Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

In that case, here's some feedback.
"If you had time to wait and see what the outcome was for the world, would you hold off vaccinating your grand kids? ( I kind of think I would)"
No I wouldn't. I'd give them the same chance of health that I have had with every immunisation and vaccination I have ever had. All of which carry a small risk, it goes with the territory. It's people like you who 'hold back' that allow the scale of the threat to society, whatever the disease, to grow. We see now that with the artificial anti MRM vaccine movement the incidence of Measles, Mumps and Rubella has risen. A perfect example of what the anti vax movement can do if not curbed.

[Marilyn]

I’m not anti vaccination. I am pro vaccination. Always have been.
Wanting a vaccination isn’t going to make it happen any quicker for us - the rest of the world needs it before us. It will be another 6 months until I am called for the first jab. Nothing can be done about that.

[Marilyn]

I believe they are doing trials on babies and children with the Moderna vaccine.

[Stanley]

I shall have an hour in the shed and then do my weekly shop early doors at the Co-op as the weather is good this morning.....

[Sue]

Morning

Well it turned out nice again yesterday, we only went for a shortish 3.5 mile walk to the lodge and round to the waterfalls. It was very pleasant indeed. The waterfalls are back to normal after the torrents they have been for weeks, the birds were singing, the sky absolutely blue, another Spring day. Even the greenhouse felt warm, I think my chard seeds are coming up and my broad beans outside are thriving. As well as the walk we finished the jigsaw of Rome, it has only taken three days and became quite addictive. I started sewing my top and Briony’s fabric for her dress arrived.

I don’t think today will be as sunny but the forecast is dry. I plan to fill some large pots with soil for potatoes, parsnips and carrots. These pots are fabric and have a velcro flap at the front to pick the veggies straight from the roots. I have no idea what they will be like but they had good comments from the facebook allotment page.

I have no other direct plans for today but lots of things I can do. I am feeling mentally less fatigued so hopefully my ‘downer’ has passed . We may walk, I have my sewing and having passed Celts with 100%, feel ready to get on with the next one.

Have a good day everyone.

Just a thought Wendy, what do you grow your carrots in as I understand they don’t like soil with a lot or organic matter as they will grow forked

[Stanley]

Re. carrots. I used to make a hole with a crowbar, fill the hole with very sandy loam and sow the seed on top of that. Three seeds and thin to the strongest. End of Farming Today.....
I think you're right Sue, less sun today but still acceptable. I have had an hour in the shed and done my weekly Co-op shop. Here's where I finished up after cleaning up a piece of rusty black bar to make it into usable stock.



Breakfast now and then second sleep. I shall fit Melvyn and 'In Our Time' into that schedule.

[Wendyf]

That's what I understood Sue, but they grow really well in my deep beds which are full of muck and compost but I don't put any fresh on before I grow my root crops. I do get split ones, but the ponies don't mind!

[Sue]

That's what I understood Sue, but they grow really well in my deep beds which are full of muck and compost but I don't put any fresh on before I grow my root crops. I do get split ones, but the ponies don't mind!

Ok, I don’t have any sand and do not wish to go near any where to buy some. I will use the top soil we had delivered two weeks ago for the veggie boxes and use last years grow bags to break it up a bit. We have a sandy type soil in France but apart from potatoes, root crops are rubbish there as the weeds tend to consume the young plants between our visits.

Fingers crossed

[Stanley]

Rub it through a sieve Sue and fill holes with it. They fork when the tap root hits a stone or similar.

[plaques]

Plant in ground previously used for potatoes, potatoes being heavy feeders, and make a hole fill with sandy soil as per Stanley, same goes for parsnips.

[Sue]

Plant in ground previously used for potatoes, potatoes being heavy feeders, and make a hole fill with sandy soil as per Stanley, same goes for parsnips.

Ah, my potato patch is my new strawberry patch , but I will certainly sieve the soil Stanley. I have the remains of last years tomato grow bags that I can dig in to lighten the soil without it being too organically rich. This mornings task.

Keith is coming to change the part on my sewing machine this morning, and I have just remembered that today is U3A zoom talk . Normally we don’t bother with it as it has been very Calderdale based recently being in Todmorden, but todays talk is about a DNA Researcher. Right up my street as they say

[Marilyn]

Preparing for house guests, cooking up a storm.
20k bike ride for 4 planned for tomorrow along coastal paths. Weather promises to be perfect.

[Stanley]

Tidying up cutting tools after yesterdays cock-up (See shed matters!) and sorting out the bits for my wobbler engine.
Could be dry enough for a walk at noon...

[Sue]

Morning

Another dry day forecast. This morning is u3a zoom art, but otherwise I have no plans. I spent a successful day yesterday emptying the older compost bin and sieving the compost as well as 6 bags of leaf compost. To be strictly correct Bob emptied the compost bin which is rather large but I dug it out. That side of the garden is now nicely tidy and at leat 20 buckets of sieved compost has been put into pots for veggies. Everything is now ready for seed planting. Its still too early for most but I can plant the carrot and parsnip seeds. I swept out the greenhouse but otherwise have tidied that up a couple of weeks ago. It was very enjoyable pottering in the garden all day.

Keith came and replaced the needle threader on my sewing machine, it only took 5 minutes. As Bob suspected the little spring would not stay in place so it was just easier to replace the unit. As I have said it didn’t really affect my sewing but it was good to get it fixed.

It will be a late lunch after art, so depending on the weather we may go for a walk.

Have a good day everyone

[Stanley]

Glad you got so much done and fixed the threader as well. I have just come in from useful things in the shed. Then I prepared some sprouts and cabbage because I will need some of it to go with my breakfast. That's right! Sprouts and cabbage as veggies of choice for breakfast.... Back shortly with a shed report....

[Marilyn]

20 k bike ride ( no falling off the bike!), plus a 18 hole round of Mini Golf. Pub meal tonight. Lovely day.

[Stanley]

Looking at wobbler engine...... Otherwise normal day

[Sue]

Morning

Overslept this morning so this will be short. Its Bacup market day and we like to get there early when it is quiet. Yesterday after my zoom meeting, I pottered in the garden, chatting to my neighbour, Sue, over the fence as she was out there too. I used my new small electric shears to prune a heather, at the same time Bob was pruning a large fuchsia bush in the front garden . I planted lettuce and radish seeds in their relevant pots. Indoors I completed my first assessment for my embroidery course and read the second.

Today we may walk. I want to prune some heathers in the front garden and plant some more seeds in the greenhouse. knowing me I will buy some more plants on the market for planting too . If I get chance this weekend I want to sieve some more compost.

My new hot brush arrived from Amazon , as I try to tame my ever thickening hair which has a tendency to grow outwards as well as longer. Its longer than it has been in years and is losing some of its natural bounce with the extra weight. In my usual vain manner it is difficult to look after and takes a long to dry in the morning with any degree of a style . Roll on 13 th April when hopefully I have a hair appointment. Not only is my hair unruly but so is my body. My lack of pilates and yoga, whilst having no significant improvement on my foot is definitely causing the rest of me to go downhill. I am stiffening up and losing some of my flexibility. I knew it was doing me good! Only one more week to go before normal activities will be resumed. I am feeling my age today

This evening is u3a zoom wine appreciation, the rest of the day will just happen

Have a good day everyone

[Cathy]

Marilyn, you will all sleep well tonight.

[Stanley]

Do you mean I should be doing Pilates and Yoga Sue? If so you're probably right but I attack the problems my own way.
I have had a good spell in the shed. Ask Bob if he started on the standard as well!



I spent this morning squaring the base of the standard up and facing all the bosses. Still in my comfort zone but only just!

[Wendyf]

We are going litter picking on the roadside verges up Skipton Old Road this afternoon. Lothersdale is having a litter picking weekend so we thought we would do our bit as well.

[Sue]

Do you mean I should be doing Pilates and Yoga Sue? If so you're probably right but I attack the problems my own way.
I have had a good spell in the shed. Ask Bob if he started on the standard as well!

Bob says he isn’t sure what he started on. The answer about pilates is yes Stanley, but perhaps too late to start now. Whatever you are doing works for you. Once I start moving many of my aches disappear but certainly I am not as flexible as I was three weeks ago

[Big Kev]

The op I had on my knee, a couple of years ago, really impacted my leg muscles. A few months on crutches and it really weakened both legs, fairly regular walks is making a difference but still only around 3 or 4 miles at a time. My working pattern (1 week on 1 week off) means I don't have opportunity to do them every day. I try and do the sit ups and press ups every day which helps with core body strength but regularly fail to do them every day

[Wendyf]

We have a very simple stepper machine, probably from Lidl, which Col uses to build up leg muscles and lower his blood sugars. A gentle 10 minutes walking on the stepper is more effective for him than a harder workout on the exercise bike. Kev, try getting one of those inflatable balance discs and put it on your chair to sit on while you are working, they improve your core strength while you are sitting there!

[Big Kev]

We have a very simple stepper machine, probably from Lidl, which Col uses to build up leg muscles and lower his blood sugars. A gentle 10 minutes walking on the stepper is more effective for him than a harder workout on the exercise bike. Kev, try getting one of those inflatable balance discs and put it on your chair to sit on while you are working, they improve your core strength while you are sitting there!

I have a 'stand up' desk Wendy, I sit down for my lunch but other than that it's 11 hours on my feet
Can you stand on the inflatable discs?