So much love floating around :)

I'm feeling the love today, could be due to delirium as I didn't get any sleep last night and I'm having panics today and bad double vision but somehow (the drugs?) I am feeling the love - OH. MY. GOD. I've just realised that smoothie I drank earlier was a little old - fermented perhaps, there was an odd aftertaste. With my medication and it -  am I drunk!!!?????

Golly, well I'm going to continue on.....

I love my Hubby, here is his looking after all his little babies - they grow up so fast! They are being pricked out and potted on here into their own roomy spaces they can call home for a while. Isn't his plastic potting on bench the best thing ever!?( I need more shots of it) He can be mobile with his seedling work, doing it up here in the attic with me and Maggie or down in the kitchen. Either way, there's hardly any mess at all and the tray is big enough to mix up his own special soil and holds the labels and pencils etc all in one neat place. Cool! No longer shall I have to forsake my dining room to the spring baby boom, it can all just be moved out of the way. I love Sunnybank nursery!! They got these in again because we asked for them - how sweet are they??!

So little babies moving up to bigger/better things. I like the way Andrew has developed a new technique (I think he pilfered it off GW) where he plonks all the babies down in a mass out of the communal home and lets them fall apart from one another without him pulling at their roots. Fab, really it works, just make sure the soil is nice and moist; he puts the unturfed lot into a seed tray of water before hand.

What else am I loving?

Harry Potter; I'm reading all the books again in one big go and it's fabulous.

Maggie sleeping on the floor on her favourite, pillow, snoring - so cute.

The anticipation of a nice nap for me, it's coming....

Esty, oh how I love Esty, ever been?? I found a love lovely shop I must share, I've just written about it in my other crafty blog.....

http://forihavelivedtoday.blogspot.com/2010/04/esty-my-safe-space-1-tanya-bond.html

Penpals, I have to write a snail mail today to my friend in Canada, love snail mail :)

And, the fact that one of my framed  photographs is being used tonight as a raffle prize in a posh charity evening - I'm helping kids in Uganda just by doing something I love.

I need that nap. Have a LOVELY weekend and I'll write that Rowallane piece once I feel less muffled. xx

Boys a dear, I'm a sleepy girl

I've just woken up! I know, it's getting close to 2pm! Now I was up earlier and fed Maggie and had breakfast, checked e-mails got washed and dressed - you know, the usual. Then I sat down to read my book and lo and behold here I wake up, book on the floor and I've lost time, hahaha. Thing is I'm trying really hard to keep my eyes open still, I wonder if the whole matchstick thing works?

I was looking at the last batch of photos I took at the lottie over the Easter break and found some you might like. Random I know but I thought I'd keep my wee story but Rowallane Gardens for tomorrow.

First off, the weather was so terrible here that the electric poles came down all over the show (lucky we weren't affected) and it took the gallant Northern Ireland Electricity repair men a good few days of putting the mess right ( poor loves out in all weathers up high ladders and what not). But on the up side Andrew found these on their way to being dumped - they're off the very top of one of the said poles, he wanted the glass too but it was broken. They're a bit odd to have at the lottie but we like them - answers on a postcard as to what use they could be used for. Or maybe they are just art - there for our enjoyment....

We took a dander round; as I showed yesterday Andrew had been seed planting like a mad man earlier that day so there was little left to do. Well, that's not technically true - I should imagine a really mad man would scatter seeds liberally all over the place and maybe eat some and put the rest in his ears....Andrew put out small amounts in perfectly straight rows and labeled them etc = not quite mad.

LOOOK!!!! ---drum roll---- PSB! Yes we have some little spears of the elusive purple sprouting broccolli! Bask in the glory with me... No I haven't pilfered someone elses and placed in amongst our leaves, nor have I painted a green spear purple, this is real and I am going to eat the whole dam thing myself in one mouthful to see what all this bloomin' fuss it about. I shall report back in due course.

Then as this blog is never all about 'proper gardening stuff' I have to show you Bill's beautiful border of mini daffs and Colin's new little Jack Russel puppy - aaawwww.

Hugs and kisses and through the sleepiness I am feeling better today - yipppee.(Thank you to all who left lovely comments about my photography in a gallery post - it's starting to sink in I think; there's a quiet little glow around my soul, it's surely helping me.) Maybe I needed sleep, maybe I need more sleep. Umm let's think about this, conquer some of the mountain of ironing, proof read a new archaeology book or have another nap which may be of great benefit to my mental health.... ;)

Developments!

I don't like appointments, especially when the subject matter is me and my mental health, so today has been terribly tainted by a visit from my social worker. This was made all the worse because after an hour waiting for her and getting more and more uptight, I rang her office and she'd written down the wrong time in her diary. Luckily she was able to come straight over and luckily Mamma G had been in the house with me. I just hate lateness and the panicky feeling hasn't died down all day. So I'm grumpy and need Andy cuddles, but he's at an allotment committee meeting and so it's just me and you (Maggie is comfty with her Nana downstairs).

******

Prepare yourself for some devilishly clever play on words......
After months of going through a particularly awful and serious depression low I finally have some good news. My photography (developments - eh, get it?!)  has been accepted by a lovely gallery here in Co. Antrim and I am to hand in my first batch next week. The owners are absolutely lovely and both creative and artistic people. David is a stained glass specialist who has done churches, homes and our very own Stormont Castle - a large piece to commemorate the setting up of the offices of First and Deputy First Ministers. Stunning - see their studio here.

On top of that news, all our seedlings are just so excited to be growing (I imagine them having parties at night and being very rowdy - but I'm just mental). I must point out however that I have planted only some broad beans and sweet peas, Andrew has done EVERYTHING else and boy has there been a lot of it. Below are a few photos of the seedlings in the cold frames at the lottie but there are the same amount again on Mamma G's window sills and really goodness knows how many he had planted directly.

I haven't been down at the lottie except for about half an hour last week - my passion for life in general has dwindled and I am finding it more and more difficult to socialise or get things done.

Not quite back on my feet again and writing this is like pulling teeth, so I'm off to have another nap and then tomorrow I shall return with avengance. Hear me roar!!!! My heartiest wish is that you had a lovely Easter; I shall catch up on all the Easter-y posts later on tonight, thank you for you're Eastery wishes to me by the way x. Andrew and I went to Rowallane gardens and I'll hoke out some snaps from that day - it was lovely and Maggie had a whale of a time with all the the other dogs and sweet kids that wanted to play with her.

I WILL be cheerer tomorrow, promise x

Nesting

This is a little embarrassing but as I have no shame I'm going to share it with you all anyway.
I am nesting. Yes the shed is being turned into a home from home. I have already laid a new floor (vinyl - easy to clean) from offcuts my niece gave me, painted the inside walls the same colour as my bedroom (cosy) and highlighted areas in white (to make it feel brighter). I'm going to make new curtains and get boxes in which to put things in (shoe boxes wrapped up in gift paper). Then I'm bringing in the outdoor storage bench, painting it and putting some old cushions and a cosy blanket on top.

Call me daft but I really need a comforting place to retreat to down there when the weather is too bad, I'm feeling panicky or I just need a wee moment to myself; politics on the plots is really getting me down these past few months - nothing but complaints, it isn't good for me to listen to such negativity all the time! Between us, Andrew and I have made a pact that we aren't going to moan anymore, it gets us nowhere but down. Plus I now excuse myself from all negative conversations down there - the lotties are meant to be my refuge and sanctuary, I have enough mental nastiness in my head already.

I am not the best at coping with winter, I'd definitely have SAD if I didn't have depression already, I need my Vitamin D!!! Though funnily Andrew and I were talking about our Autumn/ Winter veg and how we kind of prefer this time of year, more about that tomorrow maybe.

I leave you with a funny, naughty parsnip - Matron will probably like this. Every man's dream?

ooopps, the above pic is of a white carrot, silly me!

I've done a terrible thing

I have fallen for a house, no I know it's not as bad as cheating on my hubby or hiding chocolate biscuits. I haven't lied, stolen or killed anyone but I feel so terrible and wrong. Yes, I love a house and we're going to see it again tomorrow night.

I've been playing about with the estate agents brochure and changing things, all your darn blogs have me full of ideas for the quite large back garden and I think I may go mad. If I explode (as I think I may - we haven't sold our house yet and the Hubby has loads more houses he wants to see) and if I do this is my last will and testament (or at the very least, what I can think of now to put in one).

I, Carrie, of Grow Our Own, being of sound mind (hahahaa, maniacal laugh) here by leave everything to my Husband and dog (Maggie aka 'the Magster'). My body is to be cremated and put in the compost or round the roses I don't know what's best for human remains.
My lottie and all within in should stay in the name of my Husband and should be a place of happiness and fun for all. My blog shall end with a heartfelt post by my nearest and dearest with a slide show and rousing music. Jaffa Cakes must be eaten all day everyday for a month after my demise and Shiraz and/or Merlot drunk by the bucket load.
Here endth the last will and testament of Carrie.

Yes, I may explode; moving house is a scary, wonderfully exciting experience, I just don't know if I'm cut out for it. I've picked the one I want and now I am going to drink my 2nd glass of wine to ease the pain of what could be unrequited love.

N.B. to Andrew ~ please take a photo of said exploded body, could be very artistic. Get Colin to exhibit it under the Vent Collective please.

lots to share

I have to tell you about the weekend and week past before a whole new one begins. I don't know where the time has gone but it is Friday! and I am exhausted as usual. I don't know what I have been writing about that could possibly be more important than all the hard work and artistry that we did on the plots!

This, as you will know by now, is my flower bed in 14b. I ripped out everything that was tired and looking awful and now I just have the permanent inhabitants left and a few sunflowers still struggling on. So that means there is space and I can see where things are and where things can be planted for next year. I have loads of bulbs (they'll probably get started this weekend) but I also had 2 birthday present windmills and three arty rock mounds that Andrew and made (we stole the idea from a lovely garden in Brittany).

Then joy, my 1st blog birthday present was able to be planted out too, a sunny Coreopsis. Poor thing has just been sitting there for a month in a pot, probably not feeling wanted. It may even have thought I had forgotten about it or maybe life was just all about living in pots and feeling cramped and terrible. Well, no, I now had the space cleared for this little beauty to go into her home and be free to spread those roots and settle into life on the plot. Isn't she a darling?

Whilst doing this Davy walked past with the most massive of cabbages this girl has ever laid her eyes on. Boy was that a good plant, very firm in the heart and hardly a nibble in sight. He was taking it over to a lady friend's house - better than flowers, eh?

Then during the week I attacked the sweetcorn bed. All done for this year and we only had 2 fresh off the plant. Though to be fair both Mamma G and my sister-in-law have lots in their freezers for us that they rescued from the plot in the bad weather Northern Ireland suffered when we were in glorious France. If frozen sweetcorn is the price you pay for going on holiday at the end of August/start of September. It's one I am willing to pay!

In France we bought an adaza, we'd been finding it very hard to get one here and the on-line shipping costs for something so heavy were nuts. So we gave it a try and oh!, it's great. Unfortunately we were in such a tizzy of work I didn't take a photo but I'll post one soon. We also bought a bell for the shed. It's for me to ring when Andrew wanders off around the fields and inevitably gets chatting for a long time. I can ring it and get him back again - that's the idea, I have my reservations about it actually working. Men (especially once they become husbands) seem to have very selective hearing!!!

The one and only harvest of Borlotti beans took place last night and the vines were cut back too. I had really enjoyed them growing up the gates, I think we'll do something similar next year and the climbing rose will be there too. As you can see I really did like them there as a good lot of them are way past their best. Our first squashes were lifted too - so cute looking, I hope they taste well. We did a 2 sisters approach with them and the sweetcorn, growing them in the same bed, it worked really well.

Then just as leaving last night we picked our first leek of the season - pretty good. And Andrew went mad collecting brambles, it was infectious and soon I was in the hedgerows too. We got quite a lot! Jam making tonight, us over the bubbly saucepan and a glass of wine, uummm. x

Stuff and nonsense

It's indicative of how I'm feeling recently, I haven't any concentration, I can 't settle myself and read a book and tend to either fall asleep because my mind is flitting around so much or I end up doing a million jobs, - starting them at least. This weekend on the Lotties was the least garden-y that I think I've had so far. I ended up making things for bits for stuff laying around the shed, our house, my bag.

Thank goodness for Andrew, I haven't a clue about our crops, apart from the photos I've been taking and a few harvests. I do know that the 'bloody brassica bed is sh*t this year' but that's about it. I can't concentrate and when I do mediation/mindfulness, I just hear screaming in my head!!!?!!

So, here is what I did on our plots at the weekend.

• Make 1 important yet over complicated sign for our new half plot
• Paint the flower box window sill, the posts at the back of the plot and the bench we were given a couple of months ago
• Make a great big wire and bead flower sculpture for the side of the shed (?)

The Sign

Again to tie in with the 24a sign I did ages ago in the dull and boring winter, see here. This time I used exactly the same materials but I didn't have another butterfly and instead used my Grow Veg forum keyring. Well it is pretty and it's a little advert too, so I'm pleased. Andrew made the sign supports up for me and of course I had to paint them, I had too!

Painting

I had a paint brush in my hand (or at least very close to me) all day on Sunday. If it didn't move, it got painted. I have wanted to do bits and pieces for a while but instead I did it all in the one day. The bench looks new and the self looks much more impressive than the cobbled together cut offs of rough wood that it is. And it blends in with the shed now, showing off the flowers more.

The Sculpture

Never have I tried to make a sculpture before, but I had to do something with my hands! I couldn't cope with people and had been having panic attacks talking to them. So on with the headphones and a lovingly cleared out our shed (done by Andrew on Saturday; a huge job, which involved turfing loads of stuff out and building more selves, putting up more hooks etc - great job - big kisses to my man) I set to work. Using fruit support wire (I don't know what it's called, but that's what we've used it for), nippers and my hands I created this. I did have to take it home to get it finished but I was glad for the distraction yesterday.

As words are the enemy today I shall leave it at that. Photos speak many words anywho and I've rambled enough. I'll show you some of the actual, beneficial work Andrew did tomorrow. x

Check out the photo of the folded up BBQ on it's hook in the previous blog - remembered to take a pic last night.