Slow Living 2012 - April (and a bit of March)

Well!! I missed last month. I really truly meant to write up something of what we'd achieved in March but March passed by and April began and then I ran out of puff. The title of this post is a bit misleading though - everything in my life seems to have speeded up and I am running along behind trying to keep pace! You'd think that Autumn would be a time for slowing down but not yet, not yet, and I'm barely getting round to all the things that need doing. Mind you, I have been feeling just a tad morose and that really doesn't allow for much in the way of creativity or inspiration. I am hoping that the merry month of May will banish all doom and gloom from my little bubble.... and I shall try very diligently not to dwell on the shortening of the days! But secretly, I'm hanging out for Winter Solstice because after that  it's all an uphill run again! 

So here's the report, with bits of March thrown in just to look like I've been real good (I'm not telling which bits though)

Nourish - I've been a bit slack with the whole nourish thing in recent times. The garden has slowed down on the production side although we've still been eating spinach, the last of the beans, tomatoes - because we covered them, carrots, radish and plenty of potatoes. Ooooh, I am so happy about the potato harvest. It's just the best feeling not buying potatoes but simply going to the shed and pulling out a box to find lovely fresh spuds for dinner. Umm, we've been eating a lot of potato meals...

Prepare - We have quite a few roadside apple trees in our area so I've made lots of apple sauce from scrumped apples. Great word that, isn't it? I've not been gleaning the apples, rather we've been scrumping apples. Gleaning is reserved for going over the wheat field after the harvesters have been through and picking up any fallen heads of wheat or barley. Scrumping is a delightful British word thats really not used much outside of the UK...... I think I might revive it!
Anyway, sorry, back to the food...... I also made River Cottage Chutney courtesy of good old Hugh, using up a large old zucchini and green tomatoes; and my yearly batch of tomato chutney.

Reduce - Mended a couple of fitted sheets that really could have been used as rags, repurposed a nice chenille skirt into a hot water bottle cover and used up a whole lot of baling twine for a compost heap. 

Green - I've started using plain coconut oil for a facial moisturiser again. It works well for a few days but then I like to use a healthy bought one for a day. Since reading Lindas post about energy saving, we have been diligently switching of all appliances at the power points. I'm hoping for a saving when the next bill comes in.
The Best Man is debating the pro's and con's of solar v's wood heated hot water. 

Grow - March and April haven't seen me in the garden much, other than to pick food, though that was remedied last Sunday with a family effort. I have planted cabbage, parsley and kale and there seems to be a lot of self sown kale and lettuce happening round and about.

Create - This month there's been a dearth of creativity but I managed a beanie for my lover and another one for the little Elf. Though I think both those were in March...oh well! 

Discover - I read half of Animal Vegetable Miracle but couldn't really get into it. The latest Earth Garden magazine was really good though ;o) and I have been doing a lot of reading of the Steiner syllabus I bought from Christopherus - not really green but necessary!  

Enhance - We had a stall at the Penguin Sustainable Day in late March and the children sold bundles of envelopes - I hope that perhaps some of the people that bought them were inspired to have a go at making their own! 

Enjoy - Can I just have a brief whine first? Please? I do not enjoy the winding down of the Wheel of the Year. There, now you know. I can't wait for the return of the Sun, which means that I've found the enjoyment a little lacking. But, I have had some delightful times this month with my very close friend who really, really makes a difference in my life. And I did give the new grandchild quite a few hugs and squeezes this month - does that count? even though it's ongoing?

I'm off to see what others have been up to......... if you want a peek too, pop over to visit Christine at Slow Living Essentials - it's worth a look!