I have wanted to grow vegetables in our garden for a couple of years but last year, with Mum's illness, we just weren't around enough. Everything we sowed got well and truly slugged!
We only have a small patch to give over to veg growing but we've decided to do it properly and build a raised bed, filled with good compost - not our crubbish garden soil.
The naughty people helped me to clear the patch of ground on Sunday morning - at 8.40am!! (Cue continuous hissed reminders from their Mother that 'all the normal people are still in bed and please could they keep their voices down!!')
They worked very hard and within an hour had cleared this:
Moogsdad has made a good start on the technical woodworky bit of building the raised bed but freezing rain eventually made him call it a day.
Fingers crossed, it may be finished tomorrow.
Today we met up with my best friend and her little boy. We decided upon a half way point - the very lovely and very peaceful little village of West Itchenor, in Chichester Harbour.
The only road that leads into the place stops abruptly at the water's edge!
There were some great boaty things to investigate.
I don't know what this plant was but the tortured, stunted stems and bright red buds were interesting against the solid stone wall.
Apart from a few marine businesses, a rather exclusive looking yacht club (dahhhhling) and a boatyard, there are no shops here. There is, however, a very lovely pub called The Ship Inn, that does fabulous food, where we treated ourselves to lunch :)
We had a walk along the water front and began to suffer a shared bout of garden envy!
This is a very wealthy area with the most stunning houses, with vast gardens leading down to the Harbour.
Peak through the trees and there before you is a 'small' part of one garden!
House envy soon followed:
My friend and I have known each other a very long time. We are both quite content with our lot and neither of us aspire to any sort of ostentatious lifestyle.
However, we both felt we could aspire to living here!
This led us to wondering how on earth you ever get to live in a place like this - what job do you have to do? who do you have to marry? is it 'family' money? are they all lottery winners?!!!
Both of us agreed that, if ever either of us ended up living in such a place, which is highly unlikely (!!), then the other could count on being employed as our 'little woman who does'/cleaner (hah! - she's far too tidy to employ me!!).
The kids each chose a house they'd like to live in to.....and proceeded to ask when we were moving!!!
Ho hum!
Better buy a lottery ticket just in case ;)
With the kids at home for two weeks I haven't achieved much crafty stuff.
I have made a start on my mini-quilt for Lucy' swap.....not sure I'm happy with it so far but I think it'll look different again once I actually do some sewing!!
I'm way behind on reading everyone's blogs, so I'm now off for a lurk.
The in-laws are coming down tomorrow to babysit - as the time has come for us to go and see................
FRENCH AND SAUNDERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yup, in just 22 hours time I'll be in the same air space as DAWN FRENCH!!!!!!
Did I mention I was going to see them?
xxxxxxx
17 comments:
You may have nonchalently mentioned it in passing ;-) Have fun!
Have fun at french and saunders. yes I think you mentioned it once or twice!
I spent many a sunny summer in Itchenor! Your photos made me very home sick!
Are you really going to French and Saunders, teehee! I do not think I knew that! Just kidding! I sincerely hope you have a GREAT time!!! Good luck with your garden!
Please wish Minx a Happy (late) Birthday!!!!
Top job in the garden ... and very impressive that you could get your workforce motivated that early on a sunday. Come on. What did you bribe them with??
The promise of going to live in a mansion, perchance?
Itchenor .... what a great place name. But what on earth would be the point of living there if it has NO SHOPS??!!
Have fun tonight at you-know-where with you-know-who ....
:)
are you going somewhere? Nice? Oh! The theatre? Do try and stay awake won't you, it can get quite sleep-inducing in those places.
(hmmmm, perhaps that last bit might just be me!!)
Haven't you seen 'em yet! This mention of F&S seems to have been going on for an age? Those little people are hard workers, maybe not so naughty after all? I shall suggest this pub for a lunch sometime, we only live about 45 minutes drive from this place, no shops though, where do all those posh people buy their stuff! I have always been happy with my lot, I often wonder where the money comes from? Have a great time at, I've forgotten, who is it you are going to see? x
Going to see who?! Have you mentioned it??!! Have a brilliant time, very envious.
Oh My Goodness!! Have you exploded or spontaneously combusted with excitement yet? Hope you have a fab time tonight.
Gorgeous pictures and you can't beat a bit of 'if I won the lotto' dreaming. I could always be your woman who does(n't do anything) if you lived in a house like that!!
Mr Locket and I used to have fun choosing "our house" from Country Life magazine so I would have had fun playing your game yesterday! Your mini quilt is looking lovely - I am currently playing with 5 - all started, none finished.
I didn't think you liked Dawn French?!
Gorgeous pictures Mrs M - I felt like I was there, with the garden and house envy.
Hope you and Mr M have a wonderful evening with Dawn and Jennifer. Can't wait to read all about it.
x
My goodness, you have been busy. I think it's very good for children to have the experience of growing a garden. How well I remember slaving away picking beans and strawberries (didn't have to pick tomatoes because I'm allergic to the vines) and helping my mom can vegetables and make jam. It's good for you!
You did just mention going to see F & S, yes.
Have great fun at F&S. I am a fan too, infact my friend and I are always doing impressions, our favourite being the cornish sketch "you know sugar kills you"? ... I also love Ab Fab (esp the first sketch from F&S) and Wild West.
Hope you have fun and don't pass out with excitement. Those houses did look rather lovely, not as impressive as my stately pile though, I did say PILE not piles, oh never mind. I'll get my coat :)
Twiggy
Does this mean you were hanging out with Lucy and Fred ROFLOL??? Those houses are beautiful. And that boardwalk thingy -- it's very interesting. What does it go to -- a lake? An inlet from the sea? A bog??? Very lovely pics! Have fun with Dawn!!!
Sound like you had an amazing day in that little village. We live in quite a healthy area and I wonder everyday where in the world people get there money from (when I park next to their bmw city jeeps, a car I would never in my life want to have, but I still wonder).
Good luck with the gardening!
I haven't started on my Lucy-quilt yet... to much to do.
Mind continuing that fit of housework at my place?
And we wouldn't mind if you were to leave behind a lottery ticket or two : )
Post a Comment