The view from my window

The view from my window
The view from my window

Tuesday 28 April 2020

More this and that!

While this whole pandemic situation is obviously dreadful with such terrible loss of life and many people's livelihoods going to pot, there are some people who seem to be thriving as a result of it - and I don't mean the TP and hand sanitizer hoarders (who will, hopefully, get the consequences they deserve). No, I was watching the news the other day when they ran a clip about a company using robots in Milton Keynes to deliver groceries and the point of it being on the news was that they were currently delivering free of charge to NHS workers. This scheme has, apparently, been around for a couple of years, but given the current crisis they were working on building more robots and expanding the scheme sooner rather than later - and good luck to them. I hadn't heard of them before but what a neat idea and it's nice to see a company like this benefitting from their ingenuity!


Another positive is that the village shop would also seem to be making a come-back in some more rural areas, given people's difficulty in getting to larger stores, or just their reluctance to go to them. These shops were being slowly squeezed out by the big stores but the presenter of this particular clip was saying that hopefully the village shop will be able to survive and even thrive after the pandemic as not only shops but also the important community hub that they used to represent.

In other news, it started raining on Sunday night for the first time in - oh, I don't know - six weeks maybe. It has been so gloriously warm and sunny that it has been a pleasure to take time out and just potter. That being said, we actually needed the rain so while it's quite a bit cooler it's not unwelcome. The weird thing is, though, that without the rain we have had such a large build up of pollen everywhere and when I was sitting watching TV on Sunday night I looked up and it actually looked like it was raining custard down my window!!! Still, getting some of that washed off should be good for allergy sufferers I guess!

I finally took a trip out today for non-food shopping since I had heard that the Botanic garden centre was now open. I figured that since I hadn't been spending any "fun" money the last six weeks I could afford to treat myself at my favourite garden centre - plus I needed more soil anyway. But oh what a treat it is to walk around that place - I just want to buy everything and even the non-garden/plant stuff is just so pretty - if a little expensive. I bought myself a few veggie seedlings which are further ahead than my own so I'm looking forward to getting those out into the garden as soon as I can. My own tomato, cucumber and courgette plants are doing well this year, probably because I've kept them inside my little greenhouses and not planted them out at the first sign of warm weather, but I added in some chili peppers, aubergines (my word for 2020) and cantaloup melon to the mix to have a shot at growing them too. I just have to remember to properly label them this year as I often have no idea what I'm actually growing by the time it's in the ground! I also made two wigwam trellises using branches that my neighbour had cut off his hazelnut tree. Once they are all bound together they seem to be fairly stable, but it remains to be seen how they hold up under pressure. I've also been following a French site called Rustica, where they give gardening tips relevant to France and our climate and every time I think "oh I must …" they seem to have an article pop up on just that subject. The latest one answered my question on why my lemon bush's leaves were starting to turn brown (answer: it doesn't like to be in direct sunlight when you first put it outside and - get this, a lemon bush doesn't particularly appreciate temperatures of over 10° round here so not to let it get too hot). My next foray into the world of gardening is to attempt to make nettle liquid manure which is apparently very good for a veggie garden. No wonder my neighbours just shake their heads when they see my latest experiments, what with my home-made wigwams and the vision of my backside sticking out from the hedge trying to get at the nettles they must think I'm mad. One year I actually created a vertical garden growing up my cherry tree using plastic bottles and very satisfying (and productive) it was too, but like I say, my neighbours think I'm nuts sometimes!

Since I was a little disappointed in my apple cake the other day I decided to make Mary Berry's lemon drizzle cake yesterday and that was a roaring success. Absolutely delicious. It sank a bit in the middle so I think I'll use a smaller, round pan next time, but having the hole in the middle just gave me the excuse to fill it up with whipped cream and indulge. As you can probably tell, the diet's going great guns (and so easy to follow too)!

And finally, I was talking to my friend the other day and he was complaining about a pain in the left side of his back, under his shoulder blade. The next day he said it was still there so I asked if it was in his arm or in his jaw as I was a little worried, having had a dad who had frequent heart attacks. He said not, but I mentioned he might want to get some aspirin in just in case (I was told to give aspirin to my dad when he had a heart attack when I was 14 and home alone with him. The ambulance came of course but that was when I learned that aspirin can help to bust small clots so I always keep some in the house just in case). Anyway, he said he thought he had just twisted his arm awkwardly and that he thought Voltaren would ease it, the problem being that he had no way of putting it on his own back. So I told him now would seem to be the perfect time to get out and meet the neighbours. "Hallo, you must be my new neighbours. We haven't met. My name's C. Would you think I was awfully forward if I asked if you would mind just rubbing some of this on my back?" I was only trying to help but he didn't think that was very funny for some reason. Can't think why!

12 comments:

  1. I love our plant nurseries so much. I could just wander in them forever. They are like fairylands, aren't they? I think you are going to have a wonderful garden this year and I certainly hope that you share some pictures. I'd love to see your French garden.
    I would be a bit concerned about your lovely Dutchman as well. If the pain doesn't go away after a few more days he should definitely seek medical attention. I'm sure he's fine but one never knows...
    You take care and enjoy your less-pollenated world.

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    1. I have plenty of room to dig a big garden but sadly not the energy so anything I grow is in pots/raised beds. It won't be huge but I'll see what comes of it. The only thing I really adore is home grown tomatoes - there's just no comparison is there. And I spoke to my Dutchman tonight and he said he was feeling better, but I will check in with him every day as I'm only too aware what the symptoms are.

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  2. Your lemon cake sounds delicious - especially with whip cream! I love wandering around garden centers. I could do it for hours.

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    1. It really is a lovely cake - but then there's nothing that isn't improved by the addition of whipped cream in my opinion!

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  3. Still tapping my foot waiting for some heavy rain here in North East England (this afternoon, according to the forecast) but I think we have the perfect temperatures this week for your lemon tree! Now, of course, I’m worrying about my seedlings; have I sown them too early and will I be able to source seeds with our garden centres still shut, if I have to re-sow? Hell, all this anxiety: think I’ll join you on that Mary Berry diet!

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    1. Here they say not to plant out before the Saints de Glace which is mid-May because we can still get frost before then. I remember one year we had a glorious April and I put all my plants out and it snowed. The guy at the market where I bought them just laughed at me and said "you never plant out before the Saints de Glace". You'd think I'd learn wouldn't you. And the Mary Berry diet is indeed very easy to follow. You'll love it.

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  4. Really feel for garden centres as they've been hit at one of their busiest times.I hope they can open here before too long. I've been making a half portion of Mary's scones. Half a portion helps with self control! Love lemon drizzle but I shop late, when its empty and eggs are still scarce at that time. So any eggs I get I keep for main meals etc.

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    1. It's weird because eggs have not been in short supply here even from day one, but I think I have to stop making cakes now unless I give them all away!!! And I feel for the independent garden centres in particular. All that work getting their seedlings ready for sale and then they get hammered. Time to support the local businesses as soon as we can!

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  5. My neighbor across the street has woven three tepee trellises and a foot high fence across her front yard. I don't know what she has planted but hope it's sensational. I'm not that talented. I just stick things in the ground and usually they grow

    That would be so funny, knocking your your neighbor's door and asking them if they could rub balm into your back.

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    1. Well if you just plonk things in the ground and they grow then you're better at it than I am. I'm just an enthusiastic amateur and my teepees look nothing like they were supposed to but we'll see. And I did laugh when I suggested C went next door to the neighbours. He's a bit "posh" so he was horrified!

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  6. I think my concern about the robots, which look great by the way, is that they may take over jobs which is what they've been predicting for a long time anyway! My grandson works in a restaurant and cannot work out how they can possibly open and keep social distancing in place. How do you serve someone a plate of soup and keep 2mts away! A robot may be the answer :( I was just saying to my daughter this morning I worry for small shops now, ie, small space shops. We have a few small businesses locally which are trying to stay afloat by offering online services for now, but I wonder how many will want to be in the actual shop once they can reopen given the size of the shops. There are so many things that will change I think and not all for the better.
    My seeds are doing well in my greenhouse but I always keep in mind the year my son was born (1979) on the day he was born 25th May, there was snow on the ground! My mum is desperately trying to learn to grow veg and she's demented by me not letting her plant her giant tomato plants outdoors yet! She doesn't believe me when I say there could yet be snow!
    I hope your dutchman is better today. Its a worry when someone you know is 'ill' on the phone! I think his neighbours would never speak to him again if that was his introduction to them lol. xx

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    1. We got snow in May one year too - a real dump that broke my awning! But that was freakishly late thank goodness. And I worry for small shops too. There's just no way they can enforce distancing is there. And even for restaurants that can accommodate people "at a distance" that effectively at least halves their income doesn't it. It's so sad. The first thing I'm going to do when they lift this lockdown a little is go down to my florist's and buy myself the biggest bunch of flowers. I hope she can hang on! And I'm like your mom - wanting to put my plants out early but I always regret it. It's raining now and pretty chilly so thank goodness I haven't already put them out! I spoke to my Dutchman earlier and he's still in pain but mainly in the morning so I reckon it's the way he's sleeping as he says it eases over the day and completely disappears when he's warmed up. I think he'll be ok. But you know, if my new neighbours asked me to do that I would think it was a hoot - but then I'm weird!

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