TARRAGON & THYME

I have had a fantastic day and I am very pleased to report that I have at long last used my sewing machine. It was a lot easier than I had anticipated, but I have at long last dived in and christened it.  The DVD that came with it was very clear and very self-explanatory.  The instruction book which I could only take with me just as clear. There is going to be no stopping me now. The beginnings of my quilt. An over-view of part of the hall.  There was at least the same room and amount of people on the other side of the room as well. My friend Alison Banerjee, South Cambridgeshire Co-Oridnator for Project Linus had organised a sewing and crochet day in aid of Project Linus and had received a number of cancellations yesterday due to illness and she did not think that many would attend.  In the end we had quite a few lovely ladies joining us all engaged on different projects.  A lot of quilts and blankets were also received in with people popping in...

Well I have been brave and I have watched the DVD for the Janome DC7100 (has 100 different stitches).  The machine looks very simple to use - I think the complicated bit so far is the threading.  The DVD instructions make it look easy and the functions are easily broken down.  A long way on from the last really super duper machine I used when I was at college in 1976.  I have only ever had a Toyota which was bought for about £100 and the stitch tension kept going wrong on the machine.  Nearly every time I had it serviced they had to do something to it.   At the moment I am feeling a little happier about using it.  From what I have seen I am impressed.  Now to get to grips with it.  Once this one is sorted and the patchwork is under way that I want to get done then I shall dive in with the Janome 500E Embroidery machine.  Now I really am looking forward to using that.  I should have used it by now but lack of courage and lack of...

Literally at the moment and hence the reason for me not being present for a couple of days or so.  I have a couple of reports to type up as well which I have not yet managed to get to.  I am hoping to get to these tomorrow night.  I am out all day tomorrow. Today has been very hectic.  OH got up his usual time and left about 7:30pm.  I was up for 8:00pm and on the computer more or less straight away as I needed to apply for another job that had come up on the Job Centre website which included me tweaking my CV.  Filling in the application form which took me three hours (their application) and then checking and submitting it online.  I am very out of practice when it comes to CVs and interviews so this is going to be a whole new ball game I suspect. I was supposed to have met with a  friend today for lunch but unfortunately she got held up at a meeting in Cambridge and we have re-arranged another time.  After walking into town I h...

One step at a time each little action layer on layer will eventually end up with a sizeable job achieved and hopefully a fully functioning spread sheet for sowing, planting and harvesting of all my seeds.  Last night I started doing the inventory on my shorthand pad working a packet of seeds at a time.  Once all the seeds have been gone through I will then set to with the typing of said spreadsheet so that hopefully I can use this year in year out.  I am also hoping if I have enough room to put something about how to grow on the sheet as some of the stuff I have never grown before.  I am going to have a lot to do on the seed sowing front some of which I could actually sow now but I need to get one of the planting houses sorted out before I can do that together with some fleece cover.  It will happen.  This year it is about the seeds and creating my own plants  I am hoping for a warmer day soon so that I can start decluttering the garden.  OH is g...

I had started to sort my seed stash out last year and decanted quite a lot of them into a Lever Arch file in plastic sleeves for better storage and the plan was that I would then prepare an Xcel spreadsheet with full sowing and harvesting information.  At the time I popped the seeds into the folder I felt that I had not got all of the seeds to hand and the other day when doing out the front room I found a shoe box full of said seeds that still need sorting.  I still suspect that there are further seeds to be located though as I am sure I had more tomato seeds than I have found thus far.  So at the moment I am trying to sort out the folder so that I can get all the seeds in there and also get the Xcel spreadsheet sorted.  This is going to be a time consuming job but one I hope will save me time in future years.  One of the problems I have is that I find a specific seed I like and then when I go to re-purchase cannot locate whereas if I have the name of the seed ...

Sometimes you have to stand back from things to find out where you are actually at and that was one of the main purposes for the no shopping foray around Waitrose the other day.  I like the quality of their food, I don't always like their prices but they do have some good offers especially on regular basic items and I certainly like the range of products they do offer.  Take for example, chopped tomatoes and Branston baked beans packs of four at £2 per pack.  I prefer the Branston baked beans and the Napolina tomatoes.  We use a lot of both. Whenever I end up going to a freezer shop it is usually one like Iceland or Farm Fresh and I usually stock up in bulk there and then.  However on looking in the freezers on Friday afternoon Waitrose have some excellent frozen products at reasonable prices and as I have recently depleted my freezer stocks I really am looking to top up with lots of good basic stuff and some interesting additions. It will be done a bit at ...

We have had a nice lay in this morning and OH when he returned from walking the dog came back with a little surprise for me. He had bought me two fresh croissants so that I could have a leisurely breakfast complete with butter and home made jam.  My home made jam.  I must say that it was a lovely surprise, its the little things right, and together with cold butter and my home made crushed strawberry jam has been an absolute treat and a delight and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.  A sheer indulgence just to have a leisurely breakfast where things are not rushed and where I can enjoy some of my home made preserves.   To wash things down and finish off I am going to make a Cafietiere  of fresh hot coffee another indulgence.  I love coffee but I am a touch sensitive to it so only have it every so often - it triggers IBS - so very much is a treat when I do have it.   Today I am going to start in the dining room.  That will be a long job as it is...