Catching Up
Is it Thursday? Have to say each day is much the same now, and tend to forgot what day it is, but they go by so quickly that it could be Monday of next week for all I know.
Am trying to blog more often, not that I have much to report, not a lot happens at the moment. By the evening I'm tired and nod off in front of the TV missing all the programmes I had intended to watch. If I manage to stay awake, sure enough I've nodded off in the afternoon missing the repeats of 'To the Manor Born' and 'Hi-di-Hi' that I was looking forward to. But there is more to life than TV.
Slowly, very slowly, I'm managing to tidy up/clear out one room at a time, and they look all the better for it. Not that I've done more than two (bedroom, living room) but once tidy they won't get messed up so fast as they did when B was here - he just loved living in a mess, said it felt like home. Not sure which way to take that! But to me now, a tidy room doesn't feel like home any more. Suppose every silver lining has a cloud.
Again thanks for comments re the photo. Everyone, either a reader of this blog, or friends and neighbours... , say the photo is really lovely, yet to me I still look 'ordinary', and I look for faults like 'eyes too small' etc. We all have different ideas of beauty. Expect many girls are the same. Having blonde and very straight hair (permed to make it curly), I always wanted natural curls and dark brown, pref. black hair. No taller than 5'4" (I was 5'11"), and definitely with perfect sight (no need to wear glasses!). Nowadays I don't really care what I look like, just want to manage to walk more easily again, and stay alive.
Three comments to reply to individually. Regarding the bread mix Granny G. Sometimes Tesco do 'buy two get the third (cheapest) free), so I order three and do get the third free anyway. The price has risen recently, think it is about 79p a 500g mix now, crusty white, or brown.
When I add half more strong plain bread flour (250g) to the bread mix, I then add half the recommended amount of liquid as well. This brings it up to around 500ml which makes it easy to measure. The liquid I use is half milk, half water, or one third milk, two-thirds water as I find the milk makes a crumb that is softer and keeps longer. Tastes good too.
By adding the extra flour this makes one large and one small loaf, although I normally make mini-loaves or baps from the extra third of dough made.
Normally I make the dough using my bread machine and cold liquid (the machines warms it up) then place the dough into the bread tins and leave to rise for up to an hour before baking in the oven. If making by hand, sift the added flour into the mix, then just make in the normal way using warmed liquid before leaving to rise (covered) in a warm place.
That Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup sounds good Margie. A good idea to use Parmesan rinds, but have you ever tried using Stilton rinds when making Cauliflower Soup? This gives a classic flavour, and who knows, you might be able to buy (or be given) Stilton cheese rind to add to the soup.
Never expected that new-laid eggs would be cold enough to freeze before being collected Marjorie. What would I do? (I thought). Perhaps covering the outside of the egg-laying nests with thick polystyrene to keep out the frost and away from pecking hens, then fill the nests with straw? But then not had the experience of the really cold weather you are getting at the moment.
Tonight I believe it is the second episode of 'Eat Well for Less' (if that is the right name, I never do seem to remember), and am looking forward to watching it. Will try to keep awake, but believe it is repeated at the weekend on BBC1.
Really must try to keep awake because if I nod off during the evening, then I find I can't sleep during the night. This happened last night and I settled down to many hours of wakefulness once settled in bed, but after a couple or so did manage to fall asleep until 5.00am. Decided to listen to the radio (news) before I got up, this sent me back to sleep and it was 8.00am before I forced myself to get out of my warm bed. There are times I would love to stay in a warm bed all day, but having done that recently due to my bad foot, have to say it isn't always as pleasant as it seems. To enjoy the moment I would need a hand-maiden to fetch and carry for me, bring me treats to eat and mags to read etc. Being on my own wasn't that much fun.
Another good day weather-wise. The cold is still with us, but no wind or rain (or snow or sleet). Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous (through the windows). Soon as it warms up I will be out and about with Norris.
Am still finding I've lost my sense of taste. My appetite has returned but don't find I gain any pleasure from eating when I find I can't even savour any of the flavours. Do hope this doesn't last. The only thing I fancied yesterday was a long swig from a bottle of sparkling lemon and lime flavoured water, and of course found I couldn't twist off the lid. Needs the strength of a man's hand to do that. Or perhaps if I put the lid end of the plastic bottle in the hinge-part of the door, then closed the door to trap the lid tightly before giving it a twist, it might work. I've found a small rubber band on the floor when I came in here this morning, that wrapped round the lid might also give it a bit of friction between hand and lid, so will give it a few more tries. Nothing more frustrating when you can't remove a lid.
Well, perhaps one thing a bit more annoying is trying to get the medication pills out from beneath a seal of foil. Half the time the seal breaks and the pill shoots out and ends up somewhere on the floor (or table, or....). I will have to get one of those little sets of drawers where the pills can be taken from their foil covers and placed in ready to be taken each day.
That's it for today, better a few words than none at all. Occ.Therapy lady comes tomorrow to see if the things sent are suitable (not really!), so I may/may not have time to blog. Will be back probably Saturday as although this used to be baking day, now I have no one to bake for, most of the day now left twiddling my thumbs. TTFN.
,
Am trying to blog more often, not that I have much to report, not a lot happens at the moment. By the evening I'm tired and nod off in front of the TV missing all the programmes I had intended to watch. If I manage to stay awake, sure enough I've nodded off in the afternoon missing the repeats of 'To the Manor Born' and 'Hi-di-Hi' that I was looking forward to. But there is more to life than TV.
Slowly, very slowly, I'm managing to tidy up/clear out one room at a time, and they look all the better for it. Not that I've done more than two (bedroom, living room) but once tidy they won't get messed up so fast as they did when B was here - he just loved living in a mess, said it felt like home. Not sure which way to take that! But to me now, a tidy room doesn't feel like home any more. Suppose every silver lining has a cloud.
Again thanks for comments re the photo. Everyone, either a reader of this blog, or friends and neighbours... , say the photo is really lovely, yet to me I still look 'ordinary', and I look for faults like 'eyes too small' etc. We all have different ideas of beauty. Expect many girls are the same. Having blonde and very straight hair (permed to make it curly), I always wanted natural curls and dark brown, pref. black hair. No taller than 5'4" (I was 5'11"), and definitely with perfect sight (no need to wear glasses!). Nowadays I don't really care what I look like, just want to manage to walk more easily again, and stay alive.
Three comments to reply to individually. Regarding the bread mix Granny G. Sometimes Tesco do 'buy two get the third (cheapest) free), so I order three and do get the third free anyway. The price has risen recently, think it is about 79p a 500g mix now, crusty white, or brown.
When I add half more strong plain bread flour (250g) to the bread mix, I then add half the recommended amount of liquid as well. This brings it up to around 500ml which makes it easy to measure. The liquid I use is half milk, half water, or one third milk, two-thirds water as I find the milk makes a crumb that is softer and keeps longer. Tastes good too.
By adding the extra flour this makes one large and one small loaf, although I normally make mini-loaves or baps from the extra third of dough made.
Normally I make the dough using my bread machine and cold liquid (the machines warms it up) then place the dough into the bread tins and leave to rise for up to an hour before baking in the oven. If making by hand, sift the added flour into the mix, then just make in the normal way using warmed liquid before leaving to rise (covered) in a warm place.
That Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup sounds good Margie. A good idea to use Parmesan rinds, but have you ever tried using Stilton rinds when making Cauliflower Soup? This gives a classic flavour, and who knows, you might be able to buy (or be given) Stilton cheese rind to add to the soup.
Never expected that new-laid eggs would be cold enough to freeze before being collected Marjorie. What would I do? (I thought). Perhaps covering the outside of the egg-laying nests with thick polystyrene to keep out the frost and away from pecking hens, then fill the nests with straw? But then not had the experience of the really cold weather you are getting at the moment.
Tonight I believe it is the second episode of 'Eat Well for Less' (if that is the right name, I never do seem to remember), and am looking forward to watching it. Will try to keep awake, but believe it is repeated at the weekend on BBC1.
Really must try to keep awake because if I nod off during the evening, then I find I can't sleep during the night. This happened last night and I settled down to many hours of wakefulness once settled in bed, but after a couple or so did manage to fall asleep until 5.00am. Decided to listen to the radio (news) before I got up, this sent me back to sleep and it was 8.00am before I forced myself to get out of my warm bed. There are times I would love to stay in a warm bed all day, but having done that recently due to my bad foot, have to say it isn't always as pleasant as it seems. To enjoy the moment I would need a hand-maiden to fetch and carry for me, bring me treats to eat and mags to read etc. Being on my own wasn't that much fun.
Another good day weather-wise. The cold is still with us, but no wind or rain (or snow or sleet). Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous (through the windows). Soon as it warms up I will be out and about with Norris.
Am still finding I've lost my sense of taste. My appetite has returned but don't find I gain any pleasure from eating when I find I can't even savour any of the flavours. Do hope this doesn't last. The only thing I fancied yesterday was a long swig from a bottle of sparkling lemon and lime flavoured water, and of course found I couldn't twist off the lid. Needs the strength of a man's hand to do that. Or perhaps if I put the lid end of the plastic bottle in the hinge-part of the door, then closed the door to trap the lid tightly before giving it a twist, it might work. I've found a small rubber band on the floor when I came in here this morning, that wrapped round the lid might also give it a bit of friction between hand and lid, so will give it a few more tries. Nothing more frustrating when you can't remove a lid.
Well, perhaps one thing a bit more annoying is trying to get the medication pills out from beneath a seal of foil. Half the time the seal breaks and the pill shoots out and ends up somewhere on the floor (or table, or....). I will have to get one of those little sets of drawers where the pills can be taken from their foil covers and placed in ready to be taken each day.
That's it for today, better a few words than none at all. Occ.Therapy lady comes tomorrow to see if the things sent are suitable (not really!), so I may/may not have time to blog. Will be back probably Saturday as although this used to be baking day, now I have no one to bake for, most of the day now left twiddling my thumbs. TTFN.
,
posted by Shirley at 9:59 am
<< Home