The year draws to a close.

As the year draws to a close, it is time to reflect on the past year before we embark on a new one. It seems as though the years go by faster and consequently it is easy to forget many of the things we have done. Luckily by writing this blog I can look back and appreciate some of the highlights of our year. Many are small relatively insignificant things but were important in their own right.

As I look over my vegetable garden today, it appears light and open. I realize that there is more light now that the trees have shed their leaves. Most of the ground is bare, covered in black plastic, awaiting the spring. But there are still sufficient plants in the ground to continue to give us fresh veg daily. There are a few red cabbage, several sprout plants, Swiss chard is still growing albeit slowly, the celery is abundant, if somewhat small but ideal for soups, it may not be a 'looker' but it tastes good. Under some fleece there is sufficient spinach for at least one meal. The lambs lettuce is covered with fallen leaves but there is enough for several salads. And the Jerusalem artichokes are still abundant. We won't go hungry just yet.

We started the year with snow and although we may not finish it with more snow, we have certainly had a cold a snowy winter so far. Yesterday we had relatively warm sunshine and there was a feeling of spring in the air, but of course it is still December and today is cold and murky again, with colder weather forecast for the coming days.

This past year has seen many natural disasters affect the world we have indeed been very lucky. I have to admit getting annoyed as I have heard of peoples holiday plans being ruined by ash clouds or snow, but perhaps we need to think about what is really important. We are as guilty too as we assume we can travel back and forth to France on a whim. Over the last few decades we have become accustomed to being able to do what we will when we want. Perhaps it is now time to stop and think do we need to travel so much or expect every thing to run smoothly all the time. Perhaps there is something to be said for the 'big society' where we think of others before ourselves. We are enjoying the last day of the year sitting inside in the warmth of our house, and tonight will see in the new year with the friends we share last new years eve with.

Tomorrow is another year - what will 2011 bring?

'Tis the night before Christmas

'Tis the night before Christmas, the mince pies are warm from the oven, mulled wine warming gently on the stove. Outside it is cold and frosty, but hey luckily no snow!

All ready for tomorrow, the pudding has been steamed and the cake decorated. A buche de noel is smothered with chocolate and chocolate stars, the stuffing is made and the turkey is covered with a thick layer of lemon and garlic seasoned butter à la Gordon Ramsey.

The presents are wrapped and all we need now is for Santa to visit and family to arrive tomorrow.

I hope all who read this have a very happy and peaceful Christmas.

WrW Maternal Health

All speakers now in place - just need an audience. If you haven't booked your tickets please do so now. It would be nice to have sold 50 tickets before the WI office closes for Christmas.

Women Reaching Women

Improving Maternal Health
Speakers: 

Maria Pawlowska,

Cambridge University Gates Scholar

Adam Musgrave

Health and Education Campaigner, Oxfam GB 

Victoria Morris, 

Young Parents Support and Advocacy Worker Suffolk

Wednesday 23rd February 2011

Horringer Community Centre

7 p.m. Wine and Cheese 7.30 p.m. Start


Tickets from SWFWI, Cost £4,Tel: 01284 754 520

Book this date - don’t miss it!
This event is open to all - please invite your friends and other interested parties

Muck, Muck, Muck - black gold!

After many wheelbarrows full of farmyard manure the garden is now ready for winter. Black plastic is covering large areas of open ground preventing the weeds from taking over in the spring. A thick layer of muck covers large areas - hopefully the worms will keep busy this winter and drag it all into the soil to make a nice humus rich growing medium.

The last of the carrots and turnips have been dug up, but there is still a good supply of sprouts for Christmas and several beautiful red cabbage.

The chicory has been dug up and planted in pots for forcing, never done it before so watch this space!

It is cold, very cold, outside but luckily we have missed the snow, just a few snow flurries, but nothing on the ground.

MUD, MUD, MUD

Mud is what you get when there has been a lot of rain in the countryside. Everything I touch outside is wet and dirty. It is time to clear the garden and prepare it for the winter. There are still vegetables in the ground which should keep us going for several weeks. Sprouts, red cabbage, leeks, turnips, beetroot and a variety of salad leaves, lambs ears, endive and oak leaf. The compost heap has been emptied on to the garden, the asparagus bed getting a good thick layer. I have dug all the potatoes, just need to go over the plot again to see if I have missed any, but will wait for a dry day before tackling that task. We have had a good crop this year, the Pink Fir Apples have been particularly prolific, and with a good crop of Blue Danube and Cara's we should have plenty of potatoes to see us through a cold winter.

Last autumn I took cuttings from the red currant bush, these rooted and we have now planted them on the edge of the garden with the idea of having an edible hedge. A way of having more soft fruit without taking up more space in the garden. Let's just hope they survive the move and the winter.

Now just need to plant up the bulbs I removed from the tubs, to plant summer bedding, so that we have another good display of colour come the spring.

Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) 5

Continuing to finalise the WrW event focusing on the MDG 5. Two speakers so far confirmed. We are really lucky to have Maria Pawlowska is a Cambridge University Gates Scholar and has worked for different organizations including Global Poverty Project and RESULTS on issues concerning maternal mortality - communicating with the wider audience as well as writing government consultations. She has also written on maternal health for the Maternal Health Task Force and has been published in different outlets including the Reproductive Health Reality Check. Maria will speak about the latest developments, the most important of which are preventing hemorrhage and providing family planning services. She will also speak on the causes of maternal deaths and what is currently being done to help and why the MDGs are so important.

http://maternalhealthtaskforce.org/discuss/wpblog/tag/melinda-gates/

To bring the subject closer to home. Victoria Morris, Young Parents Support and Advocacy Worker will talk about the work being done in Suffolk with young teenage parents. The WI has been involved with one of her support groups, sharing skills such as knitting crochet and cooking.

Wednesday 23rd February 2011, Horringer Community Centre. 7 for 7.30 start.

Please do put this event in your diary - tickets can now be purchased from the WI office just £4. Please contact them directly (01284 754520) or by email suffolkwestwi@btconnect.com.

Millenium Development Goals MDGs

Busy a planning an event as part of the Women Reaching Women campaign. The NFWI is working with Oxfam GB and the Everyone Foundation on a three year development, gender and climate change educational campaign. Women Reaching Women aims to broaden awareness of these issues amongst WI members, their families and communities.

This years emphasis should be on equality but here in Suffolk we are concentrating on MDG 5 maternal health.

The statistics are staggering. For instance did you know?

• More than half a million women die in pregnancy and childbirth every year - that's one death every minute. Of these deaths, 99 per cent are in developing countries. The lifetime risk of dying in pregnancy and childbirth in Africa is 1 in 22, while it is 1 in 120 in Asia and 1 in 7,300 in developed countries.(Source:UNFPA)

• Only 28 in 100 women giving birth are attended by trained health personnel in the least developed countries. (Source:ActionAid)

Luckily there is a lot of work being done around the world to improve matters, and hopefully those who attend my event will come away better informed.
I am currently inviting speakers and it looks like we will have at least two if not three people with both knowledge and influence.

As this event is open to all - not just the WI I do hope we will get a good attendance. I think it should be of interest to all but particularly to mums and dads of all ages. Spread the word to anyone who may live close enough to Bury St Edmunds to attend.

Wednesday 23rd February 2011, Horringer Community Centre. 7 for 7.30 start.