Chim Chim Cher-ee

This week I met a Flue Enemist.

An enemist ....da da der rada, an enemist da -da-da dar....tempting to hum along with the Muppets in my head....However there was  something I discovered, something that, to put it dramatically could have made us all really ill or worse....

An Enemist, is a Chimney Sweep and I haven't had my chimney swept since one of my boys was about 4 and was asked by the Sweep to go int the garden and shout when he saw the brush appearing out of the Chimney. I hadn't had it swept because I had a gas fire fitted  soon after that date and I didn't think you needed to get it swept unless you had a real fire.....

Fast forward to recent events. Last year we had intermittant problems with the ignition on the gas fire, some times it would light easily, other times it took some persuading. A few weeks back, we tried to light the fire on one particularly cold evening and it just wouldn't light. Ignition defunct. Time for  someone to check it out and replace offending button.

Along came Gas engineer, yep ignition not responding, out comes gas fire, dead bird at base of chimney behind fire; plus loads of soot, mortar..... Hmm. Advised to get chimney swept first " fire probably done you a favour by not working".

This week we had the chimney swept. Apparently cobwebs can build a thick barrier within chimneys and prevent airflow, this combined with the fact that we don't have a cowl on the chimney (hence bird) twigs and nests can also be a problem. Large industrial  vacumn cleaner sucked upwards in my chimney... The next day we no longer had condensation on our french windows, the next day our room stopped smelling damp....

Today the gas engineer (with whom I am now on first name terms)  cleaned and replaced the fire in its original position. The ignition worked perfectly again and smoke was seen curling up from our chimney when he did the smoke test.

We have been advised to get a carbonmonoxide monitor which can sit on a shelf , plus of course sort the chimney out, which was in the plan anyway.

Hope this helps anyone else who, like me, would not have considered an Enemist......

da-da-da-der!

Comfrey under attack!

I'm nurturing my newly- planted comfrey, taking great pleasure in dreaming about its many uses once it is established. I'm watching each leaf unfurl with a sense of anticipation.....but it seems I have an enemy....Tonight I wandered down the garden and see a wiltered leaf...WHAT?!!!!! On closer inspection a small yelllow and black beetle flies off just as I'm peering at yet more leaves with holes in them.  Now, I have noticed the furry underside of some of the few leaves that are starting to get established, have got a downy look to them, hmmm ?eggs, I've ignored it until now....because now means WAR!

Now having done my research before I bought said plant, I know that any gardener worth his/her salt has comfrey growing because it makes a great liquid fertiliser.  So I am keen to encourage it even if it threatens to become invasive. Apart from that it has a variety of medicinal uses which I haven't got into yet....although its claim to heal broken bones seems a little far-fetched, won't bring that up with dh!

So what to do? Trawling through web sites, it appears that getting rid of said beetle is almost impossible, if it is cucumber beetle, which I suspect it is, by its description  If , of course, someone tells me it isn't resident in the UK then I will try and see what it is...but whatever it is, I'm up for a fight! Armed with my weak solutiuon of washing up liquid in spray bottle I have drenched the plant with it, having absolutely no idea if it will work, but sounding a lot like the father in MY Big Fat Greek Wedding who thinks that Windex cures everything!  I read it somewhere on an organic gardening website years back.... Next I have covered it with fleece and peg it down with tent pegs.....we shall see. I'm up for a fight! If it dies, it dies, but it's going to go down fighting and I'm going to spray and watch it like a hawk.... my little plant needs to have a chance.....wretched beetle.....

 One day, I want to see it looking like this!!!!

Next morning:

Don't think Confrey liked my diluted washing up liquid deluge..... Leaves gone brown overnight...no sign of downy eggs on underside of leaves though.  Have  removed some leaves which I consider past all hope and covered it up with the fleeceagain! Have about 3 or 4 leaves left and a tiny leaf coming up at the base. Decided NOT to respray!! Not about to give up yet!

Thursday afternoon, slowing down and enjoying the rhythm!

Came home from work this afternoon and this was the view I had from my back garden!

and the other end of the rainbow!

.....and the full effect on the video!

The light was exquisite. I am constantly thankful for this panoramic scene that I can enjoy day after day throughout all the seasons.

Then I sat for a bit and did some of this:

...which will be a tunic top to go over trousers.  I'm no expert but I find it relaxing and it helps me to slow down and ponder!  I'm keeping to the straight forward patterns at the moment, although I must just show  you this, now that Christmas has gone!

For a special lady!

Then off I went with a small bag of bits and bobs for a local charity shop.....of course whilst I was there I had to peruse the books. My excuse being to look out for the Book Club reading books that are coming up.  I was shown the back room in which were stacked crates of books, paradise!  However, I could only gaze as there were so many piled up, I would have had to dismantle the whole area! my eyes did alight on a Nigel Slater book though....I love that man's mouth, forget the recipes, when he is on TV, I just stare at the curve of his mouth....hahaha, mad woman!

So here it is, such sensible recipes, food we all eat!

Photography is outstanding too!

However I believe my next culinary attempt will be Chinese tabioca! Got the ingredients (left by a previous medic....refuse the check the sell by date, sure it's fine...) Found a recipe online, it's chilled and is made with coconut milk....pictures may follow! (Bet you can't wait...)

Until then, have rambled for long enough, need to plate up the dh's dinner.  He will be home after extended hours surgery...12 hours at work being all things to all people.  I'll leave him to unwind in front of the TV in peace without me jabbering on (have learned the hard way! ) As for me I shall retire to my bed surrounded by my books and many thoughts, unwinding in my own way...with  A.W.Tozer!

"Any place I hang my hat (or coat) is home!"

 

Had a bit of a change around since the New Year!

It is interesting how you continue to do things the same old way without questioning why you did it in a certain way originally and whether it still works as well. This was well illustrated recently when I noticed how our coats always hung over the shoe rack so that when you looked for your shoes you had to go rummaging through the jackets that draped all over them…

 So why was that? Then I remembered three small boys with school coats and hats who couldn't reach. So where were those small boys now?!

Time to change!

Coat hooks were removed, two were broken anyway.....we were going to get around to it...eventually! New hooks bought, Coat rack moved to a more suitable higher area, shoe rack at the base, free of  trailing coat hems....

Sideboard bought (been saving!) Drawers filled with hats, scarves and gloves (in that order)  Large cupboards: toys and games for visiting children, Small cupboard: umbrellas, kagoules etc

I keep stroking the woodgrain as I walk by....

The chair can be grabbed and used if we need it for extra people dropping in for coffee. At Christmas. it can still be our  Chrsitmas tree space! (Yeah, thought it through...so that's what wakeful nights are all about then!



This is the wallhanging given to us by a special lady this Christmas! It goes perfectly with our theme and replaces a smaller,rather sad, faded and old one which I needed a reason to remove.  It will be repurposed into something else when I get inspired!

It is twinkly with small mirrrors and works well with the mirror style curtains I made for the front door.


 

So times have moved on and now so is the decor, little by little!

 

Never mind the quality, feel the width

Well. it all began in a straightforward manner. The upstairs bedroom needed a desk, suitable for a student, we had one downstairs that fitted the description. EASY. We could replace the one downstairs with a lovely rustic-type desk that would blend in with the theme we were creating.... So we measured the width aperture: 150cm and off we went to the furniture shop to have another  look at a desk we'd already got our eyes on.

It was still available, we measured the desk, hmmm... 150cm wide, tight, but possible, decision made, we bought it, two men lifted and loaded it into back of car (tight, but possible!) asked me if I was intending to help with the removal and relocating of said desk,  I answered in the affirmative, men look unconvinced, dh says," we'll be fine" as we get into car. I make him promise he will not shout at me if I can't (!) and off we go...

Once home we manage the task, with me squealing periodically, threatening to drop it, fall into a flower pot and treading gingerly down the steps to the front door by feel rather than sight, but we get over the threshold having avoided any shouting and teamwork having prevailed . Little do we know what is to follow....

Old desk is cleared of computer, shelves (and their contents) on the wall are removed, all is pushed to one side. Vacuum is employed, carpet vigorously attacked with scrubbing brush. on my knees, area cleared of cobwebs and grime...ready to go!

Desk is moved into position, suggestions are made, diagonally,then straighten up, nope doesn't work.. Okay....issue is door frame jutting out by 1.5cm so if we angled it so that part of desk went through the bannister railings and then we eased it past the door frame, we should be okay...so far so good, however we then discovered that the lower staircase mountings also jut out so having angled it throught the railings we found the desk rested on these bits and perched in mid air.... We had measured from above the jutting out bits where there is no problem... My suggestion to remove part of staircase did not go down well.....

Well, we tried every angle we could think of with much yanking and pulling of bannisters, should we rearrange room furniture, I suggest tentatively... No, the only option would be to get the electric saw out and cut it down to size.  We agree there is no other way... Off to garage get  30 year old "seen better days" electric saw and sander attachment, pencil and ruler. The kettle is put on....

The noise, smell and dust begins to fill the room.

Seems SO wrong.....brand new..... yet the only option....

The smoke alarm immediately above, goes off, piercingly...

All work stops, smoke alarm is deactivated.....sawing resumes.....

Smoke alarm goes off again....

Battery from said smoke alarm is removed...

Sawing resumes....slowly, blade is old...? 30 years, we can't remember...

Sanding follows....edges softened....

Desk is  placed in position again.....not quite enough, will need to saw off other side to make it equal...

Pencil, measure, saw....

Blade breaks.....

Thankfully, packet of spare blades are found in garage....

We can't remember how to get  broken blade out of saw....

Miraculously we find old, yellowed, decrepid manual in garage.

Need long handled screwdriver....off to garage again... retrieved aforementioned. ("Nurse, scalpel!")

Blade removed, replaced...

Suddenly remember  tea is brewing...

Sawing resumes...faster...new blade....

Sanding...

Wipe off dust covering desk, small scratch repair completed, where saw slipped...

Desk pushed into position, slowly...

STOP....now what???!!!

Desk will not advance because when computer plug is in socket it protudes about 1 cm into the side of the desk...

Discussion ensues... Are there flatter wall sockets? Do we need to move the plug....get an electrician in?

B&Q tomorrow to search out socket depths....(yeah, we know how to live!)

Vacuum required again.....black dust, carpet looks like Santa has come down the chimney...

I can write all  nearby surfaces with my finger......

However.....All achieved without marital disunity! RESULT!


24 hours later.....

Flatter wall  socket purchased...as yet untried...jury is still out

Desk is in forward position with gap of about a foot behind it...for now

Computer is back up and running.

It will all look wonderful, eventually!!!!

NB Offending socket in far distance...

Update:

Flat socket was enough to do the trick!!!! Desk is now in final position and looks great! Thank you dh!

Deep Purple.....dreams?

The trip to Homebase was straightforward and there was nothing to suggest what lay ahead except the plan to paint Andy's old room in a deeper mauve colour with two contrasting walls.

We found a deep plum colour which was decided would be the contrast colour behind the bed,fairly easy decision especially as they were promoting a buy one get one half price. Next the contrast colour...we wanted something that would blend, perhaps a lighter shade..again, a fairly easy decision, so far so good!  The final colour was the gloss shade, I wanted a fairly neutral colour, slightly cream maybe. We opted for pecan as it had a warmer hue. Home we went, my afternoon and evening mapped out!

Every project has to have its before and after photos....

My Craft corner, not looking forward to moving all that stuff...

And so to paint! D went to clean the chickens out and I started on the contrast wall.....very purple...very contrast....totally a feature all of its own.  Having sugar soaped the blue tack marks and still failed to get them covered over with paint on the first coat, I reassured myself the next (very purple) coat should do it. The phone rings D is needed up the road to help some friends out, I am under the impression it is for  5 minutes or so...he disappears, only to reappear a minute later, a spade is needed, he leaves again... I decide to paint the skirtings whilst waiting for the purple to dry. Now this time I have done everything the wrong way round, playing by my "I just want to get this done as quickly as I can in no particular order", before anyone criticises!

The gloss paint is French mustard colour, I stare at it,  nothing neutral about this shade....breast fed baby poo colour....I paint, unconvinced....The mustard against the purple is not pleasant...I paint two skirting boards, then having talked myself into the "you haven't wasted this, it can be used in Nick's room, I reseal the lid and wonder how I am going to inform the man that more paint needs to be purchased.....of the neutral shade variety...

So by now I am in for a penny in for a pound, I look at the remaining paint pot. It has to be done, I open it  and slop the paint on liberally, beginning to be past caring.  The colour is dark...a very pretty mauve, a beautiful mauve.....a competing for contrast with the purple wall mauve.  Suddening I am overwhelmed by the oppressive walls closing in on me.  I practice walking into the room, as if I have never seen it....

Oh my....I am in a purple box...a deep purple box and I can't pretend this is us being "adventurous with colour" Even with our  radical orange landing, this really is too much, nothing I try to tell myself convinces me I have made the right choice.

I rest my case....

So what's a girl to do? D has still not returned, hours have passed, why does he need a spade, what is he digging? What do I tell him now?  Not only do I hate the mustard , but now I have two walls which look as if I have had an unfortunate accident with a winepress.....The front door opens, the man appears, he has been shovelling cement...... He starts to come upstairs....I feel the need to warn him before he enters the room...I call out phrases in the hope that it will prepare him for the sight: "It's too dark" "The colours are battling for supremacy", "I don't like it"

He stands and surveys the scene. "I agree" says he, "What about if we paint over the deep purple with the lighter colour and buy a more subtle  shade for the other three walls?"  He quite liked the pecan (me....mustard) but seemed okay with my suggestion of a more ivory shade....He was hungry...I suggested we get our own meals tonight...I couldn't just stop, things needed to be rectified! He disappears to prepare his meal... (dreadful wife....leaving the husband to fend for himself and after all that shovelling)

So lighter shade is applied over deep purple shade and then the song started in my head....a tinny sort of tune from my teenage and it wouldn't go away....

Now I have two wall painted the same colour but feel I am heading in the right direction.  Another coat on the deep purple should do it, just need to pop out to Homebase tomorrow...and still the song plays in my head....

On my word, look at the teeth!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-w1bztcm70

 I am officially the messiest painter!  Should have taken a picture of my hands and arms (oh yes!)

So here endeth Part 1. I have no intention of having any "Deep purple dreams" tonight, but now I'm on a mission!

Does anyone want any deep purple satin emulsion?!!!!

Grand-ish Designs!

 Okay family and any others who have expressed an interest as to the goings on down the bottom of the garden....

The overview as a starter! You can't actually tell from this angle how much flatter the garden is in that area now, as opposed to the originally sloping aspect. You can see the two chicken houses on the right (one is empty at the moment but we intend to buy some more chickens in May/June )and matching greenhouses on the left. Some ideas we have are to try and create different "rooms" in the garden and to discover more about introducing Permaculture into our thinking as we continue to plan for the next stage. The earth in the foreground will be grassed over for now.

http://www.heathcote.org/PCIntro/4Principles.htm

Railway sleepers made into stairs and walls, creating a rustic feel.  By the time I am at the bottom of these, I can hardly be seen from the house!

The area with the sun dial is going to become a pond which we hope will encourage frogs who in turn will eat the slugs on the vegetable patch....we live in hope!!!

We won't get the glass into the second greenhouse, this year, but it will still be used for climbing peas and french beans in the meantime. You can see the Columnar apple, pear and greengage trees now have their own raised bed.  This area in the foreground will be grassed over.

A little path created so that we get walk between both chicken houses. We will be buying a water butt to catch the rain off the roof which will be used for the chicken's water. It will be situated on the far paving slab where the roofs meet. I'm hoping that the sweetpeas I've planted in the pot will climb up and look beautiful as well as smell divine!  They are supposed to be highly fragrant.  I never seem to be that successful with them, but every year I try again.   They are my favourite summer flower!

Rhubarb is on its way, as are the climbing peas, just about visible!

Three redesigned deeper than before (to redistribute some of the extra soil) raised beds.

A few bulbs to start us off.  We will buy a sack in the autumn and get planting for a really beautiful show next Spring.

The Gunnera has been repositioned, it is already thriving on the new site.  It will look like this:

Well hopefully not nearly as huge!!!!!

Dolly our Cream Legbar who lays blue eggs.

Connie, our Silverlaced Wyandotte and Xena our Light Sussex, aged 6 years and still laying most days!

The sundial that we found in the garden when we moved in, back in 1987, at last has a place to stand after all this time!

The sweetpeas beginning!

And finally, Mabel who now has a retirement home where she can keep a beady eye on what we're watching on TV! Not too impressed when she decides to wake us up some mornings...our bedroom is just above!

Hope this gives you a little idea of the beginnings!

Autumn Days

Saturday in pictures! First the chutney in the mix, dh is at the other end of the kitchen making "freezer failure jam" which consists of a variety of soft fruits needing to be turned into something else, quickly!  The freezer itself is behaving at the moment, no sign of a flashing red light, but it is on a yellow card and we're watching...

No nutcrackers, so those that we were unable to prise open were crunched with a metal contraption retrieved from D's tool box.....I can't photograph it as he  has secreted it away again and I'm not about to go rummaging in the equivalent of "The Man Drawer".

I do knit other things apart from dishcloths! However I have wool to use up and I know I can knit AND talk with this easy pattern....such matters are important.

Shredding is under way!  Light is now filtering through the front rockery area, over
enthusiastic tree given a haircut.... a ruthless number 1 by looks of it!

Result!

Meant to do a before and after, but knew that if I came in to find the camera, I could get distracted!  You can see the tub filled with old tomato plants amonst other things.  The soil was AMAZING, so easy to lift....having Hattie on that site for a few years certainly paid off.  Hoping to do the same with the other girls when we relocate them to the end of the garden.  Hardly took any time at all, quite impressed.

Then of course I had to go and see the girls, camera in hand!  Don't always manage to get them all in one shot, so.... from left to right we have:
 Connie- Silver-laced wyandotte, our  shy introvert and bottom of the pecking order.
Xena or to give her her full title: Xena Fox Fighter Warrior Princess, (she lived to tell the tale...and we will never forget the night) top of the pecking order, into her 5th year now.  Shes a Light Sussex goes broody every May....but doesn't have a flounce now when we remove her from the next box and order her to "Eat something, already!"
Dolly: Cream Legbar (blue egg layer) Total extrovert and very nosey.  Sports a frivolous hairdo...
Gert (and she is, people think she is a turkey from a distance!) Blue Orpington, gentle giant.

and then there's Mabel who is our one remaining exbatt.  She has the "Acropalace" all to herself  but doesn't seem too lonely since we lost Hattie recently :(  She is able to see what's going on. We pop in to see her and chat, but she doesn't enjoy being touched unlike Hattie who was aways "in your face"!

I can't believe she kept still for long enough for me to take this.

A perfect pear..see what I did there.....

Not so perfect windfalls...got some work to do here....little by little!

and finally the jam that D made.  I cleaned them up and removed all the old labels ready for him to attach a description and date.  I can't bear old labels stuck under new ones.....it all has to look new and shiny. About such things I make my stand!

The Greenhouse cometh!

A recent Sunday in September...P wants to get rid of the Greenhouse, but she wants it done...this afternoon.... a stategy is devised.

Take one Greenhouse, remove all panes of glass, place rubber seals and clips in German carrier bag. Look confident!



Up over the garage, steady does it....

 Up you go Nick...

 Nonchalant Nick

 and down the other side...

Okay, everyone grab a corner and let's go!

Texting on the move

Got some strange looks from motorists!

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So there it will sit until operation trellis removal and measurements are taken. Hopefully by the end of the year, we'll have a his and hers side by side....better than two Jags any day!