Yes well, in October I made a gallant attempt at getting in touch, with the intention of riveting you all with my exciting and enviable lifestyle change from 17 acres of Northland paradise, to a 1/4 acre section in suburban BOP. You may notice a certain facetious quality about my post...
It appears I have stress to thank for our flourishing vege garden. I have kept sanity at bay (so far) by escaping into the garden at every opportunity, sometimes just for minutes but you can get alot done in a short time. Consequently we are eating lots of salady green stuff, plus beetroot, courgettes, broccoli, leeks and herbs from our garden. No wait! I haven't quite bored you enough. Just give me a minute to mention the tomatoes, beans, red onions, carrots, potatoes and artichokes that are growing away steadily. Oh and have I told you about the rhubarb, raspberries and watermelons?
I must be clear: looking after the olds is stressful but that's ok. But neither Chris nor I have ever been good at suburban life and we are suffering from a bit of culture shock. The motorway is really close - we have of course planted like maniacs to absorb the noise. The supermarket is just down the road instead of a half hour drive away so suddenly we need to go there 3 times a week (and spend money.) The dawn chorus is blackbirds and sparrows instead of moreporks, tui and kingfishers (did you know that moreporks give a last call at dawn immediately before the first morning bird?) On a good note, in addition to the 10 houses we can see from the back door, we also have the most adorable little potting shed that Chris made me from recycled windows and doors, a cute chookrun and a lovely little sitting area where we can watch the sunset from.
Having said all that, something magical has come from all this. Watch this space.
