2023 Stash & Grab Virtual Pub

[Serinde]

Mabel's favourite tipple (with extra marshmallows) is behind the bar. Oh, and a bit of fat-free sponge cake, seeing how it's still Lent.

[Mabel Figworthy]

Thank you, much appreciated! As I don't really do Lent (I'm not sure where the practice comes from - there is the 40-day period spent in the wilderness by Jesus, but that was at the start of his ministry, not in preparation for Easter) I will have whatever is offered

[Serinde]

It seems to have begun following the Council of Nicea. Personally, I always felt that — especially for Christians in Northern Europe — it made perfect sense to fast during the time which was ‘the hungry gap’ (when eggs, milk, butter and cheese were used up or unavailable because animals needed the milk for their own young and hens either weren’t yet laying or the eggs needed to hatch for poultry). Bee hives are at a low ebb, etc., etc.

But as we say in this part of the world, ‘But we hae meat, and we can eat, and so the lord be thankit.’

[Mabel Figworthy]

I'd never heard of the hungry gap - just shows you what a town girl I am

[Serinde]

A Party for Carole, as she comes through the revolving doors that connect St Cross Stitchers to the Stash & Grab!!

[Mabel Figworthy]

Woohoo! Definitely worth a party!

[rcperryls]

Love it ! Thank you! This is one celebration I truly want to share with everyone!

Carole

[Serinde]

I'm in for a swift , then it's off to get some exterior paint and a few bits for the new plant-pot "shelves". The originals held lovely pots of flowers up off the ground on the side of the house, but have succumbed to our wet weather over the years. More pots to water, but hey, there you are.

My stitchy bug has gone walkabout with my weaving critter, so if anyone sees them, please encourage them home! Personally, I think they are jealous of the time the garden takes this time of year.

At least I've been able to hand over the secretaryship of one of my groups to a very able person. I expect that by the beginning of June, I will be a mere committee member -- whew. Actually, I learned a LOT being secretary, and was honestly happy to do it, but Covid changed everything, mostly for the better because it shook us out of our complacency. Lots of thinking on one's feet, but all's well that ends better, as Bilbo said. Now it's someone else's responsibility, and I believe it's all be left in good heart. (I'll soon find out if it hasn't been!!)

[Mabel Figworthy]

It is always satisfying if you can hand over a task to someone trustworthy - and being a "mere" committee member is a nice way of catching your breath!

The weather may not be good enough yet, but if it is, how about taking your stitchy bug into the garden? It may enjoy meeting the ladybirds, and there is something quite soothing and special about stitching in the garden.

[Serinde]

As soon as I get everything potted into their final homes, I have promised the rigid heddle backstrap loom that we'll play in the greenhouse... it's one of the few places where I might be able to sit on a chair and tie the warp to something at a rising angle! (Can't easily sit on the floor with it tied to a doorknob anymore!)

[Serinde]

I did manage a bit of stitching (on the huge Cluny Tapestry needlepoint, which I am determined to finish!) on World Embroidery Day, but mostly the afternoon was spent going around the eight Open Gardens in the village (this was in conjunction with the National Garden Scheme). A five mile meander, all told. All of them were interesting, but two were really splendid -- one in a very "plantsman" sort of way with ponds and semi-tropical plants as well as the usual of roses and dahlias, etc. The other was a "long rig", typical of the areas behind the old (18th century) cottages along the main street. This was an exceptional garden: full of lovely spaces, lots of shrubs and flowers in pots, fruit and vegetables, a couple of well placed upmarket garden sheds. Gave me some ideas... (if we could only rid ourselves of the roe deer that uses our garden as a salad bar...)

Morning tea first!

[Mabel Figworthy]

Sounds idyllic! Here the weather was not very inviting, so after church (and having had my exercise by cycling there) I settled in for a long bout of stitching-plus-audiobook while DH was whizzing around the countryside in something vintage. I didn't want to do anything too demanding in a design-and-decisions sort of way, so got on with my box - very relaxing.

[Serinde]

Sounds perfect! It was chucking it down in the morning, but by the afternoon, the sun came out and the village was full of people from all around the area -- even from Glasgow! (At least two of whom happened also to be proper horticulturalists. Never was I happier that I'd resisted the blandishments to open our sorry veg patch to the public!)

Even DH is thinking about a proper potting shed that will hold all the, well, pots and stuff one needs to work with, so they are not all jumbled under the bench in the greenhouse, taking up space. I think he's also secretly hoping that I'll be able to move the last of the gardening bits from the garage (aka the workshop)! Wouldn't mind that, myself. We do have to be slightly cautious, as our front garden (in true 19th-century Scottish fashion) is the working garden, historically full of veg beds -- as it is now. But we are in a conservation area ( ), so theoretically others have a say in anything we might put up. Who knows -- might just be a passing phase on our part.

[rcperryls]

It sounds like you both had lovely ways to spend Embroidery Day. I am so waiting for my eye surgery to fix the membrane which is a big reason my stitchy bug has stayed away. I am really itching to get back to a few of my long neglected pieces. Can't say much about gardening though since I am a natural "brown thumb". I have two orchid plants that I haven't killed and that's about it. Today, I have a tree removal company coming as I have a dying Red Bud tree which lost a big (very big) limb last Friday. Also going to have them clear the numerous oaks and mimosas that are sprouting up around my house in places that don't need big trees. We have had so much rain that they seem to be popping up everywhere.

Carole

[richardandtracy]

We don't have green fingers, just a 'Leave Well Alone' attitude, which seems to work best for our garden.

When we don't interfere, almost everything sprouts. We have 8 Robina Tree saplings come up this year. There are dozens of oak, hazel and sweet chestnut saplings and upwards of 50 fruit tree saplings. Unfortunately none of the fruit trees have ever bred true whether plum, pear, apple or cherry, and their fruit is uniformly revolting. The raspberries have self hybridized with blackberries and we now have our own Loganberry or Tayberry (not sure how to tell the difference) which is delicious. The fruit is black like a blackberry, but shaped like a slightly elongated raspberry, both tart & sweet at the same time with a blackberry/raspberry taste.

This year has been a good one for broom seeds from last year to germinate as, unfortunately, has also been the case for the wild dog roses. The latter are utterly deadly with their three-quarter inch long thorns.

Serinde, I don't envy you being in a conservation area. We are adjacent to one, but are 50/75 yards outside. The council officers occasionally try to interfere with our garden using the justification that 'It Can Be Seen From The Conservation Area'. They always back down with bad grace when we dig out a copy of the legislation and ask them to show us where that statement is included in the legislation. However, I wish you all the best with the veg growing.

Regards,

Richard

[rcperryls]

Is a conservation area one where you are limited to what you can or cannot plant in your garden or is it just in the areas that can be seen by the general public? I think the only real rule we have is that if a tree is a certain size and is healthy, Village approval must be given before it can be taken down. That's a fairly general rule in most states. Then there are "subdivision" rules that vary from neighborhood to neighborhood and can be very rigid (the color and type of your mailbox) to very loose (none). We are on the very loose end of restrictions and the one rigid member on our HOA (Homeowners Association) moved a few years ago so no more notes in mailboxes to remove your trash can from the edge of your driveway if you leave it there for a day or two. I'm not sure what would happen if someone tried to have a vegetable garden in the front lawn.

Carole

[Serinde]

A conservation area has more to do with the actual building on the site than what's planted in the garden (of interest mostly to neighbourhood curtain twitchers).

Mainly the idea is that your home, in this case, needs to reflect the building style when it was built (Victorian, say) or when it was last renovated before the conservation area was created. It all matters how it looks from the street. Friends of ours have had to put in very expensive bespoke windows in an effort to double glaze their late-18th century house. The bureaucracy has been crazy. We didn't realise that we were (just) in the conservation area when we moved in, and so didn't ask for permission to change our windows to modern double-glazed units. We never got anything but dirty looks, but they don't look that much different to next door... (well, of course they do, but the Victorians would have had the most modern stuff they could, so I don't feel too bad).

[rcperryls]

Not unlike historic districts here. Downtown Charleston has very rigid rules on buildings which are designated "historic". No changes allowed (though I'm sure they allowed changes for electricity, indoor plumbing etc. I imagine they are able to get cable or streaming tv and internet, though I imagine there are some history sticklers who think that is an overreach and shouldn't be allowed either/

Carole

[Serinde]

We don't have green fingers, just a 'Leave Well Alone' attitude, which seems to work best for our garden.

I'm a very lazy gardener, except in fits and starts. As a result, I often find "volunteers" which are a source of delight. Sunflowers, curly parsley, violas galore (called heart's ease in these parts, so sweet), two nectarines... At least one of the nectarines is going to Fife this weekend! Oh, and trees. For a while, oak seedlings, now mostly birch and the occasional ash -- but I have found a home for them where they will be able to live happily ever after. The question is, will I plant the horse chestnut conkers I have... and I think, why not? Might be nice if they were sweet chestnuts, but can't have everything.

[Serinde]

Sitting quietly here with a before heading off to the airport to retrieve my sister, who is staying with us for a month. We will also be heading north for a fortnight on Saturday, so I'm depending on y'all to look after the first of the migrating geese, since our own swans haven't quite got the hang of sharing the loch with these greylags and Canadians. I do expect to be checking in every now and again, and I can be reached via the DM, of course. Not that you'll need me... Carole's eagle eyes are healing FAST!