Taken With A Pinch Of Salt

I read this during lockdown, two years after it first came out. I gave it a 3* review, and dithered about making it 4*. I admired their resilience and commitment to their marriage - and having toured France ourselves with a tiny tent, minimal luggage and a tight budget, I recognised that such ventures can be very stressful.

But last month's article in the Observer, by Chloe Hadjimatheou left a really sour taste in my mouth.

What was claimed to be a 'true story' in fact is full of not just inaccuracies, but many actual falsehoods. 

When I read the book, some parts didn't feel quite right, and in my review I said as much  "It doesn't do to be too forensic as you read it. I think there are parts where things may have been slightly adjusted to fit the narrative. I mean, surely, a woman of her age, packing for a long journey by the sea in summer, would remember a hat and some sanpro? And their diet, if it was exactly as described, seems extremely bizarre and unhealthy. Dates are very vague - and there is a hiatus in their walk, when someone offers accommodation so they can be inside 'over the winter'. Nine months disappear into one chapter. "
But I tried not too be too judgmental, so didn't put in my review that I felt that stealing food from the village shop is always wrong: I gave her the benefit of the doubt, their finances were tight, she was worried that her sick husband was weak from lack of food etc. But now I learn that they own a plot of land in France, and that there are serious doubts about his diagnosis of a terminal illness.
Winn was very critical of other people, who apparently dismissed the pair as "tramps, down and outs, or addicts". There are numerous episodes where they are treated badly at campsites and little shops. Since Chloe's article, a number of Cornish people have come forward and spoken of their distress at recognising their shops and sites described in the book - with totally false reports of what happened. Some are local traders who lost business because of the way they have been very inaccurately portrayed in the book.

Somebody at Penguin didn't do their necessary checking up before publishing this "true" story, did they? They might have discovered inter3sting facts -That the bailiffs claimed their house because they had embezzled money from their employees. That nine months condensed into one short chapter misses out the things that they did in the community which sheltered them, and the debts they left unpaid. That the medical details in the book do not follow the same timeline as those Winn has given elsewhere. 

It is all really sickening. I wonder how Gillian Anderson feels now, having played the lead character in the film? 
I recognised that directors claim "dramatic licence" when they alter the details of a story for the film - to make it easier to follow etc. But it seems to be the case that a high percentage of the original book was based on economies with the truth - and yet it claims to be a true story.
"What would happen to us, if we suddenly became homeless and without any income?" I said to Bob - and he said that our friends would rally round and help. [As they did for us in 1985] "Well where were her friends?" I responded. And I found myself wondering if the fact that Raynor claimed that nobody seemed to be friendly towards to them was because she herself wasn't a particularly friendly character. Maybe she did not have any friends to support her.

As Mark Twain said "A lie can get half way round the world while truth is getting its boots on"

Some people are angry, others feel cheated by all this. I just feel sad

HMS Pinafore ?

That stands for His Men's Shed Pinafore. Much progress has been made in the last few hours.

Two machines on the go - one to embroider logos, the other to stitch them in place. I wanted a very simple design.

I used the selvedge cut from the 50cm wide lengths. But where to put them? Bib or pocket? I asked for help...

Steph and Kirsten agreed the pocket. 
On the bib it looks like a staff uniform.
Kirsten suggested at right angles. 
Brilliant. 
BBQ Apron Design done 

But in future, sew logo on pocket before assembling, for ease of construction! Now I have to make loads more before Saturday when the Shed gazebo will be up at the Village Hall as part of the community VJ Day Celebrations

 

First Figs

Early yesterday morning I harvested the first two figs of the season. They tasted fabulous. I might have written a poem about them, but then I discovered someone else had beaten me to it... after lunch, I found this poem, First Fig, by Allison Elrod...

The fig tree has spread its generous
canopy across my late summer side yard.
Its branches are heavy with fruit.

Every day now, the figs grow softer
and fuller; they are taking the rain
and the warmth
of a hundred summer days
and making them over into pleasure;
taut green skin and soft pink flesh.

Wearing only my nightgown
and my work boots,
I have come outside at dawn
like some post-modern Eve,
yearning for a taste of the fruit of the tree.
I reach up into the branches,
reach up for the fruit
that hangs just beyond my reach,
the fig whose skin is just beginning
to bear the flush of readiness.

Maybe I am Eve. After all,
isn’t the light in my garden
still what came of
"Let there be light?"
And isn’t everything to come
in human history beginning
on this very day,
this very morning,
when this very fig—the one I am holding in my hand—is finally ripe?
Or maybe, I am
a middle-aged woman outside
in my nightgown at six a.m.—
filled with happiness so pure it feels
like innocence—savouring the sweetness
of summer’s first ripe fig
before the light shifts,
before history resumes,
before I come inside to wake you,
temptation on my mind.

To be strictly accurate, I ought to admit that I was in the shower, when I suddenly remembered I needed to check my figs, and I really couldn't wait. I wrapped myself in a large bath towel, slipped on my sandals, and ran out into the back garden. I was wearing only slightly more clothes than Eve  [It's OK, our neighbours are away at the moment, nobody could see me]

A Pinny For Your Thoughts

Not far from here there is a small joinery company, which makes bespoke furniture and cabinetry. They supply customers across the world with amazing conference tables, library fittings, dressing rooms and more. They also fit out super yachts. It is all high end, luxury stuff [a million miles from my flat pack IKEA kitchen]  They also run a wonderful apprenticeship scheme training young men and women in woodworking skills. And as well as all that, they have helped our Shed Project by occasionally donating offcuts of wood and veneers etc. 

The latest generous parcel unexpectedly included some fabric. I suspect it may be offcuts from upholstery on one of the yachts. It's a heavy blue and white striped cotton. There is an awful lot of it!

Bob wondered if I could make some stuff to sell to raise funds for the Shed.  But the thing is, no piece is more that 50cm wide. I spent Sunday afternoon sorting and measuring it all.

Stacks of fabric labelled "50x200cm, THREE PIECES" etc. What to make? I thought tote bags, Bob suggested BBQ aprons, Liz said drawstring bags, and Steph [the Oasis fan] came up with "Bucket Hats"!

I decided to start with an apron. I had to join two strips with a centre seam to get a piece which was wide enough. I spent Monday afternoon working on the project. Here is Prototype #1, being modelled by my ShedMan.

It needs a bit of "tweaking" and I want to add some sort of Shed logo or tag. But it is good quality fabric, and if I make a batch, the men can put them out to sell at their stand,  when they go to community events etc. 

Do any of you have any other ideas for quick and easy makes which would be saleable? Thanks for all the brilliant suggestions below

[Thank you Cleyndert and Co for your encouragement and generosity]

Tree Picture Number Eight

It was grey and damp on Friday when I drove into Dereham for my Volunteering session at the Hospital. But I stopped to take a picture of the tree. The crop has been harvested, so you can see the base of the trunk, and the bare area around it. But the foliage remains lush dark green. I've arranged the 8 pictures anticlockwise, starting at the top left with January so you can see how the leaves have developed.

Four months bare branches, four in leaf. I am loving this project!

How Can I Say Thank You?

In the past two weeks, I've have met up in person with three people who read this blog. One was an old friend who I knew before blogging, and she called in whilst on holiday on Norfolk.
The second was someone I met in the early days of blogging, also on holiday locally, so I met her for a cuppa where she was staying.
The third was someone I didn't really know at all. But she heard me talking about my blog at a Women's Day in Norfolk ten years ago and has been reading ever since. She introduced herself to me at an event the other Saturday, and we met up in Dereham for coffee. I hope we will become really good friends. She is a lovely person, and really encouraged me to keep on blogging.
Then I looked at my stats this week [something I try not to do too often] I passed seven million hits last week!

I really cannot get my head round this figure. 
In the past, when I have hit milestones, I have done some sort of thank you for you lovely readers. Usually a small giveaway, to show my gratitude to you for being my blogfriends, for your thoughtful comments and messages, and generosity over the past 17+ years. 

After a wonderful weekend with my granddaughters, enjoying meals together, playing in the sunshine, laughing in the rain, I know my family has so much to be grateful for. I have been moved to tears by the news reports of the little children starving in Gaza. So, my friends, I hope you won't mind that this milestone will not be marked by some item posted randomly to a reader- but instead I am marking 7,000,000 views by sending a gift to help those who really need it, to make a small but positive impact in our sad world.  I am donating £70 to help feed these little children and their families.

I hope you will understand my decision
UNWFP details are here

Thank you all

What A Tangled Web!

 I have been collecting stranded embroidery floss since my teens. In 80s, when I was at home with young children, I became really keen on cross stitching. I bought a divided box for my threads. Later I was given another box ¾ full of threads - their late owner had wound them on cards and neatly written the DMC number on the top. Over the years, lots of people have passed threads on. 

I have used them in many, many projects - not just my own, but with children's groups and for all sorts of things. They were used for the Names of Jesus  decorations which our church in Dorset put in a local tree festival, Christmas 2015. 

And of course, for the last 4 years I have used them for our collaborative stitching. As we commence TwoByTwo, I knew I needed to tidy the tangles in the tins and boxes. I'd even put it on my 70s List. Look at the result of my efforts

There's the regular 6 stranded stuff, and random dye skeins. A few cotton a broder  colours and some finer stranded silks. All wound neatly on dmc plastic bobbins. Tightly knotted lengths, and those less than 30cm long have been ditched . 

This should make it easier to find the right colours for my stitching in future!

How do you organise  your threads?

Two-By-Two

It's The First Of August - and today marks the start of the fourth collaborative stitching project between Kirsten and me. I am so excited about this one! We started out with the Postcard Project, stitching on linen

And then we did the Cross Country Collaboration, working on evenweave Aida, doing cross stitch

And latterly, the CoverStory, adding patches each month to a foundation sheet, to make bookcovers.

In all that time we have learned about new embroidery stitches, Swedish weaving, Spanish work, Sashiko, Dorset Buttons, different types of thread, couching and more. We have also learned the wisdom of having A Good Plan before we begin a project, even if we tweak it along the way. 

CoverStory happened because we wanted to create useful pieces of stitching. And the book covers are great. So let's do a couple more covers, we said. But this time, slightly differently. Postal charges have gone up significantly since we began in 2022. And I have discovered that doing a practice piece each month has resulted in much better work.

This time, we are using the EPP [English Paper Piecing] technique, where each patch is stitched round a paper shape, then they are joined together at the end. But we will each do two very similar squares - and post one, and keep one. We will do 15 [x2] in total, to make a piece just big enough for an A5 book cover. I have already used my diecut machine to produce a lot of paper squares [quick, efficient, uniformly sized] plus a 'frame' so that we can choose where to cut out the fabric patch. 

Here's the frame on my bedroom quilt showing how you can line up the designs to get the best patterns. Below is a practice patch, to give you an idea of how it will work. So every month there will be two patches prepared by us both. That's Two-By-Two. Off we go!

A Bit Of A Squash?

Four plants appeared in the raised bed. This is the largest. They looked like "real" plants, not weeds. I asked two visiting friends who both declared them to be squash or similar. No sign of any 'fruit' [yet]

I have just dug up the last of the lettuces. They'd bolted and the leaves were tasting a little bitter. So Row 1 of the raised bed is now home to the 'volunteer squash' which I have carefully transplanted. You never know...
Talking to my 'London' SIL last night, I mentioned my beans - and the fact that despite lots of leaves and scarlet flowers, I've only had a couple of handfuls of beans. She said hers are just the same, as are "everyone else's". It is the hot weather, and I do not need to worry. Not just me then.
Here are the last few leaves and some more tasty toms.

Bon said I must take a picture of the apple tree, it has produced the best crop in years. "We may not see it like this again for a while" He declared. So here it is, many fruit, ripening fast!

I was not planning on more mugs, but I saw one in a bin outside a CS on Monday...Here's my National Trust Head Gardener's Mug

and now, a 'companion piece' for Bob

Well for 50p, I just had to, didn't I?

The recent rain has certainly revived the grass, and refilled the butts, for which I am grateful. And there is the promise of more fruit and veg in coming months.
How does your garden grow, this week?

Benchmark

benchmark - a point of reference against which other things may be compared - a "gold standard". The best it can be

• The Men's Shed Movement seeks to provide the best. 
• Connection, conversation and creation – that’s what joining a Men’s Shed is all about. 
• Men’s Sheds encourage people to come together to make, repair and repurpose, supporting projects in their local communities. Improving wellbeing, reducing loneliness and combatting social isolation.

On Monday, I helped Bob to deliver the latest project that our Shed Men have been working on, And it was to an organisation which is totally in support of the Shed's aims. We went to Easton College near Norwich, to the HQ of Active Norfolk.

This group works to enable everybody, men, women and children, believes that movement improves lives - activity and sport promote health and well-being for individuals and communities.

Here's Sam Watts, Senior Partnerships Office, explaining about their football programme

 

Sam contacted Bob recently to ask for help. Like many such organisations, Active Norfolk is funded by the County Council, with help from Sport England and ActivePartnerships, and therefore runs on a very tight budget. Their HQ is really small - and usually the team eat their lunch 'al desko' as they say, because they have no staff area. But at the back of the building is an area of grass, adjacent to the College rugby pitch. Sam wondered if the Shed could help by building a picnic bench, so that people could sit outside to eat lunch, or even work outside in the sunshine - and generally improve their working day. 

The Shed got to work - eight seater benches usually cost in excess of £200, but the men worked to produce one for around a quarter of that price. Then it was dismantled and loaded into the Kodiaq and Bob and I delivered it to AN's HQ. The three of us carried the parts round to the grass, and Bob quickly assembled it.

And here's the official handover

I really hope Sam and his friends really enjoy sitting out here in the sunshine - their work, like that of The Shed, serves as a benchmark for "good work which benefits both the individual and the community"

A Short Spell Of Rain

As a child [OK, I admit, even as an adult to] I was fascinated by words which had more than one meaning. Stable not rocky, or a place for horses. Rocky not stable, or like a rock. Rock a sort of music, or a big stone...
Spell is particularly wonderful. Is a short spell of rain defined as "R A I N" said very quickly, or is it "Abracadabra, pitter patter" said by a wizard? Neither, it means a brief period of rain🌧 
I love those little mnemonics which help with spelling

because Big Elephants 🐘Can Always Use Small Envelopes ✉️
ices can be found in the middle of LeICESter 🍦

deSiCCated CoConutS  all have one S and two Cs

rhythm Really Helps Your Two Hips Move [Steph taught me that when she learned it in primary school]

Spelling matters - I am afraid I get mildly irritated when British people use color, favor, fetus and other Americanisms. [except in Technicolor which is a brand name so definitely has no U]

I'm proud of my grandchildren's efforts to learn, and their good end-of-term school reports.

But I think it is possibly a lost cause. Texting has given us such conversations as "CU L8R?" "Gr8, B4 2moro!"  And ugly sentences like Hi m8, R U out 2nite? Are we surprised people cannot put a coherent message together? Julian recently sent me this picture, with the caption " Prfoof redader wnated" 

But U probably do not have time to db8 this, as U have 2 walk your K9. By the way, these words are called Numeronyms

I do not use these in my messaging, although I admit to some shortcuts [imho, btw, and wfh]

What do you think about these textspeak abbreviations?

Here is the verdict of Jess on Saturday's short [but heavy] spell of rain which soaked us right through. Once we got back to the car, she burst into song!

Wonderful, Wet, Workhouse Weekend

Term has finished, the family were in Norfolk for the weekend. A cheap pack of chalks and stencils provided amusement outside on the patio, in the late afternoon whilst Dad and Grandad went to Beck's to get fish'n'chips. Friday night's sleepover was followed by Grandad's Legendary Pancake Breakfast. 

Jess takes these Very Seriously. We used Great Grandma's Cherry Stoner to prepare a bowl of fresh cherries to eat with our pancakes.

Then Mum and Dad arrived and we went over to Gressenhall to the Museum. The girls loved discussing Workhouse life and dressing up as poor Victorian children.

We enjoyed a good lunch in the café [great discount for cardholders] then walked over to the farm to look at the animals and go for a ride behind the tractor. Then the heavens opened - just as we were outside, in the farmyard. Running to the cars we were soaked to the skin! Back to Cornerstones, where Grandad made hot chocolate, with marshmallows, and we changed into dry clothes and dressing gowns, and did some cardmaking...

I am very sad that Norfolk Museums Service has cancelled their "Guest Tickets" Scheme. Last year when we renewed our subscription, we were offered 15 Guest Tickets for £5 each. We used four on Saturday - saving £40 over the regular price of £60 for the family. We have used 13 of the tickets at various museums. They run out in September, and that £75 has already bought us £145 worth of tickets. NMS make money on their visitors in the gift shop and the café, but I cannot see families wanting to pay £60 for a day out...
Are there good museums near you? and are they expensive to visit?

Lord, Hear Us As We Pray For Peace.

We pray that this crisis will end now, without further loss of life.
We pray for the injured, the suffering, the starving
and for those who mourn their loved ones.
We pray for all people who have been displaced,
those who have lost their homes and have nowhere safe to go.
We pray for all those in danger at this moment.
Lord, hear us as we pray for peace.

We pray for the powerful, the decision-makers,
who can choose to act for peace.
May they follow the paths of justice, mercy and compassion.
We pray for recognition of the value of human life
We remember that we are all made in the image of God.
Lord, hear us as we pray for peace.

We pray for those who are most vulnerable.
We remember your call, Lord,
to help the bereaved, the stranger, the orphan.
We pray for medical staff and humanitarian workers
who continue to serve others,
even when they are themselves deeply affected by this conflict.
We pray especially for children caught up in the violence,
that they may know safety.
God of peace and justice, hear our prayers.

Pray not for Arab or Jew, for Palestinian or Israeli,
but pray rather for ourselves,
that we might not divide them in our prayers
but keep them both together in our hearts.

When races fight - Peace be amongst us
When neighbours argue - Peace be amongst us
When nations disagree - Peace be amongst us
Where people struggle for justice - Let justice prevail
Where Christ’s disciples follow - Let peace be our way 
Now may the Lord of peace himself
give you peace, at all times in all ways.

Prayers from Embrace and Christian Aid

 

A Blast From The Past

Last week I met up with an old blogging friend. When we first met [online] about 17 years ago her girls were still at school. Now one is a teacher, the other an artisanal baker. She said that being lactose and gluten intolerant she's very careful about what she eats. However there was one recipeone recipe from my blog, posted nearly 14 years ago*, which she still makes! And her daughter has tweaked the recipe and made it her own, to sell in the bakery. When I told Bob,  he said he thought a fruitcake was a good idea. So here is the post with recipe from 2011 - I plan to make it this week!

No eggs, no gluten, no added sugar…The Yes!Yes!Yes! cake is a brilliant birthday or Christmas cake – it suits almost everybody [except those with nut allergies] and cuts into a dozen slices or more. It is incredibly rich – after our first slices, we went in for much smaller pieces.

You need a 9” ‘springform’ cake tin like this

m

• 200ml oil [almond or sunflower]
• 500ml apple juice
• 300g chopped dates
• 500g mixed raisins and sultanas
• 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 300g ground almonds
• 1tsp grated nutmeg
• grated zest of 1 orange
• 100g chopped walnuts
• icing sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 140°C. Pour oil and juice in medium sized saucepan, stir in dates, raisins and sultanas. Bring to boil then simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Transfer mixture to large mixing bowl, stir in bicarb - it will sizzle furiously! Leave to cool for 10 minutes. Line the tin with baking parchment or a non-stick liner. Fold almonds, nutmeg, zest and walnuts into dried fruit mixture. Pour into the tin.
3. Take a large piece of baking parchment which will cover surface of cake and go at least halfway down sides of tin. Cut a circle 1”in diameter from centre of paper, then tie paper firmly in place.
4. Bake the cake for 3 hours, testing after 2½ hours with a skewer [through the hole!] When skewer comes out clean, cake is done. Run knife round the edge, and remove collar, leaving cake to cool on the base.
5. The following day, the cake will be ready to eat. Dust with icing sugar. It will keep well in a tin for several weeks.

Enjoy!! * back then I made the cake because a vegan friend was coming to stay for the weekend

Lightbulbs Or Teatrays?

I know the phrase a lightbulb moment, when you suddenly understand something, it all comes together, you are inspired.

In the world of crossword-speak [like the comments published underneath the Guardian cryptic every morning] people talk of a tea-tray moment. This is when you suddenly realise how a clue works, and why the answer is what it is.

Until recently I thought this referred to the sudden shock when the chambermaid brings in the tray and finds Sir Roderick murdered in his bed, and drops the tea-tray and screams. 

But I find I am quite wrong, it is the D'oh! gesture, beloved of Homer Simpson, when you slap your head, because you realise you got it completely wrong - and it is meant to symbolise bashing yourself on the head with a tea-tray, thinking
"How stupid am I?"

I have had not one but two tea-tray moments this week. On Wednesday I went to check on the tomatoes in the mini greenhouse, and I was really worried because one pot just did not seem to want to ripen - they had gone from a pale green to a honey colour - but no signs of the beautiful scarlet I was expecting. 

I bent down and checked the label on the pot [I got it from Toftwood Nurseries, when I bought my 'mini cucumber'] And realised they would never go red - because they were heritage tomatoes, intended to stay golden, named "Honey Delight"

I did have plenty of other scarlet beauties though, ranging from sweet little ones to sprinkle into salads, through to larger ones.

My second revelation was on Wednesday. I was due to meet a friend in Fakenham for coffee. I quickly stripped off, left my glasses in the bedroom and jumped in the shower

I scuttled back to the bedroom, and caught sight of myself in the mirror. I had a huge red zit on my nose. I am not particularly vain, but this did look ugly. Only when I put my glasses on to check it more carefully did I realise it was not a spot - just a bit of the price label from the new shower mat, which had somehow got stuck on my nose.

I guess we all misinterpret things wrongly sometimes, and feel a bit daft for doing so!