HARVEST HOME AND STRIMMING.

This morning we were as Pepys says “up betimes.” I made a breakfast of sultana picklets with butter and syrup, then we went our separate ways for a few hours Pa went into Brentford, my son went off to Twickenham and “Poor Cinders stayed at home to wash up and prepare a feast for this evening. Actually I quite enjoy having the house to myself, it is a rare occurrence these days.

I took the ribs off a large pork belly joint and layered it on a bed of sage leaves and six bulbs of garlic cut in half, this stops the pork from overcooking at the base and makes a terrific sauce. I stuffed some red peppers with mushrooms, olives and tomatoes, made some potato wedges and a couple of dips and a special dish of roasted shallots for Pa. This meal was to be eaten with trenchers of bread and followed by a blueberry jelly.

After all that food preparation I needed some fresh air so I went out in to the orchard to get some more apples, there were some pumpkins, courgettes and a small squash ready to pick and quite a few tomatoes. There are a lot in the house just now waiting to be turned into chutney if I ever get around to doing it. The ornamental gourds have produced a few pretty specimens too ,and the runner beans are prolific this year. By the time I had piled it all onto the table the kitchen looked like a harvest festival, quite a sight. Next I bit the bullet and got out the strimmer, blooming Henry...............it took ages and the long grass under the fruit trees was full of rotten apples and squelchy damsons which were whipped up by the strimmer and flung about, mostly at me, by the time I had finished I was besmirched from head to toe with lumps of unidentifiable goo.........yuk!

The result however was pleasing so I happily went indoors to wash my hair and take a bath. Afterwards I put the meat in the oven and left instructions with my son as to what time to put in the vegetables and set off to buy a pair of shears, I have had my old ones for about twenty years and now they are even more past it than I am! A very nice man in Homebase advised me on which pair would be best for me and I chose a pair with extending handles, this will make trimming the shrubs much easier as I find ladders a bit of a trial to say the least. The vegetables went in on time and when I arrived home all I had to do was crisp up the crackling and lay the table. We all enjoyed our feast and I washed up afterwards with my sons help.

We had an early start this morning so we decided to turn in early and watch a film, it sounds dull I know, there was a time, not so long ago when I used to come home with the milk. Now I find that the call of my snug bed with its deep soft mattress is to strong to be denied. It was quite time I hung up my guns, who wants to be known as the oldest swinger in town. Sleep tight one and all.

THE START OF THE HOLIDAY

Today has been perfect from start to finish, Pa got up early, we had a wonderful breakfast together and I even managed to do some gardening, we have all been so happy and busy, the house is full of sunlight and flowers from the garden. We did all the chores in record time thanks to Pa and after a dinner of lasagne we are all ready for an early night. As I am too sleepy to write much I thought perhaps a poem would be a good idea. It is one I wrote a few weeks ago,and is dedicated to the one and only, the very lovely, the totally adorable, Miss Tiggy Twigs.

TWIGGIES POEM
The name of the cat was twiggy that mooched around the house
And times were very hard for every vole and rat and mouse
Even the starlings looked askance before they took a bath,
In case the dreaded twiggy was lurking on the path.

She prowled and stalked and sprang and pounced on all that she could see,
And so they rats decided that a reckoning there must be
When asked if he would do the job the badgers lame excuse
Was, I'm much too old and busy and besides my teeth are loose.

They asked the fox if he would chase her from the property,
You must be joking he replied its she that chases me!
And so they hired a handy dog to do the awful deed,
A very large bull terrier with a scary turn of speed.

So as he chased Miss Twig their cheers rose higher than a mountain,
And they celebrated their success by tiddling in the fountain.
But when the dog did not return to take his murderers pay,
The cheering stopped and one by one they quietly slunk away.

The postman found the grim remains, and as he told the tale
Of how Twigs fought the fearsome hound, The rats and mice turned pale
As Twiggy walked in through the gate with the swagger of a winner,
The rats ran off before their foe cat slaughtered them for dinner.

They really thought that they had won, they' d all thought that was that
And thus began the legend of Twigs, the once and future cat.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES

Today could not have been more unlike yesterday although it started with a bang, quite literally. I was awakened before light by a terrific crash on the landing, I groped my way groggily to the top of the stairs and there was Pa, flat on the floor heavily entangled in the clothes horse on which he seemed to have sat rather heavily. If I had not been so scared I would have laughed. Pa had no idea what was going on and seemed very confused, I ascertained with difficulty that no bones were broken, no bumps rising on the head and sat him up. He was so sleepy that I think he must have had an attack of catalepsy and just keeled over.

Then came the question of how to get him back to bed I will not go in to details but we managed and he went to sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. The one good thing about Pa's condition is that when he falls his body is completely relaxed so unless he falls down the stairs or on to something sharp he does not hurt himself, this morning was close. I watched the early news programme until my son came home and we had tea together. While my son was in the bath I went to look at Pa, imagine my astonishment when I found him not only awake but dressed and with his leg brace on, I made him a cup of coffee and treated him to a favourite breakfast of poached eggs on toast, orange juice and a pot of tea.

He was chatty at breakfast, like his dear old self and we planned our day over a second cup of tea.
We needed some bread so I got that done and them went out so buy some ground nut oil which I stupidly forgot on yesterday's shopping trip. It gets hotter than most oils and is indispensable for such things as toad in the hole, Yorkshire puddings and cooking on the griddle, in fact any kind of frying as it gets so hot that it is not absorbed into the food. In the old days I would have used good dripping but these days it is almost impossible to find. In spite of all the warnings to the contrary dripping is best for frying as it has an even higher smoking point than ground nut oil and so the food is sealed and does not absorb much fat, unlike some vegetable oils, yuk, soggy chips!

While I was out Pa cleared the kitchen and got on with tidying his room, it can get a bit untidy as he is in the throws of constructing a model railway and he leaves the evidence about, its a little like having mice, you know where they have been but you can't catch them at it. He is so happy with his locomotives and that is all that matters. It was windy today and I wore my new knitted poncho - it is perfect for the buggie as it is lose, tight things tend to ride up become uncomfortable, It is a rusty red colour and I like it very much,I think I shall wear it a lot as the weather cools.

Pa and I had tea when I returned then he went off to feed the birds and I hoovered and steamed the downstairs rooms. Dinner was easy tonight, my son had a craving for bacon and eggs so we all had some with fresh tomatoes and I had lots of mushrooms too.

Holidays start tomorrow, not that I am going anywhere but it will be wonderful to be freed from the constraints of time for a few weeks. I do hope the weather improves as I should like to cook a meal in the orchard one evening. We usually do roast pork with lots of extra tasty bits and pieces, I burn incense in the branches of the old damson tree to keep the midges away and we light lots of candles in small alcoves in the ancient garden wall. After we have finished cooking we pile lots of logs on the fire and it lights up the top of the orchard and looks so cosy and mysterious.

The cat Twiggy has just arrived to disport herself upon the bed and have here tummy tickled .She has been in the garden all afternoon chasing the orange Pyrocantha they roll about an it keeps her amused for hours. She is sleepy now and I am more than usually popular with her as I have a very thick mattress topper in the bed, I should like to be loved for myself alone but cats always have an ulterior motive, that is what makes them so fascinating after all. Good luck for next week.

DAYO, DAYO, LUNCH TIME COME AND HIM STILL IN BED!

Today Pa broke his personal best record for tardiness, as a consequence breakfast was at lunch time again and during the two and a half hours it took to coax and coerce him out of bed I did three loads of washing, a huge pile of ironing, washed my hair, and wrote out the fortnightly grocery list. I began the waking up Pa game at eight-thirty and at ten-forty-five he finally sat up in bed. During the time it took him to get dressed I cleaned the kitchen cupboards and laid the table. At eleven-thirty I said, “Ready or not here is your breakfast.” The atmosphere at table was a trifle chilly as I preferred to say nothing than engage in useless nagging. I had to go out today and Pa,s performance made me very late, by the time I had washed up and changed my clothes it was one-thirty. It was a relief to get out as I felt the homicide might well be on the cards if I stayed at home any longer, I am sure that no jury would convict under the circumstances!

My trip took quite a while and I did not manage to accomplish all my errands as I had begun so late. When I arrived home at four o'clock I discovered that Pa had not feed the birds, the last load of washing was still in the machine and his room was a disaster area; looking around I was hard pressed to see that he had done anything at all. Part of my job as carer is to motivate Pa so that he does not turn into a fossil, I think it would be easier to push an elephant up a mountain. At the end of each day I find myself exhausted and often have been unable to do my own chores, it is very frustrating and at times I get quite cross. Of course I feel terribly guilty if I lose my temper,such is the carers dilemma, I am certainly not alone in my troubles. There are thousands of people like me struggling against impossible odds, we do it gladly because we love the person we care for, that fact makes it even harder sometimes, I should think it would be much easier if there was no emotion involved.

Sorry to offload that lot,and now having depressed you utterly I will tell you a funny story. While I was out today I met three very elderly ladies the youngest was ninety-one and her sisters were ninety-three and ninety-six. The younger sister confided in me that she had lately given up her car and expressed a keen interest in my buggie. As we concluded our business at the same time she asked as we left together if I would allow her to try out the buggie, of course I happily let her try it and she came back from a short spin round the car park in raptures. Then the middle sister asked if she could try and off she went, she was equally pleased on her return. The older sister had been watching and it was hard to tell if she approved of her sisters trundling about until she asked if she too could take a turn round the car park, the other two chattered awake excitedly as she went off at a dash. Finally I was back in my chariot and the three ladies declared their intention of buying a buggie each and even asked what other colours were available! “Just think, dear”, said the eldest, “We will be able to go round Tesco together and between us will be able to carry all our shopping easily without having to pay exorbitant taxi fares.” The idea of the three of them whizzing round Tesco like the Valkyries made me inclined to giggle so having recommended a reliable dealer I left as fast as possible and had a good laugh all the way home.

I was rather late getting in - I had just enough time to make two apple cakes and drop one in next door. Thankfully we were having fish and chips for dinner so all was well. Just tomorrow to go and them my son starts his holiday. He is such fun always, he makes me laugh all the time. He will be taking a few days well earned holiday in Wiltshire, his biannual pilgrimage, he loves Avebury and knows how to get the most from the place. I am planning a feast on his return, something in the way of a medieval banquet, roast beef and trenchers perhaps maybe a game pie, we shall see.

THERE'S SOMEBODY AT THE DOOR

My day has been a trifle fraught, fun but exhausting. It started out as any other day, tea with my son, prise Pa out of bed, a breakfast of cheese oatcakes, nothing unusual there. Pa went out on the buggie at about twelve, by which time I had made three loaves and three trays of melting shortbread,a house speciality and a favourite with our friends. As I was washing up there was a knock at the door,. A delivery, two small parcels, no problem. I returned to the kitchen another knock at the door, my neighbour asking if he could have some parsley, I told him to help himself and he set off down the garden and I returned to the kitchen...........another knock at the door, another delivery man - could I take in a parcel for next door as they were out. I couldn't be bothered to explain that he was in my garden and I had a pan of sugar syrup on the stove so I took the parcel, I then missed my neighbour returning with his parsley so he knocked on the door and I gave it to him, the delivery man had put a card through his letter box.

I had been intending to make an apple cake but while gathering some tomatoes I discovered that the damsons were ready so I decided to make some jam. This is a time consuming job as all the stones have to be removed as the fruit boils before the sugar can be added, failure to do this can result in broken teeth so it is a matter of due diligence. I was busy extracting these stones when, you guessed it, there was a knock at the door, I was beginning to feel like Grotbags the witch! Standing on the step was a friend of a friend who just happened to be passing, of course I asked him in.

He had apparently just had a horrible experience, he had eaten lunch in a local café, he was in sore need of a decent cup of coffee so I obliged and we chatted as I continued to pick the pips out of the by now gloopy damsons. He stayed about an hour and as I waved him off I heard a strange noise coming from the kitchen. I hurried back just in time to see a small coal tit floundering about in a pan of sugar syrup. Than the Gods it was cool or we should have had candied coal tit! As it was the little blighter precoded to fly about the kitchen defying all attempts to usher him through the door and leaving small tufts of sticky feathers all over the walls and ceiling. The cat began to show and interest in the proceedings and the bird decided it was time to leave, it is probably glued to a branch somewhere even as I write!

At last I got back to the jam and added the sugar, sterilised the jars and lids and bottled it without further incident. I had intended to do some ironing today and it grieves me to report that I did not have the time, pity! Pa arrived home...late and with barely enough time to feed the birds before dinner. As I went upstairs with a tray of tea for my son there was a knock at the door, It was my neighbour wishing to borrow a pie dish, I hunted feverishly about the kitchen and drew a complete blank until I remembered than they were both out on the table, one full of eggs and the other full of tomatoes. He departed with dish and I went to wake my son.

Dinner was toad in the hole and it turned out very well,served with baked beans. I had just begun to clear the table when there was a knock at the door, my neighbour had decided to surprise us by making a steak and kidney pie. It smelled wonderful and of course we accepted with grateful thanks. There was no way any of us could eat a morsel as we were all well stuffed with the toad. Pa and I will have it for lunch tomorrow so that will be all right.

I suddenly realised that I had not been to the loo for hours and as I headed for the bathroom there was a knock at the door. I have no idea who it was, for once I did not answer the door and as my son was in his room and Pa was outside whoever it was went away...quite a day, fun but absolutely exhausting.

OUT AND ABOUT

Having been confined to the kitchen yesterday I decided to take the buggie out for a spin, I needed some sweet potatoes for tomorrow's dinner and some more gelatine. My son brought me tea this morning, he is so good to his old mum. Last night I thought he was coming down with a cold but this morning I listened to his cough and knew at once what the matter was. Last week his doctor put him on a new medication for his hypertension, I have the same problem and a couple of years ago I was also put on this drug. At first I felt as if I was starting a cold, then I began to feel that there was something like a fish bone stuck in my throat, As the weeks went by and the dosage was increased the cough became worse, I could not swallow without coughing and in the end I coughed so much that I ruptured a blood vessel in my throat and that was a bit scary.

This went on for about a year and during this time I was sent for chest x-rays E.C.G, scans and was generally poked about by numerous consultants. In the end I was in a state of such physical exhaustion that it took months for me to recover. It turned out that I was suffering an allergic reaction to the medication and when I stopped taking the tablets the cough went away in a couple of days. I was pretty damned cross as you can imagine as this was a known side effect, rare but I would have expected one of the learned physicians who saw me to have known about it. At least I shall be able to spare my son this nightmare, he is going to stop taking it for a day or two and see what happens.

Back to my trip out, after a breakfast of kippers and bread and butter I left Pa resting and shot off to Tesco, not much of a trip perhaps but to me it is wonderful to be able to go any where without needing a taxi. On the way to the shop I had a fight with a cyclist, who ran into my buggie from behind, and in the supermarket was crashed into again by a twit pushing a huge cart of bread too tall to see over while talking on his mobile, these days going shopping is like taking part in an extreme sport, still it spices up a dull day. I treated myself to a couple of tops, one cream and one khaki, they were two for eight pounds, I always was a spendthrift. The fresh air worked wonders and I even got home before the rain started again. Pa made me a coffee and then I finished off the preparation for the soup using the chicken stock I made yesterday and some fresh vegetables to which I added split peas, lentils, and barley.

Just before serving I added a carton of crème fraiche which made it deliciously creamy and gorgeous with slices of well buttered bread, perfect for a rainy evening. We had orange jelly to finish, perhaps a hot apple pie would have been more appropriate but we ate it all up just the same. The cat Twiggy is getting very tired of the rainy weather, it always takes her a few weeks to reconcile herself to the change when summer ends but it will not be long before she remembers the delights of sleeping on the bed all day or curling up on the radiator shelf. She loves comfort, who doesn't. She has a habit of turning up in some very unlikely places, such as the top shelf of the linen cupboard or in the potato basket, I once found her curled up on the lavatory seat, I can't think why? Cats are a law unto themselves, there is an old saying “Dogs have owners, cats have staff.” In the case of our cat that is perfectly true.

THE COOK IS IN

Today was a bit of a marathon in the kitchen as I was playing catch up from yesterday's debacle. To begin with, it was bread day and today I made two baguettes, one glazed poppy seed bloomer, one large floury bloomer and a quartern loaf, quite a lot but as we are having a chicken soup tomorrow we shall certainly use it up. Next on the list were Staffordshire oatcakes, a rare delicacy, the people of Derbyshire claim them but really the best ones come from Stoke on Trent in Staffordshire, from any where else they are passable, If I was to pin it down I would say that the shop in Hanley sold the best oatcakes when I was a child. Like everything else, most of the small shops were bought up by bigger companies and once you started seeing them in the supermarkets the rot had really set in. They were awful, floury tasteless travesties of the original. Luckily my father had the skill of making them and I too eventually learned how to make them. This was fortunate they can not be found north of Macclesfield or south of Stone and once you have eaten them you are a lifelong addict!

Staffordshire oatcakes
Makes about twenty five
Half a pound of strong plain flour
Half a pound of porridge oats
A large pinch of salt
One sachet of quick rise yeast
About a pint of water

Mix the flour, oats, yeast,and salt together, warm the water to blood heat and mix with the dry ingredients, you may need a little more or even a little less depending upon the quality of the flour. What you are trying to achieve is a smooth creamy consistency. Cover the mix with a cloth and leave in a warm place until it rises then knock back, stirring well with a wooden spoon. Heat a griddle or a heavy frying pan and rub a very little in a very little oil. Proceed as if you were making pancakes and cool on a wire tray. If sandwiched between sheets of greased proof paper they will keep in the freezer for a month. You can reheat them under the grill and serve them with bacon, eggs and tomatoes, or grill one side then turn and cover the other side with Cheshire cheese and grill until the cheese bubbles, some people eat them buttered, my favourite way is to eat them piping hot with runny honey all over them. The ingredients are all healthy and so little fat is used that they can be eaten even by people on low fat diets.

After making six dozen oatcakes I prepared the potatoes for herb crusted chicken, jacket wedge, fresh tomatoes and tarragon dip. The chicken carcass and giblets I fried quickly in a deep pan added about two litres of water and simmered for about five hours until a rich stock was achieved, this with some leeks, carrots, potato, and yellow split peas will make a lovely soup for tomorrows dinner, and the cat Twiggy will feast upon the scraps of meat stripped from the carcass. When I was at school this was called domestic economics.

The next job was to make an orange jelly, these have become very popular lately, at the moment I am making two two pint jellies a week. All that cooking produced a mass of washing up bouts of which punctuated the day. Pa was up late again so in the interest of getting on with my day I gave him oatcakes for lunch instead of breakfast after he had been down to the village, he did not seem to mind which is just as well as he had Hobson's choice!

The waterproof cape we ordered for use on wet buggy rides arrived today, we are now almost ready for cold wet weather as we do not intend ever to become prisoners again, it is a very dashing bright yellow which should get us noticed on dark rainy days. I have enjoyed today, busy as it has been, it is wonderful to see all the things I have made cooling on the kitchen table, I get a good deal of pleasure from such simple things these days.

YOYO DAY

When I opened my bleary eyes this morning I drank my tea congratulating myself on the fact that as I had done extra duty yesterday and there was no baking to do I would have plenty of time to catch up on some outstanding odd jobs and maybe have some time to do my hair nicely, in short, spend a little time on myself. As soon as he considered me fully conscious my darling son broke the news that a card had been slipped through the door declaring an aborted attempt to deliver a parcel, that it was now at the sorting office and if we wanted to collect it we must do so before twelve o'clock..This sort of thing happens often as the blasted postman knocks once and the leaves almost at once without waiting at all. As Pa and I both have difficult walking we often reach the door only to see the post van haring off down the road to their next victim! Add to this the fact that for the second time in a week the delivery was at seven-thirty,which means that my son would not yet be home from work and Pa and I still asleep you can easily see that there is a problem.

Knowing that my son would be unable to collect his parcel before next week, knowing that stuff has a habit of disappearing from our sorting office and knowing also that there was no chance that Pa would be up in time I gulped down my cuppa and set off on the buggie. The sorting office is fortunately not too far away and I was able to collect the parcel easily enough while deploring the necessity of having to do so. I mentioned to the man on the desk that perhaps this problem would occur less often if his postmen waited a minute after knocking before bogging off in a hurry, after all, I remarked we cannot be the only disabled or elderly people they deliver to. He was quite obliging and said that he would mark our sheet with a note about waiting while we answered the door. I expressed my gratitude but remarked that his note would only work if the postman bothered to read it and that this was not the first time he had made such a note at my request. Answer came there non so I gave up and trundled off home. I had hoped to return before my son was went to bed but he was fast asleep and Pa was wandering about in his night clothes so I made so bold as to boil some eggs for breakfast and make a pot of tea.

Pa and I sat down to breakfast, he kept falling asleep and bumping his head on the table so it took quite a time to finish the meal, after which I washed up and Pa fell asleep again on the sofa! This was vastly inconvenient as I was hoping he would pop into the village to collect something from the pharmacy, what a hope. I cleared the kitchen and loaded the washing machine, prepared some cauliflower for dinner and watched as it began to rain heavily. By now Pa had been asleep for a hour and showed no sign of stirring for ages so during a lull in the storm I got out the chariot and buggied off in the opposite direction to the earlier jaunt as fast as possible. There was a long line of people in the pharmacy and by the time I got out it had begun to rain again, Cursing Pa and muttering about vengeance I set off for home.. Fortunately the squall did not last and I made it back and put the buggie in its shelter only slightly soaked to the skin! Pa was still in the recumbent posture and my patience was insufficient for this latest trial. He woke as a yelled my soggy fury down his ear. He had been asleep four several hours. It was now one-forty-five. I used some gentle.....persuasion to encourage him to do the odd job or two and went off to wash my hair. So much for a relaxing day .There is a line in the play Gammer Gurton's Needle delivered by the priest in which he remarks:

“It were better twenty times to be a bandog and bark
Than here among these folk be plague by such a lark,
But I shall never be at rest one pissing-while a day,
But I must trudge about the town, this way and that way;”

I have changed the odd word but the sentiment and the swearing which I endorse belong to the author of the play who's name has been long lost in the mist of time. I recovered my temper while drying my hair and ordered a new sweater for winter, mine are all so venerable and bobbly and have been washed so often that they can find their own way to the laundry basket. Pa had been rather nice to me last night, bringing me a glass of milk as I was in too much pain to want to go down stairs and remembering this my conscience smote me some I gave him a big hug and we had a cup of tea and made up our squabble, Making up after a fight is a more sedate affair as one gets older!

Dinner was a dish of pasta with ham and cheese for my son and a cauliflower cheese for Pa and me..My son was so pleased to have his parcels that I was really glad I went to get them, and the evening ended with everyone happy again. Life is too short to hold grudges I think and I wish I had a better temper, I can be a little waspish at times. Still nobody's perfect as they say but it does not hurt to try.

BACK TO THE GRIND

To say that we put up the buggie cover in the nick of time would be quite an understatement, within an hour or so of completing the job the heavens opened and the rains came. What a night, non of us got much sleep as the rain came down in sheets and the wind howled through the old lime trees that surround the house. Last winter I saw one of then fall in a storm and it was quite an experience. I was looking out of the window in the early hours of the morning watching the storm, there was aloud cracking tearing sound and a massive tree in the shelter belt across the road twisted round and fell with a terrific crash. Since then I have been a little nervous on windy nights as there is a huge tree at the bottom of our garden and if it fell it would certainly take our house with it. Still it was a good test for the cover which did not blow away as I had feared and which kept the buggie nice and dry so that is one thing I shall not have to worry about again.

Poor Twiggy has been miserable today, she hates wet weather as do most cats and after getting caught a couple of times in the rain gave up and went upstairs to disport herself on my bed, a favourite spot on foul weather days. She often visits me at night and watches an hour of television with great interest, she loves wild life programmes and is also partial to snooker which I quite understand and skiing - which I don't. She is a very unusual cat and too clever by half. She is certainly self aware, something that I understand cats are not supposed to be. She is able to open doors, and is in short convinced that she is more than equal to any human being.... she may be right!

At one time in my life I owned thirteen cats, all strays including a cream coloured Persian who arrived totally bald but went on to grow the most gorgeous coat I ever saw, he was very affectionate and sat on my lap stroking my face which is a bit of a switch and he slept curled up round my head so that I looked as if I was wearing a Davie Crockett hat. Our milk man adored him and would leave cartons of cream with a note saying for Snuffy, which the cats name. I should also add that he snored very loudly indeed. He was one of the three beloved cats that died in the fire I mentioned some time ago and I still miss then all.

Back to the present, this morning I baked four large loaves and two Pavlova cases one of each I gave to the boys next door as a thank you for their help yesterday. We had a chicken casserole for dinner using our own vegetables and we ate it with lots of the new bread. We had hazelnut Pavlova to finish, all in all it was a lovely meal to start the new week.

My son is back at work tonight and is exhausted already as he had no sleep last night and could not sleep during today, I hope he manages to stay awake at work, Mondays are always tough on him, indeed I think that the start of a night shift must be difficult for any one. I am glad to say that next week he starts a three week holiday and I have some treats planed for the days he is at home. Keep safe everyone and have a good week were ever you are. Night-night.

A NOT SO SILENT COMEDY

Perhaps you recollect about a month ago I regaled you with the saga of my attempted assembly of a waterproof cover for our chariot, well here is the next, and I sincerely hope last instalment. After breakfast this morning my neighbour arrived all ready to help me to put the wretched thing together. Because of the layout of our garden space is limited and the thing appeared to require an inordinate amount of space in the construction stage he suggested that we do the job in his back garden and it seemed like a good idea at the time. There were three of us, although the instructions claimed that one or two people would be enough, the idea was the Pa would take photographs of the construction at key stages. We got out all the pieces and off we went. As I mentioned before, the instructions were no use at all and were to put it politely somewhat misleading. After a while it became apparent that it would need two of us to hold the thing together while the other secured the screws in place, so the camera was put aside.

Having assembled the main frame we decided to take it to its permanent location to finish the job, at this point we discovered to our chagrin that it would not fit through the arched gate in my neighbour's garden, so with some muttered oaths we disassembled just enough of it to get it through the gate. This took a considerable amount of time. Mean while indoors my son and his fellow dungeoneers were unbeknown to us ordering pizza for lunch.. Having hauled the thing to its allotted space outside the front door we reassembled it and went on to the next phase, putting on the cover. On this subject the instructions were not so much vague as total gobbledygook and so as they say we were winging it.

The frame resembles a huge pram cover and there was no indication as to which end was the front so of course we started off by fitting it the wrong way around. Realising our mistake we turned it with great difficulty and began again. The instructions had said that one person should be inside to fix the Velcro straps to the struts, I started off inside the thing, God it was hot in there. After about twenty minutes all three of us were inside holding various bits together and trying to release my hair which was hopelessly entangled in the Velcro and at this point unbeknown to the three of us the pizza delivery man arrived. According to my son some of the remarks such as “I can't get it in.. and “you've put it in the wrong hole,” were misconstrued and together with copious amounts of cursing were the cause of a good deal of mirth.

The heat was unbearable and calling loudly for iced water we emerged like three dishevelled butterflies from our PVA cocoon! It actually began to resemble the photograph on the box and we congratulated ourselves as we drank our cold water, thoughtfully provided by my son - he and his comrades had until then limited their involvement to offering words of advice and discouragement and frequent bouts of raucous laughter. We could not have got any more people under the damn thing anyway. We were as it turned out premature in our celebrations, in order to fit the penultimate piece it was necessary to pull one end of it to pieces yet again, all former swearing was as nought compared with the language that this discovery called forth.

The final piece we were not able to fit at all as we had during the course of our peregrinations lost a couple of bolts. In spite of this the blasted thing was up and usable and we all staggered off to recover from our exertions. I am not convinced that the cover will not blow away in a strong wind and intend to add some weight to the seemingly flimsy pegs which are supposed to hold it down and the final part will be fitted as soon as I buy replacement bolts. One thing I am sure of is the cat Twiggy will adore it, she was inside as soon as we had finished and I am sure she thinks that we put it up for her especial use. Later after everyone had gone we had the steak burgers I had prepared earlier with buns, lots of caramelised onions fresh tomatoes and salad. I do not think that my back will ever be the same again but much worse are the aching ribs caused by several hours of laughing my head off, during the construction and after when my son informed us of the effect that our pantomime had on passers by of which we had been completely unaware. If there is a moral here it escapes me at present, unless it is “Laugh and the world laughs at you.” Or some thing like that!

DOWN IN THE DUNGEON

We had a lovely start to our weekend and a wonderful breakfast cooked by my son who is becoming very handy in the kitchen. Clearing up had to be done quickly as the dungeoneers are meeting here today, I suppose my kitchen could at a stretch be said to resemble a medieval alchemist's workshop particularly at the moment with bunches of herbs drying every where and jars full of weird fruits pickled in alcohol.

Once they were settled I headed off to the shops, I still cannot get over how wonderful it is to be able to do my own shopping. There is a basket on the front of the buggy, handy but quite small so I always take a bag with me that fits on the foot plate. Tesco today was very busy, people racing round the aisles with their trolleys, it was like being in a remake of “Ben Hur.”I also observed that the number of people with a death wish was up to the usual average, its amazing, they look at you and then walk right in front of you, I have to keep hitting the brakes or I would flatten them .I cannot decide if it is rudeness or impatience, they seem to treat wheelchair users in the same way. Also it is amazing how often the disabled persons lift has a socking great display in front of it, I often get to the next flour only to have to come down again as some one has put a display stand full of under ware or sale goods in front of the doors. Can you imagine the hooha if the escalator was left cluttered up in such a way?

After Tesco I looked in on home base where I bought some paper lamp shades, we like the way they diffuse the lights but being paper the do not last long. On my return the battle in the kitchen was in full swing, they really get into character and it can be quite amusing if you sit in the next room and listen. I am sure that my son has missed his vocation, he would have made a terrific actor and his sense of comic timing is astonishingly good.

Pa went off to the village to raid the hardware shop, it is one of the old fashioned sort and I have never yet asked them for something only to find they did not have it, which is more than can be said for Homebase which is fifty times bigger at least.

I finally tackled the ironing, all I have to say is bum! When the warriors left we had a quick dinner of rump steak and chips with fresh tomatoes and salad followed by blueberry jelly, we swapped news and then having cleared the kitchen I took a bath washed my hair and sat down to write this blog. I love my room, I have a patchwork quilt for every season of the year, gifts from my son over the past few Christmases, I have just put the autumn one on the bed and it makes the room look so cosy, I often light candles at night, I love the soft light they give and the odd shadows they create. Both the boys like scented candles in the bathroom and I am sure that they aid relaxation. It has been quite an ordinary day but for some reason I feel really happy,, the quiet sort of happiness that is good when you are about to go to sleep. Happy dreams to you, Night night.

NOT BLOODY LIKELY

This has been a down right pestiferous aggravating bitch of a day. Murphy himself would have been hard pressed to produce such a cussed awkward set of contrary circumstances. Are you sitting comfortably, then I'll begin. To start with, Pa refused to get up today and it cost my son and I some pains to shoehorn him out of bed, I think the fact that he was still stooging around at one-thirty last night may have been something to do with his reticence.

We were expecting a delivery of groceries at ten o'clock and as I had a great deal of baking to do today we needed to have an early breakfast, not at the crack of dawn you understand. Nine o'clock would have been fine. As it was the groceries arrived late, Pa got up late and breakfast was very late indeed. Having packed away the shopping I set about baking six dozen butter biscuits, as each batch takes twenty minutes in the oven it took an hour and a half to finish the job. In between putting the cookies in the oven and taking them out I made a pan of tabbouleh, some kebabs and spicy sauce, the kebabs would be cooked later for dinner. Pa had a clinic appointment at two-thirty and at one I discovered that he had not ordered the taxi. ”Ann's Cabs” who are very good indeed and deserve a plug were able to oblige at short notice with a cab at two o'clock, I then spent an hour chasing Pa round the house trying to get him ready on time, talk about flogging a dead horse. Finally and with a loud cheer I saw him off in the cab and then spent the next two hours hoovering and steaming the floors, and tidying the kitchen.

The work done I prepared to relax for a few minutes only to discover that the fridge was leaking water, after an initial bout of panic I realised that the door was jammed slightly open by a bottle of cider so I sorted it out and then washed the floor. As I put the kettle on, the cat brought in a large mouse and dumped it bleeding on the door mat, with a very rude remark I evicted the cat, confiscated the mouse and fired up the steamer again to remove the gory stains.

Having loudly declared that woe would betide the next person to make a mess I finally put the kettle on and made the tea .Glancing at the clock I realised that Pa had been gone longer than usual and was torn between concern and relief, I called him on his mobile, he was having tea, he said, I was glad I had not worried too much. As a consequence of his tea break he was late home, dinner was late, the cat was picketing the kitchen demanding to have her mouse back and I realised that she had not been fed, poor puss, no wonder she resorted to take-away. Then to cap it all Pa walked into the kitchen and said, “I'll clean the floor after dinner.” I choose not to print my reply!

The meal was lovely and we almost managed to see the funny side of things.............but not quite!
I have no intention of giving a repeat performance tomorrow and seriously intend to have a rest, if any one asks me to do ANYTHING tomorrow I shall quote Eliza Doolittle....see title!

PEACE AND QUIET

Now that the upheaval of decorating is almost over we have today enjoyed the benefits of our labours, and very pleasant it has been. We had a breakfast of hot buttered potato cakes, the ones I made a few days ago, we all love them and I can never seem to make enough. A friend of Pa's seems to have an instinct which tells him when I am making them, he says he can smell them cooking, he always appears when they are being made or very soon after. I have developed the habit of making extra and that seems to work quite well, I just wish I knew how he does it?

After breakfast I trundled off to collect the rough draft of a letter from the friend who visited yesterday, she does not have access to the internet and the letter was urgent. My son and I worked on it for an hour or so and sent it off on her behalf, if you read yesterday's blog you will know what it was about, I hope it does some good, she is a lovely lady and does not deserve to be treated in such a despicable fashion, at least we have had the satisfaction of dropping her idiot boss in the **** which has been long deserved.

My son cleaned his room today and reorganised some of his books, he is revelling in his lovely tidy room and I must say it looks great, I love to see him so happy. His visit to the doctor brought good news as his blood pressure is coming down nicely and a few more tweaks to his medication should sort it out. Once it is back to normal he will be able to begin his flying lessons so we have exciting times ahead. He has a holiday coming up and is off to Avebury, his spiritual home, his visit is in the nature of a pilgrimage and the energy from the stones always has a good effect on him. I am no longer able to go myself so my son takes my talismans each time and brings them back refreshed .

In September there are fewer new age nutters wandering about in fancy dress, chanting and defacing West Kennet with red candle wax as is there want to do, I am not sure what they are trying to achieve but I know that the magic will never work for such people as they have no idea what it is all about. You do not need a green robe and a load of candles to communicate with nature and avail yourself of her generosity, all you need is an open mind and a degree of humility in the face of such wonders. Here endeth the lesson!

Pa had a hospital appointment in central London so my son and I had I quiet afternoon, we both love Pa dearly but his condition can make him a bit of a trial at times. Short-term memory loss is a curse for all concerned. For those caring for someone with this condition it requires constant vigilance as you never know what the person may do next, it is very tiring and both my son and myself enjoy a little time off, time when we can relax our guard a little and be normal as it were. My son is such a tower of strength for me but I worry that he does not rest enough, I feel responsible and try to do all I can for him. He is a prince and deserves the best.

We are having cold meats and cheeses for dinner with fresh bread toast and pate and a nice pork pie. So no cooking for me this evening, Pa and I will eat up the leftovers for lunches over the weekend while my son is gaming with his tribe. Altogether it has been a lovely day, and I am very happy which is more than enough for me.

WHERE DID THE DAY GO?

We were all up in good time again this morning, I did make blueberry muffins for breakfast, and very nice they were. We had the day all planned out but you know what they say about the best laid plans. Pa was supposed to go straight out to the shops this morning but after we had washed up my son discovered that he was fast asleep on the sofa, narcolepsy had struck again. It was no use at all trying to wake him so we carried on as usual, after about an hour or so he woke somewhat dazed but after a cup of coffee he was as right as rain and trundled off to the shops to the sound of me singing the theme tune from Chorleton and the Wheelies, a children's programme from some years ago.

I began to prepare the rather complicated evening meal, I made a stuffing of fresh white bread crumbs with finely chopped shallots, fresh tarragon and lemon thyme and having battered three wild boar steaks into submission with a cutlet bat I stuffed them and rolled them tying them neatly with string. Next I part boiled some of our rooster potatoes, shook them up with some course semolina and put them in a roasting tray with some clarified butter. Finally a prepared some baby carrots and runner beans from the garden, I was just about finished when there was a knock at the door I answered it and discovered two friends on the doorstep. My poor friend had just been made redundant and was extremely upset we chatted away and drank lots of tea while the other visitor who had heard the tale before sat in the garden with the cat. As they left I looked at the clock and to my dismay discovered that it was three thirty. I quickly set about clearing the kitchen, I washed and my son , bless him wiped, we soon had everything tidied away. I scarcely had time to unpack Pa's shopping before it was time to start cooking dinner. None of the day's chores had been done and we were all very upset about our friends bad news.

Dinner was lovely though and we shall certainly be ordering wild boar again, perhaps a joint next time. English wild boar can be hard to find but it is worth the trouble as it is so much better in quality, the roast potatoes were the best I have ever made according to the boys. Although today has been a bit fraught I am glad that my friend felt able to come to me with her troubles, it proves that the open house policy works and besides friends are not just for the good times, trouble is a real test of friendship and I hope I passed the test today. My son was also able to offer advice and she went away a little happier. After dinner I cleared the table and washed up with my son to help again, we left the kitchen sparkling and ready for tomorrow. Pa has just brought me a lovely cup of coffee and soon I shall have a relaxing bath, I have a date to watch a show with my son tonight, “Bargain hunt” rather a guilty pleasure, we record it in the morning then we sit and have a good laugh at the awful tat bought by the hapless contestants, not that we are experts you understand, if you have ever seem the show you will know what I mean. It is more than likely that our choice of object's d art would cause just as much merriment to others.”Know thyself”, is always my motto!

ANOTHER HAPPY DAY

The start of this week has been such a contrast to the last week my son was at home, everyone is relaxed and happy and the house is looking tidy again. Pa is responsible for the change in everyone's mood as once again he got up without us having to harass him for a couple of hours and we had breakfast cooked by my son nice and early, we cracked jokes all through the meal and I laughed so much I almost choked on a crumb!

After breakfast I toddled off to Tesco for some white poppy seeds and the boys asked me to bring back six box files, three each, Pa wanted some pyjamas and asked me to get some kippers, puzzled as to how I was going to transport that lot back on the buggie. I trundled off. I managed to get all the items and also a pair of fleece lined boots for myself. I had gone out in sandals, my feet got cold and I began to wonder what it would be like in winter. I found the perfect thing so I could not resist buying them, they were only twelve pounds.

Next came the question of how to get them home. I got through the checkout and with the help of a kind assistant piled the files under my legs, stuffed the boots in a bag over my arm and piled the rest of the things into the basket on the front of the buggie, with my handbag hung around my neck I set off feeling very intrepid. It is a good mile home from the shop and by the time I got there the only thing I could feel was the cramps in my legs also my bum was numb, an odd sensation I must say! Getting off the buggie was hilariously funny, I had to unfold myself like a piece of origami while off loading box files and kippers on to the boys, a last I staggered in to the kitchen and we all had coffee. Thankfully everyone was pleased with the purchases and the feeling returned to my posterior within a few moments.

Tonight's dinner was home made sausages with colchannon apples sauce and thyme gravy. The first of this season as it is a favourite autumn dish. I dug up a root of rooster potatoes, I have never grown them before and I can recommend them for taste, quality and yield. The kale is ready so I used some in the dish which is easy to make, you simply cook the potatoes and the kale separately then mash them together with a little butter and seasoning then heat about an ounce of butter and a desert spoon of olive oil in a frying pan, they press the mashed potato and kale in to the pan. Cook until browning underneath then flip over and cook the other side, you can of course cheat as I do and finish it off under the grill, much less flamboyant but what price bravado when your dinner is on the floor?

My son and I washed up the dinner things while Pa put the buggie away and that was the business of the day completed. We had a lovely relaxed and peaceful evening and my son had some excellent news, firstly he acquired a book for about a quarter of it's value and second he sold a book for eighty pounds, it made his night. We have all been so happy today, we really do love being together, and once we start laughing it is hard to stop. I am looking forward to curling up in bed tonight I am quite tired but the nice kind of tired if you know what I mean. I am planning a feast this week to celebrate Lammas, a little late but any excuse will do, I shall think about that as I fall asleep................lovely.

“OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY”

If I were to ask for a perfect day it could not come much better than today. My son started his week off and came home very happy, he brought my two cups of tea in bed and told me that Pa was already up. The Monday grocery delivery arrived on time and my son made a breakfast of hot buttered crumpets, croissant and jam with fresh orange juice and tea, we had fun during breakfast planning the weeks dinner menus. As soon as I had cleared the dishes I set about the bread making, just three white loaves today and then made some potato cakes on the griddle with some left over mashed potato for yesterday, they freeze well and will make a breakfast later in the week. Pa set off to the village to post a letter and pick up some items from the chemist and while he was gone I picked some French beans, pulled some carrots and turnips and also some fennel root.

On my return to the house I found the kitchen full of wasps, attracted by a sticky jam jar, as soon as I removed the temptation they left. I even managed to take a buggie ride for pleasure down to the river, the tide was low, but as always the island looked beautiful and it was pleasantly warm. The geese are flying in every evening now in long skeins, some times they fly past within a few feet of my window, we shall have them for company until spring, one of the skeins is lead by a white goose very unusual and very lovely, they always honk a loud good evening as they pass by, this is a truly wonderful place to live.

We all had tea together when Pa came home, which he did in record time, lots of small jobs outstanding for ages were done today and now all the lights and lamps are working, three bulbs in the kitchen array popped this week leaving the kitchen as dim as an oubliette as the weather was dull and rainy, today the sun shone and everything sparkled. Dinner was lovely and we finished with the fresh orange jelly made yesterday. My son and I larked about as we did the dishes and then I packed him off to bed as he had been up for about thirty-six hours. We are all so happy to have a week together and if today is any thing to go by it will be great. I am just happy that today was special ,we do have so much fun on days like this. It may not sound much but to me to have every one at home and in good spirits is all I need, I ask for no more. I hope you had a happy day too.
Night night.

APPLE PICKING

Today has been far too busy for comfort, by which I mean that I had too many tasks for the time available. This is no new thing but it seems to happen much more often that it used to, I must be getting old. The mountain of ironing is becoming quite alarming and although it is well known that I hate the job I have been trying most diligently to sort it out for the past three days, it's like playing beat the clock only there are no prizes. My son and I had a cup of tea together this morning, we tried for ages to wake Pa and eventually gave up, my son went off to bed and I repaired to the kitchen to label the jelly I made yesterday. Still no sign of Pa so I read him the riot act and went to the garden centre to buy a birthday card for my little brother who is forty-two this year, my God we are getting old!

On my return Pa was just about up so I made a breakfast of poached eggs on toast and then set about the days chores. First I made an orange jelly with fresh oranges for tomorrow, it needs a day in the fridge to be really nice, at this point my neighbour appeared with a pair of ladders so I took a break from the kitchen and went to pick apples, a job that is much easier with two people. Apple picking is always fun and just a little dangerous, I have never yet returned from apple picking without a bump or two on the head of even a nosebleed. You see if you are the one on the ground, even though you know it is stupid you just can not resist looking up, when the picker pulls an apple quite often, no matter how careful he is another is dislodged and it usually crowns the poor sap down bellow, today was no exception to make matters worse the ladders were wobbly and we were constantly being attacked by wasps, it was great fun and we laughed the whole time like a couple of school kids.

Naturally we shared the proceeds and while I was in the garden I picked some runner beans, French beans and courgettes, we tried the damsons but they were so unripe that biting in to one put fur on my teeth. Back indoors I made a batch of marigold buns for tea and prepared the vegetables for dinner which was a cottage pie, if made with beef it is a cottage pie , with lamb a shepherds pie and with pork a pig sty pie, we do not have the latter very often, I wonder why? Before I knew it the time had flown an I made tea for my son ,as I always do to wake him, call it returning the favour. Dinner was lovely, the washing up was not .After that it was every man for himself until my son went off to work, at which point I collapsed in a heap. I suppose I could do the ironing later tonight, but I certainly would not put money on it!

RAINY DAY AND SATURDAYS

I can not believe it my son managed to get through Friday the thirteenth with out the usual jim-jams, fan-tods and screaming hebe-gebes, he is very superstitious about the ill stared date, and it must be said with some cause. I have always found it to be a lucky day for me and have reassured my son that nothing bad can happen to him if it is my lucky day but he is not convinced. Last night was just a little unfortunate though, just before he left for work I congratulated him on over coming his phobia only to discover that he had not realised that it was the thirteenth and a Friday, I felt very silly and left his presence followed by a couple of well placed curses........such is life. He was much better though, usually we hear about nothing else for days before THE DAY! Next time I shall keep my big mouth shut!

After a breakfast of boiled eggs Pa went off to hospital an I made twelve bottles of apple and elderberry jelly, it is a wonderful colour and tastes gorgeous. After that I cleaned the kitchen from top to bottom, after all the jam making of late everything is a little sticky and it is much easier to do cleaning jobs when there are no men about. It looks spotless now and the wasps who come from miles around when they smell sweet jam have left, I hope for good.

How it did rain this after noon, it is just what the garden needed though so no complaints from me. Pa is still in the throws of tidying his desk and bookshelves and I am keeping well out of the process it does not do to interfere in these bouts of soul searching as to what to throw away, it all looks like tat to me so I shall say nothing unless I am asked and even then I shall be circumspect in my answer. My neighbour is coming round tomorrow to help me get the apples down, the big ones are too high for me and so shall share what ever we can reach between us.

I freeze apples for winter use by peeling and coring then then blanching for a minute in boiling water then cooling and freezing on trays. Once frozen they can be bagged an they will keep well for a year if you are lucky to have enough. Tonight had fish and chips as I have been too busy to cook today, that's just an excuse we all like fish and chips very much. I want to try to get into the garden tomorrow as the weeds are flourishing at the expense of plants, the garden always gets neglected at preserving time. The harvest so far has been reasonable and unless it stays cold and wet we should get even more squashes and tomatoes. The leeks turnips, cabbages and kale will last us all through the winter and that is the most important thing. It is a boost to the family economy and we value it highly. We try to be as self sufficient as possible.

Before my son was born and we became responsible adults we practised self-sufficiency with such success that we existed on with practically no money at all we grew our own food, kept chickens, felled trees free of charge for the timber which we burned on our stove, the surplice we sold to buy gas bottles and candles and of course to buy a few beers. Quite often the beers were free as I did odd jobs for the landlord so it all worked out fine. The reason we lived this way is a long story but it was great fun, the best fun in the world, when our son was born we felt that our way of life was not good for a child, children need security and so we decided it was time to grow up. We never really abandoned our principles though, hence all the bread making and gardening, cutting out the middle man makes sound economic sense, especially in times like these. It becomes a habit you can not break and the fringe benefits are good food, plenty of exercise and enough to share with friends, or to use as a bartering commodity, it is also a good way to make friends and no one can have too many of those.

BAKING AND PRESERVING

Today has been very busy and rather satisfying as I have spent most of it adding to the winter stores. I had intended to spend some time in the garden but the weather said nay so I cut my losses, picked six pounds of apples and a pound of elderberries in the pouring rain and put the straight in to the preserving pan, they will strain until tomorrow and they be made in to apple and elderberry jelly; lovely with pheasant, partridge or wood pigeon and a good glaze for roast pork. This morning I baked barley corn bread for a change, it is a beautiful rich colour and both the flavour and texture are exceptional. I could not resist having a slice with honey even though warm new bread gives me indigestion, live dangerously that's what I say. Then I spent an hour labeling the preserves I made earlier in the week.

As we did not have breakfast this morning I made an early lunch of antipasto, Stilton, freshly picked lettuce and the first of our cherry tomatoes, they are late in ripening this year but they are very sweet and juicy. The last two summers have not been good for tomatoes as the cold damp weather weakens the plants and tomato blight sets in, it is possible to prevent blight with chemical sprays but we grow organic crops and so that is not an option. Growing this way can mean smaller crops but what you do get tastes much better and at least you know what you are eating. After lunch I made four dozen cherry biscuits, we have had quite a few visitors this week and the cookie jar was almost empty.

For dinner tonight I made a chicken and bacon pie, I must confess that I used frozen puff pastry as time was running out.

CHICKEN AND BACON PIE
1 large onion
12 rashers of streaky bacon
1lb diced chicken breast or thigh
1 tablespoon of tomato puree
1 pint of cider
1 tablespoon of apple or redcurrant jelly
1 tablespoon of cornflour
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

Dice the onion and fry in the oil without browning and set aside. Roll each rasher of bacon cut into two and secure with cocktail sticks then fry in the onion pad until just brown the leave to cool slightly while you fry the chicken in the bacon juice until it is sealed, add the tomato puree and cook for two minutes then add the bacon and onion and mix together. Add the cider and apple jelly and bring to the boil the reduce the heat and simmer for ten minutes. Use the cornflour mixed with a little water to thicken the cider gravy then spoon the chicken and bacon into a pie dish with some of the gravy, cover with pastry, slash the top and glaze with beaten egg or milk if you prefer, cook for about twenty minutes at 200c. Serve with jacket potato and butter or boiled new potatoes and you choice of vegetable. Use some of the vegetable water to thin the gravy a little and serve hot with the pie. This recipe works very well with rabbit pheasant or wood pigeon.

Pa is still sorting out his desk and progress is slow but steady, soon we shall be able to see the desk top again and I hope it encourages him to write again as he did before his illness, he is very talented and one or two publishers very very complimentary about his work, unfortunately he was unable to continue writing. Short term memory loss is the very devil, it robs the sufferer of so much and they become almost a stranger to those who love them. In Pa's case we hope it is reversible, I thank the Gods it is not Alzheimers. We are all looking forward to next week as we have promised ourselves some fun after all the recent hard work, I am hoping we came get the Scalextric going or maybe fly my son's model helicopters, I do love boy's toys, even as a child I was never fond of dolls. I once traded a baby doll and pram with my brother in exchange for a gun belt with two holsters two silver six shooters and a sheriff's badge, my brothers pleasure in the doll caused my father some concern, he need not have worried my brother is a big tough lumber jack.......hang on a minute wasn't there a song about lumber jacks.........hum. Actually he is very good with children so the doll did him good after all.

THE FLOOD

We have seen some frantic activity today. First thing this morning my son told me that there was a burst water main at the top of the lane, I remembered that I had noticed that the tap was running very slowly an hour or so before he came home. All morning there were traffic jams in the lane as people attempted to bypass the problem. I had quite a lot to do this morning so it was not until the afternoon having made another batch of apple and lemon thyme jelly and prepared a summer vegetable soup for tonight's meal that I was able to go and see what was going on. Running past our gate were two thick pipes, these were being used to pump out the water which had flooded many properties at the other end of the lane about a quarter of a mile from us, the water was being pumped into the river just below our house. We often watch the high tides with some concern , we did not expect the threat to come from the other direction. I met people who had been watching all day and that told me that the water had been very deep in places and that many homes were flooded, there were fire engines everywhere and firemen manning the pumps, I did not go to the end of the lane as there were already lots of people standing about making a nuisance of themselves.

We were lucky this time the water did not reach us as it ran off into a lake before it got too close. I feel very sorry for those who were not so fortunate. I have seen at first hand the terrible devastation that water on the rampage can cause, the village in the valley close to where I grew up flooded quite often, it can take months to clear up the mess. The trauma cannot be under estimated when a persons home is destroyed. Many years ago my home was destroyed by fire, we lost everything including three beautiful cats. I was so shocked it was hours before I could speak and years before the bad dreams stopped, I still do dream about the cats sometimes.

It looks as if the pumping will go on for a while so it will be noisy in the lane tonight , we are use to noise though. I just hope everyone is ok, and I cannot get over how lucky we have been. I have just seen the pictures on the BBC web site and I am shocked, the disruption has been much worse than I was told, many people without water for miles around, it is hard to believe that while all this is happening a few hundred yards away we are safe, I am very thankful indeed that we were lucky this time.

KITCHEN BUSINESS

Today was the first almost normal day I have had for quite a time, It was also very hectic as there were lots of things to catch up on, but altogether the sort of day I enjoy. After tea and a chat with my son he went off to bed and I decamped to the kitchen shouting wakey, wakey, or words to that effect, to Pa. While the kettle boiled for coffee I made the bread and set it to rise, today it was two baguettes, two large bloomers and a spiced sultana loaf which is just made from ordinary white bread dough with some sultanas kneaded in and after it is cooked covered with a thin icing sugar and mixed spice glaze applied while the loaf is very hot, you can add as much spice as you like, it is lovely sliced and buttered with a cup of tea.

Pa went off to do some errands and I finished the apple and thyme jelly I started yesterday. I poured the strained apple juice in to a large pan, there were three and a half pints of juice so I added three and a half pounds of sugar and boiled it fast for ten minutes, this was more than enough time for the setting point to be reached. You can tell when a jam or jelly is ready to set by putting a little on a cold plate and as it cools push it with your finger, if it wrinkles the jam is ready. I had the jam jars sterilising in the oven and the lids ready scalded and dried so as soon as it was ready I skimmed off the white floss from the top and bottled it at once.

I then set another six pounds of apples to cook down and strain ready for tomorrow, I hope to have made enough for the winter store by the start of next week if I make some every day It was while I was bottling the jelly that Pa rang and told me he had met the Filipino lady who sheltered from a thunder storm with us last week, she was on her way to visit so I quickly hoovered the flood and steamed the kitchen, apart from Pa's desk the living room is tidy now. I was happy to see her again and her delightful little boy, she had made a beautiful cake for us ,a type of roulade, I have never seen anything like it before and it looked very tricky to make, it was absolutely fantastic, so light and not too sweet, I was touched that she had gone to so much trouble, I think we shall become friends, I hope so. clever and loves trains, as Pa is a model railway enthusiast they get on very well,for such a small boy he knows a good deal about the railways and left with a few magazines and a very big smile.

Dinner tonight was sausages with mashed potato runner beans onion sauce ad apple gravy we all ate the beans with relish as they are the first of the season. Lots of parcels arrived today for my son and it was a miracle that the noise made by the delivery men did not wake him, one of the packages contained a globe of the moon, a lovely thing and quite large. Our neighbour came to tell us that he has already made two hundred ponds for some of our old books and we are of course delighted, cash is always useful.

I managed a very quick ride to the river just before a began the prepare dinner, the tide was very high, almost over the bank, it floods the road quite often and I am very glad that we live higher up the lane. It has been a good day, I am very tired but also very happy, I am looking forward to a hot bath and an hour watching the news then it's off to bed for me, tomorrow it will be action stations all over again......just the way I like it.

A WHIFF OF AUTUMN

When I woke this morning it was raining heavily, my window was open and I could hear the shoooshing sound of cars driving through the puddles in the lane, the other thing I noticed at once was the unmistakable smell of Autumn, that spicy, mushroomy, indefinable something on that breeze that tells you it is that time of year again. It is for me a busy time, I do as the animals do and stock up my larder while there is plenty to provide for the winter months that lie ahead. People who live town lives my not be so tuned in as it were to the changing seasons but a countryman or woman has it etched into there very soul, it is a part of our consciousness always. Today it was telling me that I am late in making the apple and herb jellies, a staple store cupboard item for us, we use it as a condiment with cooked meats and as a base for sauces and gravies all the year round. Using the juice from the fruit I strained yesterday and two and a half pounds of sugar I made seven bottles of apple and rowan jelly one of which will appear on the Christmas table this year. I went on to begin the apple and thyme jelly.

Six pounds of cooking apples
ten large sprigs of fresh thyme
the juice of three lemons
three pints of water.

I brought it to the boil and simmered for twenty minutes then poured into a jelly bag to strain until morning, next instalment tomorrow.

Another sign of the changing season are the runner beans, suddenly this morning there they were, beautiful long crisp and delicious, they are an autumn crop and if picked regularly will produce until early October. You must hate me for talking about autumn even before the August bank holiday yet for me as for my country born forebears the time to do these important tasks makes no allowance for modern holiday dates, it is as it is, that's nature for you. Seeing the store cupboards fill up with brightly coloured jams, jellies, chutneys and pickles gives me much satisfaction, at least as much as a squirrel must get from it's hoard of nuts. These items also make excellent gifts and that helps the budget quite a lot.

The Mongolian fur rug I ordered for my son has arrived, it is huge, very soft and shaggy and is lined with felted wool. Warm enough to keep out the chilliest weather, I stowed it away in the cupboard until December. We had guests today so we ate drank and made merry, then it was back to work as we are still cleaning the living room after last weeks amusement! Pa had a hospital appointment at nine forty-five this morning, just a blood test that usually takes about fifteen minutes altogether, at eleven fifteen when I called to find out why he had not returned he informed me that as they had lost his notes he had to wait until they were found, how tiresome and how typical, it certainly messed up our morning. I did boiled eggs for breakfast and this evenings meal was lasagne followed by a citrus jelly, made with lime lemon and orange juice, it went down well with the troops.

I hope I have not depressed you with my talk of autumn, it's just that I get quite excited at this time of year, all the bustle and so forth, it is what my gardening year is all about, the harvesting of all the lovely things that have obliged me by growing and fruiting in my garden. The next few weeks will be some of the busiest of my year, it is tiring but I enjoy it as much as we shall enjoy eating these goodies all through the coming year.

ALL CLEAR

The last of the rubbish went today, curtesey of a man with a very large van, there were sixty bags, a mattress and a small chest of drawers, as the van drove off I raised a cheer that was probably heard in Windsor, then we staggered back to the house to view the deserted battle field.

Tomorrow the cleaning can commence and once that is done if the cat so much as sheds a hair, or my son a whisker, or Pa a piece of surgical tape for at least a week I shall play Old Harry! During the clearing up I discovered a beautiful cream lampshade crushed under a stack of boxes and about a pound and a half of pot-pourri scattered like confetti, this is what comes of leaving a couple of blokes on there own for five minutes. What the hell, it's over - that's all that matters. After breadmaking and breakfast, I went shopping for a new lamp shade which looks very nice and on the way home I spotted a beautiful mountain ash tree loaded with ripe red berries and I could not resist, I picked a couple of pounds and this afternoon I boiled then for thirty minutes with two pounds of cooking apples skins and all.

Once they were pulpy I put them in a scalded jelly bag and left then to strain overnight. Tomorrow the clear juice will be boiled for about fifteen minutes with sugar, one pound to every pint of juice and then poured in to sterile bottles. The jelly this produces is wonderful at Christmas with cold turkey or pork, with venison it is fantastic. Our breakfast guests were detained by some business so they will come tomorrow instead it turned out to be for the best as we were all shattered this morning. Dinner tonight was chicken pomadori for my son and bacon and eggs for Pa and myself with tomatoes and hogs pudding, diet be blowed !

My poor boy is so tired after his week of decorating and it's back to work tonight, as he has had no sleep today he will be like a zombie by tomorrow morning. It is an odd thing that he loves working night shift, but I worry about him all the same, quite a few members of my family worked permanent night shifts so it must be in the blood, some of us have fangs as well, it makes me wonder about our ancestry! Speaking for myself I shall be glad to curl up in my bed tonight, I have done enough flapping about lately to last a life time.

THE END IS NIGH?

I hope with all my heart that the above statement is true, at least as far as the book and rubbish mountains are concerned. At least by tomorrow I can begin to clean the living room it is a lovely room when it is tidy. My son is off gaming with his friends, down the pub this week because of the mess, next time they play I hope they will be able to come here again.

This morning we had porridge for breakfast some how we all fancied it today, its lovely sprinkled with brown sugar, it also had the virtue of being quick to make as we were all up a little late today. After clearing the kitchen I shot off to Homebase for yet another twenty heavy duty bin bags, goodness knows how many we have used. Next I made some leek and potato soup, our autumn leeks are just ready and we still have our own potatoes , we shall eat this tonight with lots of hot buttered toast followed by a Pavlova filled with fresh cream, wineberries, blueberries, and white chocolate shavings, I fitted a new blackout curtain in my son's room, as he often has to sleep during the day it is important that no light gets in to disturb him, I wish I could fit the bell ringers with a silencer as easily.

We have all decided to have fake fur throws on our beds this winter, I have ordered a huge black Mongolian type for my son. Pa wants a beige mink and I shall have a white mink I hope. Incidentally what kind of animal is a faux and why are people so unconcerned about it's welfare, where are the “SAVE THE FAUX” and the “BAN FAUX HUNTING” banners. Seriously though why do they insist on calling it faux fur, in my young days it was fake fur, I suppose faux sounds more “upmarket” in these aspirational times.....yuk. Actually we all feel that it may be necessary to have these warm covers next winter, these day a you just do not know what is coming next. I lived through the power cuts in the seventies when I was first married and very cold and uncomfortable it was, every night at ten o'clock the power went off and that was that. At home my family cooked our of doors or on an open fire, we had just moved to Coventry and were living in a shared house so such goings on were out of the question. I have no intention of being caught out again, we keep lots of charcoal so that we could if necessary cook indoors in bad weather,and I have a stock of such vintage items as griddles and flat irons, manual mincers and all sorts of things that do not require a power source. We are well stocked with candles and paraffin for the hurricane lamps, I am aware that this sounds extreme but it has come in very handy more than once and is something I look upon as insurance.

My free stuff stall has been busy all day, one man came with a car and took over a hundred old videos,and not a blue one among them, we kept those, just joking, have you ever tried watching one backwards its very funny. True to his word as always my son has cleared the living room of all the books and games, he and some gaming friends spent a couple of hours this afternoon bagging them up and carrying them out,to all of them and to my son my heartfelt thanks. Tomorrow they will be collected and the worst will be over, I still have the cleaning to do but that is not a problem. My neighbour made us a fabulous cauliflower cheese this evening and we ate it as a part of dinner, he is a good cook and it was very welcome. I am off to have a good long soak in a nice hot bath so I wish you good luck for the new week and may blessings light upon you.

THE DAY THE BOOKWORM TURNED

Even as we speak a flock of vultures has taken over the ground floor, swooping and tearing at the huge stacks of books as if they were a wilder beast carcase and my living room part of the Serengeti game reserve. There are occasional fights over a coveted piece of meat...........I mean book and much cackling and squawking as treasures are snapped up by rival raiders. My only consolation is that the pile has diminished somewhat but in truth it is drops in the ocean. The book dealer is giving me the runaround and although I have implored a number of charities to relieve me of this burden they all seem reluctant to hire the pantechnicon necessary to remove the mountain, I am at my wits end. I feel rather like a hen that has been left to sit upon another birds eggs, and vastly uncomfortable I find it. The entire living room is at present unusable and I have on more than one occasion gone out through the front door and in through the back rather than circumnavigate the disaster zone, as the day has been a trifle wet this has caused some difficulty. My son's gaming friends have taken every shopping bag I own to carry away their booty, it is worth it to get rid of some of the mess. I am not notorious for being a long suffering soul and I feel now that I have suffered long enough, if it was not for the fact that we already have thirty odd bags of recycle and rubbish to go next week I would bin the flipin lot. If I ever get my home back to normal it will be a day of celebration as it stands I wonder if anyone out there wants a huge stack of books or a very untidy lodger, either would be a huge relief!

I baked an enormous stack of cookies this morning and harvested the first of the pumpkins and squashes, also another large punnet of wine berries. I then spent a merry couple of hours constructing a clothes rail. The instructions were in ancient Hebrew and the parts did not match the diagram, however I managed to finish it and the result is a much tidier wardrobe, it has unfortunately played havoc with my rheumatism and I cannot life my arm at all. During the whole of today both Pa and my son absented themselves from the war zone so I have had the mess all to myself, as I said the poor hen sitting some one else's eggs. Perhaps the answer is a bonfire........perhaps not .We are having a Chinese take away tonight as due to the ravening hordes I was unable to cook dinner, we might eat if they ever leave, I am so hungry. I hear them ordering taxis perhaps the end is in sight. .I have no idea what tomorrow will bring but I do know that I am not going to be left holding the baby I mean sitting on the eggs again. If the day is fine I shall go out for lunch and stay out, in fact I am considering booking in to an hotel for the duration, or better still Does anyone out there require a live in cook.............please.........PLEASE.

My dear darling wonderful son has offered to hire a skip on Monday to take away all the bags of rubbish an the remaining books, I cannot begin to tell you how overwhelming the relief is, I might have known my knight in shining armour would ride to the rescue. Be so good as to ignore my previous disparaging remarks.