Retro Jam

You know how when you have something you have to do you'll do all sorts of other things just to avoid doing it. I've had that kind of weekend. A playcentre assignment is due and I've done everything but. Still the results are very satisfying anyway. I made "Retro jam" for presents and the market, blackberry flavour is supreme and will be in very limited supply I think. I'm also being tempted back into the garden as my back improves. With rain forcasted, I did some harvesting of herbs for teas and sunflower seeds for planting next year before the birds get them all. I've raked the lawn in preparation for planting some fresh grass seed and cleared a few small weedy patches to plant some more brassicas. I dug one patch over and then realised it had brassicas in spring so I'll put peas in there instead. Peas are good to sow after rain. But I'm hoping to get those brassicas in before. I like to lime the garden at this time of year as it sweetens the soil up, lawns like it too. I'll be desperate if we don't get rain as I've noticed the water pressure has dropped right off which means we havn't got much. I've been saving water from the bath and washing machine and bucketing it onto everything. I wish my good Kiwi bloke would jack up a hose so it goes straight from the washing machine to the garden. I've been threatening to "get a man in" to do it 'cos usually that gets some action but it's not working. The plumber doesn't even need directions to our place any more he's been out so many times since we bought it, I think the pipes got such a shock changing from one old lady to a family of six. I'm too scared to put in a dishwasher incase the system can't cope. The 13 year old asks for a dishwasher every birthday and Christmas!