I'm here!

Oh crikey, I am a bad blogger - who's still here reading?

Well, I really have lost the plot on inspiration for writing lately. Not just here, but in all of cyberland.

So, updates again...

I've been refashioning - I've converted an old pair of corduroy pants of Simon's into a new pair of pants for Nathan. Quite cool I think. Then I bought a couple of cheap second-hand merino tops and refashioned one into a long sleeve tunic top for Danielle. It actually also fits Nathan as a regular top (not that he will be wearing it lol), so I know she'll get a couple of years use out of it providing it doesn't fall to bits before then. It's interesting this sewing thing - I have always sewn, well right back to age 11 at least if not earlier and when I became a mum I was really excited about being able to sew children's clothes. Well, I've never gotten around to it! So, I'm pleased that my first two attempts were a success and that the patterns I have chosen are pretty versatile and have a good range of sizes on them. The only downside is that my machine and other paraphenalia needs to live on my dining table while projects are in progress.

I'm finally picking tomatoes and corn! Yummo! Not a lot, but just a nice daily amount to go down and pick a couple of cobs and a couple of tomatoes to eat fresh that day. The courgettes are pacing themselves very nicely too - and just as well - they're not a favourite vegetable, so I couldn't handle having to consume through 3 or 4 a day. One every day or two is perfect.

I have plenty of pumpkins growing - some even hanging up high in my corn stalks (some of which have reached 6-7ft hight) and others dragging down some tomato vines. I can't bear to separate them off for fear of snapping something, so will just need to go with it and plan differently next year.

I really must get thinking about my winter crops. My garden has been fairly neglected over the past 6wks. We haven't had a lot of rain (in fact last night we had a little rain that broke a dry spell of at least a month) so I've just been watering every few days, but doing not much else while waiting for things to ripen. So, must get out my garden planner and get onto it.

My ginger beer Christmas gift was a success, so I've promised a new batch, so need to get onto that as well. I feel another batch for ourselves too - that's right, haven't even been making ginger beer even though it would be mighty fine during these hot summer days.

I've been doing more thinking on the whole home educating front - I'm really starting to feel the crunch of that decision with this year being the year that Nathan would be starting school and all his friends will be heading off there too (different schools, so none that he would be going to). I have felt the need to get my bum into gear and creating further networks to provide a support group for when the time comes. Some things won't change, but others will. I'm just nervous I guess with what feels like an enormous decision.

I've also been feeling like fraud with the whole consumerism thing - I've been buying up large (a mix of used and new) and loving it. I've really missed the whole buying thing which I didn't do a lot of (nor really felt the need at the time) last year. That's the problem with having had Christmas, then going away camping with lots of other people and being exposed to lots of *stuff* that I now *really* need! Fortunately that's now slowed up.

My mind has been consumed with Danielle and her delayed speech and feeling a bit sorry for myself, but I can see her coming along nicely, albeit slowly.

So...the days are getting shorter, summer feels like it's coming to a close (even though we get really lovely warm weather right through till April and daylight savings doesn't end till the end of March) and I feel on the verge of many new exciting things.