A bookish giveaway!!

Yes dear reader, I am giving away a book from my very own home, with Andrew's consent (as we don't think it belongs to either one of us, but instead, both). So if you want to feel and indeed be a WINNER this is the place you need to be right now....

Love your Lottie? Passionate about your parsnips? Overwhelmed by how to grow Onions?  Mad for marrows? This is the book giveaway for you... Joe Swift's 'Joe's Allotment '

Full of expert advise and inspiration you do not need to be a newbie on the grow your own scene to find this book of use. In super condition this hardback copy worth £17.99 will wing it's way to you (if you live in the UK - sorry, it's quite heavy to post) if you simply enter your name into the gardening hat.
There will be more than one chance to do this as well...
1 chance to win = comment here
2 chances to win = comment here + comment on the Facebook page
3 chances to win = comment here + comment on the Facebook page + retweet this blog post
4 wonderful chances to win = all of the above + regram on Instragam

The winner's name will be chosen completely at random by a blindfolded Andrew. I shall announce who that person is next Thursday, the 22nd.

Hugs
Carrie

More therapy from the allotment

Sunday was a BAD day but somehow I was able to pick up a pen and notepad and write what was happening as it was happening an in so, kept the screaming voice and the self harm thoughts inside my head. I wrote...

"Staring into the middle distance, barley able to speak; I was slightly rocking still, even after the medication. The only things that I could think of that might help were sleep or the allotment. It was difficult to get my body to move never mind climb the stairs but I bloody did it and in 15 mins we were off. 
Toby got terribly excited and was squeaking and squealing like a pig to get going - he is so enthusiastic.
The day was bright with bits of blue sky, though the ground was still very saturated from recent downpours = wellies."

There was joy in abundance as we drove up to the parking space - new horse manure and of course, Toby has to pee on this tuft of grass every time he arrives at the plots :)

It was the paths just as one walks onto the plot that made me itchy to get to it right away. I took my 'before' photograph of course and by then the shed was unlocked and I got my gloves and bucket - to work! (gosh it looks so cold but it didn't feel it)

For Andrew the sight of a new load of horse manure was what got his heart racing and he worked on clearing and mulching the back beds and basking in the glory of the wee damson tree's new little buds.

Back with me and Toby at the over end of the plot I was straying from the paths and getting into the last bed to be cleared. I ripped out the blotted chard plants - only 2 of 4 and weeded like crazy, especially round the wee leeks.

We said we would only be there an hour but when the time came up I begged Andrew to stay a little longer and he couldn't say no. We got last bits done and I took some photos and I felt OK (that's good/happy for a 'normal' person). I couldn't believe it; standing there with mud all over me and in my hair (I am so messy!), my nose dripping and not able to feel my face, haha - it had gotten cold quick BUT  there was also a complete absence of tension or screaming in my head. - Hurrah

Looking at the sun setting over the field, I had turned the day around (with help from Andrew) and my Sunday had been worth living...

Hugs for all - I love you dear reader
Carrie

90 mins at the allotment

Triumphantly I returned to the allotment last Saturday and it was wonderful. We are now getting into lock down mode with only kale, beetroot and leeks growing at the moment and everything else getting ripped out and composted or pruned back.

It was a mild afternoon and I was no longer there than the coat had to come off and the work began in earnest. Well, I did have to take my 'before' photo, before I got started. How does Toby always manage to get his bum in my photos? haha.

We took down the bean poles and the netting for the sugar snap peas and then I happily started in on the constructive deconstruction (and you know how I love that) pulling out all the climbing borlotti, sugar snap peas and broad bean plants and putting them on the compost heap. Then gathering all the weeds and chucking them in a heap elsewhere (a lot still in flower and I DO NOT want even more weed seeds in my freshly cleared bed). We had a wheelbarrow with some compost in it from, well, some other time we were there and it was added into the bed once I had everything cleared and what weeds I could get to were removed. Looks good no?

Andrew pruned the apple trees (yep, I know we are a little behind, but better late than never). He also ripped out the old and exploded, hahaha, courgettes and started turning over the soil in a different bed. We will be adding a horse manure mulch to it next and the old bean bed too.

Although most things were looking rough and tired I did of course find some beauty in the mess including some of the borlotti beans we recovered in very good dried out state - perfect for soups and stews or maybe even planting next year :) Did you know they are also known as the cranberry bean?

I look forward to returning and will keep you posted.
Hugs
Carrie

Daily photo challenge round up (23)

This is becoming a terrible habit - I simply don't know what day I am living in so much of the time. I could have sworn that yesterday was Wednesday and today was thus Thursday but no, I was wrong again. My post of returning to the allotment last weekend must wait now for a few days (I hope to go back tomorrow again) and for today I am straight back into a weekly photo round up. I am miffed, confused, vexed and irked that today is Friday...again!

As I mentioned these prompts are thanks to Fat Mum Slim 😊

 Day 4 - I need...more allotment time. Allotmentherapy is good for the soul and we almost have it all cleared for winter, almost.

 Day 5 Fave fruit...is an apple, crisp and crunchy and preferably a 'red lady' 🍎

 Day 6 Strong 

The scars have healed, each day is a battle but I am stronger now with the right medication, support and love.

Day 7 In the kitchen...you'll find our friendly household vegetable brush 😃🥕

Day 8 - this rules...I just received snail mail and it contained this awesome book from my good friend
Food friends rule! Snail mail rules! Books rule! Ecotherapy rules!

Day 9 - pale

Pretty pale scene at the dentists. White cups, white wall, white radiator...

Many of the bestest wishes to you all,

I shall write again soon,

Carrie xx

Looking back, catching up

Hike triumph - Newry Canal pt 2

I forgot to tell/show you that we completed the second half of the Newry Canal hike - hurrah to us! It happened way back on the 20th October and it was a much cooler and crisp day indeed, definitely more leaves on the ground and though this part of the walk wasn't quite as pretty, there were special surprises to be found. I'll simply put up two wee collages of what we found joy in.

old signs, many apples just out of reach, a donkey, more swans and cygnets

a beautiful bridge over  Moneypenny's lock, another mile marker and the lock keeper' s cottage, the lock and the neighbouring blacksmiths (still working away)

The walk started in Scarva, then we walked the 8 miles to Portadown train station (which meant my big red and sleepy mug had to face the Portadown public - eek!). The journey was grand and Toby was a very good boy indeed sitting under Andrew's legs and not barking once. Back at Scarva then, we disembarked and went to the local eatery for a lovely, well deserved dinner :)

And now because I simply forgot on Friday past....

Daily photo challenge round up (22)

 Day 27 - pop

A pop of pink in an otherwise dreary flower bed

Day 28 - contrast

In contrast to my usual view of a gingerbread man as jolly and plump this one is but a skeleton! 😄

Day 29 - black and white

Outside my fave bar in Belfast.

 Day 31 - rainbow

Beautifully arranged coloured bottles on the window sill of a sweet b&b in Northumberland.

And into NOVEMBER! With the same thanks to Fat Mum Slim for the prompts as before :)....

Day 1 - morning sky

This morning's glorious bright sky with the moon still up. Beautiful autumn light and colours.

 Day 2 - I want...

better vision please. I've been wearing glasses for 30 years now and also have incurable permanent double vision.

 Day 3 - I have...

the sleepiest little dog today. 

*********

I have also been to the allotment! "What?" you cry, "Really?" and I proudly answer "yes 😊".  AND I have delved into a new (old) hobby.....So there is another wee blog post to come, soon, about that too. Hurrah.

Hugs and love

Carrie