuchhhhh)

My brother made Elderberry Wine. In fact all his Wine was hedgerow type stuff. Her died in 1967 and when Mum died 5 years ago we found she had some of his bottles stashed away. We have chosen to open one each Christmas to see what they are like and, so far, the Elderberry has been the one that we have all loved. Still drinkable, but it has gone a bit syrupy and is a bit port like. Very yummy!

I always forget about the midges and end up getting eaten alive, they seem to like me :mad:

Good luck on the paying work search.

Pippilongstocking

Morning all

9 minutes til I need to be off

What can I achieve in that time??

Hello to you all thats a start

Exam result day today here and mysteriously the french household of stripeness has the phone switched off/not working/no one home or answering - for a household of 8 that is very wierd - nowt unusual there tho - I'll no doubt hear how the results are later by hook or by breaking into an email account (!) of a gamer chap lets hope it doesn't come to that....!

Bank to check
Paid work today 3 hours - off in a mo
Collect poles for the polytunnel
PHONE LANDLORD - no I've still not phoned!
Take in food not dry bread like yesterday
Take in camera and plod about the tunnels taking pics as I'm looking after them today for a week - yay!
Check my veggie plot and pick some salad
Meeting tonight where I've voiced my 'I'd like that job when it comes up' hopefully we can talk about it - LT you're right 2.5 days nice compromise and the pay is quite good, so it will help very much ifI can swing it happy to apply with everyone else
Peedie may or may not come to work he hasn't decided
Might do more revisions to keep up the momentum
Pack a few more office boxes and take home, thats very wierd indeed
Couple emails
Bit of webwork to do
Might come home in afternoon and work in garden here
Borrow pick axe and spike from work to try and make the first polytunnel hole

After of course I phone my landlord!

Hope you all have a great day - will pop on later and reply to you all properly - very plant on here at the mo, I do like it!

Blaeberrie are flowering in the highland region - we dont get them here in any quantity - not much woodland really - doh!

NOT hot here, anyone wanting to cool off, up you come!