It has been quite a long time since my last post. Time flies by. I keep thinking of things I want to write about, but it has been difficult to find the time lately. And the Krikonkraken project is meant to be a source of energy – not a drain. I don’t want to feel that I MUST update continuously, which would only lead to the blog being another demanding aspect in life. I’m afraid readers would find it pretty boring as well…
The last weeks have been busy with work, family time and visits. I don’t think I’m the only parent who is juggling a hectic period at work with holidays and family life. It is the children’s Easter holiday this week, and both of us parents have mid-term at work, which means that there is lots of grading of the first half term courses and starting up second half term courses. Busy times!
Most importantly, however, and quite time consuming, is that we have opened the summer house for the season! O, joy! We’ve mended leaks, emptied the compost toilet (or rather, hubby did most of that job), warmed up and cleaned the annexe and emptied the fridge from some of last years food that were almost ready to walk out on their own. (Eggs from October, anyone? Actually the eggs were fine. I blew them empty for Easter egg painting, and they didn’t smell at all so I fried them.)
We’ve been here at the summer house in Gladö Kvarn on and off during the winter months, but without running water and a functioning household. Now I’ve spent the last week here. It is a peaceful life. We have no TV, only internet through my phone and I have earth stained finger nails and am probably quite smelly. But I’m very content. We’ve had friends to stay over the Easter weekend, and now my parents are visiting. There has been good food, good games, good gardening and good, long conversations with good people. A GOOD life, in other words, but not quite so good for active blogging…
I’m on my own at the moment, looking out over the budding garden which is just exploding with life. I’m actually working, but taking a little break from work in order to write this post. The kids are at holiday activities at school, and the parents have gone for a sightseeing outing. Hubby is at work. It is bliss to be here alone for some hours.
However, grading student’s papers is not my favourite activity. I wish they didn’t need examinations… I’m ever so pleased with what they have written, though! They have done so well and written interesting and varied papers. I’m a proud teacher today! I’m also starting up three new courses this and next week, one online and the other two on campus. I wish I had lots of time to spend on each course – it is all so stimulating and the students we have this term are a joy to work with.
The photo above is of the beginning steps towards new deep beds for the kitchen garden. A kind neighbour, who works in the building business, asked if I wanted some pallet frames (pallkrager). I said yes, please, and a few days later I found seven of them in the garden! They are quite expensive at the garden centre, and as we’re trying to build a garden on a budget, they were very welcome!
This is my big current project, now that the February and March seedlings are well on their way to becoming real plants. The pallet frames came with blue lettering on, so I got some blue paint in the same shade to cover the company names. That’s why they are blue. Blue details was a very 90’s garden trend, so I am hopelessly out of date. Or, as I like to think – before my time! I like it, though, and don’t really care if it is desperately unfashionable. In the photo, only one is painted – but the rest have been done now.
Anyway – I’ll now have enough bedding space to do a crop rotation scheme, and am trying to plan it all carefully so that the plants will always have the best possible soil conditions. I’ll update you on my plans when they are ready! I’ll also post some photos when the frames are in place. I just can’t wait!
So, back to work. Students are waiting…