Last Saturday of the Month

Awful, awful scenes of devastation in Nepal and Tibet. The speed at which that water and mud tore through the valley and so many people missing in one of the remotest places in the world. A tragedy on a huge scale.

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One of the disturbing things I've heard this week was about the number of people going to hospital  A&E this summer for help with  simple insect bites and stings. Apparently this is common (and it's not counting the people who are stung in mouth or eyes or allergic and go into some sort of  shock - obviously they have to go). Of course everyone who shows up at A&E has to be treated, taking up hours of time. Seems many don't know that antihistamine cream or  tablets are available at the pharmacy and usually all that's needed. 

Reminds me of the one time we were in A&E and there was someone there who had fallen and grazed a knee. She came in with 3 drunk friends! The drunk friends were made to wait outside but the grazed knee waited for ages - frequently going in and out to smoke and chat with the friends outside-  before giving up and going. They would have seen her but she was way down the waiting list as  they never turn people away.

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The fruit-bowl has the first of the windfall Falstaff Apples and 4 pears from a friend

It's been a good week in Mid Suffolk, I've seen many more people than usual. 15 at the Keep Moving group which is a good turnout. My sister popped in on her way back from getting her eyebrows done (we are so different! my eyebrows haven't been plucked since I was a teenager and it's not something I even think about). 

Friends from Essex visited one afternoon, they always bring me a jar of proper home made marmalade, which is delicious.  They make lots each January from Seville oranges (A. has more patience than me! I cheat with the ready prepared tin of oranges or lemons.) Although apparently there might be a shortage next January  as Spanish Seville orange trees have also been affected by the excess of summer heat.

Then BiL came round to help me get the sliding door back on the greenhouse. Managed fairly easily with two pairs of hands and him getting down to see what was happening with the bottom runner.

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 Rain and thunderstorms forecast for Wednesday didn't materialise at all and Thursday's forecast wasn't right either - just a shower in the morning and another couple in the afternoon and warm in between which dried it up very quickly and then yesterday was really hot and sunny again until another shower in the evening. Maybe there'll some rain today and tomorrow - but not a high % chance. Everywhere is still brown and frazzled.

And now we are around to the Late Summer Bank Holiday weekend.... seems like about 10 minutes after last year!, but it means it's the annual Flower Festival and mini fete at Crowfield church, which I go and visit due to them always having lots of secondhand books for sale.

Have a good weekend, I'll be back Monday with the end of the month financials.

More Food (Not a Haul!) Shopping

 It seems this has become a regular thing...............unpack..............take photo........put away.

There was one purchase between the last shop and this one as I went to the nearest Co-op for the local 'Lane Farm' sausages .......but although they had their bacon they didn't have any sausages, so I got the other local pack 'Taste of Suffolk'...........which I could have got in the village shop although they would have cost me more. I divided into 4 x 2, wrapped and put in freezer without thinking about a photo. They were £3.29 for 400g.

 I'm odd because I buy the cheapest of cheap bacon (£1 bacon bits from Asda) but wouldn't dream of buying anything other than good local sausages.

Aldi had so many gaps and absences on their shelves that I had to go to Asda anyway even if  I'd not been going into town and needing to get my £1 parking fee back. 

Most noticeably missing at Aldi for the last two visits has been their decaf ground coffee and wholemeal bread flour.

From top to bottom. 4 Pints milk £1.65; rice £1.25; 400g extra mature cheddar £2.45; Asda Wholemeal flour £1.45; 2 x Asda decaf ground coffee @ £3.50 = £7; 6 white rolls 45p; 2 peanuts £1.18; Ham trimmings 400g £2.49; Carrots 37p; 1Kg nectarines £2.35; Head of calabrese 86p;

Total £21.50. 

Running total for month. £24.79 +£37.81 + £3.29 + £21.50 = £87.39

I very rarely buy meat but I do like ham but these packs of bargain ham trim don't often have a long date, but they did this time  so made me 4 main meals and, with the bread rolls, 4 other ham roll meals. (The bread from the bread-maker makes lovely toast but not so good for sandwiches)

That Asda coffee is £1.01p more than Aldi's when they last had some, I think it's something that has gone up in price a lot which is maybe why Aldi didn't have any. Last time Aldi had wholemeal flour it was 89p so the Asda is 56p more.

This shop was done last Saturday and I've done no food shop since but I may well make some scones today and buy myself  some clotted cream for a Bank Holiday weekend treat again......it's become a 'thing'!

Darning and Patching

 One of my library books that arrived last week  I saw mentioned on a blog and actually know whose blog it was, which makes a change.

Angela at Tracing Rainbows said it was interesting even if you weren't planning to do any darning.

The Art of Repair by Molly Martin was published in 2021 and is about the history of darning including in other countries like Japan which has many different names for different types of mending.

This is the description from online

'Part how-to guide, part manifesto - a gentle exhortation that encourages us to reconnect with our damaged belongings and ourselves.' TOAST magazine

For Molly Martin, it all started with a pair of socks. Her favourite pair. When the heels became threadbare, her mother got out her darning mushroom and showed her how to reinforce the thinning stitches and bring them back to life. She has been stitching and darning ever since.

In The Art of Repair, Molly explores the humble origins of repair and how the act of mending a cherished item carefully by hand offers not just a practical solution but nourishment for the soul. Using her own beautiful illustrations, she guides us through the basics of the craft - from piecing and patching to the ancient Japanese art of Sashiko.

This book will stay with you long after you put down your needle and thread. It offers an antidote to our increasingly disposable lifestyle, encouraging us to reconnect not just with the everyday objects in our environment but also with ourselves.

I used to do lots of  mending and darning - especially Col's  welly-boot socks, jeans and the cuffs of shirts. Now my darning mushrooms sit unused............not sure how I have two............. because very few things need repair  - I don't even remember the last time I sewed on a button.

Angela was right - it was an interesting little book.