Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

GreyQueen

Evening all.

I posted about darning but don't know what page it was on and haven't time to go looking as I'm cooking supper, sorting laundry and speed-reading a novel to discuss at my book group tomorrow evening. It's a real downer in terms of social realism, not my usual fare, so have been putting off reading it. Shall do some more on/ off this evening and finish it tomorrow just before the meet. I'm a very rapid reader, thank goodness.

Have slung a lot of date-expired seeds into the allotment this afternoon. Gloriously sunny, so much so that I had my wide-brimmed sun hat on (think Wurzel Gummidge rather than Edwardian Lady, folks ) and still caught the rays a bit. It was blowing a hooley (meterological term) and quite trying to sow small seeds. There may be parnips appearing in some unexpected places in the next few weeks - such as across the county line. If you're somewhere between the Midlands and the Channel and you have mystery parsnips appear in your garden, I'll apologise ahead of time.:rotfl:

cheerfulness4

Darning guide by GreyQueen

Thanks GreyQueen. Just needed to know who it was so I could do an advance search.

Will pop it on page one too.

cheerfulness4

GQ- I'm thinking my neighbour might have some of my parsley. Little blighters were blown all over the place. Compost all over the place but the root ball saved losing them all.
Thyme looks a mess as upturned but its hardy stuff and seems to have survived.
Broadbeans are a mess. Will have to see what I can do with them when I reach them. Down the side of the house behind some garden tubs. It even took large terracotta pots. Mad!

meritaten

I had planned on sowing seeds today - but far too windy! and I wouldn't really have had time as four of the grandchildren phoned and invited themselves to Sunday Lunch. I was planning on just having a Roast Chicken with a bit of salad (it needs using up), but OH and the grandkids wanted my roast dinner - so roast dinner it was. and I know OH thought it a bit cold for a salad meal........not that it would bother me.
I hope it isn't so windy tomorrow - I really want to get those seeds sown - but not distributed over Wales!
I wouldn't mind a few parsnips btw! very fond of roast parsnips and parsnip soup is lovely - and it makes a very fine wine too! goes well with chocolate.

mrssnowy_2

Evening all,lovely to be back home after 5 days down south.
Had really enjoyable time ,it did include 2 days hard graft in the garden-but we did fill a big wheelie thingy with garden refuse ,although it involved a lot of 'help'from 3 littlies!
Not a cheap trip because I volunteered to pay for a Sainsbugs shop,£148.Would keep me for a month or more but not too bad as DD makes meals from scratch and so will feed the 5 of them for 10 days.
I took felt craft kits with me and we all had fun sewing and stuffing and gluing eyes and things on.
Very windy and damping here in Wales this morning,blessed washing line broke with a full line of clothes-eventually sorted ,I was determined that the washing would have a blow and get dry,they did.
So new line needed ,and a bigger disaster with a big cost implication.I have lost half a back tooth,not painful and only sharp when I stick my tongue in it Fortunately I have a check up booked for later this week.
I promise I will start reckoning up and cutting back-and chucking out.
Caught up with all posts and emails,early night and work tomorrow.

mrss

celtic_moon

Long time no 'speak'! Been keeping up avidly with the posts but a windows phone and chunky fingers do not make a good match....

Not had chance to post - tis the dreaded 'accounts' time of the year so the past 2 weeks have been a mix of :mad: and :eek: with a lot of colourful language thrown in....... Still, hubby's are done and mine are halfway there so :T Virgin was finally switched off last week - what a pallaver..... so no broadband or TV now. We have an app we use to keep up with the American shows (sh0wb0x) and so far, we aren't missing the TV

I have been very good since I last posted - 50% NSDs :j Keeping it to milk, bread and YS goodies and the £40 aldee voucher spend. Well, until last night when we went out for a meal to a local restaurant to celebrate our anniversary and finishing the accounts £30 all in but we have half in fridge for tomorrow and the MIL treated us to a chicken dinner tonight so we have some leftovers from that too We are steadily working our way through the stuff in the freezers and might be up to the point of defrosting one before our next £40 voucher....... :A

Downside though - planted a load of seeds (lettuce and toms mainly) and NONE have appeared they were OOD but only a year or so - unsure as to what I have done..... Compost seems ok as I repotted lots of household plants at the same time and they're doing fine.....

Finally got the point of getting some room in the office so I can get my sewing machine out soon. Got given some wool with my material so I have rehomed that to a friend who is a prolific knitter Might need to get my sewing machine serviced though if the dust on the cover is anything to go by glad the date hasn't been written in it - think it begins with a 19...... :eek:

Glad everyone seems to have recovered from the various ills and are looking forward to the onslaught of spring Thanks Viv for the recipes - my 'to try' pile is increasing rapidly so when I do have some room in the cupboards and freezer.....

Thanks to everyone else - newbies and otherwise for all your tips and posts - they have been keeping me going through this time and I really do enjoy reading everyone's triumphs - big and small.

Much love to you all

samanthaneww2d

GreyQueen wrote: »

Evening all.

I posted about darning but don't know what page it was on and haven't time to go looking as I'm cooking supper, sorting laundry and speed-reading a novel to discuss at my book group tomorrow evening. It's a real downer in terms of social realism, not my usual fare, so have been putting off reading it. Shall do some more on/ off this evening and finish it tomorrow just before the meet. I'm a very rapid reader, thank goodness.

Have slung a lot of date-expired seeds into the allotment this afternoon. Gloriously sunny, so much so that I had my wide-brimmed sun hat on (think Wurzel Gummidge rather than Edwardian Lady, folks ) and still caught the rays a bit. It was blowing a hooley (meterological term) and quite trying to sow small seeds. There may be parnips appearing in some unexpected places in the next few weeks - such as across the county line. If you're somewhere between the Midlands and the Channel and you have mystery parsnips appear in your garden, I'll apologise ahead of time.:rotfl:

This made me laugh lots also I now have proof that i'm not the only who says blowing a hooley my husband always thinks I made it up. I'm in leeds but if theres any gorilla parsnip patches I know who is responsible.

cheerfulness4

I've had probs with OOD lettuce this year. I've sown mostly OOD toms and only one lot didn't germinate and that was Gardeners Delight, which is a little annoying as I love those but equally the best to have failed as they are often about and my little garden centre is selling healthy ones for 85p each.


Only Iceberg lettuce did well for me and they were fresh seed. I've loads of those!

GreyQueen

Just a quick word before bedtime (or the completion of the mammoth dishwashing sesh) for mrsnowy; have you thought about having a steel washing line? We've gone over to them in our family en masse after one-too-many snapped nylon-and-plastic lines and they're brilliant.

Onwards, see ya tomorrow, folks. GQ xx

vhalla1478

Just had to post this to confess, Cheerfulness, I went onto the seed site you mentioned earlier and spent less than £9 including postage for loads and loads of flower seeds. I'm now really excited about the garden; here's hoping for less wind for us all.

Viv xx