Wonderful writing from Jeanette Winterson

"The more I read, the more I felt connected across time to other lives and deeper sympathies. I felt less isolated. I wasn't floating on my little raft in the present; there were bridges that led over to solid ground. Yes, the past is another country, but one that we can visit, and once there we can bring back the things we need.

Literature is common ground. It is ground not managed wholly by commercial interests, nor can it be strip-mined like popular culture - exploit the new thing then move on.

There's a lot of talk about the tame world versus the wild world. It is not only a wild nature that we need as human beings; it is the untamed open space of our imaginations.

Reading is where the wild things are."


After Jeanette Winterson has voted for Margaret Thatcher:

"I did not realise that when money becomes the core value, then education drives towards utility or that the life of the mind will not be counted as a good unless it produces measurable results. That public services will no longer be important. That an alternative life to getting and spending will become very difficult as cheap housing disappears. That when communities are destroyed only misery and intolerance are left.

I did not know that Thatcherism would fund its economic miracle by selling off all our nationalised assets and industries.

I did not realise the consequences of privatising society."

Morning walk

Woke up at 4.30 so decided to get up to see what moths were in trap.  Disappointingly low count - no more than 10 individuals, though a couple of hawk moths.

So having woken up I thought I should take advantage & go for a walk without the dogs.

Overcast, but mild, and the air was full of birdsong.  Highlights were:  cuckoo, grasshopper warbler reeling, cranes in distance,sedge warbler, wren, marsh harrier overhead.

Also saw a number of deer which then barked very loudly, and a couple of foxes. 

Veg box

We've started getting a veg box from Kitchen Gardens - the small box every 2 weeks.  I've enjoyed the anticipation of finding out what's in it & then trying out some new recipes.

So far we've had pak choi - made egg stir fried rice
Swiss chard - had it with a bit of oil & garlic. Made a curry- didn't use nuts & potatoes were old not new, & just stirred in the yogurt at the end.  Put some cubes of halloumi in.  Very nice.
Butternut squash - made a risotto

Had kale & romanesque just as side dish.

Made a beetroot relish: cooking apples, onion, cooked beetroot all grated.  Then simmered with ginger, white wine vinegar & sugar.

Made the mistake of roasting pink fir potatoes - they were crunchy but completely dehydrated.

Used onion & carrots to make a savoury rice to have with curry - added some toasted sesame seeds & desiccated coconut which gave alovely flavour.

Broccoli, leek, cheese & egg.  Sauté onion & leek, steam chopped broccoli. Put into greased dish. Beat 4 eggs & some milk, plus grated cheese & pour over. Bake in oven for 15 mins.

Swiss chard, feta & pine nuts. Sauté clove garlic, add chopped chard or greens, chopped tomatoes & sultanas.  Add some water & simmer with lid on until cooked.  Add some lemon zest & at end cubed feta & toasted pine nuts.

Dog diaries

My clever dogs have been keeping a diary.  I found this week's entries hidden down the back of the sofa.

Logan's diary:
Monday: Had cut & blow dry.  Smelt disgusting.  Must go through some ditches to put that right.
Tuesday: Slept all day.  Ran through the marshes later.
Wednesday: Slept all day.  Ran through the marshes later.
Thursday:  Slept all day. Ran through the marshes later.

Stats:
Pheasants flushed:  about 10
Toys destroyed: 0 Maybe the therapy is working
Balls lost: 3 Must try harder next week

Chance's diary:
Monday:  L had obviously been very naughty as he had to go to that torture place and have a bath & get all his mud flaps cut off. I was good & went to the pub & the man gave me a biscuit because I look so sweet.
Tuesday: Slept all day.  Barked at postman.
Wednesday: Slept all day.  Barked at postman
Thursday: Slept all day.  Barked at postman
Friday:  Slept all day.  Barked at postman.  Energy renewed for a weekend of sitting on laps, licking faces, following humans around.  I'm not as young as I used to be.

Stats:
People barked at:  Lots.  Still aiming to get some bites in some time though.
Food eaten: Chicken, pastry, biscuits, pasta, rice.  Bit too healthy this week.  Hope for higher sausage count over weekend.

Signs of autumn

Not wishing to suggest summer is over yet, as it's high 20s outside today, & ate my lunch in the garden,  but there are autumn colours in the garden & the days are getting shorter.   I like autumn - previous post celebrated things I like about it and after such a glorious summer, I think we're in for a perfect autumn.

In the garden are hips of rosa glauca, spindle berries, beautiful crocosmia Emilya Mackenzie, some delicate pink fuschia flowers, & a spider

Butterflies & moths

After a very slow start to the year, July & August have produced a bundle of butterflies.  I've been planting & encouraging nectar plants for butterflies for a while.  Just got hemp agrimony which is a bee & butterfly magnet. I've also got nettle patches around the garden for peacock & others to lay eggs.  Recently realised that it's good to cut them down so that there's new growth as they prefer this for laying.

It's prompted me to look into other plants for caterpillars.  I don't grow cabbages, but sometimes have had nasturtiums.  None germinated this year, but must think about some for next year.

Another one to try is birdsfoot trefoil which is a wild plant but looks attractive.  Will just need to find the best bit of the garden to grow it in.
 
I have been letting some of the grass grow to seed,  but need to be a bit more systematic with this I think as I don't know what varieties we've got & whether I'm managing them correctly.

I'd also like to get some more buddleia bushes - the orange bobbly one for example.  Recently discovered that moths like to visit the buddleia at night - had lots of migrant silver Y about this year. 

We had a swallowtail in the garden on my birthday a couple of years ago I think it was, be good to get one of them again, as well as a hummingbird hawk moth which I've never seen.

Hope the sun continues well into September so the butterflies & moths can continue to thrive!

Family & friends

Just coming to the end of a few days staying in mid-Wales with a cousin & her family.  Had a lovely time, been out with cousins & aunty, caught up with friends & heard family stories.  It's really nice to have such a network of good people, and affirms my belief that most people are thoroughly decent.  Really looking forward to getting home to beloved husband and dogs but I'm pleased to have ended the Easter break with such good times.