Knickers!

 'Non-essential' shops were allowed to re-open last week, with the easing of the UK lockdown, and I saw an interview with a shopkeeper asking how things were going, and what sort of stuff people were buying.

    'Oh they are buying all sorts!' the shopkeeper said happily, 'But mainly knickers, pants, bras, well all underwear.'

    Well, to be honest I am not really surprised at this. 

    The underwear I have has been through the washer so many times that the fabric is now wearing into holes. Some of the elastic has worn its way through the waist band, or is so 'relaxed' that you have to wear tights or leggings on top of them to keep them up! But I have been loath to throw any away as we had no idea when we might be able to replace them - not being ones to buy stuff online.

    And so it was, dear reader, that yesterday Graham and I ventured off our well trod essential shopping route and went in search of our local(ish) 'economy' department store. And lo we were like kids in a candy store, with so much STUFF we could buy. Shelves full of all sorts!

    So we bought paints for me and some sandals, and legs and long sleeved tee shirts for Graham (incidentally since when have tee shirts begun to be referred to as 'tees'? How idle is that? Well you won't get me doing it!). We looked at all sorts of stuff, and then found the knicker aisle, and loaded up with so many pairs of pants that I was lost beneath them in my wheels.

    There aren't many people I could say this to, but I feel we get on so well, that I can tell you that today I am wearing a pair of surprisingly stretchy and comfortable BRAND NEW KNICKERS!

    And I may even (although I may have to build up to it) throw some of the old ones away!

Gardening Questions

 Graham and I love our garden.

    It is a bit (lot) wild, but there is always something of interest in there, even through the Winter.

    We have got more involved with it this last year though, since the start of Lockdown. When you could not go out of the house except on essential trips for supplies or food, the garden became of far greater importance, and a source of enjoyment even more. 

    Neither of us are great 'gardeners'. If we find a plant we like, we pop it in the garden somewhere, water it a bit and see if it settles and grows/flourishes. If it dies we tend to think, 'Never mind, that obviously was not a plant that likes our garden.' 

    We have also been watching the gardening programmes on the TV a bit more too. Very often thinking to ourselves that there is no way we would be messing about like proper gardeners do, checking how acidic (or not) your soil is and mulching with banana leaves or unicorn droppings.

    But there are some things that come up that must be a part of the Hidden Lore of Gardening.

    For example: how do you know what is a weed?

    When I see all these little seedlings coming up in the bare earth, I have no idea which ones are things I want and which ones are things that have just 'arrived'. Especially now there is this fashion for planting grasses in the flower beds. I used to be safe and secure in the knowledge that any grass coming up in the flower bed was a weed! Now it could be something interesting and floaty which will add interest to the flowerbed through the Winter months

    Also a lot of the herbs and magical plants which I am interested in, may well be classed as 'weeds' by other folk. I remember horrifying one of our neighbours by transplanting dandelions into a flower bed. I like dandelions and they are a very useful plant.

    Another thing which often you read on seed packets or hear on the TV is: 'Plant out after the last frost.'

    How do you know when you have had the last frost? What sort of gardening divination is this? Do they use a pendulum and ask it if the frost we had last night is the last frost  - swing straight for yes or in a circle for no, or wiggle about randomly if you don't know either! Actually you could argue that there is no such thing as the 'last' frost as there are bound to be frosts if you wait long enough through the year ie October, November.

    If they mean 'Plant out in May or June.' SAY THAT.

    In the meantime I think I'll just carry on in my own way, pottering about, planting stuff randomly and plucking the odd bit of grass out of the flowerbed. 

    It's my garden and I'll garden it in my way.