Office life

Now I'm a 'proper' business person.. (yeah, wateva) I thought I'd better get myself a proper office thing.  So having got hold of my grandfather's desk, I decided to do out and sort the office space.  As I've said previously, the walls are not the best colour in the entire world, being a really cold blue and throw a grey light on everything,  but I've painted some old shelves and arranged things 'to be used imminently' on them, also cleared the old desk.  My camera appears to be playing up a bit, so the photos aren't as good as could be, but it gives an idea.  Now just to tart up with a bit of colour!

The view from the window, which is small! It'll look lovely with colourful crocheted bunting.

Desk made especially for my grandfather.  It holds loads! (Note the neat desk, all those who have previously shared an office with me...)

Shelf

Work in progress.  Unfortunately the table also needs to house the printer.  I'll do something about the music when I get some money!

Sorted!

This week, I'm taking some time to sort out the office, rearrange all the boxes and put up some shelves and things.  So far, so mundane, but!  The new desk is my grandfather's and was hand made in oak, I'll need to paint the shelves that came from my great grandfather on the Storck side as they are stained dark and will dominate the narrow space. I want to keep wools and swatches on there, so I can see them easily. I'd love to redecorate, the walls are completely the wrong shade of blue, but we're not allowed.... we'll see in a couple of years though.

The amount of stuff that my grandmother left was totally phenomenal, but how can you throw away pattern books from the 1850! I must admit that I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all, but there's nothing to do, but just get on and sort it out.

Will post a photo on Friday - that'll give me a deadline..

The Veg patch

In the interests of living a life as unlike London-life as possible in our increasingly homogenous culture, this year we have a veg patch.  Well, four, to be precise. They are raised and I had the budget to buy compost for 3 of them, so we'll have to wait until next year before going into full production.  I set them out on the lawn, Graham readjusted them into a more aesthetically pleasing pattern, dug the grass up and built the greencottage on the side of the house, I wheelbarrowed away the turves and put the compost bags in, so full credit to me, naturally...
The green-cottage (not quite big enough for a greenhouse) is full of tomatoes. Perhaps a little too full, but hey, green tomato chutney is lovely. There are not such a thing as growbags here, so the tomatoes are in compost filled buckets, five of them all different colours.
The diamond shaped beds are 2x1.5m-ish.  One has broccoli and some sort of cabbage, one has sugar peas and french beans and the other has spinach and parsnips.  The last has weeds, I suppose I could use the sorrel and say it's my salad bed, but...

Learning experiences so far -
1) planting distances on seed packets are not guidelines, but should be taken seriously (whoops....sorry beans)
2) Learn what the cabbage should do/be used for/what it is exactly before you plant, so you won't have to go around all your friends waving a cabbage leaf and asking what to do with it.
3) Frames for things to climb/hang on, yeeessss, hummmm.  A new skill that I feel I need to learn better...(sorry peas, tomatoes and anything else over 10cm tall.)
4) every garden really does need access to a wasps' nest.  If you have one near, you will have no problems with catepillars making lace of your cabbage leaves and scalping your sedums.  You will not have to stand over plants scraping off and squashing green wiggly things. Wasps are lovely, intelligent and can be taught, hurrah for wasps.

Now, how do I buy a wasps' nest?

Summer rain

It's very hot.  Yesterday, I had decided that I was going to go swimming come what may after being in the cafe all day, so Graham picked me up, drove me to one of the local lakes. I changed in the car, got out into the rain and into the lake.  Ooooh it was lovely and after about 10 strokes, I decided to swim out to the pontoon, about 50m from shore.  At this point I should mention that thunder and lightning were getting somewhat closer and the rain was getting somewhat heavier.  Not being sure on the chances of electrocution/lightning strike/drowning whilst out of the water/being a prat, I decided reluctantly to get out. Still I'd got a swim in - Hurrah!