Distinct Lack of Progress

Heavy snowfall yesterday which was a bit of a shocker. Somehow. I know it had been forecast and everything, I still didn't really expect it. The ostrich approach of denial! Enough snow to turn the garden into lumpen shapes of white and precarious footing.

Despite the snow, we had to go to Stirling to pick up our meat order from Puddledub. And we treated ourselves to another Nigel Slater book: "Real Food". I spent the rest of the afternoon snoozing and reading it, while D cooked dinner: pigs' cheeks stew with mustard potato and carrot mash. It was one of the best meals I've ever eaten, just sensational. Having never eaten pigs' cheeks I'd no idea what to expect, but they were fat-free, and melted apart as soon as threatened with the fork. Sublime. And the gravy they cooked in with this recipe was fruity and rich - and if I tell you that D and I stood using our fingers to get every last drop of the gravy from the pot before it got washed, well, that should give you some idea!

After yesterday's outing, I'm back on the sofa again, this time with severe vertigo to add to the fun - phooey. However, being confined to the sofa does give me time to read and plan...

Gardening-wise, it's all just a bit of a non-starter. There's frost forecast next week, so the ground is still far, far too cold to sow anything, and it's too cold to put anything out in the greenhouse, so progress is confined to the stuff sown in trays on windowsills. However, watching Gardner's World (I admit, I'm very happy now that Monty Don is back at the helm, and I covet, badly, his garden), dear Monty suggested sowing shallot sets and beetroot seeds in seed modules to give them a good start now. What a fabulous idea, and how lovely of him to suggest something that will make me feel like I'm being productive! Lack of windowsill space might be an issue, but, pah! Maybe next door would like to "host" some seed trays for me... Hmmm...