Monday 16 June 2014

Ponderings

Down at the allotment the plot next to mine continues to romp away unchecked.  It's a mystery why someone would wait years for an allotment and then when they finally get one not bother to touch it.  Before I got my plot I was a bit obsessive, ringing regularly to check where I was on the list, checking the society minutes for clues as to when plots might become available, joining a group campaigning for more allotments in the area and generally staying on top of the situation.  When I finally got a plot, I was straight down there, ripping out weeds like a maniac.  The new plotholder - not so much.  It's been three weekends now, and not so much as a gooseberry has been picked.

I was down there last night, and it's so overgrown now I thought I saw a troll in there.  It can be quite spooky there in the evenings, what with pigeons flapping and the possibility of muntjac jumping out of the undergrowth and attacking me.  (They do do this, I've read about it).


Elsewhere the flag is flying.  In fact it's there all the time, not just at moments of extreme patriotic emotion.  We've been watching a fair bit of football.  Not something I ever did before I had three boys, but somehow I've been sucked in.  I'm even allowed to play sometimes, although I'm so rubbish, never having kicked a ball until a few years ago, that I'm a player of last resort.  I'm quite a heffalump as well, so I'm always a bit worried about squashing smaller players.  I do feel that this inhibits my performance a little and prevents me hitting my true potential.

I learned something about highlighter pens today.  Although they look fairly wishy-washy, they are actually more permanent than you might imagine.  The littlest boy has been colouring himself in after bedtime.  It's so light he doesn't get off to sleep for ages, so he looks for interesting things to do.  Last night he coloured his leg and foot and gave himself toenail varnish in fluorescent yellow.  I think he was hoping that he'd glow in the dark.  Then he had a little scribble on his sheets and wrote his name.  I put them through the wash but it didn't shift at all.  If he ever needs to take a named bedsheet anywhere he's all set.

I'm feeling a bit of positive energy sweeping over me at the moment, which is good.  Sometimes I get quite dramatic and quick mood swings, so I know to make the most of the positivity while it's here.  I'm trying to declutter a bit and get more organised, to do better at things, to fit more into the day and to generally get a grip on life.  Some people make it all look so easy.  I find I have to try hard to keep it all rolling along sometimes.  But right now the house is tidy-ish, the boys are clean and fed and sleeping, the garden and allotment are (to use the OFSTED scale) Satisfactory, and the guinea pig has clean bedding, fresh straw and a good carrot.  It's almost like I have it together.

41 comments:

  1. It's those flags attached to cars that get me. I want to go round car parks with my secateurs and snip them all off.

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  2. I love the image of your littlest passing time with the highlighter pen - brilliant! :) x

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  3. I'm sitting here giggling to myself about the coloured in legs, that's boys for you!! Why would you bother with a colouring book when you have legs and there's a possibility you may glow in the dark?

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  4. I had to look up "muntjac" - what a fascinating word! Your allotment tales are always thrilling, and made me wonder if anyone on the waiting list has ever bumped off a plot holder for the sake of gaining their plot. (This has probably been used already in some murder mystery or other.)

    At least littlest didn't use a black laundry marker.... :D

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    1. Could be a body in the undergrowth on the plot next to my plot for all I know. It occurs to me that if there is, the police might come and dig it all up...

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  5. Oh I get that positive energy thing....It comes a bit in waves and when it is here I soak it up too! And your highlighter story cracked me up! My beans decided to make chicken pox all over their skin with markers...let me just say that they walked around with dots on their skin for several days! And that first shot of the allotment is gorgeous! I have no idea why someone would not use their plot. It seems like a bit of a waste. Happy gardening to you....and have a wonderful week! Nicole xo

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    1. I'm laughing about the chicken poxes. They probably didn't want to be left out. You and I wouldn't waste an allotment would we?

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  6. Little boys and markers of any kind ......oh my! I am lucky mine never drew on walls or furniture, but his little cousin once took red lipstick to an antique cream-color afghan. As you might know ....lipstick is like yellow highlighter....tougher than it looks!

    Have a wonderful week and enjoy the World Cup.

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  7. You're a hoot. I think you're doing a great job of things. I asked someone how they were a few years back and he said "Fine, if I don't go into detail." I think that is hilarious!! Have a fun summer. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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    1. I absolutely love that comment, I'm saving it to use next time someone asks me. As they always say, the devil is in the detail.

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  8. I love your ponderings, CJ - they made me laugh. I know that a lot of places have a bit of a rule where if you don't tend to your allotment it gets given to the next person on the waiting list. Usually allotmenteers are a nosy lot and will report anyone neglecting their patch.
    As for the highlighter pen, that sounds typical of what little ones get up to in their spare time. At least you won't lose him in the supermarket - you have a high vis child.
    Have a good week,
    Sarah xx

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    1. We have a lady with a clipboard who sends out letters if your plot gets messy, so if nothing happens soon I might report it.

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  9. Yay for positive energy moments CJ - love the tales of the midnight colouring, I'm guessing you didn't love it quite as much though !
    Have a good day,
    Kate x

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  10. Sorry to laugh but your description of littlest colouring himself in etc really made me smile. We have a little wooden table in our playroom which at one stage middle child engraved on in biro her name "Erin". When asked who did it, she had no idea. None whatsoever. Funny that. LOL

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  11. Sorry to laugh but your description of littlest colouring himself in etc really made me smile. We have a little wooden table in our playroom which at one stage middle child engraved on in biro her name "Erin". When asked who did it, she had no idea. None whatsoever. Funny that. LOL

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  12. I giggled lots at the description of your son colouring himself & his sheets in. It reminded me of when my eldest was seven, we had just wallpapered & hadn't put the clock & pictures back up on the wall. He informed us after a couple of days that he had drawn us some new ones on the wall. And the little shocker had. Have a good week.

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  13. When I was out for a run last week, I passed a house with a huge England fan, taking up almost the entire front of the house. They also had flag bunting strung up. I know one English man who lives in our town (and coaches soccer!), but apparently we have two English soccer fans in central Pennsylvania!

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  14. He wrote on his bedding and survived? It always seems easy where other people are concerned but it rarely is.

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    1. Wise words indeed. I was reminded today that seemingly perfect situations aren't always as quite as good as they look.

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  15. BigR likes to paint her nails (and the surrounding skin) with felt pens too! hoping you're making the most of the positivity :-)

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    1. Right now I'm dithering when I should be forging ahead. I tell myself I'm taking a big breath before jumping. Which is fine, so long as I remember to actually jump.

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  16. I don't think your plot neighbour sounds very enthusiastic about his plot, if he isn't at the start there's no hope. I was like you, ringing all the time and wandering around the site looking for vacant plots. I love how your littlest boy has been colouring himself in, who needs paper eh?

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    1. I agree, if he can't get going now, he's not likely to find any oomph later on. His plot looks a lot like mine did when I took it on - lots of very tall seedy weeds. But once they were pulled out, which was very easy, there wasn't much left in the soil at all. It was much quicker and easier than you might imagine.

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  17. Reasons I know of where a person didn't get their garden in: a ruptured appendix, a car accident, a husband's sudden job transfer, chicken pox (all four kids)! Pregnant and on forced bedrest for two months:(
    When Mother's husband walked out when her Alzheimer's got worse, I moved in with her for a few days till we could find some help for her. I ended up staying three years - wasn't in my garden three seasons.... and not one of my neighbors offered any help?!?

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    1. Goodness, that is such a lot to have dealt with, you have my admiration Patty. Such a shame no-one offered any help, no doubt it took a huge effort to sort it all out.

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  18. There are plots on my site that haven't been touched in years. Not only does it not make any sense but the council don't do anything about them either which also annoys me. I have mixed feelings about flag flying.
    Littlest boy colouring himself with highlighter pens had me smiling and shaking my head. Flighty xx

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    1. It's a shame when plots get so completely neglected. It's then very off-putting for new people to have to deal with a thick mat of couch grass or masses of brambles. Our site is run by the Town Trust, who have a lot less to do than the local authority, so they are more on the ball.

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  19. How could I have missed this post! You are so funny CJ, you make me laugh and I think your positivity is rubbing off onto me. I am rubbish at football. Basket ball would be more my thing but it is not a joy I share with my children. Yes, marker pen is amazing, I might use it for school clothes labelling. I think it only comes of the skin when the outermost layer is shed.... We were on an allotment waiting list for years and never got one, frustrating if there are so many neglected plots. I hope there are no muntjacs and trolls and tigers hiding in the overgrowth. Enjoy the positivity! x

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  20. Almost together? You're doing better than me, and I don't have small children any more, although six dogs take their toll. Mind the lack of opposable thumbs mean they generally do less damage, she types, as she remembers the eaten knitting and looks at the nibbled corners of the living room carpet and the paint scratched off the door.

    Love your ponderings, they've put a big smile on my face :)

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  21. I couldn't imagine going to the trouble to get a plot and then ignore it. But then sometimes life happens when you aren't looking.

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  22. .oh boys and pens. I recently left my youngest in reaching distance of an orange highlighter, only to come back 2 mins later to find an orange freezer! Luckily it wiped off but. Re.the allotment, that's silly, round here you can wait 15 yes for an allotment, why would you leave it? Cpx

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  23. It is very surprising about the allotment next to yours. I hope that they turn up soon and start to do some work, if they don't perhaps it should be reassigned to someone who really wants to come and do some work unless there is a good reason for the current people to not be down there of course. I had to laugh at the fluorescent pen antics! I guess that the situation will be a highlight for some time to come!! xx

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  24. Hey CJ,
    "The Muntjac in the allotment" sounds like a good children's book! I'm afraid I am that allotmenteer. My plot is completely mad, and I've been so busy I haven't been able to give it the attention it deserves. I am hoping that when Pops starts school, I'll use my free time productively there. I have it forever, so I'm not stressing. Too much...
    And yes I've been there with the highlighter. I think it was Sam who decorated his face. He had to shed skin to get rid of it!
    Have a lovely week, CJ. I adore your posts and outlook on life, and tales of small boys. Just thought I'd say
    Leanne xx

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    1. Thank you Leanne, you're sweet to say so. A new allotment is always daunting, I'm sure it will seem more manageable once winter kills everything off and you can actually see some soil.

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  25. It does sound like you have it together! Oh, that is such a wonderful feeling, and I wish it would stay that way and things wouldn't get dirty again:) Hopefully your neighbor will be by soon to take care of his allotment. That's a shame other people are still waiting for one and this person is just letting it sit untended. I didn't realize highlighters were that permanent! I'll have to be more careful myself in the future:) Hope you're having a wonderful day, CJ!

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  26. I've been thinking about this post a lot...about the days of bright productivity and the positive feeling that comes with things (mostly) in their place and spending (some) time working on what I enjoy. I have tried to lower my expectations--small kids can be messy (hello, highlighter story LOL) and the weather doesn't always cooperate, etc, so I've started a few different routines to accommodate the unforeseen. And I have completely stopped comparing my life to anyone else's. It might look like they have it all together, and I'm happy for them if they do, but often the appearance is just that. If I am doing meaningful things and not seeking the approval of others, I find a deeper contentment and am more present in the moment. And yet there are moments of irritation with boys who seem always to be fighting, or never enough time to get everything done...I set my mind to accomplish a few things everyday and if I manage that I try to keep the rest of the list for tomorrow. Our summers are so short so we try to stay outside most of the day--that in itself is an accomplishment around here :) I hope you have many "Satisfactory" days--your posts make our days brighter xx Jill

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    1. Thank you so much for your lovely comment Jill. You're right about appearances being deceptive, I saw an example of that just this morning. I know exactly what you mean about boys who are always fighting. Mine can turn just about anything into a fight! But as you say, if a few things are accomplished, the rest will be dealt with another time.

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  27. Yay for positive attitudes! I hope it lasts for a long while :) I would be so tempted to run over and steal things from their allotment haha

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  28. Wonderful post CJ as always your pondering always make me smile. My house looks like it has been burgled and I have spent the last hour sitting on the sofa watching a DVD with my daughter :)

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  29. Oh boys, that's exactly the kind of thing one of mine would do (the highlighter pen incident) as for the positive energy, I'm so glad, I know how nice it is to feel positive in a way that it gets you going. Long may it stay with you!

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  30. I love posts like these. You sound really happy!

    I hate to break it to you but OFSTED no longer use the term satisfactory. The old "Satisfactory" is now called "Requires Improvement", which doesn't have quite the same ring to it, does it?! I'm a parent governor and know more about these things than I ever wanted to. I suspect your garden and allotment are much better than satisfactory anyway! xx

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