Stressbusters - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Thursday 6 September, 2007

by Rosemary at 9:14pm in Anything goes 2 comments Comments closed

I would like to recommend two stressbusters to you all.

The first is chamomile tea. Now, I've been a bit sceptical about the claims made for herbal teas and so on, but I will have to revise my opinion. I'm trying to lose a bit of weight so I'm drinking herbal tea, which I can make in my office, instead of "real" tea that I have to go to the canteen for (I have no fridge so milk in the office is yogurt before you know it). If I go to the canteen, I succumb to scones and stuff - like a roll and black pudding with brown sauce... Yesterday, Dan rang me at work and enquired as to how I was. "I'm sooo tired" I said, "which is odd because I had a really good sleep last night." Somehow, the conversation got to the fact that I was drinking chamomile tea. "How much have you had?" asked Dan. "About three cups," I replied. Dan then told me to bring the chamomile home and take peppermint to work, and keep the chamomile for bedtime. I felt much better today! So, chamomile tea to get you so stress free that you are asleep with your head on the desk!

Second thing is a dashel basher (available for Ascott Smallholding Supplies, I think)and a field of thistles. Following my rant about injurious weeds, I decided I'd better do something about the thistles in Smokey's field. So tonight, I set off with my db and beat hell out of about a quarter of the field. It was warm tonight; consequently so was I, and the midges got a good feed. Andy and Bruno "helped" by picking up the cut thistles and throwing them around. I can't tell you whose face was on the thistles, but it sure did me good.

It was also an opportunity to observe some horse behaviour. Andy and Bruno play a lot - tonight Smokey and Johnny were walking fairly purposefully round the field boundary, while Andy and Bruno played in front of them, behind them and between them. They were like two parents out for a walk with two boisterous kids. Johhny's much more tolerant of the youngsters than Smokey, maybe because he's the alpha, whereas Smokey has to defend his position as No2. Or maybe he's just a bad tempered sod. Interesting, huh?