I therefore spent quite a lot of time sat on the sofa, crocheting a blanket for a friend's baby.
I'm fine now, and I've learned that I quite enjoy spending hours at a time crocheting and watching films (or even just watching the sky through the window). That's definitely an observation I'll build into my zone 00 design.
(Small) progress
What I do not enjoy is being surrounded by boxes and things to sort out while I'm doing it. The state of chaos in the house is getting both of us down at the minute, but we are taking deep breaths and doing what we can, when we can, with no deadlines and no rules. We're celebrating small successes - the cellar is nearly clear, which means at the weekend we might be able to give it a quick coat of white paint and then fill it with the things that currently fill the living room in the above picture. I've finished grouting the shower, and can move on to replacing the sealant. And my plastering course has been rescheduled to the end of July, so after that I'll (hopefully!) have the skills to plaster our bathroom myself.
Sometimes design is more fun than implementation...
This week I've also been working on our diploma research project, mainly designing the first draft of the topic guide for our telephone interviews.
Letting go
This week also saw my last visit to our community allotment, after my decision to leave a couple of weeks ago. We had a bonfire and watched the sun set over the hills, and I almost regretted leaving (but not enough to change my mind).
I'm also planning to let go of my involvement in a friend's garden. He very kindly said I could grow food there, as my own garden is too small for bigger crops like squash and beans. I accepted gladly, and planted garlic in the new year, but then we decided to move house and I've done nothing since - a constant source of guilt. I think it's best if I let him know I won't be using it, and he can be free to let someone else use the space.
My own garden is flowering nicely, and I need to decide whether to include it as a design in my portfolio or not. I've done a lot of observation and mapping, so it seems a shame not to, but my priorities have changed since I did the original 'client interview' and now the focus is making it low maintenance and attractive to house buyers, which doesn't feel like an exciting brief for a permaculture design. We'll see.