What was the most usefull thing you were given for christmas this year? (Not nessesarily gardeing/lottie-ing related).
Mine was an electronic max/min thermometer for the greenhouse. As well as inside it has a sensor you put outside to record the outside temperatures. As well as very usefull for growing in the gH its is also interesting to find out just how cold the garden gets in winter.
well, people have been very generous to me and OH this year (again). i guess from his computer mad perspective it would be the printer/scanner/photo thingy all in one for the 'puter. we've also had a wooden dining room table from my parents as main presents. i asked for some gardening books-an excellent one so far is 'science and the garden', which tells you the 'why' behind things, and i've a christopher lloyd still to come. the most inventive present and a complete surprise was a picture my mum made herself, taking the illustrations from capek's 'a gardeners year', transferring them onto material, and highlighting some parts in coloured thread, then framing-fabulous.
On the gardening front an electronic pH meter. Not tried it yet but will be once the soil defrosts!!!!!
On the non gardening front a new pair of moleskin breeks, much needed!
Jerry
Happy New Year to All, may it be pest free and fruitful!
Gym membership. :o No more can I blame Ava for not helping me shed the pounds. Also, as new-ish to the area, a chance to possibly make a chum or two, and the WI market is held in the badmington court every Thursday and they are on the lookout for cook/helpers....so you never know....possible outlet for excess veg (and a chance to buy a sticky bun and put on the pound I burnt off after 20 minutes on the treadmill!) :D
Apart from the obvious very posh leather flight bag I got for my birthday (from OH, for our imminent trip), a travel jewellery case (antique, beautiful and useful) loads of body lotion so I don't turn into a scaly monster through gardening seasons and ............
Clarissa Dickson-Wright's Game Cookbook - a proper cookbook that is useful and adaptable, not the bl***y designer version that needs fresh truffle oil or else it won't work! Lots of other desirables, but won't bore you with too much detail!
CLxx
Finally a ladies fork, stainless steel and with a decent length handle! Got it sent by mail from England and the postage was more than the fork costs but who cares........I'm so happy with it!
Chocolates, loads of chocolates.
What are breeks Sanders? Moleskin? My pc dictionary says heavy cotton, the skin of moles and English leather.
ooooooooooo, returned from my sisters, and now have a wallet full of packets of veg seed for the lottie and a red gooseberry bush for the plot! Selection of cookery books, including on called 'how to freeze' and is all about freezing different things, how long they freeze for, best way of packaging different things etc.
Happy New Year! :D
A ginormous wind chime that will have pride of place in my garden of sounds, it sounds like deep mellow church bells, I did not think 'her indoors' had taken the hint and as I knew they cost in the region of £200 and I would have settled for socks.
Memo to self 'I must be giving her to much housekeeping'
Sister gave me the book tracing your family history, so that will be very handy! Hubby filled my stocking with lots of useful things such as twine, seeds, plant ties, too many to mention!
Santa bought me a wheel barrow, seeds, trays with covers 8) :D
The best thing for me was having our family together for Christmas day but particularly having my father spend Christmas day with us, the first time in 10 years that we've all been together for Christmas. Also got lots of lovely smelly body cream, chocolates and a lovely bottle of red wine to relax with after a hard day at the allotment. Oh and the second of our three hens layed her first egg on Xmas day. :)
Quote from: ina on December 29, 2004, 22:17:38
Finally a ladies fork, stainless steel and with a decent length handle! Got it sent by mail from England and the postage was more than the fork costs but who cares........I'm so happy with it!
Chocolates, loads of chocolates.
What are breeks Sanders? Moleskin? My pc dictionary says heavy cotton, the skin of moles and English leather.
Moleskin is a very tight weave cotton fabric, very warm, hardwearing and a traditional fabirc for country wear here in the UK. It gets its name from having a similar feel to skin of moles, almost like a velvet. It also has the added benefit of drying very quickly when wet if you are wearing it.
Breeks are just below knee length trousers:
http://www.brianholdenltd.co.uk/breeks_moleskin.htm
Ideal for tramping around the countryside in the winter.
Jerry
Was a very lucky boy this year, but the best pressie for the lottie just had to be a new stainless steel spade.......amazing digging......like a hot knife through butter....so good to use have even started to help a fellow lottie owner dig his overgrown plot.....how crazy is that??
Also got "The Long Way Round" on DVD, which is basically a video diary of Ewan McGregors and his mate Charley Boorman going across the world on motorbikes....very inspirational.
Quote from: markymark on December 31, 2004, 14:33:37
Also got "The Long Way Round" on DVD, which is basically a video diary of Ewan McGregors and his mate Charley Boorman going across the world on motorbikes....very inspirational.
Watching that on Sky, very amusing and great fun.
Jerry
Quote from: sandersj89 on December 30, 2004, 22:40:17
Quote from: ina on December 29, 2004, 22:17:38
Finally a ladies fork, stainless steel and with a decent length handle! Got it sent by mail from England and the postage was more than the fork costs but who cares........I'm so happy with it!
Chocolates, loads of chocolates.
What are breeks Sanders? Moleskin? My pc dictionary says heavy cotton, the skin of moles and English leather.
Moleskin is a very tight weave cotton fabric, very warm, hardwearing and a traditional fabirc for country wear here in the UK. It gets its name from having a similar feel to skin of moles, almost like a velvet. It also has the added benefit of drying very quickly when wet if you are wearing it.
Breeks are just below knee length trousers:
http://www.brianholdenltd.co.uk/breeks_moleskin.htm
Ideal for tramping around the countryside in the winter.
Jerry
Thanks Jerry, I looked at the picture and had to laugh, sorry but they look a bit odd to me hehehe. I guess you have to wear long socks under them or your legs will be very cold. Maybe the word breeks comes from the word breeches?
I got no less than £45 in garden centre vouchers, amongst quite a few other pressies. Having just got back from a week in Cornwall over New Year, guess where I'm heading at the weekend?
My best ever New Year present was when my girlfriend said "YES!!!" at Land's End on 2nd January, when I sat her on a rock, got down onto one knee and popped the question to her.
:D :D :D
CONGRATULATIONS, :D :D
"A BLOODY SNOW SHOVEL".....Yuk!
last night I was out shoveling about a foot of the white stuff.
This morning at 5-00am...minus 10 celsius..Had to remove the same amount again...
More coming this afternoon......."HELP"
Congratulations Speedy Mango!
My most used present is probably my bread maker. I just love it! We seem to get through a medium loaf a day, so every night I busily make more bread before going to bed (well - you know - measure out ingredients!) We're gradually working our way through the recipe book!
Other than that, I got loads of books (including one about Gertrude Jekyll's gardens, a wildlife pond handbook and some pocket expert books). Another mini greenhouse (the cover on my old one broke), two flowerpot men (so cute!), a lovely wooden bird table, cds, crystals (one of which gives me toothache - it's really weird!), a gorgeous handmade notebook, which I might use as a sowing diary if I can bear to write in it, and lots of sweets. oh yeah, and a bonsai tree and two venus fly traps.
My most useless present... no let me start another thread.
WOOHOO SPEEDYMANGO! Congratulations to you both!
Really good year for presents for me. Husband was especially good as he usually buys me a few odd things that have provoked a lot of laughter in previous years. Last year got some french cheese in my pillow case which everyone still howls over. This year he did me proud. Got a digital radio, a laminator, a bright yellow gorilla tub for the weeds, a really interesting assortment of garden related books and lots more and from my brother the most useful, a sturdy black and decker trolley which will be so handy when we have to lug heavy items over to the lottie.
Would like to add my congrats to you too Speed Mango.
Happy New Year everyone! busy_lizzie
My best ever New Year present was when my girlfriend said "YES!!!" at Land's End on 2nd January, when I sat her on a rock, got down onto one knee and popped the question to her.
                     Â
"CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU BOTH"
Oh how romantic - congratulations. Whatever will you do on Valentine's Day??
I'm can hardly wait for a dry spell this year - for Christmas I got a little generator so I can pump water from the duck pond to my lottie instead of breaking my back carrying it. It's so exciting. My husband is a little bewildered by my lack of interest in diamonds and suchlike, but I really. really wanted the generator.
Thanks everyone!
We're knee deep in foliage at home at the moment. I got a huge basket arrangement of flowers at work, sent by a friend up North, and Anne got a massive bouquet from her colleagues. Hay fever in January, anyone? :D
just read this-so would like to add my congratulations to you both!
Congratulations to you both!
[whisper]Go for the double? Mid-summer wedding at Dunnet Head?[/whisper] ;-)
All very best - Gavin