Member: weaponxgirl

Hi there,
Pleased to hear your getting some garden space - bet you can't wait.
I've had small gardens too. We grew in pots and dug up patches of lawn. The landlords could see we had vastly improved the place and were happy (I think they rented it out for more after us).

Getting your own land is just a matter of hard work. I was a partner in a wool and fabric shop for 10 years then used my share from the sale of that business to buy a retail craft shop which I ran for five-and-a-half years. I went into the craft shop to get the money to buy my block down south. I lived above the shop and had a vegie garden out the back.

Buying the block is one thing, keeping it is another. I did every low-paid job in town. Country towns are very different to cities in many ways. You often have to have several off-farm jobs. Then there's your health. A few years ago we both got ill at the same time and had to move to the city - but we kept the farm somehow.

I guess what I'm saying is that life is not always fair or easy. We struggled but got through it and I believe it made us more determined and more creative. We like that saying " Life is either a daring adventure or nothing"

I know how hard it is to get land but if you believe you can do it, you will do it. The whole self-sufficient life is a life made up of small steps.

We feel very lucky we have the block we have. It seems to grow all sorts of plants (except tropical ones). In this part of Australia lack of water is the biggest limiting factor. That's why I chose a block with a small permanent stream running through it. We grow near the creek in summer so we don't have to irrigate so much. It gets really hot here though so gardening activities in summer get restricted to early morning and evening from December to April.

Hope your garden grows like the garden of eden and look forward to hearing about your experiences with it.

posted by Gdeadtrees at 1:09 am (EST) on Sep 27, 2009

Wow! Love your vegie growing books. It amazes me how we can can have such different collections on the same topic. Yours are awsome.

posted by Gdeadtrees at 8:03 am (EST) on Sep 22, 2009

Noticed you liked Clockwork Orange, and I was wondering if you'd be interested in reviewing my new novel and posting your comments here as well as a few other book-related sites. Thought you might like my book since it's also about a group of violent kids (and also a bit dark). I could e-mail you the novel in an e-book format if you'd like (I'm out of physical copies at the moment). Let me know if you're interested. Here's a link to a summary (and a sample chapter) in case you'd like to read more about the book before you commit:

http://christophertusa.com/

Thanks,

Chris

posted by cmtusa at 10:11 am (EST) on Sep 9, 2009

I'm currently re-reading them all boyfriend has promised me the last two volumes when I do, so it's a perfect time to ask. But Kyo has the same hair colour as me. So he wins. Also find him slightly less annoying. Not as prone to giving baffling speeches.

posted by Staramber at 3:21 pm (EST) on Sep 6, 2009

Hiya,

"13 Moons" is now out of print. It was published by Ignotus Press, a small publisher, so not many were printed. You may find copies from book swaps, second hand or charity stores or pagans reducing their libraries. I hope you manage to find a copy; I believe the author has now slipped back "into the shadows", but you could try to locate her.

Wishing you well,
Brythonwitch

posted by BrythonWitch at 1:08 pm (EST) on Aug 23, 2009

No problem, request away

posted by Staramber at 5:24 am (EST) on Aug 17, 2009

Nice hearing from you.
I put together my Virago collection through many years of searching, both in the US and (thank goodness for internet) abroad.
Even though the collection is far from being complete, at least I have most of the old ones, which are getting more and more difficult to find. But I am patient......;-)

posted by aluvalibri at 5:57 pm (EST) on Aug 11, 2009

Thanks for the recommendations! Book Smart is in one of the local libraries, I'll have to pay a small fee to get it sent to the one near me but I may as well try it.

As for the Manga cookbook it’s definitely cute but it is aimed at kids so it’s just got some simple (apparently we had ago at making the Udon and it wasn’t a success… I don’t think I’m cut out for noodle making!) basic recipes.

I like it but if you want a more comprehensive Japanese cook book there is this one: http://www.japancentre.com/?cmd=itm&cid=... I snuck it to work with me the day it arrived, it’s beautiful but I’ve probably used the Manga cookbook more.

How about those ‘Vegan Taste of…’ books then? Are they as good as they sound?

posted by Staramber at 3:51 pm (EST) on Aug 10, 2009

Hit there! Thanks for being interested in my library. Looks like we have plenty of books in common. I’m curious as to how you found ‘Book Smart’. I’m a bit, well, thick and could do with a decent reading list. How is it?

posted by Staramber at 6:45 am (EST) on Aug 9, 2009

I don't mind at all! Thank you for finding my library interesting. I will enjoy myself taking a look at yours.
Happy reading.

Paola :-))

P.S. I am glad you joined the Virago group. Lots of great people there!

posted by aluvalibri at 5:23 pm (EST) on Aug 2, 2009