How to use The Compost Bin.

Welcome to The Compost Bin, which contains my musings on my life. I live in Herefordshire with my husband and 11 year old daughter. We have 4 acres of land which contains a woodland, small orchard, garden and veg plot. We grow our own organic fruit and veg and make lots of cider, wine, jam and chutney. We share our lives with 16 Chickens, 3 Cats, 4 Guinea Pig and assorted wildlife!

I am a freelance Forest School Leader and Environmental Educator so work with both adults and children on all sorts of things. I also volunteer as a Master Composter and Master Gardener, helping people make compost and grow veg.

So, I might talk about; what we have been doing on our patch of land and in our wood, my work, the chickens and their funny ways, how to grow veg, the fun things our cats get up to, self sufficiency and what it actually means, more general environmental issues, composting, making various crafty stuff, happy and sad times here, living a slower, more hand made, frugal lifestyle, making and mending and re-using and re-cycling stuff, living more lightly on the Earth and my views on life in general.

I hope you enjoy your time spent inside The Compost Bin. I would also love to welcome you as a member of The Compostbin forum

Remember to click on the photos to make them full size!

Wednesday, 31 March 2010

And today I have been making.....

This!



it was really horrible out there today, but despite the rain, hail and sleet, I managed to make this willow structure, with help from children at the school and other members of staff.

All told we made 3 more today to add to the big one we made on saturday.

A roundhouse and two arbours ( mine is an arbour)

The children all had the chance to make some bit of at least one willow structure and also went and inspected the one the adults made at the weekend.

They can't wait for the willow to green up and be magical and shady.

I am going to make some similar structures in the wood as shelters. All good fun!

Saturday, 27 March 2010

What I was up to, today....

Today I went to a bare field and created this...with several other people and a really great tutor!




spent the day making this...on the school field....

making more of them with the children next week................

Thursday, 25 March 2010

(Sort of) back in the land of the living

Am sort of back in the land of the living BUT still a bit wobbly.. Labarynthitis is a very horrible thing to have and I have had 3 weeks signed off sick, so had to cancel lots of work, did no gardening or home steading work or even looking after my family...

Am back working and growing and doing my teacher training course...but it is all hard going as I am still not very well...I am ok ish, no more than that and with not much time or energy left over for blogging!

so blogging is one of the things which has to "give" at the moment I am afraid....

Expect me when you next see me....

Wednesday, 3 March 2010

like Alice, I have tumbled down the slippery, whirling, twirling rabbit hole again.....

Just to let you know I am v poorly, have labyrinthitis, ( vertigo, nausea, photophobia, blinding headache - hence the "Alice/Rabbit hole in the title)

It came on with a vengence on Sunday, after bouts on and off last week and I was so ill I got carted off in an ambulance to A and E Monday night. Fortunately they let me out Tuesday morning, with drugs to take for it.

Am back at home now but spending the day on virtually total bed rest, looking at a blank wall in a darkened room is the order of the day. Am on drugs to reduce sypmtoms ( but not by much) which give me maybe an hour a couple of times a day where I can eat, see ok to read, type etc.

so am taking advantage of the current "good" spell now, to send a couple of important emails about cancelling work, and to let you all know what has happened.

Thank you for the kindly comments and emails I have already had but I am really not up to answering them at the moment - I hope you can all understand why?

Don't worry, I will live, but its not much fun being me at the moment!

Will come back when I am able.