Anyway...................
I seem to have spent the last 6 weeks organising things - it's what I've found the most difficult and time consuming since being on my own. When I wasn't doing that I've been making and freezing, jamming or pickling the garden produce and keeping out of the heat.
This meant that when I went to look for Elderberries to make the cold-cure syrup I was too too late. Luckily I have one bottle left from last year in the fridge. It still looks OK - it's so high in sugar that it keeps for ages I think!
Instead of Elderberries I gathered just a 1lb of Blackberries from up the lane.
The blackberries have gone in the freezer at the moment and I'll probably make a little blackberry syrup and hope to remember to get elderberries next year.
Because I rarely pick blackberries ... don't like the seeds, and don't need the jelly.......... The Blackberry Fairy from the Cicely Mary Barker books has never made an appearance on the blog before.
Here she is with her song.
How I agree with you about the time organising takes, especially workmen who either don’t turn up or return calls, I don’t think elderly women are on their priority list. Waiting for the sweep, a carpenter and landscaper as I write. I missed the elderberries as well, they were ripe in August down here in the SW. Made some B,berry jelly for the family. No, I don’t get the grief for someone I did know, sad for her family but I’m saving electric not having the TV on, absolutely nothing to watch. Sarah Browne.
ReplyDeleteDid NOT know, obviously. There was a King on the throne when I was born and there will be a King on the throne when I die. Sarah Browne.
ReplyDeleteI feel nothing about the death of a long lived woman I didn't know, and from the few newsclips Ive seen in the last few days her eldest son demonstrated that moving an inkwell to one side was beneath him, and her second son ran his hand down his own daughter's backside.
ReplyDeleteWhat a bitter comment.....
DeleteI thought this was a very bitter comment too.
DeleteI expected people would disagree, and it comes as no surprise that the comments are anonymous.They invariably are.
DeleteI hadn't seen those news clips and your comment says a lot about you as a person.
DeleteI'm sorry you feel that way. While I'm not defending Charles behaviour over the inkwell, in fairness, that table was very poorly laid out. Aside from anything else, it was far too small for the purpose. If it consoles your bitterness, look again at the footage and you will see even Camilla rolled her eyes. Under the circumstances of grieving and such stress I wonder if any of us would have done better.
DeleteI agree RP poor man is grieving for his mother while undertaking all those duties. As for Prince Andrew the same and comforting his daughter who was undoubtedly very upset. If people can’t say anything nice they shouldn’t say anything at all.
DeleteI love blackberries, in any form, we try an eat seasonal, so when they rioe it's a joy. We keep our TV off, but probably will watch on Monday.
ReplyDeleteWell, I was surprisingly upset to lose our Queen. I think she has always been there as a factor in our lives and I think being emotional over Keith's health issues anyway, the Queen's sudden death hit me harder. The Beeb always does Overkill when something momentous like this happens but I rather think a helicopter view of her coffin being driven across Scotland would be a waste of several hours tv watching! I met (then Prince) King Charles back in the 80s and he seems to have his mother's sense of humour and I think, dedication to duty like her. I liked him a lot.
ReplyDeleteAs for Blackberries, still lots around to add to my freezer until I get a chance to make some jam/jelly or perhaps even bottle. I read this week that they are extremely healthy and very high in Vit. C, Vit. K and manganese. I noticed lots of Elderberries on our days out recently and stopped the car on a quiet lane to pick some which are now in the freezer. I think we are damper and cooler here, hence still have fruit to pick.
Once again, feel the same, Sue. The TV coverage has been very excessive. I watched the thing on Saturday morning, wondering to myself what could Boris Johnson and Gordon Brown have been talking to each other about.
ReplyDeleteI feel sad about the Queen dying but 96 is a very good age and she had a great life.
The question that puzzles me is how was she serving us and at the same time we were her subjects?
". . . how was she serving us and at the same time we were her subjects?" How astute you are. You, dear person, are quite the thinker.
DeleteAlthough the news is starting to get a little repetitive it is at last now broadening back out to include world events. We both wondered yesterday had literally everything else stopped. Was that little Russian b**tard waiting for permission to drop another bomb or cause more anguish to Ukraine, was the weather suddenly perfect everywhere. Anyway, we are a nation in mourning for another week, so I guess we have to just get on with things. There are a least so many more channels available for watching that don't have any news on them at all these days.
ReplyDeleteI don't like the seeds on the Blackberries either, so I always strain it and have it as a jelly, which is delicious on toast as long as you make it thick enough. One year it was like sticky syrup and slid off every day.
I was shocked when I turned on the TV to hear that the Queen was so ill and her children were rushing to her bedside, although I shouldn't have been considering her age. It must have been sudden and unexpected and I understand that Prince Charles was already there. As someone said the BBC overkill any big news event and most people get bored with the same details of her life and after the initial announcements want to get back to normal until the funeral. I haven't watched much of it, but have recorded things I may watch later like the Proclamation. I remember watching Princess Diana's funeral (that was a tragedy) when the hearse travelled up the M1 as she was going to be buried at Althorp House in Northamptonshire, a place I passed twice a day when I lived there.
ReplyDeleteI only have Hulu and you tube…no tv…however I feel a loss…she was there all of my life…gracious…
ReplyDeleteYou can watch Sky News UK’s live coverage for free on YouTube.
DeleteThanks
DeleteI did watch the proclamations interesting archaic stuff like theater. But so much of it. I took in some, wondered how long the monarchy can last , then went on with my life!
ReplyDeleteI use elderberry for viruses toi, but I don't have access to it directly, so I buy it. Swear by it.
I am with you Sue. A very old lady who I did not know died. It is sad for her family but means nothing to me. The endless TV coverage seems to be fuelling some mass hysteria.
ReplyDeleteI wasn’t in the UK when Diana died but watched from afar and was amazed at the collective outpouring of grief. People who had never met the woman were sobbing.
I am also ambiguous about the Queen's death, sad yes because her time has come to an end but she lived to a good old age. As for the media coverage, as always, overkill. Notice also how everything had already been arranged so everything moved smoothly - bit scary.
ReplyDeleteShe hadn’t been in good health, so clearly the TV channels prepared for it. Not really very scary at all.
DeleteIt was mentioned on a television about ten years ago that all the plans were in place for the funeral, for television and all forms of media. Newspapers and magazines have had the articles ready for a long time and they were just updated year after year. Indeed the Queen herself once mentioned it in an informal chat with David Attenborough.
DeleteThose blackberries look scrumptious and I love bramble jelly but not jam due to the seeds. Your little flower fairy drawing is just lovely. Catriona
ReplyDeleteI am sad for the Queens family but as I have never met her I can’t grieve. As for the tv all I say is thank goodness for library books
ReplyDeleteWe are getting constant coverage of the queen's death too.
ReplyDeleteI am not a huge fan of blackberries but my husband is so I froze some to bake a cobbler this winter.
Cathy
The only reason I've found it all a little emotional is because my own mum died back in April , but I agree the media coverage is overdone and I found myself thinking this morning that it will be a good thing when Her Majesty's funeral is over
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
Sad
ReplyDeleteBlackberries are enormous here this year - except we call them brambles as in apple and bramble pie - I know - stems and fruit - I know.
ReplyDeleteHaving worked in the media for many years although now working part time elsewhere (and older than you Sue!) I was fully prepared for the amount of coverage given to HM. It is something that all TV and news companies prepare for years and years in advance and constantly update their coverage so that they are fully prepared for a bereavement. Some of the pupils I know have been fascinated by many of the programmes. It is after all for them a monumental piece of history.
ReplyDeleteI can see both points of view but these days we can all take control of our viewing by operating the on/off function and should be thankful that most of us these days can access I-Player and the various other many platforms that are showing different programmes!
The nice thing about the coverage of the Queen's death....to get away from it, all you have to do is turn off the television/computer.....which we should all be doing more of anyway. The media has a tendency to drive everything totally into the ground, for days/weeks on end...thus the downside of our modern media. It started with 24/7 cable news channels and hasn't slowed down since. Ugh! ~Andrea xoxoxo
ReplyDeleteI am often sad when old people,I do not know die…
ReplyDeleteI love the little poem from the Blackberry Fairy :)
ReplyDeleteI’m sad for the Queen’s death but she lived a good, long life. I’m most interested in the coverage of the new King Charles III. I do not have the cable channels or the broadcast channels here in the U.S., but I’m happy that I can stream Sky News for free. (I do not like Rupert Murdoch but I’ve always found the coverage on Sky News UK to be balanced.)
ReplyDeleteFor me, anything that starts to repeat over and over again becomes tedious and overdone. US news repeats too. I heard, broadcasters are studying: why viewers are departing. I think we already know the answer. Fresh fruit is always outstanding. My pear trees are producing well this year but are currently still hard. Stupidly, a neighbor sprayed weed killer over a very old abandoned blackberry patch that I used to pick from. Now I would not eat any of the fruit that sporadically appears.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind seed free blackberry jam. I have to keep cutting back the blackberry limbs from our flower bed a lot. I just wish it would go away. It just keeps coming back! I have watched a few things about loss of Queen Elizabeth. Interesting lady for sure! I have been slowly getting gifts for Christmas. Almost done. Both my husband and daughter have birthdays close to Christmas. Take care!
ReplyDeleteWell, I for one am deeply upset at the loss of our Queen. I won't argue that the television has been saturated with programmes, but then I think that was to be expected. Most of us have got DVD players, most people have got Netflix, or similar {although I don't} There are other options and nobody's making anybody watch it. I know I would not be wanting to grieve in public, and my heart goes out to the royal family, for they are having to continue with business as usual, although there is nothing usual about the business these days with all the protocol that has to be observed.
ReplyDeleteI agree nobody has to watch it. Our Queen was a kind and faithful lady,who devoted herself to her country. How sad that a few cant feel anything after70 years, and complain of less entertainment. Choose another channel
ReplyDelete