Sunday

Good morning!  It's a cool, damp morning as far as I can tell and I was up at three.  It's a right pain but there's not a lot I can do about it really, just hope that by the end of the week I will be sleeping a bit longer.

After such an early wake yesterday too, I was sure I'd be asleep again by 10:00 am but I wasn't.  I got stuck into the ironing and cleared the basket while watching Eat Well for Less and then Sewing Bee and that kept me awake.

I was aghast at Eat Well for Less.  This week's couple had little idea of how to use up food and were throwing away piles of food each week that could have been used in all sorts of ways.  Also the lady had what was describes as 'freezer fright' and if anything had been in the freezer for more than a month, she chucked it.  Mind you, I hate to think what she would have though about my upright freezer (more further down).

Suffice it to say, by the end of the programme she/they had seen the error of her ways.  I'd love to revisit some of these families several months down the line as they used to do in Ground Force and see if they are still applying what they learnt.  I gather it was a very short series of just three, which is perhaps just as well as the format is very similar from week to week, but I hope they will bring out a second series: I saw an advert asking for families to come forward if they wanted to appear on the programme so it looks likely.

They have all been lovely families with delightful, unfussy children.  This week's children were Ava and Sofia, the same names as two of my daughter's cats, right down to the spellings thereof.  I can't say I learnt anything new this week but I do want to make my own chicken nuggets at some point, maybe when Alex comes to stay.

Anyway, back to yesterday.  I went out to the shed and 'audited' the chest freezer.  I think it is safe to say I was horrified (in a sort of positive way) with what I found.  So much food, so many delicious home cooked ready meals.  Well, they are all on a list now together with which shelf they can be found so there's no excuses, is there, especially as I now make a weekly plan before I shop?  Despite a few recent blips everything I found was fully labelled, thank goodness.
Fortunately, Beth has said she will take some off my hands.  That would be a kindness to me and very helpful for her too.

Will I tackle the chest freezer.  Well - not sure really.  Perhaps half way is enough for now!

I am looking forward to today.  Beth and Alex will be over and we will do some sewing (Beth and I, I mean).  I am also hoping to unload some freezer food in exchange for a sock cat that I can use as a pin cushion!  I've bought a few paper patterns online and perhaps Beth will like the pattern for elasticated waist trousers and a top.  It looks really very easy to make so fingers crossed.

The pile of 1m lengths of poly cotton that I ordered last weekend arrived a few days ago.  Yesterday I took a close look and found that they all seemed a bit twisted and to have been cut squiffy.  I knew that couldn't really been so, so I put the lot through a wash and gentle tumble dry before ironing and folding which sorted out the problem but the ironing took a bit of time.  Never mind, I now have a lovely neat, clean pile of bits of fabric to play with.  I've set up a corner for sewing with a go-pak table and a convenient window for the best light.  In the last two years, the parents have given me two wooden boxes and they have been brought into action, one for fabric and current projects, the other to hold the patterns.  It looks good!

And I don't have to do any planning today.  I might, but I don't HAVE to!  You know why?  NO SCHOOL TOMORROW!  That feels really fantastic.

Bring on the coffee!