Sunday 26 January 2020

Sunday

Good morning.  First of all, a slightly belated welcome to new(ish) followers and thank you all who make comments on my daily ramblings.  I do love to get comments and yours are always so positive (I delete all the spammy stuff!).  They and you are truly appreciated.

Yesterday was embarrassing.  I know I remembered that a potential parent and student were coming round because I mentioned it in yesterday's blog.  However, after the usual early morning routine things (meds, emptying the dishwasher, getting meals prepped for the day, etc), I settled down to making some beeswax wraps from some fat quarters.  It's absorbing and strangely satisfying, slowly moving the iron over the parchment and seeing the wax underneath the top layer gently melting and being absorbed into the cotton.

As a result, I forgot to watch the clock and eleven my visitors knocked on the door and I was STILL IN MY BED CLOTHES!!!!  Eeeek.  I suppose it could have been worse - I could have just had a towel wrapped round me!  And of course, the living room was really messy with squares of cotton, bits and bobs, ironing board, iron, plastic bin bag protecting the table, etc.

Oh, my!

Fortunately, they were both the jolly kind so I dashed upstairs to get dressed super-speedily and when I came down, we all had a chuckle about it.  I know it would be OK when I said 'I'm really sorry, I was making beeswax wraps and forgot the time' as if it were the most normal occupation in the world and mum didn't blink an eyelid!  I think I'd rather not know what she said to others later, mind you!

And the outcome is that I have a new student.  I've actually taught this child before, when I was in my first year of retirement and did a three week cover of a Y1 class.  A very pleasant child and I know we will work well together.
It's really nice that people are talking positively about what I do - all my students apart from the very first one have come to me by word of mouth.

After that little contretemps, the rest of the day flowed much better, thank goodness.  It was so gloomy and damp that I stayed inside in the warm and did some inside exercise.  I finished the wrap-making and tidied up before settling down with knitting, book and telly.

I had some vague plans about getting the train to Colchester today and having a wander round, this being one of the items on my get-out-and-about list.  I looked up the trains and, unfortunately, there's no train between Chelmsford and the station I want (Colchester Town) at the weekends as it's a sort of off shoot of the main line, presumably for commuters.  The main line station is on the outskirts and too far away from the interesting bits!  I looked into a two day stay at the in town Premier Inn but very quickly realised that it was a very silly idea.  A day return is under a tenner, using my railcard so it would make much more financial sense to 'commute', using bus into town and train.  At the other end, the interesting bits are all within walking distance of the Colchester Town station.
So that's something for half term - a visit on the Monday and again on the Tuesday, if I would like to.  Fingers crossed for good weather now.

The weather forecast isn't great for today.  Light rain and a moderate breeze, says the Beeb, with the vague possibility of a bit of tantalising sunshine for an hour around midday.  Well, I will wait and see and, if the sun does poke its nose through the clouds, I will seize the opportunity.  Otherwise it's another day inside - good for the knitting anyway!

This dull and dismal weather, while not exactly getting me down, is becoming very boring.  Where's the sun?  Or snow?  On anything else really (apart from high winds)?  I really shouldn't complain - I'm snug and warm and retired, all very positive things so I'll put on my happy face and enjoy the day.  I hope you do too.  xx


25 comments:

  1. I had a giggle at your embarassing state of undress. It happened to me on Thursday last week which is the day my cleaners come. I always dash around tidying up in my Japanese kimono dressing gown before they come and I had forgotten I had booked a company to measure for vertical blinds in the dining room. It wouldn’t have been so bad but the gentleman had a young trainee with him who just didn’t know where to look. I don’t know who was more embarrassed and it certainly taught me a lesson.
    I’m really interested in making some beeswax wraps. I did have a few but they lost the wariness as I washed them. Is it really so simple as wax pellets and an iron? They are so expensive to buy.

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    1. Oh, no - I share your feelings there!!!

      I think the main thing about wraps is don't expose them to any kind of heat. I find I don't need to wash mine as suchm, just wipe them over with a damp cloth. They don;t seem to absorb and smell - the one I used to wrap half an onion was fine once wiped. If they do need washing, use cold water and very mild diluted detergent or even an anti-bac spray and be gentle. If the start looking cracked and manky, pop them between two sheets of parchment and run an iron over them. it redistribes the wax and they are like new again. You can always add few mjore wax pellets at this point, if you feel they are needed.
      Yes, they really are very simple to make. I googled and some recommend adding other stuff but pure wax is fine for me. They are ridiculously expensive, aren't they. Much cheaper to make your own.
      xx

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  2. Ooh, your little 'faux-pas' made me chuckle! At least you didn't have your hair in curlers!

    I'm off to the London Wetlands in Barnes and expect to get rained on in the afternoon! Still, the coach leaves at 3pm so it's a good excuse to have tea and cake beforehand, just to keep dry of course!

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    1. Good point - that would have been terrible!!
      Have a lovely time. Is it an organised coach trip?
      xx

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    2. Yes, with the local RSPB, they are monthly events.

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  3. Whoops! but sounds as if it didn't matter.

    I've also had enough of the grey weather, makes getting up so difficult. I fall asleep again and have weird dreams and wake up feeling grotty

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    1. It didn't seem to matter so that's OK.

      It's certainly a lot easier to get up when the sun is shining. It has to cheer up sometime.
      xx

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  4. That made me laugh. I can't imagine you forgetting something like that, at least your visitors didn't seem to mind.
    Yes, so very fed up of the dark damp weather. I spent much of the afternoon yesterday in the kitchen making marmalade and I doubt I'll be venturing anywhere other than the supermarket today. X

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    1. They didn't seem to and it didn't seem to change the outcome so phew!

      Oooh, home made marmalade - so good. Do you make it from Sevilles or use Mamade or the equivalent?
      xx

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  5. Probably longer for you than for us over here, I expect, but it will come in time!
    xx

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  6. Frigid here. Trying to get used to texting grand with it being five hours later there. Not sure what the beeswax wraps are.

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    1. It's quite a big time difference, isn't it?

      Beeswax wraps are an alternative to single use plastic - not entirely but for some things. Here's a link.
      https://www.beeswaxwraps.co.uk/our-wraps
      xx

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  7. P s. The good news is January almost over. February is short. March and spring! I have lived in Indiana two years-have moved 30 times-this weather is painful. I do visit Florida family but want to wait until the little ones are on spring break.

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    1. This is true! It won't be all that long and the days are already longer.
      xx

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  8. Haha, I bet they weren't expecting you to be quite so relaxed about their visit!

    I was going to go the beeswax wrap route but was given a set of stretchy silicone food grade covers which work really well for my needs. I rarely used cling film anyway.

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    1. lol - probably not!

      I've heard the stretch silicone covers are good are very good.
      xx

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  9. Ha ha I've done this, got carried away doing something in my dressing gown and then had an unexpected visitors.. how did you make your wraps, I bought some, never thought of making them.

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    1. You need some cotton, some beeswax (you can get pellets; grating a block is harder that you think), parchment, an old towel to protect your ironing board and an iron.
      I lay the towel on the board and then lay on the parchment, folded in two. On one side lay the cotton and sprinkle over the pellets. Then fold over the other half of the parchment and slowly iron over it with a medium to hot iron while the wax slowly melts and is absorbed into the fabric. You can see where theye are gaps and all you have to do is peel off the top parchment and add a few pellets were necessary before ironing again. I then turn the parchment over and iron the other side. Leave it to cool and then peel off the wax impregnated cotton.
      It does need to be cotton. I tried poly cotton and it just doesn't absorb the wax enough.
      When I've finished, I get some kitchen towel and rub the iron over it several times in case any wax has melted onto the plate.
      xx

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  10. Good to hear you are enjoying being snug and warm in that dreary weather,it is so nice to have some knitting on the go when inside is the best place.
    We are having a few cool days respite from weeks of mid 30's, when it gets too hot to be on the new deck I bring my knitting inside and the ceiling fan or aircon keep me comfortable.
    There is a podcast called Fibre Friends from 3 Canadians,all teachers and knitters, very entertaining and fun, good to check out when you are relaxing indoors.

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    1. It is nice, yes, and gives my hands something to do with something productive at the end of it.
      It sounds as if you've had some very hot weather. Have you been troubled by those dreadful forest fires?
      xx

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    2. We are lucky that the fires were 30 kms away and were under control in a few days.

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    3. Thank goodness for that.
      xx

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