BYE 2010......HELLO 2011

[betula]

First of all let me wish all our members a very Happy New Year.

What have been your high spots or low spots?

For me moving house on the 1st of March and getting used to a new town.The joy of being near my Youngest Grandchild has been a great thing.All of the pleasure and the fun of handing them back LOL  ;D

The thing I have really missed is my Allotment,learning to grow on a relatively small patch has been a big learning curve.Ihave however frozen so many runner beans than ever before  :)

I know some of our members have had a very difficult year and to you all I send my warmest best wishes.

Our A4A appeal has been fantastic.......really thrilled.

Hope you all have everything you wish for yourself in the New Year  x

[betula]

[caroline7758]

Thanks, betula, and best wishes to you too.

My high spots of 2010 were a lovely family holiday in Italy at Easter and my daughter's graduation in July.
Low spots were realising how hard it was going to be for my daughter to get the job she wants and deserves, and (sort of) saying goodbye to my son off on his travels in November, though that was mixed with excitement for him.

Not  a bad year overall, better than many people have had.

Happy New Year, everyone!

[landimad]

Happy new year to all,
and hope this coming season is good for you all in the growing calender.
May your crops be true and the harvest be full of promise.

[goodlife]

If I get high..I get high..and this year it did do so..I got so excited with Jeannine's parcel and opening and going through was soo wonderfull..and another high was that I was determined to grow truly huge sweetcorn plants..not so bothered about the sweetcorn but I just wanted to see some tall giants..and I did it ;D
Another lovely thing is been....generosity of you all..one cannot but pass it on..I know we don't actually know each other..but atmosphere in A4all is most of the time sooooo friendly..
Low..well..some 'sad' people in lottie managed to upset more than just me and I cannot stand those who want to spoil it for others..and all just so they can feel more important ::)
Other than that..cannot complain ;D
It's been nice to 'chat' and swap with you all..and long may this continue..
Happy New Year to you all! :-*

[shirlton]

Well last year hasn't been too bad apart from ower Tone being out of action for most of the year due to his hip replacement and then his hernia.This year should be a bit easier for me.
This forum plays a big part in my life and I am so glad to belong to such a group.Thankyou all for being here. I hope that 2011 is a good year for all of us in the garden and in our homes.

[Sparkly]

The 2010 highlights for me:

*finding the motivation to actually loose weight and be somewhat near thin for the first time in my adult life.
*my big sister's wedding
*getting my chickens!

[Flighty]

I've had no real highs or lows with my year having been a reasonably good one overall, but it seems to have gone by far too quickly!

Happy New Year everyone!  :)

[electric landlady]

Happy New Year!

The lows this year were all in the first 4 months or so which I spent in and out of hospital having some yucky medical treatment and feeling crappy and and not being able to do much down the lottie :( but luckily I had some very welcome help to get the spuds in etc  :)

The high was getting married in May! Me, a Bride!! :o  AND proudly carrying some homegrown chard down the aisle in my bouquet too.

[gwynnethmary]

20010 started on a high with getting my very first share in an allotment, and I've loved being a lottie person ever since!  My OH and I have also both celebrated our 60th birthdays, and our present from our family was a holiday walking Hadrian's Wall.  We also bought a tent and went camping in France.  Our youngest son was married too....and then there were the Tall Ships that came to Hartlepool in August.....and we've had a brilliant famil;y Christmas....oh, and we got a new pastor at church, and the Kidklub has really taken off, and I'm going to be a school governor, and my sister has just agreed to go into sheltered accommodation..........So, all in all, it's been a very good year, my cup runneth over,and I wish everyone "All the Best" for the next one- happy gardening!

[Dandytown]

Lovely to hear everyones experiences for 2010.

I can not think of any particular high or low.  Finances continue to blight my sleep and peace of mind  since my career change in 2008, which in hindsight was a mistake.  That said, gaining my allotment in the autumn of 2009 has provided me with a place to go and forget life outside of my plot and the company and kind nature of my fellow allotmenters has been brilliant.  Kindness and generosity breeds kindness and generosity.

I wish you all a fabulous 2011 and look forward to hearing your trails and tribulations on the plot.  There could of course be no highs without lows but I truly hope that the former heavily out weigh the latter for you all.

Happy New Year!

[grannyjanny]

The highs have been making new friends on A4A, the seed swaps. There was only one low & that was a big one that left a very nasty taste in my mouth but was taken away by an act of extreme kindness. Thank you all, I hope you know who you are ;) ;D.

I wish you all a happy & healthy 2011 & for those with troubles the strength to cope with them.

[manicscousers]

For us, 2010 was ,overall, a really good year until september when we lost Ray's dad. Still, he was 90 and very active for most of his life.
happy New Year to all, hope you get everything you want and all you deerve  ;D
To those struggling with what life is asking of you, we send our very best wishes   :)

[brownowl23]

All I can really say is good riddance 2010. That was they year hubby was made redundant and although he managed to get a contract job real quick it was working for the boss from hell who expected 4 hours unpaid OT EVERY day. The contract wasnt extended and after another period of unemployment he got a new permanent job this time in a as head of EMEA support, which was a surpisrse as he went for a non mangerial role.

I do hope 2011 is better

[daveyboi]

Wishing everyone every happiness for 2011!

Thank you everyone for making the Christmas Gift to Gardening Leave so successful.

As to lows and highs of the year nothing really stands out except that my tomatoes cropped heavily instead of getting blight for the first time in 4 years. (And thanks to Saddad for the whippersnapper seeds)

[SamLouise]

May the new year be filled with love, laughter and good health for everybody.  Happy New Year, A4A xxx

[Paulines7]

Happy New Year from me too. 

To be honest, I am pleased to see the back of 2010. 

When my OH was diagnosed with cancer, our world fell apart but fortunately the operation was successful and now it's fingers crossed for every three monthly check up.

My son separated from his wife and although I didn't want it to happen, my grandchildren seem to be coping with it.  The youngest did ask her Daddy if he would come back home to live with Mummy and her new boyfriend.   ::)

Finally, on Boxing Day, my OH lost his last remaining Aunt whom we loved dearly. 

Maybe 2011 will be a better year. 

[Mrs Gumboot]

Happy new year to you all!!

Highs of this year were finally getting the keys to our new house in May & the birth of our first child in October.

Of course the lows that come with that were the huge bills trying to get the house straight while anticipating the demolition of my wages. It still isn't fixed & won't be for some time, serves us right for buying a wreck!  ;D

More personally I lost a very dear friend at work after a brave battle with cancer & that really brings home that no matter how much money I have in the bank I have my health & my family & that's the most important thing.

Hoping you all have a healthy & prosperous 2011  ;D

[lorna]

Happy New Year to every member of A4A.
My high for 2010 was the birth of my 3rd Great Grandchild (Leah) who was born on my birthday. The only low part I can think of was losing the eldest of our family, my brother Bill but he was 91 and had enjoyed a wonderful life including being married for 67 years.
All in all a good year but flipping heck I am sure as you get older the years pass in a flash.

[rosebud]

A VERY HAPPY PROSPEROUS  HEALTHY NEW YEAR TO ALL ON A4A ;D ;D :-* :-* :-* :-*

[Garden Manager]

Hello all. Happy New Year.

2010 was a pretty mixed year for me, no real highs or lows though. Plently of trials in the garden as usual, some crops plentiful - another smashing year for tomatoes, as well as good crops of potatoes, raspberries, carrots and parsnips (the last an unexpected sucesss. Some disapointments - Beans not so good, and dry weather made salads a struggle. On the ornamental side we have had great displays from the garden, particulary daffodils in the spring and roses in the summer, although on the downside some plants struggled with the prolonged dry spell during the growing season and the bog garden was a disaster.

Work OK, pretty sucessfull, although lots of room for improvement (a target for 2011).

On a personal level the main highlight was a family holiday to Tenerife in october to celebrate mum's 60th birthday. it was a lovely week with glorious weather and its own highlights. On a personal downside I have had a few health problems through 2010, back trouble and more colds than normal. Minor really but when you are normaly a fit and active person it isnt good news.

So 2011? Like to be optimistic but deep down there are 'known events' coming up through the year that i know arent going to be easy to deal with. I fear this year migh well be more trying than last.  At least there is the garden and the new growing season to look forward to. I always aim to learn from the mistakes of the last year and try and do things better. One thing i am, looking forward to is with luck getting a first crop from my new apple trees. I planted 2 last winter and one flowered in the spring, so this year i am hoping both will flower and set at least one fruit to show the promise there is to come in the future.