Wednesday 8 April 2020

Old dog new tricks?

In this household it's more a case of old dog old tricks. I'm doing things that used to be part of my regular schedule many years ago. Yesterday involved, among other things, making yogurt, kneading four loaves of rye bread and cutting my husband's hair. (There isn't as much to cut as there used to be!) I used to cut all the family's hair until the girls rebelled  and then Marcia, a professional, someone who actually knew what she was doing, came to the house and sorted us out. In the summer months we sat outside while she cut and I painted this picture of her dealing with Wee One's  tangled hair.
Yesterday was a lovely day and Himself sat outside on a chair while I worked my magic with a pair of craft scissors. (Magic -ha ha! He has offered to cut mine but I've declined. Revenge?) We look a pair of old scruffs; he has been up the scaffolding tower replacing fogged double glazed window units followed by the ongoing task of lopping the tree tops.
Cutting the conifers clear of the telegraph wires.

I've been getting the vegetable plots ready for planting out. We slump in the greenhouse every now and then for a bit of a breather.

I'm still waiting for my seed potato order to arrive. It's many weeks overdue and by the time they are chitted it will be so far into the season that I don't know whether they'll be worth planting. But it's a hopeful scene in the garden, a lovely time of year, with the patches of bare earth holding the promise of tasty crops to come. We are aware that we are so very lucky to have the space of our garden to move around in and enjoy.

We are still unable to get any food delivery to the house in spite of a phone call from Sainsburys  at the weekend to say that we are eligible and on their list for a weekly delivery. Meanwhile the chest freezer is emptying nicely! 
I hope, Dear Bloggers, that you are keeping safe and well.

12 comments:

  1. Your garden looks and is so spacious! What another pleasure to add to its already abundant beauty. Himself looks pretty good, so the craft scissors were evidently all you need! Mr P. sports a #2 all over, so I had the dubious honour of christening the newly purchased and rather fancy electric clippers while he obligingly sat under a sheet in the shower recess the other day. It seems the less the hair, the more important the tools, haha!! New skill for me, too.

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    1. I included the photo of Himself just to show that he's still got his ears! Don't know that I'm the sort of over-confident person who should be let loose with electric clippers.

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  2. I only recently learned chitted for potatoes. Curious to see if you find it worth it or not. This year, I'm doing potatoes too. Never grew them before so I'm excited.

    Made bread yesterday as well, but that's normal for here and I make our food mostly all the time. Not big into takeaways and eating out. Though sometimes it can be fun but on the whole, I'm not big on it.

    I made yoghurt for the first time last year when I got my Instant Pot. Very fun.

    Here's to having fun and I love your greenhouse. Cheers and boogie boogie, Ivy.

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    1. Being Murphys we are very much into potatoes! We grow enough to last us for most of the year. When all the family were home I made bread all the time, but once the girls were up and away Himself and I were eating far too much and I cut back. It's hard to resist the smell of bread fresh out of the oven!
      I make yogurt in a wide neck flask, no special equipment, and it works well.
      A simply beautiful day today and so quiet, only the occasional cyclist going by.

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    2. Very cool. And I agree, no special equipment needed to make yoghurt or kraut. I love kraut. I make it on the counter but then when I got the Instant Pot, I was able to set it to just slightly warmer than the very cold winter. And that helped a great deal. But I do agree, nothing special needed.

      Potatoes are the food I love the most! But I never grew them. Tim is Irish. He loves potatoes too. Very, very cool that you grew enough for almost the entire year. Oh my gosh. What a true treat. Love that.

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  3. Your garden is beautiful. As I am new here, I dug into your archives a bit and thoroughly enjoyed the visit.

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    1. It's not a tidy space but it gives me enormous pleasure - and some good, fresh food!

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  4. I like your painting capturing Marcia sorting out the Wee One's tangled hair.
    I cut my husbands hair too a few days ago, but it is something that I have done for him ever since he was a student. I keep telling him that I have saved him lots of money. However, I must admit that I have altered my technique over the years, having watch more carefully how my own hairdresser handles the scissors.

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    1. I frequently used our daughters as models and am now pleased that I did. The act of looking to gather information for a painting creates very clear memories. I have a great many studies of when they were fast asleep in bed or lost in a book!
      My hairdressing skills are very rusty, but since we are going nowhere there is nothing to be concerned about. We FaceTime our family, but they are accustomed to eccentricity!

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  5. Oh wow, I am in awe of your gift as a painter!!! This is one beautiful painting, very well done, very professional. I wish I could draw/paint like that!

    That your garden looks fabulous is an understatement, and it makes me glad to know you appreciate it all.

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    1. I had seven years training at three different art schools, a very old-fashioned education, grinding our own pigments, tempering or tools in the forge - and learning how to look! My eyesight is now limited so I no longer work professionally.
      Glorious weather today and the garden is a joy.

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