Tuesday 1 March 2016

Day 2- Ecotherapy and anxiety

Lo and behold my friend! I went back to the plots for round two on Sunday, which was another fabulously blue sky, super dry day. Two days in a row at the allotments after 6+ months of absence and boy did I put my nose to the grindstone, toil in the mud and ultimately... bedazzled!

Asparagus beds - growourown.blogspot.com ~ an allotment
Before and After of the two large asparagus beds - check out the wee box hedging plants; on day they will be a wee hedge

Both half plots are looking transformed and if only there had been a few more hours in the day, they would be looking perfect right now. We worked so hard I marred my back, knee, neck and hand, hahaha. But hey, we were out working with and surrounded by nature, plus Maggie was there :)

Maggie! - growourown.blogspot.com ~ an allotment
Zen Maggie at the Plots for the first time in 6 months :)

Andrew's incredible transformation of 24a has been captured in a flip book style of photos (he's very clever!) Bask in his glory by clicking the link to his Instagram :)


*****
OK. A lot of what I say about my time at the plots is bravado. I do not find it in any way easy and take sedatives before I go and sometimes even when I am there as well. I am constantly checking my back, checking on where Andrew is and am always aware of who else my be on site and hence alert to every noise they may make. If a person walks in the direction of our plots I am the one suddenly needing to get something from the shed, whilst muttering under my breath for the ground to please swallow me up.

At home the panic sets in for a while, the exhaustion and anxiety spilling out and accordingly I end up be-swaddled in my blanket on the sofa.... It doesn't get easier the more I do it, I'm just a determined fighter and know there will be good times for the memory banks.

Really, I abhor talking about myself in so personal a manner but I want to make sure no one confuses the messages I'm sending out. Yes I am an advocate for ecotherapy BUT it is not a panacea, the illnesses don't go away.

The true joy comes when I look back on my disaster-free time there and that's why I revel in my before and after photos, those little notes I take and the hugs and kisses from my amazing hubby and my cute-as-a-button wonder-dog.

Anyway, I'm off to read a book...
Happy St. David's Day!

Daffs for St David - growourown.blogspot.com ~ an allotment
baby daffodils for St David's Day :)

Love
Carrie

5 comments:

  1. I appreciate your sharing a peek into the reality of your time on the plot. It's terrific that you can gather up that memory of sunshine and "after" moments when the work is (nearly) done. Your camera is a good tool for that ecotherapy, too :-)

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  2. Thank you for your comment - I've been so worried about writing about the 'real' stuff, ashamed I guess though I shouldn't be, we all need to make mental illness less of a taboo. I thank you for your understanding and yes photography is a wonderful gift to collect moments and when I feel stronger, remember the nice things xxx

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  3. Don't ever be ashamed - we all have hidden fears of one kind or another. It's just a matter of degrees. I think many of us have a public face that often hides who we truly are.

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  4. Well done. Happy reading. Thanks, and to you too. Flighty xx

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  5. Maggie, Maggie - that would make a difference to me.

    So glad to have an extra wall and a gate between the front garden and the real garden where it is just us - Ungardener, Thomas (is new!) and Aragon, and me.

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