I guess I overdid even myself

I promised kids we'll be having pizza. Ok, I knew I had one frozen grandiosa pepperoni pizza in freezer, so I thought I feed that to yongest ones and make another pizza from ready pizzabottoms ( from the freezer) to os. I was having a spinach feta bake I made a day before. It wasn't until I popped the pepperoni pizza in to the oven, when I took note of the date. Whoops! 2015😳

Ok, I can't  feed that to my children! So I took few more pizza bottoms from the freezer and filled them as they wanted ( the don't like grandiosa much anyway so they were happy they got another pizzas) . But then I had that suspicious thing in my oven... I overbaked it and after  a quick taste I decided it was edible    but not very appetizing. You know how fat behaves in freezer...

I took all 7 pepperoni slices off, added more cheese and baked it again. And ate it. I' still alive  .

I'll promise I'll never do that again!

Storm is a brewing...

Or not. According to weather forecasts we might get some rain, but storms will pass by us through east. Everything needs water right now, so I'm on second day on the row waiting. Yesterday we didn't even have clouds, today it looks more promising, at least whole sky is now yellowish grey.

These hot days (officially +31C, unofficially from +32C to +34C have been really tiring. Old man was in dire need of hydration, but because he has had a weight loss surgery as a bonus, he can consume about 1dl of liquids/15min. So it's been really hard, and they don't have ac at home. And he's having handfull of pills three times a day, it's difficult for him to eat anything after popping those pills... In two weeks he should be off several of those pills, so it should get easier. And being a stubborn old man, he didn't take his painkillers (I don't eat those, I'll make it without) he was sick and tired. Now he takes painkillers nicely, thank you. (His older sister had cancer operation four years ago, and is no shy of giving orders to her little brother, thankfully).

Everything has been busy.

I think someone thinks too much of himself (herself, aren't all working ants female?)

It's been too hot to go for 'Suma walks in to the village, so we have been walking in the woods, no matter how many mosquitoes and other blood sucking critters.

Early in the evening last monday (about 10pm). We don't have darkness at all now. ('Suma is in the picture somewhere)

Ceps are coming along, Not yet edible (or it is, for maggots)

Number One had his 3rd birthday last weeks (oh how the time flies) and he wanted to have a ghost.

I couldn't find any ghost at the supermarket I do most of my shopping (or mega market, what ever) and didn't have time to online shopping. But did have time to sew.

I think this is all right, even thoug it looks like a barbapapa to me. Sorry about childhood traumas, Number One.

Because having a vacation means I have had more time. I've cooked even more, and managed to empty not one but both two laundry baskets!

We had an explosion in the kitchen. I was boiling eggs (like I do once a week for hb's lunches to take with him to work) and heard a loud bang. Because nothing had felled to the floor, I checked eggs. Yep! That's and inch wide hole in that egg! never had that happen before, I mean of course one or three eggs crack and leak almos every time, but this was a new one. Never a dull day in my life.

Social distance - week 1: Working from home and homeschooling

Oh, it's here. Covid-19, coronavirus. Whole Europe is shut.  Our children are at home, been since monday. I was at the office on mon and tue, I had to sort out my laptop which wasn't connecting to net. My office is told to work at home at least until April 13th -  as are kids homeschooling, too.

So this has been the first week of isolation (I'm not talking about social isolation, which is mostly the norm to us).

On wed I woke up at 4:30, just because I couldn't sleep anymore (hb wakes up at 4.15). Ate breakfast, checked emails, read all new info and, finally, when there was enough light, took 'Suma to walk. Then I put linens to washer, fed cats and read some more news. I let kids to sleep until 7.30 (usually I wake them up at 6.30) and fed them cereals. Nice slow morning.
Ys's teatcher had some papers for his class, so we had to fetch them - at 8.20 we were only ones at school (excluding staff).
So, the very first day of home schooling (not really home schooling, if all children in the country are at home and teatchers are teaching them via Internet). I was suprised all systems worked. I had trouble to go on with schedule - three childres all in different schools and of course they all have lunch breaks at different times - had to make quick lunch which was quick to eat. Tuna and pasta (a school lunch I have never made before...), at least I got one tin out of my pantry ;-)

Thursday was a challenging day, because I had compulsory training via skype - my lunch break wasn't at same time than kids etc. But we made it, and will make from now on. This is really a minor inconvenience.

Friday was another first: I was doing groceries to my aunt and Onld man and my mom. It took ages to find all things on shopping lists - there were plenty of everything, but I just buy different things. I had difficulties to locate them! But yes, I got all items. Also got medication for Old man, no problems there either. You can buy only one package of basic pain medication (30 tablets). Not because there isn't any, but because this way all people who needs it, will get it.

Shops here are in normal state. Toilet paper was missing from the shelves few days because staff was too busy to replenish them. Now there is mountains of toilet papers. Only shortage is hand sanitiser, but that will be solved next week, when basically all local breweries have set up their production lines for it.
Oh, yeast was missing, too. It is fortunate that there is at least a one yeast factory in this country (they produce CO2 for greenhouses, too) so this shortage is shortlived. I have both dry yeast in my pantry  and old fashioned block yeast in my freezer, it's that kind you can freeze (not all yeasts can be frozen).
Oh, cheap tomato tins were also missing, now that I think of it.

But mostly shops are like thay have always been. Salad bars are closed, staff have so much to do they don't have time to disinfect anything extra. Salad bar is nor necessity. There was actually a lot of reduced milk!
Prices have not gone up, at least I couldn't find anything with inflated prices.

Now they are talking about isolating certain areas, because people don't behave reasonably. I think there will not be curfew yet, but they might stop all travelling from capital area, and maybe other big cities.

I have only one more bigger issue: my car is due MOT very soon and it need some fixing before i can take it to MOT. but now I don't feel comfortable (or safe) to take it to garage. So - I might be buying a car in near future (not a new car, but one that has it's MOT done recently).

I have enough work to do for the next three weeks, so I will not worry that yet. Hb may have to stay at home some point, because he can't do his job from home and their products might not be considered essentials. I will worry that if it happens, and there's not much to worry, then. There's nothing I can do to prevent it.

Oh, I gave my name as a volunteer shopper/doing errands for those who are quarantined or isolated, our commune started to organize volunteers last friday; they also have staff at library if someone needs help and can't find anyone to help them. I can't work as a coordinator, because our poor phone signal, but I'll do what is needed.

Tomorrow is the first day of week 2. Ys will be baking cookies at home economics (or just at home), they all have video lessons or chats during the day. I have two skype meetings...

Keep safe, wash your hands and take care of those who can't do it themselves.
We will get through this, together.

And then some

 Forgot to mention:
-battery in car keyes/remote died. Need replacing, but that thing is glued together (by someone who had no idea what he was doing) so it's not the 5min/10€ work, instead it takes 1,5-2 hours and 60-70€ depending how much damage there is. I think I have to buy new set of remotes, and that's about 250-300€. Or I can buy a new car (new to me anyway) and that'll be anything from 3000€ to 20 000€ depending how desperate I am. And that sum doesn't buy me a new car.
-'Suma ate one of my shirts (not the whole shirt but quite a big hole and in a way there were no way of salvaging). The one I was planning to wear next weeks seminar. Now I have to buy a new shirt (because I have very limited wardrobe) because I have no time to sew new one (I have fabric but no tested pattern).

Brrrrr!

It's snowing. Not hoped for this, but oh well, it's October. I still haven't made a teacosy for my teapot, and I still haven't build another cold frame for my garlics. So thick scarf will keep my tea hot and old garlig frame will do another year.
Of course this snow will not stay. It's been snowing for three hours now, and ground is not covered. Ys is sick and stays at home, and he wanted to get dressed to see snow falling down.
'Suma spent some time chasing flakes, but realised they just melt into water ans she really really doesn't like water. Cats came in as soon as I was able to open a door to them.

There was some slush on lense. Couldn't wipe it dry because more of it was raining.Now it's actually a flurry!

Still snowing

There's still light in mornings, but evenings are getting shorter quicker than I'd like. If I go 'Sumawalk after eight o'clock, I need to take some light with me, I can't see my feet in forest. I'd stumble on branches even if I know where I am. I know paths and tracks by heart but new branches will fall daily.

There are also areas I will not go if it's dark or near twilight. Not because I'm afraid of monsters or something, but because it's actually dangerous there:

Also so creepy.

This is an old spring, it's lined with logs to keep it clear. Water was used in the fish ponds, it's about 2-3m deep, and if you fall, you will not be able to climb up alone. At least one moose has fallen to it's death to this pit/spring, it couldn't climb up and died of exhaustion and panic.
One thing I have no answer - why is the edges clear of any vegetation? This is in the middle of woods, no-one takes care of this (it's built around 1910) . Usually there's plenty of water, but ground water is so low now (at least 1m lower than norm), that you can see the bottom.

I've been knitting, socks. Someone's not impressed.

I have started fire in above seen stove. Hb bought me a fan to put on it, so heat can be distributed around downstairs. I don't know if it's working that way, but at least it's spinning allright. At least this corner where I work is warm and cosy.  Os complaned 'Suma has eaten all is socks, so I had to make him another pair.

I did get all tomatoes, pumpkins, melons and others from greenhouse and polytunnel. I harvested corn and beans, and since then there's been heavy frosts so no more harvest.

 

 

My pumpkins, and a zucchini.

Green harvest

I have some beet and potatoes left on veggie plot, and parsnips and carrots in one of cold frames. I pulled some parsnips few days ago - they were tiny and few were very wooden, But after all, it's been a successful experiment and I'll sow more next year. I just have to start early enough!
There's some kale left in polytunnel, and herbs.
But that's all.

And tomatoes

Today, after 8 hours work in front of laptop (ok, I made few phone calls which meant I had to walk 150m away from front gate to get reception to my cell phone), baking pizzas (and eating some slices) and 'Suma walk I was ready to go to polytunnel and veg plot - there was rain only in the morning!
I had my peas and beans soaking, so I had to put them in soil.
About (I lost count a couple of times because 'Suma was helping) 450 peas (peas and magne touts) to the veg plot, 80 beans into the polytunnel (I use egg cartons to germinate beans, I have three more weeks until I can plant them outside). I even planted some beets to an empty spot in garlic frame.
And I planted 12 tomato plants.
Funny that. I haven't bought tomato seeds nor germinated them, and I certainly haven't bought any tomato plants.
Tomatoes apparently can germinate if you ended up loosing one or two mature tomatoes in your polytunnel in autunm. Seeds survive winter (snow and frosts) and germinate on spring. Ok, they are tiny, but I wasn't having any tomato plants, so this is a win.

My second batch of sweet corn is doing fine, first one died just like that. Zucchinis and pickling cucumbers are sprouting, as well as nasturtiums. Even sunflowers have some seedlings, never know if they make it or not after I have planted them outside.

Not so well doing is melons (watermelons, cucamelons and than one that looked like cantaloupe), and pumpkins. I don't have any melon seeds left. I took piece of paper towel and put some watermelon seeds, halloween pumpkins and giant pumpkin seeds too to germinate on that wet paper. Now I only hope that when I'm planting them straight in the big pots in the polytunnel, they enjoy themselves and start to grow like triffids.

So much to do, so little time. As always.

Thunderstorms and beginnings/ Oh bugger, not again

I was trying to find my glasses. Yep, 'Suma got them, one lens was popped out and now there's some scratches in lenses, but they are usable (I bended them back to their shape... somewhat, they now keep sliding down my nose). It's been a year since she ate my other pair.
I had to make an appointment at Specsavers, hopefully I'll get new pairs in few weeks, I need new prescription anyway, I have kept postponing it whole spring.

 Hot weather is now gone, it ended with a bang. We had a massive thunderstorm, some places flooded heavily, but we only got some puddles. Such a boring life here.

Sunshine after a storm, another one coming (all rain and storms have arrived from south)

Mu uncle got engaged and we popped in for a coffee (or tea in my case). It was very exciting - power went off so no guarantee to actually get a cuppa...

But it's been raining ever since. I got my broad beans sowed, as well as calendulas, swedes and chards.  Now I just can't go to the veg plot, my soil is clay so I really should keep off until it stops raining.
I need to get peas and magne touts sowed, if for nothing else, they'll bring nitrogen to soil. And I really need to sow beans, I can't put them outside yet, but in polytunnel or greenhouse they'll do fine. If only I would do it...

At least something is flourishing

But this rain is a good thing, no more warning for forest fires or bush fires, and I have managed to sew! Two pairs of trousers (I needed something to wear at home apart from jeans) and now I'm working on undies (I need find another pattern, these will not do, they're huge and I used smaller size pattern that I usually use).

My sewing is a process. I don't just grab a pattern and fabric, oh no. This specific session has started last autunm, when I was looking ideas for christmas presents. I didn't find a pattern for a wide brimmed sunbonnet, we have a summer picnic every summer (my family) and last summer many of my aunts and cousins were whining because one of my aunts had a nice wide brimmed hat and they didn't. I knew I had a pattern for one somewhere, but no luck. But I did find pattern for undies.

Now I was looking through those patterns again (in need of trousers) and found that bonnet. So, so far I have made those beforementioned trousers, cut most of pieces for a sunbonnet and made a test version for undies. But it did take three hours of browsing through my sewing magazines, two and a half hour of rummaging my fabrics (my colleague has seen my stash room and she thinks I'm utterly mad. So do I)... I have another fabric for trousers, but I'm not sure if I want floral ones.
But now I need to stop making my stuff and shorten jeans for hb (they has been waiting maybe six months?) and patching another pair for him. There's another pair that need patching, too, but I need to wash them first.
While digging into my fabrics I found a pretty floral cotton. Perfect for dresses for little girls! Luckily my cousin has two girls, so I had to find a dress pattern as well.

But it's not all doom and gloom. My potatoes in tyres have been sprouting...

Violet Queen, purple potatoes

I planted spuds in much bags like I have done few years now, but I'm not quite sure about the variety now...

Ms/Mr Toad wasn't happy when I watered that bag. Uuups, sorry.

Can't be summer yet!

Today it was about +20C, way too hot for April!
I tried to remember how was last spring. Snow didn't melt until late April, now most of it is gone, only some left behind the trampoline and at the end ot the field. Veggie plot is clear!
Cold frames/raised beds are still frozen, there is hard ice about 15cm below the surface. I could sow carrots there already?

I have now 4 frames, I build the latest one late autunm for garlics. And NOW I find garlics in the first one, which is ment for beans this summer... Those garlics are from the imported variety I sow autunm 2017, they vanished during last summer (when my Russian variety went wild), maybe it was too hot and too dry, even if I watered them almost daily. Well, they sprouted again last autunm, and I dug them up - there were no bulbs, just large cloves. Apparently I didn't dug all of them, there is about 10 plants left. I managed to dig uo two of them, but the rest are still below frozen layer of mulch. I started a new bed for them, build from broken bricks I found under some timber. I have also new good bricks, but those are intended to something else. I still need maybe 12 bricks for another layer, after that I think that bed is deep enough and I can fill it with compost (or mulch).
Garlics in their intended cold frame are also sprouting, but that bed is seriously frozen, it lost snow only last weekend.

I took car to garage for repairs and maintenance, just under 700€! I had to spend another 15€ for battery replacement fot the key fob, it's damaged and there is only one mechanic who knows how to tweak it after the battery replacement... Fortunately he was at work today. Now I need to take MOT, but couldn't do it today because of headache.

During repairs I walked to shopping center nearby, I had only my backbag so no big shopping. First I had to heat to the pharmacist, I had serious headache. After two painkillers and two mugs of tea (there is this big cafeteria/pizzeria/lunch buffet/hamburger joint) and 1 hour later I felt human enough to actually try to do some shopping. I found purple potato seedlings, and broad beans I needed.

I didn't found mini greenhouse I needed, I guess I have to head for the town center tomorrow and forgot about fleece covering for polytunnel. But I found decent sale on garden mulch 10€/5 sacks), so I popped back there once I got my car back. I'll be back there tomorrow, I can fit five or six sacks of mulch in the back of my car, no more. I think I'll need at least four trips, and then I have enough for some spare, too. One or two sacks for the new garlic beg, two sacks per each cold frames, and several for polytunnel beds.

Weather is going to be "hot" for the fer next days, and I'll try to take advance of that as much as I can. Veggie plot can't be tilled yet (still frozen below surface), but at least some of the cold frames will be ready for sowing. And I really want to build another bed for strawberries...
I found first small shoots of nettles, but they can't be picked yet, less than two cm height, so I'll have to wait.

Another two pills and my headache is finally eased to the point it doesn't hurt to breath. When I was young this was really bad, this headache is sometimes called shotgun headache, because all you want is a shotgun to get rid of that pain... I can't go to sleep until pain is gone, or it gets worse and worse. I have tried every trick, but only help is to get right painkillers once I feel the first pang of pain. And with the painkillers it might take a week...
There is some irony because sometimes I also have a migraine - painless one!

I was unsupervised at IKEA

It's been raining for five days. A lot of water. And everything is so wet, damp and/or otherwise miserable. Snowbanks has sunken (Oh joy, I can again shovel snow over the banks...), forest floor is full of branches. Squirrels have been busy, there's a carpet of spruce shoots under every big spruce (and we have quite a many big spruces i n our forest). Roads got slippery, and after four days of rain they turned into soft mush, so driving is nerve wrecking.
Sys had a homework, he had to plan a meal and prepare it. After weeks of contemplations he finally decided he wanted to make meatballs and spaghetti. The way I do them.

So, he made tomato sauce (I might have taken idea from Nigella? originally): garlic, carrots, beet root, tomato passata from tin, crushed (dry) broad beans... beans were ys's idea, because he doesn't like meatballs, and I told he might need some alternative source of protein, so he told "You could put beans in tomato sauce and liquidize it". He used a kilo of minced meat! but so of it went to 'Suma and kittens (and Pretty Boy got some, too).
But meal was served and it was plenty. And delicious, as always...

After that I have been digging to my stores of fabrics. So far I have found Harry Potter print, two owl tea towels (don't have a clue where I have gotten them from?) red denim, black denim (4m, I have bought it for 6€, it still had price tag), one Harry Potter book I didn't know we had, and a plastic bag full of strings for present wrapping. Now I know where they went. And four euros, and scarf I couldn't find in autunm. No idea why coins or the scarf were among fabrics.
I was looking for blue denim.

Because I found two armchairs from IKEA at 30€ each but they don't have covers. And I had this wonderful idea of sewing those covers by myself... Because I was sure I have some denim at home which would be perfect for those armchairs...
I think I don't have enough of blue denim for one chair, but I have just enough black for another.

I wasn't really looking for armchairs, but we need a new one (now we have two leather armchairs from 80's and they are ripped a part by... 'Suma). And my sister has her birthday just around the corner (and a round number, too).

So we brought home two armchairs and now I HAVE to sew covers for them.

Oh bugger.

It was Christmas and a New Year, too

Os is a year older once more, I bought pizza for dinner for him (it's his favourite, he likes my pizza, too, but this specific pizza is his fav) and baked a cake for him. Or rather the cake, it's the same I bake for every occasion: sandwich cake filled with strawberry+lingonberry puree and vanilla cream (with cream cheese of turkish youghurt or something a bit sour to cut extra sweetness, covered in sort of  dulce de leche (equal amounts of brown sugar and cream boiled until a drop keeps it's shape dropped in cold water), and sides covered in whipped cream.

Christmas was a lot of food (ham, casseroles, nibbles, chocolates) as was new year's eve. A lot of fireworks and sparkling wine. Two (three) batches of Rocky road and mud cakes.

Frost, snow, some rain, many walks and many films and episodes of tv-series. A lot of burned firewood in log burners. Only one pair of knitted socks (for sys who didn't get pair for christmas present, because he got one for his bday) but I started a pair for me! and I also knitted a new hat for me ('Suma might have eaten my previous one, don't know for sure because can't find any remains). Then I finished beret I promised to make to my friend (black yarn - I waited for a sunny day but never happened). Some mulled wine, ginger breads and sushi.
Last evening I knitted a pot holder (because 'Suma...), I need to wash it so it shrinks, if measurements were right I'll knit another one later.

Back to work, back to school. Sys messaged me he should have have his skates with him. Nope, forgot. School have some spares. So it's winter sports again - that time of the school year I hate.
Our neighbourg like winter sports, though. Last night's last 'Suma walk and I saw a light going around and around in a field. Yep, our neighbourg was skiing at 10 pm with a head lamp!

226 g

That's the weight of brothers's and F's socks. I managed to knit F'S socks from the yarn that was saved from 'Suma's teeths, few more ends than I would have liked.
I was taking care of all the loose ends while cooking red wine. I boiled it from 6dl (almost whole bottle) to maybe a cup? Whole house reeks of red wine and I feel queasy -  I can't drink red wine without getting greally really sick (and that's from few sips). Some time ago I realized I can't drink glögg (alcohol free version) if it's made from juice of red grapes. Even the smell gets me - but it really smells delicious.
I got a bottle of nice red wine from old man's sister, it is intended as tannin primer for my experiments (I have made wood stain from acetic acid soaked rebar bars, pine and spruce needs tannin priming, oak should colour without it). I have still few dls left and I'll try that soon.
But I was actually reducing wine because I was making red wine salt for Christmas hampers! I have been thinking making hampers ready, but thinking doesn't do things.
So far I have: spruce salt, red wine salt, socks, mulled wine, strawberry liquor, choclate, jaffa cakes and stearine soaked pine cones for kindling. I still need the actual hamper (box or something) and a card.

Sorry for rambling - I actually boiled red wine to syrup and it may have had some effect on me.

Tell me why I don't like Mondays...

I'm just like Garfield - I don't like Mondays. There's always something off, especially in the mornings.
Yep.
'Suma had to go for a pee at 3.30 am. Raining. Pitch dark. Puddles and no wellies. Back to bed, sleep avoids me. Finally fell asleep only to be rudely woken by alarm at 6 o'clock. Well, 'Suma had no need to go outside, at least there's that.
Yongest ones didin't wake up first time I tried to rouse them from their slumber. Then they didn't have that sweet peaceful morning they usually have. Not funny.
They had forgot to get their clothes ready, so by the time I was supposed to have my cuppa I was searching for a clean hoodie...
Off we went to the taxi, and I forgot to take my phone with me, I only had my work phone which has a very poor signal.Wouldn't be a problem unless I was trying to test sys's new phone. Turns out in the mobile phone shop, while installing new sim to sys's phone, they had actually used ys's info and now sys has a phone with ys's number and ys's phone doesn't work at all. I didn't realize that during the weekend, because we don't have mobile signal at home (not at all) so I was half a mile away from home when I was able to try to call any of the phones... And it was raining and it was still pitch dark. And puddles.

Got to office ant tried to sort things out - only to realize I had left my wallet home so I can't make my grocery shopping on my way home.
At least I had my lunch with me so I can eat.

So, I have to rush back home to pick my wallet and collect kids and their phones and rush back to town to the shop and hope they have right sims for both boys' phones (but I have promised a 21€ compensation). And then drag both boys to buy some food (or milk and cocoa powder we ran out during the weekend).

And it's not even 11 am yet.

A sudden storm (and awful photos)

We had a sudden thunderstorm yesterday afternoon. Well we - our village did. We here at Ulvens reis hardly heard some roar after lightnings, no rain, no wind.

But some neighbours weren't so lucky. There was a freak downburst and some tornadoes streched over 30km distance - and about 30m width.

Results were horrible. Fascinating and horrible. Somehow amusing also, because of the freakness  of all.
Really really bad picture, because it was twilight at 8am. And also I don't have my glasses on while I'm walking with 'Suma. And I have always been a really really bad photographer.

There is a playhouse somewhere.

 Worst hit was at my parents yard and garace as well as their neighbours yard and garage - we keep finding pieces of their garace roof everywhere, all the way 1km in to the woods! or rather what's left of the woods, there is several hectares destroyed forest. Some of my fathers, some of our neighbours.

All of above excuses, and also I was freezing at that point (-3 degrees). This sight continued more than ten miles!

 

 

I spent two hours with 'Suma checking around the village - no people hurt, but sereral roofs damaged, several yards damaged (in our village people have a lot of trees in their yards - some people have no more), some minor buildings damaged lightly and two major buildings (beforementioned garages) damaged heavily. But houses were left mostly intact, tv-antennas were bend etc. Four cars damaged (so far). One outhouse had toppled over, another had lost it's door (we have a lot of outhouses at our village, and in their original use). Greenhouses were damaged.

I continued then to my work, three more hours in the forest at the other end of that disaster (what a coincidense; I had arranged that visit two weeks ago!).

Funny/odd things: All lights my parents have at their yard are unharmed. Lonely post box at the middle of fallen shelters and pinetrees was unharmed. One neighbour lost his wheelbarrow - he saw it flying off iside the tornado. Destruction zone was only 5-30m wide almost all the way 30km stretch this continued, like someone had made lines with ruler, straight and narrow. Several rubbish bins were moved around, people who didn't have one on their yard had suddenly several. I had to learn to use whatsapp (after I had downloaded it to my phone). Disaster tourists were driving all day long along our village road. Local bus route had to be diverted for few hours to our village, because there were much worse situation with fallen trees along the main road - our road was free to drive after an hour because apparently most people here have a chainsaw at the trunk of their cars.

There has NEVER been a downburst  at our village, nor tornado! Well, there has not been a thunder storm at later half of October. We have autunm storms with heavy winds and destroyed forests, but they are different from this. My aunt is very shaken, and my parents have only just started to realize what has happened.
I know what to do on my freetime for the next five years.

A week of plenty

This week has been plentiful.

On Saturday my colleague visited us (late) in the evening, her daughters were at consert at town and she needed a place to stay for tree hours... I made plenty of quiche (feta and broccoli; our family's all time favourite) and 1,5xmudcake. All eaten...
On Sunday I got msg from my (another) colleague, she was about to go get some carrots, did I wanted some? Yes please, even if I had to go and get them from office - at my week off!
She lives in a rural village (a bit bigger than my home village) and her neighbour is a root veggie farmer. He had harvested his carrot fields with heavy machinery and all the rest is free for villagers to gather.
On Tuesday morning I managed to sneak in to the town (on Monday 'Suma had her operation). I was expecting maybe a one plastic bag full to the brim with carrots. Nope. Three big plastig bags full of carrots! I gave some to my other (third) colleague (who wasn't at the office on Monday) and took the rest home. I tried to weigh them, but my kitchen scales showed just error. My human scales is a bit generous with its readings, but I estimate I got 25kg of nice carrots.
Oh boy. My kids will be all orange by mid November!

I harvested one of my red cabbages. I have still quite a many beets and golden beets on cold frame, they do ok even on heavy frosts we have had (below -7). I have 10 plants of kale going strong.

I have been keeping my last three pumpkins on our veranda - it's relatively cool place but no threat of frost. One of them already got frostbite some time ago and it looked like it was totally rotten (not only soft and dark but also moldy). I wanted to chop it before tossing it to compost heap. It wasn't rotten inside, it was firm and fine after I peeled rotten skin off. I got 2kg of pumpkin flesh, seeds, and some stringy bites( to dehydrate for 'Suma). Pretty well considering it was a slimy 3kg lump I was going throw away!

So I have been cooking this week plenty of vegetarian (or even vegan) dishes. My first ever curry! Havin firm roots in Russia curry has never been a stable in our kitchen. Potato-carrot-pumpkin curry, and even hb ate it! It was a bit bland for my taste but then I'm known to have poor sense of smell and that is of course linked also to sense of taste... So I usually add more chilli and ground pepper to my plate.
Second time ever falafels, this time I managed fry them as balls - they were yummy and I have few in freezer to take as my lunches at work. I used broad beans and added some cooked kale I had in fridge. I have never eaten ready made falafels, because they have onions. So this is also new to me.
At the same time i made meatballs in tomato sauce (or veggie sauce - there was a carton of chopped tomatoes, a beetroot, couple of carrots and piece of courgette).

Few minutes ago I took pumpkin muffins out of oven, ys has been asking them whole week. They smell lovely!

Our neighbour has got his first elk of the hunting season, we saw the hunt going on in the morning. I'm always sad about hunting, but I still eat meat we get with gratitude. If the animal has been killed, it has to be eaten whole and not wasted.
That's why I can't keep chickens - I can't bear to think kill any of them (if they are sick/hurt and suffering).

Foraging and other autunm stuff

I have mentally given up summer. September is here, and even though temperatures exceeded 25℃ last week, nature is turning to autunm. (But on the bright side - no frost so far, last summer we had first frost on July!) Yellow leaves all around.

Autunm means foraging. I don't pick wild berries, it takes too much time and requires too much effort to clean, conserve and store the haul (lazy me). I've run out freezer space already! So foraging means mushrooms. Chanterelles, horns of plenty, ceps (porcinis), other boletes (mostly orange birch boletes), albatrellus ovinuses, hedgehog mushrooms  etc. They are eaten right away of dried (chanterelles don't dry well, so I freeze them).

Well, foraging might be a bit grandiose term. I get out of the house, walk about 50m (or less) and bend my knees to reach 'shrooms. Longest trek I take is to find porcinis and that's about 200m from my back door. I don't use nice baskets, usually I have some old plastic bag stuffend in my jean's pocket to pull out when needed. Last week I used IKEA's plastic cover for a pillow, basically a long tube, it didn't even had a handle. 'Suma bit into it yesterday, so I have to find another bag.

I pick mushrooms very carefully, I clean them before I drop them to my bag. At home all I have to do is to slice them and rinse off remaining gunk. Of course boletes are always a gamble, you have a beautiful white speciemen and then you cut it half and find maggots have eaten most of it... But most of work is already done while picking. I have a knife in my pocket ('Suma ate it yeasterday, too - we were spending too much time with plenty of horns) or I just use my nails. That's why you have to have long nails!

We only pick mushrooms that don't need boiling before use. Kids like mushrooms fried in butter, and sometimes I make stir fry with mushrooms (usually with winter mushrooms or yellow foots, but any will do). I crush dried mushrooms with mortar and pest and use as a seasoning in soups and sauces - although now that hb can't eat any mushrooms I can do that only on foods he will not eat.

I have been picking mushrooms all my life. As a child I didn't like mushrooms (because they were always cooked with onions and yes, I have been allergic to onions all my life - I just didn't know it then, I was just sick and miserable all the time) but I loved to pick and clean them! I can recognize dozens of mushrooms - learn to know poisonous mushrooms, pick only mushrooms you know... But I forage only about a dozen different mushrooms. I have thought of that and I realized I don't have to pick anything else.

If our survival depended on mushrooms, I would pick milk-caps (I like them, but I don't care to add another step to my cooking, some of them requires boiling before consuming), russulas (well, they don't need boiling but I prefer other mushrooms because there is about a hundred red russula species and some of them are not edible and I don't want to taste every mushroom I pick), and in springtime false morels - I don't usually pick them with kids because they are highly poisonous without thorough preparation (boiling two or three times with plenty of fresh water at least 5min at the time, I boil them three times) but sometimes it grows in our garden so we pick it then.

I found out there's something else 'Suma loves more than dehydrated courgettes. Dried parsley!
I might move my dehydrator to porch so 'Suma can't reach it.

Fire wood have been stacked. So far I have piled about 4 or 5 cubic meters of wood withs kids help. It's not nearly enough, but better than nothing. If we have a very mild winter, we might be ok, but I suppose we'll have Blast from Siberia or something like that - this summer has been too warm, so winter has to be mean.

I harvested my garlics last weekend, they were already split so won't preserve well, but I'll freeze some. I let two plants to grow scapes (we ate rest of scapes while young and tender), I just have to build a frame for them to grow. Here in north I have to plant garlic in autunm, preferably in October. If I wanted to be self sufficient on garlic, I'd need about 70-80 bulbs to eat and then about 20 bulbs for antoher years crop. So about 100 plants. Oh dear, that's quite a big frame I need... (not really. garlics can be planted only few inches apart).

Courgettes have been eaten and dehydrated (mostly for 'Suma), as well as herbs. I have made another batch of nasturtium capers, they were suprisingly nice.
I got a big bag of apples from my co-worker, who got them from her neighbour. I'll freeze some to be used in pies, some I have already dried...
For the first time ever I have had cabbages, first one I gave to old man's sister, but I made tasty coleslaw out of one half head (another half went to wild board stew). I'll make cabbage casserole (or bake) soon.
I still need to blanch and freeze some spinach and kale and swiss chard, but as I said earlier my freezers are too full. Oh, I got some common sea buckthorn berries. Because no-one else in the family likes them, I froze them - I'll have some luxorius smoothies! That is a plant I might be able to grow in my field.

I thought courgettes are finally giving up. Yesterday I tried to find a small courgette to add to my tomato sauce (made Nigella's meatballs in tomato sauce, well, it was the inspiration anyway...) and checked the last frame I have one courgette plant. Jep, found one. More like a marrow - or a pumpkin, couldn't weigh it on my kitchen scale! So used ordinary scale which isn't very accurate. About 7kg, maybe a bit more...
But still perfectly edible, I took seeds and springy middle part in big pieces and put them to dehydrator - 'Suma loved them! So nothing goes wasted. 

Today: wood stacking, laundry, 'Suma walk, no idea what to make for dinner.

Fly tipping gone wrong

Some time ago I noticed rubbish thrown to the side of the road I walk with 'Suma twice a day.

Someone had a field day tidying their garden

There was a large cupoard, planks, trellis, some dug up roots of unidentified plants etc. Pity for the guy who dropped them, because he drowe through our village and my relatives live right next to road and they are very curious about cars with hooded trailers. They got his licence plate number and old man even went to take pictures of that guy fly tipping!
Owner of that piece of land was away abroad, so it take some time before anything happened.

All gone

 Poor chap, he might have taken away more than he brought... But there is a lesson here: Never fly tip on a bright daylight to a land which is own by a policeman. Someone must feel like an idiot now.

This looks a bit different, too

We walk this road every morning and every evening, about 99% of days. This morning 'Suma refused to go for a walk. Sometimes she is very pig-headed for not going.

Like the other evening. She wouldn't budge until she saw a car. That's old man's sister's garage and some glimpse of her neighbour's yard. We had to wait only ten minutes.

We got in to the woods finally.

It's bone dry in nature atm. Even this dry forest is drier than usually - there's usually a lot of blueberries, now the bushes are empty.

This is the sight we see in the mornings. Still some mist lingering.

And I did manage to capture the lunar eclipse. Never claimed to know how to take photos...

Summer surprise

℃Surprise! Summer is here.
First there was neverending winter, then there were few days of spring and BAM! Summer is here.
In three weeks we have gone from wintery spring to complete mid summer, and nature hasn't coped very well. Birches have large leaves and they are blossoming at the same time. Liverworts, wood anemones and coltsfoot bursted simultaneously and now we have fields full of dandelions. Bird cherries are blossoming. Air is heavy with scent of birch leaves (I love it).
Only thin missing is lily of the valleys, they usually bloom early june so maybe next week we'll have them as well.

Birds are practically screaming! On strange thing though, they have been quiet in the mornings. It is very odd to wake up in silence.

'Suma has been busy. Three four pair of slippers/sandals. Two pairs of heavy duty working boots. Two pairs of sneakers. A watering can. A toy car. Countless numbers of odds and ends like pencils, sharpeners, rulers, boot socks, big comes of sewing threads... Once she had a lighter in her mouth, but fortunately it was empty!

I just can't turn my back to her for a second! I have been chasing her because she has had a large knife in her mouth, some aluminium piping, electrical wires, bras, socks.
Heat makes her restless. It's too hot for a black dog to go for a walk (+29℃!!! In MAY!!! Last summer there weren't that hot not once during the whole summer and now we have had six days of heat). Even in the woods there is too hot, so she can get to walkies only in the morning and in the evening, and that is so not enough for a puppy. The first week of may was lovely, mild and nice and I was able to take 'Suma for long walks and she was so nice little puppy. But now she's a toothmonster!
She might have been bored duirng the cold spell in february, but it was nothing.

I got a new polytunnel, it's not up yet (read above why). I thought it was identicalt to the remains I already had, but they had altered the desing. So I had to dismantle the whole old frame, and it took two days (Where's my wrench? No, don't take the screwdriver! Let go of my cloves!!!)
Then I chased her around to get all the new nuts and bolts back.
Then it took a day to find enough of solid wood for foundations ( had to cut it to measure). So how did I spent my Mother's Day???

Then I had to go to work.

At least veg plot has been tilled. Hb did it a week ago, but I haven't had a chance to sow anything. Potatoes are still chitting inside, but at least I have them chitting.
Glass greenhouse is once more inhabited bu small seedlings. For the first time I have precultivated broad beans, I hope I'll get some harvester earlier.
I haven't sown any other beans, I should I know, but... There is sweet corn (just germinated), pumpkins and courgettes, chilies and a pepper, sunflowers, marigolds and nasturtiums.
Some salady stuff like arugula, chard and spinach.

And my garlics! I planted all cloves of six bulbs I had, and most of them seem to survived the winter. Some of them however didn't survive 'Suma.
My strawberries are ok, there was even a flower. I'm not expecting any berries this summer, I just got them planted in autunm. Anyway, nine plants won't produce much.

Then there is the never-ending fight against giant hogweed in our neighbours garden. He is in his 90's, widowed and had a heart attack some time ago, so he can't do it himself. So in exchange on currants and rhubarb I'll fight this fight for him.
I use glyphosate, as instructed by local enviromental authorities. There is far too many plants for me to dig them up. First two years I tried just to cutting flowering heads, but because these plants are perennials, it didn't do much damage to the growth. So I started to cut off flowering heads and then spraying the rest of leaves with weedkiller. It did help, but not enough - aim is to have it all gone, not just under control.
So now I'm spraying all plants with glyphosate at least twice every summer.
Unfortunately we had our electrical wires digged underground two years ago, so now there is hundreds of seedlings because of the endless seedbank in the soil. Individual big plants are easy to spot, but these little seedlings are horrible - the don't even resemble hogweed, they have leaves like maple, a bit rounder. Seed remain viable at least 8 years, so I guess if I play safe, there is no longer viable seeds after ten years...
I had a giant hogweed plant- but because my unbelieveable gardening skills (green thumb? never seen one) it died. Lucky me😎

Exotic fruits.

Pretty Boy's owners went to a week-long vacation to warmer place, and Pretty Boy wasn't happy for not to get on that trip. So he choose to do what he thinks is the second best option - he travelled three miles of wet fields and forests. In the early hours he was waiting outside our house, hb fed him ("I gave him two pouches and he's still howlig for more!"). Housesitter had let him out.
I think he might as well stay here as long as he likes, because anyway he'll be back as soon as he can get out of the door. The owner very much agreed with me. So Pretty Boy in here to stay, for now. If he wants to go home, he is free to go. At the moment he is happily sleeping in our porch.

We might not have much edibles to forage at the moment, but there is still some strange fruits growing in trees.

 

 And on the ground.

The balloon I get - it has got away, it happens. But furniture - you can take them for free to recycling center without driving 5 miles of muddy pothole filled gravel road and they help you to unload!

 If you really want to drive offroad... Don't leave the road!

Going nuts

I have bought food (and other stuff like cats' treats) from net store similar to Approved food   (I've better not to look up AF because I can't make an order because of postal fees) once every two months. But now I have a problem. Last order a month ago included a box of muesli bars (with lots of nuts but no raisins). Which were delicious. Note "were". ES, who doesn't eat, ate those bars, and told me he had eaten all of them.
So. A teenager who doesn't eat has found something he likes, and it costs twice as much elsewhere... They are also high in energy and high in fiber, which both are lacking in ES's diet. Should I make an order - there is also cheap(ish) puppyfoor for 'Suma.
Should I take the risk they won't be available anymore in next month when I was planning to make another order?

Sooo... Of course I made an order. Byebye money and well-laid plans.

I have spent a lot of money this year so far. Money for nothing occasionally (I had to buy car parts to my car and the it appeared they were wrong parts and the fault wasn't in those parts anyway and NOW I have to buy another part and that is also not free). Money well spent, too. I bought my first reading glasses, but I got them cheaply (kind of) because my old friend from school owns the place. Hope I learn how to use them, because honestly - I haven't been able to read that small print on labels for two years now.

On the other hand I have been doing good stuff. I have kept the house warm mostly with woodburners. I have been experimenting on different meals, made veggie burgers (first time ever) and fish cakes (second time ever). Veggie burgers not so great succes with kids (though D really liked them; next time I won't be using so much tarragon), and only two kids liked fish cakes, but hb ate them with vigour.
Last night I made omelettes, one with really really cheap sausage (hb loves that stuff, he doesn't like meaty sausages!), one with cheese and one with spinach. 7 eggs (10c per egg), a splash of milk (5c?) leftover cheese (max 50c, likely much less), 50c for the sausage and maybe 10c for butter, spices and electricity. So 1,85€ meal for six people and leftovers for hb's and my lunch, not bad.
On the other day I was raiding the fridge and found several seen-the-best-days-a-long-ago veggies like swede, cauliflower, broccoli, some iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes... So I made soup. Now I have 9 containers of soup (each 2 portions) in the freezer for me to take to work for lunches. With free bread (provided by my mother) they make pretty cheap lunch.

This weekend I'll be browsing my seeds for the next summer. I think I have everything I'd like to grow - I had to adjust my plans because the crash of polytunnel, but with this kind of winter it really doesn't do much difference. Growing season won't begin before late April.
Maybe I'll sow some chillis?

Oh bugger

Yes, I have noticed the winter is here. First i the November the polytunnel was blown away (plastic cover). We set it back and tucked it tightly and neatly, no sagging  anywhere to prevent water or snow accumulating on it.
And then came third or fourth storm this winter, and with very sticky wet snow there was at least 20cm pile of snow, which turned to slush and there went crashing down my tunnel... It's broken. Metallic pipes of frame were bent and stretched, but the covering is intact. In the morning when I left for work, there was no snow over the tunnel at all, and by 3pm the whole thing was down ( I left work ealry just for specific purpose to take snow off the tunnel... too late).

I'm so mad and sad. Of course I know I should have to build a supporting extra frame inside the tunnel, but I haven't had time to do it. It's been three months of darkness after five o'clock pm when I get back home from work (and then I have to make dinner and make sure kids do their homework), and on free time I have been working on the dining/sitting room and toilet. There is only limited hours in my days and weeks...
So I have to buy a new polytunnel. Were it only the covering, I could have bought that separately, but of course no, it's the framing... Buying a new polytunnel is not a problem (yes, I have a plenty of other things to use my money, but right now it doesn't make me bankruptcy because I have money I was planning to spend on other things on the veg plot and polytunnel and greenhouse...). The thing is I can't begin to sow/plant anything outside now before I have a working polytunnel or big greenhouse and I can't build a new polytunnel until spring when all the snow has melted and ground has softened enought to put new foundations on ground. And by then it will be at least May.

The whole idea of having a big polytunnel was to get a headstart in spring with seedlings (I was planning to put a kind of a greenhouse inside the polytunnel), so aaaaargh. Growing season is so short here north, two weeks delay might lead to unsuccessful season.

Thank you and move on.

On the other news we got some venison to the freezer (one joint from the hunting party that is allowed to use our forest and a couple of pieces from hb:s co worker), as well as lamb from my brother. First small piece of venison made into a stew, a bit too sweet to my taste (I used beer) but no leftovers... D found some edible mushrooms at Christmas when she went to fetch some branches and moss for flower arrangements (all four of our children know their 'shrooms, they have been with me in the forest since they were babies). Wild chanterells go well with game.

Dining/sitting room is missing skirtings (they are waiting in the hallway) because Christmas got on the way, I hope hb puts them on place while I'm at work, otherwise I would have to put them myself and I.m not comfortable with glue or nailgun. And the ceiling is not finished, but I have no idea what kind of wood I need for the planned lattice I have in mind... Work on process.