Digging & Brooding

So, yes, I've been away - to the land of pies, fish and chips and Milo, sheep, kiwis and kakas - and it was amazing!

Pictures soon I promise!

Meanwhile we stayed with our friends Heather & Lee and their kids, Jack, Lily & Luke for a while and they live on in a gorgeous converted barn in the middle of a giant plot of land with veggie patches, mini vineyards, wandering guinea fowl and chickens. Pots of lavender and geraniums and it made me think surely we can dig up a tiny bit of land and plant a tree?


Gourmet apple tree - 4 in 1!

So the day after we came back Luka and I went to Alden Lane Nursery to choose an apple tree, Luka decided on a 4 in 1 gourmet apple tree and I set to work! Margaret lent me her rioter tiller and I started digging. It felt so good to do something that was physical and that gave immediate results- the opposite to writing a novel really, writing is so mental (in all ways) demanding lots of brooding, deep thinking, trust, faith and patience - such patience!!


This little patch of brown is going to be awash with green!

After a week little shoots are poking their way out of the ground - the purple ones are my favorites. Who knew Beets would have purple shoots? The sunflowers are exploding from their seeds and a lone courgette is reaching for the sky.

It is immensely satisfying to have something that grows before your eyes.

Meanwhile the novel...oh yes the novel, the thing is I got back to it felt stymied and knew the beginning plot just didn't make sense so I've been brooding on it while digging and coming up with ideas and solutions then before I knew it I was thinking about the novel nearly all the time and have rewritten vast chunks and it is so much better, the plot tighter and the characters are going 'no not like that he wouldn't do that he'd do this and no I am not a minor player you will meet me later and I will prove pivotal!' I love it when characters lead the way.

So raring to go sleeves rolled up and silence in the house then the phone call.
Luka is having trouble breathing - poor lamb, allergies, asthma and a cold no relief so he's been off since Thursday so Friday became --- drum roll----Creative Friday!!

And how long have I been saying I'd do this? Since January. I did paint the Freecycle chairs but now it's really taken off: rosemary & lavender wreaths, dried lavender bunches, new plantings in the previously dead zone, vases of roses and lavender, and Meyer Marmalade - yes I had a Martha moment. It was exhausting but fun!



My partner said it reminded him of the gardens in the Wickerman movie - I was thrilled by that - Yay for pagan sixties pageantry and mayhem! This year is looking up.