Short and sweet(?) today.
I am awash with tech speak, I pushed the boat out today in the techy side, with which I am totally unfamiliar.
I now have Tom Tom in my car, with a 6 inch screen, so that I can find my way round new areas of Wales.
I have a new memory card in my camera, with umpteen bites of mega or giga, I am not sure what or which.
I have a new memory card in my phone so that I can take loads if photo's on it if my camera batteries die.
I have a small hole in my purse that used to have money in it, that is this weeks shopping money ( no need to shop this week) and a bit from my savings.
I have a headache and a longing for a cool pad on my forehead, a hot water bottle on my feet and my Mum to tell me that dinner is ready.
See you all tomorrow. TTFN Pam
Friday, 17 May 2013
Thursday, 16 May 2013
The Answer My Friend is Blowing in The Wind.
I get a steady trickle of emails in the crapola junk box asking me to upgrade/ switch my power supplier.
I work next to an Electricity plant belonging to EDF
During my journey to work I see 3 lines of massive pylons marching across the fields.
Within the local area we have a new Wind Farm, small with only 7 windmills but more planned I believe.
A few farms and horticultural units have a windmill or 2 on their land and many many houses and businesses have solar panels.
When plans for the wind farm were published a few, shall we say Opinionated, peeps stuck their heads over the parapet. Some were for and some were not. Feelings and words ran hot and loud and one poor soul took the only way out that he could envisage, it was to be on his land, would have saved his farm and his "friends and neighbours" made his life a living hell. Bye the bye, long gone now.
I look at the massive plant,lit up like the Star Ship Enterprise, as it is referred to by some, and I see a, now how did it go... oh yes A Monstrous Carbuncle.
I see the Pylons looking for all the world like Extra Terrestrial Invaders staking out new territory and shudder, did you ever read the reports of the high levels of various cancers that occur in their vicinity, truth or fiction?
Then I look at the windmills, and I see Kate Bush singing Wuthering Heights, I see Dame Margot Fonteyne gliding through the air, as light as thistledown, to be caught gently by Nureyev.
I see the Great Crested Grebe performing their mating ritual dance on the water.
Perhaps I am a woolly headed romantic, perhaps I am an Idiot, but this is how I see them, elegant and graceful.
The solar panels seem intrusive and ugly, thankfully most of them are well above eye level, having said that if my roof space allowed for it I would have them as nobody overlooks my roof, and the savings can be remarkable.
I have climbed to the top of a windmill and walked around the outer edge, a wonderful birds eye view of the countryside. I would not dare set foot near a power plant or a Pylon, just in case.
All this came about from work last night, at tea break I was chatting to some one from another department, she was saying that her daughter, who is house hunting, had found the ideal place, the right size, the right area and at an amazing price, all this was from the house details sent from the agents. They went to look at the property and WOW, no where in the details did it say that there were pylons very close and the cables went over the garden.
The agent, who met them for the viewing, was blase about it and the vendor pooh poohed the bad publicity about living under power lines.
Needless to say the viewing did not happen, the next day the agent rang to offer a £2,000 reduction in price, for a quick sale. The answer was ....... you guessed not printable, therefore blowing in the wind.
When we went back to work I had to laugh, the song on the radio was, Windmills of my mind.
It is not a bad morning here, the sun keeps popping out to say hello, the dogs are snoring gently beside me, Michael is snoring not so gently upstairs and my washing is now about to go on the line.
No photo's again today, I have damaged the memory card in my camera and a new one is on it's way, it is probably in a canoe as we speak winding it's merry way down the Amazon.
OOh It may be travelling with my new sewing machine needles, £9.61 for 100, yes that is right 100 including postage from the US. I found the site from a quilting blog, I buy these exact same needles at £1.98 for 5, well I used to, I will save 30p on every needle and I change my needles often.
Now all I need is to find my favourite thread at the same level of saving. TTFN Pam
I work next to an Electricity plant belonging to EDF
During my journey to work I see 3 lines of massive pylons marching across the fields.
Within the local area we have a new Wind Farm, small with only 7 windmills but more planned I believe.
A few farms and horticultural units have a windmill or 2 on their land and many many houses and businesses have solar panels.
When plans for the wind farm were published a few, shall we say Opinionated, peeps stuck their heads over the parapet. Some were for and some were not. Feelings and words ran hot and loud and one poor soul took the only way out that he could envisage, it was to be on his land, would have saved his farm and his "friends and neighbours" made his life a living hell. Bye the bye, long gone now.
I look at the massive plant,lit up like the Star Ship Enterprise, as it is referred to by some, and I see a, now how did it go... oh yes A Monstrous Carbuncle.
I see the Pylons looking for all the world like Extra Terrestrial Invaders staking out new territory and shudder, did you ever read the reports of the high levels of various cancers that occur in their vicinity, truth or fiction?
Then I look at the windmills, and I see Kate Bush singing Wuthering Heights, I see Dame Margot Fonteyne gliding through the air, as light as thistledown, to be caught gently by Nureyev.
I see the Great Crested Grebe performing their mating ritual dance on the water.
Perhaps I am a woolly headed romantic, perhaps I am an Idiot, but this is how I see them, elegant and graceful.
The solar panels seem intrusive and ugly, thankfully most of them are well above eye level, having said that if my roof space allowed for it I would have them as nobody overlooks my roof, and the savings can be remarkable.
I have climbed to the top of a windmill and walked around the outer edge, a wonderful birds eye view of the countryside. I would not dare set foot near a power plant or a Pylon, just in case.
All this came about from work last night, at tea break I was chatting to some one from another department, she was saying that her daughter, who is house hunting, had found the ideal place, the right size, the right area and at an amazing price, all this was from the house details sent from the agents. They went to look at the property and WOW, no where in the details did it say that there were pylons very close and the cables went over the garden.
The agent, who met them for the viewing, was blase about it and the vendor pooh poohed the bad publicity about living under power lines.
Needless to say the viewing did not happen, the next day the agent rang to offer a £2,000 reduction in price, for a quick sale. The answer was ....... you guessed not printable, therefore blowing in the wind.
When we went back to work I had to laugh, the song on the radio was, Windmills of my mind.
It is not a bad morning here, the sun keeps popping out to say hello, the dogs are snoring gently beside me, Michael is snoring not so gently upstairs and my washing is now about to go on the line.
No photo's again today, I have damaged the memory card in my camera and a new one is on it's way, it is probably in a canoe as we speak winding it's merry way down the Amazon.
OOh It may be travelling with my new sewing machine needles, £9.61 for 100, yes that is right 100 including postage from the US. I found the site from a quilting blog, I buy these exact same needles at £1.98 for 5, well I used to, I will save 30p on every needle and I change my needles often.
Now all I need is to find my favourite thread at the same level of saving. TTFN Pam
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Wot No Sewing Here? Well none that I can share.
I see that I have some new followers, you are most welcome, I do see you when you first arrive but I am usually in a tearing hurry and click on Post before my brain catches up with my fingers. Hmm I just looked back at this and I had run about 5 words into 1. I always preview sometimes I read back and it does not make sense at all.
I had a couple of hours in the garden yesterday, I cleared the last of the rubbish out of the greenhouse and got it ready for when I come back from Wales. I hoed an area ready for sweetcorn, and another ready to empty one of the compost bins on, this will be for my greedy squashes. I have a path leading to "wilderness corner", my hedgehog box is here along with a stand of nettles, long grasses and various plants for wildlife. The path needed defining a bit so I sharpened up my little hook and cut it back on both sides, now I can get to the blackberries, and to where the Bramley apples fall off next doors tree.
Shame they don't grow the pastry as well :-)
The ironing basket is empty again, not for long, and the Wednesday Whip round with duster and hoover has been done. I want to make up a batch of pastry mix and a couple of cakes then make chicken pie for dinner.
I have had a minor disaster, both my sour dough starters have died, my own fault my cottage gets very warm when the sun shines and we had 2 very hot weeks. I had both starters out of the fridge to use for a baking session, fed them and left them out for 3 days! OOPS. I tried to rescue them but not only were they merely dead, they were really most sincerely dead.
We had a family meeting and the decision was made to just make standard bread for a while.I will probably make a new starter when we have had our planned trips to Wales.
I need some new shoes, it sounds simple but I have BIG feet, size 9, or 43 in foreign. I usually buy all my shoes from Hotter but have looked and looked and can find none that I like that are not nubuck. Now there is nothing wrong with suede but it is not for me and I like bright colours and I do not want to pay through the nose. I used to buy mainly from the sale section, now they have what they call "Last Chance" and take £5 off, big deal., I like half price or 35% off at least. I have tried size 9 from the high street but they are really an 8 and if I can get my hoofs in them they are too tight.
Next have flats in a 9 but they are very flat and I wear the titchy little heels down when driving, any ideas anyone?
Another grey and blustery day, this weather needs to get over itself and go back to spring, I do not fancy another summer of rain and more rain, any more than the rest of the country.
Michael is reading over my shoulder and has asked for bacon chops on a bed of apple and onions and baked in cider, he will get a version. I have apples and onions but no cider however there is a glass of rose wine lurking in the fridge, I will mix that with some chili sauce, a splash of light soy sauce and a splash of sherry and pour the lot over the apples, onions and chops. On with some foil and into the oven for up to 2 hours, I will pop some potatoes into bake in their skins and we will have it with salad.
I would like to have my greenhouse planted up but have nobody to look after it for my trip away so it will happen on my return, I did the same thing last year and all was well, I have my plants all ready to go to a friends greenhouse for their little vacation and she will bring them back for me.
My teacup is empty again, I would not mind a £1 for every time I pick a cup up only to find that it is empty. I would be fairly well off! Any how it is that time again. TTFN Pam
I had a couple of hours in the garden yesterday, I cleared the last of the rubbish out of the greenhouse and got it ready for when I come back from Wales. I hoed an area ready for sweetcorn, and another ready to empty one of the compost bins on, this will be for my greedy squashes. I have a path leading to "wilderness corner", my hedgehog box is here along with a stand of nettles, long grasses and various plants for wildlife. The path needed defining a bit so I sharpened up my little hook and cut it back on both sides, now I can get to the blackberries, and to where the Bramley apples fall off next doors tree.
Shame they don't grow the pastry as well :-)
The ironing basket is empty again, not for long, and the Wednesday Whip round with duster and hoover has been done. I want to make up a batch of pastry mix and a couple of cakes then make chicken pie for dinner.
I have had a minor disaster, both my sour dough starters have died, my own fault my cottage gets very warm when the sun shines and we had 2 very hot weeks. I had both starters out of the fridge to use for a baking session, fed them and left them out for 3 days! OOPS. I tried to rescue them but not only were they merely dead, they were really most sincerely dead.
We had a family meeting and the decision was made to just make standard bread for a while.I will probably make a new starter when we have had our planned trips to Wales.
I need some new shoes, it sounds simple but I have BIG feet, size 9, or 43 in foreign. I usually buy all my shoes from Hotter but have looked and looked and can find none that I like that are not nubuck. Now there is nothing wrong with suede but it is not for me and I like bright colours and I do not want to pay through the nose. I used to buy mainly from the sale section, now they have what they call "Last Chance" and take £5 off, big deal., I like half price or 35% off at least. I have tried size 9 from the high street but they are really an 8 and if I can get my hoofs in them they are too tight.
Next have flats in a 9 but they are very flat and I wear the titchy little heels down when driving, any ideas anyone?
Another grey and blustery day, this weather needs to get over itself and go back to spring, I do not fancy another summer of rain and more rain, any more than the rest of the country.
Michael is reading over my shoulder and has asked for bacon chops on a bed of apple and onions and baked in cider, he will get a version. I have apples and onions but no cider however there is a glass of rose wine lurking in the fridge, I will mix that with some chili sauce, a splash of light soy sauce and a splash of sherry and pour the lot over the apples, onions and chops. On with some foil and into the oven for up to 2 hours, I will pop some potatoes into bake in their skins and we will have it with salad.
I would like to have my greenhouse planted up but have nobody to look after it for my trip away so it will happen on my return, I did the same thing last year and all was well, I have my plants all ready to go to a friends greenhouse for their little vacation and she will bring them back for me.
My teacup is empty again, I would not mind a £1 for every time I pick a cup up only to find that it is empty. I would be fairly well off! Any how it is that time again. TTFN Pam
Tuesday, 14 May 2013
It's Over, Baby it's all over now.
Woot Woot, the 9 Patch is done and delivered, the recipient, a long time friend and work colleague, is tickled pink with it. I imagine that he and Mrs friend had it on their bed last night as it turned a bit chilly.
My sewing machine is having a rest now, after yet another clean and a nice new needle. I like to have it ready to rock and roll.
While the oven was on I made a Fruit crisp,
It was just a few sticks of Rhubarb and 2 eating apples ,peeled and cored, diced up and covered with
120 gramsof buttery stuff melted and the same weight of demerara sugar and oats stirred in, I threw in a handful of flaked almonds as well. I baked it for around 25 minutes at 180c. It went down well with some Greek Yoghurt, it is good cold for breakfast too, crunchy porridge and fruit!.
I like a crumble but do not always want to faff about rubbing butter into flour.
I have finally posted the book off to Mum and the embroidery pattern to Kim, they have been sitting on the side looking at me for ages, it was just a matter of brain,eye and hand coordination, it does not come easy when I am concentrating on a project.
It is a bright sunny day so far, washing is blowing in a gentle breeze and I am off to the garden.
TTFN Pam
The chocolate just in view is Michael's how he can eat white chocolate toblerone I do not know.
All rolled up ready to go.
My sewing machine is having a rest now, after yet another clean and a nice new needle. I like to have it ready to rock and roll.
While the oven was on I made a Fruit crisp,
It was just a few sticks of Rhubarb and 2 eating apples ,peeled and cored, diced up and covered with
120 gramsof buttery stuff melted and the same weight of demerara sugar and oats stirred in, I threw in a handful of flaked almonds as well. I baked it for around 25 minutes at 180c. It went down well with some Greek Yoghurt, it is good cold for breakfast too, crunchy porridge and fruit!.
I like a crumble but do not always want to faff about rubbing butter into flour.
I have finally posted the book off to Mum and the embroidery pattern to Kim, they have been sitting on the side looking at me for ages, it was just a matter of brain,eye and hand coordination, it does not come easy when I am concentrating on a project.
It is a bright sunny day so far, washing is blowing in a gentle breeze and I am off to the garden.
TTFN Pam
Monday, 13 May 2013
The Parcel Has Arrived
The Postie has been and delivered a stack of mail and the parcel !
All the way from Canada.
All the way from Canada.
Chock full of little gift wrapped surprises.......Oooh
3 shower gels, Orchid, vanilla and lavender.
Some green leaves that dissolve in the bath with a fresh scent.
A packet of jel pens, I will use these planning my next patchwork.
Some scented pencils, I have not opened them and the perfume is filling the room, citrus and jolly nice.
A pink covered note book with a page marker and an elastic strap to keep it closed. This will be just the thing to go into my bag, when I see something for future reference I take notes and photos. I have an eclectic mix of little note pads, sheets of paper and old envelopes with the odd till receipt in a folder.
And last but not least a little bar of 70% dark chocolate, I have to tell you that it is littler now than when I took the photo ;-)
I have been piecing left over fabric to make the scrappy binding for the 9 patch quilt and Ben and Bertie have been busy sorting out the bone from a leg of lamb, we had the lamb last weekend and I froze the bone.
As you can see they are oblivious to what I am doing, they even ignored the Postie ringing the door bell.
I give them a bone on a regular basis as neither of them take kindly to teeth cleaning and gnawing on a bone keeps the dreaded tartare at bay.
It is a sunny day here so far, my washing is blowing on the line, it turned so cold here last night that we put the heating on for a few hours.
I must get back to my sewing now I have to get some things in the post this afternoon and I would like the binding cut and pressed before I go out. TTFN Pam
Sunday, 12 May 2013
Sunday Sunday, sew good for me
That is my take on the Mamas and Papas hit song.
My day started well with lots of sun shine and blue skies.
Then had lots of this. :-)
My day started well with lots of sun shine and blue skies.
Then had lots of this. :-)
Which led to lots of this. :-(
Which needed lots of these. Yucky
I used 6 cotton buds to clear the lint out of my Toyota and that is the third time during this quilt, once more before I put the binding on should do it. I just have one more row to attach but that is three long seams. I am not sure if it is this material or the wadding that is generating so much lint. I use the Warm and Light in most of my projects and have never had to clean so frequently before.
We did manage a little of this. We had to come home too soon really, there is a vintage car and motorbike show in the village and some of the bikes are hurtling round the lanes and they are very noisy.
I am going to attach the last row to my quilt and then make the binding, I went through my stash of fabric and nothing jumped out at me so I will be using all (well alright then, some) of my left over strips to make a scrappy binding.
I hope that you are all enjoying your week end as much as I am. I nearly forgot to say,when I was visiting Mr S on Friday the Postie left a card to say that there was a parcel for me too big for the letter box
. It is being redelivered tomorrow. I have no idea what it is,
I have all the books from up the Amazon, I have all my goodies from America and Hereford, perhaps someone loves me enough to send me a nice surprise I will share tomorrow. TTFN Pam
Saturday, 11 May 2013
Going Going Gone
I have gone down with a humdinger of a headache, I am putting the blame on my sinuses. They are my Achilles Heel, I can cope with the stuffed up feeling, I can take medication for the headache, It is the sneezing that is my undoing. It creeps up on me and when I sneeze you might hear a sonic boom. I have been thrown backwards by the force and a few times have fallen down.
My brain feels as though it has been kicked round a football field and my neck thinks it has been in a RTA.
All in all I am good for nothing. I am going to share my latest fabric arrivals with you and then I am going out for a slow meander with Ben, Bertie is snoring gently on HIS end of the sofa.
These are from America, some more from the Texas Bluebonnet range, I will use them with my April Shower blog hop winnings.
These are from Doughty's I bought them on line and they arrived within 48 hours of ordering.
They will go with this to make a strip quilt for my bed.
I fell in love with these cuties and they will be marching across the middle of the quilt. This will be for the winter and I will be on the lookout for some flannel for the backing, or even some Minky.
I am all organised to have breakfast for dinner today, Mr. S has supplied the sausages, taste the difference outdoor reared pork and cooking bacon rashers rather than chops, my usual source has supplied the FR Eggs. I have some big flat mushrooms from the staff shop and will use potatoes from the larder for hash browns.
Tomorrow will be Roast Chicken with stuffing, Yorkshire Pudding and as many veg as I can fit into the steamer.
If anyone wants a pudding there is a bowl of fresh fruit and lots of Greek Yogurt, on the other hand I have everything to make a cheesecake and fresh pineapple to go with it.
The weather here is chopping and changing, I hope for better tomorrow, a little gentle pottering in the garden sounds good.
The Postman brought me my Elizabeth West books this morning, Garden in the hills and Cooking in the Hills, I will have a wander through those this evening.
I bought a new lamp, for sewing, yesterday. We had not been back 20 minutes when Michael opened a cupboard and found the craft lamp that I thought was lost. I plugged it in and bingo it works so now I have 2.
It is my birthday soon and we are off to Wales I am so looking forward to it, I hope to have good weather so I can share lots of photo's with you. I have ordered a new memory card for my camera, Francesca assures me that I can store most of Wales on
Wonderful, my headache is abating and I have not sneezed for about 20 minutes so I am off outside, hope it does not rain again for a while. TTFN Pam
My brain feels as though it has been kicked round a football field and my neck thinks it has been in a RTA.
All in all I am good for nothing. I am going to share my latest fabric arrivals with you and then I am going out for a slow meander with Ben, Bertie is snoring gently on HIS end of the sofa.
These are from America, some more from the Texas Bluebonnet range, I will use them with my April Shower blog hop winnings.
These are from Doughty's I bought them on line and they arrived within 48 hours of ordering.
They will go with this to make a strip quilt for my bed.
I fell in love with these cuties and they will be marching across the middle of the quilt. This will be for the winter and I will be on the lookout for some flannel for the backing, or even some Minky.
I am all organised to have breakfast for dinner today, Mr. S has supplied the sausages, taste the difference outdoor reared pork and cooking bacon rashers rather than chops, my usual source has supplied the FR Eggs. I have some big flat mushrooms from the staff shop and will use potatoes from the larder for hash browns.
Tomorrow will be Roast Chicken with stuffing, Yorkshire Pudding and as many veg as I can fit into the steamer.
If anyone wants a pudding there is a bowl of fresh fruit and lots of Greek Yogurt, on the other hand I have everything to make a cheesecake and fresh pineapple to go with it.
The weather here is chopping and changing, I hope for better tomorrow, a little gentle pottering in the garden sounds good.
The Postman brought me my Elizabeth West books this morning, Garden in the hills and Cooking in the Hills, I will have a wander through those this evening.
I bought a new lamp, for sewing, yesterday. We had not been back 20 minutes when Michael opened a cupboard and found the craft lamp that I thought was lost. I plugged it in and bingo it works so now I have 2.
It is my birthday soon and we are off to Wales I am so looking forward to it, I hope to have good weather so I can share lots of photo's with you. I have ordered a new memory card for my camera, Francesca assures me that I can store most of Wales on
Wonderful, my headache is abating and I have not sneezed for about 20 minutes so I am off outside, hope it does not rain again for a while. TTFN Pam
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