Exhausted

 I really didn't want to get up when the alarm(s) went off this morning.  I think I really did need more sleep, as by the time I had driven partly in near darkness and then driving into the rising sun, I found if I leaned forward when I was at the Fair, my head was a bit dizzy.  I wasn't excited before going, on the way, or once there.  This is unusual.  Anyway, I saw old friends and had a lovely chat with some dealers I'd not met before, and when I got back to the car, the chap in the next car and I had a good chat too.  The day was not wasted.

I loved this box lid, but unfortunately by the time I reached it I ony had the princely sum of £2.23 left in my bag . . .

I ended up with less money to spend as I was lucky enough to find Rosie's Christmas present.  

I had planned to buy her a Doll's House.  I didn't plan on buying her a Mansion house, but hey-ho.  I really loved this and it came complete with a big box of house contents.  This hit the exchequer with a big bite, but the Christmas present buying is going well and I hope to be done and dusted with it by the end of October latest. Looking up dolls houses on Ebay and Etsy, some of them are big prices in the hundreds.  The scale models of Georgian dollshouses especially.  One Oxford House kit was £650!!  I always remember a wonderful dollshouse shop in Bath, which sold tiny pineapples, bowls of fruit, copper cookware, chandaliers.  Ooh I was a child again!

These stunning German pieces were on the North & South Vintage stall and I had a lovely chat with the owners.  Very special designs these.

On a friend's stall.

On another friend's stall.  Beautifully stitched.

I loved this (on yet another friend's stall - we always chat, esp. as she's horsey).  

Last 3 photos from one of the Builth "neighbours" I chat to.  I would love the little stable in the background.

The view when I plonked myself down on a bench to ease my aching arms and shoulders (that dolls house is hefty).  Fortunately another friend helped balance it on the camping trolley on the way back to the car over the rough bit of track, and helped me lift it into the car.

I am so glad that tonight's meal is leftovers from last night.  All I want to do is sit down and do nothing now.  Think I will take a Panadol and see if that will ease my head, which is a bit tight from all the concentration today.

Coming home, I passed lots of bikers going home in the opposite direction.  There has been the usual Bank Holiday biker fest on the showground and they had it wet in their tents, poor souls.   I hope you all had a lovely weekend.  Tomorrow is September.  I am SO glad Autumn has arrived.

Still down in the dumps and Synchronicity

 I woke an hour before the alarm.  It is dry but we have had a goodly amount of rain and everything is grateful for it.  A green blush everywhere now.

I am busy with needle - my gardening jeans developed a tear on the other leg, so, pretty patchwork to cover it . . .

First I sew a strengthening patch on the inside of the leg to cover the torn area and then the pretty patches on the outside.  This should last a while now anyway.

I have also started sewing Rosie's x-stitch for Christmas which is a Puffin.  I have a Puffin I bought in a charity shop, and it is looped over a candle on the mantlepiece.  Rosie loves it, so I thought I would make her one for herself.  Nothing to show yet as I am just doing the black back of it but it is quick to stitch and I had the colours I needed in my stash, although the dark tangerine is one number out but near enough not to matter.

Synchronicity.  I watched the latest (well, 2020) movie of Rebecca this week and it just so happened I decided to buy a paper yesterday and it just so happened that this article was in it!  There is a new biography about Daphne du Maurier by her grandson, which will hit the shops next month.  I will try and see if I can get it through the Library as at £25 it is too big an indulgence to buy.  I have another biography on her and don't think he will uncover much fresh ground, especially as her diaries cannot be accessed before 2039 (50 years after her death).  It's called Last Night I Dreamt, and is by Paul de Zulueta, in case you are interested.

I am enjoying Running for the Hills, but he has his mother arriving on her own, a local taxi all the way from Abergavenny! and arriving at a freezing house and wishing there was a stove.  Well, surely there MUST have been some form of heating - an open fireplace at least - or else the last owners couldn't have lived there. She foolishly pulls out all the bits of newspaper and disgusting old rags which were stuffed in the walls and bitterly regrets it the first time there is a gale, which howls into the house through all the gaps in the walls!  I have memories of returning from Keith's brother's after going there for New Year, and our old house would be SO COLD - it was like walking into a fridge.  The first thing we did was to light the big Hergom stove, which in those early days was multi-fuel and ran on wood or coke.  It devoured wood like there was no tomorrow and I can remember Keith cutting up a fallen oak tree which barely lasted 6 weeks for fuel . . .  I also remember wondering why on earth there were the lids of (probably baked bean) tins nailed at intervals along the skirting boards . . . this was a simple and efficient way of keeping the rats out . . .

I think part of the reason for being down in the dumps is because Keith's mobility scooter is going.  With it go such sad memories of when he could barely get about and going to Malvern was such a challenge for him.  He would have had it months earlier had not Tam encouraged us to try and get funding for ex-military personnel.  It took over 6 mths - and we didn't get it in the end - and we had to declare each and every single expenditure, which was very uncomfortable to do, as you lost all privacy.  All that has returned to haunt me.  Today's challenge will be trying to reverse it backwards up the ramp, heaviest bit first, then turning it off to lower the steering column and somehow heaving it into the other vehicle.  I am glad the chap buying it will be there to do the strong-arm tactics!  We have arranged to meet half way, which makes life easier anyway and I can get some bits of grocery shopping afterwards - cat food from B&M Bargains.

Last night I was watching History Cold Case USA - a couple of programmes, where they try and trace the ancestry and identity of long-dead skeletons (over 150 years ago).  It was really interesting and amazingly they did manage to identify one young couple buried together in one coffin - she died first of cholera and her husband just a couple of days after.  Another was a Native American Indian from the West Coast, who had travelled across America and ended up buried in New York state, a Christian burial at the fort where he had been a soldier.  

Right, this won't do.  Time to get myself tidy to go out. Update: chap buying scooter had great idea of using the ramps to make a bridge between our vehicles.  Some disassembling required, but it worked a treat.  Phew!  

Not motivated

. . . However, I have fettled something that needed fettling (with wood dye).  I have posted a parcel and had some exercise walking round town.  I just don't have the energy to go further as it is muggy here after the rain.  I have answered questions about the mobility scooter and been paid.  I deliver it over the weekend.  I have put in an order for some heating oil and the scooter money should pretty well cover it.  86.5p a litre though.  Sigh.  

In my walk round the town I did a loop and passed my favourite house.

My soup (of which I had some at lunchtime) was very tasty and full of lots of veg.  I really SHOULD get on with Rosie's little dress but am not feeling the least bit motivated.  Perhaps if I Google how to sew a simple child's dress I may get on with it.  Well - back again and that made it look incredibly easy, whereas I have talked it up into something only geniuses can do!  Technique is different to what is written on my pattern though. . .  

I will at least go and find my Christmas X-stitch magazines.  I found the lovely runner above, which I could make with some of the Christmas fabrics I have in my stash.

There are some lovely ideas in this little booklet, which was a freeby with Country Living one year.

My 3 old Just X-stitch Christmas magazines . . .  Plenty of choice for tree ornaments.  I have put a cheeky bid in on another Just X-Stitch Christmas magazine.  It would be nice to have something to look forward to.

I shall sit down with a book and a cuppa now.  Current book is Running for the Hills by Horatio Clare.  I am also idly reading a book of short stories by Elly Griffiths, but they are very poorly crafted. I really want to start Death in A Desert Land by Andrew Wilson . . .  Watch this space.

I have gien myself a cheerful afternoon by buying a 2012 copy of Just X-Stitch Christmas magazine from Ebay (put in an offer).  I have been sat down watching the 2020 version of Daphne du Maurier's "Rebecca".  Excellent.  Lily James starred as Mrs de Winter, and Armie Hammer was Maxim. If you haven't seen this version, I can recommend it.

I have decided what x-stitch Christmas tree decorations I will sew for my grand daughters.  Of course, one suggested a silvery Aida which I got rid of a couple of years ago.  Drat.  I just didn't keep it long enough - clearly 20 years was too short a time frame :)

It's as black as a . . .

 . . . Kangaroo's jockstrap in my house.  That erudite expression was one my late ex-husband used to use.  Pretty sums up how it is in the house - without the kitchen light on I couldn't see the other side of the room.  Thunder is rumbling round and it has been really chucking it down.  In fact, it rained overnight and then we had steady heavy rain this morning.  I can practically see the green bit of my lawn in the shade of the house at the back, growing as I watch.  Now it has rumbled past the Epynts and over towards Hereford, giving Glascwm a good soaking on the way over.  Just a little blip there on the FireMap now and the ones around the valleys, also well soaked and faded on the map.

As it had cooled down and felt like Autumn this morning, I made a pan of soup - a sort of Minestrone type with tomatoes, bacon, onions, carrots, leeks, cauliflower, potato - using up stuff which needed using.  Tea tonight was a mince and rice "thing" which doesn't look very colourful (should have used passata) but used up a tin of just out of date Kidney Beans, some tomatoes that Ed gave me, and bits and bobs.  Edible but not exciting on the palate . . .

I had a lovely day with family here yesterday.  Today feels rather flat with the house empty again.  We were making Christmas plans and it looks like Gabby and I will be here alone for Christmas Day and I suggested an Indian meal, leaving the roast until the others were here.  Danny and Emma and "I" will be moving into their first home together in mid-September, and will obviously want to spend their first Christmas day there.  I am now having to share Tam and Rosie with Jon's folk and it's their turn for Christmas day this year .

I have just had an enquiry about Keith's mobility scooter, so am hoping that it will sell.  Positive thoughts please, for a sale (could do with the money for the heating oil . . .)  I would have to deliver to Pontypridd though, but hey, that's a day out.

I popped to the Library today to collect the Library book I had ordered, Andrew Wilson's Death in a Desert Land. His heroine is Agatha Christie.  I'm enjoying these . . .

I found a new-to-me Jason Statham film to watch last night, "Shelter".  Keith and I always loved watching his movies.  He's got a new one hitting the cinemas shortly, but I will probably have to wait until it's on tv.

I hope you have all had rain in the UK.  Lord knows we need it.  Farmers are debating whether it is worth sowing crops for next year, so we could be in dire straits with food supplies if they deem it's not worth it . . .

Is this neat enough Miss Huggins?

 

I found this x-stitch Robin when I was tidying up my sewing things this week.  I thought I would turn him into the Christmas tree hanging he was originally meant to be.  So, I folded over the edge and neatly tacked it . . .  Not too difficult to do on Aida.

Then I found a film on Amazon Prime and stitched as I watched Twisters.

I enjoyed the film and the sewing.  I have also discovered some Laura Ashley 1980s patchwork hexagons which I had started edging, so I will finish them off and list them on Ebay.  

Well, I don't know how far my cake went as I found out that there were 12 Fire Crews from all around the area working on the fire at Glascwm. . .  A few crumbs each perhaps!

We are meant to have rain starting today and very heavy tomorrow, so I hope that helps to put out remaining fire.  The one at Maerdy looked very bad in the posts on Facebook.

I forgot to mention something that brought me such joy on Monday morning.  I was in the bathroom and craning my neck out of the window to see if my neighbour's friend's car was still down there.  The House Martins suddenly began flying up to the nests, 30 or so of them, just inches from my face, and their shadows swooping across the wall beside me.  There is one last lot of eggs being laid and brooded.  I'm not sure what the fledged youngsters were doing flying up to the nests in such numbers, but what a delight it was.  I really miss them when they leave, even more so this year as we have had 6 nests built (2 in previous years) and so LOTS of House Martins about.

Now, I have been awake 2 hours.  Perhaps if I read a bit more I may get back to sleep but I am about to hit the exciting and scary bit at the end of the book so perhaps it won't exactly lull me to sleep!

Sky full of smoke

 All across the town and heading Eastwards, there is a pall of smoke from the fire and the air is thick with it.  I will definitely have to use my mask today to go and water round at Ed's.  I have to go to the PO too, to send back the dreadful mascara I bought online.  It is rubbish.  Then hair wash and clothes in the washing machine.

This is the smoke coming up from the Glascwm fire.  Yesterday my friend whose home overlooks a broad vista, saw some kids running along the top of a nearby hill.  Then a little while later, 9 of them on top of it again, one with a bag . . .  She was worried sick that they would set light to it.  Then she saw them in fields below the hill and managed to alert the owner of the land, who came out.  Who is to say what they had planned?  I see that two farm barns full of hay/straw have been set alight to in Herefordshire.  I feel so sorry for the farmers - loss of barns and all their winter feed/bedding . . . 

There has been a dreadful fire at Drummau Mountain too (towards Neath).  I think a Nursing home was evacuated.  Never wanted torrential rain for a week so much . . .  There looks to be some coming in on Thursday.  

Right, not a good note to start the day on.  Off to do something POSITIVE.

Update - the Something Positive.  Ginger cake.  One on the left for my family tomorrow (Gabby, Danny and little "I" visiting).  The big one for the Fire Crew.  They have earned it.

A lucky haul from Tesco's recycled shelves and Fire Updates

 

I thought I would do the week's shop today as I needed fuel for the next Malvern Flea, and Tescopolis had an offer on the cat biscuits the cats like (Iams).  I checked out the charity bookshelves before starting my shop, and struck lucky.  All of these appear to be brand new so I wonder if they are remaindered stock from the Tesco shelves.  The two Lord John ones are particularly welcome anyway, the Elizabeth I biography looks good, Michael Jecks' books are good and the Witchfinders one could be good too.

My stye has finally calmed down, after a week, and I tried the new mascara today.  What a waste of money - managed to effectively hide my eyelashes rather than enhance them, clumped them into wafer thin bits and was very difficult to remove . . .  Back to Max Factor 2000 then . . .

Finally - pudding today - a meal early as I had a skimpy lunch of home grown Red Zebra tomatoes (I will grow these again, they're lovely) and a chunk of one of Ed's cucumbers, and the last two slices of Pastrami . . .

It's quite windy today, but I shall let my lunch go down and go for a short walk and perhaps find time to carry on with the gravel weeding.

Update, minutes later.  Another fire - Glascwm, over towards Hundredhouse, which may have started up afresh and with this wind will really spread.  Fire Brigade in attendance.  Update 3 p.m. - I can see smoke billowing up from Glascwm - it's 7 miles away as the crow flies, and there are multiple fires by the look of things on FireMap.

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 and FireWOMEN who have had to drop everything and go out to fight that same fire yet again . . .  My apologies to Denise, who is one of those hard working Firewomen and all of her compatriots.  It takes a very special sort of person to do this job as of course, it isn't just about fires.  Many thanks to those of you who have worked the clock round for weeks on end because of stupid idiots setting fires for a challenge, quite apart from naturally-caused fires, house fires etc.

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 :)