TARRAGON & THYME

I have not been firing on all systems today so a quieter more reflective mood and a mindful day has been had.  No bathroom work today as G's back is decidedly dodgy so a day off. The work he did yesterday looks good.  It has still to be finished off but I am pleased with it. No decision has been made about the flooring for the bathroom at the moment. We were gifted by a friend some new unused flooring and there is only so much of it. However if there is not quite enough for the bathroom the Pantry will be floored instead which needs doing in any event.  We will then revisit the main part of the bathroom at the end of next month, try and match it up and then probably do that then.  Will give us chance to work on decorating the main part of the Bathroom and get that sorted a bit in between.  I think I have mentioned before that I also have a small table that needs re-vamping to go into the bathroom.  So we shall see how things go on.  I have a lot of the...

 I was going to go foraging today.  However I may manage to nip out for an hour later on or indeed again on Saturday morning.  I still have a lot to do in the kitchen, but there is very much a light at the end of the tunnel and I should be completely finished in the kitchen on the cleaning front today. I will therefore be focusing on getting this all done and dusted.  I will probably also do more washing as well. If I get chance may well start on a shelf by shelf basis in the Pantry as well to start re-organisation. Weather is meant to be good for today, so may as well take advantage of the drying weather.  No point in paying for the tumbler to run at the moment. WELL...... I didn't get to any of that.  In a fairy tale in a far off place that is what should have happened. Today G decided he was starting the bathroom flooring to put the laminate down.  I therefore had to re-arrange my plans as to what I was going to do. I ended up scrubbing the little r...

 Work continues on the electrics.  I have had to put the proverbial foot into gear indicating to G that there is work that I need to do in the kitchen as well as him.  Could he please therefore get on with what he needs to do so that I can go in and progress.  Both new light switches work beautifully and that is a bonus.  Just the socket board to get sorted in the kitchen.  I do not think it will be a problem once it is clear and he can see his way around it. G has been into the kitchen and painted the ceiling around where the new light fitting is to be fixed up.  He will do the lighting later on when it is dry. As I have mentioned the bathroom lighting will be on the list to do.  The bathroom needs decorating anyway and so once the kitchen, Pantry, ironing and Dining room have been sorted out we can perhaps get to that next.  We have some laminate for the loo and bathroom to tidy things up in there.  So there are things moving along qui...

 "Despite the best made plans of Mice and Men" as the saying goes.  Things always seem to get complicated no matter what we are doing.  Nothing is ever straightforward!  Something else always needs to be done as a result and we end up with utter chaos out of something that should have been straightforward. The other evening as I had been working away the kitchen light popped and would not re-start.  New starter put in, nothing, new tube put in nothing.  Therefore decided that because it was such an old light it could be the fitting itself and last night we ordered a new fitting.  That has arrived this morning first thing,  Never quite had service like it.  Absolutely spot on and the fitting is very good quality too. G then tried to fit said new light fitting.  Still nothing, so we suspect there is something a little bit more adrift.  It will be something daft it always is.  G is still working away at this and currently the kitc...

Back into the kitchen.  After Pizza for tea last night it was time to stop play in the kitchen because of the light issue.  To tell you the truth I was shattered in any event and so I did not venture into the garden apart from getting the washing in. Checked the forecast it is meant to be warmer tomorrow 24 degrees and is another fine day.  Good for me to carry on with the washing then.  I already have a bag to go out for tomorrow.  It will be another early start and another very busy day. Plans after breakfast are therefore: Our bathroom is off the bottom of our kitchen and I need to wash the doorway paintwork down and give the door a scrub as well. From there it will be on to the Microwave and my small Electric Multi-Function oven which includes a Rotisserie.  I need G to fix a socket board somewhere underneath so that I can use these machines more than what they are being used at the moment.  They need a good clean down - I am not sure whether G wil...

Was up early. Now that is an achievement in itself. Dug out the Pizza dough to make homemade Pizza for tea this evening. G was up earlier and sorted out the washing machine for me. Since then several loads of washing achieved and three loads got out onto the line and dried. Had breakfast and did washing up. Intermittently all day long have been hanging washing out to dry and putting fresh loads of laundry into the machine. It has been a very good drying day. Also putting the freshly laundered stuff into the ironing heap.   Will not get to the ironing heap tonight, but will find something else to do instead for a little while.  Might go into the garden and start pulling some weeds. Went to Home Bargains for some smaller cleaning bits and bobs which had run out of, including stocking up on Zip Lock bags, some pan scourers, dishcloths, bleach, disinfectant, bleach and one or two other bits and bobs. Normally they have some packs of mixed sized adhesive labels which are ideal...

As Indicated last week I am back to my Lists! Just a few things planned for today Monday .  I plan on an early start as over the next few weeks I have quite a lot to do and the sooner I get stuck in the better.  Whilst the kitchen light is out I also want to make the most of the daylight hours. Wouldn't you know it a second problem in the kitchen. The washing machine decided that it was doing the all flashing light dance at the end of a programme.  As could not see anything last night because of the light issue, G has been up and sorted out.  It would appear that there was a small piece of debris in the gadget which isolates any bits which ultimately prevented the machine from emptying.  He set too and drained it and all is now working correctly.  Phew, now another wash on.  Yes am up early as planned.  I made it! Just off to cook breakfast and make a cuppa. NOW BACK TO THE Outline Plans for today:  Get back into the kitchen. Finish cleaning,...

Saturday evening I carried on with cleaning the bedroom after tea as well.  Removed a lot of items out of here and still a few more to go, and the ones that need sorting are in a reasonable order for me to go through on the desk, which will probably happen sometime tomorrow night as I really have an awful lot to do.  Have for the best part reclaimed my desk and I now have a big pile of paperwork to go through. Most of it is to do with handwritten recipes that need to go into one of my preserving folders so that I have order and am able to find the recipes that I make regularly.  I am getting decidedly dotty in my dotage.  For the best part I know how to cook the recipes it is the measurements I forget.  I have also been putting my handwritten notes into plastic sleeves for the folder to keep them clean. I also sorted out my knitting bag that I have not touched for months despite the best of intentions.  I think that will be getting picked up again soon it i...

 We have had rain falling gently to start with all last night, and continuously on through the early hours and is still raining incessantly.  Not heavy just incessant and constant the type of rain that will do good but it always causes problems somewhere down the line. I did not get a good sleep last night.  Missy was on her travels and then once she settled, I could not get to sleep and I now feel completely wiped out. G has nipped out to the shop, and I am currently babysitting a sleeping Jack Russell and a very fussy cat until he comes back and then I will be able to get on in the kitchen.  Ostensibly he has gone out for potatoes and I suspect a few other things as well.  Potato man was not there, but could not blame him really.  Will look elsewhere for the taters, think it might be a tad early yet for a full sack. G has come back with quite a few things which have been decanted into the fridge but need sorting out a bit.  At least they are in the c...

The courier arrived midday and we got that all sorted out with no hitches or problems. It was then my intention to descend on the kitchen.  Got all geared up to go in, and I had pottered doing some other bits and bobs earlier on.  However those items planned for today will now take place tomorrow as we had a slight hiccup in the itinerary!  These things are sent to try us. The only thing I really got done was I made pastry, and I made and cooked a Quiche for our tea this evening, which was served with homemade chips and some bread and butter it went down an absolute treat and was so tasty. This time around I included in the mix, courgette, smoky bacon, onion, broccoli, red pepper, with some sliced tomato on the top together with a liberal dressing of cheese in the mix and on the top of the Quiche. The presentation also came up a lot better this time and I did not have a soggy bottom! Still need to do work on the Pastry, but a much better attempt this time around.  I ...

Really has been a non-event.  I did not even realise it was Thursday today.  Seem to have been doing everything that I did not want to deal with because of other things going on and not getting or being able to deal with what I had intended doing.  Therefore I am going back to the Work Schedules.  I have decided that they help my focus that bit more even when I do get interrupted, as I can just then carry on as if no interruption had actually happened.  Therefore back to the Lists!  Suits me though. Simple breakfast for us both this morning as I was not in the mood to "cook" first thing.  So just toast and jam.  Had to re-stock from under the stairs on jam and have liberated a new jar of Blackberry jam, a jar of Lemon Marmalade and a jar of Victoria Plum jam.  It is good to use up something that you have gone to the effort of making in everyday eating and enjoying the flavour of the product as well.  It is also very comforting when penni...

Part two was interrupted yesterday. So today we returned for Part three.  It started off wet drizzly and windy.  Eventually the wind dropped and the rain dried up a bit so off we set. I went out in my not very smart foraging kit in an old pair of jeans today and an old hoodie sweatshirt together and hair scraped up out of the way as the brambles always go for my hair. Being armed with (a carrier bag with three bowls in it today) and got into the thick of the Blackberry bushes.  I look like something that has been dragged through a hedge backwards, but have been in my element.  I was always in the thick of things as a kid and always into mud pies. Although I was not strictly naughty I did get up to mischief.  These days as an adult if I wear light colours especially if they are new they get christened with something no matter how hard I try.  However, I am what I am, I am me and being true to my nature, which is never easy when other people have impressions ...

Today has been busy but not in the way that I had envisioned.  I had planned on going Blackberry picking and then spending the afternoon making/starting preserves.  That just did not happen today. I eventually got to speak to the people I needed to speak to last week.  They were supposed to call on two separate occasions las week  which just did not happen.  Left us waiting for them as the call could have been at any time like a pair of Pilchards.  They were very apologetic when I phoned this morning.  However at least got that sorted and out of the way with. Also needed to speak to a couple of other people, some more information was needed and an appointment was made for 4:00pm.  So we decided to get out and do a little more Blackberrying.  Hadn't been out above 10 minutes managed to pick about 1lb Blackberries and got a call indicating that there had been a cancellation and could we do call in about 10 minutes.  We therefore made our w...