March 2007

1	My saladisi is germinating after only 6 days, how wonderful!  I've been out in the flower garden digging lawn grass out of border 1.  This got boring very quickly, so I only did about a third of it.  I then tidied up all of my big pots, weeding and treating them to a top dressing of compost and fertiliser, followed by a mulch of plum slate.
2	A trip to London for a special meal at the Great Eastern fish restaurant in honour of Becca's birthday.
3	Lots of card making at the moment as this is a very busy birthday month.
4	Strawberry and cape goose seeds are germinating well.  We had a very rainy walk and I made another cards and a slipper!
5	Harvest: my first ever curly kale.  How nice to have a leafy green veg from the garden at this time of year - and one that I don't see in the supermarket!
6	I've had a grand houseplant sort out and tidy up as some very getting just too leggy and untidy. Harvest: leek & purple sprouting broccoli.
7	We went to the theatre tonight to hear Colin Dexter (Inspector Morse author) and his producer Ted Childs in conversation.  Very entertaining!
8	Busy, busy, busy - a surprise visit from Crow's cousin, cleaning the house, picking up my Mam from the airport and finishing a pair of golden slippers (for sale in Chick Originals).
9	Retail therapy for Mam & I while Crow went of rallying.  I selected a new pair of specs. The loopy blue top is finally sewn up (and for sale in Chick Originals) and I've started a lacy waistcoat. Germination: 5 beetroot, 1 broad bean.
10	I took the two 2 mummies out for lunch at a Toby restaurant.  Despite them both usually saying they "can't eat much", they ate more than me!
11	I found a home for my recent lacy pink jumper creation as my Mam loved it and it fit her beautifully. Germination: now 10 beetroot and 7 broad beans.
12	A wander in the orchard revealed budding plum, cherry and pear trees.  Hope they're not too early and will just get frost damaged...... The weather has been so warm (up to 18C) for the last few days that I have to hold back from rushing out into the veg garden and planting for England.  There's bound to be more cold and frost and it's probably still far too wet for anything but seed rotting. In compensation, I planted 3 chard seeds in the potting shed.
13	Fresh glue bands for my fruit trees today. Waistcoat progressing well, finished back & left front, half way through right front. Site of rabbits frolicking in our paddock took my to the freezer for a frozen one, so yummy rabbit stew for dinner.  Card making continues......
14	My best friend Sue has been very poorly and I saw her in hospital last week.  She's out now and so we had a girly gossip day with her sister.
15	Crow's birthday!  A family day visiting his mum and then into London for another birthday meal with the girls.
16	Another glorious sunny day, the ninth in a row and everything in the garden is starting to come to life.  Tulips are out, my garden plum tree and cherry tree are in blossom, the rhubarb is reviving and all of my blueberry, currant and gooseberry bushes are budding or sprouting new leaves.
17	Off for a flying visit to Yorkshire.  Crow is doing an overnight rally, which means I get a walk on new territory, a lovely meal cooked for me and a girlie evening with the wife of his driver.  Most enjoyable!
18	I seem to have forgotten to mention the completion of my lacy waistcoat.  I'm now knitting a chunky cardigan and just the sleeves left already.
19	All winter I've been meaning to try sprouting beans.  It's time I got on with it!
20	A night at the theatre to see The Wings of a Dove with Susannah York and Daniel Casey.  Quality performance although the dialogue was a little protracted.  We've also had a seven and a half hour power cut, so dinner was cooked (or heated up, to be exact) on a new camping stove we acquired just last month for this very purpose.
21	A girlie day with Sandra - chat, walk, shopping, lunch, more chat.  It was good to catch up as we hadn't seen each other for 6 weeks.  Meanwhile, Crow had a very long day out doing a recce on the new Cloverleaf Rally route.
22	Knitting is finished on my chunky cardigan, but stitching up still to do.  However, I've started and finished the back of a new sleeveless top in an unusual variegated chunky slub yarn.
23	On Wednesday, I picked up a 95p bargain in the form of an off-cut piece of very thick fluffy fabric, sort of fake sheepskin like.  I've used in to line the gold slippers to make them very cosy and have enough for another pair. Germination: 3 chard.
24	I've had my draughtsman's hat on, making two copies of the Cloverleaf Rally route tracings to help Crow.  And my clothing production abounds as I've finished the latest sleeveless top and resumed stitching up of the chunky cardigan.
25	Chunky cardigan finished! Harvest: last 3 carrots, only 3 parsnips, 2 leeks.
26	Well, I've taken a chance and planted my Jerusalem Artichokes.  I hope the soil isn't still too wet, or else they will rot. Harvest: purple sprouting broccoli, brussel sprouts.
27	A gorgeous day - shame we had to be out and about rather than at home enjoying the outdoors. Next knitting project started - a striped jumper.
28	Guess what's for dinner tonight?  Ron came for rabbit sport today and bagged one within ten minutes of trying. It's another lovely day and the cherry tree in full blossom is absolutely buzzing with insect activity, mainly wasps I think. I've planted 3 tomato seeds called 'Tumbling Tom' Yellow, to see if it's warm enough for them to germinate in the potting shed yet.
29	We do nothing with our pond in terms of looking after it, so I was quite taken aback to spot a brilliantly orange goldfish in there, kept company by a few newts.
30	My first rally!  I accompanied Crow as his driver on the Printemps Night Trial!  Not a real rally-type rally, more of a driving treasure hunt.  Two and a half hours of great fun and we got 2nd place!!!
31	Lots of birds about today.  Besides the normal blackbirds, tits, robins, chaffinches and pheasants, I've spotted two partridges, one moorhen and a new visitor, a young great spotted woodpecker  --> Harvest:  leek and chard.