Next steps; grip-relaxing bimbling, and avoiding the temptations

Suffolk_lass

Oh great @foxgloves, I'm glad they arrived safely. It's always a bit hit and miss with second class stamps. I think I went looking for Pam's recipe after you mentioned you had made some. It's more orange than I was expecting!

I am going to take an hour to prepare my Christmas cake batch 1 dry ingredients, I could even cook these this evening as an evening doing very little is planned. 

Also, after quietly looking for several months (well, at least more seriously since Mr Sl's car was serviced and MOT'd at the end of August) we have just put a deposit on a Hilux truck to have as our other vehicle instead of the Jazz he had for 9 years. Originally for commuting, after writing off the Civic [he fell asleep one Friday evening in the outside lane of a three lane section of the major trunk road, on his way home after a heavy week teaching]. Ooh, he's made me a cup of tea (twinkle, twinkle!)

Suffolk_lass

Cakes made and in the oven at just before 08.00 this morning. They will stay there until 11.30 or 12.00 - one in a milk pan with the handle removed might be ready at 11.30. The two thirds size one will take a little longer. 

The couple we invited are saying yes to Christmas day so we will be minimum 5 now, or up to 8... or I may have a cousin or two with Auntie.

I intend sorting out my notes for next week's exams a bit more today. All the measurements and weights - how big is a... how much pollen?... which pheromone does what (do we think), who discovered...

And I might try and sort out some bras to send to a charity in a big box or two, and some more worn underwear to go bin-wards. I am contemplating taking advantage of the blue skies to wash some bedding and towels, but I don't really like doing this on a Sunday. I prefer to get outdoors so a bit of tidying and moving of pots into the greenhouse is called for, I think. If it gets colder (it does look as though it was under 5c last night be the looks of the icy grass this morning) I can sort through the brown paper bags of seed heads and remove husks and get them into labelled little envelopes.

Oh yes, we need to measure carefully to decide if we can fit a 20 foot container anywhere - more of that, later

foxgloves

I also favour garden time over household jobs on Sundays. Going to a farmers' market this morning at park/abbey but my target task this afternoon involves nematodes & heucherellas. Lovely bright morning here so hoping it holds until later.
F

Suffolk_lass

Sadly the garden jobs were sacrificed on the alter of the new-to-us vehicle, which we collected and paid the balance on yesterday. Today Mr Sl needs to sort out insurance. And if not already ordered, a pair of black wing mirror backs should be coming, ready to spruce up his car that will be sold. He needs to give that a good clean and make sure it is only a bit of rust on the sills that will lower the price. The garage that serviced and MOT'd it gently suggested that it isn't the best vehicle for our out in fields of long vegetation, activities, so it will find a new owner. Hence the other vehicle, which is technically speaking, a five seater van!

I have just weighed out the dried fruit for my next pair of Christmas cakes, and they are in a large bowl of water, plumping up a bit before I rinse, drain and embalm in alcohol!!

My study buddy is due at 11.00 today. Should be a good rattle through the last but one section of syllabus. And we omitted to measure for a container in daylight, so that is also on the agenda

Watty1

I thought of you yesterday. At a Christmas Fair, I chatted to a local bee keeper, she has 5 hives and her neighbour has a lot more which is how she started.   We chatted for ages about the bees and how much she loves her hobby (and dislikes the honey so she sells it at the odd fair). She was such a lovely friendly person with such joy in her bees, it was a pleasure to meet her.

Humdinger1

Did 'bees that are too angry to sell' feature @Watty1?

Watty1

Humdinger1 said:

Did 'bees that are too angry to sell' feature @Watty1?

They did not but she almost convinced me to start bee keeping   She was so lovely and if I stay in the area I will touch base with her again to meet her bees

Suffolk_lass

Lol, @Humdinger1 along with "paying the supermarkets to store their food for them" I shall be remembered for that phrase when I am dead and gone!

It is full on here at the moment. Trying to get my bee studying done so I am prepared for two exams, with just a wee break (toilet and coffee) in between them. I must be mad, at my age.

We now have the truck insured and ready to go into the garage next week. My car goes in for a service and MOT on 20th, then on 21st the truck goes to a different garage for a full service, clean off the rust, and then weld if needed and treat with waxoyl (the stuff to stop water penetrating under it when it's in the fields). It is one of those double cab separate pick up things with a cover. Hopefully it will outlast us, despite being 2011.

In money news, Mr Sl's wing mirror covers are not here yet and I shall suggest he gives it a good clean, ahead of listing it, as soon as they arrive and he fits them. Assuming the new owner doesn't treat it as a 4wd it should be fine for several more years and would be a good, cheap 2nd car (it is 1300, not 1100cc).

My second lot of Christmas cake fruits and alcohol are steeping in Brandy and citrus juice and getting a daily stir. I plan to bake them next Sunday morning, after exam-Saturday.

Right, back to the studies after a quick scoot around on here!

Suffolk_lass

Ooh, the nerves are barely under control. One more day to go. Just...

joedenise

Good luck @Suffolk_lass for tomorrow.