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cassandra
Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia
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 Posted: Sat Jul 04, 15 7:27 am Post subject: |
 
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My compost worms are quite partial to coffee grounds, I know that, and a good thing too as I seem to generate quite a large quantity what with my morning coffees!
I worry at time they might be overdosing but they seem to thrive on that and teabags (the food waste goes to the roosters right now as they still have their heads).
It was raining this morning when I woke up so I deferred starting the washing till I figured out what the weather had in mind. It cleared by around ten, but then the wind picked up, so once again doing the washing was put off. I popped into town for some chain bar lube and cut a barrow of wood and by that time the wind had dropped but it was already noon and it would take over half an hour to get the washing done, and by that time it would be time to be considering bringing in any washing on the line, so eventually nothing was done in that department.
Last night's pot roast was rather tasty. I will be cutting a couple more slices for dinner tonight which I will heat in some of the pan juices. The veges I thought I could mash roughly and fry up like bubble and squeak (without the cabbage and bacon) and see what happens. Since i am feeling rather peckish by now that will be happening very soon.
The third Ngaio Marsh that I started today did not appeal - the characters all seemed excessively over-characterised (nutty nudist peer, despairing wife, errant daughter in love with member of swing band that the peer is tympanist for, crazed letters to columnist at newspaper etc), so I put it to one side and picked up the autobiography of PD James who it turns out is quite a lot older than I had imagined. Very good read, set out as a daily diary with glimpses in to her present day but lots of reminiscent wanderings which are a delight to read. It is called 'Time to be in Earnest', so if you happen across it, get it out of the library.
Gregotyn, men do seem to prefer non-fiction, it has struck me as a bit of a gender thing. I suspect because men are less inclined toward the 'suspension of disbelief' that fiction sometimes requires. |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15598
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| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 15 7:35 am Post subject: |
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We managed to grow some azaleas over a bank of old lime plaster using tea leaves. We tend to get tea leaves rather than coffee grounds, as that is both our main drink, and we use instant coffee more than fresh. I would need to get them from a café.
Cassandra, glad to hear you had some helpers with the pavers. They deserve the merit points, so hope they carry forward until next term. You should be able to either work out, or not, the culprit in the Ngaio Marsh, even if you are missing a little bit. I have been good and have been reading through some journals that I ought to have been keeping up with.
Gregotyn, if you have never been used to reading, I suppose you will never take to it, but I have always read books. I don't watch TV that much, and don't like to work all the time, and reading is a relaxation. I do a Sudoko on the computer most days, and the puzzle page in the local paper every day too.
Husband and son bagged and delivered charcoal yesterday. I had stopped at the greengrocers down the road as he had English cherries in, when someone came along asking for charcoal 'without additives'. The greengrocer sold him the last bag, and introduced me as the producer, so an instant sale of 5 more bags to make up stock.
Unfortunately husband and son found someone had organised a run along the public footpath in the wood and stapled hazard tape and signs all over the place including into the trees. They removed it and the staples, and having looked it up, found it is a company charging £20 per person for the run. Result was a phone call to the organiser pointing out that as I hadn't given permission, their insurance might not be valid and telling them we have taken down their hazard tape. The are apparently going to risk it, and as they have also put fliers through the doors of all the houses down the lane saying they can't take their vehicles out between certain times, even though I don't think they have officially applied to close the road, they are not very popular. The proceeds are supposedly for the Scouts, so e-mail to GSL telling them that we are not happy, and would prefer to be told at the planning stage. |
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gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
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| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 15 10:19 am Post subject: |
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Thank you for that Jam Lady, never too old to learn and well worth a trip to the local coffee shop to see what they do with their grounds.
I liked 'once upon a time' the whodunnits, Cassandra, but not the how dunnits. I can't cope with gore and historical, which I see as cruelty. My neighbours are always off to the flicks to watch early justice being administered. I read a few of the horse racing novels by Dick Francis, enjoyed to some extent, just not the violence!I don't read much now, mainly due to chopping wood! If I read it is usually fact not fiction-how to do xyz. And I am addicted to Sudoku,- done 3 in car park waiting for the library-sad really! You can see how much I know-thought PD James was a bloke; thanks for correcting me without you even knowing! I am more likely to make a wormery than read a book, but the new project is a log store.
MR, I did read a fair few years ago but only what was prescribed at school and a bit in my 40's, but little fiction. At home I did the practical and my older brother did the academic for mother. He is a lawyer and I chop wood! Brains v Brawn!
There seem to be more and more doing for 'others' without the right approach-for their current 'ride over' the locals affected-I would drive up and down the lane all day. I won't give to many of the "charities" as their chief executives usually of the retired colonel variety, gets £100k for giving his name to it and very little else! As an ex scout it is a good thing to be doing and as I understand it they have moved with the times, but to be riding over locals is a classic error-folks talk to each other and folks don't forget and pass it on, these organisers need to remember that! I feel you should have a bit in the local paper, perhaps MR? I would also count the runners and then as the scouts how much they got.
I sold a large pressure washer to my neighbour from work, £2000 for an admittedly singing and dancing model. I delivered it yesterday and going to fetch my trailer back today. I am slowly beginning to gather that for which the prospect of becoming a Rolls Royce is dawning-or I'm getting a load of scrap together, so need the trailer at home. I must find out the prices, but I must also get rid of the rubbish! |
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Jam Lady
Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2507
Location: New Jersey, USA
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| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 15 5:26 pm Post subject: |
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The Internet was down this morning, router not working - something to do with the network. Very distressing, what with not able to check e-mail and peruse Downsizer. My IT guy, the one I'm married to, called the company and finally worked his way from automated to a real person to tech support. Automated said all was well but they are reporting on Pennsylvania portion. And that's not us. Tech support wanted the serial number information on the bottom of the router which would mean huddling on the floor while holding a flashlight, a magnifying glass, the telephone, paper and pencil. Awkward, to say the least. But clearly all is now well and I can happily chortle and say to you (shades of the terminator) "I'm back!"
Fireworks last night to celebrate the Glorious Fourth. Mail was delivered yesterday, but not today. Stores open yesterday (probably today also) but banks, library, etc closed which made it a 3-day weekend for them.
Drizzle-y rain today, pity for all the picnics, barbecues, and cookouts. I'm tempted to emulate the cats by yawning, washing my face, and then napping after the wild burst of activity. |
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cassandra
Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia
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| Posted: Sun Jul 05, 15 7:15 am Post subject: |
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MR you should tell them that if they intend to proceed you will expect them to contribute a tithe toward the maintenance and care of the paths they are using. Cheek. Some people see a bunch of trees and assume it is public property!
Gregotyn, I have no television reception, limited interest in spending my life on the computer, and so books provide me with a great escape from reality (which can be very tedious at times). Like MR I have read avidly from childhood - my first Little Golden Book I read for myself a the age of three. When I started school I had no idea what an alphabet was, but was happy to read quite complicated stories out for the teacher (who could not work out this apparent disparity). I can actually remember the surge of joy as the wriggly lines on the page became words I recognised! Wonderful stuff.
Jam Lady, I wish I had a resident computer tech, I find the conversations with the 'helpers' in India very frustrating. You can tell they are working their way down a check list and have not listened to a word you have said about things you have already tried doing. Grrr!
The PD James Biography is all over the shop. I am glad i am not a successful author as it seems to impose all manner of social and committee responsibilities. I have to wonder when she finds time to write. Between Book Tours, reading hundreds of novels for the Booker Prize judging process, travelling around the countryside to speak at various activities etc, I would be beyond exhausted after the first week I think. And there she is, 77 at the time of writing this, and wondering if she is doing enough!!! I will just cut a slice of teacake and eat it while contemplating my languid existence i think. |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15598
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| Posted: Sun Jul 05, 15 8:02 am Post subject: |
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There are quite a lot of novels that don't have violence in them Gregotyn. One lot of factual/novels you might like is by Gervaise Phinn, who was a school inspector. No violence in them, but a lot of humour.
As you say Cassandra, a little mental stimulation. I think I learnt the alphabet and learnt to read when I was about 4. I could certainly read when I went to school, and was on to the hard backed Beacon readers by six at the latest.
We took some stuff to the scrappie a little while ago and it was worth a bit, although not a fortune. If you haven't been for some time, but prepared to be asked for ID and to have the money put in a bank account.
We totally lack the fourth of July as celebration Jam Lady. Our next bank holiday is in August, but hope you have a good time.
I hope they won't do too much damage in the wood. It is very dry at the moment, so they shouldn't compact it too much. I certainly wouldn't consider running over it as it is rutted and uneven.
We had a good day yesterday, although rather tiring. In the morning we had our volunteer group. The active group finished fencing one area and the less active group did more flora surveying. We had someone from the neighbouring parish countryside department who wanted to learn more about flora surveying. He had learnt about how to do a Class 1 survey, but didn't have much practical experience, and didn't know the sorts of plants we are likely to see on our land, which is quite similar to one of the areas he is responsible for down the road a couple of miles.
In the afternoon we went to a Hands On Day and I had another lesson in splitting off long slivers from hazel rods to make baskets. I hadn't remembered quite how to do it, and now realise that I have to find a method for myself, as the one I was shown involved bending the rod round my knee, which is not a good idea long term. Need to do more of this as I really want to make the baskets. It makes sense as we have lots of hazel, and some of it is good enough quality. |
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Jam Lady
Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2507
Location: New Jersey, USA
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| Posted: Sun Jul 05, 15 2:54 pm Post subject: |
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I would find it astonoshing if you celebrated the Fourth of July, Mistress Rose. Unless, that is, the UK has decided it was all for the best and you are well rid of us <grin>
I read compulsively. For entertainment I like science fiction and fantasy, mysteries, and - what to call it - lifestyle or chick lit. Text on packages if there's nothing else available. Rely on the library because if I don't like a book I don't feel obliged to finish reading it and there is no regret about having laid out money for it. Also - perhaps more importantly, I don't have to find space to shelve it. We have bookcases in the living room, in the guest bedroom, bookshelves in my study, in husband's office, more bookcases on the lower landing of the staircase, one bookcase in the kitchen, books in boxes. Lots of books.
We unplugged from cable television quite some time ago. I do watch Downton Abbey on my computer when the season comes around (it is available right after the new episode is shown on TV) but found the last season not as delightful as the first couple of seasons. Loved Wolf Hall, sorry I missed watching the first episode. Watched the first episode of Poldark and see no need to watch any more. Cannot recall when was the last time the TV was actually turned on.
I can use a computer but don't understand them, any more than I really know what is happening when I flick the light switch on or off. It was our daughter who decided I should become a dot com and set up my web site when she and the girls were living here quite some time ago while they were between houses. I can write the html coding but it is really more an act of imitation than proper literacy. Husband finds computers as fascinating as I do plants and gardening. To each their own.
I've made baskets from vines and roots. Great fun, and even useful. Not tried making withes from ash - do tell how you get on Mistress Rose. |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15598
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| Posted: Mon Jul 06, 15 6:59 am Post subject: |
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I tend to read detective fiction quite a lot, because I like the mental exercise I suppose, and quite a lot of non-fiction when I can get it, as our libraries seem to have dumbed down lately. There is more Mills and Boon, chick lit I suppose you might call it, and less good solid stuff. On TV I watch more documentaries and a few quiz programmes, but not a great deal. We don't have cable or satellite TV, but do have Freeview, which gives us more channels. They all seem to show the old programmes from the main channels though so we can se things like Time Team again.
Sowed some more carrots and salsify yesterday, so must keep them moist now and hope they come up. Also managed to card some alpaca fleece, and started spinning, but gave up when the thread kept breaking. It is lovely and soft but harder to spin than wool.
We had the first of our own potatoes for dinner last night, so rather pleased about that. They were lovely too. |
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cassandra
Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia
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| Posted: Mon Jul 06, 15 7:01 am Post subject: |
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I am impressed. I have no idea what html coding is, let alone how to do it. Like you Jam Lady, I will read the labels of food containers if there is nothing else available, and have been known to resort to my Arthur Mee's Children's Encyclopaedia (in 12 volumes) if all else fails.
It is presently three degrees, so any idea of outdoor celebrations is well outside my range of interest right now. I finished off my pot roast by make the last of the meat into a toasted sandwich with some horseradish sauce. And very nice it was too.
I have made the odd wreath from the long thin ends of weeping willow from time to time, but otherwise that is the full extent of my basket weaving. I suspect I lack the patience to do it well, so there is no point in even starting. Though a willow wreath is a useful base for a Christmas Door decoration if nothing else.
For reasons best known to itself FB has finally let me friend MR! So now we can chat in other areas as well. I do hope she doesn't find my endless stream of political dramas too wearing or depressing.
My reading is frequently in the Sci Fi/Fantasy spectrum too Jam Lady - I am a big fan of Andre Norton, Tamora Pierce, MacCafferey etc and have most of their books. The ones I don't are all ones I have owned at various times but passed on to niece and friends when moving house or for suddenly remembered birthdays, lol. |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15598
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Jam Lady
Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2507
Location: New Jersey, USA
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| Posted: Mon Jul 06, 15 4:00 pm Post subject: |
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Re: books - fiction that is. I open my mouth these days and find that I'm channeling my mother, who used to complain that there was too much sex and violence in novels. I'd say "Yeah, Ma." and roll my eyes. These days - too much sex and violence mostly with no relationship to a plot, more like filling a quota.
Authors I have enjoyed - anything (fantasy / sci fi) by Ursula LeQuinn, ditto (mystery or sci fi with a touch of fantasy) by Kate Wilhelm, (feminist) Marge Piercy (who has also written some great poetry.) Cyberpunk - earlier books by William Gibson, not his current work. Diana Gabaldon - would you class this as fantasy or historical fiction with a touch of sci fi? Barbara Hambly - wonderful fantasy, ditto historical fiction.
Series begin to disenchant me though. The first few are great but since they sell well the author is encouraged by publisher / agent / readership to keep going and they seem to run out of steam - George R. R. Martin with Song of Ice and Fire (and the two T.V. episodes that I saw were even more violent / more sexualized), or S. M. Stirling with his Nantucket / Emberverse novels.
cassandra, If you look to the left of the page where you are writing your topic reply there's something under options that says HTML is ON The coding is what we use to make hot links on-line, it's that https://www. stuff that brings you to some site, and things that make the paragraph breaks, line breaks, underline, italics, etc.
This Saturday is a mushroom society culinary group lunch. The theme is Caribbean. I volunteered to make ropa viejo, which translates as "old clothes." It's a slow cooked shredded beef dish. I am now trying to "convert" the recipe I want to use from oven to slow cooker so I don't heat up the house. Any thoughts? |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15598
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| Posted: Tue Jul 07, 15 5:54 am Post subject: |
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If your slow cooker has a recipe book with it, go for the nearest to it and use the timings in that and the recipe you want to use. Mine says that veg takes longer than meat, so if your recipe contains veg, give it far longer than you would expect. It depends on the size of meat you are cooking. For a beef joint to fall apart, mine is something like 5 hours on high for a 2-3 lb joint of slow roasting beef such as brisket. Have fun. 
I helped to put the wood on the cutting rack as we prepared for another charcoal burn yesterday. While husband and son were out getting more, I had another go at splitting hazel for baskets. I found a couple of good, fairly thin rods and had a go at them. The first one went quite well, the second was a bit thicker, so I had to start it further down, but got some bits off it. I then managed to split the core for the full length using the small knife I had used to lift the start of the original spelk. As I am hopeless at splitting, I was rather pleased with that, and must try some using the bill hook. I will get there one day I hope. |
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cassandra
Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia
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| Posted: Tue Jul 07, 15 7:23 am Post subject: |
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Sorry MR, I did warn you, lol. You can remain friends with me but 'unfollow' me. Go to my home page (click on my name) and at the top, below the photo banner on the right hand side you will find a button that says 'following'. Click on that and select unfollow and you will no longer get my feed but will find me to message me, and I can 'tag' you if I find something you may like.
When I took the dogs out for their late night wee last night I discovered it had snowed lightly. By this morning it had snowed a bit more, but not with any great enthusiasm, so the ground was quite spotty and odd looking. It was heavy enough to discourage me from setting off to Hobart too early, so it as about tennish by the time I left home. Headed into Oatlands for some fuel and discovered I was still wearing my heavy boots. Not only that but I had left my cash behind, so I had to head home once more to sort that out, and then headed down via a back road.
The main mission was once again to obtain prescription cat food, but I was also looking for a great aid to counted cross stitch that a friend has, which is a small magnetic board that sits behind the pattern, holding it straight, and magnetic strips that show you which row you are up to. I went to three stores, but none had them, though the last one had some flexible strips with magnetic holders that have a slot cut in them so you can see two rows of pattern at a time. These will be very handy when I am doing vast expanses of sky and meadow, but when I have lots of single stitches in one colour scattered around (as in the wheat ears) I prefer to be able to see more than two rows. This is where the magnetic strips come in handy as they allow you to select one square of the grid and work that before moving on. Having got home I found what I was after on Amazon - so much for supporting local business!!
We are aiming for minus five tonight so I have lit the fire and have it raging at present to bring the house up to a temperature that will withstand the cold seeping in through the glass of the window and gaps around doors. I will soon be shutting down the rest of the house and confining myself to the loungeroom, and trying to remember to put a pot of porridge on before bedtime so I have some for breakfast tomorrow. |
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gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
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| Posted: Tue Jul 07, 15 2:03 pm Post subject: |
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Oooh, snow Cassandra, I love it, just not the temperature that is associated, I hope the dogs have fun in it! I am not happy with the library closing on Monday as I read all you girls say but am not that quick at absorbing it so have to keep going back to see I have the right 'end of the stick', which with someone like me whose typing is slow to put it mildly I lose my traln of thought that way too. I wouldn't be much of a liar as I can't remember what I said in the first place-age I suspect! The best part of winter is porridge in the am.
Do you use a special tool for splitting hazel MR? I seem to remember watching a chap making hurdles at a show and he was doing it from start to finish, but I can't remember now how he did it, but it was just in half-I would have thought that you needed to soak the split hazel to make it turn corners on baskets, but I know nothing.
I will ask for a Gervaise Phinn novel, MR, and see how I get on, though a lot to do if I am to visit Aus, next year. I am trying to build up my stock of kindling, got next years ready but then it is this year's still to do. I am still selling it as well-at this time of the year!
I went to the srappies last spring and was going to do more ,but other things got in the way so it is only now as needs must that I will start again. The amount of cash I got was about £11 so as you see not really worth the trouble but I have to get rid of it so may as well do a shop at the same time-it is a Saturday thing before the library opens! I think the basket making for you, MR, is a natural extension to your current range of craft work.
I wonder if you have the local library as we do here Cassandra to help you with those services that computers supply, and you haven't sussed. I am in the same boat as you, but all I have got has been through courses arranged by the council, but it was the librarians that got me started when I was on the dole, and introduced me to 'he other place!' Jam Lady is lucky to have an in-house technician. But it has been a great journey for me to get as far as I have with pooting- I wouldn't have had any chance on my own and even now 'loose things' I have written and have to go back-all good fun! Thursday it is then! |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15598
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| Posted: Wed Jul 08, 15 7:12 am Post subject: |
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I will unfollow you if I find it too much Cassandra. I also have 'town' clothes and 'wood' clothes. They swap over to some extent, but boots/shoes are always the thing that change for me too. That device sounds useful. I don't do too much embroidery, but when I do I do occasionally get slightly lost, but so far have managed without aids. Hope you keep warm during this cold snap. It has cooled a little here. Last week was too hot, but it has cooled down to just below 20 deg. C, which is far more civilised.
Gregotyn, for splitting hazel rods it is usual to use a bill hook. I was using a small knife to start the split of the bits for the basket, and I continued to use the knife for splitting the core. I will have to try it again with the bill hook. I have my own that has a smaller handle than normal, but wonder if the whole thing is just too big. I will cogitate and come up with an answer sometime I expect. Perhaps I will try the spar hook we have that is meant for pointing the ends.
We have another charcoal firing today. I have shopping so won't be involved until this afternoon, so I will be on the evening shift.
We went out for a meal last night to celebrate our 42nd wedding anniversary. Was quite good, and nice to go out for a meal. I have started an aran cardigan. I got the pattern off the internet, so am hoping that it is going to be all right. So far I am working out one odd stitch, but it is going fairly well. It is fairly loose knitted, so it should be warm but not a particularly hard wearing result, so it will be an indoors and going out one, which is what I want. I got the wool, and it is wool, a load of knitting needles and some patterns, some of them back to the 1950s, for £10 at the auction at the Skill share day last Saturday. A bargain. |
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