Festive preparations! - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Monday 18 December, 2023

by Rosemary at 6:48pm in Smallholding 2 comments Add your own

Monday 11^th December

Dan took an hour off in daylight to manure the beds in the polytunnel that will have corn and squash next season and start to put manure on the raspberries and blueberries.

Manured polytunnel.

I’m still feeling a bit sore but much better, so walked the dogs and got soaked. How much more rain can we get? I don’t think I’ve ever seen it this wet.

Tuesday 12^th December

Caught up with paperwork and almost finished putting up the decorations; made a list of things to cook and bake. My new Lego order arrived the other day – 12,000+ pieces for multiple MOCs – and I haven’t even looked at it until this evening. Phew, it’s a bit daunting.

Dan has repaired / renewed my bench at the back door, ready for the festive display. Optimist. I did write the festive cards though.

Wednesday 13^th December

Slept badly; woke at 1am and was overwhelmed by the blues. I could hear the rain battering on the windows. Again. I had shooting pains down my arm and across my back and the skin on my chest, where the spots are, felt raw. I decided I was going to sell the rest of the cows. Fell asleep about 6.30am. I think it’s a combination of lack of sunshine, the virus and the rain.

Gave myself a bit of a kick up the backside; cleared off a lot of wee admin jobs; did some more of the decorations (the time it’s taken me, you’d think we were like Harrods. Which we aren’t.)

I had some bare root perennial plants delivered on Friday (which I had forgotten I ordered. I hope that’s them all, because this the about the third unexpected delivery) so I potted them up. They’re for the “new” front garden – Salvia, Astrantia, Pulmonaria, Monarda, Sedum – all things that will be splitable next year. Plants are so expensive.

Thursday 14^th December

Our 22^nd wedding anniversary.

This bag of dirty hay is waiting to be disposed of. The cows find it irresistable, for some reason.

Why THIS hay?

Friday 15^th December

Still sore on and off but got into the kitchen and made Fig and Madeira Chutney, Honeyed Apricots with Thyme (for the festive cheeseboard / leftovers) and Spiced Granola for festive breakfasts. Dan loves the granola - oats, cranberries, pecans, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, orange zest, vanilla, honey and a wee drop sunflower oil. The kitchen smells amazing. Plans for tomorrow include Florentines and lebkuchen.

Dan went off this afternoon for his Covid and flu jags.

Saturday 16^th December

Hmm, kind of expected this, because Dan had a poor reaction to his jags last year, but he’s not great. One sore arm and very tired. Before retiring to bed, he sorted out the ponies’ hay because I went for four bales to see us over the festive period.

Ponies' hay dispenser.

Sunday 17^th December

Six years ago today, the late, lamented Thomas came home to stay with us. And tomorrow is the 11^th anniversary of Penfold’s homecoming. Homer was a Yuletide cat too. There’s a pattern here.

Blizzard and Rora had a pedicure for their Yule treat. Blizz was favouring her near hind, but she had wee ulcers of both back feet, so that’s now sorted, blocks applied and she’s already looking much more comfortable. Rora is so good going into the crush and Blizzard is such a PITA – in the end, Dan lead her in with slices of butternut squash.

Fetsive pedicure.

This afternoon’s treat was a festive trip to the skip. Very therapeutic.

Gwenna and Bertie, just because.

Gwenna and Bertie.