Here we are, still in Lockdown yet with some easings happening right now. Good or scary ?? Well, I guess that all depends on your perspective on our ongoing situation this week.
Well, we're still self-isolating, just going to our allotment for exercise and gardening, which is absolutely super. And like a great many other Grannies, I've been keeping myself busy, making the best of this dreadful time. Keeping up-to-date with the PM's daily CV news relay, keeping the house tidy, being in touch with family and friends, exercising and having a regular timetable of activities - just to keep me sane. Not climbing the walls or murdering the Grandpa, sharing my lockdown days and, actually, quite enjoying the time, just being myself and doing all the little things which make life interesting. Fully realising that I am in a most fortunate place right now; self-isolating with a houseful of craft/hobby activities, an online presence, my WI activities and interests and my allotment for exercise and home-grown food. Also, having a regular Sainsbury's shopping event to look forward to, which is fabulous; the biggest chore of the week deciding what we need and, for Him, deciphering my sguiggly writing !
Making ready for the delivery is quite another chore. Gloves on, fill sink with warm water and Fairy Liquid, fresh dishcloth to hand. Cover dining room table with mats, tea towels for cleaned items, and printed list + pen. He brings shopping in; I unpack and wipe-down each item then put on table for checking; throw away emptied shopping bag. Each bag of shopping items wiped down, checked-off, into kitchen for storage with frozen items first, followed by dairy, veggies, dry goods, bathroom then household items. All emptied shoppers thrown away, dish cloth to laundry basket, gloves washed and sink emptied.
From this week's shop, my regular jar of marmalade was missing - horror attack - no breakfast marmalade - that just cannot be. My solution. Make a batch myself. We have a few lemons, some oranges and I manage to buy a few limes and lemons from our local PH pop-up shop. And, we made a visit to a local food shop for extra sugar, wearing gloves and mask of course. So yesterday, I made a small batch of three-fruit marmalade and a huge pot of lettuce soup, with my home-grown mixed leaves salad item, from the allotment, on which we dined last night. This morning for breakfast, my own marmalade on homemade Sourdough San Fran bread - just how glorious is that ??
From Baby-Boomer to Lockdown self-isolating '70's generation - me a most fortunate member of this particular age-group, and very thankful to be so. Not financially over-provisioned yet well-supplied with a life-time's collection of bits and pieces to help me thru'. these difficult days, and hopefully, well-beyond to the "new normality" whenever that begins !!
Stop-press - News this morning - 9.42 am Today, Thursday 18th June - Dame Vera Lynn the "Forces Sweetheart" has just died, aged 103 - which news must surely sadden our entire Nation. My sincerest condolences to Dame Vera's family xxx
News also today - 18 June 2020 - 80th Anniversary of President Charles DeGaulle's famous BBC Broadcast to rally his fellow-countrymen, urging them to resist the Nazi invasion, which had happened four days earlier. 80th Anniversary of French Resistance of WW2 today.
Margaret xxx
Friday, 19 June 2020
Wednesday, 3 June 2020
A Granny's Diary....Here we go again !
Sunday 3 May 2020
7th week of lockdown and we here at home are just fine. Coping. Looking forward to having this virus very definitely put to the rout and done with. Even if it means we have to wear face masks for ages, maintain some sort of social distancing, work separately and accept a new normality.
It's really awful for everyone right now. And for families who have lost dear ones, the tragedy of untimely deaths. Failures of health care thinking, testing difficulties, problems of self-isolation, shielding and exit strategy. Plus the horrifying prospect of world economic depression, joblessness, business failure, loss of business integrity, loss of peoples' incomes and economic viability and future prospects..
We hold everyone close to our heart and wish them well, and good luck and God speed for which ever deity they follow and subscribe to. And to those who follow their own hearts and beliefs, or their own sense of self-confidence - we wish you well too and hope all your dreams come true and your future brightness and positivity.
In the meantime, what are you doing to cope? What hobbies, new and old are you indulging in? What new skills are you learning? Are you baking, or singing - I am, both, sourdough baking and singing with Gareth Malone's new online chorus. Gardening, of course, as exercise and food production.
Watching television of course. I have found "The Split" about a top matrimonial lawyer, her husband and her family members, also top City lawyers. Brilliant and hilarious.
Then "Last Tango in Halifax" ...OMG...it's brilliantly funny, and wonderfully clever and goodness me I should like to write something in a similar vein. Make people shriek with laughter, cry hot tears of sadness and joy and be terribly cross or shocked by the capers of those peopling this tale of today.
Today, well it was written in 2012 so today, well 8 years on, which of course, is not very many years at all. So, yes today, and thank goodness for the ability to watch it now.
So do you Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp or Messenger for group family calls ? I zoom with family and my WI group and local WI Federation. I Skype with family in Australia. WhatsApp South Africa and also speak to my sisters via Messenger. All options incredibly acceptable to keeping in touch with your family, near and far, easing the heartbreak of loved ones "over the hills and far away".
Craft work, using up cotton thread to make knitted dish cloths, family history trees and housework.
Time flies and we often need-must disentangle one day from another. We are lucky enough to have our Sainsbury's "oldies" food delivery each week, for the last 3 weeks, since Him indoors has a few health issues. Thankfully, he's fine and we're fine.
We visit our allotment for exercise and looking forward to fresh beans, potatoes and salad items. Presently we are picking rhubarb and later on, there will be raspberries. Flowers and herbs always.
Margaret xxx
7th week of lockdown and we here at home are just fine. Coping. Looking forward to having this virus very definitely put to the rout and done with. Even if it means we have to wear face masks for ages, maintain some sort of social distancing, work separately and accept a new normality.
It's really awful for everyone right now. And for families who have lost dear ones, the tragedy of untimely deaths. Failures of health care thinking, testing difficulties, problems of self-isolation, shielding and exit strategy. Plus the horrifying prospect of world economic depression, joblessness, business failure, loss of business integrity, loss of peoples' incomes and economic viability and future prospects..
We hold everyone close to our heart and wish them well, and good luck and God speed for which ever deity they follow and subscribe to. And to those who follow their own hearts and beliefs, or their own sense of self-confidence - we wish you well too and hope all your dreams come true and your future brightness and positivity.
In the meantime, what are you doing to cope? What hobbies, new and old are you indulging in? What new skills are you learning? Are you baking, or singing - I am, both, sourdough baking and singing with Gareth Malone's new online chorus. Gardening, of course, as exercise and food production.
Watching television of course. I have found "The Split" about a top matrimonial lawyer, her husband and her family members, also top City lawyers. Brilliant and hilarious.
Then "Last Tango in Halifax" ...OMG...it's brilliantly funny, and wonderfully clever and goodness me I should like to write something in a similar vein. Make people shriek with laughter, cry hot tears of sadness and joy and be terribly cross or shocked by the capers of those peopling this tale of today.
Today, well it was written in 2012 so today, well 8 years on, which of course, is not very many years at all. So, yes today, and thank goodness for the ability to watch it now.
So do you Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp or Messenger for group family calls ? I zoom with family and my WI group and local WI Federation. I Skype with family in Australia. WhatsApp South Africa and also speak to my sisters via Messenger. All options incredibly acceptable to keeping in touch with your family, near and far, easing the heartbreak of loved ones "over the hills and far away".
Craft work, using up cotton thread to make knitted dish cloths, family history trees and housework.
Time flies and we often need-must disentangle one day from another. We are lucky enough to have our Sainsbury's "oldies" food delivery each week, for the last 3 weeks, since Him indoors has a few health issues. Thankfully, he's fine and we're fine.
We visit our allotment for exercise and looking forward to fresh beans, potatoes and salad items. Presently we are picking rhubarb and later on, there will be raspberries. Flowers and herbs always.
Margaret xxx
A Granny's Diary - Oldies Shopping Day
Our shoppinjg has just been delivered by the nice man from Sainsbury's. It's Saturday evening at 10pm . He's busily ticking off our food items from the list and I'm running backwards and forwards taking our food out of the shopping bags, wiping each item down with a freshly rinsed out hot dish cloth and put each new item on the table besides him, for that oh so vital tick. And then of course, it's time to fill our cupboards and 'fridge/freezer with these new foodie numbers. Hurrah - we have enough food for another week, and milk and butter and I'm making my sourdough bread !
I really do love my sourdough bread but frankly I'm seemingly better at making bricks than making San Fran sourdough. I keep trying different recipes, new ideas and sometimes my creation is not quite as much of a brick as the previous one, and sometimes its not!
Ah never mind, we were talking about shopping. We are most fortunate having our weekly food box delivered. We oldies count our blessings, relishing our non-attendance at our favourite foodie cathedral and having more time for the garden.
Ah ha the garden. My bee and butterfly garden was all set to host all flowers designed to attract bees and butterflies and other pollinators. But I gave in to His idea that we should grow some veggies, for future poverty needs, which has resulted much more work for me and even some digging. I believe in the no-diggiong principle but have to admit our ground did need some fork and spade work but, oh gosh, it does make for hard work and extra creeks and groans when you've done.
We've just picked our first little handful of microgreen leave and hoping for many more to come.
What a peculier time we're living through right now. Thank goodness, things may be improving more soon but when our new normality will settle down, is anybody's guess.
Cheerio,
Margaret xxx
I really do love my sourdough bread but frankly I'm seemingly better at making bricks than making San Fran sourdough. I keep trying different recipes, new ideas and sometimes my creation is not quite as much of a brick as the previous one, and sometimes its not!
Ah never mind, we were talking about shopping. We are most fortunate having our weekly food box delivered. We oldies count our blessings, relishing our non-attendance at our favourite foodie cathedral and having more time for the garden.
Ah ha the garden. My bee and butterfly garden was all set to host all flowers designed to attract bees and butterflies and other pollinators. But I gave in to His idea that we should grow some veggies, for future poverty needs, which has resulted much more work for me and even some digging. I believe in the no-diggiong principle but have to admit our ground did need some fork and spade work but, oh gosh, it does make for hard work and extra creeks and groans when you've done.
We've just picked our first little handful of microgreen leave and hoping for many more to come.
What a peculier time we're living through right now. Thank goodness, things may be improving more soon but when our new normality will settle down, is anybody's guess.
Cheerio,
Margaret xxx
Friday, 5 October 2018
Its October and I'm still in the garden xxx
Friday, 5th October 2018 and in Canberra, Australia, at the Australian War Memorial, its launch day for Australia's commemoration of the ending of WWI. 5000 Poppies have planted 62,000 Poppies to commemorate the 62,000 Servicemen and women of the Australian Forces who fought and fell in The Great War.
5000 Poppies For Ever...Lest We Forget xxx With grateful thanks to Lynn and Margaret for their wonderful and amazing project of respect, love and remembrance for their family members who fought and fell. Their 5000 Poppy project now commemorates all Australians who fought and fell in The Great War - 1914 - 1918.
Margaret Halstead
Copyright © Margaret Halstead 2018
5000 Poppies For Ever...Lest We Forget xxx With grateful thanks to Lynn and Margaret for their wonderful and amazing project of respect, love and remembrance for their family members who fought and fell. Their 5000 Poppy project now commemorates all Australians who fought and fell in The Great War - 1914 - 1918.
Margaret Halstead
Copyright © Margaret Halstead 2018
Sunday, 23 September 2018
Its autumnal September 2018
.Its quite ridiculous how quickly this month of September is going, almost gone, which means our stupendous summer is just almost out of time and bounds. This year's Christmas season is bearing down on all of us, with alarming speed.
However, never fear, there's still masses of work to be done in the garden - when isn't there? Like pruning, scything, chopping-up, clearing away and cutting down. My globe artichoke heads and stems are still standing, and my mugwort (aka Artemisia) stems still tower about the middle of my flower site.
My autumn fruiting raspberries are drying-up and dying before my very eyes, yet ever spreading , beyond their border space. This is happening so greatly, I shall have to carefully dig-up the rambling raspberries, healing them temporarily into large terracotta pots and keeping them safe until I may replant them in my vegetable site, for more raspberry delight next year.
The marrow heap is glowing with verdant lushness and, what's more, far too many huge marrows. Even the courgettes are too large to be thus named and horribly buried beneath a mass of wavy green foliage.
Beans, both runner and French continue their determination to go on growing for as long as possible, which is fine, especially if they keep their tender status. He indoors loves to pick huge beans for the pot but I do not, my homegrown beans must be young, tender and toothsome and picked freshly every day.
My Calendula are in great want of deadheading. This is not a task or a great chore for me for my marigolds are one of my chiefest delights. Their stunning colour brightens my darkest hour, their vibrancy gives life to my very site.
The central area of this flower site is full of blue borage flowers which have been much favoured and enjoyed by the numerous visiting bees this summer. However, they have also hovered constantly, in season, over my purple sage blooms and dive-bombed the lavender.
Poppies, evening primroses, violas, yarrow, corncockle, dahlias, ox-eye daisies, pansies, nepeta, cosmos, curry plant and fragrant artemisia along with verbena bonariensis have filled my summer with heavenly colour and summer beauty. Their loveliness will return again, next year hopefully and the garden will buzz freely once more with a fresh multitude of bees My list for next year also contains sunflowers, wallflowers, more dahlias, more centranthus, more rosemary and yards of lavender.
The bees and I will swoon with ecstasy and its all going to be absolutely wonderfully glorious - all over again. I simply can't wait !!!
Margaret Halstead
Halstead © 2018
However, never fear, there's still masses of work to be done in the garden - when isn't there? Like pruning, scything, chopping-up, clearing away and cutting down. My globe artichoke heads and stems are still standing, and my mugwort (aka Artemisia) stems still tower about the middle of my flower site.
My autumn fruiting raspberries are drying-up and dying before my very eyes, yet ever spreading , beyond their border space. This is happening so greatly, I shall have to carefully dig-up the rambling raspberries, healing them temporarily into large terracotta pots and keeping them safe until I may replant them in my vegetable site, for more raspberry delight next year.
The marrow heap is glowing with verdant lushness and, what's more, far too many huge marrows. Even the courgettes are too large to be thus named and horribly buried beneath a mass of wavy green foliage.
Beans, both runner and French continue their determination to go on growing for as long as possible, which is fine, especially if they keep their tender status. He indoors loves to pick huge beans for the pot but I do not, my homegrown beans must be young, tender and toothsome and picked freshly every day.
My Calendula are in great want of deadheading. This is not a task or a great chore for me for my marigolds are one of my chiefest delights. Their stunning colour brightens my darkest hour, their vibrancy gives life to my very site.
The central area of this flower site is full of blue borage flowers which have been much favoured and enjoyed by the numerous visiting bees this summer. However, they have also hovered constantly, in season, over my purple sage blooms and dive-bombed the lavender.
Poppies, evening primroses, violas, yarrow, corncockle, dahlias, ox-eye daisies, pansies, nepeta, cosmos, curry plant and fragrant artemisia along with verbena bonariensis have filled my summer with heavenly colour and summer beauty. Their loveliness will return again, next year hopefully and the garden will buzz freely once more with a fresh multitude of bees My list for next year also contains sunflowers, wallflowers, more dahlias, more centranthus, more rosemary and yards of lavender.
The bees and I will swoon with ecstasy and its all going to be absolutely wonderfully glorious - all over again. I simply can't wait !!!
Margaret Halstead
Halstead © 2018
Saturday, 22 September 2018
Here We go Again in Snowy January 2018
Our allotment garden looked productive in the snow today with onions, spinach, kale and parsley growing well. In fact, the parsley in my hotbox is doing very well indeed, which is most encouraging.
I added the two "Christmas tree" rosemary plants bought from Morrisons for my New Year's Day table-top photography. An all white flower setting with Christmas roses, primula obconica and hyacinths and my two rosemary pots So my setting has lasted very well and I'm jolly pleased. And at least I could feel busy with my indoor plants and think my gardening year had already started.
We dug over and prepared the lower part of our main allotment site, adding top soil and a mass of gathered leaves, which have now mostly been taken down by in-house worms. I hope our soil will be greatly improved from this work. Of course, we've not had a hard frost yet but with the present weather in mind, presumably this will happen sometime soon.
Other areas of the allotment still need attention ie clearance and digging which I hope to start working on soon. In the meantime, we're picking spinach, kale and parsley. The top two composters have rotted down well and we've made this year's first addition of kitchen scraps, thus t he process can begin all over again.
A bo
I added the two "Christmas tree" rosemary plants bought from Morrisons for my New Year's Day table-top photography. An all white flower setting with Christmas roses, primula obconica and hyacinths and my two rosemary pots So my setting has lasted very well and I'm jolly pleased. And at least I could feel busy with my indoor plants and think my gardening year had already started.
We dug over and prepared the lower part of our main allotment site, adding top soil and a mass of gathered leaves, which have now mostly been taken down by in-house worms. I hope our soil will be greatly improved from this work. Of course, we've not had a hard frost yet but with the present weather in mind, presumably this will happen sometime soon.
Other areas of the allotment still need attention ie clearance and digging which I hope to start working on soon. In the meantime, we're picking spinach, kale and parsley. The top two composters have rotted down well and we've made this year's first addition of kitchen scraps, thus t he process can begin all over again.
A bo
This is me everyone xxx
GrowGirl gets growing in her garden xxx
I love to have flowers and herbs in my life. They
are a passion. Their colours, scent, forms and history excite my curiosity and
imagination. I love colours, the whole dazzling spectrum, and particularly
complementary opposites like purple and that glorious pinky-peach-orange
combination. Terracotta is another top favourite for me - just think of all
those terracotta flower pots, of all shapes and sizes - simply fabulous.
Vegetables and fruit are great for colour
combinations too - aubergine, carrots, beans, red onions, tomatoes plus plums,
gooseberries, raspberries, strawberries and rhubarb. Oh and quinces !
Gardening and growing veggies is both exciting and
disappointing and always hard work. Little and often is the rule for allotment
keeping so daily visits are a must, whatever the weather. Flower gardening
needs are demanding too - all that deadheading, tying-up, staking and picking -
just fabulous.
You even get to bring your work home - flowers to
enjoy, herbs to sniff and appreciate and veggies to eat . Just perfect. And
totally forget about the digging and resultant backache. My response to this
problem of aching back is to do away with as much digging as possible, just
follow the “no-dig” gardener Charles Dowding, who’s done very little digging
for quite some time now. Monty Don, my favourite gardening guru is a fan, I
believe.
My grandfather Harry, had a Victoria Plum tree as
his prize garden possession, which stood on a small area of grass in the centre
of his long garden In season, he counted the fruit daily and woe-betide anyone
caught picking his precious fruit. There are plum trees in my veg garden and
the golden fruit is delicious, apart from those infected with a nasty pest. I’m
very busily clearing away fallen fruit from around the tree in a vain attempt
to lessen the pest’s impact on next year’s crop.
I’m currently experimenting with Perlite and
Vermiculite in my compost mix for new cuttings I’m attempting to strike, am
very keen on making good compost and have for the first time ever, grown a
squash weighing-in at 10lb. 9oz...and more are growing rapidly on my veg. site.
So that’s what GrowGirl is all about - growing,
having fun on my allotment sites, my veg. garden and greenhouse plants and
planting...and growing wild flowers. I have completed a horticultural and
agricultural course, have gardened for many years and love to write about my
green-fingered activities xxx
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