Still out of reach

And quite enjoying it, although I'm worried that I'm becoming a bit annoying to people who can't reach me. What would be ideal is if everyone else gets rid of their phones too, what do you think?
I'm surprised actually how much more time it has given  me to do everything really, but especially to think and get my head straight, and I'm finding myself more enthusiastic once more about things like reducing our waste, eating organic, cutting down on how much we are buying. things that used to be really important to me.

There's not really any news here this week. We have finally had some heat and sunshine which has been wonderful. We don't use sunscreen in our house - something opinions are divided on so I shall say little about it. There is a good deal of research into the dangers of it. There is also a good deal of research into the benefits, however largely funded by the companies producing sunscreen, and even they say that it is best to seek shade. Anyway, as a result we try not to be out in the sun for too long without having breaks, so we have been dividing our time this weekend between gardening, going for walks, playing outside, and watching Glastonbury on telly! We have all come out the other side unburned, but with a nice bit of a tan which will be very handy if the sun decides to show its face again this summer!

Somehow the garden is managing to produce enough veg for us despite the lack of sun and warmth. Actually this is the beginning of the third week without a food shop for veg - only bananas, apples and cucumbers which we eat a lot of.

There is nothing that compares to eating really fresh food and it gives me so much more respect and interest in mealtimes. I like cooking but I don't especially enjoying sitting down to a meal, it's something I'm working on, but this really helps. I think the connection to food is something that is really missing a lot of the time and which I feel I need to enjoy it.
That's all for now. The gardening jobs were finished this morning but there is plenty to be done in the house before the beginning of another week.

I haven't checked this post for typos, so apologies in advance

More thoughts about technoology and the 'way it's done'

I can't even say how many half-written blog posts are sat in my drafts right now,
This is mostly because for the last year or two I have written my posts on my phone, and that is a difficult and frustrating activity, so it invariably is put down before I finish. Smartphones are pants. I know I am  not the first person so come to this conclusion, and I also know they are supposedly good for some things, but smartphones are pants. I am not surprised to learn that the sales of smartphones have been falling and stupidphones are rising once more, consistent and finite in their uses.
I haven't exactly gotten rid of my smartphone yet. Actually it has something wrong with it, and while I decide whether to repair it or not (it is difficult to get rid of something that is still technically 'fine'), I am without any phone at all, which has been rather nice. The only thing I have missed is that my mother calls  me in the morning while she is waiting for her train, and Will calls me at lunchtime while he is on his break. I am rarely at home and when I am I am usually busy and don't answer the landline, so I have been missing out on these chats. I have also missed taking pictures of the girls to send to my mum and friend in Canada.
Actually when I thought about what I actually liked to use my phone for that was specific to it being a smartphone, there were few things. I have facebook but I don't like it. I use the messenger to keep in touch with the girls I run the baby group with, but Will has fixed my laptop now so I can use that instead, and it won't always be beeping at me. I like Instagram, or I think I do. I follow  lots of gardeners and have learned a lot. But mostly it just makes me feel insecure because my life is disorganised and messy. And that's your lot. There is other stuff I use it for but can't claim to like it, or find it makes my life especially easier,  nicer... Actually I'm pretty sure using it so much has left me feeling stressed, anxious, and generally frazzled. And I know that because after 3 days without it, although I still feel slightly twitchy and like something is missing, I also feel, wait for it, less stressed!
So there we are, I've finally caught on. I knew it all along anyway, and it's the reason I came to smartphones so late in the game, but I still bought into it eventually and have had to learn my lesson.
My mum thinks she has a digital camera I can use. My laptop seems to be working well enough to check my emails and bank account. And I have a life to get on with that doesn't need to be regularly photographed and captioned.

Anyway, apart from that incredible revelation, not much is new. Ivy has  her induction for school today. I feel very upset about it and can't believe she will be starting in September. I am sure it is the right thing.. but it doesn't feel right. And I think truly if she were not going to a welsh language school I would wait a year, but I am keen for her to start as soon as possible to make the transition to welsh language easier.
Our garden goes on, as well as one that has not seen sunlight since last year can. We are getting a good amount of veg from it, but the more tender vegetables are doing as close to nothing as they can without actually dying. But, we didn't buy any vegetables last week, so that is a positive.
Actually, when I did our food shop I tried to buy as close to a months worth of food as I could, and in some cases more than a months, dried beans etc, because I am sick to death of shopping. It's boring for the kids, and I have started doing it when I'm bored rather than actually thinking of something constructive or interesting to do. The result is spending more, eating more, wasting more. Well I don't really want to do any of those things. I am hoping that stockpiling at the start of the month will keep me away from shops and get me out of the habit of thinking, oh we need this, we need that, and just using what we have instead, especially since all the fresh food (except for fruit) is in the garden.

I can't share any recent pictures, so here is one taken in our garden on the outskirts of London a few years ago, at the time when I started this blog and we really cared about and worked at keeping things simple.

Down in the dumps

Well I have been a bit lately to be honest. Feeling a bit directionless, and I can't really figure out why because when I take stock everything seems to be going okay. But lately I've felt like I'm losing interest in everything, like I've run out of steam, used up my quota of enthusiasm.
I enjoy it while I'm there, but never want to go and do the baby group that I'm now tied to doing. The garden and growing veg is going well, mostly, but some nights i go to bed and wonder if or why I even like gardening. I'm anxious all the time and my health hasn't improved in the way I'd hoped it would and in not sure where to look for help, which is strange as I've always been pretty sure I knew how to be healthy, and feel healthy. How do you break out of a cycle of apathy? Maybe we just need some nice weather (and a good night's sleep!)
Enough of that, anyway. We've been doing a few bits and bobs in the the house. Will seems to have had a little change to his tastes and has been going