MORE HAPPINESS

I have got over skipping across the kitchen to rejoice in rain, log fires and wintery weather and am already into the reality of barrowing in loads of firewood from the woodheap, picking vegs for dinner, in the rain (move the coma to make it read "picking vegs, for dinner in the rain"! Isn't English so interesting ), using my wet weather gardening gloves, remembering to take my slippers off before darting out the laundry door to pick some herbs for some tea, and wishing we could catch every drop of rain that falls on the roof.

Now I am going skippity doo because of spending the day with all of you at Fern Ave. I have been a solitary kitchen gardener for ever, since I was about 18. Yes, my garden group friends are great but they are not into the growing for health thing as much as me and I was beginning to think I was a bit loopy. Now I know all of you and we can all be loopy together !

I had no intention of spending all day at Fern Ave on Sunday, as (generally speaking) I like to share my time with other species and find I have little in common with most humans. However, every minute was filled with the joy of growing.

A young lady called Sarah came along when my I was very thirsty from talking, and offered to get us tea and muffins ! How lovely. Much later in the afternoon Kath came by and offered herb tea. That was perfect timing, I had nearly had it by then ! The best thing was that Cath Caon told me she had bought some (not even just 1 ) of my pumpkins from Wilsons' and that she had some pumpkin soup in her thermos for lunch that day !

I also met some lovely people, such as the 2 very old ladies who, at first, were so tentative and just bought 1 broccoli seedling. I said goodbye and off they went....Some time later they were back and a few more things went into their baskets. I offered them some of Joy's Cos lettuce seeds, for free and they said no, they weren't too sure about that. Off they went again... At least 1/2 hour later I saw them bending over some vegs in the garden so I went and spoke to them. We chatted along and I found that they had got really keen to grow some of their vegies and once again returned to the stall and took the cos seeds, as I had shown them some growing in the garden there. It is never too late to embark on the joy of gardening, especially for food.

Another old lady (I always seem to attract them, even in the supermarket) lamented her tiny unit and how she hated throwing away things that could go into making compost, such as veg scraps, paper etc. I told her how Joy makes compost in a garbage bag and turns it by rolling it along. Her smile was reward enough for me - she thanked me, almost with tears in her eyes - and I felt pretty skippity doo too. Another happy gardener.

These are some of the reasons that I feel so skippity doo today.

ps All those dry beans husks make great kindling !