Slow day

Today I did the modern-day version of sitting on the porch peeling apples for apple pie. I used a paring knife to laboriously remove the aluminium  ‘lid’ from the coffee capsules – about three weeks’ worth – and scraped out the compacted coffee grounds; no mean feat as they were still damp despite being laid out in the sun on this glorious winter’s day. You may wonder why all the trouble? As a fairly conscientious recycler, it’s all for the sake of the garden. Apparently coffee grounds add or encourage nitrogen in the soil and this is essential for plant well-being. So why throw it away when a little effort can reduce landfill and increase vegetable production?
I do it for the aluminium capsules, which are then taken back to the expensive supplier for recycling, as they promise. Whether they throw it straight out of the back door is a matter of conjecture, but we can hope for the best. But the knock-offs, which are entirely satisfactory, are made of plastic and can be recycled with the domestic waste. I stack the empty capsules in little piles so that what was once a jumbled mess in a large plastic bag is reduced to a few neat little lines in a paper bag, also recyclable.
How’s that for an afternoon of pedantry? Sometimes a little repetitive, mindless work is good for one, like a meditation without having to think about it. And the pot plants give off a delightful aroma.