In Winter and early Spring when I am cold and wet and fed up of digging soggy soil I will look at this picture to spur me on...
This is one of the nicest meals we have had this year - our own from start to finish. It is a mixture of Rainbow Chard, Oak Leaf Lettuce, Pea Shoots, Peas, Broad Beans, Mangetout, Spring Onions, Carrots and 1 Nasturtium flower (plenty more on the way but still buds at the mo!). The bowl is the biggest I own (it is huge) and we ate every last morsel. The girls even fought over it and as I tried to break them up Andy told me to treasure the moment - they don't often fight over salad!
The allotment isn't just good for veg - despite Andy's annoyance I have managed to squeeze in a few flowers too. I never through I'd say it but I am slightly sick of Sweet Williams now, despite having given masses away, but the Snapdragons (above) and Sweet Peas are coming into their own now to take over.
This one is actually from my garden at home - a little rain splattered but still beautiful.
So, moving on from gardening, I have an exciting announcement. I have a job!! Hurrah!! At long last I have been offered a job starting in September at the girls' school as a teaching assistant. It is only for 1 day a week to begin with, but fingers crossed it may well lead to more. I haven't booked in the ironing lady yet, but you never know!! I am working full time this week again filling in for the TA in the Year 1 class (which happens to be Ruth's class), and I am loving it. I can see that if I were to work full time for a while I would become stick thin - I have barely sat down today!
So, bye bye Pink Green Creations. Although I did enjoy sewing and doing fairs and the website, the financial return for what actually is a huge amount of work in hours (as I know many of you know) was not worth it for me. I miss making things (no time at the mo), but not to sell - I want to make things for me. I have a list as long as my arm of things for the house, and clothes for the girls. I want sewing to be a hobby, and to have a regular income each month in a job where I get to make a difference, so this will be perfect. Also, I am sure many of you are noticing a slump in sales as people become more cautious over money in these turbulent economic times. I am a little sad to be 'walking out' on my business, but it served a purpose for a very long time, and things move on. I may do a 'blogshop' soon as I have fabric and bits and bobs to get rid of, and I may use it as an excuse to potter with the sewing machine from time to time, but it will be a lot less formal.
Aside from worky things, I have been having a fun time in other areas of my life too. My book group meeting last week was fab - we went to a member's house out in the wilds of Gloucestershire to a very pretty cottage which had a massive garden with rabbits hopping across and chickens pecking around. We had huge glasses of Pimms, and the book discussion was irrelevant really! Just kidding - we did have a good discussion, but for me it was overshadowed by my awe at the lovely setting. You can't beat good friends, intelligent discussion and a good old glass of Pimms whilst watching the rabbits skipping across the lawn!!
(I didn't take my camera to my book group, so here's one I made earlier!)
One of my more traumatic jobs this week was to do not one, but two presentations to a very good friend of mine who is leaving work as a teacher and assistant head at the school after 22 years. The first presentation was after a Governors meeting, where I managed to say 1 sentence and then we both started sobbing, but the second was a little more successful and I did get to the end of my speech and even most of my friend's before we both had a cry!! The second one was at the school fair in front of all the parents and staff, so I am glad I had the practice run. Despite the fact that she is the same age as my mum, we hit it off right from the word go 4 years ago when Grace started school, and have been very close friends since then. I will be sad not to see her at school, and I am so glad she taught both of mine before leaving, but I am looking forward to the long lunches and days out she has planned already! Better not work full time for a while!
Grace's birthday went very well. Actually I hardly saw her as she was at school, popped home for party tea and some High School Musical dance matting (a big thank you to my parents for that one!), and then went off to Brownies armed with birthday cake for them all. This is Sophie by the way, not Grace. Grace is the one with the bunches! We got Grace a bike (almost big enough for me to ride), and she has been off down the cycle track with Andy several times already. Ruth is getting one too (it's her birthday in 2 weeks) so we can all go out together, but shhhhhh - don't tell her!
So, sorry for the long, wittery post, but I am finding more and more that I treat this blog as a diary for me to read and go back to, rather than a treat for you all to read! Hope you're still sticking with me!
Cathy XX