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Post by ambersparkle on Jan 4, 2021 14:56:20 GMT
Got my Rice Pudding in the Oven, that will do me three times, was going to make a couple of Apple Crumbles, might yet, have one lonesome Apple left. Been looking at an old S.W.R.I. Book, some lovely old fashioned Puddings in that, making my Mouth water, have always had a penchant for Puddings. Had a call from One of my ex Foster Children to see how I was, and it was lovely talking over old Times, and reminiscing . Do you remember the old Sayings your Mother, and Gran, used to say, my Mum's favourite was,"if the Wind changes, your Face will stay like that!" and another, "What have you been doing? you're as Black as Newgate's Knocker!" Wait till your Father comes Home! "You'll get it when my Ship comes in!" am sure there are Hundreds of them. Away to make the Apple Crumbles, just can't help myself.
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Post by terrier on Jan 4, 2021 20:16:40 GMT
Working all day đ but in a way itâs nice to have some routine. I work for customer services for Persimmon homes, started temping there a few years ago, and ended up going on their books on a zero hours contract, which suited me fine and I worked in spare time when I wasnât doing my gardening business, as my arthritis got worse, I didnât replace customers when they passed away or moved on, I hate saying no to people, but it was all just getting too much for me and I wasnât enjoying it as much, plus I felt I was neglecting my own garden.
Anyway, been with Persimmon now for around 4 years and I sort of enjoy it, I feel I make a difference but itâs not crucial financially for me, so I can take it or leave it, and they know that.
Just listened to Prime Ministers address and we are entering another lockdown, no great surprise there.
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Post by irist on Jan 4, 2021 21:33:06 GMT
Evening ladies. Freezing cold day and we had doors and windows open with the workmen in and out. We were toasty shut away in the study with the woodburner roaring away, except when help was required locating stop taps, etc. So we now have a new hot water cylinder installed and the main woodburner with a backboiler now out in the garage. Tomorrow the electrician will be here with the plumbers and I'm hoping that they can get the bulk of the work over as, of course, we will be in lockdown from Wednesday. Can't continue without heating. As far as I can gather from the latest restrictions tradespeople are allowed into homes but we will all have to wear masks. I've been around the house with cleansing wipes tonight - such a palaver but necessary to keep us both safe. According to the announcements tonight we should get our jabs by mid February which is one positive in all the gloom. I have started an online order from Morrisons but can't get a slot yet but will keep looking to ensure we don't run out of essentials.
Must go as have to make up the sofa bed again for OH. He's been sleeping downstairs since the episode with the trapped nerve in his back but have to let the fire burn down before I can sort the bed. Take care all.
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Post by brightspark on Jan 5, 2021 10:25:01 GMT
Morning peeps,
Jan, you asked if I still work - ha - what's work? No, I haven't worked for so long, I can't remember when ! Plus the fact that I'm too old now anyway. Our children are 47 yrs and 45 yrs ... plus we have two grandchildren. Hah, before we were married, I worked initially in London, in Hambros Bank. Then I joined The City University in their computer room. Hard to believe now but the computer filled a whole room. The tall computer tape-reading wardrobe-size structures; the stacked readable discs which were the size of small hula hoops. Now we have mobile phones that fit in your hand!! After the children were old enough, I became a medical secretary, working for a practice that was split between two sites, and had about 10 doctors - not a regular number as it was a teaching practice too. My interest was sparked - so I took a degree in Natural Sciences with the Open University. Having lived in The Netherlands I didn't do any paid work after that. I now have the craft hobbies of quilting, crocheting and occasionally knitting. Cooking is a large part of my life too. Always aiming to help or please, although sometimes it is misconstrued. But that's life! It's good, Jan, that you have that sort of job that you can do as and when - especially since your knee accident, (shame on Morrison's, btw) especially as you have your plot to attend to as well.
I think my history is not as interesting as Tina's - as she is a natural storyteller, I would love to see a book about Tina's life experiences! Tina, every time you mention rice pudding, I have fond memories of my Mother used to make that a lot - as I had three older brothers, she had to keep their appetites sated. It was either that, or lots of pies, savoury or sweet - ha, sometimes both.
Oh, Iris, I bet you're glad all that work is now done. So the main woodburner is now in the garage? What is replacing that in the lounge/living room (?) as a central focus point. (I'm guessing it was in the lounge.) Lovely to have the hot water boiler installed though, so convenient. Have you bought some more yarn? I ordered some yesterday from my favourite Dutch shop, but it has just occurred to me, I wonder if I shall now have to pay import tax on it. Golly it isn't something I had thought about before!!
Yesterday I made another quilted 'caddy' for a Zimmer frame. The first I made for my sister-in-law, as I mentioned, but the second one is for her bestie, L, who has become an extension to our family. (They both have a walking frame.) She has been amazing at looking after both my brother after his hip operation and also SiL after her fall (both happened in August last year). A very generous-hearted lady. Interestingly I have some fabrics that are really lovely fabric, but in a pattern that I haven't had any idea just what I could use them for - for example, one of those that I used for the caddy is labelled as "Downton Abbey", it is a large ornate pattern - the sort you may see as wallpaper in the old-fashioned rooms. But for the caddies - perfect ! They were fairly easy to make, I made the one yesterday in one day, so I wondered whether to make some more for our local OAP's residence. I'll have to think on that! :-) Have a lovely day, ladies, x
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Post by ambersparkle on Jan 5, 2021 11:48:53 GMT
Morning Lasses, bit iffy here, but dry, and not cold. Going to keep my Hand in by making some little Syrup Sponges in the Microwave. Used a whole Tin of Evaporated Milk, in my Rice Pudding, plus Butter, it is yum! Puddings were invented, I think to fill any Space left when the main Meal was Meagre, being a lot less expensive, I always had to make the Rice Pudding, on top of the Stove in a big Pot, being the eldest, and Mother's little Helper, and like you Val, there were a lot of hungry Mouths to feed, and this is how they kept big Families fed, Soup, and Pudding, in Wartime. Remember Mum sending Mugs of Soup, she used to send me, to the Sentries, on Guard, on the Airfield we lived on the edge of, in return, the Men would do Jobs that you neeed a Man for, as Father was the first to go, being a Royal Navel Reservist, and he was posted to Africa. We had to get off the Airfield anyway, as we lived on an old Farm, with Five Barns, down the side of the House, and One of the Planes crashed into the end Barn to avoid the House, crashed on take off. Ih I could have unlocked the Cellar Door, I would not be here to tell the Tale, but we ran into the Street, strangly, Mum, had put a Rice Pudding in the old Range, and when we got back in, it was just done. You might wonder why I had to open the Celler, but Mum had the screaming Babies, We thought the Germans had started bombing. Better stop Story telling and do something useful. bye the noo. Tina xxx
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Post by irist on Jan 5, 2021 14:22:17 GMT
Afternoon ladies. Don't apologise for your storytelling, Tina. You keep us all smiling at your antics and reminiscences. I think it's colder than it was yesterday. The youngest lad working here started his apprenticeship yesterday and spent the whole time outside in the freezing cold drilling a hole through our thick granite wall. He was almost through by 4pm but the drill bit shattered. Bless him he has completed that hole this morning and now started a second. Feel so sorry for him but keep feeding all three of the workmen cups of tea. Having the water tank in is only half the work, Val. We sat last night watching TV in our lounge with duvets wrapped around us. OH had the best deal - the sofa bed is in the study/4th bedroom downstairs - with the warmth from the little woodburner which had been in use all day. We are promised that there will be hot water tonight but the work to connect the air source heat pump will start tomorrow. I was apprehensive when Boris announced a full lockdown from today as I wondered if the workmen would turn up today. After reading the restrictions on the Government site I was pleased to see that they could return to work here under Covid safe rules. I've been whizzing around, mask firmly on, sanitising surfaces etc after them. However, they are not good at switching off lights and closing doors so the house (apart from the room where we are holed up) is freezing. On the plus side, once all the work is complete each morning I won't have to clean out the fire, collect logs, relight it and keep jumping up and down to top up the fuel on the fire all day long. We will get a small log burner to replace the one taken out of the inglenook fireplace in the lounge. We had a near disaster when the chaps were removing the one with the back boiler. In order to pull it out they had to push the chimney liner up and whilst they were wriggling it around it dislodged the heavy slab at the top of the chimney through which the liner protruded. The senior plumber had to get up on the roof to manoeuvre it back into place but we will have to get our local builder in to recement it in place. Luckily the slab didn't fall through the roof. Yikes. Our children are almost the same ages, Val. Our daughter was 48 in October and our son 46 in May last year. I had two children 20 months apart and vowed no more! Love them dearly but OH wanted 4 as he had 4 siblings whereas my only brother died of a heart attack at 32 when I was 16 so always felt like an only child. My brother was an apprentice in the Navy when I was born - think I was a mistake but loved for all that. Mum was superstitious and blamed my arrival on a house move - apparently it was an old wives' tale that if you moved house you would have a child. I made lentil and ham soup for lunch with some crusty rolls. Went down a treat. For tonight I've taken out two of my home made meals from the freezer. I have had to quickly take a lot more bits and pieces out of two built in cupboards so the electrician could install wiring through them. I will have to rearrange them before I can get into bed tonight. Every room has been disturbed so it's going to take a while to reorganise everything. However, it's an opportunity to sort out old bed linen and towels and other items that have been in cupboards, unused, for years. Pity the charity shops aren't open Enjoy the rest of your day, whatever you are doing. Hope things are going well for Aly and that she is beginning to settle in her new home. Bye for now.
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Post by ambersparkle on Jan 5, 2021 15:42:29 GMT
Managed to get back on, yay! Had to give up on any baking, as my Legs were too painful, but managed to get an Iceland Delivery for Saturday, Tesco, were fully booked for two Weeks solid. There is not the same Grocery choice at Iceland, but you can get needful Basics. Had my eldest two Children only a Year apart, so both were in Nappies, and the Pram, at the same time, and they are never apart now, despite second Son, returning to his ex Wife, after 18 Years, you could not make it up! He spends more time with his Brother! All part of Life's rich Tapestry! What matters is we are all very close. Do hope everything is going well for you Aly, and your mess is soon behind you, Iris, and you are once more cleared up, and cosy! Am away to make my Dinner, be Rice Pudding again, but that aint no hardship! love T x
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Post by ambersparkle on Jan 5, 2021 15:46:21 GMT
I remember I was going to tell you about the two Years Training to become a Nanny with the Church of England, starting Chapter One Tomorrow!lol
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Post by brightspark on Jan 6, 2021 10:49:01 GMT
Huh, another year - and over to the new thread of 2021 ..
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