NAP TIME

During hot weather, I don’t know about you, but I find the thought of taking an afternoon nap very appealing. Continental sleeping patterns are to get up really early before the heat of the day, work for a while, sleep in the afternoon when the sun is high, then do a bit more when things cool down. It makes real sense and to confirm this you only have to look at some of the people in history who advocated the same feelings. Salvador Dali, Einstein, Napoleon, Winston Churchill and JF Kennedy, all enjoyed a nap in the afternoon. They recognised the need to get their heads down and get the rest they needed. Most of us do not do this because we feel that work isn’t being done. Even if you are an employer, this method of recharging the batteries could be beneficial. The thought of your staff taking a nap break seems counter productive, but this thought is changing. If you think about it, a nap is a corporate perk that will keep the staff happy and cost the employer nothing. I used to take naps when I worked in an office. The only problem was that I was a bit ahead of my time and I used to wake myself up when I found myself dribbling over the paperwork!



TOP EXCUSES IF FOUND ASLEEP AT YOUR DESK

Don’t despair if you are caught napping at work. Here are a few excuses you can give your boss if you are caught having forty winks (I hold no responsibility if they do not work!)

“Would you believe it? Come in at 6 in the morning and look what happens!”

“The people at the blood donor centre told me that this might happen.”

“Oh, hello, I was trying to pick up my contact lens without my hands.”

“Whew! I left the top off the Tippex!”

“I was doing a highly specific yoga exercise to relieve work related stress. Do you discriminate against people who practice yoga”?

“The coffee machine is broken....

“My Life Coach recommends a power nap for increased efficiency…”

Environmental.

AMBIENT MUSIC

Photo: Luke Ward and Martin Tourish at the festival in Buncrana.

At the Summer Gathering this year we heard music from local as well as worldwide artists. The music at the festival is usually centered around a camp fire or in a small tent. This suits most people and if anyone is looking for amplified music loud enough to shake the foundations of the neighbouring houses they would be better off at a music festival. Music can suit any mood or situation and the artists that played at the Gathering blended in perfectly with the event.

Music is everywhere and never more so that when you are out shopping, spending your hard earned money. Ambient music is big business and it can influence your shopping habits. Play something slow in the supermarket isles and you will browse as more products. If the shop wants you out at closing time then a bit of dance music should have you skipping to the checkout in double quick time. In shopping centres it pays the retailers to have calm customers so piped ambient music is everywhere. At one time this meant a few session musicians would get together and play cover versions of the hits of the day. These became very tedious, as people wanted the original artists, so after a bit musicians took to writing music especially for the situation. Brian Eno, the ex-synthesizer player from Roxy Music came out with LP’s such as Music for Airports, Discreet Music and Ambient Music 1,2,3 and 4. These are the sorts of songs that you would hear all of time in lifts (he did one for those too), without even realising that music was playing. Occasionally though a song slips though the net that will get me cringing. I have become more tolerant of irritating songs and like to think that the only reason that I do not like a piece of music is because I have not been in a mood to appreciate it. There are one or two songs that I have never been in the mood to appreciate though. Ronnie (my son), asked me what my top ten most irritating songs were recently and this uncovered one or two titles that I would rather forget (Merry Xmas Everybody from Slade didn’t even make the list!) An artist that features highly on my list though was Bonnie Tyler. With hits like Lost in France, It’s a Heartache and I Need a Hero. Up there at number one though is the seven grueling minutes long classic Total Eclipse of the Heart. I am surely in a minority here as it was number one in nine countries and top ten in a dozen more. With more that 60 singles to her name Bonnie Tyler certainly churns them out. The most irritating thing about these songs is the fact that once you have heard the title the tune is with you for the rest of the day….. Oo la la la oo la la la dance. Oo la la la dancing. I was lost in France and the vines were overflowing…. It’s with me for the rest of the day now!

Environmental.

LOOK UNDER THE SINK

Now that we are spending more time in the house, it would be a great idea to have a look under your sink. Firstly you could make sure that all of the pipes are dry and that there are no wet patches that could cause the house to start smelling of damp. Next have a look at products that are potentially harmful. Almost everyone in the western world has a cupboard full of poisons under their kitchen sink. Sprays, oven cleaner, waxes and polishes. The place is full of chemicals that display the words poison, danger, warning, or caution. Small amounts of the poisons drift from, and leak out of bottles and spray bottles, which then waft around the kitchen. Household poisonings are one of the highest threats to the health of children. Next time you are at the shop look for safer versions of the products. Try the health shop. Replace all hazardous products with safer versions in the future. The kitchen will then have no chemicals wafting into your household, which is a safer environment for the kids.

GO A BIT FURTHER
As you are in the kitchen try to reduce your use of non renewable resources; avoid products with potentially harmful ingredients such as sponges with antibacterial ingredients; reuse old shirts as rags. Use cloth rags instead of paper towels to save trees. And save money! Look at your purchase of mops, paper towels, sponges, buckets and vacuums with an eye towards their durability, health and environmental impact. If you must use paper towels buy recycled, unbleached paper. Try to buy reusable mops and rags instead of paper ones.

ANTIBACTERIAL SPRAY
New research is proving that the old folk recipes using herbs and essential oils to kill germs, such as those used by 14th century doctors during the Black Plague were based on good science. Many essential oils, such as the oils of lavender and thyme, are more antiseptic than phenol, the industry standard. Research is also showing that antibacterial plant oils may not cause drug resistance as could be the case with common chemical disinfectants. The essential oil-based spray, below, leaves a lovely, clean scent. It is a good choice to use for misting your cutting board after use.


Lavender Antibacterial Spray
1 cup water
20 drops pure essential oil of lavender
Pour the water into a spray bottle. Add the lavender essential oil and shake to blend. Spray on the surface and let set for at least 15 minutes, or don’t rinse at all.

Makes: 1 cup spray

Shelf Life: Indefinite

Helpful Hint:
Look for small, coloured (and recycled!) spray bottles at the local hardware store or charity shop.

Caution
Make sure you never get essential oils near your eyes, or to put them directly on your skin.
Make certain to use only clean spray bottles, and ones that have never contained toxic poisons.

Note that homemade herbal antibacterial sprays are not registered disinfectants.

Household.

SUPERFOOD

Ian

What is Superfood? B.J. Letterkenny

A. Superfood is one of the latest publicity campaigns to help consumers choose nutritious food. Most of it boils down to common sense in our diets. (I tend to eat foods that are a lot of pretty colours, which seems to work OK for me!). As soon as one type of food becomes super, another supersedes it. Pomegranates are already yesterday’s news as the latest superfood is the wolfberry. This deep-red, dried fruit is grown in China; about the size of a raisin and tasting like a cross between a cranberry and a cherry. It contains 500 times the amount of vitamin C by weight than oranges, with more antioxidants than pomegranates. It’s been dubbed “natural Viagra” here in the West. The word superfood makes the public think that the products are expensive and hard to come by. This is not the case as food such as porridge are on the list . It seems though that the more far-flung the source, the more we seem to love it and fail to notice that the products have travelled half way across the planet to get to us.

There is no single authoritative definition of what makes a food “super” though. There are over 200 fruits and vegetables that have already been called superfoods or are waiting in line for the necessary publicity. It is important not to rely on a single superfood in your diet and expect it to achieve wonders. They can provide extra help, but the most important tactic is to maintain a varied and healthy diet. What identifies a superfood comes down to who you ask. A nutritionist is more likely to opt for a food that is the most nutrient-packed and most easily digested; a doctor might list those fruits and vegetables that have been subjected to the most robust scientific research – the most recent being broccoli, which is rich in isothiocyanate and sulphoraphane, substances which are believed to help the body to fight cancer.

Any fruit and vegetable will help your health, preferably local ones – and the more the better.

Environmental,household.

COPING WITH CHANGE

It’s been said that the only constant in life is change. People change, circumstances change, things change. Change can be small, big, subtle or sudden. Sometimes change can be plain sailing, other times it’s a painful process. Change may be a choice we make, or it may be imposed on us. A new job, getting married, starting a family, moving house – these are examples of life changes we may experience. Being involved in the world of horticulture I see change all of the time with the seasons, no day is the same in the plant world.

Technology changes all of the time too and this affects work life as well as in the home. Just look at the changes that Inishowen has seen in just the past ten years; the economy has grown, some companies have gone whilst others move in, houses (and house prices) have gone up and the population has grown with cultural diversity increasing. Small things can affect us as well. A couple of years ago the first set of traffic lights were set up in Buncrana to help folk across the road. We now have four sets and sometimes a couple of them even work! Some of us view change as a positive challenge and thrive on the situation, others fret and agonise over the consequences of these changes. Few of us deal with change without feeling a sense of loss as they let go of the old, so here are some tips to help deal with transition more effectively at home or at work.

Don’t rush it: Change involves a move from one set of circumstances to another. Give yourself time to adjust and settle down.

Expect a reaction: Emotions will be stirred up. Let yourself laugh, cry or feel moody about it. As change involves a degree of loss, so it’s OK to grieve a little and feel nostalgic.

Don’t take it personally: Change happens. That’s life. It’s got nothing to do with you. Don’t obsess over who’s to blame or why it happened.

Go with the flow:Don’t resist or be too rigid. Be flexible, ride out the storm, and see how things turn out.

Don’t go it alone: Talk to your family and close friends. Share your problems with people you trust. Others may offer a different angle to the situation.

Don’t focus on the negative: If you keep looking at the bad side of things, you might miss the good. The glass is also half full you might say.

Break it up : A large problem will seem less insurmountable when divided into little ones. Work on them one at a time, and give yourself a pat on the back each time you overcome one.

Learn from it: With new experiences, we grow wiser and stronger. Wisdom helps us make better decisions in future.

Balance your life: It’s important to have a personal life to fall back on to help you through tough times. Take time to be with your friends and family.

Know that it will end: No matter how big or difficult, change comes to an end when the new circumstances are in place and become familiar. Normality will return!

Acceptance and new opportunities: Once you are used to the change, accepting the new into your life, you will often find that with the change comes new opportunities.

Environmental.

KEEPING IN TOUCH

Friends from England who come over to us every year always comment about how we here in Inishowen still retain the community spirit. Our friends find that in some areas where they live, people don’t even meet the neighbours, let alone had a conversation with them. They just put their heads down and get on with their daily duties. It is amazing how you can live in an area with half a million other people, such as a small city and have no contact with anyone, but it happens.

Sometimes you can get too familiar with neighbours though. One time when I was living in England I had a knock on the door from a next door neighbour whose wife had been in hospital for three weeks, unfortunately to have her left leg amputated. My neighbour asked me if his wife could use my washing line as she had a lot of washing to catch up on now that she was out of hospital. I said yes of course but I did feel sorry for the fact that the husband couldn’t switch on the washing machine, and for his wife of course, who had to balance on her remaining let to pin the washing out!




KEEPING IN TOUCH

You can still be in touch with your neighbours though and never meet them, with a new idea from a bloke in Dublin, who sees people as being too busy for one to one communication. Ciaran Killalea has set up a website called neighbours.ie which is designed to help residents in new housing estates to get to know one another. Householders can share their gripes, experiences and local knowledge, and even get things done when management companies, developers and local authorities have failed them. The website has been up and running since March. It has 1,200 members already and is steadily growing. Killalea hopes membership could be as high as 100,000 in a couple of years. As well as neighbourliness and banter, the site has a more serious side. In addition to the public areas, there are also private areas in each forum that can be viewed only by proven residents of a scheme. This sounds like a virtual garden fence for gossiping over, but Killalea says residents’ associations can hold meetings in the private areas.

In the future, he hopes the site will be used by prospective buyers, who will be able to investigate neighbourhoods and the people who live there. People will be able to vet an area before moving in. A west-Dublin scheme that will comprise some 10,000 homes when completed has already got 170 members to their group, even before the houses are finished. Buyers yet to move in are already discussing the shape of their new neighbourhood, venting their concerns about completion dates and forming online relationships with their future neighbours. It all sounds very high tech but it could be an ideal solution for people with busy lives who sadly haven’t the time to talk, (although if they spent less time on the computer maybe they would)!

Environmental.

JOKE

THE PIG WITH THE WOODEN LEG

There was a tourist on a farm and he asked the farmer why one pig had a wooden leg.

The farmer said, ‘‘that pig is the bravest pig I ever saw.”

“So why does he have a wooden leg?” the tourist asked.

“Well one night our house caught on fire and he came into our house and woke us all up.”

“So,” the tourist asked again, “why does that pig have a wooden leg?”

“Well, you can’t eat a brave pig like that all at once now can you!”

CHILDRENS GARDENING

Photo: Both poppies and lemon balm are easy to grow.

INVOLVE THE KIDS

Start children off in the garden by stimulating their senses with brightly coloured flowers, aromatic foliage and scented blooms, tactile leaves and quick-to-crop edible plants. Try some easy to grow things with them, either from seed such as sunflower, marigolds (French or English), poppies and cosmos or as plants such as primulas, pansies, wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca), lavender and hardy geraniums. Big seeds such as oak or sycamore are great for very young children to sow. Stimulate their interest with plants that make noise, such as rattling Nigella and poppy seedheads, rustling grasses and bamboos, or fun-to-touch plants like furry Stachys byzantina, sticky Petunia or prickly Eryngium. Also try plants with a distinctive smell such as the curry plant (Helichrysum italicum), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) or chocolate cosmos. Edible plants are always a favourite, especially if they also look good. Get them to try Swiss chard ‘Bright Lights’, radish, lettuce, courgettes and runner beans. Discovering edible flowers such as the peppery nasturtium will make the garden a much more exciting place.

Horticultural.

FERTILISING FRUIT TREES AND BUSHES

Ian
I have some fruit trees and bushes in my garden, is now a good time to feed them? What could I use as mulch around them as well. Thanks F.N. by e-mail

FERTLISING FRUIT TREES AND BUSHES
If you look in the gardening books it seems that you are a bit late for feeding fruit trees. Most of them state that it should be done in late February. We won’t take any notice of them though and I would say that feeding them now- even if it is a bit late is better than no feed at all as fruit trees and shrubs need feeding to crop well.

Nitrogen promotes foliage and vigorous growth; dessert apples need less than cooking apples and pears, while plums and cherries appreciate more. Phosphorus promotes healthy growth and fruit. Potassium is necessary for good fruit colour, flavour, hardiness and fruit bud development.

How much feeding fruit trees need depends on the soil and can be adjusted depending on growth, cropping and soil analysis.

As a rule-of-thumb, feed apples and pears lightly, using 100g/sq m (3oz/sq yd) of general purpose fertiliser or, for organic gardeners, fish, blood and bone. Whichever one is used apply added potassium-rich fertiliser, sulphate of potash or an organic potassium material at 15g/sq m (0.5oz/sq yd). If cooking apples and pears have had pale foliage in the past, increase the general-purpose fertiliser by half. Double the general-purpose fertiliser for cherries and plums, and increase the potassium-rich fertiliser to 20g/sq m (0.75oz/sq yd).

If using straight fertilisers apply at the following rates:

Nitrogen: Apply 35g per sq m (1oz per sq yd) of ammonium sulphate in spring each year. Dried poultry pellets are an organic alternative.

Phosphorus: Apply 35g per sq m (1oz per sq yd) of superphosphate in winter every three to four years where required. Bonemeal is an organic alternative.

Potassium: Apply 15g per sq m (0.5oz per sq yd) of sulphate of potash every year. Too much potash may lead to magnesium deficiency and increase the risk of bitter pit in apples.

MULCHES
Mulching on the other hand can be done anytime. An annual mulch of bulky organic matter after applying the fertiliser will benefit trees by reducing water loss and suppressing weeds, as well as providing some nutrients. Mulching can halve fertiliser needs and is ideal for organic growers.
Bulky organic materials include stable or farmyard manure, mushroom compost, spent hops, leafmould and garden compost.

Mushroom compost often contains chalk and as most fruit prefers acid conditions, it should not be used too frequently except on very acid soils. Do not apply to raspberries. Straw can be used as a surface mulch to conserve moisture, but if it is incorporated into the soil it must be well rotted or, alternatively, extra nitrogen must be applied. Pears, plums, and damson trees especially need additional water in the summer and will benefit from mulching. Newly planted fruit trees and cane fruits need regular watering and should be mulched to conserve moisture and promote strong growth. Red currants, white currants, gooseberries and raspberries are difficult to grow on light soils but benefit from mulching. Even with mulches you may need to water in dry spells. Ideally, keep a grass-free zone, at least 1m (1yd) wide, around trees to reduce competition and allow mulching. Apples and pears appreciate a low-nutrient mulch - such as garden compost, while plums and cherries respond to richer rotted manure.

Horticulture.

TRUFFLES

Photo: No truffles yet but it won't be long.

GROW YOUR OWN TRUFFLES

I have been trying to train my dog Max to find truffles in the woods. Up to now he hasn’t come up with the goods, this could be because I’m not the best teacher when it comes to dogs noses and of course Max isn’t a pig, which is the usual animal that tracks down these delicacies. Another reason is that there probably aren’t any truffles around Inishowen anyway. Things might change soon as scientists in New Zealand have found a way to infect trees with the spores of truffle fungus. The truffles will grow happily under trees such as oak a few years after the tree has been planted. Can’t wait!

Horticultural.

CREOSOTE

BYE BYE TO CREOSOTE
Creosote, the gardeners’ favourite wood preservative for 150 years, has been banned from domestic use following an E.U. directive. DIY shops have already stopped stocking it and if you have any in your sheds you should use it up as the deadline for having it ended in June. The ban follows research on mice showing that contact with creosote increased the potential for cancer.
If you have any creosote to use up it could come in handy for keeping rabbits off the garden. I was told last week that you soak natural rope in the stuff and put it around the area you want to keep the pesky rabbits off. Apparently they won’t cross the boundary. Make sure that the rabbits are the right side of the rope though!

Horticultural,environmental.