Temperature Drop

It has been cold and wet again today and windy.  Confusingly the sun did come out late afternoon and then we had the most glorious of rainbows.  However after yesterday's constant rain I should have known. I am having a bit of a flare up with the arthritis. I have not been very mobile today, my joints have been swollen and I have had a lot of pain predominantly in my hands and feet, but also elsewhere.  I have therefore had to dose up on paracetamol to help ease some of the pain.  I will only take them if I have to and today has been one of those days. It has therefore been a day of resting up, not really doing anything, keeping warm and taking it easy.  The temperature drop has sort of been a bit of a shock after the few nice days we have had and I was so enjoying it out in the garden.  But less of the lack of focus I should be concentrating on the positives as there is always someone out there who has it worse than you and looks enviously at your ability to do the things they no longer can.  So I am grateful for small mercies.

I am hoping to make up the ginger beer tomorrow evening - depends how I am but if not it will be done on Saturday.  I have Grolsch type bottles to bottle the ginger beer into. I hope this recipe is a good one; it looks very much like the one my mum and nan used to make but as they never wrote the recipe down and only ever showed me how to make it, I could be wrong. The plant itself is reasonably lively. I used to make this regularly at home and used to store it in old fashioned cider bottles with a rubber bung.  It was stored in some old drinks crates which dad had placed on the outer wall of the garage in order that he could put the car away safely.  He was working away in the garage this particular summer's day, working on one of his motor bikes at the end of the garage near the drinks crates.  The sun had been out all day on the wall of the garage (where the drinks crates were) and all of a sudden he heard a fizz and then a bang and then had to dodge several flying bungs as the whole of the ginger beer bottles blew.  He came into the house a bit drenched and excited told us what had happened at which point we all dissolved into fits of laughter.  Dad at this point was not amused.  He banned me there and then from making anymore ginger beer and commented something to the effect of "If the IRA ever got hold of you we would be in lots of trouble"!  Well Ginger Beer is a kind of "Pop".

It was only when I got married and had my own home that I started making it again and for the best part it has worked well, but we will see what happens this time around.

I was also hoping to go to town tomorrow but if I am not up to it that will also be reserved to Saturday.  I usually walk in and then get OH to come and collect me.  I walk in by choice as it gives me good exercise.

Catch up soon.

Pattypan

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