Days of thinking ahead....

A frosty morning and now a foggy afternoon.

The weather is mirroring how I feel....full of cold, and woolly headed . I've got a real head cold with a scratchy sore throat and my ribs ache when I cough. Just the sort of time to sit by the fire and doze.

Boo and Eric have decided to join me....and are being very quiet and calm as if they know I'm not well.

In fact the silence is perfect, just the lick, spit and crack of the fire can be heard as I re read Anna
Pavord's excellent book, The Curious Gardener . Originally published in 2010, I've not looked at it again for a while. The lively, engaging pieces chronicling the gardening year have me smiling and nodding, and they're mercifully short which is just what you need when your head is feeling as thick and heavy as a huge felled log.

Of course my thoughts are now darting, or perhaps sluggishly meandering+ to what I shall plant this year, plus the huge amount of work to be done on the allotment. I'm also thinking about the New Year resolutions I am refusing to make this year.

You can learn so much from gardening, and every year there's the chance to start again, to sow and plant, to try something new and to learn from last year's mistakes.

And in my utility room next to the old scales and the seed tins,  I have this sampler, which I bought a few years back....

 

 

with the words taken from a poem from the American writer Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Those words may be seem somewhat trite, but I reckon, that with kind hearts, thoughts ,deeds and words, then 2015 could be a lovely year . As soon as I get rid of this cold of course.....

 

 

days of thinking and doing

New Year, new ways, new thoughts....there's so much to mull over isn't there?

After the hiatus which I hate (see last post) the New Year brings a breath of fresh air, there's new possibilities in that air and there's a chance to do things differently.A clean slate to write on ...

That's the theory - my mind is alive , thoughts are dancing....but the bodywork is lumbering sluggishly behind. I've got to get rid of that post Christmas slump and lumpy bits which seemed to arrive after the festive overeating.

But there's no new Years resolutions for me  girls and boys.Oh no....I've got previous...and don't want to set myself up to fail and feel sad when I break one (As I did last year and the year before!)

I will be taking on something new for the year though..a gardening and food challenge) which I 'll tell you about later....and I have given myself a talking to about what I would like to achieve this year. Sowing the seeds....

However, it's all very well  isn't it to make grand plans....they've got to get off the ground off first. So in that spirit, I've started sowing some other seeds 

Early I know - but I'm showing a little faith, having a little gamble if you like (inspired by @lialeendertz) ...and I want to make sure I'm going to have broad beans on the lottie earlier than ever.Well, they'll be living in the dining room first obviously - I mean, it's warm for this time of year, but not that warm. So my darling Giant Exhibitions.....I want you to do your very best.

I've  sown a few tomato seeds too ...they're on one of the windowsills in the kitchen which i will grow on in my plastic greenhouse which arrived on Christmas day courtesy of Mr thinking of the days.

And I've got so many rocket seeds, I'm trialing some under a cold frame in the garden.Risky, but I'm on a roll this weekend.

And now, with a heart full of good intentions ,

 I'm going out.....not on the road to hell, but to the allotment....

Are you growing anything early? Am I being a bit premature?
And today's track ?Well it's an incredible live version of Tears for Fears "Sowing the Seeds" .I've always adored  the song, but unfortunately have never seen them play live. Do sit and watch this- such a quality performance here backed by a full orchestra.It's quite set me up for the day.....