Anyone else in trouble

[Borlotti]

Just got back from the allotment, only went for an hour and spent 5 hours there.  My cats are fed up, no laps to sleep on.  My partner has now disappeared, and the grandchildren don't bother to call.  My house is more messy than usual, and I don't care.  My finger nails are filthy and there is mud on the carpet.  I have been told I am boring, as I am only at the allotment, boiling beetroot, or on the computer, allotments 4 all.  The only TV I watch is Gardeners World and the only shops I visit sell cheap seeds or plants.  Should I go to Allotments anonaymous.  My friend at the allotment wanted to get another allotment but his girlfriend said he couldn't as he wasn't doing enough about the house.  I have lost many friends, but the ones I have sigh and go to sleep about courgette recipes etc. etc.  But I don't really care, I am retired and having the best time of my life.  Can't stop, have to boil some beetroot and cook my beans.  I love this site as I can talk about vegs and no-one minds.

[Borlotti]

[kt.]

At the moment my wife and I have a good status quo.  She goes shopping and I go to the plot  (I get a good 6 hours here!).  As long as the jobs are done at home around our garden I am in the good books.  Jobs in the house - i save for when it is raining or in the evening - knowing I cant go to the lottie. 

With the exception to my first year I would like to think I have found the right balance.  Repairs & building jobs get done in the colder months when there is less to do with the ground.  My sowing seeds takes no longer than one hour at any one time.  Transplanting takes a little longer but not too much.  I would like to think the reason for this is because once I have dug my beds for winter - I cover them until required. 

But most important of all to me:  is whatever I have going on at my allotment,  I always  put the allotment on hold to make time and have time, to spend doing quality stuff with my children over and above anything else. :) :) :)

If I had no other commitments then I would probably live up there. (in a manner of speaking ;D ;D)

[caroline7758]

Borlotti, my OH says your OH can have his contact details if she wants! ;D

[shirlton]

I suppose I am fortunate to be able to share the same interests as my husband. We had 5 kids so there was no choice but to muck in together. Some folks like to do their own thing now and again but we are quite content now that we are both retired to spend all of our time together.  Of course we do have my mom to care for as well and that takes up quite a bit of our time. Probably sounds boring to some folks but thats ok . to each his own

[Borlotti]

Tomorrow I will get up early, do all the housework and go to the bank, then I may just pop up to the allotment for 5 mins or so, in time to get home and cook dinner.  Do they do patches for addiction to allotments, like smoking.  I am sorry but I really love the peace up there and the people I met are so interesting, not materialistic.  Don't feel too guilty as worked all my life, children grown up and left home so this is my time.

[manicscousers]

snap, barlotti, we've managed to get our 9 yr old grandson interested so, now his school are teaching the children to sow and grow, he's doing more with us  ;D
we would be there all day, every day, if strength and the weather would allow .
enjoy it, our own children have flown the nest so this is what we do, and we love it  ;D
oh, and p.s, no patches available so you're an addict and no way out  :o ;D

[Suzanne]

Borlotti - can I join your club. I am far from retirement but seem to have all the same "problems". Whenever I go to the lottie my OH accuses my of sloping off as I can be gone for some time, what he doesn't appreciate is my sloping usually corresponds with his golfing days out which seems to eat up much more time than both of my lotties combined and he only ever comes home with an inedible trophy - I bring home the dinner.

I have noticed though that whenever any of my staff at work want to get in on my good side they ask how the lotties going  - or am I being cynical!

[Borlotti]

He is not too bad.  He will come to the allotment with his power tools, motor mower, rotavator and do about an hours work.  He also will make bean supports, but moans alot about nothing is in straight lines or labelled.  He can do what I can do in about an hour then he goes home.  Then I can enjoy myself, potter about, dig a few weeds and talk to my friends.  He does say the food I cook is delicious.  After 25 years of living together I do not think I need to change him but do wish that I had got into gardening earlier and not wasted most of my life typing silly letters, but I suppose as a Secretary I did get paid quite well.  He also is not too happy about me doing jigsaw puzzles or knitting.  Can anyone understand men.  The cats and grandchildren love him to bits so he can't be all bad.

[Flighty]

Borletti re your Reply#4 don't feel guilty at all as there are lots of people who would really envy you!
I agree with all you say and pretty much do the same thing.
Cheers and happy allotmenteering!

[Suzanne]

Borlotti - been with mine for nearly 20 yrs now - still don't understand why he doesn't get that creating a great dinner in the kitchen will also create some mess irrespective of who mopped the floor. I had thought that he was an only child and now i am not so sure - has yours got a long lost brother out there somewhere?  :-\

[caroline7758]

oops, sorry, Borlotti, think I assigned the wrong gender to your partner there! :-[

[Borlotti]

All home, well fed and happy now. But just have a little weeding to do tomorrow!!!

[shirlton]

I have a docs appointment at 11 today so have to put the sarnies up this mornin so we can go straight from there to the lottie. Mom goes to the day center every day now so we can stay there until about 4pm. We are surrounded by high rise flats at the plot but after a while its as if theyre not there. I will take a pic today taken from where we sit and have our lunch.