The week so far has been good. Dave and Lucy are back at school; Isabella starts part-time tomorrow. In the midst of all this it has been good to begin to get back to normality for, much as I love the holidays, I do eventually need a little order to actually achieve anything. Bella and I spent this morning beginning the big garden clear up after the disappointing summer weather reduced it to a woodland of green and little else.
We brought in the last of our tomatoes to ripen, a disappointing crop thanks to blight which is so prevalent in our damp summers here. Next year we will only grow blight resistant varieties in the hope of some fruit worth eating.
Our peppers however have been wonderful, though we can't remember what variety they are. Sweet ones for sure, but not so sure whether they will turn red.
We found this little cutie ambling nonchalantly over the squidgy seedheads of the marguerites just before I cut them back.
And we also found this not-so-cutie. Actually, it is very odd but I don't mind spiders in the garden; it's in the house they give me the creeps. They just seem so menacing in the corners of the bathroom compared to gleaming softly in the autumn sunlight against jewel-stranded webs.
Having cleared buckets worth of weeds, cut back most of the overblown herbaceous perennials and generally brought some order to it all, I really felt we were getting somewhere. I can't tell you how good it has been to actually cross things off my list of 'things to do' this week instead of writing them into the following week's in my usual way.
It felt even better to cross out 'finish knitting Dave's sleeve', a chore which I have been writing for the past goodness knows how many months (yes, I know Diana, it is a LOT of months!).
I have blogged about this jumper - do you say pullover or jumper? Can't bear sweater because of the connotations! - frequently since I began it, but it really is quite a basic knit. It is just the sheer number of balls which make it so slow (14 in case you need reminding. 14!!!)
So, now I just have to start the next sleeve and I can begin the process of writing 'finish knitting Dave's sleeve' all over again. Oh the joy.
Right, now I must off to eat this rather delicious, very beautiful, velvety-soft and juicily over-ripe fig with some salty shavings of Parmesan cheese and a walnut or two.
What are you up to today? x
I do like the rhythm of routine. I feel so much better when the garden has had a bit of a tidy up! Well done on completing the sleeve!!! x
ReplyDeleteHi Pipany,
ReplyDeleteI believe it's more or less the same in our garden. The tomato crop is not huge this year. Your figs look great! Are they from your garden as well?
Enjoy the rest of your day!
groetjes, Madelief
Lovely post as always Pipany. Sorry you have had such a dismal summer especially since just a little further east we have had a lovely one! Your peppers look good though - I worked out that the only pepper we ever actually managed to harvest (years ago and in a Surrey garden) cost about 5 times the cost of one in the supermarket so we haven't bothered since. Might give them another go next year. It's so satisfying isn't it to get that "to do" list ticked off even though it is a bottomless pit and more items keep arriving as fast as the old ones get ticked off!
ReplyDeleteJane
Hey there Pipany,
ReplyDeleteYes normality (if there is such a thing here at the shed) has resumed of sorts. Boo has started her introduction to reception, so all feels strange at the mo.
You have some lovely harvests there, despite the not so great summer. I have almost convinced my DH that next year will be the year for us to have a go at growing our own. We are both to be honest without a clue but if we can produce something it will be all that sweeter.
Love that Jumper (definately a jumper girl) and its in such a lovely colour. But I know how it can go when a project gets a little slow going.I have a crocheted blanket on the go at the mo and its taking to long! lol. It will be worth while when we complete them though!
Have a lovely rest of the week.
MBB x
I like a routine too but tomorrow we will start a new one as my youngest starts nursery , deep breaths... We only have a small yard but it seems like there are spiders webs everywhere at the moment and as long as they stay outside they're okay !!
ReplyDeleteHope tomorrow goes well for Isabella (and for you!) I love that jumper and that gorgeous wool. I never knit jumpers that large - makes my arms ache too much but I'm tempted when I saw your pattern. I am also glad to return to a sort of routine both my boys have changed schools and its going to take a while to settle. Sorry your weather has not been good - ours has not been much better in Sussex. Karen X
ReplyDeleteTried to post my comment and got 'service unavailable' so here goes again fingers crossed!
ReplyDeleteFigs with walnuts and Parmesan sound delicious Pipany - a well deserved reward for your hard work in the garden. Good luck with the very large jumper project! Lovely to see the sun yesterday and again today (so far). x
Tried to post my comment and got 'service unavailable' so here goes again fingers crossed!
ReplyDeleteFigs with walnuts and Parmesan sound delicious Pipany - a well deserved reward for your hard work in the garden. Good luck with the very large jumper project! Lovely to see the sun yesterday and again today (so far). x
A lovely amble with you Pipany, your photos are so uplifting. I once knitted the happy farmer a 'jumper' and gave up halfway through the sleeve...it seemed to be getting bigger and bigger and bigger...and taking countless stitches. Glad you got Dave's finished.
ReplyDeletePosie
Such beautiful autumnal pictures! I love the wool you're using. (I always say jumper, by the way!)Our tomato crop looked lovely but their texture inside was not good - don't know if it's our fault or the weather's. They are fine cooked as a sauce though.Enjoy your weekend.
ReplyDeleteHelen x
Hi Pipany, I may have forgot to reply, but I am sure I never got the email you sent?? I tell you if I do not write it down I forget, it is a mad house here at times.
ReplyDeleteAre they your Figs? they do look good, never thought of having them the way you serve them but it does sound delicious.
My toms are almost all gone and they were very sweet, have tried drying them in the aga, they look ok not tasted them yet. If they are not good I can always put them in stew of some sort.
We are coming to Devon next week, my birthday treat! just for four days of bliss and peace and for us to talk about nothing that really matters!
Have a peaceful Sunday.
Carol x