I don't have a 'lockdown life's diary full of thoughts and carefully constructed photos, and that's thankfully fine. I've been using my energy to focus on keeping everyone alive, as healthy and happy as possible without quietly losing my mind myself along the way. Some days have been better than others but overall its actually gone fairly well.

Now I feel, like many people, that we're left with a big aching unknown. Uncertainty is our new companion. This creates a deep longing for normality, certainty, security (see everyone flocking back to whatever filled their pre covid days and feels.like normality to them). I'm not ready to rejoin casual days out and trips to cafes and pubs. We do need to get out though, and we've been exploring all the little patches of woodland and parks and half hidden corners of nature anywhere within a workable distance of us.

Today's discovery has a mud slide! And warm breezes blowing in across fields, a pond coated in unfurling water lilies and hazel trees sending up supple stems from their coppice bases.

Tomorrow , back to the plot. I promise! (To see how true this little saying has become)

It rained!

And rained and rained and rained!

So I didn't take any pictures. We were a bit too busy hiding in the shed and huddled on the front of the playhouse.

Here's today's lunch though, topped off with home grown lettuce. (Bags of lettuce are pretty much the most thrown out veg there is...every leaf helps)

Who wants 15 months in one post?!

We have another allotment, and another child! Things have definitely been growing around here (also, many many many weeds!).
My half plot became a full one when the lady above gave up, hubsters is in the process of doing the same as our friend there had to make the tough decision between running and growing, and new child is many months old and needs a blog name of their own (superkid is almost in juniors and my constant state of feeling switches from tired to old and back again).
I'm not quite sure what we have in to be honest. No sunflowers as they didn't germinate. Onions, strawberries, raspberries, garlic, rhubarb, beetroot,  sweetcorn,  courgettes and pumpkins I think. And a fairy garden. Up to date pics tomorrow because we're meeting a friend there in the morning.
Pics of home would probably be good too. There's a greenhouse crammed with tomatoes and cucumbers, new borders bursting with lupin and wild flowers and a swing and slide set that's also sprung up. Just to make sure our garden accurately matches our stage of life!
And I'm still mulling over a name change and redesign round here. Though I am actually reading! So one out of three is better than none at least.
Cross everything those pics materialise tomorrow!

New season

Bean, Hubster and I have been down at the allotment for a couple of hours already, just time for first brew with some friendly company.

It was lovely to see Lottie. She seems less timid as well, almost glad to see us. Though she cut the visit short when she realised we weren't having bacon butties today!

Here's the season opener...

A wilderness to tame, and spring has definitely sprung so it's time to get started.

Harvest!

The not-dwarf brand did themselves proud in the end.
From the mountains of pods. Even after eating them for nearly two weeks, I dried the rest for storage and look what I've got!

My last bean storage attempt was pickling, which we didn't end up using even though they kept well, so I'm hoping dried will get more use.

End of August

My compost is ready!



After sieving and sorting I've been able to fill up a new bed.



The not-dwarf beans are still going strong. So strong they've pulled down their supports. Heaps of them still to grow big enough, and several cucumbers still on the plant too

Dinner time

I think the fact that I'm very happily dancing away to the best of the Back Street Boys in my kitchen while cooking this tells you something about my age as well as my outlook on life and values (no need to spend too long trying to work out either though).

Everything vegetable in tonight's tea is home grown. Everything. Only the pasta and pork is bought, as I have neither a pig farm nor a pasta tree!

Courgettes - my allotment
Basil - my window ledge
Tomatoes - hubsters greenhouse
Swiss chard - my mum's garden
Onions - a friend's allotment
Garlic - another friend's allotment

Now there's just making my own wine to figure out in future.