Weekending

 I've weekended hard! I've had myself a lovely old time! 

Can't remember what I've blogged about but three quick ones on the trot - think I'm finding the habit again! 

Today, I'm writing this as I wait for my Waitrose delivery. I've got free electric today from 8am - 4pm so the washer has been on and the dryer is tumbling. The Sun is out and so is some of my non tumble friendly washing. High in the blue sky, flapping nicely. It's bloody freezing though. We've just got back from visiting his Mum, in her care home. She's told us a right old tale today. She's thinking of getting a job, if her Mum lets her. She doesn't know what though. It was a few visits ago that I realised that what's she's lost is all her nouns. Her story's ramble on but she's lost the ability to name things and places. She says things like, well, I went to there, I got some things, went back to there with my friend. If you interrupt and ask which friend? She will say she can't remember. She had a new addition to her family today - there was a realistic weighted babydoll in bed with all her teddies. She said her Mum dropped her off and asked if she could have her. So she's got her till the next time. She said to the doll, though, at random, say hello to your Aunty Rachel and Uncle ( HG's name ). 

I got quite emotional watching her today and listening. She's quite sprightly and healthy. Just such a horrible disease for everyone else to witness. She's taken to calling one of the gentlemen there her husband. I said to G one of the lovely carers, watch her - there's enough babies in there, we don't want any more haha. 

Then we called to see my Mum, - she's on the waiting list for a hip replacement - not sure how long a wait it will be now with the national shortage of bone cement. 

Is it natural? Made of bones? I do not know. Not sure how it will affect my shoulder situation. I've got my MRI scan this Thursday at 2pm. Eeeek. 

I woke up and got up at 5.40am and it was murky and mizzly, so I had a coffee and sat and did some jigsaw. I've done this one a few times but I'm going to take its pic once complete and sell it on Vinted. I only put max of £3 so they sell and my quest for £100 starts again!! 

Yesterday, I made some chocolate chip shortbread. It was a recipe from Good Housekeeping  It was so easy. 

Ingredients

350g  butter, plus extra softened to grease

150g caster sugar, plus 1tbsp to sprinkle

500g plain flour

250g milk chocolate chunks, chopped

Grease and line a 20cm square tin with baking parchment

Method

1. Melt the butter in a small frying pan over low heat. Once melted, increase heat to medium-high and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter is golden brown and smells nutty. Pour into a large heatproof bowl and leave to cool completely.

2. Then when cool but still liquid, tip the sugar into the butter bowl and mix using a wooden spoon. Stir in the flour until combined, followed by the chocolate.

Tip into the prepared tin and press firmly to level with the back of a spoon.

3. Score deeply with a sharp knife into squares or rectangles or triangles if you feel fancy! I totally forgot to do this bit until half way through cooking but it was alright! 

Chill in fridge  30min,( or until you remember!! ) to firm up.

4.  Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan) mark Bake for 30-35min, until pale golden.

5. Remove from the oven and cut into squares along the scored lines, then sprinkle liberally with the Itbsp sugar.

Leave to cool completely in the tin.

I also made a chicken tikka for tea last night and froze 2 portions. These bags from ikea are great and I've taken to freezing things flat like this. I'm not sure why I never did it like this before! It was really tasty. 

Am just going to have half an hour with my jigsaw and audio book as the HG has an afternoon nap watching the TV behind his eyelids. It's the ice hockey on the Olympics. What a brutal sport! Have just made a coffee and am having a piece of the shortbread. It's so good! What's going to be brutal is staying away from it now! You can see my new to me from Vinted buys in the background! 

Hope you are doing something nice today and it's something good for your tea! I e not christened ours yet. 

We had a lovely day

 On Wednesday, I met my friend Barb* for coffee and lunch. Four fantastic hours of none stop catch up. Lunch consisted of chips and cake! We shared a small side portion of chips - I had six, she only had 2! Then she bought a Manchester Tart and I couldn't resist the coffee Renoir - we halved them and chatted over about 8 cups of tea! The other cakes were Malteser traybake and blonde with white chocolate for our menfolks at home but it did look like we meant business!!

The world was put to rights a bit. We never ever run out of stuff to talk about and I really do miss working with her everyday. She still works the afterschool club, which now opens until 6pm so had I not give it up when I had, I definitely purely would have by now. 

She dropped me off home before going to visit her lovely Mum in her 90s! Her Mum thinks I am called Barb too. 

*The Barb nickname comes from our love of quoting lines from The Royal Family for years at work! It just made us laugh and still does! Anyway her Mum calls me the lovely lady that bakes because I used to sometimes send cakes for her and Barb's dad when he was still here when I'd baked. Anyway, the Hospice cafe, where we go, always gives you a little freebie shortbread biscuit with your hot drink but we had had so much cake we didn't want to eat them so she wrapped them up and took them to her Mum who said 

Oh you must thank Barb for me!! I said let her think I made them. But actually next time I bake, I definitely will take one to school for Barb to give her Mum! 

Yesterday my other friends H and J came round about 10.30 and stayed all day until 4.30! We talked and I taught them how to k it garter stitch! I also got up and decided to make them a bag for their new knitting hobby. 

It was just a simple lined tote with matching pockets. It was a set of fat quarters I'd had for ages plus two others that blended in well.  They were delighted when I handed them over with their circular needles and two balls of wool as a start kit. 

I also used my new mini iron - Christmas goft from my lovely HG 

Ignore my old ironing board cover - it's about 25 years old and it's an old Morphy Richard's Shirtmaster ironing board which is huge but so useful. You cannot get new covers for the exactly the same like for like. If only I knew someone who sewed .....

I had already casted on 15 stitches and done 10 rows each. I showed them the needles and the stitches. I thought it best to get them going and then teach them to cast on. Or they can use one of the billion you tube videos that are out there for the cast on. It's how I learnt to knit. I used to ask my Mum to cast me on some stitches to have a go and she'd cast me on 20 and off I'd go - hokey, added stitches - I was not very good at all. My nanna had more patience with me but she held her needles slightly different to my Mum and my mum used to pop the yarn over with one finger wrapped in wool that I could NEVER do. 

It wasn't until a lovely lady called Doris ( it will have been someone's Grandma from church ) came to Brownies and taught me the way I do it now and I was away. I never touched knitting again until I was pregnant with my daughter and it was my friend Betsy who reminded me of the stitches and how to read a pattern and then I was away! 

Now over the years I have tried to crochet a lot but my knitting fingers find it awkward! I cannot get a neat magic circle going. I've two awful granny squares somewhere I did and half a fabric bowl I once started. I may have another go because the appeal is that it grows so very quickly. A few regular viewers /readers may remember Suzanne who blogged a Life  at number 38 - she was an amazing crocheter who has had to give it up for to wrist pain now but she did do me one of those amazing octopuses that they have to 'have' for new born babies  these days, because the tentacles are like the umbilical cord. It was for Oliver. I can do a simple chain. I can do a double and treble. I do struggle with the counting and cannot read a pattern at all. 

Yet! 

Always stick a yet on the end of a I don't or I can't sentence. Powerful. Also powerful is 

Instead of moaning about things add a I'm lucky I at the beginning. Puts things into perspective. 

I don't want to go back to work. 

I'm lucky I can go back to work. 

I can't be bothered to do....

I'm lucky I can do.... 

I was going to write about recipes. On another blog I read I learnt about bread and butter pudding ( which I've never ever had, made or wanted for some reason ) and bread pudding which when I saw the recipe I thought yes please! Again something I never ever had as a child. 

What I'm writing about is 'Bride's Slice' which is something I love and only ever see it at the Farm Shop in Carlisle when we do a half way meet up hand over with My daughter and Son in Law.

 

It's a thin layer of pastry, jam, a light fruit cake then marzipan and icing. 

A deep dive into the Internet found lots of variations. Pastry, then jam. The mincemeat mixed with biscuit crumbs on top then marzipan and icing. Then something else called Honeymoon cake which had biscuits, golden syrup and cornflakes in. And then I stopped looking because I am diabetic and am not eating such deliciousness !!  

Today I am going back to the Hospice cafe - it's just around the corner and is so good - all proceeds go towards the Hospice and it's entirely staffed by volunteers. The food is amazing. Anyway, it's fish and chip Friday and booking is essential - so when I was there on Wednesday I booked a table for me, my sister and my Mum. So that's 12.30pm today. Only, I sent my Nespresso machine off for repair and it's coming back today. Betwixt 11.45 and 12.45 by Connor! Now he picked it up on Tuesday and was early so am hoping for the same today. Anyway, I've told my sister to go and I'll meet them there as soon as he has been. But I was going to call round early. Ah well. Another coffee and a bit of pottering it is! 

This half term week has gone so very fast. And not that I'm counting down but there are only about 22 Mondays left until we break up for the 6 week holidays. There will be two at Easter and one at half term so that's down to 19 and maybe a bonus Bank Holiday if they are not included so 18 or 19 Monday get ups to go!!

As I write this,  the news is full of the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. All I will say is, there's no smoke without fire. 

But the endless reels of breaking news with is just a continual repeat of stuff most people always no and what ifs and spectulations does not interest me at all. 

I'm going to try and finish my latest audio book which is 

Enjoy today if you can, and I hope it's something good for tea! 

Rachel

 

Feb half term 2026

 Time is certainly marching on. Baby Oliver is almost 2. He's just been with his Mum for a few days and life with him is certainly a whirlwind when he is here. He just brings me delight and I love him so much. I'm very proud of my daughter, she is such an excellent mummy. He is very busy from the minute he wakes up until bedtime. He has visited both Grandma's. My Ma in Law is in a care home and is deeply into her dementia/Alzheimer's story. She's the most sprightly in the home and they do enrichment activities most days. When we took Oliver they were playing games and then she and him did some colouring together! He's a fast learner, he was trying to take the crayon I had at one point, but I kept hold of it and said, 'Ask nicely.' And with prompting, he quickly grasped that saying, 'Peez Nanna.' Gets him what he wants much fast than a stand off! He's definitely at the age of knowing what he wants and doesn't! 

Here he is doing one of the 28 year old jigsaws I kept from my two's childhoods ( spoiler alert - I've kept it ALL!! ) in fact I gave her all the baby toys from birth and she proudly told me last time, that she'd sold the Boots Octopus Baby sensory toy for £20 on Vinted! I gasped in horror as she clearly didn't grasp the fact I was passing on family heirlooms! 

I've been busy yesterday and today catching up on lots of spring cleaning type jobs ( misc. utensils drawer innards currently in dishwasher ) 

I've sewn my new curtains and with much swearing, the HG put the new track up and then them. My left shoulder is pretty much useless these days and is on its last days. I'm having an MRI scan to pretty much confirm everything but it's looking like surgery ( and scary surgery at that ) to have a new one! 

The consultant said I won't get my movement back but I will be pain free. It's osteoarthritis with bony spurs and it's very advanced as if I was in my 80s. 

Anyway the physio then explained the movement thing - she said - don't expect to be able to paint the ceiling or do cartwheels but I should be able to, with hard work and determination regain far more than I have now. I cannot wash my hair, scratch the back of my neck, reach behind me. Anyway we will face it when it gets here. 

Tomorrow I'm meeting one of my best friends for coffee and then into lunch for a much overdue natter that I'm really looking forward to. My other best friend asked me to help her deliver a wedding ( she's a florist ) and then onto posh Lake District Hotel for Afternoon tea  but I was already booked up so we decided we'd do a different day instead.  Thursday, the other two best friends I have are coming her so I can attempt to teach them how to knit! I have bought them a knitting needle each and some chunky wool. I've gone with a size 5. 

My plan is to get them garter stitching on some that I will cast on for them as that's how I learnt. I'm hoping if they get the swing of it they will be able to make their first little knitted purse. 

Then I will teach them to cast on and then purl. We all decided we are bringing our own packed lunches with us! Great idea even though I would have cooked. I then had to let them know my coffee machine away for repair so they might have to bring their own flask if they want posh coffee haha . I now don't keep instant in the house but I have bought a jar just for them. 

I will then decide about Friday on Friday. Think I'll go for lunch with Mum. Saturday is for the rugby and the dog walking. Sunday,we visit the elderlies on a round trip then relax. 

Monday I will be back at work. 

Honestly it is so so so so stressful right now. It seems like all parents are struggling with behaviour at home. All children are struggling because they are not being parented properly. 

It's not all, it's just so many. And at the route of it all are the iPads and you tubes and Roblox and phones a screens. The children are addicted. They go into meltdown when they have to come off it. They say they are bored of school so are refusing to come! 

They do and will find school boring because their brains are now hardwired for all the instant gratification screens and games bring. Now I'm not getting up on my soap box because I can feel myself getting a bit ranty as I am typing but the scientific research is there folks. 

I have a few little ones every morning who truly find the home to school transition so challenging and so they come to our Pastoral room for a 'soft landing'. Truthfully, these ones do have additional needs and mostly parents and parenting as hard as they can and they just need this support. 

So in our room we have a home corner ( currently a cafe ) role play area that they all love. I've brought in 1000 piece jigsaw on my brought in jigsaw board from home that me and a couple of the y6 kids are doing ( I know - I'm a genius - getting paid to do a jigsaw ) and the games we have are mostly the ones from my childhood. We also have colouring, arts, crafts, trainset, cars and garage - and they come and play and feel safe and brave enough to try a bit of learning in their classroom. 

I've set the seed with the new head - what if, I said, the staff change their intervention or morning work every now and then, for a games session, a board games session or free play. Why does it always have to be a reward? They are children. They need this for their developmental skills, not just golden time on a Friday afternoon. 

Ooo soap boxy again!! I say this as one of the district Behaviour Mentors a lot to the mostly newly qualified teachers I help. It's all about relationships. 

School these days,  is one place I would not want to work in if I was just starting out. The pressure the teachers are under is huge, the pressure the pastoral teams is huge, SEND children who need specialist provision cannot access it due to places, Ed Pyschs are as rare as hens teeth and just this week, the NHS trust has announced that it is no longer accepting new referrals from schools for children onto the pathways for Autism and ADHD. 

The current waiting list is way over 3-4 years. It is quite unbelievable. 

Erm, I'm trying to think what else I need to log for now... I'm knitting a Gansey for Oliver and I'm just on with the sleeves. This is the back. And my mustard rug and my leopard print frock! It's in a navy/slate blue cotton. Aged 2-3 but will be nearer 3 when it fits him! It's huge. So once this one is finished, I will do a different one in a smaller size ( if I can, with my shoulder and arm ). 

 I had my second diabetic eye test and all is well so no call back for two years. I do need to book in my review so may ring them when my shopping arrives. Which it has just ! 

Right, am back from putting it away. Didn't get too many things but needed heavy things like milk and rice. 

Typically this post which was started Tuesday lunchtime has now gone over into Wednesday morning. 

I am loving the Winter Olympics but noted how disjointed and less dancey the figure skating was and I've just seen something where they don't do the fabulous spinny twirls on the spot now because they get no marks or kudos for it. Everyone wants to do quads and back flips. For me it didn't flow so I switched it off! The snow boarding acrobatics had my heart in my mouth, they are literally flying though the air. Amazing! Love the curling too. 

TV I've enjoyed recently - just binge watched Sally Wainwright's Riot Women. What a storyline and I cannot wait for series 2. It had me in tears and then laughing. Stellular cast. I am also watching one on Sky Atlantic called The Salt Path. Very good indeed. 

The new wool and needles for my friends. 

Sweet little 500 piece jigsaw did yesterday to check it's all there for the next one at school when the current 1000 piece Paris scene is completed. 

Went to the garden centre last Friday for lunch with my Mum and Sister and bought Madam a new bed. Took her all day to even go near it! Looks so comfy. I'd bought her one like this online a few years ago but it was nowhere near as lovely as this. 
Right, must get up. Going to do some exercise and my physio and then might faff about in my craft room making a little knitting bag each for my friends before off out for lovely long catch up with my good friend Barb*. 
Hope it's something good for tea tonight folks! Have you given up anything for Lent? Are you fasting for Ramadan? I already do intermittent fasting and had my Wedding friend put the Lottery on, I may have been giving up work for Lent and beyond!  Rather than giving up, I'm starting anew. Starting tonight , straight after my tea, I am going to walk Bluebell round the big block- the route is roughly a mile. Research by Michael Moseley and others show it greatly benefits you healthwise, particularly for blood sugar reasons. I have got into the habit of changing into pjs to eat my tea so from tonight- no! Also Bluebell has a nightly treat from the box of death after we've had tea and has taken to squeaking indignantly about it, the minute I put my plate away! So it'll do her good too. Little madam! I bought her a bag of lamb tracheas - she only has natural treats - they stink to high heaven! So my plan is- tea, walk then go get ready for bed upstairs as she has her stinky treat downstairs! 
Bye for now ( probably about two months! )