TARRAGON & THYME

I have been working away steadily on my needlepoint although I have not been able work it every night; but I am pleased that I have been able to get some done.  This little needlepoint is designated for a cushion insert.  I have already worked one, plus some others in any event.  The time consuming bit is going to be working the background.  I intend to carry on during the week to see if I can get some more done even if it is only for an hour a night.  With feeding the kittens of an evening it takes me at least an hour to get them sorted and get them being used to being handled.  I am a slow worker but I am aiming for neatness rather than speed so that the project looks half decent by the time that it is finished. Anyway here are some photos  of my progress: I still have a way to go but it is bringing me deep satisfaction that I am very slowly getting another UFO finished and another item off the unfinished list and there are a l...

Molly had kittens five weeks ago  this time  five of them.  I have just started to wean them and to handle them a bit - they are not too keen at the handling part but they each did suckle a little milk and one of them tried to suckle my finger.  I also took the opportunity to try and take some photos - they are as they are but that is part of the charm for me. Getting them all together without one of them doing  bunk is nigh on impossible one of them always manages to hide.    I must say I am pretty smitten with them but then I absolutely love cats and kittens.  They are so sweet. Pattypan x

It  has been my first day back at work today and I have paced myself although my back and hip are playing up quite a bit at the moment.  I will spray up with some Biofreeze before going to bed with a nice hot water bottle. Knowing that I would be tired after the first day back I sought to do something quick and simple for tea (and to make sure OH was fed and watered properly)and invested in a Pork and Red Wine Conchiglie Pasta bake served with a side salad and tons of garlic bread.  All bought -something I do not normally do as many of you know I normally cook from scratch.  It was not too bad and filled a gap. I ran out of  bread and so nipped and fetched some for Oh's packup which is now done and dusted in his packup box ready for tomorrow.  Whilst out I came across some small lamb chops that had been reduced 4 for £1.23 so I bought 2 packs and together with some mint jelly they will form the basis of tomorrow night's tea together with some seaso...

Sadly due to recent events I am lagging behind with the challenge.  I shall endeavour to catch up as quickly as I can. Now where was I  - oh yes working a Sue Dakin design of the Lake District a long stitch kit and I had managed to run out of wool.  I need to locate a couple of more skeins of different thread which will probably occur around pay day which in effect puts that particular project on hold until I get the threads to resume the same. Resting up and doing nothing in particular is not normally my style but I have had no option in light of recent events but needless to say I am now itching to get going again on some of my needlework.  I had started a small Coleshill wild rose needlepoint sometime ago so that is the next one I will attempt to complete - I cannot guarantee that it will be done in a week but I should be able to get some of it worked; it is something not too taxing to start with. I have already worked one of these panels previously...

A couple of weeks ago I managed to get a chest infection which resulted in me having a week off work to try and knock said infection on the head.  It was anticipated that I would return to work on the following Monday.  OH went off to work I was up going to get my breakfast, get myself ready for work and I do not remember too much after that until late afternoon when my Personnel manager came looking for me as they had not heard anything from me which in itself was unusual.  I groggily answered the door covered in blood whereupon she called the Ambulance to me and thereon in things are a bit vague but needless to say I ended up in hospital for three days. It would appear that I had had a grand mal epileptic fit (I have had epilesy since I was about seven years old, but during the past 8 years or so not on medication) and during the collapse had fallen on a glass and brass candle lamp which glass shade had cut and lodged itself in my arm causing a three inch gash by t...

It was OHs birthday yesterday and poor soul  was poorly and spent most of the day in bed.  The cold seems to have gone to his chest.  I therefore made a big pan of home made onion soup to try and keep the bugs at bay. I had intended on cooking him a nice meal for his birthday but that had to be put on hold until today.  Unfortunately he seems to have passed the bug on! It was shopping day yesterday where I stocked up on the monthly supplies of food inlcuding plenty of fresh veg from the veggie shop plenty of bargains I bought Seville Oranges for £1.67 per kilogramme and I have a couple of different recipes to make during the week; some plums for plum jam a good dollop in home made rice pudding or jammy steamed pudding springs to mind and some lemon curd, home made lemonade, lemon chutney and lemon cordial is also on the cards so it looks as though I am going to be busy during the week that is if this cold keeps at bay. Whilst at the Coop they have had an offer on...

Of late I have spent a lot of time browsing at foods available in the stores and which I refuse to buy on the grounds of that I can get more for my money by making them myself.  The only time I deviate from this is if they are reduced to silly prices.  I went to the Coop yesterday and they had 6 scotch pancakes for £1.  Now on a realistic basis you would have to buy two packs of these at least for a family of four and more for larger families.   The cheapest plain flour was £1.25 for a (approx 3lb) 1.5 kg bag of flour so you could effectively make an awful lot of these from just the one bag.Drop Scones/Scotch Pancakes are very easy to make and you get between 18 to 20 pancakes from one batch of the mixture. So why buy them they take very little time to make. When the children were at home I regularly used to serve these to them for when they came home from school or for inclusion in their packups or for serving with fresh fruit and yogurt for pudding or...