tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89532488926385981592024-03-19T04:21:51.825+00:00FRUGAL IN DERBYSHIREFrugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.comBlogger432125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-28997439582876613912022-04-08T14:25:00.004+01:002022-04-08T14:25:42.296+01:00Reducing cooking fuel costs II<p> </p><p> Hello All</p><p>Continuing my reducing fuel cost posts....</p><p>This next piece of equipment that is sparing on fuel is a no-brainer. </p><p>The trusty <b>Slow cooker.</b></p><p>I have three slow cookers. Two large and one small. I frequently have all three on at once if I am preparing for a busy few days and want to be on top of the game. This weekend I have a large one cooking vegetables (carrot, swede, celery and red pepper) that I don't want to spoil from the fridge with a bag of frozen tomatoes from last year's crop, a cup full of lentils and three pints of veggie stock ( lidl veggie cubes) I will blitz this when cooked and have soup for lunch for several days,. Obviously this will be heated up a dish at a time as needed in the microwave. The small slow cooker has a couple of pints of milk I have extra plus a frozen pint of semi skimmed from the freezer, with three ounces of sugar and four and a half ounces of pudding rice. The rice pudding made in a slow cooker is just like the tinned ones ( young people prefer ) If you want to turn it into an old fashioned rice pud, when the pud is cooked turn it into a dish and put it into the oven to get a skin ( best bit) mind you this only makes sense if your oven is already on for something else. The third slow cooker has some neck of lamb with carrots, onions, potato. stock and a generous dollop of mint sauce. I put plenty of stock in this ( lidl beef) so that I can add dumplings later, which will suck up quite a bit of juice.</p><p>Using your slow cooker means "one pot cooking" which reduces washing up too. When your slow cookers are simmering away you might consider if there is any heat you can " borrow" . They will certainly heat your kitchen and also produce just the right amount of heat to rise bread or keep your soda bread culture jiggling along. Any other ideas?</p><p>So enough of saving energy for this post. A dry subject I know, but things are getting serious with regard to fuel bills and even if you can afford the high bills, considering the impact on the environment is now leading us to be more careful.</p><p><br /></p><p>Received texts from APHA today and yesterday. Four new cases of Avian flu - Somerset, Devon, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. For goodness sake ! Will those poor hens ever get out of lockdown !?</p><p>I'm resisting posting about Ukraine, but goodness it's difficult not to have a view isn't it?</p><p>All for now, off to prick out seedlings in the back greenhouse.</p><p>Back Soon, now I'm on a roll</p><p>Love Gillx</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Frugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-9062753159347732992022-04-06T17:16:00.003+01:002022-04-06T17:23:49.489+01:00Reducing fuel costs<p> Hello All</p><p>As I said in my last post I'm going to try to add frugal tips and hints with each post from now on and post more frequently.</p><p>I don't intend these posts to be primarily about frugality ( if you are a follower you already know I'm all over the place when posting anyway) and I will try not to be too preachy, nor make claim that this is all world-shatteringly new stuff, because it isn't.</p><p>I am going to start with <b>reducing cooking fuel costs. </b></p><p>Starting with equipment. No.1</p><p>I find a stack of steamer saucepans invaluable. you can cook three different vegetables on one hob. This is also a great idea for a moving house or wedding present for a couple. being something they may not have thought of and also reasonably priced. ( I saw a set at The Range before Christmas for less than £15.00</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Fi2rRoiAXrJtJLNjLfTOhtn5UdgqJIGEoiXGef7YZm3FGb0WQAiTqQ6v2krDEFtQSy7c_v0gRPz5Iyvp8JklbuIo8rcOSWtTzUWyr_54KuGwrqo2i1lluPVkiieRTWcRycGdcXhmGomQBQ1mL0csB8TcT8AKYIkBph-AHFQAjHBZyyIKUSdQRtog/s830/steamer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="622" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Fi2rRoiAXrJtJLNjLfTOhtn5UdgqJIGEoiXGef7YZm3FGb0WQAiTqQ6v2krDEFtQSy7c_v0gRPz5Iyvp8JklbuIo8rcOSWtTzUWyr_54KuGwrqo2i1lluPVkiieRTWcRycGdcXhmGomQBQ1mL0csB8TcT8AKYIkBph-AHFQAjHBZyyIKUSdQRtog/s320/steamer.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>A plus in using this method is that while your carrots/ potatoes etc are bubbling away in the bottom saucepan your greens, beans etc can be lightly steamed above a short while before eating, this retains the nutrients. I suppose most of you like me, then use the water from the bottom pan towards gravy or stock. Waste not want not eh?!</p><p>So now I have taught my grandmother to suck eggs I know, but maybe not a granddaughter. Watch this space for another min-numbingly boring tip in my next post. I suppose saving energy ( and the planet) is not very exciting but is becoming increasingly essential.</p><p>Changing tack completely and lightening the post here</p><p>The damson blossom is spectacular and if it would stay sunny/ warm enough for the bees to leave the the hives we should get a bumper crop. So far they are not out flying for long before they are rained or snowed on. Time will tell and fingers crossed</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiikMTiHvpmryTGExtTDYWRuZShNd2V_GAsTngWhrT5BcoCkZNRHqa02lTac8Zcwx2p0iAgP9wm6sdZq1yT2cMQVLjU26UCfu_Nj68wvlx6tY7Wms5sIrTul6HHL-ovoLX8ljsvqZ9M4Ctl5b8dlnWqG7QbteRq4ylLkV-DeKaxzHGM1nwbQ7fgbAfy/s4608/DSC_0709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiikMTiHvpmryTGExtTDYWRuZShNd2V_GAsTngWhrT5BcoCkZNRHqa02lTac8Zcwx2p0iAgP9wm6sdZq1yT2cMQVLjU26UCfu_Nj68wvlx6tY7Wms5sIrTul6HHL-ovoLX8ljsvqZ9M4Ctl5b8dlnWqG7QbteRq4ylLkV-DeKaxzHGM1nwbQ7fgbAfy/s320/DSC_0709.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>And lastly, here is my cucurbit propagator, which can be heated but I don't. With Luffas to the left and Cucumbers to the right and Courgettes in the middle. ( I bet you have been inspired to sing an early 70's song there!) This year I am also growing Tromboncino for the first time. Has anyone grown this ?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi15trmlllWbU2rIXRXJSpvtLjfNqUcholhtFFFzL4VTgglOXFvImrkTZgfVVlnjiGtPF0bevEzaVfknyue3Obt4skMGX8YsdOVZHFTxsbz2v8kUV-7rZdo2y-_KfZAjnR_Yw9n5OFHaxiu89HwH01ZrGiE-9XtsQOI8b72_NcHeLodKqYQUPYV52E7/s830/cucurbits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="622" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi15trmlllWbU2rIXRXJSpvtLjfNqUcholhtFFFzL4VTgglOXFvImrkTZgfVVlnjiGtPF0bevEzaVfknyue3Obt4skMGX8YsdOVZHFTxsbz2v8kUV-7rZdo2y-_KfZAjnR_Yw9n5OFHaxiu89HwH01ZrGiE-9XtsQOI8b72_NcHeLodKqYQUPYV52E7/s320/cucurbits.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>So there we are, same old ramblings<div>Back Soon </div><div>Gill x</div><div>PS. Thanks Lizzie I tried that bread recipe and it was the best ever! <br /><p><br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p></div>Frugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-91717231159678422102022-04-01T10:19:00.001+01:002022-04-01T10:19:36.400+01:00FRUGAL in Derbyshire<p> Hello All</p><p>It has been said to me that maybe I should be blogging more often now, considering the title of my blog and the current fiscal circumstances. I reckon those that already follow me and those that I follow are already pretty savvy when it comes to managing their money/ household but I'll give it a shot !</p><p>I'll have a go at regurgitating some ideas from years ago that people might not have seen but which are relevant to current times. When I look back over old blogs I am heartened that many, if not all, frugal ways are also good for the environment and sustainable living. Quelle surprise eh?</p><p>As said before, several followers are masters of frugality and I do hope that they join in with ideas if anything I write triggers them to do so. I will state here that we do not live on the breadline, having our married folk basic pension and my works pension. We live a simple but full life and we also have the facility to grow our own food. which makes us pretty resilient. However, I know that many people are extremely worried about how they will manage, with rising fuel and food prices ( and who knows what the outcome of Putin's madness will be?!) I think it is fair to say that even if Rishi finds a hidden stash of billions+++ it wont help with the effects of climate change and political decisions world wide on the amount of food and fuel available for instance.</p><p>SO enough of my politicising ( is that a word?) Off to choose something to kickstart this blog.</p><p>Back soon</p><p>Gillx</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Frugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-33163698796067086052022-03-21T14:18:00.005+00:002022-03-21T14:18:54.878+00:00Chicken Flockdown and some family pics<p> Hello All</p><p>Well its all very interesting/exciting/ thought provoking nowadays isn't it? Storms, pandemics, shortages. fuel price hikes, beyond sabre rattling with Russia ,Climate Change, Conspiracy theories by the dozen.</p><p>Makes you think doesn't it? Well it does me anyway. Some folk prefer to continue pootling along as they always have and say "What will be be will be" ( Hands up those who wanted to burst into song there) and believe that it will all settle down and get back to normal. I'm not so sure that when we come back from this all will be the same and in some ways that won't be a bad thing because we surely can't go on like we have been doing. </p><p>The poor chickens are still in (f)lockdown and pretty fed up about it too. even though they have more space than most as I have netted over a quarter of the orchard for them and they have the choice of five hen houses to sleep/ lay hold coffee mornings etc. Obviously I can't advertise my eggs as free range so my egg sign says "Eggs for Sale" only. Someone remarked that they should be cheaper because they aren't free range. This is the opposite of the situation. Pre-lockdown I would let the hens out of their houses and into the orchard first thing, I would feed them some chicken pellets and leave them to finish these before opening their little door to the one and a half acre field. They would then spend the rest of the day until it starts to get dark foraging for the sort of goodies that chickens like, plus lots of grass. During the day they return to the houses to lay before going back into the field or maybe perch in a fruit tree or two. Now in Lockdown I let the poor little things out into the netted off area of the orchard, which also houses the pond and any food they get is what I feed them. So they are now fed twice a day plus any greens, weedings, blown brussel plants stored squashes etc that I can find to keep them from going stir crazy with boredom. So NO they are not cheaper!</p><p>We are so lucky to still be young and fit enough to be trusted to babysit our great granddaughter , who is eighteen months old , now and again. What a joy! I didn't think it was possible to love a baby anymore than one does a grandchild. However, don't tell the grandchildren but we absolutely adore this precious child. Here she is reading a gardening book and choosing which vegetable she wants to grow.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJOtNYJa0DiqQXfxHzudLto8jmBfdcwg1-xZgjvDI2GEoDveKXpNXt-Z8sGQUd3ov5pVy-RfHIGbDwjn9o1KNwdBJFTi4iNcAIJGSkxIWDca6ggLLF98hSUoGwai--7J6IrM3EIEtCi0YyYRR6Gi1KIqfqHCq1PVKFkpwy1_htYATCz3yOr2VsFyI2/s3648/rosawithbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="2736" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJOtNYJa0DiqQXfxHzudLto8jmBfdcwg1-xZgjvDI2GEoDveKXpNXt-Z8sGQUd3ov5pVy-RfHIGbDwjn9o1KNwdBJFTi4iNcAIJGSkxIWDca6ggLLF98hSUoGwai--7J6IrM3EIEtCi0YyYRR6Gi1KIqfqHCq1PVKFkpwy1_htYATCz3yOr2VsFyI2/s320/rosawithbook.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p> Last month our eldest girl went to Windsor castle to receive a medal for distinguished service in the Queen's honours list. She says that Princess Anne asked really good questions and showed an understanding of my daughter's role. I'm not sure as she would want to be identified ( my daughter that is) so have chosen this shot, but I just wanted to brag a little !</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9sT6vOhGf5yeW0fBIwqe277aifdXezDGBLA-o_fwJKEb6QWyQ9ILJE48sbOPeh_TYdkKJDjyOM4QKMbwS0wwPwYAawK7ZVA_zFkQRwX15L_4hzG63ruSX_N5llJHalVl8a2dHpr2GFwkhEws5E2BtdjPwwGXPTeGqi2Q8iggbAsBM_ZbC44HoLR5/s2048/alexprincessanne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1431" data-original-width="2048" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9sT6vOhGf5yeW0fBIwqe277aifdXezDGBLA-o_fwJKEb6QWyQ9ILJE48sbOPeh_TYdkKJDjyOM4QKMbwS0wwPwYAawK7ZVA_zFkQRwX15L_4hzG63ruSX_N5llJHalVl8a2dHpr2GFwkhEws5E2BtdjPwwGXPTeGqi2Q8iggbAsBM_ZbC44HoLR5/s320/alexprincessanne.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>We will be having our first public meeting of our Civic Society for over two years, in the middle of April. It will be interesting to see if we can ;pick up where we left off. So much has changed. </p><p> So there you go, another rare but rambling post from Derbyshire.</p><p>Take Care all</p><p>Love Gillx</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Frugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-31065257560503780482021-12-28T12:35:00.001+00:002021-12-28T12:35:08.269+00:00Happy New Merry All<p> Hello Friends</p><p>As ever I haven't posted more, read other's posts, finished story lines or put up interesting photos over the last year</p><p>I usually try to do better and "resolve" in late December to do better.</p><p>However, I always fail, so this year I "resolve" not o resolve and see how 2022 spans out!</p><p>Happy New Year everyone, see you on the other side</p><p>Love Gill x</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Frugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-23947868515216010092021-11-28T16:06:00.001+00:002021-11-28T16:06:20.256+00:00Wild birds v Domestic birds. An Avian Flu dilemma<p> As most of you know (or do you?!) Avian Flu has been diagnosed at several sites across the UK and the UK poultry flock is now on lockdown for the foreseeable future. I question that you might know this as it seems to be a bit of a secret and several folk who keep chickens tell me that they know nothing about it, when I ask how they are keeping their birds safe. As a registered smallholding, we are informed of such things by DEFRA or APHA and instructed as to what we must do........</p><p> The instruction are to keep your poultry away from wild birds. Avian flu tends to be spread by migrating birds, so it is important that ponds are covered as are feeding and watering stations for your chickens, ducks etc. and you are instructed not to encourage wild birds by feeding them. Your hens should be housed, that is kept in totally in their houses or at least to cover their run in such a way that neither wild birds nor their feaces can come into contact. Foot baths should be placed at the entrance to your hen houses and strict hygiene should be practiced.</p><p>Now I get all of this I really do and am doing my best. However ( you heard that coming didn't you?) Our set-up makes the carrying out of some of these instructions rather challenging. Let us take our relationship with wild birds. Our organic smallholding has been developed to attract and nurture wild birds. Even if we did not fill the feeders dotted around the place, the many shrubs we have planted or left to seed to provide both winter food and shelter and the twenty or so birdboxes we have put up tend to be a bit of a magnet for our feathered friends. Water from our roofs and water drains is channeled towards the pond in the orchard where our hens live, this serves the hens and the wild birds.</p><p>We have 44 hens who live in various hen houses dotted around our little orchard, which is allegedly fox proof . The hens adopt a favoured place and friends and that is where they sleep at night, apart from five that insist on sleeping high up in the large plum tree winter and summer, Every night I lock up all the houses, just in case Remus digs his way in and every morning I let them out of their houses and out of the orchard and off they go the enjoy two lovely acres.</p><p>As you can see, this system does not lend itself to lockdown, but lockdown we must. Avain Flu can cross species and can be caught (rarely) by humans as well as other birds. Just what we need in a pandemic!. If Avian Flu is found in your flock then the flock must be destroyed.. think Foot and Mouth. Non of this do we want, so tomorrow copious quantities of fine mess will be delivered and I will construct an enclosure that I hope will serve. Last week I covered the feeding areas, netted the pond and arranged all the houses in a semi circle around the pond (it looks a bit like a wild west stand off of wagons!)</p><p>I am hoping that my grandson, who is six foot three will be here to give me a hand and will take pictures for those interested.</p><p>All for now</p><p>Love Gill x</p><p> </p>Frugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-2872761830195752372021-11-14T16:20:00.004+00:002021-11-14T16:20:53.084+00:00Thanks for the seeds Devon Mum<p> In my last post I mentioned that I was saving extra seed to give to anyone who might want it at the group I intend starting next year. Devon Mum offered to send some seed to add to mine . And here they are... 28 packets of seed! Many Many thanks for your generosity DM, Very much appreciated. I'm considering starting a couple of the packets off as small plants to give away too, so long as I time them right.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39IzuqhEj3OrajyRcwdf0zIlvM7u82alXt3IsBuxwgKRQ9-ma3LqjNG84uDuM2YGJfDa4RcDEwW10oiqXG0NeJxKFd8tU2UXqZ3ru5bhUJx68DGnGcsl9cfcNw1YSgkTl73t50nKG3FM/s2048/DSC_0798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39IzuqhEj3OrajyRcwdf0zIlvM7u82alXt3IsBuxwgKRQ9-ma3LqjNG84uDuM2YGJfDa4RcDEwW10oiqXG0NeJxKFd8tU2UXqZ3ru5bhUJx68DGnGcsl9cfcNw1YSgkTl73t50nKG3FM/s320/DSC_0798.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Apologies for the terrible photo.<p></p><p>All for now. Really busy time here, but wanted to acknowledge Devon Mum's gift.</p><p>Love Gill x</p>Frugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-3556319723574265042021-10-29T15:24:00.000+01:002021-10-29T15:24:30.892+01:00Thanks and a recipe<p> Hello All</p><p>Here I am !</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQsE5inK5Opoae4ce7qxGQmZeg4TS-3Fh1vBYLg6QwlEFqNapqgKiMVZg1A7KqgY9kJNBxa5T4T93q9IRf2ADCtel1Y_b_iPgIegMnmZ2VTs1fgCUBhIFU37UNtZRAIdatu-wwuqY331g/s960/Gilldoor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="464" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQsE5inK5Opoae4ce7qxGQmZeg4TS-3Fh1vBYLg6QwlEFqNapqgKiMVZg1A7KqgY9kJNBxa5T4T93q9IRf2ADCtel1Y_b_iPgIegMnmZ2VTs1fgCUBhIFU37UNtZRAIdatu-wwuqY331g/s320/Gilldoor.jpg" width="155" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Thanks for the feedback about the proposed group. The word "Skills" will definitely have to be in the group/event/gathering title. I reckon it will be new year when we get started as I have so much to do here and am so far behind with the Civic Society stuff and I haven't even thought about Christmas yet. However, it gives me time to prepare. I have been putting aside all the seed I save as I can give packets of seed to people who are interested. So far I have several types of bean seed, loofah, sunflower and pumpkin extra to my needs. I'm also gathering simple sewing/ knitting etc patterns. </p><p>Today I'm acting like a proper smallholder! I have jarred a couple of buckets of honey, made butter with some extra cream, made tomato puree, peeled a couple more loofahs, chopped and froze bunches of parsley and made some peanut butter cookies , using eggs that I put down in waterglass last summer. Which means I have absolutely no energy left to dig a patch over for the garlic and spring cabbage. Manana eh?! So here I am at the laptop writing another post and trawling through the facebook (Meta) groups I follow.</p><p>The biscuits I made were from a recipe I found in a Tesco magazine sent to me by a friend. What caught my eye was it it had only three ingredients, which I already had and didn't contain any flour. I'm surprised that Tesco didn't mention that. Anyway here is the recipe if you are coeliac or indeed like peanut butter.</p><p>Peanut cookies</p><p>Whisk together one large egg and 200g of soft brown sugar until smooth. Add 225g of crunchy peanut butter until blended well. Cover and chill for half an hour. Heat oven to 180 or 160 for fan/ gas 4. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. After half an hour scoop out 10 balls of dough with a dessert spoon, giving them plenty of room to spread. Cook for 12 to 15 mins, leave to cool for 15mins and then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling. </p><p>Those I cooked spread to an enormous size and I wondered if a smaller egg might reduce the size, but who knows. Here is a poor pic of said cookies </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNG9LI7_ZcaYclORg11zhYLnqKejtZE3T8T3d0adInasWiYxK2jmgPxMIEdoFtH-DnjpFe6ElOOFF8Gjts-JMGaWhgOnYJ7X-7bWjjHLk4R7oLyggjmnA72p01IugFEoJFtoRyFkJu3W4/s2048/DSC_0795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNG9LI7_ZcaYclORg11zhYLnqKejtZE3T8T3d0adInasWiYxK2jmgPxMIEdoFtH-DnjpFe6ElOOFF8Gjts-JMGaWhgOnYJ7X-7bWjjHLk4R7oLyggjmnA72p01IugFEoJFtoRyFkJu3W4/s320/DSC_0795.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>This week I have had my granddaughter's dogs to stay while she has visited my daughter in Jersey. I've really enjoyed having them as they are such delightful kind dogs. ( A yellow Lab and a Bernese) Mind you, like grandchildren, it's good to pass them back too!</p><p>Here they are. The Lab is Coda and the Bernese is Hattie.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNcH4VHc0ETMbbnuIOJfkMMiV4Nqc99Js1fVsQqjKhzMPf1djKZdnAsLtkbq1p5z7Fnt1Hh5Nl-XA9FeXSjR76RfrMYSou0mog3HkWzuq8P933A2YPL2U6TvwzWseVxj2k-8sopmeqQT4/s2048/DSC_0797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNcH4VHc0ETMbbnuIOJfkMMiV4Nqc99Js1fVsQqjKhzMPf1djKZdnAsLtkbq1p5z7Fnt1Hh5Nl-XA9FeXSjR76RfrMYSou0mog3HkWzuq8P933A2YPL2U6TvwzWseVxj2k-8sopmeqQT4/s320/DSC_0797.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>"Enough" you cry</p><p>Back Soon</p><p>Love Gill</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Frugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-33021250855919681652021-10-16T20:49:00.001+01:002021-10-16T20:49:23.509+01:00Ideas please<p> </p><p><br /></p><p>Hello again</p><p>Its a busy time of year getting ready to batten down the hatches and prepare for winter. </p><p>Today I looked through the bees and fed a hive that didn't have many stores, I have taken only a little honey off the other four hives this year ( still to be spun when I get a few hours free) as I am unsure how the winter is going to span out. The mild winter actually worked against them last year as they were flying a a lot and using up stores that can't be replenished by them with there being no forage in the winter. Next week I shall put the mouseguards on and wish them all a quiet winter!</p><p>Along with many of you I am sure, I have been pickling bottling drying wine making etc, This year there seems to be an extra urgency as I feel a little unsure and unsettled for the future. I've always been a prepper and as self sufficient as possible, but there is a different dimension to this now. Recently I have been happy to support a young woman to learn how to make jams/ jellies and make butter and have also been sharing on food growing and self sufficiency sites how I approach certain tasks. Obviously when posting in these groups I am preaching to the converted and I realise that for each group member who is interested there are hundreds of thousands who care nothing for such things.</p><p>Where is this leading? Well two issues have unsettled me, </p><p>Firstly I now have a great granddaughter who I am lucky enough to be trusted to look after when her mum is a few hours short of support when she is at work. Watching this delightful child eat everything I pick for her as we go round the gardens ( strawberries, peas, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber blackberries and raspberries that I can think of) I wonder what kind of an adult life she will have. What will the world be like in 20 or 30 years time? Will her children have a happy carefree childhood?</p><p>Secondly, I have lost several dear friends over the last year or two and am grateful that I am still here and still have my health and am fit enough to lead a useful life, with skills to share with others... at the moment.</p><p>I can't shake a vision I have of the near future being similar to that of the second world war, with shortages of food, fuel and materials. The difference being that it won't be for just a few years. Do the generation that will have to live in these conditions have the skills and mindset to manage? I may just be here in twenty years, but may need a little looking after myself by then!</p><p>So Gill cut to the chase. My daughter and I believe that we should do what we can to pass on stuff while we can and that we should share our skills, experiences with others. We are planning to set up an event where we invite people who wish to learn skills and others who have the skills to share. Subject such as using a sewing machine , growing things to eat either in a large plot or just a window box, Frugal, wholesome cooking , getting a go-to bag together, mending, knitting, preserving, seed saving, etc etc A thread that will run through these subject will obviously be the environmental plusses of such skills. The attendees themselves would decide on subjects</p><p>So my question is, when we send out posters, what to call such a group? My target age group (though not exclusively) would be 16 to 30. My daughter says to avoid titles such as "Knit and Natter" and other such twee, middle to older age group names and aim more for "Are you ready for the Zombie Apocalypse?" to catch the eye and imagination of younger people! </p><p> Thoughts and ideas Pleeeease ! </p><p>Love Gill x </p><p>PS hope this doesn't sound too worthy! </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p>Frugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-57805998215131108622021-09-28T13:30:00.004+01:002021-09-28T13:31:53.757+01:00Of wine and quizzes<p> I think that most people have had a mixed year in the fruit and vegetable garden. Some things have done well and some have been nothing short of disastrous!. Clearly the weather .has much to do with this.</p><p>Crops that have done well this year are spring cabbage, climbing french beans, courgettes, broad beans, tomatoes, kale, spinach, spring onions, lettuce, chilli and sweet peppers and sweet corn. For the first time this year the squirrels found the sweet corn and stripped the cobs, fortunately we had had many from them before the squirrels struck. The little darlings have also taken all the walnuts and stripped four cobnut and three hazel trees. I can honestly say that I don't feel a great deal of affection for them at the moment and struggle to subscribe to the words "The wildlife is entitled to its share of the harvest" </p><p>The damson have done poorly for us this year, though someone only a mile away has contacted us to ask if we would like to help them with their glut! I have made pounds and pounds of Damson and (windfall) apple jelly, frozen a few pounds and made three gallons of wine, mostly damson but also a few elderberries and blackberries. I reckon that I really don't want/need any more, so will not take them up on their offer. I have suggested they offer them on freecycle etc, but they don't want anyone else at their trees. I understand this as over the years we have sustained quite a bit of damage to plants from people "helping" us with the harvest. Yes I know that sounds ungrateful;! </p><p>Talking of wine, I ventured into our cellar.. not for the faint hearted....for wine to offer to a group of friends who have been meeting here once a week since lockdown (more later on this group) I bought up a couple of demi-johns, our wine NEVER gets into bottles, just jugs, and the wine was really good. One was a 2017 of a similar mix to the one made this year and the other a 2018 with a higher percentage of blackberries. When we were first married in 1966 we used to forage and make wines, but few people seemed to drink wine then and we were considered a little wierd and folk rarely took up the offer of a drink of wine. Things are very different now with wine being the favoured drink of many of our female friends and relatives so it really is worth making it now.</p><p>I mentioned a meeting of folk here once a week. The local pub was struggling before lockdown and has now closed. Prior to this my husband, who is a keen quizzer used to meet with like-minded people who have become good friends. This group of quizzers has been meeting for 35 years now! At lockdown the group formed a facetime group and continued to hold the quiz this way over last winter. Once the weather improved we put up a marquee in our family garden and have been meeting there ever since. The quizzers meet at 8.00 and I take out sandwiches etc at around 9.00 when the actual quiz is finished. ( I don't like Quizzes) Beer and wine is drunk and much gossiping and laughing is done with the last ones leave at around midnight. Last week we realised that we couldn't carry on like this throughout the winter and that we enjoyed talking to people in the flesh as it were, so yesterday we cleared the goathouse as best we could so that we could continue to socially distance and last night had our first Goathouse Quiz!</p><p>Anyway enough for now. Once I get started I don't know when to finish do I?! </p><p>Back soon. take care all</p><p>Love Gillx</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Frugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-73246140228039286912021-09-06T17:36:00.002+01:002021-09-06T17:50:53.735+01:00<p>Where have I been ?!</p><p>Nowhere, just here.</p><p>Life has been so busy and we are always on catch-up it seems. I suppose the next couple of weeks will be even busier as the produce is coming in thick and fast and I couldn't bear to waste anything I have nurtured.</p><p>However I am determined to restart and keep the blog going now that winter approaches and I have more time to apply myself to indoorsy sort of things.</p><p>So watch this space I really will be back.</p><p>For those who are still reading this blog, thanks for hanging around</p><p>Gillx</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Frugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-42337500541437767572021-01-19T18:17:00.002+00:002021-01-19T18:23:33.245+00:00Eschewing Clingfilm - making bees wax wrap<p> </p><p>Hello All</p><p>I don't know about you but his wet weather is starting to get me down a tad. I have huge amounts of brash and prunings to burn and there is not a chance at the mo. I am also trying to help the lock-down hens be happier, but am slipping and sliding in the mud and making little progress. Pushing a wheelbarrow about in it is such hard work.</p><p> We are trying to get the fruit trees pruned too, I guess some may have to go without this year. Let's face it, it might be poor gardening but it isn't life threatening so we will be philosophical and do the best we can.</p><p>Continuing my sustainability theme. Here is a sort of "tutorial (get me!)</p><p>I have never been a fan of cling film. Though it is a very convenient, it is single use, and un-recyclable . An alternative way to cover dishes etc is to use bees wax wrap. As I keep bees it is s no brainer for me. If you wanted to make your own I would say that an ounce of beeswax would do two dinner plate size wraps. The first pic shows what is needed, Cotton fabric off cut cut into shape with pinking shears., a block of bees wax; a grater to grate the wax ( in the jar) two sheets of greaseproof and an iron and ironing cloth.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMSuDCiRaxRIAkbPK2r7C23vWs6G6oD-DR3ytkM1U7xxrRIjjol82pIBiHnDSJhw6M0pfUfTliLxVwjFsJ1vCjcbc1Fpg4YaOJmD6LDlBbRgyQ5A-KWvgxZMbUycAHj-K8ci_GcFNA2M8/s2048/DSC_0768.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMSuDCiRaxRIAkbPK2r7C23vWs6G6oD-DR3ytkM1U7xxrRIjjol82pIBiHnDSJhw6M0pfUfTliLxVwjFsJ1vCjcbc1Fpg4YaOJmD6LDlBbRgyQ5A-KWvgxZMbUycAHj-K8ci_GcFNA2M8/s320/DSC_0768.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>pre heat iron to high.<div>on your ironing cloth place a sheet of greaseproof, a sprinkling of grated wax, followed by a second sheet of greaseproof<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgropyw3JTPbaPoaGOT7F-ZjX1CPqmaDTWBbfnKJR2IlJxDmmyhGzRe_NxGlHHnvz5m-4E4QH2aY8i5tqcrVpW6VlFpuhPyS2r98Bs3DXLBHhr9xxp3Ray9ViqKAiXWXWBK6rGz8zsn1Nc/s2048/DSC_0769.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgropyw3JTPbaPoaGOT7F-ZjX1CPqmaDTWBbfnKJR2IlJxDmmyhGzRe_NxGlHHnvz5m-4E4QH2aY8i5tqcrVpW6VlFpuhPyS2r98Bs3DXLBHhr9xxp3Ray9ViqKAiXWXWBK6rGz8zsn1Nc/s320/DSC_0769.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Iron over the greaseproof , as the bees wax melts use the iron to spread ir over the cloth evenly.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfCVd0AADhDlmoaMW7PGbymzpGLFeTNZN00YMFQL5Hl4SAkP5XCG-RRIlV6xN_G8jz5ml1cVRCFfiJJ1j9MxWsMYJSJ0aEssb73X8ciP_9xlAS3r3kUdRFO4HK5aWDD45kqSgKeXS6J0/s2048/DSC_0770.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfCVd0AADhDlmoaMW7PGbymzpGLFeTNZN00YMFQL5Hl4SAkP5XCG-RRIlV6xN_G8jz5ml1cVRCFfiJJ1j9MxWsMYJSJ0aEssb73X8ciP_9xlAS3r3kUdRFO4HK5aWDD45kqSgKeXS6J0/s320/DSC_0770.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The wax will spread outside the fabric as it melts ensuring all is covered<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1jz3NGoqGp4D1DAyb2tC8fhs0TsYLcMAr5M5PaWuBH44i2KQPxfQ6pQZ0st3hsh9l7_gDKaiWYypxTIEoGh58i4JGbMGZPmn-bToKMJGVjeNHTUe2i40-MZ7qMa5wWzAau7M0oBeNzg/s2048/DSC_0771.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1jz3NGoqGp4D1DAyb2tC8fhs0TsYLcMAr5M5PaWuBH44i2KQPxfQ6pQZ0st3hsh9l7_gDKaiWYypxTIEoGh58i4JGbMGZPmn-bToKMJGVjeNHTUe2i40-MZ7qMa5wWzAau7M0oBeNzg/s320/DSC_0771.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Peel off the top layer of greaseproof from both sides and hold the cloth up for a minute and when cool it is ready to use. Here is is over a bowl .<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6xHtSGGPmgt04hPQrDdc9vD8rWb5zDLO1A9V_WUwrrUhRBRLN0Mu646KutHoeGCM6x61rz0ouJ6qCLjxleWXgT6QnWpcjDRqYjUugLhUo5gX2lUrood5MvjIiqvYYr1Nvkcl48WVTuE/s2048/DSC_0772.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6xHtSGGPmgt04hPQrDdc9vD8rWb5zDLO1A9V_WUwrrUhRBRLN0Mu646KutHoeGCM6x61rz0ouJ6qCLjxleWXgT6QnWpcjDRqYjUugLhUo5gX2lUrood5MvjIiqvYYr1Nvkcl48WVTuE/s320/DSC_0772.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The excess wax on the greaseproof can be peeled off and put back in the jar.</div><div>Hope that was clear.</div><div>Enough for now</div><div>Back soon</div><div>Gillx<br /><p><br /></p></div>Frugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-26955317365326818092021-01-15T13:10:00.002+00:002021-01-15T13:10:45.205+00:00A new gardening year and stopping in<p> </p><p>Hello All</p><p>A new gardening year starts ! Yesterday I started 70 Shirley Tomato Seeds off in propagators in the front greenhouse. I also started 4 trays of seed onions off. a tray each of Ailsa Craig, Marco, Red Baron and Sturon. There are approx 200 seed to a tray. When they have grown large enough to handle I will prick out into plant pots with 10 to a pot and grow on until large enough to plant outside. There should be some onion plants left over to either give away or sell.</p><p>Today I am starting off Sweet Peas. I have all sorts of odd seed which I am going to mix together and grow as a mix with two to a pot which I will plant when large enough as they are to one pole and disturb the roots as little as possible. </p><p>Mind you this might have to wait a day or two as I have a really bad cold and rather need to stay indoors to nurse my runny nose and shivery self. As I have been shielding with David and haven't left the holding since before Christmas (apart from yesterday to post some letters ) I have no idea where I caught this cold!</p><p>If I don't go out I have plenty to do inside ( no surprise!) So today I hope to..</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> Transfer 2020's honey from buckets into jars for sale.</li><li>Make three birthday cards for the family January birthdays.</li><li>Knit the front band for a cardigan I am making from my wool stash</li><li>Find five matching buttons from the button tin for said cardigan</li><li>Take photographs to illustrate my next blog</li><li>Do a spot of internet shopping (hacksaw blades/ 2 pint basins/ blue shoe polish and research microwaves as our has gone kaput.</li></ul><p></p><p> You will note that there is absolutely no housework on the list !!</p><p>On my sustainability theme, I have found that old tea shirts make the best floor and polishing cloths.</p><p>Enough you cry.</p><p>Back Soon</p><p>Gillx</p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p>Frugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-87886490099355532332021-01-11T16:57:00.002+00:002021-01-11T16:57:22.773+00:00Sustainability and a missing cat<p> </p><p>Over the last couple of years I have tried to be mindful of the impact I have on the earth. (gosh doesn't that sound "noble" ?!) Being a facebook user. it hasn't taken long to find groups of like minded people and I have picked up quite a few ideas and bits of information that I can apply to my own particular circumstances. I do find some of the folk go a bit far for me. I'm an advocate of "good enough" (achievable) parenting and reckon its a good place to start in attempting a sustainable lifestyle. Obviously as a smallholder, who aims to be as self sufficient as possible I'm in a pretty good place to start and have indeed been practicing some of the ideas for years. However, these have been mostly for our- own- little- world -type stuff. Thinking beyond this to the wider good is something else. So my word/ mantra is now Sustainability with a view to to decreasing the amount of waste and/or pollution we make.. I've always been a bit of an eco-warrier, but there are aspects of being environmentally aware that I hadn't considered .</p><p>I don't know how many folk are interested in this but I thought I would share my "journey" on this blog. Just in bite sized bits so as not to bore you too much and if you aren't interested just scroll on by to the rest of the dross I post!</p><p>Easy bit first. For a couple of years now we have had our milk delivered in glass bottles. Thus really has made a difference to the amount of plastic that goes into our recycling bin. The milk is from a Derbyshire farm, thus cutting miles and supporting local farmers (and milkmen!) There that wasn't too preachy was it !?</p><p>This weekend our cat Baloo went missing. Now I'm not too fond of Baloo as he is half Bengal with full Bengal trait of fizzyiness. He is prone to the odd bite if you approach him from the wrong side, which David calls a love-nip (it isn't!) and has been known to suddenly get hold of your face with his long claws, which David says is holding you close (it isn't!) I decided that he hadn't been stolen as they would have returned him within a couple of hours and would be identified by the scratch marks. He went missing at tea time on Saturday and though I am not fond of the boy I wouldn't wish him harm and really wanted to know if he was well. I don't think we thought of much else but him throughout Sunday and I visited neighbours to ask them to look in their sheds etc. At 7.15 this morning a cold cat a wailing banshee walked across my face. He was home! Given the time I suspect he had just been let of a shed or garage by someone on their way to work. Here he is the little love. Incidentally he is a great mouser</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8oMtsQZsmt120_VYa1wRLMysTP5Th_o9P8vtBzC3Zqf2asM88AufUZjYGDRh-9-24wcbzFUJtrV_pFNV7mleTQ9mMylZWTtfWRKnehAJ9kOHxyGPPXXdvOrT51cjEypO3Ejm5sinomo/s2048/Baloo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1144" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8oMtsQZsmt120_VYa1wRLMysTP5Th_o9P8vtBzC3Zqf2asM88AufUZjYGDRh-9-24wcbzFUJtrV_pFNV7mleTQ9mMylZWTtfWRKnehAJ9kOHxyGPPXXdvOrT51cjEypO3Ejm5sinomo/s320/Baloo.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Enough for now</p><p>Back soon</p><p>Gillx</p>Frugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-31341342787924719712021-01-05T20:00:00.003+00:002021-01-05T20:01:40.206+00:00Lockdown for Family, Chickens and Santa<p> </p><p>Hello Again</p><p>Here is a pic of our first great grandchild. She was born mid August and we have only been able to hold her a couple of times, but have seen her on several occasions outside. We are really struggling with this aspect of lockdown and all the Covid restrictions, though we do follow them properly without "cheating". She is wearing her Christmas Elf costume and looks a little serious here. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtoFFMe7jB2uga6zAgnm2GZVZPRZTuhHkoqy6sx7r4OYx8lq3jZBcAg24byV1uXh4c-aykqiTuc0NFIefUbCz8qoF4Q3QCMc5dKjIxa2icJHupSx2OYaEgLBvgqxlQTdXnPGO9-_5Hp84/s2048/rosaelf.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtoFFMe7jB2uga6zAgnm2GZVZPRZTuhHkoqy6sx7r4OYx8lq3jZBcAg24byV1uXh4c-aykqiTuc0NFIefUbCz8qoF4Q3QCMc5dKjIxa2icJHupSx2OYaEgLBvgqxlQTdXnPGO9-_5Hp84/s320/rosaelf.jpg" /></a></div>Since the new lockdown David is back to shielding again, though in truth he has kept safe throughout the whole time. It is really more of the same for us.<div>What IS different and not in any way welcome is the Lockdown for the hens! There have been several outbreaks of Avian Flu and now all birds must be kept in such a way that they do not come into contact with wild birds or their droppings. This means we must ensure that they are covered overhead, not an easy thing to do when you have a 40+ free range flock! Apparently this lockdown will be until April. I question the welfare issues with this. Looking at how some people are going to have to keep their birds I suspect they will have issues with pecking/bullying and possibly chest/lung issues.You can explain to humans why they have to stay in with restricted horizons but not chickens! I'll try to get some shots of our set up to share with you.</div><div>David normally does several charity sessions as Santa. Obviously this couldn't happen this year, so to give his cossie an airing he sat on our front wall on Christmas Eve and waved at anyone passing. He received many shouts, cheers and tooting of horns. We hope that some children on their way to bed might have caught a glimpse of Santa before he set off on his busy night. For some reason it inspired a couple of blokes from the village to join David with a socially distanced beer 😉 Here he is..</div><div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bjL6GpQvIP7jVijUxK-cPkHapKnPrOV5iQUxwNQUERWBz7w3A2MFOPXVBZKjo9xGpWS5dBCzFKmpYWXq4ET-7oLW4FsnA6WQzr6NUoBQjVYAbz68zzU4EiAOohBUzYajDKSmgpn24-s/s1499/santaoutside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1499" data-original-width="843" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bjL6GpQvIP7jVijUxK-cPkHapKnPrOV5iQUxwNQUERWBz7w3A2MFOPXVBZKjo9xGpWS5dBCzFKmpYWXq4ET-7oLW4FsnA6WQzr6NUoBQjVYAbz68zzU4EiAOohBUzYajDKSmgpn24-s/s320/santaoutside.jpg" /></a></div>Enough for now I reckon or will become one of my rambling posts. </div><div>Looks like I'm getting my blogging mojo back.</div><div>Love Gillx<br /><p><br /></p></div></div>Frugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-8891621080002465392020-12-29T17:02:00.001+00:002020-12-29T17:02:21.790+00:00Loofah (luffa) Update<p> Hello</p><p>Update on the loofahs (luffas) before I start the whole process off again</p><p>This first pic is taken slightly later than the one in my last post. You will note that there are two different types. To the left the fruits are marrow-ish shape and plain green. The plant to your right is longer, thinner and has black stripes down it. I wasn't able to get them to the brown, dry phase, when you are suppose to hear the seeds rattling, so I went back to the good old internet and found that you can still succeed with green fruits so long as they were fairly mature.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgif-7KhqnaKE-TlBDfk812IcKix-5Ph0_6KS6QNE1u6dNKPP-8hde62MlJSF-Vz7fZjxcFqFdT4LZ1yLw2Y3tAPveYb5Vpnoi0cSxsE5zBt_lR6yJ4jGJUpDxwki0NtxvNlXGUVJE_zUI/s2048/DSC_0755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgif-7KhqnaKE-TlBDfk812IcKix-5Ph0_6KS6QNE1u6dNKPP-8hde62MlJSF-Vz7fZjxcFqFdT4LZ1yLw2Y3tAPveYb5Vpnoi0cSxsE5zBt_lR6yJ4jGJUpDxwki0NtxvNlXGUVJE_zUI/s320/DSC_0755.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This next pic shows how I peeled the fruits.In the stripey plants the seeds were black. The plain green fruits had pale brown seed. These peeled fruits I put in a bowl of water . I squeezed, rinsed and teased off any flesh, while changing the water daily, for about ten days. During this time the seeds kept floating out, these I fished out and dried. I saved an awful lot of seed this way, which I am hoping will be viable next year. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekfSu4MZOmnD5DOznhgl27bdDQTnMgDVgRA8ED2ZvLaHr1L4qUWseXT2IMMnkcVW8KCh_638SsA58pgtdmCWCRQzh0_bUInnKkGCp3MapPS9nDIe5JD8ksGhSlzE_NUgCATA1V-msOZc/s2048/DSC_0766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekfSu4MZOmnD5DOznhgl27bdDQTnMgDVgRA8ED2ZvLaHr1L4qUWseXT2IMMnkcVW8KCh_638SsA58pgtdmCWCRQzh0_bUInnKkGCp3MapPS9nDIe5JD8ksGhSlzE_NUgCATA1V-msOZc/s320/DSC_0766.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>When all the seeds had floated out and the ;last vestiges of flesh had gone I gave the loofahs a final rinse, dried them and....Tah Dah !!...<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiscFkQLR-vxTv7tricjYSdnGJTQZHUOFx1RtHrovr3l4pbXR_vFDSiI1WO4mlCvfNslrGloRxkJ2BK31I681YRYkUExNHk4gJctT7bd5Q9wdQsjKwFAMrCz2rxTqGqcliSSaa-LbcsMQs/s2048/dryloofahs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiscFkQLR-vxTv7tricjYSdnGJTQZHUOFx1RtHrovr3l4pbXR_vFDSiI1WO4mlCvfNslrGloRxkJ2BK31I681YRYkUExNHk4gJctT7bd5Q9wdQsjKwFAMrCz2rxTqGqcliSSaa-LbcsMQs/s320/dryloofahs.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I harvested twelve from two plants. Three are ,missing from this picture as my daughter has snaffled them.</div><div> The scrappy bits I have tied together to make splendid pan scourers.</div><div>If anybody wants to have a go growing some next year from my (not guaranteed viable ) seed I am quite happy to send them some for them to try. I started mine off on the 9th February 2020. so allow for a longish growing season.</div><div> All for now. Just off to search for a picture of my first great grandchild to bore you with !</div><div>Love Gillx</div>Frugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-79809844518909078142020-12-28T15:57:00.001+00:002020-12-28T15:57:27.541+00:00<p> Well Hello It's me!!!</p><p>It is many weeks since I wrote here. I completely lost my blogging mojo and have been somewhat overwhelmed with keeping on top of things here on the smallholding.</p><p>I confess to not even visiting my favourite blogs, apart from one day when I found out that Sue from Suffolk had sold her house and I didn't even know she was wanting to move. I realised that it had been so long since I visited blogland that I would never be able to catch up so fresh start here both writing and reading as we move into 2021.</p><p>I'm going to have a go at blogging (and reading blogs) on the same day each week and see if I can get back into the swing of it.</p><p>So for now dear bloggy friends, if indeed there are any left reading my ramblings</p><p>A VERY HAPPY AND PEACEFUL NEW YEAR TO YOU</p><p>Love Gillx</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Frugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-302461478822410112020-08-08T18:33:00.000+01:002020-08-08T18:33:16.189+01:00Clunk Click every trip I bet many of you remember the campaign to get you to belt up when you were in the car.<div>At the time of this campaign I was working for a market research firm. We were tasked with engaging with divers who were pulled into a layby by police officers. While asking them how many miles they were expecting to travel, how often they drove and other such mundane questions, we observed if they and any passengers were wearing a seat belt. We returned, I think a month later, to do exactly the same exercise. Between these two sessions the Jimmy Saville ( yes I know!) campaign had hit the TV. This had followed other campaigns with Shawn Taylor, but it was considered that the saying "Clunk Click Every Trip" might be super catchy. Indeed it was, and in the second session we noted many more people wearing seat belts. Over the next year it was demonstrable the decrease in deaths and serious injuries from collisions and this was attributed to the campaign. If you wonder why I have suddenly thought of this it is the number of people on the TV shouting about having to wear a face mask, how uncomfortable they are and that it is an infringement of personal liberty. Sometime after the CC campaign the wearing of seat belts became compulsory and people were then saying they weren't going to wear them because they were uncomfortable and it was an infringement of their personal liberty blah blah blah ... just saying!</div><div>Back to the smallholding and my luffas!. Oh my have they grown. I am SO excited about them. I have now stopped the two plants in the greenhouse and they have 6 luffas each. I have been showing them to everybody I can and most have been impressed. Several have said they are going to have a go next year. Here they are. All I have to do now is try to get them to ripen. I guess that might be the most difficult part.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5t-_VLTZhfrDKPb_-B8xpiSTkfWUcgtuO1BBEHOOz4J15S9cdP3NOnmSIudqbsSaxP86r463gQPR6RKaeL3Pzxh2FNJpwnQjvbDWjTWf0s3PJay4t7HR4qfos8G2jQ_AsCh11SpYyAWY/s2048/DSC_0746.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5t-_VLTZhfrDKPb_-B8xpiSTkfWUcgtuO1BBEHOOz4J15S9cdP3NOnmSIudqbsSaxP86r463gQPR6RKaeL3Pzxh2FNJpwnQjvbDWjTWf0s3PJay4t7HR4qfos8G2jQ_AsCh11SpYyAWY/s640/DSC_0746.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /><div><br />All for now, a few more photos to load and will be back soon</div></div></div><div>Look after yourselves out there</div><div>Gillx</div><div><br /></div>Frugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-68721022192359735142020-07-04T21:04:00.002+01:002020-07-04T21:04:27.643+01:00Growing Loofahs (luffas)<br />
Hello All<br />
I wanted to share my experience with Luffas, or Loofahs, depending on what you know them as.<br />
Last Christmas, my younger daughter bought me some Luffa seed. She, like me, is very keen on minimising her use of plastic and thought I might have a go at growing loofahs to replace plastic bathroom sponges. I am having so much pleasure from growing this crop, which is an entirely new venture for me.<br />
Guessing it would need a long growing season I started the seeds in early February in a heated propagator. Germination was not one hundred percent, but I ended up with three viable plants. The two strongest I planted in my large (tomato) greenhouse, while nurturing the weaker in the small (cucumber) greenhouse. The plants were slow to get started, but once a tendril or two took hold they raced along. What I wasn't prepared for was the beauty of the flowers! They are sort of Hibiscus -looking. It is easy, as with all cucurbits to tell the difference between the male and female flowers and I have been going to them daily with my soft paint brush to ensure pollination. I probably needn't have bothered as any flies, hoverflies or bees that have found their way into thee greenhouse have made a "bee-line" for them.<br />
The early stem growths are very fine and look as though they wouldn't hold anything, but they soon strengthen up to hold what looks like being a generous crop of loofahs. One of those very fine stems has wheedled its way through a small space in the apex of the greenhouse roof and escaped outside. I can see one thin tendril reaching for one off the wires that supports the hops. I wonder if it will catch on, and if so will we get outside luffas too.<br />
Here are the male flowers which are in bunches of six or so, which open and then die on different days<br />
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Here is a female flower.<br />
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I planted one lufffa either side of the greenhouse and they have grown towards each other to form an arch. I think I shall be knocking myself out on those luffas soon, the biggest are already a good six inches long<br />
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Can you see that cheeky little tendril escaping from the greenhouse. You can just see the hops to the extreme right of the picture. one of the supporting wires stretches from those to the apex of the greenhouse and this is what the cheeky tendril is aiming for.<br />
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I am unsure how many fruits to allow before I stop them. So far I have 9 fruits over the two plants. I am also not sure how much to feed them. I know I mustn't over water. If anybody wants to chip in with advice please feel free.<div>
A quick word to bring you up to date with the bees, We have had six swarms this year and managed to box four of those so not too bad. A couple of the hives are very full of bees and we have had to give them extra room as bees were hanging out of the hive all the time. They often beard like this in extreme heat, but because they are short of room they are also short of breathing space. They now have another box of frames to move around and we will soon be taking homey off hive No 6. Hive No 1 was a swarm that landed in the blackberries this year. It is very strong, already having a super on and now it has two. Do you like my posh numbers? I cut up a couple of ice cream tubs and used sharpie pen for the numbers and fixed them with a drawing pin.</div>
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All for now. Back soon with what we have been doing around the place and probably the odd opinion or two!</div>
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love Gill x</div>
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Frugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-67415756841626266282020-05-25T14:34:00.003+01:002020-05-25T14:38:42.930+01:00Life still going onHello folks.<br />
That posting a couple of times a week didn't last long did it?!<br />
Busy here gardening mostly, trying to make up for two years of just managing while David was ill and letting stuff go that didn't seem essential at the time. Well it wasn't really as I felt that keeping the food production going as best I could was more important than weeding and pruning and tidying the "ordinary" garden at thr front of the house<br />
I just about kept the bees going too, managing to get them ready for winter, catching and boxing swarms, taking some honey off etc, but not going through them properly really and forgetting the mouse guards last year and other such sins!<br />
My kitchen has a tall stack of supers ready to go on the hives this week. The bees have been really busy and we captured a prime warm last week that might need a bit more space. I would love to put the honey signs out but don't really want to encourage strangers to the door, so will wait a little longer before taking the risk.<br />
There is still quite a bit to plant up in the garden. I usually wait until 1st June before putting my frost tender plants out. However the weather forecast looks pretty good for a week or two really, so I am going to take a chance and put them out over the next few days. This will be outdoor tomatoes, sweet corn, beans, courgettes and the like, celery quinoa, sunflowers and dahlias. The frost a couple of weeks ago blackened our potatoes and took all the leaves and shoots from our three walnuts, vines and sundry other trees. A bit of a disaster. The potatoes will come back but be set back a bit, but the trees stand no chance for this year. On a positive note the hardy veg and those in the greenhouse are coming along well. The only food coming out of the garden at the mo is Spring Cabbage, which is exceptional this year.<br />
Four weeks ago we took a cade lamb from someone we know, expecting to buy another one or two to keep it company. Hah! I have trawled just about every Facebook page and farming groups I know and have been unable to get one! So little Covid ( I know, I didn't name hime) is all on his own. He is now out in the paddock all day and in the office at night until he can completely fend for himself. Presently he thinks he's a chicken and usually gets along well grazing the paddock with them. They are less than impressed when he has boingy moment.<br />
As David is sheilding he is super careful about not having anyone in the house and neither he nor I have left the holding for 10 weeks now. However, there have been occaisions when folk have had to come here to collect or bring heavy stuff and it has been quite difficult sorting everything from the front gate, which is approx 12 feet from the road. So we now have a system that works pretty well for us, especially as folk are now allowed to go to the park etc. We open the front gate and then further down the drive, the gate to the field and folk drive straight down into the field and park at a distance where we can shout at each other. Considering our field is bigger than the village park and there is only us in it we reckon it is pretty safe. This way I have also been able to see a couple of members of my family for a little while. Fortunately we have an outside loo, which I have had to fettle as it is usually the man's loo and we all know what that means!<br />
I think some things will be different for us when all this business is over and goodness knows when that will be. The other day we took delivery of animal food, David's medication and a small flagon of local beer and I think we may carry on with these deliveries. We have always had our milk and newspapers delivered so no change there.<br />
Talkng of deliveries, we have had all sorts of pressies delivered to the gate. Sometimes I know they are going to be there and other times I just come across them. That I can remember so far we have had several bottles of beer (some home made) bottles of wine and vodka, box of veg, loo paper and paracetemol, box of purple sprouting brocolli, veg plants and a bag of pork fat and chops!<br />
It is now time for babies' bottle he is now on 3 feeds a day and extremely unhappy about it. We have just seen a swarm come out of hive number 4 and it has settled high up in a large damson tree. There is absolutely no way we can capture it, so we have just set up a bait hive on an accessable roof nearby. Sometime that works, but usually not, but has to be worth a punt.<br />
Back soon<br />
Gillx<br />
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<br />Frugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-89800242540162732272020-04-24T21:09:00.001+01:002020-04-24T21:09:17.223+01:00Blossom and Baking in Lock down<br />
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I realise I have taken far too many pictures of our apple blossom. We have quite a lot of trees with the blossom (and subsequent apples!) spanning a few weeks. To help with the fertilisation we have two crab apples.<br />
John Downie. almost finished here, there will be sudden drop of petals like snow, from this in the next couple of days.<br />
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Here is Golden Hornet, the buds started opening a couple of days ago. The very many small yellow apples making a great show later in the year.<br />
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This is the blossom of Arthur Turner. This picture doesn't do it justice. I might try again for a better ;picture. This cooker is known for it's lovely blossom.</div>
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Here is Grenadier, another cooker, with far too many blossoms really to produce good sized fruits for processing. Hopefully there will be a good June drop to reduce the number of fruits. If you think this pic is a little out of focus it is because the sprinkler is playing on it!<br />
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Enough apple blossom for now methinks. Onto baking...<br />
The neighbour who left me some fresh yeast ( I left a loaf on HER doorstep) asked if I needed any more and how was I doing for flour? Well I'm getting down my stocks pretty quickly and each week my personal shopper (grandson J.) looks to see if any is available, which so far it hasn't been. " I shall ask the baker at work" she says.<br />
Ta da!......16kg of Bread flour! (and 8 ounces of fresh yeast)<br />
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A bake with just two ounces of the yeast this afternoon. Three different sized loaves, Tea cakes and jam doughnuts. I divided the yeast into individual ounce packets which are now in the freezer. The tea bread isn't a yeast mix. I made a pot of tea last night and then answered the phone. After 20 minutes it was not fit to drink so true to my handle I couldn't waste it and made a tea loaf.<br />
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This post is a little picture heavy but can't resist this pic of our front lawn. Yes lawn ! David says we can't possibly cut it until the dandelions have finished flowering as they are so useful to the bees. I can't argue with that, but the neighbours might!! Note four of our hives against the far wall.<br />
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That is more than enough for now. Lock down is still more than manageable here. I do worry about my eldest daughter who is isolated in her apartment in Jersey. It must be a lonely way to be.</div>
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I was going to finish with a few word about Donald Trump, but for once words fail me!</div>
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All for now, Back soon from a beautiful sunny Derbyshire</div>
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Gillx</div>
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PS I have a couple of new followers. but when I click on their photos I get no information whatsoever. so cannot name them when I extend a warm Derbyshire welcome .</div>
Frugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-21698833295756447702020-04-22T22:02:00.003+01:002020-04-22T22:02:39.287+01:00Even more random thoughts from isolation Hello Isolators!<br />
Well, it is nearly five weeks since David and I went outside the homestead. If someone had told me that I would survive this amount of time with just my husband and be perfectly happy I would have snorted in disbelief! We have been absolutely fine! Mind you the weather has helped as we are outside most of the day, prepping the veggie plots, sawing/chopping wood, organising bee equipment and other sundry smallholdy stuff. I am almost hoping for rain so that I can attack the indoor jobs and projects. It's a good job that we can have no visitors because the house is ditched!<br />
We are finding items left at the gate for us. So far there has been a bag of vegetables, some loo paper, a box of purple sprouting brocolli, three seperate deliveries of home made ale and yesterday some fresh yeast!! ( I can hear you getting excited )<br />
Though we live in a village it is not the chocolate box type. with a village green, pretty church and thatched cottages. Our village is really a line of houses along a main road. That road is usually pretty busy as it is on the road to the Peak District one way and the M1 the other. It has been pretty quiet recently, which means we can shout across the road to each other. Our stretch of the road have been clapping for the NHS each Thursday and recently a guy from the other side of the road suggested we go into our front gardens at 3.00 last Sunday with a cup of tea (or beer) for a social social isolating. It was a great idea and we sat there chatting away for nearly two hours until tea. A little music was played and we sang along to a few old (cheesy) favourites.<br />
Anybody else playing having a nosey at the bookshelves in people's homes? While reporters, personalities etc are isolating and speaking from their homes they are usually in front of their bookshelves, which I much prefer to a bunch of flowers or a shelf full of ornaments. (Mind you I was impressed by Richard E Grant's dresser, which was full of interesting pieces of china and a couple of impressive candlesticks!) I find I am looking head to one side trying to read the titles and feeling ridiculously smug if I have the same book.<br />
In my last post I spoke of finding parts for a couple of Edison Phonographs. I was delighted to be contacted by someone we know to say she believes her husband could get the drive belts. He delivered said belts within a couple of days ! Thanks Rissa and Steve, We were able to play a cylinder that night... what a dreadful noise! My friend has many more cylinders and when we are able to meet up with him again we hope to listen to something a little less hurtful on the ears.<br />
On a similar subject, I have just realised that it is the Repair Shop followed by The Great British Sewing Bee tonight. Now that's what I call good viewing. Off to fetch some ice, back soon with some pics I have taken of the apples blossom, which is spectacular this year.<br />
Back Soon<br />
Gillx<br />
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<br />Frugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-43511088257642288892020-03-28T20:59:00.001+00:002020-03-28T20:59:10.076+00:00Random thoughts from IsolationHello everyone out there !<br />
We live on the route to the Peaks and Matlock Bath. Last weekend was RIDICULOUS. Hoards of people driving past us on their way to stand shoulder to shoulder in Matlock Bath and the pubs actually serving them only two days after being told to shut!!<br />
Our local pub, which is already struggling, would love to stay open. David meets some friends there once a week' David didn't join them last week because we have been staying away for some time, but joined in via his mobile. This week one of his friends organised a video link and everyone joined in from home on their phones. The screen on his mobile got a little crowded but it worked pretty well really. David says he will get his tablet up and working for next week. I wrote his answers down while he held his phone, which was pretty civilised, as I sat by the fire with a cup of tea. The only down side is that I really dislike quizzes and can't avoid them under these circumstances!<br />
Has anyone tried to get groceries delivered from the supermarket ? Our grandson, J. organised a delivery for us online a couple of weeks ago. He chose Asda as Sainsburys was booked up for three weeks and Asda only one. We ordered 2 weeks supply, thinking we would order another two weeks in a weeks time. Hah! Fat chance !!! All the supermarkets are fully booked for slots for the next four weeks, taking no orders at the moment for after that. He and I have been trawling the sites looking for an empty slot as we have been told to do. This morning I thought I had one, which turned out to be a click and collect slot. Okay I thought J. will pick that up for us I am sure. Err it was for 6 o;clock on a Sunday morning 2 weeks away at a store a good 10 miles away! After a pow wow with J he tells me that by Monday he will have isolated himself for long enough since he was laid off from his job when he was in close contact with the public. So we have agreed that next Monday or Tuesday he will go with my list (and his own) and buy that which we need. I hear he may have to queue to get his car parked and then take his turn to go into the shop, but eventually he should get the deed done ( I wonder how his Aspergers will cope with it!)<br />
We have reorganised one of our veg plots this week, the weather being so good and us not going anywhere. I have to say the two plots we are working are looking pretty good (for us) and I might even take a pic as they look nearly as good as the tidy gardens fellow bloggers have.<br />
from early in the week here is a corner of the first garden. with Spring cabbage "Durham Early" to the rear and (late) garlic to the fore of these.<br />
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This next is a poor picture of the peach blossom. We had no peaches last year, but 40 the year before and they were absolutely lovely. The variety is "Newhaven". If the blessed birds will leave the buds alone we could get a good crop again in 2020<br />
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As we have pulled up the drawbridge we are not selling our eggs and honey from the door the hens, of course are laying for England so we have trays building up. I have been trying to buy waterglass to preserve these eggs, knowing I will be extremely happy to have eggs for the slack times later in the year. I have struggled to find waterglass of food quality anywhere. I asked a smallholder facebook group I have just joined if they knew where to get it. One of the suggestions was that I look on Pinterest. I hadn't thought of that. So I dived into that cornucopia of interesting things to do. The only help that I could relate to was from Leigh at "5 acres and a Dream" who I follow (and she me) Unfortunately I cannot get the make she suggests as they don't sell to the UK , but I do have somewhere to start looking over here now.<br />
On a different issue (there she goes again at a tangent) one pursuit to interest me over the last week or two has been trawling the Net for parts to repair a couple of early Edison Phonographs for a friend of mine. He has two early 1900s phonographs, both needing belts and needles and one needing a horn. I have found and bought a horn and some needles in an original tin but haven't had any luck with the belts and I really would like to buy a couple of sapphire needles too. These machines are things of beauty. this one doesn't have a horn.<br />
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All for now<br />
Anybody else missing their family ?<br />
love GillxFrugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-58706357746373733912020-03-24T10:26:00.001+00:002020-03-24T15:14:16.542+00:00STILL Isolating Me again<br />
Well at last our PM Has grown a pair and done the right thing<br />
I thought I would start this post by giving the heads up on where the important people in my life are while we settle into our self-isolation.<br />
My elder daughter and her husband and daughter live in south Yorkshire where she has a very senior management position in a statutory agency. She can work from home some of the time if needed. She did indeed have to a while back after a conference when she found she had been in contact with someone who was being tested for Covid 19. She went home and self-isolated for a week, living and working from a bedroom, with her meals being left on the landing by her husband! Anyway she is clear and currently she is working every hour God sends ensuring the public gets a service and responding to changing directives. Her husband, an engineering manager who will no doubt now be working from home. Their daughter aged 14 has been studying from home via computer.This system seems to be well thought out and working presently. As her mum is a Keyworker she could go to school but is perfectly able to look after herself,<br />
My younger daughter works on a large engineering project in Jersey. Most flights into /out of the Island are now closed and she doesn't feel she will be home before the end of June.at the earliest. If she leaves Jersey now she will not be allowed back in.<br />
Her son is a resteraunt supervisor in a popular local resort . He has been laid off now and like many others is unsure what happens next.<br />
His sister, who you may remember had her surprise wedding at our yearly festival last July is 17 weeks pregnant ( I can't tell you how excited we all are about this!) she works for Fire and Rescue service and along with other pregnant woman has been sent home. Her husband is a self employed Trees Surgeon, they think he may have to stop work.<br />
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I have been alternating gardening with sewing. One of the projects has been altering David's new bee suit. They say that women are pears and men are apples. It is fair to say this of David and he is definitely an apple and a Bramley at that! Apparently, according to his new suit, with his girth he should also be 7 ft tall The legs are sooo long. I have taken 10 inches out of each leg and they should now do.<br />
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A Facebook post by our local Smallholders states that one of the committee has been approached by a newspaper for their views on recent thefts of chickens because of the shortage of eggs! I understand the shortage of eggs as we have had to take our signs in today and are supplying only our regular customers and those with specific needs. Anybody else heard about thefts of chickens?<br />
All for now<br />
lots more to share, but my posts get too long don't they?<br />
Keep safe<br />
Gillx<br />
<br />Frugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953248892638598159.post-39159892200909988642020-03-20T20:47:00.002+00:002020-03-20T20:47:21.698+00:00Isolating in Derbyshire III Hiya<br />
Here is a picture of the loaf I made yesterday. It really isn't bad for non-yeast loaf. It is quite moist , with a nice crust. It is a little sweet, possibly because there is no salt and sugar from the beer. It didn't taste beery in any way. This is deffo something I shall make again.<br />
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As I said the other day, David has spent much of his lock-down time cutting and splitting wood. Some of this wood came from our old apple tree that is in our front garden. This tree is huge and very old. We sent samples from this tree to Brogdale for identification. They do not recognise it and say it was probably grown from a pip and that we can name it ourselves. David calls it Gilly's Pippin. We had a branch shear off a couple of years ago and now see that it is going rotten in several places and have been fearful that it would break and fall into the house. H. our eldest granddaughter's husband, who is a tee surgeon, has stepped in to make it safe. He has cut away all the dead and split wood, leaving some that could still thrive. It looks a little odd but it is now safe and there is the bonus of fragrant apple wood for the fire. Here is David ( 6 foot tall) standing next to the tree with the end of the house in the background.<br />
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And here is H. up the tree, having removed two large branches and now tidying up a smaller branch.<br />
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Since then H. has dropped off some more wood from a job he has been on this week and David's cup now runneth over!<br />
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On a sadder (for us) note. We have sold eggs, honey, veggies etc from the gate for nearly 40 years, using an honesty box. This has worked well for us and more recently, being self isolated means that we keep away from our customers!. However in the last week we have had eggs and sticks taken without any money being left. This is a first for us and I admit to being upset by it. People have often called us naive for being so trusting , but we have never had reason not to be. It really isn't the money that bothers me.<br />
Anyway, on a positive note, the hens are starting to lay well now and are happy to have some sunshine.<br />
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Back soon<br />
Love GillxFrugal in Derbyshire http://www.blogger.com/profile/10221169113482164565noreply@blogger.com15