The Menopausal Gardener

It has been just over two weeks since my arrival in Ludlow, and as you can imagine there has been a lot to do in settling into my new home. Alistair was here for a week and then had to return to Spain to see to viewings that had been arranged for the house.  

It is always strange those first nights in a new house especially in one as old as this, with creaking of floorboards and the like.  I have grown accustomed to them now and love my little house with its little garden.  Ludlow has markets on most days and yesterday was the flea market day.   Corrine and I found some bargains and then joined Simone and JJ for a super pub Sunday lunch.  It's so nice to be able to walk out of my front door and stroll around the corner to the shops, cafes etc.  The town is full of tourists every day who come to see the Castle and explore the cobbled streets and their many independent shops, including  three traditional butchers and three bakers providing a great range of products.  Pork pies and Olive & pumpkin seed bread are my failings at present.  I never thought i would eat toast in bed but find myself awake early around 6am after a peaceful nights sleep even with the window wide open ( lovely sash windows) no frogs or mosquito's just the sound of the birds in the morning - I sit in bed listening to them as I have my tea and toast and feel quite blissful.  In the evenings I listen to Radio 4 on my new/old radio and it feels like i have stepped back in time.  

My garden is small but cute and quite wild looking - I put out feeders for the birds and was told not to expect to see much happening for awhile till they found the food.  In one day they cleared the lot !!!  I now find myself buying copious amounts of food so the birds are as happy as myself and I think they are.  Today I am going to so some work in the garden and  have bought some penstemon's , passionflower and lavender to make a start.  The roses need replacing and a general tidy up so I can see what I can add to the garden in the way of herbs and some design features,  then I need to crack on with my photography - I have so much to learn and so much I want to achieve.

Alistair and I went on a 7 mile walk when he was here.  It was organised by the people who run the Food Festival here in Ludlow and was a great way to find out about the area and also discover that my left knee seems to give up the ghost after approx six and a half miles.  The walk had regular stops where food and drink were given from different sponsors and musicians and singers perform.  It was really something, sat on top of a hill eating raspberry brulee, drinking perry and listening to a violinist.  Loved it Loved it.  I have bought myself some proper walking shoes which i wear every time I go out now.  I might look shorter than usual but they make me feel like a local :-) 

I am feeling not too good, and even though the sun is shining I am finding it hard to lift my mood. There are so many things to be thankful for, but I think I will  have to wait for the cloud to pass and try to focus on positive things.  Like 'Lunch'.  We joined some friends down on the coast yesterday as we missed them on their last visit over, as we were so busy doing house stuff.  This time they booked at a place we had never been before.  A nice little Hotel called 'Oceano' tastefully decorated with properly trained staff  ( last time we went out for lunch Alistair had a bowl poured on him)  It was very pleasant sat by the sea, this picture is taken from where I was sitting.  Mussels and then beef - it was delicious and have made a mental note to take the children there when they are over.  Then on the way home we called in at the shopping complex 'La Canada' where I had a look at an 'ipad'  ( want one) and bought a LaCie external drive  500GB to make some room on my Mac.  I couldn't resist a quick look at the Nikon cameras ( want one of those as well) and then bought a wedding present for a reception we are going to this evening, and then headed off home, back up into the mountains - where, I then spent an hour watering all the pots before settling down to watch the football.  Sky decided not to work on just that channel, but now I'm glad we didn't see it.  What a disaster England were.  I really can't see the justification in the the amount of money they get paid.

I suspect the are feeling a bit like me today - and have a cloud hanging over them also.

Well its been a stressful time but we seem to have arrived at the end of it all.  The sun is shining and everything in the garden is looking lovely.  Veg is growing, potatoes are earthed up and the house is finally re-decorated and looking good.  Alistair and I are sooooooo looking forward to a holiday when we sell the house.  The children are well and happy, Corrine  has gone to Dublin with some friends for her 21st and no doubt is partaking in a few glasses of guinness.

There have been problems with this blog page causing computers to freeze so I am going to keep this short and just add  some pictures that I have taken of the garden and outdoor kitchen over the last couple of days, as I want to publish this and change a few things to sort out the problem.

Firstly I must just say a big thank you to my children for giving me the best Mothers Day ever.  A very well planned surprise ( I usually hate surprises) Alistair did an amazing job as well, keeping their arrival and collection from the airport all hush hush, with pre-arranged business meetings that I did not suspect at all. I feel very lucky to have such a marvellous family.

At last the sun came out and we managed to feel some warmth on our skin.  We took the chance to get to a garden centre and start our revitalising scheme for the garden.  I started planting yesterday and felt suitabley knackered last night.  It has been a long wet winter and the garden needs some love and attention.  The jet washer is out and I am going to work gradually around the terraces cleaning floors and pots as I go.  I started yesterday at the front door and replaced the pots of last years geraniums with larger pots and  beautiful dark red geraniums.  The potatoes are just popping their heads through the soil and some veg seeds are now planted in old toilet roll centres - they seem to work extremely well for sweet corn. The lemon trees have now been given a strong citrus feed as some were looking very depleted with yellowing leaves as they have certainly produced a bumper crop this year.  The house will go back on the market around the end of May and it should be looking dazzingly beautiful by then.  We are off to another garden centre today as there is no stopping us now the sun is shining and I can get lots done when i have my ipod earphones in and can listen to great music as I work.  Yesterday choice was, Ray Montagnue, Seth Lakeman, Santana and Florence and the machine.

 Have just checked the weather forecast and showers are predicted for some of the coming days, Drat and fiddlesticks  ( fiddlesticks is an underused word that I'm trying to incorporate into my sentences more)

Here are some lemony pics.

Its Jan 29th and the days have been eventful with lots of work, energy and my New Year Resolution to be 'Happy', surely tested.

We returned to Spain to a flooded house, as Spain had had rain, the like that had not been seen before ( so they say)  It wasn't good , to say the least. Luckily a neighbour had checked and managed to get a large pump  and empty the worst of it.  So then we had the job of getting all the quotes in for the various jobs and claims and started the cleaning up process.   Then last Saturday night it happened again, even though all the pumps were working.  This time we had to call the Fire brigade and needless to say we have to start the drying out process again.  Anyway I tried to keep smiling and thought of the poor people in Haiti, and how our problems are only small in comparison.

We do have modern drains and a cement trench around the house to cope with heavy rain, but this was unprecedented and the Spanish government are paying the claims in a lot of cases instead of the insurance companies.  We are fully equipped with bigger and more powerful pumps in case of emergencies in the future, and things should be fine now.

Today the sun is out as you can see in the pictures. The soil in the veg beds is dry enough for me to have cleared them out ready for planting and I am harvesting cauliflower and broccoli at present.  Had a load of seeds arrive from Chilterns and Sarah Raven website and am looking forward to getting some seed potatoes in soon.

In the distance you can see the snow on the mountains but of course we don't actually get any where we live, though we have seen loads of it on SKY showing the UK.

Alistair has got his wellies off and his warmer weather working clothes on, and is busy getting outside jobs done as I am working on some paintings for a children's book.  

We seem to have been busy everyday since we got back to Spain  ( great Christmas and New Year though)

The other night we collapsed exhausted in front of the TV to watch a movie on SKY which had some quite racy scenes.  After it finished, Alistair turned to me and said ' Are you thinking what I'm thinking'.                                                                           'Well if its' cheese and cracker 's with the last of the pickled onions.  Yes !! 

A menopausal moment

December in Spain still consists of sunny days, not the unbearable summer heat but the gentle warmth that reminds me of English Springs of my younger years.  We can still sit outside till the sun sinks behind the mountains, then the air get instantly chillier and we move indoors and light the fire with old logs of olive wood.

Bruno is thought about often and quiet reflection by his grave has become part of the daily regime especially for Alistair as he likes to go and stand there in a morning and have a few words with him.

We lost a truly amazing person this week, when a friend of ours died in an English Hospital.  The operation he went in for - though it was for a serious condition -went as well as could be expected but then he contracted MRSA which left him clinging on to life for the last couple of weeks.  Sadly he lost the battle and we lost a vastly talented individual who should be still here with us now.

Why is it that the most special of people are often the ones to leave us way before it's their time? 

Christmas is rolling towards us and for many it can be a painful time and not the joyous partying that the media try to sell us.  I for one do not need another bl...y  sofa.  Where the hell do they get the idea that we are all waiting to rush out and get 20 years free credit (slight exaggeration) for some obnoxious settee that will make our Christmas so extra special for all the family - yeh , please............

I can enjoy the present giving as we still have a youngster in our family if you can call a 14 year old that, and realise how lucky we are to have our children to spend time with at this time of year, so I intend to  make the most of it. But its not like that for a lot of people.  Maybe I'm just a miserable sod, but I hate the end of the year and just want to get New Years Eve over so I can relax and have that feeling of 'A new start' .

A new start for projects that I never quite managed to get around to, and  a new enthusiasm and energy to create a life of peace, love and unbounding joy - that is till I see they have got another sale on at DFS , when i turn back into a raving Mrs Grumpy.

P.S  Our TV debut was on Dec 7th on BBC2  and it went well we thought.  I didn'tt look like the camera had put 10lbs on me and we both came across as relatively sane people.  If you missed it, you can still see it if you go on the 'Escape to the Country' website.

Make up , Make up, lovey, darling  where are you when one needs you ??!!!

My six weeks in Ludlow have been and gone and I have been back in sunny Spain for a couple of weeks now.  As I write this in bed with a cup of tea to hand, the wind is howling like a banshee and the cats have decided to take refuge at the bottom of my bed.  Snuggled and warm, like myself.  Although at 3.30am this morning I was roaming down the track in my PJ's, torch in hand trying to find the source of some pitiful crying dog.  It stopped as soon as I got through the gates and I  heard a car drive down the track, so can only assume the two were connected.  

Back to my stay in Ludlow - well I didn't know what I would feel like emotionally, but I actually loved every minute.  I put this down to the place not the country.  Ludlow is so different, with its traditional butchers, baker's and candlestick makers ( I lied about the last one) great farmers markets, antique and craft markets, small independent traders and lovely cafes, pubs and restaurants.  We really didn't need to leave the town.  We had a great apartment in the centre of Ludlow and could walk everywhere we wanted to go, including some lovely river walks.

It was great to see the girls and spend time with them, and because Alistair had driven my car over for me, we were able to visit places like, Acton Scott Victorian working farm  ( the one where they film the TV programme of similar name)  Blists Hill working Victorian town, and other places of interest.  These of course are great for integrating into Max's home-schooling programme.  Ludlow Castle was of course included as you can see from the picture.  

The idea was for us to get a feel for the place and look at available properties - which we did.  Unfortunately as we still haven't sold our house here we cannot pursue anything at present but are remaining positive in our belief that all things happen for a reason, and when the time is right, everything will fit into place.

I did find though that when I travelled further away and nearer my old haunts, I did not like that area at all, and so if you ever think of re-locating I would suggest staying in the place's you are considering and pick up on the energy and feel of the place.  The people in Ludlow where friendly and welcoming and it was lovely to chat in English and connect with people.  I also only saw rain on two days in my entire visit.  ( A fluke I know)

The journey back to Spain wasn't so great - and it was unlike me but I felt sea sick most of the trip from Portsmouth to Santander.  Then our drive home took 13 hours rather than 10 - with a couple of hitches, one with me driving in Madrid in rush hour and the nice lady on the Tom Tom not knowing the new tunnels existed.  We arrived home at 3.30 am after being so tired we were seeing bends in roads that weren't there.   Max fell into bed and Alistair and I opened a bottle of Rose' and numbed our frayed nerves.

Back in Ludlow for Christmas to spend it with the children, flying though !!   Kindly friends have offered to house sit for us, and look after animals.

Phew... well it is certainly hot now in Spain, and I know English friends will think I am mad moaning about the heat when its raining over there at present, and they would like to see more of the sun, but its bl***dy hot.

Today we had to go down to the coast for a few things and called in on our local steel man who has just finished making some railings for us, and had put them up yesterday.  We thought we would drop his money off, us being the efficient types.  His father, Pedro, is in his 70s and has a stomach that is larger than most full term pregnancies - what a delight it was to see this fine figure of a man coping with the heat by walking around his garden in his Y fronts (Oh I bet you wish I had had my camera with me).  It was competition stuff I tell you!! I suppose it was his way of keeping cool.  I've told Alistair not to consider it as its not a brilliant fashion statement.

Lisa works in the garden on a Wednesday and we really can't believe how she copes with working in this heat. We get to a point that we can't stand watching her and have to drag her indoors for a beer or two - that girl's a star.  I can only manage outdoors if I am outside by 7.30am and get things done by 10.30am and then its 'switch on the air con' and chill, literally.  

I try to avoid too much TV as I find myself turning into  Mrs Grumpy and have to moan and comment through all the adverts - why don't the people revolt?  The latest one to really get me going is some stupid touchpad game where you can spend your precious time 'TAPPING'.  What the hell are people thinking of, Tapping!!! even the advert can't make tapping exciting, hey look you can say to your friends look how good I can tap.  PLEASE ..... give us a break, have we totally lost the plot?

Another one is the anti-perspirant for feet.  I have been telling my girls not to use stuff under their arms that block your pores for years, as it's one of the ways your body eliminates toxins.  Now we have one that can block your feet as well.  Great!! Keep all the nasty stuff in your body so it can do maximum damage.  Where do they think all these toxins go? Just maybe they could make you ill, don't you think? But what the hell, the pharmacutical companies like that, as it means they can sell you loads of drugs to combat even more problems.  When are people going to stop believing everything they are told and use commonsense regarding what we put in, on and around our bodies? The poor old bees are having a tough time of it at present due to pesticides killing large numbers and we still think that these chemicals can't do harm to us.  

We try to avoid chemicals as much as possible but  at present you can't  live entirely without coming into contact with them, but we can do our bit and buy produce and products that we consider safe, and hopefully we all won't end up sitting in a hospital tapping away on our games console. 

Obviously I am having a grumpy menopausal moment :-)

Well it's been a while since my last blog, but life can't revolve around one's computer (can it?). We are having lovely weather and I am finding time to use the exercise bike and do some swimming before the school run, which is giving me loads of energy in the mornings but then ready for a little siesta by around 2pm, when its too hot to do anything else.  I have been busy painting and not doing much gardening I'm afraid, but as the gardens are really complete now it is mainly maintenance that is required and watering, so only the veg and herbs are getting attention at present.  The first lot of peas are finished and I shall plant some more this weekend.  Tomatoes are still green as I was late getting started this year, but french beans and Pak Choi are being picked. 

As some people may be aware, our plans seem to have changed once again and we shall be moving over to the UK to set up a Horticultural business for our younger children. How will we manage without the sunshine?!!!  Well we have many ideas on what we are going to create there and it will involve many 'green'  and enviromentally friendly resources and products which will, we hope, produce somewhere magical to live and work, and some areas that we can make into tropical zones so we don't feel that we have totally left the Mediterranean way of life behind.  We hope to take with us plenty of thoughts and lessons that we have learnt here.  We still feel that we will need to get away to the sun now and again to top up with Vit D and for Alistair, as he prefers to write under a Mediterranean sun!

Due to this move we have been filmed for a English TV programe and have just done a couple of days filming here and will go over to the UK soon to do four more.  I breathed in and hopefully won't look too fat (vanity is a terrible thing).

I need to get my book finished now but find it hard to stop painting and concentrate on the writing, but it has to be done and I no longer have time on my side. The pictures here are of things I love about living in Spain and will dearly miss.

I have decided to update some of the pictures on the main site as the garden has matured and things look slightley different now. The plants seem to have taken off this last few weeks as we have had our fair share of rain and the sun is now out giving us its feel good vibes and plenty of Vit D.  I don't sunbathe at all usually as I don't want to look like a crocodile handbag when I get older, but yesterday I decided I was in need of a day off!!  By 10.30 am I was in my costume and stretched out by the pool.  One forgets how good it is to feel the sun on your skin, I would have gone naked if I knew for certain that the goatherd wouldn't turn up.  I am also trying to not use any chemicals or hairdryer on my hair and am  massaging olive oil with a few drops of romero (rosemary, easy one) essential oil in my hair every few nights to condition and hopefully help with clarity of mind.  So yesterday I  mixed an equal measure of fresh lemon juice (picked straight off the tree) and vodka together in an old spray bottle and sprayed this on my damp hair during the morning to create highlights naturally.  You need to keep doing this till you get the result you want.  It was a lovely relaxing day, mixing swimming and reading in the shade with bursts of sunbathing.  Before i went to bed I made sure that I massaged my face, neck and hands with pomegranate oil; it is an organic product which also contains other essential oils and smells divine.  I drifted of into a deep sleep. Result!

Going back to my main website, I mentioned on there that i was starting a 12 weeks fitness programme that should rid me of my inner menopausal fat.  Well I felt good but it didn't shift what I wanted it to shift. I think now I have found the only true way its going to go and that is to give up alcohol, arghh!

As your liver is your fat burning organ i have been taking supplements that help cleanse and rejuvinate my liver and I find if i stop drinking alcohol the fat starts disappearing.  Even after one teetotal evening you can feel less bloated.  Well, I have tried every thing else and was hoping I wouldn't have to take this drastic measure, as sitting in the evening sun sipping a chilled glass of something is very hard to part with, but needs must, so I will report back on this and let you know how it goes.

Wish me luck !!