Trying to Settle

Just when life seems to be trundling along nicely something always seems to happen doesn't it.

Rising prices of absolutely everything. Only yesterday I received an email telling me how much our electricity price was going up to. My eyes are still watering over that one.

The world seems a very disjointed place. I suppose it always is to some extent. Has there ever been global peace? But this latest is hitting home in a big way. Too close to Europe and the news brought into our homes in great detail. Yesterday I wanted to learn what was going on, however I really didn't like what I saw and today have even turned off the radio. 

This morning has been about baking...having volunteered been press ganged into working tomorrow, when I had already volunteered to work Sunday has necessated a full on preparation day. Hubby is hoping to get the men together for a logging weekend. They get hungry!

So far there are two teddy pasties baking. More pastry in the freezer, and some leftover in the fridge so I can knock something up tomorrow afternoon with it...not sure what yet. Some crumble topping ready for Sunday lunch...well a mid afternoon meal as I will not be home until 2:30. Eldest will be cooking at ours for us that day. I've made up some rock cakes, but have used chopped up dates in them. No sultanas or anything similar left here and I didn't like the price they were the other day. The dates need using...a big bag of them...so dates it was.

These are for lunch tomorrow...it really can be a full time job feeding people can"t it!

Hoping to have a woodland walk with youngest daughter later after she has finished work and picked up her dog. So far today has been dry. Unlike yesterday when we had a mix of sleet and hail, coming at us sideways. We could use a few more logs indoors, but having had my shoulder subluxate a couple of nights ago perhaps that is something I should really leave for hubby to do. That or carry them in one at a time. It is a pain...quite literally...the joys of being hypermobile and in a physical job. Strangely it happened when I stood up from my easy chair...that was it...ouch. The kitchen is now smelling of lovely home baking but with the strange addition of Deep Heat ointment. Rather lovely I suppose.

Anyway, I hope this finds you all safe, well, and relatively at peace with yourselves.

Blessings, J. x

Exit Left...

Well thank you Dudley, Eunice and Franklin...actually thank you very much you three...and good riddance!

Dudley...you weren't too destructive for us...just some crashing and banging during the night making sleep none too easy. Eunice...well what got you in such a tizzy. Trees down, power off, roofs off, lines down. Our power was off for one whole day, whilst my daughters in another village was off for four, as it was at work also. Thank goodness for generators. Daughter next door lost some roof tiles. We had no internet until Sunday evening when our power went for another hour or so. All back now though, and long may it continue. Then came Franklin. I'd like a little word with you Franklin to be honest. You were supposed to be over Ireland weren't you, so how come you banged on our house all of Sunday night and into Monday morning. I had to get up for an early shift and could have done with a good nights sleep. I wore my cosiest bobble hat to work, and hardly took it off the whole time! I don't believe you quite had the force of Eunice, who nearly took out our upstairs windows at one point, but you weren't far off it.

Today, Wednesday has still been blustery, hey how can it be Wednesday already. Where has the time gone. Half term is causing a staff shortage, though when is there ever not a staff shortage is more accurate so I'm back doing shifts one after the other. It's leaving me with little energy when I come home quite frankly. A mixture of age, the weather, and still not being quite right after having the flu a few weeks ago. Some of my joints have been feeling like they did when I had long covid. Don't want that coming back thank you very much. 

The baking tins are beginning to look a bit sad. Maybe after work tomorrow I will have a quick cook-up. Instead of our usual rolls I've popped the ingredients for a small loaf into the breadmaker. Tea is to be fish in parsley sauce, with chips and peas. The chips are cut in readiness. The fire I laid in ready to light before leaving for work this morning. Soon it will be close the curtains and nip up for a shower time. Bliss. Early into bedclothes tonight because lucky me gets to do it all again tomorrow...early.

Littlest grandson had a birthday the other day. He was 2, and poorly. We think tree pollen is the culprit. Whatever...he looked shocking poor mite.

 

 

My feeble attempt at trying to keep some heat in the Aga when the electric went off on Friday.

Hope you all stayed safe. Haven't had much time for blog hopping the last few days, or internet connection. Maybe later though.

Blessings, J. x

In The Red

 

Really not looking forward to getting up close and personal with storm Eunice in the morning. Last night was bad enough, our internet which is satellite went yesterday evening and has only returned at breakfast time this morning. Power was alright though which is good. We'd manage without it and cook on the woodburner, but it's a real bind needing electricity to run the oil boiler.

I am home today, and tomorrow, but have major concerns for my youngest who will be out on a homecare round early in the morning and travelling through very wooded areas. Hoping hubby may stay home and plumb in our bath which I have quite literally just taken delivery of. He appeared yesterday lunchtime and stayed home as the weather was truly vile. We put up the splashback trims along the kitchen worktops. Really happy that another job has been ticked off the list. just the Aga splashback left and we have an idea for that which hopefully will be quite special.

I had quite a tidy up and really hope it stays like this!

This morning I woke early and gave up trying to get back to sleep. I ventured downstairs and had a very peaceful cup of tea. The moon was out and shining brightly. My photo does not do it justice.

I have recently started to use Opus One, a digital planning app. I have my list of tasks which if they don't get done automatically remain to be done the next day. I am using the free version, however I can see the benefit of being able to schedule repeated tasks and sync the data across my mac, ipad and phone. It's called shift working folks! For instance today I have cleaned out the coffee maker and the budgie cage.These things are just two tasks that need doing regularly, but working all sorts of different days I can't always remember what I did when. It's working for me right now anyway. Today I also scheduled to pay an invoice. I could do this in Xero, but am not on Xero all the time.

In preparation of an angry Eunice pounding us in the morning I have picked up a light outdoor table and chair set, a bucket, some bags and hopefully not too much will be flying through the air come tomorrow. There are plenty of logs in by the woodburner and some extra in the passage. 

Currently watching the mens' curling match. GB vs UK. Tense times! 

Next thing to do will be prepare some chicken for tonights tea. We are having sweet and sour chicken balls and chips. The chicken needs removing from the thighs and boiling. A bit of a faff, but cheap and tasty. Scraps will be frozen for future stock making.

Stay safe and warm everyone.

Blessings, J. x

Just A Small Slice

I have become very flabby again...I keep telling myself this is the moment I will once again fight that flab into submission, but no I'm afraid it has not happened. Realistically I should like to loose 2 stone. Yikes! But I also like to make such things as...

Oh dear...however I do have at least a little will-power. Hubby cut into this coffee and walnut cake yesterday at tea time. I did not. Hubby took some in his packed lunch. I did not. Upon returning from work today I have had a very small slice. Smaller, (much smaller) portions will have to become my motto for the rest of this year and beyond I fear. I will try very hard. Right now though I want an early night. Work was hectic to say the least and I'm all but done in.

Blessings, J. x

Yet Another Friday

How I wish I could be someone who had exciting things to write about. Sadly this week life seems to have been work, work, childcare and more work...though I shouldn't complain about either of these actviities. I am lucky enough to have a job I kind of like and how could I regret time spent with my grandsons. I guess I am just tired, still recovering from the flu type virus I had a few weeks ago. Probably I should have made myself get the groceries after work today, but to be honest I just didn't have it in me.

It would be rather exciting to look out of our windows and see a covering of snow...but here in the West of England of course what we actually have had today is an awful lot of overnight rain with high winds, rather chilly winds actually. More than one of my clients pointed out to me that my hair was all over the place! 

Friday is usually fish night but having had chips twice this week already I intended to do the fish in some parsley sauce with mashed potatoes and the sauce we really like has run out so instead I am using some of the large loaf of bread I made yesterday and am doing bread based pizzas. There is a mozarella cheese in the fridge that needs using up and I've hauled some tomato sauce and tomatoes out of the freezer. We have loads of the sauce and halved tomatoes to use up!

I do have the weekend off and intend to make the most of it. Winter Olympic watching will be on my to do list, and of course the grocery shop, oh and dusting...Earlier I had a mishap with the hoover. The bag needed changing, and I'd made a real mess on the living room carpet getting the full one out. Not to worry I thought, I'd just suck it all back up. Except I accidently put the hose on the blower hole instead of the suck. I just love a layer of dust don't you, makes a house so much more of a home!!

Well, the fire is now lit, think I'll pop upstairs for my shower. Could use some hydrothereapy on my rather tense shoulders. Then I'll take a peek and see if the Olympics are on iplayer.

Having had such an uneventful week the best photo I have is of our tea the other night. A chicken curry which was suprisingly tasty!

Blessings J. x