Living the Good Life - mortgage free and living in line with our values

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Yes, Jessy, it was indeed both a good and a busy weekend - back to work for a rest!

EH, I'm having envy of your beans! 😁While I've got a great crop of drying ones coming along, my French (for eating) have struggled to get going really - I've got a few in the freezer but that's all (and we've not eaten any yet). They are coming, but slowly (and it's getting a bit late now). You seem to have beans coming out of your ears! Last year I think I got about three beans in total, so I'm grateful for all that have grown this year (and even more grateful that we have the alternative of a shop to purchase food in after last year!). I've not seen dwarf varieties of borlotti - mine have always been climbers. I find dwarves often have the most interesting varieties, but you get so few off of the plant in comparison to climbing beans that I only have limited space for them. If/when I get my adjacent plot, I'll be expanding the bean growing further (although I have decided to grow up long trestle-style poles next year rather than wigwams as I think this might allow for more plants). I'll also be growing runners next year - don't like them green, but have discovered that the right varieties can be dried as butter beans (was I just a bit slow on the uptake about this?!).

It's hump day already, which is a lovely feeling! Next week is going to be a shock to the system with 5 full working days! Mr MV was going away Thursday overnight, but has now changed his mind - I'll be glad of the company, but I had plans! Have had Cambridge meetings this morning but also finished a piece of work for UK client and am over halfway through the huge piece of work for main client (which needs finishing by the end of the week - suspect he's keeping stuff back or giving it to the other freelancer as he's been suspiciously quiet, but he knows I want to get this finished by the end of the month).

Am chasing about asbestos removal with 🐙 - rather frustrating that the asbestos company are so slow in getting on with this. I've also contacted a company that have done asbestos testing for us before to see if they can quote for the removal  - after all, we're not tied to 🐙 for this bit.

Popped to allotment last night and picked more beans, loads of plums (and swapped quite a few for a giant beetroot), and the first three baby corn. Dinner tonight will be homegrown stir fry (with noodles). When I got back I reboiled the pinkcurrant jelly with the juice of a zested lemon that was sitting in the fridge (thereby using it up nicely). That seems to have done the trick, although it's not as set as I'd like - it'll do though. Picked a good few more blackberries too while I was out - have a nice big bag in the freezer, which is great as I'd like to have enough to make some smoky blackberry ketchup (as mentioned by Foxgloves), some blackberry vinegar (also inspired by FG) and have some spare for crumbles/porridge etc.

MS things:
* 1P surveys
* YG survey
* PA survey  -and a £4 bonus paid (balance about £18, so not earth-shattering, but I've been too busy this month with proper work and jamming).
* Clicks and HW
* Tidied up my cc pots after the weekend (and called in the debts from Mr MV and BIL for cinema tickets and presents) (Mr MV also paid our half of the ferry for the trip to France next month, so my personal spends are looking a bit healthier - friends still owe us, but suspect that will now be in the form of dinner/drinks while we're there, which is annoying, but that's just because of how I budget).

Gratitudes:
* Lovely chat and plum/beetroot exchange with an allotment neighbour who I've not really chatted to before
* Kitty play time with my cat clients - I get the feeling it's unusual for them
* Lots of progress with work - the end feels in sight! (It's definitely not, but I can kid myself!)

Back to it now - and I need to hang some washing out - think it'll probably get wetter before it dries, but worth a try (it's not raining yet).

EssexHebridean

If you were nearby Vix you would most definitely have been gifted beans by now - we are indeed overrun!  If you happen to venture into a L1dl store and they have the seeds for the "Berggold Bush" ones - that's the yellow variety we've grown for the past couple of years - and they are absolutely excellent, you can plant them reasonably close together too. We've got about 8 plants I think, and they've been ridiculously prolific!  For the climbing beans we grow a combination of a-frame and essentially wigwam - although in fact what we grow around is the lovely metal obelisk my parents bought us a few years ago. Next year's crop will be along the narrow strip of ground between path and grass I think - allowing the climbers to use the frames/arches that are alongside/over the path too. 

themadvix

Thanks EH - A-frame is the term I was looking for! Will keep an eye out for those beans.

themadvix

Well we've finally had the quote through for the asbestos removal and it's £3000+ (inc VAT). Which is more than the heat pump. I have pushed back again as part of this is for removal of something that I don't think needs removing (the original surveyor didn't highlight it as an issue, just the asbestos company surveyor; according to the install team it needs removing, but they've not given a reason why or actually been here). We'll see what they say. And get other quotes (I definitely think the company 🐙 uses are pretty awful and out to make a fast buck - so have no inclination to give them our money regardless). If we can't get the price down, we won't be getting a heat pump. How ridiculous.  I also think this is something the government needs to address - it's all well and good providing grants for installations, but if the cost to the consumer is doubled because of asbestos removal (which is going to be necessary in plenty of properties, I imagine), then heat pump uptake is going to be seriously affected.

Suffolk_lass

I think you have a path in your allotment, and I thought our system might be of interest for growing and more importantly, picking (we copied it from Helmingham Hall, only much smaller scale) - we have arches over the path, with the feet in the raised beds either side. Being Mr Sl ours are rounded, and each is three sections of copper plumbing pipe. We painted the bits in the ground with red oxide paint so there is no chemical leeching and then it's easy to throw netting over them in Spring and let the beans grow up and over - and they are really easy to both see and pick. They are also excellent for cucumbers and a number of other squashes (which is what HH do). The arches don't have to be round either, they could use a brass or copper elbow joint at the top. Our Crown Prince pumpkins really like them. Tromboncino too - this is from HH

themadvix

Thanks for sharing SL. I’ve thought about arches but my paths are so tiny that I would lose more space to path than I’d gain - they’re literally 30cm or narrower - enough space to edge down! I have got an arch this year for squashes but it has been singularly unsuccessful! The butternut has ignored it completely and the baby pumpkin has just about started going up it, but only really a foot or so, and has only one fruit 🙄 If I had more room though, I’d definitely go for arches as I think they’re a brilliant use of space if you have wider paths.

Cheery_Daff

Ridiculous about the asbestos! Hope you manage to get them to agree to something more reasonable. 

themadvix

Thanks Cheery. It is ridiculous and very disheartening. I am waiting to see what the 🐙 lady says. If they can give a reason why it needs to go, that’s fine, but as Mr MV pointed out, they don’t entirely seem to have a plan for the installation - a case of ‘we’ll see if it fits here and if not it can go in the loft’ (regarding bits that fit on top of the hot water tank) - if they don’t need to go into the loft, then the pipe doesn’t need removing. We’d consider moving it out of their way (and leaving it in the loft at the gable end - it’s a non-licensed galvanised metal and asbestos pipe, nothing really dodgy) ourselves, if it’s just that it’s in the way (it is definitely in the way generally, but we manage). But if we need to pay someone to remove it, so be it, but not at that price. 

Cheery_Daff

Well then that's even more ridiculous! Good grief. I hope you find an octopod who is willing to actually LOOK at the situation sensibly. Grrrr.

rtandon27

I feel for you Vix - such a shame that there are still cowboys out there trying to milk you for more than fair market value!

The odd time we've had 'the nice (and not so nice) man' in, we let them talk to OH as the so-called man of the house, and then OH passes them over to me with flourish informing them that he hasn't a clue as I'm the engineer and hold the purse strings. Diminutive status and looking far too feminine does not help my cause.  He's gruff and tall and very viking!  By the time OH has had them verbally quote, I've already made up my mind!