Postsshanibeer in hive-193552 • 4 yr. ago • 2 min readLots to do in the garden: April 30 2022Busy day clearing the garden. Cut down the cardoons, already well advanced, but wasn't able to dig the roots out today. Had better luck with the buddleias on the bottom terrace, and cleared all the weeds and seedlings from the path. My neighbour stopped to chat, that's the great thing about doing anything in the back garden, everyone stops…shanibeer in hive-193552 • 4 yr. ago • 3 min readGetting Ready for Planting: April 23 2022My grafted tomato plants arrived today, one each of cherry, plum, salad and beefsteak varieties. They did very well last year, so hoping for the same this year. They come in a flat pack through the post, a large envelope sized package that can go through the letter box. They had been in transit for 48 hours, so just a little delicate when they…shanibeer in hive-193552 • 4 yr. ago • 2 min readRamsgate Tunnels - the town under a town: April 22 2022I took a short cut through Ellington Park to get to the station and was delighted to see how lovely it was. Looked after by a Friends' Association, it is getting better all the time with a new cafe to join the bandstand, bowling green and bookshop. There's also a little nature reserve, sculptures and children's playground I was intrigued to see…shanibeer in hive-193552 • 4 yr. ago • 2 min readShock! Glass in my Salad: April 19 2022The footpath to nowhere. I'd been tricked by this before. After a promising start, it takes you past a car park and ends in a cul-de-sac. No, not really, it turns out. It's lemon salt, otherwise known as citric acid, in this case mined in southern Turkey near the city of Burdur. Well, the good thing about this incident was I met the…shanibeer in hive-193552 • 4 yr. ago • 2 min readSmall seaside town : April 18 2022Ran outside just at sunset and caught the last glows before the light went and then a walk into the village. It's a curious mix of very old and very contemporary. One of the largest establishments was a funeral parlour, and I found a stonemason's yard around the corner. Two pubs, one closed, the other with about six people in it. About six…shanibeer in hive-193552 • 4 yr. ago • 1 min readSpring Equinox: March 23 2022We've had a few beautiful Spring days in England, warm enough, after the equinox, to go out for a late afternoon walk without a coat. I heard last week that funding for The Idea had reached the tipping point, so the printing of this new book about Anarchist organising and resistance can go ahead. I'm looking forward to getting a copy. I…shanibeer in hive-193552 • 4 yr. ago • 3 min read#gardenjournal | Rhododendrons are here: March 10 2022The very first of the rhododendrons have put in an appearance. These are quite discreet, small and neat and delicately coloured. Not like their blowsy cousins, tall and gangly, brilliantly hued, escaping Victorian gardens and overtaking the English countryside. Closer to home, the jasmine is flowering in the front porch where I brought it to…shanibeer in hive-193552 • 4 yr. ago • 4 min readHealth and the Gut Microbiome: February 22 2022Crocuses in the Botanic Garden late afternoon. My attention was caught by an article the other day, where someone was saying that no one weight loss method suits everyone because of their gut microbiome. Since then I've been reading up about this complex 'organ' composed of trillions of microorganisms, up to 5,000 different species, some…shanibeer in hive-193552 • 4 yr. ago • 2 min readVegan Chocolate Pudding: February 21 2022It was so good to be able to get out yesterday after three days of sheltering from high winds, rain and hail. A lot of trees have come down across the county, and some flooding. Some people have had to evacuate their homes, but it doesn't look like too many, fortunately. We had high winds in the morning but by three o clock they had quietened…shanibeer in hive-193552 • 4 yr. ago • 2 min readShared Earth Rice Husk Keep Cups: February 17 2022It was one of those days yesterday - I forgot to turn the power on when I put my phone on charge and then, later, when I set out to do steps after I had charged my phone, I remembered I was expecting an online delivery and had to hurry home! Never mind, I did Pilates earlier in the day, plus an hour in the garden sweeping leaves (crazy…shanibeer in hive-193552 • 4 yr. ago • 3 min readStorm Dudley: February 16 2022I went out yesterday just before Storm Dudley arrived. The region I live in, the East Midlands, had an amber weather warning with winds upwards of 45mph expected. The Botanic Garden was closed at 12pm to allow staff from Estates to carry out a safety survey. The Garden will be closed until Monday, after Storm Eunice has passed, and the grounds…shanibeer in hive-193552 • 4 yr. ago • 4 min read*The Idea* - Anarchist Communism in 2022: February 15 2022The Idea - fundraising page for printing costs I was really interested to see that this book has been written (and edited, all through voluntary labour, without even upvotes along the way), and to be invited to contribute to the printing costs. I was thrilled when I was first introduced to these ideas, some twenty years ago. Although I have…shanibeer in hive-193552 • 4 yr. ago • 2 min readAmazing Diggers and a Nice Surprise: February 14 2022This amazing digger was a little too close for comfort last week. Finally, serious work has re-started on the basement conversion in the house next door. Originally started by an individual developer from Darlington in 2006-7, who knocked on my door asking if he could plug his generator into one of my power points as he didn't have any…
