[Oscar Too]

I've had a lousy time with exhaustion and overwork recently, leading to depression and other difficulties.  Three weeks off work, a lot of thinking, talking with the wife, and deciding how to do things differently.  The allotment has been badly neglected.

Told work that I would be working at home one day per week from now on.  The first day was yesterday.  I finished work at 5.20pm, by 5.35 I was up the allotment with the little fellow digging spuds and beetroot, and picking courgettes and sweetcorn.  Little one had spuds and chicken while we ate the sweetcorn (too hard for him, he's only got six teeth!), then for dinner we had steamed spuds with butter.

Lovely.  It felt really good, and reminded me of life's real priorities - family and good grub.

Thanks to everyone on here who helped my through a bad time.

Oscar

[cawdor2001]

It's all about balance Oscar, too much work and no play makes Jack, Jill, Oscar and me a miserable person which means everyone suffers!  You only live once, try not to spend it all at work  

Cawdor

[skywalker]

How inspirational to hear a bit of honesty. You are absolutely right. Life is for living and we all need to be reminded of this now and again. We spend too much time working and not enough living. Take a bit of time for yourself and your family. You obviously deserve it.

[Robin Redbreast]

a saying i hear time and  again is that "we work to live not live to work"!

these are words that ring in my head because the way i was bought up is opposite. life these days are a grind so the allotment is relief, everyone should make time for a breathing space, it has taken me years to find mine. one way or the other as a species we were not made to be a "bee".

[Sharon]

When I was suffering from severe depression a few years ago, someone told me we are human beings NOT human doings.
Everyone needs to find time to just be.

[Kate and her Ducks]

Really sorry to hear about how difficult things have been for you recently. Glad that you have found a way through it which can be incredibly difficult when feeling so down.

Congratulations on breaking free a little

[Johndeb]

I remember, when we lived in London that I woudl go to work think about the allotment, I would sit in meetings thinking about the allotment and I would go there before I got home. Not to work, just to reflect on what a blooming miracle growing things is.  

Good for you

[Mr McGregor]

I've had a really hard two years, (OH has been ill with Breast Cancer, but through it now and at the same time my job is very time consuming and stressful)
I started vegtable growing and then found a plot of waste land that I'm converting into a lottie, these have been my saviour.

[mother hen]

Hi Oscar, sorry you have felt so low, it is so true the best things in life are free, we often live in an unkind and crazy world, I am glad that you have found some peace and contentment with your family and your garden. A friend of mine had a good saying  I don't know the latin but the message was " don't let the b*st*rds grind you down"  

[Robin Redbreast]

sometimes we take for granted that which has not been given! therefore stop taking too much and accept what is there, because tommorrow may never arrive! :shock:  :shock: nobody said that to me i made it up. well in my mind it works!

[Sadgit]

Work for me this year has been horrendous and time at the plot has been at a minimum. Went there today for only the 2nd time in a month and I stood there looking around at all the weeds/grass and not much else.

Picked some sweetcorn, runners, 3 pumpkins, pattypans and was feeling pretty low because of the bad year. Then a plot neighbour drove by and stopped for a chat, and we were saying how bad it has been, broc was rotten, 'gettes almost dead (thankfully ), carrots tiny, etc etc. Then I looked in the boot of my car and saw it was packed full.. basically changed my tune and said hey even with the terrible year look at what you can still get.

Got my mojo back again and cannot wait to strip the plot bare next weekend and start all over again..... work has to take a back seat... wish it was as easy as that

[pinkfairy]

Sorry you have been through a rough time. Your allotment sounds fab and what a fab meal you had from it! I am just starting out, although my husband has grown veg in the past he has let it go after we had our 2nd baby as we had hardly anytime. But yesterday we got out in the garden and I have got my own plot dug out. I have been quite low recently and need something to focus on , and also want to do something that benefits us as a family. So hoping I will eventually reap the rewards!