A repair like a carrot!
I realise a whole week has gone by without a post… a combination of being busy and having a computer problem. The latter was related to an overheating power input, which was rectified with a new cable with replacement plug secured with Sugru – a cheap and simple solution, but one that took a little time because of the logistics of finding the replacement and then having to wait 24 hours for the Sugru to dry. The current obsession with excessively replacing electronic equipment is a real issue environmentally, and so I’m delighted with any solution that allows me to keep using my computer… I fully support the Restart Code, which you can check out here.
Away from the computer, the declutter continues, with five successful sales on ebay this week. I find the whole process of sorting out online auctions somewhat tedious, but it’s a good way to make sure unwanted items go to homes where they will get some use, so every now and then I grit my teeth and do a few listings. This time I sold five out of six items listed, which seems like quite a success to me.
Drawstring bags for vegetables
Reducing clutter is also taking the form of turning some of the “I’m keeping this because it might be useful” things into things that really are useful.So, I spent a while cutting up an old sheet to make cleaning cloths (more on this in a later post when I’ve finished experimenting). In addition, I made four drawstring bags from off-cuts of very thin curtain fabric to use when we go shopping. We always take our own shopping bags, but rarely remember to take individual bags to put vegetables in. I used scrap fabric and some cotton tape that had been around some clothes I bought (rather than plastic packaging), so the resulting bags really are something for nothing. So far I’ve made two large ones and two small ones, but I’ll dig out some more fabric soon and make a few more. I’ve also been working on a crochet bag using yarn oddments… more on that when it’s finished.
And then there has been the garden. Two of our raised beds have been mulched over the winter, but the other day we took the mulch (Mypex) up from one of them, netted it and sent the chickens in to clear our any pests and weed seeds.
They spent a few hours in there on two days and then the bed was ready for planting… just a few roots of docks, dandelions and buttercups had to be dug out first. This afternoon I planted it up with broadbeans and potatoes… fingers crossed for a good harvest.
Plants in – scarlet-flowered runner beans and potatoes
The Snail of Happiness 
Pat
/ April 19, 2016A very efficient crew!
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thecontentedcrafter
/ April 19, 2016Heavens you have been busy Jan! I smiled ruefully at your ‘not posted for a week’ beginning – I just realised It’s been 16 days since I last posted and still haven’t got a clue for another post – better rummage around and find something 🙂 I love your idea to make little bags for the vegetable shopping – could be utilised for storing too if you have enough of them. And hens – I didn’t know you have hens – wonderful!! Good luck with the growing.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ April 20, 2016Is this the comment you want me to delete? Seems fine to me!
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thecontentedcrafter
/ April 20, 2016I knew you had chickens!! I was halfway through writing my comment, got interrupted, came back and read another post and then finished your comment thinking it was the other post – had a melt down and wondered if I needed rehab 😀
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thecontentedcrafter
/ April 19, 2016Good lord – please delete that comment – I thought I was visiting someone else. I’ll start again xoxo Coffee Required Here Now!!
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katechiconi
/ April 20, 2016I have two thin nylon large shopping bags that roll up into nothing and live permanently in my handbag. I now wonder how anyone goes shopping without them. I’m always congratulated for not wanting or needed a bag when I buy stuff. For the big grocery shop, we always take our large square cooler bags, into which things fit well, which are very sturdy, last forever, can be mended easily, put through the washing machine and fold flat for storage. I can’t remember the time we last use plastic…
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davidprosser
/ April 20, 2016Congratulations of your ebay sales. Congratulations also on your small army of pest and weed seed clearers, I’m glad they did an efficient job for you as I’m a big fan of my potatoes.
Though I generally shop with a couple of bags for life in my back pocket, when I do my main shop I always have a set of good, strong trolley bags so I don’t have to buy plastic. As soon as the trolley is unloaded I put three bags in the trolley so the weight can be spread for carrying as I load up again.
xxx Massive Hugs Jan xxx
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katythenightowl
/ April 20, 2016I laughed at your opening line – a week? Makes me ashamed for my lackadasical posts! Lol
Thanks for the Restart Link – It shocked me to find so many electronics are just being binned instead of fixed. With the price of things alone, you’d think more people would fix rather than throw, wouldn’t you?
Well done on your eBay sales – it is a pain, but it’s good to get rid of things that still have life in them, isn’t it? When we moved to this house, because of lack of space, I ended up opening my own eBay shop, and sold things for a couple of years ’til I got rid of all the excess – mind you, I used the money to buy clothes, and books and other stuff we actually needed, without having to touch the housekeeping money – so I figure it was a success over 🙂
It was lovely to see your girls busily earning their keep on the veg patch – spring is definitely here, despite the cold snaps (although we’re in British Summer time, I still think of April as Spring) 🙂
Hope your veg do well this year 🙂
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