JUDGEMENT DAY

In the early hours of this morning in paid the price for my over enthusiastic spell of digging yesterday. My knee was very painful and swollen and I had some serious pain in my back and sides, caused by the kidney stones which had decided to migrate again. I filled a hot water bottle for my back rubbed some ointment on my knee and took a large dose of diclomax and a couple of strong painkillers. I did not sleep much after that but at least I was warm and cosy in bed . Incidentally , it is amazing what a lot of rubbish is broadcast on the television during the night, it is so bad that I wonder that they bother at all. I ended up watching the 24 hour news on the B.B.C. I sign of desperation I must say.
By the morning the pain had eased a little but I decided to be a little more circumspect today and took a reluctant break from gardening.
I inspected the biscuit tin and discovered it to be almost empty so I set about making three more trays of vanilla shortbread, Mondays baking having rapidly disappeared and while it baked I made a breakfast of porridge For Pa and myself.
I decided to do the weekend shop but Pa wanted the buggy so I decided that it could wait until tomorrow. Pa does not go out very often and it cheers him up to get out of the house now and then.

As the day progressed I became more and more tired and began to think that I should lie down for a while,something I hate to do even though I know it is necessary. I made some coffee and eat a piece of warm shortbread while I made up my mind and at that point Pa returned home his jaunt having been cut short by a shower of rain. As he opened the door the cat hurtled up the steps and in to the kitchen where she sat washing her paws, she is a most fastidious creature and hates above all thing to have wet muddy paws. She slunk about looking very disgruntled and I was obliged to give her some of her favourite cat treats to cheer her up, Pa had to make do with coffee and shortbread!

I have had a request for a lemon cream sponge from one of my sons friends who is celebrating his birthday here next Sunday, so as I was having a lazy day today it seemed like a good opportunity to make the necessary lemon curd. The recipe I use I my Grandmothers, so was an atrociously bad cook but lemon curd was one of the few things she made exceptionally well.

GRANNY MUGWUMPS LUSCIOUS LEMON CURD

Rind and juice of four lemons
1lb sugar
6 oz butter.
6 eggs

Beat the eggs with the sugar and the lemon juice and finely grated rind then cut the butter in to small pieces and add to the heatproof bowl.

Place the bowl on top of a saucepan of boiling water ,making sure that the bowl does not touch the water at all. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens and becomes smooth. When the mixture coats the back of the spoon remove the bowl from the heat and bottle the lemon curd in warm jars and cover with a lid. You will find that this amount seems small but unlike jam which is boiled lemon curd will keep for only a month so it is better to make small amounts as needed. S This amount made four small jars, the sort that mustard comes in are the best I find.


Thankfully tonights meal was as a tasty quicky of several types of sausage served with jacket potatoes,cheese and salad. Tonight the sausages were pork and leek and tomato and herb, my favourite sort are pork and apple but as no one else likes them much I tend not to buy them very often.

I hope that having a lazy day today will forestall any further problems with either my knee or my kidneys and shall be very glad when I have had my tests on Tuesday so that treatment may begin.

On the bright side my son starts hi week of on Monday and British Summer Time begins tomorrow which will mean more daylight in the evening to enjoy the garden.
I shall be glad to step in to my bed tonight and I hope that sleep come soon , another night of Libya and the recession will finish me off for good!