Sniff

 

I don't often repost memes - in fact, I think this may be a first.  Anyway, sadly the above states a fact.

You may remember that I suddenly lost my sense of smell, and this was about 6 mths ago.  I put it down to a sinus cold I had which had me blowing my nose for 6 weeks and I thought I must have damaged the mucous membrane in my nose.  Well, last night it suddenly returned.  Before that I couldn't smell TCP, onion, curry, vinegar - nothing strong!  I really missed the scent of my roses this summer.  Having checked out Dr Google this morning, apparently stress can affect your olafactory senses - it works in the brain rather than directly in the nostrils.  Strange.  Well, I have certainly been incredibly stressed in the last year that's for sure.

Having Tam and Rosie here for a couple of nights/3 days a week makes a huge difference to me.  Of course, when she's back at work I won't see so much of them but at the moment they are a huge support and Rosie is such a delight.

Gabby came up for lunch yesterday and bought some tasty goodies - Parmesan & Garlic Twists, Bistro Runny Egg Scotch Eggs for her and Tam  (YUK!), tasty spicy Chicken Tikka Pakoras, and I had baked bread, plus there was a cheese board and salad. 

After lunch we started planning our trip to NZ.  I am still waiting for the NZ book from the Library.  The direct flight is a whole day and night so we are going to stop on the way - probably Vancouver for a couple of nights, and possibly San Francisco on the way back.  I have told Gabby I am going to give all my clothes to the nearest thrift store in San Francisco and find a quilt shop and buy more fabric for my stash!!

I set to first thing and baked a Spicy Dorset Apple cake for the friends who supply me with windfall apples, and then a huge Chocolate Gingerbread cake, some of which is going home with Tam and the rest in the freezer. 

Tam's just made me laugh - I heard her laughing up there and apparently the moment she opened the bedroom door, Lulu fell in.  She LOVES little ones (remember she was always with "I" when they lived here).  She loves Rosie now and just wants to be by her.  I can hear Rosie's delighted "aat" (with a sort of silent t!!)

This morning we're going to nip across to the Garden Centre for bulbs and to look at their Christmas decorations and buy that one new special one we buy each year.  

I had a wonderful surprise in the post yesterday when a copy of Country Living magazine arrived on the doorstop (a magazine I love but rarely buy).  It was from my dear friend Danette and when I emailed her to say thankyou, she said she had bought me a year's subscription because I'd been having such a sh*t time of things lately.  Oh bless her.  What would I do without such wonderful friends.

I also got the hang of WhatsApp this week and had video calls with Little Lin and then Rosie (my dear friend in NZ).  Amazing. The video link on my computer no longer works so it's good to be in touch on my phone.

I have been summoned to do my bit keeping Rosie company whilst Tam gets dressed and cleans her teefs.  Offs I go . . .

So glad to have Tam and Rosie here

 Rosie is currently covered in carrot puree.  This weaning is great fun!!!  Gram gets to clean up, of course :)  It's so good to have them here for a couple of days again as I have been feeling so very low these past two days.  I have Kate from the Last Homely House on in the background, and if Rosie is in the room, you can always tell when Rita or one of Kate's other cats has walked into shot as Rosie squawks what sounds like 'at' which isn't actually short for cat as it's the excited noise she always makes if it's something she likes.  Photo of below is Rosie with toast and avocado a couple of weeks ago. She quite likes avocado and loves toast.

I spent an hour with the stitch ripper on Gabby's quilt last night, went up this morning, ironed the block out that needed resewing, and carefully sewed it back in place . . . . the wrong way round.  I'm afraid I gave up on it for the morning as it just upset me.  It's a result of being low in spirits.  Oh how I miss my sewing group.  If it wasn't 100 mile round trip I would be going there every week.

Gabby is here tomorrow, and on Thursday morning we're meeting up with an American friend of Tam's and her little girl, who's about half Rosie's age.  We're going to have a wander round the garden centre and a cup of tea and a piece of cake.  That's something to look forward to. I will get just a few bulbs and a new Christmas decoration (which is what I do every year).

We popped into the PO in town earlier, and then had a wander round the Red Cross charity shop, and I succumbed to a 500 piece jigsaw (Summer Cottage) - I will probably be able to start that in about a year's time if progress on the 1,000 piece jigsaw doesn't speed up!

Along the lane the other day.

Right, the beeper has just announced tea is ready, so I shall away.

Come for a walk with me

 

Yesterday we had clear blue skies and I was already planning a drive out and walk when my friend Pam phoned to suggest the same.  We headed for the Elan Valley (which is where I had planned to go).  Above is the face of the quarried area which is now a car park.  It made me dizzy just to look up.  DO go to the link as it shows an aerial video of the Reservoirs and is fabulous. (Oh and the pouring of the weakest cup of tea, ever!)

Along a bit, which is how it would have looked before it was quarried to build the reservoir dams, and the village in the valley bottom.

Garreg Ddu reservoir which is the one we always walk along.

A Rowan tree still laden with berries.  It's been a good year for them this year.

We rescued this little hairy chap (a moth caterpillar, Fox Moth I think).  Lots of walkers, cyclists and dogs who would otherwise have squashed him.  I hope he stayed in the grass away from the path where we left him.

An attempt to show how steep it was above the pathway.

The bridge across the reservoir, which leads on to the furthest dam at Claerwen.  Parking on the far side there is a lovely 7 mile walk around the Caban Coch dam, which Tam and I did when we first moved here.

Pam wanted to cross the bridge and check out the church, which we did.  I'll put some photos of that up tomorrow.  I have been sadly lacking in church posts this year - having been to many of the local ones worth visiting, and when Keith was so ill, not being able to get away to visit any.  

Yesterday's walk cheered me up no end, and certainly relaxed me.  I sat on the sofa last night, watching Prof. Ronald Hutton's Youtube videos, had a glass of wine and fell asleep for over an hour on the sofa.  I went to bed before 9 and had a really good night's sleep, warmed by Pippi and Lulu :)  Spoke to Danette and a video call with Little Lin (which both cheered me up no end too) and this morning started the day with a video call to Rosie in NZ.  It is so good to have my dearest friends keeping in touch with me and helping me through the early days of widowhood.

I hope you all had a good weekend too, and that Gill has found where her kettle is (and her cat!!) now she has finally moved.

This morning (it is raining steadily now . . .) I will go to Llandod for the groceries I need and take my books back to the Library.  Then quilting this afternoon.  Gabby's quilt top done now but yesterday I noticed two blocks I managed to get round the wrong way . . .

Struggling a wee bit

 A lovely sunny morning out there.  I slept better and woke to find Lulu cwtched against my back on one side and Pippi still down between the duvet and the top quilt on the other.  It was 8 a.m. and for once, Alfie hadn't come upstairs at 4 a.m. demanding to be Let Out!

Gill - I hope that your move went well and you are finally waking up in your new home albeit with a grumpy cat who is probably NOT impressed with the move or the new home! 

I must bake an apple cake for my friend C up the lane as a thank you for the apples they are giving me.  I need to put the Mincemeat I made (in a big bowl in the fridge ever since) in jars today too.  I will make more.  I have a good Mincemeat Cake recipe which uses up the jars which didn't go into seasonal Mince Pies.

I went across to Tam's on Friday and helped in the garden again.  Rosie has slept for 5 hours the previous night and was a much happier soul.  I still think she may be waking up cold but the current belief is that you don't put covers over babies, but they sleep in a baby sleeping bag which leaves their hands and arms exposed, as you want to protect them from cot death that way.  Well, that might be the current thinking, but common sense sometimes has to prevail.  Back in my day, the "fashion" to protect against choking on sick was to lay the baby face down which I thought was a sure fire way of them suffocating so never did it AND I covered mine with a blanket or baby duvet, and with padded bumpers around the cot.  Mine all survived and slept quite well - just waking up when hungry (which was often enough!)

Today I need to get out for my sanity.  The meeting over the text content has worsened as my gut feeling about the apology sought has been proven and it has caused much upset to all concerned.  I will not air my dirty washing here but suffice it to say that I have been set back on the grieving path and the guilt button heavily pressed.  In fact, it's one of those situations you couldn't make up.

I am conscious of the amount of diesel used this month (trips to Malvern, Carmarthen, Brecon and Aberystwyth - none of them the least bit local) so won't go far, but perhaps I will go to the garden centre and buy bulbs or else go out to the Elan Valley and have a walk now the trees are changing colour.  I'll wait for it to warm up a bit first though as it's been just 2 deg. here overnight.

Thinking of all my blog friends and just Thank You for being there to listen . . .

  

So much for my evening out at Tretower Court!

 Well, it's 6.50 and I should be at Tretower Court right now, listening to a talk on the Welsh Halloween by Prof. Ronald Hutton.  Clearly, as I am at my computer, I am NOT.  I set off and got as far as Talgarth, only to find that the A479 route to Tretower through the Black Mountains was shut, and the diversion I would have to take was via Brecon.  I would have been hopelessly late, so I turned round and went home.  That's £15 down the drain . . . and I was really looking forward to it.  Ah well, the ex-friend may well have been there, so I suppose at least I avoided that encounter.

On the way to Tam's, near Gilfach Nature Reserve.

As I was driving home, and it was getting dark, I was dreading the after-dark driving to and from the Fair I am doing next month (back in Carms).  I have been feeling quite low today and tbh, starting to dread doing the Fair.  This stems from sleeping badly and from being on my own.  It has a knock-on effect on my confidence too.  I persuade myself that I can't do things.  

Yesterday I felt "off" and just wanted to sleep on the sofa, but no sooner had I begun to rest, I heard what I thought was a chainsaw close by.  No, not a chainsaw, but the chap who does my garden come with the brush strimmer to sort out the long grass and young trees in the orchard and bottom triangle.  After that, I had him tapping on the window and on the door, asking what needed doing and to come and check what he'd done.  So much for resting.  Last night, although Alfie woke me at 4 a.m. to be let out, I actually slept (fitfully in parts) for 11 hours.  Not that it helped my positivity.  I know that the upsetting text I had is still really weighing heavy on my mind.  I hope the weekend's meeting will sort things out.

Right, time to see if I can find one of Prof. Hutton's witchy/fairy talks on Youtube by way of compensation.  UPDATE:  Crikey, that was a mistake.  Got myself thoroughly spooked after he told of his experience with what may well have been the Irish Leannan Sidhe (bad fairy).  Going up to bed with a torch, for fear there might be a power cut!

Some positive news

 

Well, the really good news is that I have had a letter from the MoD confirming I qualify for a share of Keith's Army Pension.  I have decided to go for a lump sum (though it will be taxable) because that will be a lot more use to me in the long run and I have a buffer if any big bills were to come up on the house.  It is a huge relief though of course, the powers that be will decide I am no longer eligible for Pension Credit, but it can't be helped.  

Tam and Rosie have been here since Sunday.  Storm Ashley had been talked up to be Truly Awful, but it wasn't the Category 3 Cyclone some pundits were warning us of (well, certainly not in our neck of the woods anyway). It was a bit windy and we had heavy rain at one point, but Tam and Rosie got across the mountains safely, though her friend Elie, travelling up from the South Coast, had to take a detour as the M4 into Wales was closed.  We had a merry afternoon and evening (far too much wine drunken!) watching Jilly Cooper's "Rivals" on Disney.  They were certainly true to the book on the, ahem, bonking front!!  I remember bits of the book.  The casting was a bit ???  We didn't fancy Rupert Campbell-Black and Aiden Turner's huge moustache was hilarious.  

Yesterday I had the handyman here to replace the two tiles which had come off the back of the house back in the summer, so fingers crossed we are nice and waterproof for winter.  He is very thorough.  Then he came in and checked my mixer tap which had a drip.  He needed to see whether they had ceramic cartridges in (they did) but couldn't get them locally so I have had to order them from the manufacturers.  Of course, the guarantee ran out in May!

Dryslywn Castle, Carms

After lunch we popped in so Tam could have a Charity Shop wander, and I got some really tasty sausages from the butchers - Pork and Choritzo - for our tea.  Rosie (finally) got to try porridge - I'd made it earlier for her lunch but then she was sleeping.  She did seem to eat some, though wore a lot of it too as she was picking it up by the fistful :)  I had Kate at the Last Homely House on the tv after lunch, and Rosie was absolutely smitten by Kate's cat Rita and gave a particular squeak whenever she saw her!  Later on when Rosie was on the bed, having her clothes changed, Lulu jumped up and was making a fuss of her.  Rosie was delighted and grabbed a handful of Lulu, who, bless her, just gently rolled away.  Lulu does like the little ones - she was in with little "I" all day recently when she was here.

I have cut up squares for the first hexis in the Doughty's red fabric I bought and spent a pleasant evening sewing those up.  

Now it is gone 5 a.m. and I have been awake since 3.15, and came down after laying there awake for an hour.  A few games of Solitaire may make my brain tired enough to sleep again. . .

So what came home with me?

 

This chart was £3 and I liked the idea I could take bits of it to design a cushion front.  The Butterfly head pins are an absolute delight to use - fine and sharp.

Above and below: for use on finishing the charity shop hexi quilt, and leftovers to go into my stash.  The Doughty's fat 1/4 was £1.50, the material next to it was £7 metre (it's half a metre), and the blue fabrics above were I think £2 each.

First thing I bought - a bunch of 5 purple fat 1/4s originally £15, reduced to £6 the lot.  I will find a use for them.

Christmas fabric.  The two bottom pieces were more expensive, half metres at £14 the pair.  The red Christmas print was also £7 (for 1/2 m).

What cat lover could resist this print? £3 fat 1/4 I think.

This green print also made me think of Christmas, another £2 offering.

Finally, I was going to make this up for myself, but have decided it will be part of a Christmas present instead.

What I didn't buy was spray starch (£11.50 - £13.50 a time and Tam only needs a tiny bit), and I would have "liked" - rather than needed - a 2 1/2" wide measure but the Omnigrid ones were £25!  Bearing in mind prices are often hoiked up at Fairs (you need to pay for the stand and accommodation etc), I felt I could find a cheaper version elsewhere (and have, and Gabby is buying me it for Christmas).

Today has been quite warm and sunny, so I did a 2 mile walk, to the old phone box and back, listening to "London" on Audible, and stopping for a chat with horsey neighbour on the way back, and being sent home with more cooking apples. Those are always welcome.  

I spent the morning and another half an hour this afternoon working on Gabby's quilt.  The top is nearly completely pieced now so should be able to get the border on tomorrow or Monday.

Tam & Rosie arriving tomorrow, and a friend of Tam's from school days, who is staying the night.  The company will be welcome.  I hope that  Storm Ashley is on its way before they have to travel here.  Keep safe everyone.

Malvern Quilt Show 2024

 I decided I would go to the Quilt Show at Malvern today, and so of course, I had a rotten night's sleep and was awake half the night.  I wasn't exactly rushing out the door this morning and got there just before mid-day.  I have to say, normally there are some really WOW quilts there, but this time those seemed to be a minority sector.  Sashiko Samples - nah, not for me.  Threads That Bind Me - some interesting entries, but again, not my thing, nor was ScrapYard.  My mind just doesn't work like that!  Some nice quilts but I really don't like to see everything long-arm machine quilted.  I sound a right old misery don't I?  Here's the link to the Show anyway and here are some of the photos I took.

Gosh, couldn't have made this - made me feel quite dizzy! As did the one below. Both cleverly done though.

Above and below.  Cleverly done, but not really "me".

A HUGE Sashiko sampler quilt.

Above: this was more of a WOW!

A very pretty Pinwheel quilt.

These were pretty and must have taken a lot of planning as well as sewing. The giant-ness of the hexi's below made me smile.

A hexi quilt - it had to be done.  Love the collisions of colours.

These were fun - entries for what must have been a Beach Hut category.

Below: Entries for the Mills category.  One lady had thought outside the box and done a still life with a big Pepperpot :)  I really liked the one on the left here.

Below: this lovely quilt was on one of the stands selling fabrics.  More my sort of thing.

Did I buy much?  Did I blow the budget?  You'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out . . .  Hope you enjoyed the wander round with me.  I don't think I went last year, and the mixture of stalls had changed.  No-one selling paper piecing shapes, or some of the more unusual stands I remember, esp. one specializing in different textured felts; very few books; instead several stands selling Doc Martins, handbags, and clothing . . . why?  It's a QUILT show.  Plus a chap outside had a marquee and was selling various wicker baskets.

I had to drive through a badly flooded bit of road on the way to Hereford - we viewed a house there, and the Agent asked us if we'd heard of Letton Lakes? Well, saw it today . . . and drove through it too.  The road had been completely closed at one point but was passable with care today.  I came home via St Michael's Hospice Charity Shop and dropped off bags and bags of Keith's clothing and shoes, and two bags from Gabby too.  A job well done.  Then one final stop at Breinton Farm Shop for their home grown heritage apples (I got Russets and Ashmead's Kernal).  Right, time for Youtube now. 

A Bank Vole up the curtain . . .

 One of the two patchwork quilts I bought recently.  Now I have the internet back, I will list them on Ebay.

Not a good way to end an afternoon.  Pippi has worked out that if she lets go of any live rodents in the kitchen, I am able sometimes to rescue them (or else they disappear).  So she's taken to going into the living room or library with them.  If the latter, I stand NO chance of ever finding them again.  I stand a slightly more sporting chance in the living room, but today a suitably desperate Bank Vole made it up inside a curtain.  We managed to shake it down, having opened the French Doors, but it foolishly shot in the opposite direction, and then under the sofa.  It has since been chased up the other curtain . . .  There is currently a stake-out!

I have had a lovely day full of visitors, with my old neighbour Nikki finally making it up here to visit, and Gabby had driven up last night as I was upset, and Tam and Rosie came over today.  They've all gone now, and it's very quiet again.  I shall put the tv on in a moment so I have some background speech and then quickly reheat the other half of the Prawn Curry I made myself last night.  Very tasty it was too.

Whilst Gabby was here (Tam had no free hands because of Rosie), we did a bit more of my challenging jigsaw.  I managed to get a few faces and bits joined up, but I think I'll still be doing it at Christmas!

Yesterday the lovely Dartmoor 2025 calendar I treated myself to arrived (a treat after selling a similarly priced book on Ebay).  The photography is by Tracey Elliot-Reep and absolutely superb.  Each month will bring me great pleasure.

Yesterday it also rained and poured all day long.  I had to go to the Ban in Brecon again, to move across my credit card to NatWest.  I got SOAKED.  Shoes, socks, jacket - and the latter is still a bit damp as I only have the heating on for an hour or so morning and evening.  I was a bit upset over something (not banking related) and so went into WH Smiths and bought myself two magazines - a Christmas patterns Quilting mag, with a free diamonds template, which will be useful.  The other magazine was a Christmas one (haven't bought a Christmas mag for several years now, as I tend to hang on to the old ones).  This was the Your Home Christmas Made Easy, and had some nice veggie options for Christmas and some lovely decor ideas and crafts. Although I didn't spend much on groceries (about £27 in Aldi), I did have to get cat sachets and cat litter, and I got 5 tins of soup for £5 as they are handy for a meal when I haven't been soup making myself. So that doubled the outgoings.  It carried on chucking it down with rain and even though I was coming home at lunchtime, there was already standing water on the roads and the dip by the turn off to a farm half a mile downhill of here, had about 5" of water already.  I tried to put Gabby off coming because I knew the roads would be worse when she set off from Cardiff and she would be driving in the dark, but she is intrepid and came anyway, though she said the road by the Storey Arms was under water and Police were directing traffic.  Apparently the M4 was closed too, at one point (accident I think), and train lines flooded so train cancellations.  It was definitely a Yellow Weather Event day!

I have booked myself an evening out soon, a topic which will be very interesting, and also have a day out planned at Malvern Quilt Festival which is the next 3 days.  My reward I reckon for all the washing up I did at Tam's this week :)

I've been too tired after Malvern to feel much like sewing but did another side on the £15 auction quilt, so half way through now.  I have a little shopping list for the Quilt show, but things I NEED - will have to resist things I would really LIKE!  You will see which prevailed in due course!

Around the Malvern Fleamarket

 I have always loved these beautiful Victorian copper moulds.  Theyr'e difficult to display though unless you have a dedicated dresser shelf or two and some are quite expensive.  They generally sell around £65 - £100 at Fairs.

Most people just sell whatever they have gotten hold of at a reasonable price and of course the house-clearance bods, whatever comes their way from house clearances.  Other dealers are dedicated to toys, glass, certain makers of ceramics, signage etc. I loved the little rocking horse and the corner cupboard.

Various quilts.  Only the dark green pinwheel one looks a UK handmade design.

A sweet little grandad-made? horse.

Above and below: Mr Sign Man, who has some truly splendid ridge tiles this time! He must order these specially.

I think this is French as the English ones never had coloured designs are.  Whenever I see Christening gowns I think of the ones which used to turn up week after week at every auction we went to back in Dorset, selling for about £16 - £18 each (1980s).  Happy times.  How I wish I could turn back the clock.

Here is a nice old hand-quilted quilt.  I don't think those are Carmarthenshire patterns, but it could well be Welsh, bearing in mind Malvern isn't too far from the Welsh border.

An unusual (French I think) street scene made from paper.

Another lovely horse needing a rocker to be useful again.

The Maypole Dairy had strong links with Denmark.  My grandad, who was a grocer for the West Country years of his life, worked for them and I always think of him when I see a Maypole Dairies piece.  I have resisted temptation thus for as they aren't cheap. 

A couple of stalls next to one another with some interesting pieces.  I especially liked their re-purposing of an old and faded hexi quilt into other things - will see if I can make a couple of the hexi Christmas trees, using some of the beautiful Liberty fabrics I got in the August Fair here.

I have some fine woollen fabrics with stripes to make the stripey one on the left.

Great stalls to make you stop and look.

Oh look, that's me reflected in the mirror!  I had a lovely day, but was very tired after sleeping badly the night before - cat zoomies - and then being woken by them at 4 a.m. and that was it for the night.

I am about to force myself to go for a walk.  It's cold and damp out there and my body is tired, but needs the exercise.