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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

The Slacker Diaries Part 2

If it's not swine flu, it's safeguarding. I'd just like some time to get to that part in the manual where it describes how to upload my new camera's pictures onto the memory stick, then onto my pc. If I see one more disgusting oik sneeze like a barking git onto those around them I'll take a stick and beat them to the floor screaming, "Who the hell made you Typhoid Mary!"
During this time of global public health concern, I've hardly done a thing in the garden. Hardly been online and almost completely ignored my favourite blogs. Not only is Daniel walking, he's got a teething new baby sister! How did that happen? Even Jan, my original transatlantic laundry buddy removed me from her list of favs ( she probably thought I was dead); (no, not dead, just boring!)

Then I came home in the dark (again) and fell over a brace of pheasants left on the back step and realised I'd have to prep them that night or they'd rot off before I next had time to do them. That meant I needed to go online and Google up a pheasant n bacon combo, but that just overwhelmed me with nearly a quarter of a million pages, so I flicked into Fiona and Danny's website (Google up pheasant recipes and see who's at number 2 and 3), and found myself in tomato heaven.
I left a little message about not buying packets of tomato seeds. I sometimes buy packets of tomato seeds because I have a hard core, horticultural addiction to tomatoes. I've disclosed this before, so it won't come as a surprise to my erudite, witty and urbane readers, (or what's left of them).
But what I really like to do is get some seeds for free. If I'm eating out and come across some really delishy tomatoes, or some really good looking stunners, I'll squeeze some of the seeds onto a sheet of ordinary copier paper, and let them dry off overnight. The copier paper always looks too soaked, but dries off to a crackle-hard sheet again. I then write onto the paper a description of the meal or the circumstances, maybe even stick on the supermarket label, and file the sheets of dried-on tomato seeds into cardboard seed boxes in the study upstairs until needed.
This year I successfully grew three year old seeds, some pictured at the copier paper stage below. Just pick the rock hard seeds off the paper with your fingernail, and sow in the usual way.

3 comments:

April said...

I had no idea that could be done. Wow.

I miss more frequent glimpses into your life, but whenver a new post pops up, I read eagerly.

I'm embarrassed to admit, though, that sometimes I have no idea what you're talking about. I have to google things like "a brace" of pheasants. I hope my misunderstandings are a "translation" issue. BUT -- I suspect you're just a whole lot cooler than I.

Anyway -- here's to your autumn and tomato seeds and pheasants in whatever form. Stay flu-free!

Cottage Smallholder said...

I've started doing this with the best flavoured tomatoes that I grew or can find. It's such a brilliant tip. Thank you.

Amalee Issa said...

What can I say? I'm marvellous. No really, I am.

Actually, I'm in the loo at a rather nice restaurant in the rainy Cotswolds idly passing time checking up my blackberry. I'm only doing this because my very rude PA sent me a very rude text message last week during the wake.

"You're on the internet. Use your effing blackberry to google up your coat."

I keep her on only because she makes me larf. Also she speaks fluent shorthand and has a fatter bottom than me. Smirking.