We had a lovely day out in Hay-on-Wye yesterday (husband, T and myself). The weather was . . . brisk, I think you could say. It kept trying to snow in the morning and the mountains and Hay Bluff were well sprinkled with white. I only bought one book - a little Edwardian book called Beautiful Dartmoor, for £5. Extracts in due course. We had our usual bacon/sausage baps in the cafe in Backfold which kept us going all afternoon. It is always good to see some different countryside - although it is countryside we have come to know "off by heart" in the years we have been driving to and from Hay.
Monday was a lovely day too. When we went shopping my husband suddenly presented me with a bunch of deep red Chrysanthemums and brought tears to my eyes. When I got home, Sharon at Morning's Minion had sent me a copy of Robert Frost's poetry, which I had been longing for and this and the lovely dedication within it from Sharon, brought tears to my eyes again. Sharon - the most ENORMOUS THANK YOU. I have dipped into it so far, but love his work - I just feel so sad that he lived such a long and productive life and Edward Thomass's was cut off so abruptly.
Then T arrived!, and I managed to stem my tears, but gosh, it was good to see her again.
Driving here this morning to use the computer, we saw that last night's gales had brought down a tree across the phone line! Which means that all our little hamlet is out now. Perhaps that will bring BT along quicker, although I doubt we will get our phone pole up any earlier. I dare say the neighbours will have to be cobbled onto OUR repair day. Thank heavens it was taken out BEFORE ours was repaired. You can imagine my swear-words had we just got the line back and next day it was taken out again!
I am away to clean my oven now. The things a girl does for fun! I have a roast planned for this afternoon and the clouds of smoke coming out when I used the main oven on Monday (for the first time in months as I have had to just use the small one, for reasons of economy) meant it had to be working with all the windows open!
Keep warm all and thank you for your patience, friendship, and kindness.
Wednesday, 6 February 2013
Monday, 4 February 2013
Happy Monday
The start of another week, and our eldest daughter arrives home today for a week's holiday, so that will be lovely. Middle daughter has excitedly gone to her Good New Job and I am so pleased for her. We saw our son at the weekend and they will all be here for the mass dental appt. on Wednesday. Wish she DID come to the house, but T will want to go round allthe charity shops in Llandeilo, so that saves us a seperate trip.
Possible snow is forecast for tonight. Deep joy. Yet it feels very mild out right now and room temps are up to a high of 15 degrees pre heating. With heating they struggle to make an extra degree, but we have to ration the heating oil and have very little very dry wood - it is still trying to dry out from last summer . . .
I spent several very happy hours reading and note-taking on Edward Thomas's walks and exploits. Since my husband was busy watching rugby all Saturday afternoon, this was a pleasure even more gratefully taken. Someone had written that he walked "on the edge of consciousness". In my work on him, I would say that it was closer to the edge of sanity . . . Thelma - your McFarlane book is a joy. I will HAVE to get my own copy, though hardback rather than Kindle, which was my initial thought, as it's £9.99 on Kindle and £12.50 or so on Amazon in hardback. I loved McFarlane's take on Thomas's emotional constipation and how Helen's selfless incorruptable love brought out the worst in him - seemingly tempting him to greater and greater emotional browbeating of her in an attempt to break her love - since the more she loved him, the deeper the guilt he felt. Having personally seen this in action, I know it for its total negativity.
I think spring cannot really be TOO far away now (always the optimist) as the catkins are out on the hazel, and just starting to relax on the Alders. The river has brought us a perfectly-sized Alder tree to cut up for next winter too). The Sparrows appeared to be mating in the rambling roses this morning and the Great Tits were calling to one another. As I drove here, a Redwing eyed me from a hedgetop and there are flocks of them and their friends the Fieldfares in fields hereabouts, and joy of yous, even some Lapwings, which I think have to be one of my favourite wild birds (they remind me of Arab horses). I can remember whole field-fulls of them from my youth and yet now they are scarce.
Celendine leaves out now, so hopefully flowers not too far behind. With each passing winter, I long for spring to arrive - even the tiniest signs in the hedgerows.
Yesterday's car boot sale brought me a Henry Williamson book I had been looking for, a slightly damaged (inside lid) Torquay pottery jam jar and lid, and some hessian and fur fabric oddments. £2.50 spent . . .
Right, I need to return and scrub a bath. You would not believe the blue rings on the bath from the combination of high acidity in the water and high copper content too.
BTW Pat, a hogget is a lamb approaching a year old - 10 mths or so - and stronger-tasting than lamb. We love it.
We are off for the day in Hay-on-Wye tomorrow, so I shall be absent from on here.
Possible snow is forecast for tonight. Deep joy. Yet it feels very mild out right now and room temps are up to a high of 15 degrees pre heating. With heating they struggle to make an extra degree, but we have to ration the heating oil and have very little very dry wood - it is still trying to dry out from last summer . . .
I spent several very happy hours reading and note-taking on Edward Thomas's walks and exploits. Since my husband was busy watching rugby all Saturday afternoon, this was a pleasure even more gratefully taken. Someone had written that he walked "on the edge of consciousness". In my work on him, I would say that it was closer to the edge of sanity . . . Thelma - your McFarlane book is a joy. I will HAVE to get my own copy, though hardback rather than Kindle, which was my initial thought, as it's £9.99 on Kindle and £12.50 or so on Amazon in hardback. I loved McFarlane's take on Thomas's emotional constipation and how Helen's selfless incorruptable love brought out the worst in him - seemingly tempting him to greater and greater emotional browbeating of her in an attempt to break her love - since the more she loved him, the deeper the guilt he felt. Having personally seen this in action, I know it for its total negativity.
I think spring cannot really be TOO far away now (always the optimist) as the catkins are out on the hazel, and just starting to relax on the Alders. The river has brought us a perfectly-sized Alder tree to cut up for next winter too). The Sparrows appeared to be mating in the rambling roses this morning and the Great Tits were calling to one another. As I drove here, a Redwing eyed me from a hedgetop and there are flocks of them and their friends the Fieldfares in fields hereabouts, and joy of yous, even some Lapwings, which I think have to be one of my favourite wild birds (they remind me of Arab horses). I can remember whole field-fulls of them from my youth and yet now they are scarce.
Celendine leaves out now, so hopefully flowers not too far behind. With each passing winter, I long for spring to arrive - even the tiniest signs in the hedgerows.
Yesterday's car boot sale brought me a Henry Williamson book I had been looking for, a slightly damaged (inside lid) Torquay pottery jam jar and lid, and some hessian and fur fabric oddments. £2.50 spent . . .
Right, I need to return and scrub a bath. You would not believe the blue rings on the bath from the combination of high acidity in the water and high copper content too.
BTW Pat, a hogget is a lamb approaching a year old - 10 mths or so - and stronger-tasting than lamb. We love it.
We are off for the day in Hay-on-Wye tomorrow, so I shall be absent from on here.
Saturday, 2 February 2013
The Saturday post
Our new washing machine arrived today. Which was nothing short of amazing really. We had left directions that our phone line was down so we had to be contacted by text as for the delivery time. We received a text which bid us to track our delivery - ON LINE . . . Oh for heaven's sake! Then the phone rang - 3 rings. I sprinted to get it but they had stopped phoning, and so I went outside to catch a passing signal and phone the unknown number, hoping it might be the delivery men . It was. They wanted directions. I was halfway through giving them when they said they would phone later for the rest. I quickly said, just keep turning left. Fortunately they did so and we now have our replacement machine and the old one taken away for recycling, but it just shows - you pay peanuts, and you get monkeys . . . Short term memory loss is obviously par for the course - I had only given two turn lefts and their eyes glazed over!
I have to say, I am glad for the replacement as washing by hand leaves a lot to be desired, and my OH is wearing his woollen winter socks and they take a lot of wringing out.
In the meantime, I have to report that little Theodorable was out of his brain on cat nip yesterday. I had made some sachets using the cat nip grown and sent by my dear friend Sharon over at Morning's Minion blog. Theo had unearthed one from a gloomy corner yesterday and I found him rolling his face on it, biting the sachet and generally on cloud 9. It has different effects on different cats. Fluff and Lucy are underwhelmed by it; the other two boys aren't bothered by it, Banshee considers herself above such things (well, spending the entire winter with a bed on top of the fridge-freezer means she is above everything!) and the grey tabby Stella (Misery Guts) gets comatose on it. But Theo went completely BONKERS! He was hurtling up and down the long refectory table in the hall as if it were his personal gym, he chased a ball up and down the hall for as long as I was willing to bowl it, and then he went into the kitchen. I went in to make a cup of tea and found him on top of the speakers (which are on top of the cupboard) trying to climb the holding rope up onto one of the Betty Maids (where we dry our clothing). He was as high as a kite on cat nip! I put him outside to try and catch the goldfish (his favourite outdoor pursuit), but he came in later and crashed out on my lap, purring like a grampus. Bless him. He has brought me such joy and in a way, makes up for losing poor Tippy so prematurely, as there is much of Tippy about him.
Well, just another week - WE HOPE - before BT finally get around to growing the tree which is to be the replacement pole for the line, and then I will be able to stay in contact with the outside world without having to drive out to go in search of it.
Meanwhile, my best friend Tricia's daughter is in labour, and I have to keep in touch by text. You have NO IDEA how frustrating that is!
2 more days and T will be home from Sheffield for the week (we are off to Hay-on-Wye on the Tuesday), and on Tuesday night/Wednesday night most or all of my offspring will be in residence for a joint dental check-up. We are having roast hoggett for tea on Wednesday. I can't wait to have them all under our roof again.
I have to say, I am glad for the replacement as washing by hand leaves a lot to be desired, and my OH is wearing his woollen winter socks and they take a lot of wringing out.
In the meantime, I have to report that little Theodorable was out of his brain on cat nip yesterday. I had made some sachets using the cat nip grown and sent by my dear friend Sharon over at Morning's Minion blog. Theo had unearthed one from a gloomy corner yesterday and I found him rolling his face on it, biting the sachet and generally on cloud 9. It has different effects on different cats. Fluff and Lucy are underwhelmed by it; the other two boys aren't bothered by it, Banshee considers herself above such things (well, spending the entire winter with a bed on top of the fridge-freezer means she is above everything!) and the grey tabby Stella (Misery Guts) gets comatose on it. But Theo went completely BONKERS! He was hurtling up and down the long refectory table in the hall as if it were his personal gym, he chased a ball up and down the hall for as long as I was willing to bowl it, and then he went into the kitchen. I went in to make a cup of tea and found him on top of the speakers (which are on top of the cupboard) trying to climb the holding rope up onto one of the Betty Maids (where we dry our clothing). He was as high as a kite on cat nip! I put him outside to try and catch the goldfish (his favourite outdoor pursuit), but he came in later and crashed out on my lap, purring like a grampus. Bless him. He has brought me such joy and in a way, makes up for losing poor Tippy so prematurely, as there is much of Tippy about him.
Well, just another week - WE HOPE - before BT finally get around to growing the tree which is to be the replacement pole for the line, and then I will be able to stay in contact with the outside world without having to drive out to go in search of it.
Meanwhile, my best friend Tricia's daughter is in labour, and I have to keep in touch by text. You have NO IDEA how frustrating that is!
2 more days and T will be home from Sheffield for the week (we are off to Hay-on-Wye on the Tuesday), and on Tuesday night/Wednesday night most or all of my offspring will be in residence for a joint dental check-up. We are having roast hoggett for tea on Wednesday. I can't wait to have them all under our roof again.
Thursday, 31 January 2013
Trying to be patient
Just a quick gallop through to say thank you for snail mail, texts, carefully-orchestrated mobile conversations in unheated icy bedrooms (mine!) and for your kind thoughts. As an Aries, patience is a virtue which does not come easily to me. In fact, I don't really possess an iota of it, to be truthful. You can then imagine how difficult it is for me to wait for BT to finally resurrect our line. The 8th February can't come soon enough, as far as I'm concerned. They have told my MP that they have diverted any incoming calls to my mobile, so they obviously think they have done their duty. Since we have house walls three feet thick and live in an area of very poor mobile reception, this is not a lot of use to us!
I do hope that the "circle of three" - as in things going wrong - isn't starting all over again, as we have just had to have the plumber out to replace a length of ancient copper pipe in the kitchen which had been worn very thin from years of contact with acidic water flowing through it, and had started hissing and leaking. These things are sent to try us.
I have now created a new bedspread from the large piece of factory pre-quilted material I got at the weekend, and have enough for pillow sham FRONTS, so I shall cheat and just have a plain white pillowcase behind them I think. Leftovers have so far made a very thrown-together bed for little Banshee, who thinks it is Christmas all over again as she likes to be warm.
MANY many thanks to Thelma for the loan of the McFarlane book (though just a brief glimpse at it has underlined the fact I shall have to buy my own copy). I shall look after it carefully and cannot WAIT to get back this afternoon and start reading it properly. As for the Blue-Face Border Leicester wool, I just can't wait to spin it and was amazed at how soft it was. I feel thoroughly spoilt today.
I spent the morning at our local horse sale. Not many horses forward, but one pen of wee Shetlands who were packed in like sardines. Some of the other horses had obviously been left there overnight, judging by the mire underfoot in their pens, but at least hay had been provided (though no sign of any water . . .) I spent my time at the tack auction though, so I can't report what sort of prices the ponies made - very low ones, if recent prices were anything to go by.
I had sunshine for my journey, and it was lovely being on top of Llanllwni Mountain (think big hills really), though it was too misty to see as far as the Cambrian Mountains or back across to the Brecon Beacons. The sun shining on the soft grey-gold of the mountain grass was so pretty. I admit to parking up in the little layby by the Laburnums, just to sit and relax. The Laburnum trees beside me started off as fencing poles when wood was in great demand (WW1) and had put out roots and grown well. Not the best thing to have around a field for stock though, as their seeds are poisonous.
I will be back tomorrow afternoon, if all goes to plan.
I do hope that the "circle of three" - as in things going wrong - isn't starting all over again, as we have just had to have the plumber out to replace a length of ancient copper pipe in the kitchen which had been worn very thin from years of contact with acidic water flowing through it, and had started hissing and leaking. These things are sent to try us.
I have now created a new bedspread from the large piece of factory pre-quilted material I got at the weekend, and have enough for pillow sham FRONTS, so I shall cheat and just have a plain white pillowcase behind them I think. Leftovers have so far made a very thrown-together bed for little Banshee, who thinks it is Christmas all over again as she likes to be warm.
MANY many thanks to Thelma for the loan of the McFarlane book (though just a brief glimpse at it has underlined the fact I shall have to buy my own copy). I shall look after it carefully and cannot WAIT to get back this afternoon and start reading it properly. As for the Blue-Face Border Leicester wool, I just can't wait to spin it and was amazed at how soft it was. I feel thoroughly spoilt today.
I spent the morning at our local horse sale. Not many horses forward, but one pen of wee Shetlands who were packed in like sardines. Some of the other horses had obviously been left there overnight, judging by the mire underfoot in their pens, but at least hay had been provided (though no sign of any water . . .) I spent my time at the tack auction though, so I can't report what sort of prices the ponies made - very low ones, if recent prices were anything to go by.
I had sunshine for my journey, and it was lovely being on top of Llanllwni Mountain (think big hills really), though it was too misty to see as far as the Cambrian Mountains or back across to the Brecon Beacons. The sun shining on the soft grey-gold of the mountain grass was so pretty. I admit to parking up in the little layby by the Laburnums, just to sit and relax. The Laburnum trees beside me started off as fencing poles when wood was in great demand (WW1) and had put out roots and grown well. Not the best thing to have around a field for stock though, as their seeds are poisonous.
I will be back tomorrow afternoon, if all goes to plan.
Monday, 28 January 2013
Back to rain
I am very relieved, in a way, that the cold spell has passed and whilst we were barely affected by the snow - just a smidgen on the fields around us and more on the surrounding hills - the house temperature dropped to about 11 degrees away from the fire, and that is chilly. Now we are back to rain.
Anyway, I have some indoor craft jobs to do which will more than keep me busy this coming week. I am still restoring the 1930s rocking chair (£1 at the boot sale recently!) - have repainted it in ivory, made a new cushion and now need to do the rest of the reupholstery using the last of a bolt of upholstery material a neighbour gave us.
Then yesterday I got a really good bargain - a huge suitcase and contents. Contents were a huge piece of pre-quilted material - big enough to make a throw for a king sized bed; single piece ditto; some wool and a 3/4 finished crochet cushion cover, and cylinder type cushion cover to go inside it. All for £5. I am currently doing the first edging on the king size piece - trimming, pinning and then I will slip-stitch it. The only problem is I lay it out over the kitchen table and across the chair backs and Theo then makes a bed in the middle. I have told him if he is patient I will make cat beds from the offcuts but he doesn't believe me! When I remove him, he then goes into the hall and uses the long Medieval style table my husband made as a playground, knocking off everything that was carefully put on the top . . .
Anyway, I have been in the internet cafe for about an hour now, so I shall return home and do some work. Hopefully I shall be able to pop in tomorrow. Many thanks to those of you who are keeping in touch with me by snail mail - it is wonderful to hear from you, and great when the posty leaves me letters in the old bread bin by the front door.
Anyway, I have some indoor craft jobs to do which will more than keep me busy this coming week. I am still restoring the 1930s rocking chair (£1 at the boot sale recently!) - have repainted it in ivory, made a new cushion and now need to do the rest of the reupholstery using the last of a bolt of upholstery material a neighbour gave us.
Then yesterday I got a really good bargain - a huge suitcase and contents. Contents were a huge piece of pre-quilted material - big enough to make a throw for a king sized bed; single piece ditto; some wool and a 3/4 finished crochet cushion cover, and cylinder type cushion cover to go inside it. All for £5. I am currently doing the first edging on the king size piece - trimming, pinning and then I will slip-stitch it. The only problem is I lay it out over the kitchen table and across the chair backs and Theo then makes a bed in the middle. I have told him if he is patient I will make cat beds from the offcuts but he doesn't believe me! When I remove him, he then goes into the hall and uses the long Medieval style table my husband made as a playground, knocking off everything that was carefully put on the top . . .
Anyway, I have been in the internet cafe for about an hour now, so I shall return home and do some work. Hopefully I shall be able to pop in tomorrow. Many thanks to those of you who are keeping in touch with me by snail mail - it is wonderful to hear from you, and great when the posty leaves me letters in the old bread bin by the front door.
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
S.M.S. (Save My Sanity!)
Well, as per the title, in the interests of saving my sanity, I have decided to use the internet cafe daily. I need to keep in touch with my friends - family I can just about contact if I hang out of the attic window, phone them two rings, cancel and then they phone me back.
Anyway, we have finally been given a date for the telephone pole to be replaced (8th February) but I'm not holding my breath. There was no assurance that the line would be restored at the same time but it had jolly well better be - I shall be down there to make sure it does! This has seemingly come about because I contacted our MP (Jonathon Edwards) by e-mail from the internet cafe last week, and a friend of mine, who BT seem to be dealing with in preference to me after she has been trying to get them to deal with my case, mentioned that I had contacted our MP. Within half an hour, we had a voicemail and a date.
Anyway, watch this space. I will be coming here daily, but don't like to appropriate the one computer here all day long, so it is just a short visit. Right now, I would like nothing more than a complete morning's indulgence, catching up on everyone's news. I shall try and go to a different couple of blogs each day, and keep up with your news that way.
Meanwhile, this won't do. I need to research something about Edward Thomas - though I suspect the only chance I get of seeing the manuscripts I need is to have a vacation in Vancouver, B.C. where they are held . . .
Back tomorrow. Keep warm all of you in the snow (we are green, but hills around us have a sprinkling of snow still).
Anyway, we have finally been given a date for the telephone pole to be replaced (8th February) but I'm not holding my breath. There was no assurance that the line would be restored at the same time but it had jolly well better be - I shall be down there to make sure it does! This has seemingly come about because I contacted our MP (Jonathon Edwards) by e-mail from the internet cafe last week, and a friend of mine, who BT seem to be dealing with in preference to me after she has been trying to get them to deal with my case, mentioned that I had contacted our MP. Within half an hour, we had a voicemail and a date.
Anyway, watch this space. I will be coming here daily, but don't like to appropriate the one computer here all day long, so it is just a short visit. Right now, I would like nothing more than a complete morning's indulgence, catching up on everyone's news. I shall try and go to a different couple of blogs each day, and keep up with your news that way.
Meanwhile, this won't do. I need to research something about Edward Thomas - though I suspect the only chance I get of seeing the manuscripts I need is to have a vacation in Vancouver, B.C. where they are held . . .
Back tomorrow. Keep warm all of you in the snow (we are green, but hills around us have a sprinkling of snow still).
Saturday, 19 January 2013
NO PHONE LINE STILL!
Just dashing through quickly. Some of you know we have been without a phone line since 22/12/2012 - a month now.
Although we are now a priority case with BT, and are being "escalated" daily, we are no nearer getting the line fixed and can only communicate with the outside world by letter, or by hanging out of the attic window to try and get a mobile signal. I have now learned how to text . . .
I have just emailed our MP, from desperation, so let us hope something will start moving soon.
Missing everyone and I would love to share recent photos with you. We had our 25th wedding anniversary last week and went into England for the day and visited Lacock Abbey. We had beautiful weather and thoroughly enjoyed our day out.
Now there is snow on the ground, but we were fortunate in being on the edge of the weather front and just have a smidgin. Elsewhere in Wales folk are badly affected and snowed in. Our cupboards are full, fortunately - we just stocked up on cat food.
Back when I can - this is sent from an internet cafe . . .
Although we are now a priority case with BT, and are being "escalated" daily, we are no nearer getting the line fixed and can only communicate with the outside world by letter, or by hanging out of the attic window to try and get a mobile signal. I have now learned how to text . . .
I have just emailed our MP, from desperation, so let us hope something will start moving soon.
Missing everyone and I would love to share recent photos with you. We had our 25th wedding anniversary last week and went into England for the day and visited Lacock Abbey. We had beautiful weather and thoroughly enjoyed our day out.
Now there is snow on the ground, but we were fortunate in being on the edge of the weather front and just have a smidgin. Elsewhere in Wales folk are badly affected and snowed in. Our cupboards are full, fortunately - we just stocked up on cat food.
Back when I can - this is sent from an internet cafe . . .
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