This post almost belongs on my other blog. Today we travelled south over the Hog's Back to see my parents and exchange Christmas presents. We began the journey in fog. The trees were covered in frozen fog, which was rather beautiful. However, once we'd been in Hampshire a while, moving ever southward we realised we were in sunlight. After so many foggy, gloomy days, it was so good to see the sun. It was also lovely to see my parents, of course.
This morning I received in the post a large orange plastic bee representing 'the Bumble Family' from Farm Africa. The pack also contained four cards introducing the Bumble family and telling what a difference a beehive makes to an African family.
I am intrigued to know who asked for it to be sent to me as I can't see any reference to the donor. I assume it was a family member, and I might find out later today or over Christmas, but just in case it was you, thank you very much. It's great to know that instead of me getting something I can live quite happily without, even if I would have liked it, a family struggling to make a decent life for themselves and to give their children a promising future will be helped in the struggle by honey and beeswax given them in my name.
Update: Son has just popped back. Apparently it should have been addressed to him, but wasn't, so that has rather spoiled the surprise from his point of view, although it was still a pleasant surprise for me, just a bit early. On the other hand I can probably appreciate it more because I have not been overwhelmed by a multitude of other presents to unwrap.
We had a frosty start to the day today, although the sun had melted most of it by the time I was awake enough to pick up a camera. The sun hadn't reached this part of the garden, though.
For some reason I started to reminisce about the Co-op. I think hubby started by saying they used to have department stores. Do they still in any part of the country? I don't know of one. Anyway I remembered how my landlady in Nottingham used to ask me to get her milk tokens for her as she had a Co-op milkman. I worked in town and she worked out in one of the mining villages as a teacher. So hubby was wondering why no one bothered to steal the milk tokens in order to get a free pinta. I suggested it probably didn't have the same street cred as stealing money and drug addicts were unlikely to switch to a pint a day habit!
When I wrote about my agreement with Steve T that we would enjoy Christmas better if we didn't over indulge during Advent I hope I didn't give the wrong impression. I haven't decided to eat only dry bread during the whole of Advent. We had cheese omelettes on Monday and a tasty leek and bean soup on Tuesday. Tonight I shall be very bad and buy pizzas from Waitrose, and unseasonal salad vegetables - apparently tomatoes from Spain and Italy are more environmentally-friendly than tomatoes grown in this country at this time of year as it is still warm enough there for them to be grown with natural heat. Hopefully they travelled by train rather than aeroplane.
Anyway, on top of all that I went out to feast with other members of the Ethical Matters last night, but there was no turkey or tinsel in sight. We enjoyed a feast of organic rice, local, organic and Fairtrade produce, a delicious vegetable soup with locally grown organic veg, home-made bread, a choice of organic roasted veg tart, a free range chicken tourine (sp?) or organic beef stew. Then a variety of desserts followed by British cheese and all accompanied by a plentiful supply of wine and juice. With so much food available only small portions were needed, and as this wasn't a restaurant you could take just as much or as little as you wanted.
It was a very enjoyable evening with pleasant, interesting company.
Tonight will be the House Group Christmas bash, but that should be a modest affair.
Yesterday I went to Guildford where I visited the Farmers' Market. I stocked up on delicious smoked bacon from a stall that sells the best British bacon I 've come across .
The onions and garlic I planted in early November look promising.
The second planting of onions is progressing more slowly - just two shoots are showing.
The broadbeans and second batch of garlic give me cause to hope for some kind of crop in the early summer.
Have you wondered about installing your own wind turbine or solar panel? According to George Monbiot on You and Yours today, this is not the answer to our energy problems. It seems personal wind turbines are more likely to annoy the neighbours than supply us with all the energy we need, and along with solar panels they are more expense than they are worth.
It was a greed that the future is not in 'micro-renewables' on private houses, but in long-term national renewable energy projects.
Visit the You and Yours website to listen again to today's programme.
Update
George Monbiot has started a website 'exposing the false green claims made by corporations, politicians and celebrities', called Turn up the Heat.
Perhaps I am a bear, or some hibernating animal underneath, for the instinct to be half asleep all winter is so strong in me.
Anne Morrow Lindbergh
After last night and early morning storms we had a rainbow of hope this afternoon.
According to Farming Today* this morning the British milk industry is in decline because we aren't drinkng enough milk, and of course it's the dairy farmers who are suffering.
Do you have your daily pinta to keep your hair, skin, nails, teeth and bones healthy? Could you find a use for an extra pint a day/ a week? Think of those warming and comforting milk puddings you could make.
* Farming Today's webpage had not been updated from yesterday when I last looked.
We went to the Maltings at Farnham on Wednesday evening to enjoy the 'Greatest Devonians', Show of Hands performing there. Martyn Joseph opened for them, but he mostly ranted, which makes me switch off these days. He's even changed to more metal guitar strings to make his sound harsher than it used to be. However I did find his rendition of Cardiff Bay, which he performed with the rest of the gang, very poignant. The little boy he sings of must have recently had his 18th birthday, so it makes me think back to when my own tall, teenage, almost-adult boy was small. Martyn had recently dislocated his thumb, so he deserves credit for soldiering on inspite of the obvious pain.I've just switched to beta blogger. If you are unfamiliar with the world of internet blogging let me assure you this is not a cause for alarm. Beta Blogger has nothing whatever to do with beta blockers and as far as I know my heart is perfectly healthy.
If you have already switched to beta blogger and have had trouble posting comments on my blogs, then please try again and let's hope it works this time. If you managed to post a comment that was not published take another look. The new system alerts me to unpublished comments and two that got forgotten have now been published rather belatedly. Apologies to Mad Priest and Annie Porthouse.
If you are a spammer please don't bother trying to write a comment. The reason any previuos comments you've made don't appear is that they have been rejected. All spam will be deleted.
P.S. What are backlinks, and would you allow them if you were me?
