A sense of worth

A persons worth is measured by the worth of what he values.

Marcus Aurelius 

I don't know if this affects other stay at home moms (I hate that phrase but "full time mom"  is even worse, every mom is a full time mom). So let me say since I have stopped working for money I'm constantly searching to prove my worth. Who I'm proving this to is a mystery.  My husband appreciates all I do, my kids shower me with love.   So it must be me. I'm not in employment earning my wage therefore I must persistently prove to myself that I deserve this glorious existence. 

So I do laundry, cook, read stories, make play dough, taxi to gymnastics, paint, (cleaning comes last on the list here).  When I'm not with the kids, it's digging, planting, designing, sewing  and now I've added a web design course. 

If I'm going to restart my garden design business then I need a website and since I can't afford someone else to build it I'm gonna do it myself.  I'm lucky I've got time to do it properly and build it slowly. I'm just getting started so theres no HTMLing or CSSing yet. 

Away from the negative ions of my computer the allotment is abundant. I have harvested my onions and garlic.

A small but hearty onion harvest

 I Would have plaited them but they seem to have disappeared into cooking pots quicker than I can plait. 

There have been more potates, purple beans and although not ready to harvest the squash are growing big!!  

Pink for apple potatoes truely delicious

Purple teepee french beans

Though I'm a little confused by one plant. I swear it should be "Sweet Dumpling Squash" but it doesn't look. Like the picture on the packet. I've got a feeling it may have cross pollinated with the spagetti squash. So I shall just have to see what it tastes like.   

These are supposedly sweet dumpling squash???

Spagetti squash can't wait to harvest these!

The strawberry pop corn is going from strength to strength and I can't wait to see what happens there. My other corn is not doing so well. I definately put it in the ground too late and it has not had a chance to get any height and strength to produce big corn.

 

Strawberry popcorn corn getting bigger and better

Not all is well over at wash common allotment. My precious asparagus has been ravaged by asparagus beetle. Again probably my own fault, I didn't get to squishing until the larvae had turned to adults. So they may have already laid eggs for next year. But I'm now getting on top of it and after cutting the dead stalks in autumn and destroying them. I'll be prepared with my marigolds for next year.  

Seriously upset with the beetle who did this!!!

Back in the garden I was looking out of the window at our empty plot and spotted some very bright red berries on the neighbours cherry tree. I went to investigate and it was with great jot that I discovered it was an edible cherry not an ornamental!! They were sour cherries so after enlisting Holly's help we stripped our side of the tree much to the disgust of the blackbirds and I set about cleaning and stoning the cherries.  The end result was a delicious sour cherry pie with lashings of custard.  

What can I say, scrumping cherries make them even more yummy!!!