In The Dark

I’ve just scored on Freecycle. And I’m terrified! Thing is a nice lady is going to let me use her garden. For gardening that is. Thing is after years of bemoaning the fact that I don’t have any private outside space, and how much I’d like to grow herbs and maybe a few veg… now I’m wondering if I’ll actually be able to cut it! My record with houseplants isn’t the best, however much I used to blame it on having to keep them in the rather dark kitchen out of the way of the cats. And yes, we did have a huge garden with herbs and vegetables when I was a kid, but our neighbours used to come and trim our hedge ‘while they were doing their side’ because otherwise it never came up to their standard and would probably have fallen over from uneven growth. I loved our garden but it wasn’t conventionally tidy, nor did it have 50 hours a week put into it.

On the other hand I keep expanding my list of things I’d like to grow. Latest is jerusalem artichokes. Plus if I’m supposed to be representing East London, then I should be like Arthur off Eastenders and have an allotment! Bet he never grew jerusalems though.

Things are getting busy, with work, training and now this! I’ve actually gone as far as to draw up a weekly schedule. Of course I’ve already changed it this week so I can go to something… but that’s what flexible working is about. As to what I’ve got planned… It’s a trip to the Spitalfields Pancake Race on Tuesday. The location is Dray Walk in the Trumans Brewery Complex, between Brick Lane and Hanbury Street. Heats start at 12.30. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a pancake race!

It’s been a pretty boring week really. Nothing massively exciting unless you count finally getting my tax return done. That’s in spite of last minute panics. I actually rang them up on the 30th to ask ‘If it’s got to be in BY the 31st does that mean midnight tonight or tomorrow night?’

Well, I did start one of my runs late enough that I ended up running around in the dark. I wouldn’t have planned to run in London Fields in the dark. The light was fading when I started, and I decided to get in what I could of my run before it disappeared. As it happened there always seemed to be OK looking people around (quite a few walk along the better lit paths on their way home from work) so I stayed and finished. It was different and sort of fun, and I did a good run. Funny how being there as it got dark it seemed fine, whereas I’d never go into a park in the dark. Maybe something to do with my eyes adjusting. Or maybe it’s just my brain freezes while I’m puffing away!