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.
No comments:
Post a Comment