Loving life!

For anyone who missed it, we are on a four week trip to the US catching up with family and friends over here, soaking up the culture and eating way too much. The little people are having a complete ball. They have swum in the sea, the pool or splashed in the paddling pool most days. They have been to the Laser Show at Stone Mountain, visited Chuckie Cheese (aka by Grandaddy as "Chuckie Frickin' Cheese" and that will be his last visit - altho he did say that last time!), been bowling, visited Dill Pickle the alligator at the small Athens zoo and so much more. They have had the undivided attention of so many great folks.

The little boy made us laugh a few days after we got here. He was yelling on his Grandma for something, for the fifteenth time that morning. When I suggested that he give his poor Grandma some peace he replied, "But Mummy, Grandma is just soooooo helpful!". And in truth Grandma was in her element so who am I to get in the way of that partnership.

Tomorrow we leave for Orlando. Mike's folks have booked a fabulous house just along from Mickey's. We are hugely grateful to them for their generosity, they are a true example of folks who give not just out of their pockets but out of their time, pouring heaps in to others. Again I am conscious of the huge example our parents are setting us. Our kids have no idea how privileged they are and we are not giving them daily lectures, we are not showing them pictures of those much less fortunate. This week is not the time. This week is for fun and family. There will continue to be times when conversations can be had, when our little people will continue to to be generous, will learn about giving, will learn when something is broken we will not simply go out and get a new one.

You have to take the time to talk through these things because society sure does not set that example and all kids learn so easy to manipulate. Our little boy came up with another cracker all by himself this week just to illustrate the point. Made us laugh real hard but made us realise that he is learning fast and all by himself! He was messing around at bedtime, doing everything to avoid putting on those pj's. I played along, cajoled and then finally having had enough my voice took on a sharper tone.

"I am going to count to three and you had better have those pyjamas on or there will be serious trouble!"

He stopped abruptly, his bottom lip trembled and he said, " But, Mummy, you are just too beautiful to use that angry voice."

Thank goodness for the years of teaching because I was able to retort quick speed and in a hurry, "And you are too cute to not do what you are told right now!"

I laughed hard as soon as that bedroom door was shut!

Just before we left on the trip we are currently on we had to do some serious work on our allotment. If you have an allotment it needs really regular care and we just did not have the time for a few weeks. When we arrived, from a distance it looked really healthy. Up close it was a huge crop of poppies and other gloriously vibrant weeds.


We dug and pulled and had some major assistance form the little people who dug their little hearts out in a clearish patch, digging a large hole to somewhere! Aunty Vonny had got them some "them sized" tools for their birthdays. A whole heap of fun right there!

After an hour or so here is what there was left..... a pretty sorry sight!

Can anyone explain to me why slugs and caterpillars like our veggies and not the attractive poppies?

We have very little left and we know for sure, being gone for a month and a whole heap of rain , that our garden will be glorious once more with weeds. It is not all bad news tho! The stuff in the green house and in pots are growing well. We left loads of pots with our allotment partners to water. Thinking the heavens will be doing that just fine for them at the moment. Cucumbers, tomatoes, chillies starting, onions and garlic.

On this trip we have really enjoyed eating fresh produce from folks gardens and visiting one or two! Over here the heat is both a blessing and a curse. They can grow so much more, it seems, but at times the heat is stunting growth too. And while we have to deal with slugs, and next year suckers, we will be ready, so ready, friends here have to deal with larger challenges with four legs and a big appetite. Deer!!

Living life!!

If you knew someone who was entering a new decade what would you recommend she did today, this week, this year or at some point during this decade?
Maybe, just maybe, I will pass on your suggestions!!

Seeing the sunrise!

When you jump continents you would think our time clocks would automatically adjust, you know like our computers do with daylight savings. At 4.50am we were wondering what quite to do with the very awake little people. My best suggestion was a dvd and a containing exercise. Mike's suggestion was a trip to the beach to see the sunrise with a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. There was no need for discussion and in a short while we were all in the car!

The girl at the Krispy Kreme drive through was very cheery for that time in the morning but she had no regular Krispy Kreme doughnuts ready.

"I am sorry, Sweetie," she announced "but they won't be ready until 6.15 and I am really sorry about that but I can give you mini glazed ones for the same price, sweetie, or you know we do have raspberry cream, or lemon drizzle, or chocolate sprinkles or..." and she reeled off a list of another ten. Mike tried a few times to say we would be happy with the mini ones before she quite got it. On driving up and meeting her in person we got a glorious welcome, another apology, a confirmation that we had made a good choice and wished a "blessed day. " Well, our new friend at Krispy Kreme, you certainly started our day off well and you are obviously living up to the challenge of Mother Teresa's about people not leaving you but that they feel happier.

How people respond is their choice. I found myself initially being a little irritated by her. You know kind of "Just give me the doughnuts lady!" but here was someone who was giving more options, pointing out other good possibilities. I need to not be rushing past and dismissing these kind of people. In fact I need to be that kind of person. I saw again recently how short life can be, and how tough it can be, but the journey is for enjoying and there are many different flavours out there to be experiencing.

Gardening joys

London has set itself the challenge of 2,012 communal vegetable gardens in time for the 2012 Olympics. Vancouver took the lead, aiming for 2.010 vegetable gardens in the community by the 2010 winter games. One of the exciting things about the London project is the amount of roof projects planned. London has 1.6 million square metres of suitable roofing. That could be a huge transformation of what the place looks like, have a dramatic effect on pollution and funnily enough the folks taking the lead on this reckon that by getting folks involved you can change their eating habits.

I came home from dropping the little girl at a dance class to find my two boys on the garage roof. They were not embarking on a roof project, just having fun hanging out together and the wee-est was most proud of himself.

We leave for the US on Thursday and have a lot to achieve in both our gardens before this. The good news is that we are harvesting loads of strawberries and raspberries. Most of our other stuff will be ready while we are away so friends and family help yourself! We are planning to haul our pots over to Doug and Susan's and the parents while we are gone. Mike was seriously talking about a short hire of a truck so many and large are the pots. He really misses his pick up truck! I figure we can just use both our cars and ram them in!

We have to confess to being beaten up pretty bad by the little creatures in this world; slugs, snails and caterpillars. Maybe I will spend some of my US time investigating all the different solutions and next year we will be ready with a whole pile of ammo.

Yesterday our little girl came yelling into the house...

"Mum, Dad, Mum, Dad, baby birds have been born in our garden. Come see. Come see. Come see!"

I was immediately thinking about our two wee ones messing with baby birds. I am not much clued up on the birthing time for birds. Mike quickly went out to investigate with me observing from the kitchen door. Our kids had discovered all the egg shells I had put on the ground around the broccoli, a tip from the Bethster. Mike explained very carefully to the kids what had happened while I fell around laughing in the kitchen. I totally understand why the egg shells might just work. Those shells are sharp. Guess I may be keeping all our egg shells from now on!

Ok, this is good!

My other half has a kind of "don't need it, don't want it, won't wear it attitude" to clothes. He does not like shopping and is certainly not keen on anyone else picking stuff out for him. Aggravates his dad at times, but you know what, the "don't need it, don't want it, won't wear it" attitude is definitely hereditary. His Dad is a firm believer if you cannot buy it from a catalogue and preferably online,then you have no need of it. We are highly entertained when we call and find that he is in a mall. He is never there on his own venture, in fact he is only ever there if Mike's Mum requires him as a carrier or for a second opinion. It does not happen often but when it does we enjoy it.

On browsing round the ethical clothes options online Mike came across this site which is just great. You have got to love it. No more trawling round stores. See if they have what you need, order, giving money to a good charity and in a few days the postman brings you the items.
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/second-hand-store
Such a well organised site. Only thing is that we did not find it soon enough so I pitched up tonight at my staff night out in my jeans and a nice top. Maybe, just maybe, the stuff will arrive for my next event on Saturday.