Thursday 10 January 2019

Deluded










As the camellia buds fatten and the seed catalogues thump down onto the doormat I've been dreaming garden dreams. I went through a brochure or two and made a list of all the things I'd like to grow. Then I added up how much it all came to and went through it all again crossing things off. Then I thought carefully about how much time I have and how the dog and the children will squash it all down anyway and I went through it again trying to be realistic and crossed more stuff off. Then I had another look at all the pretty pictures (dahlia cafe au lait!) and reverted to the original list. Dreams and delusions are the stuff of life no? I'll probably end up somewhere in the middle. That dahlia has been crossed off for now, but I feel it will be back. Sometimes a thing sticks itself in my head and I get a bit obsessed. Although the snails round here have a real taste for dahlias so it could all end in tears. And of course there are the flying footballs and basketballs and cricket balls. But for now I am deluding myself that I can make a garden just like in the seed catalogue and it is making me happy.

Do you remember me telling you that I took up drinking coffee back in the summer? Well of course I am now hopelessly addicted. Even the dahlia is coffee! But I've come to the conclusion that the milk part of the coffee doesn't agree with me. After years and years of not drinking milk I don't think I can tolerate it very well. Yoghurt, kefir and hard cheese seem fine, but milk makes me bloated. And fat. Well something is making me fat, it's either that or Christmas. I am switching to soya milk and no doubt I'll be slim as a clam before you know it.

The town is in the grip of a spate of anti-social behaviour at the moment. Vandalism, graffiti and arson attacks. Everyone has quite a lot to say about it as you can imagine. The littlest boy saw the police chase (and catch) someone yesterday, so he and his friend were all agog. It has been very destructive, including damage to schools, burning down of a school building and the burning down of some allotment sheds, including one that really was show quality, so pretty and big and beautifully organised. It's been heartbreaking. There are lots of opinions about what should be done, and some people are showing their true colours and reverting to a more neanderthal approach. No doubt it will all blow over eventually, but at the moment things seem to be gathering pace. A documentary was made about this area a while back that cast it in rather a bleak light. It was slewed rather to make good viewing, and as a result has cast a bit of a shadow over the place. But on the up side, plenty of people are rallying round and pulling together and all that sort of stuff. The good balancing the bad hopefully.

Cricket practice started again at the weekend believe it or not, although it will be a long time until there's a match. Doesn't hurt to get one's eye in early though. I will leave you with dreams of sunny flower-filled gardens and scorching afternoons watching cricket. And don't blame me if it turns cold.

18 comments:

  1. Oh yes, the lure of beautiful gardens in catalogues. It’s like cookery books or sewing magazines isn’t it? Mine never come out looking like theirs. But dreaming is good.

    Sorry to hear about the town angst. I wonder what’s stirred that up? Hope it settles down soon xx

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  2. I like your collection of books - I borrowed the Jack Munroe one from the library recently. I'm in no danger of flying footballs in our garden - my nemesis is procrastination. I love all the garden programmes and magazines, but always seem to get distracted by other things. Hope your town hoodlums settle down soon. xx

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  3. I got my first seed catalogue in the mail the other day but haven't yet opened it...it would just be too cruel to even *think* about gardening right now as the wind howls a blood-solidifying -17C. Yes, that's minus sign. I know.

    That's very upsetting about the rash of yobbish behaviour - especially the allotment sheds...that really strikes a chord. :( I hope things will be sorted out in a sensible and loving fashion -- as that's really the only way to turn things around.

    May I be so bold as to say that soy is the devil? I hope you've found a non-GMO soy milk or else I should be very anxious on your behalf. I rather enjoy coconut milk as a non-dairy additive to my hot beverages. (sorry, there's nothing worse than some know-it-all-opinion-pants sounding off about food alternatives) :)

    Happy garden-dreaming xo

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    1. Yes, I do wonder about soya sometimes. Non-GMO is quite widely available here, even where I am. I am going to try some of the nut milks as well and see what I think. CJ xx

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    2. We're currently enjoying a lovely cashew milk chez nous....liking it very much. And just because life is like that, there's me banging on about the evils of soy and didn't I just have to buy some tofu for a recipe?! :O I got the non-GMO stuff though...*sigh* xo

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  4. Have you tried oat milk, rather than soy? Better for the planet and Oatly Barista is fabulousin coffee (actually think it's nicer than milk, but maybe my friend's coffee is just nicer than mine!)

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  5. I like milk in my coffee, but I understand what you mean. Believe it or not, it's beer that has that bloated affect on me. I'm lucky if I can have a pint without feeling like I've eaten a loaf a bread. I'll stick to wine ... and coffee ;)

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  6. Oh dear, CJ, sounds as though the bad vibes from over here have wafted across the ocean to infect your lovely town. I sincerely hope that your citizens can come together and act positively to get the situation under control - I just wish we could. Love the doggy photos! He looks very pensive, probably wondering how he can help with the planting!

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    1. He has already dug me a nice big hole this week. :) CJ xx

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  7. Those catalogues should come with a health warning. Hope things settle down soon.

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  8. What you've written about seed catalogues and lists had me smiling. I stopped drinking coffee a couple of years ago.
    The mindless vandalism must be annoying and worrying, I hope that it ceases soon as it often does. xx

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  9. If you find a solution to a dog flattened garden, please share it. The first summer, when our dog was a tiny puppy, I was amazed at the damage she did. She'd sit in the middle of the day lilies as if they were her nest. Last summer was no better so now I'm thinking, why bother. Who knew a Scotty could trample so many plants!?!?

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  10. Oh, I do love the spring garden catalogs, I plan all sorts of beautiful things, and then remember that I live near forests. Between the deer, rabbits, chipmunks and squirrels I have yet to find the few plants that might be left standing. I even planted a “far” garden to keep them away from the house but they only laughed at that. Happy dreaming through catalogs though. Also, Good thoughts for a better way for the offenders there, and that things settle down peacefully.

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  11. I’m already dreaming of what I can do in our new garden when we move, given it is a much more manageable size. Then I remember how destructive the dog can be in the garden and wonder if my dreams will come true. I hope the vandalism etc. resolves. It must feel very unsettling.

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  12. I wisely put the Sarah Raven catalogues in the recycling, I spent far too much last year! Have you tried lactose free milk? It might be the lactose that makes you bloated. My mother swears by it, she is proper lactose intolerant. I probably have cow ancestry (from my dads side), I love milk. Soy is is usually planted in vast monocultures and I don't like the colour of it in my coffee. I am of course a complete hypocrite when it comes to soy, because I love tofu.... and dairy production is also problematic... the choices we have, eh? What a shame about the antisocial behaviour in your town, I hope it blows over soon. xx

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  13. Ah, Sarah Raven, known in our house as 'The Temptress'!!!

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  14. Something is making me fat too, I think it is no exercise to be honest. So sorry your area is having a difficult time. I am sure the actions of a few naughty people are affecting all of you. Hopefully it can all be righted soon. Sending you a hug.

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  15. I have been looking through the same catalogues and dreaming of my summer garden. My list starts out long and gets shorter too! The recommendations and planting ideas are wonderful but have to fit in my budget. Sorry to hear about the anti-social behaviour, I hope the situation will improve. Have you tried oat milk? Sarah x

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