The Distancing Diaries - 24th & 25th March, 2021

After my Wii Fit session on Wednesday morning, I put a load of washing into the machine as the forecast had promised sunshine and bright skies. I wrapped my latest eBay sales, swept the rugs in the middle room and dragged my desk out and tackled the dust trap underneath it.  After breakfast, I got halfway down the lawn to peg my washing on the line only for the heavens to open and for me to retreat back into the house and hang everything up in the utility room. 

Tony picked Jon up and whizzed him over to the mechanics to collect Gilbert. With plans for the bamboo removal scuppered due to the rain, I finished off the banner I'd started the previous evening. Ages ago my brother had donated his old Levi's to the Kinky Melon stockroom. One pair was beyond help so I deconstructed them, used some of the denim to back my banner and pieced the remainder together for a sewing project. Cherie's also become a craftivist, check out her banners HERE.

By the time Jon was back the rain had stopped so I cracked on with the bamboo. Once Jon had done the VW shuffle on the drive he took over whilst I bagged up the detritus. 

We had a break for a bowl of Baxter's butternut squash and lentil dhansak soup and then resumed our digging and by 3.30pm we'd finally finished the job we'd started last September. 

Above is how it looked six months ago, 

This is now! The moral of the story is if you plant bamboo stick it in a pot! 

I'd started the day dressed like this but changed into a knackered 1970s psychedelic maxi dress for the heavy labour. Wear: Sleep: Repeat meant the return of Tuesday's Janet Wood for Monsoon embroidered Afghan blouse worn with an India Imports of Rhode Island tiered maxi skirt (eBay).

The details: Lavender DM Pascal boots (Doc Marten website sale, 2017), Mirrored Lamani earrings (roadside stall, Goa), 1970s Nordiska navy suede belt (car boot sale), India Imports label and this week's nail paint, Barry M's Salt Lake.

Back indoors I continued with my recycled denim project while Jon chatted to another painter and decorator who'd called round to give us a quote. Tea was a tin of baked beans with vegan sausages, a slice of toast and some potato lattices, after all that digging we needed calories! Later we drank rum and watched The Mole Agent, the true story of an 83-year-old Chilean pensioner who went on an undercover mission.

SOURCE

On Thursday, after my Wii Fit workout and I'd put away the previous day's laundry, I wrapped my eBay sales and joined Jon in the kitchen for breakfast. 

Grab sticks, sacks, hoops and gloves at the ready, we walked up the road towards the church, picking Sandwell Street, Dandy's Walk, the grounds of the New Street flats and Birmingham Street, bagging two sacks of trash which we labelled and left for the binmen. We continued around the block and part-filled another couple of sacks. The sun was shining and everyone we encountered thanked us and chatted, no sign of any pervy blokes but I was a bit pissed off when I discovered that someone had nicked my "Only a shitter drops litter" sign.

Back at home, we found our post hidden in our special hiding place. Among the voting reminders and charity collection bags was a parcel containing this 1960s embroidered Indian cotton kaftan which I won on eBay for the princely sum of £8. It was deadstock and came in its original packaging. I'm not keen on the fringed hem but it's way too long anyway so I shall hide it in the new hem.

After a break for noodles, Jon wheeled the garden shredder out and we spent the afternoon pulverising it into mulch which we laid between our raised beds, in the fern garden beside the pond and in Jacob's enclosure.

I think we might try shredding the bamboo roots next, we've been following the live feed from both of Walsall Council's tips and there have been queues to get in all day - we might not have a lot to do but I can think of better ways to waste a couple of hours. It probably won't be tomorrow, we've been threatened with the unwelcome return of wintry weather for the next few days.

In other gardening news...look ... we have snake's head fritillaries! They used to grow like weeds in the garden but disappeared about 15 years ago. I grew these from bulbs.

Wear:Sleep:Repeat saw the return of Wednesday's India Imports of Rhode Island maxi skirt, this time worn with a me-made pom-pom hat and my vintage Ayesha Davar cheesecloth blouse.

Ta-dah! Yesterday's sewing project! Levi's labels have, since 2009, advised customers to Care for our planet, wash less, wash cold, line dry, donate or recycle. I chose to recycle my brother's by turning his old 501s into a waistcoat.

The details: Clarks' Orinoco Club Chelsea boots (charity shop), Cheryl's Kuchi bangle that I turned into a necklace, tribal bangles and earrings I inherited from Mum.

Tea was veggie sausages, peas and frittata (Cheddar cheese, shallots, potatoes and chives from the garden). I've no idea what we'll be watching later, I shall explore the BBC i-player shortly.

Stay safe & see you soon!