In Which Ang Enjoys Fine Dining

On Tuesday, we decided to have a day out. Whilst Bob was in the shower, I went into the loft and filled a bag of stash-stuff. We popped across to Wymondham. At the Big C Craft Emporium, I dropped off some craft bits I had sorted out - wool and fabric I have no use for. I spent £2.10 [all my profits from Saturday!] on two cards, a set of metal dies, and some self-cover buttons. Then on the way out of the shop I spotted a knife. It was only 10p, but it was a gorgeous WMF stainless steel knife. It felt lovely in my hand, and I dashed back to the paydesk, "I am over 18 so I'm old enough to buy a knife" I said and gave the lady 20p for it. Here it is on the right, next to one of my regular knives. Slightly smaller, it will be good as a butter knife 

Our wedding cutlery was called 'Celtic' in 1979, but inexplicably renamed 'Domus-Brasilia' 5 years later. I have eight 8-piece place settings plus serving spoons, salad servers, a pie slice, and a child's set [50p bargain] 
What amazed me was that I found my new knife online, it is the Virginia pattern. I could buy this now from WMF in Germany for €30!** I got back to the car and found Bob admiring the 3 LPs he'd bought [he does love his vinyl collection] and we went on to the Wymondham Furniture Warehouse so he could look at old tools. He bought nothing, but I fell in love with a casserole.

Six years ago, I gave Liz and Steph some of my wedding present Le Creuset pieces. I kept my frying pans, and the largest and smallest casseroles. Once or twice since, I have missed the middle sized piece. It was oval, with a 'strap' handle, not the round knob, and also Volcanic Orange. 

OK, this one is brown, but it is pristine inside, and clearly never been used. And at £28, just one tenth of the price of the LC casseroles in John Lewis. There were matching casseroles and saucepans, all unused. I did not want them! 

Having splashed the cash on fancy cookware, we thought lunch ought to be cheap and cheerful. So it was time to tick off something else on my 70s list, and visit Angie's Big Baps alongside the A47 [I've wanted to do this for ages]. The burgers were excellent. I very much hope that when her layby disappears as the road becomes a dual carriageway, they let her have a new pitch a little further along. I hope to eat there again. As Bob said, we have been to more expensive burger outlets and not had such good food!

** I went right through the baskets of cutlery, this was the only WMF piece. Who donates one knife from a set?

Back To Bletchley Park?

I love puzzles - number ones and word ones. Most days I try to complete the Guardian Crossword, a Killer Sudoku and Wordle. This little book is currently by my bed and I keep dipping into it. A gift from Rosie, who is very proud that her great-grandma [my Mum] was a BP codebreaker. Currently reading a Peter Wimsey whodunnit which involves code-breaking. [to be reviewed later]

But this week I was in The Range, and was totally baffled by two signs on display. The were obviously relating to products on sale, but I found the combination of words quite incomprehensible. I walked over to get a better look and even then I wasn't quite sure... this bizarre arrangement of nouns [or verbs?] looked like some sort of coded messages 

Take the first one. Ignore the fact that of all the words here, Wilko should have a capital letter. But the spacing makes it hard to follow
Wilko Skin Tea
Tree Face 25
Wipes  79p

What is 'skin tea'? It sounds like a drink. I have heard of 'body milk' and 'hand cream' ... but tea? Tree Face is clearly an insult, or maybe the top part of Julia Donaldson's StickMan. You have to look at the packet to realise they have missed out crucial words
Wilko - Skin Therapy Range
25 wipes enriched 
with Tea Tree   79p

OK that makes sense. Let us move on to the second item costing 760 times as much.
Wave Vienna
Drop Stitch
Spa £599.99
So what is this one about?  Am I to wave Goodnight to Vienna? [GV is the title of a film from 1932, and also an album by Ringo Starr, 1974]
Drop Stitch - well, I thought I knew that, it is a mistake in your knitting
Spa £599.99 a leisure item for the back garden.
Clearly if I go to Austria and sing Ringo's song whilst lounging in warm bubbly water, I will get very expensive holes in my knitting...

After much research I found that Wave is a company making these tubs, and Vienna is the name of this particular model of home spa. And it appears that drop stitch is nothing to do with knitting. It is a type of material. Defined thus Using tens of thousands of tough polyester threads 'drop-stitch fabric enables the building of inflatable structures with flat surfaces that can be inflated to rock-hard rigidity
So know I know. I did not buy either product, and as far as I could tell, nobody else in the checkout queue was buying them either! I was tempted to ask the assistant what the words meant.

But maybe it is coded messages for passing spooks. Drop Stitch Spa is an anagram of Ditch passport  and Skin Tea Tree Face can become Fire Ken, Case Tate 

Not-For-Profit

According to BBC Bitesize, NFP organisations seek to serve the public or help others - having covered costs, any surplus income is re-invested or used in other ways. Two examples of NFPs are charities, and social enterprise groups. I have come to the conclusion that my craft activities are NFP. On Saturday, I had a table at the Craft Fair in Foulsham, round the corner from the Chapel.

It was Open Gardens Weekend, and the organisers hoped that would attract a lot of visitors. But the weather was against us - it was throwing it down with rain much of the morning. There was a major road accident on the main road, just before the turn off to the village. My prices were deliberately low - most of the stuff was leftover stock from the Christmas Craft Fair at Chapel, but there were hardly any small children, so no takers for my pencil rolls, hairclips or headbands. Nobody wanted to spend £25 on the bags and boxes and beauty products on adjacent tables either.
Despite all that, I had a lovely day, I met loads of people - but in 5 hours I had only 4 customers. Having paid for my pitch, and bought a piece of cake, I had just £2:10 in my cash tin [plus the £20 float I'd started with] I did better than a number of other stall holders though, who sold nothing, or did not cover costs. or had driven 20 miles to be there

There was a constant trickle of people coming in and walking round - most were very pleasant, just not wanting to buy anything. They were friendly and chatty

BUT I confess to getting slightly annoyed by the lady who whipped out her phone and took a picture of one of my little bird brooches, then buzzed off out the door. I think she intended to go home and make some to sell. They are not copyright or anything - but I was only charging two quid for them, If she had bought one it would have helped me [and she would have had a full sized pattern] This is bad manners imho. What do you think?

Sweet Peas

In the raised bed I have  an amazing crop of Mange Touts - also known as Snow Peas, or Sugar Snap. They are sweet and tasty,. When I was younger, I remember somebody telling me about the four sweet peas of Christianity.The "sweet Ps" of Christian faith - Peace, Purpose, Power, and Pardon. 
These concepts can be understood as the fruits of faith, guiding believers in their daily lives. 
Peace:The inner tranquillity that comes from knowing God's love and forgiveness. It's a sense of calm and stability even amidst life's challenges. 
Purpose: Understanding God's plan for one's life and finding meaning in following His will.  Identifying one's calling and living with a sense of direction. 
Power: The strength and authority that Christians receive from God to live a life of faith and witness. It's the ability to make a positive impact on the world. 
Pardon: This is the forgiveness of sins and the restoration of a relationship with God through Jesus. To experience a fresh start and live with a clean conscience
These four sweet Ps are not just abstract ideas, but tangible aspects of faith that can be lived out in daily life. They offer guidance, hope, and strength as Christians follow Jesus. 
Maybe the presentation is contrived, but nevertheless a good thing to think about on a Sunday morning!

So Much Greener!

Not much difference in size over the past 4 weeks- but look how much lusher and greener the foliage is! And the blossom on the crop below has finished, and that too is getting greener.
I think the trees [and the crops] have benefitted from the slightly cooler days and showers of rain that June has blessed us with.
My Raised Bed is definitely coming along fast, with lots of lush foliage [but my second crop of radishes seems to have disappeared]

 

Make A Difference

I spent yesterday afternoon at The Forum in Norwich. This is National Volunteers' Week. Voluntary Norfolk were organising an event to showcase the work of volunteers across the county - and encourage more people to join in. I was tasked with welcoming visitors and explaining what I did, and how they could help

When I do my volunteering at the Hospital, I log my hours on the "My Impact" page. My #Word365. I was too busy to take many photos. Here is the table of literature

You will notice how everything is bright pink! As well as our stand by the entrance, there were dozens of other local groups represented. Including the Hospice, Finnbar's Force, the National Trust [Blickling] Age UK, Guide Dogs, RSPCA, Norwich Print Museum, Samaritans...I didn't have time to go round and see them all

My Friday 'Voluntary Norfolk' activities come under the aegis of Norfolk Community Health & Care [NCH&C] so I get to have an NHS lanyard, and we have plum coloured polo shirts, not the pink teeshirts.
Here are Chris, Voluntary Service Team Manager, and Fiona, Volunteer Co-ordinator. Two great people who 'manage' me [or try to!] 

I spoke to lots of people, and gave out the VN info leaflets. There was a wide range of people who were genuinely interested in becoming volunteers

• a 16 year old just doing GCSEs [who had been advised at school that having 'voluntary/community work' on her CV would be advantageous when she did her Uni applications]
• a young stay-at-home Mum who was looking for something 'useful' she could do for a couple of hours each week whilst Gran looked after the baby
• a chap in his 40s who had been ill but was hoping to return to work next year, and felt a small voluntary post would be a good way back in to having a regular routine
• a sprightly great gran in her late 70s who has just moved house, and wanted to 'feel useful' again.

It was a tiring but positive afternoon. Not everyone has the time, or the opportunity to volunteer. But it is so rewarding. Thank you to all the drivers, teamakers, dogwalkers, befrienders, school governors, locomotive restorers, charity shop staff, toddler group leaders, and more. You are superheroes!

A Night To Remember

Monday morning, Craft Group. J is just back from a Baltic Cruise. "Did you see the northern Lights?" I asked. She hadn't, I said I would love to see them sometime.
Monday evening, after our meal, and Bob said "I'm saying this just once, so listen" [I put down my book, and waited] "The Northern Lights are due to be visible over Norfolk tonight as there has been a lot of coronal mass activity. Do you want to drive up to the coast to try and see the Aurora Borealis?"  I didn't need to be asked twice!
We set off after 10pm and got up to Weybourne Beach just before 11. It was so quiet. There was a camper van in the car park, and one solitary fisherman further along the beach.
We stood and looked out to sea. We could see lots of twinkling lights from the wind turbines, and a huge vessel with rows of lights moving across the horizon [we thought it might be a cruise liner from its silhouette and rows of lights on many decks] 
There was one area of the horizon with an amazing pinky red glow. I knew that many of the pictures you see in the press have been taken with long exposures, posh lenses and fancy cameras, and what one sees with the naked eye may not be as dramatic. 
But I was happy, listening to the susurration of the waves and watching the twinkling stars and the glow in the distance. I had put "Seeing the Northern Lights" on my 70s List, but I think I didn't really expect to achieve it.
We stood and watched for a long while, but were starting to feel a chill, and our legs ached. Home to hot chocolate and warm bed. Thank you Bob, for a very lovely treat!
Here is my very amateur, unretouched, photo, from my phone.

Truly, a Night To Remember

It's A Stitch Up!

Three years ago, I reviewed this book - and the following week, I actually began the first collaboration with Kirsten on "The Postcard Project". So yes, I did end up buying it [secondhand of course] and it has been a useful resource as we have been stitching together. Now we are working on the final stages of CoverStory, and I have been looking for interesting stitches to embellish the seams.

The names are fascinating

According to the book, the one on the left is "feathered chain" stitch and the one on the right is "chained feather" stitch. And what about "square boss" stitch [I think I worked for him back in the 80s]

I am intrigued by the loopy "forbidden stitch" [also known as Pekinese stitch or Chinese stitch - maybe it comes from the Forbidden City in Beijing]
Many stitches have place names - Paris stitch, Cretan Stitch, Madeira work - and my favourite Norwich stitch.

Kirsten and I have agreed that having done all the edges, we will stitch our info panels - then one final swap. We will each end up with the panel with our name on it. At that point these will be turned into our notebook covers. And then we will scratch our heads and plan for our fourth collaborations.

Any ideas about what we will do next?

Bargain Hunt

Sue In Suffolk is a very savvy shopper, especially when it comes to the regular boot fairs held in her neck of the woods. She mentioned once that she kept a list of 'things to look out for' and I decided to follow this idea when I am mooching round charity shops. During May, I was able to tick three things off my list.

 I wanted to try out a craft idea which required electric tealights. [Dereham PBL Hospice Shop] Then I realise that my lovely slippers, although fine on the outside, are getting a little worn inside. I wanted some decent insoles [not cheapo £shop ones, which are a waste of money!]  I actually found pukka Cherry Blossom ones

[Taverham PBL Hospice Shop] Finally I decided I needed a new jigsaw, as all of the ones I had have been passed on to the CS. This was a bit more complicated - I didn't really know what sort of picture I wanted. Then we were with Julian at Sheringham and I found one in the Salvation Army shop. A Jigraphy CityScape Map

There are 98 UK Cities in the series - but the box did not say which city it was! "I think I would like this" I said to the assistant, and asked if she could undo the sellotape to see where it was. "I hope it is Norwich, but I will take it if it is Leicester, Bournemouth, Manchester or London" I said. It proved to be Norwich!

So I spent £5 on about £25 worth of goods. Bargain!! And in the wonderful way that things happen, I have just been given a carrier bag full of lovely jigsaws. They merit a post all their own.

One thing still on my list, is a 4th Penguin Book Cover mug, I have three [pink, blue and orange] I am on the lookout for just one more [in red, green, purple, yellow or turquoise] so that my everyday mugs match. The first three only cost 50p each - but I haven't seen any in CS since the pandemic, and I am too mean to pay full price!

Aftermath

Half Term Holiday week was fabulous - thirteen different family visitors - the girls and their families, Julian, my bro and SIL, and Bob's sister and BIL. They liked the kitchen  "Calm and tranquil" said Gaz. "Surprisingly tidy" said Steph. Steph, Liz and Julian quickly learned the new locations for stuff, and helped out with meal prep. The children were bright and cheerful - crafts and science with Grandma, stories and steam engines with Grandad...

Jess was eager to make floating flowers again. She explained it all to Bob. But 17 seconds is an awful long time for a three year old to wait...

Last September, when we were putting away the patio parasol, I noticed it was very ripped and holey round its top section. I made a new piece "So I will not have to repair it when we get it our again."

But when we got it out two weeks ago, the top was OK - but the rest was completely perished along its fold-lines where it had been packed away! 

See the holes marked in green. Steph brought us a new cover from Manchester IKEA and all was well again. We were grateful for the shade on the very sunny days.

Now all bedding and towels have been laundered, in the bathroom the little step stool has been folded and tucked away, and the pirate ship and ducks moved to the end of the bath [so they won't impede laundry on the drying rack]And we are eating p meals made of random leftovers.

The June calendar is surprisingly full - but for a few days I shall really miss them all. Their presence makes such an impact

In The Strength Of The Lord

Last week I mentioned the BBC Sunday Worship would be led by the Salvation Army. It was a great service, I know quite a few of you listened in. I got to chapel last Sunday and my friend called me over. "Do you ever listen to the BBC Sunday Service, Angela?" - I said I managed it most Sundays, and I thought the Sally Army had been brilliant.
My friend is facing major surgery very soon. She said "there was one that they sang that was just right for me right now" "I bet it was I'll go" I replied. She smiled "Yes, I told my husband, that is going to be my theme for the next few weeks- I'll go in the strength of the Lord!" 

I told her that I loved that hymn too, and from 2014-2024, I often sang it when driving my little Aygo. 

I’ll go in the strength of the Lord,

In paths he has marked for my feet;

I’ll follow the light of his word,

Nor shrink from the dangers I meet,

His presence my steps shall attend,

His fulness my wants shall supply;

On him, till my journey shall end,

My unwavering faith shall rely.

I’ll go, [Aygo] in the strength, I’ll go in the strength of the Lord

I’ll go in the strength of the Lord

To work he appoints me to do;

In joy which his smile doth afford

My soul shall her vigour renew.

His wisdom shall guard me from harm.

His power my sufficiency prove;

I’ll trust his omnipotent arm,

And prove his unchangeable love.

I’ll go, [Aygo] in the strength, I’ll go in the strength of the Lord

I’ll go in the strength of the Lord

To conflicts which faith will require,

His grace as my shield and reward,

My courage and zeal shall inspire.

Since he gives the word of command.

To meet and encounter the foe,

With his sword of truth in my hand.

To suffer and triumph I’ll go.

I’ll go, [Aygo] in the strength, I’ll go in the strength of the Lord.

Definitely a good hymn to keep in one's mind when facing difficult situations. I do not have my little silver grey Aygo any more.
Anyone know a hymn which mentions a 🚗Skoda Fabia? 😂

Number Three...

Last year I picked this up in a Charity Shop. When Jess asked for a pink princess dress for her birthday, I sewed her this one.

She loved it, especially the pockets and the decorative buttons. So I made another, in a Pound Fabric safari print.

When I asked what she wanted for this year's birthday, she requested another princess dress. Her birthday is not for a fortnight, but I have already made her a summer dress, in the same pattern. 
This time, instead of binding the neck and armholes, I fully lined the top in plain blue fabric*. I did bind the neck and pocket tops though, and added some vintage blue buttons. The hem and pockets were sewn with a decorative stitch on the machine

I added 1.5cm to the side seams, to allow for growth. She's really thrilled with this one too - and last summer's frocks still fit. She twirls happily in them!

Such an easy pattern, using barely a metre of fabric. As the Pound Fabric cloth often comes in 'minimum 2 metre' lengths, I have leftovers. I hope to make a dress for my little great niece too. * Lesley asked the other day "Do Brides still have 'Going Away dresses?' Well I have kept mine for nearly 46 years. Until last week, when I dismantled it, and used the plain cotton lining to line this dress for Jess. How's that for creative recycling? I knew it would be useful eventually!

Edging Towards the Finishing Line

So all the patches are stitched on the CoverStory Panels [apart from the 'info panels' which will be completed shortly] This past month we have been embellishing the vertical seams, and now we have swapped pieces, and will work on the horizontal ones.

My panel with its seams stitched - I used stem stitch, feather stitch, couched running stitch and couched chain stitch.

And here is Kirsten's piece

We both used cotton perlé thread which works really well for this

She was much more adventurous than I was- using coral stitch, blanket stitch, french knots, and zigzag stitching. I found it quite hard to maintain a straight line as the area around the seams is quite thick, with three or four layers of fabric.

My parcel arrived on Thursday just before my SIL and BIL joined us for lunch. Denise said how much better it was to see and touch the stitching - so much more vivid than on the blog photographs. 

She is right, you cannot fully appreciate the colours and textures in a photograph.
I got the previous two pieces out of the drawer [Postcard Project and Cross Country Collaboration] to show her - and now I am thinking I must make an effort to get them into frames and displayed somewhere in the house. We are quite limited for wall space though...

At least the CoverStory pieces will be going onto notebooks and actually get "used"

K has already decided on her lining fabric. She is ahead of me there!

Easy As Pie

The weather has been mixed, Tuesday was very wet, and the BBQ to celebrate Liz' birthday was eaten inside her cottage. But Wednesday was wonderfully sunny. Julian had arrived Tuesday night, Adrian and Marion came over, so 15 of us enjoyed sitting outside for another BBQ [our joint 140th birthday!]

Bob cooked all the meats, I made salads, and we had a choice of puds. Eton Mess, Tiramisu, Ice Creams, Fruit - and this "Impossible Coconut Pie"

Really easy, and very tasty - the bottom sets to a creamy custard, the top is a coconutty crust.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• ¼ cup melted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup sugar
• ½cup plain flour
• ½tsp baking powder 
• ¼tsp salt
• 1 cup desiccated coconut

METHOD

Place all ingredients in a bowl and beat till well mixed. Pour into a greased baking dish 2" deep, 9" diameter [or approx 7" x 9"] Bake in preheated oven 170* for an hour. Serve chilled, hot or warm.

A good time had by all. I shall definitely nake this dessert again.

London Buses...

You know what they say, you wait ages for one, then two come along at once. [In Norfolk you wait ages then realise it has been cancelled and it will be an hour till the next one!] So it is with TV detective series

Last Sunday we had a choice of two... on "U" [formerly "Drama"] the next series of The Chelsea Detective, and on BBC1, a new show "Death Valley". The former with Adrian Scarborough, the latter with Timothy Spall. I like both these actors, and their stuff is usually very good.

AS has a great team - including the wonderful deaf pathologist played by the brilliant Sophie Stone, and despite his crazy aunt Olivia[the ubiquitous Frances Barber] and not-quite-ex-wife Astrid, he solves the crimes efficiently, against the backdrop of Chelsea and the Thames. I love it.

Death Valley is a rather different kettle of fish. Spall is an actor playing a retired actor-who-played-a-detective, who is now playing detective in reality. 

Work out that weirdly symmetrical description if you can! I have watched one episode and I'm still trying to decide if I like it. TS is superb, but I don't quite believe his opposite number. DS Mallowan is just a bit OTT for me. 

Maybe subsequent episodes will settle into the Sunday night cosy crime formula. Im not giving up after one slightly disappointing episode!

Did you watch either? What did you think ?

Still Tracing Rainbows!

Thank you all for your kind comments about the kitchen - and for your encouragements as we worked through this mammoth project ! 

How was your Bank Holiday? I went out early to put up signs for a Yard Sale at the Vicarage [my good friend Rachael is leaving in three weeks for a Parish in Northumberland] The weather was fine.

The family all arrived around 11am for coffee. The four cousins were delighted to be together. Jess spotted the sun coming through the front door glass, making rainbow spots on the runner in the hall, and called the others to see. They had a lot of fun looking at the pretty spots, and tracing the rainbows with their little starfish fingers - then they all went off to the coast for a picnic and a paddle.

Bob suggested we had a little run out in the car, so we went to the pop-up craft shops at Dalegate Market. He bought a hat! [I have yet to take pictures] The Café was closed, so we picked up sandwiches  in the "garage shop" - which is a bit posher than average. Very upmarket yogurt, I must say!

"Nomadic" yogurt comes in an intriguing split pot. The top contains granola and a wooden spoon, the bottom, foil-covered section contains runny yogurt. You open and combine. Packaging is 100% recyclable. There's a splendid new mural at the Market! We came home, and I went round the village taking down the Sale signs.

 

I called on the vicar, who was very pleased with her sale takings!
All in all, a lovely day.
I hope your Monday was just as much fun.