Doing

Hello folks!

I've decided that I'm going to 'do' something every day I'm off.  Obviously I do the normal stuff like the washing/ hoovering/ shouting at the kids/ knitting but I'm also going to do other things, it might just be tidying out a drawer that has sat for a long time filling to bursting or some gardening.

So here we go, this week I have.

Monday: Food shopping, boring but we gotta eat.

Tuesday: Made cottage cheese.

This was really easy and good fun.

There are loads of recipes out there, this is what I did.

The milk should NOT be homogenised, most supermarket milk is, mine came from a local diary.

(When milk is homogenised it is sprayed through filters which breaks up the fat and therefore keeps longer.)

Bring 2 litres of milk not quite to the boil so it bubbles but doesn't boil.

Take it off the heat, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice for  every 600ml.

Stir and it will become lumpy.

Strain and you get curds and whey.

Eat!  It'll keep for a few days in the fridge.  Mine had a lemon tang ~ I might have used a bit too much juice ~ having said that I liked it.

Wednesday:  Undercoat the back door.   It's not been painted since we moved in 12 years ago when it was a much brighter blue.

Look there was even a bit off lichen growing on it.

Dunno what colour it will be yet, but undercoat is a start.

Thursday:  Fruit picking with Miss Clicky.

I had the need to make jam.

We went to a local pick your own.

I was surprised to find the raspberries growing in pots.

 The strawberries are planted in grow bags up on stilts so no bending over.  Not the massive fruit you see in the supermarkets but really tasty. 

Miss Clicky amongst the strawberries.

We came back with a basket of strawberries and one of  raspberries.

They didn't all go into the jam ~ some for tea too.

I made one batch of raspberry.

What a fabby colour.

Friday: Morning made one more batch of raspberry and one of strawberry.  Had a taste, there's always some leftover which goes in the Tupperware pot, to be eaten straight away.

It won't win any awards ~ the strawberry was quite scummy even after all the butter I added ~ but tastes it lovely, even if I do say so myself.

A motley crew of jars, they all tend to go into recycling these days, so this was the best I could find.

Friday:  Afternoon went to Witney over the border in Oxfordshire with Mr Clicky.  Not content with slightly damaging the iPad the other week, I went for a full on break this time, it went to be repaired.

I dropped it on this cobblers last ~ cast iron, size 5c in case you wondered ~ which is used as a door stop.  I had it in my hand with the smart cover folded back, the magnet couldn't hold it properly and it slid off.

Saturday:  Morning sorted out all my toiletries and chucked away lots.  Mint shower gel.  Supposed to 'wake you up', feels like it's removing your skin.  None of the Clicky gang will use it.  Gone.

 Saturday:  Afternoon went to knitting group ~ it's a hard job but someone has to do it.

A few weeks ago I changed my phone.  Here's my old faithful Nokia, good for phoning people, that's about it.

I was after a phone with a good camera, so this is it.  Samsung Galaxy Ace, a cracking piece of kit that does more things than I could possibly imagine.  The strawberry picking pictures were taken with it.  

Good huh?

I'm very pleased with it.

Phew!  A long post, sorry if I've kept you too long.

Can I keep up the doing?    

As always, have fun and I'll see you soon.

Bye.........................Clicky Needles.

................and relax.

Hi there!

I'm into the third whole day of not being at work.  It is lovely, not having to get up at 6.20am, just lying a bit longer and maybe even having a cup of tea and breakfast in bed.  I wandered around the supermarket yesterday in a dreamy haze.  When the lady at the checkout asked me if I was having a good day, I replied that I was having a very good day and she couldn't dampen my spirits whatever she did.

Over the weekend England beat Australia in the second test of the Ashes series.  Me and Mr Clicky sat in the garden in the sunshine listening to Test Match Special on Radio 4.  I love TMS and it's slow melodic commentators; Tuffers, Aggers, Blowers, Michael Vaughan, Glen McGrath to name a few.  Henry Blofeld is a true gentleman when he takes his commentary position, it's with a comment of "Hello old bean."  Glen McGrath, despite Australia's poor performance was impartial and very amusing.  I quite often miss the score because I'm giggling at what they're all saying.

Whilst we were sat in the sun Mr Clicky commented it would be perfect if we had a cake.  Luckily there was one in the freezer, so an hour later we did.

I had mine with a nice cup of tea and Mr Clicky a chilled cider with lots of ice, which I would have loved but sadly a bit too acidic for me.

 The sharp eyed amongst you will have noticed my new mug.  It makes me smile every time I see it, yes, Stroud is one of the fashion centres of the world!

On Saturday it was the Stroud Country Show and Mr Clicky, me and DD went for a look around.

There were some very woolly and large Cotswold Sheep; I'm not sure how they see out,

 a Belted Galloway

 a beautiful Gloucester cow and her calf,

 a big black pig ~ sorry, not sure of the breed,

 and some pint-sized black and red Dexter Cattle ~ even when fully grown they only come up to waist height.

We reminisced over the vintage tractors, my brother had a Nuffield (dirty red one in the middle) and the first tractor I learnt to drive was a Massey 135 (far left just in the picture) and then decided to come home as the heat was oppressive. 

 I've got the first job of the Summer Holidays complete, washing the spare P.E. kit from my class.  This got done in the last week of the holidays last year because the weather was so bad.  This was all in and folded by the time today's thunderstorm came ~ the first bit of rain for 5 or 6 weeks.

Oh! and I've been knitting a bit, I'll show you next time.

For now have fun..................Clicky Needles.

A Weekend of Ups and Downs

Hello there.

Last weekend was lovely.

Ds and me sat in the sunshine toasting on our steamer chairs in the garden.

Look at the temperature between the two of us.  

We both love it.

I picked a few strawberries from the garden. 

 England won the first Cricket Test against Australia.

I was feeling very pleased with myself for writing a blog post and catching up with others. 

 I decided to join in with July's Scavenger Hunt, I missed May and June.

I was feeling upbeat.

I put my ipad down on the kitchen table and it slipped.......onto the the tiled floor and hit the corner.  The air turned blue with choice words.  Luckily it still works and after quick check of the insurance policy with £200 excess I decided it wasn't worth a claim ........ 

 ....so a 'field repair' was implemented.

Oh bum!

 Lastly I promised you a look at the backdrop that I'd painted for our school production of 'The Wind in the Willows.'  It is 3m by 2.5m,  each piece of nylon type fabric being 1.5m by 1.25m.  We had lots of lovely comments from parents, which makes all the work worthwhile.

This is the 'Canary Yellow Gypsy Caravan' which Mr Toad took a shine to before he discovered the motor car.  It's about 3m tall.

The children were great and the singing made my spine tingle.

Righto, bye for now, have fun .................Clicky Needles.

June! Where Did It Go?

Hello folks!

Nice to see you again. 

 I'm alive and just about kicking.  School has been hectic, and there's so many things to get done before the end of term.  Stop the world I need to get off.  June was upon me and went before I knew it.   Phew!

So, the news in brief from Clicky Needles' Towers.

 DD has managed to get a part-time job in Tesco after many rejections which she found really hard.  

DS is still growing exponentially.  

The Blue Tits fledged from the nest box four chicks I think.

The British and Irish Lions won their tour (yaaaaaaaaay!)

Sam Warburton isn't giving up the trophy.

Photo from the Mirror INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Andy Murray won Wimbledon (yaaaaaaaaay!)

The sun is scorching (yaaaaaaaaay!)

I've found some curtains in Dunelm which go really well in our living room. 

I'm soooo pleased.

The garden is looking colourful, although if I'm totally honest with you a bit overgrown too!  I'm going to tackle it today when it's a bit cooler.

I love these geraniums, but they seed all over, so some are going to come out.

The alliums have been magnificent, they didn't flower last year (weather) and I thought I'd lost them.

These are the size of footballs.

 I love the delicate colour of this cistus.

Poppies.

More aqueligias.

Pretty astrantia. 

I've not been knitting much, this is it.  Not looking very exciting at the moment, maybe next time I can show you a finished object!

The dog has settled into our family life really well.

Happiness.

We have the production of 'The Wind in the Willows' at school next week, I've helped with props and the backdrop which I'll show you next time.

Right, I've got a cup of tea ready and I'm off to read your blogs which I've really missed.  They too, seemed to have dropped into the abyss that was June.

As always have fun.......................Clicky Needles.