Today’s books are: ‘An English Farmhouse’ by Geoffrey Grigson, ‘The Bumblebee Flies Anyway’ by Kate Bradbury and ‘Timeless Simplicity’ by John Lane. Quirky, niche, though-provoking……even challenging. Oh, and two new words for my vocabulary!
Year: 2024
Vivi’s Kitchen Garden: Sunshine, shepherds and quiet.
It’s the first really sunny (and therefore warm) day of the year. I make the most of it with some quiet, gentle work in the garden…..the only sounds are my secateurs snipping, the birds singing and a neighbour raking. It’s time to lap up the warmth and enjoy the peace as life slowly returns to the garden. Join me for some quiet time….and a wee chat about Shepherds in the mountains of the Lake District.
Beyond Frugal: Leek and Potato Soup – Shop bought vs. homemade.
Another shop bought vs homemade price challenge. Today I am making a gorgeous, thick, creamy leek and potato soup (with added extras at the end if you want) to see if I can make it for less than the price of a tin of ready-made stuff at the shops. I am making it with all shop bought ingredients so even if you don’t have a garden I aim to show that it’s possible to live on much less.
On the Sofa (with books): Childhood books, Woods & Wild Places & a Bookshop. #booktube
A little look back (please ignore my state, I was a bit ill at the time….but I’m fine now). Today’s books are: ‘Bookworm – A memoir of childhood reading’ by Lucy Mangan, ‘The Wood’ by John Stewart Collis, ‘The Living Mountain’ by Nan Shepherd and ‘Confessions of a Bookseller’ by Shaun Bythell.
Vivi’s Kitchen Garden: February – Tour & Jobs.
Goodness me, I haven’t brought you to the garden for ages……a mixture of weather and boring jobs have stopped me from filming. So, today is a bit of a catch-up; a tour to see where things are at and a run down of jobs to be getting on with before the new growing season kicks in.
Beyond Frugal: Cracking On! The Hallway Makeover.
Today I am getting stuck into the hallway makeover. I have decorators coming but I want to do as much as possible myself to keep costs down…….so…….I clamber out onto the roof (hahaha….I swore, off camera, heights terrify me!) to get the sky lights cleaned and do some prep before decorating starts in earnest……including the purchase of some off-cuts of wood for the meter box make.
On the Sofa (with books): Indigenous gifts and wisdom.
I have two beautiful books for you today……though one of them is a particularly difficult read because of the subject matter. ‘Indian Horse’ by Richard Wagamese and ‘Gathering Moss’ by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
On the Sofa: Life lessons from a mad man and other chat.
Another mixed bag of chat today including: reusable Christmas crackers, Caramac chocolate, food on TV and…..life lessons from a mad man!
Beyond Frugal: A day in the life of a frugal girl – let’s get moving!
Today I am starting in on some of the jobs that need to be done before I can put my home on the market………I’m getting the wheels turning. Plus a look at one of the Estate Agents in my area.
On the Sofa (with books): Wilderness & Gardens.
Today’s books are a dive into the archives and cover the subjects of wilderness living and creating gardens. The books are: Adam Weymouth’s ‘Kings of the Yukon’, Stan Zuray’s ‘Carry On’, Velma Wallis’ ‘Two Old Women’, Louise Dickinson Rich’s ‘We Took to the Woods’ and Monty Don’s ‘The Jewel Garden’.
