As the sun sets . . .

Yesterday evening N and I enjoyed a meal outside at a lovely beachside diner overlooking Appley Sands and the pier.  The tide was out (way, way out) and lots of people were making the most of the fine weather.  We watched several of the big cruise liners coming out of Southampton Water and sailing past on their way to foreign destinations.  

The food was delicious and the view simply superb.  Who needs to be in the south of France when this is on our doorstep?

It was such a lovely way to spend the evening.  We reminded ourselves just how fortunate we are to have this so close; so often it's just taken for granted or not even given a thought at all.  The weather this week might have been a  bit warm for decorating but it's been brilliant for all those who have come to the Island for a holiday, and for the local economy, too, which relies so heavily on tourism.  I should think the ice-cream sales must have boomed!

The sun setting over the pier was beautiful and we were not the only ones taking photos.  The colours were wonderful and we just watched as the beach was transformed by the golden light.  The pier provided the perfect backdrop - it is such an iconic structure.

A really lovely evening.

Through the window

Seems there may be one or two more twists and turns to life hereabouts.  Call it fate, providence, karma - whatever the name, I don't think it's quite finished with us just yet.  So yesterday and today found me up the step-ladder, painting the kitchen.  Exactly what I had planned to spend my time doing (not), although I have to say it looks good; fresh and bright and now fully co-ordinating with the lounge walls we painted last autumn.

This has been the weather view from our window today - lots of grey cloud and just a promising hint of blue sky

 

No, we don't have a mountain range in the distance, although the clouds did sort of give that impression

We're loving the fact that it's still light around 6pm; it's like we get an extra hour from somewhere, although it would be nice if it stopped raining - the ground has given up hope of the water draining away and has abandoned itself to permament puddles.  However, on a brighter note, we've seen several birds flying around with nesting material in the their beaks, so Spring must be here. 

  

The photo above was taken as we sat down to dinner at 6 o'clock this evening - blue sky and lovely hues as the sun set.  I loved the black outline of the tree against the sky.  And as I happened to glance up I saw this:

Apart from what seems to be a mark on the camera lens - I need to check that out - I was struck by the pure simplicity of this image, and I only noticed it by chance.  Such beauty all around us.

At the start of the week

Over the weekend I worked on the label for my daughter's quilt.  I thought carefully about the wording - the who, what, where and why - and used a laundry marker to write it on fabric, then sealed it by ironing.  I've hemmed it onto the backing and it looks quite neat.  I've also hand-stitched a 'to' and 'from' on the quilt top.  The quilt is now put to one side, waiting for the day it can be collected by, or delivered to, it's rightful owner.  A job well done.

We've been watching the bluetits flitting in and out of the nestbox, but to date we've not seen any nesting material being taken in so we don't like to presume they've made a final decision on their nesting site.  We'll keep our fingers crossed.  The local wood pigeons are getting in the mood, too, judging by the posturing and chasing over the shed roofs!  During all the rain (and there has been a lot more of that) the pigeons just sit on the fence getting wet - the other birds seem have the sense to find somewhere a little drier to wait out the downpours, but not the pigeons.  Perhaps they enjoy getting wet.  They also seem have enjoyed the brassicas we planted last autumn to provide us with winter greens *sigh*.

We went to support the lads playing football on Sunday morning and goodness me, was it cold!  Hats, scarves, gloves, several layers of jumpers, two pairs of socks and a fair bit of jumping around on the touchline was required to keep the circulation going.  Even the youngsters were finding it a bit chilly, and they were running around!  BTW, I have to mention a very fine goal scored by Grandson No 1!!

We've succumbed to our 4-yearly dose of Winter Olympic fever.  Suddenly the nation is becoming fascinated with the finer points of snowsloping, moguls and speed-skating.  Once again we have become addicted to curling and ski-jumping - why anyone wants to hurls themselves off the end of a ski-jump I have no idea, but it's compulsive viewing!  The winter Olympics always seem to me more friendly and relaxed than the summer ones, not sure why but that's the impression I get.  Whatever, we do enjoy watching it.

5 o'clock this evening - the long dark winter days are coming to an end

The days are definitely lighter for longer now.  It makes such a difference to still have daylight at 5 o'clock.  

17.18, the sun is sinking

17.26 - the photo doesn't do the colours justice - beautiful oranges and purples

I had such good intentions at the start of the year, I was going to do a weekly Simple Living progress sheet (originally seen on the DTE forum) but the house move issue stopped me progressing anywhere for a while.  However, I did think it was a good idea and I really want to try to pick this up again, so here is last week's.

Simple Living Progress    week ending  9 February 2014

I made a great meal of: chickpea burgers
I baked: Somerset Easter Biscuits
I preserved/fermented:
I stockpiled: toilet rolls (something of a necessity!) - a really good offer in the supermarket so we bought packs; should last several weeks
I handmade/started to make: finished quilt; knitted the sleeves to N's jumper
I repurposed/recycled: empty bottles to the bottle bank (walked there and                                           back)
I decluttered: the work station where I volunteer!
I saved money by: a careful shop at the supermarket, using a money off voucher to get some very good deals
I sowed seeds/planted seeds/took cuttings of: still a little early in season
I harvested: winter greens
I tried something new: I used the burger press and it worked brilliantly.  
I read/was inspired by: 'Birds in a Cage' by Derek Nieman, a very interesting, thought-provoking and quite inspirational story about how four POWs in WW2 coped with their imprisonment by watching and studying birdlife.
I finally tackled: tidying the spare room
I really enjoyed: a long chat on the phone with my daughter

I must try to be a bit more proactive with this on-going project, especially things like repurposing/recycling, decluttering, trying something new and tackling jobs which I know I should do but which just seem to get put off for various reasons.  Basically, I need to make more of an effort ;-)

Machine quilting finally finished

A quick five minutes of blogging before I collapse into bed.  Time seems to be in short supply at present.

I have finished all the machine quilting on the quilt - yay!!  All those pesky ends are darned in, and I'm now hand quilting hearts.  I'm determined to get this project finished by the end of the month, so I'm using every available minute to do whatever I can.  The end is in sight, and I am so excited at the prospect of seeing the finished result, my first full-sized bed quilt.

N has been a little better today (thank goodness) and we were able to meet up with our friends at lunch.  We all had lots of news to share, and we were so pleased to hear that they, like us, have taken some very positive decisions and steps this year.  Also, they have offered to be a 'working party' in the new house!  We have assured them that all offers will be gratefully received ;-)

I baked bread yesterday, and used Rhonda's recipe for the first time.  I was a little wary, as the recipes I have used previously were in grammes (very precise), and this one was by the cup, which seemed a tad more casual!  However, I have to say the bread is absolutely lovely and I shall definitely use that recipe again.

There was a pair of collared doves in the garden this afternoon; I think they are such pretty birds

Tomorrow we are at the donation centre again - I wonder what goodies will be unearthed from the black bags?

Accounting for the pennies . . .

Sunset yesterday evening 

We have a well-used saying in our house that if you look after the pennies, the pounds will look after themselves.  Having said that, we look very carefully after the pounds, as well!

The prospect of buying another property has certainly made us look very closely at our financial situation.  It is not something we would have undertaken had we not been confident we could afford it.  That being said, we have spent considerable time weighing up our options, and looking at every possible way of financing this move.

I am immensely thankful that N is very money-savvy.  He has, over the years, found the best ways of investing, the best rates available and the best deals on the market.  With his guidance, I have also become far more conscious of making my saving work as hard as possible for me.  Combined with our philosophy of living withing our means, we are now in a position to buy another property without the worry of trying to sell the flat to raise the funds - that flat will go on the market, but not immediately; we need to live somewhere  while we get the new property into a fit state to live in. 

We have already done a lot of research into the likely costs we will incur in order to transfer the property we have under offer into the home we feel it could be.  We are not afraid of hard graft and the challenge of doing as much of the work ourselves as possible is one we relish and look forward to.  But we know that one of the most important aspects of such a renovation is to keep a very close and firm eye on the finances.  We need to account for every penny spent.  Enter the cash book and petty cash tin!

We recognise that we will need to maintain tight reins on the spending, setting budgets and sticking to them.  We know it's important to keep accurate records of where the money goes and what is due next.  We acknowledge that it will be 'fun' running two properties at once, keeping our heads above water whilst we do that.  It is definitely going to be a challenge!

My desire to be more organised is now more important than ever.  Each week I try to get a few more things into order, one or two more things better organised, something decluttered (I'm trying not to think too much about the loft and all it's goodies!!)  I feel so excited by the prospect, yet just very slightly daunted by it as well.  And I think we will need a hefty dose of patience to cope with the inevitable delays involved.  

Snowdrops in the sun on our walk today

I'm sticking very carefully to my daily lists and I'm making really good progress with various tasks and projects.  However, one thing I've found is that there isn't always much time at the end of the day to spend updating my blog, or indeed, browsing other people's blogs!  I think I must be content with achieving jobs to be done and forego time on the internet, just for the moment.  There's a balance to be had.  

Today is N's birthday.  He is, as he has been keen to tell me, now a 'Heinz baby' - you may be able to work out exactly how old he is now ;-O.   We visited the grand-children this morning, and then continued our walk along the front (such a lovely clear day across the water) and eventually ending up at the house we hope will be our new home, before returning to the flat.  All in all, a round trip of about 6 miles.  It was such a lovely walk.  

The quilting continues.  I need to stay really focussed on this project -  I would dearly like it to be complete by the end of the month.  That's pushing it - we have a lot of other things that need our time now - but I think it may be possible.

i had a lovely long chat with my 'little' girl last night, the really good mum-and-daughter sort of natter that is guaranteed to put a big grin on my face.  Lots of news to share.  The quilt is destined for a good home.  

A walk to see some muddy pigs!

The absence of posts has been due to spending time with our visitors.  My son and his fiancee returned to the mainland today after a few days seeing friends and family on the island.  It was so lovely to have them with us, and to hear about their new home and of course the plans for the wedding in the summer.  It seems incredible they've been engaged now almost a year =:o

The weather has been surprisingly dry over the weekend so yesterday N and I put our walking boots on for a visit to our favourite pigs at the Abbey.

Glorious clear blue sky and a winter sun with more than a drop of warmth to it made for a lovely walk. 

The views across the Solent - there were quite a few yachts out sailing.

Then onto the Abbey for a spot of pig-visiting!

Mud, glorious mud!

The pigs have had some very splendid new enclosures constructed for them over the autumn/winter, and were making the most of the beautifully muddy conditions all the recent rain has produced.  There were lots of very contented snuffling and snortings going on!  N and I sat on a bench overlooking the pens, and it was so peaceful and tranquil in the sun.  No cost involved at all, and we both felt very much better for some time out.

I spied these wonderful espalliered (if that's the right word!) fruit trees which have been trained against the walls of the old vegetable garden in the Abbey grounds.  Both the branches and the brickwork are covered in lichen.

Against the blue sky, the round masses of mistletoe stand out amongst the bare branches of these trees;

and here, beside the lynch-gate to Binstead Church, there is blossom on the ornamental cherry - in January!

And finally, because the sky was so clear all day, I was able to get a couple of pictures of the sunset.  The white streak to the left is the vapour trail left by a plane destined for foreign climes.

Did I mention some curtains that needed altering?  That kept me busy over the weekend!

After the talking comes action

Gosh, yesterday's post was a bit glum, wasn't it?  I think the sheer expectation that seems to surround Christmas these days simply overwhelmed me for some reason this year.  I think N felt the same, although maybe not quite so forcefully.

Today we talked; we're very good at that!  But our talking generally enables us to make progress with whatever it is that needs discussing, and that was the case today.  We worked out one of the reasons we are unsettled here (it's an issue of autonomy, of not being in sole control of things as part of a 'flat community'), we've been doing some financial calculations, and we came to realise that the next house move doesn't have to be the final house move - if it doesn't work out, we can sell and move on.  

We're going to see another property.  One step at a time.  Maybe it will be 'New Year, new start'.

The weather is still keeping us on our toes; another front, pouring rain, very blustery winds, then clearing up to a bright but very cold afternoon.  I put the washing out but it was almost just as wet when N brought it back in again.  The garden is squelchy underfoot and everywhere has a slightly windswept look about it.

This afternoon I made some decisions about the quilting on the borders of the quilt.  I had tried to machine quilt some hearts in-between the feather patterns but I unpicked every single one - none of them looked any good at all.  I was really disappointed with my efforts.  Then I had the idea of hand quilting the hearts (using the same thread doubled), and it looks fine.  Problem finally solved.  I did all six hearts this evening, and hopefully tomorrow I may pin the border to the top.

I happened to glance out of the window this afternoon and caught the final rays of the sun from behind the clouds, and for some reason it lifted my spirits.

I marvel at the beauty of the sky.  It has the power to uplift, sooth, inspire and I have become more aware of the simple pleasure of looking at it through this year, whether from my lounge window or the sweeping landscape of Orkney.  There is a promise of tomorrow, another day, new possibilities.

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. 

The central heating has finally gone on

We're back home again, having all enjoyed our break away together.  I have taken an extra couple of days to deal with a few things that needed my attention but now I'm ready to get going again.

Whilst we were away, the first big storm of the autumn hit the south of England.  Locally, one neighbour now has several fence panels missing, and another lost a plum tree.  Winds of 99mph were recorded at the Needles, the most westerly point on the Island.  Since our return, it's been blustery, wet and cold - the central heating has finally gone on, just an hour in the morning and again in the evening.  Our thermostat is turned down to 13 degrees so the heating doesn't come on until the temperature in the flat drops below that.  We know of many people who have their thermostat much higher.  I'm sure if they just turned it down a couple of degrees there wouldn't be a noticeable difference in anything except their energy bill.  I shall continue to monitor our energy usage, which is obviously going to be much higher during the winter months, but we are currently in credit with our monthly payments.  That's the way it works - in credit during the summer when usage is low and then the money is there during the winter when we need the extra gas and electricity.

I still haven't managed to actually read the water meter properly, but I had a look at the last 4 bills we've received over the past couple of years.  I worked out our average daily usage (thank goodness for calculators!) and found that our water consumption has been gradually decreasing as we have been more mindful of how we use water but, due to the increase in standing charges, we're actually paying a little more each time on our bills.  We can't control the charges and as we already use less than the average water consumers, we can accept that.

The clocks went back an hour at the end of October, and although the mornings are light quite early, dusk is making an appearance by late afternoon.  This is the sky at about 4.15pm yesterday:

The longer evenings are a good excuse to curl up on the settee, wrap up in a quilt and read a book or knit :-)

I did manage to get all the washing out on the line over the past couple of days and it was more or less dry by the time I brought it back indoors again.  Good drying days are few and far between in autumn and winter, it's just so damp and cold, but one benefit of being at home is that I should be able to take advantage of the odd bit of good weather to get some washing dried outside.  It's certainly better than having damp washing hanging around the flat.

N planted the garlic yesterday.  From 4 bulbs he got 51 cloves, plus the one Elephant Garlic clove.  Fingers crossed they all grow.  A couple of the cabbages have been badly attacked by aphids/blackfly, and N has been picking tiny caterpillars off some of the plants as well.  I think we may need to spray them.

Yesterday we spent some time looking at what needs to be done before the end of the year.  All of a sudden, Christmas is not so very far away.  We actually planned out a calendar for the next few weeks, as we were a bit concerned something might get forgotten if we didn't write it down.  By the time all the appointments/birthdays etc had been written down, we began to realise that we need to be a little more organised.  I need to get back to some serious list-making and it's a good excuse to get busy with some needles of the sewing and knitting variety!  

A wintery chill

Oh my goodness, it was a tad on the chilly side today.  Bit of a shock after two or three really lovely autumnal days.  Today it was all about layers, long socks and gloves!

We had a couple of days on the mainland this week on family business.  Among other things we met up with son and future DIL for the evening, and had a lovely time chatting about their plans.  

The Youth Sail Training Ship Stavros S Niarchos, at anchor in the Solent on our trip across to the mainland

I am not a big fan of motorway driving - there are no motorways on the island, so I don't get much practice - so I'm always slightly apprehensive about taking the car onto the mainland.  However, this time I seemed to have more confidence and even the 40 or 50 miles on the infamous M25 was not as bad as I feared.  

We managed a bit of walking along a canal/riverbank, and it was quite delightful.

Fantastic fungi

Flat calm, the reflection was mirror-like

Now we are back home again, and neither of us can get back into any kind of routine.  It seems to be a case of one step forward and two steps back which is a little frustrating.  We have quite a lot of plans on the go at the moment, and it's all a bit of a jumble.  I think we just need to take each day as it comes and deal with whatever crops up; I'm sure we'll start to see some sort of order if we simply keep plodding along.  

Just do the next thing.  

On the bright side, we had a glorious sunset yesterday, the colours were wonderful and even N took some photos.  Unfortunately my little digital camera struggled with the low light so most of the photos were blurred.

One day I shall learn a little more about the different settings.
  

End of season weigh-in

During the summer we kept a note of the produce we harvested from the garden.

I drew up a chart on a piece of paper and stuck it to one of the kitchen cupboards.  Every time we picked veggies from our garden, we would weigh them and make a note of it.  I dare say a few tomatoes slipped through the net.  Last week I totalled up what we had harvested over the summer:

Cucumbers                              11 fruit

Courgettes                               6.152  kg

Marrows                                   4.05 kg

Potatoes                                  6.848 kg
Peas                                        1.234 kg
Beans                                        .500 kg
Tomatoes                                 5.408 kg
Carrots                                     1.572 kg

We harvested from 7 July until the end of September.
We still have a bag of potatoes to empty.
The beans did not grow or produce particularly well - we will use fresh beans next year, not ones saved from the previous year.

Additionally, we picked a lot of spinach early in the summer, and grew sufficient lettuce all through the season for all our salad needs.  
We grew and cropped herbs - parsley, coriander, basil, oregano and thyme.

I was going to try to calculate how much these goodies would have cost had we bought them, but finding comparative prices for organic produce was a bit tricky, I perhaps should have checked earlier in the season.  However, N and I both feel that the cost/savings is not really the issue.  For us, the pleasure in being outside tending the veggie plot gives us so much enjoyment, it keeps us active and fit and there is real satisfaction in picking, cooking and eating fresh produce straight from the garden.  Oh yes, and the taste is far superior to any polished and polythene-wrapped tray of vegetables flown half-way round the world to sit on a supermarket shelf for a few days.

Weight-wise, maybe we don't produce a huge amount from our garden, compared to, for example, an allotment, but for us that is not the point.  We just enjoy the process.  It's been fun and a worthwhile exercise to photograph the garden as it has been growing, record the little successes (and failures) on this blog, and see what the totals are.  The winter veggies are in now and I will do the same.  Next year I shall try to remember to make a note of the varieties we grow - this year all the plant labels disappeared =:o .

The quilt is making progress. Here is the back view showing the quilting.  I'm sewing the strips together at the moment by hand.  I actually enjoy hand-stitching and hemming, I find it very soothing.

Here's a close-up:

I pin, then tack, then sew (not every time, but it made sense on this project)

And finally, the sky late yesterday afternoon was quite beautiful . . 

 . .  and just a short while after the sky positively glowed gold . . .

. . . today it rained!

Glass half-full, not half-empty

I am very aware that I tend to pessimism.  I don't mean to, nor do I want to, but such is my character that I must constantly be on guard against negativity.  I have had times in my life where pessimism has taken hold and I have had to work very hard to pull myself out of despondency.

The coreopsis is still flowering away merrily.  They are such bright cheerful flowers and bring a smile to my face.

N and I were speaking about this just recently and he admitted he gets the same way on occasions.  He reminded me, if I needed to be reminded, that we actually have so much to be thankful for.  So much, but we don't always see it.  It's true.  I need to take time to be thankful and to acknowledge what has been achieved even (and especially) when things seem a little overwhelming, or just plain dull.

At the end of this week, I'm going to take stock of the positives.  

• The new raised bed has been built and planted up - it looks great.
• I have made some damson jam from fruit that was being sold from a garden we often walk past - we chatted to the owner about pruning fruit trees and jam-making.  The jam is delicious.

The jars are upside-down to seal them

• Yesterday N and I sorted through the home files and shredded a lot of out-of-date paperwork.  Then we had a clear-out of the bookcase and have two bags of paperbacks ready to go the the charity shops.  And now all the remaining books fit in the bookcase properly.
• We have had our friends round for lunch again - we enjoy their company and it makes us make an effort, although we have realised we only have 3 soup bowls and we could do with 4!

Walnuts we picked up off the ground during our walks in Thassos

• I have made bread, crunchy biscuits and a banana and walnut loaf.

• I have taken some lavender cuttings (admittedly a little late in the season) and will see if I can get them to root.

My glass is half-full (actually, sometimes it positively overflows!) and I intend to actively focus on the good, positive things rather than allowing the negativity gremlins to sneak in.

We have finally decided to do something to nudge us past this indecision about moving/staying put.  I have decided the carpet has to go!  It's dull, badly marked and faded in places, and it makes the flat quite dark and depressing.  I'm beginning to really dislike it.  N has decided that a couple of pieces of furniture in the flat are his 'bug-bears' so they will go, too.  Today we went looking at carpets and wallpaper and have come back quite excited at what we have found.  We have a few decorating ideas which we feel will lighten and brighten the rooms without breaking the bank, although we are prepared to spend some money on a decent carpet.  The kitchen may or may not have a revamp, we'll see how things go.  However, we both feel cheered up at the prospect of giving the flat a bit of a make-over.

Sunsets are getting earlier and earlier.  At the end of October the clocks go back an hour at the end of British Summer Time and we will have to get used to the short dark days of winter again.

I have returned to making lists again - they help me stay organised, focussed and provide good motivation through the week.  When I read through blogs or articles on the internet I jot down things that interest me or that I want to look into further, so there really is no reason at all for me to be bored, or at a loss for something to do.   And I always have sewing on the go - which reminds me that I will put up photos of the 'big project' tomorrow.

Writing this post has been good for me.  It's made me concentrate on the little successes that pepper our lives.  Sometimes it's just too easy to forget all the positives like good health, somewhere to live, food to eat, friends and family; the 'taken-for'granted' things that are just accepted as the norm.  It's sadly not the norm for many people, and I should not be casual in my attitude towards that.  

I shall make a point of being thankful for something everyday - look for the positives that make my glass half-full.