A busy week

We had back-to-back Fairs this weekend, one local - the other Malvern.  We went to bed early, but unfortunately my Montelukast tablet made my heart rate rise considerably - and for about 3 hours I couldn't get to sleep as my heart was going pitty-pat!  (It's a side-effect of the medication). So I was still awake just before midnight and I did NOT want to get up at 3 a.m. when the alarm went off!  Ah well, I lived to tell the tale but of course, am still very tired today.  I treated myself to a plant from this stall - which I have bought from regularly.  I nearly bought an Echinacea  (see plants at front edge of table - the colour I liked was the shorter purply pink half way along).  THEN I saw this Scabious (below) and that was it as far as I was concerned!  

I couldn't resist - Scabiosa "Barocca". 

We each took it in turns to have a "quick wander" round the other stalls, but it's impossible to sell AND buy and I didn't really need any more stock unless it was something special at the right price.  I spotted this patchwork quilt (£175) and thought it deserved a photo.

A stall specialising in garden furniture.  

Three French hens!  I liked this : )

Near to our stall was one with a huge heap of - clothing and bits of material, which started off at £3 per piece.  Later in the day it was £1 per piece - I had a look but there was nothing that screamed buy me and I wasn't dedicated enough to get to the bottom of the pile.  Later still, it was FREE, which encouraged me to go and look and I got a couple of bits of curtaining (one is a Sanderson fabric), the 100% cotton single duvet cover below, and above, this size 16 House of Fraser skirt - Price tags still on - originally £70, then half price at £45 and then it ended up with the nearby lady, in a field . . .  I liked it and decided once I have lost the rest of the steroid weight (2 lbs gone already), this will fit me . . .

We have had this lovely French "Onion" port lamp from a ship for over a year now.  I have always been worried about the glass getting broken (now we don't have a Unit to display it in) and so I have decided I am now keeping in - better having it whole and unsold than broken and unsold!!

These lovely copper moulds were originally mine, then I decided to declutter and put them out for sale, but no buyers, so now they are back on the dresser.  So much for downsizing!

Cherries and gritted teefs . . .

Aren't these superb cherries?  They were ENORMOUS - Morello cherries - and I only had to chuck one away.  I got a box full (10 lbs) for just £4 at Chris Thomas' warehouse at Abergwili this week.  On our recent travels, we saw Cherries like these offered for sale at about £13.50 per Kilo!  What a bargain we got : )   So I spent a couple of hours removing stalks, washing them in an acidic bath (I used lemon juice in the water, but vinegar works just as well) to remove any pesticide residue and then I sat on the sofa, watched catch-up tv and stoned them all, before cooking them up in two lots in my big jam pan and now they're in the freezer.  

Yesterday, unexpectedly - very unexpectedly as I was all set up to go to my Patchwork class at Alex's studio - we got a phone call from a friend offering us half a Unit at what seemed a bargain price.  We had discussed this recently with the friend and what we could afford (and couldn't) had been established.  We certainly couldn't run to the whole Unit price which would have been twice as much (and more) than we had ever paid.   "Come out and see what you would get" was suggested, so we decided it would be best to strike whilst the iron was hot and we set off after lunch.

We had a wander round Hay later, as we were in the area - here's the view looking up to the Buttermarket.

Well, it was a completely wasted journey (£15 worth of diesel PLUS our time) as when we got there, suddenly the pricing goalposts had been altered AND included in the "deal" was the need to cover two days a month in the shop.  That would bring the cost to us of half a Unit up to damn near the cost of a full one.  I obviously appear far more stupid and gullible than I am! but believe me, that sort of offer is not one I am going to be taking up. 

I always look at this rather splendid (apart from the colour!) kitchen-tidy cupboard when we walk past this shop.  Some useful storage there but believe me, if it lived in my kitchen it would be chocabloc with useful things and no room for fripperies!

What the?  Perhaps this is "modern art" and there are always plonkers willing to be seduced by the ludicrousness of it.  Ah well, it's different, but I wouldn't want it in my house!

Today is meant to be another scorcher.  Keep cool everyone.

Country Talk

On Monday we went to see some smallholding friends of ours.  What a lovely afternoon we had, being shown around the property, drooling over various plantings, meeting their livestock and generally talking Country Talk.

It's always nice to find someone you are on the same wavelength as, and H and I get on like a house on fire.  I took cake and jam (I wouldn't dream of going empty-handed) and H & P provided a lovely lunch of home made Lettuce Soup (a new one on me, but very tasty), and bacon butties - so Keith was pleased as that's always what he has when we "go out for lunch"!  (I know . . .)

Then we had the tour of the smallholding, which was wonderful.

The soft fruit area - various Raspberries shown here - autumn ones, orange and yellow and black Raspberries, plus - out of sight - Loganberries, Amelanchier, Tayberries, Jostaberries, Boysenberries, Wineberries, Honeyberries, Pink Blueberries and blue Blueberries, Chilean Guava, Chuckleberries, Blackberries, plus Mulberry, Blackcurrant, Red Currant, Pink Currant, White Currant etc - I don't think H had missed anything in the berry department!

The Lavenders in part of her big herb plot - which was divided into four areas - Culinary Herbs, Medicinal Herbs, Sensory Herbs and ??? (forgotten!)  I am now inspired to reinvent mine, as it has gotten moved several times down the years and is more dotted about than in the one place.  I have promised H a big root of my Elecampane, which romps around the place here but she's not been able to keep going in her plot.  The roots on my plants are as thick as my wrist so should grow on well.

A nicely laid out and TIDY (e.g. no weeds) veg plot.  Most of mine is under black plastic to suppress the grass and I am trying to get rid of all the weeds now I can get out in the garden again.

The very start of H's orchards of fruit and nut trees.  All planted in the last five years.

A Belgian hare of the most beautiful russet colour, who came from a local poultry auction recently.

Apricots growing against a warm wall.  Apparently they were sulking and curling their leaves until H & P put a little roof on them and now they are happy, content and fruiting.  I am guessing the roof made a little micro-climate for them to thrive in.

Beside the main house is this little barn which is home to a couple of spare rooms, including this working kitchen where they do jam and chutney making, sausage making, and other meat-related work.   H had demijohns hanging from the rafters, empty glass storage jars and jam jars, pans of various dimensions, a big chopping block, and no end of useful items.  She was saying every time she used things, she remembered the person who had given them to her.

P's salamis and choritzos, made recently, and now curing.

Finally, one of the triplet lambs they had taken on after the ewe had rejected it (I think they ended up with about 10).  She drank her bottle of milk in double-quick time!

We had a lovely afternoon there and the conversation was all about country things, making things from scratch, growing things, repurposing, nothing being thrown away and just downright practical country common sense (unlike the new townee neighbour who was feeding the local foxes . . .)

Can't wait to see them again.

Llandeilo Quilt Exhibition 2019

My friend Dawn McHugh gave me the heads up that there was a Quilt Exhibition on at Llandeilo over the weekend, so yesterday morning we met up with another craft lady from Carmarthen, Sarah Jones.  There were SO many quilts and smaller pieces of work on display in the Chapel, with every space put to good use (pews especially useful for quilt display!)

This is a very special piece of quilt-making as this top was pieced by a lovely lass called Emily, who is only 9 years old.  She began this top when she was 7, encouraged by her gran.  The note on it says that she has taken a year to do this because she could only work on it at patchwork classes in the school holidays but now goes every Tuesday evening.  Hooked for life methinks!  She came to chat to us and was a very confident young lady.

A bevy of bags.

These are Linus Quilts - made for giving to children who are in need of comfort - because they are very ill, or traumatised, or otherwise in need of quilts or afghans.  What a lovely idea.

This was my favourite quilt and which got my vote (all the pieces were numbered and you voted for one on the way out.  The overall winner got a small gift I believe.  This was a block-a-day-for-a-year quilt so as you can see, a LOT of work there.  I should have taken a photo of the back too because that was strip pieced and made it reversible.

Above and below: Close-ups of various small blocks.  Very inspirational.

No space was wasted!!

A beautiful wholecloth quilt in the old Welsh tradition, hand quilted.

Finally, some quilts made by African-American women from Gee's Bend , Alabama who despite hardship and adversity, made quilts throughout and still make quilts, with whatever materials came to hand, recycling any fabrics they had/were given.  Fairly humbling - when you think of what us quilters go out and buy and cut up - with no thought to necessity or frugality or just plain not having . . .

Enjoy your Sunday.  I'm off out for a walk.

Antiques Roadshow and a walk round the Botanic Gardens - photo heavy

We spent a few hours queuing in the rain at the Antiques Roadshow at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales yesterday.  We know howto have fun!  Our geese were deemed geese and not swans, which is what we anticipated, but at least I got to have a leisurely wander around the gardens afterwards.  Enjoy!

The beautiful mass of blue flowers are Phlox.  Must get some of these for the garden.

Love this tumbling herb garden.

Isn't this gorgeous - more herbs.

I wish my veg garden was this tidy . . .

On the way out - Purple Loosestrife growing at the pond's edge, it's natural habitat.  Mine here doesn't have wet feet but blooms beautifully all the same.

An anti-inflammatory diet

GINGER CARROT SOUP WITH INDIAN SPICES

3 tblspns coconut oil (or Rapeseed oil)
1/2 tsp. yellow mustard seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp curry powder (I like a bit of a kick so used a dessertspoon of hot curry powder)
1 tblspn minced ginger (I used a one inch nub of peeled fresh ginger and grated it)
3 cups thinly-sliced carrots - this is about 12 oz/340 g - 4 largish ones
1 1/2 tspn grated lime peel (scrubbed first to remove any pesticide residue) 
2 red onions, chopped
Four cups vegetable broth (I made my own veg stock using up the cabbagey bits and some craggy carrots etc sifted from a stir fry pack, and added veg trimmings from the pack I have in the freezer and add to when I prep veg.)
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tblspn low fat yoghurt

Grind the mustard and coriander seeds.  Heat some coconut oil in the pan on medium high.  Add the ground mustard seed and coriander powder and stir for 30 secs.  Throw in ginger and stir for 30 secs.  

Add onions, carrot and lime peel.

Stir for 2 mins and add 3 cups veg broth.  Bring to boil and them simmer for around 30 mins or so until carrots are tender and cool.  Puree.  Pour back into pan and add around 1 cup veg. broth.

Bring to boil and cook on simmer for 5 mins.  Stir in lemon juice and seasoning.  Garnish with yoghurt.

I'll put up a photo of it in a bowl when I have some at lunchtime.  Recipe from a book of Anti-inflammatory recipes I have on my Kindle.  There seem to be dozens of this sort of book available now.  Inflammation is at the bottom of so many diseases and gut-health is now seeming to be of extreme importance to health.

Since the worsening of my asthma seems to be partly gut-related as it is immediately obvious that I have eaten something I shouldn't, I am on a low-histamine diet, and including as many anti-inflammatory recipes as possible. This is a whole new way of eating - I am normally a bung-it cook, just making the same recipes I have always eaten - tasty meat-based dishes with tomatoes/onions/beans/veg. Think Spag. Bol, curries, casseroles, chillis etc. Now the larder is full of tins of various beans and glass storage jars filled with Quinoa, Bulgar wheat, Cous-cous, Millet, Brown Rice, Red Rice, Barley and all sorts of other whole grains, plus a gigantic earthenware jar full of rolled oats . . .  My comfort zone is definitely being pinched!

So, we shall see how much this helps - I do know if I eat Dairy at the moment I get a "hit" with my breathing, so am having to avoid that but hope to start introducing a probiotic yoghurt - and Kefir - again soon (desperately needed to recolonize my gut as my recent gut microbiome test revealed the total absence of several very necessary "good guys" in my microbiome.  That's the result of being on antibiotics for 3 years because the GP couldn't be bothered to have a sputum test done to see what was causing the repeat infections . . .)

Anyway, I see my Asthma clinic nurse next month and am hoping she will get me into the system to go and see someone in the Immunology department at Cardiff Hospital to try and turn this round.

Sorry, I'm wittering.  Been up since 4.15 a.m. and have time to kill as I can't do housework whilst Keith's still asleep.