More on the non-electric endeavours

Still trying to reduce our dependency on electricity. thus, I have made my first non-electric butter, using the hand butter churn, and ground some home grown chillies in the grinder. We have used a stove top kettle for a couple of years now, but I am resurrecting what was my great grandmother's kettle for using now. It is in the process of being cleaned up on the inside, with several good thorough boilings, then needs a clean on the outside. Big, black and very heavy, lovely kettle, though, and I suspect if goes back further than my great grandmother. Nice connection to the past, with tea as an added bonus:0)

The end is nigh........

.....of January, that is! Gone quickly, this year, but I seem to have been busier than ever. I try to ahve a quiet start the the new year, but didn't seem to happen this time. Enjoyed Burns night over the road, haggis was good (for English haggis ;0) ), and some good ale to wash it down. Saturday all day was the open day at the Guild, so was busy demonstrating peg looms and talking about natural dyes. Bean came too, did some weaving and some spinning, and wants to join the Guild now, so that's good. Spent yesterday out in the garden as it was so nice down here. As a result, house looks as if the proverbial bomb has hit it - again. Still ahve bits of shopping from Friday to put away...........

Burns Night

Here we are again, Burns Night, 25th January! We've been invited over to the pub for haggis tonight, courtesy of the landlord, so no haggis cooking here today, will make it next week and have even more. I was brought up on Robert Burns poetry and songs, living in and around Dumfries for many years. On a forum I read a comment from an exceedlingly arrogant Englishman about how he "didn't rate Burns as a poet"; well, Burns was very much a poet of time and place. If you know nothing of the time or place he wrote in, then you can never know the man....................

Perfect prayer?

"..............I prayed for: a plot of land, not so very large, containing a garden; and near the homestead a spring of fresh water, and a bit of woodland to complete it."


Horace 65 - 8 BC

Don't you just hate it.........

...............when your OH turns up back from work at 1.45pm instead of the 5.30pm you expected........... he was back before me, and I was only up the raod. Ah well, at least I got the washing up done, not much else, though. Puts me right off for the rest of the day. :0) :0)

One of those days...........

.............yesterday. "achieved" very little, but finished a pair of socks whilst doing things for other people. HHmm. As a result, miles behind at home, but one pair of socks up! Sun is out here, which is lovely and cheering, will venture outside with the washing basket soon. Definite stirrings in the garden:

http://gardeninthevale.blogspot.com/

Need to do quite a bit to get ready for the Guild open day on Saturday - I'm demonstrating peg loom weaving and taking a display on dyeing, mainly natural dyes, so need to make sure I have everything I need for that ready, plus cakes for the teas. Looking forward to it, it's exactly a year since I joined, one of the best things I've doione, I love it.

21st January.........

Reputedly the most depressing day of the year for many folk. Doesn't affect me at all, or the seasonal depression, luckily. I just tyr and take it as it comes; I think half the trick is to keep busy, always with things coming up to do in the near future - next month, in the garden, spring plans, visits and holidays in summer. Planning can go a long way to lifting the spirits.

Need to try and fit the new bookcase in the sitting room - the little one willl have to go elsewhere, but I know not where..............
Got the cheese out of the press, left to dry off in muslin now; got some parsnip wine started off and ironing done for someone else (studiously ignoring the small Munro lurking in the utility room!), sowed some chillis. Got about 1/3 of the kithcen blitzed yesterday, need to get the rest done - lots going out/recycled - just too much "stuff". Luckily I get attached to very little, and I find it as easy to let go of stuff as I acquire it!!! Easy come, easy go, and I like Freecycle too, when they turn up to collect the stuff and bother to return your e-mails!
Ah well - more tea:0)