Love Like A Penguin

This wonderful image is from Tobias Baumgaertner. He spent three fully nights with the penguin colony, and was unable to use any lights. He writes:
"During times like this the truly lucky ones are those that can be with person/people they love most. I captured this moment about a year ago. These two Fairy penguins poised upon a rock overlooking the Melbourne skyline were standing there for hours, flipper in flipper, watching the sparking lights of the skyline and ocean. A volunteer approached me, and told me the while one was an elderly lady who had lost her partner, and apparently so did the younger male to the left. Since then, they meet regularly comforting each other, and standing together for hours watching the dancing lights of the nearby city."

It is a beautiful picture, and a beautiful story - two creatures reaching out and comforting each other.

A Gold Necklace for Christmas

It was the weekend before Christmas. All of the Christmas cards had been displayed, the decorations had been hung, and the last few ornaments had been added to the Christmas tree. In the kitchen, Anne was preparing the soup for Christmas dinner, and in the oven a Pavlova was cooking. Silently, the front door opened, and Jim tried to escape without notice. However, the icy blast from the open door gave him away.

Looking towards the door, Anne said,"Jim, where are you going? It's dark, and it's snowing a blizzard." Jim replied in his smooth, calm voice, "It's okay, dear. I'm just popping out for a present." "What? We've bought all the presents. We don't need any more."  By the front door, Jim shuffled his feet like a naughty schoolboy. This shopping trip was for her present.

He'd been asking Anne for the last couple of months what she would like for Christmas, and each time, the answer was the same, a gold necklace. Each time he asked he secretly hoped the answer might be different. Gold necklaces were not cheap, and their finances were a little strained. Just over a year ago, they had bought a new house, but changes in interest rates meant what had been a comfortable mortgage monthly repayment was now, well, let's just say things were tight. All the basics were covered, but a gold necklace, expenditure on this scale had not been budgeted for. But, if that was what Anne wanted, then that was what Jim was going to give her. Jim had just been paid. Money could be moved around, and they could tighten their belts another notch. After the struggles of the last year, Jim wanted Anne to have a lovely Christmas.

Jim popped his head into the kitchen, "It's okay, dear. Just one more present." Anne was tired, and wanted to sit down and rest, "Don't be daft. Sit down and peel the carrots." "I can't, it's for you. I need to go, now." he blurted, Anne looked at him in a quizzical manner, "What are you up to?" And that's when he explained he was off to buy her a gold necklace. So much for secrets! Anne stared at him, "We can't afford that!" 

Puzzlement  was written large on Jim's face, "But, but, every time I asked you said you wanted  a gold neckless". Anne looked confused, and then exploded with laughter, "You silly man. I have no idea what I want, and a gold necklace - I might as well have asked for the moon. We can't afford a gold necklace, but I  love you so much for wanting to buy me one."

Jim took off his coat, and started peeling the carrots. The grand plan had be scuppered. What to do, what to do? A few hours later, after Anne was asleep, Jim smiled. He had a new plan.

On Christmas morning, Jim told the story of the Christmas present, and proffered Anne two new presents, a box of Terry's All Gold Milk Chocolate, and a ball of string. He smiled as he explained he couldn't afford a real gold necklace, but now Anne had everything she needed to make her own.

Virtual Travel Blog - Day 4

I had no idea Highgrove was so close to Gloucester; it's only a 40 minute drive.

Very close to Highgrove in a polo club, and it even advertises that it's open to the public. We did think of visiting, but it's a Saturday and Sunday thing, and today's but a Friday. We felt the wait would be a smidge long.

This did prompt a discussion on various sports we would like to see. My preference is for elephant polo. That would indeed be a sight to see! The Beloved would like to go to the Monaco Grand Prix. Lilo would like LARPing with a grand melee. All the weapons would need to be 'abnormal' weapons - frying pans, strings of sausages etc. Stitch has a very interesting idea, the Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling. (A 4kg ms) round of Double Gloucester cheese is sent rolling down the hill, and competitors then start racing down the hill after it. If no one catches the cheese, then the first person over the finish line at the bottom of the hill wins the cheese. When asked why, she just smiled and said "Cheese!" Sadly, we are two weeks too early for such cheesy goodness. Perhaps next year.

Highgrove gardens are stunning. Apart from the other people, it was place of great peace. I love the ratio of house to grounds. I really don't want a large house, but I would like a largish garden. There are several features of Highgrove I would love to use, the bluebells, the sundial garden, and the lavender lined walks.

I'd love a section of garden dedicated to apple trees, with swathes of bluebells below, and cherry trees to the side. There would also be a garden sofa, a cool place to sit and craft in the summer, or perhaps even dine. At the rear of the house would be a beautiful stone terrace, edged in lavender. There would be a dining area and an outdoor kitchen. At the other side there would be a sundial. The third part of grounds would contain a green house and kitchen garden.

Virtual Travel Blog - Day 3

Last time we were in Gloucester, Lilo and Stitch took us to their favourite Chinese restaurant, the Shanghai Restaurant, Bristol Road. It's where they go for celebrations. It is also my favourite Chinese restaurant.

When I was first diagnosed with Coeliac Disease, it could be a bit tricky going out to eat. This is one of the reasons I like Alessandro's so much, I always have a lovely choice of foods there. There is a requirement in the UK to provide tables of ingredients for food. As more people become aware of food allergies and intolerances it becomes easier to visit new restaurants and have enjoyable meals.

The Shanghai Restaurant has a set price for the meal. You can order as much food as you want, and provided you eat it the food order they will keep serving. This cuts down on waste considerably. There are other set price buffet restaurants where you are given a plate, and you can load it up. There is so much waste in that model.

It is so wonderful to be able to have a Chinese meal again. I did try at home, but both times ended up with a slightly dodgy tummy. There was some gluten creeping in. But not so at Shanghai, it was a pleasure from beginning to end. The only down side is they are unable to do a gluten-free batter. I was able to go off menu a little, asking for stir fried pork and vegetables with a sweet and sour sauce. It was so good, and it made me so happy.

Virtual Travel Blog - Day 2

(Inhales deeply) Last night's sleep was a great deal more restful than the previous night's. I'm up and raring to go. I've made some pancakes for the Beloved for when he wakes, and now I'm off to explore. As the cake, coffee and craft session is near the cathedral I'm going to head in that general direction and pootle around in the cathedral gardens until  Miju Wools opens.

A nice bit of Gothic architecture always makes me happy. Another thing that makes me happy is when people provide gluten-free nom-noms! There's lemon drizzle cake on offer this morning, along with equally glorious, but not quite so tasty yarn from the West Yorkshire Spinners.

Knitters, crocheters and crafters will always have something to chat about. We talked about various different knitting techniques, and a load of other stuff random subjects too.

Back at the apartment, The Beloved was in the middle of making bacon sandwiches. Very soon it was accompanied by a lovely pot of Earl Grey, hot, with lemon. This man knows me so well!

After lunch we had a little wander around the Quays. I don't often buy from these shops, but it's nice to see what I don't want to buy. Then, after dinner we headed to the cinema and watched the new Artemis Fowl film. It was good, but it only bore a passing resemblance to the books. This rather disappointed me.

Virtual Travel Blog

Elly's trip to the Faroe Islands has given me itchy feet. I want so much to travel, and to see Lilo and Stitch. Here's the start of my virtual travel Blog. I'm trying to make this as realistic as possible, or within the realms of what will be possible when travel between the Isle of Man and the UK returns to normal, businesses are open, and people are able to freely associate.

Self-isdolation is over, and we can travel freely again. My deepest desire is to visit Lilo and Stitch. I just want to hold my daughter in my arms, and probably have a little cry.

Last night, my Beloved surprised me with tickets to go to Gloucester. Yes, there were some tears, and then a wave of concern regarding Ava, but the Younger Offspring has decided to stay home and look after the dog. It's just going to be the Beloved and me.

I've no idea how I managed to sleep. I was so excited! The excitement lasted all the way through to getting our cabin on the ferry. We are now underway. The song of Morpheus and the gentle rocking of the boat is lulling me to sleep.

The turbines! We must be close!

Getting off the ferry is an exercise in 'hurry up and wait'. I'm ready to go, my bag is packed, and now I'm twiddling my thumbs. … We're in the car, sitting and waiting. … And off we go! I'm going to see my Stitch!

The bypass road is fantastic. It used to be all the traffic from the ferry would have to travel through Lancaster, and it took for ever! Now, there are just a few slow spots before we get onto the motorway network, and from there a clear roads southwards.

It always feels a bit strange, we're on the boat for four hours, drive for an hour, and it's lunch time. It's easiest stopping at place like Tebay, but we're heading in the wrong direction. Oh, that reminds me, there's 'Tebay of the south' at Gloucester Services. We must go there this time! When Tebay isn't available, Marks and Spencer provides a good gluten-free, chilli-free, low-dairy lunch. But last time we stopped at a Waitrose on the M6, and I bought Wild Rice and Halloumi Salad. I've bought it again today, and have remembered to pick up a fork! Clever me.

The weather has been glorious, blue skies and wispy clouds. I've discovered I can't crochet whilst in a car. The movement is too great. However, as ever in the crafting department, I have come prepared. My interchangeable needle set, and a ball of yarn was in my bag. That's most of a hat knitted.

It's great to be back on the Docks in Gloucester. The apartment in the Barge Arm feels like my holiday home. It's such a calm, relaxing place to be, a comfortable minimalism. The apartarment is in the middle of things. There's a large arts and crafts fayre happening at the weekend, and I'm so looking forward to it. Lilo and Stitch will be round soon for dinner. As it's been such a lovely day it's going to be salads, cheeses and fruit.

Oh the first hug was the very best! It's so hard being apart when bad things happen, but holding my little one in my arms release a load of tension I didn't know I was carrying. There were tears, they simply fell, but then came the laughter, and of course, the board games. Some things never change.

Mamma, I Miss The Beach

Along time ago, in a garden not too far away, that's right, the one out the front, although the back garden is also involved., there was sand. Not soft, fine sand, but builders sand, the sand used in mortar. More on the sand a little later.

Before Ava came to live with us, the big back gate blew down in a storm. This left a space large enough to get a car in and out very simply. The back garden was open to the lane behind the house. One of the requirements for getting a rescue dog is to have a secure garden, and we did not meet this criterion. Work began to create a parking space at the back, and a nice high wall, with a door. Unfortunately the lane behind our house is so wiggly and narrow the delivery trucks from the builders merchant was not able to deliver the sand, cement, bricks and breeze blocks to the back. They were put in the front garden, and had to be carried/wheeled through the house. I managed to move at least 1 tonne of breeze blocks.

The builder misjudged the amount of sand required. He found the brick pavers out the back had been laid on a lovely amount of sand, and use the old sand rather than the new. (Told you the sand would return.) This left almost a tonne of sand in the back garden. I have been thinking 'I must remove this' for months and months.

Today is the day it starts. The first five buckets of sand have been moved from the front to the back. A plastic painting sheet has placed on the brick pavers, and I'm slowly moving my little dune.

Ava is quite delighted with this. She has a beach in her back garden! She sat down on the sand and the look on her face was priceless.

Today's To Do
✓ make bed
✓ cycle for 10 minutes
✓ wash laundry
✓ dry laundry
o put away laundry
o plant strawberries
✓ move two five seven buckets of sand from the front garden to the back
o declutter the porch

Moving the sand will definitely count to my exercise minutes! Whilst I'm filling the bucket I'm squatting, and then actually carrying it physical effort too.

Time for a Holiday

On facebook two of my friends have a friend, Elly. She is the one point of overlap in their lives. I've become friends with her too. She is autistic, and her mind works in wonderfully strange ways at times.

This weekend she decided to take a trip to the Faroe Islands,  virtual tour. She planned her journey, and has blogged about the things she has 'seen and experience' on the way. It's been a fabulous piece of creative writing/travel blogging. 

I'd like to play too. On Friday I'm going to go to the Gloucester area. There will be a little bit of time travel involved as I don't want to enter a Covid-19 closed Gloucester. Instead, I want time there when I can visit Lilo and Stitch, browse around a market on the quayside, go out for dinner (definitely including the Chinese restaurant), visit craft shops, take a craft class., and join a 'coffee and craft' session. There will also be time to visit other places in the area, and maybe even take a trip to London to see the Lion King.

No IronMay This Year

With so many places around the world being in lockdown or quarantine there will be very few people who will be able to take part in the IronMay Triathlon.

Two solutions have been advanced. The first is that the triathlon can become a biathlon (running and cycling). The second is based around 17 hours, the time allowed for competitive ultra triathlons. The suggestion is to complete 17 hours of exercise in the month of May. This would workout at 32.9 minutes each day. It can be any form of exercise, walking, running, cycling, yoga, weight training.

Given the restrictions we are currently experiencing, and the lack of general energy I am suffering with, the later option sounds like the best one for me just now.

I'm going to increase my daily cycling to 10 minutes, and look into yoga on youtube.

Temperature Blanket 2020

Yarn: Deramores Studio DK
Composition: 100% acrylic
Colour: Ruby (70006)
Colour: Burnt Orange (70059)
Colour: Citrine (70042
Colour: Fir (70012)
Colour: Lapis (70016)
Colour: Aubergine (70010)
Colour: Lavender (70008)
Pattern: double crochet
Size: single bed sized (135x200cm)
Hook: 5mm
Amount used:
Started: 17th Apr 2020
Finished:

I've been meaning to start a Temperature Blanket for ages, and now seems just the right time.

Each stripe on the blanket will record the highest temperature for that day. Looking at last year's statistics, there was a range of 6-24°C. So far this year, things have been a little warmer. My plan is to have the following temperature intervals:

6-8°C (lavender)

9-11°C (aubergine)

12-14°C (lapis)

15-17°C (fir)

18-20°C (citrine)

21-23°C (burnt orange)

24°C+ (ruby)

I am anticipating making a border in ruby to finish it all off.

Crochet is still pretty new to me. I haven't yet managed to acquire the skill of making a chain, measuring it, and the subsequent item being the same size as the starting chain. To combat this I make a long, long chain in aubergine, and starting at the very beginning of the chain working a row of double crochets into the chain. The excess chain was ripped back. From there it has been as simple as working a row of double crochet in the corresponding colour for each day.

I did toy with the idea of always working with the right side facing me. This would have created 2 ends of yarn for every single row. Weaving in, or crocheting over more than 700 ends is now my scene. Instead, my rule has been to always start new colours on the right hand side (with right side facing me). When there are multiple rows of the same colour, I turn the blanket at the end of the row and crochet back. This results in an interesting texture.

Today's To Do

Yesterday's smaller tasks made it so much easier to get things done. I shall do the same again today.

✓ make bed
✓ cycle for 5 minutes (ooops, managed 10 minutes)
✓ wash laundry
✓ dry laundry
o put laundry away
o plant strawberries
o buy Earl Grey tea
o declutter, clean and tidy the baking cupboard

----

The strawberry plants will need to stay in place until tomorrow. They were watered first thing, and whole area is rather wet, and I'm dressed in white and cream!

Let's Start at the Very Beginning

It's time for spring cleaning!

I thought it was going to be easy being at home, and having the time to get round to all sorts of things I have been putting off. The reality has not played out this way. So far this month, there's been a few days spent in bed, or lounging around, dealing with a migraine. Yes, there has been crafting, but nowhere near as much as I could have managed, and a whole lot less, almost no spring cleaning. All of the previous posts about spring cleaning were meant to be prompts to remind me of my tasks for the day. Almost none of them were done. It's time for a fresh start!

I am determined to do something about this. My suspicion is the tasks I had set myself were too big, and I just couldn't cope with something of that size. Instead, smaller tasks will be devised.

Today's spring cleaning task is to clean the oven and hob.

Non-spring cleaning tasks include:
o make bed
o cycle for 5 minutes
o dry laundry (left over from yesterday)
o wash laundry
o dry laundry

o put away laundry

o transplant green beans

Oaty Cookies

This recipe was adapted from Gluten Free on a Shoestring's Oatmeal Cookies.

Ingredients 

210 g SR flour (I used Dove Farm Gluten-Free Flour)

100g sugar 

250g rolled oats  (I used gluten-free oats) 

200g light brown sugar 

140g butter, at room temperature 

2 eggs, beaten 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

Method 

Preheat oven to 175°C. 

Place the flour in a large bow. Add the sugars and oats. Break up any lumps of sugar. Mix well. 

Rub in the butter, and then add the eggs and vanilla extract. Work the mixture until a dough is formed. Then add in flavourings. Combine well.

Form the dough into 24 balls. Place the balls onto a lined baking sheet, and flatten the balls to about 2cm thick. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Bake for 15 minutes. With the oven switched off, leave the cookies in for another 5 minutes. The cookies will still be soft to the touch. Remove from the oven, and allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Flavourings 

I set aside a quarter of the dough, and mixed it with 12 chopped glace cherries, and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. 100g of Cadbury's Milk Chocolate chunks were added to the remaining dough.

Other flavouring suggestions: 150g raisins; the zest of 2 lemons; 100g roughly chopped pecans.

Spring cleaning, Day 8

Countertops and sinks

We don't have countertops in the bathroom and shower room. Instead, I'll give the sink, and the areas around the sinks a good clean.

Chevron Quilt - Update

I have been making progress on the Chevron Quilt. All of the strip sets have been created, and six of the ten sets have been made into squares.

There is a problem though, I will be able to create 100 squares, but this will provide a square quilt measuring 45" (114cm). This is not going to be a useful size of quilt.

There are six other fabrics I could use to make additional strip sets.

Quite The Wedding!

"Shut Up, and Write" is now having a thrice-weekly virtual meet up. I was pondering over what I should write. There's a gnawing in my belly, and I can't concentrate. The last two weeks felt like a bit of a holiday, but now I'm no longer self-isolating it feels weird. Whilst I was keeping to the house it was simply a string of Sunday afternoons, but now I'm allowed out for exercise it is strange. Then it came to me, write about some of my dreams!

I wrote about a fairy toadstool. It all started in black and white on the step of my front door. Everything was normal. At the end of the garden path was a toadstool. As I watched, it grew, and morphed into a fairy toadstool from a children's picture book. Then the colours started to appear. Black and white disappeared, and colours faded into existence. They gradually becoming more saturated until the toadstool and garden shone in glorious Technicolor. It was Dorothy arriving in the Land of Oz!

This dream had been triggered by the arrival of a brand new colour television my parents had just bought. Black and white televisions were the norm at this time, but my grandparents had decided to splash out on a new television to watch the televised wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips.

Whilst I was checking up on the date of the wedding, I came across a fabulous little snippet about a different wedding on the same day: "A local paper reports that guests were surprised at the goings-on during a wedding ceremony of Ms Bindi Shah to Mr Hakeem Nid. She smacked her almost-father-in-law with a whiskey bottle and fractured his skull, butted her fiancé's maiden aunt in the stomach with her head and locked her own mother in the church bathroom. Then she ran into the street, drove off in her fiancé's car, crashed it a short distance away and vanished in the ensuing crowd. The only comment from the bridegroom was that it was the first time she'd ever expressed any emotion towards him. 

As it stands, this suggests a bride got cold feet and tried to back out of the wedding, but numerous people tried to stop her. I need to write a high-octaine story based on this paragraph.

Spring cleaning, Day 7

Clean drains.

We have a few drains in the kitchen, two in the shower room, and two in the bathroom. All could benefit from a little glug of lemon bleach being added.

A Little Bit of Love

This year  was meant to be the Island's first Pride, but Covid-19 came along and put paid to that idea. Instead, more effort is going to be put into Pride 2021. 

I've started doing a little stitching with that in mind. So, here's a little bit of love, well the first two letters.

Spring Cleaning, Day 6

Clean pots, pans and bakeware.

Often we concentrate on cleaning the insides, the cooking surfaces, and just wipe down the externals. Take the time to give all your pots, pans and bakeware a good clean.

Spring Cleaning, Day 5

Defrost the freezer, clean the inside and outside, and then get rid of any unwanted food.

Spring Cleaning, Day 4

Clean the inside and outside of the fridge. Ditch any food that's been in there too long.

Spring cleaning, Day 3

Clean small kitchen appliances - for me, this is means cleaning a kettle, a coffee machine, toaster and food mixer/processor. ... Ooooh, there's also a radio in the kitchen that could do with a bit of love and attention.

Spring UFO Challenge

I'm taking part in a UFO quarterly quilting challenge.  To join you need to have a minimum of five UFOs. My Ducky Duck Duck Duck quilt was the one I finished last quarter, and I have a couple of quilts I wish to attack. 

Some absolute idiot decided to hand quilt the Christmas tree one!  This person needs their head examining! No more hand quilting projects until this one has been done. I can't see how the quilt will be finished in this quarter, but it can be progressed.

Whilst talking with the Beloved, I said it would be great to have it done by Christmas. "Christmas 2024!" said he.

The chevrons are the start of my Self-Isolaton Quilt.

Spring Cleaning, Day 2

Clean oven and hob

Today I Choose Love

Today I will choose love. 

Tomorrow I will choose love. 

And the day after that, I will choose love. 

If I mistakenly choose distraction, perfection, or negativity over love, I will not wallow in regret. I will choose love next. 

I will choose love until it becomes who I am.

Rachel Macy Stafford

Spring Cleaning

My sole goal for April is to spring clean the house. I'll be using the plan laid out at stain-removal-101.com This a website run by the same person who has the 365 Declutter group on facebook. 

Mondays and Tuesdays are normally my busiest days. I had planned to tailor the tasks to fit around tgis, but what with self-isolation, I now find myself unexpectedly free. 

Day 1 - clean kitchen cabinets, inside and out.

April Goals

My goals for April are:

1. Don't drive my family up the wall!

2. Extend the 'no buy Sundays' to two days a week.

3. Finish the red and purple chevron quilt top.

4. Spring clean

5. Cycle for 5 minutes each day

Last month's goals were almost all met. There was one Sunday when I bought a £1.25 treat for the dog, and she utterly loved it. To compensate for this, I managed to have a few other 'no buy' days instead. Two hats were completed, the pink 'pussy' hat, and a beautiful grey alpaca hat for the Beloved. The Ducky Duck Duck Duck quilt was also finished, and I've created a 30 day wish list. This is for non-essential items. So far, there's some new bed linens, new telephones for the house, and new shoes for me. At the end of the month I shall review it, and see if I actually need anything on the list.