Phaedra's 2023 Adventure

[Phaedra]

It keeps raining, sigh. The temperature is back a bit, but it will rain for another 10 days...oh my.

It means the season of reading, making home tidy and cozy, cooking, baking, and doing some crafts is there. From late October to the end of January, I guess my posts in this thread will be much more 'indoors'.

Okay, Friday, the routine day we go to Lidl in the early morning for the 3-Euro veggie/fruit bag. Not bad, I like it, such a practical one. The lettuce isn't that good in quality, but the rest of them are nice enough.

A big pot of soup, using many ingredients from today's and last Friday's ingredients. The bone broth with a lot of veggies is always lovely.

Our two dogs shared some ingredients as well.

Some went to the compost, and some to the hens

We can always get very cheap Bananas, either in this kind of 3-Euro bags, or 50% off on Saturday evening. When I get them, I slice and store them in the freezer.

Everything from the 3-Euro bags - When the fruits are prepared like this, they will be consumed quickly.

A meal that can make my day, delicious and wallet-friendly - I will say it's absolutely 'eat well on budget'.

Leek, scallion, carrots, and meatballs transformed from two different kinds of sausage - yummy

The pears and blueberries from the last week veggie bag became a tart.

My last activity today - folding clothes, listening to the podcast, and having a decaffeinate coffee.

 

[Phaedra]

Recently, I started my day with coffee, breakfast, and reading. After that, I do the housework and cooking.

The rain stopped in the early afternoon, so I went out to harvest some veggies and flowers.
Batavia lettuce 'Saragossa'

I harvested a lot of swiss chard, two different lettuces, scallions, and some MUMs.

Then, I brought some to our neighbor, who just came back from ER (she has a slight stroke) and has to wait until the second week of November for going to the rehabilitation center. As she can't move freely yet, I brought her something from time to time to cheer her up.
I also added fresh herbs so they can make some tea.

Cake will go to them tomorrow, too.

It's such a happy thing to have about three hours sunny weather. I dug out two Dahlia tubers and transplanted two roses propagated from cuttings. Their roots are so ready, after almost half year in the deep nursery pot for root training.

Do you also have a lovely day today?

 

[Alasgun]

@Phaedra, from half way around the world; you seem to be a very kind and considerate person! I am sure “the neighbor” notices this too!
Thank you.

 

[flowerbug]

i had pretty nice past several days working on a few gardens and a good massage today - the therapist really knows her stuff and doesn't wimp out. came home and took a few hour nap.

 

[baymule]

I had a good day. Then I read what you did for your neighbor and it made my day even better.

 

[digitS']

Batavian lettuce – growing those are a favorite choice. They do well here.

My day was a little hectic. I had errands to run in the morning. It was chilly and sprinkley .

Then, there was a hurried trip to the distant garden to harvest some remaining veggies from some frost damaged plants. Even those not damaged are finished if the forecast holds true. Had a couple of extra weeks from the garden. That was a gift .

Steve

 

[Phaedra]

@Phaedra, from half way around the world; you seem to be a very kind and considerate person! I am sure “the neighbor” notices this too!
Thank you.

Yes, I am kind and considerate, especially when my neighbors are also kind and considerate. I feel blessed that we can have them as neighbors.

I would say, they are already more like family members who live next doors.

 

[Phaedra]

I have a good day, too when I read your replies.

I spent some good time with our two cats. They are much calmer and willing to stay by our sides, instead of chasing and runnning all the time.

My new morning routine is reading for at least one hour and having my first coffee and breakfast. The book I am reading these two days is 'Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure'.

Breakfast is egg salad, pan-fried mushrooms, and black coffee. Mushrooms and bananas are two products that will always have 50% discount after 8pm in Lidl. Whenever we go there late, I always bring two packs (1kg in total). Their quality is totally great, and each pack just costs me 80 cents.

I love to fry them (thick slice) with butter until crispy and brown and season them with salt and black peppers. It's such a simple, humble, but flavorful dish.

 

[Phaedra]

It's lovely when there are still so many colors in the garden in the end of October. The temperature didn't drop too much, but the almost non-stop rain is the drama part...

The roof of the chicken (winter) coop was built earlier and it really keeps the ground dry, thank God. I added a thick layer of straw on the ground. Our winter coop is evolving, although it still looks a bit 'primitive' at this moment. No matter what, it's still the first time that our hens have a dry and cozy space in autumn and winter.

I recycled some plastic trays (originally with dried noodles) and used them in our pallet-based coop - keep the wind and snow and rain outside, but the straws inside.

I also dug out four large brassicas (should be purple broccoli that will crop next April) and transplanted them into the hoop tunnel. The tunnel is almost empty after all tomato plants were removed. These large brassicas should be hardy enough in normal winter, but I lost most of them last winter due to several consecutive severe frost. The strong frost lasted five, six or sever hours, almost the entire week. Such frost just killed plants with no mercy. At the end, the tissues of most brassicas were damaged and became mushy...

I remember I saw one video from a gardener in Scandinavian country (Denmark, I guess), she moved most of the vegetables into the polytunnel for overwinter. The result seems pretty satisfying, so I want to take a try this year. The advantage of a hoop tunnel is I can add multi-layer protection when necessary, on the existed structure.

I recently came across something interesting, and I really appreciate the author's view on 'success' and 'failure.' The author mentioned that 'success' is often like a firework, it sparkles but is gone in an instant. In contrast, 'failure' is something that tends to stick with us. This is something that resonates with a gardener's experience, don't you think?

So, it's important to approach our failures with a sense of ease and perhaps even a more relaxed attitude.

 

[flowerbug]

with diversity in plantings it makes it easier to take the failures. and then being an optimist for future gardening seasons...

and then also, i learn from failures and keep trying so persistence is a part of it. just keep going...