Eureka

While watching the pre-budget news coverage on TV this morning, I became increasingly uneasy: there's no way that it isn't going to hurt everybody. No point in getting enraged at the Labor government that made this mess: what's done is done, and now the country must pay.

So I began to think about what I could do to help my family survive the cuts that are coming. My father had offered us a part of his huge garden to grow vegetables on, but his house is far enough away to make a daily trip (without the use of a car) a little on the challenging side - when one is dragging tired children along.

I spoke with DH, since his physical support of my project is vital for its success; having secured his enthusiastic response, I spoke with our landlady, who also gave carte blanche for my project.





The photo is of the back half of out patio garden as it is now, this morning. Notice the lush growth since the pelleted massacre of snails and slugs. Behind my carefully balanced troughs and pots is this:


ie. a waste of space, since we don't use the table as it's set on gravel and one tends to sink or yaw at unexpected moments. The cats using the gravel as a litter tray is also not the most inviting aspect in the world.

My bright idea is to scrape the gravel off, peel away the suppressant fabric, and dig it over in order to plant veggies. It's small enough to be manageable, yet large enough to provide enough of what we want; it's sunny most of the day, and sheltered. It will also have the added benefit of improving our diet, as we are not as a rule a veggie eating family - we prefer salads. It will provide exercise and fresh air, and interest for the children.

Although the title refers to Archimedes, I feel like Einstein, someone who apparently couldn't tie his own shoes until an advanced age ....