Murky start so far so I have stripped ou bed and started cleaning. Went to see the chooks and take them a couple of courgettes and they were all clustering round my feet and following me into the polytunnel - until Cosmos henherd turned up too.  I removed him.
In the absence of other possibilities at the mo, Possum has signed herself up for web design classes.  It seems that if/when one of us takes her up to Belgium to fetch stuff we have to quarantine for a week tho quite who is going to police that if we turn up, pack some gear and turn round is not clear. Â
It's still fairly warm here @Pat E and damp too at the mo. Hope your rain and gales go by quickly @Fairygirl but expect they're par for the course up your way.
Did anyone watch the Bake Off last night? None of them knew what a Sussex Pond pudding was! They can't all be so young they've never eaten a steamed pudding surely?
The neighbour who gives us eggs has been round with sixteen small lettuce plants to grow on for next year, OH is now constructing a framework for netting to keep the sparrows off otherwise there will be none left by the spring. He also told us that there are Covid cases in the village (not ours) further along the road, we shall continue to keep ourselves to ourselves apart from a quick shop for supplies.
I enjoyed Bake Off @Obelixx, but always difficult when it gets nearer the end, and people have to go. Young fairylet watches it with me, and she was intrigued by the whole lemon scenario. Not something I've ever fancied making, and I love lemons. My girls don't particularly care for steamed puddings - too stodgy and heavy I think. Rain went off, more or less, so walk was brisk but not too wet. Quieter too A good alternative - web design. My nephew started up a business with a friend doing exactly that. They sold the company last year for a large amount, and I think he's quite glad, considering the current circumstances. I was slightly annoyed when I was out, and it got to 11am, and I could hear kids up at the school shouting and laughing etc, as it was clearly their break. You'd think the authorities would amend that for today. I think it's very important that we definitely should not forget, especially as the physical links are becoming more fragile every year.Â
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Sorry everyone. Your posts didnât show up until I put that last one on. Best wishes to everyone. Our Remembrance Day ceremonies were modified here as well. Only a few special oldies brought out to represent their fallen mates from so long ago. They did have lovely flower images  on the Opera House Sails in Sydney.  Looked lovely.Â
I have never made or eaten a Sussex Pond pud @Fairygirl but I know it's a classic pud, designed to be cheap, but warming.  It's been on my list of puds to try for years but we can't get suet here and it was never a priority when I did go to the British store in Belgium.  Â
That injected jelly thing was a complete faff. Japanese according to Possum but not sure how many domestic cooks would be doing it on a regular basis, if at all. Individual cheesecakes maybe. Steamed suet puds yes.  I didn't think any of those jellies looked appetising.  For me a grown up jelly is one made with sparkling wine and doesn't need cake or mousse.
The sun is shining strongly now and the chooks have finally discovered the lovely dry bed on the right hand side of the polytunnel. It has deep, hen sized dust bath holes now. Meanwhile, Rasta doggy (13 and a half) is in puppy mode. She's convinced there is a critter under the big 6 sheet slab of corrugated roofing in what was the wildflower meadow and is trying to dig and squeeze underneath it.  That'll be her 3rd bath in a week then.
Hi folks, Grey and dark here. Have been out to the garden centre to pick up a few violas and fat balIls for the birds. I'm lounging around watching tv this afternoon with nothing planned. Have some knitting to start, cardigans for the boys, but I'm not convinced about the colour of the wool I bought. Think I need Secondborn to check it first before I start. Have a good day everyone.
@Obelixx  I am sure you know that you can get "fresh" suet here from the butcher.  The fat around lambs' kidneys - comes in a lump and needs to be grated.  My butcher used to give it to me for nothing.  Now, I use Mary Berry's recipe for Christmas steamed pud. Didn't the Hairy Bikers do a Sussex Pond Pud once?
I'm also lounging around @Yviestevie and can't get motivated today. I've just done some very half-hearted exercises in the bedroom but couldn't manage more than 4 'star' jumps before I gave up. The sky's gone a very peculiar yellowish stormy looking colour and the wind is rising so not conducive to any gardening. We watched Bake Off for only the 2nd time ever (lack of anything else interesting). I'd never heard of Sussex Pond pudding and couldn't conceive of cooking a whole lemon inside a suet pastry case - why? Do remember suet puddings though but was never very keen on them and thought they'd been out of fashion for years - too stodgy by half and a faff to make. Never liked dumplings either. Oh well, time for a cuppa.
The only suet pudding I really liked was Spotted Dick, but I haven't had one for years.
They do have the silence here @Obelixx, but it's around the village war memorial. Every village has one and people go for a brief ceremony which includes 2 minutes silence. I have been several times but not always my village. When my children were at primary school in the next village I used to go to that one as the school children were asked to go. I don't suppose it happened today because of lockdown.
It's been a very busy day. A really nice couple, Welsh, came to help load the skip. He sawed up the broken down grand piano and unplugged the defunct washing machine and they are both in the skip, so is the big sofa (very old) from the bedroom. That was a struggle coming down the stairs. I put bags of stuff, like hardbacked books and general clutter, in the veranda then she barrowed it out to the skip. There is still stuff, hardly started on outbuildings, except the stable, but it's all stuff I can manage like broken garden tools. He dealt with the BBQ that was in the garage.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
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Murky start so far so I have stripped ou bed and started cleaning. Went to see the chooks and take them a couple of courgettes and they were all clustering round my feet and following me into the polytunnel - until Cosmos henherd turned up too.  I removed him.
In the absence of other possibilities at the mo, Possum has signed herself up for web design classes.  It seems that if/when one of us takes her up to Belgium to fetch stuff we have to quarantine for a week tho quite who is going to police that if we turn up, pack some gear and turn round is not clear. Â
It's still fairly warm here @Pat E and damp too at the mo. Hope your rain and gales go by quickly @Fairygirl but expect they're par for the course up your way.
Did anyone watch the Bake Off last night? None of them knew what a Sussex Pond pudding was! They can't all be so young they've never eaten a steamed pudding surely?
im going to bed. Fed up with TV. Luckily Iâve got a good book to amuse me.Â
Rain went off, more or less, so walk was brisk but not too wet. Quieter tooÂ
A good alternative - web design. My nephew started up a business with a friend doing exactly that. They sold the company last year for a large amount, and I think he's quite glad, considering the current circumstances.Â
I was slightly annoyed when I was out, and it got to 11am, and I could hear kids up at the school shouting and laughing etc, as it was clearly their break. You'd think the authorities would amend that for today. I think it's very important that we definitely should not forget, especially as the physical links are becoming more fragile every year.Â
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I have never made or eaten a Sussex Pond pud @Fairygirl but I know it's a classic pud, designed to be cheap, but warming.  It's been on my list of puds to try for years but we can't get suet here and it was never a priority when I did go to the British store in Belgium.  Â
That injected jelly thing was a complete faff. Japanese according to Possum but not sure how many domestic cooks would be doing it on a regular basis, if at all. Individual cheesecakes maybe. Steamed suet puds yes.  I didn't think any of those jellies looked appetising.  For me a grown up jelly is one made with sparkling wine and doesn't need cake or mousse.
The sun is shining strongly now and the chooks have finally discovered the lovely dry bed on the right hand side of the polytunnel. It has deep, hen sized dust bath holes now. Meanwhile, Rasta doggy (13 and a half) is in puppy mode. She's convinced there is a critter under the big 6 sheet slab of corrugated roofing in what was the wildflower meadow and is trying to dig and squeeze underneath it.  That'll be her 3rd bath in a week then.
We watched Bake Off for only the 2nd time ever (lack of anything else interesting). I'd never heard of Sussex Pond pudding and couldn't conceive of cooking a whole lemon inside a suet pastry case - why? Do remember suet puddings though but was never very keen on them and thought they'd been out of fashion for years - too stodgy by half and a faff to make. Never liked dumplings either.
Oh well, time for a cuppa.
They do have the silence here @Obelixx, but it's around the village war memorial. Every village has one and people go for a brief ceremony which includes 2 minutes silence. I have been several times but not always my village. When my children were at primary school in the next village I used to go to that one as the school children were asked to go. I don't suppose it happened today because of lockdown.
It's been a very busy day. A really nice couple, Welsh, came to help load the skip. He sawed up the broken down grand piano and unplugged the defunct washing machine and they are both in the skip, so is the big sofa (very old) from the bedroom. That was a struggle coming down the stairs. I put bags of stuff, like hardbacked books and general clutter, in the veranda then she barrowed it out to the skip. There is still stuff, hardly started on outbuildings, except the stable, but it's all stuff I can manage like broken garden tools. He dealt with the BBQ that was in the garage.