Happy new year! (Yes, I'm behind...)
Oops, it’s been a while since I posted here. Getting back to work after a fortnight off swamped me a bit. Still, 2022 is definitely starting well, and while we’re a good way into it I should probably wish you a happy new year.
My nan’s out of hospital, so instead of being cantankerous on the ward she’s being cantankerous at home. When you’re 95 I guess you can get away with being a bit grumpy.
As well as getting my first deadline of the year out of the way I’ve done some ponking around in the garden. Some of that was reburying bulbs the cats dug up (grr!) but I also did some early weeding – an hour now will save me five in spring – and got a delivery of nematodes, which I watered in. Those are microscopic creatures that will kill off slugs and snails as they hatch, reducing the number of slimy things that’ll eat my dahlias later in the year. We got some last year and they worked really well. Watering them in is a faff (add pack of nematodes to four litres of water, then mix 500ml of that with another 4 litres in the can and water them into the soil) but I know, like the weeding, it’ll pay off in the long run.
The gardening involved the tools Mr Robot gave me for Christmas. Another gift – he likes Christmas to involve lots of presents – was a cocktail shaker shaped like a retro-style space rocket, plus the Claridge’s Cocktail Book. It’s a really good book because it includes lots of classics, and while I make do with the rum/whisky/whatever that we’ve got rather than the specific brands they state, I have already been using it. So far we’ve had a Godfather (a very nice amaretto and whisky based one), Rob Roy (whisky and vermouth) and Sazerac (whisky and brandy). It’s been good fun, and I’ve decided I should try to do a cocktail of the week each week, so have bought a few different additional bits for that. Dry January’s not happening Chez Robot.
I need to check everyone’s blogs to see if anyone’s made any new year’s resolutions. I have, sort of. I’m going to try to set aside Sunday afternoons for creative stuff like sewing, drawing and blogging. I don’t know if I’ll manage it or other things will swamp me, but just as I’ve been carving out time for myself to go to the gym, creative time is also a good thing to have.
Anyway, I hope 2022’s being kind to you so far!
Happy New Year, Mim!
ReplyDeleteThe cocktail shaker is brilliant! And I like the sound of a Godfather...
The nematodes seems like an excellent idea and I shall explore that; if it gets rid of slugs and snails I would be very happy,
I'm glad your Nan is home; OH''s mum is 97 in March and becomes more cantankerous with every day - just saying...
Creative Sunday afternoons sound the way to go!
xxx
Nematodes work well on slugs, which live/breed below ground, but not so well on snails as they're surface dwellers - that said, I've watered round all the stony places where they amass, so I'm hoping the nematodes will take care of some snails too.
DeleteMum did say she thought the hospital let nan out just to get some peace...
Happy New Year, Mim! That's great news about your Nan, what a feisty gal she must be.
ReplyDeleteNaughty pusscats digging up your bulbs. At least you've got a beautiful trowel to replant them. I wish I liked cocktails as I love all the cocktail emphemera I see on the antiques shows on the BBC. As usual, Mr R seems to have excelled himself on the gift-buying front.
I don't make resoluations but we did say when we walked to the park on 1st January that we should go for a walk every Saturday and so far we have! xxx
Yeah, nan takes no nonsense from anyone. She was a landgirl during the war.
DeleteI'm trawling the chazzas nowadays for interesting glasses and barware. As there are only two of us, I don't need whole sets of stuff.
Great news about your Nan!
ReplyDeleteA Rob Roy is one of my favourite classic cocktails.
I think my favourite so far was the Godfather, but I am very much looking forward to summer when I can start on the long rum ones. And a tequila sunrise, to be extra kitsch.
DeleteI'm always behind a week or two, and still have to post about what I did on New Year's Day :-)
ReplyDeleteGood to hear your Nan is out of hospital and being cantankerous at home!
Well done on making a head start on the garden. It's been so wet here that I haven't been able to do much for ... months. I will definitely have to look out for those nematodes as we were plagued by armies of the slimy creatures last Summer.
Haven't made any new year's resolutions by the way ... xxx
I think all the nematodes we get over here are imported by companies from mainland Europe, so they should be easy to get, though I think you'll have to mail order them as they're living organisms and wouldn't last in shop conditions. Mine come in a pack through the post, and if I can't water them in straight away the pack's fine in the fridge for a few days.
DeleteI support the "lots of presents" idea. Hooray for your Nan! So good that she is back being cantankerous (I find as I'm getting older, I am getting more cranky, heh).
ReplyDeleteYeah, the number of f***s any of us have to give definitely lessens as we get older.
DeleteI'm looking forward to my birthday later in February, for sure... he's already started shopping!