52 Mondays #7

More rain, more gusts, more grey. Not as bad as the UK though, for which I am very grateful. Will we have frosts again this year? I’m certain of it. The likelihood of snow before spring seems to be past. And the forecast looks like rain, rain, rain.

Things are growing, though, no doubt about that. Everything is waterlogged though round my neck of the woods, so there is not much going on at my house, other than the river that is still running through my garden. I wonder if it will be there as long as it was last year?

I have begun planting a few things here and there in trays – I’m trying to plant 6 seeds a day through February and March. I’ve started off some tomatoes (not cherry tomatoes, which I ended up with hundreds of last year, and no fat Roma toms at all) and then the usual hardier seeds – leeks, broccoli, cauliflower, red cabbage. I’ve set off some peppers and some chilli peppers as well. Then I’ve planted some snapdragons as last year, I ended up with very few flower seeds at all. Hopefully, the weather will brighten up over the next three weeks as many of my students are off on holidays, skiing and snowboarding as it is the early spring break here. I depend on holidays to get the majority of my garden work done.

And as for my New Year’s resolutions… I have completed my January challenge. In fact, I completed it last week. It’s true to say it has taken my knitting up a notch. Five needles, two colours, a colour chart, increases and decreases and all in French… but it was worth it.

It even looks how it is supposed to look. I am very pleased with it! Miss Rachel, the friend who gave me the Boules de Noël book, will be the first recipient of a Christmas knitted bauble. She’s had worse things from me.

Now I am on to my February challenge. I’m knitting a pair of socks. In fact, I’m in a sock off knitting competition with a very lovely lady. You drop in to drop off and end up leaving with a challenge. I had a sock knitting lesson from a friend’s mum and I feel capable of turning a heel. Grafting the toe might be a little tougher, but I have trusty youtube to assist me.

I confess I am not super-motivated at the moment. January has been a very hard month for many of my friends and family. Today is another tough and emotional day in a series of tough and emotional days for two of my friends. I shall be spending all my day thinking of them. I only wish my love was enough to sustain them.