A lovely weekend but a fresh worry . . .

 I spent yesterday morning baking, as I was in the mood for it.  I stewed up the fresh blackberries I had picked and the windfall apples I had been given and made a sponge topping for them.  Done as plain stewed apples with a sponge topping, I have this recipe in my hand-written recipe book with "Danny's favourite" beside it. No photos of the food - sorry.

I also made some Plum Muffins, but took the skin off the plums as it was pretty tough.  I had a failure with my Cornish Fairings (Ginger Biscuits) as the oven cooks too hot for the recipe and they needed 7 mins and not 10.

These sky photos were taken on my walk on Friday, and the clouds were tremendous.  Rain sporadic, though a couple of heavy showers helped the land.

Tam, Rosie and I had a quiet weekend and stayed around here.  Rosie has been playing outside in her little Wendy house - we took her farmyard buildings and animals out, and she helped me do a little bit of weeding too.  I am working on the gravel strip at the top of the steps, which has become very overgrown with Aquilegias and Linaria and Fox & Cubs.

Just before T&R left to go home, my friend Pam was on the phone, asking me to check the FireMap, which I have up on my computer most days lately.  She had taken her dog for a walk along by the River in Rhayader and was horrified to see first smoke and then huge flames on the top of Gwastedyn Hill.  She thought it had been put out, but clearly enough of the peat was still smouldering beneath to reignite.  She phoned 999 immediately and the Fire Brigade is now back out there trying to quell it again.  She was quite shocked to see last week's burning had gone right down the hillside to the road for a long way back.  She is quite newly-come to Wales (4 yrs I think) and you don't have this sort of thing happening in Surrey . . .

I left this post in the hope of hearing that T&R safely back, and they are.  I feel so sorry for the Firemen who have had to drop everything and go out to fight that same fire yet again . . .

Now I'm thinking about something to eat although I don't really fancy last night's leftovers . . .

St Cewydd's Church, Aberedw

 Aberedw Church -  The porch is really pretty with a solid oak fret.  Musicians once sat here to provide the accompaniment for dancing which took place in the church green outside.  It is dedicated to St Cewydd - the Welsh equivalent of St Swithun - who was a 6th C saint, and son of a Celtic Chieftain called Caw.  St Cewydd is also patron of the church at Disserth, near Howey, and at Cusop, on the edge of Hay-on-Wye.   Interestingly, some 200 skeletons were found on the north-east side of the church, dating from around the middle ages.  The earliest elements of the church date from around the 14th C, and the Nave and Chancel date from around 15th - 16th C. Like many of its contemporaries, it underwent a dramatic remodelling in Victorian times.  It is believed that what later became Llewllyn's Cave, was St Cewydd's hermitage . . .

 Kilvert was greatly enamoured of Aberedw - he loved the train journey on the old - extinct now - thanks to Dr Beeching - Mid-Wales railway, as it followed the Wye river valley and the towering rocks above it (Tam and I were somewhat taken by it too).

    Here he is in full flow: 

"Oh, Aberedw, Aberedw.  Would God I might dwell and die by thee.  Memory enters in and brings back the old time in a clear vision and waking dream, and again I descent from the high moor's half encircling sweep and listen to the distant murmur of the river as it foams down the ravine from its home in the Green Cwm and its cradle in the hills.  Once more I stand by the riverside and look up at the cliff castle towers and mark the wild roses swinging from the crag and watch the green woods waving and shimmering with a twinkling dazzle as they rustle in the breeze and shining of the summer afternoon, while here and there a grey crag peeps from among the tufted trees." 

Internally, the church has an unusual late (16th C) medieval rood screen.  Notre barrel roof.

Below: the font.

As you can see, those pesky Baskervilles got about a bit.

A pensive Mary with Jesus (degradation of this has given them both a beard . . .) A rather eerie hand of Jesus is by her chin.

Here's another warning along the lines of "Reader, prepare to die!" - "When on this Stone you cast your Eye, Think of your Own Mortality, Remember me you follow must, And lie as I do in the Dust."  You have been warned:

St Cweydd and St Teilo beautifully rendered in stained glass, windows in memory of William Thomas Rees of Pontshone. I think was the lovely house with the open garden Tam and I went to when we first moved here.

A rather Arts & Crafts style pulpit.

These flutes belonged to the late William WIlliams of Hendre (1822 - 1897) who played them in Aberedw Church.

Inside the porch, this memorial and below, unknown who died in 1604.

My stye is hopefully improving now - I have been bathing it with hot water and this morning woke up with my eye glued shut with pus.  It isn't so sore today and hasn't needed bathing every couple of hours.

I had a nice cool walk and picked some blackberries and took photos of the most amazing skyscapes (new header for one).  I peeled some windfall cooking apples Pam gave me and stewed them up with the blackberries, so we will have a pie tomorrow.

I have listened to more of the Rest is History podcasts about the Georgian period, in particular Samuel Johnson and James Boswell.  It made for very interesting listening and a change for the six episodes about Elizabeth I and the intrigues and Cold War in her time, which was fascinating.  TV - A House Through Time was very enjoyable and what a lovely historic building it is (in Edinburgh).  Reading: Joy Ellis - Shadow over the Fens.

We had a very heavy shower before tea so I won't need to water round outside this evening now.  I managed to do a little bit of weeding in the garden after my walk, and have done a little bit on Rosie's dress, but it's like wrestling a conger eel . . . the bits end up where they are not meant to be!

Have a lovely weekend all.

Distractions

 Every morning I look forward to reading various blogs and catching up with what my blogging friends are up to, and to looking at the posts on my Instagram page.  I don't often post on there, but I love to be distracted by various doing-up-an-old-house posts that I follow.  Two new ones today, one in Bavaria -  they appear to know what they are doing when it comes to tile stripping and revamping a roof anyway.  The other a family buying an old Norwegian farm.   Then there are various church and cathedral posts (sioz4026 has British ones and lots of amazing Spanish ones too.)  I follow a few antiques posters as well, in Wales and Cellar Antiques in Yorkshire.  I follow some equestrian posters too - American rescues as well as following our equestrian teams as they perform.  Lots of sewing and quilting posts as well - very inspirational.  Then the not-a-thing-out-of-place lovely old homes which are at least easy on the eye and I love to see how other people furnish and decorate their homes.  Do any of you follow Instagram posts?

It is raining a little here today.  Happy for it to do so all day long tbh, as we need this rain so much.   Tam is now here with Rosie at the weekend so I need to go out for a bottle of wine and a new washing up bowl (this one desperately needs replacing), washing up gloves (one split), mango chutney etc.  I would like some decent fish, but it has shot up in price.  The good large cod fish fingers that Tesco sell have gone up from £4 for 6 to £4.75 . . .  I made the mistake of buying two pieces of cod in crumb from Aldi last week.  Froze one but will chuck it as the one I ate I left most of - it was disgusting and mushy and didn't taste the least bit fishy . . .  It was £2.99 - you get what you pay for.

My bed is stripped and first load in the wash, and bed made up fresh with help from the girls of course.  They appear from nowhere the minute I start to strip it.

I had a nightmare last night - woken at a scream from Pippi.  Of course, I didn't know if I had dreamed it or it had happened and woken me.  But I searched the house and couldn't find her anyway - though I was certain she hadn't gone out after teatime.  Eventually I looked under the upholstered chair in my room (draped with my dressing gown) and she was there . . .  Of course, by then I was wide awake and came downstairs for an hour or so.  Went back up, chilled (4 a.m. is cold) with a hotty botty and put the duvet back over the bed.  Too cold for just a think patchwork quilt and a sheet now.   Cool enough to wear jeans again, so hopefully that will keep some of the bitey things away.  They have had a good season munching me.  

Right, this won't do.  I have a painful stye in my right eye and must bathe it again.  Yesterday it felt like I had been punched in the eye.  The pharmacist said to bathe it for 5 mins twice a day but I have been doing it more often than that.  It burst once, but has reformed overnight.  I asked the cause and he said it was often using old make up applicators.  Guilty as charged.  I have chucked out my mascara too as I have been using that for months - you are meant to chuck them after 3 months . . . this is older.  I ordered a nice new one for "older ladies" from Mr Amazon.  I will bathe my eye again and venture to the shops.

I have two churches to write up, so will do one for tomorrow.  

Decision made

I decided my lovely dole cupboard needed "dressing up" - so here is my favourite battered old jug - repaired with tin strapping after the handle broke off because it was someone else's favourite old jug too . . .

 I went to the Unit yesterday, and put some new stuff in, and took a few things out.  Ingoing were some more personal effects, including the last of Keith's militaria.   I took a chunk off the price of the Windsor chair in there, as it lives in the kitchen here and takes up a lot of room.

In my mind, my intention is to draw out at the end of Sept, though I have to give a month's notice so it will be end of Oct. I go.  Unless there is a huge radical change, this is not working for me.  I have sold two pieces in two months, the expensive one a piece from my home - and now some more personal collectables have gone into the Unit.  I am considerably out of pocket.  It is a loooooong drive when nothing is moving at the Unit.  Pleasant enough in the summer but not in the wintertime.  If I was selling jewellery, I'd be laughing.  My girls have the expertise with jewellery, but I have not and with the price of gold and silver right now, no way can I afford to start again.

Ah well.  Such is life.  I stopped off at my other friend Pam's house for a natter and to pick up some jam jars.  Some have been soaking overnight to get the labels off.  It feels a bit like being given money, as they cost £1.50 or so each to buy.  I did go in Charlie's yesterday (country store) and bought 4 of the nice hexagonal jars for special gifts.  

We have had a little rain but not enough to really matter.  The big fires at Rhandirmwn and near Rhayader are now under control/out, thank heavens.  The ones above and around the Valleys not put out but more controlled, and there are now Military helping out (looked like the Ghurkas from Brecon).  

Autumn has definitely arrived early - the heat and lack of rain has caused plants to sacrifice their leaves and the Beech, Hazels and bigger-leaved trees are suffering.  It is 14 deg out at present (19 or so later).  I am planning an early walk and then try and get my head around the dress for Rosie.  I have nothing planned now until the very end of the month.  No excuse not to clean the windows!

Yesterday's podcast was The Rest is History - 4 (out of 6) wondrful podcasts about Elizabeth 1 and the political shennanigans of her reign, plus a wonderful one about Sir Francis Drake - I'd loved to have met him.  I am now a lot more informed about this, one of my favourite periods in history.

Biting off more than I can chew . . . and update

 When I hefted my lovely new (old) cupboard, I began to wonder it hanging it on the wall would result in a large chunk of wall falling off with the cupboard . . .  It is solid oak.  Armed with a suitable bribe (Chocolate Apple Cake) I went to see Sam. . .  He came and had a look and we reckoned that perhaps configuring current furniture and moving the dairy table to the other end of the long kitchen table, and sifting the oak settle along a bit might do the trick.  Then we could sit the cupboard on the dairy table.  I would have to move the two lovely old Windsor chairs which had formerly sat either end, but we would manage things somehow.  I've moved a chair round in my bedroom and popped one up there for the time being.

So I have had a shift around and a giant vacuuming bits that haven't been reached properly for . . . a while! . . . and have been going through boxes and bags of family history folders and research, old mail, scribbled notes, postcards, a pile of books I mean to read but stacked under the dairy table, everything stacked on the dairy table . . .  Oh my goodness, I did not enjoy that.  I have deep cleaned the hall too, taken out the little Secessionist chair by Adolph Loos in Vienna in 1930 - ready to polish up and take to the Unit this week. I've just put leather balm on the seat and back and it looks lovely.  

In the middle of all this frantic sorting out, I had to make jam as I had put the Jumbleberry jam ingredients in the pan to thaw out overnight and it needed cooking sooner rather than later.  That gave me another 5 jars to add to the Christmas hamper shelf in the cupboard.

Now I'm back later with a photo of the shifting around.  My Dorset friend D would call this "the moveits".  She has a PhD in this . . . Everything went back to the same place :)

Confession - I spent some money on ME

 

A post in reverse . . . this was taken on the way home from Leominster with my friend Pam again.  Hang gliders on a hillside near Hundred House. We had a lovely day out.  

Lovely old Georgian houses (some in sad condition though) at the entrance to the car park. The one with the double doors was a coaching inn, back in the day. It's called The Coach House.

A nice old sampler from 1889.

A 19th C (Berlin) woolwork picture.

Upstairs - a nice rustic Unit.

Back downstairs . . .

Love this, but not the price!  

Some nice pieces of Majolica across this stand and that FABULOUS old Welsh love spoon.

Finally, what I fell in love with last week and went back to look more closely at and purchase today:

A Gothic Revival Dole Cupboard.  A Victorian copy of a 16th C piece.  The two central panels replaced at some point I think in the last century.  Wrong handle - I will look through Keith's supply of brass reproduction drop handles for it. I love the old butterfly hinges and the small square carvings.  VERY much the sort of thing Keith and I would have put in Ynyswen. Here it is going to probably go above the settle in the kitchen, where I currently have the clock.  Need to measure up...  20" - it will fit.  I am thrilled to bits with it.  The look I like at the price I can afford!  I felt, even when I first saw it and thought WOW, that Keith was at my elbow, encouraging me to buy it . . .

Treading water . . . then a Severe Alert!

 I was very - for me VERY - late to bed last night, as the hooligan Pippi decided it was SUCH a balmy evening after a hot day where she'd had to hide inside, and perhaps she would stay out longer.  I can't sleep unless she is in.  I was ready for bed at 9.  She FINALLY came home, all innocent, at 11.30 . . .  She had never been out after dark before and was clearly making the most of her freedom.  Needless to say I have been tired today and stayed indoors after I had watered round. Payment has been some small tomatoes which I had at lunchtime, and a cucumber. New folk come to stay from this weekend.  It has thankfully been cooler today  - only 24 deg after yesterday's 31 or 32 deg. which was suffocating.

This is the pattern and I am doing version B.  It's all cut out and I have been working (slowly) on the shoulder straps this afternoon and have them assembled and gathered and just sewn one end onto the wrong side of the fabric.  So I will get back to it tomorrow.  I know, a pathetic amount of "work" on it, but been distracted by other things.

I have been listening to a programme about the Folklore (worldwide) associated with giving birth, from The Three Ravens podcast.  Having put the sewing aside, till my brain is more awake, I began cutting up windfall apples to cook up with some of my recently picked and frozen blackberries, to make Blackberry and Apple Jelly for Thankyou gifts/Christmas gifts.  

The fires seem to be all under control now but a lot of damage done.  Horrid to read about the ones in Stourbridge and Dudley where homes have been lost.  

I am covered in fresh bites and can report the damage done when a bitey thing gets inside your knickers . . .  I have bites everywhere - this hot spell obviously encouraged more bitey things to hatch out.

Praying for rain here . . .  The 30% chance of it hasn't shown up today . . .

Just leapt out of my seat when my phone came up with a Severe Alert!  Unfortunately all in Welsh so I couldn't translate it.  Went to the Gov.uk site and it's warning everyone here not to have fires, BBQ's, etc etc . . . as if the intelligent enough amongst us didn't already know this!  Gosh, that really startled me.  I thought there was a fire in the vicinity.  Then it did it again in English . . .  Didn't jump so high then.

According to NASA, Powys is the worst affected by wild fires - 166.  Then Blaeneau Gwent with 113 and Carmarthenshire with 101.