October Round Up

 This time last year we'd had so much rain and everywhere there were floods and the weather had been chilly too. Thank goodness this October has been much, much dryer and milder and the heating oil is lasting well although will need a fill up in November.

I finished painting and got started on garden clearing, but my garden helper has opted out so I really need to get on with it, especially out the front. In the back garden the vegetable beds are not too bad but I need to spread the compost from last years bin and turn this years bin into it - hard work which is not a favourite job.

Not a frugal month as I finished off the living/dining room re-furb with a new table after looking all over for nice second-hand one with no luck. It's circular but extends to oval and has made the room look so much bigger than it did and still room for visitors - although not all 11 of us, but as cooking for too many visitors now makes me very nervous it doesn't matter.

My October income was the usual - State Pension and County Council Spouses Pension.  The usual outgoings of Council Tax, Phones and Broadband, monthly Electric bill, Charity, Diesel for the car, food and household bits. 

There were three family birthdays and a dentist visit, a haircut and I had to buy postage stamps again.

Christmas shopping for everyone except immediate family is finished but shopping for the 3 children and SiL and the 5 grandchildren hasn't even started which is very worrying. DiL had half Christmas pressie for her birthday and I know what I'll be getting her for Christmas and BiL has given me a pair of jeans he got for himself so I can wrap them and give them back! that means 9 things still to sort - Oh dear. And the 4 presents for the Surrey family need sorting early as they are off to Thailand for Christmas.

I got myself my food treats for the dark days of January. Have to have something to get me through the worst month alone. My choices are  dark chocolate liqueurs and Opies peaches in brandy - I don't normally drink  but love both these and they will be the only bits of alcohol I shall be imbibing! Just need a large bag of mixed nuts to make spiced nuts - another favourite thing.

No point in writing frugal month notes - it would be hypocritical  - although I still do my best to save pennies where I can.

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I went to the village over 60's meeting yesterday afternoon - my friend Val, who goes to Keep Moving exercise group too, said from where she was sitting she saw two men  fall asleep! It was a lady talking about making 3D Fabric flowers, it wasn't That boring (although it wasn't exactly riveting!). These are the same old men who generally interrupt the speaker when they think they know more. I'm glad they were kept quiet!

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Sue

Following A Tree

 It was a misty morning last week when I walked up the lane to see what the Oaks were doing. They are losing a few leaves but most are still on the tree and still a lot of green to be seen

with others turning brown and yellow.

There are a couple of Ash trees up the lane that were much yellower and fewer leaves hanging on

 

The huge sugar beet field on one side of the lane is still waiting to be harvested

And now you can definitely see this field below, on the other side of the lane, was sown with oil-seed rape straight into the stubble - I wasn't sure last month.

And in the photo below the wheat ( I assume it's winter sown wheat) is coming through, turning the field from brown to green. The grass on the edge at the bottom of the photo has been sprayed with weed-killer so it doesn't spread into the field.

In the hedgerow the blackberries have gone mouldy and shrivelled

But there are still lots of rose-hips, for a bit of colour

With the dogwood leaves turning purple before they fall

And just one pink campion hanging on on the grass verge

A Robin flew before me all along the hedge as I walked and then this small bird appeared and sat still long enough for me to zoom in although it wouldn't turn for a better photo - I'm not sure but it could be a Meadow Pipit because 10 minutes later a whole flock of them took off and flew across the field climbing, gliding and singing as they went.

My new header photo for Halloween week is a full moon behind clouds with the spooky Olive tree that's out the front of my bungalow

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Sue

Back To Jigsaw Puzzles

 The 500 piece jigsaw puzzle I picked up from the church jumble sale in September with the idea of getting back to jigsaw puzzling for autumn and winter was a fail. The pieces were so tiny it was impossible to see what was on them. 

But I'd got the idea in my head so a couple of weeks ago I did a tour round the charity shops, first in Stowmarket then in Diss, looking for a House of Puzzles jigsaw as they have decent size pieces and good pictures (I'm fussy about the picture!) Couldn't find anything so I came out of Ipswich after the dentist via where we lived for a year, where there are 3 charity shops in one road and found .....................nothing.

 I gave in and looked on ebay, which I'd not used since lockdown, and had a nice find with this- the gypsy caravans really appealed, so much so that I didn't really notice the amount of sky or tree!.

 Not brand new although the bag of pieces inside was still sealed and it was actually less than what some charity shops charge now..... they were £4.50 in the RSPCA shop in Stow - which is quite a lot for a donated item with no guarantee that it's complete. 

Had to look back in the labels on the blog to see when I last did puzzles and it was way back in the winter of 2019/20 and I seem to have gone right off the idea in September 2020 when I gave some away without doing them.

None since then........ no idea why....moving?......unsettled?....getting settled?. 

I thought as I was back into it I'd better look for another for later and this time it was a charity shop find for £3.50.

I'm going to keep a look out for a House of Puzzles 'Spot The Difference' puzzle as the one I did back in Jan 2019 was quite fun to do .............and made a Spot The Difference Blog Post. 

Must remember not to get another one with too much sky or snow and I'll stick to these reliable H.O.P 1,000 piece. Although I see between 2019 and now The Works do their own brand called "Corner Piece". No idea how tough they are to do. Rachel in Norfolk looks for Ravensburger puzzles. I've had  Gibson jigsaws before but one back in 2019 was too annoying. Another maker I've had in the past is Falcon. The 500 piece one with tiny pieces was a WH Smith puzzle so I'll avoid them, .

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Sue

On This Day in 1957............

.................. the very first Today programme was broadcast on BBC radio. 

It's on Radio 4 nowadays, Monday to Friday mornings from 6am to 9 am and from 7am -9am on Saturdays. I can't cope with music early in the morning so Radio 4 is usually on from the time I wake up until I change to Radio 2 at 9am. I find an hour and a half or so of politics, finance and world news is enough to know what's happening in the world without making me depressed. I am, apparently, one of 6 million people who listen at some time each week.

The Today programme has had a lot of changes of presenters recently after the elderly John Humphrys was presenting seemingly forever. I hated the way he interrupted everyone he interviewed. Mishal Husain is very brusque but Amol Rajan is much nicer and brings a sense of humour. Their newest presenter is Emma Barnett who was a Woman's Hour presenter and is younger.

People have said that if the Today programme is missing from your radio at breakfast time then you know something really terrible has happened in the country!

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 On Saturdays post  I forgot to mention that it was 'Clocks Back' weekend, I would never have forgot a few years ago because it was a much hated event. I'm getting so laid back in my old age that I can now embrace it rather than hate it!

And I forgot to say hello and welcome to some more followers, it was stuck at 817 for ages but now suddenly 820. 

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Sue 

The Last Saturday in October or Where Did The Week Go?

Last Saturday I popped out to where they have the Sunday boot sale to look at an Antique Fayre - it was raining so only a couple of outside stalls and not many inside either. I'm glad I waited until 9am so didn't have to pay to get in! It was open to dealers before 9 for £5 - I wonder if it was worthwhile for them. Didn't see anything of interest but did say Hello to my cousin who had a stall there.

I know someone in blogland likes this Hornsea  pottery, can't remember who. There was another stall with several pieces too and  a stall full of Portmeirion - which I thought had gone out of fashion as I'd found two bits at car -boot sales but the lady said some people are still collecting.

On Sunday DiL had booked a table at a local pub to celebrate Son's birthday. YD and EGD came over from the coast. Lovely to get the Suffolk parts of the family together for a few hours.

I've not been to Sainsburys for ages as it's the wrong side of Ipswich but as I was in town for the dentist ( just a check up - thankfully) on Monday I went a mile further  for some of their cheap 'cooking bacon'...the name amuses me as surely all bacon has to be cooked but their packs of offcuts and strange shapes are £1 for a 500g a pack. I split these up into 8 smaller amounts before freezing.

In theory Asda should have something similar, but in Stowmarket they never do.

After the wet Saturday and dull Sunday there was some good sunny weather during the week and I got some more garden bits cut back and half filled the garden waste bin - Yet Again but there's still a ton of Buddleia to tackle. Couldn't get the grass cut with my battery mower - too much moisture, if it stays like this I shall have to call up BiL with his motor mower as the blinkin' grass is still growing.

I moved the craft shelf unit in my bedroom to make a space for a table and got a hand to move it in from the garage to the corner so now I've got somewhere to put and wrap Christmas gifts out of the way. A smaller desk would have been nice but would have meant spending money - which is what I don't want to do as I've spent enough on the living room recently.

My reading this week  is the latest Whitstable Pearl crime novel 'Murder at the Allotment' by Julie Wassmer. I may be wrong but these seem to have got more 'cosy' since they were turned into a TV series. On TV I've been watching a little of very odd US series on the free Pluto TV channel called Scorpion which is about a group of eccentric geniuses who take on solving complex problems for the government. It ran from 2014 - 2018. 

It's the last Saturday car-boot at Needham today -  except for a special Christmas one in December - weather permitting -  so I'd better nip down there and give it a look.

Have a lovely weekend whatever you are doing and I'll be back Monday.

Sue

St. Mary, Rickinghall Inferior

 It's called Inferior due to being down in the village - lower than Rickinghall Superior on higher ground a mile or so away.

One of Suffolk's round tower churches and quite an unusual shape with a south aisle the same width as the nave.

It was a gloomy Saturday morning - the time I knew the church would be open- when I visited so the photos aren't so good except with a flash inside.

The porch is interesting with these open windows  

and seating inside

The view down the nave

The reredos behind the altar is medieval and Simon Knott in the Suffolk Churches site says it might have come from the rood loft as they are too short to be from the rood screen

The wide south aisle

The font has a very unusual cover.

The stained glass in this window is made up of small pieces saved from a much earlier time

A US Regimental flag given to the church in memory of the hospital situated in the village during  1944-45

The glass below commemorates the Millenium

The boards below tell the story of the recent restoration of the roof

Very few of the churches I visit have candles to light in remembrance but when they do I always light one

It's difficult to read who this memorial is remembering but I don't think it's a war memorial.

Here's the LINK to the Suffolk Churches Index for more details.

While I was googling to find out why there was a US flag in the church I came across THIS  "Village in the Wheatfields " about Rickinghall in 1949 from the East Anglian Film Archive. The narrators accent is definitely NOT a Suffolk one! and the people filmed were not always who they were supposed to be.

This is the site in case the link doesn't work    https://eafa.org.uk/work/?id=1829

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Sue

A Quilt Exhibition

 I've never had any wish to do quilting, I find the whole concept of cutting things into small pieces and stitching them back together again is beyond me BUT I can appreciate and love the wonderful designs, colours, skill and patience of the people who do do it.

So finding some information online about an exhibition by Diss Quilters I went up to South Lopham, which is just over the border into Norfolk, to have a look.

The exhibition was in the church, which has an unusual and huge and very ancient tower in the middle between Nave and Chancel.

Small quilts which would make lovely cushion covers

Beautiful quilt for Remembrance

And some of the larger quilts

Two for Autumn

This one below is a copy of something much older

A four seasons quilt for a little girl

So many large quilts draped over the pews

I entered the draw to win a quilt but no phone call came.

For more information about the church Simon Knott, whose Suffolk church index gets used a lot for my Suffolk Churches posts, has also visited all the churches in Norfolk and HERE is his write up of St Andrew South Lopham.

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Sue

One Butternut Used

 The first recipe I came across while looking for other uses - apart from curry - for the butternut squash was on the BBC Good Food website and made a lasagne. It used squash and spinach and I swapped fresh spinach defrosted frozen, squeezing out the water; a white sauce, plus 3 cheeses - mascarpone, mozzarella and parmesan and pine nuts on top. 

Made 7 portions and 6 went in the freezer. It was OK but a bit of a disappointment. Not a lot of flavour as I didn't have enough sage or garlic. Something with a stronger flavour needs to be mixed in with the squash.

 When I reheat the other 6 portions I'll grate some strong cheddar on top before shoving into the microwave. 

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Sue

Be Prepared or What's In The Cupboards Part 2

I photographed the big store of various flours I use last week .Next is the other cupboard which is above the worktop space where I bake etc. 

I tend to arrange things so that those used often are on bottom shelves. The top shelf of each of the 9 wall cupboards is way out of my reach without steps.

On the right is a plastic tub with various packs of nuts and that's a pack of pine nuts (ready for using with the butternut squash in a lasagne) on top that should be inside. Porridge, sultanas and currants. Icing and castor sugar in their special tins that Youngest Daughter got me for Christmas last year. Cooking chocolate on the left in a plastic bag. Few raisons separated out from a pack of nuts and raisons in the jar. I don't know why I still have a  tub of Cream of Tarter, it was last used for making play dough about 4 years ago!  The empty space at the front was holding an open bag of granulated sugar until I moved it to remind me what was behind.

Other side of the kitchen .Top shelf needing steps to reach - 4 sorts of sugar, all new except the Jam sugar - only one of each. Silver Spoon  to Support British farmers.

Middle shelf - Tins of fruit, cocoa for baking, custard powder - rarely used since Colin died . Black treacle and golden syrup. Lemon meringue pie filling that's way out of date but will be OK

Easy to reach bottom shelf. Rapeseed oil in use, balsamic vinegar, tub with sachets of sauces, behind them is a started pack of noodles, rice in a tub and  Rice Crispies 

The other cupboard to the left of hob

Nothing edible on the top shelf as it's right in the corner and virtually unreachable even with steps. 

Next shelf down beans, mushy peas, couple of tins of potatoes - for emergencies, vinegars, coconut milk, carrots -just in case and probably way out of date as I always have fresh in the fridge. Most used are the canned tomatoes. New Pesto and in the tub is one tube of tomato puree - need another. 

Below this is a shelf full of all sorts mostly in use.............

Vinegar in use and soy sauce, mustard powder, gravy granules - kallo no salt for me and Bisto for when I cook for others. Bisto powder for thickening a stew and half a pack of dumpling mix. Table salt, Worcester sauce, milk powder which I use if making a sauce, lots of sardines, pilchards and tuna, various tins of meat - for when nothing but meat will do. There's some marmite - many years old as I don't eat it, and some vegetarian stock cubes at the back.

In the base unit corner swing out shelves. Bottom shelf, mostly new things. . Squash for visitors. Peanut Butter, New bottles store, tomato sauce etc and lemonades plus a couple of tins of cider for wassailing or visitors.

Top swing out corner shelf. Pasta in use in the big box. There's some Wotsits at the back. Jars of honey, random bottles of water from somewhere, new marmalade. Few potatoes wrapped in a tea-towel to keep out light.

The pull out cupboard bottom shelf - new rapeseed oils and vinegar plus wine won in raffles. I don't drink so really need to give this away somewhere.

New packs various pastas

Next pull out shelf  - new noodles and rice store and the other pull out drawer has the flour which was on the other cupboard post last week

Last cupboard bottom shelves - herbs and spices and biscuits sweet and savoury. The tub has essences and food colourings. Dark Chocolate for lowering blood pressure - so they say!

Next shelf up. New shortbread biscuits and savoury and chocolate biscuits for visitors, tub has cashews also there is a packet of nuts and raisons for when I make  peanut biscuits.

Over the kettle and coffee machine is the cupboard with mugs and coffee and tea

I have a half and half fridge freezer in the kitchen and a chest freezer out in the storeroom.  I can't be bothered to list and photograph all the food in those at the moment, maybe I'll get around to it another day............ or Not.

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Sue