It wasn't me

I know, I know the week isn't over yet but I do need some free days off. Not that that will happen since there are too many things to do, to arrange for the winter coming up in between all those things I have to do.

My youngest has passed the theory test for driving. Now we have to wait for a driving teacher. Apparently, the driving schools are busy. I hadn't expected that, given that petrol and also driving will soon be unaffordable.

The youngest has also found a job, but they often cancel or the hours are suddenly much shorter because the sky is cloudy or there is a chance of rain. Far too many people (40) have been taken on and there is definitely no work for them. It feels as if the owner wants to play it safe in case people leave. There are a lot of requirements, including a health examination and statement from the family doctor (just done for driving lessons) and also a lung examination (tuberculosis and??). It is unclear whether this paper can be used, but it all costs time and money. Working for two days to get another health certificate is crazy. Working this way costs more than it yields. Another disadvantage is that my child is always scheduled at the end of the day when she works. This means that cycling is not possible and we have to take the car to bring her to school and pick her up later. This was not the intention.

I don't really get to do the garden, but that's not such a bad thing.

It hardly rains and for the first time in years I hardly have to mow. I am happy with it. All my plants are still together under a tree. Not everything survives. I have tomatoes but they are still green and yesterday some looked very limp and soft.

The pepper plants from the farmer next door are wilted. He doesn't give them any, so we'll have to wait and see what the weather does. Maybe the plants are strong enough to survive for weeks without water? I did my best and I can honestly say that it wasn't me, it wasn't my fault that they died. I try not to think too much about why it all went wrong but I do know that many of the tips I read about care do not work for me.

The cucumber plants are all dying, the fruit trees are struggling to cope. The white currants are quite dry, the leaves are limp. As for the melon plants, they are still alive but that is all. Still no small fruits to be seen. Only the blackberry bush from last year is a bit bigger now and has blackberries. Not many, but last year there were only three flowers and these never produced any blackberries. The only advantage is that none of us really feel like eating. We drink a lot of water, sometimes tea made with mint or another herbal tea. I bake bread and sometimes make yoghurt. Keeping the yoghurt fresh is a problem because I don't have a fridge. It is easier in autumn, winter and spring when it is not so hot in the house.

Meanwhile, I have arranged firewood for the coming winter.

I didn't know how much I should order but checked on the internet how many kilos one needs on average. I can't make up my mind, but it will be delivered tomorrow and I will know. I hope it will be enough and secretly hope that there will be some left over for the winter of 2023/2024. In the next few days, I will clean the woodshed and stack the wood. Someone has to do all the work even though my back is screaming with pain and it doesn't feel like a summer holiday.

#kittywu #life#today #diary #july