TARRAGON & THYME

 A gentle introduction to the day this Sunday.  Just taking our time and rushing nowhere. I am  a bit shattered after all my efforts for the past couple of days and so am just pottering on the Internet doing what I please. I also reacted to some of the sap off the weeds I did pull, despite being careful.  Had to put some antiseptic on last night to calm things down a bit.  Fortunately only slight signs on one arm this morning after both of them going very red yesterday. Plans for today include a do as you please attitude and if I feel like something I will, but nothing strenuous today time for a rest day for my body.  Plan to get stuck in again tomorrow.  It has been warm here today, but overcast.  Good drying weather. Breakfast for me this morning was Granola with lovely cold milk.  Which reminds me I need to make a couple of batches of Granola up for the Pantry shelf.  That is on the To do List for this week. I am allowing myself a sma...

Today I have continued on with the garden.  Only being out for half a day and sometime in the evening.  More overcast today, but still very warm. Have cleared the brambles and weeds out of the path behind the toilet window, washed and cleaned it down and then re-potted a couple of Clematis with some new compost and watered up. They could do with a feed as well.  Popped one of my chairs in the middle.  Means I can now go out of an evening and sit for a while - which I do like to do.  Might bring another chair down but will see.  Quite like being on my own especially at dusk. The entrance to the path to the back door which runs off the path behind the toilet window and then goes onto the patio, has also been divested of its squatters ie. weeds.  Have to work down to the back door at some point but for today am going down the left hand side of the patio to divest that of weeds. The Strawberries whether cultivated or Wild, have perked up in their pots as h...

It has been a belter of a warm day here today.  Too warm for me and therefore I have taken things gently. I have been in the garden again.  To start with I did not get much done, but I have enjoyed being in the moment and doing things that need doing.  Working mindfully, emptying some old pots that had been used for growing of their compost and adding this to the herb border. Partly to help the mint grow a bit more and for the herb to retain more water. Also watering up a bit as I have gone along.  Emptying some pots and hopefully doing bits like this will soon start to show results. Starting to weed the pavement and tidying as I go. Getting more washing out and getting it dried.  Finding that less priority on getting a post out is actually allowing me to do more and come up with different content.  Perhaps the slowing down a little is what I have needed all along to live in the moment more. Then in the blazing heat (I know) I decided to tackle the main bor...

  After our lovely tea last night which really was filling and refreshing in equal turn.  Instead of being on the computer I went off to finish off some of the things I had started earlier on.  I still had bed linen drying on the line and after checking it was lovely and dry and so that has been bought in to add to the ironing pile.  There will be more to do tomorrow. Then I dragged one of my flower presses out in order to have a go at pressing some of the things I collected this afternoon.  I have about six or seven presses - not massive ones but ideal for smaller items.  This one is one of the bigger ones and is quite attractive to look at. It has been a while since I have done any so fingers crossed will be able to get back into the swing of things.  I had two things to deal with on the pressing front. Some flower heads which I think are a type of Mallow and also some pretty leaves yet again from another "weed" garden invader Then I decided to tackl...

With me able to get out into the garden for a little while on Wednesday evening I was able to see what the state of play was in the garden.  I need to do a lot of tidying up so need to get out for a few hours here and there to sort things out a bit. I have so missed the gardening this  year.  One thing I know for the future is that I will garden and not do what I have done this year if only a little bit.  Garden for me is therapeutic and producing something is always better than nothing.  I find it relaxes me so much and gives me peace of mind and solitude and brings peace to my soul.  Dipping my fingers into the soil, getting mud under my fingernails (yes I know I am trying to look after them but I have given them a good scrub up with some tea tree soap and they are looking better than they were over a week ago. Feeling my fingers in the soil and the growing energy of the soil is indeed balm itself.  I suppose I am easy pleased and happiest with the s...

Today I found joy in the Hedgerow.  We have not been able to take Missy for her usual walk for quite sometime because of roads being cut off, lots of traffic and not able to access where we walk.  Today though most of those issues were cleared and we were able to take her for a short constitutional.   Whenever I go to the Beach I end up foraging for shells and little bits of sea glass.  Equally when I am near Hedgerows I go looking to see what I can find and I usually end up foraging little bits here and there where I can.  Because it had been so long since I was here I started checking out what was in the bushes, started checking out what was to come, looking at wildflowers, leaves, cones etc.  The Hedgerow gives me a freedom to roam and just simply be, collecting little special bits that can come out in the kitchen later on in the year as either a main ingredient (in the case of bottled Blackberries in syrup or Crab Apple jelly to serve with a lovely...

 Sorry for not being here as much as usual.  Not in the right headspace at the moment, although the effect of me not writing posts is resulting in me prepping for future posta so not completely out of the arena. There is so much I would like to accomplish on the preserving front and I am not in a position to do anything at the moment.  However a long term project is arising out of that.  I am not totally giving up on this year, however I am planning to get things organised and sorted for next year so that I get an early start with everything, wherever I may be.  It involves me learning a lot of new to me stuff along the way. Despite my plans on getting the Pantry all stocked up as well, things are not doing well on that front either.  There is still a chance will be able to pull this around by autumn which was the date I originally hoped to get all stocked up for the winter. However there is a lot to do in several areas.  I am also trying to sort out a...