Well done Bradley Wiggins!
Well done Chris Froome!
Well done Mark Cavendish!
Utterly utterly brilliant, in Diamond Jubilee Year, to have the Brits perform so brilliantly in the Tour de France.
[Oh and well done Lesley Garrett for turning up to sing the National Anthem in a great Union Flag outfit]
Nigella has large "hands” for serving foods…
…and Jan our deacon has large “hands” for collecting leaves
But when her housegroup went round to help her sort out her garden, our ever resourceful Church Secretary, Paul, found a new use for them. The rain has been incredibly persistent!
Meanwhile Margaret kept watch for any fish trying to escape!
And others performed a strange dance with the garden netting
Then they relaxed with a well-earned cuppa
[thanks, Pete for taking the photos]
I used to have an untidy overloaded pinboard in the kitchen – but over three years ago I took it down and replaced it with a Keep Calm poster.
Although I have tried to reduce the bits of paper/coupons/lists/etc that float around the worktops I have realised that I do need two accessible lists.
1-a place to list any shopping needs
2-somewhere to leave notes for Bob
It is easy to start the last packet of coffee, and forget to get another. And if I am at school all day, or with the girls, it is always helpful to Bob if I leave him a note of food which is available.
[In June I left some chocolates with a note “You may eat 75% of these” ] In Staples recently I spotted exactly what I needed.
Some labels from the Martha Stewart Home Office Range. They are dry-erase labels, and are postcard size. That is quite large enough! I have put them inside the main kitchen cupboard where we keep the plates and bowls.
I have used some Velcro to attach a pen alongside, and now I have a tidy, unobtrusive way of making my notes.
Keep Calm, Keep Tidy!
I have been supporting the Keep Calm Campaign – as I do not believe that one man has the right to trademark this slogan as his own. My blogpost of 5th January 2009 has even gone to Brussels as part of their ‘pre-trademark’ evidence of Keep Calm Activity, for the EU Trademark Office ruling this summer. I like the original poster – but I admit I am beginning to feel it is getting rather over-used lately with some silly modifications.
My keyring – with house keys, car key, tiny LED torch, Swiss Army Knife [a gift from Liz ten years ago] and my “Cheers!” key fob [from the place in Boston where that great TV series was set – a Silver Wedding Anniversary Holiday souvenir] Useful – and special.
This morning I went to the supermarket – in the rain. When I got into the store it was quite warm so I took off my jacket and hung it on the trolley handle. The keys must have fallen from the pocket somewhere in the shop. I did not discover their absence until I had finished my shop, and pushed the laden trolley to my car, which was on the far side of the car park [I’m trying to get exercise!] I pushed the trolley all the way back to Customer Services, where a thoughtful customer had already handed them in.
Thank you, whoever you are! I was a little anxious for a while, but the kindness of a stranger has prevented my hair going grey!
Maybe Ted Danson has not found his keys yet
Bob has pointed out that this was a double blessing – not only did I get my keys back, but I also got twice as much exercise with all the extra trolley pushing!
definition: [slang] to get the accurate information
It keeps raining. I want to wear my knee length boots, but cannot tuck my jeans tidily inside them. I need a pair of skinny jeans. But I refuse to buy any [even the £10 ‘Angel’ ones in M&S sale this week] I modified an old pair of bootcut ones [donated by Steph when she was a student working Saturdays in Selfridges Bodymetrics Department ] This is how to turn your jeans into skinnies…
First of all, put on your jeans inside out, and pin down the outside of each leg till it is a snug fit. Remove jeans carefully, and tack the line of pins. Try jeans on again [still inside out] If you are happy with the new seam positions, machine them, and cut off surplus. Finish the raw edges with zigzag stitching.
On the left you see the jeans with the surplus folded back – it is important to make the seamline smooth [as on left leg] not angled [as the right] or you will end up with a ‘jodphur’ look.
Old bootcut jeans to new skinny ones
This took me less than an hour – I was watching TV at the time [and dashed upstairs to sew the seams during the advert break!]
It feels odd trying them on inside out when you have tacked the seam – but I realised it is the only way to do it – there is so much surplus fabric in the calf section that you cannot put them on the right way round – and obviously it is not a good idea to cut the fabric away before the fitting.
“Measure twice, cut once” as my Grandad, a carpenter, frequently said.
So I had a comment from Anne, and I replied, then she replied, then I sent her a small gift, and then the postman brought this…
Inside, a parcel wrapped in blue tissue and a pretty card – I love the crochet cord and floral embellishment!
Inside the tissue, a fabulously retro coloured doyley
Now it is the centrepiece under my bowl of plums and nectarines
Thanks, Anne – it is gorgeous!! [I pinned the crochet flower on my dress this morning, and got some lovely compliments from friends at the Coffee Drop In] The amber glass bowl cost £1 in the Age UK shop.
I will learn to crochet circles. Still stuck on Granny Squares [Mags, I’ll be coming to Belfast in August for another Hookers’ Tutorial!!]
Saw this idea on various internet sites, and as the cones and the choc topping were both on offer, I wanted to have a go.
Take some wafer cornets, some ice cream and some chocolate ice cream topping [the sort that ‘sets’ and ‘crackles’] Optional – sprinkles, chopped nuts, soft fruits. You also need something to support the ices as they freeze. I used an old cylindrical Tupperware box. Important before you start, make sure you have room in your freezer to store the box. On my first attempt [with chopped nut topping] when I pushed the freezer drawer shut, the frozen peas slipped and pushed the paper over, disturbing the top of the ices!
These photos are therefore a mixture of attempt #1 and attempt #2
Now roll some foil into a sort of swastika shape as a support
Line each cone with some chocolate, then roll it in baking parchment
Balance each rolled cone in a glass, soften some ice cream in a bowl
Optional - Chop up some strawberries and beat into the ice cream
Scoop into the cones, making sure you overfill by about 1”
Cover with more chocolate topping, and then put some sprinkles or chopped nuts on the top.
Now put your cones into a tub, supported by the foil. Put into the freezer for an hour or more.
This is one from the first attempt, with the dodgy and disturbed top.
The pink sprinkle tops were much more successful.
In some parts of the world, they call them Drumsticks [that’s weird!]
Bob will have to eat this experiment. I am trying to lose weight! Sainsbury’s Basics Choc cones cost 20p each. Was it worth the effort of making my own?
Floss has given us “Royal Rothesay” this month. I checked this out and discovered there are dozens of Scottish towns which formerly had the prefix ‘Royal’ – but this appendage was formally abolished in 1975 [though, not surprisingly, many places still use it, particularly in literature aimed at tourists from the American Colonies!]
Floss says in her post “The colours are cheerful and sunny, but what inspired me is that little white sailed boat. How I wish I already had a little white boat…”
And I just knew I had recently seen something at home which was small and white on a blue background and after some seriously consideration, I finally remembered what it was
A coffee mug. It seems just an ordinary coffee mug – in fact I have two like this [I used to have four…but you know how the ones you like always smash first…] but this mug is rather special. Here are the two of them ‘back-to-back’ to show the complete design.
Back in 1999, when we had Boys’ and Girls’ Brigades at our church, we decided to mark the millennium with something. The rules were
So we asked the Brigades to choose a charity. They opted for the Millennium Lifeboat Appeal, even though we are miles from the sea
We asked them to enter a competition to design a mug. This was the winning entry – featuring stylised GB/BB badges, two Brigade members, the date and all the other information. At the time, Bob and I were both Officers in the company. We had absolutely nothing to do with the judging. But we were so proud that the winning design was drawn by our Steph! She is the artist of the family.
So Floss, it’s small and white – and even has a boat connection!
I really shouldn’t play around with anagrams as much as I do. But the latest fiascos regarding certain events in London this summer, coupled with Mrs Tightwad’s Declaration that she will be living in a “Cosy Limp Free Home” during July, have left me doodling.
I am now wondering if Theresa May [she of the exotic wardrobe] is being held in thrall to
LORD SATANIC OBESE
OF CLOOG ??
I am trying hard not to be anxious about Liz, Jon, Steph and Mark as they negotiate the new restricted traffic lanes on their bicycles.
I trust the four of them – it is the other confused road users I worry about! The slogan THINK BIKE has a whole new meaning now.
Before and after shots [I took the first one in the mirror, but I worked out how to reverse it in Picasa/Picnik. Bob took #2]
This is my first time with a new hairdresser, and I was really pleased – she was lovely and her prices are very reasonable. [so thank you Alyson, for recommending Natalie] Not only that, but my new hairdresser is also married to a biker – so she must be OK!
No not this chap [though I am fond of the Belgian Boy]
Bob has been tidying up the garage- and mentioned that there seemed to be ‘quite a few empty biscuit tins’ and asked me “do you need them all?” “ Bring them into the kitchen and I’ll sort them!” I rashly suggested.
Devotees of ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide’ will know what the ultimate answer to Life, The Universe and Everything is. It is forty two. Here are my tins. Yes – there were 42 tins in the garage!
[Pedants may note that they are not all biscuit tins – I have here a tea tin, coffee tin, Oxo tin, a tin which held stationery and one for candles] This is the oldest in the collection
I have one for the millennium, and two patriotic tins
A Cadbury tin and McVities tin with pictures of previous advertising
And 3 Royal Jubilee tins [1972, 2002. 2012]
I have done some serious sorting, and culled my collection. This was not easy – I love looking at them, their shapes and colours and designs fascinate me!
Rectangular [and therefore good for storing and stacking] have been relegated to upstairs for craft stuff [where I already have other tins full of ribbons etc].
Others have been put into use in the food cupboards, and I have put neat labels on the side ‘pasta’ ‘Earl Grey Tea’ ‘oatcakes’
Two are going to Steph [for when she takes cakes and cookies to work or church functions]
Just a few empty ones have gone back into the garage for when I need an empty tin [for when I take cakes and cookies to work or church functions]
And a lot of the less interesting ones have been put aside to find a new home somewhere else.
I have two questions
– is the red plastic ‘Celebrations’ drum technically a biscuit ‘tin’ ??
- please can I have one of these for my collection?
