Wednesday

 Good morning, everyone.  Another lovely start to the day with warm sunshine.  Yesterday was beautiful with just enough breeze to prevent it from being a bit uncomfortable.

In yesterday's comments, Jackie asked about making rhubarb gin.
basically, we are talking about a commercial gin (or vodka) with flavourings.

At its simplest, one can use boiled sweets to flavour.  I have some little 150ml bottles and I nearly filled one with some gin, added three crushed boiled sweets - that cough candy that is aniseed in flavour - put the stopper in, have it a good shake now and again and in twenty four hours the sweet had 'dissolved' into the gin and it was rather nice with some tonic.  I like aniseed but if that's not your scene, use something else.  I gather you can use jelly babies in the same way.

The proper flavoured gins take a bit longer, quite a lot longer, in fact, but are just as easy.   You need some large bottles or containers (I use kilner-style jars because of the wide neck) plus gin (or vodka), fruit and sugar - the proportions differ and there are loads and loads of recipes via Google.
You chop the fruit, put it and some sugar into the jar, add the alcohol, seal the lid and give it all a good shake.  Now and again, each time you pass it, shake it again until the sugar has all dissolved (it takes several days) and then pop it into a dark cupboard to just steep.  The sugar converts to alcohol and the fruit flavours the whole.
Leave it at least a month, longer is OK.  

Sieve it through a muslin or a sieve, pour the resulting deliciousness into a clean bottle and enjoy.  Beware - it is stronger than you would think!

Here's a link to a site with other fruit gin recipes too.  I think I might add a bit more sugar than it says but, really, the proportions are very general, a bit like making jam!
https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/rhubarb-gin-recipe

I spent a couple of hours down the allotment again yesterday.  The mange tout and the runner beans are now sown, perhaps a bit late but it never seems to make too much difference really.  Today it is mowing and strimming again plus some weeding.

Instead of posting a photo of what I did do, here's one of what I didn't.  Their days are numbered!!

Today is the aforementioned allotment work, plus some washing, drying and ironing, some general housework and my weekly hour of personal training which actually hasn't happened for several weeks so today is going to be hard work!

Have a lovely day, everyone.  xx

Tuesday

 Good morning.  The sun is shining brightly today and it looks as if we will enjoy another day as lovely as yesterday was

Beth and I spent several hours at the allotment in the sunshine yesterday.

The canes are up for the runner beans. 

 . . . and for the mange tout,  actually prunings from the plum tree.  This particular structure looks more rickety than it really is

The faithful raspberries

And the equally faithful rhubarb.  We came home with plenty of sticks for making more gin or for puddings.

The potatoes are coming along . . .

. . . as is the flower bed (you can't really see the sweet peas but they are finally starting to grow and look much more healthy than they did even a week ago) . . .

. . . and the baby corn is looking very hopeful . . .

. . . while the broad beans are looking great, flowers and all.

We sat under the trees at the back, Beth and I, feeling very content.  The allotment lay out is a bit 'girly', I suppose, but it makes us feel happy.  We could get more produce out of it, I am sure, but we like it just the way it is, we really do.

We came home for a cuppa and Beth watched the first Great British Photography programme which she thoroughly enjoyed.  She did a pre-uni course in photography more than half her lifetime ago in order to get some sort of qualification needed to do a BA in art (she never got to uni, she got pregnant instead!) so this was fascinating for her.  I didn't watch the second programme, on last night, because I was very tired.  I have it recorded and will enjoy it today.

Today, the lovely Sharon is coming round to do my hair and then I will be going back to the allotment to finish off what we didn't do yesterday.  As often, I have a Little List - not so little really - but once that's all done it really is a case of weeding, watering, mowing and watching the yearly miracles happen.  Aren't we lucky!

I'd better stop rambling and move on to t'other blog.  Time is passing and I need to tidy up the kitchen a bit - Sharon does my hair in the kitchen as the floor is easier to sweep afterwards.

Monday

 Good morning, everyone.  It's a dull start but that means little as the forecast is for warm and sunny weather with temperatures into the twenties.  I'll take that!

I mentioned my rather extended drive home in yesterday's entry; this morning, I'm going to just look it up on Google Maps so I know where I went.  I don't think it is shorter than my usual route but it is easy apart from having to go through Harlow when the Sat Nav came into its own!

After unpacking and lunch, Beth came round and we trotted off to the allotment where we weeded and planted out.  Now the baby corn and the yellow courgettes are in their forever home and Beth took two more courgettes home for her little patch.  After watering, we sat at the table under the trees and chatted while we munched an apple before coming back here where I put the kettle on and we say in the garden sunshine and made A List!  There's not an awful lot more to do apart from the ongoing weeding - the bindweed is now making an appearance, grrrrr - and general maintaining.

While Beth was there, I strained off the rhubarb gin which has been steeping (is that the right word) in the cupboard for some weeks and we tasted it.  Wow!!  
I will be making some more over this week, some using gin and some using vodka and will try some flavourings.  Rhubarb and strawberry is always nice, and we thought rhubarb and ginger would also work well.  There's loads of rhubarb to pull so that's not a problem.
This wasn't the recipe I used but very similar - they're all much of a muchness really.  https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5648310406783744033/917105241725191087

I took a few garden photos so . . .

The columnar Flamenco definitely has babies - these four and four more.  A few will drop, of course, but wouldn't it be nice to have four or five apples in its first year!

The strawberries are doing well although the cold spring has delayed them.  This time usually I have some turning pink and they're nowhere near that yet.  Perhaps the warmer weather will bring them on.
The strawberries at the allotment are also at more or less the same stage.

It looks as if there will be a nice little blueberry crop after all.  Three cheers.  I need to think about netting them, I suppose.  

The raspberries are also looking great, both in the garden and at the allotment, the allotment apple trees are not disappointing, the pear got caught by the frost but there's still some baby fruit.  As for the poor old plum - we counted a few fruit but they may drop as they did last year.  Time will tell.

End of this week?  Beginning of next?  Not long, anyway.

The bamboo has definitely taken and seems happy in that pot.  It's already thickening out and sending up new growth.

The geranium is going to be absolutely gorgeous soon.

This heuchera has never really done very well; I guess it was crowded by the rosemary.  Now that's gone, up comes the heuchera.  I love the colour.

The other flowers are also doing nicely now that the warmer weather has arrived.

Today looks busy but isn't really.

First of all I have the one tuition session of the week, half past eight to half past nine.  Then I plan a trip to a garden centre as I have failed miserably with the tomatoes and want to get some bedding plants.  Ditto for cucumber.  Today I will try Grenville Nursery which is the most local one and tends to be pretty good.  I'm hoping it is a ten o'clock opening, although I can't find anything on the internet.

Once home again, I want to work out in the garden - it's time to clear the spring bulb leaves away and get a clear view of what is coming up for the summer.

Beth's around for lunch and then we are off to the allotment again to work through The List.

It should be a very happy and satisfying day, don't you think?  Have a good 'un too and stay safe.  xx

More Sunday

 Good morning (or nearly good afternoon, everyone.
I'm home again after spending an extra day at Dads and after a journey that was longer than expected as I had to carry on down the A10 and take the 414 through Harlow instead of going cross country via Bishops Stortford.  For a couple of years, there's been some major flood and traffic alleviation works going on around Little Hadham and now and again the whole road is closed at the weekend.  I didn't notice any signs coming up but must have just missed them.

It looks like next weekend will be the same, having checked on the Internet.  Oh, well, at least I know the alternative way.

This afternoon I'm meeting Beth down the allotment and, fingers crossed, we are planting out the baby corn and the courgettes.  If we can do that, it would be great.
Apart from that, there's nothing much going on, really.  Isn't it nice that, for once, the weather has picked up over the half term break.  Long may it continue.

I hope your day is going really well for you.  xx

Sunday

 Really sorry about missing yesterday.  I'm still at Dad's but will be home this morning and will post a proper blog from there.

xx

Friday

 Good morning, everyone.  It's not so bright this morning and, indeed, Beeb says today will be light cloud.  No rain though, that's the bottom line.   I'm happy with no rain!

Yesterday was busy.  I got my chat with Chris; we sat out in her garden in the warm sunshine and it was really lovely.  As we were both on holiday last week, we had lots to chat about and the time went really quickly.  

I got the house in order, washed, dried and ironed some clothes, packed and set out.  In the end, one of the things on my list had to go and that was the mowing - it was just going to take too much time.

So I set off, stopped off at the petrol station to fill up before taking the car to the car wash place so they could deal with residual evidence of seagull activity (!!!).  They were quite busy so that took longer than expected and, while that was going on, I realised I didn't have my phone so, when finished, I went back home (just five minutes away) to get it.  Couldn't find it anywhere!  Drat!  I set back out to Dad's feeling rather worried as to where it might be but when I unpacked I found I'd put it in my case rather than my bag.  Goodness knows why but it was a huge relief!
And I felt a bit foolish - what a waste of a good worry!

So I'm round at Dad's for the day.  I'm doing some shopping (for me) and taking him round to the local shops.  He's asked me if I could defrost the kitchen freezer and I'm going to start clearing out one of the bedrooms.

The implant site is fine.  The jaw aches a bit but it's not an intrusive ache, just a forgettable niggle and the gum doesn't hurt one little bit.  Saliva is a great healer, I gather.  Also, penicillin can sometimes give me a gippy tum but this time no problems.  So all is well and I'm happy about that.

I'd better get going.  Dad tends to sleep late and I'm hoping to be back from shopping before he is up.  Have a lovely day and, as always, stay safe.  xx

Thursday

 Good morning, everyone.  The sun is shining, the forecast is good, it's not too chilly and all's well!  Beeb indicates that we are heading into a warmer, sunnier spell of weather - and about time too.

Yesterday, the biggie was the implant surgery.  It's called surgery but it's all under local, of course, and yesterday it went very well, much easier than when the front ones were done.  I went in at nine and was out by half nine complete with ironmongery in jaw plus penicillin, paracetamol, mouth wash and super-soft toothbrush, all in a posh little carrier bag with rope handles.
Yes, I got the shakes but not as bad as they could have been and no, it really didn't hurt at all.  Even the injections were OK.  The most eye watering part of the whole experience was paying the first part of the bill!
Now what?  Well, I go back in a couple of weeks to have the stitches out and then we wait until it has healed and settled, three months or so.  If, when I go back, Dr Clough doesn't think it's ready, I will wait.  He's the expert and I am paying plenty for his considerable expertise, after all!

It really doesn't hurt.  The jaw is a bit bruised and aches at times but it's not a real pain, even after around eighteen hours or so without pain killers.
I have to take the meds, eat softer food for a few days, chew on the other side and use the very soft bristled toothbrush for cleaning around the site for a few days.  Oh, and use the mouthwash for a number of days, four times a day, holding it over the site for twenty seconds.

And now you know as much as I do.  :-)

What I got home, I was pretty wiped out, got the shivers (turned the heating right up) and went to sleep!  Yesterday was a bit of a washout as I felt quite wobbly until; the evening - just reaction, I am sure.
I'm glad it is over - the rest isn't nearly so bad.

Today is busier.
I'm hoping Chris and I can have our Thursday chat after a couple of weeks of not having one.  I want, really want to get to the allotment and finish the grass haircut not it's all a bit dryer.  I have to tidy up the house and sort out any messy corners, pack and get up to Dad's for a few days.  Oh, and get some petrol and have the car washed.

Have a good day and I do hope it's pleasant weather your way.  Take care.  xx