I have Purple Sprouting Broccoli!

On the allotment I mean, rather than in the fridge! And it's very exciting. Look...

Yes, it's got a little way to go before I'll start to cut it, but I'm hoping it won't be too long now before we're picking our purple sprouting broccoli instead of buying it. We've five plants and a hearty appetite for this vegetable which has been a long time coming. The little plug plants, along with the cabbages were the first thing we planted last June.

In slightly more disappointing news, we also have a lot of weeds. That's one thing not in short supply.  On our New Year's Day visit I made these two amazing discoveries, and more.

MY MOST PHOTOGENIC CABBAGE, WITH WEEDS

AND THE EQUALLY PHOTOGENIC CAVOLO NERO, THIS TIME WITH WEEDS AND GRASS

As well as the photogenic brassicas, the onions and garlic were coming along well and holding off the weeds, just. The broad beans are up about two inches already. I suspect they may be about to slow down, but it was pleasing to see something growing.

The small apple tree that we moved in November is still alive and I'm hopeful it's happy in its new home.  The strawberries I planted alongside the edge of the plot are thriving, which is good news as I've more to plant when we've cleared some more space.

It was useful to pop over to the plot and take a peek at what it's been getting up to, and let's be honest on New Year's Day we were never going to be up for more than just taking a look.  With seed catalogues seemingly arriving each day tempting me with their possibilities it was a good reminder that we need to be realistic. 

We've still lots to do before our plot is fully operational, but seeing things grow has fired that enthusiasm to get going again. Now where's my fork?!

Let 2016 Shine!

A new year. A time when it's natural to think what that will bring and to pause and reflect on the year that's gone.  While I don't set resolutions - like many people I find they don't last - I do think about what I want from the new year and how I can help make that happen by choosing a word to guide me. 

Last year the word I chose was Focus; it was something I needed to do but even when I chose it I admitted it wasn't in the "make my heart sing" category and now I know I should have found a word that was.  Although I did focus - I am back at work and I have achieved lots throughout 2015 - I didn't actively embrace my word. It was there, reminding me, nagging me even of what I needed to do, but I pretty much ignored it whenever I could. I didn't reflect on my word throughout the year, even though I'd set myself a regular task on my to do list, and I didn't even feel guilty when I sneakily ticked it off the list without thinking too much more about it. 

So there was a lesson for me in 2015. If it doesn't feel right, then it probably isn't right. 

That said 2015 was a good year, but having my word didn't feel the way it had the year before when I chose Active.  

So this year I knew I needed to make a better choice. In my head I had "balance."  It worked in lots of clever ways: work-life balance, blog-life balance, work-home balance and also for pilates, which I haven't done so much of during the latter part of the year (and should have) and is something I always need more balance for than I naturally have. And cycling too, that needs balance.  See it was clever, it just didn't make me smile.  

And so I knew to keep looking for my word.

I'm not sure how or where I got the inspiration for my word, but I did. And if you've snuck a look at the image in this post you'll not be surprised to learn that this year I've chosen Shine.  Even typing it now makes me smile. 

So yes, this year my plan is to shine.

And to try and shine in everything I do.

AN ABBEY WINDOW IN SOUTH WEST FRANCE CAPTURED IN 2009

I realise that's quite a bold statement, but let me tell you more.

This year I want to build on the sewing machine mastery I rediscovered last year and focus on the quality of the items I sew, the zips I put in and in fact all of the crafts I set my sights on. I want to shine, not just do, if that makes sense.

I want to smile and share that shine with people I meet, those I know and those I don't. Smiling is good and it's a great way to improve other people's days and your own too. 

I want to get things done, but I want to do them well.  Whether that's at home, at work or here on my blog, this year I want to shine. That's particularly pertinent here on my blog as this week sees me take over co-hosting PoCoLo, an established and well loved bloggers link up.  

And of course there's the weather side of shine. I know I'm happiest in the sun, so I'm hoping we have plenty of sunshine this year; if it's in short supply then I'd be happy for it to be shining when we cycle in the Loire Valley (the dates of which are still to be determined), that's not too much to ask now, is it?

So now I have my word, I have it visualised in that stunning Abbey window shot which I captured on a walking holiday in the South West of France in 2009 and what's more, this year I even have a soundtrack. Helpfully Take That have obliged there.  It really is a Beautiful World.

So there's my intentions for 2016, what are yours?

A walk in the park

On the Sunday before Christmas we wandered down into Greenwich for a very important errand, and that was to buy some cheese for festive period. Yes, very important. It was one of those clear and sunny days we've had recently and it was warm too, quite a treat. I loved the look of the lacy trees against the sky in Greenwich Park.

The sunlight too was catching this gnarly old trunk, doesn't it look great?

Our route through the park was different to usual, as rather than heading down into Greenwich we headed across the park and exited on Crooms Hill and cut through the side streets to the cheese shop - we were on a mission. These trees though were worth stopping (briefly) for. 

As we ducked around the side of the Observatory, onto what is probably my favourite path in the park away from the crowds I just had to stop to admire the brickwork, and the less than usual view towards Docklands.

The lacy trees were almost forgotten with this fragile looking fern, such a beautiful colour.

And then as we headed down the path, we noticed the hellebores with the sun shining straight onto the new growth. They looked truly stunning, and it's no wonder they're perhaps more advanced than usual.

Isn't nature wonderful?