Morning/evening all,

A cloudy and damp start to what is going to be a warm and fine week weatherwise.

A new week and hopefully a better one fasting wise. I did so well in February but March was a write-off. Here’s to April being more successful.

The Prime Minister was admitted to hospital last night “for tests” and in need of oxygen. It’s all over social media with numerous armchair specialists telling us their unqualified and unresearched opinion…..

I hope when he is back home and recovered we’ll see evidence his experience having a positive effect on the way the government are dealing with this pandemic.

Stay safe everyone 😜

Thanks Wi! 😅😅 That last one says it all!!!
Heard on the radio, this morning:
Husband (after another argument due to isolation) “You have been dropped from my funeral list.”
Wife: “I don’t think they invite the murderer!” 😅😅

Who will see the muffin top, Happy? 🤔😒

Ah P, but I’m not doing this for anyone but me 😁

Morning/evening all,

It’s a glorious morning and the next few days are going to be similar.
I’m hoping to spend as much time as I can in my little garden and make the most of it.

Stay safe everyone 😜

Well, I had such good intentions this week… but fasting has failed spectacularly. I know why, it’s my ‘eat everything in sight’ hormones ☹ I AM trying again today, the worst that can happen is i cave in at lunchtime and it turns into a 16:8 day…

We had a very positive and reassuring message from our Chief Executive yesterday, to the effect that we need to put ourselves first, don’t work long hours to make up for lost productivity, deadlines and targets are currently meaningless. My domestic situation may be less than ideal, but I count myself lucky every day that I have no employment/money worries in these testing times.

The sun is shining here again! We will need some rain soon though, it’s been so dry…🤣 But I’ll be pleased for a dry long easter weekend to get ahead in the garden.

I’m interested in your hair mowing, Wi…I’m considering doing the same!
Simple pleasures here..we are quite enjoying the lack of commitment.

Amazon,

Rocket grows like a weed in my polytunnel and garden, so long as I let some flower and set seed then there is plenty the following year. That and herbs are the only edibles at present.

It seems that people mostly stayed away from the Lake District yesterday, the bigger problem seems to be in urban areas. Hardly surprising that people with limited or no private outdoor space want to be outside – another failure of previous government planning policy, high density living without adequate access to green space…

I have failed to fast so far this week. Today is my last chance! If I don’t fast today, then it’s no HCBs for Mrs Greedy this year ☹

Today is going to be another lovely day, not hot like the southeast but 18-20 in my sheltered garden will be plenty warm enough, especially as I will be digging over the veg bed and I want to sort out one of the herbaceous borders near the house which involves lifting plants, digging it over and replanting…Hopefully I can forget about the hungry worm that lives in me 🤣

In France there is a fish soup made out of all the Mediterranean fish- called Bouillabaisse. The main fish is conga eel.
I eat the soup but not the whole fish. They are not pretty to behold.
With the soup you make bits of toast and put on rouille, (rust in English), but is an ailoli with hot chilli sauce. You float this on the soup and then cover it all with parmesan. French style decadence!

Today I am making Easter decorations on Skype with the grandsons, poor wee mites who are now on lockdown until at least 3 May. Mr Amazon ( not our friend here) supplied the Easter eggs for them. Then I make buns with them this afternoon which will rise in warm Italian temperatures. It’s warm here too – 18 to 20° as we are 1000m in altitude.
Good gardening. I won’t have time today. Yesterday I did nearly 3 hours of mowing and I have worn myself out.
All this talk of food……..
It’s only 10 30am.
xx

I have no intention whatsover of fasting this weekend. I am having roast lamb which I’ve decided to cook today and I’ll have leftovers from tomorrow onwards. I found a recipe for lamb roasted with basil and mint pesto and I had basil in the fridge which had been forgotten and needed using and I have lots of mint in the garden, so I made pesto and have covered the lamb with it and the remainder is in the fridge.
I’ve also seen a recipe for Greek style meatballs in tomato sauce using lamb mince so it’ll be adapted for roasted leftovers some time next week.

My daily HCB ration is being made into a version of bread and butter pudding. I was going to make a dessert of some description but knew if I did I’d eat it AND a HCB so it’s the lesser of 2 evils……. 😋

The day began with a few clouds but it has cleared now and is set to be 25C later. I sat outside this morning reading and am now inside being serenaded by David Bowie 😁
It has (thankfully) been very quiet here for the past couple of weeks and appears even quieter this weekend than in previous days. I think many people are looking at the rising frightening death toll and are very wary of going out unless it is absolutely necessary.
I went out for my newspaper very early this morning and the only others I saw apart from 3 empty buses 5 cars and 2 cyclists were the local addicts buying their daily doses of alcohol.

Stay safe everyone 😜

Mmm, yes, HCB bread and butter pudding, that’s inspired! I can almost taste it…

Well, I caved yesterday and made a small batch of HCB. I didn’t have quite enough strong white flour, so added some wholemeal, and I had to make my own candied peel. I also reduced the sugar a bit. But they are delicious. Suffice it to say it was a 16:8 day after all 😊

But I spent most of the day digging and wheelbarrowing soil uphill, so I’m at least maintaining if not losing…

Sore shoulders today, so the prospect of another day gardening is somewhat daunting but has to be done. The weather is fine and there’s loads needs doing!

Happy Easter all, whatever you’re up to (at home!).

I had to make peel as I used up the last in the Simnel cake.

The lamb with basil and mint pesto was very good and I have a huge amount left so I guess this week’s menu will be meat heavy for a change which is no hardship.

The HCB pudding was very satisfying 😃

Have a good Easter everyone 😜

Morning/evening all,

Happy,

I am going to fast today too and it is going to be mighty hard after everything that has been consumed over the last couple of weeks but I am determined to come out of this lockdown weighing less than when it began.

It was very cold yesterday with a bitter easterl blowing all day and howling down the chimneys.It’s cooler again this morning but no sun and a clear blue sky and sunshine.

My seedlings are germinating and I now have a courgette plant, peas, chard and some chillies. No tomatoes yet but they always take their time.

I guess I need to get outside and finish prepping the garden.

Not eating isn’t the problem, it’s keeping out of the kitchen 😆

Stay safe everyone 😜

Hi everyone,

My little propagator is full of seedlings, a single tiny tomato plant has appeared and I’m hoping for one more.
I’ve been busy planting an idle window box with strawberry plants. The garden is overrun with them so I thought I’d make an effort and try to grow some fruit.
I’ve also sown some rocket and prepped pots for courgette plants as they are growing very fast and will need more space in a few days.

Barata,

I find eating bread, even good homemade stuff leads to a ridiculous but temporary rise in weight and I’ve come to the conclusion it needs a lot of water to be digested.

You seem to be settling in nicely to your new house and the garden looks lovely. If there’s one thing I regret it’s not making the effort to move to somewhere larger with a decent garden but I couldn’t bear the thought of another huge mortgage so I’m making the most of my little patch. It’s big enough for me to sit outside when the weather is fine and there’s sufficiant room for lots of shrubs and flowers and this year veggies.
I have two dwarf lilacs which are in bud and by next week they’ll be in bloom and I’ll be able to sit in the sun breathing in one of the most beautiful floral perfumes.

Keep safe everyone 😜

Oooh, itching to get veggies growing! No seedlings in the supermarket this morning 🙁 But I can get on with pruning and tidying also, between showers.

Trying to persuade OH into a walk, looking at the rain radar and assuring him we won’t get wet! Your paddle sounds delightful, P.

I couldn’t get him to move 🙁 SUP or kayak?

Morning/evening all,

Happy,

My friend sent me 4 courgette seeds and I used 2. Only one germinated so I’ve sown another as I would like 2 plants because they’ll not produce so many courgettes if they’re in pots. I’ve got my fingers crossed for another tomato plant and I have a few seeds left.

I now have a window box full of strawberry plants and a tub planted with rocket seeds.

There is a large band of prolonged heavy rain due to hit the south of England and then travel north so hopefully it’ll reach you. My little garden is so dry I gave it a few cans of water a couple of days ago. I was going to get the hosepipe out yesterday until I saw the forecast.
It is timely as it’ll make weeding and preparing the area I want to use for peas and chard much easier.

It seems we are all taking comfort in our gardens 😊

Fasting isn’t happening for me either and the need to bake (and eat) is very strong. I guess it’s no surprise as I find baking so comforting and now I’ve been able to buy plain flour there’s nothing preventing me 😬

I took delivery of a case of wine yesterday and after I unpacked it I pulled out the bottle separater to flatten it and a packet of Hotel Chocolat caramel bunnies came out with it which is a nice touch from the wine company who are only selling to members at present.
The Easter Bunnie didn’t forget me after all, he was merely running late 😆

Keep safe everyone 😜

You are all so busy on garden projects.
I will only need 4 more mows of my fields to complete round 1. Still no rain here, but preparing for Round 2. This will be a continuous process. I looked at my vege garden yesterday and I will dig it (raised beds) this weekend and plant when the rains come (If they come). There is broccoli and rocket from last year still. The March equinoctal rain consisted of a light smattering of snow.
I am painting a blueberry at present, with a diameter of nearly 15 cm. It’s like watching plants germinate,and very pleasant.

This weekend with the grandies, we are doing a puppet rendition of the Prehistoric Animal Brigade for our Sunday family aperitivo. Yesterday we painted the backdrop and today painting the critters and putting on them on sticks, and learning the song. Tomorrow is dress rehearsal. All good fun.
Love the sound of your kayak trip Purple. I remember remarking to you that the Hawkesbury struck me as primaeval. I imagine in its silence that ancientness would be enhanced. Do you hear those noise of popping from the little beasties breaking the surface? I so miss the sea and water in general.
I am again making plans to escape. I will do my 6 months resident’s requirement for France, and later today, I will book on a Qantas flight on 1 September via Dubai and Sydney. I wonder if I will need to do 2 weeks of quarantine in Wellington, or if I am being optimistic about being able to escape. President Macron is suggesting closing the Shengen borders till September, but even so we are not an island in Shengen, like Oz, NZ and Britain, with dangers of virus spread. I might get some camping in this summer, alone of course, but with a choice of 28 countries. I was also looking at a stage of the El Camino which starts 40km from here. Maybe by bike. I need to project ahead to have a dream, and not this nightmare.
Bonne Journée, Bonne Nuit.

I just love your description of the Hawkesbury, Purple.
I can “feel” that beautiful place.

Hey, another good night’s sleep. Bliss. Just a sham OH didn’t have such pleasure, apparently I snore!!

I found the wasp’s nest in the garden, unfortunately by direct hit! Hand recovered, nest disposed – sorry, Happy, but these are not the old imports into this originally wasp-free country, but some newcomers, so I feel no compassion for them.

Thank goodness we can connect electronically, Amazon. The milestones of the little ones can never be relived. 😶 😔 P

Happy,

Lockdown will almost certainly be 12 weeks, the PM gave that away several weeks ago when he asked the most vulnerable and over 70s to stay home for 12 weeks, and he repeatedly used the terms “3 months” “12 weeks” before lockdown was enforced.

I hope you get some rain soon but the weekly forecast suggested fine and dry for most of the week.

I’ve been taking a close look at my seedlings which are now getting their second set of leaves and the pot with two in is the tomato pot which is great but means only one chilli plant so I’ve sown some more seeds in the hope of another.

Over many years of watching friends and family I’ve come to the conclusion small children are an absolute joy for everyone apart from their parents whose joy is mixed with frustration, chronic tiredness and the slow dawning of realisation anything could be so hard or that toddlers could be so good at manipulating a situation for their own ends long before they are able to string a sentence together 😆
Once they can talk properly they practice their debating skills by arguing about the validity of every single parental instruction 🤣

I am disappointed I’m not going to be able to spend time with them over the next few months because as Purple says, milestones will be missed but knowing they are safe and well is the most important thing and hopefully we can spend some time together in the summer.

I’ve been up for 2 hours and all I’ve done is drink 2 mugs of tea and surf the net. Time to get moving.

Stay safe everyone 😜

What was I saying? I can smell bacon cooking…waah!!

Morning/evening all,

Another glorious morning here.
I have a feeling we’ll pay for this dry weather with a miserable wet May. I keep requesting rain between midnight and 4am every night but no-one is listening…..

I spent some time yesterday preparing pots etc for transplanting seedlings to their permanent homes. I managed to buy some multi purpose compost from my local hardware store which had been closed for 2 weeks and reopened on Monday and I now have enough for all my seedlings.

I’m avoiding doing the ironing on the premise outside work is more important and by outside work I mean pottering about with compost and plants and sitting in the sunshine reading 😎

I had a sucessful and surprisingly easy FD on Monday, ate sensibly yesterday and am fasting again today.
I ate a lot of the wrong kind of food on Sunday and I thought Monday’s FD would be tough but I sailed through it
I must admit I’ve been feeling quite low for a couple of weeks so at the weekend I decided to stop watching the news and find ways to be nice to myself that don’t involve opening a bottle of wine or eating and I’m feeling much better. Getting through a FD so easily certainly helped.

I went to the supermarket yesterday late morning and once again no queue to get in but it was busier and a fair number of people thought wearing a cheap paper mask meant they could ignore social distancing. Next week it’s back to going at 7.45am when it’s much quieter.

EDIT: I don’t have a problem with the smell of bacon but a BBQ gets me every time!

Stay safe everyone 😜