Tomatoes

Yesterday lunchtime I transplanted the tomato seedlings on my office windowsill into small, individual pots. Even discarding two very small seedlings and 3 growing so close together roots were likely to be damaged separating them, I still have 13. They are all looking good this morning.

I got a packet of alicante tomato seedlings free with a catalogue. I put them on the "freegle" intranet forum at work and someone has been very pleased to take them. I don't have space for 13 tomato plants in the garden so will put surplus on the forum as well to find good homes.

Radio Times "My country life"

In the new Radio Times, which came out this morning, there is an article "My country life" with a full page picture of Kate Humble with a dog and chicken on her lap, donkeys in the background and the Wye valley behind her. A very strong desire overcame me: "I want that!".

This blog is about being green and country in the city, and I do believe this is important. However, if I had a way of earning my living in the country I doubt I'd resist the temptation!  And there is excellent kayaking on the Wye river as well!

Ideal Home exhibition

My friend, Elizabeth, had free tickets to the Ideal Home Exhibition, so we went today.

Went to the "Natural House" from the Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment. The charity is working for communities that are walkable places that are designed effectively to encourage social interaction and make people feel safe, encouraging local industry and jobs. http://www.princes-foundation.org/.

They are, for instance, creating a 1,000 home sustainable village on a brownfield site in Neath Port Talbot in Wales and helping to redevelop the centre of Port au Prince, Haiti.

Whilst queuing to enter the house I was reading on a display board about the "web of daily life", which is encouraging people to live locally (that's not just "live" as in home, but work, shops, hobbies).  How quickly would a major spike in oil prices disrupt your daily necessities?

I am not sure how far work is from home as the crow flies, but it is 8-9 miles cycling via towpaths for the middle bit of the journey, which I wouldn't want to do everyday! In London, as long as the tubes can run I'd be OK. I would miss evening classes at the City Lit, lots of exhibitions at central museums, second hand bookshops, some cinema (I do go locally but it doesn't always have the film I want to see), theatre and decent haberdashery stores (though John Lewis is not a patch on what it was!) if I had to stay local for most things.

I liked the Natural House. Because a lot of the stuff in it was second hand, it seemed much more normal and real than other show homes I have been in. There was an overmantle and a long shelf I particularly liked - I don't see nice things like that in my local junk shop!

Spring chickens and snow

Yesterday morning, for the first time this year, I heard a neighbour's chicken after she'd laid an egg. I fancy some rescued chickens but would be worried about foxes. I could get a fox-proof pen, but foxes sniffing around all the time, or even lying on top of the run, would be very stressful for them.  Though I am seeing and hearing foxes much less often this last year or so. Someone told me if there are a lot of cats that means less foxes - and someone who moved in a few doors down has lots of cats, so perhaps that's true.

In my perpetual diary I see that in 2008 it was Easter, and there had been light snow early in the morning followed by sleet! Today I am wearing a 3/4 length sleeved t-shirt and thin, embroidered waistcoat, no vest

Spring weed and rescuing soft toys

This morning I have been out in the garden giving it a general weed. I find a good weed at the beginnning of the season helps to keep the weeds under control the rest of the summer. Let them get out of control now and it's hard, hard work for months.

I've left the foxgloves in the deep beds. I'll get most of those out when I start sowing the vegetables (and it's March so I should already have started!). Each year I scatter the seeds of foxgloves and poppies all over the flower beds but they insist on coming up in the vegetable beds!

Yesterday kayaking up the river Lea (not the Navigation) above stonebridge lock I rescued two Santa soft toys, a teddy in a Santa jacket, and a shark. I left behind one teddy that was too muddy to try saving. I had all 4 of the rescued toys in the washing machine this morning. They have come out better than I expected. One of the Santas is a dog toy, so I'll take that for my friends' dogs, Pip and Fred, to play with. The shark will go to the charity shop next visit, and the Santa and Santa teddy I'll take next December.

draught snake

Transition Leytonstone is holding an event on energy at the end of the month. The local free paper wants a photo this week.  Long, thin, fabric animals to stop draughts coming in under doors are going to be made at the event, but that would be too late for the photoshoot.  Ros, guiding light of Transition Leytonstone, remembered that at the Transition Leytonstone Recycled Craft meeting at my house she had seen a snake I had for under-door draughts. On her way to dinner at her daughter's, she popped by to borrow it ready for its moment of fame.

Charleston, finding buses, blue wool and horrible herbal tea

Today I had a day off so went down by train to Lewes in Suffolk.  Partly as a trip to a pretty town, but mainly to suss out buses to Charleston, the country home of Vanessa Bell (sister of Virginia Woolf). This is my favourite house. I love the idea of living in a house full of painters, potters, writers, political thinkers (and with servants to do the housework!), where the house is decorated by the people living and staying there, not just the pictures,the lampshades, but the walls and doors as well. It is difficult to get to if you don't have a car. I found a tourist office in Lewes, so now how my bus timetable.

The service is infrequent - once every 2 hours - and it looks like if I miss the 1521 back to Lewes, I'll have to wait till 1811! If I leave London after 10am to take advantage of getting some money off the price of my train ticket with my yearly tube season I won't get to Charleston after 1 pm. In fear of missing the bus I'd want to be early to the bus stop to get the bus back to Lewes....so about an hour and a half at the house! The joys of country buses!

I think I will just have to hope a friend with a car will take me and I'll disregard the carbon footprint.

As well as lots of antique shops, there were several charity shops. I got a big ball of blue wool for a £1, and this should be enough to knit a tea cosy. As I was offering ordinary tea green tea and herb tea, I made all the tea for my meeting on Sunday in the cups. So I really don't need a tea cosy, but I fancy knitting one all the same.

At my herbal tea tasting class yesterday we were given another tea - a bitter tasting one. Very good for us I am sure, but I have only committed to drinking one cup a day as I know I won't manage more. I am drinking today's cup now while I type this. The best I can say of it is I like it better than I do ordinary tea, which I hate!