Will This Work For Me?

Sometimes I tune in to one of Joshua Becker's minimalism videos. He seems a very nice guy, and genuine in his approach. And he certainly practices what he preaches in terms of being generous with his resources. His main premise is that if we have too many possessions they can be a burden to us, and stop us living to the best of our ability*. This little video could easily be included in Michael Mosley's "Just One Thing" list. Joshua explains how the "one less" habit can help reduce clutter gently but effectively. I may try his idea this autumn and see if it works for me.

*JB is an enthusiastic Christian, and elsewhere speaks about how having a faith in Jesus helps him to 'live, and to live abundantly' 

Do Small Things With Great Love...

Mother Theresa has been credited with this quote. I love the fact that the 'rope' thrown out by the bear and mouse to help their friend rabbit back to shore is strung with hearts.

In these days of 'instant gratification' [Order online now and it will be with you within hours...] it is good to remind ourselves that some things take time, love and patience. The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step [Personally, I'd struggle with 500 miles, and then 500 more, but I would be do it, if it got me to my beloved] 
I was thinking of the goals we set ourselves [major and minor] which may need a lot of little steps

• learning a new language or skill
• tidying and decluttering the home
• restoring broken relationships
• making a patchwork quilt
• teaching a child to read, swim, cycle
• reading a difficult book
• building a good community
• creating a lovely garden
• adapting after a 'life-event' [moving, childbirth, job-loss, aging, bereavement etc]

This month's calendar picture encourages me. It reminds me

• I'm not doing this alone, friends**, family and faith are there to help
• I don't need to be quick, I can go at my own pace
• Some steps will be small and easy, others may challenge and stretch me
• I need to slow down sometimes, and wait patiently for others to catch up

**September marks the birthday of my friend Christine, who generously gives me The Painted Bear Calendar every year for Christmas, it is a year round gift. Thank you Christine for being there on my journey with me for so many years now. 

 

Golden Apples, Or Wolf Peaches?

A huge thank you to all the kind people who have shared their lovely homegrown tomatoes with us this summer. I have concluded that gardeners fall into two groups - the diligent waterers [like Brian] and the less conscientious [like me]. I started off determined to raise a crop of crimson globes, but once the water butts were empty and I was making frequent overheated journeys with the can from tap to pot I lost enthusiasm. 

But despite that, the fridge has been well filled with lovely donations - huge scarlet beefsteak and golden 'Texas toms' and tiny ruby cherries. The lettuce patch revived after the rains, so I was able to make 'regular' salads. But I knew we couldn't eat all the tomatoes before they were past their best. What to do?

Ann suggested a pie, and Liz mentioned a Tarte Tatin just as I was thinking about pastry. The legend is that at the famous Tatin Hotel in the Loire valley, one of the sisters absent-mindedly made an apple tart upside down, flipped it out of the pan, and into the history books. [I am not convinced by this story at all]

But what works for apples ought to work for tomatoes. Joy the Baker advises cooking them whole. I cut mine into slices [smaller ones in half] Arranging them in my Le Creuset pan, big slices first then filling gaps with smaller ½ toms I sweated them off for a little while  with a little butter and olive oil. Having sprinkled salt, strewn basil leaves, and drizzled balsamic vinegar, I patted a circle of puff pastry on top [Co-op pre rolled sheet from chilled section] 16 minutes in a hot oven, then I flipped it over. Cheese on half of it [for Bob] and under the grill till that melted. Served with a red&white cabbage/red onion/carrot coleslaw. Quick and easy to make and very toothsome....

The remaining toms were sorted into 'better - use for salads' and 'less exciting' . These ones have been cooked off and frozen to make a sauce for pizza/pasta/bolognese base.
Italians call them pomo d'oro which translates to golden apples, as the first fruits brought to Europe from the Americas were yellow. We Brits call them tomatoes from the Aztec word tomatl
The Latin name is lycopersicon which translates as wolf peach and that comes from a German legend saying that you could use these fruity to summon werewolves! [You may know the word lycopene, that helpful antioxidant found in tomatoes, and also pink grapefruit]

Whatever you call them, big or small, red or yellow. tomatoes are full of good nutrients. I'm truly grateful to my lovely neighbours for their generosity. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TOMATO RECIPE?

Blinkin' Blogger!!

 All good herein Cyprus. Blogger will let me post your comments but not reply to them. SORRY 

You Gotta Pop A Pocket Or Two!

Someone posted in a Community FB group to which I belong. Her daughter had been receiving treatment at our local hospital, but they'd referred her on to Great Ormond Street who were brilliant. Mum wanted to "give something back" in gratitude - and was appealing for local stitchers to make some "NG pouches" [sometimes called "tubie pockets"]
Online these can cost up to £15 each

These are simple, washable pockets to hold nastro-gastric tubes tidily [and can be pinned safely out of reach of fiddling fingers!] Most are around 10cm square. How hard can it be?
The Norfolk Mum had posted a picture, so I made a cardboard template. She wanted the simple pockets, not the pones with an attached clip. I set up a production plan, and  easily made forty in a day, using scraps from THE Great Stash. I already had a poppa gadget and supplies. I used some floral prints, and some which were 'child friendly' - cars, dragons, fairies, teddies. 

Mum was very grateful, she said in her post she wanted 100 pockets. I hope that she exceeds that target,. and I am sure GOSH will be pleased too.

Do you have any experience of these little pockets?

A Bit Of A Puzzle

I love puzzles, and do a daily killer sudoku each morning - a 3 x 3 grid into which I have to fit numbers. But this week I have done a different sudoku challenge- one for packing my suitcase! We are going on holiday to Cyprus. I needed to pack the minimal number of garments for the week. Following the example of my daughters I've used the sudoku method. You choose 9 garments which will combine to make 27 outfits. 3 tops, 3 bottoms, 3 pairs of shoes = 3 x 3 x 3 =27

I looked at what was in my wardrobe, and decided that I did not need 3 pairs of shoes - trainers and sandals would be fine. I also wanted to avoid strappy tops- it may be hot, but if we visit local churches, it is respectful to have covered shoulders. I'm definitely 'coastal grandmother' looking at the stuff in my wardrobe

Blues and whites abound. But I am not taking jeans. They are currently way too snug for hot weather. I don't want shorts. This was what I've ended up with-
4 tops - white linen, white cotton tee, blue cotton tee, striped tee

3 bottoms - blue linen trousers, pale blue/white stripe linen trousers, cotton pattern skirt,

2 shoes - sandals and trainers [the latter for clambering over ruins etc]
This should be 4 x 3 x 2 = 24.

Plenty for a week [not that I'd wear the stripes with the floral skirt] 

But I did add an extra outfit for fancy evenings out, a new black cotton maxi dress with heeled blue shoes, and silver accessories [chosen by Liz and Rosie] and a blue cardi in case it gets breezy [ suggested by Steph] 

Plus of course sunhat, pjs, and swimsuit [and underwear] 

The only item specially purchased for this trip was the dress- and that was paid for with my M&S reward vouchers. 

Have you ever used the Sudoku packing method?
Do you buy new clothes for your holiday?

A Case In Point

I remember many years ago reading an article in a magazine about packing to go on holiday. It said this:
Put EVERY thing you think you need on the bed
[clothes, toiletries, personal stuff etc]
Now put HALF of it away again.
You only need 50% of what you first thought.

I think I must have taken this to heart down the years, because when I begin my packing these days, I am thinking minimally from the get-go. I try to pack as little as possible.

Another 'tip' I came across was this :
If you are holidaying in the UK, wear trousers for travel, pack underwear for the remaining days and use a small case. Then pop into a charity shop and buy a dress and a couple of tops. Swap these around through your stay. On the last day, put all but your underwear and travel outfit into a bag, and give it back to the CS

That tip may make for very minimal luggage - but raises too many questions - do you give back the stuff unwashed? What if the top is now damaged? If you fall in love with the dress, how do you fit it into your small bag?

In the past few years, we've rarely had holidays 'away' - we just came to Cornerstones. Since retirement, our trips have been in the UK by car [plenty of luggage room] and our one Paris trip [by train]  was brief and we had minimal packing [as we did in the days of motorbike holidays - three pairs of knickers and a tin of soap, and not much more] But this year, now Bob's back has been treated, and we are flying abroad. So what's essential in my luggage? 
Passport and tickets [keep copies of all important info on my phone as well]
Prescription medications [so many pills...] which should be kept in the original boxes. Customs may refuse plastic bags with strips of meds which have been trimmed to just the 7 days worth, as they cannot be identified. 
Technology - phones, tablets, headphones, charging leads, travel plugs. 
Toiletries -toothbrush, hairbrush, suncream etc [I have treated myself to some little bottles for decanting shampoo etc] 
Random useful bits pen, bite-zapper, tweezers, mini-sewing kit, lightweight fold-up tote
Clothes and shoes - a hat, underwear, swimwear, and a 'capsule' wardrobe
And not much else!

Bob has never quite got over the shock of seeing me unpack teabags, mugs and a flask on our honeymoon in Yorkshire [I was so thrifty, I wasn't paying for cups of tea in Betty's!] These days when I pack, he will watch me and say something like  "They do sell tea in Kent, you know..."
My Son In Law Gaz gave me a very useful tip - if you are staying in a hotel, [especially abroad, or in an unfamiliar city] grab one of the cards from the reception desk and tuck it in your bag or pocket. That way if you go out for the evening and want to get a cab back, you can easily show the driver the correct details. 

What are the essentials in your suitcase? 
What have I forgotten in my list?

Am I Being Picky?

 I have no problem with the word pick -  it is useful in so many contexts

• pick and mix [Woolworths, Saturday morning, sixpence worth]
• pick a card [any card] 
• pick the locks [never as easy as it seems on TV]
• pick of the pops [with Alan Freeman et al]
• pick your own [strawberries, apples, pumpkins etc]
• pick up the tab [thank you, that's kind of you]
• pick up and knit [that gets more stitches on the needle]
• pick up the pieces [and move on...]
• pick at your food [no go on, eat it!]
• pick your nose- or teeth [but in private, please]
• pick a quarrel [no, don't!]
• pick a pocket [or two]

But please don't expect me to get excited about PICKY BITS - I do not like this term! It has been everywhere this summer!

In Spain they have tapas, in the Eastern Mediterranean, meze, in Scandinavia smörgåsbord , French friends enjoy l'apero and tartines
Picky bits just sound so much less appetising. It's the meal made from "what is in the fridge when the family need feeding - and there's not enough of any one item to go round". Three slices of a quiche, some leftover cooked potatoes and two cold cooked sausages, half a bag of salad leaves, some crisps, and a wedge of cheese. Plus a part baked baguette lurking at the back of the bread bin for emergencies, and some yogurts [the less popular flavours from the multipack which always get left till last!]  All piled onto the table with a stack of plates, and some cutlery in the big enamel mug. 
Yes I have served a meal like this. But I am not going to call it Picky Bits.  And I'm not sure about Sainbury's Picky Bits Offers...definitely not following Waitrose's suggestion of buying their Cantabrian Anchovies, Greek Halkidiki Olives, and Iberico Cheese Involtinis. [what are these ?]

I think I am going to pick a better sounding term. I may refer to a Cold Collation, as the Victorians did, or perhaps 'a few things from the deli counter'

If it is a meal made entirely of leftovers, then I call it orts - the Old English word for 'the food which remains after a meal'
How do you feel about picky bits?