In gardening news, while I have a hard time believing it, given what a cobbler's job I did, the potatoes I planted recently have started to grow. As I said before, I think I took about 20 minutes to throw down some cardboard, poke a one inch hole into the earth underneath it (because the ground was so solid I couldn't go any further) and then bung in a couple of old sprouted spuds and top with grass clippings - but wadda ya know - those babies have started growing. It's almost as exciting as giving birth, but without the pain and no Johnny Bench sitting there looking at your fanny!
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| 20 minutes work - and about 10 days' growth! |
And is it just me or does anyone else love the smell of tomato plants? I've always loved the smell of wet grass but when it comes to snipping off the middle shoot of a tomato plant I just love that smell. (As you can tell, I'm getting old and obviously easily pleased!) I saw another YouTube video the other day and redesigned by plant-watering system using old plastic bottles. That now involves holding four inch nails in the flame of my gas cooker (holding the nails with a set of pliers of course) and then poking them through the bottle tops in order to drip-feed my plants - and it seems to be working. Man, I feel like some kind of nuclear scientist!
And going off on a totally different tangent, today I saw on FB a story by someone in my local region who had requested an appointment with Grenoble to hand in his naturalisation dossier in 2018 - and had got his appointment 15 months later! Now I requested an appointment to hand in my paperwork 10 months ago and there is still no response, so going by this person's timeline - 15 months to hand in your paperwork for citizenship (to see if it is ok) and then his citizenship appointment is scheduled for 2023!!!! So five years from initial request to even getting to put your case to request French citizenship!!!! Oh well, I will keep trudging along. I don't need to be French to stay here as my right to residence is guaranteed, but I want to do this. I'm just sad that it will take so many years to actually do it! Bloody Brexit!
In other news, I received a message from my Monday morning yoga teacher to say that they have been authorized to start teaching again and did I want to return to class? And yep, I do. I need the exercise anyway but I also want to start supporting local businesses, so sign me up. We will hopefully be outside and can maintain social distancing, but otherwise she has now built a separate yoga room in her garden so I'm happy to go ahead. Which makes me wonder what our Tuesday afternoon yoga class will look like. I'm the youngest (by far) and suspect many of those ladies will back out even if they announce the commune will authorize them to start up again. I will go though if they open up and then we can see what happens!
And funnily enough, I remember seeing a meme about people "desperate" to exercise in the UK after lock down. My friend was asking what I wanted to do after lock down was lifted and I said I wanted to go out walking but "they'd forecast colder weather next week". So he just laughed and pointed out how I had happily gone out walking in minus zero weather so what was my problem now? And you know, I don't have a problem, and I can go out when I want right? It did make me wonder though what will happen when all those people who were "denied their right to go out exercising" now have that right restored to them. Will they now go back to being the tech-ridden couch potatoes so many of them were as they were before? Who knows!
Today being the first day of "freedom", I decided to celebrate and head off to the garden centre as I've wanted a hummingbird feeder for a while. It's weird because while the parking lot was fairly full the shop was ok, not too full at all. For the first time I wore my mask (and was thoroughly miserable as I don't feel like I can breath) but hey, that's what we do right. But as I was about to set off to the garden centre my neighbour walked over and handed me a "red, white and blue" face mask which, apparently, all the local communes are now issuing to each household. So I got a washable face mask with elasticated string with the French flag on it. Fine by me, at least they are being proactive.
So I decided to head off to my local garden centre for tomato plants and picked up a few bits and bobs from the organic food store on the way out, including a bottle of organic white wine. Lovely! I haven't been buying booze during lock down - just because - but now I have a very organic hangover, sad to say. Serves me right I suppose, but I guess it's all in the name of freedom! Glad to oblige!
I wish I had sprouting potatoes! There is a new garbage can ready to grow potatoes. I don't like the smell of newly mown grass because of allergies. But, I do like the smell of a tomato plant.
ReplyDeleteYou are of a nuclear scientist caliber scientist, but with plants.
Why are you assured residence?
After Brexit you only have to prove that you are resident before 31 December 2020. I can prove 31 years of tax declarations, private medical insurance and an income 10 times the minimum required to stay in France. But even without that I am allowed to stay. But I want to become French out of principle - because Brexit pissed me off so much I want to vote and in any case I happen to love France and would be proud to become French.
DeleteCongratulations on your baby potatoes, I've not come across that method, I'll have to Google. Great that you've got classes to look forward to. I've got a problem with my foot and awaiting some supports for my shoes so I can get out walking more then once a day from Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteI saw this method on Un Jardin Au Paradis website but it really was so simple. It remains to be seen whether I actually get any potatoes but so far so good.
DeleteBeautiful potato plants! They look happy and healthy!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you're going to truly enjoy being out into the world again, especially to be able to walk in those mountains. I like thinking about that.
The freedom to just "do" is wonderful isn't it, even if you never actually do anything!
DeleteOrganic wine hangover, that is a new one! When they make my wine I ask them not to put preservatives in it, it is easier on that :) I can't drink more than 2 glasses anyway as get a raging headache the next day. Well, it truly will be a massive celebration (much like having a child) when you finally get your French citizenship
ReplyDeleteYeah, an organic hangover is not much different from a non-organic hangover believe me. And who knows how long it will take me to become French. Oh well, I guess it gives me loads of time to learn up on all the background stuff doesn't it.
DeleteMaybe that was my Sunday issue-coffee hangover from Saturday. I think there's a weed product I might order that gets put down and plantings go through a hole. I'm going to look and see ifvI can find. Yoga sounds good. I'm about to do my short bout.
ReplyDeleteI only drink one small cup of coffee a day as it gives me the jitters - wine, not so much!!!! And I've seen those weed covers too - my neighbour has one on her side garden and they just let the bushes/plants poke through. But seemingly cardboard is just as good!
DeleteYou're not alone, the smell of tomatoes brings back fond memories of childhood. My grandparents had a very large garden and my Grandma canned all their vegetables, nothing store bought. They must have had at least 20 tomato plants and if you wanted, you could pick one off the vine and eat it.
ReplyDeleteOrganic white? is it any good?
Home grown tomatoes are the best aren't they. I stopped buying them here (unless I was in Italy) after that trip to Turkey when fruit and veg actually tasted like fruit and veg. And as for the white wine - the first half of the bottle was very good. Can't remember the second half but it went down well it seems! Won't be doing that again in a hurry!
DeleteFrom tomorrow we are allowed to sit on benches and sunbathe. With the temperature this week struggling to hit 8 degrees so far: No Thanks! I wouldn't say no to a live Yoga session though, but reckon it might be months before the UK gets to the point where they are permitted. Enjoy and do a downward facing dog for everyone on this side of the Channel as well.
ReplyDeleteIt's rotten weather here this week too - only hitting about 18 degrees max, which is why they say "never put out your seedlings before the Saintes de Glace" and they're right!!!! And I'll be glad to get back to yoga too now, although I doubt there'll be any downward facing dogs at this point - I'll never get up again!
DeleteMy potatoes are growing well too, however I've noticed a bit of brown blotching on some of the leaves, I hope thats nothing I should be worrying about! I too love the smell of tomato on my fingers when I prick out the side shoots. I also think home grown tomatoes taste and smell much nicer than shop ones anyway.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to get to a garden centre. I'm just glad I went to one just before lockdown. I've ordered some plants online and don't really need anything else, however its not so much about what we need as what we want isn't it! Enjoy your yoga, I hope its warm enough outside for you! xx
When I was at the garden centre there must have been quite a rush on the fruit and veg plants as most of the lettuce had gone, but I was able to find the plum tomato seedlings that I like. And although we're now past the Saintes de Glace (so we can now plant outside) it's bloody cold here - you can't win sometimes can you.
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