Time slipping through our fingers

I't's Friday again, it's almost December, the year's end is in sight.  How has this happened?  Where's the time gone?  And why does it seem to be slipping through our fingers so quickly?  I just don't seem to be able to get a grip of it.

Perhaps I'm not supposed to.  Maybe I just need to ensure I make the most of every second, every minute and every day, and go to bed knowing that I didn't waste the most precious gift we have - time.  It's a thought that's with me constantly.

N and I are both aware that now we are not working for a living, the time we have should be well spent.  We go through periods where we feel we have not made the best use of our time, and that frustrates us, as we know we should do better.  We have come to the realisation that we would actually benefit from a certain amount of structure in our weeks - there are times when we lose track of what day it is.  It's strange that having left a job that was very highly structured, we're now feeling that some degree of structure can actually be helpful.  So, this week we have made some decisions and taken one or two steps to try to address this; we're excited about these prospects and hopefully can share our plans soon.

In the meantime, N has been pottering in his shed reconstructing the bird-box he made earlier in the autumn.  While he was busy, with the shed door open to make the most of the sunny day, he was delighted to have some company in the shape of the little robin who has been frequenting the garden recently.  The robin hopped right inside the shed to check the woodwork was up to scratch!  It's little moments like this that we have learned to really appreciate.

The jumper, before it was unpicked this evening!

I have a number of needlework projects on the go and try to add a little to each one every day.  N's jumper is becoming a labour of love; it's been unpicked more  than any other knitting project I've done before, and this evening I've had to unpick yet more.  This, I am learning, is the problem of not working to a pattern!  I'm sure it is teaching me patience - a quality I don't always have huge amounts of - and as the wool is so lovely to knit with, I guess it's just extending the pleasure of knitting for a little longer (although I would like to have it finished this side of Christmas!)

A couple of weeks ago, I cleaned the glass vases in the lounge, sorting through the shells and stones that we have collected on various holidays.  To solve the problem of dust gathering inside the vases, I decided to make some little cloth covers, weighted down with shells and stones.  I finished one today, and another is on it's way.  I had fun collected little stones with holes in them, and N has drilled tiny holes in some shells which I can also use.  At some point I shall probably do some embroidery on them too.

Yesterday we were on 'school-collection' duty, and spent a lovely couple of hours entertaining (or should that be, being entertained by?) grand-daughter No 1.  Grandad now knows all the members of 'One Direction'!!

News to brighten the day

We've been a bit on tenterhooks recently as Son No 1 and 'nearly-DIL' are in the process of moving house.  It has not all been plain sailing - when is moving house ever straightforward? - and there have been a number of phone calls where we could feel the stress levels rising as yet one more thing wasn't going according to plan.  This evening, however, we have the news that not only has a moving date has been reached, but 'nearly-DIL' has a new job!  The champagne is flowing even as they pack up boxes!  Phew!  Huge relief all round.  N and I have been offering what support we have been able to from afar, and if that means being on the end of the phone while Son No 1 downloads his stress, then that's a role I'm happy to take on.  I'm pleased they feel able to let off steam on the phone to me, and I'm pleased they know I will listen, and offer advice if appropriate.  Sometimes just articulating frustration can actually help clarify a problem, and hopefully a way forward, too.  

I've been meaning to share some photos of our Christmas Cacti (I don't know the Latin name; perhaps I should check that out).  We have three plants, all started from little pieces that have been broken off parent plants in years gone by.  Quite by chance, each plant produces a different coloured flower, and this year, for the first time that we can remember, all three are in flower at the same time.

They provide such a gorgeous splash of colour on a cold and dreary day.  Whether any of them will still be in flower at Christmas remains to be seen, but in the meantime, we are enjoying their beauty.

A fluffed-up visitor in the garden

Well, it's certainly chilly here at the moment.  Bright, yes, but also two-socks weather!  Today it was 4 degrees C.  I think winter is upon us.

I was pottering out in the garden this afternoon, sorting out washing and looking for stones (more of that later) when I became aware I was being watched - up close.  This little chap was no more than a few inches from me:

He was all puffed up to trap air in his feathers to keep warm.  I couldn't believe how close he was to me; I took several photos, thinking he would fly off when I moved, but he just stayed there, looking at me, cocking his head from side to side.  Unfortunately, the other photos were out of focus because he was just too close!  The encounter lasted a couple of minutes or so, and made my day.  

I mentioned the garlic that we planted a few weeks ago.  We had begun to get a bit concerned that the soil might have been too cold for germination, but over the weekend, we saw not one, or two, but several little green shoots pushing their way through the soil.

There's actually a whole line of garlic sprouted, not just these two.

We had a final tidy-up in the garden on Sunday.  A bit of hoeing round the cabbages, a check for livestock (somehow a caterpillar had got under the mesh cage =:o  ), the last of the perennials cut back; dead leaves picked off.

We have several jobs lined up for next year in the garden, but for now, apart from cropping winter greens as and when, we'll let it tick over through the colder months.

Indoors we've been pottering along.  I think decorating the lounge has made us more inclined to have a bit of a sort out, declutter, tidy up and just generally think about where the best place is for things.  Every day I am trying to focus on one small job - today, for example, I emptied out, cleaned (and polished!) the wooden craft-box and re-arranged it's contents so I could actually shut the lid properly.  I'm trying really hard to make sure surfaces stay clear - it makes them so much easier to clean, for a start - and that things get put away in the right place rather than just left lying around.  It's something I need to be vigilant about, as I'm usually the culprit!

N finds the winter really difficult.  During the spring, summer and most of autumn, he can always finds something to busy himself with in the garden, but he is the first to admit that winter months are a challenge to him.  We live in a small flat, and there are many, many advantages to that, but one disadvantage is that there is only so much maintenance and upkeep that needs to be done.  Once it's done, well, it's done.  I can always find something to keep me busy; at the moment I have three different needlework projects on the go, and plenty more just waiting for me to find the time for, but it's not quite so easy for N.  We're giving this some thought - it's something we need to find a solution to - and there are one or two ideas that we are looking into.  Hopefully we may have news to share in a while.

Up and down the Downs

 It was another clear, crisp and bight autumn day and when N suggested we should make the most of it and go for a walk, I jumped at the idea.   We have often said that we need to actually make the effort to get out and about more during the winter and to take advantage of days just like today.

One of the many views of Carisbrooke Castle we had on our walk.  You can see the main gate right in the centre of the photo, and the keep on the far left.  There are battlements and a deep (but nowadays dry) moat all the way around.

We have a number of books of walks on the Island, and the one we chose to do was a circular route around Carisbrooke, and our starting point was a handy car park overlooking Carisbrooke Castle.  Our little island is well served for places and buildings of historical interest, and the Castle is right up there with the best.  Dating back to the 12th century, it is well-known for being the prison to King Charles I, and for the donkeys who operate a wheel to bring water up from the well in the well-house.  The Castle also features in the novel Moonfleet, by J Meade Faulkner - I have to mention that because N read the book a few weeks ago!  

Here's the main gate to the Castle - you can see the narrow arrow slits for defending against invaders

It was a really enjoyable walk, about 6 or so miles long, and the views were great.  There were intriguing sunken paths, 

and climbs up to the top of the downs - the name given to the rolling hills on the Island - where we spent time pin-pointing various landmarks and features.  At the top of Bowcombe Down (bit of a steep climb!) we joined the Tennyson Trail, one of the major footpaths which links Newport to Yarmouth.  The views across the Island were extensive and we could see glimpses of sea to the north and south.  

The view from the Tennyson Trail, which goes from the centre of the Island out to the west, looking to the east.  We were amazed how far we could see. 

We climbed up Downs and and down Downs.  There's a lot of that on the Island - it's surprisingly hilly.  It was a bit muddy in places - sturdy walking boots are a must, and N's walking gaitors meant his trousers stayed clean whereas mine will need to go in the wash!  We both took the opportunity of kicking up fallen leaves, as you do, but learned our lesson when we kicked stones by mistake. 

Coming down one Down, towards the hamlet of Bowcombe in the valley, with Bowcombe Down to go up the other side!

As we were coming back towards the Castle, we had to walk down Clatterford Shute and the instructions in the book were to 'cross the Lukely Brook at the bottom'.  As we approached I did get a little concerned as the Brook was rather more than just a trickle; I couldn't see the little bridge to the side!  

Lukely Brook

We arrived back at the car feeling a little puffed through exertion and the chilly weather but really pleased we'd made ourselves get out and about.  There are so many well-marked footpaths and bridleways to walk on the Island, and any one of them will take you away from the roads and into the countryside.  No cost involved (apart from possibly transport there and back) and there's the pleasure of fresh air, exercise and never quite knowing what might be around the corner.  

When we got back, I made drop scones, having been reminded of them in a recent post by Rhonda on her Down to Earth blog.  Served up with butter and home-made damson jam, they were every bit as delicious as I remembered.  There's batter left over and we'll finish it tomorrow for breakfast.

Baking the Christmas cake

We don't always make a Christmas cake, in fact, I'm not sure when the last time was.   This year, however, with my new found enthusiasm and time for baking, N asked for a traditional rich fruit cake so that is what we did today. 

I found my old recipe book and turned to the well-thumbed page to find a list of ingredients and method, but no indication at all of temperature or length of time in the oven.  Very helpful!  A quick bit of research on the internet and we were good to go.

The fruit was washed yesterday and left to soak up a couple of tablespoons of brandy overnight.

This morning I mixed the ingredients together . . .

. . . brown sugar and real butter (that felt a bit decadent!) . . .

. . . someone was keen to help with the mixing ;-) . . .

. . . the mixture was for a 8 1/2" tin and we only had a 7" one, so we ended up with a 'spare' (I don't think that will last until Christmas!)

One empty mixing bowl . . .

                                . . .  and one very yummy-looking cake!

The 'extra' cake has already been tasted as part of a rigorous quality-control exercise and I am pleased to report that it is rather good - and very buttery.  

The real one will be wrapped and stored until nearer Christmas when it will be marzipaned and iced.  It will probably be given a drink or two of something alcoholic to help it on its way.  

NTS - no nuts of any sort in this mixture; a well-travelled lime instead of lemon; perhaps a bit too heavy-handed with the extra brandy (!); gas mark 1-2; left in oven for about 5 hours.

Wrapping up warm and walking the pier

It's weather for lots of layers at the moment, and thick socks and woolly slipper boots.  And that's indoors!   We discovered a sneaky draught coming through the lounge windows yesterday - actually, and rather alarmingly, you can see daylight between one window and the frame which definitely shouldn't be happening - so N has been applying sticky tape in the hopes of plugging the gap.  That is probably something that we will have to look at closer next year - sigh.

The Hovercraft  - a passenger ferry that runs between Ryde and Southsea, near Portsmouth

We went out for a walk this afternoon, wrapping up with a few more layers and interesting headwear - I don't care if my knitted beret is unfashionable, my ears stayed warm and that was the main thing.  We walked briskly, buffetted along by a stiff wind, and actually weren't that cold.  We had to walk to the end of the pier to buy some ferry tickets (we discovered some time ago that buying 'in bulk' saves us a small fortune, so this is now budgeted for).  We had the pier to ourselves, can't think why no-one else wanted to walk half a mile into the sea on a cold and windy November day, I have to say the sea looked really cold!  

An empty pier - no other pedestrians or cars

We've often said that there's nothing really stopping us getting out and walking during the winter, although pouring rain might be a deterrent ;-)  We've both got walking gear for colder weather and providing heads, ears and hands are kept warm, walking on a cold and bright day has a lot going for it.  You tend to walk a little quicker, for a start, so that gets the heart pumping a bit faster.   You often get to see things that you miss in the summer, and the light can be great for photos.  And there's always the bonus that after being outside in the cold, going back indoors feels so much warmer.  And you haven't been tempted to put the heating on!

We bumped into an ex-colleague yesterday; he has also recently left work and seems to be of the same mindset as N and I.  He's downsized, paid off his mortgage and as he said himself, 'Life's great'.  Living within your means, being content with what you have and making the most of things.  To us, it just makes so much sense and it's great to hear someone else having a similar attitude - and being happy with it.  

Decorating the lounge has thrown up one or two other little jobs that needed looking at, and one of those was trying to re-house the mini stereo.  It's an old system that one of my children had when they were in their teens (so that's going back 12-15 years!) and it's served us well over the years, but it has never really found a permanent position - usually one or other (and sometimes both) speakers were balancing precariously on a shelf, or the CD unit was tucked out of reach because the cable wasn't long enough.  However, N bought a few meters of speaker cable and has rewired the system so that there is enough cable for all 3 sections to be in the right place.  As we sat with our cup of tea this morning, we listened to the Kirkwall City Pipe Band and imagined we were back in Orkney.  The CD never fails to move me; the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when I hear the swirl of the bagpipes.  There is no doubt that Orkney 'gets' us both.

These colder days see lots of home-made soups for lunch, and warming stews for dinner.  We are cropping the leaves of our cabbage and sprouts for winter greens, and quickly sauteed with a little oil, garlic and leeks are 
delicious.  

What's not to love about a steaming veg stew, with herby dumplings and greens picked fresh from the garden?

Finishing touches

Brrr, it's been a bit chilly today.  Way down into low single figures and windy to boot.  But, the washing dried outside which was a big plus.  Taking advantage of good drying days saves having damp washing hanging around the flat.  I know there will be many winter days when I can't get the washing outside, but in the meantime I shall make the most of the days that I can.

N and I have had another great day pottering through a whole raft of little jobs around the house.  The wallpapering is now finished - yay!  Step-ladders have returned to the shed/greenhouse, rags washed and brushes cleaned.  N has made a little shelf for over the radiator out of an off-cut of wood he had, and the brackets that were previously used for a corner shelf which we've now taken down.  

He used one of those little tester paint pots to paint it, just the right shade green to match the leaves in the wallpaper print.  It is ideal for the few little ornaments that we couldn't find a place for, and it just gives a little homely touch that we like.  (The wood is slightly bowed, it's not an optical illusion, but what the heck, it doesn't bother us!)

I've cleaned out and polished up the old TV unit and that will go to the furniture warehouse of one of the local charities.  I also cleaned off the bay window sill and washed all the vases that seemed to have collected there.

These three glass vases are where we keep our holiday souvenirs - shells and stones we have collected from various beaches on our travels.  We're not ones for tacky tourist tat, but as we inevitably find ourselves walking along beaches I will pick up just a few interesting and colourful stones and shells as a momento.  In these vases are pebbles from Thassos and Spain; shells from Thailand, Orkney, various Caribbean islands, and my own Island; pumice stone from the Canaries and there is even some wool from Orkney, too.

As I was cleaning and dusting - everything had got very dusty - my next sewing project became clear.  I need something to keep the dust out of the vases and I think something like a weighted milk-jug cover would do the trick.  And maybe some patchwork mats for the vases to sit on.  I need to check my fabric stash, methinks ;-)

A place for everything, and everything in it's place

Order is beginning to materialise from the chaos in the lounge.  Painting completed; wallpapering almost there.  Furniture has been moved into it's final positions and one or two pieces will be heading off to the charity shop in due course.  We have taken the opportunity to do some more decluttering as we go and making sure we store things in the appropriate place, so we don't have the problem of wondering where we've put them!  And those pesky shelves?  Well, one unit has found it's way back into the lounge but it looks so much better against the newly decorated wall so we're quite happy. 

 

A place for some figurines N collected during his travels in the Far East

It hasn't cost a great deal at all, we've recycled and reused bits of furniture and fittings and done all the decorating ourselves.  Best of all, we love how it looks now.  All in all, a very positive and productive start to the week.

After a couple of lovely bright, crisp days, today started off in typical November fashion - damp, misty, grey and cold.  It did brighten a little when we popped into town for a walk.  In the space of just a few days, many of the trees are looking really bare, more leaves on the ground than on the branches.  

The knitting (I must remember a photo tomorrow) is coming on a treat now.  As I suspected, the first jumper was unpicked yesterday and the wool rewound.  I'm making progress knitting the body 'in the round' but I know at some point a final decision on the patterning for the yoke will have to be made.  I'd love to do something fancy and intricate but I think the reality will be something a little less complicated.  As N has said several times, no one else will have a jumper like his, and it was really all about the lovely wool, not the fancy stitches.   

Making good progress

We've had a great day decorating and we're really pleased with our progress.  I've been far more careful with my glasses and paintbrushes, so no mishaps there, but the wallpaper has been giving N a few problems again today and a couple of pieces had to come off.  However, we are so pleased with how the room is looking now.  It's so much brighter and lighter and our few pieces of unmatched furniture look absolutely right now.  Not everything will be coming back into the lounge - this is a good time for another declutter and there are a few bits and bobs that will be off to a charity shop.

We worked from about 9 am through to just after 3 this afternoon.  We could have kept going to get it all finished but my painting arm was getting weary (and my shoulder was having the odd twinge), and N was running out of steam a bit as well.  We had the option of stopping so we did.  We weren't having to rush to finish before we went back to work, we are fortunate to be able to take our time and, hopefully, make a good job of it.  By the time we'd washed paintbrushes, rollers and rags, tidied up and hoovered around, we were happy to collapse into our chairs.

When we made the decision earlier this year to stay in our flat and not to try moving house, we said that we would spend a little money to optimise the small space we had.  From a personal perspective, I felt I needed to fall in love with the flat again - we had allowed it to become tired and not very welcoming; more of a house, not so much of a home.  During the summer we did a lot of work in the garden, putting in new raised beds to maximise our growing space.  Now we are doing what we can indoors to brighten the place up, declutter and making the space inside somewhere we want to be.  I think our hard work is paying off.  

We may take the day off tomorrow, visit the family, have a walk, who knows what.  The weather forecaster mentioned the 's' word this evening (that's 'snow', in case you hadn't guessed!), and even though it won't be this far south, it's a timely reminder that winter is very nearly upon us.  Time to cosy up.  Thank goodness for knitting!

A coat of paint

What a glorious autumn day we had today.  Clear, bright blue skies and the sun streaming through the bay windows almost all the day.  It certainly raised our spirits.

We have started decorating the lounge.  The rest of the flat is having to accommodate bits and pieces of furniture and 'stuff' that's homeless for a few days, and there seems to be trailing cables and leads everywhere - might need to do something about those.

I've said it before and I will say again that N and I make a pretty good decorating team.  While N took the old wall paper off, I started the process of 'cutting in' around the top of the wall.  It requires a bit of patience and a narrow paintbrush to paint the underneath edge of the plaster cornices, but I actually enjoy that, and I think doing a lot of sewing helps with a steady hand.  

By the end of the day we had half a wall papered, and one wall with it's first coat of paint (and all the 'cutting in' completed).  We're pleased with how things are progressing, though the day has not been without the occasional hiccup; the very first piece of wallpaper had to be taken off again after it ripped badly (note to self - be sparing with the paste); I managed to drop my glasses in the tub of emulsion; and the paintbrush fell out of the window!  The first mishap was annoying but we could see the funny side to the other two.

We've obviously had to move the furniture around to accommodate two pairs of stepladders, and when we were trying to get some semblance of order back into the room when we packed up for the day, N put the bookcase against the nearest wall, and not it's original place.  Wouldn't you know, it works really well in it's new position.  And that means the shelving unit we took off the wall, the one we had thought of replacing (with the shelves we bought on the mainland that we now don't like), that original unit will probably go back where it was to begin with and look much better.  Isn't it always the way?  We'll wait until the decorating is finished, but it looks like we may have gone full circle with regards to the shelving issue.  

In between painting, I'm making progress with the jumper.  Actually, I've started a second jumper because I just wasn't quite happy with the way the first one was going.  I'll give it a few more rows but I think the first one may be unpicked before the weekend is over.  It's just as well I enjoy knitting ;-)

All in all, a positive and productive day, and we both feel better for it.

A bit of a talking-to.

We met up with friends for lunch today, and had a lovely time catching up on news, nattering away and enjoying a very nice meal (I think next time I'll pass on the chips - oops!).  The cafe/restaurant is on a dairy farm, and some of the calves were in a barn right next door - the Guernsey breed is very pretty.

Aren't they sweet?  They are part of the herd at Briddlesford Farm, a local family-run dairy farm.  We didn't have time to visit the farm shop today but I intend going back to have a closer look.  I have a feeling that the milk they produce probably tastes completely different to what we buy at the supermarket - again, I'd like to try it.  Perhaps a cream tea might be in order next time . . . 

We've been a bit 'airy fairy' for the past couple of days, and it's beginning to annoy us.  Usually we are reasonably focused with some kind of plan and purpose, but at the moment we seem to have lost our way a little.  I think we're still feeling disillusioned with our trip across the water on Tuesday, especially as we've now had to admit that we don't actually like the shelves we bought.  They looked great in the store (yep, we fell for that one!) but the reality is, they don't look right where we planned to put them.  We're annoyed with ourselves for making the mistake and for the cost incurred - they weren't particularly expensive but that's not the point.  Suddenly the whole issue of shelving seems to have become a huge headache and the more we try to work out what we could do, the less we seem to resolve the problem.  And that just makes us more miffed!  

Anyway, I think it's important to take stock of what we have sorted out recently; we've decided on the kitchen and confirmed with the builder for January.  We've also now decided on the oven and hob.  We love the new wallpaper in the bedroom - it's made such a difference to the feel of the room, so that's great - and tomorrow we will begin to decorate the lounge.  I do the painting and N does the wallpapering.  We're a pretty good team and both enjoy what we do.  I'm hoping that an injection of fresh colour will lift the lounge and our spirits, and hopefully the question over the shelving will become clearer.  Glass half-full, quiltingwench, not half-empty!

We had our first frost of the season yesterday morning - the shed roof had a light frosting but it went quite quickly.  Yesterday and today have been wonderfully bright and clear (hence the dip in temperature overnight) and I have actually dried the washing outside.  The decking in the garden is pretty treacherous underfoot where it is so damp.  And N has found a leak in the shed - lots of water - so a bit of repair work is needed there.

I'm sure we'll get ourselves sorted out over the next couple of days.  Neither of us likes feeling that we've lost direction, and especially over something so trivial.  I think once we get stuck into some good old-fashioned painting and decorating things will look better, in more ways than one.  

Buck your ideas up, woman, you've got so much to be thankful for. 

A day out shopping? Not for me.

We went to the mainland today to do some shopping.  It's not something we do very often at all now, and we won't be going again in any hurry!  We had a specific shopping list of things to buy at particular shops we don't have on the Island so we were actually quite confident we would be successful in our quest, but we returned home disheartened and disillusioned.  To begin with, I was after some fabric to finish off the 30th birthday quilt - now in danger of becoming a 'Christmas' quilt, but my daughter is very understanding - but even with two big floors of fabric to look at, nothing was remotely suitable.  N, on the other hand, fell in love with some material he felt sure would make a great summer shirt, so that's another little sewing project for next year - cheers!

Never mind, on to the next store.  We are looking for an oven for when the kitchen is re-done but that's not proving straightforward either.  There is, we've decided, just too much choice these days.  Too many functions and gadgets - all we need an oven to be able to do is cook food for us, at a suitable price, energy-efficiently, preferably fan-assisted and with a reasonable capacity.  We'll get there, it's just wearing us out a tad.

By this time we were both fed up.  We simply don't do shopping like this any more.  We had looked forward to a day out across the water, but it wasn't meeting our expectations.  We're not interested in browsing department stores, searching for 'something' to buy just because we could, our days of that sort of needless acquisition are over and we're quite glad about that.  

Our final destination was a very large retail store for household goods (the store that's blue and yellow!).  Again we had a list, a very short list, and we are very good at ignoring everything else.  Having been obliged to wend our way through all the levels, assiduously avoiding having our heads turned by things we didn't need, we finally reached the warehouse area, only to find the one item we had gone all the way over for was out of stock!  We stood there and looked at the empty space on the shelving, muttered a few choice phrases, and vowed we wouldn't bother again.  In future, we'll find what we need on the Island.  As I said, we were disheartened - we both felt we could have made far better use of our day.  We're not shoppers at the best of times, and this was not the best of times.  We couldn't wait to get home for a nice cup of tea.

This is my knitting pattern for N's North Ronaldsay jumper - lots of figures on a scrap of paper and a pencil sketch!

The knitting, on the other hand, is progressing well after a rather tentative start.  Knitting in the round is great, I'm loving it, all rows being knit rows, but I never actually come to the end of the needles.  I'm so used to saying:  'I'll stop when I reach the end of the row', but I never get there!  However, I'm really enjoying the relaxation of knitting; it's something I can do almost without having to think to hard about it.

The only problem is that the wool 'sheds' little bits (I think it's the way it has been spun) as it is knitted, so I've taken to having an old sheet on my lap as I knit - it's not a fashion statement, but at least I don't end up covered in bits.

At the end of a frustrating day we had a beautiful sunset, just what we needed to soothe our rather frayed nerves.  The colours were just lovely. 

A weekend for reflection

Over the weekend N and I attended a Festival of Remembrance with some friends.  We've not been to one before but came away feeling glad we had done so this year.  There was some rousing band music (and wonderful corps of drums), a bagpiper and some thought-provoking displays by army and airforce cadets, before everyone joined together in a poignant Service of Remembrance.   Whilst there were a number of serving personnel attending, the thing that stood out for me was the pride with which the old soldiers, sailors and airmen wore their medals on this special occasion.  Boots has been polished, regimental ties carefully adjusted and medals shone.  I became aware of a comradeship and pride in serving one's country that perhaps I'd not fully appreciated before.  During the silence, I thought of my own father who served in the RAF in WW2 (although I know almost nothing of his experience in the war); my step-father who was a Marine in the Far East after the war; my friend who saw duty in Northern Ireland as an army driver; and her daughter who has completed a tour in Afganistan.  I gave thanks for their duty to King, Queen and country, and to all those who continue to do so on our behalf.

Sunday was a beautiful crisp bright autumn day.  We joined some other chilly spectators at the U9s football match, and our team learned that for someone to win, someone has to lose!  They played well on a very cold day and by the end, small faces were glowing red with effort.

I'm standing on the car/pedestrian lane of the pier, with the disused tramway in the middle and the rail-track on the right, stretching out in to the sea.

I made the most of the day and went off for another lovely walk of just under 5 miles, along the seafront and then I walked the length of the pier and back.  I've mentioned the pier before (but now can't find the right post in the archives *sigh*), and as there weren't many cars going to and fro, I was able to stop for a while and take some photos.  

The Pier Head station.  Only one line is in use now, but in it's heyday I think both lines were used.  The train links with the catamaran ferry service to Portsmouth.

The sad state of the ironwork that used to carry the tramway the length of the pier.  

At the 'land' end of the pier, part of the old tram station is still standing, although looking a little worse for wear.  I think it still retains a certain nostalgia, and the yellow and grey lichen on the cutwork boarding almost glowed in the autumn sun.

At one point in the pier's history, there was a train track (opened in 1880), a tramway (opened in 1864) and a promenade along the length, but the tramway finally closed in 1969 and is now in a state of some disrepair.  The promenade for cars and pedestrians was replaced in 2010-2011, after it failed a safety inspection - I do recall a couple of rotten wooden planks being sectioned off beforehand.  For 6 months while the work was underway, no cars were allowed down the pier, and engineers fixed up a temporary pedestrian way on the old tramline.  My daughter has fond (OK, maybe not so fond) memories of having to walk down the pier in a blizzard, when it became too dangerous to drive down - she was somewhat less than impressed by that, I seem to recall!

When the car lane was rebuilt, all the iron railings were replaced at the same time.  I loved the effect of the late (and very low) autumn sun casting long shadows on the wooden planks.  I think there might be a quilt pattern in there somewhere ;-)

Spuds, and knitting

Earlier this year we bought a 25kg bags of locally-grown potatoes that saw us through till our own crops were ready.  Yesterday we bought another bag of local spuds as we have now finished all our home-grown ones.  

The variety is Marfona, and we have tried them mashed, and very tasty they are.  We have no objection to the fact they come with a fair amount of good honest Island soil still attached to them!  We paid £6.95 for the bag; it works out at about 28p/kg which is a lot less than we would pay in the supermarket.  The bag should keep us going for quite some time.

It's been a bit wet here for the last couple of days, not a light drizzle but more of a steady downpour.  However it cleared up briefly this afternoon and I managed to get out for a brisk walk for an hour or so.  I'd been getting a bit 'cooped up' indoors and really enjoyed the fresh air - two and a half miles round the town was just right.  It may be urban walking, but there's usually something of interest that catches my attention - this afternoon it was an old-fashioned drop-leaf writing bureau in a second-hand shop that warranted a second look.  I didn't take my purse so I wasn't tempted to spend, but I may take N to show him as we are thinking of a new desk in the bedroom.  On the subject of furniture, we retrieved a dismantled cupboard from the loft this morning, and N put it together to try it out in stead of the very dark unit the TV currently sits on.  We were both amazed at how well the cupboard fits in; it's made that corner look much lighter.  With the added bonus of much needed storage space, we can hopefully now find a permenant home for some paperwork.  N wants to give the cupboard a bit of a spruce up over the next few days and then we can start moving things into it.

I have finally started knitting a jumper for N with the beautiful North Ronaldsay wool we bought on our trip to Orkney last May.  I think it may prove to be a challenge ;-).   I have spent quite a bit of time on the internet researching traditional gansey jumpers to reflect this very special wool.  The traditional fishermen's jumper  is usually knitted in very fine wool on fine needles and showcases wonderful intricate and very traditional patterning.  The wool we have is aran weight and after much consideration N has decided he is happy with a much plainer design, letting the wool itself carry the jumper.  I don't have a written pattern as such, so I'm 'winging' it just a little, using another jumper for sizing, and information I have gleaned from various websites on shaping etc.  I have worked a tension square to determine my gauge (which rather inconveniently seems to fall between two options) and have had the calculator out to work out the number of stitches.  To date I have cast on with 4mm and 4.5mm needles, and various number of stitches, all of which have been unpicked with growing frustation!   I took a break for a while, started afresh with 5mm needles and a different number of stitches, and it all seems to be going a lot better.  I was advised by the lady who sold us the wool to knit the body of the jumper 'in the round', something I've not tried before, so I'm looking forward to tackling that and hopefully becoming competent in a new technique - I did look up a couple of videos for advice on YouTube.  Hopefully I shall have some photos of knitting progress soon.

Not much is growing in the greenhouse at present, except this apple seedling (the other only has two leaves, although it does still seem to be alive), and the four lavender cutting I took at the end of summer.  I check on them every so often and hopefully they can all be successfully nurtured through the winter.

Depending on the weather tomorrow morning, we may be supporting the U9s football, or we may be curled up on the settee with a good book (him) and knitting (me)!  It's screen-free Sunday and I shall try to be good.