Weekend

I spent most of Saturday outside in the garden, despite the rain.

I've had a bit of an upset with Leon and Ansje. About those red flowers in the bed alongside my path. The trouble is, that neither Leon nor Ansje are really open to discussion. We disagree about the placement of those flowers. Ansje went off at me that those flowers shouldn't be moved as they are now well-established (having been there for some time) and they planted them there because they take care of themselves; no weeding or other maintenance is needed. Apparently, they are supposed to grow upwards once they've spread.

Not true. Because when I moved in, they were beginning to rot; instead of growing upwards, they covered each other, denying each other sunlight and the entire bed was just one soaking mass of yellow - underneath a layer of some survivors among the masses of grass and weeds, which had grown nearly to hip-height.

In my opinion, those plants do not belong in a bed; as they completely take over in a maintained environment.

Apparently, I should not be maintaining the environment. I should not have pulled out all the weeds and grass roots and I should have left that thick carpet of yellow ... compost?

So, I've had Leon shouting at me how I've been here a whole year and I haven't done anything in the garden, yet. He pointed out the areas which are totally dead as proof. Then he yelled about the ground I had turned next to the house, when the rain first started and how I've done nothing there.

Again, not true! Firstly, the areas he pointed out were completely covered in tall grass when I moved in! Does he think that grass just got up on its roots and walked out on its own? No! As soon as it had rained, I took the first opportunity to start pulling it out! Without rain, that ground is simply too hard - I've tried working it, and I can't even get half an inch into the ground! Since I've removed that grass, I have NOT been ABLE to work there at all! Firstly because the ground simply is too hard and secondly because that area is in the full sun all day! Even just the time it took me to make that bed from the Cosmos to the Spekboom and sow the seeds got my back burned so much that I'm still peeling!

Now is the first time that the ground is finally soft enough for me to work it - and I'm working my rear off turning the ground, getting the weeds out with all their roots!

Frankly, the amount of work I've put into that whole piece of ground - including all the compost and soil and fertilizer I've paid for - plus all the care I've given those bloody red flowers over the months ... is bloody incredible! I'm not some youngster with energy to spare, but an unfit 52 year old woman!

That place you pointed out in front of the bench, where - in your opinion - I've done nothing, was covered in thorns, remember? Have a look now! No thorns! And that ground is also hard as rock, except after prolonged, steady rain!

Ansje then went on about how they put a toilet brush in my flat because the toilet bowl isn't clean right now.

Excuse me? Who the heck do you think you are? My mother? Where do you get off criticising my home? You know very well that - unlike you - I have a full-time job! And you've seen for yourself that I spend every free minute working in the garden! I'm just one person! I can't do everything, all the time, all by myself! I'm not at home all week, nor do I get home early. I leave at six every morning and I get home at half past five - except Fridays! And when I get home, I go walk with a friggin' watering can to keep my seeds alive when you won't put the sprinklers on! I would be within my rights to use my hose-pipe!

Ansje is at home almost full-time, although she's looking for more work; and Leon goes out a few hours most days - he leaves well after me and is usually home shortly after noon. At least, based on their own statements. Plenty of time to get everything done with many hours to spare each day!

Confronted with such irrational self-righteous anger ... I simply shut down. I don't have the energy to fight for my rights in my home - my home is my one safe haven. And being confronted with such blatant lies - coming without any warning and from a totally unexpected source? 

That caught me completely off guard and it hurt!

Which put quite a damper on my mood for the rest of the weekend. Simply, because I can't handle this kind of aggression - yet, at the same time, I need a solution. Some means to resolve the issue, so that I can close it. Discussion is clearly out of the questions, so I must figure something out in such a way that they get their will and I work around their restrictions.

In my own home, in my own garden!

They are both very loud and argumentative people. They are always having very loud 'discussions' where they work each other up over outside issues. So, in this case, they both worked each other up into the self-righteous anger - until my simple request had become unacceptably unreasonable ... and then they let me have it.

In the past, they've often made statements I cannot agree with - but since I don't enjoy arguments, I just left it. Neither are really open to a different opinion or viewpoint - which is none of my business ... except this time, they want to force their life-style on me!

Having written MY side of the 'argument', I feel a lot better. And yes, I will publish this! I normally avoid publishing confrontational opinions - I've always deleted 'having my say' from the blog before publishing, but this time? Nope!

Anyway, I have also come to a resolution. Leon's last argument was to leave the red flowers from the spekboom up to the house - sigh, exactly the part I have to look at - but anyway. So, I've taken all of my plants out of that section and put them in the far end of that bed, past the spekboom. I took out my Amaryllis, my Iris and the succulent from Rose - all of which were already being covered by those red flowers, anyway. I've placed them behind the cabbage plant and the desert roses.

On the opposite side of the path, I have also take out some of my succulents and put them in MY little section - because those dull plants he'd planted there are taking over as well. I still have some succulents in there, and as they get crowded, I'll move them somewhere safe.

I will care for MY section of that bed - and leave the rest. I will not touch it again. When the weeds grow in there, I'll pull them out - if they come out easy; if not, I simply cut them. Any grass coming up - I'll simply cut. I won't hurt my fingers trying to get to the roots and clear those out - after all, I've been told that grass can't grow there. Nor will I ever again add any kind of nutrient to the ground there!

That large section of garden, which is currently covered completely with those red flowers - I'll simply wait until they die of their own accord. Which they will, since they are completely overrun with grass - which is already taking over several large patches. I'll cut off the dead runners whenever I want to open a patch to make a bed for something I want to plant; then pull the grass out by the roots. Along the path, when they start crawling onto the path, I just cut the runners and stuff them into the ground - they'll make more roots and will grow quite easily. They can go look at my 'compost heap' - they will not find a green leaf of their plants there! I'll do the same with the walkways I've already opened among that 'field' under the trees.

In the meantime, I've already managed to complete one nice, long bed parallel to the spekboom row! I've cleared a very large row, planning a wide path, so that I can work there very easily. I've buried the Bokashi under the path, and I can just leave it there, no need to do anything else. It will only start composting now, and - even though it's under a walkway, it will feed the ground. Also, they say you shouldn't plant anything on top, as the fresh compost is likely to burn the roots.

I've mixed one bag of compost with the soil, so far. I'm afraid I've got an ant nest under the bed - having disturbed them, I'm hoping they will move - they were busy carrying their eggs away when I last looked. I think I should keep turning the soil to make sure they leave completely.

Giggle, I also learned that I shouldn't turn the soil if I still need to walk on it! Turned soil is very soft and I sink in! Ha Ha! My shoes look like they've been planted!

Well, I started working that area without any plan - just wanting to make the most of the rain softening the ground. Now that I've had some time to think, I've got a plan. I had asked Leon and he agreed laying beds east-west is better than north-south - they'll at least all get full sun, no one bed will shade the other.

I've put the wooden picket fences up for now, just to mark which is bed and which is meant to be path. I think I will need to keep turning that soil and mix in another bag of compost, or it just might dry out and get too hard to work again, once the weather turns sunny again.

I've started a second bed - I've managed to get half-way to the car port, so far.

That was Saturday. On Sunday I didn't feel like going outside - I didn't want to see anyone, just my mippies. I spent the day spring cleaning the bathroom - something I've been meaning to do for a while, especially since I discovered that mippies also go outside their boxes! The litter area was quite bad, I'm afraid. But it's lovely and sparkling clean now! The toilet bowl is still giving me some trouble. The lower section at the back of the pipe just won't come clean - it was like that, when I moved in. I had tried scrubbing it before, using a hard brush, but whatever it is had already settled. I'm planning on trying the bleach paste I got online - but I'll need to clear all the water out of the pipe, as it's a section which is permanently under water.

The little one made me laugh, yet again! When I came back into the bathroom some time later, I found that she had collected all the toys and stashed them in her little fortress, in my work pants! She is always very curious about what I'm doing! Little Miss Underfoot always has to settle down nearby to watch - whether I'm weeding or cleaning! And she always sticks her nose in to investigate!

All mippies wanted lots of cuddles again throughout the weekend - especially when they had ventured out into the drizzle and came inside sopping wet! Best time to cuddle mommy! You come away all clean an dry! Never mind that she ends up covered in mud and water, ha ha!

It was just so darling to see them all cuddling together - well, sans Tynx, I'm afraid. She is still not fully part of the family. And Lady Jane still hisses at her occasionally. They all took turns to warm my chair for me, though! All my chairs! Outside, kitchen and bedroom!

On Saturday I ate my sausage rolls, which I had baked late Friday evening and Sunday night, I cooked some pasta and mixed in some tuna and avocado - which turned out incredibly delicious! Ziva decided that tuna is cat food only - I caught her with her head in my bowl helping herself on the kitchen table! Not impressed! Especially since I had given them some of my tuna already! Ah, well! Mippies love to share! They are always disappointed when I don't eat meat!

I didn't make any cheese this weekend, I decided I should maybe use up the cold meats I still have in the freezer.

I also have to think about my last shopping trip. Apparently we close on 19th, which I assumed to be a Friday - it isn't, it's a Thursday. Either way, I don't think I'd like to be driving much on the 20th - it's likely to be madness on the roads and in the shops. I've placed another order online for a few items - mostly cleaning stuff. That is much better online, since it is all eco-friendly, often even the containers! They have a new product: gloves! I use them for washing dishes, as I use very hot water - and the one's on their site are actually compostable! Awesome! They still haven't got stock of the baking paper, though, and I don't need any bin liners - not for quite some time. I only really use the large black bags, and I had just bought a roll before they added them to their range online. For the other bins, I still have loads of bags, since I don't actually 'use' them - I line the bin, and then empty the bin, leaving the liner inside.

I did order some washing powder, though - laundry detergent. And they had a special on the tile cleaner, buy one get one free.

The last cat food delivery should come sometime next week, and that's it for this year. I'm a little low on kibbles, especially as I've finished the kitten kibbles and changed the second dispenser to the Iams all-types, which I used to put into a bowl after the feeding frenzy; just a handful each day. The Orijen is also almost finished; but I have plenty of the Fit 32. They'll have to live with less variety for a week or two! Shouldn't kill them, ha ha ha! Anyway, I have plenty of chicken hearts for them.

I was thinking of making a trip to Ninapark Superspar to get Cigarettes and meat - but I don't have to. It can wait until January. And I can always get meat at the German Butchery, so that's the trip I should make this Friday.

With my new sausage roll idea, I'd like to stock up on sausages for those! I didn't get so many last time, because they are quite expensive and since they are so delicious, I tend to finish them a little faster than my budget warrants. But baked into bread? One of those rolls is as good as a meal, so they last a bit longer. Quite a bit longer.

I'd also like to get the sourdough started. And over the holidays, I'd really like to start making my own pasta again.

Ideally, I should proceed like I did with the bread and the cheese: start with the basics, stick with the basics until I'm confident and then work on variety. I've got the bread baking pretty much going comfortably, same with the basic cheese; although I haven't taken that any further; I'm still sticking to the basic process. I'd like to give the other process a try sometime.

Pasta and sourdough are next on my list. I'm a little hesitant with the sourdough, though - it does take some of it's flavouring from the whole kitchen; and I still seem to have a fly-problem ... I'm not overly keen on adding 'Doom' to my sourdough culture! Not the flavour I had in mind!

The pasta is not an issue, though. Oh, eggs! And Semolina! Hmm ... eggs are no problem, I can order them from my boss' wife; they get delivered to my work. I'll be getting a half dozen again tomorrow. But Semolina might be an issue. I may have to make a quick trip to Spar, after all!

I just looked up some pasta recipes online - none of them mention Tipo 00 flour nor Semolina! So, scratch the trip to Spar! I will need eggs, though. I'll do some research another time ...

At work, I've had to move things around a bit, since they have finally filled the potholes in my office! This time, I believe, they did it properly. This is the third time, the last two times, they just slapped quick cement into the holes - they didn't even clear the rubble out of them, nor did they mix the cement properly - no sand. So they started to crumble right away and were back, deep as ever, within a week. Unfortunately, of all the times they could have done it, they chose a rainy weekend, so it hasn't dried - even though it was done Friday afternoon. Great, eh? Well, at least I hope that once they are dry, this will be the last time!