Topic: Jeannine from Canada just popping in after a few years to say hi .

[Jeannine]

Just touching base and saying hi .I hope my message falls on a few friendly ears as you are very much missed.

I am still alive and , kicking but  not very high. on the whole I am doing OK for almost 82, still gardening in my huge pots and in my Victorian greenhouse with a couple of fruit trees and a few grape vines on fences and arbors so not doing bad. I am picking all types of tomatoes, beans, lettuce, beetroot, chard and  spring onions, plus  a mini me cuke and a long English one too and also carrots and a new turnip it is pure white with a silky feel. Very different.
My two Chihuahuas are doing well they are 9 now and there is another dog here too. If you remember we have 2 properties on our land a big house that  has my daughter and SIL  in and I have a carriage house built a few years ago for me. The greenhouse etc. is mine.no one allowed in it,. I bought my daughter a new puppy last fall as her much loved pet had died a couple of years ago and it was time. And she runs in and out of my house, so we have Florence and Maisie now Molly the Norfolk terrier She is from a show kennel, her Mum was imported from England and the breeder imported semen from a British champion male, so although she was born here in Canada she is a British bred dog. and a pest and then some.

I am still seriously grieving the  loss of my husband John, it has never got any easier for me, I doubt it will now. We were exceptionally close. But I can only make it by one day at a time. I guess it is what it is

I shall very much look forward to hearing from some off you if you remember me

So it would be lovely to hear from  old friends and see who is still around.

I hope you all have a fantastic harvest...my very best wishes and love to you XX Jeannine

[peanuts]

Good to hear from you, Jeannie, and to know you are well, and still kicking!  You've been around longer than I have, and you were  among members who welcomed me, when I joined back in 2010.  You gave me good advice when I was asking bottling questions, for which I've always been grateful. There are certainly others still around, whom you know. 
All the best, and keep in touch with A4A

[JanG]

Hello Jeannine. I appeared on the scene only shortly before you received some negative messages which I very much regretted. It is lovely that you have reappeared. I hear so much about your generosity in the past, and the exciting seed parcel and gifts you contributed.

It sounds as though your growing season is yielding great results. Here in east England, beans are starting and tomatoes just about ripening. It’s been a slow start to the season with some very dry weather in June and, for me at least, a wet July.

I do hope you stay in touch. I look forward to hearing more about what you’re growing.

[Tiny Clanger]

Hi Jeannine, great to know you are OK and still gardening. Don't stay away. Always good to hear from old friends x

[saddad]

Pleased to hear from you again...

[Deb P]

Well this is weird, I only mentioned you in a post about Cavili courgettes yesterday and this morning you pop up on the forum again! 😂
Lovely to hear from you, glad to hear you’re still growing things!  I remember meeting John when we met up at Barnsdale for a seed swap, he was such a character so I can imagine how much you miss him. 😘

[markfield rover]

Hello ! I am still growing some of your tomatoes and I was delighted to be able to send you a tomato you didn’t have ( not easy) Sweetheart, very fitting. I think we once mused that when one of your fabulous seed parcels went missing in transit  , that somewhere at some airport is a magnificent vegetable garden. Good to hear from you.

[Jeannine]

Well this is weird, I only mentioned you in a post about Cavili courgettes yesterday and this morning you pop up on the forum again! 😂
Lovely to hear from you, glad to hear you’re still growing things!  I remember meeting John when we met up at Barnsdale for a seed swap, he was such a character so I can imagine how much you miss him. 😘

Magda is my fave now. it is a cousa Lebanese one very pale green quite firm flesh and the first to harvest in my garden, there are some good recipes online for using it too.it is a hybrid but have kept seeds  and still got the same thing

 I
folks it is 3am here, was going to answer you all but have to leave it til lI have slept,,night night

[Tee Gee]

on the whole I am doing OK for almost 82, still gardening in my huge pots and in my Victorian greenhouse with a couple of fruit trees

Only a slip of a girl, then? 

Glad to see that you are still around!

I was just thinking the other day about people who are now conspicuous by their absence from A4A, perhaps your return might entice them back into the fold.

I am a bit older than you and, like you, I am now into container gardening since giving up my two allotments.

....Back to what I am doing;

My biggest problem is lack of good compost, which I am expecting to get worse once the peat content in compost is banned next year (2024)

You would have thought that now they are using 'recycled produce' this would have made them cheaper, but no they have become much more expensive over the last few years.

Like the compost producers, I have taken to recycling my spent commercial composts, as opposed to them who seem to be using stuff that would have otherwise gone to a landfill site.

For the past two or three years I have been saving my spent compost and rejuvenating it with well rotted horse muck in lieu of peat to keep the mix fibrous, then adding a general fertiliser such as John Innes base fertiliser or Fish, Blood & Bone.

In fact, this year I have been using a 50-50 mix of both, and it seems to be better than just the Ji Base mix on its own.

I also keep an eye on the pH of the mix and adjust it when necessary!

So again, like you, I am still dabbling away, and to be quite honest, I think I am enjoying my gardening better now that I am experimenting with these ideas, like they say ;

"You are never too old to learn"

...and talking of sleep, I am even sleeping better than ever before.

I hope you slept well last night.

Tee Gee

[Tulipa]

Hi Jeannine, it is so lovely to have you pop in to see us  and glad all is going ok for you.  We miss you here and all your knowledge.  I understand about John, you always seemed to have such a happy relationship the way you talked about him, treasure your happy memories of him and hopefully one day you will meet up again, he will be waiting for you.

You sound really well settled and lovely to have your dogs and family so close by.

I think of you often when thinking about planting sweetcorn, squash etc and remember all your wonderful advice, and when planting Trail of Tears too.  I have seen the TofT seeds on sale here now but I still have loads of them I have saved from your original few seeds I started with, I think they will keep me going forever!

You take care and hope you pop in again soon xx

[tricia]

Hi Jeannine, so glad to hear that you are still enjoying your gardening,  albeit on a smaller scale. Age does have a habit of impinging on one's physical capabilities, doesn't it? It must be a great comfort to have your daughter nearby and also the companionship of your dogs too. Are you still able to do most things for yourself on a day to day basis? I seem to remember that you were having mobility issues with travelling the last time we spoke. Heavens! That was how many years ago!
My last visit to my sister in Calgary was in 2013 - I haven't been anywhere since due to my own mobility problems, so I just plod along each day as best I can and am very fortunate to have a great friend who lives close by. She cleans for me and shops locally for fruit and veg (big food shop is now done online) and Amazon is my friend for just about everything else!

Over four years ago I was lucky enough to find someone reliable to help with my garden. Now he does all the work - apart from sowing the seeds and caring for the seedlings till planting out time.

 Now retired, he also has time to do jobs in the house for me.

So all in all, as you say Jeannine, still to be alive and able to enjoy things is something to be thankful for - you at 82 and me coming up to my 90th.

Do keep in touch, I check in every day, as do many AforAllers (as has been seen by the response to your post!).

Tricia x 

[galina]

Hi Jeannine, so good to have you back on the forum.  This has really made my day.  I was so dreadfully upset for you after that nasty incident.  Still that was then.  So happy that you are going strong and that all is well.  The dogs sound a hoot.  Enjoy your garden, there is a very special tranquility and peace that comes with growing your own veg and flowers, which I find you just can't get any other way.  So glad all is well with you. 

We moved as you probably know, garden is just slightly larger and we have a well which is a blessing this exceptionally dry year.  Also enjoying the fruits of my labour.  First tomato, aubergine, courgette all within the last 3 weeks and together with the garlic, onions and basil, we are enjoying some fine summery meals. 

Did you get your favourite potatoes to grow again? 

[lottie lou]

Yay. Lovely to hear from you. So we are still here gardening   Sadly and to my everlasting regret  I swapped plots thinking the new one  would be easier to manage. When I took the coverings off that had been on for a few years up popped the worse lot of mares tail ever. Never managed to get on top of it. Still manage to get down to potter most days especially when husband is in daycare. Definitely do not recommend old age and thinking of downsizing to garden but would miss the company of others on the site. Keep in touch as will need advice on container gardening in not too distant future

[Borlotti]

Lovely to hear from old allotment friends. I used to love this site when I had an allotment and miss the good chats. I am 80 now, dont believe it.

[Jeannine]

Hi my lovlies, well I don't know why but for some reason  the site was saying my password was wrong, I have tried and tried but no..so today I changed it and put my log in time forever;; so hopefully I am actually back. and so many answers to my post.

I can only say thank you for the wonderful greetings I will  try to sort through and answer any specifics any of you asked but please know I had a few tears after reading your replies.

hey Borlotti, try as you can you can't catch me up I was 82 last week LOL

Lottie  Lou. I grieve for you and your mares tail it is in the garden next to me and has crossed over under the gravel and I now have it in my thigh high raised beds in the greenhouse, a couple of year ago when I still had some beds outside I burned it and it seemed o slow it down. I miss my acreage but I  had to just roll with what I can do, and it isn't as bad as you may think.

Galina , yes I knew about your move,y our new home and garden sounds lovely and a well too I envy you that re the spuds yes I did I did till last year when I was ill for a bit and my SIL didn't realize they had to be watered as I had them in buckets so I lost them

Hi Tricia. my dogs are very special to me, it is 6 years today that John died and they have been a lifesaver for me. Sadly no I can't do all the things in the house. I am a bit of a neat freak and with so many crafts I have to be so fortunately that is all well organized. I have a dedicated workroom etc. I can't stand for more than about 10 minutes, my spine has crumpled more so vacuuming is a killer, I do do it but not often enough. I have tried hard to find a decent cleaning lady but have had no luck. I can get a company to come in, they send three ladies but you know they don't do some of the things that I can't do and they flick around, they don't go deep which I need sometimes. Windows are out but here folks get a window cleaner maybe once a year LOL. I no longer cook for the charity dinner I did once a week but I still cook and bake almost every day, but d**n it I just don't eat it as well so my blood needs topping up via IV a few times a year. but my SIL eats what i bake, and I cook every day for the dogs, so I am doing OK.I too shop online and also use Amazon a lot. Last week I bought 4 new appliances, that was not easy, I spent a lot of time researching brands etc. then phoned the family business in town and the saleslady kindly worked with me via computer and phone till i was happy with hat I found, they should be coming this next week I think I have gone induction for my stove so that will be new to me, fridge, dishwasher and cooker hood/microwave , all in SS which i don't like but there is no white around

You are 90, crikey I don't expect to get that far but who knows, most of my medical niceties are structural so I guess it could be. And you seem to be doing well so keep it up and i will folow on right behind you.

Hi Tulipa, nice to hear from you, yes I miss john very much. 6 years today and yes i do believe we will be together again but I can't shake the feeling that he is coming home. it doesn't go away. it isn't rational but... I have a photo on   my laptop , he has just the beginning of a smile on it and if I turn the screen slightly it changes the color and the smile appears, so I chat to him all the time. I even turned the laptop on last week as one of our fave movies came on the TV, so we watched it together. No I am not going nuts, my body is falling apart but my mind and my memory are still there

Tee Gee, slip of a girl..shucks of course. I can't jive any more but I can still dance to In the Mood with my feet and I do.

My thigh high raised beds in my greenhouse are half filled with brought in top soil then I added peat, compost  and manur and I just add  manure and compost and lime when needed. I can't see dumping it.

I hope you are right about not being too old to ,learn as I am going to start growing mushrooms in a couple of weeks, the stuff is in the mail as we speak, gotta do something other than knit..

sleeping comes and goes, more bad than good which affects the next day but what can you do . I have now got tot he point were I go to bed when tired and up when not, so bedtime could be 10pm or 4am, I gradually get later and later then I miss a night and start afresh. I think my body works on a 26 hour clock not 24.
I tis good to hear that you are still gardening , with all your knowledge this world is a much better place with you in it, and I would almost bet you have grown mushrooms and if so get ready to answer some questions.

JanG, hi, I know east England very well lif you can garden there you are doing good. I am on the west coast of Canada, wet in the spring usually very very little snow but longer growing season than I had in East Yorks. my problem is space, the garden here is all landscaped and lawned , I have my greenhouse and a couple of narrow beds with herbs in at the side of my house and they all get the sun. the other side I had a lovely long row of raised beds  but too much shade, only a bit of late afternoon sun so I gave up on them. then I have some huge pots in front of my house so i do OK.

Hi Markfield Rover, yes that parcel that went adrift, something to do with ash stopping the planes, well somebody some where got a dandy packet.

Hi Saddad, Hi Tiny Clanger good to hear you are both OK and still there

Hi Peanuts, I hope you are still doing your bottling (we call it canning although it is in jars) I di some pickled beets and some dill pickles just last week and have brambles just gone into the freezer as my daughter wants jam, but when it is cooler.

DebP,  Hi again, my Lebanese cousa have taken over he neighborhood almost, I shall be leaving them on doorsteps soon or making my famous.
                                     'You won't believe it's not apple' pie again

Forgive me I am not stopping to correct spelling or grammar.

Take care everyone I hope I didn't leave anyone out and yes I will be back.  as always XX Jeannine

[Palustris]

I hope the appalling fires in Canada are not close yo you.

[Tulipa]

Hi Jeannine, it is lovely to hear from you again and I wanted to echo Palustris's comment, I hope you are safe from the fires. Thinking of you today xxx

[Jeannine]

Hi Palustris and Tulipa.no worries, apart from one small fire 18 miles away which was stomped out very quickly I am about 110 miles from where the nasty stuff is at this side of the country My area is surrounded by forest  here and there and throughout the city still and is considered a high risk in the summer but it has never got this close. I think the description is pretty typical of a western town though, nothing unusual. It has been a bit cooler the last couple of days but still more heat to come, fortunately the air conditioner keeps me and the Chihuahuas safe.

It is  heart breaking to hear the news everyday though, I swear I won't look but I always do. I have a friend here whose family live right in one of the evacuated areas, they are all safe though but is seems to get closer to home when it comes to friends.

There are some sweet things though. one farmer who had to leave and managed to get his stock out mentioned  to someone he had several barn cats that he couldn't catch and straight away the SPCA in that area managed to get in and take  bags of dried food and water to the barn which was OK. Another farmer who has 100 acres  away from the fires but close to the places folks have been  evacuated to  has been in the news saying that anyone with an RV, tent etc is welcome to come and use his land and his produce will be available free to anyone who wants it, he has said there are pastures for horses and cattle if they can get them there , so bad times bring out the best in people .Many Canadians have RVs and when so many leave en masse ,were to put them is a problem. So  in these times so it was great that he opened up jis property.

I never thought I would be looking forward to winter  but I sure am.

We are on watering restrictions, veggies Ok but our lawns are all gone.

XX Jeannine

[Tulipa]

I am glad you are fine Jeannine, and lovely that people all help each other in circumstances like these.  I do feel for all the people experiencing these fires and losing everything, unless we have experienced it we can't imagine the desperation this must feel.  You take care and look forward to hearing from you again soon xx

[woodypecks]

Oh hello Jeannine !  How lovely to hear from you on here again . You are one of my favourite people on here . Have you got a bit of garden over there ... I hope so . Big hug from me . Debbie  xxx