A Way To Amaryllis

For the first time since I bought it for pennies in a Lidl clearance sale in 2006, the amaryllis didn't flower this spring.   

Possibly because it was pot-bound, but also perhaps because it has grown a bulbule.   

It hasn't been repotted in years, or watered in months as I've been waiting for the leaves to die back before repotting, but they keep going.   

Anyway last Saturday I took the pot down to the pottiserie, took out and separated the bulbs, taking off a lot of old dry bits and bits of roots and shaking off a lot of exhausted compost.  

The mother bulb is back in her big terracotta pot with a mix of fresh and old compost.  

The baby in a 4inch terracotta pot inside a planter with new compost.  

Both have been well watered and I shall drought them again in December to see what happens in the New Year.   

One of four things will happen: they will both thrive; mother bulb with thrive and baby die; or the other way around; or they'll both perish.   

Watch this space.

See also https://bentonbag.blogspot.com/2023/03/blooming-bargain.html

The Rule Of Six

Something so impossible to apply in the real world, 

outside the Westminster bubble, 

that we posted about it twice in one day.   

And it didn’t work in preventing the spread of Covid 

so there had to be a return to lockdown.   

Nor was it strictly adhered to by those 

inside the Westminster/Downing Street bubble.

From Facebook Archives

9 September 2020 at 09.08

Feeling a little less than a ray of sunshine this morning.

Ferretfingers appeared to enjoy his day back at the day centre, and says he did ‘gardening’.

But will it happen next week?

Because there’ll be more than 6 people there from more than goodness knows how many households.

Does it count as a workplace?

Well it does for the staff, but what about the attendees?

Miss Fiddle  or does it count as an educational establishment, in which case they'll be in bubbles.

Mrs Quilt  Gyms have re-opened with pre-booked, timed slots, limited numbers but greater than six.  So I wonder what rules they'll need. Presumably "Gardening" is mainly outdoors and six trainees would be quite a large group to be in a confined space.  Good luck

Kentishlady  Wondering about the Silent Adventures too where my son has just started back to work. Too many grey areas.  Once again, we need some clarification.

Ms Delune  We don’t have that rule but the husband just did bloods of work for someone in Caerphilly and can’t return the kit now to get paid because it’s non-essential

The Squireen  If it counts in a workplace I have a major problem about 29 households in my bubble

9 September 2020 at 18.45

So, the rule of 6 ...

We are a family of 4.

Twice a week Emil comes in to take Ferretfingers out, that makes 5 in the house.

If Miss Doozer next door comes in, that makes 6.

But if my friend Mrs Leftfoot calls with her daughter then we're over the limit.

Who do we report ourselves to or should we rely on one of the neighbours to do it?

Mrs Leftfoot   Isn't it six at any one time?

Mrs Lasagne  Yes at one time we just need to space visitors x.

Mrs Leftfoot  And what's a moonshot?

Ms Delune We’re a family of six.

Bugger!

(I know I’m Wales but family Somerset)

Bagdragon  Another scenario. I'm away with the Coven. Since Paula's death that's 6 of us.  We're in a different city but, on the street/in the beergarden/ wherever I see an old friend and his/her spouse.  What do I do?  Do I ignore them?  They may also know other members of the Coven. Does us now being, unplanned, in the same social space mean we are breaking the rules?  Can we shout "hello" at each other or just nod conspiratorially?

Mrs Leftfoot  Well if you all say you're testing your eyesight, you'll be able to do what you like.  Maybe I’m just too cynical in my older age?

McChurch  You all run out into the carpark, stand 2 metres apart and shout and wave at each other and stuff until you are all hoarse and kinda sore throated and all you want to do is go home and go to bed until you wake up in a better world!  Howzat for a sentence?

Bagdragon  The sad thing is, when I heard the rule last night the thought "well with Paula gone there's only six of us so we're ok" flashed across my mind.  She would have laughed, and I know in the great scheme of things this is a minor upset, but even so ...

Mrs Leftfoot  No, that is sad and it's not minor.

Mrs Walker  But we can still go grouse shooting so everything is ok!

 

College Cock-ups

From Facebook Archives

8 September 2014 at 14:14

Thunderthighs has started college.

Took him in this morning to enrol and take his first English class only to be told it was tomorrow, but got enrolment form from the teacher and took it to the office where two nice ladies sorted everything out for us.

As the English class time we'd been emailed was wrong I asked about the Maths and Biology. They looked confused (as well they might) and started 'phoning people.  The Maths was this morning but Biology is (touch wood) next Thursday evening.  Eventually they got the Manager down to tick two boxes and ring two times on the enrolment form and it was all sorted.

By this time Maths was half way through but as it was an introductory session Thunderthighs could go in without any disruption. As he sat down and I walked away I was suddenly back in Woodlawn School twelve years ago leaving him in Henlady’s class.  The strangest feeling. I hope he's as happy as he was with her.

It transpires the Manager is from Bettws-y-Coed so I had a little chat in Welsh before leaving.

I was so elated that it's all sorted I went and lit a thank-you candle in the Cathedral and had a coffee and caramel-shortbread in the cafe.

He's home now feeling rather strange at spending such a short time in class.

We both agree it was a very good thing his father didn't go down with him or there would have been a small nuclear explosion in the office before everything got sorted out

Mrs Poet  Lovely to read this.

Mercy Dunn  This is exciting. I wonder why all people in education don't make it their business to be as lovely as one's first teacher!

Bentonbag - Henlady was Thunderthighs's fourth teacher. 

He went to Woodlawn School after an awful couple of years in Reception and Year 1 of Benton Park School. 

The Year 1 teacher, in a meeting with NTyneside's Communication Support advice person said 

"But is this going to make more work for me?". 

Can you imagine how I felt about my boy being in her class? 

He ended up having time with his one-to-one in the cloakroom - she being an unqualified dinner-nanny/child-minder. 

Which is why I fought to get him into Woodlawn, and he started at the half term. 

(To be fair the Nursery teacher Mrs Tamms was lovely.)

Mercy Dunn  Oh dear oh dear....... Thank goodness for Woodlawn then! Why aren't people more lovely ....???!!!

 

Sheep May Safely Graze?

Despite their best efforts Ouseburn Farm’s poultry fell to bird-flu and, for a while, the yard was sadly quiet.

From Facebook Archives

7 September 2022 at 10.23

We had an interesting day at Ouseburn farm yesterday. 

The Farmlad had sciatica so spent most of the day wincing (he's off for a couple of weeks now). 

One of the trainees had a complete meltdown at lunchtime which lasted most of the rest of the day; so everyone decamped to a classroom for breaks. 

And when the Farmlad went to get the sheep from the field below the Cumberland Arms he discovered someone had let their dog off the lead and it was chasing them. 

The shouting could be heard right across the valley. 

The dog walker had the nerve to tell the Farmlad he shouldn't have spoken to him like that!

However Ferretfingers did quite a lot of muck shovelling and carting, water carrying, straw bag dragging and spreading and some sawing so it was fine for us.

And the chicks and ducklings are half grown and gorgeous. 

The sound of hens and ducks is back, together with the cheeping of bantam pullets. 

I spent a goodly amount of time leaning on the poultry pen fence just enjoying them.

The house is silent: Thunderthighs is at Hextol, Ferretfingers at the Rising Sun and Fester at the Mining Institute. 

The sun is out, there's washing on the line and, as soon as I've breakfasted, I shall strip our bed and load the washer.

Libet in parvis.

(go on - google it)