Wednesday 9 January 2008

Back to Normal - Archives 2008

Only, there is no normal... well not since we moved here, and normal before that was with a very small baby and in the city, a very different normal.

Trying to establish a routine of housework, gardening and childcare. Is high on the priority list, and we shall have to fit in building work and decoration around 'normal' life.

We have been enjoying the livingroom a little too much, I could sit and knit in there all day while J sits and reads.  Being in the same room as the wood-burner makes a huge difference  - though we are still having difficulty securing regular wood deliveries and a Mum from 'Mums and Toddlers' has had to come to the rescue more than once, always turning up within hours of being phoned and often with oak... not really fair on her though, it is not her job to sell and deliver wood.

Veg Growing

I have been researching the vegetable growing matters and taking many notes about rotation and companion planting. I have decided to have raised beds, 16 of them -4ft x 12ft.

  • Raised - Appears to be the best method if you are to have beds, the roots have more space to adventure downwards, drainage is better and ease of access - though they will only be raised about 6inches


  • 16 beds- because the crop rotation plan I am thinking of consists of 4 'breaks' and 4 plots of each 'break' seemed a good number


  • 4ft wide - so that I need not stand on the ground inbetween plants to weed or harvest, I should be able to reach every plant from the path.


  • 12ft long - because it seemed like a good length but I may need to adjust that once I get correct mesurements for the garden.


Building / Damp

We have yet to find a builder to fix the non-existant lintel at the rear of the hall. We have discovered the problem with the damp - which I found a few weeks ago though it has not shown itself since I scrubbed it with borax, and I am now believing that it may be wet-rot, mildly better than dry-rot. There is a puddle of water in the neighbours garden, right up against that wall. I feel sure that the water is penetrating the wall and causing the excesive damp - When we moved in to the house the wall there was wet, we found it was an MDF false wall, covering a plastic-coated ply-wood false wall, covering the original plaster (which fell off) and the brickwork. The wall is currently naked, right back to the brick to allow it to breath and dry, and for any further problems to show themselves. We shall have to try to sort out the guttering and drainage around where the puddle is and call in a builder/ damp expert (not the same one we had before... grrrr.) to deal with the interior work... goodie, goodie.

Thanks for reading ;o)

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