home truths

Do you ever feel like the world has chewed you up and spat you out on the ground, covered in slimy saliva? Well that's exactly how I've been since we came home from our trip to Brittany. Though to be fair, I wasn't all fairy dust and unicorns whilst I was there either.

I'm not good with coping with winter and now the clocks have gone back I'm miserable. I hate these shorter, darker, cold and damp days. I catch everything out there and daren't go to the Lottie as I get so cold and end up with a sore throat etc. Which I have right now.

In a nutshell...winter is wick!

Andrew went to the plots for a little while at the weekend. He dug a bit and he planted our garlic. I love this collage he made to show me his work.

Isn't it fabulous to be growing your own garlic for free each year. These cloves came from some of our best, biggest bulbs lifted earlier in the year.

As for myself at present, I'm working on my Christmas decorations for my other life as 'Oh Cherry Blossom'. It really is keeping me sane and making me feel happier. Though naturally I can hardly believe it's so close to November already and I do sense a little itty bit of pressure to get my creation numbers built up. I am so lucky and so thankful that I have had 3 customers already.

Love to you my dearest reader. I hope to be back soon fired up by plants and all things growourown :)

Not hating Christmas so far - part 2

The wreath.
Last Saturday (which I have some nice photos of for tomorrow) Andrew, Maggie and I went to the local forest. (Colloquial - 'Up the Dams'). We gathered seed heads and little beech twigs, willow whips, conifer, laural, holly and some berries. Andrew took all the heavy bits, I had my little harvest basket full of winter wonder - I felt a little like the lady of the manor gathering things with the head garderner for a dinner party centerpiece (wow, that is rather more embarassing to admit than I had thought).

Maggie had the best time too, we don't go up there often enough. We used to go more regularly but then the Lottie took over all our free time. But can't complain; in both cases we're outside in touch with nature and listening to the birds. Which reminds me of the recent research Mind did on Ecotherapy - they comissioned the Univeristy of Essex to compare the effects of a walk in a country park with a walk in an indoor shopping center on people with varying mental health problems.

* 71% of people reported a decrease in depression after the country walk

* 90% had increased self -esteem after the country walk.

But back to the wreath. Turns out they are very easy and satisfying to make. Back at the lottie, Andrew worked away and I got to making the base out of the willow branches and red dogwood stems (they came from a plant on our plot). This just requires lots of twisting around eachother and maybe a little twine every now and then if things are very springy. Then it was all  fun filling it in with the various leaves, seed heads, and berries. I would recommend florists wire at this point to hold them in place, a bit fiddly but worth it.

At home I tidied it up and added more (fake) berries and a ribbon. Andrew was going to put on his blue star lights and I was going to let him but praise be he changed his mind. What a relief!!!! It would have looked terrible and would have destroyed a lot of the more fragile elements. Phew!!

So here it is on our front door - I hope it says 'Welcome'. I'm pleased for a first try ever - next year will be better.

There are lots of other fab wreaths being made by bloggers here and here for instance, for more inspiration.

Not hating Christmas so far!

This is great! I honestly don't hate Christmas today. In fact I have been continuing my decoration of the the living room and chatting to my friend ('support worker' really, but we're becoming friends) Eimear about presents and what not. I've gone for the 'bringing-the-outdoors-in' feel and the crafty look that is really me. I have more personally  handmade things put up; a knitted snowman and Santa,a felt reindeer and cross stitch angel, a stocking for Maggie and oranges with cloves in (never done that before - why not!?, so nice).

Plus today Andrew bought me a new angel in  my favourite shop, Oxfam. She's a beauty and can have a candle inside her if you wish, clever girl!

Anywho, Andrew, Maggie and I went to the local forest on Saturday and had a good time foraging for things to put on my new wreath. I took lots of photos too which was nice because I haven't been indulging that enough. Pictures from that trip tomorrow I think; arty farty ones ;) For now the wreath is finished in all its being from my point of view but Andrew has blue star lights he is deseperate to wrap round it before it goes on the door. I'll post a picture tomorrow x

You know having more of the outside in the house is like Ecotherapy too. I can smell conifer, oranges and cloves and there are berries and berry flavour candles and of course reminders of trees and nature. I'm viewing Christmas in a different way.

Oh, I also got my secret santa present from (well it's secret so I don't really know) a GrowVeg friend. Very excited ~ 3 parcels but I promise I won't open them! Plus every time I look over the wrapping paper has 'no peeping' printed all over it, haha.

The Gaults get festive

It's no secret that I am not a fan of Christmas, I find it all too stressful, demanding, commerical and expensive. Each year I am sure I eat too much, drink too much, spend too much and generally get worked up because (quite frankly) my bloody depression and anxiety does not care that it is the festive party season!

Well, this year, the last in this house, I have decided to get into the festive spirit. Things are going to change, I am going to embrace the season and enjoy the colours, lights, gifts, friends and family and the love. But at the same time I am not going to lose who I am, I can (and lets face it I probably will) feel bad without the world crumbling down around me. I am not the center of the universe!!

So, yesterday I went Christmas shopping in Belfast. This year (as we have tried in the past) we are being careful with money in the knowledge that we have solicitors etc to pay in the New Year. I gathered up presents in a creative way, taking the time to really think about everything and how to acheive it manageably. Hence my decorations or instance (you can't really expect me to talk presents here, loved ones do drop in here from time to time!), I am using things I have collected over the years and when I think about it, a lot have been presents and some I have made myself.

Here is our living room fireplace. No, I didn't make that particular wreath but I am in the middle of one and tomorrow Andrew and I are going to the forest to gather bits and bobs for it. The silver dangly decorations I did make, as I did all the felt hearts on the tree. I found my little wooden bowl yesterday in a charity shop and gathered bits from the garden and a few old and broken decorations to make it into something special - I can smell the forest right now and unfortunalety, yes I am still allergic to conifer (darn it, I'm itchy all over!)

I'm also making a felt reindeer but I'm not so sure how that will work out, ahaha. Andrew has promised me that the oven will be fixed and then I can make my Gingerbread men, something I have done every year (almost) for the past 14! It's my own little tradition and I love to give them as presents and to have the smell throughtout the house.

*

After work, Andrew met me in the city center and we visited the Continental Market. Such fabulous handicrafts and food. Oh we just had to get a few Breton biscuits - so good. They didn't make it half way round the market. We had locally brewed beer in a tipi! I had the Hillden beer and Andrew had the Headless Dog (which was sweeter), there was also local cider , mulled wine, 'tipsy' hot chocolate and Molly's Chocolate Stout, all sounded very good but 1 half pint and we were off. Such discipline!!

See Christmas and Winter in general can't be that bad if I had a good day like that!

OH and I got an early present from Andrew ~ a tripod for my DSLR, here's a picture of Maggie taken with it, late in the eveing when my camera isn't at its best usually, or I should say I'm not at my best - long exposures - blurry. Is't she's so CUTE!!