Saturday

A very sunny Morning. We were due to go to LL's thia morning so gardening clothes on and off we went. OH sorted out the shape of the lawn and I planted the two clematis I bought and also took out quite a lot of buttercups.

This afternoon we were to visit a garden that was open under the garden scheme. It was one we thought we had visted some years ago.

When we got in I realised that we had not been there before and also that the garden was very steeply terraced with no hand rails on narrow scree paths, not the easiest thing to walk on at the best of times and I felt very unsafe wlaking down such steep paths.

We had a walk round, the garden was very pretty, but really only suitable for goats, I am surprised the garden scheme allowed them to open without any for of hand rail or even gaurd rails at the top of the very steep terracing. The path was very narrow and I could easily see someone slipping off.

We made for our apartment, a cup of tea and a lemon and poppy seed muffin before going down into our own little patch to dead head the primulas and water.

The sun has stayed all day but there is a cool wind........

Up=date on the mini oven

Tonight I grilled gammon in the mini oven, using the top element only and a temp of 200 I grilled the gammon for approx 8 minutes on each sode, it was delicious - just nicely cooked not too dry.

Sunday will be its toughest test when I cook a chicken in it.

Friday

Well, bar the shouting the wedding is over.....a low key but high profile occassion. I was so pleased to see that the dress was so simple and elegant, reminded me of Princess Grace of Monaco.

Its an overcast day here quite windy, we did watch the service and then had our lunch. Spent some time in the courtyard, OH needed to put the beans in, they were in danget of climbing up to the curtain rails in the kitchen. They have now been tied round the canes and some fleece drapped round in case there is a frost.

I used the miini oven to defrost the gammon for tonight, pre heated the oven to 100c turned off the heat and then put the gammon on the tray in the oven, it defrosted in about 20 minutes.

I am using the top element to grill the gammon for supper. Report later.

Thursday

I do not remember planting these minature daffs, but they are so pretty in the large wooden planter.

Thursday comes round again, I put the blackout linings in the curtains in our bedroom last night, they did make a difference, espceially last night, it was very dark when I put the light out.

We were up early and away to Aldi, they had climbing plants in for £1.79 and we wanted 2 for our LL's garden and also some soil consitioner.

We were amazed at the number of people there, there seem to be more each week. My freezer is so full I just cannot get anything else in it.

Another sunny day, still a cool breeze but so nice to see the sun. OH has gone off to see about his stint at the information point, he is due back around 2pm, so I made him bacon sarnies before he went.

Towels washed last night a white wash in for tonight, towels are on the airer in the bathroom with the window wide open to help them dry.

We had bacon at lunchtime so I have changed the menu round and we will have the gammon tomorrow.

Mini oven update.

I made lemon and poppy seed muffins this afternoon, they seem to have cooked ok, will tell you more when I have sampled them. So far so good, I am very pleased with it.

This evening I cooked the chips for our supper in the oven, the chips came out better than they used to in the panny. Crisp on the outside but nice and soft in the middle. The fish was cooked as usual in the remoska, both were wiped out with warm soapy water, and thats it. Just the saucepan O cooked the leas in and the paltes to be washed.

Oven chips are one of the few pre - packed things I buy, the steak cut oven chips from Aldi are excellent, 99p for a large bag.

Mini Oven Update

Tonight supper, macoroni cheese.

I cooked the macoroni and added it to the cheese sauce this morning. Once it was cool I prinkled the top with grated parmesan and paprika pepper.

Tonight I put it in the mini oven for 35 minutes with just the bottom element on, 10 minutes before the end of cooking time I put off the bottom element and put on the top to brown the cheese. It worked very well and it was nice and hot.

I prefer to prepare it in advance the macoroni takes up the cheese sauce, so I make it fairly slack.

Tomorrow I am going to cook gammon on the griddle.......

Another Sunny Day.

We woke to another sunny morning, OH was off to do his stint at Amisfield, I was at home, did the macoroni cheese for tonights supper, not sure where the rest of the morning went.

Quilting this afternoon, we had a talk about putting sleeves on the back of exhibition quilts and also printing labels. I could hardly hear a word....

I started hand quilting the lurid quilt, already my middle finger on my left hand is showing signs of ill treatments!! I need to rub some udder cream into it.

OH had been out and done a couple of errands for me whilst I was out. A very welcome cup of tea waiting my return.

Macoroni cheese and salad for supper with the last of the rhubarb and apple crumble with some ice cream for dessert.

We have to water the border tonight we have had no rain for several days. The plants on the window sills are doing well since they were transplanted. I will plant them out in another couple of weeks.

I will update re the mini oven after supper, I have the macoroni cheese in to heat up for supper. I put the porridge bowls in this morning for 5 minutes and they were quite hot when I took them out.

I am looking forward to using the spit to cook a chicken, see how that works.

Report on the mini oven

So far all I have done with the mni oven is to heat up the plates before supper. I put it on for 5 minutes at 150, the plates were nice and hot.

I am out tomorrow afternoon, so as its macoroni cheese and salad for supper I will report on how the oven cooks the mocoroni when its in the cheese sauce, Thursday we have gammon which I usually do in the George Foreman grill, I might try it in the grill on the oven, there is actually a hot plate/griddle on the top I suppose I could cook the gammon on that, will explore a bit and see.

When I use the oven I will put a wee bit on the bottom of my daily post so it can be found without having to read through all my daily doings!!!

Tuesday

Another lovely day, bright sunshine but cool in the shade, a bit of a breeze blowing.

OH went to the library this morning,htought he had got lost, turned out he had gone into the hisorty library to tlook up some info.

We had a quick trip to the council offices with some paper work and home again. OH reitred to bed with a dizzie, I did the freezer audit, worked out May menu's and sorted the shopping list.

Tomorrow is OH at Amisssfield and quilters for me. Thursday OH is at the local Tourist Office for a couple of hours, I will be visiting Tesco and Aldi for the shopping.

Spent a very pleasant hour sitting outside, it began to get cool, so we came in......

The mini oven came this afternoon, so I need to have a go with it and see how it works and what it can do, it will save me using the big oven all the time. I like to make muffins or scones for afternoon tea, do not want to put the big oevn on for just a small item, it takes ages to heat up.

DS 2 is coming in on the way back from a Christening next Monday, he is bringing Molly and Karen with him, have not seen Molly for over a year. She is growing fast.

Supper tonight I have cooked belly pork in tomato sauce I will thicken the sauce a bit, going to do rice and peas with it. There was enough for 2 meals so one in the freezer for later. Enough of the rhubarb and apple crumble left for tonight.

Easter Monday

Is a holiday in Scotland, everywhere is very quiet.

We woke to sunshine but it has couded over again now. A slight breeze but its not going to be the great day we had yesterday.

Monday clean done and our bed changed, a load for the machine tonight. I am not moaning but I do miss being able to hang the laundry out on the line. There is no drying green here which I think is a mistake, every time we get fine weather you see lots of little airers out the back.

No plans for the day, OH is bowling this afternoonj, so I think I may sit and clip the ends on the quilt, press it and get it ready to go to the quilters.

Cold roast prok and salad tonight for supper with rhubarb and apple crumble for dessert.

A lovely Sunny Day

It has been a glorious sunny day, sunshne wall to wall. This morning we ventured to the West Kirk for the easter service, loved the littlies with their easter eggs....

After lunch I went on a hunt. No not an easter egg hunt but to find the friendship braid quilt. It was not where I thought it was neither was the backing......I went into the loft to see if I had put it up there, got the garden chairs down whilst I was up there, no quilt.

Eventually found it hiding in the top of the wardrobe in our bedroom, hidden by some jig saws and the continental electric kettle.

I needed to find it so I can tidy it up, its going to the long arm quilter at Eyemouth when we go away. I unfolded it and had a quick look at it, so many fabircs sent by kind friends from the USA.

We sat out in our little bit of garden for a while. It was very peaceful out there.

Supper is on, the pork is raosting, just put the pan in for the roast spuds, the crumble is cooling on the table, rhubarb and apple.

OH is watching the snooker, I have been catching up with friends on another blog, my friend S has bought what she calls her 'for ever house' which is a fixy up, it has been empty for 2 years and has a 100ft garden, about a mile from the sea with a stream running at the bottom of the garden. She and her son and OH are busy getting it ready to move in, they have to have some pulmbing, roofing and electrical work done before they can start to decorate. She is doing a silver sewer, moving the garden and lots of other things herself. They are really tight on money, have just over £1000 in the kitty to do the house up. I admire what they are doing, just a sneeky bit envious....but then she and her oh are a lot younger than us. It something we wanted to do but never had the oppotunity.......or the dosh......

Just opened a bottle of bucks fizz for a wee drinkie.......cheers..........

I am Humbled - thank you

Thank you to all those of you who have sent such kind messages after I was again targetted with nasty comment on my blog.

I have followed Mean Queens suggestion so only those of you who are registered can post comments. You do not have to have a blog to register.If it happens again I will be taking action to get the person banned.

It is a lovely sunny morning, the birds are chirping away, there is a slight breeze, the tree opposite our window is moving slightly. OH says we appear to have had more rain overnight, so no watering for us today. The gound is very free draining so plants have to be watered quite frequently. We have another bean up, just one more to go and all 6 will have germinated. The sweet peas are also doing well most have 2 sets of proper leaves in so once the next lot come on I will start pinching them out. I also need to go round the fuschias and pinch them out as well.

Not sure what we are doing today, but I am cooking a shoulder of pork for supper with all the trimmings, rhubarb and apple crumble for dessert.

I am getting fed up of this

Anon has once again reared their head, please stop reading my blog your comments are not called for:

I commented about J having visitors and was accused of being a curtain twitcher - and then they commented . "Gosh - no wonder the neighbours complained. A real clutter of pots" If this person continues to put sarcastic comments on my blog I will stop posting. I do not find the comments funny but insulting.

Who ever you are take the hint and take your comments to someone elses blog before I am forced to take action and aquaint blogger with what you are doing. You could at least go public with your name so we know who we are dealing with.

I was not 'curtain twitching' the little one was running about when I was out dead heading the plants, it was nice to see a little one enjoying themselves. As to the comment about the pots, they are not the ones that were commented on. All those pots are now empty, the plants are in the border. All the neighbours are quite happy with the pots that are against the wall of the apartment. I do not see why I should explain myself to you, who ever you are, but in this case I have answered your comments, I will not do so again, but will withdraw my blog.

Oh Dear.......What A Grey Day

Woke this morning to a grey sky and signs that we had rain overnight. The sun had a couple of weak efforts at coming through no success, the grey won and its now raining. There are splashes on the window.

I was fighting against going out, the weather won, we are staying in, mind you OH is in bed with a dizzy so it perhaps as well we did not go out.

Two bills in this morning......wiating for the leccy bill for here we have changed providers.......storage heater in the kitchen is going off, its on very low just now.

Had a decent nights sleep last night, did not rush to get up either, nothing spoiling.

The whole complex is very quiet this morning. J downstairs had visitors this morning, they had a wee one with them, he was running about outisde.......

Another bean through in the seed tray, the sweet peas are just starting to open true leaves. I will be starting to pinch them out when we have 3 sets of leaves open, they will go out around the middle of May. The plants for the containers have all been watered this morning, they too will get planted in another couple of weeks.

Sausage for supper,with mash I think; OH is back on his banana's so might just do them with custard for a change. I am going to do a rhubarb and apple crumble tomorrow, we we can have custard wuth that too. Might go for a wander to the Sunday Market if the weather is ok tomorrow......just depends.

Remember the pictures of the garden just after we had planted up the border, this is the border 3 weeks later and the pots at the back of the apartment.









Hasn't everything done well, I am so pleased. The only plant I have lost is the camellia.

Good Friday

What a grey day, lots of haar around, even though we are a few miles from the sea. It is supposed to burn off this afternoon. Very little breeze, the tree is hardly moving at all.

Friday clean done, just cooling off having mopped the kitchen floor. Everywhere nice a tidy for the weekend.

We have called off the Bric a brac, I am just too tired to fetch everything down from the loft and pack it into the car. The thought of having to get up at 6am does nothing for me either. I need to re-coup some energy from somewhere.

We will spend a quiet weekend at home, may be out for a short walk on Sunday depends on the weather.

OH enjoyed his visit to the History Society last night, there are still people there he knew 15 years ago.....he said the building that is just across from the entrance to our ginnel is going to have the whole of the ground floor as library. The rest of the building will be vartious other organisations....family history, tourist board etc. OH says ther library space is almost 4 times as big as the present library, more books!!!! great..........it is due to open next spring.

The Camellia has had it, so I am going to dig it out and plant another shrub in its place, The bad weather was obviously too much for it. One of our new neighbours had 2 in pots in front of his sitting room window, they have died as well. The seeds and plants on the window cills are doing well, I will not be planting them out just yet, frost is still likely espceially after the warmish days we have been having, the temperature can drop rapidly and a frost develop.

I have decided to cook a joint of pork on Sunday, I can slice it when its cold and freeze it in meal or sandwich size portions. As I will have to have the big oven on I will do a rhubarb and apple crumble for dessert, that will last us a couple of days.

Fish and chips tonight, OH is bowling again....so needs his supper early.

Haar - is a sea mist that rolls in over the coast.

A Ginnel is a narrow passageway between two buildings, often leading to further buildings at the back, or onto a road or footpath.

Thursday

The tree at the side of the garden in full blossom.....


Another lovely day, a breeze just to keep it from being too hot.....we went to Aldi and then walked down to the Mitland Hotel to have a look at Sainsbury's plans for a store on the outskirts of the town.

Lunch over OH set off for his bowls and I decided the time had come for me to wrestle with the sewing table.....it took several goes, but eventually I managed to get the thing in the right place and the doors and top now close as they should....hoo ray.....

I decided to nip and and collect a prescription that OH forgot to get and had a quick look at the charity shops. I found a shallow pie dish in one just big enough for a steak and kidney or chisken pie for £2.00.

Not much going on, its very quiet, the gardens basking in the sun, I am so pleased with the way the back border is looking. The pots are coming on and the trough is still looking good. In a couple of weeks I will take the bulbs out and dry them off. I can plant them in the autumn along with the crocus bulbs OH rescued from the bin.

Quiche and salad for supper tonight.....

Wednesday

A dull start to the morning but by lunchtime, it was bright and sunny.

OH went off to Amisfield to do his stint. I made a large bowl of potato salad, using a little lemon juice in the mayonnaise to give it a bit of 'bite'.

The lunch was, as usual, excellent.....and the meeting quick....after the meeting we were treated to a suitcase show of quilts. I did not take any photos, we were asked not to.

A lovely show of small quilts representing places round the world members of the quilt group had visited.

One of our members had brought a quilt which was started by a friend of mine, Rowena Raemonn....Rowena died from breast cancer some years ago. A couple of our quilters had been given a quilt that Rowena had started, it has now been completed and is to be raffled to raise money for the World Council of Churches Rowenas husband works for. It brought quite a lump to my throat.....she was an exceptionally talented quilter who won many prizes for her quilts.

It was chilly as I walked back, the sun had gone behind clouds but by supper time it was pleasantly warm again.

Chicken and bacon pasta and garlic bread for supper, we had banbana and icecream for dessert.....

I have been having a problem with shutting the doors on my machine table, when I altered the platform to put the big machine back in the table I altered the wrong slider.....I spent ages last week trying to get it right....today I phoned Horn who made the cabinet....when the chap had stopped laughing he told me I have to get down and dirty, and put the boxes back in the door and fiddle with the slider till the platform cleaers the top of the boxes and I can shut the top without it hitting the winder for the shuttle. OH is bowling tomorrow, so I guess I am going to be on my knees trying to sort it out!!! It a good job OH will be out, I have a feeling that the air is going to be rather coloured!!! Blue maybe..............

Tuesday

A dull morning when we got up, quite misty but the mist cleared and the sun is shining, the tree across is gently loving in the wind.

OH went to the surgery to get his BP checked, we then went to Dunbar to dump the burnt out drfunct microwave and nipped into Asda. I bought as jar of beetroot, I have used all our own up, I noticed they had charged me 84p when it 72p on the racking, so off to customer services, I got £2.12 back, 12p difference in price and £2 because I had been overcharged!!

It was very pleasant as we motored back and coming through the gardens a couple of the ladies were sitting enjoying the sun. I opened the landing door to check the garden and saw a chap in the garden at the back. I had been looing for someone there for a while, I pointed out that the slate was missing for the side of the velux window in the attic......

Lunch called, bread and cheese. I got mince out of the freezer for mince and dough balls tonight, I hope it defrosts, I forgot to take it out last night.

I have ordered the mini oven, it has a defrost setting on it and 4 other functions, expecting it before the weekend.

OH rang this morning to ask about our HB, they have a back log, not surprising as the goal posts have changed, they promised to look at it today. I can go for so long, but not for more than 8 weeks before I run into trouble.....

Not sure what I am going to do this afternoon I have finished the rib on the front of the cardigan but need to sit and do the first couple of rows to be sure and get them right.....not easy.....Its coming up quite big, I think I will sew it up and send to it cotton reel before I start the second one.

Monday

A bright start, but its clouded over and is quite dull now. The sun struggling to get through.

Monday clean done, 2 bedrooms and the bathroom, the bathroom floor was dusty but not really dirty. I emptied the Dyson, most of the muck that was in it was from the cottahe. It will be interesting to see how long it takes to fill the cylinder now we are away from the dust at the farm. I must admit that cleaning a freshly painted house is so much easier than cleaning one that has not been painted for years, with windows that are about to fall out and a bath which came out of the arc!! But then K would not spend a farthing if he could get away with it, and the situation of the cottage meant he could get maximum rent for it too.

OH went to post a letter and to the library this morning, so I was able to get on unhindered. He is playing bowls this afternoon so I am planning on finishing the back of the cardigan I am knitting, have not picked it up for 2 nights, should manage to finish it this afternoon and cast on the rib for one of the fronts.

Tomorrow we are taking the burnt out microwave to the tip, I will call in at Asda and see if they have any pizza bases.

The garden at the back has picked up, if it continues dry we will have to water again every couple of days, we cannot afford to let the ground dry out, its quite free draining as it is.

The sweet pea seeds have started to come through we have 3 up, 3 more to go. OH had also put 6 climbing beans in as well so we should be able to plant them in the tub soon.

Chicken salad for supper tonight, not sure about dessert though.....maybe banana something.......

What a lovely day its been. We had an early lunch and set off for the garden centre. We got a bag of compost, a tumbling tomato plant, cougette and a potentilla. We then set off for Longniddry bents and spent an hour or so just watching the sea.






When we got back I spent an hour putting some plants in that we had been raising from plantlets, and some other stuff we still had in pots. OH potted up his tomato and courgette and we watered heavily, some of the plants were drooping.

Back in the apartment I started to pre heat my combi micro to cook the chicken, suddenly there was silence......the blooming thing had over heated and gone bang....I am not a happy bunny I have only had it 3 years, very disappointed. I have always had panasonic my previous combi lasted me 13 years without any problems.

I had to do a quick shimmy and pre heat the oven, its the first time I have used it since we came here, supper will be late tonight....gggggrrrrrr. I cannot afford to buy a new one, it will just have to wait. I used the micro so much rather than the big oven it was so much easier and things cooked quicker because it had a fan in it.
Put rather a damper on what had been a lovely day.

Sunday

A bright morning, sun streaming in through the windows when we woke.

After breakfast OH went down to poish the car, he had washed and cleaned it out yesterday.

We are sloping off to a local garden centre this afternoon. OH needs some more compost. I need to keep a tight hold on the purse strings........

Chicken for supper tonight, so I prepped the veg and also baked some muffins, OH wants to take a trip down to the Bents at Longniddry after we have been to the garden centre, so a book, a flask, some muffins in the bag.

We are having the remaining pizza from last night for lunch........

Finished at last

Phew finished at last.....



Next time I mention making curtains someone talk me out of it please.

The first pair were a cinch to do, the second nearly drove me nuts, nothing went right. I have come to the conclusion that if I try and do something properly it turns out rubbish, If I just go for it it turns out great........sods law I suppose. However they are done and look ok thats all I am bothered about.

OH went down and rescued the crocus bulbs from the bin, they are drying in the shed now, I will put them in a brown paper bag when they have dried out and then put them in the pots come autumn. I might even plant some in the border at the back, its beginning to fill out quite nicely especially now the azalea is flowering and the Rhodi will be out soon too. The Camellia looks as if its had it, I think the winter was just too much for it, shame it was a lovely colour.

Going to put my feet up for half an hour then I'll go and sort out the pizza and salad for supper

Saturday

The rose on the front wall of the cottage last summer, we left this one there, only so much we could bring with us. We did bring the compassion climbing rose, I will have to tip cut it to stop it getting too tall.


Lovely sunny morning at 7am by 8.30 the sun had gone and clouds and wind were the order of the day.

OH went out to clean my car, we got dive bombed by seagulls when we were in Berwick on Tweed last week, he said he had a job to get the mess off, shoud have given him the vinegar to spray on it.

I set to and cleaned the kitchen, there is little or no dust here, do not miss that!! I have a tall unit in the kitchen which used to stand in the porch with various things like screws, lightbulbs etc in it. I decided to take the drawers out and clean it, my goodness what a mess......so much dust....all clean now.

OH in for his lunch made bacon sarnies, had some bacon that needed using up, so brown sauce and fried bacon, yummy.

I made the dough and tomato sauce for pizza, so supper tonight is smoked sausage pizza and salad, not sure whats for dessert, maybe the ice-cream bar that OH slipped in my basket when I was not looking at Aldi on Thursday.

I am hoping to finish the curtaiins for the kitchen this afternoon, have cut out the linings just need to pin them in the curtains and turn up the hem, stitch the sides and put the tape on....job done. I was going to make a cloth with the left over fabric but have decided on table mats instead, one big one for the middle of the table and 4 smaller ones. I have an oval mat I can use as a template. not today mind you, thats for another day.

OH said when he went to put garden rubbish in the brown bins, someone had thrown a whole lot of crocus bulbs away, he is off down to get them out and dry them off. I can plant them in pots in the autumn. What a waste of money, who ever it was could quite easily just dibbed them into the ground in the big beds if they did not want to keep them.

Right time to go and get the machine out and tackle the curtains......photos to follow.....

Friday

Another dull mornin, slept much better last night, was asllep before OH put the light out.

Errnads to do this mornin, so took the shopping trolly, collected a parcel from the sortin office, nipped into Tesco for a few bits, ended up spending £15. Then to the libray to change my books and Boots to collect OH's script.

We had just ot back and I was puttin the shoppin away when OH annoinced he had a dizzy and was oin to bed. Thats 16 days since the last one......

It was my turn to do the landing and stairs, so got out the baby dyson and strutted my stuff, found a massice cobweb behind one of the tables in the hall, thas no more.

Parcel, as I thought, contained the linin for the second set of curtains for the sitting room, miht get them cut and pinned in this afternoon if OH gets up soon. Then I can get the machine out and, do the job tomorrow afternoon and han them. I will have a bit of the thermal lining left, can use it to line tea cosy's or some such, thats if I can rememebr where I have put it when I want to use it!!

Fish, mash, peas and parsley sauce for supper, there is enough of the oranges in jelly for dessert with a blob of ice cream.

Thursday

Sunset on Tuesday night.




The Azalea given to me by my friend Edna just a couple of years before she died of ovarian cancer.



I wondered if it would survuve the winter, but as usual its full of flower, it was just a tny plant when I was given it and ir rewards my care with a glorious show of flowers in the spring.

This morning we went up to our LL's garden to plant the shrubs we had taken up there, We have started on shaping the beds, managed to do one side and get the shrubs in before we came away, It was hard going. Lots of weeds and hundreds of buttercups. I attacked an over grown honey suckle which seems to have come over from next door. I found a dead rose bush with lethal thorns tangled in it.

We called in al Aldi on the way home, OH has eaten all his banana's its about the only type of fruit I can get down him year round. He will eat strawberries and raspberries when they are in season, reluctant apple and pear eater.

It got quite warm working in the garden, it cloudy and looks like rain now. I need to go down and have a quick look at the patio garden, see how its doing and dead head the tulips, they have had it. The hostas and lilies are poking their heads up, I bought a patio rose, a lovely apricot colour, will need to pot it on into a bigger pot.

Tomato and bacon pasta with salad for supper tonight, have just made the sauce. Bread maker on with a loaf. The mail man had been with the parcel of curtain lining whilst we were out, I have to collect it from the sorting office tomorrow. then I can finish the second pair of curtains and get them up.

Going to put my head down for a short while, did not sleep too well last night. Need to go to the library as well when I am out tomorrow, I am reading one of OH's books just now.

Wednesday

A dullish morning very little sign of the sun of the past few days although yesterdays wind has dropped.

OH off to do his stint at Amisfield, quilters for me this afternoon and then a quick dash to North Berwick to pick up some pillows.

Laundry from yesterday ironed and aired, will put it away later. Lunch ready for OH when he gets in, I will be about ready to go out at that point......

Work going on in one of the apartments adjcent to us, lots of sawing and banging, so not quite sure what they are having done.

I was very tired last night fell asleep before OH out the light out, woke a couple of times but drifted off again. We were up by 8am, breakfast over and cleared away.

I finished by library books, library is closed today so a trip at some point tomorrow to get new ones. We are going to out LL's to start on his garden, he is away just now, so hope to have part of it finished by the time he gets back just before Easter.

I have the lurid quilt to take wit me today, I need to re pin it. I started to machine quilt it and realsied that it was moving all obver the place, so took the machining out. I might keep it as a hand quilting project to take to the quilters on a Wednesday.

I am almost up to the armhole shaping on the aran cardigan, getting more used to the pattern now and can knit a row without having to keep looking at it. Snould finish the back by the weekend, then to do the front and sleeves.

Spag bol and garlic bread tonight. I have done oranges in jelly for derrsert, ages siince we had that. I found a packet of blancmange in the cupboard, will be making one of those later in the week.

The last of the quilts from the show.

? An Away Day

Today was our first away day, part of our new programme for ourselves. We went down over the border just Into Northumberland to Berwick on Tweed.

A walk through the town and then along the old walls surrounding the town, a side trip into a Cromwellian Church and then a slow stroll back to the car.

I had packed up lunch so we decided to drive back up the coast a bit to Pease Bay, an old favourite haunt.....What a shock.....you can no longer get down to the beach, the whole of the bay is one huge caravan site, row upon row of caravans and the road which used to lead down to the bay is now the entrance to the site. We drove on very disappointed towards Coldingham and pulled into a layby on a little country road to have out picnic, sat and read for a while and then turned out nose homeward.

It was a lovely sunny day but oh so deceptive, the wind was very strong and quite cold which was a shame. Its many years since we were in Berwick, and of course it has changed. I had been looking at fuel prices and we found a Teasco on the outskirts of the town their diesel was 2p a litre cheaper than anywhere else so the car is filled up for the next 2 months.

Once back hone we continued our 'lazy day' I prepared the vegetables for supper and then sat and read for an hour.

Beef stew, potatos, carrots and green beans tonight.....OH wants banana fritters, I have one banana left.....so that tonights dessert sorted.

We enjoyed the day away, but it was nice to sit in our sun filled living room and drink a refreshing cup of tea.

OH took some photographs, but I fogot to replace the battery in my camera, I took it out last night to re-charge it...silly me!!!

Cheek!!

I have just recieved the follwoing comment on the entry that shows the pictures of our new apartment.

Goodness - it looks small! From when you blogged about moving there it sounded much bigger.
It's a shame you haven't a focal point in your lounge, a fireplace or similar, perhaps you could have a mantel and "pretend" fire between the windows?
You've made it very cosy looking. It wouldn't do for me, I like my cosy fireside and I also like a door to outside. Also I like a dining room, when we had no dining room and had to eat in the kitchen it felt like we were dining in the servants quarters!
The "downstairs" bit of Upstairs, Downstairs!

What unmitigated cheek. She oviously has not read the earlier entries in my blog or she would know that DS2 is coming back at the end of the month to put a fire surround around the stove in the sitting room.

I just wish this person would stop reading my blog and direct her comments at someone else....the comment about upstairs downstairs made my blood boil, she must be an awful snob!!

What she likes and what we are happy with are obviously two very different things........

Making curtains

I now remember why I do not make curtains!!! have spent all afternoon finishing off one pair and cutting out the second pair for the kitchen windows.....my back aches my fingers ache my head aches.......and I still have one pair to go......

Hey ho they can wait until later. I have serched and cannot find the left over thermal lining so I am going to have to buy some more. I'll order it from the same Ebay seller I got the last lot from, just need to work out how much. I used the width 54" as the length, so just need to order enough to bag the curtains out 42" for each curtain I think. so 84 inches need to convert that to cms...oh now my brain aches as well!!!!!

Monday

A rather grey morning and it did rain briefly, I can see blue sky outside the window, but the wind is back again.

OH out this morning doing various jobs round the town, Drs, Library, post office....I did the monday clean, had to scrub the sealant round the bath with a toothbrush and vinegar, it was starting to go yellow with limescale.

I am hoping to get one pair of curtains finished this afternoon. OH is going to the bowls club for roll up.

Egg,chips and beans for supper tonight, I have some creme caramel left so will have it with baked banana and may be a drizzle of cream.

More quilts from the show.