Monday 30 May 2016

Who did it?

Not I said the boy
Not I said the HG
HMMMM

I know it was not me. It must have been the lodger. He's lived here rent free for years. I think you might know him. He's really clumsy, breaking numerous things when no one is looking. He's really greedy too, famous for eating the last biscuit, the last piece of flapjack, the last packet of crisps.  He's the one who  uses the last of everything then doesn't  replace it - soap, milk, loo roll etc.  His name? 

He's called Mr Nobody.

Yesterday morning started off beautifully. Stripped the bed. Glorious sunshine. Walked by the sea putting the world to rights with my friend. Got home. Was about to start the serious job of relaxing in the garden with a bit of knitting when the dulcit tones of the HG shattered my peace.

Mr Nobody had LEFT THE FREEZER DOOR OPEN.

Now then. Let's look at the evidence. It was the freezer in the cellar. My overflow fridge freezer. I rarely go in the cellar. I have not been down there in a week. Mr 19 said he hadn't been down there. Step forward Mr Hunter 'up and down the cellar steps like a bride's nighty putting his MAGGOTS IN MY FREEZER' Gatherer. Nope, not him either. How odd.

Case rested. Of course had it been myself or Mr 19 we'd have never heard the end of it. Eventually came plausible explanations of how it happened ( yes love, you didn't shut the door properly )
Anyhoo it had defrosted. Stuff was still icy and some things were still frozen solid. His maggots were fine.
Like I flipping well cared!!!!
Please note they are in well sealed containers in bags in their own drawer. No contamination danger at all. Plus they are dead before they go in there !

BUT we had an interesting  lunch of sausage, pizza and scampi salad. I roasted a turkey on the hottest day of the year so far and luckily I've been using stuff up so it was fairly empty! I threw away some yellow stickered pate, stuffing and bacon that truthfully I'd forgotten I'd slung in there.
I got up at 4.30am today - when Mr 19 was just getting in from a night out ( ! ) and in the oven now on slow cook mode is some shin beef for a stew and a whopping joint of beef. It'll be left to go cold and frozen in packs ready for sandwiches and easy mid week roast beef teas!

It was just one thing I could have done without! The turkey has been stripped - it wasn't a massive one, it was the free range organic bronze one I got from Sainsrobbers at 75% off! A breast has been frozen whole. One will be sliced up and all the leg n thigh meat will go into a turkey leek and ham pie though I might create a quiche too.

It's Monday today, a bank one, but it feels like Sunday! The sun is already hot so I might breakfast in the garden.  On Saturday  we went to Yarkshire. ( sic)  We stopped off in Skipton and I got some good bargains and met a Morris man called Moss. A jolly nice chap he was too. He was out for the day with some friends. 

Much handkerchief waving, dancing in clogs and jingly bells ensued! Oops, I know I showed you these yesterday too! 

I got two lovely frocks off the market - Indian cotton and sequins! £5 each.  Some pies from the award winning pie shop on the bridge were eaten and the we went to visit elderly relatives via Embsay Mill. I only just remembered I was going to take photos to show Pam but I was too busy buying gorgeous fabrics in the sale!
Anyway I also went to the brilliant fabric shop in Shipley called The Shuttle where I got yards and yards of jersey fabric to make dresses and tunics for me at ridiculously low low prices. I got 4 metres of one for £2.20! So at that price it doesn't really matter if I go drastically wrong - it'll be my first attempt at sewing jersey. Photos tomorrow. 

We set off back and called at Keelham Farmer's Market type shop. It has a great produce choice and quality is outstanding. We bought Barnsley Chops which we can't get at home and also bought some mutton leg steaks to try. We bought loads of pies, some pork belly and some strawberries. We had the lamb n sheep last night for tea. Yes, despite all the frozen now defrosted meat on offer, I wanted to eat it fresh! Absolutely divine! Mouth-wateringly juicy.

Well,it's now 7am and I've been up for two and a half hours.  Feeling sleepy. The starlings are very noisy but very non plussed about me watching them. I was laughing yesterday watching the poor scratty knackered looking parent starling frantically feed its noisy fluffy brown bigger than it offspring. I know how it feels! I tried to photograph it but my
iPhone camera isn't that good! I videoed it then took a screen shot. 

Other visitors were goldfinch, blue tits, great tits, coal tits, doves, magpies and Jackie the jackdaw. No sparrers  ( I pinched that spelling off Sheila Teatowel ) though. None that I saw. The starlings are a right maurauding bunch of pirates. Practically divebombed me when I put the mealworms out. They had to do their best hummingbird impression to try to get the mealworms out of the Robin feeder! I think they are brilliant birds. I reckon I could get them taking mealworms from my hand. Might try later!

I've waffled on now for much longer than I was gonna! Enjoy your bank holiday. I intend to.

Lots of love from
Rachel *Half term smiley face* Radiostar xxx

PS. This is for Jenn over at Coffee on the Porch 


Now then, I adore Marrowfat peas. I dislike tinned mushy peas much preferring to make my own using dried Marrowfat peas! But tinned garden peas?? YUK! 


27 comments:

  1. The weather has been just wonderful this bank holiday weekend. Hope it lasts all week. Have a great half term break. Love how you manage to find some great bargains.
    Carolx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm like an Olympic Gold Medal Athelete at finding a good bargain Carol X Hope you have a great day too xx

      Delete
  2. It's cold, dull and windy here. You definitely have the best of it today. It's nice and warm inside though because I have the oven on, baking bread.

    I remember this from childhood.

    Mr Nobody
    I know a funny little man,
    As quiet as a mouse,
    Who does the mischief that is done
    In everybody's house!
    There's no one ever sees his face,
    And yet we all agree
    That every plate we break was cracked
    By Mr. Nobody

    `Tis he who always tears our books,
    Who leaves the door ajar,
    He pulls the buttons from our shirts,
    And scatters pins afar;
    That squeaking door will always squeak,
    For, prithee, don't you see,
    We leave the oiling to be done
    By Mr. Nobody

    The finger marked upon the door
    By none of us are made;
    We never leave the blind unclosed,
    To let the curtains fade.
    The ink we never spill; the boots
    That lying round you see
    Are not our boots; they all belong
    To Mr. Nobody.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Live it Joy. I fact you just took me right back to being a little girl and my Aunty would sing this to me! I'd completely forgotten X

      Delete
  3. Sorry Rachel, but I'm laughing at the roast turkey you had to cook on the hottest day of the year. Sounds like you won't have to cook for a few days though. So relieved to hear the maggots survived the climate disaster. Priorities and all that! The day out sounds good and busy. I love a trip to Skipton. I'm not a pie eater so we always head for Bizzie Lizzie's fish and chip shop. Delicious. Love any peas, tinned or otherwise. When I first moved back here from down south I used to always ask for mushy peas in the chippy until Mark told me "you don't need to say the mushy bit, they're the only ones they sell up here"!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't eat pies ( despite like looking like I do! ) I much prefer to get a cake from Craven's bakery on the Main Street!! Also, your deepest sympathy regarding my turkey roasting was duly noted!!!

      Delete
  4. ha. yes, we have a Mr No-one here too. Causes a lot of trouble that bloke, if I ever catch up with him.....

    You had a lovely day out there. Peas. In tins. I love both you've shown there, but can't stand garden peas in tins, what on earth do they do to make them taste like that?! Always favourite is shelling them straight from the pod in the garden. yum.

    Enjoy your BHM. Cold, grey, very blustery here. No complaints from me! ;o) x

    ReplyDelete
  5. £220 for a metre seems a lot :o) Please put pictures up of what you got as I'm imagining it and it isn't the same. How interesting- we have the same invisible lodger living here leaving fridge and freezer doors open and lights on. It must be a specialism. You could def get the starlings feeding from your hands given time and patience, we've done it before. They are greedy monkeys! Enjoy half term. No sun here today it's brass monkey weather. I am making PJs this afternoon XXX

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Factor 50 weather here again. I put the mealworms on a lid really close - arm's length - and they came. Today I'll move it closer! I also sprinkled some into the birdbath. Mr Blackbird suffer his beak with them ALL! Related: I need more mealworms.

      Delete
  6. Mr Nobody has a twin, he has been living with me for many years. Once I was on my own I expected him to move on, but no, he stayed. If you put a ball pointed needle in your machine you should have an easy ride sewing jersey, if not try the walking foot. I love those jingley dresses, I had several and some skirts and wore them out. Maybe it is time to seek some more out. They are so cool and no ironing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh thank you for those tips Pam. I'm off to Dunelm tonight so I'll check out a walking foot. Apparently it'll be essential for my quilting endeavours!

      Delete
    2. Next time I go to Skipton I will pick you one up. Only a fiver n one sized. What colour do you prefer? I'll post a photo on my next post of mine. X

      Delete
  7. OMG!!! O.K., first of all, sorry about your freezer disaster. I'm sure you weren't bargaining on roasting all day long, especially on the weekend. Second, what a funny little man, dressed like that and wearing approximately 50 pins on his jacket. I'm guessing he is part of a dance troupe? Finally, I can't believe you posted a picture of marrow peas. From the picture, they look like green peas that have been left to start sprouting. Still don't get the marrow part. I know marrow is a kind of vegetable that you feed to horses, or its the stuff inside a bone. I'm not really making a connection to the peas, however. The mushy peas... I hear them being spoken about on British tv shows (e.g. Coronation Street). We just don't have them here in Canada, (or we do and we call them a different name... like canned peas). LOVED your post! Have a great week. -Jenn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I th No the Latin name for the species of pea is Maro. Maybe the size of a narrow then helped the name along. But you are right. The peas are not picked, being left to almost sprout. They are sweet and soft and quite different from a fresh pea from the pod!
      The man is a Morris Dancer. Ancient British Tradition stemming from pagan times ( I think I'm right ) when folks used to do all sorts of funny things to celebrate the harvest. His badges ( pins ) are just one of his quirks I guess - maybe a half breed of a London Pearly King.
      You might have dried peas that you soak with a tablet of bicarbonate of soda? If you leave me your address I can always smuggle you some in the post?!!!

      Delete
  8. Our Mr Nobody left home home at the same time as my son......funny that.
    Can't wait to see what you do with your jersey fabric......what a bargain!!!
    Mmmmm......feeling the need for a meal with marrowfat peas now......I love them too.
    Have a lovely bank holiday day-x-

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've a couple of patterns for tunics and frocks! Got to cut them out first. Will cut biggest size and taken it from there!!

      Delete
  9. I would also like to proclaim my innocence with these sorts of goings on. When my three daughters were still living at home the act of omission that infuriated me most was when going to the fridge to pour a glass of cool orange juice from the carton. My mouth would all be geared up ready for it to hit the back of the throat. But there would be just a spoonful left rattling around the bottom of the carton. It was as if leaving this tiny amount meant that the carton was not 'finished' and they were therefore absolved from taking the trouble to make two steps to the left to put it in the bin. Another cup of tea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We too experience this odd phenomena re orange juice. Happens with milk often too.

      Delete
  10. I think that Mr Nobody gets around, he lives here from time to time too usually when younger=st son is home from Uni, I like tinned mushys and thats it can't stand the others, the sun has just decided to come out here now at 5 35pm, it's been freezing and dull all day, I don't even bother getting my Summer clothes out haven't worn them for years it's always too blinkin cold, I must move away from the East Coast! Have a great back to work week. :) xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's another factor 50 day here. About to go out n mow the lawn

      Delete
  11. I'm glad you were able to rescue your food. Mr Nobody is also stopping at our house, for a while at least. Yesterday he ate the last yoghurt but left the cardboard surround still in the fridge. Skipton is lovely isn't it? Pies or fish and chips by the canal are obligatory. X

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh Mr Nobody does that at my house too! OR on the rare occasion that he does, he'll leave it ON THE SIDE NEXT TO THE FRIDGE AND NOT DEPOSIT IT IN THE RECYCLING BOX THAT HE WALJS PAST TO GET TO THE DINING ROOM. Not that I'm that bothered GRRRRR

      Delete
  12. I love mushy peas - it has to be mushy peas with fish and chips - it's the law! That was quite a shopping haul - looking forward to seeing fabric makes. x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, look forward to seeing the fabric first - the makes might be awhile!!

      Delete
  13. Fab chatty post. Morris men! My fave! Could watch them for hours. And birds. I have three Mr nobodies (well one of them is a miss) but don't get me started!! Enjoy half term!

    ReplyDelete

Many thanks for taking the time to read my words and respond with your own thoughts. I always try to reply so make sure you pop back to see!