TARRAGON & THYME

  This morning I ventured into town for the first time in the best part of 8 weeks or more.  I was not happy to go in but needed to shop for basic stuff that we use on a regular basis.  I normally use Wilkos for this combined with the £ shop.  It is a form of bulk shopping for basics. These days I tend just to pick a couple of shops to go to and then if necessary go back another day.  I may have to do this as I have found a few more things since coming home that I actually need. I am still not 100% and firing on all systems and so found the small jaunt this morning quite tiring.  From Wilkos went to the £ shop but quickly ditched that because of the size of the queue and I could not find what I was looking for in any event. So then headed in the direction of Primark.  Another no go and queues outside the centre to get in the shop.  Abandoned that as well. So I then headed into M & S as I had decided that I was going to cook a simple chicken me...

In theory I do tend to try and get stuff out of the way with so that I am not caught on the hop.  However, I plead the seventh amendment on this in that I am a great procrastinator and tend to put off things, especially things that frighten me or ones where I am out of my comfort zone.  I have to learn to be braver and not as frightened of my own shadow. For the past four years I have been at home and it looks as though for the foreseeable future this will be the case.  In all honesty I do not think that I could cope with a full time job on the level I had back then.  I am very sure that the decision I made to take redundancy is still very much the right decision for me then and now.  However what I have found difficult to come to terms is that I absolutely loved my job as a Legal Secretary/PA and after 34 years of in many respects being defined by that job, then coming out of it, what form or function did I have.  I have been struggling with this but have ...

'Thank you all for your various good wishes.  Very much appreciated. Thing's have not been terribly good here but they are slowly getting better.  I should take the last lot of pain killers and antibiotics tomorrow and at least now I am a lot more comfortable than I have been.  Would not wish that on my worst enemy.  Hospital have been in touch as well for the ultrasound and that is due to take place on 11 May.  I have to starve myself for six hours prior to the testing.  Me starve!  Well I am off my food quite a bit at the moment and am being very careful with what I am eating which is not terribly much.  I think things will be a lot lower fat for the foreseeable.  I should then find out about 10 days after as to how they wish to progress. These things are sent to try us and yet another medical label for the list.  Honestly, I am getting a bit bored with this and a bit frustrated to say the least. I have not really been up to much in th...

 Well have got to the bottom of what is going on with my health. Monday evening I ended up ringing my GP practice as it appeared my sliding hiatus hernia and my acid reflux was playing up.  I was given certain advice to make myself more comfy.  On Tuesday I took it easy but just above my belly button was very sore.  That night I did not sleep as I could not get comfy. Yesterday morning my sore belly wS joined by pain on my right hand side and I was feeling bilious again although was not actually sick.  Therefore rang Doctor and he fortunately agreed to see me.  Our favourite Doctor who is very direct, stands no nonsense and gets things sorted. very efficiently. He examined me and apparently I have gall stones.  I have been put on antibiotics and pain killers as well as being told to top up with paracetomol.  I under normal circumstances have quite a high pain threshold but this has been an absolute killer.  I have not been able to get comfy a...

....... your own veggies and then process said vegetables. The commonest ways of preserving by the various forms of preserving known to us i.e. chutneys, pickles, Pressure canned in a professional Canner (not a pressure cooker) there is a distinct difference, dehydrated/dried, made into wines, frozen, etc. etc. and then [put up on the pantry shelf or into the deep freeze] for sustaining your family during the winter months. I have been preserving by different methods for over 40 years.  We have grown our own veg over the years, but sadly after OH sustained a back injury that kind of went by the wayside.  However this is something I am keen to redress. However, I do make up for it as I have a good local veg shop and I am always looking for bargains to squirrel away in one form or another. During our gardening years I invested in some specialist equipment.  The first piece I bought was a Victorio Tomato/passata press which was hand cranked and took all the pips out of the s...

  After a very uncomfortable night, and eventually dropping off to sleep, I woke at 6:30am and promptly dropped off back to sleep again.  There was no hurry to get up and so I have taken the time out to rest up a little and showing myself a little TLC.  I do not have the pain now, and I had taken some Ibruprofen but was told categorically by the Medical Assistant to keep away from Ibruprofen at all costs.  I am to stick to paracetamol.  I am sore today but a lot better than I was last night.  I bought new jeans last year and they were a size smaller than I used to be.  However since lockdown, I have put on a little weight.  My logic is that maybe this has something to do with it as well.  So me eating only what I need may be a good way of getting rid of those few pounds I have put on.  I am also going to start walking again into town to get a bit more exercise as that is how I lost the weight before.  It does not help with OH now be...

This post should have been lodged yesterday.  Unfortunately I was unwell last night again and had to get in touch with medical services via our GP Surgery as I had quite a lot of pain.  They asked a lot of questions and I learned a few things about the medication that I am taking and that I can take a little more if necessary. I had been taking the required dose, but apparently if I have an upset like this I can have a further pill to try and calm things down.  However by the time I got to speak so to someone (within two hours the pain was subsiding.  They were satisfied from my responses that I was on the mend but I have been told that if it gets unbearable again to get right back in touch with them.  I am extremely grateful that I was able to speak to someone to answer my concerns, without necessarily diving in and seeing a Doctor or alternatively turning up at A & E when there is no real need too. I was worried because of the amount of pain, but apparentl...

 I initially woke at 6:00am and listened to the birds before being lulled back to sleep.  The sun was starting to creep in at 6:00am.  Eventually woke up at 9:00am and the sun was a lot stronger by then.  It was warm, the birds were singing their hearts out and it was quiet.  No noise from people at all just quiet.  It was lovely.  I was comfortable and it was a privilege to be in that moment without it being spoilt at all,  A time to smell the roses I believe is the quote often used.  Not that we have any roses at the moment but they are on the ever growing list. Precious time without any disturbance.  Then OH woke up and someone started work with a drill in another household.  It shattered the moment.  Its at times like this that I want to be back in either a tiny village or a hamlet where the real world cannot impinge as much and you have the time and space to find your own peace and quiet and own quiet retreat.   ...

The day the Royal Family said goodbye to their loved one.  Very sad.  A man of vision and such a kind man. He will be sadly missed.  I did watch the funeral later on TV after we came home. Today for me has not been a bad day at all, all round.  I feel much better than I did.  I have been taking things easy though and watching how much I eat, when I eat it etc. The delivery driver arrived in good time and we received the delivery of Charcuterie items we had ordered. Trying a different supplier this time predominantly for Charcuterie items. This is not a sponsored post, and we paid for items.  Completely our own views but thought that you might also be interested in seeing what they offer. The items arrived in a box but were supplied and packed in nice insulated cool bag with packs that can be reused. Company called Craft'd web site:  Craft'd   Apparently they also have a You Tube site. and they provide a variety of artisanal foods.  In our box...

  I have not really had a very good week as I have not been well for the past couple of days.  This time not to do with what I have eaten or not, but the outcome still the same.  It seems that when I bend at all it is putting pressure on my hernia and in effect creasing me.  I am going to have to lose some more weight - it will do no harm.  I will get to the Doctor shortly.  All my other instincts seem to have been right, but on further investigation some of my other conditions could be impacting too.  Its like a large jig saw puzzle where you put things together bit by bit.  Well I did say I would probably have to go back to the drawing board at some point. I cam only learn what is best for me by trying different strategies.  I am blowed if I am going to let a condition affect my quality of life. As a result of not being well, I have not really felt like cooking either.  I have gone on to light rations.  For instance this evening I...

  Was extremely busy and when I eventually managed to get into the kitchen and start work in there again.  I have lots to do and lots to catch up on, but as a result of working in the kitchen and trying to get as much done as I can, still no work on the embroidery.  Will get back to it as I do not want the lap quilt to "lay" without any further work on it.  As I have said from the outset, I need to get this completed as soon as I possibly can.  It is another early start tomorrow, as I continue with plugging along with the work that needs doing.  Once everything is spick and span again I can really start motoring on the cooking side again.  I also have the fridge to scrub out but that will happen later tomorrow in any event. I am hoping that OH goes fishing soon.  I have a particular project I want to do whilst he is out of the way, which involves decorating and sorting the cupboard under the stairs.  This needs to be turned into a general sto...

It has been one of those days where I was so full of energy and ideas but at the end of it all nothing materialised.   Getting very fed up with losing the momentum as it were and not in the mood to focus. My arm has been very painful from the injection yesterday but is now calming down a bit, which I am pleased about.  I am so glad that I opted to have it in my left arm again, so that I can still use my right hand which is my dominant hand.  I have been wanting to do some embroidery, but yet again have not been able to settle to it and it is driving me up the wall. OH was supposed to go to the caravan today to do some repairs but never got there.  He is planning to go tomorrow.  I have to stay in as I am expecting a delivery.  I think it is some earrings, but am not terribly sure, that were ordered a while back.  So I have to wait in for the parcel.  Which means I will deal with the kitchen stuff tomorrow whilst I am waiting for the delivery....

I was up early in order to get ready to go to the Doctor's surgery (not my local one as they did not have any appointments left (I was invited in yesterday by text).  I was given the option of going to another surgery within the group and os ended up at the surgery in Whittlesey. OH could not get the Sat Nav to work, and so we ended up winging it and asking a local as to where the surgery was situated.  We made it with a few minutes to spare. All was dealt with very professionally. On the way back OH treated us to a Kentucky and since then we have been pottering about the house, doing various chores and also catching up on the Internet.  Unfortunately I did not get to the embroidery again.  Will try to get back on track tomorrow. I have taken things easy as a result of having the injection, but like yesterday I felt brighter than I have been doing.  The new regime with the alarm and the pill taking at a different time seems to be working as well.  I am stil...

  Very sad news yesterday of Prince Philip's passing.  Thank you for your selflessness and service to this little country.  May you rest in peace sir. I met him as a little girl.  I would be about five to six years old at the time.  The Queen paid a first visit to the Junior School I attended and we had been pre-warned how to behave when the Queen arrived and much was made of her visit.  No one mentioned the Prince though.  I with my peers were trying to see the Queen doing walkabout outside of the school and this gentleman stopped and started talking to me about whether we attended the school and how long had we been there and various other questions.  Mum who had my brother with her as he was not of school age was over the other side of the street and was quite chuffed.  Needless to say when I got home there was an inquisition as to what had been said and what had not. I had not really known who he was at the time and shrugged the conversat...