Saturday 26 September 2009

Z empowers people

So. I've booked my train ticket for next Thursday. Frugally, I've got the cheapest deal I can which means I'm arriving in London at noon and catching the 8 o'clock train home. After doing what I need to, I'll go to an exhibition, maybe two. Unless anyone is free in the afternoon or early evening? - I'd happily forsake culture for friendship; unless of course we wanted to arrange both.

The church looks lovely. I opened up (the church is always open, but the rooms built on aren't) for people arriving early to decorate, and then went and raided Al's shop for lots of fruit and vegetables. Then I went to the florist. First I chose a bunch of lovely deep red alstroemerias (Dave, I changed the order of the words to make that good English, as originally I'd started with 'lovely') and then I sort of gave up. "Please give me £15-worth of flowers to go with that for an arrangement" I said vaguely, and Susan grinned and did just that. Even better, later I asked Sally to arrange them. I'd already handed over my fruit and veg to other volunteers to put in baskets and whatever. My brain was still not quite in gear. I spent my time sticking down a tarpaulin on the carpet with gaffer tape because of the potato prints which will be made tomorrow, and helping to set out tables and chairs. Undemanding and useful, while others did the real work. I think that is a step ahead. I completely let go - I don't actually find that hard normally but people don't think it's going to happen.

This afternoon, I cooked braised beef with onions and tomatoes, and served it with black kale (the only brassica I grew this year and, netted, it has mostly escaped the caterpillars and the birds) and mashed potato. I feel all proteined-up and really quite relaxed. Time to read the papers and cuddle a dog or a husband, whoever comes within my grasp first.

7 comments:

Dave said...

What mesh net keeps out caterpillars?

Z said...

Small.

Z said...

It was, of course, the butterflies that were kept out. I said, however, that the kale has escaped caterpillars - a natural result of the caterpillars not being able to lay eggs on them.

lom said...

A chilled out Z, I was going to ask about the net too, but I won't now

Dave said...

I'm not going to say anything about Z's last comment, either.

Z said...

The netting was really to protect the plants from the birds and was some we happened to have. If I grew a lot of brassicas I think I'd have to put in rather more effort as butterflies can get through any small gap.

Z said...

Bum. Butterflies.

Look, typos don't count in comments. At least I didn't delete it to cover my tracks.