A new 'tougher' thread... and so it continues

greenbee

kidcat wrote: »

Just when I thought things couldn't get worse have just been to doctor and i have pleurisy and pneumonia again. Feel like sobbing.

Poor you I did wonder where you had been - I got pneumonia when I lost my voice too. I got over it, but I've got another bug now and more antibiotics in an attempt to avoid a second bout of pneumonia. You really do need a bit of peace and quiet and rest to recuperate.

I don't suppose there is any chance your parents can take the kids round to theirs during the day? Then feeding them junk and making noise won't have quite the same impact on you.

I keep being told that its important to keep warm. Also have some hyogurt to help replace good bugs killed by your anti-biotics. But I think reducing your stress levels would be the best thing to do.

annie123

maryb wrote: »

I know I should really ask this on the greenfingered board but I feel a bit bashful if I go on boards I don't usually frequent. And I know lots of you grow veg. So please, if any of you can give me a steer I'd be really grateful.
I planted courgette seeds in pots indoors three weeks ago and they have done nothing at all. I don't know if they usually take this long? Should I have scratched them first? And I sowed two rows of carrots three weeks ago and again, nothing.
Is it me and my (whatever is opposite green on the colour wheel) fingers? I bought the seeds from Moreveg, which looked like a good idea as you get small quantities for a smaller price (although the unit cost is high, of course) but it seemed less wasteful as I never use a whole packet of seeds. But I have to say, the germination rate even for the things that have come up, hasn't been brilliant

We're a nice friendly bunch over there, honest
Courgettes seeds take around 7 to 9 days. To test the seed, place them on damp kitchen paper and fold up, then place in ziplock type bag and put on top of the boiler/fridge etc for some heat. You should after 9 days max see signs of life, if you do pot up, if not get some more.

Mrs_Chip wrote: »

I had to dig about in my first lot of runner beans as they had done nothing - they had all turned to slime in the pots :eek: . Not sure what I did wrong, but got more coming now.

Waaayyyy too soon for runners sow May/june time if you're north end of the month/may if you're south, but if the grounds still cold and night temps still below 10c then wait a while longer, they don't like being cold and damp.
http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_diary/fruit_veg_mini_project_october_1_runner_bean.asp

Mrs_Chip

Perhaps a little early, did them late March, and packet says April/May, but was indoors, and our last frosts should be late March, so I would expect to have them out in the ground as strong plants by late April - Mrs OG's are already out in the bean bed!

mardatha

Annie I tried 4 in pots on windowsills and they all vanished, it was just an experiment when we had that hot spell, didnt really expect them to do much I will try them much later on, ty annie!
KIDCAT- with pneumonia you have to think old fashioned Victorian type invalid or you will take months to get over it. You need to - ideally- stay indoors and not get hot or cold air to those lungs. You need to eat filling good food and drink A LOT. You need to really really work hard at getting back to health - you can't jsut skate over the cracks and muddle through. I trained with a nurse who remembered the bad old days when it was rife, and she told me all this. I rolled my eyes (mentally lol) and thought oh god how outdated.... until I got pneumonia & pleurisy myself. Twice, like you. It's not funny. So please shut a door in your head and leave the worry and stress on the outside of this door. xxx
Will add your name to our healing list if that's ok .

Byatt

Totally agree with Mardatha, Kidcat...rest, rest and more rest. Your body is telling you it's had enough, so slow down, delegate and spoil yourself, or better still, let others spoil you. I know it's hard when you are so used to being busy and dealing with stuff, but you need to be proactive in your healing. I struggled on when I had pleurisy, bronchitis and pneumonia, I got to the stage where I was lying on the sofa barely able to breathe when the nurse called and she was horrified. My stats were so low they put me on steroids. I cracked a rib because of coughing. (I was peeling potatoes at the time for ex's dinner, he was lying on the sofa) Every time I went out I felt worse, and the cold air was awful, I couldn't stop coughing once I started...

I have learned that if I rest (and I admit it's a lot easier for me to do that now), I am well again more quickly. I sleep and stay in bed maybe 48 hours. Doing nothing, except go to the bathroom, make a cuppa.:) Well, not going to the bathroom to make a cuppa!

Mrs C, Good Luck with your new business. I am sure the caravan park will be great, as I know I would love fresh fish and chips rather thna cook! How exciting for you, and yes a bit scary, but I am sure you will enjoy it. Your plans sound so good. :T

Katie, thinking of you for tomorrow. Hope the appointment goes well for your OH.

kidcat

Thanks everyone

Mardatha - thats what I was advised last time, so will start again now, may well send out for bio yoghurt thingys even though I hate them, I know its good for when you are taking antibiotics. Thank you for adding me to your list.

Am going to place online order tonight, hopefully it will be delivered in time for me to eat tomorrow night, leaving my parents just to junk up the kids who wont object! OH off Friday so am going to have a look at weezls site for recipes that are very easy for OH to cook.
DD is very upset at her hard work being dumped - she said I gave up two hours from my revision for that -and I can only agree. She says that in future she will make sure the stuff is marked "DO NOT THROW AWAY".

OH had to take DS13 to walk in centre earlier as he has had a cough for last couple of days and was complaining earlier that I had been to GP and he hadnt, WIC have said he has a virus and that he will be fine in a couple of days!! They did say that he is stronger and healthier than me which is why I have got really ill.

GreyQueen

Mrs_Chip wrote: »

Perhaps a little early, did them late March, and packet says April/May, but was indoors, and our last frosts should be late March, so I would expect to have them out in the ground as strong plants by late April - Mrs OG's are already out in the bean bed!

I haven't sown my runner beans or dwarf french beans yet although batch 1 of the broad beans are about 2 inches high.

My part of the forest is subject to late frosts mid-May so I raise the frost-tender beans in pots in the cold frame and transplant them towards the end of the month. This has the advantage of protecting them from slugs and snails until they get established.

kidkat you can garden perfectly well by not sowing most stuff until April or even May so please don't stress about it. I haven't sown any carrots yet but will be aiming to do some and some parsnips in the next week or two. There is a slogan on my lottie site; "No one can grow a good carrot on here!"

Some of these geezers have had their lotties for decades, and their fathers before them, and are really really expert but carrots defy all attempts. I'm getting brassed-off with the poor germination, the fainting fits and trying to keep them away from carrot fly with barrier methods (ooo-err missus) and companion planting. So, I've given myself an ultimatum; this is the last year for growing carrots and they'll produce satisfactorily or that's IT and I'll grow something else instead.

I've read lots of books on companion planting and the distilled wisdom seems to be this; you can never have too many marigolds. I have allowed English marigolds from saved seed from my Nan's garden to escape onto the lottie and they're everywhere and the bees love 'em. I have also sown some little shrub-like bushy Tagetes "Golden Gem" and may even try some other marigolds. They're bright, sunny and fairly idiot-proof which is all an unsophisticate like myself requires in a flower.

Not all gardening books travel, however. I was reading one on companion-planting and organic pest control from the library when it was talking about Mexican Bean Beetles which were new ones to me, although I have heard of Colorado Beetles and know what they look like thanks to a poster in my middle school.

So I persevered with the same book until I came to the bit about how to keep chipmunks* out of your corn. I checked the publication data and it was the USA. Yup, that one went back on the shelf PDQ.

Oooff, past my bedtime. Went out to a pal's where we girlies had a riotous assembly. Chocolate was consumed. Allegedly.;) There were several professorial types and a solicitor to work on our alibi if necessary. And me, to play the fool and lower the tone..............:rotfl:

* It may not have been chipmunks but it was some small verminous not-known-in-the-Old-World critter............

Sleep tight, all.

kidcat

Meme - sounds lovely and relaxing

MrsC - am so excited for you

Mrs_Chip

I grew carrots for the first time a couple of years ago - in a raised bed filled with a mix of bought in top soil, multi compost and a bit of farmyard manure. The whole bed was covered with another one of those tom houses (with the zip side cut off) on it's side for the duration - lovely carrots, no fly but hardly cost effective :rotfl:. I think the key to it was the lightness of the soil in the raised bed, they don't like anything too heavy.

ginnyknit

Im so sorry your parents are not helping. At least your OH understood. Piontless me saying take it easy because it doesnt sound as if that is going to happen sending hugs xx

Having a quiet few days here, OH is trying to save up some energy for weekend. Dd is not having a good time, she works for one of the big 4 supermarkets and they are struggling so are putting the pressure on the staff - long hours running departments alone and push push push :mad: She is exhausted and her poor cat seems to be dying, her OH has sat with her (the cat) all day but she is no better so its off to the vets tomorrow

Did get a few whoopsies yesterday in Mr A but really am only paying the price I would have paid normally before Christmas so am not impressed. We seem to be spending at least a third more a week just for the basics:mad: