TARRAGON & THYME

The days are surely coming round ever quicker and here we find ourselves back into the weekend again. Thursday Night Continued After our tea, I then set too and sorted the rest of the Pantry out so that is nice and tidy again.  The first bread loaf came out just after I posted last night so I did a little amendment.  After allowing the machine to cool down, I then set too and made a second loaf.  We soon get through them. I do have plans today to make some bread buns. If I do not get to them today will make on Saturday though. It has been a while since I have made any and I think they will make a nice change. I am therefore going to have a go at making some French style Crusty rolls as G likes Crusty rolls.  I have never made them before. I will probably on Saturday also make some Cinnamon Buns.  I am a little partial to these even though G does not like Cinnamon! Friday My dear Dad's birthday today.  Always thought of and always in my heart. I slept heavil...

Wednesday evening I set about washing all the cupboards, and then adding stuff back into cupboards as well as on top of the cupboards. I managed to get everything back on top and there are potentially a few pieces that may be added in, rather than the items have popped up there to start with.  Will see how it goes. I have also started sorting stuff in the bathroom. Have located a few more pieces of equipment and some stuff to go into the Pantry, but will get this all sorted so that I can just "cruise" when it comes to the washing later in the week.  Clearing this room out will predominantly happen at the end of the week as I have a lot more washing to do.  I will start the ironing this week that is in the dining room, but as I say I do have a lot more washing to sort out.  A lot of this is as a result of where it has been stored in bags.  Some of the bags have ended up getting split so to be on the safe side there will be a major clean through.  Will do no ...

 for a change.  Have just taken things easy and spent some time with Missy.  Missy wanted out for a walk and so we obliged and took her out down near the river.  Bless her, she has had enough after about 5 to 10 minutes now and spent more time sniffing.  We picked her up and carried her (to give her a rest) and then popped her down again, and she found her way around in this fashion. At one point she turned around and was heading back to the car.  Has been sound asleep since we came back though.  Will probably give her tomorrow to recover and then try her again the following day.  Will see how she goes.  Just gives her a change of scenery.  I have given her a gentle massage to her rear legs as well.  At the moment she is snoozing.  Will see how she is later on. It has therefore been a very laid back day.  Am determined to keep the kitchen really tidy.  Some touch up jobs have been achieved and the cupboards have all b...

Last evening:  After having tackled my fabric basket in the front room I went down into the kitchen to see how the paint was drying. There were some patches which I was not happy about after the first coat of paint and so I set too with the paintbrush.  G has been painting on and off for most of the day in different areas but predominantly the ceiling.  He has not been using a roller brush as the ceiling is textured and he seemed to be achieving a better finish on it with the paintbrush. His back has also had enough of being up and down the ladder.  So putting my money where my mouth is I took up the challenge of the paintbrush. G was very okay with this!  I blame my Mum for this one as I have always been brought up with a have a go attitude.  When I was a teenager Mum decided that we were going to paint my bedroom out whilst my Dad was at work (Dad normally did painting - Mum the wallpapering).  By the time Dad came home from work, my bedroom had had ...

What temperamental weather.  Lots of rain again but as the day has wore on the weather has got better and the Sun is now out. In reality after a few very successful days not many achievements for me as I am patiently waiting on G completing what he needs to do in the kitchen before I continue on.  Also because he has not been with the dog and the cat we have had histrionics from our old lady who when she gets upset tends to hyperventilate so we do try and nip out without her realising.  I have ended up sitting with her not being able to get on with anything whilst G has dealt with his latest tranche of painting. She has been doing a lot of singing to the Sun and the Moon! The update at the moment in-between waiting for the proverbial paint to dry is that he has started to paint the ceiling, and stripped the light down and got that tidied up.  It looks a completely different room already, but it will need another coat of paint as it is a little patchy at the moment....

Even though I have decided probably not to do as much plant growing as I would wish to do at this precise moment in time, I am intent on growing herbs for drying and Christmas decorating for this year. I have a Bay tree in the garden and therefore have a plentiful supply of Bay leaves for my use.  It is only a small tree.  However, I am keen to get several Rosemary plants started and also, Basil, Thyme, more different Mints, Parsley and Sage.  I am keen to try and do this on the barest amount of money though bearing in mind that I do not have many pennies to spend in the first place.  I shall if the weather permits plant some seeds today or at least start to plant some with a view to having plants available for use during Winter/Spring.  We shall therefore see what happens. I intend to buy some smaller herb plants where I can and split them to increase my base stock.  Basil grows very well with Tomatoes.  When I have tomatoes in the greenhouse I normal...

I was awake at 5:30am this morning then again at 8:00am wherein I then dropped off.  G left me until about 10:30am. It has been a slightly stormy and wet day here in Peterborough with both lightning and thunder.  It has also been another extremely busy one.  After my efforts yesterday someone let me sleep in which I was grateful for as I was so stiff and very tired. In any event, when I did wake up I got up more or less straight away and sorted out everyone's breakfasts and drinks and then went into the kitchen. I did not get the top of the units cleared last night and so therefore I dealt with them today, and cleaned everything up.  Then set about cleaning the top of the cupboards and the ceiling and the light.  I was up and down the large ladder steps for quite some time and am now quite stiff again.  However I managed to get everything cleared and the worktop partially cleared as well.  Everything from the kitchen is now in the bathroom until G has ...

 I love nice things and one of my passions is collecting vintage glassware.  I have a love of nice things from my Nan and my Mum.  Nan had a lovely China cabinet with all her precious bits in and my Mum did not have a cabinet but she had lots of lovely items out on display. My first ornament was as a little girl and for a birthday present from a friend I was bought the sweetest little China cat in a basket.  I still have that somewhere amongst all the other bits and bobs I have collected over many years. Some come from Charity shops, some were inherited, some came via Ebay, some were gifted. Some of the items in the following photos are only some of the items I have the rest are in other boxes so there are a few more to match up. There are four of the amber coloured Champagne Coupes. They also have an embossed gold design just under the rim. In the back of the picture on the left hand side as you are looking at the picture, are two of the smaller glasses. I later pac...

 ....of the building at long last.  That is the old washing machine and the Tumbler to be taken to the tip in the next few days along with loads of other stuff from the garden.  Operation clean-up is in full swing. Progress has been made. My morning started early 6:00am I was awake and nodded off and woke up about 8:00am and got up. It was lovely out, birds were singing and it was relatively quiet just bird song for a change - Saturday morning makes all the difference. Breakfast was sorted and a cuppa - have to have a cuppa first thing primarily for my meds more than anything else. Then I started in the kitchen.  Quite a bit of progress had been made last evening, even though I did not get everything done that I had wanted too; my back was killing me  and in the end I had to cave in and just rest up.  Let us just say that I slept really well. I then set about the small trolley which housed quite a few of bits and bobs that I use on a regular basis and all m...

However not very far off and then will be able to get in the bathroom. Kitchen been well scrubbed out and stuff has gone back into cupboards surprisingly well. Fingers crossed can squeeze some more stuff in as well. Not too bad a day weather wise and I have been able to get the pet linen into the washing machine towels always get boiled and then out onto the line; therefore that is a very good job achieved.  Tea towels will be next, they get boiled too.  I only use a tea towel once and then they are decanted into a bucket ready for the next wash.  Dishcloths the same.  Am a bit faddy and bathroom towels the same.   Whilst I was out in the garden I realised just how much the weeds have grown I really must therefore get back into the routine of doing some gardening each evening and be able to enjoy the peace and quiet and simply just be. We all need alone time and some time to just be with your own thoughts and the methodical task of setting seeds or pulling ...

I don't know this is fast becoming a habit.  Was awake at 6:00am was checking my phone eventually nodded off again about 7:00am and was awake again quite a few hours later.  If I am awake early tomorrow I will be getting up. So today has not really been about anything in particular.  I have done some Internet surfing and then I set too and tried to create a meal out of nothing. We are getting to the end of the month where fresh veggies etc are getting low, and some of the contents of the Pantry have run out as well.  I had run out of a sweet and sour sauce So I decided to have a go at making one with what I had.  No real recipe just a little bit of this and that a lot of tasting in-between as well. Basically I had some Broccoli, carrots, red onion, some dried noodles a jar of my homemade Sloe and Crab Apple jelly (which is very plummy in flavour) but which I quite like, some white wine vinegar, three cooked chicken breasts, some mixed herbs, some vegetable bouil...

The weather today I refer to as "caravan weather" as it nearly always happened when we were in the caravan on holiday when I was a child and we would end up playing "bored games" and listening to the radio in the warmth of the van.  A slightly chilly day today though, slightly humid cannot make its mind up but the one thing we do have is the persistent tap of rain as it falls. So no garden today and I have been housebound. I overslept this morning quite heavily and so I have not achieved any of what I had planned. I have pottered in the bedroom a little bit but nothing substantial so a very quiet really recuperative day here today. It is what it is, just have to get past it and move ever onwards.  Tomorrow is another day. Hopefully by the end of the week I will be able to get to the sewing machine.  I intend downing tools on Friday at some point and just sitting and playing.  Will drive G up the wall, but so be it a girl needs her playtime and in reality I have so m...

Honestly Governor, I started in the kitchen got fed up fancied some fresh air and voila, the garden won hands down.  The basis for my decision was that I was nearer finishing the job in the garden than the kitchen so better to have one more or less finished than none at all.  Bit of psychiatry on my part going on here. My sleep was a bit erratic last night to start with and then I slept heavy and have woken up not firing on all pistons.  Bit like Foggy dew! Weather forecast for today said rain, but so far has hit a bright spot too so garden wins. Did some more clearing, until rain stopped play. Well it looks as though they got the forecast right. To tell you the truth I did too much in the kitchen last night and I need a break!  Back to it tomorrow.  I want to get the top of the kitchen units (wall cupboards) sorted out and scrubbed and then leave the appliances down for a day or so, in order that part of the kitchen can be painted.  We still have a lot to ...

Against my better judgment I carried on again after tea on Sunday evening.  I have a lot to do all round. In any event we had a lovely tea, homemade fat chips together with a big fried chicken breast each and bread and butter.  G had ketchup I had Sweet and Sour Chilli sauce.  Went down very nicely. I had to pop the chips into the oven to keep them warm for a little while as the chicken breasts were particularly thick at one end.  I therefore cut them in half and re-fried until cooked. To start with I went out into the garden but there is a post about that which I have Scheduled for Monday Morning. (I am typing the first part of this post late on Sunday evening). So I did get some variation for a little while. So back to the bedroom for a little while.  I managed to manhandle my two stacks of polythene drawers down into the dining room.  I do not have any kitchen drawers in the kitchen or space to put any so I now have four stacks (two big ones when joined ...

No bedroom today.  Weather has been very hot and the front bedroom gets too hot with full sunlight first thing so it would have been unbearable to have been in there. I have therefore been in the kitchen all day long in an effort to get it super clean and squeaky in order that I can get on in the rest of the house i.e. the front bedroom.  I have not been in the bedroom at all today.  I have put in a concerted effort in the kitchen to make the house more functional whilst I have the house upside down for the foreseeable.  It will be worth it in the end. So Operation Kitchen has been in full swing today.  I was up at 8:15am this morning, I was awake at 5:30am again but quickly went back to sleep.  G was still snoring so I got up, did not disturb the three sleeping angels and got stuck in, in the kitchen.  I have also been using my drawers to put stuff away as I am finding it.  Has been a blessing so far, however am going to have to have a really goo...

  After Saturday's tree felling and putting the washing out during the day I have despite what is on my plate to do with the bedroom am going to get on with the garden again.  You stop for a breather and the weeds are taking over again.  Need to get back to the hour or two a day, probably earlier in the day to try and get it back under control and then that will give me time to focus on the bedroom again. Focusing still on the Front Garden G got the tree down at long last.  He has been "chipping" away at it - all nice and tidy now apart from the fact that there is lots of chopped Holly pieces now in the gravel.  I therefore went into the garden for an hour and a half on Sunday night and I have cleared half of the front garden of the Holly pieces.  I have six big bags of rubbish ready and waiting to go down to the tip.  I was intent on carrying on, but the breeze started to cool down a bit, I fancied a cup of tea and my back was kicking off a bit so dec...