Beats Prozac :)

[piskieinboots]

a day (well, 5 hours actually) on my plot - still faffing with the fencing but that is now complete - runner bean trench dug ready for my slops, base for shed skimmed

Happy girl

[Seahorse]

Isn't it just the best?

I don't know if I have anything as dramatic as SAD but spending this afternoon on my plot with all four kids behaving and helping out in the sunshine... just made my soul sing

[vicki]

Deffo makes a huge difference to have the sun shining! Hope it stays a while!

[piskieinboots]

I really can't see you as an SAD sufferer SH - well, no more than the rest of us plotters yep sun on the back and actually working is the bestest

[scarey55]

I think today must be the day that everyone on the Grapevine "gets going". I started digging and planning - KK tidied up one of the outbuildings to make a workshop and the sunset was spectacular. Potatoes now set to chit in the "shed" and a good bit of the garden has been dug ready for them.
You're right Piskie - better than Prozac

[bluemoon]

There's now an increasing realization among health professionals that growing your own is actually beneficial. There are projects springing up all over the place to provide 'Eco-therapy' (in English, gardening) experience for people with depressive illnesses. Makes you quite smug to realize that we'd figured this out all for ourselves. But if it helps people - which I'm sure it does - then I'm all in favour.

[shirlthegirl43]

Wonderful to have a couple of dry days in a row and get outdoors and do something.

I have CFS (or ME) and took up veg growing to encourage me to take gentle exercise - there are days where I would not do anything if I didn't have plants to check! It keeps me moving when I would rather not bother due to pain and that is great. And of course there is the wonder of planting those tiny seeds like the calabrese I sowed today and knowing that you will get a meal from it in the future!

[piskieinboots]

yaay for shirl - my pal has CFS (ME) and I believe your approach is the best, not that I know of what I speak, but I am constantly trying to get him involved in 'gentle' gardening things - I hope he comes through it

[shirlthegirl43]

yaay for shirl - my pal has CFS (ME) and I believe your approach is the best, not that I know of what I speak, but I am constantly trying to get him involved in 'gentle' gardening things - I hope he comes through it

The main problem (for someone who was previously as active as me anyhoo) is adapting to not doing too much. When I get a 'good' day I have to be very careful not to do the things I want to catch up with. The doctor said to look at it that if I wanted to do the whole pile of ironing I should throw that idea away and manage a quarter of it. If you do everything you can on that one day then you suffer for maybe weeks after. Better to do the quarter and have an okay day when you can do a little more.

That kind of explains why my garden expands by a few feet a year compared to others who take on an overgrown lottie and get it all producing in the first 6 months! Boy is it frustrating!!

[Hazel at the Hill]

The doctor said to look at it that if I wanted to do the whole pile of ironing I should throw that idea away .....

I like your doctor!

[shirlthegirl43]

I like your doctor!

So do I - he looks way to young to be a doctor though!

[piskieinboots]

That kind of explains why my garden expands by a few feet a year compared to others who take on an overgrown lottie and get it all producing in the first 6 months! Boy is it frustrating!!

no hun, it is all subjective, it matters not how much you get done compared to others - compare yourself only with yourself, that is where true growth/improvement happens

[Seahorse]

no hun, it is all subjective, it matters not how much you get done compared to others - compare yourself only with yourself, that is where true growth/improvement happens

That's so true but it is hard to do as well. I don't have CFS/ME but I do have a chronic illness that means I'm not always as I might be. The temptation (pressure?) to 'get a grip' or 'be normal' is intense... but definitely not always (or ever) the right thing in the long term.

[shirlthegirl43]

That's so true but it is hard to do as well. I don't have CFS/ME but I do have a chronic illness that means I'm not always as I might be. The temptation (pressure?) to 'get a grip' or 'be normal' is intense... but definitely not always (or ever) the right thing in the long term.

So totally agree. My dad just can't understand why I have days where I can't do anythihg but I look fine.

[piskieinboots]

My dad just can't understand why I have days where I can't do anythihg but I look fine.

I too couldn't understand it in my friend, but having known the man before the illness - I can only watch and think how cruel it is.

I hope my words above didn't read as 'get a grip' cos that was nowhere in my mind when I wrote them.