Last day of April

May day tomorrow, when I was at school May day was celebrated with dancing round the Maypole. A group of girls from each class were chosen, extras in case someone was absent on the day.

It was also the day the heat went off in the classrooms, it was reduced in March, off at the end of April. Started again in September and back to full blast, if you could call it that, in October.

More recently may day has been a public holiday, usually referred to as Labour Day. So this coming Monday is a holiday as is the last Monday in May, spring bank holiday. When we lived in Scotland I used to get caught out, the holidays there were different.

I did not sleep well last night, DB had a coughing fit, he went off to sleep, I was wide awake till after 4am...... so a bit of a slow start this morning. However, sitting room cleaned, although I did not move the settee and chairs, they are too heavy, so will have to wait until my cleaner comes back. I also emptied and cleaned the Gtec, could not believe the state of the filter, its now nice and clean. Put out the kitchen waste bag and cleaned the bin, half filled with hot water, a squirt of bleach and a drop of Dettol. Scrubbed out and left outside to dry.

It was fine when we got up, DB went out to the garden, has just come in its raining again and we are forecast thunder and lightening later........hmmmmm.....

Its lazy night tonight, we are having two of the frozen dinners. I have some rhubarb, but no cream, will have to make some custard, if the custard powder is still ok, I have had it for yonks.

What a performance

ordering bread flour. I wanted plain white bread flour, I use mostly wholemeal, but it makes a very dense loaf, so I use 3/4 wholemeal and 1/4 white. I have a stock of wholemeal, but I needed strong white. With postage its just cost me £14+ for 3 kilo's. Its like eating money!!! Talk about holding people to ransom just because we did the right thing and did not panic buy at the beginning of the lockdown.

I see Boris is a dad again, a baby boy.........

The Daily Mail is full of having bought in a plane load of PPE from China. My thoughts about China are not very Christian so I had better shut up. Dunelm in Leicester have turned over from making curtains to making PPE, they have brought back in 50 workers and are producing 2000 pieces of PPE, mostly gowns and full suits, a day.

We had more or less a full day of rain yesterday, not that its penetrated far into the ground, we need at least a week of steady rain. Very grey and overcast today, rain forecast after lunch.

I am having a day off cleaning today, apart from getting supper, pasta bake, with a side salad of tomato and celery.

I finished off the bags, I have about half a yard of fabric left, 7 bags and a peg bag made, so will be folding them up and securing with some ribbon.

No gardening for DB this morning, he has been out to check his seeds. I need to pot on the geraniums from the window sill, the roots are coming through the bottom of the pot. Its really not warm enough to put them out unless I cover them at night. We have been known to get frosts in late May.

The rain has arrived

The sky is very grey and ominous, it had rained in the night and just now its drizzling, we could do with a decent downpour the garden is so dry.

We pulled rhubarb yesterday, a bag full has gone to our friends, they collected it from the door step this morning. I kept some back to use at the weekend.

Just having my morning tea and then tackle the bedroom, doing it every week it does not get too bad, mind you when I empty the Gtec I wonder where all the muck and dust has come from. Heating is off, I put it on first thing and then switch it off. At night we use the electric blanket to warm the bed slightly before we get in. We are wearing jumpers if it feels cold. 

My feet are often cold, due to my bad circulation so when I am sitting at night I wrap my feet in a fleece blanket.

I have one bag to finish and another to make up, that will use the last of the fabric, so not a bad haul. On to the embroidery machine then to do another of the lace mats, takes 4 hours, so I need to see if my machine goes back to where I stopped sewing so I can, if necessary, turn the machine off. The new iron is great, so far no nasty brown stuff on the new ironing board cover.

Supper tonight is sausage, mash and baked beans, just a wee bit of the apple and blackberry crumble to finish off for dessert.

Rain? what rain?

We were told that we were in for 4 weeks of rain starting this morning, it did not, in fact the sun is out and its quite warm. DB has been in the garden putting more of the mulch down, he now has to water it so it compacts, it will let water through but the weeds, hopefully, will not be coming through the same.

I have been setting up a new laptop, very frustrating, things have changed in the 4 years since since I bought the last one. I just have to sort out how to connect the laptop to the printer wirelessly. cannot use a USB there is no connection on the printer.......

Wet room and toilet has been cleaned, floor steamed. I have also cut down the clematis on the clothes pole, lots of old bits to come out, have also done a coloured wash, its on the line, and have a loaf proving......whew!!!

Todays loaf. 3/4 wholemeal 1/4 strong white flour. I will slice it tomorrow and make sandwiches for lunch, the rest will go in the freezer. Depending on what we eat for lunch the loaf will last us a week.

I have now made 4 bags have 2 more to make, a small piece left over, so it will be used for handles in the first place and will then see how much is left. Time to switch to the embroidery machine to do another lace mat.

Supper tonight cold gammon, jacket potato's, salad and more of the apple and blackberry crumble.

It was supposed to rain

We woke up to bright sunlight, after our usual Sunday breakfast in bed, it was into the shower and up.

The heating is off, its very pleasant sat in the sitting room with the kitchen door open and a slight breeze.

No plans, might sew up another  bag, I have the ham to slice for supper and package up for the freezer. Last nights liver was enough for a meal and two meals put away, will either add bacon or sausage when I come to use them. I am also going to make a small apple and blackberry crumble for dessert.

The village is very quiet, snoozing in the sun. The close too.....I am so glad we have the garden, we are able to sit out and once the sun comes round to the south it can get very hot in the back garden. DB has had his morning tea and is off to do more mulch on the herbaceous bed. I have several plants we want to get in once we have had enough rain to allow us to dig. One id the plant I bought when we went to the National Trust garden last year. I also need to move a plant in the front garden, the hebe has spread out all over it.

Morning tea has been drunk, so I had better go and get on, veggies and fruit to prep for supper, and maybe half an hour on the machine before lunch.

Have a good day and take care.

shattered

I do miss my cleaner, have just finished the kitchen, crackered. I had hoped that doing the cleaning might shift some weight, ha ha! Not an inch, and my back complains every inch of the way.

Not such a nice morning, dull when we got up, the sun is making valiant efforts at coming out, keeps disappearing again.

DB is out painting the base on which the shed stands, the water runs off the shed and washes the preservative off. The shed itself will need doing at the back end.

Marathon in the clean kitchen, have liver and bacon for supper and I want to cook the gammon for tomorrow, it always cuts better cold. Yesterday I made a crumble with half wholemeal and half plain flour, went down very well.

Spoke to our pastor friends yesterday, offered them more rhubarb, they will collect it on Tuesday. They only eat things, cakes etc made with wholemeal flour. They ordered a sack, apparently adding baking powder to it they are getting good results.

I see from the papers that they are thinking of allowing up to 10 people, still keeping their distance to gather together. It will allow people some social interaction, but could prove a problem with grandchildren........no hugs from Grandparents.

Time to go and get on, DB will be in for his lunch shortly.

Take care everyone and keep safe.

No definition any more

the days just run one into another, I  sometimes have to stop and think what day it is.

A bright morning again, but a chill in the air just now. DB says there is mist on the hill which means its going to get hotter. Thankfully most of the time the house is cool. We do have fans if it becomes unbearable.

White load in the washer, no doubts it will dry on the line, thats 4 loads this week, its great when you can get it dry outside.

The birds are chirruping away in the garden, DB has put some seedout but we have none left so they will gave to wait till we can get out again. I noticed they were pulling moss from our neighbours roof and flying off with it, someone is going to have a cosy nest this year.

I have trialled the iron, it works fine, just have to remember to move my fingers when I am pressing stuff, otherwise I get a blast of steam. For a change the bed linen is done and away, I have sorted some more handles for another couple of bags, just nee to cut the bags out.

The lady is coming today to pick up the IPad for her mother. I have put it in one of the morse bags on the back step.

DB is out trimming the lavender which has got a bit out of control. We still cannot get it to grow in one place on the other side of the path. Have tried everything I can think of, it just dies. We have even dug the soil out and replaced it. My last effort at getting it to grow will be to plant it in small pots and sink the pot into the ground.

Our usual supper tonight, fish and chips. I have a couple of large apples, I am going to peel them and make an apple and blackberry crumble, just enough for 2 nights. There is rhubarb ready as well. Will be ringing our friends to see if they want any more.  I might do a couple of bags for us and ask them to freeze them if they have room. Going on the Covid catch up it sounds as if we are not going to be out of lockdown until after Christmas. If this is the case my freezer is going to be chock a block for the rest of this year.

Flowers left this morning after the lady collected our old IPad. Very kind of her.

Sitting room day

I had a day off cleaning yesterday, so a quick flit round the sitting room and shove the GTec over the carpet today. I also need to clean DB's table at the site of his chair. Its glass so I use white vinegar, brings it up really nicely.

Last night a plea on our local facebook page for an old IPad for a lady with problems who is house bound. I still have our old one, It needs clearing but she can have it with pleasure. Waiting to hear back from her daughter.

DB has just made tea, he will be out to the garden when he has had his. Its a bright day, heating is off and windows open. Yesterday I helped another wasp out of the kitchen window. I am surprised at the number of wasps about just now.

Supper tonight will be one of the frozen dinners from Wiltshire FF. I need a break from cooking, tomorrows supper is fish and chips which is not a problem, fish and chips go in the combi micro on 200c for 30 minutes, instant supper.

Once I have done the cleaning I plan to cut out another shopping bag and sew it.

I was a bit taken back by the announcement from the head of Health England that he thought social distancing should carry on until after Christmas. That puts the kibosh on 3 events planned for the village pensioners. The young wives summer tea, the harvest supper and the Christmas lunch. Such a shame, especially for the elderly who do not have family in the village and are housebound, it is the only chance they have to see friends. All three events are always very well attended.

I have not heard from our pastor friends, can only assume they are ok, I would have heard by now if they were not.

Yesterday we had a call from our GP surgery to say that as we were not suffering from cancer we were not on the list as being vulnerable. This morning a phone call from the NHS to say that we were on the list as being vulnerable and offering us help if we needed help. Another case of the left hand not knowing what the right is doing, apparently we should have received a letter, it is now being sent to us. 

And another

delivery day. A new iron and also the foot to sew the vinyl on my machine, will be having a go to see how it works.

This is the second morse shopping bag, easy to fold up and keep in your hand bag. 

The fabric is directional, and not really my colours so its getting turned into bags, from cutting out to finish takes me a couple of hours.

Towels blowing on the line, they should dry well, its another sunny day the breeze is not so strong. Late yesterday afternoon everything was taking off in the wind, it died down about 6pm and morphed into a lovely evening with a beautiful sunset.

Everywhere is very quiet, its 12 months to the day since we got the call from across the road to our neighbours husband. Sadly there was noting we could do. It is the date tomorrow, so have sent some flowers. We do not see much of D, she has not made the progress she expected to with the prosthesis and is still having carers twice a day.

Yesterdays Sainsbugs delivery was fine, just one substitution, green pepper for red pepper. No strong flour though.

DB has been out in the garden, we have the mulch to put down on the herbaceous border, so the weeds are being hoicked out and the clematis on the fence has been tied in. Once the mulch is on there should be less weeding and also watering......has to be good.

Cooked gammon and salad for supper tonight. I did the prok casserole with pilau rice last night, delicious.

delivery day

Sainsbury delivering today, its got to last for 2 weeks, apart from fresh fruit and veg.

Yesterday afternoon was a bit of a disaster. I had a Morse bag cut out, went to press the fabric and the iron poured water all over the ironing board and steam was coming out all over.....so new iron ordered and a new cover for the ironing board, the iron will be here on Wednesday....the cover will take a few days more.

DB spent most of yesterday in the garden. I had to rescue a sheet which blew off the line and draped itself round an obelisk in the garden, thank fully it was dry.

More laundry in the washer, coloureds this time, will have to do a white wash nearer the weekend. Another sunny, breezy day so line dry again, wonderful.

Message this morning from Sainsbury, no strong white flour, will have to see if our pastor friends can pick some up next time they go to Morrison. Apart from that order is ok, so delivery this afternoon. I wonder if the sale of breadmakers has gone up, people seem to be making their own bread.

Wet room and loo to clean, have done the wash basib and loo again, so just have the steamer to put on the floor. need to put the GTec on firt to clear the bits. Found a huge spider in the corner of the shower this morning.....yukkkk....... its not there any longer.

Pleased to report 2 decent nights sleep for a change, wonders will never cease, lets hope it keep up. I am trying to find enough things to do to keep fairly active and not sit about all day. I must admit having hung out the laundry I do have to sit down for 10 minutes.

Need to cook the pork for tonights casserole, going to use tomato sauce for a change, maybe will have it with rice. We finished the bread and butter pudding last night, no more desserts this week. Will  make an apple and blackberry crumble for Sunday, still have a largish bag of black berries in the freezer,all home grown.

Its Monday again

and bed change day, laundry in the washer. Its a fine sunny morning so it will dry on the line. I made a new peg bag yesterday from fabric, I intend to make one from the old table cloth but need a roller foot. My old pegs are in a box, I will use them to peg out, and  any that are broken or do not hold will be thrown out the rest will go into the bag with the new pegs.

There is a bit of a breeze, but not too strong. Temperature is to get up to 20c today, so DB will be off out to the garden when he has drunk his tea. I have the bed to re-make, not my favourite thing, but its easier to do it myself rather then get DB to help me. Then it will be a flick of the duster and the GTec on the floor. Will do the wet room tomorrow, although I cleaned the toilet and wash basin when I got out of the shower this morning, so really just the floor to steam. Will also do the kitchen floor whilst I have the steamer on.

Enjoyed the beef casserole last night, the bread and butter pudding was good as well, enough left to warm up for tonight.

Well almost the end of April, this is the 6th week we have been in isolation, getting a bit fed up, but not stir crazy yet. There are plenty of things to keep us occupied.

Yesterday I found a large piece of fabric in the fabric box, I think I will make some morse bags with it. Once the isolation period is over I can give them away. That will use up the fabric nicely. I have been a bit at odds with sewing recently, I am just beginning to feel the pull again.

Our new next door neighbour has started to put a fence up between her and my friend, could hear banging yesterday, DB says there are two panels up. I am saying nothing. 

Supper tonight will be egg, chips and beans, I only use half the beans, so we will have the rest tomorrow on toast with some parmesan sprinkled on top. I have belly pork to casserole for tomorrow night.

Sunshine is back

but the wind is still from the east and distinctly chilly.

Our usual Sunday morning breakfast, DB is chaffing to get out into the garden, he was like a bear with a sore head yesterday. The rain finally stopped just before supper and it was a sunny evening.

Pleased to report that the mac and cheese was fine last night, it looks like I need to stay with the roux method for the sauce.

I sat last night and unpicked the old peg bag, using it for a pattern, they tell me I need a roller foot to stop it sticking whilst I am sewing, so will have to send to Janome and get one, thats if anyone is working. otherwise I may cut out another temporary cotton bag until I can get the foot.

We did the freezer audit yesterday, so two weeks menus done, plenty of mince, I kept stewing beef out to do for supper on Tuesday, will cook it and keep half in the fridge, freeze the rest. We have beef stew for tonight. It is not often I don't do a 'sunday supper' with roast meat, but just felt I should do today for a change. Will prep the veg shortly.

New things continue to pop up in the garden, a friend sent me a root of Solomon's Seal when we moved here, it is getting to be quite a big clump, so will divide it at the end of the summer. The rhubarb continues to grow, I have a teacake I found in the freezer will make a bread and butter pudding with it, it will last us for 2 supper desserts.

So the lockdown is to continue for another 3 weeks, its a pity they were so slow to implement it. as a former nurse I know how important isolation is, which is why we decided to isolate before the announcement by the government. People blame BJ but he was acting on guidance from PHE......in my view the head of PHE should loose his job. The news leaking out of China was an indicator of how virulent the virus is. Steps should have been taken quicker. I applaud the staff of the NHS, doing their duty selflessly, in spite of the difficulties. It would appear that putting patients on ventilators is perhaps not the best way, too many ventilated patients seem to die. Maybe the procedure followed for BJ is the way to go. They certainly seem to have better results using saturation oxygen via face mask or nostril tubes.

By the time the crisis is over my hair will be curling over my shoulders. Its ok for DB, I can shave his head, hesitate to do the same to my hair!!!

Update.

So veggies done for supper, have also done the bread and butter pudding. DB wanted comppost bags emptying, 1 bag in the bin in the shed, another emptied into one large pot for the sweet peas and two smaller ones for carrots and beans. 150 litres of compost.......I am bushed........apart from sorting the supper thats me done!!

Much needed rain

started last night, at the moment its very grey and drizzly. Not to worry we need the rain. DB is not pleased though, no gardening today.

I have had several bad nights in a row, 9.30 before I got up this morning. Have just finished cleaning the kitchen, not steamed the floor though, it can wait till next week, although I might do it Monday when I do the wet room floor.

Just having a cup of rosie lee and will then tackle the freezer audit. I take the stuff out and sort it. DB writes the list, then I go through and make up my menu list. Its not set in stone, I do move stuff around. I need to find some roast lamb I know is in the freezer for tomorrows supper. 

I manged to get on to Sainsbugs order page yesterday so a smaller order gone in, will not need anything else for 2 weeks except possibly fresh fruit. As long as my cleaner is ok she will pick things up for me when she does her mums shopping. I must admit I am not missing carting heavy bags around. Once this coronavirus outbreak is over I may well switch to having an order from Morrison and maybe going into town once a month to get meat and fish.

I have found 'borrow box' on the internet has been my saving grace. I had 3 books I requested come in yesterday, so that will keep me going for another week. You have to join the library to use it, but its been a life saver for us.

I have also spent a bit more time on the internet sorting out various bits for my daughter. My ex husbands funeral is on 1st May. Only 10 people, we were not going to go anyway, its too risky after spending this time self isolating. My two daughters and their family will go.

Macaroni cheese for supper tonight, will do grilled tomato and jacket spud with it. I used to make it regularly, but was having trouble with the sauce, I usually use milk and cornflour as the base, the sauce was either very sloppy or split........so am going back to the roux method, see if I can improve it.

Update: When we moved to Scotland, knowing how strong the wind can be I bought some 'teg pegs', I have had them over 10 years now and some of them are showing their age, so I have bought 100 new ones. Thinking about making a new peg bag to repalce the old manky one I though about using some PVC that had been a table cloth till I put a hot saucepan on it. So......hunt in the cupboard, found it, now have to find the measurements for the old ons. Its simple to make, long piece of fabric turn the bottom edge up and the top edge down overlapping slightly, do not forget to make the hole for the hanger, sew up the seams, rescue the old hanger and bingo.

This is the old cloth, if it sews ok I might have a go at a sponge bag.

Watch this space.

Hey Ho its Friday

If we were still at work it would be 'poets' day......push off early tomorrows Saturday.

Another fine morning but the wind is from the east so a bit cold, especially at the back, the sun has not hit it yet, after midday before it slides over the top of the bungalow. DB had a job he wanted me to do.......Last back end I bought a tall grow house. DB never had a meccano set, neither did I but putting things together seems to be my forte! So after not a little mumbling words which cannot be repeated in public it is not up, cover on and DB knocking stakes in to hols it down. I thin it could do with guy ropes on it. Will have to put my thinking cap on.

in its position by the gate.

I did manage to turn up two pairs of joggers and also mend the pocket on the net curtain I washed the other week. Some of the stitching had come undone.So all done and put away.

I need to run the GTec over the carpet in the sitting room and bedroom, the joggers shed some bits which seem to have been walked over the bungalow, possibly on either min or DH's slippers.

So usual fish and chips tonight, I have been toying with the idea of using up the last of the large teacakes I froze for a bread and butter pudding......have eggs to use up.

The sun will help the crops that have survived the rain, The pastor of the little chapel works for the farm next to the village part time, milking and drives the tractor. He has been working on another project putting central heating in a building near our friends, the ground has been flooded and too wet to put the tractor on the fields are still flooded

The farm is called Grange Farm In bygone years a grange was a pondfor fish owned by Monks from the Abbey. It is listed. surrounded by trees now the pond is twice the size it is not helping its in the middle of a field near the road.

All most the weekend

not that it will make much difference, we will not be going anywhere.

Another bright morning, heating off, I did put it on late last night it got a bit chilly.

Garden morning, we had a delivery yesterday of mulch we ordered about 6 weeks ago, it needs spreading before any more weeds appear in the herbaceous bed. DB watered the other night the garden is so dry. The rain barrels are almost empty, we use most of the rain water for the fruit and veg, just use some on the plants in the ericaceous part of the bed and plants in pots. I dug up an azalea which was showing signs of distress last autumn and potted it up, it is showing flower buds now, so obviously did not like where it was planted.

No housework today, will shove the GTec over the carpet tomorrow, kitchen Saturday morning. I need to clean between the glass on the top oven door. Will have to use the cloth round the flatmate its impossible to clean any other way.

Tractors are coming and going up the lane, cannot see whats going on, unless they are cutting last winters crops, its a bit early for hay making. Odd cars come into the cul de sac, our neighbours carer is the usual one, morning and evening.

Supper tonight, gammon egg and tomato, I make imitation fried bread, dip the bread in the fat in the grill pan and then put it under the grill to brown. A bit more of the rhubarb crumble for dessert.

Wednesday

another bright morning, but quite a breeze, the kitchen door is open and the breeze is coming through.

Pot on with Scotch broth.........part of the bones from the shoulder of lamb we had a week past Sunday, smells good.

Yesterday I did a load of coloured laundry which dried on the line, also cleaned the bedroom......then decided to start up a new blog. If I get the same problems on this blog that will be the end of blogging, so much hate is very difficult to cope with at the best of times, just now its doubly difficult.

DB is busy in the garden, he had put his toms in the cold frame, but it looks like they might have wilt, he has brought them in again, its just the bottom leaves that are affected.

I have 2 pairs of track suit trousers that need turning up. DB wears track suit trousers around the house. His old one are ancient and quickly going into holes.

No news from DD1......its playing a waiting game just now. As far as I know coronavirus was not his cause of death. The home is virus free just now.

Cheese and onion quiche with a salad for supper. I need to nip up the garden for some rhubarb for a small crumble which will last us a couple of nights.

A new blog

So here we go a new blog, I just could not take any more of the vitriol that was coming my way on my old one. That was the second one I had to delete due to Trolls.

So a couple of days deciding whether to do a new blog or not.....

Last week was not a good week, the fallout from My ex's death caught up with me at the weekend. DD1 is her fathers executor and needed information. I spent all day Sunday going through Ancestry looking for things she wanted to know.

The weather continuous to be sunny but a cold wind. Most of last week we were receivers of the smells from the farm, they were spreading slurry, obvious the need to fertilise the ground and get seed planted. The ground has now gone from squelching to rock hard.

It was a strange Easter, no children playing out, the village is extra quiet, all the elderly in the village are self isolating. The Chapel Pastor is co-ordinating shopping, collection of prescriptions etc and sent a message to all the residents in the village.

My cleaner is still ok and doing shopping for various people including her parents. She rang yesterday to see if I needed anything.

My Sainsbury order came in last night, just 3 things they had not got......so not too bad.

DB has been sowing seeds and re-potting the tomato's, planting potato's in pots and various other bits and pieces.

I am still doing one room a day cleaning. By the time I have got lunch out of the way and cooked our evening meal I am crackered. I really need to get in the sewing room, have several things in a pile that need mt attention. I have also been looking out some fabric to make masks.

Supper tonight will be sausage, egg and chips. No dessert.