A bit of this and a bit of that

Hb's new shift schedule is making our lives if not miserable, at least complicated. He works long weeks (6days work and 1day off) or really confusing weeks (2nights and two evenings and then some). There is no rhythm, and being nearly 50 he really can't adapt well. He can't sleep when he should and then sleeps during his day/s off and can't keep doing anything really. So annoying. And of course we had to turn the clocks which caused havoc to my inner clock.

And of course we all should be keeping silent when he tries to sleep...

I have tried to keep 'Suma occupied in the mornings, so we have had some amazing morning walks. We saw more swans moving to north, one couple stayed in our village for a while. Our cranes are back, they are wonderful big animals with very loud voices.
And geese! Neverending stream of geese flying back and forth - I just don't get it why some of them fly to north and some to south - and then there are simultaneously flocks flying to east AND west in the sky. Very confusing to my tired brains.

Mornings sound very summery already with skylarks, blackbirds and lapwings and of course (wood)pigeons. But fear not, there's still almost 30cm snow in our field and lower yard. Herb bed is almost free of snow and ice - i did give it some help with tossing ashes over polytunnel beds. Polytunnel itself is still folded in my greenhouse, I can't put it over the frame until snow has gone around the frame. Aaaaand my sister just made a video call to show they have got 25cm of snow so far and more is coming. Can't wait to have it here. Not.

Hb managed to fell down some trees which were growing on the back end of the field (alders, willows, few aspens) (some=30ish). They grow there because we don't actually farm that field, only small part of it is used as my veg path and polytunnel. The whole field hasn't been plought and harrowed for a very long time. Old man did most of it few years ago, but couldn't get to very edges, and therefore trees. Hb felled them and I lopped them with billhook and dragged trunks into a pile. Or as many of the trunks I managed, some of them overpowered me even after cut them in two. So there's some half a dozen trunks left in the end of the field and a pile of trunks next to my veg path. Saturday was easy, snow was hard and it was easy to walk on, because I didn't sink. By Sunday snow had thawed a little, so it was heavier to walk on. Yesterday (I had a day off) snow was soft and sinking; I felt I was walking on a quick sand.

And now I'm hurting. my back is stiff and my hands are swollen (that's what you get if you're a delicate office worker and keep hitting branches with billhook all day). My legs are so tired I didn't even have restless legs at night!
Now if someone just cuts and splits those to make us some firewood...

But yesterday was a nice day off. I managed to deal all trunks I could (now we have a nice pile of branches to have a bonfire or maybe to chip some of them), made pizzas (I made the dough myself; it's suprisingly hard to knead the dough if your hands are boiled spaghetti), made paneer (next time I will make just "cottage cheese" by adding salt); it was the second time ever I have made any kind of cheese, first time I made egg cheese (basically cottage cheese but with added eggs and then it's baked in the oven), wrote minutes of the last two village comittee meetings (had to send them to old man to print because my printer doesn't work). and attended another meeting. Late in the evening I decided I had had enough and sat in front of telly and watched some mindless reality tv and knitted sock for a while.

Today I'll make something out of the paneer I made ( I don't have spinach so no saag/palak paneer). Kids have some leftover pizza so I can use as much ginger I want.

I finally made through ST Discovery first season (knitted rainbow socks for d, she is finally over that all-black teenage phase) and now I've catched up this new season. So I binge watched Night Flyer and once that was over I started on Firefly (I saw it in 2002/2003 but as with everything else in 2002 and 2003 I can't remember a single thing, even 2004 is a bit hazy). Soon that's done, Serenity (the film) is left and then I might have to return to Star Trek. Seen the original series, the animated series and Enterprise, and all the films. Now I "only" have Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager (which I have seen before)...

Signs of Spring and last weeks list...

Even though temperature was -5 this morning, we have had "warm" weather lately. Snow is melting (not only thawing), there's actually spots of ground to be seen. Catkins are here, and today is equinox. Days a really longer now, there's so much light already. But at 8pm it was pitch dark yesterday when I took 'Suma to walk. I had to use torch because snow at the forest is so dirty (full of pine and spruce needles and branches etc) so it doesn't reflect any light at the moment.

On Saturday i heard first sounds of trumepts - swans are back! On Sunday I saw several swans fying above our village, and this morning there were three swans circling around the village fields - they were most likely trying to figure out what's happened - after last autunm storm it's a bit different now.

And last weeks list, all done!
-finish a present for sister's partner (he reached the big 30 last week) tomorrow I'll work at home, so I can use washing machine during the day and see what happens; Made it! Knitted him a pair of mittens and felted them in washing machine, perfect for ice-fishing, because they'll be warm even if they are wet. Had to felt them twice to get the right size.
-try to get sister a present (I have ordered it, but have no idea whether it's going to make it before Saturday; her bd is this week) Arrived on Tuesday and I was able to pick it from parchel machine on Tue while shopping shoes for ys. She wanted the book and I got it for her.
-fix sister's skirt before saturday (she's lost a few pounds since she was 15; I made that skirt for her 15 years ago!) should be done today evening, because I have to get out of the house with two youngest so hb can get some sleep because he works few night shifts this week. Done, took 5 mins including changing the tread on sewing machine - I still had the original thread I used for sewing that skirt!
-try to figure out what to wear in their birthday party on Saturday decided on Sat morning to wear the same jeans I wore when she was 15. Still fits!
-take ys to town to get indoors sport shoes and a small present for bdparty he's been invited to - party will be in ys's birthday, but he said it's ok he wants to go to his friend's party (March is awful, last thursday my cousind had her second child, and this child is about tenth in my expanded family who's bd is in March! and among kids friends there is more than a half a dozen who have bds in March, too) maybe tomorrow, because hb still needs to sleep, so I'll take kids to town; yep, done in Tue, actually got four pairs of shoes, two for ys and two for d, paid 75€ 'cause every pair they needed was on sale.
-prepare paperwork for Sundays village committee meeting done,  but now I need to buy new printer, this one quitted for good
-attend to sister's and her partner's joint bd party on Saturday Oh holy cripping maggots I did it, I'm way too old for this  s... There was a punk band and a rock band, and I still don't get punk. Just don't.
-attend to Sundays village committee meeting done

And for this week? Bdparty for d and ys: grandparents, relatives but no shcool friends. So:
-bake a cake or two (maybe even mudcake)
-bake a quiche or two (broccoli and feta; maybe ham and tomatoes)
-clean the house (not going to happen...)
So much easier! 

Weekly goals

I know many bloggers and people in general have this wonderful system, they make goals for the day, week, month, year. Me, not so much.
I have tasks I have to complete during the week, but I've never been a list person. I might make a list, but sometime along I forgot to tick items off from the list. Stuff gets done usually with or without list. Sometimes, when I make a list, it all seems so overwhelming than I possibly can't make it (but usually can).
My weekly goals are usually something like this: survive another school and work week, feed children, pay bills, walk with 'Suma, take care of laundry, keep up with the dirty dishes - most of them are actually daily goals. Darn.
Well, if I consentrate, I might be able to write down a list for this week - this is a birthday week:
-finish a present for sister's partner (he reached the big 30 last week) tomorrow I'll work at home, so I can use washing machine during the day and see what happens
-try to get sister a present (I have ordered it, but have no idea whether it's going to make it before Saturday; her bd is this week)
-fix sister's skirt before saturday (she's lost a few pounds since she was 15; I made that skirt for her 15 years ago!) should be done today evening, because I have to get out of the house with two youngest so hb can get some sleep because he works few night shifts this week
-try to figure out what to wear in their birthday party on Saturday
-take ys to town to get indoors sport shoes and a small present for bdparty he's been invited to - party will be in ys's birthday, but he said it's ok he wants to go to his friend's party (March is awful, last thursday my cousind had her second child, and this child is about tenth in my expanded family who's bd is in March! and among kids friends there is more than a half a dozen who have bds in March, too) maybe tomorrow, because hb still needs to sleep, so I'll take kids to town
-prepare paperwork for Sundays village committee meeting
-attend to sister's and her partner's joint bd party on Saturday
-attend to Sundays village committee meeting

There's much more to do, but these were the easiest to put down.
No, I'm not a list person.

Planning the planting

I have just only started on digging my stash of seeds for veggie plot. I don't usually grow any flowers apart from those I can use somehow (like nasturtium seeds as capers or marigolds as insect repellant in veg plot etc) so it's only boring vegetables.

Should I put them in alphabetical order?
Or arrange them in order I need to precultivate them?
Or in groups which goes where in my veggie plot?
Or which are the most important ones?

And I'm sure I haven't even found all of them. Spinach was stored upside down and all seeds had scattered to the bottom of one of plastic boxes  have been keeping my seeds. I didn't remember I had spinach seeds. I doesn't do well because of all light we have during summer (it's not plant of long days, it bolts right away). I'll sow only NZS, it'll do fine for us.

It's a good thing I checked my existing seeds. There's only few things I need to buy. Broad beans (they did suffer last summer, hot weather and aphids tortured my plants, my sisters broad beans didn't do any better). Carrots (I'd like to have seeds in ribbons/tape/whatever, so no need to thin them so much). Peas (not snap peas, I've still got those). And if I can find patty pan zucchinis I'll buy them, I haven't found them in ages!

I thought I didn't have beans... well, I do. I also have several packets of chard (even my favourite Bright Lights, it's basically just a mix of different colours but I really like it), pumpkins and zucchinis, salads, radishes, kales and other brassicas (I might buy a packet of plain cabbage seeds, I have red cabbage but not white). I have plenty of corn, it hasn't done well lately for some reason. I have specials, like jungle cucumber (cucamelon or something like that), watermelons, "melons" (no idea what they are apart that they are melons, not watermelons, the picture looks like cantaloupe to me). Also I have chilis and cucumbers, and calendulas, marigolds and nasturtiums. I might buy sunflowers, they usually do poorly, bit I keep trying anyway.

I also need to plan where to put what. I have an old pile of horse manure, pumpkins might like that. Melons need warmth, so they will go to polytunnel.

So far I have only sowed some peas for peashoots (dried peas ment for soups), os eats them straight from the pot, I don't even need to cut them for him. Because I apparently have enough spinach seeds to grow Popey his year's need I need to figure out what to do with it. Maybe I can grow it in pots and use as shoots as I use peas. Oh, and I need to put some popcorn seeds to sprout so we can eat corn shoots!

And I found a big packet of meadow mix, they are supposed to be sown in autunm as well as corn salad. I really need to think how I'm able to have place for autunm planting/sowing, because at the moment i have two raised beds full already, garlic and brassicas. I have high hopes for garlic.

How come they say gardening eases your stress?

Mid term and mid winter

Because of ... something bureaucratic mess, our mid term is this week, while all others were having last week off (our town council has decided to close our grammar school and it's caused  quite a havoc).

So far I have managed to made this:

It's illfitting, twisted at some places and loose on others, but I'm so proud, I have never made one before!

Ironing denim fabricks, cutting pieces and sewin took me several hours on sunday, but I thought it'll take me whole week! I even made a cushion, all finished and not left hanging like I usually do.

Then I made these. Not for treasure hunting (sorry about blurry picture, I quess I need new glasses)

As you can see, that spruce is heavily tilted, it is actually drying and dying.

I marked dead, damaged or otherwise need-to-removed trees for old man to fell with os. It's actually hard work to walk on the forest and paint those trees. Not painting, but walking sometimes knee-deep heavy snow was. I'm glad I'm not the one to fell those trees! I think we don't need any more wood for the next winter if all those I marked are cutted to dry before mid summer.

This doesn't look bad, but under the pineneedles is about 30-40cm of snow. There trees are left standing, nothing wrong with them.

I have a hunch I'm not going to sow my salads on the polytunnel next weekend. I was tilted, polytunnel skeleton and raised beds are even.

Winter is still going strong, even if weather has been mid-march-like lately.  I have bought some seeds (chilis, beets, pumpkins...) but I need to make an inventory what I have left from last summer. I think I used all my sunflowers and beans and I'n not sure about salads. need to check them out today. After I have made waffels.

This is my ys's breakfast nowadays. Sliced banana on rye bread (and D vitamin fish) - this is far more healthy than my ham sandwithc!

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.

Oh, there's snow now?

It's been snowing.
Like most of Europe, I think.

This happy fellow greets us in our forest every day (or night, like when I took this picture). Don't have to wonder where Norwegian artists took their inspiration for trolls...

Sys skiing - we have to go buy him new skiis and ski shoes today, because he needs them tomorrow at school. Oh the joys of dragging them in school bus!

'Suma got bored with me taking troll pictures.

My long socks finally! finished and tested. Snow was deeper than I thought...

A bit overcooked lasaga - nevermind it's so good! Grated carrots and a beet added to bolognese makes it even darker.

Majestetic views - unfortunately those trees will snap at some point and may cause danger, but now they are pretty.

Had to add some length to sys's hat, thats Red Heart's reflective yarn, i have knitted three in different colours to d, sys and ys.

More snow during the evening and even maybe tomorrow. Haven't decided yet days I'll work from home. Depends how's traffic.