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should be sweet alyssum not asylum...
We are doing that dance again, but the tempo is speeding up. The two steps forward and three steps back, sometimes progresses to only two, or even one step back. Weekends are still the time that we reclaim the kitchen, moving the tools that have creeped in amongst the pots and pans. We clean the gallery to prevent dust avalanches that cascade the stairs. I've given up on the front room for the time being as that's the loading bay where delivery vans drop off timber and tiles, insulation and sacks of cement.
It was Valentines weekend and we'd planned to get away but because we have the house to ourselves at weekend at last, we decided to stay home. We can go away mid-week and give space to friends left behind working.
I tried to make heart-shaped pikelets using this borrowed nostalgic recipe, to serve with Maple syrup and coffee for a Valentines breakfast. They tasted good but I couldn't find the heart shaped mould. Good imagination was needed to picture those hearts. Ahmad planned that if we didn't go away that we would drive here or here for the day. But it was a rainy pottering morning so that's what we decided to do. He made his amazing pizzas for supper and I made the wild birds christmas cake...two months too late.
I am so missing Hannah. She sent me photo's of the breakfast she'd made and a poster of plants to save the bees. She knows me, and she's thinking about me and that means so much.
Sunday the weather was mild, we scouted the garden and planned where the chicken house and run will be, the log drop-off and shed, the raised vegetable beds, hammock, seating area, beds and lawn...and of course where to plant the bee friendly seeds.
I made this for supper a change from the usual Sunday roast. The chicken was succulent and full of flavour, but A says he'd prefer a regular roast next time. I finished knitting a long overdue hat for a friend, fingerless mitts for another, worked a bit on Hannah's blanket and spent ages trying to find a pattern to knit Ahmad's icelandic yarn. Sneaked some quiet reading of scandinavian novel, watched a silly1990's Loch ness monster movie that makes me want to visit the Loch Just to check it out for myself...you never know...
I know it seems ages ago now, but I hope your valentines weekend was good too...
Dx
Sounds like a perfect Valentines Day. Ours passed without much fanfare but we have our 20th anniversary next month so that's cause for celebration. I love the poster Hannah sent you. The bees in our area are having a hard time at the moment with storms blowing trees down and a disease affecting old pine trees they like. I have the lavender but will look at planting some of those other plants.
ReplyDeleteHi Caz, thank you it was a good one. Congratulations, that sounds like it should be celebrated with style. It's good isn't it...It's such a shame about the bees. I'll definitely get the top row of the poster, I love all herbs and lots of the others too.
DeleteHave a good week,
debx
And such is the life of a remodeler, it's not for the weak is it Debby, but it's going to be amazing when it's complete.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you're missing your girl, I get it. I do love the poster, we Do need to save the bees.
Hey, lets go visit the Loch Ness together, we will keep each other brave!
I know that it will all soon be a memory, that's what keeps me going Tracey. And now that spring is definitely in the air...the sun is shining brightly and the garden is calling me. There's a bit of structural work to do there first but then I can play in the garden with all those seeds.
DeleteIt's the hardest thing isn't it? But we always seem to be on the same page and when I missing her more than ever she's feeling exactly the same way.
Oh that would be something else Tracey...I wish one day...
Have a great week,
debx
i'm exhausted after reading every post!!!! You are doing soooo much!!! (and it's going to be soooooo worth it!!!) I love following the progress....and continue to be amazed at how you keep creating such fabulous things in your kitchen while everything is in a turmoil!!! (we're going to visit Loch Ness the end of the summer!!!!!!!!!!!!! can't wait!!!!! hope the monster waits for us!)
ReplyDeleteIt's other people doing most of the work at the moment Steph and my fingers are itching to do my bit. I start something but then have to move on to let someone else do their job. I think we have all Friday until Sunday to ourselves so hope to totally finish the kitchen. I can't wait to get a table set up to sit down to supper and to set up my sewing machine to work on all the blinds and curtains...I can't wait.
DeleteOh lucky you...how awesome Steph. I can't wait to read all about it...
Have a lovely day,
debx
I miss my kids as well, I know the feeling and wish they could live close by. My that two step dance you are doing looks like organized mess but the results are fantastic. Happy belated valentine's day :)
ReplyDeleteIt's so hard isn't. Thank goodness for phones and the internet. We live as close to Hannah now as when she was studying in London and we were in Oxford but somehow we feel further away. I think we've both been busy settling down so don't have quite as much contact. It's been lovely this week though, because she phoned every night on her way home.
DeleteI so long to clean up and sort everything out. My patience is being sorely tested as each time a job is proposed to take a week it take at least three. I suppose that's the thing with old houses you never know what will need doing. But as you say it will all be worth it and hopefully it will be many, many years before anything big needs doing again.
Thanks for the V day wishes. I'm glad that yours was good too.
dx
I can't even begin to imagine how much you must miss Hannah. My eldest has one more year and then she is off to college. I'm dreading the day she leaves. I hope she remembers me in sweet ways as Hannah does you. She sounds like such a dear soul.
ReplyDeleteI love your gingham dress, and I do believe that is the lovely cropped cardigan that you wore in a previous post. I love your style.
Hi Emily, it's so hard when they leave but I know from reading your blog that you have a wonderful relationship with all your daughters and I'm sure that they will always keep in constant contact with you.
DeleteModern communication is amazing and it's so good to be able to talk with Hannah but It's lovely that just when I miss her badly and a phone call or email isn't enough and need to see her in person, that she is feeling exactly the same way about us and we usually manage to catch up somewhere. She is a lovely thoughtful person and we are good friends too. There's nothing better than our long conversations about life and friends and books...oh the book conversations are wonderful...oh and now cooking too.
Thank you Emily. I had a favourite bought dress that I managed to cut the pattern for this one from. Amazingly it worked really well. I would love to do a pattern class one day I find cutting a pattern for sleeves the hardest. Then I did a bit of cross stitch on the bodice. I'm longing to start some sewing projects my bundle of fabric is growing. I'm inspired by all your projects. I have blinds and curtains and all sorts to make but at the moment no space to work. Hopefully that will be remedied this weekend.
Good to talk.
take care of yourself and all the littles,
debx
I love Hannah's Save the Bees chart, it is so important we look after the Bees!!! It is so hard being apart from your loved ones at times you just ache to hug them!!! Hope you get to see Hannah soon jux
ReplyDeleteHi Jules. It's good isn't it. I know...it must be the same when you're separated from Toby. I agree about the hug...nothing can substitute.
DeleteHave a good day,
debx