Saturday 2 October 2021

First Saturday in October

 I wish someone would slow down the weeks. Since Saturdays became the day on the blog when I look back and round up my week it comes around far too quickly.
 
The burnable stuff left from the yard sale has gone to BiL, he double checked that he could burn the ancient wallpaper/car booting table this time as luckily he hadn't burned it when I rescued it back for the yard sale. It wobbles worryingly and while at his got wet as well so  really is past it. As a new folding table is £18 it would be a big expense just for car booting  so from now on I'm definitely doing no more boot sales and everything that goes out will go straight to a charity shop.
A box full and a bag full of bits went to a charity shop in Stowmarket and the garage is now much clearer.
 
The weather turned much colder through Wednesday and the leaves from the churchyard trees are now blowing down the road. Several heavy rain showers too, especially on Friday, but they were needed. While the weather was grotty most afternoons I've started reading my Giant pile of library books. Titles have been added to the books read 2021 page.

I made some jars of Red Onion Chutney (often called Onion Marmalade). Unfortunately I put a few onions through the food processor before I realised the blade was in upside down and it was grating instead of slicing so the texture isn't quite right. Although I'm sure it will taste fine.

2 Jars for the Christmas hampers and 1 for me. I'm currently eating my way through a large jar that I made 2 years ago so one jar will be enough until next year.

I've had no luck with finding someone to do some big gardening jobs. All landscape gardeners are so busy - too busy to even visit, look and give a price. More luck with an electrician coming to look at why two of the lights in the kitchen are flickering. They are "modern" (which means complicated in my book) set right into the ceiling with no separate bulb. Annoyingly it means they need completely replacing. How easy ordinary light bulbs would be! The bathroom and en-suite have the same sort of down-lighters. And would you believe in the living/dining room one switch turns on 10 small light bulbs (5 in each of two fittings) and it's the same in my bedroom/craft room. He had a look behind the switch and nothing can be done about them without a lot of hassle..... Hey Ho..


 
This week I've been grateful for..............
  • When the Kenwood dough hook fell out of a high cupboard and landed on my face it did no damage!
  • I can now walk to pick up prescription meds - saving diesel. 
  • A prompt visit by the electrician (he will order two replacements)

 

The weekend weather forecast is horrible but  today there are 2 coffee mornings in the village - one a regular 1st of the month thing and the other is a fundraiser for animal charities not sure I ought to have coffee and cake at both!
On Sunday I'm planning on a visit to youngest daughter over by the coast. Because of not going far in the last 10 days I still have a tank nearly full of diesel. Are things back to normal on filling station forecourts yet? I've no idea because now that Strictly Takes 2 is back on TV I don't even watch local news!

Have a good weekend
Back Monday
Sue

32 comments:

  1. Lol you might find a suitable table at a suitable price at a car boot sale 😊

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  2. It’s better regarding fuel but Norfolk at is still sketchy. Sounds like lamps needed on the 5-10 lights coming on with one switch?

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    1. Luckily that's what I've been doing in the evenings, one on the shelves by my chair and another at the end of the settee for reading with feet up.
      Seems a crazy idea having 10 bulbs on one switch

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  3. They seem to have had a delivery at the two garages down in Llanelwedd as diesel both sides (only Co-op had it throughout the panic).

    Those are exactly the sort of lighting I don't want when we have the lighting done this month. We have a couple of brand-new light fittings with 3 copper lights on swivels which I think will work MUCH better than the single light bulb in the middle of the room we currently have!

    It may be worth trying Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace for a car boot table. We don't use the flimsy pasting tables but have got folding ones - two very stout - for when we do Fairs.

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    1. I think I'd already decided against anymore boot sales as it's hard work on my own

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  4. Are your kitchen lights those halogen ones that you have to take out of the casing to replace and then fit back into the two-pin fitting while balanced precariously on a stepladder and reaching above your head? A couple of years ago an electrician said that they were out of date (they were ten years old!) and I should have LEDs. After a lot of trouble this year with flickering and random goings on and off, I have now had the whole lot replaced by LEDSs which, the electrician assured me, 'will never go'. They're very bright until you get used to them. Never having to replace one would certainly be a bonus. I haven't had the bill yet!

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    1. The kitchen lights are LEDs but no separate bulb so the whole thing needs replacing they are less than 7 years old

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    2. Oh curses. I suppose 'they will never go' was too good to be true.

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  5. Oh, my, I'm very glad that dough hook did no damage. Not nice.
    Could you have coffee at one and cake at t'other. Or get then to wrap a cake for another day? :-)
    xx

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  6. Is it possible to have your downlights made dimmable if they are too bright when all are on? If they are already dimmable with non dimmable bulbs in this causes flickering. Some of the supermarket bulbs can be cheaper and cause flickering - you can get better quality Philips bulbs on the internet which stop strobing and flickering in downlights. Sometimes the bulbs are not altogether compatible with the fittings and this also causes problems. Not all downlight fittings are equal and neither are the bulbs available. We did a lot of research into this when we had them fitted in our new kitchen.

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    1. The living room lights are not down-lighters they just have 5 small bulbs on each light fitting.
      I use 2 lamps instead of putting them on

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  7. Indoor lighting used to be so simple but the lamps are so difficult to replace these days. However the hight of lighting in my mum's kitchen used to be a giant tube thing that was so harsh but you could see all the cobwebs and daddy-long-legs easily.

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    1. Those fluorescent tubes were the most modern thing to have back in the day! I can remember how they flicked on and off before coming on properly

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  8. When we moved to this house I groaned when I saw the kitchen ceiling. 10 badly fitted 50w halogen down-lights. I looked at them and said to the agent, 'I bet they are all on one switch too'. Sure enough they were. Imagine the electricity they were taking; plus it was like being in a football stadium it was that bright. Even more annoyingly they were positioned so that whichever worktop you used you cast a shadow over it.
    They had to go. Replaced with two independently switched pendant lights and better, cheaper under cabinet LEDs which is where I want the light.
    Light is so important, and if done badly so expensive and awful to live with. As you say it used to be simple.

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    1. We never choose the downlighters that are right in the ceiling when we did up houses, They might be the most trendy but they are also annoying

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  9. yikes getting hit in the face is not fun, glad you are ok. WE are over cast and rainy this first Sat of October but we are headed to Maine and the ocean to be with family.
    cathy

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  10. Your onion chutney looks excellent. Lighting has changed a lot. Can your electrician use LED light bulbs in your new fixture? LED's are energy efficient, lower cost to run and last for 10+ years. No maintenance is always good. I'm glad to hear you are okay. Anything falling and hitting our faces is scary.

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    1. They are LEDs but not separate bulbs so the whole fitting needs replacing. They are less that 7 years old

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  11. Your onion chutney looks very interesting. I love the colour. Hmm, LED's usually last longer than 7 years.

    Glad you have gotten the garage cleared out a bit more.

    God bless.

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    1. Red onions and red wine vinegar make the good colour.
      The problem with the light is the whole fitting as the bulb is fixed in it

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  12. Your Onion Chutney looks very yummy! I'm sure it will all taste good.

    I don't do sales anymore - not selling at them. Mostly I want things out of the house and will just donate them and hope they go to a good home of someone who wants them. It seems a lot easier that way and certainly makes me think a little bit more about what I bring into the house!

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    1. That will be my plan - things will go straight out!

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  13. Hope you find a landscape gardener (my brother is one in Devon and has more work than he can manage, but in the Winter he often doesn't have nearly as much so maybe you can get one that will book ahead for those times. Your chutney is a lovely colour.

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    1. Yes I think I'll have to try again with a gardener and ask them to book a date sometime in the future although they are too busy to even come and look!

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  14. I wish all house lights could be simple bayonet ones that hang on a cord down from the ceiling, but they seem to be embedded in the roof now.

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  15. The chutney does look lovely...what a pretty color and great idea for gift-giving. Would you share the recipe or is it a family secret? Mary

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    1. The recipe is on the separate page at the top of the blog, you will need to scroll down a way. I think it was given to me by someone who made chutney in huge amount to sell as the original used 10lb of onions!

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