Update from the hill

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Life is full up on the hill at the moment. The kitchen is still in progress.

Here is Ian taking out the sink and then the new ceiling in all its newly plastered glory. Still to be done? Don't ask. It will happen, eventually.

The garden is throwing stuff at us faster than we can eat it: cavolo nero, onions, chard, beetroot, potatoes, raspberries, blueberries, beans, salad stuff. And the cutting garden too is full: full of dark purple sweet peas, orange marigolds, orange and gold cosmos, black cornflowers and White nicotiana. There are jugs all over the house but I still can't keep up.

And of course there are the projects which have totally stalled. The quilt which hasn't moved on since last November is lying in a box upstairs. At some point it will start whimpering reproachfully when I go by but just now it is dozing quietly. The socks which I dropped a stitch on in January have already got to that reproachful stage. Every time I go past my knitting bag they sigh heavily. They will just have to wait. It is gardening season, never mind sorting out the kitchen season. Besides I still haven't worked out what I am going to do to sort the hole out. I had a look at it on one rainy day and feel pretty sure I am just going to have to take the sock back, quite a long way, having turned the heel and everything. It may be that if I leave it long enough I will not mind so much.

And then there are the new eggs sitting in the incubator, barnevelders and scots dumpies (don't you just love the names). There is so little going on at home it is obviously the ideal time to start a new project. They will be lovely though. I will find some photos.

And this blog counts as my first ever written on the new iPad, another rather glorious soaker up of time!

I might just be getting the hang of it.

Comments

  1. rachel7 August 2011 at 19:35

    Black cornflowers? Sounds wonderful! I shall be writing to you asking for cottage gardening tips!

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  2. Anonymous7 August 2011 at 19:36

    hello! I am so glad that I am not the only one with knitting sitting hopefully in a bag. My granddaughter's cardigan will have to be unravelled and started again she is now two sizes bigger!! I hope you get your kitchen working again soon and flowers from the garden over the house are a wonderful to have.

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  3. Chris7 August 2011 at 19:43

    More chickens? You'll have to get yourself another coop at this rate! ...I could always knock one up for you;-)

    You have to prioritise Elizabeth, Growing things in summer, knitting in winter(when it's bloomin' freezing!)

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  4. Country Gate Cally7 August 2011 at 19:46

    What a fabulous jug of flowers. I adore them.

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  5. mountainear7 August 2011 at 19:56

    Over-overwhelmed with stuff here too. Some disappointments but I'm not complaining. Stuff hanging on until darker nights come round again? Got those too.

    Love your new ceiling - plasterers, bless 'em, work messy magic.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jodie Robson7 August 2011 at 20:30

    In the midst of my own despair at everything having got away from me again, it's good to be able to share your pleasure at the things which are going well, even if there's still a lot to be done. The cutting garden sounds idyllic!

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  7. Pondside7 August 2011 at 20:44

    'Not enough hours in the day'- I'm sure that was written for you for this period. Socks and quilt will wait - this is the time for too many flowers and open doors and windows (thank heavens) to deal with the upheaval of the reno.

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  8. Linda7 August 2011 at 21:11

    What a busy glorious life you are living! I LOVE this post! It WILL get done...the kitchen as well as other projects. Things take time. Wish I could take a stroll through your beautiful.....and BOUNTIFUL garden....with a basket over my arm for harvesting!!

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  9. Dobby7 August 2011 at 22:17

    Couldn't you just darn the sock? If the hole is in the foot, it won't show by the time you put shoes on!
    The garden as priority is totally correct.
    Congrats on the iPad.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Elizabeth Musgrave7 August 2011 at 23:03

    Rachel - black cornflowers are super easy. And your new garden looks inspiring.
    Ronnie - that's why cooking as a passion is so much better than knitting/sewing. You are much more likely to finish it.
    Chris - well we have two hen coops already but do need another one assuming the new brood succeed. I think Ian has a prototype in mind.

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  11. Elizabeth Musgrave7 August 2011 at 23:28

    Cally -hi and thanks for visiting. Just need more space for tasteful jugs of flowers and less for piles of paper, carefully off camera!
    Mountaineer - knew you would get it. Perhaps we can get to see each others gardens in the flesh before summer ends?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Irene7 August 2011 at 23:52

    Now is the time for the outside projects, and soon enough you will be forced inside to do the knitting and quilting. The garden does look lovely and what a bounty you have from it. I hope you have a big freezer so that you will be eating from it this winter too. The flowers are beautiful. Don't you wish you could preserve them?

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  13. Penny8 August 2011 at 00:03

    Your garden looks glorious, mine is in the winter weeds and doldrums. I keep puting off re doing the kitchen!
    The new chickens sound like so much fun.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Marcheline8 August 2011 at 08:07

    Love your vased flowers. I was just turning over the thought of a new crochet project for a friend whose birthday is coming up... glad for the nudge, thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  15. linda chilton8 August 2011 at 08:49

    Hi Elizabeth, It all sounds wonderfully fruitful. Here in the west there have been downpours,and cold evenings,but your garden looks and sounds full of good things.
    I empathise with the quilt. I have embroideries with simillar sentiments.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Helen/patientgardener8 August 2011 at 10:01

    my unfinished patchwork has been neglected so long now it has a cobweb on it!!

    I will be asking you what you do with carvelo nero when I visit as I have loads at the allotment

    ReplyDelete
  17. The Weaver of Grass8 August 2011 at 19:05

    All I can say is Elizabeth, it is better to have too much to do than it is to sit around looking for something. I agree about the garden though - I seem to spend half my days blanching and freezing peas and broad beans - we are eating chard almost every day and the runner beans and courgettes are romping away. Marigolds are in full bloom and I adore them.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Pomona8 August 2011 at 19:15

    The garden looks wonderfully productive! I do more knitting in winter - great for long evenings by the fire. Sewing is a daylight thing, so I do more of that in summer!

    Pomona x

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  19. Elizabeth Musgrave8 August 2011 at 19:38

    Geranium cat - things get away all the time here too. I am getting better at relishing the cutting garden even so!
    Pond side - you are right. Outside time is the answer just now
    Linda - you would be very welcome to come round with a basket,especially if you would harvest chard and kale and salad leaves!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Elizabeth Musgrave8 August 2011 at 19:42

    Dobby - garden has to win just now. Sadly the hole in the side of the sock, round about where the ankle bone is. Still musing about it's future!
    Nora - I wish I could preserve the flowers! Dried flowers don't really do it for me so I have to accept their transience.
    Penny - chickens are fun, especially when they are not demolishing my garden!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Friko8 August 2011 at 22:59

    Ah well, you win some, you lose some.

    Tell me something, please: why have my nicotiana plants (tall whites) not moved at all? I have nothing but huge leaves at the bottom but no flower stalks, much less flowers. What's going on? They went in early enough, are they bi-annual?

    ReplyDelete
  22. Elizabeth Musgrave9 August 2011 at 23:27

    Marcheline - every time I type your name I wonder where it comes from. Maybe I could take the view that if you have started a new project, I am absolved from finishing one!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Chris Stovell10 August 2011 at 18:40

    Oh and me! I think you've written this post for me as well (only I'm not so handy with needles). We've just dismantled the kitchen so at least I know I'm not alone!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Fennie10 August 2011 at 18:57

    Yes, I too know that feeling. Too much to do and projects shelves. I am black and blue from beating myself up and what am I doing? Browsing and commenting inanely on blogs. No wonder the world is coming to an end.

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  25. bodran...11 August 2011 at 11:26

    hi your gardens looking splendid it looks as if its enjoying this weather mine certainly is [bar the wind]. see ya soon x

    ReplyDelete
  26. Jan11 August 2011 at 14:18

    I once had knitting in a bag from when I knew I was pregnant...until the babe was 5!
    Needless to say I never did complete..

    ReplyDelete
  27. Anonymous12 August 2011 at 21:52

    If it's just one stitch that you've dropped on the sock, I would use a shortish length of yarn to catch it, and just weave in the ends. Saves having to undo all your work.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Janet/Plantaliscious13 August 2011 at 07:35

    Hopefully the dozing quilt won't wake up until Autumn and the damp dark weather sets in. I refuse to acknowledge the reproachful knitting, it is buried deep in the hope that one day my fingers and wrists will be up to the challenge of finishing two sleeves. Love your over flowing flowers.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Kitty13 August 2011 at 10:41

    Gorgeous. Can't wait to see that new kitchen. Our garden is heaving with produce and flowers too, but it's rained so much I haven't picked much, so there are giant courgettes and the caterpillars are enjoying the cavolo nero. I will have a picking, squishing and weeding splurge today though, the rain may well be in the clouds above but it's not falling yet!
    I've never grown orange cosmos, but I feel a packet of seed coming on...

    ReplyDelete
  30. Tim14 August 2011 at 09:25

    Wonderful photographs; makes me feel it is summer after all.

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  31. millefeuilles14 August 2011 at 10:50

    How wonderful to be back from holidays and to be able to pop over to visit your blog. Your potager and cuttings garden sounds heavenly. Sigh. Black cornflowers? Oh my goodness. Your life sounds, in my opinion, as life should be; full, rich, and a tiny bit chaotic too ;-)

    Enjoy.

    ReplyDelete

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