I decided it was a perfect project to make a new trivet. I loved making one a few years ago and it was the perfect magazine article for Woodcarving Magazine. I spoke to my editor and said about different design, making it in a different way.
My articles make up the first 21 pages of this issue.
The scout hut is right next door to the school and being a leader I have access. So we have been sneaking in there most mornings...
Should people who have never been in the trade be the ones setting the syllabus for our trade colleges?
The cubs absolutely loved it. As scouts we had the whole place to ourselves as they opened especially for us (one of our leaders worked there over summer). The children all tore off like crazy to try and find all the stamps for their cards. The whole evening was filled listening to their laughter and shouts. Perfect way for them to burn off some energy.
Last week saw the new "season" of garden club talks for me. I had two talks, about an hour from home, one on the Tuesday and one on the Friday.
I always get really fired up before the talks and really enjoyed both of them.
At the one talk a lady came over with some Achocha's from seed I'd given her the year before at a talk I had given. I tend to give out packets of seeds rather than a business card, I find it's something people will keep a little longer and probably think of my business when they're planting them.
Food waste guilt.
I'm not sure we all suffer with it, but I sure do! One of my good friends does as well. That's why when she messaged me "Want any blueberries - I've been given some and they're starting to go squishy," I knew to say no.
The house was too hot for preserving (it was in this last heat wave), and I was busy. Last thing I wanted was some fruit I had to deal with straight away.
So I replied with a thanks but no thanks message.
She turned up anyway. Ready to pass the food waste guilt over to me!
This time I decided to film the process and hopefully share my wisdom on the subject. My main wisdom is just to make sure you try pruning them! Not pruning them is worse, and mistakes don't take that long to grow out!
Do you have much trained fruit growing?
For example, the Worcester apple above is what is classed as an early apple and it's only just ready!
What's your favourite early apple?
Etsy has been the main way I've earnt my living for some time now. My business has been slow to build but it fits well around the children, I have a built and designed a good range of products and put a lot of effort into what I do.
But each year we'd go away and I'd put my shop on holiday mode, which was great as there is no hassle, but it would mean a big gap in my sales. I decided to try a different method this time and have had great success.
Let me know how you deal with time away if you run your own business
It seems the different milestones of life keep clicking by.
The children have gone back to school, only this time our eldest has gone off to secondary school.
It suddenly feel very different. With Primary school you're really involved, invited in for different things, it somehow feels you have to be a part of it. Secondary school it feels like you're sending your child off into the world, the school doesn't want you, just your child.
The first day I drove her to a friend's house in the town and all the children from her class that had chosen this school walked into together. She went in smiling.
When I came to pick her up that evening, I met another mum who was waiting for her son. She said that they had to lock the door to stop her son getting back in the car! So I felt like my daughter was winning that day!
She came out smiling that day as well. She had a slight issue with one teacher and her phone. She has to have it out to monitor her blood glucose levels for her diabetes unfortunately. All teachers were meant to be informed but her tutor came over and asked her to put it away. She said she was a little upset but didn't argue, then she watched this teacher read her emails, look up at her, then come back over and tell her it was fine to check her levels whenever she wanted!
But it was today (as I write this it's Friday) that it all sinks in. We were sat on the bench, I'd left the other two in the truck, so just her and I were sat their waiting for the bus. We chatted and to me she just seemed instantly more grown up. The bus rolled up and she gets in on her own, I'm not going with her, I'm not speaking to the driver or checking everything is okay. She gets on and sits down and I watch her go off down the village.
That afternoon she comes walking back up the road to meet us. A smile on her face, a whole series of experiences of her own, ones we sit and talk about if she chooses to share them.
She makes me proud and happy every day.
Don't get me wrong, some were great, but some are truly terrible. And we only NORMALLY kept the good ones.
This one is not one of those.
I've been loving it lately as I've been sent so many pictures of my baskets in use! It's been so great to receive feedback like this.
I also just love seeing the bounty of summer that everyone is harvesting at the moment!
So when I heard a chirp the other morning I knew that our flock would be getting a little bigger. The three hens had fought and sat on each other for a few weeks and managed to hatch out 6 chicks. These are pure bred Indian game as the eggs were white (our hens that aren't Indian Game lay brown eggs), so it will be interesting to see what birds we get from them.