Monday 5 January 2009

BAH NEW YEAR HUMBUG



















So here's the thing. I had a really happy christmas. It was really lovely. And I had loads of nice food, but also managed to keep up my running, and I was the only person I know who didn't get sick over the entire period. Not even a runny nose. 

And now it is a new year, with the promise of the bowls of Narcissi paperwhite I made under Duke Colbourn's instructions back in November.* Everyone's posting about new year's resolutions and lovely little spring flowers

Why then do I feel so grumpy? 



* His narcissi looked much better than mine. Maybe that's contributing to the whinginess. 

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

... Because January is the pits.
K

VP said...

Because there's such a thing as PNYD (post New Year depression), especially today.

Lovely to see you back Emma!

Alex Johnson said...

Because you haven't seen Shedworking's Asian Garden Office Sanctuary posted today.

Victoria Summerley said...

Probably because you're just about to get the Christmas Cold...
Your spring flowers look lovely, btw

Arabella Sock said...

Good you're back - well that at least is cheering.

I think January and February are the worst months for SAD even though it is getting lighter there is still a cumulative effect of too much winter.

colleen said...

Because you realised that you missed us of course. Anyway, I bet you're feeling better already.
HNY
C

Anonymous said...

You are not alone...
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QTsvaZGSxvU

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

Because you had too good of a Christmas. If your Christmas was a maranthon event of too much food, too many presents, you'd be as relaxed & relieved as I am. (Does that make you feel any better?)

emmat said...

I love everybody's suggestions, particularly as you have all refrained from saying the obvious "because you are a grumpy old scrooge bah humbug". The whole idea of work alone makes me annoyed, even though I have the coolest job ever. Grrrrrr.... SEE!

Anonymous said...

I think you need to eat everything you can see and wear two pairs of socks.
Works for me
Anonjangrumpycatmother

Helen/patientgardener said...

At least your narcissi are growing. My Hyacinth have sat and done nothing for weeks - thinking of changing the words to the Alyesha Dixon song - The Hyacinth does nothing.... doesnt really work I know.

Anonymous said...

You are grumpy because of your general elfin happiness over Christmas. Next time you ensure that you have a vile time fraught with argumentative relations, scalded pies and a series of small household accidents.
Then January will seem as refreshing as running barefoot across warm sands.
I had a lovely Christmas as well so am with you in the grump stakes: at least I was until this morning when I was placing large trees in a frosty field with the sun shining. It may have been -6 but it certainly blew away the blues.
So stop being a stinky crosspants and go and get really cold for a bit.
xx

emmat said...

I JUST GOT REALLY COLD IT DIDN'T WORK

mind you in central london, it still probably wasn't -6.

Re: hyacinths. Does anyone else think that actually, hyacinths are relatively difficult and fussy? They need just the right amount of time in the fridge, to let the roots grow without the top starting, and then if they get too warm they bolt and start flowering before they have grown a proper height, and if you water them too much the basal plate rots and then they never flower. Honestly, they are really complicated and fussy. I wouldn't take it personally

Anonymous said...

Yes I wholeheartedly agree about hyacinths! They get too lanky and flop over and while I love the scent outdoors, inside its a bit overpowering and old lady for me.

I too had a fab Christmas and New Year, also the only well one in the family, job is **** but I feel, possibly rather annoyingly, perky and optimistic. the sun has been shining (and you don't HAVE to go out and get cold) sit by te fire with a nice cup of coffee or whatever and dream of warm summer days ....

OK, I'll allow you the odd grumoy moment as you so regularly cheer us all up. x

VP said...

The solution for hyacinths is:

1. Your niece and nephew buy you some for Christmas and get them delivered to you.

2. You put them on the coolest windowsill in the house, because the accompanying leaflet tells you to put them somewhere where there's not too much light so they won't flop over - our dining room's ideal as it's north facing and the central heating doesn't seem to work in there

3. You shut the door and forget about them. In the meantime Christmas and New Year happen

4. You go past said dining room yesterday and are bowled over by the scent of hyacinths COMING THROUGH THE DOOR

5. Rescue them from the dining room and put them on the kitchen table to admire

6. Take a picture to blog about them

7. Have tea at which point NAH says he can taste the hyacinths in his salad because the scent's so strong

8. Come online for a bit of light blog reading and laugh at everyone's comments here about how difficult hyacinths are

9. Feel guilty 'cos what you've just said sounds like you're a smarmy smartypants :)

Helen/patientgardener said...

Ha - this year I bought the bulbs, put them in the fridge (as per GW instructions), planted them up in bowls with bulb fibre etc and they have done nothing for weeks.

Normally, I get given them or buy them from the DIY store when they are reduced as they are getting leggy. I really prefer them for the garden.

Going now to find some blogs which dont mention how easy hyacinths are! Sulk sulk

VP said...

No need to sulk PG - the majority here agree with you about hyacinth cultivation's degree of difficulty.

As for me - it was purely by accident I assure you!

Arabella Sock said...

Eh? Aren't hyacinths those things they used to give schoolkids to grow
as they are so incredibly easy?

You get one of those hourglass shaped containers, plonk the bulb on top and the roots immediately reach down into the water and next day there is an enormous pungent flower.

like this

Anonymous said...

We usually put hyacinths in lovingly crafted bowls in the barn.
80% of each bulb is then eaten by mice before being chucked on the compost heap.
The following year we do the same thing again.
BTW Hyacinths should never, never, never, ever be planted in borders: they look ridiculous.

emmat said...

the idea of NAH saying his salad tasted of hyacinths has made me chuckle so much I think I might finally be cheered up

emmat said...

Ps Arabella Dorling Kindersley's has the kind of long white roots mine never develop. I would definitely pay good money to You Ask, We Answer, to find out how to get it so well-developed.

And also I think James is wrong about borders. I think a whole bunch of hyacinths together in a border is okay; but maybe this just reveals how terribly outré i have been, all along.

Helen/patientgardener said...

I agree I like them in borders - I plant them just outside my kitchen door and they smell lovely and they also remind me of my Nan. Theres nothing wrong with a little ridiculousness some times.

VP said...

In the border's fine as long as they're guerilla'd into the bit bordering my garden and the public land just by where all the kids pass by on their way to school. Heh, heh, heh.

VP said...

Your question for You Ask, We Answer is noted. It may take quite a while, as I'm developing quite a backlog here.

And I've hijacked my previous comment for Saturday's post, so you can see what my darling niece and nephew bought me.