Will I ever have clean nails again?

There are thirteen butternut pumpkins and over 25 kilos of spuds in that wheelbarrow (in the wheat bag). There is a mixture of Pink Eyes and Dutch Creams which are two of my favourites. I dug them out of the potato patch that M had created earlier in the year and oh my aching back! And thighs! And knees! I really am out of condition, I could barely lift the sack into the wheelbarrow. They have all been transferred into hessian sacks now and are hanging out with my sack of Jerusalem artichokes in the tiny laundry.

Then I decided it was time to pull the last of the beans out as there are no more flowers or beans to be seen. In their place I have planted over sixty garlic cloves, Tasmanian purple garlic, which I think is just the best. And oh my aching back, and thighs, and knees! I have also put some kale in the next bed with my usual tonic water bottles covering them because of the risk of frost. I put a garden net over the spot with the garlic, hoping that it will persuade the cat that it is not a giant toilet especially prepared for him!

My broccoli is forming heads very nicely and the savoy cabbages and English spinach are slowly coming on, as are the broad beans.

I did think that I would try and grow one tomato plant in my tiny hothouse as I have some Siberian seeds, but the cat has taken to sleeping in the bottom as it's so warm and snuggly in there! But I think that I am going to be firm with him and at least give it a go.

In the kitchen I have been baking different things for M's morning tea - sorry, coffee. My last creation was a carrot, raisin and pecan loaf but it was more cakey really. I must say that even I was impressed with it and will certainly make it again. The recipe was from my "Eat Well, Live Well, recipe book so I felt very satisfied when M liked it too.

On Saturday I had a smoked ham hock so I made a lovely lentil soup with it. It was so filling and there's an ice cream container of the leftovers still in the fridge for lunches. M is big on leftovers for lunch, which is good as it saves on bread etc. Today he had leftover spaghetti marinara but I don't think there were too many prawns or mussels left in the sauce!

And forgive me for this update but my farmer friend was right about the girls - or Thelma was giving Ron a piggy back.................

J