Have you heard the news....its almost year's ending - Monday, 30th December, 2013.

Another year almost gone by.  Can't quite believe it really, can you?  A whole year, gone by, in a flash hey, well that's how it seems to me.  But, of course, not really.  I mean, really, not really!

Things have happened each day, each day has happened, and each day has been part of a week, just like each week has been part of each  month, and each month part of each quarter.  Two quarters make one half and....two halves make one whole.  Thus, we have one whole year made up of small, tiny, almost insignificant parts by themselves yet, as an insignificant raindrop doesn't amount to a thunderous rain storm; and it is, of course, perfectly beautiful just by itself, so, as one tiny, insignificant minute, hour, week, month, quarter perhaps, also doesn't amount to a lot (think about that for a moment)...yet the combination of each of those tiny, seemingly insignificant separate portions do, and can, actually, amount to a very great deal indeed, without any doubt at all.

So there we have it. A year is a whole huge part of our individual lives and we must view each year as a valuable, wonderful section of our lives, and treasure and remember it for each and every single moment of our own particular year.  Cherish it, burnish it and keep its highs and lows safe and secure. Whatever has occurred to us through each year is ours and ours alone.  We may never tread its way again .  We may never get to the end of a particular train of thought or action or happening which we instigated thru' that year.  We may never have an answer to a problem sought or have any answers really worth holding on to, or working on for a better explanation.  It doesn't really matter in the long run.  What's important is that we tried to work things out for ourselves, by ourselves, or even with friends or co-workers.  The thing is we tried,  Failure doesn't really matter, in the long run.  Failure leads to further trials and explorations and that's the important thing to hold on to.  Failure is only a problem if it leads you to give up and go away without an answer or solution, or even a good workable answer.

So this year, this one that's almost gone, how's it been for you.  Really, I mean?  Good.  Bad. Indifferent???

It's up to you to decide and, I must say, I really hope you do know how you feel about your year, hey!

My year, this one that's almost gone by, and is vanishing fast,  well.......my year has been absolutely BRILLIANT - from start to finish, and it's not finished yet, thank goodness.

Not perfect or without its problems.  Not straightforward but twisting and turning, this way, then that way, 'til sometimes, I hardly knew which way I was going, or going to end up.  And I still don't know.  But, my goodness, it's been fun, and productive, exciting, challenging, hard work plus a few lows thrown in for good measure.  You have to, really, don't you?

It doesn't matter because its been my year, my way, my decisions and my highs and lows and I wouldn't have missed it for anything.  In fact, its been great, a great ride and, please, may I have another go, at another year, next year, please...just to see  if I can do it all over again.

Now, wouldn't that be good, hey????

Daisy

PS should love to hear about your year....any time !!!

Hi there it's ME.....wasn't Christmas wonderful, hey? Friday, 27th December, 2013.

Three days of glorious Christmas madness and now it's the end of Christmas week.  Next week, we'll be celebrating New Year, so exciting, beginning a new year with fireworks, parties and champagne. New Year resolutions will be made and promised, some lasting, some not, but they are well-meant and we do strive to keep them, which is brilliant.

Christmas builds up slowly, comes to us, suddenly, in a great rush, and is gone, while we teeter on the brink of ecstasy or, are cast down by missing loved ones, their presence not guaranteed for the festive season.  It's a bitter-sweet season. We take the highs with the lows. regain lost balance, celebrate the coming year with both tears and smiles, for that which has gone, all that which is to come.

Christmas is such a wonderful time.  Thank goodness for Christmas.  I hope you, like me, have enjoyed every single moment and are, already, looking forward to Christmas 2014.

Presence and presents, food and festivity, love, joy and happy kith and kin - just brilliant...


Happy days

Christmas plants

Christmas greenery

Christmas wreath

Daisy

IMG 4076 Hi this is ME.....on Christmas, 26th December 2013

Here we are again - Christmas Eve - Tuesday, 24th December 2013

Everyone's been agreeing with me, how quickly this time has come round again.

It's the same each year yet, this year, it seems even more relevant to the times, ah well.

I'm quite sure we all will manage to be ready for Christmas Day, have all our parcels wrapped up, all decorations in place, and the turkey ready for roasting.

Did you get the goose fat, did you remember to buy a present for all your loved ones....I'm sure you did and, equally sure, everyone will have a Very Merry Christmas!

So - this is ME wishing you a Very Merry Christmas......


Happy Christmasing!


Daisy

Hi here we are....on the shortest day of the year - Saturday, 21st December, 2013.

And this is me talking to you.....

Well, I really wish things were otherwise, not as they are, you understand.  As usual, I've given myself so much to do, a lot of which I've not done or completed, and the unfinished chores are ganging up on me.  I really want to get all these unfinished things done, organised and neatly filed away.  There's a sense of chaos about my desk and, no matter how hard I try to keep things in check, and make progress, I'm not able to.  At times it feels as if I'm trudging thru' thick fudge and matters are just too sticky for words!

Ah well, it's Christmas time very soon now and things and chores can, and should, stop for a while and then, when I return, these plaguey things getting at me, won't seem so worrisome, phew, thank goodness for Christmas, don't you agree?

Skyping with my son this evening, I mentioned the Christingle, and the Christingle church services for children, which we attended, thru' their church school of St. Mary's, when they were at junior school in West Sussex.  The Christingle, is used as a symbolic representation of the world, with the orange as the world, and a small white candle inserted into the middle to represent Christ as the light of the world; a red ribbon, tied around the middle, as a representation of the blood of Christ.  A later addition to the Christingle, was the ribbon tied from top to bottom, thus dividing the fruit into four sections, denoting the four seasons of the year and cocktail sticks speared with dried fruit to represent the fruits of the world.

The idea of the Christingle came about from a perceived need for a simple method of explaining Christ's love for the world to children of the Moravian Church in 1747, when Bishop Johannes de Watteville, thought up his idea of using an orange as a representation of the world.

So, from my lovely Skype with my son, I have rediscovered our family memories, re-introduced them to both of us, and opened up a whole world of discovery and research, and given me a fascinating subject to share via my blog post, which to my way of thinking is just so cool, so Christmas and thus eternal.

I wonder what fond family memories and traditions you have which you might like to share with me....I should really love to hear from you.

I must acknowledge my thanks to Wikipedia for the useful information on the history and background to the Christingle and....to the pomander, made using a clove studded orange, tied with a ribbon, giving four sections to decorate or fill with whole cloves, for a fragrant and delicious Christmas decoration.  We also made these at home when....ah but that's another story and and another blog post.....

Happy days, happy memories of family days and activities.

Daisy

PS do you like my new post image?

Still missing my computer....! Wednesday, 18th December, 2013.

My computer's still ailing, thus still using the dear SO's computer - very carefully and cautiously...can't afford to mess about with his working model!

Only a week to go to Christmas Day and I've still not made up my own gluten-free mince pies but I have the ingredients and will make them soon - promise!

I just adore eating mince pies.  They symbolise Christmas for me and have done so, since my two children were tiny babies.  Short of money, as you often are when the kids are small, I found I could still afford to eat and make these delicious Christmas delights.  And still very much intrigued by the very process of making mince meat.  Always fascinated by the very idea of mincemeat, made first of all with meat, "ox (beef) tongue, chicken, eggs, sugar, raisins, lemon peel and spices" and used to fill "a large covered tart"  - this from my copy of the Concise Larousse Gastronomique Page 810.

Then gradually, the large tart gave way to small, individual tarts, with the mixture bereft of its meat content, yet still containing beef suet, apple, dried fruit, spices and brandy or rum!  So yummy!

So we have always eaten mince pies.  Eventually, I devised the idea of really tiny, tiny mince pies, enabling me to pop one whole pie into my mouth, in one delicious munch, for which I used a soft French sugared pastry for, with a minute piece of pastry for the pie's lid.  Utterly delicious, very more-ish and entirely want-able!!!

Well, I'm determined now to get baking just as soon as possible and make us a batch of yummy mince pies for the Christmas festivities!

Have you got yours ready yet?

Daisy

MY computer's down - Monday, 16th December 2013

Hi there,  just before going out to my eats evening "do" my computer showed a most unusual message which prompted the dear SO to surmise that my machine needed urgent medical attention and that it might be out of action for a little while!!

So, I'm off to seek a new computer expert to get said computer mended.  So wish me good luck and I'll keep you posted!

Bye for now,

Daisy

IMG 3975 Hi this is ME...how to make perfect Potato Mash on Sunday, 15th...

Ah....Christmas - A Reflection - Saturday, 14th December, 2013.

Christmas - the very word conjures a whole host of thoughts, memories, excitements and meanings, delicately  nuanced and personal.

From the very first mince pie to that last delicious slice of Christmas cake, the roasting of bird and beast, the gathering of sauces and chutneys, the oranges for their Christmas stockings, the walnuts and Brazil nuts, the chocolates and Turkish Delight....and the Christmas Pudding with silver charms or small coins wrapped in silver foil, to be found by excited children and adult alike, of yesterday's memory and custom.  Even with today's enticing array of commercial and artisan puddings readily available, it is still a custom to make your own favoured family recipe, to dig deep into family archives for Aunt Margaret's old Christmas book, to view the creations of yesterday, possibly adapting an ancient recipe, a contemporary creation to evoke new memories for tomorrow, linking past to present to future generations for their memories, still to crystallise and ferment.

We personally keep a very simple Christmas season, joining in with other family celebrations for the big day, while kith and kin reach out to other connections, other gatherings we are not privy too.  This is not the sadness it appears to be, for we have hosted our own family gatherations and parties, slaved away in our own kitchens, produced annual repasts of splendid proportions and enjoyed the ritual of remembered activities such as mince pies and carrots for Rudolf and his reindeer friends, a glass of liquid refreshment for Father Christmas......  Putting up the Christmas stockings, piling up the parcels beneath a brightly decorated tree, with the family fairy on its highest bough.

It's perfectly pleasant to return to ones own fireside, to read, watch an old TV movie, a DVD and luxuriate in the peace and serenity of "loved ones far away" and family duty done.  There are so many quiet things to do, walking Alice, family history research on your computer, visiting or Skyping with family far away and, n o matter how simple your own seasonal feasting, there's always more than enough food available to nibble on, knowingly rueful of the after-feasting pitfall.  Ah well, we all say, its Christmas time,  that once-a-year festival of over-indulgence, jollity and feasting - which we all love, every single  minute!!!

So there it is - Christmas - that wonderful season for family, feasting, presents and world-wide goodwill....

Enjoy!

Daisy

IMG 3932 Hi th is is ME on Wattpad....Mid-Winter from A Christmas Stocki...

Skyping Australia, for family conversations - Sunday, 8th December, 2013.

We talk of many things, news and detail, Christmas things, of course, and progress with work and play....then we get on to gardening.

My family have recently taken on a lovely new home for their increasing family and, what more besides, a lovely large garden, just longing to be trimmed and cleared, cultivated, possessed and given a whole new sense of direction...!

Lavenders and rosemary, culinary herbs, potatoes, plants and trees.  Apple trees to be precise. Lemon and lime trees were gathered in first.  A quince is to be added, a gooseberry too, if the right seedling bush can be found and added, next year.

There's a new garden shed.  Leaf-mould's in the making, a composter is planned and the neighbours are helpful for historical notes.

Their part of Victoria was known for its orchards and still, one local of long standing, of Petty's remains, where the family have delighted to purchase their trees, discussing their needs with its new owner's staff, Parks Victoria, who purchased the orchard back when in 1981.  Now the Heritage Fruits Society care for the 200 or so old and rare apples of Petty's Orchard, along the Yarra River in Templestowe.  Its organic orchard a green oasis of lush hills, happily adjacent to farmers' markets and chic food stores, beloved of townsfolk.

The Petty family farm came in to existence in 1853, with the arrival of Mr. Thomas Petty from England, who acquired land in Doncaster and Templestowe.  His grandson, Thomas Henry, purchased the site in Homestead Road, which became the home of the Homestead Road Orchard, Thomas Henry, being the first of three generations to work the land, until Parks Victoria, took over its control and running.

My family promise a visit to Petty's whenever I reach them next year.  Visits to gardens, home-gardening delights, volunteering at Petty's and so much more....I can hardly wait!!!

Thank goodness for family, for Skyping, for gardens and gardening.  I don't wish time to fly away with me, but goodness how much I'm longing to view this new garden and home of my young family, Down Under, in Victoria, visit once more that far away place, where my son celebrates Christmas in July, in the sunshine in amazing Australia.

Cheerio,

Daisy x

Hi there, long time no see!!!

And now it's December....and I've been distracted by various matters!

However, silliness apart....I wanted to begin on a sad note, as an act of remembrance, for the sad death of Mr. Nelson Mandela last night.....

I've talked recently about remembrance - how it affects all of us, in one way or another, at various times of our lives.   And, also, of the one big question we've been asked by the media....."where were you when......!

And where was I when the news came through about Nelson Mandela's?  I was at my local W.I. Christmas Party at The Institute at a small village in Oxfordshire.  We were all having rather a good time, enjoying a last get-together before the Christmas festivities begin.

I arrived home to hear the dear SO telling me of the death of Nelson Mandela which, of course, took the edge off the evening.

Of course, it must have been anticipated by his family and people and we, in the world, had certainly followed all the media coverage of his last illness, but death always takes you unaware, catches you off-guard.

Nelson Mandela was a great man, nationally and internationally, and I'm quite perfectly sure, he will be remembered as an amazing human being, everywhere and by all human beings, throughout the world.

Setting aside politicking, religion, beliefs and creeds - I think we may all agree about Nelson Mandela, don't you?

So, where we you when you heard of the death of Nelson Mandela?

Daisy

A Blissful last Gardening day of summer - mid-November 2013.....

 Last week, I gathered my gardening bag, a nice capacious game bag, in fact, and drove out with the dear SO to a village in Northamptonshire, to tidy up a friend's garden.

He was going to  help remove an ancient fire place but had promised to mow the lawn, once he'd finished in the house, which was just as well, for the grass was about one foot high, thick and extremely soggy.

We drove through the most beautiful open countryside, up hill and down dale, our road winding through fields and hamlets, with birds swooping in the clear blue sky above.  Totally blissful!

We enjoyed coffee and nibbles as soon as we arrived and then....put on boots, gloves and thick layers of various overcoats....for it was, very cold outside.  In fact, the following morning, there was a light sprinkling on snow everywhere so, thank goodness, we were there the day before.

The well-established garden, full of large plants, trees, bushes, with clumps of oregano, lavender, rosemary and dill clustered near the garden door.  I do so love the pruning of herbs for, with the very first cut, a mingled sweet aroma assails the air with the plants, sighing out their delicious scents.  My first experience of this was now many years ago, in a small herb garden I'd created in West Sussex and a visiting friend offered to help with my pruning.  Becoming a rather harassed gardener
with my young babies to care for, the lavender bushes had slowly grown very woody and unwieldy.  They just cried out for a decent cut-back and my friend, gleefully picking up my spare secateurs, set to work on them.  With the first cut, my plants released their scent, exhaling their agony into the autumn air.  It was a delicious moment to be savoured, as I knew my plants would recover their glory by the following summer.

So our friend's garden was trimmed and tidied.  Great armfuls of greenery and leaves were collected and tossed into their garden bin, which was soon completely filled.

We stopped for a lunch of bacon baps and coffee, lingering over our mugs, with me slowly warming up after a cold morning's work.

Then we tackled the wet lawn with the mower becoming completely clogged up with great bunches of soggy grass.  I hurried to cut back overhanging branches and stems of wayward plants, their scents mixing with that of damp grass to produce a heady essence of garden smells.  A low-hung sun shone palely on the fading garden greenness, while sparrows and one indignant robin, stood sentry duty on "their" garden, keeping watch on our progress.  We must have disturbed quite a few snoozing insects into the air to feed the waiting birds.

And with the fading daylight, we hurriedly cleared away the mower and tools and went inside to enjoy a hot mug of tea before driving home.  As we returned to the open fields and winding roads, the sun was gently setting and we were entertained  to a sublime sunset, all peachy-gold-pink with deep violet-grey clouds, waiting for the sun's disappearance, to spread out over the entirety of the sky, as the night hour fell once more on the sleeping earth.

It was an utterly brilliant performance - I do so love sunsets, don't you?

And then we were home, time for a late shop and supper to cook before collapsing onto our sofa to catch a spot of television before the end of the day.

It had been a very good day - I do love to spend time in the garden - it's so therapeutic!!!

Daisy

A Pruning day at Brogdale - Friday, 22nd November, 2013

Off to Faversham in Kent, for a day of winter pruning of apple trees, to learn about buds, both vegetative and fruiting, spurs and growth years.

It was a cold, windy wet day.  After coffee, our tutor began his teachings and we all listened with the greatest of interest.  Questions were expressly encouraged and soon a flood of them broke out and we all learnt from these sharings.  Later on, photographs came out as well, and these were also instructive.

Soon there was enough break in the rain for all of us to hurry out to the orchard of the National Fruit Collection.  This consists of rows of two trees of each named variety, neatly lined up in an orderly fashion, all mostly of a bush stature, with a tier of framework branches and more growth above.  They are beautifully pruned to maintain shape, vigour and fruitfulness, giving the orchard a most pleasing and attractive quality.  Fallen fruit gathered about the trunks, the bright green of the grass muddied and sticky by the rain and the grey skies lowering, if we had not been  such a gathering.  We soon hurried to the warmth of the classroom.

We scribbled furiously away, as our tutor spoke at great length on the knowledge stored, and  so easily presented.  A quiet, pleasing presentation which carried us forward to a communal lunch time, in Brogdale's Courtyard restaurant, crowded with lively visitors.

The rain continued to drizzle its way through the  lunch hour  but showed promise of abatement as the afternoon began.  We prepared  ourselves for the cold and soon we were out, beyond the National Fruit Collection, and inspecting another orchard of thickly-leaved trees which, the students of the previous week's course, had been unable to work on, for the mass of greenery.

Luckily, after our tutor's pruning demonstration, we were able to have a go ourselves, embarrassingly ruminating on past pruning endeavours, but trying hard now not to do as done before!!!  Then our tutor wandered back down past "our" trees to inspect our handiwork and confirm our agitated selves - had we got it right???  And, yes, we could lop off a low-swung branch belonging to us, which would be absolutely the right thing to do.  But what of our neighbours tree? Why hadn't they done the same with their similar branch, hey???

We quickly sauntered back to the warmth of our classroom and hot drinks and I got in a few quick questions about plum trees and we might have looked at Brogdale's cherry trees but the others were all ready gathered, and we couldn't delay.

The last thirty-minutes went by so quickly, with all of us putting our last queries and pet theories to the test; and then we were on our way out, either dashing for taxis to trains, or popping in to the nice few shops at Brogdale.  I popped into Chic Unique to review their collection of painted and pine furniture and want-able small items.  It's one of my favourite shopping places!

It was becoming quite dark by the time my little Mazda curled it's way from Brogdale and back on to the motorway for London.  Traffic was heavy coming away from London, with a wide and steady blaze of headlights, lighting up the darkening sky.

I knew it would be necessary to stop for a break and food and I needed too, earlier than imagined, for my gaze was definitely stuck into a forwards position and, going slowly somehow seemed to make tiredness more of a problem.  Once I was back up to full  seventy mph speed, concentration was  easier and more fluid.

I came off at Cobham and settled for my favourite travel-food, McDonalds griddled chicken and bacon salad, McDonalds gluten-free potato wedges, with dip, plus Latte, which was simply smashing.

Finally getting home about 9o'clock, I endeavoured to type up my notes but, my computer was having none of it, so I switched it off and watched TV for a while, before collapsing into bed with book club choice, Lady Chatterley's Lover, which I'm discussing on Monday, it being my own decision to read and review it!

Have you read it and did you enjoy the experience?

Happy reading,

Daisy

Remembrance.....a grand and honourable thing, wot!

Come to think of it, I also remember, as so many other folk do, when Nelson Mandela was released from his prison in South Africa.

It was a Sunday afternoon, I'd been cooking all morning and I'd just popped upstairs to change out of my work clothes.  We all knew the release was imminent, the house had been buzzing with excitement all morning, as my two young teenagers posed questions and thoughts about this legendary person.

We waited and waited and, suddenly, there he was, seen from a long-distance, calmly walking thru' tall gates - and he was released.

Yes, remembrance is both unhappy and happy and, thank goodness it is.  Life goes on, we go on and, by doing so, we honour those remembered kith and kin, folks and peoples everywhere - and that's just grand.

Now, six weeks to Christmas, some of we peoples of the world will be remembering another event.  In our own way, culture, tradition, belief....whatever is appropriate to each and every one of us, or not perhaps, if that is applicable to you, wherever you're reading me. This season of festivity and feasting is almost upon us - and once again, I'm amazed by it's sudden re-appearance in our midst.

I've hardly begun, yet I must, for it will inevitably happen for all of us, even me!  There's simply no-where to hide and, I for one, am not even going to try.

Let the season roll on, the expectation increase and let's hope the snow doesn't happen too soon, too fast or too deeply for anyone, wherever they happen to be, when it does!!!

Daisy

Living Remembrance...

It's a  beautiful morning.  Alice and I have just been out walking, enjoying the bright sunshine, and getting our shot of morning exercise.  The sunshine highlights the glorious autumn colours, which are particularly good this year, apparently due to the extra natural sugar content of this year's foliage and last summer's weather.

Coming home from Kew Botanic Gardens on Saturday, when the rain wasn't coming down, the autumn colours looked bright, even without the benefit of the autumn sun.  When it was shining, the colours were as bright and intense as I image the colours of fall are, in the United States....brilliant!!

And Christmas is racing towards us, which is as it should be, but not quite yet, please.  Let's enjoy these autumn days a little longer before the onslaught of winter, the cold winds, the driving rain, the snow, ice, sleet and slush - is that too much to ask for?

There are other matters to think of, birthdays to remember and anniversaries to dwell on.

This November is the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.  I was just a teenager in 1963 when the President was shot.  My family and I were relaxing in the sitting-room watching television.  A knock on our front door announced the arrival of one of my girlfriends, straight from watching a western film at our local cinema.  Her film had suddenly come to an abrupt end, with the awful news of the Dallas shooting, which she came to share with us.

Now, I cannot quite remember if, at that same time, our television broadcast had also come to an abrupt end
with the same dreadful news but, there we all were, shocked, horrified and deeply saddened, by what we were listening to.

Our nation, and the entire world, was similarly shocked that this charismatic, brilliant man had gone.  His life cut short by whomsoever had willed it should end, for whatever purpose this act had been deemed to be necessary and appropriate.

Our family knew nothing of conspiracy theories, politics or world affairs yet, still, we felt ourselves bereaved by this awful tragedy.

Our lives were affected and now, looking  back, I remember the puzzled sadness which descended on us, that day.....22nd November, 1963.

Will the truth of President Kennedy's death ever be fully told, will all the guilty be brought to justice, who knows; yet the sadness still fully lingers and we are still bereft by his lost life, the missed opportunities, and we may all share these emotions in this period of  remembrance?

Daisy

At the Museum of London the - "Cheapside Hoard"

A hidden box of treasure.  Buried treasure from the 17th century, hidden for 300 years and discovered, quite by chance, by workmen demolishing buildings in the summer of 1912.  A massive chest of jewellery, precious gemstones, an exquisite perfume bottle and an emerald watch, carved gem figures, chains, clasps, bodkins, buttons, badges and cameos.

The workmen took their find to an antique dealer, a museum librarian,  George F. Lawrence, who cleaned the contents of the chest and, realising the importance of the discovery, took it to the newly opened London Museum. After much discussion with the Museum's directors, Lawrence was appointed as an inspector of evacuations for the London Museum.

The treasure was officially made the property of the London Museum with a small selection given to the British Museum.  Two year's later, in 1914, the treasure was exhibited at the Museum and visited by King George V and Queen Mary.  With the exhibition, came intense speculation and discussion about the very  nature of treasure ownership by press, academics and other museums, but the decision by the Treasury (on behalf of the Crown) stood, and the London Museum kept ownership of the jewels and jewellery.

In 1976, the treasure removed to a site very close to where it was originally located, with the newly renamed Museum of London.

And now, once more, the full collection of those hidden jewels, is on display at the Museum of London.  A wonderful exhibition, utilising all the very latest display and examination process, is now running until the 27th April 2014, and I, for one, will certainly be making another visit to this gorgeous and, historically significant collection, for its stunning beauty and contemporary appeal.

There is even a replica, buyable, collection of 19 pieces on display in the Museum's shop which I'm going to be inspecting on my next visit...can't wait!!!

The dear SO is terribly jealous of my visit which happened, quite unexpectedly, on a recent London visit to an art gallery, with me hoping to see a friend's drawing.  I love visiting London but he, unfortunately, does not. I shall just have to drag him here if he's ever going to see the "Cheapside Hoard for himself!!!

NB  Some information for my blog came from an article in an October dated issue Weekend Telegraph Magazine "Mystery of The Cheapside Hoard" by Vivienne Becker.

What more will I have to report in a future blog???

Daisy

Back home to stay - Monday, 14th October, 2013....now what's going on???

Ingredients for my Griddled Pork Belly lunch today!

We've had a super weekend but, isn't there always a but somewhere, I've got work to do and so must drag myself away from Wales - oh dear!

Before I go, however, there's one more meal to cook, and a new loaf of bread, in a box kit, which I bought from Brecon Food Festival last weekend...from the nice people at Talgarth Mill, Talgarth, Powys.

Cake in a Box

A very easy bread to mix and make and here is the finished article, which the dear SO enjoyed very much!

 

Hot Fruit Bread!!!

For lunch, I griddled belly pork chunks, added potato gnocchi and casseroled a cabbage and onion spicy mix to serve  a hearty meal for both of us before I drove home from Wales.

Belly Pork cooks very easily and is jolly good!!!


A good drive home, despite the rain, and interesting because I came across country, thru' Monmouth and past the Grammar School which is a lovely red-bricked building, past Ross-n-Wye but only seen from the motorway.  I'm going to make a detour on my next trip and visit Ross, which I'm sure will make a most enjoyable opportunity to explore and linger!!!

I wanted to stop at Toddington, their garden centre, which stocks an impressive range of plants and trees,only today I was anxious to buy seed potatoes for my new veggie garden, but even here they were all sold out so it looks as if I'll have to wait for next year before planting potatoes.  What a great pity:(:(:(

I carried on with my journey and reached home safely about 7o'clock and straight on to my book club meeting, finally getting home in time for bedtime - oh my, what a lovely busy day.......

Goodnight, Daisy!

To The Groesffordd - Saturday, 12th October, 2013

To The Three Horseshoes at Groesfford.  This time I'm just having a starter and a pudding.  I simply cannot eat all three items - starter, mains and pudding - it's simply too much food all at once!

The food at The Groesfford is really good, well presented and served by their helpful staff.

I chose their Honey roast and cured smoked back bacon, orange and pecan nut slaw, orange honey and cardamon syrup.  It was excellent, tasty and so more-ish!

For pudding, my choice fell on their Caramelized plus creme brulee, fig fritter, vanilla ice-cream dessert menu listing.  It was really very good indeed.

The dear SO ordered their.... Trio of belly pork, pease pudding, rich jus, apple sauce, crackling!

And for pudding, it was this which attracted his attention...their hot chocolate fondant with parsnip ice-cream!!!

What a happy dessert to finish our day on - and we'd only come out for a drink or two!

This was a very good day, from start to finish, and the weekend's not over yet.  Come back again to see where we went on Sunday.


Daisy!

The Weekend - 12th and 13th October, 2013.

Oh boy, I love a Saturday!  Shopping, stopping for coffee, even window-shopping's fine, when you have the time and mind to relax and enjoy a few hours free of chores and worries.

I'm back in Brecon and looking for a shawl for a new grandchild expected next January.  I'm hoping to find the clever lady who made a shawl, bought earlier, for my first grandchild and thinking she could be at the Market Hall today.  That would be so good!!!

Not there!  Instead, the Brecknock Farmer's Market were and so too many of the stallholders from the Brecon Food Festival last weekend...how good that was!  I buy a small piece of lamb from Martin and Kate Buck of Glaisfer Uchaf Farm - www.glaisferfarm.co.uk

I discover from the Brecknock Farmer's own stall that a craft fair is being held this morning at Bishop Bevan Hall on the other side of town and hurry over to see if my knitting lady is there.

Not there again!  However, there is a stall there, and a lady knitting, and she has shawls for sale in pink and blue and, wait for it, even white.....perfect for a new baby, whose birth is so eagerly anticipated.

I buy my shawl and find myself talking to the organisers of this fair, which has been meeting since June.  It's a new venture for them, to provide a venue for exciting new sales, and by doing so, promote the talents of local craftswomen, allowing them to see their work appreciated and sold.

I'm terribly excited by this opportunity for all the ladies, involved in this new enterprise, and wish all the very best of luck.  They have two more craft fair dates before Christmas - on November 9th and December 14th.  Their first meeting in 2014 is in March, after the worst of the weather in January and February is over.  I hope it brings a happy New Year to all members of Crafters Corner, Bishop Bevan Hall, Brecon, Paws.

Some more shopping follows and then I meet up with the dear SO chatting away and, when I've managed to drag him away, we hurry off to have a quick lunch.  He has his favourite eggs and bacon and I order a corned beef pie with veggies, which will keep us going for a few hours.

Peaceful afternoon reading the newspapers and then we're off out for drinks, which becomes dinner at The Three Horseshoes, "The Groesffordd" and enjoy a very good evening there.

But that, as they say, is a story for another day.....so, do come back soon, won't you?

Toodle oo

Daisy

Snowed under by paper work 9th - 11th October, 2013.

Well, I'm ploughing thru' the stacks of papers, books, plus a few letters which need answering.  It's all going pretty well until Friday afternoon when, thinking about petrol for my journey tomorrow, I decide to take the car for a little ride to Sainsbury's petrol station and fill-up my lovely green Mazda.

The key turns, the engine roars and splutters but, my car won't start and certainly it's not sounding so good.

Of course, it's been three week's since it's gone out for a little drive and, probably, that's the trouble; simply too many short hops.  I know the battery's fine because I had a new one installed in February, and here's the same nice RAC man, checking out my car today.  It's a moment of pure recognition.  The name, the car and the situation, so we're off to a flying start.

He's even noticed one of my tyres is a little flat and promising to inflate the damaged one, plus checking the other tyres, for good measure - what a star!

Within a very short time, the battery's fixed, the tyres ready to roll and I'm ready to take my car for a good spin, to encourage the battery into forward thinking for my drive to Wales for the weekend.

It's raining, getting dark and darker because of the rain, and I must drive for at least half-a-hour to make things tickety-boo!  I'm leaving as early as possible tomorrow morning and that's that.

The drive goes well.  I go, come back, have supper and pack my bag for tomorrow.  Even for a weekend, it seems still to take me ages to stow away a few items of clothing, not to mention checking the route and remembering to turn-off the boiler before I turn in for the night.

The next morning is as dark as it could possibly be.  I eat my porridge, drink a mug of tea and decide to venture out to check the morning air.  Guess what, it's not nearly as dark outside as it seems to be indoors so, grabbing my bag and coffee flask, I go to the car, open her up, insert the key and proceed to think about going.

The windscreen is lightly covered by a light, icy frosting.  The rear window is fogged by mist inside, and the outside is wringing wet, frosted style.  The heater is warming up nicely and within a short time, the icy frosting is beginning to disappear.  However, it's another long while before the screen is clear and I can leave.  The time is now 9.15 am and I've been up since 6.15 am hoping to get underway.  Oh well, Wales will wait for me, won't it?

I plan to go cross-country but, somehow, the motorway signpost materialises before I get my bearings, so there I am, driving onto the motorway for the Midlands, and it's raining.  Cars are whizzing past me, throwing spray onto my windscreen, and I'm wondering why they're going so fast.  Don't they realise it's raining hard!  Oh well, never mind.  I'm happily chugging along at my own speed and doing nicely, thank you.

Its a good journey, the rain eases  little, and we happily pull into Brecon's parking spaces about 11.30 am.  Wow, I'm here, it's a Saturday, and I'm off to find the market to look for a Welsh shawl.

Wish me luck......and more news next time!

Toodle oo

Daisy

Home alone - Tuesday to Friday - October 8th - 11th, 2013

Raiding the freezer, stocking up on Satsumas, apples and bananas, wonderful and warming porridge for breakfast plus gallons of hot tea to keep me going!!!

There's no Alice to walk, so I walk myself two or three times a day.  It keeps me warm, exercises the framework and energises the  imagination, particularly during the lunch time stroll.  This is something I've noticed over the years.  No matter how busy and preoccupied I am, going for a short brisk walk in the middle of a hectically busy day, not only refreshes the spirits, it breathes new life and light into the head, exciting new thoughts, ideas and dreams to emerge...I return to my desk all fired up and ready to go again!!!

Nose to the grindstone, one task at a time.  Sorting papers, stacking up the co-ordinated notes, separating unconnected papers and suddenly, there's a space on my desk which is empty; uncluttered and free.  It's a miracle.  Of course, the problem is me.!

I just give myself too much to do.  Too exacting, too persnickety, too fussy and "I know what I'm doing, don't stop me now!!!"

The other problem is the finish, the end-and-here-we-have-a finished project.  This often is not the case.  In fact, if it's too bothersome a project, I seem to work more and more slowly, I prevaricate, excuse myself from a finish and go for a coffee and I  know it's me who's doing the delaying!!!

I used to be like this with my A-level exams (Engl. Lit and Philosophy).  I'd set up my books and papers etc. for about thirty minutes, then give up whatever I was doing, just to get some coffee or tea, or whatever! Making the entire revision session a sham, for I never fully got to the right ending and conclusion, for that evening's session, so I would have to do part of it the following evening.

And still today, I can find myself working too slowly, prevaricating, just because it seems the task in hand is difficult or puzzling and I'm unsure about pushing myself to work out the solution to a particular section or page of research.

On Wednesday, a girlfriend called in for a mug of tea and we spent a pleasantly-filled hour of chat but, apart from that, I was all alone, at home, by myself and pushing me to get my work done.

And, guess what, by Friday evening my desk was quite uncluttered.  True the piles of books were still towering but the assortment of papers, notes and notebooks were all correctly collated, gathered in and things were fine.

Tomorrow, I'm leaving as early as can be, shortly after I wake up, have breakfast, and throw my bags into the car - yippee and away!!!

Just one problem - the car won't start...  But, I'll tell you all about this tomorrow!

Daisy

Back home and back to Wales - October 7th - 13th,2013.

Lazy day at home after walking Alice, getting on with my grandson's jumper - almost finished now, hope it fits him!!!

And then the family descend and all of us go over the fields and down to the stream.  We clamber over slippery rock, splashing into the sparkling water swirling about our ankles, and my ankle boots are too low.  Now I'm water-logged in one boot, the others are wondering why I didn't wear my regular wellington boots,  and so am I.  Oh well, never mind, a little water won't hurt me.

Two of the younger ones go off further up the stream, balancing carelessly, not a wit bothered about falling in or over the boulders, not even the tiniest bit afraid of falling into the stream.  What it is to be young, confident and self-possessed, hey?

I knows, it's all in the mind.  The idea that you'll slip over, go head-over-heels into the soft, boggy ground on each side of the river.  Silly me, just grit my teeth, find a stout stick to lean on, and keep up with the others as best I can.

So, we climb back over wire, away from the moss-covered rocks and back on dry land again.  Hey ho, now for the upward-climb back up to the higher ground, we've only just slithered down, what fun this all is?  The sun's shining, it's not raining and the family are together.  What more could any one want?

I'm the last one up the hill, puffing a little, for it's all a sheer scramble over very rough undergrowth, but I make it and have to laugh at myself for making it all look such hard work.  I mean, I'm the one who takes Alice each day for her walks, often twice, even three times, a day.  I should be fitter!  Actually, it's just the upward climb that gets me every time.  Something about my ability to balance I think.  Never mind, I made it and now we're going home and folks are thinking of mugs of hot tea and "what's for supper!"

Well, that's my territory.  I know what food's in the fridge and help is offered to get supper on the go, and we're off.

We'll have both pork and gluten-free grilled sausages, potatoes, and that Sweetheart cabbage, thinly sliced and steamed.  Then there's the liver that really must be cooked tonight or else it will be wasted and I really hate throwing good food away.  It only takes a couple of minutes to cook, once the onions and bacon are sauteed and the gravy's ready cooking.  I do love liver although  I understand lots of people don't like eating offal but liver and kidneys are great when cooked well.  Liver and bacon with onions is a great British staple and well, it's good for you.  We're not having calf's liver, for that's just too expensive for an everyday family meal, but wonderful for a special meal for two, sometime!

Finally, it's all ready and seven of us sit down to a friendly family meal.  In what seems just seconds, it's all gone and folk are up and off to do their own thing about the house, even though the washing up needs to be done.

Washing gloves on and I'm ploughing thru' the dirty dishes when I'm told it shouldn't be me who clears up!  But the job needs doing and I hate leaving the kitchen in a mess, until later in the evening.  My cooking helper comes to my aid and really it takes no time at all to wash-up, wash down and put things away; it looks so good when everything is back to apple-pie order again.  Then we join the others on the sofa for a spot of TV and a shared bar of chocolate.  Naughty but nice, hey!!!

Tomorrow, we're leaving the dear SO behind, for a few days peace and quiet, whilst there's urgent work for me to do at home.

We leave mid-Tuesday-morning , after a last walk with Alice, and coming back we stop at a McDonald's drive-thru'. - my first encounter with one - and Happy Meals, Burgers and ice-cold Cola drinks are the top favourites.  I go for a McDonald's chicken and bacon salad with a good dressing, which is really good.  Plus, of course, an ice-cold Cola drink!!!

Finally we reach our home.  The family help me unpack my bags and baggage from the car, then they're off, and I get down to work.  No Alice to walk, no cooking to do, because of that huge McDonald's salad, so there's no thing to stop me getting on with things!!!

Next morning.....hey, that's for another day, right?

Come back soon for another instalment of my busy week, alone, with a desk sinking under a ton of work.

Hey ho, it's good to be busy, don't you think???

Cheerio,   Daisy!

Gosh - Mcdonalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken - aren't they great!!!

Within the last five weeks or so, I've eaten three yummy take-away meal.  All three meals have been great, highly enjoyable, irresistible and much needed.

The first meal, when we'd arrived home hungry, to an empty home kitchen, when a take-away meal was the obvious response to an empty 'fridge.  We had a bucket of KFC lovely hot chicken and chips and, my goodness, it was good.

My second meal was from a drive-in McDonalds, my first ever visit to such an eaterie, and I had a chicken and bacon salad with chips and a huge drink of Pepsi Cola with ice.  I really did need that ice-cold drink!

My third McDonalds meal was at a motorway service stop, when I requested gluten-free potato wedges with dip, and a large ice-cold Pepsi Cola.   I had been coming back from Kent and concentrating massively on my first drive through that county, getting darker by the minute, and my eyes were becoming fixed and static.  So I decided to stop and have a coffee and it was a good idea to break my journey.

I wandered around the food area twice, having a little walk, before plumping for the McDonald's wedges, to relax before the final push home.  It was getting darker by the minute and I needed to be home.

The dear SO said he might come back today, and it would be good to see him and Alice.

Soon I'm driving off again.  It's not so dark once you're outside again, and soon I'll be home.

Actually, it took longer than I thought to reach home so I'm glad not to have dilly-dallied too long over my McDonald's, or eaten more!!!

Toodle oo

Daisy

"Festing" at Brecon's Food Festival - Saturday, 5th October, 2013.

SudaCo.co.uk For award winning free range pork, beef and lamb

Joanna of Radnor Preserves

Caroline's Read Bread Company

Talgarth Mill 

...

Tasty Burgers from the Parsnipship

Clare Morris of Lower House Kitchen

Lovely Cakes!!!!

The dear SO had visited this stall at Abergavenny's Food Festival

I love their Preserves!

For the Craft Fair at St. Mary's Parish Church

Wonderful veggies!

The Felin Fach Griffin for delicious food and accommodation

In Brecon's famous Market Hall, a great many talented Welsh food producers, gathered together and put on a splendid display of food, preserves, bread and cakes, meats and much more.

.

Organised by Brecon Beacons National Park Authority

We bought pork and gluten-free sausages from Sudaco - www.sudaco.co.uk . Locally produced and sold, in their own coffee bar and ice-cream parlour, delicious Llanfaes ice-cream, and the dear SO has a Wildebeest burger, which looks very good.

I buy bread from Caroline's Real Bread Company - www.carolinesrealbreadcompany.co.uk - also her tasty Bread pudding.  And more bread from The Felin Fach Griffin of Cornwall; just loved their display!

From the Parsnipship I buy a gluten-free chickpea and lentil burger.  Cakes from Claire of Lower House Kitchen - clarem@btinternet.com and gluten-free cakes from Gorgeous and Gluten-free by Jane Williams - www.gorgeousandgluten-free.co.uk

Smoked sunflower and pumpkin seeds from Wil's Smokehouse - www.wilssmokehouse.co.uk and from Talgarth Mill, Talgarth, their kit boxed Fruit Bread to make at home.  It looked delicious but I missed a tasting as I made  it just before coming home for a few days!  They have Mill tours which I'm looking forward to on a future jaunt.

The vegetable stall caught my attention and I came away with two huge bags of veggies for the week ahead and the dear SO bought scotch eggs from the Scotch Egg Club, plums and chocolate nuts and raisins, whilst I also found hot Samosa to nibble on at home.

Then we had eggs and bacon for lunch in Brecon.  We had already visited the Fair Trade Fair and a Craft Fair was in full-swing at St. Mary's Parish Church, just across the road from our eaterie.

And before coming away, I bought preserves and pure grated horseradish from Easts of Brecon - email: eastsofbrecon@btopenworld.com


What an extremely good day for all concerned!

All address details gathered from the Event but for further info contact  Brecon Beacons National Park Authority at www.breconbeacons.org

Daisy

A week of Wales - Monday, 30th September - Sunday 6th October, 2013.

I began my week buying a new preserving pan, as my own pan, somehow, became lost.  I'd gone into Brecon to visit the Hours Cafe and book shop, to use their free wi-fi service enjoyed with a latte but, they were closed, oh dear, what a disappointment.

Dash home to walk Alice and continue with my diary, and fiddle, as you do, and then get on with supper.  We're having grilled pork chops, dressed with my apple-mustard sauce, before going under the grill, with the underneath side treated similarly before coming into contact with the heat.  When cooked, the chop fat has become nicely charred and the flavour is great.  With this, veggies and pots.
Rather good!

And broad beans with tomato & cheese sauce & creamed swede!

On Tuesday, for lunch, a Polenta Bacon and Egg stack, mmmm very good!

For supper our "poor-man's" supper of re-hashed tough beef and left-over veggies; at least Alice liked our supper!

On Wednesday, the Hours Cafe was open so I had a delicious tuna salad plus a bowl of olives...plus
my favourite Latte..

Tuna Salad and Latte

 Glorious Olives!!!

For supper, we had a a slow-cooked gammon shank, cheap and economical, but tasty dish with veg. and the left-over meat was "souped" into another dish for a quick lunch for Thursday...

On Thursday, I made up my version of a Jamie Oliver recipe for an Italian salad with bread, which was rather good, and the fact that the bread used was not gluten-free presented no dietary problem and used up that stale bread, which might have been wasted!

On Friday, we ate very sparingly, for tomorrow we go to the Brecon Food Festival where we're expecting to sample and enjoy much food on display in the town's Market Hall, buy delicious foods proffered by the many talented food producers and have lunch in a favourite easy eaterie!!!

We're not only eating, but  blogging and writing,  walking Alice and the dear SO is busy with various "own" projects, so a busy week for both of us, which is highly enjoyable.

Can't wait for Brecon's Food Festival!!



Cheerio111


Daisy

A peaceful day on Sunday, 29th September 2013

All peaceful at home, our guests off to view Brecon Cathedral, followed by lunch at Pilgrims Tearooms where we know they will enjoy their favourite vegetarian food.

The dear SO is snoozing and I'm getting to grips with the knitting pattern for my grandson's tank top.  I've gone wrong somehow, despite constant checking, but don't think the mistake will be noticeable when its being worn by my darling grandson.

For our late lunch, we're having a small joint of beef with lots of lovely vegetables and roasted potatoes.  For pudding, we're having apple pie and marmalade tart with custard, just as a weekend treat, for ourselves!

And then our guests are getting ready to depart so its hugs all round and ....they're off, phew.  Isn't it lovely having visitors to stay!

So what do we do next, well, guess what, we sofa collapse to read the weekend newspapers, watch TV and remain there all evening, until it's bedtime.....blissful!!!

Byeeeee

Daisy

I love Saturday's, don't you? Saturday, 28th September, 2013.

We all go down to the town and are to meet up for lunch after our shopping and, late morning in the rain, waiting for the stragglers, I stand with the others nibbling on their sun dried tomatoes and black olives.

The dear SO joins us and we all go into a little local cafe for the much favoured fried egg and bacon late breakfast.  After walking about in the rain, it's so good and so are the Lattes.

Going back to the cars, we find some more freebie apples for collection and I help myself to a bagful, for the next kitchen make or bake!

The afternoon is spent snoozing or sofa-collapsing and even Alice is happy to snooze in front of the fire.

For supper tonight, I'm cooking pork chops and veggies and our guests are toasting veggie things over their huge bonfire, lighting up the night sky and keeping them warm.

I'm still jamming in the kitchen and its taking rather too long, for I've got 6lbs of fruit and sugar all together in the pan and, really, it's a bit too full, so it won't really get up a fast rolling boil; this is what you need for a good set, so mine probably won't set as firmly as it should do.   And the slow boil encouraged the mixture to stick rather badly which made a very hard pan to clean up the following day; in fact it took all week for the dear SO to clean it up. Oh dear!!!

The kitchen became very messy with more cooks bustling about it and it took rather a long time to get things tidied up.  When all was more-or-less restored, I joined the others outside, sitting around the bonfire, looking up at the shooting stars, whizzing across the night sky.

Then we ease ourselves upstairs to bed and leave our guests sitting outside, keeping warm and chatting away into the wee small hours.

Exhausted sleep descends almost immediately but then, in those same wee small hours, I awaken with my tossing and turnings to spend a few hours of total wakefulness but that, as they say, is for another diary update later on.

Happy walkabout...!

Sunday lunch:):):)

Toodle oo

Daisy

What a good day it was....Friday 27th September 2013.

This was the hedge-trimmer at work!

From first flush of rosy-pink brilliance to inky-black depths of shooting-star activity, this

was a good day.

Alice took me out for her morning walk, thru' ankle-deep wetted grass, high above the river's rush and tumble far below.  She bounded off but I decided to stay put and not risk sliding down to join her!

Home to honey sweet porridge, scalding tea, oatcakes and marmalade, for I was going to walk down to the library and a big breakfast would get me there.  However, He was also going down to the town so I cadged a lift and got there much faster; and then I had some way to go to get to the coffee morning event that Rachel and friends were holding for Macmillan World's Biggest Coffee Morning Event at the Presbyterian Church in the Watton, Brecon. Party balloons announced its status and the entrance door led me straight into the midst of the Ukulele Band, playing away like crazy.  My, they were very keen, very good and great fun, and everybody was either clapping or singing along with them.

My curry

On my way to the library, others were collecting for charity, a lady whose shopping  trolley was in great danger of crashing into the road, and a visit to Easts the Butcher to ask if they could produce a gluten-free faggot?

Easts for faggots

A a few useful hours at the library, and then home by taxi, for the dear SO was much too busy to come down for me.  And then I was also very busy, getting on with the chutney making, washing out the jars I'd found, and making the kitchen messy!

And to round off the day, dinner out at The White Swan Inn at Llanfrynach, which was delicious; a chicken curry with rice, poppadums and mango chutney while he had an 8oz. steak with all the trimmings.

My pudding is an orange tart with a Cointreau syrup, ginger biscuit crumb and orange sorbet.

His pudding is a hot chocolate fondant, parsnip ice-cream, chocolate crisp and oreo crumb.

Our guests arrive, and too late for food, so we all go home and they cook themselves tasty cheesy omelettes and stay up late, long after we've gone to bed.

And we did see those shooting stars dash across the night sky - several of them, in fact, and they were, well, brilliant!!!

His steak .....






Toodle oo..........Daisy!
















































My pudding is an orange tart with a Cointreau syrup, ginger biscuit crumb and orange sorbet.

His pudding is a hot chocolate fondant, parsnip ice-cream, chocolate crisp and oreo crumb.

Our guests arrive, and too late for food, so we all go home and they cook themselves tasty cheesy omelettes and stay up late, long after we've gone to bed.

And we did see those shooting stars dash across the night sky - several of them, in fact, and they were, well, brilliant!!!

A Misty-Moisty-Morning - Tuesday, 24th September, 2013.

We could see only as far as the garden trees and hedge, for the world was covered by a deep and gently swirling layer of mist, and we were surrounded.

I tried to write up yesterday's work, but my computer was having none of this, so I did my accounts for a while, and then got back to my typing working until about 10am.

Then booted and hatted, I was in the garden, collecting the apples from the grass, throwing those beyond saving into the compost bin, and managing to find some that were fit for cooking.  Garotta is good to throw between layers of compost-able material as it helps to speed up the breakdown.

Alice and I go up the track for our morning walk, stumbling over the small stones and rocks, but enjoying the sense of freedom of the walk and Alice is bounding ahead of me, then racing back!  I bring back some kindling and  arrive home wet and slightly out-of-breath!  Alice is soaked thru'!

The dear SO is chatting to a  passing farmer about the weather and local matters, and then is off  to check on the state of his hedges, for it's that time of year when things need to be made safe and tidy, before the winter storms descend.

Hedges need regular pruning for otherwise top-growth  become Triffid-like, waving about over car and tractor alike, some even meeting overhead and forming a green tunnel; fun for visiting tourists but  a nuisance for busy residents.

A hedge trimmer, supported on a tractor, operates as a strimmer does, with sharp whirling knives cutting off the unwanted growth.  The process leaves a very neat and smooth-front and top surface area, daylight floods in to the narrowest of lanes and everything is tidied up.

The trimmed material does tend to gather about the ground, and often is a great nuisance to drivers fearful for the state of their wheels, but the rain eventually washes the greenery away so the nuisance doesn't last for too long.

For lunch He had a BLT and I made a salad of broad beans, potatoes, lettuce and my chard pesto, using up last night's left-over veggies; having porridge for breakfast keeps me going through  the day!

Reading, computer things and blogging for a while and then off to the library to print off my work which was slightly bedevilled, because I'd forgotten how their system worked, and time was running out, so not a lot achieved.  And then I wanted to buy a gardening book from their sale but had no small change with me, and as they were just about to close,  had to leave the book for another day!

Back home to prepare supper, which we ate before watching New Tricks on TV, and then the joy of masses of hot water, heated up via the kitchen range fire; and sawing up logs for this is a holiday chore that we're happy to do - a happy holiday activity!

Cheerio

Daisy