Monday 18th March

I've been pottering in the garden for three days in a row! There have been enough dry and sunny minutes today for me to do just a few little bits outside.

On Saturday I pulled up the last of the carrots and sowed seeds into paper pots.

On Sunday I cleared the weeds from some of the the patio tubs in preparation for getting the vegetable patch going again, and also picked enough rainbow chard to make a shallot/celery/green bean/ chard medley to go with our lunch.

Today I prepped all the carrots and tipped them into the little crock pot along with an onion, celery, a couple of bayleaves and some stock. We now have a couple of portions of soup for now and later. I had a sprig of rosemary in a vase, which I brought indoors about a week ago because the flowers were so pretty. When I lifted it out if the vase to add some of it to the crock pot I discovered it had grown a lot of little roots. 

I took it into the garden and planted it in a pot. Then I picked a couple more pieces of rosemary and also some lavender to see if I can repeat the magic.

DECLUTTERING 

I had added another 20 or so music teaching books to the stack to be passed on to another piano teacher tomorrow. 

My Cunning Plan regarding the craft stash needs refinement. I have accidentally increased it, by ripping out a scarf that I never liked. Now I have Added a ball of yarn, not helpful! 

Sunday 17th March

This evening, I offer you my favourite way of ending the day; the Nightime Liturgy from the revised prayer book of New Zealand. If you follow the link you can read the lovely story behind this prayer.

The breaks between phrases are an opportunity to add your own thoughts and prayers as you go along.

Saturday 16th March

What a glorious morning! The first really spring-like day of the year. I'm beginning my annual metamorphosis from something like a hibernating tortoise to, well, not exactly a hare perhaps.

I was able to make use of all bar 1 of the paper pots I made earlier in the week when I was so frustrated by the never-ending rain. Lettuces; 6 each of Tom Thumb and Moonraker, Peas, a dozen pots of Kelvedon Wonder (the seeds are a bit old so I might open a more recent packet) and 6 each of three different kinds of broad beans. They are all tucked away in the cold frame in case we get another deluge as the garden is still very wet.

The only things growing are some chard which is looking pretty good

and the garlic, which you can't really see behind the Egyptian Walking Onion. All have come through wet winter unscathed.

Looking at the onion, I'm wondering if I could dig it up and split it into four or five baby ones. I shall search the Web.

SOCK KNITTING has happened. I've got asthma where the heel will be. If I can do about an inch a day, give or take, then it won't take very long.

I attach a marker to show where I get to each day to encourage myself. 

THE LIST OF STUFF TO GO

ANOTHER category has been crossed off; ten items gone from the bigger spare bedroom. Some for the book pile, and some for the bin. I can cross off number 7 now. 

I have a Cunning Plan to reduce my craft stash. More on this tomorrow! 

Friday 15th March

THE LIST OF STUFF TO GO

1. The shelves by my worktable
2. The dining room table
3. The pine filing drawers
4. The shelves above the piano
5. Items of (my) clothing
6. The Kitchen
7. The larger spare bedroom 
8. Thee small spare bedroom 
9. Hall/stairs/landing areas
10. Craft stash
11. Pens and pencils
12. Trinkets
13. Ephemera (old cards etc)
14. Plastic food storage containers like tupperware
15. Top junk drawer
16. Middle junk drawer 
17. Bottom junk drawer
18. Garden sheds (my stuff)
19. Music books.
20. Bookshelves in sitting room

Today I sorted the pile of Christmas cards waiting for me to go through before recycling. To my horror there were 2 year's worth; last year and the year before, about 200 cards! I looked at the 2023 cards and abandoned the 2022 cards to their f ate. So number 13, Ephemera gets itself crossed off the list.

This made a nice easy task to do while having a bit of a quiet afternoon in bed, tea tray close at hand. It had been an odd day.

We drove to Dartford where there's a company that serviced my Phillips 'Simply Go' portable oxygen concentrator about 5 years ago. I enjoyed the drive. Although the weather wasn't wonderful it was good to see the progress of Spring along the motorway verges. Banks covered in primroses, a few daffodils here and there, still some blackthorn in flower and vibrant fresh green hawthorn leaves everywhere. Trails of what I suppose could be Traveller's Joy like green bunting lying over brown bare branches.

They were able to service the Concentrator while we waited. It took a long hour, but we had books to read and some water with us so the time passed.

I've picked up The Second Sock as the next unfinished object to get on with. Knitting socks is an ideal travelling occupation being small scale and very portable.

I made quite a bit of progress on the drive there and back, probably about an inch and a half, starting from the green marker. I will reach the heel in another three-quarters of an inch.

I also applied for a blue badge today, a time-consuming process, but it will make life easier for me, and also for taking my father out with us.

Thursday 14th March

THE LIST OF STUFF TO GO

It's a bit like a scavenger hunt; I prowl around looking for things the appear on this list

1. The shelves by my worktable
2. The dining room table
3. The pine cabinet of filing drawers
4. The shelves above the piano
5. Items of (my) clothing
6. The Kitchen
7. The larger spare bedroom 
8. Thee small spare bedroom 
9. Hall/stairs/landing areas
10. Craft stash
11. Pens and pencils
12. Trinkets
13. Ephemera (old cards etc)
14. Plastic food storage containers like tupperware
15. Top junk drawer
16. Middle junk drawer 
17. Bottom junk drawer
18. Garden sheds (my stuff)
19. Music books.
20. Bookshelves in sitting room

Yesterday items number 1, 2, 4, 5, 11, 14 and 19 were cleared off the list. They might notbhave left the house, but they are bagged up ready for a mega charity shop run.

Today I added Trinkets (12), and a complete set of months of the year Hornsea mugs - they are vintage mugs now, I suppose, because they were a wedding present from the 1970s. We loved them then, but our tastes have changed in the past mumble mumble years. So that' number (6) kitchen done.

I suspect I could get some montfort the mugs (and the caithness paperweight that is in the Trinkets bag). But we will donate them anyway, with a note on the box saying they might get worth more. It's our way of supporting Cancer Research and British Heart and other worthy causes. They will all be on their way out of the house next week

KNITTING 

The scarf that I cast on a few days ago in defiance of myself is continuing slowly. I do a couple of rows from time to time through the day.

Changing front metal to bamboo needles with a sharper point has madecall the difference 

I love the poncho that I finished yesterday. It makes a perfect easy to wear top for when the evenings are cooler, and is brilliant as a bed jacket. 

Time to go and teach. Last ever lesson for a lovely girl who is now in her final year of college and needs to concentrate on exams. I shall miss her so much!

Wednesday 13th March

 BUNGALOW (or rather, time to seriously sort ourselves out)

long before we go anywhere near getting the gas fire (that we haven't used in years) serviced - this one; 

Or replacing the bedroom carpet (no, I'm NOT sharing a picture of that!)

We need to concentrate on getting STUFF out of our house first.

Today, after browsing a bit, and reading a couple of book samples on amazon, I was inspired by a man who got rid of thousands of items from his house in the USA in a matter of months.

I've made a list to get myself started; I want to remove 10 things in these 20 categories;

1. The shelves by my worktable
2. The dining room table
3. The pine cabinet of filing drawers
4. The shelves above the piano
5. Items of (my) clothing
6. The Kitchen
7. The larger spare bedroom 
8. Thee small spare bedroom 
9. Hall/stairs/landing areas
10. Craft stash
11. Pens and pencils
12. Trinkets
13. Ephemera (old cards etc)
14. Plastic food storage containers like tupperware
15. Top junk drawer
16. Middle junk drawer 
17. Bottom junk drawer
18. Garden sheds (my stuff)
19. Music books.
20. Bookshelves in sitting room

I've already done, in fact exceeded, all of numbers 1, 2, 4, 5, 11, 14 and 19 today! It was astonishingly easy, although I do know that this is only the beginning of what needs to be done.

This heap of sweaters had been filling up the bottom of my chest of drawers for decades; the aran one was knitted for me in 1970 by my godmother, but I didn't like wearing it because people used to keep poking me to turn the bobbles inside out - ow! I knitted the lopi ones back in about 1980 and kept them for sentimental reasons. At the bottom is the maxi cloak I had when I was about 15, way back in 1971. It's all still heaped on the bed, but I will take a couple of bags up tonight and get them ready for a charity shop run.

Someone is coming on Monday to look at the saxophone and also take as many books of piano music as I am ready to relinquish. Goody goody!

KNITTING 

I wanted to get the poncho finished by 14th March, and it was done today;

Here are to two identically sized pieces laid short side of the lighter, yellowy piece to the long side of the dar piece ready for the first seam;

Now I have rotated the whole lot, keeping it flat on the table ready to sew the short side of the darker piece to the longer side of the lighter piece

So that it has become like this;

or this, depending on which way round I wear it.

So, progress! Second sock attack starts tomorrow.