Oh how disappointing!

 On Friday afternoon I saw my GP and we discussed the best way forward for my A. Fib in the light of my ECG results.  He prescribed Dapaglifozin - a Diabetes treatment - as it was known to improve the blood flow in A. Fib patients.  The side effects . . . sugar in urine can cause UTI's and it also causes you to wee more.  Just what I needed to hear with a window seat on the outward flight . . .  I will definitely have to ask for a change of seat if poss . . .

This rainbow was SO intense that I stopped in a layby to take photos.  Ah well, you will just have to imagine the depth of colour, especially the pink.

The autumn colours were beautiful as I set off through the mountains to Tam's.  Lots of Silver Birch trees which had turned a lemon yellow and when these were set against the tawny bracken, they really stood out in the landscape.

This is Gilfach Nature Reserve.  Tam and I have done some lovely walks here.  There's one the other side of the road that I noticed yesterday and would like to do before I'm too decrepit.

I had a lovely day at Tam's.  They needed me to keep an eye on Rosie so they could get all the furniture and "stuff" away from a back wall so they could put up shelving.  The mission was a success.

Rosie is so funny - if anyone sneezes, she says "Bless you".  She had my phone at one point and I asked for it back: "No.  MINE!"  She has some more new expressions - Yep, Nope and Yepsie!!  Isn't she funny?  

Well, when she had her nap I set to and did five water-changes of washing up for Tam.  Although they have a dishwasher, it is only small and the big bowls, pans and things won't fit in, so those had been lingering for a while . . .  My halo nearly choked me after that!

I had the other half of a chicken fajita mix I'd made for a quick tea last night, and then sat down to watch the Horse of the Year Show coverage.  Whilst it was nice to see, there was too much back-stage chatting and I think anyone watching was disappointed to see just the last couple of competitors in the jumping classes, and some very glossed over showing classes too.  

This made me really laugh!

 

Tam has sent me masse of photos of Rosie - this one made me laugh SO much!!!  I needed that laugh too - am just SO low and down in the dumps again today and have achieved so little . . .

A church (St Peter's, Carmarthen) and a cake recipe

 CHOCOLATE APPLE CAKE

There you go, Anon in Wiltshire.  Enjoy!!

A few weeks back when I had a chiro appt. and didn't visit friends, I had a chance to visit St Teilo's church in Llandeilo, and St Peter's Church in Carmarthen - that was a no brainer as it's a the top of the car park where I'd parked up.  It's an interesting old church, inside what was once the Roman town and a Dodecahedron was once found 8 feet down in the churchyard, back in the early 1800s. No-one seems to know their purpose but they look like they could be for measuring portions of dry spaghetti!!!

This is the oldest building in Carmarthen, dating from the 14th C but probably with Norman roots.  It is halfway between the castle and the Priory - Llandeulyddog - which was a Celtic monastic settlement with its own small church.  This is where the Black Book of Carmarthen, an early Welsh language text, is believed to have been written.

Vicars and local squires often purloined antiquarian finds . . . this is where everyone can see it now.

St Peter's is claimed to be the biggest church in Wales, and measures 170 feet long by 50 feet wide. 

He was a favourite of Thomas Cromwell and Ann Boleyn . . . and although a Protestant, was condemned by 56 Protestant protestors, as he forbade the use of the Rosary and allowed candles at funerals and refused to convert to Catholocism.  Many of these protestors were rich merchants in the town, and had power and influence.  Besides, Bloody Mary was then on the throne . . .  St Peter's is the only church in Wales to have a Consistory Court. . . a place for administering the church's own legal system.  He was burnt at the stake in the Market Square (now Nott Square) on 30th March 1555.

This is really a rather splendid pulpit, with superb carvings.

Many of the great and good of the town are buried here . . .

Henry Lawrence, M.D. and some of his infant family (one died just a day old).  

Anne, the Lady Vaughan, who made a good age dieing at 84 years in 1672.

A side chapel.

An engraved font. 17th C?

The most famous memorial in the church is the tomb chest of Sir Rhys ap Thomas, famous for dealing the fatal blow to Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth.  The Church holds a Bosworth Day on 22nd August each year.

HERE is a link to a more thorough look into his history, which I blogged about in 2019.  We had a link to our old Carmarthenshire home, as the incumbent (Gwilym ap Sion) there went to Bosworth and was rewarded by being made Esquire to the Body of the new King, Henry VII.

I can feel your eyes glazing over now so I shall end, and get myself some breakfast.  I have a visit to the GP this afternoon to discuss my ECG results and medication . . .

Using up those apples - some toothsome recipes

 A repeat of a post from 2017, when there were more mouths about to eat what I baked!  I can recommend them all.

APPLE YEASTBREAD

1 lb (450g) ordinary plain flour

Pinch of salt

1 oz (25g) butter

4 oz (100g) caster sugar

1/2 oz (15g)fresh yeast (or 1 teaspoon of dried yeast)

1/4 pt (150ml) warm milk

1/4 pt (150 ml) warm water

12 oz (350g) cooking apples

1 level teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon golden syrup

Lightly grease and flour a deep 8 " (20cm) square cake tin.

Sift the f lour and salt into a mixing bowl.  Rub in the butter.  Stir in 1 oz (25g) sugar.  Blend the yeast with the warm milk then mix in the warm water and pour into the flour.  Mix to make a firm dough.  

Put the dough on a lightly-floured worktop and knead for 10 mins.  Cover and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size.  Knead risen dough again and roll out to an oblong 15 x 10 inches (38 x 25 cm).

Peel and roughly chop the apples and mix with remaining 3 oz (75g) sugar and cinnamon.  Sprinkle apple mixture over the dough.  Moisten edge and roll up, starting at a long edge.  Cut the roll into 9 slices.  Put the slices in the tin, cut sides up.  Cover and leave to rise to top of tin.

About 15 mins. before end of rising, turn on over, set at moderately hot, 425 deg. F. 220 deg. C, Gas Mark 7.  Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 40 - 45 mins, or until golden brown.  Brush with the syrup and serve warm or cold.  With cream, it's a lovely dessert.

    SPICY DORSET APPLE CAKE

    4 oz butter or margarine
    4 oz caster or brown sugar
    8 oz flour, S-R or adjusted
    1 lb cooking apples
    1 1/2 teaspoons mixed spice or a mixture to your taste
    3 oz currants or sultanas (I use the mix with cranberries in)
    2 eggs

    Rub the margarine and the flour/spices together, add the sugar, peeled, cored and sliced apples,                currants and the beaten eggs.  Put the mixture in a large greased cake tin (10 inch round or 8"
    square)   and bake at gas mark 6 (425F, 220C) for 35 - 45 minutes.  The large amount of apple
    makes the cake a little fragile, so leave in the tin for 5 minutes or more before removing.
    If you do not have a large cake tin, use two smaller cake tins and reduce the cooking time
    a little.

    In the past I have arranged sliced apple around the top of the cake, but these can scorch so
    may need a covering of foil if this happens towards the end of the cooking time.  Good as
    a hot pudding too,      with cream or custard. . .

Here it is before it went in:

       And after it came out.   It is SCRUMMY!!!  

COUNTRY MINCEMEAT

Take sweet apples (though I have used windfall cookers in the past too) - even the ones which are getting a bit old and wrinkled from storage will do - peel, core and chop. Combine with dried fruit - I used an out-of-date packet which was fine, but may have been a tad drier than any I have recently bought.) Sprinkle on demerara sugar, ground cinnamon and ground cloves and add a little home-made wine if you like (I added a slosh of Crab Apple Wine). You may add some finely-chopped (and well washed) orange and/or lemon peel if you wish. I mixed mine in a bowl, but in the past I usually put straight into my earthenware jar as I am cutting the apples up, layering with the sugar, spices and dried fruit. I also usually add chopped dried apricots, but you may add whatever fruit you wish to the mix. Even without the wine, the mixture will become moist and winey and believe me it smells DIVINE. It will keep a year in the earthenware jar, which is best kept in a cool place, though having said that mine lives on the bottom shelf of a little table in the back hall. I have a recipe which calls for suet too, and is stored in jars, but this one is a lovely old-fashioned recipe and keeps very well. You will make it year after year, I promise.

BANANA APPLESAUCE CAKE

2 1/2 cups/8 oz plain flour

2 cups (I halve this to 4 oz) sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tblspn. pumpkin pie spice (ground cloves)

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup (200ml/7fl. oz.) water

1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz) vegetable shortening (I use Stork marg.)

1 cup applesauce (1/2 pint) - cooked up previously and cooled

1 cup mashed banana (2 medium bananas - a good way of using up very ripe ones)

2 eggs

1/2 cup chopped almonds (I leave these out)

3/4 cup (4 oz) raisins

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl of an electric mixer and blend well.  Add water and next 3 ingredients, blend, then beat at medium speed until creamy.

Add eggs and beat 2 mins at medium speed.  Stir in nuts and raisins and pour batter into a wax paper lined 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan (or use a large loaf tin and cook for longer).

Bake at 350 deg.F for about 45 minutes.  Turn out onto a cake rack and peel off wax paper.  If wished, when you have turned right side up and whilst still warm, you can sift confectioner's (icing) sugar over the top.  I don't bother.

Patchwork - had better go and sit on the naughty step . . .

 . . . I seem to have come home with a lot more fabric than I went with!!  

I mean - free stash?  Who could complain?!  Several pieces are one or two metres in length, and children's prints too, so I can make more Rosie dresses - WHEN I finally get started.  I rather loved the Nasturtiums too.  A cushion cover or two perhaps?  One of the ladies brought along two huge bagfuls - left over from making clothes for her grandchildren.  Thank you Linda - I can always pass on what I don't use. All the ladies found something they could do something with.

I didn't get much done today, but it was good to be back amongst my friends.  I popped in to see my friend Pam first, and took along the cake, which was gratefully received, as they had guests, and also a pot of the Lemon Marmalade I made.  She had family visiting, and they had been to NZ so gave me some good tips for the flight.  I definitely want to avoid feet swollen to twice their size, and also being cold on the flight too.

I left my patchwork class early as I didn't want to be driving as it began to get dark, and I had 4 puss cats waiting to be fed - they were all sat outside, waiting, and giving me Dark Looks because I was late!!

This was waiting for me on my return.  Many, many thanks to D for giving me this subscription for the year - CL always cheers me up, especially the Christmas one.  

I saw this lovely design on Instagram.  I will need my patchwork teacher to tell me how the blocks are constructed.  I think I can see the ones down the middle, it's the ones on the angle, so to speak.  I need to draw it out on a chart.

This is the entire house, that has Macbeth's three witches.  Isn't it great?!   Someone with imagination lives there.

Right, having had a large tuna and onion and salad baguette for lunch, I don't need much tea, so it is runner beans with a single large Tesco fish finger.  Two make a big meal for me, so one should be fine for more fishy protein.  

Oh, and yesterday I was doing some Family History on my Somerset relatives (mum's side), who go back in the Glastonbury, and Mark area for ever.  These are the Puddy family.  My 5th x g. grandmother was Obey Puddy.  I was writing down her brothers and sisters again, and suddenly realized that she and two sisters didn't have names that were a hangover from Puritan times, as I had first thought, but were from their mother's wedding vows as they were called Love, Hono(u)r and Obey . . .

Thank You All . . .

 . . . for your kind words and support.  I have had a better day today, and made myself Get On With Things.  I baked a Spicy Dorset Apple Cake for friends, and took myself by the scruff of the neck and went outside and painted the kitchen window woodwork.  Got chilled though and it took 2 hours to thaw out with the aid of a hot drink,  curry for tea, a hotty bottie and then a double thickness of Welsh wool waffle blanket.  Off to bed now, and my patchwork class to look forward to tomorrow.

Just for a bit of fun, here is the Halloween display at a house in town.  More photos tomorrow, but these three witches are BRILL, and note, there is even "smoke" coming from their cauldron!

Grief isn't linear, and Keith DID buy those things to sell, so I've got my head around both those points.  Had an email from the auction, and my bits did well - in fact, one thing sold for more than I had on it at the last Fair!!

Possessions are so personal

 I took myself off for a walk this afternoon.  I had to try and get my head around parting with things which had been so connected to Keith, from our dealing days.  I had been trying to cope with it by telling myself that these were just "old stock" which he had overpriced, or weren't what people wanted, or . . . but somehow it all goes so much deeper.  I could remember researching various pieces, occasions when "customers" would try to show off their "expertise" by running something down.  They were usually completely ignorant about whatever they were trying to pretend to be an expert about, but it always rankled.  This especially since Keith has died, as it's almost like a slur against him and his knowledge.  I could remember the occasions when we bought something, when Keith had done a good deal with one of his mates, laughing about something, me saying to him "WHY did you buy that?"  I will confess to having been in tears the last few days, because of having to face up to all this and process my emotions.  

He would tell me I have done the right thing, but it has been hard.  I need to start sorting out the contents of the stables and his workshop.  I will put a listing up on Facebook Marketplace for his barrels of bits of old chairs, stretchers, legs, table legs, short bits of wood for repairs.  No good to me, but if someone still does repairs . . . otherwise someone might want it as firewood.  I can't deal with that just yet though.

It felt very cold this morning when I did my shopping in Llandod.  Fortunately it was a bit warmer after lunch when I walked to the old telephone box and back (2 miles).  

A little bit of sunshine, but not our side of the valley.

Processing grief is complex, as it spears you from so many different angles, and always catches you unawares.  The one constant is that part of you is missing, your main reason for living ripped away and the wound that is left behind only has the flimsiest of skins over it.  I am off to try and find something on tv to distract me.  

A dose of Anxiety

 Yesterday I took some more things to auction.  They are not going to make my fortune, but they are out of the way.  I got stuck behind a horse box on the way there, and the 40 minute journey looked like it would take much longer, for it was Old Radnor (half way there) before I was able to overtake it on a long straight stretch.  He of course, also put his foot down.  Typical.  I was getting pretty wound up going along between 30 and 40 mph and it's not a road with many passing places.

Lulu in a takeover bid for one of the new beds for the boys . . .

My body wasn't feeling like doing anything much yesterday.  Not yoga, not meditation (definitely not that) and walking was out because it was raining.  I forced myself to peel and chop apples, before they became past using as they were all pretty bruised and battered.  A tub full went in the freezer and I have half a pint in the fridge for making chocolate apple cake.  I made a chicken curry for tea, and bunged a cube of frozen spinach in it for a change.  

Today I am going grocery shopping and getting two keys cut for the cat-feeders.  P's daughter is due to give birth 2 days before I leave for NZ, which means I have to get someone else (Ed probably) on standby for when she zooms up to Surrey to see the new arrival.  Ed has no experience of cats, so I will have to give him a lesson, and write everything down . . .

I have finally reached the end of the Foyle's War series, and am looking about for another good series to watch.  Any suggestions?

I am dreading Heathrow and the flight, and trying not to think about it.  I'm also trying not to worry in advance about cat-care before I go.  I have decided the boys can be in the front hall, which seems to suit them as they like to go out at night, and the girls are to stay in the house.  My over-active brain is of course conjuring up all sorts of scenarios, from Pippi escaping to a house fire!  That's what happens when I don't sleep too well and yes - it is the middle of the night here again.  I woke at 3 a.m. and it's now 5 a.m.

I will try and get some stuff to a charity shop today.  I have a pile of books and some clothing.  I need to get out in Keith's shed too, and have a sort out in there.  A Tip Trip would not go amiss either . . .  I will ask Ed if he wants some firewood and then I can move on several barrels of Keith's useful bits of wood - chair legs, stretchers etc, which are never going to be used now.  That would free up some space.

I had a lovely video call with Tam and Rosie yesterday.  Rosie kept asking for "Glan-ma" and was earnestly telling me something in "her language", bless her.  It was important because she repeated it.  We will have another call today.  I am let off babysitting as they are all coming down with a cold (do NOT want that) and the roads have been bad from heavy rain.  A relief, as I didn't want to be driving home all the way after dark, on that mountain road, being blinded by cars coming the other way (so many S bends too).

Mind you, that's nothing - Jamaica is going to be practically wiped off the map with this Hurricane Melissa approaching and possibly winding up to be a Category 5 hurricane.  Up to 40 inches of rain will fall, as it's a very slow-moving hurricane and winds of up to 145 mph . . .

What's your arithmetic like?

 Not a lot happened yesterday.  I visited my friend P, and came back with a load of battered windfalls which need processing straight away.  She doesn't do anything with them at all, which is a waste of good food.  Still, she's really good at DIY and was removing the tiles from her en-suite bathroom when I arrived.

I did a little more of my embroidery, but can't work on it too long or my shoulder begins to hurt from my looking down so much.  I'd forgotten to do my head to the side and press down exercises to stretch the neck muscles, so need to get back to those.

Tea was a container marked "Chicken Risotto" but there wasn't much chicken in it and freezing it seems to have made it tasteless.  I forced it down.  2nd half will be going on the compost heap later . . .  At least I have room in the freezer for some stewed apples now.

I tried this the other night.  It smelled a bit - strange - herb-wise when I heated it, and it tasted like it smelt.  That went on the compost heap too.  Delectable it WASN'T! |Inedible more like.

I had to go into a local mini-supermarket yesterday, as I fancied a chunk of crusty loaf with cheese at lunchtime.  I got a short baguette.  Turned out it was half price.  Full price was 82p.  The girl serving me had to call to one of the other assistants to ask what was 50% of 82p?  Blimey, I was hopeless at geometry and algebra - couldn't see the point! - but I know how to halve something, do percentages and can add up quite long lists, subtract, multiply etc and when I can't sleep I count from 300 backwards in 13s . . .  I have a feeling she won't last long there if such simple arithmetic is beyond her comprehension.

I sorted out some stuff to go to auction, so that's a positive.  Today I plan to go in Keith's workshop and have a bit of a clearout.  I may be gone some time . . .

A very positive day

 

I finished Mrs Cat Loves Knitting last night, and was pleased with the way she had turned out.

This morning I got going straight after breakfast.  We had a scheduled power cut for 3 hours, so I planned to go out for part of that time.  Here is the morning's tick list:

Change bed and put first load of washing on ready for power to return.  Tick.

Yoga.  Tick.

Use the Karcher Window Vac to get the condensation off the windows.  Tick.

Cold wash Seasalt dress, get worst of wetness off rolled up in towel and hang outside on to blow around a bit.  Tick.

Drive up the road to see K about the water supply.  Had a nice chat with his wife, and then K came back to the yard and said that my neighbour had helped sort it, digging down to the pipe - which had been pushed apart under the water pressure because of having a fox's brush of tree roots in it.  All sorted.  Tick.

Go to PO and pay in cheque.  Tick.

Get remaining stuff out of the car and tidy away.  Tick.

Empty clothes from suitcase and put in black bin liners.  Tick.

Look out next sewing project, and photocopy the patterns for the applique.  Tick.

Make a start on it (Christmas wallhanging), by cutting out backgrounds and tacking together.  Tick.

Phone auction for an appt. to drop some things off at weekend.  Tick.

Check attic for more "stuff" to go.  Tick.

Find another embroidery project to start - a lovely pre-printed alphabet one.  I have started doing the black grid dividing the letters/pictures.  Tick.

Whilst doing the latter I have been watching a lovely wildlife programme (series of 4): Hamza's Hidden Wildlife Isles.  I watched Spring and Summer.  Wonderful television.

Here is the alphabet.  It will be lovely to work on.

Have a nice weekend everyone.

old chi

I'm being very organized today. Check water problem - tick (now sorted by Ed with spade); Yoga - tick; walk - tick; pay L. Lin's cheque into bank - tick; change bed - tick; 2nd lot of washing on - tick; go round windows with Karcher window vac - tick; cold-wash Seasalt dress and hang out to dry - tick; Look out pattern for Christmas Jingles wallhanging and photo- copy pages for applique - tick (next project); get remaining stuff from car and put contents of suitcase in black bags - tick; phone Pembridge auction to get appt. to take some items in - tick. I will take a couple of bits of dad's including that Nazi dagger copy. May even go in attic to see if there is some old china to get rid of.