Get a grip woman!

EssexHebridean

I can identify with the "jobs that need doing" list SL - and sympathise with it too - it really does sometimes feel that as fast as one thing gets crossed off another three appear doesn't it!  You've reminded me too - one of the jobs we have on our list currently is to explore paint removal from a windowsill to see if it's viable to take it back to wood...

Suffolk_lass

EssexHebridean said:

I can identify with the "jobs that need doing" list SL - and sympathise with it too - it really does sometimes feel that as fast as one thing gets crossed off another three appear doesn't it!  You've reminded me too - one of the jobs we have on our list currently is to explore paint removal from a windowsill to see if it's viable to take it back to wood...

Thanks for the empathy. Ours is the opposite. The wood sills suck too much light so plan on going white.

I'm rather busy at the moment. There are bee exams on Saturday and I am doing some background research to support my fellow study group members while they revise, ensuring we have a few short words on all the eminent beekeepers included in the syllabus and what they are renowned for - even though I'm not sitting the exams. I might do the exam at some point though, so not as altruistic as it sounds. Also need to make pastry for a chicken pie, and for mince pies (both might be frozen) so I am ready to go once the aga goes on. I also need to make bread but I need DH to feed his sourdough so I can include the discard. I find it is great as a natural preservative (yes, sometimes bread does survive more than 2 days here; if it's a big loaf) - and it improves the flavour. That reminds me to write instant dried yeast to my shopping list. Off to vacuum or sweep out the inglenook while there aren't many logs in there...

foxgloves

Interesting that sourdough discard acts as a preservative, @Suffolk_lass.. How much do you include? I've never used it for that, though have made crackers & sort of blinis- type mini pancakes. 
F

trix-a-belle

EssexHebridean said:

I can identify with the "jobs that need doing" list SL - and sympathise with it too - it really does sometimes feel that as fast as one thing gets crossed off another three appear doesn't it!  You've reminded me too - one of the jobs we have on our list currently is to explore paint removal from a windowsill to see if it's viable to take it back to wood...

I am going before you somewhat on that EH, just today I have put 2 coats of paint on a couple of my windowsills while the weather is dry that I have stripped back (again, some git used wood with a good spread of knots so i've had resin and bubbling more than once in the 5 years i've been here already) as some had some rot. So I have treated, spotted some more spots with cracked paint so taken them back and treated them too and then undercoated and repainted. & of course in the final stages of repainting i've spotted a couple of other little spots where the paint has cracked that I will have to investigate but it can wait until the weather warms up next year now.
Hopefully everything isn't going to deteriorate anymore over winter, although having said that I currently have no hot water as that has decided it doesn't want to play ball this week so thats tomorrow afternoons investigation, luckily I have heating and a wood burner & all my cooking is electric but I just won't be washing much good job the parents aren't far away if I need to commandeer a shower.

& I find my list is I tick off one trivial 'I added it to be able to tick it off' type job & 3 beasts replace it

Suffolk_lass

@foxgloves the discard was 150g yesterday. I made a big loaf with 750g of flour, 2 sachets of yeast, 1.5 tablespoons flake salt, 450ml barely warm water plus 2 handfulls of wheatgerm and the sourdough starter. Then a dob of butter, to mix and I oiled the bowl for proving and the counter for knocking back. It's a 4lb loaf tin and produces a more dense loaf than supermarket tiger bloomer but similar size. I noticed the end has gone this morning...

That is my sort of list @trix-a-belle - I always used to add the off list things I had done to make it look more accomplished!

foxgloves

Thanks for that, @Suffolk_lass. I will try it....a scaled down version, as I make smaller loaves, but defo going to experiment. Just fed my starter (got home from Norfolk last night) to bake a sourdough tomorrow & was conscious of another big dollop of discard being flushed down the sink. Think I will also revisit the sourdough cracker recipe I used to make, or a similar one if I can't find the exact recipe online. 
F x

trix-a-belle

Suffolk_lass said:

That is my sort of list @trix-a-belle - I always used to add the off list things I had done to make it look more accomplished!

You would truly fall about laughing at my escapades the other weekend then as it was that with knobs on;
I needed something from the shed to return to the parents so as I was in there I pulled a lot of my tools out, swept the floor & tidied it & thought I'd grab a big bucket for when I take up the ensuite floor. As I was taking the bucket up to the ensuite I figured I'd take the tools I would need, some in the garage so found myself cleaning out my tool box in there and organising it. Take all that was needed up the the ensuite & thought 'hmm i'll just see how easy the tiles might come up'.... well I initially ended up thinking i'd stop once the toilet and shower got in the way but ended up with the sod it i'll break the tiles around them strategy and the finished it off with 'how hard is the adhesive residue to scrape off'.... & cleaned the whole floor that I could get to of that too

Side note the hot water is fixed but not entirely sure how as i'd not touched anything that should have had such a significant impact, another episode soon maybe.

Suffolk_lass

Today I made courgette soup, put in my solar order through the community buying scheme via the County Council, DH applied to remove £15k from his (DC) pension pot to pay for them - the tax will be about £2,500, and my two new (Leveller) gooseberries were delivered. There was just enough light to heel them in until their permanent location is ready. I have high hopes for them (the gooseberries...) they are a dessert bush famed for their large sweet fruits.

foxgloves

I'd love to grow gooseberries but was put off when planting my previous garden - two bushes absolutely stripped bare practically overnight by naughty sawfly caterpillars. We do have more garden birds here & they scoff a lot of pests, so maybe it's time to have another go.
F

Suffolk_lass

We have lived here for 18 years and never had to net gooseberries before, but this year the birds are all out of balance (there is someone in the village feeding corvids, so loads of these and they have been "hawking" small birds as they fledge, so hardly any of these), and the pigeons are just proliferating and this year they scoffed the crop once they found it.

The fruit cage is still in its bag awaiting us sorting out the area and erecting it - it is bigger than just putting it up and I think we will remove two of the oak sleeper beds and re-edge with scaffold planks. There is also gravel, paving slabs and expired membrane paths to resolve, along with some weeds. Then some other plants to move, but I want the Levellers to take pride of place