TARRAGON & THYME

I used to have one of these having bought it from new and I still have the faulty machine and its attachments.  Browsing on ebay I found one up for sale and bid and tonight I have won a brand new one.  The only reason I have gone for it is because when it worked my previous machine was a handy little gadget which meant I could get on with other things whilst it was working. Which is a great time saver when one works full time. Will see how I get on with this one.  My original one came from Lakeland and the jam pan locked onto its base.  When it did this though it was well out of its guarantee.  So now I have another one coming I will see if OH can do anything with it otherwise it will be going in the bin apart from the extra bits.  Lakeland have not done this jam pan for some particular length of time but they have a Ball one in now which is £150.   So will see how I get on. I can only try and I have not expended too much mone...

However I have managed to source, sort and organise meals for more than the whole week.  I only went round to the Co-Op to get a chicken - I forgot to get a joint out of the freezer last night - it happens (must be my age) and I came back with: 2 packs of stewing steak                        2 large chickens   (2 chickens for £10) 2 Packs of Mince (reduced to £1.50 per pack) 2 packs of pork loin steaks (Reduced to £1.50 pack) 2 packs of sausages                              2 bags of frozen peas Steak Pie The stewing steak is destined for a massive stew which should last us two days theoretically. The large chickens one we have had tonight the other is destined for...

Well after the Aerial man came yesterday and sorted out the TV, we are again tinkering with the computer/craft room.  OH is still in the throes of decorating the doors, and skirting (the rest of the painting is more or less done).  However we have my mother's 32 inch Panasonic TV currently on the large flat table blocking it up and it needs to be on the wall.  Provision for this was taken into account by the Aerial man yesterday and extra cable was left.  So this morning we have been to B & Q to find a suitable wall rack to hold the TV safely on the wall in order that the desk is clear for working on.  We have found one we like, so later on this will be popped up out of the way.  OHs back is not too clever so he is having to take it a little steady and as a result we have not ended up doing what we were going to do and go down the tip. No doubt a little later on he will yell that he wants assistance in putting it up. In passing though it is alw...

At the crack of dawn the TV Aeriel fitter arrived and I think we are in the bad books with the next door neighbour as a result as there was quite a bit of drilling and clambering about going on.  In fairness he arrived at 8:00am but at the weekend it always seems so much earlier than it actually is.  Probably because I don't have to get up but am always alert just before 6:00am if not actually out of bed. But that is OH all happy he is now able to watch the Rugby, we have had Freeview and Freesat put in as well and now have a whole host of other channels to explore as well.  So if I am missing from the blog - its possible I may be watching something on the TV - however in recent months I have actually not been watching that much. I have been trying to make use of my time in a better fashion and if I have watched TV I have had a catch up session all in one go - it is more time efficient - especially with me working full time. I even crashed during the week go...

It had been arranged sometime ago that ,I would cover a Charity Evening to raise funds for Marie Curie in my capacity as a Reader, giving messages and card readings and some mediumship readings.  I had it in my head that the event and venue was tomorrow and purely by chance I found out that I had got my dates wrong.  As a consequence it was a bit of a rush and I forgot half of my stuff including my business cards (I only just had time to sort my recording machine out) before having to rush out.  I did about six 15 minute readings which has raised much needed funds for Marie Curie together with two of my colleagues, Kerrie and Alec and one of Kerrie's Trainees Tracey.  It was a very good evening and I have met some very lovely people.  We all belong to the Psychic and Spiritual Fellowship which meets once a month for an evening of mediumship.  Our Founder Member Jacqueline Lesley is still actively involved. Please see her website for details h...

Not my photo but doesn't she look wonderful! I always refer to the Flying Scotsman as a she don't know why always have.  I work in a well known Solicitors office in Peterborough for my day job as a legal secretary. Our offices are in old Railway sheds on the side of the railway track that have been converted over the years.  Today we saw the Flying Scotsman go by from  the office windows and she looked magnificent. after her recent lengthy overhaul.  It was lovely to see her after all this time and she looked wonderful, big black and strong. This train of all others is the one I remember from my childhood and is probably the one that is most loved of all trains. One of the first places I remember living was Gunthorpe near Oakham and we lived in one of the Lodge cottages to Gunthorpe Hall, the shooting lodge to the Duke of Rutland's Estate. The cottage garden ran down to the Railway track - and the Flying Scotsman used to do a run here ev...

Wafting through the house is a difficult one to resist and has always been one of my weaknesses. Last night I made such a loaf and because I was in a hurry I decided to test drive a Co-Op white bread mix.  This time I used my mum's Cookworks bread maker  rather than my Panasonic and I added butter to the bread mix as well - and the loaf has really risen.  Needless to say I had some very perturbed pussy cats who could not quite out what this square thing on top of the big freezer was doing there especially as it was making a very interesting noise. The proof of the pudding is in the eating so they say and we needed bread for pack ups and this was the easiest way around at very short notice but I went to bed feeling very hungry nonetheless.  Another one will be put on when I get home from work I may do a loaf or I may do some buns.  My Tiger buns will have to wait though until the weekend when I have a little more time to play.  I quite e...

The title sounds a bit like a royal fly by.  However its only little old me! Today's quiet day has continued into the evening apart from the fact that I am now knee deep in washing and ironing in order that we both have clean clothes for the week. A necessary evil; both of us work in offices so its at least one change of clothes a day.  When I get in of an evening I usually change into what I call the housework clothes; clothes that it does not matter if you get in a mess with or spill bleach on etc.  That way I keep my good clothes for best. I am very interested in recycling fabric where I can particularly old tray cloths, tablecloths, lace mats, knapkins etc. and some of the finishes and articles I have seen made by very talented ladies have been superb.  So much so I have for the best part of a year been collecting said items as and when I can and they are all in a box waiting for a few more items to join them before I start playing.  Today on my Pin...

I cannot settle at the moment - something is in the wind I can feel the change in m y bones and the inner core of me.  When I get like this I cannot settle to anything or focus properly on anything at all.  It is quite annoying from my point of view as I am simply itching to get on with things .  I certainly have a lot to do as usual but I am wondering whether it is because the sap is arising from the ground into the trees.  Birch trees are well routed and the sap is being collected now to make wines to re-energise the spirit and the soul.  Or put quite simply is it just Spring coming.  The change in the wheel. I am a Spring baby as was my father (both of us born in May)and he always used to be the same.  Equally though it may be an indication that I need to root myself ever more into the earth's energies and step away from the hurley burley of modern life and try and live a simpler way altogether. "Going back to my roots" as they say....

I am quite sad (not literally) when I do not have anything to do of a dinner time as I tend to wander round the shops and have a really good nosey.  Yesterday is a prime example.  I was in M & S and I had no intention of buying anything at all.  Until I spotted their meal deal of the week for £10 was a wood fired pizza.   I have had my eyes on these pizzas for a few weeks and at £6 each the jury was still out until I spotted the meal deal.  They have about four different options. The one I chose was full of mozzarella, salami, sweet chillis, red sweet pepper,and the sides were a loaded bread, a bag of salad and a bottle of wine.  For £10 not bad.  The sweet chillis were interesting they had sight heat but were the size of the top of my little finger.   However they are very sweet.  Interesting nonetheless. We had this for tea last night and it really was delicious (although both of us were not ...

I had tea all planned it had been taken out of the freezer awaiting my tender ministrations when I got in from work and OH didn't fancy it.  I had planned on Steak pie with mashed potatoes and veggies and quite frankly he did not fancy it.  He has however treated us to a Chinese so I am not complaining.  So it looks as though it will be steak pie tomorrow night. Well I have had a bit of a midweek bargain in that I have purchased 15 trays of Blueberries normally £2 a tray for 50pence per tray that would have been £30 under normal circumstances but with the mark down to 50p well that has saved me £22.50.  I only paid £7.50.  So that to me is a bargain.  But did you know that blueberries are good for you.  They are full of what are known as free radicals which is an integral part of the fruit that actually helps you fight any kind of infection.  A bit like cranberries. What am I going to do with the blueberries.  Well they...

Its been a long day today - I was awake at 6:00am and got up about 6:30pm.  I asked OH to make sure I got up as I needed to be at the Hospital for 9:15am and left to my own devices especially with an increase in the epilepsy medication I was not risking anything.  I am also taking the meds differently.  My doctor suggested that I take the larger dose before I went to bed and that the smaller dose would top me up in the morning. They want to increase meds up to 100ml which is double what I was taking (now on 75mg) but I have to get used to it and until I do this will be a vulnerable time.  A lot of epilepsy medication is actually sedative based and used to slow down the system.  So I do have to be careful.  I also make sure that people around me know what is going on.  Fortunately a work colleague has two of the same conditions as me i.e. the Raynauds and the epilepsy so I tend to tell her as she knows what to do if there is any difficulty. I wrapp...

The more cooking I do, the more I want to do.  It is something that I have always loved and been reasonably good at.  But there have been a few hiccups along the way - as there normally is why you find out what goes with this and what goes with that and how you do this and how you do that. I must say that I was bought up with how to handle a potato masher - the oval one on a handle with slots in the metal base and I was taught by my mum how to wield this quite effectively. They come in round and square these days as well.  However these days to achieve beautiful creamy mashed potato, I prefer a potato ricer to crush the potatoes and to get rid of any lumps.  Its a lot easier on my hands as well. I run the boiled potatoes once drained through the potato ricer a few at a time pressing them into a bowl and then once all the potato has been processed like this I run the potato masher around it, add a little butter and some milk or cream and pop them under a tea...

We seem to have had our first snow  - ever so slight like someone had dusted a load of cakes with fairy dust. At the minute it is bitter out there  - I have already nipped to the shop. Have had a nice cup of tea and a pain au chocolat.  Have started the extra meds, done battle with the ironing board and now I have to walk to the Hospital.  Will take me about 40  minutes all told. So it will be a case of wrap up well.  To get to work I will get a taxi.  It was so much easier when the Hospital was at the end of the drive.  Took  me 5 minutes to walk down there. Ah well in the name of progress. From icing sugar covered Peterborough hope you have a lovely day. Catch you soon. Pattypan x

I saw this on Facebook earlier on and thought to myself Sometimes it just takes a bit of finding. Maybe we ought to look at the world like a child does.  There are no barriers, no preconceptions just honest unconditional love and pure simple enjoyment, curiosity and zest for life.  Are we that  world weary that we forget our early lessons and our passions. But this phrase is very apt when things are not that good. I have been there and in an attempt to make my glass half full instead of half empty I started to look at situations in a different way.  It is not easy but it can be done. So you don't have money, but there is you.  You can help and have something to give which is totally unique and precious.  You don't have to spend money, just helping someone or doing something for another can help someone else and make you feel good about yourself and worthy.  it makes the other person feel cared for. I...

I did not get up very early again today, but this time round my back was a bit easier than yesterday which is a blessing; still nipping but at least I can get around easily which was not the case yesterday. I have been on the computer most of the day.  I had forgotten about You Tube and found several tutorials on there that I am quite interested in.  All items are related to future projects and having a video tutorial helps immensely - I think I am a visual learner more than reading the written word which is strange considering I am a total "bookworm", and once I get to grips with things I never forget; but sometimes the learning can be frustrating which is when I end up taking two or three bites at it and doing things slowly I have no choice. As a result of getting number 2 edition of the Sew Inspired publication which I referred to yesterday I have managed to download most of Debbie's tutorials which will come in handy when it comes to the making of Christ...

We had plans for today but sadly they did not come to fruition. In the craft room/computer room we do not get very good television reception and when we are both watching different things on our computers or on the TV well the signal just dies which is very frustrating and sometimes we miss the end or bits of what we have been watching as a result of the up and down signal.  Part of the problem relates to the fact that there was a TV aerial in situ when we moved here about 28 years ago.  That serves the front part of the house. and we have been mooching about getting a second one put up on the back of the house where the signal is absolutely dire. Even the mobile phone signal dies in the back of the house. OH had contacted someone to do the installation today but they had to cancel as one of their installers had failed to turn up to work.  So OH rang around and found somebody who could.  However by the time he got here it was dusk an...