Dear Friends....Friday, 27th September, 2013.

It's been a very busy week.  I've been to a Macmillan World's Biggest Coffee Morning here at Brecon's Presbyterian Church , watched bats flying about our holiday garden, cooked chicken bones and gammon shanks, gardens, collected kindling for the fires, and done a great deal of writing, chatting and of course, masses of walking with Alice the dog.

Now week I must get on with my other writing, so....I'm not going to be blogging to you for a few days, but then I'll return to tell you about everything I have been doing in my absence.

So farewell, dear, gentle reader, have a great week and let's meet up together very soon for some more light-hearted chats about life and living today!!

Cheerio,

Daisy

A Good Sunday.....Sunday, 14th September 2013.

You know, today's been a lovely roast-chicken-dinner-day and we're even tucking into our dinner right now.

It's Sunday evening, the end of a good week and today has been really good for me!

I didn't wake up before the sun, I was booked, as a special treat, for a soothing day of exploratory inner-energy discovery and stretching, connecting with my Chakras, learning to breathe properly, to meditate and find "me"!

Well, it was all good and my new friends were delightful, and, I've come home with a new awareness, err, mindfulness.

This morning I had minor grumbles about going because, after organising a brilliant day for myself yesterday, I rather wished to continue with the same idea today.  The idea, if a little is good, then lots would be even better, runs thru' my veins; it's how I've run me for ages but, just perhaps, it doesn't always work!

A routine, little by little, of everything, variety, for everything needs its time and regularly, as scheduled and, well, you cannot do just one project all the time, to the exclusion of all the other projects you're trying to run, at the same time!!!

So, it was good for me to do something new and entirely different today and, afterwards, I dropped in for a cup of tea at a favourite local eatery, to read today's newspapers  and have a cup of tea and, well, that was good, too!  For it gave me more info and ideas to use for my new Face Book page "Wot Was That Book!" - about long-ago-read-books you now can't remember, and a heap of other things too.

And then I arrived home to watch a very favourite film of mine "You've Got Mail" which I just love watching, over and over again.

As I said earlier, it's been a GOOD day!  Hope yours was too???

Toodle oo

Daisy

Welsh holidays........

We've been bat watching last Sunday morning at 5.30 am when they were wheeling round about the barn, and returning from a night's foraging over the adjacent fields and hedges.

I've seen them before, of course, but not like this, in very close proximity just over our heads, sensing our presence when we raised our arms, which brought them zooming into our space again.

Actually, it was terrifically exciting and this morning, too late I'm afraid at 6.30, for it was already light, too light, so I shall have to get up earlier tomorrow morning, won't I?

Bats are a protected species here and the bat conservancy people will come and monitor the bats in your belfry or rafters and, if you are planning to do renovations or alterations to your home, they will remove the bats for safe-keeping, then return them once the danger is over!

They can even fine you if you do not look after "your" bats , so bats are extremely important "people" down here.

I've been making apple and elderberry chutney and we now have eight full jars of the mixture and I still have more berries waiting to be chutnied; its all great fun and I do love there's firewood to be collected and supper to cook - what is a girl meant to do, hey?

 

 

a food stall at the Abergavenny food festival!

 

 

Well, must away folks, chat again soon!

 

Byeeee, Daisy

 

Cabbage Patch Review - Wednesday, 11th September, 2013.

Returning home, it's hot-foot to view my vegetable plot and inspect the cabbages, brassicas and Rainbow Chard.

Chard is very similar to spinach but I think its leaves are slightly thicker and the stems, some of which are bright red, some yellowy,are more robust. These can be used in place of celery, for a stew or casserole, which is very useful when you've run out of celery!

However, like spinach, you need to pick two good handfuls for a cooked dish; and its very accommodating of stir-frys and bakes, where it retains structure and mass, which spinach does rather less well.  Its lemony flavour goes very well with cooked chicken, like my chicken and chard risotto!

I've bought another netting cover against the cabbage whites, which has a  much finer mesh, to ensure my greens are left unmolested, what a hope!

My patch is looking good and, on closer inspection, it's obvious to the anxious eye that my plants are doing really rather well; well, see for yourself.....!

Cabbage patch with grass as a side-dish!

My plants appear to be rather squashed beneath my netting, on account of the netting being tied-up just a little too tightly.  This, my first ever cabbage-grow attempt, made me think I should tie my netting thus, to prevent those pesky insects  getting at my greens.  At that point, I knew nothing of wood and mesh cages, hoops and netting, or even the use of tyre-hoops, to keep my patch safe from intruders!

However, those cabbage whites attack greens no matter what you do,for they are able to slip thru' the netting by the simple process of folding one wing back over its fellow, and thus ease their passage through!

I eased the netting, untied a few of the string loops and up-bobbed my plumes and curls of green, dancing along with the red stemmed and bright green Rainbow Chard, just longing to be picked, washed and eaten, fresh out-of-the-garden!

And this is how I presented my vegetable for tonight's supper, along with the leg of lamb, roast potatoes and colourful mix of veggies, all cooked by the dear SO, for I was far too busy writing!!!

Toodle oo

Daisy

PS Love writing about all my activities and would love feedback from you, dear reader!!!

More Gardening Fun - Friday, 6th September, 2013.

We've pruned and clipped, cleared and mown, and now our holiday host has presented us with a pair of long handled secateurs for the apple trees.

These wonderful trees need a great deal of work on them, and probably would benefit from the services of a good tree-surgeon!

I can manage the lower and thinner branches easily, and as there are a very many of these, shall be able to put the new secateurs into immediate effect, to my heart's content!

And our host, being somewhat taller than me, should easily be able to reduce the higher, and thicker, branches, so all will be well.

What is more troubling, is the suspected blight on the fruit, which is both disfiguring and unsightly.  I imagine it doesn't affect the eating quality, but it might hinder the cooking process; if chunks of apple are removed but the skin and pips left intact, the cooked pulp may need sieving to remove the unwanted parts.  I must conduct a cooking experience!

While pruning, another friend had fun with the latest bonfire, trying to burn apple twigs and boughs which were rather too damp, so I quickly found some dry material to keep the fire burning.  The dear SO chopped up logs for the wood burning stove and, just when I thought the kitchen range fire had sulked itself out of existence, it suddenly sprang into life, and soon the kitchen became a very cosy venue for cooking that large piece of beef, our host provided.

The wine and  miniature pork pies eased the waiting time, as we munched and slurped companionably!

Happy days!!!

Daisy

Daisy Morton Posts on! - Thursday, 19th September 2013.

I'm opening up to a wider audience possibility and will be writing to you under my "common name"  Margaret Halstead, as Daisy Morton.

Daisy Morton posts on!!!

I am going to be writing to you, as always about my activities, thoughts and impressions, as I have been doing since February 2012.

Daisy............

The new netting protection, bought for my veggie patch before our holiday in Wales, has been left, wrapped up, in its box; it wasn't quite wide enough to use, without a great deal of effort on my part, on my present patch.  I had already spent some time, viewing what other gardeners had used over their baby cabbage plants, wood and netting cages, tunnels, plastic hoops with secured netting draped over, canes and soft toy balls, even tyres, and couldn't decide which way to go!

I had not even thought of the height my plants could grow to, or of how a permanent structure ought to be built, and where it should be stored when not being used.  So, it's back to the drawing board on that one!

So, I eased the netting over my plants and they are now growing at will, and hearting-up, with all the rain we've had this week.  Of course, the grass about the rainbow chard is also doing well, which I shall endeavour to clear away today.

Isn't it always the maintenance which takes the most time to organise and deal with, that day to day routine of coping with the realities of life, to which a cabbage patch is no exception?

My plan is to leave the present netting in place, and let the plants grow at will, and see how that goes.  The top leaves of the kale are doing really well and I think the cabbage plants will develop in time and the cabbage whites are much less numerous than before.  The rainbow chard is definitely flourishing and I've harvested several pickings already; my new rainbow chard pesto is very good with crackers, for lunch, and very easy to make.

What I am uncertain of is the growing season and for how long I will be able to harvest my patch, weather and conditions permitting.  My previous growing seasons were always during the summer months, with the garden being "put-to-bed" in the autumn, which makes this patch such an interesting experiment; I simply don't know how things will go?

I've rubbed off several collections of cabbage white eggs, used one spray against their attack, which may only be used twice a year, and even pondered the possibility of using another proprietary plant spray to keep things going well.  It's a full-time job, growing vegetables, the weeding and nurturing, and the digging and planting.  I still have my winter bed to set up and so far, I've only found one garden centre for seed potatoes and onion sets which, I believe, can wait until October to be planted.  It would be good to grow broad beans too; don't you just love to see them, when they're tiny, and nestling in their inner white velvet cocoons.  Apparently, if you start them off in the winter months, they are less prone to blackfly attack and will then provide an early cropping vegetable for the following spring, when the whole pod and the beans inside, may be eaten. I know nasturtium plants are very good for summer pest control, having had such plants thickly encrusted with blackfly in the herb garden and presumably, the pests are attracted by the strong scent given out by this wonderful plant, with its lovely bright orange flowers.

I do like the idea of using natural pest control to kill off the bugs and nasturtiums are excellent for this, growing enthusiastically and making a wonderful edging for the summer garden; the flowers are good for salads and for stuffing with cream cheese, mmm just think of that, and the unripe seeds may be pickled and eaten as mock capers, which idea I've not yet tried myself, but will do next year!

So, if I can find seed potatoes, onion sets and broad bean plants soon and prepare my winter vegetable bed now, I shall have more than enough to keep me fully occupied throughout the winter and be properly up-and-running for next summer's salad days, herb gardening and dead-heading the roses!

We shall see!!!

Happy gardening,

Daisy

Travel Troubles - Thursday, 5th September 2013.

I really do feel train travel is quite useful and convenient and, when not burdened by suitcase, travel rugs and "a little something to eat on the train" very successful! *

A necessary journey today proved rather more irritating than useful and, of course, platform changes, cancellations and alterations are all to be expected from a busy and over-stretched rail network, but.....

The main-line station rail station concerned is presently, rather like an on-going building-site, with new tracks and services being established which no doubt will prove to be of an excellent standard, once completed.  I wonder when that will be?  Any renovations or improvements always seem to take much longer than anticipated or realised, of course, and the ensuing frustrations must cause difficulties.

I've not travelled by train for sometime now, going by car instead to visit family and friends and, with your car as your home-base extension, it's a simple matter to take all the hand luggage you desire, without the bother of having to carry it by hand.  That's the rub - too much hand luggage - the usual clutter and stuff!

The irritations which really bothered were the searches to find loos and the unwelcome and very last- minute platform changes plus the need to be very nimble-footed, charging up and down long escalators.

The last such change actually resulted in a missed train and, at the end of a long day, the nuisance of a slow and awkward lift onto the platform - just in time to growl at the conductor as his train drew away in front of me, was not amusing!

I was quite unable to do my paperwork, as promised, because of a lack of table space and, instead, had to read our latest book club read, Dostoevsky's The Idiot, a very dense and rambling novel which must, somehow, contain a good read, if only it could be located?

Happy reading folks!

Daisy

* "a little something to eat on the train" comes from a poem within a charming book on how to behave and good manners, which is buried in some deep box within our second bedroom, which is yet to be found.  I will give both title and author very soon, but I think it was a Debrett's publication.  My apologies for this present omission

Holiday Home play-time! - Monday, 2nd September, 2013.

Keeping busy on holiday, doing things to keep your  mind and body stimulated and exercised is great and keeping yourself supple and invigorated is a bonus, hey?

Our holiday home is a large, old, Welsh farmhouse, which our own home flat would fit into twice-over, if necessary; so it's good to feel space opening up around you, with room to breathe.

Of course, the absolute heaven of a small dwelling, is the light and easy amount of housework which needs be done, for the simple lack of space makes it almost impossible to cram more furniture and stuff in than is really, and absolutely, essential for your every-day comfort living!

What it's quite impossible to avoid, is the collection of personal memorabilia, paperwork and things, which everyone over the age of six months, tends to accrue.  We are not, unhappily, once past a certain age, so fortunate as the young child with its mother or grandma, constantly clearing up after him and, sporadically, deciding that those clothes, things, toys etc. should be given or thrown out; if not needed for another baby, and instructing the youngster to get a handle on doing the same, just as soon as it possibly can, when such matters should become a life-enriching habit......well, that's the universal hope, anyway!!!

A gatherer of stuff by nature and inclination, books, magazines, paperwork and things attach themselves to my being, wherever I am and, in a small living space this can, and does, add more-than sufficient clutter, which one is almost loath to disturb immediately, because its presence, although unbearable, just adds to your present work-load!  You're already far too busy to contemplate a tidy-up session!  Let it wait its turn another day - wherein lies your disaster:(:(:(

However, now we're on holiday in our lovely Welsh cottage, there is masses of space for me to stack and store my books, notebooks, paperwork and things in, without the mass, at any time, becoming even the tiniest bit oppressive or cluttering.  A tidy pile here and there just makes the space feel home-like and welcoming!

Then the true essence of home-playing comes into its own, when you reach for the polish and duster and buff the dark wood of Welsh-dresser and sideboard, the occasional tables and bookshelves.  Even raking out the wood burning stove of last night's fire is almost fun; and wasn't it good, sitting close to an apple wood log fire these last few evenings, when the sun has gone down and the night enfolds you in its velvet embrace?

Log sawing.....

Sweet Sunday Home - Sunday, 1st September, 2013......

You're up bright and early as usual, for that internal clock of yours, which has been in training these last umpteen years, simply refuses to recognise the holiday season, and why should it?  Have you ever sent your clock away for a refit or clocked-off its workings, for a specific period?  Well then, don't be surprised if your clock refuses to wind-down of its own accord, because just like you, it cannot!

What's more, it's early-morning tea time and the dog needs a drink of water, possibly even a dash outside to chase away the rabbits or moles, who are making their presence felt, on the green turf beneath the bedroom window.

And another thing, the birds are calling out to one-another, the sun is rising up behind the apple trees and the best of the day is always first thing in the morning, isn't it?

So now you're awake, unless you really are a night owl and you've stuffed your head beneath the pillows again and....!

Ok ok! let sleeping dogs lie, if you really must, whilst the rest of us have  our mugs of scalding hot tea, and get back to that book we're presently reading, and enjoy a special synergised morning session, as we keep an eye on that sun rise, just to ensure it knows what to do, or snatching a few extra minutes of peace and quiet before breakfast time; before the newspapers arrive or we're forced to motor down to the nearest newsagent, for our Sunday news-fix!

Well, the news and storylines will consume most of the day, along with the Glossies, gardening and finance sections; walk Alice, mow the grass or wash the car......hey, are we not on holiday?

So, back to the Glossies once more, then a glass of something cold, a red wine perhaps, before lunch, and then a brisk walk, with Alice of course, then back home for afternoon tea - phew another busy day of holiday activities; certainly no time for wool gathering.

Hey, somebody, bring in more logs for the fire, before we have a freezing evening to look forward to.  Wot, none ready to be brought in... well, the saw's outside, so get going and prepare firewood for the evening.  What a lark, the dear SO has just handed me the saw and suggests I warm-up by cutting the logs myself!!!  What fun?

So long folks, that's all for now, I'm off for a lesson in log sawing; another holiday lesson I'm getting the knack of!

Daisy

Back-dated Welsh holiday notes - Saturday, 31st August, 2013 - I love our Saturday shopping day!

It's been a long hard week writing, gardening, cooking and cleaning,, and that's just me!

The dear SO has been busy getting on with the house-fixing, clambering up onto scaffolding, chimney-stack painting, a little hard pruning and mending  the broken head of an old garden rake, found lingering in the stone shed - and I thought we didn't have one!!!

The rake head was just hanging on by a thread and, to my eye, it looked completely beyond help, but the dear man contrived to connect it up and, hey presto, we now have a usable garden tool:)

I'm already drawing up my list of "must-bring-holiday-needs" for our next visit, for now I'm gardening, it seems there's always a part of someones garden to attend to, to weed or prune, wherever we end up.  Think I'll carry my secateurs and gloves with me too, just in case, must keep my hands nice and soft.

We dashed off to Brecon for breakfast at our favourite internet cafe and He had The most enormous breakfast stack of soft white bap, delicious bacon, tasty sausage and egg, sunny-side-up, plus brown sauce nicely ready to ease out with the first mouthful!  I had the same thick sliced bacon with poached egg and mushrooms, which was perfect!

Then a little wander about the shops and antique emporiums, missing the fabulous fabric and haberdashery venue, then on to buy the weekend newspapers and food needs, before heading back up to the hills again and home!

Phew!!!

Daisy

Welsh gardening!

I've build my first bonfire, all by myself, used a motor mower and pushed it up and down a very lumpy lawn and pruned 'til my right hand was sore.

I've even been setting up a log fire in our wood burning stove, and kept it going all evening, and goodness me, what a pleasure that was.

I've even sawn up logs and branches, big and small, carted them into the house, cleared away the debris from the previous evening's fire, and got another one going.

So, we've had the management training weekends for managers and the like, I could now run weekend courses for folk who just want to do the things, the little things of life which, somehow, they never quite managed to do!

I can remember my grandmother and mother and an aunt making up coal fires, even holding up a broadsheet paper spread against the fire surround, to get a lazy fire to catch and burn, seen a coal merchant deliver sacks of coal and even known of  a family member - who used to love eating coal!

Folks are funny hey???

Daisy

How green is our valley, here is mid-Wales - Tuesday, 27th August 2013

I've been gardening again, and this time in a rather over-grown space, which has blossomed independently, and where the weeds have gained the upper hand!!

Not expecting this opportunity, I arrived without gloves or secateurs of my own but, luckily, our holiday host was able to supply the goods and away I went.

Up at 6.15am and the sun rise is looking good; and the overwhelming impact of huge bushes, massive apple trees, long grass and choked flower-beds, add a sense of drama and urgency to the occasion, and it all seems rather fun.  I may change my mind about that later on - we'll see!!!

There is so much to do, with a wide variety of chores to be tackled, it simply doesn't matter much where I start,  for I'm bound to be doing a bit of everything before too long, which means I'll have to do my less-favourite chores, as well as the ones I really love doing!

I was just about to attack the rambling rose cascading over the garden door and kitchen window, which was all encased in scaffolding for the roof work currently being done, when the dear SO grabbed the secateurs, hoisted himself up to the scaffolding, and began snipping away; and I was soon ankle-deep in sprays and stems, suckers and twigs, and the thorns on the suckers were enormous.

Much later, the thorns on the Blackthorn bushes were much more vicious and one even penetrated the thickness of my gloves; that thorn took much effort to remove!

Within a short space of time, a great mound of prunings were piled up and we could see the bricks again, and the three remaining blossoms, previously hidden behind a knot of massed greenness!

I then moved on to the bed of Japanese Anemones, a cloud of pale pink blossoms and lots of nice fat buds, aching to burst.  The bed was choked with dandelions and nettles and grasses and once these were removed, the blooms regained their prominence against the darkness of cottage stone walls.

I collected all the prunings together and moved them onto the waiting compostable area, and went off to make us all a cup of tea.

And it was still not lunch time - times goes by quickly when you're having fun, hey?

Toodle oo!

Daisy

Alice walked me up to this lovely spot once we'd done-finished in the garden for the day!!!