Thursday 23rd July - it's a square swap!

11 A tale of four squares...

Here's number one - a very simple two-stripe pattern. I chose one of the easiest patterns in the boo because I knew I didn't have much brain. To make it slightly more interesting, I thought I would use Sirdar Crofter, which is supposed to knit up into a Fair Isle type pattern, and a different yarn that is self striping, gradually changing to the next colour. 

Square no 1.

And I was right about the brain power; about half-a-dozen rows in, I discovered I had cast on three too few stitches. I just added some stitches to the end of the row and kept on going. I like the square, but it was too wonky to send to Ang. 

Square 2;

I like the way it shades from dark blue stripes to light blue. But wait, what have I done with square 1? After a few days searching, I gave up and embarked upon square number 3: 

This had a nice little riff on Breton stripes; Ang will like that, I thought. But then square 2 had gone missing...

This was getting ridiculous. 

So, I knitted square 4, and halfway through squares 1, 2 and 3 mysteriously reappeared. How do they do that?

I sent two squares to Ang, and kept number 1 and another for for myself. But which one? I can't remember; you'll have to wait until Ang posts about her parcel!

She's written about the square she sent to me here;  

and here's what came in the post yesterday for me;

A square which really looks like the sea on a sunny day, two rolls of very thin (very useful!) Washi tape in seashell colours, and lovely stitching markers, with seashell coloured beads. It really cheered me up! - thank you 😊 

I've had a trying couple of days what with one thing and another; the swaps always seem to arrive on a day when they would be most appreciated.

Thursday 23th July - My Oxygenated Life - hot dry weather

 Hey ho.

All this hot weather hasn't actually been 'too much' for me - at least, no more exhausting for me than for anyone else. We have worked out how to keep the house cool by wedging the front door and windows and back door and windows open as often as possible, creating an effective through draft even if there isn't much of a breeze outside.

Obviously when the builders are creating a huge din , or doing something very dusty, like cutting up the concrete slab that was under the old garage, then we have to shut the back doors and endure the stuffiness for a couple of hours, but it's not been too bad.

My main issue has been nosebleeds - my word - how one can get through the tissues! I've had four in the last fortnight, that last one this morning. So far I've managed to quell them in around 10-20 minutes. Obviously staying calm and still is the way to go, but it's very scary when they suddenly start.

'Pinch the bridge of your nose for at least 10 minutes' is surprisingly hard to do but it eventually does the trick. I wonder if I can adapt one of my husband's modelling clamps to do the job for me? 

This is happening mostly because of the extremely dry air and and the constant forced flow of oxygen through my nose which has dried the membrane and made it fragile. I should have been using a water-based lubricant, like Knect, (NEVER use petroleum jelly in your nose, and especially if you are an oxygen user)

and I do have some, but I was not diligent in taking care of myself. Lesson learned. If you think it looks like rebranded KY jelly, you are not wrong...

I've also been having issues with my mouth drying out, especially overnight, so that I'd wake in the wee small hours with my tongue and cheeks completely dry, like sandpaper. So beastly uncomfortable. The dentist recommended Oralieve, so, after checking with the chest clinic nurses in case of medication conflicts, I sent off for the starter pack. 

Oh, the relief! I can massively recommend the products; toothpaste, spray and gel and lip salve (I haven't tried the lozenges yet). Although I note in the very, very small print that the spray and gel might not be suitable for people with milk allergies. There is a magnifying glass within easy reach for small print!

I've bought a second spray and gel to have by the bed.

I'm particularly pleased that there is a lip salve; because oxygen users are not supposed to use petroleum, beeswax or lanolin products I've been stuck for something to help with dry lips over winter. I should make it clear I'm not gaining anything by mentioning these products, but if you are looking for something like this, you could give them a try. And I'm not a medical expert.

So there we have it. Would that life could be simpler! But it's not so complicated that we - my husband and I - can't cope between us.

 

   

Monday, Tuesday 20th/21st July

Monday afternoon; the bricklayer was hard at work all day.

We've been watering selected plants every night. The fatsia is looking definitely out of sorts, but might yet recover.

Here's my vegetable patch!

There were even more people on site today; a visit from the Southern Water inspector again (perhaps he comes for morning tea and biscuits?). And also a site visit from our architect. 

One of the team got on with digging the soakaway, and two were laying bricks. Another two were kept busy shifting barrow-loads of earth from the soakaway, and bringing blocks and bricks and barrow-loads cement for the bricklayers. It was a pleasure to watch how well they worked together. 

Here's how it looked this afternoon 

This will be a combined living room, dining area and kitchen.

It's so exciting... memo to self; replenish the biscuit supply early tomorrow!

Sunday 19th July - Be still...

 Our neighbour took down a couple of fence panels between their garden and ours last summer to make it easier for the builders who built their extension. They've not been replaced, as the gap is convenient for the same builders now working on our extension! 

We had a grandstand view of everything the builders did (which is why we chosecthe same outfit for ours). 

Now, when I'm standing at our kitchen door early in the morning I've noticed that the trees and bushes in both gardens are full of small birds, gossiping, flitting around and generally being very busy. 

So I'm standing still, watching sos3 as not to disturb them, and they are constantly in motion. 

Be still... and know that I am God,  it says in the Psalms.

Vogel als prophet, (the prophet bird) from Waldscenen op 82 no 7, by Schuman,  played by Víkingur Ólafsson

Saturday 18th July - Treasure!

 

Who remembers Shippam's Paste? When it came in little glass jars like this? I was asking the builders earlier in the week if they had dug up any treasure, and as it happens the man in the trench had just reached down and unearthed this little jar. 

'You can have it,' he said, and I'm very pleased with it. 

There were fish pastes and meat pastes, as I recall, all looking a sort of light brownish colour. Meat or fish paste sandwiches were a mainstay of packed lunches and picnic lunches, except at our home, I don't know why. 

The jar is a treasure though, because of the memories of staying with Oma (my grandmother). She used Shippam's pastes and saved all the little jars. She would make up Rowntree's jellies (jello in the USA?), pouring it into the little jars to make little treat-size portions for playing at 'having a party'. She was a bit random in how she diluted the jelly tablets so sometimes you could drink the jelly, and other times you needed to cut it out of the jar.

Now I shall use it for flowers.

....

Today's other treasure was my cousin's combined birthday and housewarming party. Her birthday isn't until much nearer Christmas, but she's planning to celebrate it throughout the year with a mix of parties and days out.

The treasure was meeting up her, her three children and their husbands/partners, and the three grandchildren, for the first time in years. All the other cousins were there too, and other relatives from her family. We stayed for afternoon tea, but left before the evening barbeque (and dancing?). 

Her garden looked amazing; it's only half cleared from being completely, but totally overgrown. It might not be very big - typical sixties bungalow size - but she has hacked clearings here and there so it is a series of secluded spaces, decked out for the party with solar lights and bunting - it will look so pretty as the light fades. I was sorry to have to go, but I knew I wouldn't last more than a couple of hours.

Treasures indeed -  an old chipped glass jar full of memories, and the sight and sound of all the family. 

Thursday 16th July - Meals and Mayhem

 Let's get the mayhem over first;

yesterday morning was all a bit hectic; remember this photograph? The trenches are all 1.5m deep (or so; how accurate can one actually be?)

The builders brought an extra tipper truck to ferry concrete from the lorry parked in the road to the trenches; and yes, the first tipper truck loads were TOO FULL to get down the driveway without slopping;

We left them to it; we were booked in for a 'fun' time at the dentist. It always takes ages; we could go locally but, 'for reasons', as my son would say, we've been going to this practice for over 40 years - not the same people! - but the same gentle ethos. I do find the hygiene and checkup appointments a bit of an endurance marathon, but all the staff are quiet and gentle and explain everything. I came out with 'not bad, room for improvement' from the hygienist, and 'all clear this time' from the dentist.

     I always want to call out 'no fillings today!' as I emerge from the dentistt's room... it's funny how these adverts from our childhood stick in our minds... (but we don't use Colgate toothpaste)

The dentist was also able to recommend Orileve products for a dry mouth - a combination of heat and needing to drink more and sleeping with my mouth open means I wake up with my mouth completely dry - most uncomfortable.

With having the dentist at 1pm, and the travelling time there and back, we ended up having a meal at 5.30pm... was that lunch or supper? I have no idea. Mince and vegetables and baked potatoes. Have I turned into an 'old person' who must to have their meals at the proper time? Oh dear.

If I'd had some salmon around, I would have made John Torode's 10 minute salmon and noodles;

Ingredients

• 2 - 4 pieces of salmon 
• 100ml Teriyaki sauce (from a bottle, or see recipe below)
• 1 stock cube or some bouillon (or a sachet of miso)
• 700m hot water  
• 100g dried egg noodles or similar 
• 2 pak choy, cut into 4 lengthwise 
• 100g sprouting broccoli, sliced
• 2 long red chillis, sliced on an angle (one in the dish and one as garnish)
• 3 spring onions chopped ( separate the whites and greens ) 
• 2 tsp sesame oil

To serve:

• Handful of bean shoots 
• Handful of coriander 
• Nori  / dried seaweed
• sesame seeds

Just in case:

• Teriyaki Marinade
• 150m light soy sauce
• 50g soft brown sugar
• 100m mirin
• 100m sake
• Bring all to the boil and cool.

---

Method

• Marinate the salmon in the teriyaki for a short little while, but not longer than an hour. 
• Mix the stock cube, bouillon or miso with the water in a pan. Add the noodles and bring to the boil then cook for 1 minute. 
• Drop in the salmon with all the marinade and arrange the pak choy and broccoli around the outside with 1 chopped chilli and the greens of the spring onions.
• Sprinkle over a little sesame oil then cover with a lid and simmer gently for 6-8 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through.
• Serve with bean shoots, coriander, greens of the spring onions, the remaining sliced chillies, nori and sesame seeds.
• Additional garnishes could be a little more sesame oil and some crispy fried onions.

   I don't think I've ever made this with all the proper ingredients! But it seems to taste fine without bean sprouts or fresh coriander or nori seaweed or whatever I haven't got this tine around...