Welcome to justthoughtsnstuff

I started posting to jtns on 20 February 2010 with just one word, 'Mosaic'. This seemed an appropriate introduction to a blog that would juxtapose fragments of memoir and life-writing. Since 1996, I'd been coming to terms with the consequences of emotional and economic abuse that had begun in childhood, and which, amongst other things, had sought to stifle self-expression. While I'd explored some aspects of my life through fiction and, to a lesser extent, journalism, it was only in 2010 that I felt confident enough to write openly about myself. I believed this was an important part of the healing process. Yet within weeks, the final scenes of my family's fifty-year nightmare started to play themselves out and the purpose of the blog became one of survival through writing. Although some posts are about my family's suffering - most explicitly, Life-Writing Talk, with Reference to Trust: A family story - the majority are about happier subjects (including, Bampton in rural west Oxfordshire, where I live, Oxford, where I work, the seasons and the countryside, walking and cycling) and I hope that these, together with their accompanying photos, are enjoyable and positive. Note: In February 2020, on jtns' tenth birthday, I stopped posting to this blog. It is now a contained work of life-writing about ten years of my life. Frank, 21 February 2020.

New blog: morethoughtsnstuff.com.

Sunday, 6 May 2012

kind weather, spuds, edzell blues, highland burgundy reds, dibber, shallots and onions


















Weather has been kind the past couple of days, so I was at last able to get onto the allotment and plant the spuds.

I prepared the ground when I had a week off after Easter but have had to wait three weeks for a break in the rain to coincide with some time off.

Spuds have gone in much later than usual. In 2010 planting started on 11th April and last year I put in the lot on 9th April... But, as Keith said this morning, 'They'll catch up.' Hope so.

The varieties this year are Desiree, Estima, Kestrel and Maris Peer. I also put in a row each of Edzell Blue and Highland Burgundy Red, which we haven't grown for years. When we stayed in Comrie back in the 90s we used to visit Mrs MacLean and order a selection of unusual varieties which would arrive by post in the spring. She grew well over a hundred different kinds.

The Edzell Blues are the nearest ones in the bottom photo and the Highland Burgundy Reds, the ones at the back.

The wonderful old potato dibber had its annual outing.

Also managed to get in our shallots (Red Sun) and onions (Sturon and Stuttgarter)--again very late.
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