Two Weddings And A Funeral [Plus Three Birthdays And A Centenary]

"Well, I am fairly busy in March and April," I said back in February "We are putting in a new kitchen and doing it ourselves" But I clearly didn't say it loudly enough. And I hate to let people down. So there were funeral flowers on the coffee table over the weekend, waiting to go to church on Sunday. Then four different sewing projects on the dining table [in plastic bags to avoid the dust!], all with deadlines in April/May. I have been diligently working on these items for my friends, and 3 out of four have been completed and delivered. The fourth will get done in time, I am determined. However, next Saturday we are away all day for another couple's "Milestone Birthday" Event. 

Here's a Teaser Picture for you - my resource materials for some of the work...
No, I am not making any dolls. I cannot reveal any pictures of completed work just yet. Sewing is my Happy De-stressing Activity. I admit to ignoring all the above tasks on Thursday evening, and working on the April CoverStory stitching. Truly a balm for my soul.

Hallelujah! Christ Is Risen

He is risen indeed! 

Easter Eve

Yesterday was a quiet, yet busy day - Bob went to the Hospice and shared in a Good Friday service, then came home, and after lunch we went to Chapel for a Good Friday Meditation. We drove from there to see our relation in King's Lynn Hospital. She has been there three months, and was expecting to go home this week, then told "sorry, it will be after Easter now" Despite the delays she was in bright spirits and looking much better. On our way home, a WhatsApp from my neighbour's DIL. They'd brought the floral tribute back from the Crem. and placed it in her garden - but now wondered if I would retrieve it, and take it to my church in Easter Sunday? These lovely flowers are now in my lounge - the one room which is not disrupted at the minute. I am in limbo, caught between the grief of losing a friend - and the prospect of time with family members in coming weeks. Between the overwhelming chaos of the unfinished kitchen, and the anticipation of preparing food for loved ones in a beautiful workspace, when all the hitches and glitches have been dealt with.

But this is nothing compared to the limbo of that first Easter Eve, experienced by Mary, and Peter and the others. I found this thoughtful poem by Emily Gibson on the Internet

This in-between day

after all had gone so wrong
before all will go so right,
puts us between the rock
and the hard place:
all hope, love and faith is squeezed from us.

Today we are flattened,
dried like chaff,
ground to pulp,
our destiny with death sealed.

We lie still
like sprinkled spices
trying to delay
inevitable decay,
wrapped up tight
stone cold
and futile.

The rock is rolled into place
so we lie underneath,
crushed and broken.

We are inside,
our bodies like His.
We are outside,
cut off and left behind.

We cannot know about tomorrow,
we do not fathom what is soon to come:
the stone lifted and rolled away,
the separation bridged,
the darkness giving way to light,
the crushed and broken rising to dance,
and the waiting stillness stirring, inexplicably,
to celebrate new life.

 

Hope...

We have this hope as an anchor for our souls, sure and secure...
 

Pin Up Girl

I put on a fresh white shirt. and the front was gaping a bit between the buttons. So I grabbed my pot of safety pins, found what I needed, and felt I could face the day with confidence.
In the pot I found three of these sets of little brass pins. Where did I get them? I have no recollection of ever going to Paignton. I think they must have been in one of those tins of random haberdashery I have acquired over the years.
Haberdashery is such a great word - but none of the etymologists can fully agree on its origins - it goes back to the 1400s. It could be

• from Middle English haberdas meaning small things, sold by a pedlar or market trader
• from the French haber d'acheter, "to have to buy"
• from Old German habt ihr das?, have you got this?
• from Dutch haberdoedas, gibberish
• from avoirdupois - merchandise sold by weight, which was occasionally spelt with an h

Nobody seems to be sure. Finding this little set of pins reminded me of my Mum who always carried some in her handbag, telling me" because you never know when somebody might need a safety pin, Ang". I have a great fondness for buttons, pins, little skeins of thread and sewing notions. I have just added "sort out my haberdashery" to the 70's List!

Tuesday Tasks

Bob worked very hard all morning installing the built-in fridge and the cooker hood. Both of which required modification to fit in place. I shortened a dress for a friend to wear at her grandson's wedding. Then set about refixing the insulation on the oven doors. Quite amused to realise my tinfoil is called "Trust" and the kitchen knife I was using said "Have faith in God"

In the afternoon Ro and Jess came over for an afternoon of Easter crafts. Well, I had some leftover Holiday Club stuff which needed using up! Rosie and Jess made Hama bead hearts and crosses, then Ro added to hers. Lack of kitchen space meant we decorated biscuits at the coffee table. I am borrowing Julian's Carpet Shampooer next month!

Wednesday will be a little quieter for me, as I am going to my neighbour's funeral. Bobs Shed Friend is coming after lunch to help with the worktops. It's beginning to look like a kitchen at last!

What's Cooking?

The first air fryer was not around f9r the Battle of Hastings and the Bayeux Tapestry.  It was made of wood, and aluminium, with a chicken-wire basket - and it was as big as a dog kennel. The inventor was a Dutchman, Fred van der Weij in 2006. I know this because I watched Hannah Fry [who seems to be all over the BBC TV and radio lately] in this programme

I have a confession...having declared very firmly back in November that I didn't need one, I must tell you that one arrived at Cornerstones at the beginning of March.

Liz and Steph had suggested it might be useful once the Kitchen Project started. Who knew how long I'd be without my oven? 

After much discussion and research, we settled on the Tefal Dual Drawer model, agreeing it should be counted as part of the Kitchen Project. I was still dithering, then discovered it was on offer in John Lewis. [I think the reduction was because it was about to be rebadged as part of their Jamie Oliver range]

Four weeks in, I have to report I'm getting on better than i expected. Sunday breakfast croissants are delicious. Jacket potatoes are quick and easy.  Salmon fillets, and other fish pieces are moist and flavourful. The two baskets with synchronised finish time are a good idea. Fish and chips, meat and potatoes, all work well. I got a small chicken and produced a proper Sunday Roast Dinner. I did pork steaks with Aunt Bessie's bake-at-home Yorkshire puds, combined with veg from the microwave...all good. I've not tried any cakes yet.

"We lived on sandwiches for over a week when they were doing our kitchen" said a friend, most concerned that our DIY plan, with a longer time frame would mean uninspired cold meals. I assured her we were enjoying a varied, flavourful cooked diet, and not splurging on meals out or takeaways.

Jamie's chicken and mushroom parcels looked and tasted good [with baby potatoes cooked in the second drawer, and mixed veg in the m-wave] Recipe here

It will be interesting to see if my cooking styles change when I'm back to a full size kitchen with oven and hob. But I'm managing on a small worktop with the microwave, toaster and A-F [and kettle] 

Which is a lot more than a lot of families have. So many people across the globe have one pan on a fire or single gas ring. I am grateful for good food, and so many ways to prepare it.