Thursday 4th November: Again it’s midweek before I think of sitting down to write the blog, not sure why that is happening but I will try to be better otherwise I forget things.
Monday I spent the morning cleaning and then making some banana bread in the early afternoon before doing the afternoon feed and egg collecting rounds. The clocks have changed and now it is getting dark before John gets home from work and so it’s my turn to start doing the birds in the afternoon, the mornings are still light enough at the moment for John to do them before work. I also cleaned out the dirty ducks, no matter how much you clean them out they soon make a mess especially if it has been raining.
Tuesday I can’t really remember what I did first thing although I must have done something 😜 At midday my sister picked me up and we went to my cousins funeral, a lovely send off and a bitter sweet day really. Sad that he has left this world but happy that he was here at all and we spent a lovely afternoon with family reminiscing.
Wednesday was much busier, I figured I ought to get my arse into gear a bit 😂 As soon as the frosty morning disappeared I went out and got some things done in the veg garden. I have been waiting for the compost heaps to drop a little before putting any more on them, and now that they have I was able to pile on any dead foliage I had already pulled up a couple of weeks ago. I went into the big tunnel and finished the tidying I started late last month. The citrus trees have now been wrapped ready for the cold months ahead and all the beds are covered, it pretty tidy in there now, I cut back the lemon verbena and will be using some of that for various things, the dahlia is now cut back and the pit wrapped up, just some lettuces growing in there for winter use.
After that I sowed a packet of broad beans and some onion sets in the small raised beds John put in earlier in the year. I feel as though I am now getting the hang of year round growing, it has taken me long enough lol. I have leeks, cabbages, kale, winter lettuce, carrots and garlic already growing and now I have the onions and beans in as well, I really should add some peas to that list and it would be complete.
Mid afternoon I made some tea, not any old tea mind you, this tea was grown by me right here 😁 I have a camellia sinensis plant and have been growing it from small for the past two years, this summer I harvested a few leaves and dried them. There were just enough for a small cup, I bought a small tea pot and had a little tea ceremony. It wasn’t very strong but it did taste like tea, my self sufficiency goals are complete ✔️
The darker evenings come quickly now and it wasn’t long before the curtains were shut and the lights went on and after having dinner I went off to the flower arranging group. Tonight it was a demonstration by a local florist who has competed and won a medal at Chelsea, she did four arrangements, all different, all beautiful and now I will have to have a go a some of them myself 🥰
Thursday: I spent the majority of the day making Christmas cards with buttons and up cycled bits and pieces, they sold well last year and I want to get ahead I bit in case there is demand this year 😂 Apart from that and doing the rounds in the afternoon I didn’t do anything else on the Smallholding.
Friday: Oh my that was a cold night 🙄 very frosty this morning though the the sun is shinning through so hopefully it won’t last long. First thing this morning was a delivery of materials so I got that all sorted and then decided to make some roasted butternut squash soup, def a soup day. I had a look at a few recipes and then made my own up, I roasted two small squash with some red onions, garlic a chilli and some celery leaves in olive oil and some salt and pepper. Once roasted I blended it up with some vegetable stock and water, some of the recipes have ginger or maple syrup in them so depending on how you like your soup you can add what you like really. I went for a touch of maple syrup 😋 Apart from the maple syrup and the veg stock the rest of the ingredients are entirely home grown so the food miles are very low in comparison, also the energy consumption levels, minimal processing, just great quality food 🥰
I need to get back on some healthier than usual eating as I feel a bit urgh, dumpy, doughy, you know what I mean 😂 extra layers of winter clothing doesn’t help either.
Saturday: Spent the morning doing a bit of cleaning while John was busy out the back continuing with that project. Lunchtime a straw delivery arrived and then I went to Sams to look after the children overnight while they went away.
Sunday: Came back home around lunchtime and had a nap 😂 the twins were awake at around 4am having a dinosaur fest, I could hear them roaring at each other and laughing for about an hour 🤪 Roast dinner at Shelley’s late afternoon and that’s another week done.
Have a good one x x
frieslandfarm (flowers) 