Week 21

Wednesday, August 05, 2020

Hello, how are you? There isn't much to report really, so I'm just going to type what comes to mind about what's been happening recently.


The greenhouse has produced some lovely potatoes, and I've harvested and eaten the peas. The cabbages have been eaten by caterpillars - my brother told me to cover them up, but did I listen? - I've given up on the beans as they've never really gotten started. My cucumbers are doing well, and the toms are improving now that I've started regular feeds of tomato food. The other plants are getting a seaweed feed and are showing signs of improvement. I've decided to plant more spinach and lettuce leaves as we always make very good use of these.


My sunflowers are flowering. I have a lemon variety which look lovely. I had no idea that sunflowers could have more than one flower (how did I not know this?), one has eight buds - eight! I'm delighted.


We've had our hideous concrete patio slabbed over and now I can start thinking about what to plant in the beds around the edge. Which means trips to the garden centre are on the horizon (as long as they remain open). I've got a rough plan of what I want to do but it needs refining. It's exciting.

The washing machine started making a concerning noise, there was a smell of hot rubber, and a slightly smoky haze in the kitchen. I bought this machine before I met Andy, 11 years ago, so it's done well. There is a new one arriving today at some point, with an A+++ energy rating and a steam function for deep cleaning. It claims to remove the most common household stains, including grease. Andy's work clothes will certainly put this to the test!

I've taken the cats to have their vaccinations. It felt weird and slightly clandestine to hand them over to a stranger in a car park. Obviously the stranger was a nice young vet, who also gave them a flea and worm treatment that they were due, saving me the task. Both cats now have a bald patch where the worm treatment was applied, has this ever happened to you - or I should say your cats? Neither cat seems at all bothered by it, but it's never happened before.


The boy cat hates going to the vet, it really stresses him out and he dribbles profusely, cowering in the carrier. I hate it but I know I have to take him. It takes him a while to trust me again after each visit.

I was hit with cabin fever one day during the week, I'd been sitting at my desk for what felt like days, I'd had to postpone a trip to the beach with my friend (we're going on tomorrow instead), and I felt like I hadn't done anything but work for too long. So I decided I'd take a trip into the village to visit my local charity shop. The drive only takes a few minutes and I can park very close to the shop, but it was closed. I hadn't thought to check. I decided to take a short walk to the other charity shop instead. Also closed. So I walked back to the car and drove home. It was nice to get out, stretch my legs, drive our new car albeit for a short journey, and get a change of scenery. It did the job of easing my cabin fever, even if the original goal wasn't met.

A few days later I had my first trip into town. I needed some cleanser from Boots, and SPF and eye make up remover from The Body Shop, so I went in early to miss any crowds (I had no idea what to expect for a Saturday morning). Despite lots of signs up asking people to 'Keep Left' most people ignored them, and I realised that I generally keep to the left anyway, I just hadn't noticed before.

There weren't many people about, but inexplicably there was a small queue for Primark. I took my mask along and wore it when inside, I haven't had to wear one before now and felt really uncomfortable if I tried to keep it on all the time. If it'd been busy I would've persevered but as it was largely deserted at that time of day I took it off when outside.

I got what I needed and started to head home, but as I passed a little indie bookstore I couldn't resist a visit. The shop doesn't usually open until 10am but he said he couldn't sleep so thought 'sod it' and opened up early. He seems to be doing OK despite that fact that he only opened his doors three weeks before lockdown forced him to close them again. I hope the shop survives, it's the only indie bookshop in the town and it's wonderful. I made a purchase, telling myself that I was helping small business, despite really not needing any new books.

On the way back to the car park I took the opportunity to pop into a few charity shops. It was so nice to be back perusing the rails, I did make a few purchases but I'll save those for my Buyer's Archive. It was still early so there were no other shoppers and it felt really safe. With some easing of restrictions being postponed it's hard to know what to expect from the coming weeks and months. I'm glad I made this trip into town, it felt very normal despite the face mask and hand sanitiser in each shop doorway.

Harvest is underway and I've had a few evenings accompanying Andy in his cab while he works. He's managed to hurt his knee and is being stubborn about resting it. After a week of hobbling around I've talked him into using some pain relief gel and he agreed to let me order him a knee brace, which will hopefully arrive today. His sister prescribed rest, elevation, and hot and cold compresses but he won't sit still long enough.

My eldest nephew turned 20, my middle nephew is about to get exams results for exam he didn't take, and I saw my youngest nephew and two nieces for the first time since February. I haven't seen anyone but family members, the builder, the postman, and delivery men close to home in months and I'm very excited to be seeing a friend tomorrow.

What have you been up to?

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18 comments

  1. what a pretty pretty sunflowers! I hope I had a greenhouse too ♥

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    1. They certainly are Kim, I'm really pleased with them.

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  2. I do love those pale varieties of sunflowers, though I love the 'in your face' ones too. I suppose I just love sunflowers! Glad you managed to find some charity shops which were open, some here haven't yet reopened since lockdown, most of them actually, but there's a few which have now reopened.

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    1. My yellow ones are yet to flower, but I do really like these pale ones. I haven't grown sunflowers since my school days :)
      It was nice to visit a few charity shops, I had missed them. Not sure when I'll be returning.
      xx

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  3. Those sunflowers are pretty and so prolific too!

    I have very mixed feelings about most charity shops being closed - I miss them terribly! But then do I want the mostly-vulnerable volunteers to feel obliged to return to "work" when it's probably not really safe enough to do so...? Especially handling the donations... I know I'd think twice. Selfishly, I do miss visiting my favourite towns and having a rummage in the summer though. I'm not sure how I feel about boot sales either and I'm missing those terribly too - I count the largest ones as a good walk!

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    1. I'm so pleased with the sunflowers. Next year, I'll plant twice as many.
      I agree with your feelings towards charity shops, the ones that were open in town seemed to have younger volunteers, and I heard one of them saying that not all shops were open because of lack of volunteers willing to work at the moment. I think they're being given the choice to what what feels right for them, which is absolutely how it should be. No one should be made to feel unsafe in returning to work at this time. It was nice to have a rummage though.
      I hadn't thought about boot sales, there is so much to consider isn't there?
      Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment, it's always nice to 'meet' someone new.

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  4. That was a brave trip into town, I have done a few now and the compulsory mask wear is doing my head in, they are so itchy and hot - I have made my own with organic cotton but doesn't help a bit. I think its fun that you are helping Andy out on the fields, harvest must be a beautiful time for you - I know it's hard work and I am just imagining the pretty bits but pictures .. please!!! Your sunflowers are beautiful, not all of my veggies thrived, I think cabbage whites are taking the UK over my garden has been munched to death by them and I don't even have a cabbage-look forward to seeing your buyers archive, we only have one chazza open and not much on offer at the mo except 1980s synthetics.

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    1. I felt the need to get into town and experience it before it became a scary prospect in my head. It was OK and because I was there so early there weren't many people about, so it was easy to keep my distance from everyone. I probably won't go out again for a few months.
      I can't say I'm helping Andy much, just keeping him company, taking snacks and cold drinks.
      I think there is something that fails in the greenhouse every year for one reason or another, but the cabbage whites do seem to be a huge culprit this year.
      I am very pleased with my charity shop purchases, I've worn them already :)
      xx

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  5. Those sunflowers are so pretty. I didn't know you could get other varieties or that more than one grew on the stalk.
    How weird about the cats losing their fur after the flea treatment. That's never happened with ours.
    We are mirroring each other with the annual booster jabs and broken washing machine, aren't we?
    I think only one of our chazzas has reopened and the stock is pretty pitiful. I was pleasantly surprised by how the shop had made itself Covid-proof and that the few other customers all wore masks. It feels good to have a bit of normality back, doesn't it?
    Hope Andy's harvest is going well and I'm glad you're able to spend some time with him.
    Have a lovely day with your friend. xxx

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    1. The sunflowers make me happy :)
      We are mirroring each other at the moment, weird.
      It did feel good to have a bit of normality back, now I've seen it for myself, and deemed it not at all scary I'm happy to be at home and stay here :)
      Thanks Vix
      xx

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  6. Those sunflowers are such a cheerful sight, and I'm loving your new patio slabs. What's up with washing machines, I wonder. How strange that both you and Vix had to buy new ones in the space of a week! We got the vet's letter that Phoebe is due her booster shots too. She used to come to our house and I hope she still does, as there's no way we'll be able to get Phoebe into a carrier! Well done on your first trip into town and I felt exactly the same when I visited my first charity shop after lock down. As we're on the Continent, people have to keep right instead of left ;-) but all the same, they simply don't. xxx

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    1. I am so pleased with how the patio has turned out, it's completely changed the feel of the garden.
      I wish our vet would come to the house, it's hard getting to cats in a carrier (which is slightly bigger than an average one, but it's heavy!), but they cry all the way to the vets in the car and Socks gets really stressed. I hope Phoebe can be spared the trip.
      I' glad I went into town, I think need to leave the house once in a while to see what life is like, then I'm happy to return home and stay in my little bubble. I don;t understand why people can't follow a simple instruction of 'keep left (or right)', it's very simple.
      Take care
      xx

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  7. Your sunflowers are beautiful my favourite flowers I have tried and failed many times trying to grow them. Your cat is beautiful too.x

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    1. Thank you, I'm so pleased with them.
      He is a handsome feline isn't he?
      Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment.
      xx

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  8. I do love *special* sunflowers. The lemon yellow ones and I'm sure I've seen coral pink ones. My reddish ones are pretty cool. I stopped growing the monster tall ones as they were so hard to deal with once the season was over xx

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    1. I'm going to plant more next year, these are really nice, they only got to about 4/5ft but I think that's nicer than ones so tall you can't look at the blooms without a ladder. I'm going to have to find some coral pink ones, they sound divine!
      xx

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  9. Your lemony sunflowers are gorgeous! I didn't know about other varieties until the lovely Lucy at @SmileandMake/@smileandgarden started sharing the pictures of hers!
    Again, can't wait to hear about the chazzer purchases- they have had good rules in the ones I've been into but I was worrying about volunteers.
    I have a few facemasks but my @bitternsandbobbins ones from Etsy are so comfy, I don't notice I am wearing them- the others are not so comfy!
    Poor Andy, he's his own worst enemy though- mind you, it IS harvest time, so understandable!
    The patio looks lovely!

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    1. I'll take a look at @smileandgarden Sophie told me about coral pink ones, which I've already tracked down on Sarah Raven. And I can't wait to plant some next year.
      I've found the volunteers in the shops I've been into have been younger than usual which has been reassuring and the rules are good, as long as very one follows them.
      I don't have much need to wear my masks for very long so they're all OK to wear for a short time, I can't wear my glasses though as, no matter what I do, they steam up.
      Andy never rests went he is hurt or ill, he just keeps going, harvest or not. I've only ever known him to rest for one day, he had a virus and slept all day, I think his body simply refused to get up and let him go to work.
      I love our new patio, it looks so nice and really changes the garden.
      xx

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