TARRAGON & THYME

I attended my physio appointment this morning and it has been decided that as I seem to have managed to achieve a lot more upper arm strength than I had done, since the relapse following the class finishing, that I have a three month period of grace with the physio department.  This essentially means, that if I have any further problems within this initial period I just need to get in touch with them and arrange an appointment to see someone.  After the three month period I will need to go through Doctor referral again.  Apparently my right arm damage on the tendon is two ruptured tendons and the other two have severe issues.  Ellen is therefore pleased that I have kept at things, but we both realistically know that this can be an up and down situation.  However, as I indicated to her, at least I now have a strategy in place to try and put things right if they deteriorate which my system has shown can happen quickly; but at least have brought it back better than...

Yesterday was a down day as I was not a hundred per cent.  I stayed warm in my PJs and cuddly dressing gown.  For the best part of the day I did not do anything and as the evening snook in I managed to do a little patchwork.  So very unusually yesterday was a bit of a chill out day for me.  Could not put my finger on what was wrong, just felt totally out of it.  However today has been a different kettle of fish. Firing on all pistons this morning.  Been taking it steady though. Did not get to the tip but that will be either Tuesday or Wednesday at the present moment in time. I have managed to do some work in the kitchen and cook a full blown what should have been Sunday lunch yesterday.  We had roasted loin of pork, the crackling came up beautifully although I did not have any.  Served with stem broccoli, shredded steamed cabbage, creamy mashed potatoes, carrots, roasted onions, roasted potatoes and lots of gravy.   Went down very nicely...

Now this quilt will be honest, and will contain mistakes, but that happens when you learn on the job but  most of all it will be made from the heart. Monday 22 January 2024 Did not get set down until 8:00pm and started tacking some of the pale blue patches.  It is a long time since I have actually done this.  I am slowly finding the best way for me - someone who is naturally cack-handed I am slowly finding my way of tacking the patches and checking on my templates as I go along to make sure that they are pretty even. This quilt is very much a learning curve for me, but oh so much love is being poured into it.  It is going to be the perfect companion to some of my vintage bedding which I have been collecting for many years with a view to some of it being put back into use again with some adjustments. Time started: 8pm Time finished: 11:30 Total time engaged 2 hours 30 minutes Total patches tacked: 29 _________________________________________________ Tuesday 23 January...

 Things have been quite busy here, but I have hit a proverbial "Pot Hole" We intend weather permitting on Monday to dispose of the old washing machine, and hopefully the Tumble Dryer down to the tip, together with any other bits that need disposing of.  I am hoping the weather is fine again tomorrow and not too chilly so that can do some initial clearing.  Probably the first of several tranches in clearing, but it is mostly bulk items that will be going to the tip then.  I am currently engaged in trying to sort the bathroom out in order to make sure that we have a clear run to take the tumbler out from the bathroom to kitchen.  It has to be lifted onto the kitchen worktop from the bathroom floor.  Then from kitchen to the back door.  Things are tight, but that is what I am endeavouring to do at the moment.  Think now it will be the end of the week before the Pantry will be finished.  A lot of work has been achieved, but there is still a lot m...

 I am feeling wired at the moment wanting to get on with some jobs later into the evening, and so for tonight at least I am going to be staying away from the computer and also from crafting (unless I manage to get to do a little bit later on). This may go on into tomorrow as well.  Will see how I do. I have some stuff to shift from the Pantry to the kitchen in order that can start on giving the Pantry a makeover.  However first things need to be put away first. I have lots of outline plans for this week but whether will get to them is another matter at the moment. I am focusing on the Pantry as that is the gateway to getting a bit tidier elsewhere.  Keep working away at things a little at a time.  I will do the scrubbing with some hot water, a little bleach and lots of elbow grease. Yes I am using just a little bleach in here as it is the food storage area and we seem to have had an influx of spiders!  So I want everything to be scrubbed up and dried before...

 Still wading through the washing.  Going to have another day of this by the looks of things.  Will probably get everything done and dusted by tomorrow night.   That will be a good job out of the way with.  However that has had a knock on effect with another project I had in hand and has affected this by a day.  I can only do what I can do.  These things are sent to try us. It has been another cold, wet and grey day.  I am still not really in the mood for eating.  So will be something simple for tea tonight.  Probably sausages and tomatoes for tea and maybe a blancmange for pudding.  Something simple and not too strenuous that will hit the spot.  Does not have to be expensive as long as I fill my criteria of one hot meal a day am quite happy about this although will be looking to cook stew, roast pork, soups later on in the week. Maybe even a vegetarian style Lasagna or some pastry dishes.  Quite fancy some homemade C...

 This morning started early with a visit down to Home Bargains.  I was in need of washing powder (Persil Non Bio 77 wash box £11.50 odd), stain remover, fabric conditioner, washing up liquid, some pegs for hanging out the washing where I can as it saves the electric.  Last time I bought pegs they only had plastic ones.  Only bought as that was all they had, but they broke in usage more or less straight away which was not very prolonged.  This time round I have gone for old fashioned wooden ones which I prefer, as I believe these are more eco friendly long term.  All now ensconced in their wicker peg basket (a basket I found at a charity shop and re-purposed).  As we had managed to get out without having to take Missy with us, we took time this time around to have a good look on their "Food section".  Quite impressed on some of the prices and on the canned food prices as well.  Next pay day will probably go and stock up a bit on some things fr...

a very cold day here.  Well I have been cold despite being wrapped up.  The day did not start as expected. We managed to sneak out without Missy being aware of the fact which is an achievement in itself. Went to see the Egg man but no sign of him.  G is going to try again.  Fortunately I still have eggs, and I can always get them from the Veg shop.  The eggs we had from the Egg Man though were really large, golden coloured and well worth the money. We then went on to do a bit more shopping, but more on that under the Kitchen Capers episode which should be up and running for tomorrow morning. I am trying to organise things a bit more than I have been doing thus far. By the time we got back, I then ended up babysitting the dog and the cat as G had to go to Graffham Water.  Cannot leave these two in the same room on their own at the moment as Mischief lashes out unnecessarily and without cause. Missy just wants to be friends, however if the cat goes for her sh...

I enjoyed my crafting afternoon yesterday and evening (Sunday). I managed in the end to cut over 60 patches.  I have also started to tack a few up,  Managed two, and have organised a container I have for working these patches long term. The inserts in the tray will be ideal for bringing the colours together of the patches as well.  I am trying to work things neatly and so that everything is stored safely. Some of these fabrics will be used in the quilt, but none will go to waste.  They can always be used in other projects.  Half the battle with patchwork is getting the pieces/patches to blend well and sit well with each other.  I am using fabrics that have been gifted, swapped, bought and reclaimed from old cotton men's shirts.  I love the lilac fabric above but am not sure at the moment about the two blue fabrics.  Will see how it goes. I intend to use cream cotton for the background colour to blend in with the colourway for my bedroom and a...

 A quiet Sunday afternoon here apart from the appalling weather.  As the afternoon has gone on the wind has become more beligerent and is now howling its head off.  Keep safe and keep warm wherever you are. I decided to award myself the luxury of some down time today.  So I downed tools  got my self healing cutting board out, my scissors and some fabric in order to start the next phase of my Patchwork quilt project by actually starting to mark my fabric and then cut out.  I have made some steady progress as a result. At the time of writing this post, I think I have cut approximately 48 patches.  At the moment I am aiming for a box full of patches so that I can sit of an evening or when I have some time elsewhere and bring the Hexies together with  my needle.  I also intend to inter-mingle plain patches and perhaps embroider some of the patches as well, but that will be further down the line.  I have to have a rummage through my vintage t...

 - Not food days just getting stuck in with essential work in the kitchen.  The washing machine is busy whirring around doing its stuff whilst I am pottering around dealing with various tasks trying to get them out of the way. Meanwhile I am washing anything and everything in the kitchen.  Currently been going through some stuff in boxes and sorting it out.  Entails a lot of actual washing up, but will be a job well worth doing long term. It has been bitterly cold here today even though I have three layers of jumper on today and my hands have been going white in hot washing up water.  Currently having a mug of hot tea to try and warm the digits up! We were not hungry after the big meal last night and just settled with some cheese and biscuits.  The rest of the roast from Friday will be had tomorrow.  Probably have a stew of some sort on Monday. I have also done a little planning work for posts further down the line today.  The first in a lot of wo...

 I have not been rushing around much today just taking life as it comes - very slowly at the moment.  Just pottering going from project to project.  Have a big pile of washing on the go again so will be working through that for the next couple of days or so and getting it dry.  I love the smell of fresh laundry and there is a great deal of satisfaction for me in getting everything nice and clean and sorted again. It has been a bitterly cold day here again, bright but cold which is something.  I am warm apart from my hands and my toes - the usual culprits.  I am moving around trying to get my system moving where I can.  In reality though that does not happen every day.  That is why today has been a slower day out of need more than anything else.  I will get there! Organisation of Pantry contents is going along, a bit day by day.  I now have a stack of bags with goodies in that have all been sorted out with like for like.  Some boxes ...

 We already have a chicken in the fridge and a Pork Loin joint.  Plans were to have the Chicken tonight (Thursday) but instead OH is going to have some chicken wings and as I am not a big fan I will sort something else out for myself.  Probably some soup will see how it goes.  Chicken dinner therefore will happen tomorrow night instead and we will have the Pork Loin roasted on Sunday. G also went to the Butcher yesterday to pick up a few things bearing in mind I do not have much room in the fridge at the moment.  He has come back with a big pack of bacon, sausages, a Gammon joint and some stewing steak which should keep us going for a few days; will be making stew as it is so cold, but I also fancy a repeat of the Beef Bourguignon.  My sort of food and oh it was so tasty. New eggs should be arriving on Saturday. I do need to get stocked up on veggies and some fruit though as apart from the few veg I bought yesterday I am still using up tailings left over in...

 are the best at this time of year as when it is cold and grey it can sink the spirits somewhat.  I therefore prefer bright if cold winter days overall which lift the spirit.  It was an especially cold night here last night down to -5 I think.  Needless to say I kept under the covers for as long as I could.  It has been bitter here today.  Thank goodness we are returning to the light.  Seems even more important this year for no particular reason.  Just a feeling. Yesterday evening I did not get to my patchwork template cutting as I ended up writing a couple of draft posts for future release whilst the inspiration was with me.  This is sometimes what happens for me when prepping posts for my blog.  Sometimes I am scratching around like a chicken in the dirt looking for something that I want to write about.  At other times, well the muse seems to come and its like buses arriving to pick up their passengers.  That is how it was fo...

After a slight detour I thought that it was about time I got back into the saddle and the swing of things with regard to my food efforts here and my efforts to make the most of what comes my way. I have been very lucky to this month be able to put up a few tinned items for long term storage/use for the Pantry shelf as outlined in recent posts.  I have made a concerted effort this month despite limited funds to concentrate on buying other staple items as well.  This has been worrying me as I have been rapidly reaching the end of supplies, despite dipping into them for quite a period of time.  I am aiming to start to replace those items as best as I can although in a very limited way to how I previously used to stock up on things.  It is what it is though.  In any event, I have always been more of a Squirrel when it comes to the Pantry making and gathering stuff to ensure that food security is provided but at minimum cost where I can.  For instance I use very...

These have changed as they have had to in line with the price increases in food and a limited income.  They have had to. All of us have had to adjust what we do in order to survive and I consider myself lucky. Whereupon I used to buy for what we needed plus a generous buffer, so that I had replacement items available in the Pantry, at the moment that is not the case.  When I go shopping it is mindful shopping that will essentially provide a couple of good meals at least.  However that does not stop me mithering (on the inside at least) about being able to re-stock my Pantry so that we have a healthy supply of what I consider basic items.  Yesterday I spoke about what I had bought at Iceland Food Warehouse.  Today have been to Waitrose for one or two items and to have a look around. I think to develop my Pantry supplies that bit more I am going to have to get a bit more nitty picky with the ingredients I do have to hand and when they are used and being more fruga...