Not bee posting or reading much lately as I have been suffering in the hot moist weather. First there is the post menopause hot flashes which gives me a high internal temperature for a few minutes and the body reacts by profusely sweating, Given the heat and humidity lately it was all I needed! Then there was the invasion of mosquitoes that covered me in swelling bites. The itching got worse as I got hotter! All summer tagettes and lavender plants everywhere kept biting things at bay but the plants seem to have lost potency in September.
Thank goodness for a whole day of rain (19mm recorded in garden) and we woke to a 7 am temperature of 9.5C - frankly lovely!
In the middle of the week I did manage to make a small pan of chilli jam. I used the BBC good food recipe and it actually set well. It is put aside, as the medical advice is to avoid spicy foods while the hot flashes last, I may make another batch as we have red chilies, red peppers and lots of red tomatoes to hand and there is some red wine vinegar and brown sugar left in the cupboard. One day soon it will be cold and I will appreciate a hot flash and taste!
Gardening seems to be mostly clearing out crops that have run there course and thinking about next year. We are thinking more about variety, and steady progressive crops and avoiding flushes of things we can't use up quickly enough.I hate throwing good food on the compost.
Our excess crops have gone to neighbours and visitors. The deep freeze is full to busting and we have enough jams for a year. Some excess we have tried to sell. We have made £40 from sales at the garden gate so we have covered seed costs this year just about. (We lost £4 worth of goods to people who took runner beans and tomatoes and did not leave the money).
Thank goodness the cycling tours of Spain and Britain are finished and we can find some new TV to watch. We enjoyed seeing the scenery (especially parts of UK we know well from past lives and visits) but it has taken up a lot of time to follow the races!
Hope you're cooling off and feeling more comfortable. I have never had problems with the menopause and I'm eternally grateful but I suffer with hot feet during the summer. I have always had this problem and regularly sit with my feet in a bucket. I never have covers on my feet except in the winter. Perhaps not wearing boots for work will help!
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