Stepping Into November

I can hardly remember the last lime I was here…October was not the best month for me health wise firstly with a flu-like bug, followed by suspected food poisoning which seems to have triggered a UTI so a short course of antibiotics came next, within a week I thought I had reactive arthritis, but with some other symptoms now it seems I am indeed reacting to the medication. Fan-dandy not.

Anyway in other news, we had a few folks around to celebrate All Hallows Eve last Friday, 

Youngest daughter made a lovely cake…except it held a surprise when cut!

This witch is nearly as old as the hills…

Some special brew by the fire…with some mice, and spiders hanging around…

Think this poor soul missed out on the food…

The annual outing of the crow, and bat…

A suitably spooky dining hall…

And a glimpse of the curtains I made…

Grandma did an actual spell…that worked thanks to some special effect smoke paper…happy children, but dear me, I would not have survived the witch trials of old.

Yesterday being All Souls Day I made some soul cakes, and very tasty they are

Some of these could have done with a little more time in the Aga, however hubby liked them warm, so we are able to heat them through before eating without them being overdone..

Recipe from the lovely Cattern Cakes and Lace book…

This was the inside of the Halloween cake…hummm…

So for now that’s all, time for a rest before the usual get ready for the working week, tea and everything else…Blessings, J. x

An Inkling

 That’s just how it started, an inkling that something was amiss…last week on Wednesday I went out for what should have been a very enjoyable ramble to RHS Rosemoor with picnic lunch avec daughters and two little boys. I just didn’t feel quite right and a headache seemed to threaten. On Thursday afternoon whilst at work the strobing aura came on. Luckily it was near the end of the day, and I had medication and sunglasses with me, still…Friday came and off I went into work feeling like someone had hit me over the head with a cricket bat. I don’t think in reality this had happened, but I decided to struggle through…We didn’t meet up with our friends in the evening as we quite often do. Too tired, exhausted even.

Then came the busy weekend of childcare and kitchen duties…Sunday evening I crashed on the sofa and slept. Monday morning a sore throat. I wanted to tick some jobs off of my lengthy list so after taking paracetamol kept plodding along followed by a short rest. Deciding I needed something extra I downed a dose of Ibuprofen for good measure. That enabled me to peg out in the welcome sunshine. After lunch I tackled hubbies daily work diary. Two days in my brain refused to carry on. The headache returned, body ached, sore throat returned, legs wobbling, and joints complaining. 

I hate being ill…I hate having to phone work but decided it was better to heads up them sooner rather than wait for the morning and give them a nasty surprise. 

Thank goodness for wood burners, logs already stacked by the fire, and also for a kind daughter who upon hearing my plight brought tea around ready cooked.

So now hubby is out on an emergency job and will be very late home, I can’t physically do much or concentrate, so am bored, and achey, and ever so slightly snotty!

Well that was last evening, today I’m up and dressed, feeling sorry for myself with zero energy.

I have a cat for company, a hot water bottle for warmth, really don’t want any noise or music, this body needs to rest a while.

Have just had some unsettling family news too, but for now we just have to wait, ah it never rains but it pours as they say…

Blessings, J. x

On A Monday

 So we’ve reached the last Monday in September, not sure quite how we’ve arrived here so soon but there’s absolutely nothing I can change or slow down.

Busy week ahead so I’ve been up since silly o’clock trying to speed through some of the week’s jobs. I now use an app called Opus One, and for me it works. I can break tasks down so they don’t appear quite so daunting.

We have had a logging weekend. This used to mean I assisted in hands on logging. However this weekend it’s found me very much in Grandma role, and feeder of many folks, so the Aga has been kept busy the entire time.

There has been fresh bread each day, ham sandwiches, turkey sandwiches, homemade tomato soup, our tomatoes but thankfully courtesy of eldest daughter. Roast turkey on Saturday evening and leftovers last night. I cheated on the afters. Diam cake, which I thought would be nicer than it was and a sticky toffee pudding. Flapjack form the Aga, and toffee crispy squares from youngest daughter. 

I normally have a little boy with me on a Monday, however his Daddy is home today, so until the scaffolding arrives in order for them to re-do their chimney, I have a reprieve for which I am ever so slightly grateful, lovely though he is I have whizzed through a few bits and have been rather enjoying a quiet cuppa.

I am wishing that my work life balance would equal out a little, staffing issues have meant it’s been a heavier load than it should be for several weeks. Ever hopeful that this will improve shortly as not sure how my body is able to keep going at the rate it has.

Anyway as the first load of washing will soon be ready to hang outside on this sunny day I’ll just leave you with a couple of pictures…

Lovely fresh bread, but a nightmare to cut!

My lovely steaming cup of tea, complete with illicit biscuit and sunshine…sheer bliss!

Until next time, blessings J. x

Oh The Weather Outside Is Frightful

 As the song goes, the weather outside is frightful, but hang on a minute, isn’t it September…yes of course, still September. With the last vestiges of Summer now fading in has come Autumn, and isn’t she in rather a hurry this year?

Back in August we did indeed manage to get away for a short break. One lovely day spent in Ironbridge, followed by an overnight stay, then onto the Black Country Living Museum. It was all just so lovely, and a wonderful way to spend my Birthday this year.

I was mistaken whilst at the Black Country Living Museum for someone who works there, apparently my shawl was a red herring, and seeing myself later in the mirror I suppose my longish floral dress, woollen shawl, and black lace up boots did rather give the impression I was somewhat living in the past. 

Anyway after that we headed up further North to visit our Son and his family, including granddaughter.

All in all it was a fantastic few days, which now do seem rather a long time ago. Hubby helped remove Sons’ conservatory and old kitchen whilst he was there, they are having major building works in a few weeks time. 

One small disappointment at the Living Museum, well two actually. Firstly I consciously decided not to take many photos, and instead was going to buy the souvenir book, however there wasn’t one, apparently they are in the process of having a new one printed. Of course we only realised this when on our way out of the attraction. Secondly we purchased a set of three packs of vintage style playing cards including Donkey, Old Maid, and Snap thinking they would be lovely to take back home and play with the boys. Wrong, they are a load of old rubbish and I’d have been disappointed to even have had them pop out of a cracker. Moving on the rest of the experience was a joy.

Back home, eldest daughter offered to wax our multitude of small beams in the living room that have remained unloved since we had them sandblasted before moving in. They now fit together more with the large beams we have.

Earlier in the Summer I washed our two sets of living room curtains and the door curtain. unfortunately they’ve just about come to the end of their useful life, the layers all shrinking at different rates over the many years they have been in service across three properties. Sat in a roll on our carpet is some curtain fabric, Along with some nap lining fabric. I need to get busy at the machine soon to shut out the darkening evenings, and hold onto our warmth.

I expect I am amongst some good company in having been feeling a little under the weather for a couple of days, rather achey and tired. Medication and a willingness to pace myself seem to be controlling it to some degree. Youngest was unfortunately really rather poorly for a few days last week and I had to go and assist with her little boy as she was really off her feet. Once a Mother I guess!

Two out of the three little boys next door are suffering to some degree too…and guess what, it’s Grandma day tomorrow!

Anyway, a roast isn’t going to roast itself, so I really need to set to and help it along a little. Just a few photos of Ironbridge and the Black Country Living Museum…

Until next time, blessings, J. x

Waiting

 Well I’ve caved in this afternoon and lit the woodburner.

Yes it’s August, and not even raining today, but the cottage had just begun to feel damp. Damp washing, damp in the air, damp walls, Not pleasant, and I think I may be getting a cold so was in need of a little bit of comfort.

Aside from looking at all things pumpkin I think I am almost ready to embrace the new Season when it arrives, and this morning it certainly felt chilly.

Now do I really need a pumpkin mug, or a witchy one, no but they would be quite nice to hold on cold Autumn mornings, and would help me start the working day with a smile. I’m as yet undecided, however they are in a certain shops cart for now.

Hubby has managed to resurrect our ailing tumble dryer and I’ve loaded it up with a motley assortment of damp feeling items.

I’ve been listening to music more, a sure sign that things are a changing, during the Summer I couldn’t give a fig for music during the day, but now…well a little Spotify never did hurt anyone did it?

We have some upcoming plans for my week off which I have started today, hubby hopes to have some time off in the next few days…exciting…I hope!

Last evening my journey which should take about half an hour ended up taking an hour and a half. Roads, closed, due to roadworks, roads closed due to accidents, and fires. I thought I could escape the queues once I’d left the big town however things never do go quite to plan. I travelled on lanes I had not been on for years and witnessed the biker behind me come over the front of his motorcycle after skidding on some mud. He said he was OK but his bike didn’t look too clever. Having fallen down a step at the weekend and doing my shoulder a mischief there was no way I could help him lift the thing. A car had reversed up around the corner for us though, just out of sight, so I drove up to tell him what had happened, and then a Sainsbury’s van was behind him and he said he had a first aid kit. I hope all was well, but aside from making sure he was OK there wasn’t anything apart from getting the additional help I could do.

Between us and the family next door we have been looking after youngest daughters’ beagle this week. beagle meaning hound, meaning little wotsit on occasions. She’s very tolerant of the children though which is I suppose the main thing.

OK so now I’m roasting, quite literally, I think the damp should soon be driven off quite successfully!

Wilbur here looking quite accusatory I feed!

The buddleia has been attracting plenty of butterflies 

  This clever moon helped youngest grandson off to sleep the other day.

Hopefully the weather can cheer up a little for the next few days, I may even have something of interest to impart instead of mere ramblings.

Blessings, J. x

Loveliness

 And so Summer is drawing to a close, not quite ready to relinquish her reign, but still we can feel Autumn is ready in the wings, waiting for her turn to encourage leaves to drop, Summers’ flowers to fade and fruit to ripen. A time to continue to harvest and store what we are able to help see us through the uncertainties of Winter.

This morning found me pottering around with a pair of secateurs, snipping here and there. Deadheading to prolong the blooming…beginning to trim the fruit trees, and a little weeding.

I keep thinking life will slow down a little, but as soon as it does something fills the space. We entered a float in a local carnival at the weekend on behalf of the ploughing association hubby has an hand in helping, and yesterday spent a few hours down at Bucks Mills. I didn’t take a single photo, but did paddle in rock pools, dip my feet the sea, and generally nothing. But it was good to go. Even taking into consideration the very steep decent and climb back up to the car. I have awoken muscles in my legs that have long since been forgotten.

The weekend before this we went to a heavy horse working event which wasn’t too far away in Chittlehampton. Glad we looked ahead at the weather forecast and went on the Saturday as I don’t think they were able to combine on the Sunday.

Hoping to cook over a campfire this evening, though we may get a few spots of rain, I’ve invited the tribe from next door. I need to find the tripod and set it up as I’m doing a strange invention which was a happy accident some time ago. Stewing beef marinaded in mint sauce, a few bits of Smokey bacon added, onion, puréed tomatoes, possibly some green beans. Delicious, strange but true. That will bubble away in a hanging pot over the fire, whilst jacket potatoes bake in the embers. And not a pointy hat in sight!!

Just a couple of pics, feels like I could nod off sitting here.

Blesssings J. x

Reasons

 Just a few reasons why I’ve been rather absent from these parts of late..

Picking

Preparing

Proving

Party planning

Patio finishing

Plotting a surprise

Pottering

Paddling

Panicking about the extreme heat

Phew it was done

Finally a night to remember!

The occasion…our youngest recently turned 30. 

She had no idea until she arrived and everyone was already here!

Including Gran & Grandad (hers) who we somehow managed to winch up a total of 9 steps in their wheelchairs on ramps.

The getting back down was fun…Grandad saw the error of his request to descend forward facing quite quickly.

So along with the usual work, and some inside mess…rather a lot actually from Son in Law re lime-mortar pointing our fireplace it’s’ been quite a hectic time.

Bit more chilled this weekend and right now it is thunder raining & Grandma roast is about to go in the Aga. Blessings, J. x