I have got a lovely bucket-o-spuds (but it is still not enough)

homegrown potatoes

                                      

Green gage plums 

We have a shared patch of an allotment here in the village. We have never really successfully grown anything back  in Australia, despite Mark's desperate attempts at  veggie patches, they always seemed to wither and die - just too many pests. 

But here during the long, hot days of summer when the sun shines until 10.30pm (in theory), veggies are so easy to grow - they literally just take off. Or so we thought. Not really knowing what to do we enthusiastically planted lots of tiny seedlings, hoping for the best. I anticipated strolling up to the allotment each afternoon and whilst the sun baked upon my back, I imagined myself picking crop after crop of succulent produce whilst sipping on a crisp glass of wine. 

Ha but  in reality things are quite different. We have not had the baking sun we anticipated but lots of lovely, light rain which in Australia during summer, would be praised and celebrated. As a result the veggies have not quite yielded the vast supply I imagined although the courgettes, true to their reputation, have continued to grow huge and impressive specimens. 

As a result I have felt a continuing sense of failure and disappointment at the lack of results - so much so that at times I have not appreciated what we have managed to grow. My sense of having missed out had won the delicate battle, that is until last night, when my way of thinking was turned quickly on its axis. 

As we were sitting down to eat a gourmet meal of roasted new potatoes, chicken with a 5 bean tomato and onion ratatouille, Mark asked me if I realised that everything on our plate - except for the chicken - we had grown ourselves. I suddenly stopped eating and looked at my meal in a completely new light and was mesmerised by the fact that he was right. Everything was grown by us - even the tomatoes that are so rich and delicious we grew ourselves. The rest of the meal was eaten with so much more appreciation and I savoured every mouthful.

It made me wonder why more often that not we are constantly absorbed with what we have not done that we said we would, with what we have not achieved that we hoped we would, that we totally forget to Celebrate the achievements however small - that we have done. So this week is about focusing on the the small things I achieve and enjoying the sense of satisfaction on a smaller scale.