shhDRink me

The weather has changed; showers of rain moisten the earth. Potatoes are growing madly so have had to fashion a collar on the bin so can earth up higher. Broad beans are growing in competition with marigolds, even the peas are sprouting. Part egg shells amongst the greenery. Tiny white (wren?) tiny blue (starling?) and larger white, probably pigeon or dove. Wrens are nesting in the yucca clump, I think. Did the weekly shop in Asda and people just amble around. There are 2 meter marks, arrows to show which way round the aisles to go, help in lining up for the till. And still they come almost to bumping in to strangers. Keeping in touch with friends and family is becoming even more important. Thankfully, most seem well and coping with it all, even with an un virus-related funeral, done on line. Things change. Asparagus season in full swing and local watercress also in the farm shop. Treats to smooth the monotony. Ironing bag almost empty. Only white shirts and things that do

Walked to W/K to do some shopping and got the train back. Wind cool but the sun is still very warm when sheltered. Shops quiet, no queues. Perhaps we are settling to the new normal. Yesterday we 'Zoomed' A and it was a better reception than Skype. Also phoned M. he made a wonderful sourdough loaf, sent a picture. Flour seems to be around, although not so much in supermarkets. JJ is bringing us some tomorrow, from her huge order to the mill. Will swap with some jars and 10" boxes, which she needs for the cake orders. Have made some flaky pastry so will do sausage rolls after, then can give some to JJ for her mum, rest in freezer for lunches. Cold chicken and beans for tea, as we forgot to get stir fry veggies for tea! Have ordered some more viet coffee. I'm not the only one drinking more, M had to buy another kilo of beans, too! Started reading 'Night Watch' this morning and the lilac is opening on our walk. Bit like 'Hogfather' in December.

I have had to come out of the front room. The news is on and guess what? DT has suggested his fellow americans who have COVID-19 could inject bleach or disinfectant to kill it. Is the plan to kill off those wimps who have succumbed to the (hoax) infection? Or his supporters who think he is omnipotent? That would be an acceptable reason for not getting a second term, I suppose. Weather is still sunny and getting warmer. P. did some shopping this morning for A and family. Finances seem sorted. (Have I mentioned P. has been furloughed from Aintree? Total amazement, but a nice surprise. ) Butterflies coming in to the garden now, fritillaries yesterday, a brimstone and some little blues. Still not sure which one, as about 6 look very similar. Bit like the fritillaries. Made triple choc-chip biscuits. Yummy. P. says definitely biscuits, not cookies - too crispy! Hugh's Lockdown Kitchen has a recipe for cookies(?) without flour, as it is so hard to find. He uses a drained tin of

Went to allotment and had a go at the compost heap. Had loads of potatoes in it and some straw so we thought it may have originally been a potato clamp. Not all the spuds had started to grow or gone mushy. Put some more filled bags in car for the tip - when it eventually opens. Should be soon, as fly-tipping is accelerating. Friendly robin was nearby, dropping on to the soil whenever I turned my back, picking up any tasty morsels. Also sat on the tree next to where P. was digging. Must be nesting nearby. Saw an orange tip butterfly. P did too, but not sure if it was the same one or there is more. Received Market Messenger in the email box. Seems an awful long time since any serious baking has been done! Need to do breakfast muffins tomorrow, might also do some double choc-chip cookies. P. has decided to have liver and onions tomorrow, which means getting the huge bag out of the freezer and giving half to J+R. I don't really like liver. Hair is soooo long. Trimmed the sid

There has been a eclectic mix on the television recently. There was Jingo (aka Lawrence of Arabia), Lords and Ladies (aka A Midsummers Night Dream) and The Admirable Crichton (no TP connection that I know of). DEVS is the star. Story is a bit slow but the cinematography is brilliant. Posed shots, mood lighting that doesn't just look dark, interesting acting and actors. One to watch. Spuds are starting to grow so will have to begin watering as there is no rain predicted this week. Weather is really sunny, although still a bit of a chill, after all it is still only April. And it was only five weeks today we went to Shrewsbury. We should be in Northumberland this week. Walked to Hoylake for milk etc then walked back along the front and sandies. The path is edged with sprouting greenery and maybe some crab apples. It has been awhile since we did this regularly - probably when we had the dog - so a bit out of touch with what is there. We do this quite regularly now, so maybe a

Somehow lost a day - convinced today was Thursday then checked if there was anything worth watching on the tele tonight (more in hope than expectation). Gardeners World? Surely that's not till tomorrow? So tomorrow is today and we had to gallop down to the chemist to collect a script, the shop not always open on a Saturday! Did the shopping this morning - no wonder the queues were longer that expected. Bought a dine-in and some prawns while P. went to Asda for the boring stuff. Also got a few things for A. Pulled up some excess lemon balm and trimmed the lavender and potted them on. Might take, might not. Lavender cuttings from last year re-potted yesterday and seem fine. Have put them along the newly-defined path in pots. Emailed T/S. Hope he's keeping okay. Will email R. at some point too. News yesterday was an extension of lockdown for another 3 weeks. And some cheerful spokesperson mention there could be up to 40,000 deaths. All this, and T has said US will rela

Finished the larder unit yesterday, sun still shining, then got an email. HS had a scan and the breast cancer has gone in to her spine. Had the mastectomy, had one treatment of the first batch of chemotherapy, had scan. She has not had an easy life and now the children are moving out and they have more time to be together. So the good thing about this lockdown is both working from home, so are together. Life's a bugger. J is ordering flour. Not sure I need any, but will take some if she has to order lots. M. has hospital appointment today, hope he manages the s/d. First Welsh poppy opened at the back of the garden. A couple of buds still to come, but they only open one at a time.

Cooler today but still bright. Train to WK for some shopping the walked back via the road. Fair amount of traffic, stepping in to the road to s/d wasn't always an option! Put the Aga back on (had switched it off last night as the water was boiling in the tank. No baking, so nowhere for the heat to go). Had an email from S. in Oz. I think they shut down more quickly than we did, so numbers are not as bad. Same problems with panic buying and work issues, though. Yesterday did some gardening, tidying the last of the leaves around the herb garden. Nearly disturbed a sleeping hedgehog, about the size of a football! Must be a female. Not sure if it was still in hibernation or just snoozing. Something to watch for in the garden. If it's not dead. Larder unit almost done, just half the bottom shelf to do. Now have to think of a challenge for tomorrow.

Since I was small, Easter Saturday has felt like an empty, nothing kind of day. Perhaps because of my upbringing, Christ in the tomb, waiting, I don't know. So I shouldn't be surprised it was a rubbish day! Easter Sunday was better. What's not to like about Skype-ing family and chatting to them on the phone - although there is a lot less to talk about these days. Chocolate eggs, roast for lunch and Chitty-chitty Bang-bang on the television? And the sun is still shining, albeit through some whispy clouds. I have recently gone through my embroidery bag and had a couple framed. Look good. So having noticed a couple of kits not yet started, brought one down to have a go. It has been a long time since I did some sewing and not sure that the fingers are still up to it, but we shall see. Plan today (even though the sky is blue) is to clean and sort the larder unit. Tried not to watch the news yesterday, phoned M instead. I wonder when the blame game will start? Has all t

I went to the allotment today and A and J were there. A asked me to stay, the plot is big enough to social distance. It was a mistake. J doesn't understand why I can't hug him, why we can't play, talk, walk together. His big eyes as he kept coming closer and standing next to me. Upsetting just doesn't cover it.

Checked on the big caterpillar and it is now dark brown, almost black and it looks a bit shrivelled. Is it pupating? been attacked by something? dying? Who knows. P. helped to move the other roof beam so the path looks more defined. Have planted the verbena from the half-moon tub (last years free gift from GWM) around the logans and a couple in pots, to put elsewhere when there is space. Squished 5 lily beetles. A smidgen of warmth and up they pop! Made up the gifts for C+D, J+R, and A etc. Hope to deliver them when we go to the plot. Fingers crossed the fuzz are not checking travel around here. We have a supply of Simnel muffins, chocolate nests, HC eggs for us (with some egg-and-soldiers and a pack of passionfruit truffles) so plenty of treats. Reminds me of a birthday cake I made for M. Square pieces of sponge (to look like toast), toped with a half of peach, then piped around with aerosol cream, so it all mimicked poached eggs on toast. A bit of fun! P. has shopped so w

The news that BJ is now in intensive care dominates the media coverage, pushing recorded cases and deaths down the list. I thought I detected a note of cynicism in the newsreaders voice, as he told the world that the PM is not on a ventilator and is 'comfortable'. Cases nearer home are rising. The virus is traveling up the country. No talk of Nightingale units in our area, perhaps we are expected to cope, being Northerners. Had a good day in the garden. Tidied and filled another 2 bags. Planted spuds, broad beans. Found two, quite different, caterpillars on vegetation, neither of which I can identify, although the fatter, pinky one looks like a hawk moth. P. has cut down the buddleia in the front, now we need to pull out the stray one in the back. Lilly bulbs are growing apace. With the good weather, the skies are clear at night, all the better to see the full moon, which is also a 'super' moon. Not sure what that actually means, but it looked pretty good to

I will have to watch less television. If it's not dismal government officials or public information films there are news items showing irresponsible behaviour. Then I wonder how the images were obtained - are there flights of drones zooming over our homes, watching, reporting, judging? What is the year again? P. is getting bored with having to stay in. He cleaned the kitchen floor the other day and yesterday vacuumed the bedroom. So today we went for a walk - well, we were going to walk to the shops and then it rained. After driving to the shops we had lunch and then went for a walk along the front. Sun cracking the flags but still a bit of a cool breeze. Ideal gardening weather, so when we got back I made a start on the tidying. Two bags later (which will have to wait until the tip - sorry, recycling centre - opens again) I sorted the bins for the spuds. Will plant them tomorrow as it looks like being another nice day. Should be watching Only Connect tonight, but it finishe

The television is limiting. Adverts are charity appeals for money, support, gambling sites and takeaway food. Programmes are about food, travel or history of the archaeological kind. Bloke-y food programmes like Hairy Bikers and Rick Stein. P. made tea tonight. Curry. Tasty, a bit hot but good. He should cook more often. Has anyone noticed that the daisies seem to have very big flowers this year? with a pink flush at the back? No? just me, then. How can you tell it is Sunday again? Posh perfume, pastries, coffee and fruit for breakfast, roast for lunch (chicken today). Phone/Skype people we love. Watch CounrtyFile and Antiques Road Show. Bed the same time as everyday, though.

The bottom of my wardrobe failed to reveal a hidden passage to fairytale lands, but covered in dust were several boxes. Just the usual old jewellery caskets and vanity cases. Having prised open a case that was yellow with age (not just dust), found it was full of papers. An old school report (not mine). An electrician's certificate to work. A letter from a Jesuit priest. A poem printed in the Children's Corner of the Liverpool Echo, for which I received a postal order for 10 shillings and 6 pence (old money). So, for Posterity (and in case the original gets lost) here it is.                                  Circus Parade                Bears and horses, elephants too,                This is a circus and a zoo.                Dogs, lions, monkeys, tigers,                Now here come the bare-back riders.                The big parade comes through the town,                The children's favourite is the clown,                The tents will all be gay and bri

Am I being paranoid? Are our civil liberties being eroded? We all know to keep our distance from each other, it makes sense. Also shopping only when necessary because of the contact with others. But then you hear of a shopkeeper being told they can not sell Easter eggs because it's not essential food. So are we only allowed to buy certain items? If shopping in Costco (or somewhere similar) can we only buy what is considered essential and not, for example, a television or new smart phone? Is it rationing by another name? And what about shopping online? More worrying was the announcement by the Scottish minister that it was proposed to have trials without a jury. Hmmmm. I find myself questioning whether I should go out, will people be watching, will I be stopped by officialdom? When does my choice of action become someone else's? Where does the advice become power, becomes bullying, becomes dictatorship? Perhaps it was the vinegar fumes that encouraged this train of t

Had a foodie swap with a friend, marzipan for chocolate. Think I had the best of the deal as not only was there dark, milk, white and caramel curls, also some dried fruit and 2 warm double chocolate cookies. Yummy. Yes, I too have baked today. I'll add a photo. Simnel muffins are easier than doing a large cake and (undecorated) will freeze. I had planned to do some chutney today but a friend phoned and then it was time for lunch. Chutney is not like jam or marmalade, each batch takes as long as it takes. So you need to start early, just in case. So I prepared the fruit and veg so it can be cooked tomorrow. Way back when, a feature of television programming was the Interlude and the Public Information Broadcast. What goes around comes around.