Friday, 17-03-23

 Good morning, everyone.
The forecast isn't brilliant for today - light rain for most of the day.  We were lucky yesterday; the sun shone, it was really mild (up to around 15C) and the radiators were off all day.  I put on my coat when I went into town and by the time I was heading back to the car, I was boiling!

I did my online SET class, interrupted when the internet dropped.  Grrrr.  It's been doing that; I gather there's some local work going on but it's always been mid afternoon before.

Then it was over to Chris for your good old natter.  She's feeling 100% now and has been out and about all week doing birthday things.  We're going out for lunch together next week to the cafe at Longacres (was Wyvale) which does really nice lunchy things like jacket potatoes.  It's to celebrate both our birthdays (mine's in April).

After breakfast, seeing as the weather was so nice, I drove into town and went on a flour hunt.  The shops I tried!!  Nothing in the Grape Tree, nor in M&S, Holland and Barratt or even the very big Tesco.
There were other flours galore, 'ethnic' type flours, flours I'd never even heard of but no wholemeal SR flour.  So that was disappointing.  However, in Tesco, I got my bag of frozen pineapple chunks and in Lakeland I found two little trays that fit inside Nellie the Ninja perfectly, so it wasn't a wasted journey and it was nice having a wander round.

When I got home, I resorted to good old Amazon and found a supplier that wasn't asking an arm and a leg for the flour.  I had to buy more than I needed but I checked and flour keeps well long term in the freezer (did you know that?) so I have some winging its way to me today.  I could have ordered some direct from Dove but it was more expensive, there was postage and it just wasn't worth it.
Mind you, wandering around the Dove site was very tempting!!

When I got home, there was a little parcel on the doorstep - it was my new little clock that I thought was coming today.  No complaints:  I got it set up and it's working away nicely.  I didn't realise how often I glanced at the old clock until it wasn't there any more.

Today is Slimming World day, of course, and Gabriela emailed to ask could my cleaners come this morning, so the house is all nice and as ready as it ever is good and early today.  I might still be out when they come.

There's nothing else in the diary and I'm going to make no plans but just go with the flow, so to speak - see how I feel.  Realistically, that means crochet and YouTube for a while and maybe a walk as long as it's not raining.  We'll see.
Have a great day, everyone.  xx

Thursday, 16-03-23

 Morning everyone.  It's mild and damp, better than cold and frosty but sunshine would be loads better.  :-)

I got my early morning shopping done.  It wasn't as 'bad' as the last one and there were a couple of items I couldn't find but I think I am OK for two weeks now.  I might run out of some fresh veg but have freezer veg too so that's fine.

I decided to9 drive on to Lathcoats as I thought they might have what I wanted there.  They did have frozen cherries in their scoop and bag freezers and I also got some frozen blackberries but they didn't have what I really wanted which was wholemeal self raising flour.  Not everywhere stocks it but I've always got it from Lathcoats before so I was a bit disappointed.  I can, of course, get some plain wholemeal and turn it into SR with bicarb and baking powder but . . .

I popped into Dunelm to look at the clocks.  It's easier to tell what I don't want than what I do so I guess it is a process of elimination really.  There's plenty of time and plenty of places to look in so that will be fun.
What I did get in Dunelm was a pair of fluffy slipper boots (lovely and cosy), a couple of curver boxes for the clearing and tidying stuff and . .  a wooden board.

Going back to Saturday, the reason Gizmo was on the hob was because I didn't want to use it on the working surface.  I decided a plain wooden board would be the thing to get and, among fancy and expensive ones, there were a few plain and not-so-expensive boards so I bought one and now I can stand gadgets on it when they are in use.

So the shopping trip was a bit more expensive than expected but useful.

At home, instead of starting my bedroom cupboards, I re-organised the yarn.  I know I've not long done it but those curver boxes are ideal and I can get far more into them.  In fact, next month, I might go back and get a few more.

Personal Training was great, as always.  Lindsey is pushing me which is just what I need.

Today is pretty much the same as every Thursday - SET class online and then a good old chat at Chris' over coffee.
Then, I think I might just pop into town.  When I was in town last week with Alex, there were several places I'd liked to have looked in but didn't because it was Alex's shopping trip, not mine.  I might be able to get my flour in town too.  If it's pouring, I won't bother, but if it's not that bad, maybe I will.  I'll see.

Take care, stay warm and dry and have a lovely day.  xx

Wednesday, 15-03-23

 Good morning, everyone.  It's a chilly start to the day today with temperatures below freezing but only the slightest hint of a frost.  The forecast is for sunshine - three cheers - and it should warm up fairly quickly.  

The new egg chair cover arrived yesterday and is now in use.  It won't be long before I'm sitting out there in the chair, enjoying the warmer weather when it comes.
The little clock isn't due to arrive until Friday which is a bit of a pain but there you go!  Prime doesn't always work, just usually.

I got one of the sort out things done and now all my tea towels, wipes, dishcloths, etc, fit nicely into the drawer and I have a stack of replacements tucked away elsewhere, ready for when what's in use wears out.  I didn't start the bedroom cupboards so that's maybe something for today.

One reason why I didn't start it yesterday is that I noticed a mistake in the four ply granny blanket.  There's not a lot of patterning in it, the colours are random, but there's is an underlying pattern and I'd got two squares wrong (and stitched them in) so I had to undo edging for about fourteen squares, adjust the order and stitch them back together.  I was very thankful I hadn't sewn those lose ends in and that the joining is by crochet rather than sewing so it was comparatively easy to do.  
You'd never have noticed but I knew and it was irritating me.  :-)

Chris came with me to Groove and, I think, really enjoyed herself.  It would be nice if she could come every week but she's a busy lady.  We will see.  

Today is shopping day.  Once I got down to it, I do have quite a list and am hoping that what I get today will see me through until the start of April apart from maybe a few fresh things.  I'm hoping to take a look round Dunelm and see what they have in the way of wall clocks too.  Must remember to take a few photos.
Later on, it's personal training.
Between the two, maybe I can get those bedroom cupboards sorted - one of them at least.  Fingers crossed but it's no big deal if I don't.  :-)

Interestingly, while I've been typing this, the hint of frost has developed into quite an obvious frost.  Maybe the skies have only just cleared as daybreak arrived.  It's looking quite pretty now.
Have a great day, everyone.  Stay warm and safe and enjoy what you have planned.  xx

Tuesday, 14-03-23

 Morning, everyone.  It's still a bit breezy but, thankfully, nothing like yesterday which turned into a right gale blowing.  Several times my black bin went a wandering down the side path and, annoyingly, the cover of my egg chair split completely.  The threatened rain never came though and we had plenty of sunshine so I really can't complain.

Everything went according to plan.  The ironing is done and away, I picked up the meds and bought the carrots (and some sugar snaps), circuits was really good and it's a shame there were only two of us there to enjoy it this week, the online meeting happened and was productive although my internet went down half way through for about five minutes which was irritating.

I am sure you will be thrilled to learn that I have finished the dishcloths and am now set for life!  😁  I have noted the mess in the drawer in which I keep tea towels, wipes and - yup, cotton dishcloths, so that's going to be sorted out today!
I used seed stitch, c2c garter stitch and the crochet lemon peel stitch and I think the best has to be the crocheted ones.  Nice and firm and non stretchy.  I have a choice though so that's good.

Gizmo II arrived a day early.  This weekend has been far too spendy and I just hope I've had the three in a row thing now.  Gizmo on Saturday, the egg chair cover yesterday and then, yesterday late afternoon, my little living room clock decided its time was up.  I have no idea what happened - I changed the battery, made sure everything was in place but no luck.  RIP, little clock.  I do need a clock in the living room so I have a cheap, small one coming to tide me over until I choose a nice wall clock, something I have rather fancied for quite a while.  You can get some lovely ones nowadays, can't you?

I've also taken a deep breath and paid my deposit for the garden room so it really is happening this year sometime.  The quote also includes repairing my raised beds walls and repaving the car standing area at the front, something that really does need doing, so it's all good. 
I also sorted out a muddle with the solar panel people who had got it into their heads somehow that I lived in a different house.  I'm just waiting to hear back from them and then I will probably pay that deposit too.
I should hear back from Ray (Hire a Hubby) some time this week.

Things are moving at last.  Thank you, Mum and Dad!

Today, I have Groove first thing and Chris is coming with me.  Open week was last week but, as I didn't go last week, Lindsey said this week was fine.  It's also Chris' birthday today so . . .

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHRIS

(she doesn't read this, but not to worry!)

Once back from Groove, there's nothing else in the diary so, as I'm expecting some parcels, I shall stay inside and do some more sorting.
Apart from the drawer mentioned above, I have some high cupboards over my bed that are going to need to be emptied when Ray does the lights work, and lord only knows what's in them at the moment, so I will move my bed, get out the stepladder and have a good old clear-out.

The other thing is to finish my shopping list.  I've lasted out a fortnight on what I got at the beginning of the month and don't need much in the way of fresh stuff - yet - but I do need other things so I'm doing a shop tomorrow morning and might need to do a fresh food shop before the end of March - we will see.

Once that's all done, I will chill with some reading, crocheting, and so on, as usual.
It should be a very pleasant and productive day, I think.  Hoping you all have a great day too and, if you live in Canada (or anywhere cold) - stay warm nd may the snow stay away!
xx

Monday, 13-03-23

 Morning, everyone.  Another new week starts and what a contrast with last Monday.  It's quite breezy but the temperature, according to my garden thermometer, is around 10C, which is lovely and spring like.  The daffodils are opening and there are bursts of yellow all over.  So happy!

I spent a lovely time yesterday doing a slight reorganisation of my storage jars (and contents) yesterday morning.  When I did the big sort out last year, I knew things would need to be changed around somewhat in time and so it was.  I bought a few more jars last week and now some things are higher, some are lower, some are in a different place entirely and everything is nicely and consistently labelled.  All very, very satisfying.

While that was going on, there was washing in the washing machine and a small gammon joint in the slow cooker.
Once the gammon was cooked to almost melt in the mouth (lovely!), I used the stock and some of the yellow split peas I had forgotten I had, even after last year's reorganisation and made a lovely, thick ham and pea soup in Thermione.  That'll see me through about three lunches.
The washing all got dried but not ironed so that's today's task.
After lunch, I watched a Harry Potter film and some YouTube, finished another dishcloth (one more to go), finished the washing and did some reading - just a nice, quiet, productive time.

Today, I will see if I can get the ironing done this morning before I go off for circuits and I do need to walk down to Morrisons to pick up my prescription (should've done that last week really) and I need to grab a bag of carrots too.  I still have plenty of everything else but am pretty much out of carrots and I use them so much.  This afternoon, I have an online meeting that shouldn't go on too long at all and then the rest of the day is mine to enjoy.

Has it warmed up where you are?  Hopefully, Spring can now have its way and soon we can pack away the winter coats and get down the lighter weight stuff again!  Won't that be lovely!

Answers

 Thanks to those of you who posted questions.  So here we go . . .

Rose P asked:

Have you given up your allotment?  You don't talk about it any more.

Thanks, Rose.  The short answer is yes, I have.  The longer answer is . . .

The allotment started off held by Beth with Alex helping out as a little chap.  I went along and helped a bit.  Alex stopped helping out as school work, exams, etc, took over and Beth and I did it together with Beth still as the named keyholder.  At some point before lockdown, I think, we became joint keyholders so I could go there by myself to water, weed and so on but we still shared the work pretty much.

I'm a bit uncertain about timing but during lockdown, it was my exercise and pretty much the only thing one was allowed to do outside (apart from shopping, etc).  As lockdown lifted and the world opened up again and as Beth was by now working full time and really couldn't give it any time, I found it was becoming a liability and we both decided it was time to let someone else enjoy it.  
I'm a bit sorry but not significantly so.  I like my life just as it is and I really don't want to spend the time it would take to keep it going properly.

(bit of Spring colour to break it all up a bit)

Jackie asked:

How did you come to start blogging?

Well . . . < thinks back >  I think it was because I started reading a few blogs - Sue C and Sue H, for a start - because I was interested in frugality, started following various Bloggers and a friend introduced me to the whole blog thing.  I think it was Rachel of Eternally 28 but I'm not totally sure; it's a while ago now.  Or perhaps it was the dear late Diane.
Blogger seemed the easiest platform so I dipped a toe in with this blog as my first attempt and one that started off as My 30-30 Challenge (or something - spending £30  for 30 days).  This one, of course, started as 'Diary of a Teacher' - the 'retired bit was added when . . .
The other one has morphed into 'Losing Deliciously on Slimming World'.

I've made some good friends via Blogger and I have learnt so much - it's lovely.

Sue's question is linked.

How long have you had your various blogs, and which one do you consider to be your main blog? Also have you ever had a blog and then deleted it, or are they all out there for everyone to find?

I must have been blogging for maybe around twelve years, perhaps longer.  Well before I retired anyway.  I suppose this one is my main blog although the Slimming World one is important to me as well.
I've got a couple of deleted blogs - one has just a few entries and is called 'try it out' and was never meant to be published and the other is called 'Teacher's Recipes' which I stopped when I started the 30-30 blog.  I can still access them but had forgotten about them until your question reminded me.

So I just have the two that people can read.

Eileen asked several (thanks) so I'll take them one at a time:

Have you ever had a bucket list and if so, have you completed it or are there still places you want to visit and/or things you want to achieve?

No, not really.  I mean there are things I would like to do but not strongly enough to call them bucket list material.  The things I am doing to my property this are are things I have had in mind for a while and it's nice to see them starting to happen.  But generally, my goals are small and short term.

I know how much you like Slimming World. Can you ever see yourself running your own group?

Yes, I do enjoy Slimming World and I did think about it briefly when we had a visitor who talked about this.  However, there are a few good reasons why not . . .

I'm more a follower and a supporter than a leader.  I really enjoy being on the social team and helping with the weigh ins, but that's enough for me.

I'm really not a good Slimming World girl.  I challenge the rules too much and apply common sense to those I think are very silly - those of you who read the other blog will know that!  

And finally, the group leader needs to have good hearing and I do not.  It's not a 'poor me' thing, it's a fact - you need to be able to follow discussions that can be very fast paced and to pick up on almost throw-away comments.  It's not a disability access thing, it's like not being able to sing opera professionally if you're tone deaf!  lol

Do you still play the piano for enjoyment?
What sort of music do you like listening to?

No to the piano but maybe, one of these days, I will spend a bit on a nice little keyboard that I can bluetooth to my hearing aids and then I can tickle the ivories to my heart's content.

As for music - oooh, good one.  I like so much.  It's easier to say what I don't like and that's opera.  As a complete thing, drama, costume, scenery, story and music, it's OK, but opera just as music - no.  I'm a fan of a very vibrato voice at the best of times.

I'm not fond of 'modern' atonal music, probably because I just don't understand it.

I love choral music, I love orchestral stuff generally.  I'm very fond of renaissance choral music - anthems, motets, etc.  I often wallow in nostalgia with 60s pop music.
I think my favourite single thing is Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet - not just the suites but the whole thing from beginning to end.  The ballet, with the MacMillan choreography is my favourite ballet too.

Name your ideal guests for a dinner party. Maximum of 6, dead or alive.

Right!  

Obviously, I'd go for Mum and Dad first.  Always . . .

I'd love to invite the late Queen Elizabeth - she always struck me as an absolutely fascinating person with so much wisdom, knowledge and experience.

I'd love to meet Molly Hughes, the author of the 'London Child/Girl/Home' books.  She was such a very clever person, educated way above what was expected for a girl of the time and very involved in early higher education for women.  I wondered about asking Miss Buss and Miss Beale (they have to go together, don't they) but Molly could tell me about them.

Going right back in history, I'd go for Eleanor of Aquitaine, the wife of Henry II, mother to Richard the Lionheart and Bad King John and a ruler in her own right in the days when most women just didn't.  She was a fighter through and through.

It's all a bit weighted on the female side, isn't it, but my Dad won't mind so lets go for someone living.  I think I'd go for Michelle Obama - I bet she has a few stories she could tell and I gather she got on very well with her late Majesty.

Dessert Island Discs ... which book would you take and what's your luxury item?

One is allowed the Bible anyway, isn't one?  I think I would like either a Nigel Slater or a Nigella Lawson recipe book because they are far, far more than just recipes and there's a lot to them.  Or - if I had the luxury item, a nice, big book of Bach chorales - that's a lot of music to dissect and analyse, improvise to, develop and generally enjoy without being terribly hard to play.
As for a luxury item - er - I think it would have to be that keyboard I was talking about earlier (with power and assuming I'd have my hearing aids anyway, as they are essentials, not luxury!)

Sue (Beachcomber) asked:  

How often do you use your Thermomix and do you own an air fryer?
What do you cook in them/it?
Are they as useful as you thought they would be when you bought them?

I use Thermione on a very regular basis.    I make soups, steam all sorts of things, make casseroles using reverse spin, cakes, meringues, sauces, lemon curd, things that need continual stirring - she makes a mean risotto - oh, there's so much.  There's an amazing recipe site called Cookidoo.
As I type this, she is steaming my lunch vegetables and earlier she made breadcrumbs out of both ends of the bread for which she made the dough yesterday.
 She doesn't fry, bake or roast but does pretty much everything else.

I have a Ninja Dual Zone and that also gets used a lot.  For example, this evening I will be roasting some veg in one side and making chips in the other.  I've hardly turned the oven on since I got it.
Right now, it's making some chips for lunch and yesterday it baked a small wholemeal loaf.

Yes, they are both very used and useful and I feel so lucky to have them.

And, finally, Jablog asked:

If you could live your life again, would you follow the same path?
Are there any skills you wish the Good Fairy had given you?

Answering that first bit is so hard.  Obviously, I have not lived a charmed life.  Horrible, difficult things have happened at times.  I was desperately unhappy as my marriage was breaking up but, had I not met and married G, then I wouldn't have had Beth, Dave and Alex and I can't imagine that.  
I wanted to be a teacher all my childhood after a brief flirtation with the ideas of being either a famous opera singer or a missionary (inspired by Gladys Aylward after I read her biography).  The first was - er - unrealistic, given I only had a choral voice and don't like opera much anyway and the second died the death very quickly!

So - I was able to get my teaching qualifications despite a less than stellar school career apart from music and I had a career that I truly loved and that I was able to return when I needed and which had a very good pension scheme.

I've been so very fortunate really.

I think, if I am honest, that I wish I had concentrated on my own well being a bit more.  I have only recently slimmed down and become fit, since retirement, and it's fantastic.  
But you can't look back really, can you?  We all have regrets and have made unwise choices and they, as much as our successes, are what make us what we are now.  At this time in my life, I am OK with what and who I am.

As for skills - I have a number of wishes but I think the main ones are perfect hearing (which isn't a skill) and to be a better musician.  I enjoyed singing in various choirs but didn't excel in any way and ditto for my instruments, piano and recorders.  The hearing impacts on the music, of course.

Thanks again, everyone.  Some of these made me think and I really enjoyed answering them.  xx

Sunday, 12-03-23

 Morning, one and all.  Welcome to a mild and sunny Sunday - it is here, anyway, and I hope it is pleasant where you are too.

Yesterday, I forgot to mention a couple more nice things that happened at Slimming World.
One of the newer members (who did look vaguely familiar to me) came us and asked 'Are you a teacher?'  Teachers don't/shouldn't have favourites but this student and their family were both pretty special, I carried on tutoring them when I retired and this lady is godmother to the student.  We had met years ago at an important meeting when she came to support the mum which is why she looked familiar.
The other was when someone walked in who I immediately recognised as an ex colleague.  She was a TA for a while before joining the office staff and I had her oldest twice, once in Y1 and again in Y4.  It was so nice to see her and have a quick catch up chat - she usually goes to another group but couldn't make it this past week so came to ours instead.
It was a lovely group this week for so many reasons.

Yesterday turned out to be 'interesting'.

I got the herb shelf sorted.  I did end up having to throw a few things out but basically they were items I got for one thing, haven't used since and were well past date - and I mean 'well'!
Then I was inspired to tackle the next shelf up which has my stocks, sauces (like soy and teriyaki - that sort of thing), etc.  Again, it wasn't terrible but there were some very old stock cubes (over ten years past date- ooops!) which saw the inside of the bin and it is now all in a more organised state,

Looking at this makes me very happy.  I can see what I have and it's all sorted out.  I should have taken a 'before' photo really but didn't think to.

That silver thingy on the bottom shelf is a little, battery, stick on light (which is not stuck on).  I probably don't need it now but it helped me to see what was further back when it was so crowded.

I did take a look at the top shelf too but it hardly needed anything doing to it, surprisingly!

I made up my bread dough in Thermione, as always.  When it had gone through all the rising, punching back and proving stuff, I had a go at using Nellie to bake it and the answer to 'can I bake bread in my Ninja?' is an unqualified 'sort of'.
It actually baked the loaf very well - a lovely crumb, not stodgy but good and even without any big holes. 
(Going off track a bit, does anyone else call these holes 'butter thieves' or is it peculiar to my family?)
It was never going to be crusty; the recipe doesn't make a crusty loaf anyway and I don't want a hard crust, I want it soft so I can slice it and freeze it without too much wastage.
The main issue was that the top rose quite close to the element and ended up darker than perfection expects.  I will definitely try this again because it's so much cheaper than using the oven, but maybe do it for a shorter time, then take it out of the tin and pop it back upside down to finish.  I'll give it a go anyway.

The other 'event' of the day was a bit unsettling and rather upset me at the time although now I am very thankful that it was no worse because it could have been awful.  I won't go over it again but have written about it in the other blog, the Slimming World one, so do pop over and scroll down to the pasta photo to find it if you're interested - it's here.

I didn't get any washing done so it's top of the list for today.  I'll be able to get it all out on the line in the sunshine.
Also, I'm working on my answers (thanks for the interesting questions) and will probably post them this afternoon
Apart from that and a bit of the daily stuff (things like wiping round the loos and the kitchen and the clearing up after meals stuff) I am taking the day to rest and relax.  I feel a bit tense so will do some of Lindsey's tone and relax clips - they always help.

Have a great day, whatever you have planned, and stay warm.