An update and a bit of a rant

Once again its been a bit of a mixed bag of Yay's and Boo's this week thats gone something like this.......... the boiler has finally given up the ghost - Boo, Ive finished the first of the quilts I was making for my nieces - Yay, some of the stuff Ive been reading had been making me mad - Boo, even tho the evenings are still cold, the weather is finally feeling Springlike - Yay, etc etc (you get the picture!)
Because I dont want to finish the post on a downer, I will tackle the Boo points first

The boiler.
Well, its looking like its finally packed in, OH has had it in bits and the fan is kaput. At the moment he is scouring the attic (he thinks hes got another one he can adapt to fit somewhere), so we have been without heating since Thursday evening. We have got an imersion heater, so hot water isnt an issue, but weve had a few rather cold nights and both end up sat in front of the telly wrapped in rugs. One of OH's brothers is gonna help him put the new one in (its been under the kitchen table since we bought it about 4 years ago) at some stage but we arent sure when yet. OH's brother is giving us his time and skill as a brilliant Xmas pressie (OH isnt confident enough to do it on his own). So, I reckon its well timed, we are both very relieved it didnt happen last month!

What Ive been reading.
Ive got a bit of a bee in my bonnet about the globalisation of food production and the effects it has on the poorer countires which produce food for the richer ones. This week I read that because of the increasing popularity of quinoa, the price has tripled since 2006, which means the locals in Bolivia and Peru who grow it cant afford to eat it! It was once a staple of their diets and in Lima,  quinoa more expensive than chicken. I was also made aware a while ago that in countries that produce food for some or our Supermarkets, food which is less than perfect is destroyed rather than released for sale to the locals. It really makes me see red and makes me more determined to grow my own veg as much as I can.
Also Ive picked up Janey Lee Grace's book Look Great Naturally (again) and get a bit fired up about all the chemicals and cr@p that go into cosmetics and beauty products and the harmful effects these can have when the accumulate in the body. If you are at all concerned with what goes into your food, then you should seriously take a look at this book.

Right, now on to the better stuff.......
Crafty stuff.
Ive finished the first quilt! Its far from perfect, but hopefully one of my neices will like it!

 Ive also been covering some playing around with different coverings for some Steampunk masks, in fabric and leather to see how easy the materials are to work with.

 The weather
Although weve had some cold nights, they days are getting brighter and a bit warmer so things are starting to lokk a bit better in the garden, the daffies in the front garden have expolded and are looking really cheery, a lovely sight to some home to.
As it was a beautiful day yesterday I took a detour on my walk home from the local shops to cut through our local woods and took the opportunity of foraging for some wild garlic. Normally it would be in flower by now, but as this year has had a cold start its only now just getting going, tho it still looks lovely and theres plenty of it!

This is all wild garlic!

OH wont try it, but I love the taste. Its milder than the garlic we are used too and is great with eggs and cheese. It smells just like the culitvated stuff. It likes boggy ground, so grows well in woodland near streams. Its well worth trying, just remember, if you are going out foraging, take an identification guide with you.

So, all in all, thats about it for now. Hope all is good in your world.
Feel free to leave a comment , its always nice to hear from you.

Take care.

Jojo