A reasonable day... Gill was getting ready to take our two and a friend to see Avatar, so I went to the baker and the Co-op and by the time I got back they were gone.
I did a bit on the computer and had lunch, and washed up, then went outside and did more woodpile. Also started to dig out a semi-finished pallet-bin and turn it into it's neighbour, to make way for the stuff which is currently awaiting it's final resting place alongside sawdust, hedge trimmings, straw and cardboard, and some warmer weather! I got very cold and was glad to come back in.
Gill had made a pizza dough before going out and when I got in, she was in the middle of cooking a pizza for the children. All of them had enjoyed Avatar, though the glasses had made Gill's eyes water.
So, a nice pizza for tea, with home-made baked beans. I'd done these earlier today: beans from the garden, soaked and boiled, then drained and put with a litre of out of date tomato juice, and brought to the boil again and left on the stove for a couple of hours simmering. Not bad at all!
The boys watched The Simpsons Movie on TV whilst I played Scrabble on facebook and waited for the bathwater to heat up enough on the stove for my bath.
Through facebook I was pleased to learn about the latest news from Georgina Downs' campaign to prevent pesticides being sprayed near where people live. She won in the High Court and the Government appealed and her victory was overturned. So she's taking the case to the European Court, and I hope she wins. See here for today's article in The Ecologist . The other thing I found was that the Royal Mail, apparently, are going to reduce the number of posties who use bicycles, and replace them with vans. How stupid is that? If you feel the same as me, and live in the UK, you can sign this 'Number 10' petition to the Prime Minister: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Royalmailbikes/
Showing posts with label Woodpile building. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Woodpile building. Show all posts
A good day, relaxed but seemed to get a lot done. Gill rang me from town and woke me up (!) so I got up and made up the stove and did some woodpile building out at the front.. keeping warm is the priority at the moment!
But when Gill came home, she realised that our eldest had left something at home that he should have had at school, so I cycled it in... only to be told that they were finishing at 1.25 and he wouldn't need it.
So I went down to Country Fresh and then Freshways, and came back with an ENORMOUS load of compostables... just as soon as the snow goes, I'll have to make a new pallet heap for all these sacks and boxes of stuff, which are currently just frozen solid awaiting 'disposal'.
The boys were very excited and hyper as Gill has bought tickets for Avatar tomorrow.
I helped Gill make tea, roast potatoes and nutloaf and broccoli/cauliflower... simple and delicious.
I jarred up more bananas and later put 61 fresh ones on the stove drying racks.
A good day.
But when Gill came home, she realised that our eldest had left something at home that he should have had at school, so I cycled it in... only to be told that they were finishing at 1.25 and he wouldn't need it.
So I went down to Country Fresh and then Freshways, and came back with an ENORMOUS load of compostables... just as soon as the snow goes, I'll have to make a new pallet heap for all these sacks and boxes of stuff, which are currently just frozen solid awaiting 'disposal'.
The boys were very excited and hyper as Gill has bought tickets for Avatar tomorrow.
I helped Gill make tea, roast potatoes and nutloaf and broccoli/cauliflower... simple and delicious.
I jarred up more bananas and later put 61 fresh ones on the stove drying racks.
A good day.
Woken by kids yelling as if being murdered downstairs, so sleepily rushed down to be met by two laughing boys saying 'April Fool'. Didn't quite know what to say, but all was good humoured!
Gill took our youngest to school and went on to her art class. I did a bit of emailing and Facebooking, and then got dressed and made some leek and butternut squash soup, and started building a logpile of dry wood outside the front. This one isn't going to fall down!
Had a good day, doing bits around the house and garden, nothing very focused but had a productive day. Shredded a load of twigs (mainly from John round the corner) and took apart a large clump of tough grass/sedge which Gill dug up ages ago. The soil had dried so I could crumble that off and pulled out the bits of the plant with roots, and shredded these too. The soil I added to my store of turf/soil/loam in one of my many compost bins. This is used to make potting composts, mixed with rich compost from fruit and veg, and leafmould, in varying proportions depending on what I'm using it for. I emptied one of my tumblers, putting well rotted stuff in a large plastic sack (for continued decomposition and eventual riddling and use) and unrotted sticks, paper and cardboard in a pile, ready for putting back with all the shredded twigs, sedge and a vast pile of cauliflower stalks, bad oranges and off potatoes. All this went straight back in the tumbler, filling it right up in one go. Compost bins are rarely empty in this garden! I took the temperature of one of my recently loaded pallet bins, just over 60 celcius in the centre... a veritable sauna for the microbes in there!
I also did lots more weeding, as we have an excess of deep rooted Green Alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens) and easy-seeding Geranium species (some type of Crane's Bill) and the always-on-the-make Ground Elder (Aegopodium podagraria) which is perhaps the most invasive thing in this garden, apart from the encroaching compost bins... I pulled out some nettle seedlings, baby brambles, docks trying to sneak their roots way too deep for me to get them and dandelions trying to be as tenacious as docks. My fingers are now tingling pleasantly from the stinging nettles, a feeling I quite like.
I found one of last year's yams, just beginning to grow, and tried to dig it out, but it was so deep, the main body of the tuber was over 60 cm below the soil and it broke off, just giving me 50 or 60 cm of thin rooty tuber hardly worth doing anything with. I'll replant this bit, probably in a pot as it's easier to get the crop! I bought this as 'Angela's Cinnamon Vine', 5 tiny balls which form in the vine where the leaves branch off, it climbs several metres up, and produces a bigger tuber every year if left. So far my biggest tuber was about 70 cm long, after 2 or 3 years growing. The vine dies off during winter.
Gill called me in at 7.30 and reminded me it was tea time... I just get completely lost when I'm in the garden, there's always more to do than I have time for, and eating gets put down the agenda (or falls off the end of it until it's too dark to do anything more). I had a two bowls of leek and butternut soup, seasoned with marmite from a nearly empty jar, washed out with hot water to get the last of it. This with a hunk of bread and hummus and blobs of pesto, and some cucumber out of the compostables... one end was unsaleable, the other end delicious!
An evening not worth writing about, as I spent most of it writing...
Gill took our youngest to school and went on to her art class. I did a bit of emailing and Facebooking, and then got dressed and made some leek and butternut squash soup, and started building a logpile of dry wood outside the front. This one isn't going to fall down!
Had a good day, doing bits around the house and garden, nothing very focused but had a productive day. Shredded a load of twigs (mainly from John round the corner) and took apart a large clump of tough grass/sedge which Gill dug up ages ago. The soil had dried so I could crumble that off and pulled out the bits of the plant with roots, and shredded these too. The soil I added to my store of turf/soil/loam in one of my many compost bins. This is used to make potting composts, mixed with rich compost from fruit and veg, and leafmould, in varying proportions depending on what I'm using it for. I emptied one of my tumblers, putting well rotted stuff in a large plastic sack (for continued decomposition and eventual riddling and use) and unrotted sticks, paper and cardboard in a pile, ready for putting back with all the shredded twigs, sedge and a vast pile of cauliflower stalks, bad oranges and off potatoes. All this went straight back in the tumbler, filling it right up in one go. Compost bins are rarely empty in this garden! I took the temperature of one of my recently loaded pallet bins, just over 60 celcius in the centre... a veritable sauna for the microbes in there!
I also did lots more weeding, as we have an excess of deep rooted Green Alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens) and easy-seeding Geranium species (some type of Crane's Bill) and the always-on-the-make Ground Elder (Aegopodium podagraria) which is perhaps the most invasive thing in this garden, apart from the encroaching compost bins... I pulled out some nettle seedlings, baby brambles, docks trying to sneak their roots way too deep for me to get them and dandelions trying to be as tenacious as docks. My fingers are now tingling pleasantly from the stinging nettles, a feeling I quite like.
I found one of last year's yams, just beginning to grow, and tried to dig it out, but it was so deep, the main body of the tuber was over 60 cm below the soil and it broke off, just giving me 50 or 60 cm of thin rooty tuber hardly worth doing anything with. I'll replant this bit, probably in a pot as it's easier to get the crop! I bought this as 'Angela's Cinnamon Vine', 5 tiny balls which form in the vine where the leaves branch off, it climbs several metres up, and produces a bigger tuber every year if left. So far my biggest tuber was about 70 cm long, after 2 or 3 years growing. The vine dies off during winter.
Gill called me in at 7.30 and reminded me it was tea time... I just get completely lost when I'm in the garden, there's always more to do than I have time for, and eating gets put down the agenda (or falls off the end of it until it's too dark to do anything more). I had a two bowls of leek and butternut soup, seasoned with marmite from a nearly empty jar, washed out with hot water to get the last of it. This with a hunk of bread and hummus and blobs of pesto, and some cucumber out of the compostables... one end was unsaleable, the other end delicious!
An evening not worth writing about, as I spent most of it writing...
OK, I've swept up the mess from the last logpile and am ready to start stacking.
Here go the first few.
The view from the side I'm working from, notice the logs placed at right angles to most of the stack, for support.
The next 'wall' beginning to be constructed.
Some good long support logs, should stop the pile from collapsing.
Coming on nicely!
Getting higher!
About halfway..
Finished!
Ready to use, well, after the pile on the right, which has been stacked under cover for a couple of weeks.
An excellent day! I took our youngest into school and when I got back in, went back to bed... lovely. Lucky me!
The afternoon was more productive, did some tidying up in the kitchen and various other things around the house, and decided to record the building of a logpile... hence the photos above. That took just over an hour.
Tea was the home-made mushroom and leek soup, and then I went to The Stables to the York in Transition meeting, which was good humoured and fun. Arrived back by 10.30, collected a bit more of the fence from our neighbour and then came in to settle down and do my blog, watch a bit of telly and head for bed again.
The afternoon was more productive, did some tidying up in the kitchen and various other things around the house, and decided to record the building of a logpile... hence the photos above. That took just over an hour.
Tea was the home-made mushroom and leek soup, and then I went to The Stables to the York in Transition meeting, which was good humoured and fun. Arrived back by 10.30, collected a bit more of the fence from our neighbour and then came in to settle down and do my blog, watch a bit of telly and head for bed again.
A fairly uneventful Monday morning. I cycled our youngest to school and on the way there saw that the developers of the new University campus had trashed a stand of trees... what used to be a nice little woodland is going to have a road through it. Most of the trees had been cut and removed, the smaller bits shredded, but on the way back I had a look around and got a trailer-load of logs to take home. What a shame. I wonder what has happened with the trunks and big branches?
I enjoyed the good weather and did quite a bit of work outside, including an attempt to do something like Alastair Heseltine's fantastic arty logpile, called 'Seasonal Sculpture':
My attempt was obviously a lot smaller and only had a small amount of patterning, but it's a start. I also ran out of uniform logs which was not helpful. I hope to add another layer and make it pretty. My attempt is crap compared to this wonderful sculpture, but I'm pleased with it as my logpiles have always looked nice, and now I have something even better to aspire to!
During the afternoon I made some carrot soup... well, I started making it last night and finished it this afternoon.
So, a creative and fulfilling day... I picked up the little one at 3.15 and another load of trashed woodland on the way home. Not enough to continue with my sculptural logpile.
I cleared up my mess from chainsawing etc before going down to town to put a cheque in and pay the water bill... but I arrived a minute after the bank had closed. That'll teach me to stop and chat to Steve the Roofer! So came home feeling silly, but picked up a load of compostables from Freshways so it wasn't a completely wasted trip.... I'll do it first thing tomorrow, before the Irish Radio station rings me to discuss low carbon/low cost living. That's at 11.30ish on Shannonside.
After tea, which was the carrot soup and a slice of Gill's cold pie left over from yesterday, I went down to town again (no stopping the bike to chat this time!) and attended the York Green Festival planning meeting, at the Golden Fleece, which was loosely chaired by Martin our treasurer. This meeting didn't last too long... finished before 9 and we had some jovial chat before and after.
I got home to a quiet house, and did some washing up and tried to make space to dry some more fruit. I have too much fruit and not enough drying racks...
I enjoyed the good weather and did quite a bit of work outside, including an attempt to do something like Alastair Heseltine's fantastic arty logpile, called 'Seasonal Sculpture':
My attempt was obviously a lot smaller and only had a small amount of patterning, but it's a start. I also ran out of uniform logs which was not helpful. I hope to add another layer and make it pretty. My attempt is crap compared to this wonderful sculpture, but I'm pleased with it as my logpiles have always looked nice, and now I have something even better to aspire to!
During the afternoon I made some carrot soup... well, I started making it last night and finished it this afternoon.
So, a creative and fulfilling day... I picked up the little one at 3.15 and another load of trashed woodland on the way home. Not enough to continue with my sculptural logpile.
I cleared up my mess from chainsawing etc before going down to town to put a cheque in and pay the water bill... but I arrived a minute after the bank had closed. That'll teach me to stop and chat to Steve the Roofer! So came home feeling silly, but picked up a load of compostables from Freshways so it wasn't a completely wasted trip.... I'll do it first thing tomorrow, before the Irish Radio station rings me to discuss low carbon/low cost living. That's at 11.30ish on Shannonside.
After tea, which was the carrot soup and a slice of Gill's cold pie left over from yesterday, I went down to town again (no stopping the bike to chat this time!) and attended the York Green Festival planning meeting, at the Golden Fleece, which was loosely chaired by Martin our treasurer. This meeting didn't last too long... finished before 9 and we had some jovial chat before and after.
I got home to a quiet house, and did some washing up and tried to make space to dry some more fruit. I have too much fruit and not enough drying racks...
I cycled into school with our youngest, and in the playground had a nice chat with a new Dad, Peter from Taiwan. On the way back I collected lots of litter from Windmill Lane... mostly aluminium cans but also plastic bottles... all will be recycled (well, I'll put them for recycling; what the council and metal merchant do with them is their business!)
Gill went to her art class and I was a good househusband and continued the tidying she started yesterday and washed up. Went to Thomas's and bought their excellent value 'yesterbake' bread... two loaves, four packets of rolls, 4 danish pastries and some flapjack offcuts... all for £3.75. Excellent! This is stuff which didn't sell yesterday, and the shops all send the unsold things back to the Tang Hall Lane shop, where it is sold at half price and two for the price of one... so actually, quarter price. So a loaf selling yesterday at £120 would be 60p, but you can have 2 for 60p. Excellent, and they don't have to be the same item, so today for instance, I got a white loaf and a seedy loaf and four different packets of rolls. Good on yer Thomas's of York!
Gill came back soon after 11 and we spent some time together trying to plan the next few days... Gilly got on with some cooking and I got on with something else before Neil the Thomson Local rep came to discuss my advertising package for next year. He was very nice and we went off at a tangent/off topic on several occasions, but we eventually got to agreeing the words and signing the document.
The rest of the afternoon was spent sorting out a new woodpile outside the front door AGAIN... but hey, we've been very cosy during this cold patch and not used any more fossil fuel than we normally do. Just loads of logs.
I picked up our youngest, and as usual managed the compost bins I've installed at school to recycle some of their stuff they throw away and don't bother to recycle themselves. However, children are often really wasteful themselves and throw away fruit they don't want to eat, rather than take it back home to face their parent/carer who would (perhaps!) sternly say 'Why didn't you eat that?' So I often find uneaten bananas, apples, pears and sometimes unopened packets of crisps or dried mango. This is my reward! I bring the fruit home, wash it and mostly dry the stuff for my cereal... or the kids gobble it up as they love the dried fruit so much! I leave dried fruit out on the racks and it just disappears. I've told them they don't ever have to ask to take it... and it just goes. Great!... I bring more home just about every day to slice up and bung on the racks above the stove, and this snack is much more healthy than sweets or biscuits (although they sometimes have these as well).
I went to visit Richard at Country Fresh and he gave me a huge load of seconds tomatoes, so I'll sort them out and make soup for the coming couple of days. Yummy!
Popped in to Freshways too... and oh no, they had tomatoes as well. So, I wish I had a cauldron. I might make a batch of soup-base and freeze it... A busy evening awaits.
Did have a busy evening. The boys kept busy too, on their computer (thank you Uncle Tom!) but somehow the screen went upsidedown and enlarged. I wanted to laugh but had to appear concerned, serious etc or there would have been an outburst. I offered to help but my solution didn't work, so I rang Simon and he talked our eldest through it... and solved it! Well, I think so...
Enjoyed 'It's Not Easy Being Green' but I don't think this series is as good as the first. Not enough Brigit!!! Hahahahaha...
Gill went to her art class and I was a good househusband and continued the tidying she started yesterday and washed up. Went to Thomas's and bought their excellent value 'yesterbake' bread... two loaves, four packets of rolls, 4 danish pastries and some flapjack offcuts... all for £3.75. Excellent! This is stuff which didn't sell yesterday, and the shops all send the unsold things back to the Tang Hall Lane shop, where it is sold at half price and two for the price of one... so actually, quarter price. So a loaf selling yesterday at £120 would be 60p, but you can have 2 for 60p. Excellent, and they don't have to be the same item, so today for instance, I got a white loaf and a seedy loaf and four different packets of rolls. Good on yer Thomas's of York!
Gill came back soon after 11 and we spent some time together trying to plan the next few days... Gilly got on with some cooking and I got on with something else before Neil the Thomson Local rep came to discuss my advertising package for next year. He was very nice and we went off at a tangent/off topic on several occasions, but we eventually got to agreeing the words and signing the document.
The rest of the afternoon was spent sorting out a new woodpile outside the front door AGAIN... but hey, we've been very cosy during this cold patch and not used any more fossil fuel than we normally do. Just loads of logs.
I picked up our youngest, and as usual managed the compost bins I've installed at school to recycle some of their stuff they throw away and don't bother to recycle themselves. However, children are often really wasteful themselves and throw away fruit they don't want to eat, rather than take it back home to face their parent/carer who would (perhaps!) sternly say 'Why didn't you eat that?' So I often find uneaten bananas, apples, pears and sometimes unopened packets of crisps or dried mango. This is my reward! I bring the fruit home, wash it and mostly dry the stuff for my cereal... or the kids gobble it up as they love the dried fruit so much! I leave dried fruit out on the racks and it just disappears. I've told them they don't ever have to ask to take it... and it just goes. Great!... I bring more home just about every day to slice up and bung on the racks above the stove, and this snack is much more healthy than sweets or biscuits (although they sometimes have these as well).
I went to visit Richard at Country Fresh and he gave me a huge load of seconds tomatoes, so I'll sort them out and make soup for the coming couple of days. Yummy!
Popped in to Freshways too... and oh no, they had tomatoes as well. So, I wish I had a cauldron. I might make a batch of soup-base and freeze it... A busy evening awaits.
Did have a busy evening. The boys kept busy too, on their computer (thank you Uncle Tom!) but somehow the screen went upsidedown and enlarged. I wanted to laugh but had to appear concerned, serious etc or there would have been an outburst. I offered to help but my solution didn't work, so I rang Simon and he talked our eldest through it... and solved it! Well, I think so...
Enjoyed 'It's Not Easy Being Green' but I don't think this series is as good as the first. Not enough Brigit!!! Hahahahaha...
A late morning... Gill had got up at the normal time and our eldest was due to go to school, but he threw up his breakfast so he didn't go. Youngest still with poorly mouth.
So I stayed in and made lasagne and did stuff around the house. I did get to build a woodpile and manage some compost but was mainly inside.
At 5ish went to see a friend and had tea there and looked through some documents. Then at 7.30 went to the York in Transition meeting and I took minutes. Feels like we're getting to the end of a bit of a tunnel with this stage of organising this group.
Home to write up the minutes but got distracted and didn't finish. Will have to tomorrow...
So I stayed in and made lasagne and did stuff around the house. I did get to build a woodpile and manage some compost but was mainly inside.
At 5ish went to see a friend and had tea there and looked through some documents. Then at 7.30 went to the York in Transition meeting and I took minutes. Feels like we're getting to the end of a bit of a tunnel with this stage of organising this group.
Home to write up the minutes but got distracted and didn't finish. Will have to tomorrow...
I took our youngest into school, and then had a quiet day mostly inside doing paperwork and e-paperwork. Wrote to The Maudsley with some forms filled in, and sent that off with a 'signed for' extra cost. Got bread. Did a Facebook 'Event Page' for York Green Festival. Chainsawed and split a few logs, and built the beginning of a logpile outside the front door of dry and ready-to-use fuel. Tidied a pile of paperwork to find out what time tomorrow I can give blood. Found a cheque I received about 2 months ago, and phoned the sender to apologise for not cashing it quickly, and to tell them I'd do it tomorrow... Read my electricity and gas meters for
The Carbon Account and inputted my new data, my graph is pleasingly slim (trying to ignore my adopted massive aircraft spike last month) and I found my old buddy Dave Mansell is also recording his carbon footprint on the site. He's one of the top recycling managers in the country and I really admire him. If I was more organised, I'd like to be doing what he's doing!
Gill did most of the childcare stuff but I spent time with them when they came in from school as Gill had gone to the shops, so I took an interest in their 'Spore' game and cuddled before and after tea.
Later, got a message from Dave 'top recycler' Mansell telling me what he's been up to since leaving York... I'm really pleased to hear he's ok. Currently working for the Somerset Waste Partnership where it looks like he's in top management. Good stuff!
Kept both stoves going, they both make a reassuring clicking sound as they expand and contract over each burn cycle, so they are 'clicking away' which I like.
The Carbon Account and inputted my new data, my graph is pleasingly slim (trying to ignore my adopted massive aircraft spike last month) and I found my old buddy Dave Mansell is also recording his carbon footprint on the site. He's one of the top recycling managers in the country and I really admire him. If I was more organised, I'd like to be doing what he's doing!
Gill did most of the childcare stuff but I spent time with them when they came in from school as Gill had gone to the shops, so I took an interest in their 'Spore' game and cuddled before and after tea.
Later, got a message from Dave 'top recycler' Mansell telling me what he's been up to since leaving York... I'm really pleased to hear he's ok. Currently working for the Somerset Waste Partnership where it looks like he's in top management. Good stuff!
Kept both stoves going, they both make a reassuring clicking sound as they expand and contract over each burn cycle, so they are 'clicking away' which I like.
I came downstairs when Gill asked me to, to keep an eye on our little darlings whilst she got ready. I sat and shelled pumpkin seeds whilst the boys got dressed, and when they went I went back to bed. Didn't feel like breakfast.
Didn't get up til 11am as I had to go into town to have my eyes tested, as there's a strong likelihood I'll get glaucoma as several family members have had it. But my eyes are still fine, the only deterioration is that as I'm in my 40s, my near vision is receeding, if that's the right way to put it. Basically, I cannot focus on things as close as I could when I was younger, this is normal and expected.
I gave in the planning panel paperwork, collected a couple of sacks of orange skins from Dylan and then at Country Fresh, a huge sack of ivy and clematis which some nutter had binned. Very compostable... home for lunch, I had a hearty one as I'd missed breakfast, the first time in many years, just was feeling so low I didn't bother. But the cycling and activity had helped my mood and I had lunch, chatted with Gill, lit the stove, washed up etc. When 3pm came Gill offered to go to school and I took the ivy and oranges to St Nicks for composting, and on the way back collected 3 bags of compostables from the new supermarket, as they're now saving these resources for me to recycle. Put a load in the compostumbler at home, but saved okra, baby aubergines and plantain for doing something with.
Also finished doing the latest woodpile by the front door. Still wasn't hungry much so went to bed for a couple of hours mope. However, one good thing, my eldest son is pleased that I have no diagnosis, and I thanked him for his positivity. I still need time to readjust to this new set of circumstances. My sister too is positive (see yesterday's comments) which is lovely, thanks Mrs. Happy. I love you too, just the way you are!
I got up at 8 and had a bit of pasta and watched 'Oceans' with the family, had a quiet evening, peeling pears and slicing apples and balancing them on the stove to dry.
Didn't get up til 11am as I had to go into town to have my eyes tested, as there's a strong likelihood I'll get glaucoma as several family members have had it. But my eyes are still fine, the only deterioration is that as I'm in my 40s, my near vision is receeding, if that's the right way to put it. Basically, I cannot focus on things as close as I could when I was younger, this is normal and expected.
I gave in the planning panel paperwork, collected a couple of sacks of orange skins from Dylan and then at Country Fresh, a huge sack of ivy and clematis which some nutter had binned. Very compostable... home for lunch, I had a hearty one as I'd missed breakfast, the first time in many years, just was feeling so low I didn't bother. But the cycling and activity had helped my mood and I had lunch, chatted with Gill, lit the stove, washed up etc. When 3pm came Gill offered to go to school and I took the ivy and oranges to St Nicks for composting, and on the way back collected 3 bags of compostables from the new supermarket, as they're now saving these resources for me to recycle. Put a load in the compostumbler at home, but saved okra, baby aubergines and plantain for doing something with.
Also finished doing the latest woodpile by the front door. Still wasn't hungry much so went to bed for a couple of hours mope. However, one good thing, my eldest son is pleased that I have no diagnosis, and I thanked him for his positivity. I still need time to readjust to this new set of circumstances. My sister too is positive (see yesterday's comments) which is lovely, thanks Mrs. Happy. I love you too, just the way you are!
I got up at 8 and had a bit of pasta and watched 'Oceans' with the family, had a quiet evening, peeling pears and slicing apples and balancing them on the stove to dry.
Quite a relaxed day, didn't have to hurry to get up as the first appointment was at midday.
So cycled into town to get to Parliament St for about 11.55 and met up with Tash who's organising the Big Freeze, and quite a few other people arrived too, at least 20 which was good. We had a talk through and a bit of a practice of the 10 second delay after Tash blew her whistle, which is how we all know when to freeze. Then when the cameras were ready, we all wandered over to the fountain and Tash did a really quiet whistle and no-one knew whether it was the real thing or just a practice... so I suggested she blow it really hard so we all knew. I froze pushing my bike... near me was Kenny doing up his shoelace and a couple of other people just walking... well, frozen in mid walk. We counted to 180 (3 minutes) and resumed walking... my counting was pretty accurate because I got up to 175 when the others started. One person had frozen looking at his watch so he was the person who started at moving again at 3 minutes, and we all used him as a cue. The reactions of passers by were interesting but I couldn't see many of them as I was facing in the wrong direction... but I look forward to the film being available on YouTube. I was interviewed afterwards about why I had got involved etc.
I came home via the Mail Box Etc shop where I get photocopies, and got a photocopy of my Equity Card which a client wants to see as proof of my insurance as Professor Fiddlesticks. Then to Country Fresh to pick up 2 sacks and a box, bought a cauliflower and some broccoli too.
Home for lunch, and after I went to the lottie to put the compostable materials on my latest heap. After this went on to my agent's house to deliver the photocopy, and doubled back to Anna's to pick up yet another load of cut vegetation to take to Hazel Court. This time no-one stopped me or accosted me... I was able to dump the compostables in the green waste skip without any hassle, which is how it should be. There was a fellow unloading conifer prunings as well, then he opened his boot and revealed a pile of holly logs, which I asked if I could have... so returned home with these!
Home by 5ish, and did a bit of woodpile building followed by tea followed by cutting the front hedge which has become rather shaggy. Some passer-by had pulled a chunk of it and although I tried to push this back before cutting it, when I did cut it, this area became a hole in the hedge which is annoying. It looks as if I'm an incompetent hedge cutter!
I collected all the cuttings on a sheet and shredded them all and was finished by 9.15.
Spent quite a bit of evening dealing with emails and reading the US Composting Council quarterly newsletter which I found very interesting.
So cycled into town to get to Parliament St for about 11.55 and met up with Tash who's organising the Big Freeze, and quite a few other people arrived too, at least 20 which was good. We had a talk through and a bit of a practice of the 10 second delay after Tash blew her whistle, which is how we all know when to freeze. Then when the cameras were ready, we all wandered over to the fountain and Tash did a really quiet whistle and no-one knew whether it was the real thing or just a practice... so I suggested she blow it really hard so we all knew. I froze pushing my bike... near me was Kenny doing up his shoelace and a couple of other people just walking... well, frozen in mid walk. We counted to 180 (3 minutes) and resumed walking... my counting was pretty accurate because I got up to 175 when the others started. One person had frozen looking at his watch so he was the person who started at moving again at 3 minutes, and we all used him as a cue. The reactions of passers by were interesting but I couldn't see many of them as I was facing in the wrong direction... but I look forward to the film being available on YouTube. I was interviewed afterwards about why I had got involved etc.
I came home via the Mail Box Etc shop where I get photocopies, and got a photocopy of my Equity Card which a client wants to see as proof of my insurance as Professor Fiddlesticks. Then to Country Fresh to pick up 2 sacks and a box, bought a cauliflower and some broccoli too.
Home for lunch, and after I went to the lottie to put the compostable materials on my latest heap. After this went on to my agent's house to deliver the photocopy, and doubled back to Anna's to pick up yet another load of cut vegetation to take to Hazel Court. This time no-one stopped me or accosted me... I was able to dump the compostables in the green waste skip without any hassle, which is how it should be. There was a fellow unloading conifer prunings as well, then he opened his boot and revealed a pile of holly logs, which I asked if I could have... so returned home with these!
Home by 5ish, and did a bit of woodpile building followed by tea followed by cutting the front hedge which has become rather shaggy. Some passer-by had pulled a chunk of it and although I tried to push this back before cutting it, when I did cut it, this area became a hole in the hedge which is annoying. It looks as if I'm an incompetent hedge cutter!
I collected all the cuttings on a sheet and shredded them all and was finished by 9.15.
Spent quite a bit of evening dealing with emails and reading the US Composting Council quarterly newsletter which I found very interesting.
Up early and looked after my youngest son who's got a bad cough and was missing school because of that. Gill went to a meeting about disability issues at school, but came in soon after 10am. I spent most of the day doing my paperwork... accounts are due in this week so the earnings from my 2 self-employed jobs have to be declared and tax paid... never my favourite work. However Gill does some of the paperwork but I still have to go through it and check it's right, and fill in the forms. Every year I think how brilliant it would be to have an accountant do it for us.... maybe this year I'll do this!
Went to the tax office after getting the eldest boyo from school (he's been at Eden Camp today on an educational visit) and have got an appointment on Thursday, the last day to give in the paperwork and a cheque....
On the way back popped into a garage which does welding to see if they'll ment my trailer. They'll do it tomorrow. Before tea did some log stacking in the back garden.
Gilly made tea, a stew with mashed potato on top... I've forgotten what she calls it.
At 6pm we all watched 'Summerhill' on BBC, it was very moving and the kids loved it too. I looked at the Radio Times to see the time of the whole 100 minute film, and although it was supposed to be at 9pm, it was scheduled to go out at 7.30, so we gave them the option to see the whole thing tonight.
Went to the tax office after getting the eldest boyo from school (he's been at Eden Camp today on an educational visit) and have got an appointment on Thursday, the last day to give in the paperwork and a cheque....
On the way back popped into a garage which does welding to see if they'll ment my trailer. They'll do it tomorrow. Before tea did some log stacking in the back garden.
Gilly made tea, a stew with mashed potato on top... I've forgotten what she calls it.
At 6pm we all watched 'Summerhill' on BBC, it was very moving and the kids loved it too. I looked at the Radio Times to see the time of the whole 100 minute film, and although it was supposed to be at 9pm, it was scheduled to go out at 7.30, so we gave them the option to see the whole thing tonight.
Up at a reasonable time and did some phoning and emailing... came accross an amazing website by a photographer called Belinda Mason, go and check it out
http://www.belindamason.com/mlp.html
Later in the day I did more hedge and then at 3 went to get the kiddies, and had a good chat with my friend Andy.
Did some woodpile building, the stuff that came from Woodlands and has been sitting split on the front garden (woodyard!) and is now being stacked in the covered woodshed in the back garden.
After tea, cycled over to Tadcaster Road to attend (and participate in!) a York Credit Union party/social at Walter's house. Good to see Simon and Melody, and the two Mikes, Peter, and Claire, and several people whom I didn't know. Stella's hubby Dave proved very interesting, as he is a train enthusiast, and volunteers for the Wensleydale Railway, but had some good stories about his career in the railways before he retired. Brought back lots of memories for me too, as whilst I was a teenager, I was a 'trainspotter' and travelled all over the network ostensibly to spot trains, but saw the country too. Now, of course, I am a train enthusiast, as they are a more sustainable form of transport than motorised road vehicles, and I prefer trains to coaches and buses, and obviously I hate cars!
Left at about 11pm, came home via a logpile in a wood which has been 'managed' so I managed to retrieve several logs for recycling into hot bathwater etc!
http://www.belindamason.com/mlp.html
Later in the day I did more hedge and then at 3 went to get the kiddies, and had a good chat with my friend Andy.
Did some woodpile building, the stuff that came from Woodlands and has been sitting split on the front garden (woodyard!) and is now being stacked in the covered woodshed in the back garden.
After tea, cycled over to Tadcaster Road to attend (and participate in!) a York Credit Union party/social at Walter's house. Good to see Simon and Melody, and the two Mikes, Peter, and Claire, and several people whom I didn't know. Stella's hubby Dave proved very interesting, as he is a train enthusiast, and volunteers for the Wensleydale Railway, but had some good stories about his career in the railways before he retired. Brought back lots of memories for me too, as whilst I was a teenager, I was a 'trainspotter' and travelled all over the network ostensibly to spot trains, but saw the country too. Now, of course, I am a train enthusiast, as they are a more sustainable form of transport than motorised road vehicles, and I prefer trains to coaches and buses, and obviously I hate cars!
Left at about 11pm, came home via a logpile in a wood which has been 'managed' so I managed to retrieve several logs for recycling into hot bathwater etc!
Cannot remember how the day started but I do know that I spent much of the day building another logpile outside our front door, and I also phoned Good Energy Ltd, out renewable electricity supplier with an accurate meter reading and asked them what our annual bill will be for the forthcoming year. Over the last year this household has consumed about 3 units a day, and our bill for the next 12 months is £227. I shall pay that tomorrow, I expect.
In the evening I attended a core group meeting of YorkLETS, and it was really good to see my friends down at the Seahorse, and I had two pints and a really good chat. I bought three toys for my sons, all toy lorries, one's a dustbin lorry, one's a recycling lorry, the other is a skip lorry!
Got back at nearly 11pm and watched a silly but good film called 'Coccoon' from 1985 which both Gill and I enjoyed.
In the evening I attended a core group meeting of YorkLETS, and it was really good to see my friends down at the Seahorse, and I had two pints and a really good chat. I bought three toys for my sons, all toy lorries, one's a dustbin lorry, one's a recycling lorry, the other is a skip lorry!
Got back at nearly 11pm and watched a silly but good film called 'Coccoon' from 1985 which both Gill and I enjoyed.
I got up quite early as I had agreed with Rashda that I would go and process her pile of trimmings... not the Christmas lunch type but the pile in her front garden!
So I took my 'quiet shredder' down in the trailer and by 9am was feeding sticks and pruned-off vegetation into the machine. I did about 2 hour's worth, and produced 5 sacks of shreddings, although didn't actually finish the job. I did all the bigger bits which are easy to poke into the shredder, but there was a lot of smaller bits which firstly dont go into the slot easily and secondly don't need shredding as much as the larger pieces. They will get bagged up and I'll put them onto one of the allotment compost heaps. The sacks of shredded stuff will help the fruit and veg I bring back rot down better, as they will help keep the wads of moist putrescibles apart...
I had a coffee and a chat with Rashda and then loaded up the trailer with as much as I could and came home. The boys were very excited... cannot think why.... and I think Gill was happy to get out and go to town and do some last-minute purchases. Actually she's taking something back which she decided wasn't right... a watch for our eldest, which looks a bit too military.
I did some housework and then went outside to build another logpile... the recent cold weather has meant we've been through a lot and so I built a large stack on the left of the front door (when looking out) whilst the kids helped (yes they actually helped me bring dry logs for me to stavk!!!) and cycled up and down the drive, they also used the 'flying turtle' thing we have.
Gill came back at 4ish and I zoomed off to see Richard at Martin's Country Fresh to collect the last of the compostables before they close for Xmas. I got several sacks worth plus a load of seconds bananas and slightly sprouting potatoes, not green but just starting to sprout, so still edible!
During the evening I had an hour's bed rest which felt like a luxury, then later made a large nutloaf using local chestnuts (Poppleton Road 2006), local carrots, a home-grown onion, cheap bread from Thomas's 'Yesterbake', 2 free range eggs, home-made sweet paprika and home-produced pumpkin seeds. Should be good!
So I took my 'quiet shredder' down in the trailer and by 9am was feeding sticks and pruned-off vegetation into the machine. I did about 2 hour's worth, and produced 5 sacks of shreddings, although didn't actually finish the job. I did all the bigger bits which are easy to poke into the shredder, but there was a lot of smaller bits which firstly dont go into the slot easily and secondly don't need shredding as much as the larger pieces. They will get bagged up and I'll put them onto one of the allotment compost heaps. The sacks of shredded stuff will help the fruit and veg I bring back rot down better, as they will help keep the wads of moist putrescibles apart...
I had a coffee and a chat with Rashda and then loaded up the trailer with as much as I could and came home. The boys were very excited... cannot think why.... and I think Gill was happy to get out and go to town and do some last-minute purchases. Actually she's taking something back which she decided wasn't right... a watch for our eldest, which looks a bit too military.
I did some housework and then went outside to build another logpile... the recent cold weather has meant we've been through a lot and so I built a large stack on the left of the front door (when looking out) whilst the kids helped (yes they actually helped me bring dry logs for me to stavk!!!) and cycled up and down the drive, they also used the 'flying turtle' thing we have.
Gill came back at 4ish and I zoomed off to see Richard at Martin's Country Fresh to collect the last of the compostables before they close for Xmas. I got several sacks worth plus a load of seconds bananas and slightly sprouting potatoes, not green but just starting to sprout, so still edible!
During the evening I had an hour's bed rest which felt like a luxury, then later made a large nutloaf using local chestnuts (Poppleton Road 2006), local carrots, a home-grown onion, cheap bread from Thomas's 'Yesterbake', 2 free range eggs, home-made sweet paprika and home-produced pumpkin seeds. Should be good!
Woke feeling not too groggy although Gill told me I looked awful, so it may catch up with me sometime later today. Felt buoyed up by news from Bali that the World's leaders have managed to agree to set binding targets to reduce carbon emissions, and although the wonderful United States delegation was reluctant, the rest of the world kind of put them into an uncomfortable corner and eventually they agreed. This is good news.... the next round they'll have to ty to agree how much to reduce emissions and how these reductions are carved up. Bring on Contraction and Convergence, I say!
Celebrated (?) by spending most of the morning chopping back old brambles and stacking split logs. Enjoyed watching a heron perched in a nearby fir tree, it sat there for several hours, just looking one way and then another. Lovely!
Had a simple tea of potatoes and pastie and carrots, then for 8pm went to the Black Swan for a CRAG social. Ivana turned up and then Alex and Camilla, and then Robin, James, and finally Dave and Tracy, a good social. However it seemed to change into an AGM type meeting, and we made a decision that the R in our CRAG was to stand for REDUCTION not RATIONING. We made this decision because the concept of reduction is easy to understand, whereas the idea of rationing is a bit more convoluted and complicated. Also, once this was decided, the 'reins' as it were, were handed over from Alex and Camilla, who started the group, to James, who is happy to take control of the email list and website management. Ivana and I are to organise a meeting on Carbon Offsetting, the pros and cons, in Feb 08.
The meeting went on til nearly half eleven so I cycled home as fast as I could so I could go on Googletalk and chat with K who has just had her birthday...
Celebrated (?) by spending most of the morning chopping back old brambles and stacking split logs. Enjoyed watching a heron perched in a nearby fir tree, it sat there for several hours, just looking one way and then another. Lovely!
Had a simple tea of potatoes and pastie and carrots, then for 8pm went to the Black Swan for a CRAG social. Ivana turned up and then Alex and Camilla, and then Robin, James, and finally Dave and Tracy, a good social. However it seemed to change into an AGM type meeting, and we made a decision that the R in our CRAG was to stand for REDUCTION not RATIONING. We made this decision because the concept of reduction is easy to understand, whereas the idea of rationing is a bit more convoluted and complicated. Also, once this was decided, the 'reins' as it were, were handed over from Alex and Camilla, who started the group, to James, who is happy to take control of the email list and website management. Ivana and I are to organise a meeting on Carbon Offsetting, the pros and cons, in Feb 08.
The meeting went on til nearly half eleven so I cycled home as fast as I could so I could go on Googletalk and chat with K who has just had her birthday...
Oh how good, a lie-in! Not suprising after last night, up til after 2am, so was woken at 11am.
Had breakfast and went outside to complete yesterday's logging, finished building the by-the-door logpile and completed some splitting. Also did a bit of bramble cutting back and compost layering.
Came in to help prepare a nutloaf, which the children say is better if made by me, cheeky monsters! Was a good nutloaf though.
In the evening I went to my old friend Edwin's 40th birthday (OK, he's younger than me...) which was at 1331 Grape Lane off Petergate in York. He'd called the event 'Edstock' as he was previously a 'bit of a hippy' and still plays bass guitar in a number of bands, even though he's had his hair cut...
It was a good do. I met loads of people from the past, people I'd met at gigs such as 'Ramblin' Johnny Stomachpump and the Village Idiots' and 'The Suicidal Flowers'. I lived around the corner from some of the band members, including Fez the drummer, who was there tonight and fronted his band 'The Surf Sluts'. Ed played in a couple of sets, including a stormin' one from a Talking Heads tribute band called 'Slippery People'. It was a very good-natured event, met up with Mark, a very smiley chap I have hazy memories of from gigs, and Will, whom I met last night and told about this birthday do... he brought along his lovely wife Jacqueline, who's from Singapore, is of Indian parentage and dances very well. Oh and loads of others, most of whom I don't know well, not names, but they are sometimes to be passed in the street and there's always a smile of recognition.
I left reasonably early and called in on the woodland which is being pruned, and collected a load of logs, got in before midnight.
Had breakfast and went outside to complete yesterday's logging, finished building the by-the-door logpile and completed some splitting. Also did a bit of bramble cutting back and compost layering.
Came in to help prepare a nutloaf, which the children say is better if made by me, cheeky monsters! Was a good nutloaf though.
In the evening I went to my old friend Edwin's 40th birthday (OK, he's younger than me...) which was at 1331 Grape Lane off Petergate in York. He'd called the event 'Edstock' as he was previously a 'bit of a hippy' and still plays bass guitar in a number of bands, even though he's had his hair cut...
It was a good do. I met loads of people from the past, people I'd met at gigs such as 'Ramblin' Johnny Stomachpump and the Village Idiots' and 'The Suicidal Flowers'. I lived around the corner from some of the band members, including Fez the drummer, who was there tonight and fronted his band 'The Surf Sluts'. Ed played in a couple of sets, including a stormin' one from a Talking Heads tribute band called 'Slippery People'. It was a very good-natured event, met up with Mark, a very smiley chap I have hazy memories of from gigs, and Will, whom I met last night and told about this birthday do... he brought along his lovely wife Jacqueline, who's from Singapore, is of Indian parentage and dances very well. Oh and loads of others, most of whom I don't know well, not names, but they are sometimes to be passed in the street and there's always a smile of recognition.
I left reasonably early and called in on the woodland which is being pruned, and collected a load of logs, got in before midnight.
Quite a good day, not too early a start as Gill took the boys to school. I got ready to go to town to put a cheque in, go to the post office to pick up a letter which has not got enough postage paid on it, and meet 'Vishka' the telephone enquiry last night.
Gill went to her art class and I cycled to town, did my financial chores and waited for Vishka, who suprise suprise didn't show up. I reckon I've been had.
Home via friends from school, Mona and Phil, who have a tree which they want taking down. Mona described it as '30 feet high' which is something I could perhaps do... however it looked at least 60 feet high... something completely beyond me! I suggested Tony Castle, who in my opinion is a very good and reliable tree surgeon... he's also my friend and he sometimes gives me logs!
When I got back, Gill was just getting in with her friend Beth, who was coming for lunch and for a look around the garden.
I got the children, after splitting and stacking a few logs.
I made my own tea... some of yesterday's pasta with freshly cut broccoli from the garden, and a cheese sauce, and a packet of out of date crisps, yum!
A treat this evening as went out to a gig 'Eat Your Greens' at City Screen, a Green Party benefit gig with 3 performances. First was Emmy Jarvey, on Mandole (one octave lower than mandolin, sometimes known as a bazouki) and her husband James, I think, then a funky four piece called Mr Parker, followed by an excellent band The Summits who had a very powerful voiced female singer. Good to talk to Peter Sanderson, a new-to-the-Green-Party womand called Red, and a few others, but not a very social evening. Good music. Got very excited by the possibility of seeing a rare film on Sunday called Zabriskie Point, with music by Pink Floyd, and others.
Gill went to her art class and I cycled to town, did my financial chores and waited for Vishka, who suprise suprise didn't show up. I reckon I've been had.
Home via friends from school, Mona and Phil, who have a tree which they want taking down. Mona described it as '30 feet high' which is something I could perhaps do... however it looked at least 60 feet high... something completely beyond me! I suggested Tony Castle, who in my opinion is a very good and reliable tree surgeon... he's also my friend and he sometimes gives me logs!
When I got back, Gill was just getting in with her friend Beth, who was coming for lunch and for a look around the garden.
I got the children, after splitting and stacking a few logs.
I made my own tea... some of yesterday's pasta with freshly cut broccoli from the garden, and a cheese sauce, and a packet of out of date crisps, yum!
A treat this evening as went out to a gig 'Eat Your Greens' at City Screen, a Green Party benefit gig with 3 performances. First was Emmy Jarvey, on Mandole (one octave lower than mandolin, sometimes known as a bazouki) and her husband James, I think, then a funky four piece called Mr Parker, followed by an excellent band The Summits who had a very powerful voiced female singer. Good to talk to Peter Sanderson, a new-to-the-Green-Party womand called Red, and a few others, but not a very social evening. Good music. Got very excited by the possibility of seeing a rare film on Sunday called Zabriskie Point, with music by Pink Floyd, and others.
Quite a good day, as woke to a quiet house.... the boys had a peaceful morning before school and so I wasn't woken by shouting. Gill took them to school and I went back to bed, she joined me when she got back. So good to have a lazy morning!
Spent some time building a new logpile and draining a watwerbutt which has developed a leak... I think the tap on the base has been bumped and the seal damaged. Then my new composter arrived..... a 400 litre CompostFlow, made by SunMar who also make compost toilets. I started soring out a place to put it, which meant emptying a 'dalek' into another larger 'sit n wait' container.
I got the kiddies, coming home with another load of leaves.
I had a YorkLETS meeting in the evening at the Seahorse on the Fishergate Gyratory, it was a quick and businesslike meeting, finishing at about 8.30, and the 5 of us who turned up all went back to our homes. A quiet evening. Did a load of paperwork, invoices, forms, cheques to send.
Spent some time building a new logpile and draining a watwerbutt which has developed a leak... I think the tap on the base has been bumped and the seal damaged. Then my new composter arrived..... a 400 litre CompostFlow, made by SunMar who also make compost toilets. I started soring out a place to put it, which meant emptying a 'dalek' into another larger 'sit n wait' container.
I got the kiddies, coming home with another load of leaves.
I had a YorkLETS meeting in the evening at the Seahorse on the Fishergate Gyratory, it was a quick and businesslike meeting, finishing at about 8.30, and the 5 of us who turned up all went back to our homes. A quiet evening. Did a load of paperwork, invoices, forms, cheques to send.
The boys declared that they didn't want to go anywhere or do anything today. So they played and I spent some time building a logpile on the right of the door (looking out) and spent a bit of time doing some work with the new 'compost mate' tool which is really good at mixing the compost heaps. My neighbour had spotted a rat so I did a lot of mixing of some sit and wait heaps, which makes them less hospitable to rats. I saw no evidence of rats though, none ran out. There are rats in the area, and I think that the neighbours are blaming my composting activities for them as a way of getting at me, because I'm different.
For lunch I went to St Nicks and said hello to Catherine the head Rotter, who asked me to help out at a green market next weekend on the Rotters stall. I met up with Jo and had a sandwich whilst hearing about her week at work, and told her about my weekend away.
During the afternoon I did a bit of emailing and a bit of cycling around, visited Martin's Country Fresh for fruit/veg and compostables, and enjoyed tea of parsnips in baked beans with the last of Gill's quiche from yesterday.
In the evening our friends Simon and Jonathan came round, Si has been helping Jonathan with his computer and when they were finished they came and chatted as Gill and I continued to play Scrabble. The conversation became very frank, as it often does with both S and J, and my odd behaviour was analysed, with reference to my forthcoming trip to the Maudsley Hospital to see if I have ADHD. My 'compulsive' composting activities are giving Gill some problems, as the neighbours find me rather odd and Gill feels she has to defend me, although she wishes I didn't do so much of it on such an 'industrial' scale. She finds herself in a difficult position as she loves me and supports my desire to prevent stuff being landfilled, but she doesn't think it is appropriate that I do so much in the garden.
Anyway, I was happy to have such an honest exchange, I didn't feel attacked, I just feel as if I'm actually quite a 'vulnerable' person in some ways, for instance, my willingness to take recyclables for certain businesses means they get the stuff recycled (not possible commercially) and for free or cheap. I have a lot of processing to do about this, and hope Gill can come down to London next month with me to voice her observations about my extreme lifestyle.
For lunch I went to St Nicks and said hello to Catherine the head Rotter, who asked me to help out at a green market next weekend on the Rotters stall. I met up with Jo and had a sandwich whilst hearing about her week at work, and told her about my weekend away.
During the afternoon I did a bit of emailing and a bit of cycling around, visited Martin's Country Fresh for fruit/veg and compostables, and enjoyed tea of parsnips in baked beans with the last of Gill's quiche from yesterday.
In the evening our friends Simon and Jonathan came round, Si has been helping Jonathan with his computer and when they were finished they came and chatted as Gill and I continued to play Scrabble. The conversation became very frank, as it often does with both S and J, and my odd behaviour was analysed, with reference to my forthcoming trip to the Maudsley Hospital to see if I have ADHD. My 'compulsive' composting activities are giving Gill some problems, as the neighbours find me rather odd and Gill feels she has to defend me, although she wishes I didn't do so much of it on such an 'industrial' scale. She finds herself in a difficult position as she loves me and supports my desire to prevent stuff being landfilled, but she doesn't think it is appropriate that I do so much in the garden.
Anyway, I was happy to have such an honest exchange, I didn't feel attacked, I just feel as if I'm actually quite a 'vulnerable' person in some ways, for instance, my willingness to take recyclables for certain businesses means they get the stuff recycled (not possible commercially) and for free or cheap. I have a lot of processing to do about this, and hope Gill can come down to London next month with me to voice her observations about my extreme lifestyle.
