plant bits

I was absolutely sure that I had courgette sees left over from last year: I only sowed two seeds, and there must have been more than that in the packet. Nevetheless, there was no sign of courgettes in the seed box when I looked.

I’ve now ordered a replacement pack. It’s a sad state when the postage costs as much as the seeds! I’ve gone for “Soleil” again, as it was a success last year, with a genuinely compact bush habit, tasty yellow fruit, and quite prolific. I’m giving up on green courgettes, as they never do quite as well here, though I’ve tried several varieties.

snowflakes

I’m all in favour of snowflakes – whether it’s in a vase on the coffee table, or online being berated by the uncaring and addle-pated.

No nap this afternoon. I needed to de-flea the bedroom, which means leaving the powder on the carpet for a couple of hours. Then the hoovering it all up, and then thoroughly ventilating to avoid sleeping in an atmosphere of insecticide. Bedroom and bathroom windows and doors fully open, and front bedroom door and window as far as it normally goes … hopefully, not cold enough to upset the plants in front of the window there.

kilos and steps

Three years ago, I started the “diabetes prevention” course: a bit more exercise and a slightly changed diet. The last year has been OK on the exercise front, at an average of 3663 steps a day (about 5,000 in the 7 months of “summer” BST, and just over half that in the dark GMT months). I’m happy with that, especially as covid laid me low for six weeks or so. It’s an improvement on 2020-1 (3,304 steps) and 2021-2 (3074 steps).
Less good is my weight. From 74kg at the start of Feb 2020, down to 67.7 in 2021, and 65.2 last year, it’s crept up to 68.4. A target average of 1800 calories a day seems to put on the pounds! I’m dropping my daily ration to 1700 calories … fingers crossed, as I don’t think I can face going back to the 1500 calories of my first year of watching weight.
It’s all a far cry from my working life, where I was steady on 55kg for twenty-odd years!

Ouchies

I have an extremely dodgy knee at the moment, so have spent the day with my legs propped up on the stool and taking regular painkillers (compression bandage due for delivery tomorrow). Chelsea-cat thinks this is great, as it gives her a warm lap to sit on! Me, not quite so impressed, but not feeling capable of out-stubborning her.

R.I.P.

Today would have been Maurice’s 32nd birthday, had he lived to see it. I still miss him, of course, but am grateful that he was spared the many months of covid lockdown with which he simply would not have coped.

VLUU L100, M100 / Samsung L100, M100

chives

Chives spread everywhere in this garden, and I can’t restrain myself any longer. It may seem brutal to attack them when they’re so young, but tonight will the first cheddar-and-chive omelette of the year.


spawn

Nipping out to the compost bin between showers, I noticed the first frog-spawn has appeared in my pond.

Hopefully, froglets will stand a better chance of survival this year – the inveterate frog-hunter Enzo (the former next-door-cat) has moved to the other side of Worcester.

Shrove Tuesday.

Pancake Day! The first one never turns out quite right, somehow … but they were delicious. Lemon and sugar, of course … chocolate spread, marmite, grape jelly and similar abominations would not be countenanced!

vigil, garden bits

I’m finding movement rather difficult today – attending the vigil for Brianna Ghey outside the Guildhall last night was pretty much at the limit of what I’m capable of currently. WN article on the vigil archived at https://web.archive.org/web/20230219203343/https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/23332107.vigil-held-worcester-murdered-trans-schoolgirl-brianna-ghey/

At the end, I met up Melissa, Sue, Karen, and we chatted for some while (the photo is by Melissa). I walked up and caught a cab at Foregate Street. This morning, I’m distinctly stiff and painful – bloody post-covid recovery seems to be taking an age (it’s been eight weeks so far!), but I’m definitely improving slowly.

In the garden this morning there was another batch of purple crocus, and the ones under the tree seat are now starting to open.

garden bits

The first few daffodils have opened, to greet a mild and overcast morning. They’re in the pot by the French window, so I see them from my armchair – the ones in the front garden will be a few days yet.