Chilli Mania!

Well, I've had far greater success on the chilli seedling front than I had expected. Only 7 out of the 51 seeds I planted failed to germinate; leaving me with 44 seedlings!

As they were coming up to re-potting time and my propagator will take 30 small pots nicely, I made the decision to cull 14 of them. Let's be fair, 30 plants is still overkill so I won't miss the ones I've gotten rid of.

These were taken just after re-potting:




And these more recent photographs shows their current status:


The Cayennes are the biggest:



The Alberto's Locoto Rocoto are looking lovely:


How pretty is this 'Adorno' variety?!:


So it's all going well here.
Also, I suffered a case of The 'JUST....GOTTA.... PLANT IT' phenomenon.

There I was a few nights ago, making a curry - quite happily, minding my own business.....

.....that's when it got me.
It was around the time I was chopping up my chillies; first a nice green one, then a nice fat juicy red one... all of a sudden I was ramming seeds into damp kitchen roll and into the airing cupboard before I could say Jack Robinson.

I DO NOT NEED any more plants; but the urge was irresistible.

So my grow list might 'grow' again.... :-)

Thank you, Dorothy and Rob x

I read something today:

"If something anticipated arrives too late it finds us numb, wrung out from waiting, and we feel - nothing at all. The best things arrive on time." ~ Dorothy Gilman, A New Kind of Country, 1978

It's perfect.

It puts into words so succinctly, something that I've been struggling to do as simply.... and without essay. At first it may seem a sombre statement, but it's so far from a sad realisation for me; It is an enlightenment that I can barely keep in. It's a confirmation that what I've felt so strongly and raged about - actually makes perfect sense.

I don't know Dorothy Gilman, but I love her for that quote. It seems anger and frustration have been the theme for so many events that have occurred in my life over the last few years. There have been long periods where I've struggled to make myself heard - verbally bashing my head against a brick wall in an attempt to be understood, to be appreciated; to be respected.

Have you ever got to that point when you realise that you've pushed so hard for something that, when it finally threatens to happen, you realise you no longer want it. It's not being spoilt, or that you don't know what you really want or that you can never be satisfied; it's that the continual fight to achieve something leaves the end result tainted. The pain, frustration and eventual exhaustion were just not worth it - the balance wasn't fair; the effort unjustified.

I have stood at the bottom of the mountain looking up; I tried my best to get to the top. At first, full of naive hope and positivity; slowly turning into a bitterness and anger that eventually gave way to indifference... and then I cried as I turned my back on what I saw was up there waiting for me... the realisation that this was someone else's mountain.

It's the pits. And what makes it worse is the paranoia that those around you believe that not only did you never make it to the top - but you didn't even try, didn't give it your all.
Well what good is giving your all when you end up spent and wasted with nothing left - there's being selfless and then there's plain stupidity. You HAVE to keep a bit for yourself otherwise what is left for somebody else to love?

The last part of Dorothy's quote also holds great weight for me.

It's true that the best things arrive on time and after all the sadness and disappointment, I realise now that I wouldn't change a thing if I could. If I'd not started that climb, I never would have experienced the view - I wouldn't have met the person I did on the way back down.

Now, there's no mountain.

Rob and I become closer after both going through divorces; we helped each other through the inevitable hardships that come with break-ups and the like, only to discover whilst doing so that actually, we are perfect for each other.

Perfect on so many levels. Ok, so there's the obvious one being we both love music and plan to start making music together,** though that is but a dusting on the already huge cake..... We're both creative, passionate and enthusiastic about the things we like; we love to talk well into the small hours about anything and everything.
**No rudeness intended; though yeah, there’s that as well ;-)

We go for walks along beaches and countryside, we drive to the shops just to nose around with no intention of buying anything.
Rob knows I love to make things, and always encourages my interests and hobbies, just as I try to bring out the things that make him tick (However; there's only so much Gary Moore I can take before I feel the need to start killing people).

We both love our food, particularly Italian, and find there’s nothing better than to share a lovely meal together with a nice bottle of something whilst watching crappy outtake television, Scrubs, Holby City, Blackadder, Red Dwarf, or one of the other many shows that we both share an appreciation of. We go on adventures… sometimes without even having to go past the front door.

But most of all, we laugh. I love a good giggle and have never spent so much time holding my stomach in pain from laughing so much. I feel comfortable in my own skin, utterly free to be myself. I don’t have to prove anything.

There is a whole new world opening up for me and I am so incredibly lucky.

There's an ocean of possibilities, let's go the whole cheesy hog and say that it's a field of dreams! I don't care, I'll crack open the bag of naff metaphors if that's what it takes to get it across; I am truly blessed.

I never thought I'd want to get married again. I thought that it should be a one time deal and who needs marriage anyway....
And now, here I am engaged to be married, doe eyed and with more vision of hope and promise than I did the first time around!! Oh no.... no tentative cynicism for me; no holding back. I'm gonna give it everything I have. Just because it wasn't right before, doesn't mean I should never be allowed to experience how it should be - in fact, after everything that has happened, I deserve a little happiness (The fact that I am now overwhelmed with it is not my fault, I don't mean to be greedy; it's just how it's turned out!!) and after all, as Dorothy said - the best things arrive on time; and now is my time.... our time.

I love him with every breath.
I just hope he knows it, and will spend the rest of my life making sure he does.

Kat - soppy, happy and overwhelmingly lucky xxx

Chilli Growing...again!

Nearly a month between posts - that shall never do!
I've been rather busy as I recenlty decided to have another crack at growing chilli plants. I've tried this once before, but had rather a poor result; by poor result, I mean I killed them all.

This time, I'm determined to get some plants; I'd love to eat something that I have grown myself, I imagine that the sense of achievement must be immense. My mother and grandfather were keen growers and often, most of what was on the dinner table had come from their gardens. Obviously being a kid, I never fully appreciated the brilliance of that; I would now... but isn't that always the way? Well, it's never too late - I'm going to have a go at this home growing and experience the joy for myself!

However, I'd better not get carried away just yet - I have to grow some plants before I can even entertain eating any fruit...
So, here's the story so far:



I have the following seeds on my grow list:

Adorno
Alberto's Locoto
Apache F1 Hybrid
Bulgarian Carrot
Cayenne
Corno Di Torro Rosso
Jamaican Red Hot
Mustard Habanero
Orange Habanero
Prairie Fire
Sante Fe Grante
Worldbeater

This morning I awoke to find we have some Cayenne seedlings coming up!!:



I also have 2 loops in the 'Adorno' variety:



...both of these types were planted a few days before the other seeds so they've had a head start. I have a little while to wait before any of the other varieties show their faces.

Whilst waiting for the seedlings I've been building a lighting rig for them - they'll have more chance of success if I ply them with as much daylight as possible! I've made a holder for 3 artificial daylight bulbs - these mimic the spectrum of light given off by natural sunlight and will help to make the plants shoot up!





I just have to build a reflector now; that will hang over the light fitting. This will bounce the light down over the plants making sure they get the full benefit of the bulbs instead of the light merely lighting the whole room.

On another note, I will also have to knit a chilly toy - it only seems right to mix the two hobbies at some point!

Kat xx

2010 is here...

...and if it's going to be anything like 2009 it can jolly well naff off. Actually, that's not totally fair; after all, 2009 had it's good times. Some couldn't possibly be more so and for those moments I thank my super fiancee, Rob; that's one of the year's highlights - On bended knee in my favourite Italian restaurant, the whole place (albeit 6 people) erupting into a cheer....

That was about the best and will remain so. There was also being back in my beloved Wales, closer to my friends and loved ones; happy to be back where I belong even if my being here was brought about by the failure of a doomed marriage. Sometimes, with the best will in the world it doesn't matter how hard you try. Ultimately, if it's wrong, then you chose to move on or burn yourself out trying to repair something that is un-fixable.
Unsurprisingly, in the end, the latter was more attractive to me.

There have been other trials too. 2009 found me wrapped up in unnecessary court proceedings, but I'll leave that one there..... suffice to say that I'm left standing and my conscience is clear. Also we had to say goodbye to a friend of ours in the April; he no longer wanted to stay on this earth and decided to help himself shuffle from the mortal coil. I will miss him and will never be able to watch "My name is Earl" or "The New Statesman" without a melancholy smile.....

On a lighter note, 2009 was the year of TV Burp and my birthday found me in Teddington Studios watching it being filmed!! What a cracking day; that man is so funny!!

It was also the year I became a complete knitting nutter - my super sister and I have spent so many hours sat clicketty-clacketting all manner of wonderful and sometimes quite frankly odd creations. It was also the year of the Jag, with Rob finally getting his hands on the car of his dreams. I've seen my oldest nephew run for Wales and have sat in the great hall of Caerphilly castle listening to my mother singing her heart out along with the rest of Caerphilly ladies choir.

So I suppose you could say a thoroughly mixed bag; Some life changing moments for good and for bad. (See what I did there? I made a little rhyme...)
As for new year's resolutions, I'm not making any. The only change that was important to me was to pack in the smoking, but I've already done it - I smoked my last on Halloween, so I've been free for two months already.

I won't pray for a better year ahead, for if it wasn't for some of the crud, the good stuff could never have happened. No, what I would really like for this upcoming year is 12 lovely months of astounding un-eventfulness. A period of settling; a nice pleasant drive on a long straight road; as opposed to the finger-biting-white-knuckle-stop-the-ride-I-want-to-get-off agony of last year's roller coaster.

Good luck for 2010 - may it be whatever you wish. xx

Dr Who's Tardis Spotted on Caerphilly Castle

No, you're eyes do not deceive you; The Tardis is indeed parked on top of Caerphilly Castle. You can imagine my surprise when spotting this as I was strolling past, minding my own business. I've done a spot of 'googleing' this morning, but alas; no information as to what the dear Doctor is doing in my hometown. Still, it made a great shot - even if I did risk my gear as I stood there praying that the heavens would put off bucketting down on me. Lets just hope that's all he's brought here mind; I've had one hell of a year and right now I would prefer not to be caught up in some inter-dimentional battle between a bunch of planet stealing, other-world nutters... Mr Who - You may have survived all manner of nasties and made it to a whopping 903 years old, but if you want to see you 904th birthday I suggest you make sure I get a peaceful christmas.

Kitty-Kat's Kitty Hat!!

It was always going to happen; a Kitty-Kat needs a kitty hat! I think this may be the last of the hats, but then I said that last time.... Once again, it's the same pattern for the basic hat shape, which can be found here: http://photokat22.blogspot.com/2009/11/kats-two-sticks-ear-flap-ski-hat.html Only this time I've added some cunning kitty ears!

You could also put on some eyes and a nose if you felt so inclined; I've decided to leave it as it is for now until I'm bored and then I may add more bits and pieces. I think it' super cute as it is :-)

For the ears you'll need to follow this simple pattern.

EARS (Make 2, unless you're a freak cat!)

Cast on 14 sts in your main colour - in my case black.

St-st 10 rows

Ssk, k10, k2tog - 12

Purl row

Ssk, k8, K2tog - 10

Purl row

Ssk, k6, k2tog - 8

Purl row

Ssk, k4, k2tog 6

Purl row

Ssk, k2, k2tog -4

Purl row

Ssk, k2tog -2

B&T tightly

Now with a groovy pink for the inner ear make 2 of the following:

Cast on 10

St-st 8 rows

Ssk, k6, k2tog -8

Purl row

Ssk, k4, k2tog -6

Purl row

Ssk, k2, k2tog -4

Purl row

Ssk, k2tog -2

B&T Tightly.

Now you have to sew one black piece to one pink.

Place a pink section on top of a black one with the right sides facing each other and oversew around the row edges making sure that the cast on edges stay in line and do not get oversewn - this is where we shall add stuffing. You will find that when you turn this inside out you will have the excess black around the edge of the pink creating a border around the top and sides of the ear.

Add a little stuffing and then place where you'd like on the hat. I put mine quite far back as they seemed to sit better, but it's really up to you. You're best bet is to put the hat on and look in a mirror; try holding the ears in different positions until you like what you see and then pin them down carefuly. Remove the hat and sew the ears down permanently.

Now... doesn't that look the cat's whiskers?! MEOW!!!

Wounded!

A knitters worst nightmare...

Yesterday, in my infinite wisdom, I decided to try and hack off my index finger whilst doing the washing up. Had I remembered that I'd wanted to finish a hat project today, I would have tried for a less inconvenient appendage; such as a toe or an ear.

It didn't feel like much at the time. I felt a rough pain as I washed out what I've since discovered to be a cracked mug, however; I thought I'd failed to mutilate myself. It was only the spurting that followed as I grasped a plate from the bowl (the finger curling action opening the gash, forcing blood to pour out like ketchup) that had me grabbing for a tea-towel.

So now I sit here forced to play Bejewelled Blitz on Facebook for hours; I just can't help it - is it not the most addictive thing ever? Oh no... sorry; that would be crack.