Countdown to Christmas 2023: get past the post-Christmas slump by thinking about the next one! (Thread 1.)

[NoWordForFluffy]

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Morning (just)!

I failed at eating yesterday which meant I got blotto far too early and wasn't well. Oops! 🙈

But we had a great time anyway and I avoided having to tidy up!

Countdown to next year is go go go! 🎄🎅🏻🎄🎅🏻🎄🎅🏻

Evening. Weather switched pretty quickly from boiling this morning to freezing and tipping down this afternoon 🙄
I almost caved and put the heating on.

Fluffy I'm learning to be a bit ruthless with my plants. My tomatoes were potted on and thrown into the cold frame / greenhouse (what is the difference?) when they reached 5to 6 inches tall.
Pepper seeds are still in the propagator with no shoots yet though.

Had a nice day - tapas, cocktails, a nap Will need to head to bed soon!

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I put washing out this morning and predictably the Heavens opened about 10 minutes later ....so it's still out there looking limp and sulky

The snails are out in force which means the FemaleCat will chase and catch and eat them. I cannot imagine how she survived as a feral kitten, must've been her Mum and the kind person who fed the cats/kitttens then arranged for them to be rescued . Otherwise she'd have expired ! Or lived on snails .

DH is watching "Streets Of Fire" , I'm only listening in 'cos one of my favourite songs (Tonight Is What it Means To Be Young ) is on it .
Very very 80s ballad, big hair , big voice

The dog hunts snails. But crunches the shell around them, not eating the snail. Snail dies a shell-less death. ☠️

I've walked said hound and been to the allotment today. My parsnip seeds are in the ground and also some lettuce. My carrots are growing v slowly indeed too.

Crazy, I'm playing fast and loose with my tomatoes, as they've had no time inside. Straight into the greenhouse from sowing. Time will tell if I've made a mistake!

We've just had a load of thunder , lightning and hailstones with heavy rain thrown in for good measure .

Don't have to water any plants which is a plus but hopefully the new ones haven't been damaged

We’ve had a lovely weekend. Went to the museum yesterday which DD really enjoyed, lots of interactive stuff for little ones. I’ve checked the weather app and apparently rain/thunderstorms all of next week so I have to get my thinking hat on and plan some indoor activities to do with the DC. Hopefully the forecast is wrong as I was hoping to get to the park and have some picnics to get out of the flat. I’m counting down the hours until I can go to bed, I’m exhausted today. My stomachs been playing up so that’s probably why. I’ve took some antacids so hopefully it’ll settle.

It’s so nice hearing about what everyone’s growing. There seems to be a lot of green fingers on the thread. I’ve yet to go to the garden centre to start my own attempt at growing some stuff. That might be on the cards for the week.

245 Quick check in from a disaster of a weekend that has had us spending hours and hours on various motorways (family member in hospital). I’m exhausted and not feeling even slightly Christmassy on Rudolph day eve.

Only plus side so far is that when I did a little garden check yesterday, my onions and strawberries are doing very well, broccoli plants have grown since their fall and my clematis has a beautiful flower now (pic).

Nola This is only my second year I’ve had a garden I could grow things in so I’m very much a beginner.
Last year I managed potatoes, strawberries and chillis. This year I’m just throwing seeds in pots and seeing what works and what doesn’t 🤷‍♀️

Oh FFS, one day I'll mention a pic in a post and remember to add it 🙄

That's so pretty, Crazy!

You've got to my level of gardening already, Crazy. Bung it in, see what happens; two chances!

I have an abundance of dwarf bean plants as most of my 45 seeds have germinated. I shall offer them to other plot-holders! My runners aren't doing as well, so I'll need to get more in (I needed a second batch anyway; I may need 3 batches now).

My tomatoes are quite keen now. I may bring them in overnight as it's forecast so cold tonight. They can go back out tomorrow. If they all live, I won't be short of tomatoes for a while once they're fruiting. 🤣

I've 24 sweetcorn plants too. Good job we're keen.🌽

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Rudolph Day

I have dark thoughts about my clematis (Clotted Cream) I think it's not going to do the bizz this year . But I'll keep an eye on it and hope .

No Christmas Planning (life gets in the way ) but we're eating a frozen lasagne tonight ( one I made and it was in the freezer ) which is a really nice meal to have in the freezer for those lazy days when you want something no-effort .

Happy Rudolph day another month gone not been around much but got first present and will start buying fortnightly through May and June then save through till October then start buying the alcohol presents for people. The chocolate ones and marzipan I’ll order November for delivery in December.

I have done nothing Christmassy today. Or much really to this point. I can relate to the other thread on the board (which has many 'But...April' thicko comments on it) about not feeling it yet.

I do have my crackers to make myself. And that's it so far. But it is birthdays first, so I can think more once they're out of the way!

I did bring my tomato seedlings in last night. They're back out now, with their fleece blanket on for overnight (4 layers of it for extra warmth!). I'm very disappointed as 5 bloody courgette plants have germinated. That's enough courgettes for everybody I've ever met! 🙄 And 6 pumpkin plants. Don't need all of those either!

Our starlings have got what sounds like an enormous brood of chicks! Can't wait to see them. ♥️ Can't wait to see the sparrow chicks too. They're so LOUD for teeny birds!

I haven't done anything Christmassy today either. I had work training this morning then went to see our parents. The day has pretty much gone then.

Very tired. This fibromyalgia lark is wearing me out all day every day.

Happy Rudolph Day!

No Christmas planning here either, too much Other Life getting in the way 🙄

Beautiful clematis, crazy.

My courgettes, tomatoes and sweetcorn are doing the hokey cokey between the house, the greenhouse and outside when it's sunny and warm. I managed to germinate about 50 lettuce plants so I've planted them in the allotment bed I've earmarked for tomatoes later in the year, but can I buggery get my beans to grow!!

Fluffy we had housemartins last year, I was so excited, but they don't seem to have come back this year 😔

My runners aren't doing so well, Firefly. My dwarf beans, on the other hand, are going great guns! I've many, many plants!

My beetroot seems happy too. Does anybody else struggle to thin out though? It feels mean!

243 probably.

Catching up.
Crazy I hope things have settled down a bit now.
fluffy I chucked some sweet peas in a couple of 5" pots, collected from last years pods. I thought a few might have survived. Boy was I wrong!
There's hundreds ok, about 40 of them. They really need to be planted outside but I don't want to kill them.
They're out now - mainly because GirlCat tried to eat them yesterday.🤦‍♀️
Might transplant them on Monday.
why I hope you're feeling a bit less shit today. An old neighbour had it and she said it was like a coin toss. She couldn't predict a good or bad day.

We've got a new telly. It's bloody enormous. DH is happy. 🤷‍♀️ Not sure I have more to add on the subject I want the old one back.

Evening!

I love sweet peas, Puss. My allotment neighbour is growing some up our shared fence, which I'm pleased about. My mum has sent me a load of free GW magazine flower seeds, so I'll throw those around at some point! I love a random load of seeds. 🤣

Do you feel like you're at the cinema now? Maybe you need to buy yourself a smaller TV for another room?

I missed Rudolph day!. I do admit I had to google to see what it was but I will be taking part from now on. I’m coming off some medication and it’s making me feel a bit out of sorts so I haven’t been up to much lately.

That’s such a beautiful flower, crazy. I love the colour. I think I’ll follow your tactic of seeing what works and what doesn’t!. Tomorrow we are hopefully off to get some seeds!. I’m very excited.

I’m also not feeling it yet, fluffy. And I saw that thread, I only got to the first page though before I get fed up on the ‘it’s April’ comments. I hope you manage to see the chicks soon. I frequent a YouTube channel that shows some chicks being born and cared for by their parents, it makes me very happy😂

Nice to see some more gardening Christmas lovers here. My tomatoes are going well, and I have some chillies that need to be potted on. Kale has just moved into new pots.
I have started some Christmas stuff, been knitting squares for a blanket for a friend. She has blankets all over her sofa but some are getting a bit worn. Will try and post a picture when I have finished (may be a few months, I'm a slow knitter).

Hope everyone is doing ok, I dropped off again - but my mat leave finally ended so I am back at work, which weirdly gives me more time to myself not less!

I am making an effort to stick around this time - although I know I have said that before 😑

Eek, no countdown yesterday!

241 (maybe!)

The mini cold spell has passed and we look like we're heading into the warmer weather now, which is good. Just need consistency now, without the odd surprise frost!

Nice to see you again, Hairspray!

241 (maybe!)

Ooh it's like Pick a Number, Any Number

(I just looked at xmasclock it says 240 days and 15 hours so that's right isn't it , as we're 8+ hours into 241 ? My brain has fogged now )

Rain here this morning <pah> but I'm doing tidy up indoors so not too bad .

I checked the Silent Night (bed people) countdown as it's in sleeps. It confirmed 241 phew!

It was meant to rain overnight hers but didn't. Stupid weather as I didn't water the allotment as we were due rain.

I had no idea Silent Night did a countdown (but I checked it out )
I like the xmasclock one as it's a black background with pretty falling snow .

I sometimes ask Alexa but she just ignore me , I think DH must've scuppered the "Christmas" word .

😂 did you tell him nice try, 70.

What's everyone's plans for the Bank holiday weekend? We're hoping to finish redecorating/revamping DS's bedroom that we started over the Easter break, do some allotment and see friends we haven't seen in a while.

I've finally convinced DH that we are not going to get the post-extension front garden sorted ourselves and am getting quotes from landscapers. It needs levelling, flattening down and then some nicer stone putting on top so the neighbours don't disown us, looking at about £1000 😳 Good thing I'm working again now!!

Oh the Alexa hates me Firefly pretends she doesn't hear or understand me .

Bank Holiday plans -
Gardening here - I have a list

Weed patio (DD was meant to do this but bailed out after the thorns got her even though she wore gloves)
Pressure wash the patio , checking for loose slabs in case I need to bury someone ..
Fill new plantars with compost and plant seeds /seedlings

More washing (it never ends <sigh> )

Some long overdue and much needed pampering - body scrub, epilate , self tan