Buy Cheap, Buy Twice

Not sure how much this has to do with being a smallholder, other than when you spend all of your money on animals of various types, you are always broke?I am in the process of a massive financial review lately (more tedious details to follow shortly) and one of the things I will be taking more notice of from now on is the clothing budget.

I am  a total scruffbag when I am not at work. With a grubby little dog to walk down muddy lanes, chickens to put to bed and mossy logs and ash to ferry about  for the logburner, there is just no point in wearing anything nice around the house. When I lived in a city, I was always relatively well dressed, in case someone ‘knocked on the door’. Well, living so rurally means that a) we are too far away for anyone to just ‘pop round’ or b) everyone else is just as scruffy so it doesn’t matter. In fact, my good friend and neighbour frequently walks around in her PJ bottoms and a jumper covered in dog hair. Because of this, I don’t spend a lot of money on clothes.

But in December, I broke, desperate for a taste of ‘normal life’  and went on a bit of a ‘spree’, buying various items, one being this jumper from Mango. It cost me £9.99, and as I only wear it to work, I haven’t washed it yet (should mention I do layer up, so it doesn’t smell, ok!). I put it on this morning and gasped –  it is covered in bobbles, is stretched out of shape where it had half fallen off its hanger and the sleeves are all misshapen and baggy when you wear it. I looked at the label – 78% Viscose, 28% Polyamide. I know you can de-bobble with one of those gadgets, or with a razor, but in my experience this doesn’t last long. I recon I can get a few more wears out if it before it will be consigned to the ‘gardening clothes’ drawer – but what a waste! Ten or so wears and it is redundant – price per wear almost £1.00.

Compare this with…..my lovely GAP jumper. It cost £50 back in 2006, when I had money to burn.

I LOVE it. The word comfort blanket doesn’t even get close. It is 100% wool.  I recon I have worn this at least once a week for seven years. Price per wear = who knows but it must be in the low pence – and it’s got years left in it. You can tip a cup of tea over its brightly coloured stripes and it doesn’t show. You can cook a smelly roast dinner in it, hang it by a window and the smell disappears. I have never de-bobbled it and have washed it several times. Over the years, like a trusty guardian angel, it has seen me through:

visiting grans who are now 90 (sorry gran);

cuddling babies who are now all grown up;

dirty jobs like bottle feeding lambs;

And many, many more things.

I know that you are thinking about Time Team, but I don't care!

Look, I have heard them all, OK?

So – lesson learned. From now on I am buying quality, not quantity. It is hard when you are skint and seemingly unable to save money, but I am going to try. Five months of buying the crappy Mango jumper would have bought me another GAP lifelong companion.  Even better to buy them from charity shops, where you can find bargains my other lovely, stripy, GAP jumper, which was £8. See a theme emerging here?

Time to Say Goodbye

“A peasant becomes fond of his pig and is glad to salt away its pork.

What is significant, and is so difficult for the urban stranger to understand,

is that the two statements are connected

by an and not by a but.”

 John Berger

Yesterday, we got ‘the call’ from our farmer friend that he was in the area, and could pick up our porkers on the way back to his farm, to take to slaughter today, with some of his own animals.

They are probably dead by now – all morning I have been looking at the clock and wondering whether they have breathed their last. My work colleagues keep asking me whether I am sad about it. This is a bit annoying. I feel like asking them if they mourned the death of the pig which is in their supermarket sandwich. The fact is, animals die so that we can eat meat – I think they just feel that it is a bit heartless if you happened to know the animal when it was alive.

The pigs in the autumn - amazing how much they grew in the last few months. They even had a bench to sit on.

This couldn’t be further from the truth. I know that my pigs were well looked after. They had a snuggly house, plenty of space to run about in, lots of soil and roots to snuffle about and plenty of treats. So I can’t be sad about their lives, the way I am about the way intensively reared pigs live. That only leaves their deaths to be sad about. I did have a quiet moment at the sight of the empty pig pen, but I am not sad.

I know that they were sent to a local family run small abattoir, about a twenty five minute drive away from us, so any stress was kept to a minimum. Oli went with our last lot and saw it through right until the last minute. He said it was all done so fast that none of the pigs had a chance to see what was going on – and there was no squealing.  This is a million miles away from the hours travelled by some animals to large slaughterhouses, who queue up for ages in full sight of what is going on.  If I am going to eat any pigs, I would rather they are the ones that met their end with as much dignity as possible in the circumstances.

In the trailer.

For me, there are two options – either don’t eat it, or go to the trouble to make sure it has lived and died well. Just buying it and trying not to think about the bad bits isn’t really a choice for me – I am sorry if that sounds a bit sanctimonious.

They were on their way within half an hour. We tempted them into the trailer with some food (this does feel a bit duplicitous), completed the paperwork (which is for the local council's animal movement records) while they ate, and our friend took them off to overnight in a barn before the journey in the morning.

Note to self - must buy flat cap or will never make proper farmer status.

It will be a couple of weeks before our pork delivery arrives.

Brrrrrrr

Well according to local thermometers it has been down to -6 last night and any garden activity in the weekend was a write-off. The ground was too hard to get a fork in. And annoying as I wanted to exploit my newely re-discovered digging mojo - having gotten through 3/4 of veg patch 2 (there are four) the week before:

Still, at least the frost should kill off the pests in the soil which have been brought to the surface by the digging. Nothing much for it than to stay in the warm and drink tea - and browse the internet to see what other things can be done in preparation for the spring.

As I kind of fell out of love with the garden in the autumn, I didn't plant any bulbs - which I massively regret. So treated myself to these gorgeous 'tete-a-tete' dwarf narcissi from the garden centre and planted them up in a bowl. Only one has managed to burst through so far but the little flash of yellow is just enough to keep me going on these frosty mornings.

Pigs In Blankets

Along with most of the South of England, we have had some very cold days (lowest -5c around here) and even a dusting of snow. The water trough has at least 3 inches of ice on it, which we have to bash though with a hammer in the mornings.

I felt very bad for the poor pigs, out there in their pig arc. It is corrugated iron, so not very well insulated at all. We do give them straw from time to time, to keep them off the ground and comfortable - but they eat it, so a bale only lasts a week! They had snuffled the earth and remains of the straw into the corners, blocking off any draughts, and all sleep in a hollow in the middle.

People keep telling me that with those four boys in there all together, the body heat would keep them warm enough alone. I did check on them one night, and wheras the ground outside was frozen hard, the dusty earth inside the house was still loose, dry and friable. I can conclude then, that it must have been around or above freezing in there, but nontheless, still too cold to be comfortable. They are off in the next few days for slaughter, but I wanted their last week to be a happy one.

So as soon as we heard that the cold weather was on the way, we went and bought three big bales last week, and stuffed the pig arc full.

They checked it out approvingly:

And soon dived in, burying themselves completely. Only coming out on the promise of dinner.

Can you blame them?

Finito!

Well reader, since my last post about my list of outstanding jobs I am pleased to announce that I have finished one project - the unfinished socks.

I thought it was going to be a matter of just sewing up the toes, but no - I found that I had actually abandoned the fourth sock mid way through. This meant I had to trawl the internet for the pattern, unpick it to a stage I recognised, and finish it, before sewing up all of the toes. But I did it - so unfinished project number 5 is off my list!

The practice run. Yes, the toe seam on the left foot is running vertically not horizontally, it's not a trick of the light.

The expensive tweedy wool pair - if honest, not as good as the practice run.

Now look, they aren't perfect, I know. Because I was so impatient, I made them more like ankle socks than the nice woolly legwarmers I envisaged...but I could feasibly make a nice long pair now if I wanted to (but not until my other unfinished projects are finished!).

The four socks probably cost about £10 in wool and needles - more than enough to by a snazzy pair of 'North Face' hiking socks in Blacks. But it is a comfort to know that if the apocalypse arrives tomorrow and I have to resort to knitting my own, my tootsies will be toasty and warm.

Finishing What I Started

You would think that the winter months would be an ideal time to get on with inside jobs, but somehow this winter I have failed to make any progress with my 'works in progress'. I came very close to buying soap-making stuff today, thinking how lovely it would be to have a stash of home-made soap tucked away. But I looked deep within my heart and admitted - it would just add to the massive list of half finished 'projects' in my life. They are weighing heavy on my conscience, a bit like the chains that Dickens' Marley had to carry around for all eternity. So, I have decided that before I begin any other crafty projects this year, I am publicly vowing to FINISH WHAT I STARTED!

Read on and be appaulled...

Unfinished Project Number 1

So... the armchair. We had been making do with a tiny sofa in our living room and needed an armchair. So I put an add on Freecycle and persuaded myself that I was up for a bit of re-upholstery. I spent a couple of hours ripping off the naff faded red cover, only to loose interest halfway through. So, the puppy ripped most of the foam out of the sides and I bunged a throw over it to hide my shame - and that is how it has been ever since. I can't even sit on it because every now and again I get spiked by a half-removed staple!

I have found some lovely fabric cheaply on Ebay. The excuses are over! I will finish it this spring!

Unfinished Projet Number 2

The Quilt.

I have come so close with this beast. Last year I managed to stitch the squares together, add batting and a back cover. All it needs now is binding around the edges. The truth is that I think I have fallen out of love with it. The 'stitching in the ditch' part is really messy and the lines are not straight, so every time I look at it, all I see is faults.

My mum assures me these are not visible to the untrained eye. Anyway, nobody will ever see it if I don't get on and finish it. I could do it in an evening - so no more procrastination! I will buy the binding fabric (hope hobbycraft still make it!) and finish the damn thing!

Unfinished Project Number 3

The chest of drawers.

This was another Freecycle project. God the arguements Oli and I had trying to fit this into the back of the VW Golf... and I didn't even finish it. As you can see, I got halfway through, burned out the electric sander and had a strop, and have to use the damn thing in this hideous state every day, reminding me of my inertia. The drawers don't open and shut properly, and it is a mess.
But, it is lovely quality and I love the locks on the drawers. It must have a bit of a history - we recon it is 1930's. So I will finish sanding it, paint it a lovely eggshell colour and buy some nice new handles.

Unfinished Project Number 4

My albatross.

I bought this for £22 at an auction three years ago. Oli said at the time I would never finish it. I saw in it the potential to make a lovely and quirky hall chair - it had some original georgian fabric on it but was admittedly in a bit of a state. I insisted and so we bought it and got it home...to find that it was actually a commode...and came complete with chamber pot under the flip-up seat cushion. Perfect! I thought. We can use it to hide keys in!

I spent many a lonely freezing night in the garage getting high on the fumes of Nitromors, burning the skin off my fingers...but the thick varnish took ages to scrub out of the intricate pattern with wire wool and I am sorry to say... I got bored. So now every time we have an arguement, or when poor Oli tries in vain to rein me in from yet another purchase that has 'potential' he only has to say one word: 'COMMODE'. So, this year I will sand it down to a nice natural wood colour, and finish it!

(I should say at the same auction, I also bought a 12ft long church pew, with a plan to slice it in half and stick the end on so that it fitted in our kitchen. After meticulously stripping the varnish off (more Nitromors) I did this, I found that the end didn't fit back on...and Oli promptly used the chainsaw to turn it into firewood - so his lack of faith is not that unreasonable).

Unfinished Project Number 5

Socks.

This one should be an easy fix. I am very proud that I taught myself to knit socks in the autumn, and after much unpicking and swearing, they ended up looking like actual socks. Miracle! But the last step of sewing the toe up proved a step too far, and they are languishing on the giant safety pin. I recon I can do this in one evening...watch this space.

Unfinished Project Number 6

Oh no! Thought I was finished but have just remembered... the bedside cabinets.

Yet another Freecycle impulse collection...they are a pair and I thought they would be really perfect for my planned french country chic guest bedroom. I bought some sparkly glass handles and planned to paint them eggshell blue and add some nice decorative feet. Instead I sanded one, left them in the garage and did nothing.

Phew! They say the key to getting things done is to do one thing at a time.... so I plan to start with the socks, then the armchair. Watch this space!

Emerging Bleary Eyed from the Dark

Reader, if you are still there, I must apologise wholeheartedly for the lack of posts. I got close to posting a festive one about all of the lovely festive baking I got up to, and the rustic greenery and berry decorations which adorned the house...but the truth is, neither actually happened. This winter I have been struck by what is either SAD or just lazyitis, but I am ashamed to say that I have done NOTHING.

In November, we had a delivery of lovely seasoned firewood...



And for months, every evening has basically looked like this....

I have read some fabulous books (Paulo Cohelio's The Zahir, Lucinda Riley's The Girl On The Cliff being two of the best) and doing a bit of college work here and there (floristry), but mostly watching television, sleeping and generally hibernating. It has been bliss! I know most 'proper' gardeners have been flicking through seed catalogues and eagerly planning from their armchairs, but I find I need a total break where I can be a normal person for a few months, where my every waking moment doesn't involve doing mental gardening in my head and I don't have compost under my fingernails.

A high point of the winter was the lamb delivery. Our three lambs went off in November, and two weeks later, arrived ready for the freezer. It is really tasty meat and it is such a luxury to be able to get a roasting joint out almost every Sunday. Mmmm.

Another high point was the greenhouse surviving horrendous gale force winds, in the worst storm for years. This despite the fact we didn't cement the posts in like we should have done. Fingers crossed...

A low point was a fox attack. We lost our lovely drake one night, as the automatic door failed to work on the duck house - our fault for not checking it regularly enough. I heard a lot of quacking in the middle of the night and went to check what was going on - the fox scarpered but sadly had already bitten the drake, who died of shock. Needless to say we now check every night that they are tucked up in bed. We have been lucky that so far (touch wood!) this is the first fox problem we have had. The worry now is that he will be back for more, so we will have to be extra vigilent.

The only time I have ventured outside (other than to feed the animals) this winter has been to take the dog for walks in our local woods.

It's been months since I have touched the garden, which now looks like this:

The 'greenhouse of death' is a black, withered mess

The chooks have been moved out of their enclosure, which in the very heavy rain we have had recently, became a boggy mess.

Instead they have been free ranging in the veggie patch, stripping the rainbow chard down to nothing and the lower kale leaves - but I don't mind.

The pigpen is also a boggy mess on one side. The other side is better drained, and gets the sun, so they like to lie and catch whatever sunlight they can on bright days.

So it would all be a bit depressing - if it wasn't for the little hints that spring is on the way:

I can feel my sap starting to rise...