Lucky Me!

Image by Suzanne Gummow from the Beneath Southern Sky Exhibition which will be on display at the Festival of Quilts at the NEC, Birmingham next week.

H has at last bought a smartphone and we've managed to link our calendars - rather H has linked his calendar and I had to create one as I keep everything a) in my head and b) on a paper calendar in the kitchen when I remember to write it down.  One of the dates I added was the Festival of Quilts which runs at the NEC in Birmingham - strictly speaking just outside Birmingham - next week 8th -11th August, and thanks to the miracles of technology I realised that Thursday 8th was actually free and H will be at home. 
I hadn't got round to getting a ticket when I read this post on Janet (Clare's) blog  and, lucky me, she emailed after I left a comment to say she would send me a ticket!  I've had Janet's book, Freya and Fred, for some while with plans to make several things, and I'm looking forward to see her newest one and to meet Janet and her Mum.  I'm constantly cheered by the kindness of the blogging community and it's lovely to occasionally meet another blogger in person.  So, is anyone else going on Thursday? I expect to get there reasonably early and stay to about 3.00.  I must try to remember to take photos this time, if only with the camera phone.

Monday was my birthday, so Daughter, Grand-daughter and I went to Tewkesbury and had a pleasant cafe lunch and a potter round the shops.  It rained, of course, as it always does on my birthday but it was only showers and we dodged those.  The next birthday on the horizon will be Grand-daughter's first in October.  She's an absolute delight at the moment. crawling and pulling herself up on the furniture and waving and clapping. She is also very vocal and shouts with pleasure when something pleases her and has a really deep throaty chuckle when amused.  We are to have her one day a week from September when Daughter goes back to work - she's the perfect anti-dote to M.

Lazy Summer Days?.....

So far today, I have:

Loaded a Queen Elizabeth I Virginals - not the original but an excellent modern copy made by this chap here - into the car at the crack of dawn, and sent H off to loan it to someone to play at a concert this lunch time. A particularly delicate operation involving its own padded travel case and a fair number of cushions and blankets.

Dealt with all M's morning routine from shower through eyedrops aand breakfast to morning drinks.

Watered the garden, which I forgot to do last night as I was caught up in H's battle with the printer to make programmes for today

Checked a load of Tax Returns and Company Accounts because I've set myself a deadline of 26th July to have the whole lot finished before my birthday then I can forget them until September when things start to need submitting

Drunk more coffee than is strictly necessary and tried to remember to drink a glass of water each time

Had a text conversation with Daughter which included photos of Grand-daughter, and a phone conversation with H who'd inevitably forgotten some vital piece of information which had to be looked up on the computer - keep telling him to buy a smartphone!

I'm now waiting for my vegbox to come and wondering what I can give M for lunch - which gives me 20 minutes to write this post before I have to go and cook - M won't eat salad.


It's been a mixed week.  On Monday, Daughter, Grand-daughter and I made a visit to Judith (of Relatively Retiring blog) and spent a little while enjoying her lovely garden.  Tuesday and Wednesday H was out and I tried to deal with M's endless complaints about the heat without losing my temper and get some housework done.  I can't say I was totally successful on either count!  I had hoped to sew some cotton trousers for baby F who is now crawling and getting sore knees, but they're still sitting cut out but not sewn on the sewing table, although I know they only take 20 mins or so make.  The fourth time I had to traipse from the basement to the first floor to open/close a window, fill a glass or change trousers to skirt and back again for M, I decided I couldn't concentrate enough to use the machine and gave up.  Perhaps this afternoon or tomorrow?  I made one pair last week

I love this elephant print:

Yesterday we went to Art in Action.. I had my doubts about taking a small person, but by and large it was a success - plenty of shady spots to rest and eat or drink.  Didn't manage to take many photos though I thought these dogs were rather fun.    It was very hot but not overcrowded and it was just nice to get out of the house.  The journey was tedious but bearable - what did we do before aircon, babyseats and coolbags? 

 Now I'm off to enjoy my newly painted decking which is in the shade - well after I've been up and down with M's juice, M's lunch and M's after lunch drink.  Might just get myself some lunch and sit outside to eat it - but where's the veg box man got to?

Hope you all have a lovely weekend - H is out tomorrow.  Why I wonder am I not slimmer with all this stair climbing - one of life's many mysteries!

What I did last month.......

 In the month since I last posted I've actually been spending a lot of time at home - H has been heavily involved in musical pursuits.  I get very little done when he's out so even getting time to sit and type a post is restricted. I have done the odd few hours in the garden - so frustrating when I just get gloves, tools etc out and start and I realise I have to go back in to provide a drink or lunch or tea for M.  I don't know the name of this little tangerine-coloured Geum but it's flowering beautifully in the garden and adding a good splash of colour.  I haven't extended the border planting much but I have cleared the next few feet ready to fill with new soil, despite the many periods of rain.

 

 We've had some lovely evening skies lately as the weather's been so changeable

I haven't been totally housebound (though the last two weeks I've been here without a car and at M's beck and call for 9 days out of 14 and also fitted in 3 days of babysitting - you can guess which I preferred).   We did our annual visit to the Three Counties Show taking Grand-daughter for her first visit.  She adored all the animals, especially the sheep and pigs

This one unfortunately was very keen to be introduced and gave an enormous moo that reduced Grand-daughter to tears! We all got a bit damp but not totally soaked like last year. 

Various food related purchases were made.........

On Saturday, H and I actually had a day out - music related of course, and went to a recital at The annual Gregynog Festival.  Gregynog Hall belongs to the University of Wales now, but once belonged to the amazing Davies sisters whose wonderful art collection is now housed in the National Museum of Wales.   When I worked at University College Cardiff in the 1990s I frequently organised conferences and study tours at Gregynog, but fate decreed that I never actually went there in spite of many invitations to do so.   It is much more developed these days

 and now functions as a wedding venue, offers tourist accommodation and is designated as a Nature reserve.  The festival was started, by the Davies sisters, in the 1930's and attracts many well-known performers - this year The Academy of St Martin-in-the-fields were in residence.  The house and its grounds is well worth a visit if you're ever in the Newtown / Welshpool area.  It was a two hour drive from here in indifferent weather, but we enjoyed the break, stopping en-route for lunch here . Daughter held the fort as usual.

Now it's Wimbledon and M is glued to the screen.  She vows that she will die on the last evening -  haven't you heard that before?  I say nothing ..............

Perhaps I can manage to post a few more times next month - I've got a long list of things to do by the end of July, as usual, and the sooner I get them done, the better I can enjoy the rest of the summer.  Bye for now.

Days of Wine and Rose - cars and cats more like!

The flower bed we're creating where the old shrubs and fence used to be is at last beginning to fill out (long term readers will recognize the evil hedge, slightly reduce by last year's cut back, but growing merrily again now and already the view has disappeared, sigh).

The garden is doing it's best to compensate.  I remembered to plant tulips and alliums (spell checker wants to change these to valiums apparently), Ladies' Mantel is spreading around the pots that didn't get planted or lost out to the snow, and the pretty evergreen clematis is flowering obligingly at last. Peonies are looking hopeful too, as are the roses I was given last year for my birthday.  I've still about 10 foot of border to fill in and deal with - mostly hiding behind a variegated laurel whose days are numbered; time is short so I do what I can.  

Found this sonnet whilst looking for something else.  The joy of Shakespeare: one's never read it all.  Living, as I do, in an academic household, browsing a bookcase or a website often turns up hidden or forgotten gems. So many people seemed to enjoy last post's poetry - I had several emails as well as the comments, so I include this for them:

SONNET 15

When I consider every thing that grows
Holds in perfection but a little moment,
That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows
Whereon the stars in secret influence comment;
When I perceive that men as plants increase,
Cheered and cheque'd even by the self-same sky,
Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease,
And wear their brave state out of memory;
Then the conceit of this inconstant stay
Sets you most rich in youth before my sight,
Where wasteful Time debateth with Decay,
To change your day of youth to sullied night;
And all in war with Time for love of you,
As he takes from you, I engraft you new.

William Shakespeare 1564-1616 


Back to reality, the car, which I've been delighted with up till now, has developed a fault that is draining the battery.  Now I may be uncharitable here, but why does H saying ' I tried everything last night to turn the radio off whilst the satnav was on', fill me with suspicion.  Of course, it's bank holiday so it'll be Tuesday before I can do anything, Daughter's away at her in-laws and there's no point getting Green flag out again as I had to at B&Q this morning, as it charges whilst driving and discharges again within half-an-hour of parking.  Any trip to the Flea Fair tomorrow will have to be done on Shank's pony.

This is the car park field for Three Counties Showground - about a ten minute walk away - and all uphill on the way home so no buying anything heavy!  Bredon Hill and the start of the Cotswolds in the background.

The weather is lovely. (Here's Worcester Cathedral drowsing in misty sunshine about 10 miles away - how green everything looks in between.)  Which brings me back to the garden where I should really be shredding branches and power washing the deck......

As I was typing strange sounds alerted me to the visiting cat being comprehensively sick on the top landing - he's already tried the hall and the conservatory.  Off to don the rubber gloves again.....

I think I'm going to give up and put my feet up and knit.  Just finished this, and a hairy monkey which I'll try and remember to photograph.  I'm also busy making felt bunnies from Alicia's pattern - there are patterns for a whole wardrobe and I have several small girls with birthdays to cater for!

Hoping too to knit Little Cotton Rabbits from Julie (this is the one I already have that Julie herself knitted)

and currently knitting a cotton cardi, and trying to finish a Tana lawn dress which has a problem with the sleeve pattern.  Now if someone else would just deal with the garage, the cat, tonight's supper and M's pyjamas, I might get somewhere (oh, and could they power wash the deck too?).

Hope your weekend is going rather more successfully.

When I consider every thing that grows (Sonnet 15)

  by William Shakespeare

When I consider every thing that grows
Holds in perfection but a little moment.
That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows
Whereon the stars in secret influence comment.
When I perceive that men as plants increase,
Cheerèd and checked even by the self-same sky,
Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease,
And wear their brave state out of memory;
Then the conceit of this inconstant stay,
Sets you most rich in youth before my sight,
Where wasteful Time debateth with decay
To change your day of youth to sullied night;
And all in war with Time for love of you,
As he takes from you, I engraft you new.

- See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/20313#sthash.6PqMAzQu.dpuf

When I consider every thing that grows (Sonnet 15)

  by William Shakespeare

When I consider every thing that grows
Holds in perfection but a little moment.
That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows
Whereon the stars in secret influence comment.
When I perceive that men as plants increase,
Cheerèd and checked even by the self-same sky,
Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease,
And wear their brave state out of memory;
Then the conceit of this inconstant stay,
Sets you most rich in youth before my sight,
Where wasteful Time debateth with decay
To change your day of youth to sullied night;
And all in war with Time for love of you,
As he takes from you, I engraft you new.

- See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/20313#sthash.6PqMAzQu.dpuf

A. E. Housman (1859–1936).  A Shropshire Lad.  1896.

II. Loveliest of trees, the cherry now

LOVELIEST of trees, the cherry now Is hung with bloom along the bough, And stands about the woodland ride Wearing white for Eastertide. Now, of my threescore years and ten, Twenty will not come again, And take from seventy springs a score, It only leaves me fifty more. And since to look at things in bloom Fifty springs are little room, About the woodlands I will go To see the cherry hung with snow.

This spring has been worth waiting for hasn't it?  The blossom is terrific.   I can't but agree with Houseman, though I haven't fifty springs to look forward to, it is the loveliest of trees when in full blossom.

I've always liked 'Carpe Diem' poetry.  We should seize the day whenever we can.  The most famous must surely be Andrew Marvell's  (1621-1678) To His Coy Mistress, a poem I first heard when a teenager and have returned to and often quoted since. (Times winged chariot seems to be frequently at our backs in this house).  The delightful Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May by Robert Herrick (1591-1674) with its subtitle (To The Virgins To Make Much of Time), is another favourite.  I'd forgotten this poem by Ernest Dowson (1867-1900) - not a poet who is well known these days but we all know the phrase at the start of the second stanza.  The title is not Days of Wine and Roses, but the rather more erudite:

Vitae Summa Brevis Spem Nos Vetat Incohare Longam (The brief sum of life forbids us the hope of enduring long - Horace)

Vitae Summa Brevis Spem Nos Vetat Incohare Longam

  by Ernest Dowson
The brief sum of life forbids us the hope of enduring long. –Horace

They are not long, the weeping and the laughter, 
Love and desire and hate: 
I think they have no portion in us after 
We pass the gate. 

They are not long, the days of wine and roses: 
Out of a misty dream 
Our path emerges for a while, then closes 
Within a dream.

- See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/20246#sthash.uTEJ8Tv8.dpuf

They are not long, the weeping and the laughter,
Love and desire and hate;
I think they have no portion in us after
We pass the gate.

They are not long, the days of wine and roses:
Out of a misty dream
Our path emerges for a while, then closes
Within a dream.

Dowson also gives us the wonderful line 'I called for madder music and for stronger wine' in his poem Cynara.   

If you were thinking 'Carpe diem' poetry has gone out of fashion since the Cavaliers, the Metaphysicals and the languid Victorians, Robert Frost and this lovely poem by Sara Teasdale (amongst others) take us into the 20th Century.   But the contempory poem that set me off on this train of thought is here   It's called You Can't Have It All by Barbara Ras.  It won't paste from that site but do go and read it if you've time

And when adulthood fails you,
you can still summon the memory of the black swan on the pond
of your childhood, the rye bread with peanut butter and bananas
your grandmother gave you while the rest of the family slept. - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15239#sthash.5nX1WXlz.dpuf

Spend all you have for loveliness, Buy it and never count the cost; For one white singing hour of peace Count many a year of strife well lost, And for a breath of ecstacy Give all you have been, or could be. - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/20724#sthash.S4cnOza1.dpuf

Spend all you have for loveliness, Buy it and never count the cost; For one white singing hour of peace Count many a year of strife well lost, And for a breath of ecstacy Give all you have been, or could be. - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/20724#sthash.S4cnOza1.dpuf

Spend all you have for loveliness, Buy it and never count the cost; For one white singing hour of peace Count many a year of strife well lost, And for a breath of ecstacy Give all you have been, or could be. - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/20724#sthash.S4cnOza1.dpuf

Vitae Summa Brevis Spem Nos Vetat Incohare Longam

  by Ernest Dowson
The brief sum of life forbids us the hope of enduring long. –Horace

They are not long, the weeping and the laughter, 
Love and desire and hate: 
I think they have no portion in us after 
We pass the gate. 

They are not long, the days of wine and roses: 
Out of a misty dream 
Our path emerges for a while, then closes 
Within a dream.

- See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/20246#sthash.3DR0PQ65.dpuf

Vitae Summa Brevis Spem Nos Vetat Incohare Longam

  by Ernest Dowson
The brief sum of life forbids us the hope of enduring long. –Horace

They are not long, the weeping and the laughter, 
Love and desire and hate: 
I think they have no portion in us after 
We pass the gate. 

They are not long, the days of wine and roses: 
Out of a misty dream 
Our path emerges for a while, then closes 
Within a dream.

- See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/20246#sthash.3DR0PQ65.dpuf

Vitae Summa Brevis Spem Nos Vetat Incohare Longam

  by Ernest Dowson
The brief sum of life forbids us the hope of enduring long. –Horace

They are not long, the weeping and the laughter, 
Love and desire and hate: 
I think they have no portion in us after 
We pass the gate. 

They are not long, the days of wine and roses: 
Out of a misty dream 
Our path emerges for a while, then closes 
Within a dream.

- See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/20246#sthash.3DR0PQ65.dpuf

Snow and the camel's back

The latest run of snow was the limit as far as I was concerned.  For some reason, I missed the weather forecasts and only realized it was coming when I was food shopping and the shop was packed and the milk and bread shelves decidedly depleted.  Even then I wasn't expecting quite so much - about 4 inches and it still hasn't totally cleared from the garden! 

Grand-daughter's new cot had been delivered here the day before and they needed it in Worcester that weekend, so, bravely, R came to collect it and drove their small car down into our cul-de-sac.  Getting it back up and out onto the main road proved almost impossible.  We cleared snow and packed ice quite a way up the path, but at the top it had built up into a solid wall.  Fortunately, a neighbour with a large 4x4 came home while we were trying and, having borrowed a tow rope from another neighbour, pulled the car out and up to the main road. 

Even H had to agree this really was the straw that broke the camel's back and we really couldn't be so stuck every time it snowed - especially now it means that Daughter would have to drive over in snow to collect prescriptions or do shopping and that would mean bringing Grand-daughter out on bad roads in freezing weather.  So, I have tracked down a 4WD version of the car we had before the current one.  We both agreed that it was no longer necessary to worry about taking M and the wheelchair anywhere.  She no longer wishes to go out for pleasure and if she needed to go to the hospital we could get a wheelchair carrying taxi which would be much easier, and she'd enjoy patronising the driver.

I collected the car yesterday and H has gone out in it - I'm waiting somewhat in trepidation for him to return as he wasn't able to try it, so if he hates it ........  Anyway, I don't expect it to snow now we're prepared, though the sleety stuff coming down as I speak could turn that way - it's very cold.

I couldn't resist this photo of a camel in the snow, it looks like a stately way to travel. 

It would seem that camels, with their large padded feet, are quite happy on snow - Bactrian camels come from Mongolia where temperatures can drop to -40.  Even in high Summer temperatures, some snow there never melts and they eat it for moisture.  So perhaps the snow would not have broken the camel's back after all!

We had a quiet Easter - Grand-daughter was visiting her other Grandma and Grandad in Wales where they live at the seaside. I can see they are going to be very popular when she gets to an age for playing on the beach with a bucket and spade, but the journey is a bit lengthy for a person of not quite six months.  She was delighted to see us (and the cat) when she got back and spent a happy morning playing, sleeping and even having a bottle sitting on Grandpa while Parents shopped and had some time to themselves.  Time flies doesn't it? She's already just about sitting up unaided and starting on solid food and would like to be more mobile.  Pictures of other babies are a favourite now - luckily knitting patterns are full of them, and seeing another real baby causes much excitement.  The cat is another new amusement and he resignedly puts up with inept stroking and shrieks of joy when he enters the room.  I think he enjoyed his quiet short holiday with us while they were away!

Now we're back to normal - whatever that means around here.  And for those who have said they've been missing such things, a short Conversation with M:

Easter Monday

M: Have you been out?  Is there a lot of traffic?

J: Only to the Flea fair, it was very crowded and very cold.

M:  I expect lots of people went away for Easter despite the weather.  I expect they went somewhere warmer if the could.

J: Probably, if they could afford it.

M: Still, that wouldn't affect the roads, would it?  They would have gone by Airmail.

I hope the postal system withstood the strain!

Miscellaneous thoughts for March.....

This charming girl has moved into the house next door to our French bakers.  The builders working on the house tell me she loves tea and they can't put a mug down because she drinks it.  She wouldn't talk to me the first time but she's considering now whether I might be worth notice now I've been past several times!   She reminds me so much of the lovely St Bernards we used to have.

Grand-daughter has been frequently in residence, and toys, spare clothes and other acoutrements have drifted into the house and accrued in the conservatory and spare bedroom.   Time for blogging has been rather limited - hampered too by the lack of phototgraphy taking place.   March seems to be racing past and Easter is on the horizon and I don't really feel I've got past February yet!

Indulged in a delivery of these last week as we needed cheering up - we can pretend we're able to escape to Harrogate and Betty's tearooms.  It's really nice to get something delicious delivered and this odd, cold weather begs a nice teatime treat.  I know I could make rock cakes or scones - and I do - but sometimes you just want to sit down with an old film and something warm and comforting and put your feet up.  I had a nasty cold which everyone else has now had.  Of course M's is much worse than ours (not) and she has asked for anti-biotics which the Dr has given to shut her up I think.


It's odd that I never blog about cooking considering I do so much of it. Is it because I never think of photographing dishes before they are eaten or because I nearly always make daily meals at the last possible minute, at speed and using whatever's to hand.  M has decreed that evening sandwiches are redundant and she now wants tea at 4.00 p.m.  - which must include cake.  The main problem was that she declared this edict at 3.50p.m. on a day when no-one had time to shop or bake (I sometimes think she images the cupboards to be stocked like a supemarket to fulfill her every whim.)  Husband and I deliberately don't have cake everyday - especially since I started the 5:2 diet, and, of course, I was fully stocked with her prefered sandwich fillings.  So I'm afraid she gets bought cake more often than homemade, and at least H and I aren't tempted.  She wouldn't eat a Fat Rascal so that's definitely a treat for us.  Daughter's partner won't eat dried fruit or spice so she loves it if we have fruit cake or buns.




Like most of us I should imagine, we have to be careful with our finances.  We do eat meat, though not in quantity, and most of what we eat is cooked from scratch.  I tend to cook in batches to make best use of the oven space and try to tweak leftovers to make a slightly different meal the next time round.  As I've mentioned before, M's meals can leave us with a weird selection of small bits which tend to land up in a tomato sauce over pasta.  The worse problem I find is adjusting quantity.  I hate any kind of food waste, most of what I buy is mercifully free of use by dates as it comes either via the veg box or local butchers etc., so I don't mind using up wrinkly veg and trust to the smell and look of food to tell if it's useable.  But sometimes I take my eye off the ball and find forgotten pots of yoghurt or ends of cheese lurking at the back of the fridge. H has an annoying habit of telling me what's in the fridge when it's certainly not about to go off, or 'using up' things in a spirit of martyrdom which I'd earmarked for a certain dish. Last week he had toast because he thought the loaf I'd bought especially to make bread and butter pudding was going hard, and opened a tin of pineapple I was going to use to make a pineapple upside down cake as I must have meant it for M's lunch?   We're having fish tonight - though I'd much sooner eat the chicken casserole I made this morning.  I shall have mine with salad and add dauphinoise potatoes to H's as I'm on a fast day.  The casserole will last the weekend, I expect, even if I give M some for lunch, H is out for lunch tomorrow and dinner on Sunday.  I hope the pork joint that came today will do most of next week once cooked allowing that I'm out for lunch on Tues - actually going to visit a cousin in Bristol, but daughter is staying the night on Wednesday.  Monday and Thursday will have to be fast days next week. I wonder if the sausages I bought before I realised H was going to be out will fit into the freezer - I was going to make scotch eggs to take on Tuesday but Cousin insists she can manage lunch although she's hobbling around on crutches.  I seem to spend an awful lot of my time thinking about food !

Hope you'll all have a lovely weekend. x