It has come to the point where I can not watch the news as it seems to be full of people whining about the way that Covid had ruffled their lives.
Why can they not be thankful that they have a life to be ruffled.
This may be callous but I do not give a fig about those people returning from holiday and going, so reluctantly, into quarantine.
What I care about are the people who could be infected and the NHS staff who have to deal with the fallout.
The news this morning was all about holidaymakers returning from France. If they are not back by 4.00 am tomorrow they have to quarantine for 14 days. The sense of outrage at the short notice, plans having to be changed and the difficulty and cost of getting back within the deadline was overwhelming.
My question is why didn't it come into force immediately. If there is a "clear and present danger" it should be put under control directly.
After all if there was a real threat of invasion we would get an instant response.
This is a real threat of invasion. Just not from hostile human forces.
Or is it?
Our leader seems to be blowing in the wind and the leader of the opposition is making detrimental comments.
If he is so clever perhaps he should be given the reins and told to "put his money where his mouth is"
There is no easy solution.
It means a life change for all of us.
There is a growing wave of dissent regarding education and exam grades.
Yes, these are important.
Yes, there are students who feel that they have been hard done by and their grades should be higher.
That happens every year.
It will be resolved, just not immediately.
I have heard "It is not fair" dropping from the mouths of many.
Life is not fair.
It is a circus.
I do my utmost to protect myself from others.
I do my utmost to protect others from myself.
I am missing out on so much that it hurts.
But I am alive and well.
Michael is alive and well.
The TV is off.
I may check the news headlines online.
I may not.
I am simmering and do not need the gas turned up.
'nuff said.
Keep safe. Living is the only priority.
TTFN Pam
Friday, 14 August 2020
Thursday, 13 August 2020
Thunder and lightning
very very frightening. Unless of course you are a Jug named Herbie.
Then you take a dim view of whatever/whomever is making that noise in YOUR home and garden. You launch your body from asleep to wide awake in full attack mode and bark like the Hound of the Baskervilles.
Lightning, frightening, it's the lightning that should be afraid. Very Afraid, 'cos if a Herbie gets it he will shake it till its neck breaks. Just like a Jack Russel with a rat.
He is almost pure Pug on the outside and pure, concentrated Jack Russel on the inside. Thank goodness that he calmed down by bed time as he even threatened the rain.
The garden had a much needed watering and we had a much needed drop in temperature, just not a big enough drop.
It is still warm and muggy but nowhere near as bad, if we get at least some of the predicted storms it will become more comfortable.
I have no envy for those in the hot and steamy parts of the world, the flora and fauna may be wonderful to behold but the humidity would drive me doolally. I can cope with dry heat and cold but once the air is damp I am a hot or cold wet lump of misery.
I did a little sewing in the first light of the morning, just another pile of strips sewn together. The ironing and cutting will happen tomorrow. I have the 2 Bichons here today as well as the other 3 and one Bichon had a full hair cut and nail trimming session. The remaining 4 sat in a semi circle and watched every move. I felt that I was being awarded points out of 10 by the judges. A bit like Strictly without the music and glitterball.
Those little dogs are a delight, they leap around like puppies, the eldest is 12, and join up with Poppy to put Revi and Herbie in their place. That place is, of course, The Wrong. I love having them here but will be so happy when my friend is finished with her treatment and the hospital trips are but a memory.
On that note I have to leave, all the dogs are in the garden and it is Quiet. Could be up to mischief.
Keep safe.
TTFN Pam
Then you take a dim view of whatever/whomever is making that noise in YOUR home and garden. You launch your body from asleep to wide awake in full attack mode and bark like the Hound of the Baskervilles.
Lightning, frightening, it's the lightning that should be afraid. Very Afraid, 'cos if a Herbie gets it he will shake it till its neck breaks. Just like a Jack Russel with a rat.
He is almost pure Pug on the outside and pure, concentrated Jack Russel on the inside. Thank goodness that he calmed down by bed time as he even threatened the rain.
The garden had a much needed watering and we had a much needed drop in temperature, just not a big enough drop.
It is still warm and muggy but nowhere near as bad, if we get at least some of the predicted storms it will become more comfortable.
I have no envy for those in the hot and steamy parts of the world, the flora and fauna may be wonderful to behold but the humidity would drive me doolally. I can cope with dry heat and cold but once the air is damp I am a hot or cold wet lump of misery.
I did a little sewing in the first light of the morning, just another pile of strips sewn together. The ironing and cutting will happen tomorrow. I have the 2 Bichons here today as well as the other 3 and one Bichon had a full hair cut and nail trimming session. The remaining 4 sat in a semi circle and watched every move. I felt that I was being awarded points out of 10 by the judges. A bit like Strictly without the music and glitterball.
Those little dogs are a delight, they leap around like puppies, the eldest is 12, and join up with Poppy to put Revi and Herbie in their place. That place is, of course, The Wrong. I love having them here but will be so happy when my friend is finished with her treatment and the hospital trips are but a memory.
On that note I have to leave, all the dogs are in the garden and it is Quiet. Could be up to mischief.
Keep safe.
TTFN Pam
Wednesday, 12 August 2020
What a difference a day makes
Well half a day.
After that whingy, whiney, poor little me post I had a good nights sleep, got up and showered and turned the page.
I have put the fleece and spindles away for a little rest.
I hauled out fabric, machine and the necessary tools.
Much pressing and cutting later and I have piles of 4" square blocks. These will be sewn together to make fabric, if you watch Sew Very Easy on youtube there is a quilt made like this as the backdrop. I am hoping to empty the box. All the trimmed off bits will go into another project, straight away they will not be put into a box.
The fabric that I make will become curtains for my top run of kitchen cupboards. I do not like doors, they are dull and boring. I like the French style of fabric behind wire mesh but have no inclination for it in my kitchen, so curtains it is. The base units have curtains made from a massive box of charm squares. But I wanted something a bit more interesting for eye level.
I did some dying yesterday.
This is not a true colour, they are very much Teal with a good mix of shades with some undyed and barely dyed here and there. This will be a hat for the gift box.
These are more small skeins for the rug, my colour palette is growing nicely, the Kiwi will be added next week. Fingers crossed.
Then fate put her hand in and gave everything a stir up.
The postie came and rang the bell.
A paecel from The Fibre Hut, Yippee.
4 Samples to play with.
4 x 100 gram packs of dyed fibre.
I will not be opening any of it this week. I will be firm. I can do this.
I WILL BE MY OWN DELIA.
I have a list, get me!, of all the various projects that need finishing.
Another of all the oustanding jobs in the house.
And garden.
Once, and only once, these have been worked through will I open the parcels.
I am an adult (allegedly) and I can make lists and follow them. I always have a To Do list for short term and long term tasks. I have even been known to follow them. Just lately I have let my mind wander around unsupervised and it may have become a bit feral.
My butterfly mind is legendary in the family, but so is my resolve. My willpower may well be shaky in the cheese and chocolate (No Not together) departments but I like a job done and dusted in good time.
I am in no way blaming the current state of affairs regarding Covid and the constant government Uturns, Maggie where are you when we need you, and knee jerk reactions. If only people would just accept that we live in a state of flux. Then just get on with doing their best to not exacerbate the situation we will win through.
I only blame myself, and my Mother of course, for letting myself get so off piste that I was almost lost in the snowdrifts in my mind.
keep safe.
TTFN Pam
After that whingy, whiney, poor little me post I had a good nights sleep, got up and showered and turned the page.
I have put the fleece and spindles away for a little rest.
I hauled out fabric, machine and the necessary tools.
I raided the box of 2 1/2" strips and started sewing.
Much pressing and cutting later and I have piles of 4" square blocks. These will be sewn together to make fabric, if you watch Sew Very Easy on youtube there is a quilt made like this as the backdrop. I am hoping to empty the box. All the trimmed off bits will go into another project, straight away they will not be put into a box.
The fabric that I make will become curtains for my top run of kitchen cupboards. I do not like doors, they are dull and boring. I like the French style of fabric behind wire mesh but have no inclination for it in my kitchen, so curtains it is. The base units have curtains made from a massive box of charm squares. But I wanted something a bit more interesting for eye level.
I did some dying yesterday.
A chunk of fleece dyed with Kiwi food safe dye. I will be carding this at some point, probably at the weekend.
There was still some dye left in the bath so I added a few drops of another green and popped in a bit of natural cream Jacobs, I did soak both in citric acid water first. I could see that there would be some of the sea greeny dye left so soaked some undyed skeined dk, added the remainder of a little bottle of teal and popped those in, I lowered them in slowly to get a somewhat variagated look.
This is not a true colour, they are very much Teal with a good mix of shades with some undyed and barely dyed here and there. This will be a hat for the gift box.
Then fate put her hand in and gave everything a stir up.
The postie came and rang the bell.
A paecel from The Fibre Hut, Yippee.
4 Samples to play with.
4 x 100 gram packs of dyed fibre.
I will not be opening any of it this week. I will be firm. I can do this.
I WILL BE MY OWN DELIA.
I have a list, get me!, of all the various projects that need finishing.
Another of all the oustanding jobs in the house.
And garden.
Once, and only once, these have been worked through will I open the parcels.
I am an adult (allegedly) and I can make lists and follow them. I always have a To Do list for short term and long term tasks. I have even been known to follow them. Just lately I have let my mind wander around unsupervised and it may have become a bit feral.
My butterfly mind is legendary in the family, but so is my resolve. My willpower may well be shaky in the cheese and chocolate (No Not together) departments but I like a job done and dusted in good time.
I am in no way blaming the current state of affairs regarding Covid and the constant government Uturns, Maggie where are you when we need you, and knee jerk reactions. If only people would just accept that we live in a state of flux. Then just get on with doing their best to not exacerbate the situation we will win through.
I only blame myself, and my Mother of course, for letting myself get so off piste that I was almost lost in the snowdrifts in my mind.
keep safe.
TTFN Pam
Tuesday, 11 August 2020
I need a Delia.
Anyone got a copy of Delia,s Christmas book?
The one with all the recipes and a timetable to follow.. I could do with a timetable to get through the day. It's not that I have too much to do, or that I am pressed for time.
It's my flibbertigibbet mind, it floats from one thing to another often getting sidetracked along the way.
I do get all the essential house jobs done, I even manage to polish on a somewhat regular basis. It's all about prioritising and time management.
WHAT!
That was WORK SPEAK.
I am retired.
I want to be free to dabble as the mood takes me. A "rota system" may be perfect for some.
Monday, knit for 1 hour. crochet the blanket for 30 minutes.....
Not for me, I do see the sense and in a strange wat it is very close to appealing.
However once free of the shackles of paid employment, where my time was ruled by production schedules and the clock, I can not face it. Rather I can not face sitting down and drafting it up.
That's where Delia comes in. If my Granny was here she would have me organised in a flash.
If my Mum was here she would have me sneaking off up the garden to do whatever took my fancy.
BINGO!
That's where the blame lies.
My Mum was just the same, the essentials were done, everybody had clean clothes and meals were sort of on time. But once that happened she would pootle out to the garden do a bit here and a bit there. Come back in, wash her hands and pick up some knitting or open a book. She might even decide to empty and polish the dresser and make some of us wash all the china. Then something would catch her eye and she would be off down the next rabbit hole.
My Granny and Granddad were very "routine driven". Breakfast at the same time with the radio on a certain program. Tea and a Norfolk Shortcake at 10 with the newspaper, Granddad used to read bits out. Dinner at 12.30 and then a sit down once the washing up was done. A cuppa mid afternoon and tea at 5.30. Around all that the washing and ironing was done, food prepared and the housework done. Also The Archers and Mrs Dales Diary were never missed.
You might get up to find a hatching of ducks or chicks drying off in the warming oven .
If it was bitterly cold Patch, our dog, would be under Grannys chair. He much preferred being outside or with Granddad in the shed.
But those were the exceptions that proved the rule.
I do try to keep it under control but a new interest gets me hooked, the spinning has all but taken over. I dyed the last of my washed fleece today and will card it tomorrow. I also dyed some jacobs combed top (carded this afternoon) and a couple of 50 gm skeins of DK wool to mop up the dye.
It has all been consigned to the sewing room, once the fleece is carded it will be some overdue weeding and some knitting on a gift. I still have to graft the underarms of the Penny sweater, that should have been done once it was cast off then blocked.
I have more fibre coming but will get the loom warped up and the weaving at least started before I dare to open it.
I think that crunch time came as I had to hoover up fluff and fibre for the third time today.
So if anyone knows of a Delia, I would have said Mary Poppins but the singing would get on my wick, point her in my direction.
Keep safe
TTFN Pam
The one with all the recipes and a timetable to follow.. I could do with a timetable to get through the day. It's not that I have too much to do, or that I am pressed for time.
It's my flibbertigibbet mind, it floats from one thing to another often getting sidetracked along the way.
I do get all the essential house jobs done, I even manage to polish on a somewhat regular basis. It's all about prioritising and time management.
WHAT!
That was WORK SPEAK.
I am retired.
I want to be free to dabble as the mood takes me. A "rota system" may be perfect for some.
Monday, knit for 1 hour. crochet the blanket for 30 minutes.....
Not for me, I do see the sense and in a strange wat it is very close to appealing.
However once free of the shackles of paid employment, where my time was ruled by production schedules and the clock, I can not face it. Rather I can not face sitting down and drafting it up.
That's where Delia comes in. If my Granny was here she would have me organised in a flash.
If my Mum was here she would have me sneaking off up the garden to do whatever took my fancy.
BINGO!
That's where the blame lies.
My Mum was just the same, the essentials were done, everybody had clean clothes and meals were sort of on time. But once that happened she would pootle out to the garden do a bit here and a bit there. Come back in, wash her hands and pick up some knitting or open a book. She might even decide to empty and polish the dresser and make some of us wash all the china. Then something would catch her eye and she would be off down the next rabbit hole.
My Granny and Granddad were very "routine driven". Breakfast at the same time with the radio on a certain program. Tea and a Norfolk Shortcake at 10 with the newspaper, Granddad used to read bits out. Dinner at 12.30 and then a sit down once the washing up was done. A cuppa mid afternoon and tea at 5.30. Around all that the washing and ironing was done, food prepared and the housework done. Also The Archers and Mrs Dales Diary were never missed.
You might get up to find a hatching of ducks or chicks drying off in the warming oven .
If it was bitterly cold Patch, our dog, would be under Grannys chair. He much preferred being outside or with Granddad in the shed.
But those were the exceptions that proved the rule.
I do try to keep it under control but a new interest gets me hooked, the spinning has all but taken over. I dyed the last of my washed fleece today and will card it tomorrow. I also dyed some jacobs combed top (carded this afternoon) and a couple of 50 gm skeins of DK wool to mop up the dye.
It has all been consigned to the sewing room, once the fleece is carded it will be some overdue weeding and some knitting on a gift. I still have to graft the underarms of the Penny sweater, that should have been done once it was cast off then blocked.
I have more fibre coming but will get the loom warped up and the weaving at least started before I dare to open it.
I think that crunch time came as I had to hoover up fluff and fibre for the third time today.
So if anyone knows of a Delia, I would have said Mary Poppins but the singing would get on my wick, point her in my direction.
Keep safe
TTFN Pam
Sunday, 9 August 2020
slight hiccup
It is all my fault.
I acted in haste.
I did not work out the measurements before ordering the hotspot tape.
I also did not read the length of tape.
I blame only my excitement.
The frame is up, the door is hung.
It fits perfectly.
I had to dig out the red gooseberries, but they went straight into pots and will be back in the soil tomorrow. Albeit not in my garden, they are going to live with Jess.
There is rhubarb in there but that can stay till it has died back when it will be moved. All part of the plan.
I have not wasted the extra spare time.
I have dyed 2 lots of fleece for the rug, I didn't weigh it as it was always to be a spontaneous project. I do not want to end up with matching amounts of each colour.
Now I have started to ramble on so toodle pip.
Keep safe.
TTFN Pam
I acted in haste.
I did not work out the measurements before ordering the hotspot tape.
I also did not read the length of tape.
I blame only my excitement.
The frame is up, the door is hung.
It fits perfectly.
I had to dig out the red gooseberries, but they went straight into pots and will be back in the soil tomorrow. Albeit not in my garden, they are going to live with Jess.
There is rhubarb in there but that can stay till it has died back when it will be moved. All part of the plan.
I have not wasted the extra spare time.
I have dyed 2 lots of fleece for the rug, I didn't weigh it as it was always to be a spontaneous project. I do not want to end up with matching amounts of each colour.
Now I have started to ramble on so toodle pip.
Keep safe.
TTFN Pam
And it begins.
The challenge of the Tunnel.
It is going to be hot but Michael assures me that we will be finished before the temperature soars.
Herbie has had his walk before anybody else was abroad, we still had to stick to the shady side though.
Herbie loves water, puddles, streams, rivers, he has tried to jump in the bath once or twice.
Soooo, we bought a dog safe paddling pool, filled it up once it was sited in a semi shaded spot.
Did he love it?
He had a look, walked round it and walked away. I stepped in it and he followed, walked round, had a drink and got out.
We will leave it in place for a few days and if he still ignores it I will pass it on.
Men!
On a happier note there was a myriad of insects dropping down for a drink. I have a couple of unused containers in the top part of the garden and I think that they will be sunk into the ground and filled with rainwater. Some stones and a bit of wood to allow perching spots, ingress and egress and obviously out of reach of the dogs should be a good addition.
My neighbour has a fish pond with a few fish and now has a visiting lizard. How cool is that, Revi and Poppy have seen it but after an initial bark and bounce session have treated it with distain.
This weather has had mixed effccts on the garden, the blueberries are in full production and I am struggling to keep up with them. The plums are swelling and splitting due to the rain and more have rotted than picked to use. The apples are so loaded that even after thinning I am having to pick some early and prop some branches up.
Courgettes are picked and used at finger size or they rot on the plant and tomatoes vary from huge growth and few fruit to so loaded that I worry they can hold the weight. The cucumbers are full of baby fruits and flowers but slow to produce full size fruits, I see lots of pickles in my future.
The apples that I had to pick will be bottled, canned in the US, tomorrow along with the plums that I rescued. Blueberries are in the freezer ready to make Purple Porridge in the winter. Along with a few fluffy pancakes and the odd muffin or three.
The blueberry bushes have put on so much growth over the past year that I plan on taking cuttings. Soft wood ones from this years growth with no flowers or fruit and some hardwood ones once the plants go into the dormant state. They are Patriot and the fruits are large, sweet and juicy with a wonderful flavour. I hope to have plants to gift next year.
Right, the Time has Come, the walrus said. This time has nothing to do with Lewis Carroll and everything to do with wrestling metal into a sturdy structure.
Keep safe.
TTFN Pam
PS I may have gone slightly mad on the Fibre Hut website. There could be half a sheeps worth of fibre coming my way. A rainbow of dyed Merino and fibres from a selection of various breed of sheep for me to play with. I also plan on dying some fo my own fleece.
I had a touch of the "greedy mcgreedies", or maybe I am just planning ahead.
It is going to be hot but Michael assures me that we will be finished before the temperature soars.
Herbie has had his walk before anybody else was abroad, we still had to stick to the shady side though.
Herbie loves water, puddles, streams, rivers, he has tried to jump in the bath once or twice.
Soooo, we bought a dog safe paddling pool, filled it up once it was sited in a semi shaded spot.
Did he love it?
He had a look, walked round it and walked away. I stepped in it and he followed, walked round, had a drink and got out.
We will leave it in place for a few days and if he still ignores it I will pass it on.
Men!
On a happier note there was a myriad of insects dropping down for a drink. I have a couple of unused containers in the top part of the garden and I think that they will be sunk into the ground and filled with rainwater. Some stones and a bit of wood to allow perching spots, ingress and egress and obviously out of reach of the dogs should be a good addition.
My neighbour has a fish pond with a few fish and now has a visiting lizard. How cool is that, Revi and Poppy have seen it but after an initial bark and bounce session have treated it with distain.
This weather has had mixed effccts on the garden, the blueberries are in full production and I am struggling to keep up with them. The plums are swelling and splitting due to the rain and more have rotted than picked to use. The apples are so loaded that even after thinning I am having to pick some early and prop some branches up.
Courgettes are picked and used at finger size or they rot on the plant and tomatoes vary from huge growth and few fruit to so loaded that I worry they can hold the weight. The cucumbers are full of baby fruits and flowers but slow to produce full size fruits, I see lots of pickles in my future.
The apples that I had to pick will be bottled, canned in the US, tomorrow along with the plums that I rescued. Blueberries are in the freezer ready to make Purple Porridge in the winter. Along with a few fluffy pancakes and the odd muffin or three.
The blueberry bushes have put on so much growth over the past year that I plan on taking cuttings. Soft wood ones from this years growth with no flowers or fruit and some hardwood ones once the plants go into the dormant state. They are Patriot and the fruits are large, sweet and juicy with a wonderful flavour. I hope to have plants to gift next year.
Right, the Time has Come, the walrus said. This time has nothing to do with Lewis Carroll and everything to do with wrestling metal into a sturdy structure.
Keep safe.
TTFN Pam
PS I may have gone slightly mad on the Fibre Hut website. There could be half a sheeps worth of fibre coming my way. A rainbow of dyed Merino and fibres from a selection of various breed of sheep for me to play with. I also plan on dying some fo my own fleece.
I had a touch of the "greedy mcgreedies", or maybe I am just planning ahead.
Friday, 7 August 2020
Not in hibernation
just keeping busy. I dog sit Monday to Friday, as you know, and now I have a pair of Bichons in the mix. They are only here for one day a week at the moment, their owner is having a series of tests and now scans.
When her treatment starts that will probably escalate, Doggy Day Care in action.
There is some talk about the possible transfer of the virus from human to pet, apparently the current thought is that cats are at risk but not dogs. My neighbour works mostly on his own, and out in the elements or in his designated work building.
He drops off the dogs into my little courtyard and I let them into the house once he has left, we do it in reverse when he collects them.
My friend has been diagnosed with a Nasty and has been shielding.
I feel that collecting her Bichons and then returning them is safe as we have no close contact. I put them into her lobby and remove the collars and once I have shut the door behind me she lets them into the house.
It would be lovely to stop and have a cuppa and a chat but we are all aware of the possible outcome. So we don't, and none of us can see a time when we can be so sociable.
In the meantime we are all keeping busy. I have been organising the garden to make room for a solar tunnel, it is here and we will start putting it together tomorrow. I used to be quite good at the Tetris game,
The vegetable beds are keeping me tying in, cutting back, pinching out etc, and I have made a brassica cage using metal stakes and a reel of scaffold netting. Well less than half the reel which cost far less than buying said cage. I did have to sew 2 lengths together, 30 minutes including measuring.
Then there is wool, lots and lots of wool, ranging from raw "smells like a mucky sheep" to prepared yarn that smells like a clean slightly perfumed sheep.
There are many more days of dyeing, carding and spinning to come and I look forward to each and every one. The only small inconvenience is to do with the dogs. If I stand and drop spin they want the spindle and after one too many near misses I now spin sitting down. It takes a bit longer but I am in no hurry, this is pure unadulterated pleasure.
I have also dug out a bag of bumps of merino fibre and am spinning some of that. It is so smooth and I am spinning as finely as I dare.I have blended various shades hoping for a fade, they were only little bumps, and have around 35grams. I aim to finish the blues and then carry on with a contrast colour, possibly a pale grey or pehaps a very pale blue. Wind it into a centre pull ball and then ply it. That is how I did the pink and grey for my rug and it was so simple. Just the one ball to control rather than having 2 flying all over the place. Straight into a dogs mouth perhaps.
I have been reading quite a bit and we have had some Telly evenings and binge watched a few things. I sit closer now and am front and center of the screen so that I do not miss details. I am knitting vanilla socks and have just managed to finish the Penny sweater from Tin Can Knits that I started months ago. Cream wool and a good light were essential for the lace pattern and I love it.
My time is fully occupied with all the things that I love and I feel blessed. As I type away I have Herbie on my left, Revi and Poppy on my right and the Bichons on the back of the sofa washing my neck and ears. Once they go home I will have another shower.
Michael is busy in his man cave, The Shed. I can hear faint noises every now and then. I do believe that he considers that he is Tidying Up. The trouble is that hardly anything gets removed because it "might come in handy".
I have been through the cupboards and the sewing room has a corner with several items in it. I have not used them for a good while and if they have not been used by the end of the year they will be leaving.
Some will be donated but much has had a long working life and is a bit too dilapidated to pass on.
Once again we have talked about having a fryer, our treat of fish and chips from the shop is but a distant memory. It is likely to remain that way for another year from the look of things. After much humming and hahing we have shelved it, we are happy to have the occasional meal of oven baked fish and chips, not as finger licking good as deep fried but so much better for us.
I think it is time to call a halt here, this is in danger of becoming a novella.
Keep safe
TTFN Pam
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