Take Me With You, I Can See Perfectly!

If you have seen the Great Escape, you will remember this reference. Donald Pleasance, playing Blythe "the Forger", who did such great work producing fake documents for escaping POWs. But close work, straining to see in poor light, really damaged his eyesight. 
I have had my sewing machine out over the weekend - repairing leggings for Liz, and shortening a pair of trousers for myself. Here are my current two Top Tips for needleworkers.

TIP 1If you keep a few bobbins already wound, label a couple white and black. It is incredibly easy to pick up a dark bottle green or navy blue bobbin - or a grey or cream one, in error. It saves a lot of squinting! If you can't see the difference between black and white bobbins, and you can't thread the needle TIP 2 get an eyetest.

I had my last test in April 2023, but since Christmas I have been struggling with small print, and with needle threading. So I popped down to Vision Express, and discovered the sight in my right eye has deteriorated [fortunately there is no change in the cataract situation 'slight signs, nothing to worry about']  

One happy woman at the sewing machine - I'm wearing my new glasses. Remarkably similar to the last pair, but cheery cherry red frames this time. 
Pleased to report needles and small print no longer an issue. The glasses were not especially cheap - the varifocal lenses cost £££ even if the frames didn't. [I got my eye test free as an OAP]

But it is worth the money, I do a lot of close work. [Sewing, not forging passports] The new glasses are making a very positive impact Off to the dentists this morning - double appointment, first with hygienist then a routine check up. More ££££

Shalom

It has been a funny old week hasn't it? Much looking back to WW2. and celebrating Victory in Europe and the peace that was won then - and yet many people seemed to ignore the fact that there is not peace in Europe right now...There seemed to be a lot of news reports mentioning Bletchley Park, and so I found myself thinking about my Mum. Rosie is so proud that her great grandmother was a codebreaker. She thoughtfully bought me a BP puzzle book recently. [thank you Ro]
Then of course there was the announcement of the new Pope. Leo XIV. I did point out to my beloved that he is 69, called Robert, skilled with languages, brought up as a Catholic, trained in theology, with a heart for preaching and pastoral care, and a passion to support the poor and marginalised in our communities. But he reminded me that he could not be Pope because he has a wife.
Joking aside, I do pray that this new man in Rome acts with wisdom, justice and grace. He certainly wants to promote peace and unity, and says he wants to put Jesus first. This has upset the MAGA crowd, who think that as he is American, he should put the USA first. I think Leo is unlikely to agree with them!

One hymn has been in my head all week, we sang it at Mum's funeral, because she loved it - and lived it. The words seem very appropriate in our world right now. Have a happy, peaceful Sunday

My Tree - May Tree

Spring

Nothing is so beautiful as Spring –     
When weeds, in wheels,
shoot long and lovely and lush;         

Thrush’s eggs look little low heavens, and thrush         
   Most, O maid’s child,
thy choice and worthy the winning.      
Through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring         
The ear, it strikes like lightnings to hear him sing;
   The glassy peartree leaves and blooms, they brush         
   The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush         
With richness;
the racing lambs too have fair their fling.         
What is all this juice and all this joy?         
   A strain of the earth’s sweet being in the beginning
In Eden garden – Have, get, before it cloy,         
   Before it cloud, Christ, lord, and sour with sinning,        
Innocent mind and Mayday in girl and boy, 
   Most, O maid’s child,
thy choice and worthy the winning.      

And suddenly, there are leaves, and blossoms
[and Gerard Manley Hopkins' poem!]

Happy Birthday George!

Is it really 5 years since you were born? There we were in Lockdown, and Manchester seemed so far away. Five weeks after your birth we got to meet you briefly, but it was ages till we all got together properly as a family. And now you have almost finished your first year at school. You already know more about dinosaurs than I ever will, and your enthusiasm for life is wonderful. I am so glad that your teacher says you are "thoughtful and kind" - you always show so much concern for your little brother Jacob. Looking after the pair of you last November while your Mum and Dad were away may have been exhausting, but it was glorious fun. How you have grown! Have a fabulous birthday!

Senior Moments

Oh dear, I have done some daft things lately. I am so looking forward to getting my new glasses. There we were at the tile place buying tile trim. How thick are your tiles? asked the helpful assistant. Bob guessed, and I scrabbled about on my phone trying to find the details of the product. "75 millimetres" I announced brightly. Bob suggested quietly I had missed the decimal point. I should have realised that three inches is rather thick for a wall tile!

On Sunday, in his closing prayer, the Pastor prayed that God would "marinade our hearts in his love" I have no idea what he meant, but I realised that I'd forgotten to deal with my chicken before we left for church. The recipe said "marinade for at least 30 mins, preferably longer" I was able to sort them out once we got home, and lunch wasn't really delayed. A good recipe from my library book.

You remember that disturbing Corsodyl advert with the girl with the missing teeth? I was brushing my teeth late the other night,[in pjs, sans specs] and was horrified to see the sink was full of  bloody foam. 

Now I am 70, should I expect to lose all my teeth? I squinted at the new toothpaste. I was so relieved to discover it has a red stripe, and that was the source of the incarnadine froth!

This book was wedged between two origami books in the library 'papercraft' section. I liked the title. Only when I got home did I discover it is about a woman who makes her living producing videos of herself folding all her possessions!

I will review the airfryer book and this bizarre little tome later. 

What? Tiler?

The kitchen has progressed well, but we reached a sticking point - Bob was experiencing quite a lot of back pain, and felt he really couldn't manage the complexities of tiling and grouting. He has done so many amazing things in the past few weeks - completely rebuilding the cooker hood 'chimney' so it would fit round the joists in the loft, fitting new lighting, doing all sorts of complicated things to accommodate the plumbing, fitting the worktops beautifully, despite the uneven walls...plus repurposing most of the cabinets from the old kitchen, and still carrying on his work at the Shed and the Hospice. He is not one to give up easily - but this decision was the only sensible one... get somebody else to fix the tiles! We have found a guy who can do the work starting on Monday week. I think this is good. Even with the cost of professional help, the final cost will still come in at around £10K - a third of what it would have cost if we had used fitters throughout. And it should be done by the time the family arrive for half term. Here's a teaser picture for you

The lower cabinets are finished. I am so excited about my pull out cupboard. One thing now ticked off on my 70s list was 'have a tidy spice drawer' For a while I've been acquiring the Sainsbury's spices and refilling them jars when empty. Using our PTouch labelmaker, I have been to create a set of neat labels. I had a big sort out 2 weeks ago, and all these are herbs and spices we use regularly.

Here is a picture of Wat Tyler in 1381 [leader of the Peasants' Revolt]  because I do not know what our tiler* looks like yet! I am spending my time sorting and labelling stuff and making decisions about what will go where. I do feel that "What Tiler?" ought to be a monthly magazine for bathroom and kitchen fitters.
I think we are both feeling more relaxed now we know this stressful task has been offloaded to somebody else. There are plenty of other fun things to be getting on with [and visits to the dentist, optician and doctor] 
* the word grout was coined in 1683

What Was That Book By Monica Dickens Called?

This has been a long running joke between us, as the great- granddaughter of Charles wrote many books. One of us would ask the question and then the other would suggest some of her titles.
One pair of hands? no
Man Overboard? no
One pair of feet? no
and eventually My turn to make the tea? Yes, that's it! and could you find a biscuit or two while the kettle boils?
She led a fascinating life. But I had never read any of MDs books [Not even "Cobbler's Dream" which was televised as Follyfoot. MD wrote lots of books for young adults, with many horses involved!] Until last month.

There it was on the shelf in the Library Van. It is semi autobiographical, describing Monica's time as a junior reporter on a provincial newspaper. Set immediately post war it was cleverly written- and I feel that local papers haven't altered much in 75 years. Reports of flower arranging by WI groups, funerals of local dignitaries, disagreements between neighbours, pictures of bright eyed children at fetes, and grumpy citizens by potholes. Nothing much changes.
I found myself smiling and chuckling and was well on the way to a 4* review. But I have been so tired during all this kitchen work, and it has taken me a month to read the book - I fall into bed and manage half a chapter if I'm lucky. Then in the middle of all this jollity, and the day to day struggles of living in a boarding house with a singularly horrid landlady...there is a really sad death. It proper upset me, as I am sure Thora Hird said in a Yorkshire accent once. So only 3* 
Maybe I should try some of her other books. I returned it to Dereham Library, in a bit of a hurry, and grabbed a stack of six non fictionbooks. Here they are

From Cookery
200 Airfryer recipes
OTK extra Good Things
From sewing
Upcycle
Stitches for Crazy Quilts
From Knitting
Nordic Knits for Children
From Papercraft
The Folding Lady

Like I say, picked up quickly from adjacent shelves, and not really studied carefully. Ooops...

Have you read any of Monica's books, if so what would you recommend please?

Seams Very Good To Me

 

Kirsten's April stitching was a sampler of the sort of stitch which can be used to embellish the seams of Victorian Crazy Patchwork. Isn't it gorgeous? all done in bright cotton perlé threads. We had agreed at the outset to do cover stitches over our seams when we finished all the twelve patches. These are varied and colourful.
But...neither of us has really taken the seam-coverstitching into account whilst doing our patches. These take up quite a few millimetres and would seriously encroach on the little patches which we have filled so diligently with other stitching. K and I are discussing Collaboration #4 - and wondering if that should be some sort of plainer patches, but with fancier seams...although #4 is quite a few months away yet! 

Bizarrely. just before the parcel arrived, I had borrowed this book from the library to get some inspiration. But I think most of these may prove too fancy. 
There was a picture of the author inside the back cover, and this quote 
Faith, family and friends will get you through anything...but stitching keeps you sane.
I'm clearly not doing enough stitching at the minute!
My favourite lines in Kirsten's stitching are those golden/orange "Easter Eggs" and the blue circles joined by bright pink French knots.

Message For May

 

"Are you tired, worn out
Burned out on religion?
Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.
I’ll show you how to take a real rest.
Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.
Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.
Keep company with me 
and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Matthew 11

Wizard- From Oz!

My last surviving Aunt, Auntie Jean [Dad's Sister in law] is 100 today. She now lives in a Care Home in Perth, Australia. Here she is with nine of her ten children. I saw her in December 1997, when she and Nina [on the left] came over for the wedding of her youngest son, Brian, to an English girl. I think he is the one in the check shirt behind Nina. 

The stitching arrived from Kirsten on Thursday - details will be shared on Monday. My April piece was 'beach huts' - because of the warmer weather and recent trips to the coast. Plus the first Beach Hut I remember is the one Jean and Uncle Ted had at Thorpe Bay, Essex, where they lived in the 50s and 60s. Most days in the summer holidays they would all pack bags and walk down to the hut and spend all day on the beach in the sunshine. Easier and way cheaper than taking a dozen of them away on holiday! Then they emigrated, the 12 Ten Pound Poms - and had sunshine most of the year

Kirsten's 'flat gift' this month was also Australian. It is a Supoon, a nifty little gadget which measures out a teaspoon of cream, jam whatever, acts as a small spatula for clearing jars, and its kinked handle keeps the greasy bottom of the worktop! A lovely gift for my new kitchen, Thanks K! Enjoy the Vegemite Video showing it in use

PS I prefer Marmite myself!

Meet Lady Jane

Here are all four mice on Katie's table on Tuesday when I delivered them. The fourth is a Tudor Lady. I have decided she is called Lady Jane. 

I got quite carried away. I dug out this book, a gift from Steph and Gaz in 2018 [reviewed here] to get some ideas, particularly about 'underpinnings' I wanted to make a full Tudor skirt with a Farthingale petticoat. I used some firm fabric [insulation from a discarded coolbag] to make the shape. Then created a simple drawstring petticoat.

All topped off with a satin dress.[leftover curtain from Rosie's Worst Witch Cape] A pair of sleeves, and an overskirt made from some red and gold curtain fabric [from a sample book] with gold embroidery done on the machine Lace for a ruff - and a necklet made from an orphaned ear-ring.

Mice all dressed in their best for the Museum's Grand Re-Opening.

Well Hello, Dolly!

Thank you for all your kind words about the mice🐁🐁🐁🐁 

I mentioned yesterday that it is a hundred years since Brian Aldiss was born in Dereham. At the same time, the townsfolk were celebrating their first cinema. The Old Corn Exchange had been built in 1857 and used for various purposes until the first world war. This photo dates from about 1880.  In September 1915, it was slightly damaged in a Zeppelin Raid. 

Here it is as the cinema.You will notice that the statue on top has disappeared - it was destroyed when struck by a bolt of lightning in 1950. The Museum is featuring a special display - including the original ticket machine [which had never before left the building! 

Katie asked me for an usherette mouse. So here she is [the current manager is Olly, so K thought Dolly would be a good name] I had fun with her outfit!

Her tray of choc ices is made from a small pill box, cut down and covered with washi tape - and the choc ices are tiny 7mm long sections cut from a cheap chopstick, coloured with brown felt pen, and also wrapped in washi tape. The original girls sold cigarettes, and popcorn came much later - so choc ices seemed a good option!

Here is that ticket machine, a news report, and some vintage posters from the Museum display. I know I visited a few times in my teens, but cannot remember what I saw. I was always amused by the letters they used to spell out film titles. They never seemed to have a complete set for the longer titles [or perhaps they fell off in the wind]. Mary Poppins was OK - but occasionally they displayed things like

-NOW--HIT--AND-THE-EVEN--WA-FS
I will post pictures of my final mouse later - after Friday's Grand Re-Opening ceremony.

More Mice For The Museum!

Last Summer I was asked to create some mice for our local Museum. Katie had suggested we had a mascot mouse called Bonnie [from Bishop Bonner's Cottages] and the idea sort of mushroomed - we ended up with seven on the mouse trail. A sleepy Victorian gentleman in a nightshirt, a kitchen maid, Ann who lived in one room in the cottages, Bonnie the mascot, Sam the grocer, Ellinor Fenn [local educator] and Jethro the farmer.

This year, Katie asked if I could dress a few more mice, as she wanted to have some different displays...
Knowing I was a little bit busy, what with a bear and a kitchen and stuff, she undressed three of the mice, so I only needed to make one new mouse and four costumes.

Yesterday I took them round to BBCM, ready for the opening on Friday morning. My brief was two guys and two gals. First, a general purpose "boy" mouse [I've called him Jake] who could be used in different settings.

He just had a simple pair of dungarees and a cap - and could probably be set in any period in the last 150 years. The second male mouse was much more specific. Could I make "Brian" to represent Brian Aldiss, who came from Dereham and became an award winning Science Fiction Author.  

2025 is his Centenary Year.
In many photos he is wearing colourful braces, and often a hat

Here's Brian, holding a copy of one of his books, "Comfort Zone". I confessed to Katie that I chose that title because I could make a tiny, but neat label on my Labelmaker. She was pleased, as it was not one of the titles in her display, so it was good to have it recognised.  I am glad it will be inside the glass cabinet - if anyone did flick through the pages, they would realise it has been made using an instruction manual from an IKEA flatpack cabinet [ the pages of small print] Making Mouse Hats is difficult, because of the ears!

I will post pictures of the girl mice later in the week

🐭🐁🐭🐁

Having A Whale Of A Time

Fortunately Bob has a very well equipped workshop, and almost all the tools needed for the Kitchen Project. [Thanks Alan, for coming round with the worktop cutting tools and necessary expertise and lending the tile cutter] But there have been two items purchased which have proved really useful. Around 150 flat pack packages from IKEA needed opening. 

This inexpensive little Whale is a safety cutter. I have known people open packets with bread knives, or Stanley knives and do real damage to the contents inside. 

This orca makes quick work of slitting tape and cardboard without injuring me or the products.

The second item is a helping hand

It is so useful when drilling holes in walls - the hose from the vacuum cleaner holds it in place as all the dirt and dust is sucked efficiently away. A genius idea, and it makes cleaning up so much easier. There are a number of adaptors included so it will fit different vacuum cleaners.

I can see both these gadgets being well used in the future. 

Puppies, Pickers, Creepers, Kickers

Have you noticed how many names we have for types of shoes? Some are stranger than others... 

Take the winklepicker. This footwear is characterised by extremely pointed toes, like the pins used to extract shellfish [my Mum's holiday treat was to sit on the seafront at Leigh on Sea with a pin and a cup of cockles or winkles.

Hush Puppies are even stranger. Allegedly Civil War soldiers threw these soft cornmeal snacks to their dogs to keep them quiet 

- and a shoe salesman thought this was a good name for his brushed pugskin casuals. 

You can work these out for yourself!

My pink plastic sliders are very comfy,  but quite chunky. Sometimes, in the "old" kitchen, 

I'd nudge the plinths by accident and they would fall out with a clatter. Bob now refers to them as my Plinth Kickers!

Are there shoe names which amuse you?

Just Like That!

Today, the first Sunday after Easter, is traditionally called "Low Sunday" in some parts of the Christian Church. Low because Easter was one of the high Sundays of the year, so this would definitely feel like an anticlimax. Others believe it is a corruption of the Latin laudes or praise,  from the opening words of the Sarum Rite [The form of Latin Rites used in England before the Reformation]
Many new Christians were traditionally baptised at Easter, in white robes, and on this subsequent Sunday, they laid aside these garments. On this Sunday, they were encouraged to follow the words in the first Epistle of Peter - 'like newborn babes desire pure spiritual milk', which, in Latin is translated  "Quasi modo geniti infantes, rationabile, sine dolo lac concupiscite"  So sometimes this is actually called Quasimodo Sunday. 

The protagonist of Victor Hugo's book was thus named, because he was left on the steps of Notre Dame on the first Sunday after Easter. Quasi Modo  means 'in the manner of' or 'just like that' How have I got to be this old without learning that?
I have looked back at my Lenten Pauses, six Sundays entitled
Reflection, Rooted, Repair, Relationships, Readiness, Release
Last Sunday, obviously was Resurrection
So maybe this Sunday, when many of my Catholic friends may be understandably feeling a little low, we should remember in our prayers all those who are bereft, and the Latin Phrase
Requiescat In Pace

Eureka!

The Back Bedroom is an absolute tip. I really must try and get things into some sort of order. Everything from the kitchen went in there in March, and I took the absolute minimum of crockery, cutlery and foodstuffs through to the Futility Room Temporary Kitchen. But every so often, I need something which has been packed.

It was lovely to receive flowers for Mothering Sunday and my birthday - but the boxes of vases was totally inaccessible, so they had to be displayed in a coffee pot and a kilner jar. I have put the two lids somewhere 'safe' but now I cannot remember where!

Monday night, we had some air-fried salmon with a sweet chilli coating, I thought I should add extra Blue Dragon Sauce, as it seemed a little dry. But I could not find it - Bob suggested a splash of the IKEA dill instead.

I got the jar out of the fridge., "This is almost empty, we must buy another jar in Nottingham" I said. But on Tuesday I was hunting for my book about felt mice - and I found two new jars of the dill sauce [I got them in Lakeside IKEA in February, and had forgotten about them] I did not find my mouse book. I spent an evening drafting paper patterns from scratch...

On Wednesday I was looking for my Mixed Herbs, and unearthed the pattern book underneath a bag of baking sheets...Along the way I am discovering kitchen bits and pieces I have not used for ages, and probably do not need any more. So I have a Charity Box in the corner which is filling up with decent, usable stuff to donate. And another box which is for rubbish.

I'm still not sure why the crown from the dressing up box was in with spare Tupperware though. I wore it all Thursday afternoon as it made me feel important [and made Bob laugh]

Refitting the kitchen is both a Steep Learning Curve and a Voyage of Discovery....

When Archimedes shouted "Eureka!" was it really because he'd discovered a new scientific principle, or was it that he had found his bar of soap?

Here Is Bear Number Thirty

On Monday I mentioned a funeral, weddings, and birthdays. After Barbara's funeral I had two sewing tasks to complete. Shortening a dress for a friend to wear at her grandson's wedding - and making another Memory Bear. I think this one is my thirtieth! Two years ago, my friend lost her partner very suddenly after twenty years. His daughter - her step-daughter - gets married today. She and my friend are very close - and I was asked if I could make a Memory Bear as a surprise for the bride - a way of remembering her precious Dad at the wedding. I had a lovely morning at F's cottage, looking through his shirts, and we talked about him.  I selected four which I felt would make a good bear, but there were a couple of special things to include - firstly his pride in his Scottish Heritage, and secondly, his love of Short Mat Bowls,

So this little chap has the family tartan on his paws and ribbon - and the bowls club badge on his side. But please could I do something with his Clan Teeshirt?

That is always a challenge, because teeshirt fabric is stretchy, and has to be stabilised if it is for a bear - and it is not wise to mix woven and stretch fabrics. I suggested making the teeshirt into a tote bag for the bear to travel in!

Oops, just spotted the thread on the badge in the photo. I assure you that is not there on the bear!

In side the backpack flap are embroidered the details of H's Dad. I do this for all my bears, usually following the same formula 

In memory of  

xxxx  

Years of Birth and Death

Made with love

for yyyy

It is so much more special if there is some sort of personalisation I think, and I hope it brings comfort. My friend was pleased with the result. I hope to see wedding photos soon.

The three birthdays - one is another good friend from church, who asked me to shorten a jumpsuit she had bought to wear at her birthday event. She has recently started using her sewing machine, and said "I ought to be able to do this for myself" I did her jumpsuit, but gave her a careful set of instructions about shortening trousers. I was so thrilled when she turned up at church, with pictures, of the second pair which she had managed to fix by herself, following my notes. "Now I won't need to ask you anymore, now you have taught me." A very good result all round. 

Tomorrow, we are going off to Nottingham to join a couple celebrating their 70th&80th birthdays. A happy family event - but also en route, we will call in at the nearby IKEA. I need a new waste bin to go under the sink in my new kitchen!

A Word In Your Ear

The other week when I was doing my Volunteer Visiting at the Hospital, a very cheerful patient asked if I could help her. She had a small tablet on her bed-table, and was trying to listen to the radio through earphones. But the cable had got horribly tangled. It wasn't too difficult to get everything straight again, and we had a brief chat, then when I left she plugged in again to listen to her programme.

I told her that my husband had bought me some lovely Samsung wireless earbuds, which ensure I don't get tangled or strangled [especially when listening in bed!] 

Don't you worry about confusing left and right? she asked. I said that they were marked, with tiny letters, but I had put a sticker in the right earbud, to make it easier.  And most of the time it doesn't really matter.
These past couple of weeks they have been put to a lot of use. If Bob is using power tools, I can still hear my programmes, and when I am at the sewing machine, I can still hear quite clearly. 
For years I have listened to fiction and drama on Radio 4 Extra, but just recently I have got into the Limelight podcasts from Radio 4.

I have enjoyed "Discretion" which was produced by Jed Mercurio [well known for his TV stuff like Line of Duty, Bodyguard etc]
Also The Specialist by thriller writer Matthew Broughton [whose 'Tracks' I listened to last year on 4Extra]
I am currently working through the slightly bizarre Aldrich Kemp series. with great actors Tim McInnerny and Nicola Walker.
Most of these are serials with half a dozen 45-60 minute episodes. Whjilst listening to The Specialist, I built SIX kitchen cabinets on Tuesday!

I am not sure why people make such a fuss about IKEA flatpacks. The instruction booklets are like Delia Smith recipes. Begin by reading through, and checking you have all the right ingredients [components] and bakeware [equipment] Then follow the instructions in the set order, doing exactly what they say. And you will end up with a lovely cake or cabinet. 

Cupboard one took me 45 minutes, but after that, I was assembling them in 20-25 minutes. And all the while enjoying a radio drama!
Have you listened to Limelight? and if so, what would you recommend?