101 friends on this blog! can you bloody believe it!? We were just 97 of us for so long and suddenly we're 100 plus. I'm so glad you're all here. To celebrate here's a special side-to-side video.
The Pilea Palais.
So Pilea growth continues and I've had to construct a high-rise nursery unit in my bedroom.
It's quite an organised affair - parent plants occupy the penthouse suite at the top. Below them is the nursery, where the toddlers hang out. I also put those plants that have suffered trauma in with the toddlers . . . hmm. 
The other day I put an up-ended glass over a small Pilea to help it grow, unfortunately a caterpillar got in there and ate all the leaves - that poor specimen was hot-footed to the trauma ward and is actually doing ok now. Heartwarming.
And the bottom two floors are for the drones.
The end.
It's quite an organised affair - parent plants occupy the penthouse suite at the top. Below them is the nursery, where the toddlers hang out. I also put those plants that have suffered trauma in with the toddlers . . . hmm. The other day I put an up-ended glass over a small Pilea to help it grow, unfortunately a caterpillar got in there and ate all the leaves - that poor specimen was hot-footed to the trauma ward and is actually doing ok now. Heartwarming.
And the bottom two floors are for the drones.
The end.
A conversation (of sorts)
I sold those sciencey looking spaghetti jars I got a couple of weeks back. I sold them to a man with whom I had a most bizarre, but jolly, conversation. It went a little as follows (I'm in italics).
Will you use them in the kitchen?
No, I don't think so.
Oh right, just storage, that's nice: pens and things.
No, I will keep spiders in them
Oh gosh, big spiders?
No, just little ones.
Dead ones?
Alive. I'll make holes for air to get in.
I see, like a collection, you have different sorts.
No, just garden spiders - I just pick them up in my garden.
. . . nice, I guess if they make webs that could look quite amazing
No, I find when you keep them in jars they stop making webs
Oh
It was hilarious, I kept giving him leading questions - I couldn't help myself. It was as if I was giving him the opportunity to give a normal answer, and he just wouldn't (which I quite respect really).
Now I know how uncles feel when I answer the 'so what are you doing now?' question.
Some toot for you . . .
Gosh, I really need to think of some more imaginative titles with the word toot in them - any ideas?
On with the show and tell: I got this lovely sunburst convex mirror this week. I love sunburst things, so joyous, but gee they're a hazard on a market stall - so spiky and they never go in a box.
Also quite joyous: this little spangly light-fitting. Put's me in mind of an udder.
A nice beaded necklace.
And a few chunks of amethyst, which I like - just look at the colours. It also reminds me of the nice apartment I stayed in with Rosalie when we did a funny residency in Hamburg.
Another nice necklace - I like this one a lot.
And a box for carrying around live birds in, poor things.
It has four separate little cages that slot neatly inside. Makes me think of Luke's photos. When I first met Luke at the market he told me he was a photographer and I was just like 'wat-evs' - 'and I'm an artist' *snort*. Luckily I didn't vocalise this disbelief because it turns out he's a very fine photographer and all successful and that. Honk.
A collection of nice machinery moulds
The shapes are beautiful - I guess because they have their grounding in function, they're purposeful and well balanced.
And the colours are awesome, I don't know why they need to be those colours but they're incredibly Krenit.
And a new shade for my room - now I just wish that bloody sun would go down so I can see how it works.
Hope your weeks are going well - mine has been a busy one. Lots of plates in the air.
On with the show and tell: I got this lovely sunburst convex mirror this week. I love sunburst things, so joyous, but gee they're a hazard on a market stall - so spiky and they never go in a box.Also quite joyous: this little spangly light-fitting. Put's me in mind of an udder.A nice beaded necklace.And a few chunks of amethyst, which I like - just look at the colours. It also reminds me of the nice apartment I stayed in with Rosalie when we did a funny residency in Hamburg.Another nice necklace - I like this one a lot.And a box for carrying around live birds in, poor things.It has four separate little cages that slot neatly inside. Makes me think of Luke's photos. When I first met Luke at the market he told me he was a photographer and I was just like 'wat-evs' - 'and I'm an artist' *snort*. Luckily I didn't vocalise this disbelief because it turns out he's a very fine photographer and all successful and that. Honk.A collection of nice machinery mouldsThe shapes are beautiful - I guess because they have their grounding in function, they're purposeful and well balanced.And the colours are awesome, I don't know why they need to be those colours but they're incredibly Krenit.And a new shade for my room - now I just wish that bloody sun would go down so I can see how it works.Hope your weeks are going well - mine has been a busy one. Lots of plates in the air.How to grow an avocado plant.
To grow an avocado plant you must first eat and avocado, and save the pit. Clean all the green gunk off by giving it a lovely French kiss.
Then you need to stick four little supporting sticks into it. Toothpicks are best but you could also use straightened paperclips. (I only had four little bits of wire to hand). Stand the pit upright, with it's tapered end at the top, and stick the sticks in around it's fat tummy. Don't stick them in too far, just a few millimetres but make sure they are firmly in.
Then use the four little sticks to suspend the pit at the top of a glass.
Fill the glass to the top with water so it's bum is dangling in water. You then have to keep it topped up like this for a long time, maybe months. That pit's got to have a soggy bum for just yonks, until you've almost lost patience. It might start to look manky even, you might think it's never going to work and consider throwing it away . . .
. . . Then one morning you'll come down and notice it's started to split and, before you know it, it'll start thrusting out tentative roots.
And then a single slender shoot with little tiny leaves will reach up - and it will gradually get bigger and bigger until you're almost overcome with satisfaction and smugness.
At this point you have grown your own Avocado plant! When it looks all grown up - with five or six leaves that are spread out - you can plant it in soil in a pot. Leave the pit on the surface of the soil and look after it how you would any houseplant - water it weekly or so and remove any leaves that die. If it looks droopy give it a little water and if that doesn't work try giving it a bigger pot.
Gosh, how easy.
Good luck.
Then you need to stick four little supporting sticks into it. Toothpicks are best but you could also use straightened paperclips. (I only had four little bits of wire to hand). Stand the pit upright, with it's tapered end at the top, and stick the sticks in around it's fat tummy. Don't stick them in too far, just a few millimetres but make sure they are firmly in.Then use the four little sticks to suspend the pit at the top of a glass.Fill the glass to the top with water so it's bum is dangling in water. You then have to keep it topped up like this for a long time, maybe months. That pit's got to have a soggy bum for just yonks, until you've almost lost patience. It might start to look manky even, you might think it's never going to work and consider throwing it away . . .
. . . Then one morning you'll come down and notice it's started to split and, before you know it, it'll start thrusting out tentative roots.And then a single slender shoot with little tiny leaves will reach up - and it will gradually get bigger and bigger until you're almost overcome with satisfaction and smugness.At this point you have grown your own Avocado plant! When it looks all grown up - with five or six leaves that are spread out - you can plant it in soil in a pot. Leave the pit on the surface of the soil and look after it how you would any houseplant - water it weekly or so and remove any leaves that die. If it looks droopy give it a little water and if that doesn't work try giving it a bigger pot.Gosh, how easy.
Good luck.
Our house.
I've been living with Schweiker for a little while now and it's too nice, she is the perfect flatmate and our little pad is a calm and happy place.
(I like this photo because we have big legs)
We have a lot of plants
Including lots of babies and seedlings all over the windowsills in the living room. And there are little watery rainbows about (see the one on this fig sapling) from chandelier drops hung at the windows.
In this photo is my favourite bedspread, which I bought from a fellow trader at the market . . . a couple of weeks later he got sectioned, so that's odd eh? Maybe he rued selling me the spread so much that it sent him over.
In the reflection are some paintings that Rosalie got - they are by The Anchor Group in Peckham.
I got a bin-liner full of these little feather birds from the boot and now they are dotted about the house - they will go soon but for now I enjoy them. 
One of the perks of a small flat is that the radio lives in the hall and you can hear it wherever you are. It lives on a stool I got from Lydia when she moved away.
Our sink is a favourite place because it is in a little nook where everything is always changing and shifting, it always looks nice. Also, we have the best cutlery and utensil holders.
All our recycling goes in the cupboard . . . but then it usually gets fished out again and re-used to put cut flowers in or grow plants in or for mixing paint or spreading glue. That makes me feel quite worthy. (also in this photo, a small collection of very old marbles)
And of course we drink from special Jo-made mugs. I enjoy how truly rubbish some of them are - really thick and heavy to drink from.
Rosalie's room always has things up on the wall.
And a splendid collection of avocados growing.
I never put anything on the wall really, not pictures at least - I'm much more a fan of plonking things about in an ever-changing display.
My favourite is still the gaggle of pipe-flares above my bedroom door. I go off most things I own but I think these might have made it into the permanent collection.
Now you know what I'm surrounded by when I write to you.
Hope you are all well,
Jo.
(I like this photo because we have big legs)
We have a lot of plants
Including lots of babies and seedlings all over the windowsills in the living room. And there are little watery rainbows about (see the one on this fig sapling) from chandelier drops hung at the windows.In this photo is my favourite bedspread, which I bought from a fellow trader at the market . . . a couple of weeks later he got sectioned, so that's odd eh? Maybe he rued selling me the spread so much that it sent him over.In the reflection are some paintings that Rosalie got - they are by The Anchor Group in Peckham.I got a bin-liner full of these little feather birds from the boot and now they are dotted about the house - they will go soon but for now I enjoy them. 
One of the perks of a small flat is that the radio lives in the hall and you can hear it wherever you are. It lives on a stool I got from Lydia when she moved away.Our sink is a favourite place because it is in a little nook where everything is always changing and shifting, it always looks nice. Also, we have the best cutlery and utensil holders.All our recycling goes in the cupboard . . . but then it usually gets fished out again and re-used to put cut flowers in or grow plants in or for mixing paint or spreading glue. That makes me feel quite worthy. (also in this photo, a small collection of very old marbles)And of course we drink from special Jo-made mugs. I enjoy how truly rubbish some of them are - really thick and heavy to drink from.Rosalie's room always has things up on the wall.And a splendid collection of avocados growing.I never put anything on the wall really, not pictures at least - I'm much more a fan of plonking things about in an ever-changing display.My favourite is still the gaggle of pipe-flares above my bedroom door. I go off most things I own but I think these might have made it into the permanent collection.Now you know what I'm surrounded by when I write to you.Hope you are all well,
Jo.
Toot-toot.
I had a nice time at the boot-fairs this weekend, despite nearly killing myself with tiredness. And here are the fruits of my labour.
Tum-tee-tum. I bought a snooker triangle, because I like it - it has 9 different joins and lives over my light switch now.
A very fine Welsh blanket.
A pair of figurines that have floppily hinged legs so they walk down slopes. I like the relationship between them - the dog hates the man with a simmering resentment that is building. The man is totally oblivious.
A lot of beautiful handknitted stuff this week, all from one lady.
She obviously just loved sitting and knitting, she also had another hobby: you've got until the end of this post to guess what it is.
A bag of old marbles - you can tell the really old ones because they're not actually very round, which I like.
I like this bracelet - I like the simplicity of the closing mechanism and that the beads are slightly wonky glass. If only they were strung on a grey piece of leather it would be perfect.
This necklace is perfect.
This fine pencil drawing has a beautiful quality to it. I put it on the table next to the weekends paper, then did a double-take.
Another tiny cup and saucer, I'll add it to the (tiny) pile.
A dirty great pottery pot that looks like it's wearing a nice Scandinavian jumper.
And whilst we're all spherical like . . . 
A dandelion in resin.
And a bubble ball.
Then two little Swedish horses.
And a tiny ship in a bottle.
And I treated my own personal Pilea to this handsome pewter pot. So everyone was happy. Of to market tomorrow in spite of a bit of a sniffle, gravel in the throat, is anyone else out there suffering? Let's all put the heating on and watch rubbish telly in bed, hooray!
(And, you guessed correctly, the old lady's other hobby was of course: smoking! Why must all the best knitters also smoke? It really drives me nuts.)
Tum-tee-tum. I bought a snooker triangle, because I like it - it has 9 different joins and lives over my light switch now.A very fine Welsh blanket.A pair of figurines that have floppily hinged legs so they walk down slopes. I like the relationship between them - the dog hates the man with a simmering resentment that is building. The man is totally oblivious.A lot of beautiful handknitted stuff this week, all from one lady.She obviously just loved sitting and knitting, she also had another hobby: you've got until the end of this post to guess what it is.A bag of old marbles - you can tell the really old ones because they're not actually very round, which I like.I like this bracelet - I like the simplicity of the closing mechanism and that the beads are slightly wonky glass. If only they were strung on a grey piece of leather it would be perfect.This necklace is perfect.This fine pencil drawing has a beautiful quality to it. I put it on the table next to the weekends paper, then did a double-take.Another tiny cup and saucer, I'll add it to the (tiny) pile.A dirty great pottery pot that looks like it's wearing a nice Scandinavian jumper.And whilst we're all spherical like . . . A dandelion in resin.And a bubble ball.Then two little Swedish horses.And a tiny ship in a bottle.And I treated my own personal Pilea to this handsome pewter pot. So everyone was happy. Of to market tomorrow in spite of a bit of a sniffle, gravel in the throat, is anyone else out there suffering? Let's all put the heating on and watch rubbish telly in bed, hooray!(And, you guessed correctly, the old lady's other hobby was of course: smoking! Why must all the best knitters also smoke? It really drives me nuts.)
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