A quick post today

Moving DB's things into the sewing room ready for the decorator tomorrow, Even tough the wardrobe has gone we still have a lot of junk to move, as long as I can leave a clear passage from the bed to the loo DB should be ok. The sitting room will be a bit crammed as well, but needs must.

More wind is forecast, thankfully not for us, There has been an awful lot of damage in Scotland and the north of England. One of my friends next door neighbours has had half her roof blown off. It landed in the back garden. They are waiting for the roofers to come and tarpaulin it, they spent last night in their caravan on the drive.

We have no cloud cover so the sun is shining, not much warmth though. Cleaner is due this morning to help me move the mattress off the bed and the stuff thats under the bed. Bed linen is in the washer, may hang it out will see. We also have to move two sets of drawers one into the sewing room and the other into the sitting room, I also have to find somewhere to put the fan, its a floor fan, so not easy to store, other wise it could have gone up into the attic.

I hate the place being in a mess, so this week will drive me bonkers, next week we have to strip the bed again, they are coming to fit the carpet. I may well decide not to put the stuff back into the bedroom and not remake the bed until the carpet is down. There is a chance we may need a bit planing off the door as well, mind you thats not so urgent.

DB and I are off into town with more stuff from the charity shop, will have a snack the their cafe, will drop DB off at the Evergreens and will nip off to see DD2.

Supper is cold roast pork and salad.

Cold roast pork and salad for supper

 

The wind has dropped

we have sunshine, but an overnight frost is making it very brrrr....

Late up this morning, have just prepped the veggies for supper and cut up the pork joint I cooked yesterday. 5 servings 1 for tonight 1 for tomorrow, the rest is in the freezer for sandwiches and rolls at lunchtimes.

Tomorrow with help from my cleaner we are moving everything from the bed room except the bed frame, ready for the decorator on Tuesday.

DB is going to Evergreens tomorrow, I will go to see DD2. We plan to visit the cafe in The Hanger for lunch, its the charity shop for our local air ambulance.

I am not looking forward to the next couple of weeks, the bungalow is going to be a right mess, and I hate mess. Still I will have to gird my loins and get on with it. It will be great when its finished. The next project will be the hall later in the year. Not so much hassle, but awkward.

So roast pork and veggies for supper, no dessert

This morning

we have wind, its blowing quite strongly, the flag in the garden round the corner is fluttering madly.

Market day, do not need a lot, just fruit and some onions, I have used up the last of the garden onions, so until we have another crop ready I will have to buy them.

No plans for today, I have taken sausage out of the freezer for supper, also have a pork joint defrosting will cook it later, then I can slice it cold and re-heat some for tomorrows supper.

So on with the story........ whilst we were living in Scotland DB and I joined a group called Friends of Suntrap. Suntrap was a garden surrounding a very modern looking house, Milbuies, built, in the 1950's on the same principal as many houses in India. Boyd Anderson, the chap who bought the garden and had the house built, had been involved with the tea trade in India. He left a rather complicated will and a group of people became involved in helping keep the garden under control. The agricultural collage also became involved, and used the garden for training and also for a group of people with learning disabilities.  There is quite a bit on the internet about the garden and its subsequent sale, it is now a private house and has been altered and restored. When it was first built, it had solar panels, which were unknown then and also a small wind turbine mounted on the roof. It was also triple glazed with venetian blinds in between the second and inner panes of glass. They were operated from controls at the side of the windows. All 3 of the bedrooms had their own bathroom.

Each June the garden had an open day to showcase the work done in the garden, there were plants and various other things on sale. We also used the lounge and library in the main house for refreshments. I was the caterer. Each year just after Christmas I started preparing for the June open day. So sponges for gateau were made and frozen, scones, around 12 dozen and also meringues which keep well in sealed tins. The scones and cakes were kept in a freezer. The week running up to the open day was always busy. I was working full time as well. I had help from various Suntrap members, DB collected the cash. We served soup and a roll and sandwiches as well as the cakes etc. The kitchen crew were hard at it from around 9am to get sandwiches etc made, cakes iced The garden opened at 10am and from then on it was busy. We often got asked for scones with cream, people were firmly told that all cream items were on the afternoon menu.  Any cake etc we had left was sold, usually to helpers, who insisted on paying despite them having worked all day.  It was usually bread I ended up taking home.

We always raised a large amount of funds which went towards keeping the friends running and also equipment and prizes for students.

We also had an afternoon opening in September through Scotlands garden scheme, the profit from that went to the Home for retired gardeners in Berwick on Tweed. The Friends celebrated their 30th Anniversay in September 1997. We had a garden party, so afternoon tea fell to me. One of the friends baked and iced a celebration cake for us with a large Sunflower on the top. The Governor  of Edinburgh lived in the house next door to the garden. His chef always came to our open days especially if he was not working. He asked for my scone recipe which I willingly gave him. He always had a meringue as well.

We always had a Christmas social event, Dainty finger bits and mince pies, Mindful of the drink drive restrictions we served Bucks Fizz or tea and coffee. That also went down very well.

The Christmas Social in 1997 was when we broke the news that DB and I were leaving to move South. We were presented with two shrubs for our new garden. They are in our present garden. We did move back to Scotland in 2010, but it was a very short stay, my eldest daughter had problems and we decided to move back. A 600 mile round trip for hospital visits was just not on.

The last two years we were in Scotland I served as Vice President. They were a great group

Back to Brrrrr

much colder this morning, we are under a bank of cloud, hopefully tomorrow will be better for our weekly trip to the farmers market for mostly fruit this week.

Yesterday was a parcel day, expected parcels arrived, so that was ok, another one, unexpected arrived this morning, its a new kneeler for DB to use in the garden.

The back bedroom is as ready as it ever will be for next week. Decorator emailed to say he has hit a problem with this weeks job and will not start until Tuesday, thats fine by me my cleaner will help me move the stuff from the bedroom and ust do a flick round at the same time.

Freezers are emptying, I moved some stuff from the outside freezer into the kitchen yesterday. Once that freezer is emptyish I will clean it ready to restock it again. I want to get a mixed beef, pork and chicken to go in there. Its not cheap but the quality is good and you get 9 packs for the price of 6. Managed to do the menu plan for the first 2 weeks in February.

Workmen at 'B's bungalow. It now has a bright new kitchen and they have taken the fireplace out. If we decide to go down the new carpet route in the sitting room, I might get it done. We needed it when we first moved in the night storage heaters were not efficient, so we needed the fire in the evening.

Quiet day today, parcels all arrived yesterday and an unexpected one this morning. DB has ordered plants and seeds for the garden, so they will follow shortly.

Usual fish and chips tonight, no dessert.

M

Quite a bit warmer

DB says its up to 10c, a bit better than the last few days, its been blooming cold.

A bit of a post day today, I have had several emails saying that parcels are to be delivered, one has arrived, awaiting the rest.

I have sorted out the new on line bank account, just waiting for them to close the old one and transfer the cash over. We have committed to having a day in town each month to shop and get cash from the bank and treat ourselves to lunch out.

DB has put his spuds into trays to chit. I have just managed to do some lunch, we neither of us slept well last night so were late getting up. Once again everything is behind. How ever we managed to get up at 6.30am when we were working I just do not know.

Freezers are gradually clearing, we have two ready meals in the kitchen freezer, they need eating so I will do them tonight. Once the outside freezer is a lot emptier I will order more, they are handy if I am very tired.

Looking forward to february, we have a night out booked to see Dick and Angel again, they are doing one night stands in the UK over 2 weeks. Angel contacted us recently to make sure we were ok.

Ths sun has got his hat on

but its still very cold, there was a slight overnight frost, but by the time I went out the car had defrosted.

Decided to sort out the back bedroom ready for DB to sleep in there, I have sorted it so we have plugs for his equipment.

We stayed out for lunch yesterday, so when we got back I set to and cooked chicken and also sorted the swede and potato's for the haggis. I did the haggis in the microwave and the veg in The ninja, I had cut up the swede very small, it takes ages to cook otherwise, mashed it in with the potato with a knob of butter and some nutmeg. We finished it off, so no dessert. I have a carton of the swede/potato mash in the freezer.

A quick dash out to the post office to get some cash for next month. I have changed our bank account so now we have to go into Melton once a month to draw cash, so will time it with an Aldi click and collect.

DB out in the garden for an hour in the sun. The bulbs I planted in the pots are showing through, some of the shrubs have been damaged by the frost, so a job for the gardener when he starts back next month. The snow drops are out and the grape hyacinths are also starting to push the flowers up.

I have the washer on an intensive run with the cleaner in it. I doubt there is much muck in it, I use washing soda with each wash load.

Call to the council, our blessed toilet is leaking again, both from the water inlet to the cistern and also where the water from the cistern goes in the toilet, the  bung has shot out yet again. Thats at least 3 times in the last few months I have had to have them out. On the point of actually buying one myself and getting M to fit it. Its the councils responsibility, the number of times they have been out to it, they could have put a new one in.

So supper tonight is chicken and rice, will finish the jelly off for dessert. 

The new sitting room curtains.

No frost

 but still very grey. Its a bit warmer outside too.

Waiting for a parcel then we are off into town for some shopping, drop off some stuff at the charity shop and go and see B.

I did not do a wash yesterday have put it in the washer this morning, no breeze so it will go in the dryer. I will be glad when we are able to 'hang it out' again.

Cleaner helped me hang the new curtains, will take a photo later, they certainly keep the light out, so will keep the heat in during the winter and out when the curtains are drawn in the summer.

Burns night tonight, have the haggis defrosting, will peel the spuds and neeps when we get back from town. We will finish off the jelly.

Yet another grey day

gas man and cleaner due, have had to drag the shelves out of the cupboard again, the cleaner will help me put them back and also to hang the new curtains. I unpacked them and they are over a chair in the back bedroom.

This time next week the painter will be here, so a week of upset. I hate having anything done, but its 7 years since we moved in and I am hoping to get the whole bungalow decorated over 2 years, starting with our bedroom and the hall. I also need to get the carpets in the hall and sitting room cleaned as well.

No sewing for the next couple of weeks, there will be enough mess with DB sleeping in there.

Supper tonight will be an easy one, egg and chips with more of the jelly I made yesterday.

Ugghh

Very grey and dull this morning, so depressing, winter is not my favourite time anyway.

Late up this morning, did not sleep too well, I really need to try and get an appointment with the Dr. Its been going on for too long.

Veg prepped for supper also made a raspberry jelly to use up some of the 7 bags of raspberries that are in the freezer!!

Right Mary....here goes, we moved to Scotland, Edinburgh to be precise in 1990. I was lucky to get a job more or less straight away cooking desserts for a BT unit. It was a temporary position. It was there I first came across prejudice. I was filling in for a lady who was sick. Her sister worked in the same unit, accused me of taking a ******* Scots job. However I pointed out to her that we had to build a town in England for all the Scottish workers who were made redundant by the steel works closing down. Corby was developed to take in workers and their families. It is the only place in England where you can go to a Highland Games in the summer. That shut her up for a bit. I was working for an agency and they sent me to a firm of Solicitors as head chef. Once again I had to put up with one of the partners prejudice. In the mean time DB had been asked to work in the Job Centre. A job he had been in down in England. He saw a vacancy for The Registers of Scotland, I applied and was taken on. There was a different form of land registration in Scotland, it was description based rather than map based as it is here. To put the job simply it was reading through the missives that came in from solicitors, the missives were searched by Officers and if correct were given to us to enter  into big books. Essentially  cutting up bits of paper and sticking them in the book. Sounds simple but it was more complicated than that. I worked there for 4 years. That was the office next to the pub!! There was the worst for prejudice. There was another chap from England who worked there, he told me to put my head down and work, just ignore everyone else. Thats what I did. 

Thats enough for today, will write more another day.

So roast beef from Christmas deforsting, veggies ready to cook, rasps and jelly for dessert.

 

Brrrrr

Late waking up, so like the cows tail! We had a heavy frost, the sun is out, so it is slowly clearing, we went off to the market for fresh fruit and veg, road was ok.

Mary, I will post some of the details about my working in Scotland later, they do not like the English and I did suffer from racial prejudice in 2 of the jobs I had. It was difficult to cope with at times.

I am starting to think about how to sort out the place for the decorator, I think from next Sunday DB will be sleeping in the sewing room and I will be trying out the settee, it is suitable for use as a single bed. We have very little furniture in the bedroom, most of it, apart from the bed, will either go in the sewing room or under the window in the sitting room. Not looking forward to it at all, will be glad when its all done and the new carpet and curtains are in and life can settle down until the end of March when I am going on the embroidery retreat. I am starting to put things together for that. Have a box in the dewing room, to put things in, it would not be the first time I have done this and then could not find it when I wanted to pack.

Supper tonight will be ham salad, requested by DB. Have made up a mixed salad and its in the fridge ready. No dessert tonight.

Poets day

or it would be if we were still working. Push off early, tomorrow's Saturday. When I worked in Scotland it was push off at lunch time and spend the afternoon in the pub next to the office!! No wonder the Scots have a name for drinking!! It was the same at Christmas, finish at lunchtime the day before Christmas Eve, off work until 3rd January and never sober. We worked flexi time, so holiday was supplemented with flexi. Instead of 6 weeks holiday it was stretched to  8 weeks.

There was a heavy frost when we went to bed last night, by the time we got up it had gone. I am afraid we did not land out of bed until 10am, I just could not raise the energy to get out of bed just after 8am, so went back to sleep. DB has a nasty palpitation session last night, although he did manage to sleep. He seems to have them every couple of weeks. No longer really bother him as they did in the past. I had to throw my toys out the pram to get him to calm down when they first started after him being whizzed off to hospital several times. He really is hard work at times.

I did the freezer audit yesterday, we have plenty in stock, enough to last us for at least a month if not more. So It will be dry goods, fruit and veg for a few weeks.

Supper tonight is fish and chips. I did bacon sarnies when we got up, so no lunch, will do the supper early.

Another frosty morning

outside and in!! The freezer audit has been done. I have enough to eat from the freezers for quite a few things, plenty of meat and sausage, enough friday fish for 8 weeks at least. Gammon to cook and also bacon. A large joint of pork and also the turkey crown. So we will not starve.

I am going to have to do a shop, shop, have to order £40 minimum for it to be delivered, so I will be going to Aldi once every two weeks for grocery and the market for fresh veg and fruit. The menu plan is made up to the end of this month, will be starting February's soon using the lists on the kitchen fridge door.

Its very cold out heavy frost last night. Car is still frozen, good job its a staying in day.

I have been changing round the bank accounts, have transferred  money from the savings account into out current account, its a bit top heavy until I get the new savings accounts sorted.

Have also given in and ordered new curtains for the bedroom, when I took into account having the curtains cleaned and altered it was cheaper to buy new made to measure.

Supper tonight is potato, onion and cheese pie with beans. I have a little bit of the panetone left, enough to make a small bread and butter pudding for dessert.

Windy this morning

but no frost hooray. Its coffee at the little chapel today, so we will be taking a stroll round.

Towels in the washer, three loads this week, I am fearful for the electric bill when it comes in. I did check and we only get a bill every 6 months, so heaven knows how much the bill will be. We are so lucky that we have the money. So many people, especially pensioners, are going to be faced with heat or eat decisions. There was a lady on the news yesterday, she only has 2 cooked meals a week, survives on sandwiches the rest of the time. We are constantly bombarded with 'eat healthily' it is impossible when you are on a very restricted income. No wonder the food banks are overwhelmed.

Heating is another issue entirely. I remember years ago being told that if its cold you should wear a knitted hat in the house, to prevent heat escaping from your body via your head!! I have to admit I do have a thermal ski hat, but I do not wear it inside.

The silver snowflakes are dry, so will be handing them to my daughter to pass on. I have cleaned down the machine, will cover it up for now. Need to concentrate on getting sorted for the decorator. Life will be a bit full on. I need to sort out the side table for all DB's stuff.

Supper tonight, smoked haddock. The steak casserole was delicious and I have 3 more portions in the freezer, which still has to be sorted out, will have to buckle down and do it.

Jack Frost

is still around, but thankfully, no freezing fog. The sun is out and the frost lifting. Thankfully we put the shield on the windscreen yesterday, I have to go to the Post Office this morning.

Yesterday was busy and so far this morning has been too. Beef casserole in the Ninja, I have chopped up the remaining chicken, mixed it with pepper and finely diced onion and mayo, it will make our sandwiches for lunch. I have also prepped potato's and brussels to go with the casserole, will open one of my emergency tins of peas to go with them.

Finished the second set of silver snow flakes, will pass them on to DD2 to deliver them, they are drying at the moment, having washed the stabilizer off.

So morning cupper, will be sitting for a while, let my back recover before I venture out.

So tonight supper is beef casserole, half of what I have cooked will go in the freezer. No dessert as yet, although that might change.

Monday

Quite a frost again this morning, fortunately by the time we went out it had started to lift.

Collected the curtains from Dunelm and also returned a pillow case which was not required.

When we got home it was clear the Cleaner had not been. She had sent me an email, she could not remember the number for the key safe, so she came back this afternoon.

I managed to finish the silver snowflakes and soak the stabilizer off, they are now drying

Two loads of laundry done and dried in the dryer, just the towels to do later in the week.

We finished off most of the chicken with salad as well as the rhubarb crumble for supper. There is enough chicken left for me to make chicken paste wizzed with some mayonnaise and chopped onion for sandwiches for lunch tomorrow.

Sun?

Where did that come from. Very cold but not freezing, ground is so wet its impossible for DB to do much except check the plants in the green house.

Saw a couple looking at B's bungalow, went out to speak to them, they came in and had a look at ours, especially the garden, apparently the gentleman is a keen gardener. B's is mostly laid to grass. B & P did the same for us 7 years ago, so we got an idea what was what.

Did 2 of the silver snowflakes yesterday, hope to get 2 more done today whilst DB has his siesta, less problems with the thread twisting. The reel just about has enough on to finish this set. I have a spare, if I get a lot of orders I will be looking to get a 5000m cop, hopefully it will do a lot more sets. I need to work out the cost of the thread per set. Think its about £5.00.

Veggies prepped for supper, we were late getting up, have just done a rhubarb crumble, its in the oven. Roast chicken crown for supper with roasted veg

Its getting boring now

Yesterday afternoon the fog came down, the worst I have seen it for some time. By 10pm it had cleared and we had a heavy frost, which is still hanging. It was still -1c when we got up. The sun is out so hopefully the frost will have eased. I am not going out until around 10am I do not want a repeat of the skid I had 3 years ago. We have hills to get out of our village and the road down to the village where they hold the market is really bad, very steep with twisty bends.

The gas people did not turn up yesterday, I had wrestled the shelves that hold the towels out, then had to wrestle them back again. Our neighbour is going to fit some shelves to the wall when he gets back from his holiday. They have flown off this morning to the Canary Islands.

Took cooked mince out of the freezer, will do a shepherds pie for supper tonight. I have to bite the bullet and do a freezer audit of both freezers. I really need to empty everything out of both freezers and then restock them. I then need to do a no spend February for meat and fish.

More of the same.

It is blow freezing, the sun is out but not making much of a difference.

We managed to do everything on our list yesterday, B was looking well and is enjoying her new home.  She joins in with some of the activities, but picks and chooses what she wants to do.

We dropped stuff off at the charity shop, picked up a couple of things from Aldi and then went to see B. On the way home I called at the carpet shop and ordered  the carpet, they are fitting it on 10th Feb. I also got a call to say the new sitting room curtains were ready, so a trip into Leicester next week to collect them.

Gas check today, so waiting for them to come, could be anytime.

Usual fish and chips tonight, we finished the rice pudding last night, so we may well just have fruit tonight.

 

Another day

another frost, not as heavy as yesterday, good job, we are going out later on. Things to do in town, a visit to our neighbour in her new home and a stop on the way home for a snack lunch at the garden centre.

The meeting yesterday went quite well and I have agreed to work with the team seeing what can be done to improve relations between the council and tenants in sheltered housing. At the moment they are pretty poor.

Supper tonight is quiche with jacket spud, tomato and celery salad. Rice pudding for dessert.

Jack frost

has visited again. Everywhere is very white this morning. The sun is just appearing. I am expecting a grocery delivery shortly and I have a meeting at the council later this afternoon.

My ironing lady appeared with my ironing, she is up to her neck just now. Her mother had a cardiac arrest 2 weeks ago. She is still in the intensive care unit waiting for a pacemaker/defibrillater to be fitted. She will need cardiac surgery later.

Supper tonight is frittata and salad, I am going to make a rice pudding, it will do us for two desserts.

The morning

after the night before!! very bad night, DB said he was awake for ages after I drifted off. I let him sleep in as we have nothing spoiling today.

Washer is just finishing a coloured load, it will have to go in the dryer, very grey morning, no wind at all.

I continue to sort out stuff for the charity shop, we have changed the shop we use to the one just opened supporting the air ambulance. Age UK has had plenty of my stuff. The Hanger has an entrance at the back, you can drive round and put your donations straight into the warehouse, no having to carry them to the shop.

I need to do the veggies for supper, if I leave them to the afternoon I find it very hard to find the energy, it takes me all my time to cook them. Even my cleaner said I looked tired yesterday!!

Supper is beef casserole from the freezer with veggies, no dessert I may make a rice pudding tomorrow when I see how much milk we have left.

Another new week

We are well into January now, bye bye Christmas.

Thanks to someone on the internet I did manage to sort out how the two carry bags for the machine are filled, the soft bag is under our bed, the machine bag against the wall, it will eventually go under the bed with the soft bag folded down inside.

A very quiet day yesterday I did manage to do another bag, used a bit of excess fabric to make a pocket which will be handy.

Neither of us wanted the jelly last night, we finished up the yorkies with the beef and along with veg and roast spuds we had enough.

I went on line yesterday to find somewhere for a late summer break, ended up in Keswick in the Lake District, its a bit further to drive, but a straight forward route which I have used many times before. We have taken a family room, its a but bigger than the other rooms, so a bit more room to move and two chairs!! Most rooms only have one. The exception is the place we are going to in April, we have been there before, same room and there are 2 chairs and a small table in front of the window. We also have our own entrance and its on the ground floor. Its difficult to find accommodation on the ground floor. Unless you stay in an hotel with a lift, stairs are not good for either of us especially carrying suitcases etc.

Supper is frittata and salad and we will finish off the rasps in jelly.

Sunny Sunday

but still Brrrrr. Our usual breakfast for Sunday morning, shower and now up to face the day.

Yesterday this arrived in a very large box.......

What were these two bits for? Ah Ha the embroidery arm on the machine, which is removable.

So what goes where? I asked for help from one of the web sites I use.

Eventually late last night, I got the answer. The machine itself goes in the large bottom bag The one that sits on top is for the embroidery arm carefully packed in the two black pieces.

Plenty of extra room in the bag for bits and pieces, there is no foot control for this machine, so you do not have to worry about that. I am going to have to store it under our bed, the top bag folds down into the bottom bag when its not in use. It will be a case of putting to one side the things I want to take, a long list to check off that I have everything........

I am making bags just now using up some material that I have left. Once the new chests arrive I want to make runners for the top and I may also get bevelled glass for the tops its easier to clean glass.

Supper tonight, some of the beef I cooked at Christmas from the freezer, I still have a couple of yorkies (small yorkshire puddings) to use up, roasted veg in the ninja and finish off the rasps in jelly.

 

Now we have rain

at least its not snow just now.

Up and at em' this morning, needed to go to the farmers market for fresh fruit and veg. It was a very wet journey. Idiots on the road, some one tried to overtake me when I was indicating to turn right....... fortunately I was able to get the back end of the car away from him, round the corner, all the cars following him were flashing like crazy.

Usual  well stocked stall, there were just 4 traders there today, it was so cold and wet. The entrance to the market is in a cul de sac where the bus  stops, low and behold a bus at the top and a huge recovery lorry parked across the exit. I had to reverse out.

Back home its still raining. Started to sew a 'morse bag' yesterday, ended unpicking it, I have made dozens of them from scrap fabric before, this one just did not go well, so have unpicked it and will have another go later when DB goes for his siesta.

The silver snow flakes I sewed I took to the coffee morning, one of my friends has taken them to show round, she wants a set herself and thinks she knows other people who will buy them. 

I went mad yesterday and bought a set of travel bags for my machine. I had priced them in various places and found them cheaper, however when I said I was going to the retreat the dealer knocked £40 off, waiting for them to come, possibly early next week. I am really looking forward to going, I just hope covid does not stop it. DB is going with me. Not to sew, I might add.

Tonight supper is ADB, I have raspberry jelly for dessert. Tomorrows supper will be some of the left over beef I cooked for Christmas day which I froze.

Sunny but brrrr......

 The sun is out fit to bust, but its loosing the battle with the cold, I have my hiking socks on, my feet are freezing.

DB is talking about going out into the garden for a while, he is welcome, I am staying in the warm.

No real plans, I may spend a while sorting out the table mat I am making from the cut off piece of table cloth, its an experiment.....and could very well go wrong. I am considering quilting it on my Brother machine......that will be interesting.

I have to ring my machine dealer, I sent a message yesterday asking about the carrycases for the machine and embroidery unit for the retreat, I was told to ring this morning as there is a special rate for retreaters. It will be interesting, I found then on another site at £30 off.

Supper is the usual fish and chips, I am going to do a raspberry jelly, it will last us 2 days.

Ohhhh so cold!!!

Two things I really cannot cope with, very high heat and very low cold. We have had another frost and its taking its time to lift. I have to go out later.....hope they have gritted the road.

We had been concerned about our neighbours dog, she lives on her own and was taken into hospital on Monday. I saw her son yesterday, thankfully he has been coming over each day to feed the dog and sit with it for a while, his sister comes in the evening to feed the dog and the cat and leaves the light on so the house looks occupied. Apparently D has got kidney failure and is having to have dialysis.

I have been approached by the council to join their new initiative re supported housing, I have agreed to do it, there are so many improvements that could be made which , as a tenant I can see.

I must be loosing it, I was convinced I had a bottle of washing up liquid in the store cupboard.......No!!..... I usually get a new bottle in when I start a bottle, so will have to bite the bullet and but it from the post office shop, which will cost me an arm and a leg. 

I managed to cut the front of a mat yesterday, had to alter the measurements a bit, as the pattern is very big on the fabric, will make the one up and see how it pans out.

Supper tonight will be sausage with yorkies and the rest of the bread and butter pudding from last night.

Jack Frost came to call

At 8pm last night the car was iced up and still is this morning, good job we do not need the car today. Its coffee at the little chapel, so we will walk round. However the sun is shining, but its blooming cold still, its rise just above freezing this morning.

I finished the silver snowflakes yesterday, rinsed the stabilzer out and left them to dry, the silver grey has worked ok on the back, no way am I going to try doing them with metallic thread in the bobbin, two take almost a bobbin full of thread and I have used up 500m on the 6 I have made. The metallic thread is not cheap either more than double the price of the normal thread. The embroidry machine is getting a rest for now, I need to alter the Christmas table cloth and also cut about 6 inches off the new nightwear I bought. I may be going on 79 but hate things round my ankles.

I have some panetonne left so will make a bread and butter pudding for tonight, I got some minced beef out of the freezer yesterday, so supper will be mince and tatties.

An experiment

So yesterday I took the bull by the horns and decided to have a go at sewing with the metallic thread. it is very fine rayon coated in silver something......of course it comes off the cone in spirals. One of the problems is the spiral can twist and form a piece of thread you just do not want anywhere near your machine.......so I asked for tips, and many were forthcoming.......the main ones seemed to be use a thread stand as far away from the machine as possible, slow down the machine and use a metallic needle.....

The first one I sewed I hade to keep stopping to stop the twists going into the tension discs, so tried moving the thread stand further back, hmm slightly better, then I decided, as I had my 10 bobbin stand on the machine ro run the thread around one of the spikes.......it worked, by the time the thread got to the machine it was almost straight, I did have a couple of breaks but on the whole it worked well.

Thread behind the machine travelling up to the thread stand on the back of the machine.

You can just see it coming down from the top of the guide and round

the spool pin.

here it goes through the two thread guides and into the tension discs.

I am going to try and get the other 3 sewn today.  I did slow the speed down to half, but used the needle that was in. I need to have a hunt for the metallic needles, I know I have some.

Its very cold this morning, fleeces on, have not turned the heat up, we will manage with it as it is, just make sure the doors are kept closed. We have left over soup for lunch and smoked haddock, poached eggs and bread and butter for supper tonight. We have finished most of the chocolate we were given, so its back to normality. I have some panetonne left, will make a bread and butter pudding for tomorrow night.

Late again

sorry this morning ran away and hid!! I took medication last night and slept through till 8.30, by the time we were showered, dressed and had our breakfast the cleaner was here.

Many years ago I had a fight with using metallic thread in my machine, it hated it and it was such a diva I stopped using metallic thread......however a request from DGS's partner for the snowflakes in silver I decided to shut myself away and have a go. By fair means, or foul, I have managed to do three without too many problems, will do the rest tomorrow. Metallic thread kinks as it comes off the reel and can cause untold trouble by twisting and knotting. I managed to mackle up a system which has allowed me to do the three with only a couple of thread breaks........ so well pleased.

Once I have done the other 3 I am going to tackle shortening the Christmas table cloth which was made for the much bigger dining table, I am going to use the excess fabric to make some new Christmas table mats....watch this space.

Supper is bacon frittata and salad, we have apple and rhubarb crumble to finish off from yesterday.

 

Mild morning

again, the heating is off until after lunch. DB plans a trip into the garden.

We had a lovely lunch yesterday spag bol, cheese platter to start and then toasted panettone with ice cream for dessert. We sat round the table till almost 3pm, talking about when my children were little and what they got up to.

We facetimed with DGS's partner who had arrived safely at her parents in Poland with little miss, E had been given a bonnet shaped like a rabbit with big ears, she was very anxious to show us it.

Home again we just had a snack for supper, still full from lunchtime and then settled down to watch Downton. I know they have made a second film, it appears that at last the Matriarch is going to be written out, about time too, she must be about 180 now!!

DGS asked DB to grow tomato's for them, so I can see trays of seeds in the greenhouse in the spring. He will have to go out and put the fleece back on, the weather is due to change tomorrow.

I will be glad to see the cleaner back tomorrow, I have done my best to keep stuff under control......got rid of more excess to the charity shop. I am on a roll to find some more.

I am going to an embroidery retreat in April, DB is coming with me, there is a dinner each night, so I need to sort out some clothes. I tend to wear trousers unless its very hot, The ones I am wearing were bought before we came back from Scotland 9 years ago. A trip to Bon Marche is on the cards. A couple of pairs of trousers and some new tops should do it, and possibly a new pair of shoes.

Pork steak for supper tonight, I am cooking a gammon joint in the ninja, will use the liquor for soup and slice the meat when its cold, it will do us a couple of meals and sandwiches. Apple and rhubarb crumble for dessert, should do us a couple of nights.