Growing Things

I'm better! It's a miracle! I somehow beat tonsillitis into submission. I am completely indebted to Echinacea pills. Seriously, I can't reccomend these pills any more strongly. They are miracle workers. I used to be ill all the time but now I haven't had a proper illness since I started taking them! And if they can beat off tonsillitis then I'm going to take them until the end of my days. Thanks for all the well-wishes :)

Now I can pimp my new goodies.

First of all: my precious kitchen. It's my new room to dress (I love saying I'm dressing a room; I don't know what else to call it cos I'm not furnishing it!). White With Spots is the theme. So Jem got some pots...



Which are now filled with tea, cofee and sugar. Look at how pretty they are next to my fantabulous teapot:



She also bought us a utensils-drainer. I don't know what that's called actually. It's basically a pot to put the knives and forks in when they're drying off after being washed up. It matches our one for the plates, etc. perfectly:



That's inside the house done. I now have some extremely exciting news (well it is to me anyway... ;D): I have grown my first tomatoe!!



I can't take all the credit cos Ray has been helping me out a lot with it, but, it's still a tomatoe and I've never grown one before with or without help. The outside plants tend to be left to me to look after so I'm happy to take most of the credit ;) But it was Ray's idea to move them outside; I thought they'd die. Turns out I was wrong (he's gonna love that ... ;D). I'll let you know if it ever turns red and if I get anymore growing! The peppers are doing great - both normal and sweet kinds. We've been happily eating the normal peppers for the past couple of months; the sweet ones need a bit longer. The peas are nearly ready for eating as well! How good are we? Growing our own food!

And you should have seen the amount of rubbish we recycled this week - clothes, shoes, paper, cardboard and an old TV. I do love to recycle. It's a nice place to visit cos everyone's really nice. I met a short woman this week who couldn't reach the tall cardboard-bin so I had to help. And a man taught us that we had to poke the clothes into the clothes-bin cos it was so full.

Ray loved his phone, by the way. He was playing with it all night so I think that means it was a success :)

Finally, please can everyone say a big Happy Birthday to Martha over at her blog? She's ten today!

Labels: house stuff, illness, life, photos, ray, recycling, veg

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Feeds, Gardens & New Kids

As far as I can tell the feed thing is working. I added it to my own Google Reader (didn't even realise I had one!) and it seems to be doing just fine. Ugly, bland looking thing, though, isn't it? Seems to take all the fun out of designing a pretty-looking blog if the posts are read in a Reader that looks like that. I think I'll stick with the more old fashioned way of reading blogs ;)

We had snow over the weekend. Just a little scattering of it. And a few random showers throughout the day. I don't think I'll ever see real snow again. Not while I'm living so close to the beach anyway. In between the showers it was lovely and sunny and warm so I spent Sunday afternoon doing some gardening. I planted a Climbing Blue Moon Rose out the back. And we're in the process of putting up a shelf to put this season's plants (peppers, peas and tomatoes like last year) on, once they've rooted, obviously. And out the front we now have a Red Evergreen Azalea, which we've topped with shells from the beach, which we went to find with Sweepie Sunday afternoon. So the garden is slowly coming together now. I'm hoping by the time summer hits it'll be looking much more alive. I also found myself in a clothes shop one morning buying a top that was on the sale. I have no idea how I got into the store but there you go ;) You can view some pictures from the weekend (and see my new top) HERE.

I also had a nice surprise this weekend: I learnt that New Kids on the Block have reunited and are doing a world tour! Now all I'm doing is praying that they come to the UK.

Then


Now


Have I ever shared the time I went to see Jordan back in 2006? It was a tiny little club, he was right there in front of me, and he tried desperately to give me tickets to see him the following night (he was doing a TV show) but I couldn't go cos I had to drive home that night. It still gives me butterflies now. I suppose you never really grow out of your teenage-crushes, do you?

EDIT: seems I spoke too soon. Google Reader isn't showing my new post, even though it was posted a few hours ago. So feeds either suck, or this is just my shit luck. So if it works for you: great; if it doesn't you'll just have to do it the old-fashioned way. *Kicks stupid FeedBurner and Google Reader*

Labels: beach, blogging, house stuff, jordan knight, new kids on the block, photos, sweepie, veg, websites

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Mother To Peas

I've grown life - mwah-ha-ha-ha. No, I really have. My peas actually grew.



I may have killed the cucumber (well, I blame Ray cos he made me put Mr Cucumber outside and the outside was what killed him). The tomatoes are at death's door (three are now back in the shed, the other three are battling the outside world a bit longer). The other three peas are tangled together and haven't decided yet whether they want to continue growing or just stop where they are - dirty bastards. But the very first plant that grew has sprouted veg. I am very proud.

I picked one today to make sure the inside wasn't a hollow shell. And here's what they look like:



Not quite ready for eating but getting there. There are actual peas inside the pea pod. Oh yes, I am proud of me.

As Jemma just said when I showed her: Your now a mother to peas. And I am.

The only sad news is my Fuji A310 camera has given up the fight and is making its way to Camera Heaven. Luckily Jem's let me use her S3000 cos she has an even better camera than that (show off). I'm still sad that my baby has died. It was my first digital camera and it's been with me, documenting my life for the last eighteen months. Bye-bye A310...

Labels: camera, photos, veg

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Watching Films and Burning in the Sun

I got a few DVD's out to watch this weekend. The first one was Children of Men, which was very much like the books I write - dark, apocalyptic tales. I liked that one; it was good, and sad. And it involved rescuing a baby from harm, which I've always enjoyed ever since watching The Labyrinth repeatedly as a child thanks to Mammy's love for David Bowie.

The second film was Pans Labyrinth which was much more fantasy - and much more violent. I really enjoyed it. I love the proper fantasy tales, especially when they're interwoven with such brutal reality. Plus the fantasy characters looked creepy as hell and very, very pretty as well.

I also ended up watching Jaws 2. I watched Jaws the week before just by chance; and just by chance this week the film finished in time for me to watch the second installment. Now the first "Jaws" film is still scary - silly but scary. The second one isn't scary at all. And why are there so many screaming girls?

I burnt my shoulders and arms in the rare sunshine on Sunday morning. I never ever burn so this was quite a surprise, especially considering I was often going to sit in the shade of the stable so I wasn't in direct sun that much. Plus, like I said, I never burn. In the afternoon Ray took me for an ice-cream, but we ended up in Pizza Hut eating bonoffi pie instead ;)

Burns aside, the sun is fun. And it's made my plants in the shed shoot up! I'll have to get some pictures of them soon.

Labels: films, veg, weather

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Children Growing Up

I had a lovely surprise yesterday: a bouquet of flowers from Ray :)



Little sneak snuck off to town before coming over to see me even though he was meant to be doing pretty much nothing so that he'd get better quicker. Can't deny the flowers were/are lovely. They're sitting on my window-ledge now.

Because Ray was feeling a bit better we decided to replant the peas, cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers because some of them have outgrown their wee pots already. Already! I was fascinated by their root work. My God, my children know how to grow!

First up was the one cucumber-plant that had grown:



Next up was the one giant pea-plant:



Then it was the tomatoes:



It was a little sad, seeing them going into such big pots. I think we managed to grow eight tomato-plants, which I was very impressed by.

We then decided we'd break open some of the other pots that looked pretty lifeless and see what had happened to the rest of our children. Turned out we had an infestation of little white worms that were burrowing into the seeds. But we managed to rescue quite a few - cos my children are strong and were still fighting to grow even when they were under attack. We re-planted two of the cucumber-plants, two of the tomatoes, three of the peppers, as well as leaving the remaining five peppers in their original pots to see if they would grow; and five of the peas in their original pots too.

The family is growing larger every day! But even though some of my older, stronger children have moved out into the shed, I still got to keep seventeen of the smaller, weaker ones. They're back upstairs on my window-ledge where I can keep an eye on them.

Proud mother alert:



You never know, these plants might keep my clucky feelings at bay, which do come and go at varying strengths. I think raising plants may be just a little bit easier than an actual human baby, though ;)

(Hand-model was Ray)

Labels: family, photos, ray, veg

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It's A Jungle Out There

My babies are having a growth-spurt! Check out my baby cucumber (that sounds awfully dodgy):



Isn't he getting big? (This is still sounding dodgy.)

My tomatoes look a big stringy but the on the left shot up overnight - I promise you it wasn't there yesterday. And there's a little baby one in one of the other pots as well.



And I cannot, will not, forget about my peas, who grew first. I have another proper pea-shoot growing in one of the other pots as well.



And, drum roll please, I have finally grown the beginnings of a pepper! No, I didn't kill them all before they even had chance to grow - one is trying, it's fighting it's way to fresh air and sunshine (won't find much of that at the moment but maybe one day soon we'll see the sun again).



I am very impressed with myself. Hehehe.

And in non-related news: I should be getting tickets to see The Editors tonight, a present from Ray :) It'll be our first gig on our own, cos usually Jem comes with us to the gigs cos we all like the same bands.

Time to pray for some sun so more of my peppers will grow...

Labels: gigs, photos, the editors, veg

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Plants & Comments

I've had an issue with Haloscan. They deleted all my comments. Apparently you can log in and get the archives restored but considering the site is bouncing on and off, and everyone on the forum is saying their comments still haven't been restored after a month, I thought it was time to ditch them. So I'm now using Blogger's comments. Does mean all my old comments have gone but that's not the end of the world. Hopefully Blogger will keep hold of all my comments for me now.

My plants are growingwell. Strangely, one of the tomatoe's is growing really well but the other five pots are empty. Same with the cucumbers (only there's only three other pots not five). All the peas seem to be doing well, though. No sign of the peppers yet. I'm starting to worry for them.



Those pictures were taken yesterday and they've grown even more just overnight. I'm very excited by it all.

I'm onto Episode 2 of Lego Star Wars now. And it's much more complicated than the first episode. I'm not sure this game was made for children, you know ;) I can't be Qui Gonn anymore cos, obviously, he's dead. I'm either a red droid now or Queen Amidala. I'm killer with a gun! I'm seriously getting hooked.

Let's see if these comments work now...

Labels: lego star wars, photos, veg, websites, xbox

by Ys | COMMENTS? 2 | permalink |  

Britain Under Attack

This has been a bad week in the UK. Not only is half the country trying to function under many feet of water because of non-stop torrential rain, but we are now facing terrorist attacks. Two failed car bombs in London, and just yesterday a car bomb attack on Glasgow Airport. Thankfully there have been no fatalities in association with the car bombs, the same can't be said for the floods. And they're warning for more rain. 40% warning for where I live. So far there's been no trouble here.

There's one breath of fresh air: the Concert for Diana, which is taking place in London in a few hours. I think most of the country will be sitting down to watch it on the TV. My, don't we have a handsome future-king?

Here's the new layout :) Hopefully everything works. I wanted a red and white layout this time. And vegetables just because they're my new "thing". Which, by the way, I now have four pea shoots and my very first tomatoe shoot!

Labels: life, princes, terrorism, veg, websites

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Exciting Things (& meme)

Imagine my excitement yesterday afternoon when I peered over my plant pots and found not just one sign of life - but three!



My peas are growing! I'm so excited! I have two in one pot and one in another. Three of the other pots are growing grass (no, not that kind of grass) for some reason. It's all very exciting. I have created life in a pot - insert evil laugh.

As well as that, we are currently awaiting news on a house we might want to rent. It's by the beach - not the very pretty beach but a beach all the same - and there's plenty of places to walk the dogs, and it's close enough to town for me and Jem to walk so no need to worry about buses. We just have to wait and see if they allow pets. Then I might allow myself to get a little excited. So far I'm playing it cautious. What are the odds we'll find the right place within a week of searching? Don't these things usually take more time?

My guilty-pleasure-excitement has to be Big Brother. I think I've only escaped it one year. This year I'm as hooked as ever. Weirdly, I can't pick a single one of them who I like enough to want to win. They're a strange bunch (as always, I suppose) who are fun to watch but I don't really care very much about what happens to them. In other years I've got really into it - even going so far as to complain to Channel 4 when they tried to portray a housemate as a rapist with some really bad editing. I used to watch that year's live stream so seeing the edited shows at night was quite an eye-opener to how Big Brother is edited to make characters and create stories. So now whatever I see I pretty much know isn't really what happened. Probably why I don't care much for the housemates cos I know what I'm watching isn't really a real person. Anyway, at the moment my favourites are the twins. Ask me again in a week, though, and I'm sure there'll be another answer.

A meme, cos I was tagged by Gen, and you know how I can't say no to a pretty face.

Rules:
1) Post the rules then list 8 things about yourself.
2) At the end of the post, tag and link to 8 other people
3) Leave a comment at those sites, letting them know they've been tagged, and asking them to come read the post so they know what to do.

1. I want to adopt all the parentless children in the world and have done ever since I can remember. Long before it became the in thing for the celebs to do. When people would look at you funny and say, "You'll change your mind when you're married."
2. When I was fourteen I stopped breathing on an operating table and nearly died.
3. In the last year, even though I haven't put on any weight, my breasts have grown three seperate times. Which I didn't think was possible at the age of twenty-three/four.
4. There's a gay man living in my head. He's called Tajar. And he writes my books with me. He also stars in his own novel ("Soul Mates").
5. I always get goosebumps and an urge to cry when I am forced to watch any kind of talent-show on TV. Music affects me in a way that isn't normal. People's dreams getting crushed along side it just makes me a wreck.
6. I can run a household like a housewife who's been in the job for forty years. I think because I did it straight out of school and my brain was still in learning mode. And I'm proud of it even if it isn't seen as a real job anymore these days.
7. My stomach makes noises all the time. Ever since I irritated the lining of it with paracetamols.
8. In February 2004 I "found" God. Now I can't understand why people say He doesn't exist when the evidence is all around. I'm not a freaky religious person; I beleive people should find God in their own way at their own time.

I don't think I have eight people to tag so if any one else wants to do this then please feel free :)

Labels: big brother, meme, moving out, photos, tv, veg

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Weird Lumps and New Life

My foot seems to have got worse, not better. The bruising is finally fading, which for me is really good cos I usually hold onto bruises for about a month, even little ones that I get from Martha's whipping tail and oops-I-just-walked-into-you ways. Stubbornly, the purple streaky bruise on the side of my foot won't give up its colour just yet.



The swelling is mostly gone but I have a very strange and painful lump on the top of my foot. It does a weird thing of disappearing into my foot, which is what it did when I went to A+E, causing the doctor to look at me as if I was some kind of hypochondriac. Charming. I went down the pub Saturday night and had to take my trainer off for most of the night cos the pressure on the lump was making it feel as though my foot was going to just drop off.



So I'm not sure what I'm meant to do now. Go back to A+E for some x-rays? Go to the doctor and see what she says? Leave it and see if the lump deflates after another week? Considering I can't wear a shoe for more than five minutes I think I'd better get it looked at by someone who qualifies as a professional. The only problem is, the hospital where A+E is have been known to chop the wrong legs off patients, and put body parts back in the wrong places. Well, okay, I'm not sure about the second one but they did take two body parts off the wrong side of two different bodies. Should I really trust a hospital like that? Considering they've already sent me home once telling me nothing's wrong. Humph.

Anyway, I limped around Leekes long enough yesterday to make some purchases. I expressed an interest in growing my own veg' not only to save money but also for the selfish thrill of watching new life grow. So Ray and I bought some peas, peppers, tomatoes and cucumber seeds. In the drizzly rain (sitting, so as not to aggravate my foot), we planted our seeds in our new little pots and set them to grow on my bedroom windowledge.





Then, once they start growing shoots, I can move them outside. Well, the peas will be the first to move. We're going to wait and see about the others. The peppers might stay with me in my room. I think the tomotoes and cucumbers will move to the shed where it's always warm. I'm quite excited. I just hope I manage to make them grow. I've actually only ever grown cress!

Labels: illness, photos, veg

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