Weekend

 My goodness, how time is flying by and despite new restrictions with regard to Covid 19 I am still filling my days well.  I always have a project on the go if not more than one.  I have made a start on some cards which include Christmas cards.  I intend to send a few extras this year as I won't be able to call in on some of our old friends but I want them to know we are thinking of them.  I have also been working on some jar toppers for jams/chutneys/pickles which will be included in the hampers that I give.

I am adding to the hampers regularly using as much as I can harvest from the garden and garden room.  The most recent addition is some spring onion oil.  I do like to have a variety of oils in my kitchen as well as for gifts.

I have made a couple of storage bags to be gifted, along with a matching pencil roll and stationery.

Saturday as usual was spent in the kitchen preparing  the dinner for Sunday so that I can really enjoy a day of rest.  This week pork was on the menu as the pig came back from the slaughterhouse.  It was hard not to think about it but I must admit the meat was good.  I made butternut squash and sweet potato soup I had to thin it down a little it was so thick but it was very tasty.

Cauliflower cheese was made as side to go with the pork, along with some stewed apple.

Sausage rolls were made with some of the sausage meat, they were so tasty.   A cheese and onion quiche, apple crumbles and potato salad were also added.

It is always nice to have a few things prepared in advance so if we are busy I can make a quick meal.  Autumn is closing in, the temperatures are dropping, throws are appearing and the heating has been turned back on.  I have changed some of the candles around giving a more seasonal scent.  I have a full store cupboard in the event of cancelled freight ferries due to bad weather.  The sky is overcast and heavy and the changing hues are a delight as I look out of my cottage window.  The beauty that I am surrounded by is a gift and I am thankful for it.

Gerard has a hospital appointment tomorrow so we are going across to Stornoway, they phoned today to check on his health ensuring it was safe for him to attend.  The new drug regime seems to be working well so hopefully this will not change.  We have also had our appointments for the flu jab so that is another thing ticked off.  How are you all doing?  Are you managing to tick off those lists of jobs? 

As always I thank you for your visit and your uplifting comments.  Take care and stay safe.

See you soon.

A Walk On The Wild Side

 Sunday was overcast and dreary not really conducive for a stroll across the machair.  But after listening to the morning church service and over indulging with lunch, we both felt it was a good idea.  The wind was blowing and underfoot was very wet but it was worth a little bit of discomfort.  The views were indeed spectacular.  We took a left turn quite near our cottage down a single track road and this is what was at the end of the track.  We have been there before but it is still a delight to find this hidden treasure.

The bothy was amazing, it really does look like it has been made from an old building, maybe an old blackhouse dwelling.  What a place to sit and watch the sea and enjoy the natural surroundings.  The sea was wild creating some great waves, I must admit I wouldn't have wanted to be out on a boat.

As we were walking it was quite apparent that the seasons were changing.  There was a lot of brown where the thistles were changing colour from the vibrant green and purple.

What I love is wherever we walk there is always sheep and as I am such a yarn lover I always like to admire their coats.

All in all it was a delightful walk on the wild side...Hope you enjoyed coming along with me from your armchair.  Come on back to the cottage my neighbour has just made scones and I will put the kettle on.  This is the single track road.

We will have to sit outside I'm afraid the new restrictions have been announced and we are not allowed home visits.  We will of course abide by the rules but I must admit that I feel saddened by these steps, our social life is very much visiting each others homes.  I will do whatever it takes to be rid of this terrible virus that is sweeping the world. Take care and stay safe.

See you soon.

Weekend

Another quiet weekend with the added bonus of catching up with the family.  We had two Grandchildren that started school recently, but how different there introduction to school has been.  Hector was given quite a soft start doing a couple of hours a day for the first week and is quite unsettled.  Whilst Honey, met her teacher in the garden with a home visit and started full days straight away.  She seems to have settled reasonably well.  Both of them are disappointed that they don't see their elder sibling.  Both looked so cute in their school uniforms, they melted my heart.  Hector had to have a few days off , in fact the whole family were self isolating as Hector had a temperature and a cough. The normal starting/back to school virus that sweeps throughout the school when they all get together after the summer.  Sadly, he had to be tested and get a negative result before he was allowed back to school.  The negative result was never really in doubt but getting booked in for a test was quite the ordeal, enough said.  The numbers of Covid 19 are once again rising so it will be interesting to see what all the new announcements will bring.  There have been no new cases reported here on the Island but we still have to abide by the rules that Scotland announce.

Saturday was spent in the kitchen preparing meals for the freezer and Sunday lunch, I like to have it all prepared so that I can listen to the Church service with no distractions.  It was in fact a live stream this week which was quite exciting.  We are allowed to go back to Church next week using a booking in system as only 50 are allowed in the building because of the 2 metre constraints.

  Meatloaf with a thick tomato sauce was added and pork tenderloin prepared for Sunday lunch using the Hairy Bikers recipe, a firm favourite that I have made many times.

The stuffing was an apricot and ginger one and was very tasty.  It should be wrapped in streaky bacon but I didn't have any but it didn't detract from the taste.  

Pickling vinegar was made using some pickling spice and boiling.  I must admit it did take awhile to get rid of the smell which was quite acrid and really did get the back of your throat but it was worth the effort.

I then went on to prepare some apples for the freezer and then made some tomato and apple chutney.  I had forgotten about some beetroot that I had planted up in one of the tyres.  I must admit, it wasn't a huge success but I boiled the 5 vibrant beets and then chopped them to make a pickle.  Nothing gets wasted.

There was a great walk which I will share in another post and there is always a little crafting.  A quiet but very fulfilling weekend.  

As always I do thank you for your visit here.  A very warm welcome to new followers, I do hope you enjoy my little adventures through life.  Wherever you are in the World I do hope that you are safe and well, we are living in such strange times.  Take care.

See you soon.

Craft Update

The Covid  19 pandemic continues and I like many others are hearty sick of it, but (why is there always a but?) I will like everyone else suck it up and continue to abide by the current rules as they appear.  I do wonder how people find out about the changes who are not watching or listening to the news.  The new change in Scotland is only 6 people from 2 households to get together at any one time.  Not really any different for us to be fair, we have been slow coming out of shielding and are taking things slowly.  Apart from our trip to see family we don't go far.  We are homebirds anyway and enjoy each others company so no real hardship to stay at home a little more.

On a lighter note staying in the cottage has encouraged me to start a few more projects.  I have been trying my hand at painting and sketching.  I am enjoying the process but as yet I am not ready to share but I am sure I will in time.  I have been exploring different ways of recording prayers to have a much more visual approach.  Thus far it seems to be working and I have started a prayer journal and pray and relax painting in it.  I am hopeful that it will evolve and become a daily process.

Christmas is also a prime focus.  It is so nice to be able to make a few stocking fillers for the children and have made some wonderful crayon rolls for them.

I have filled each roll with age appropriate goodies and used fabrics that suit each child.

I have also made a notice board to match the storage bags made previously.  I picked up this cord fabric several years ago from a car boot sale and this is finally the end of the fabric.  It has been used for so many projects and was indeed a great bargain.

I first stapled some padding to a pre-cut board and then added the cord owl fabric and jute twine.

To tidy up the bag I added some hessian and then stapled on some twine for hanging.

I used the hot gun to glue some pre-cut owls to some pegs, making a wonderful matching set.  Storage bags, notice board and crayon roll.

In the same vain, thinking of Christmas stockings I have made a headband for our youngest Grandaughter, she is a big fan of a bow.

I have lots of ideas and will do a little each day to build up some little gifts but a good start has been made.  I enjoy the process the planning and the making.  The bonus is that it is giving me something to do to fill my days in these very strange times that we are living in.  Have you made a start on Christmas?  I must admit I do wonder what Christmas will look like this year if we are unable to get together with family.

As always I do thank you for your visit here to this blog and for your uplifting comments which are always appreciated.  Take care and stay safe in these very strange times that we are living in.

See you soon.

Another Week Goes By...

 Another week has flown by without a post, sadly our internet connection was once again lacking.   Open Reach have been and have finally been able to do all the repairs needed so we are hopeful that we are back to normal.  We have also been supplied with a new router which was another wait but all is well now and for that we are thankful.  Since the pandemic we seem to rely on technology more and more to keep in touch with family and friends.  The figures of Covid seem to be on the rise  so once again numbers for gatherings have been reduced.  The light at the end of the tunnel seems to be slipping further and further away.  This terrible virus and the restrictions that surround it is not going away any time soon.  All we can do is live our lives the best we can.

Over a week ago we had a drive into Stornoway for some shopping and we also had a quick look at the exhibition in Ann Lanntair.

It was fascinating to look around and see the impact of lockdown on individuals.  There was some amazing differences between some of the pictures in the 30 different categories. 

Sadly the photographs do not show any detail but if you are local I would definitely recommend a visit to see it.  Thankfully we are still harvesting from the garden.  The mint is starting to flower but I did manage to pick another substantial bunch to hang for drying out.

The tomatoes are finally going red a few at a time, so it is nice to pick some daily along with the spring onions and courgettes.  It has made a few very nice sauces for the freezer with the addition of Passatta, a great meal with pasta and garlic bread.

I have just emptied two of the potato sacks and were thrilled with the results.  A very tasty potato and a great return on the four in each sack planted.

The chickens slowed down a little whilst we were away not laying everyday but seem to rally around on our return.  We shall see how long this lasts but are enjoying the eggs while we can.

There is still a little rhubarb here and there so I do keep picking it and adding it to the freezer or making it into a crumble.  The one shown added to some blueberries for a beautiful taste of Summer.

A few oats and crushed nuts adding a different dimension to the humble crumble.  Home made ice-cream  adding to the luxury.  I must admit that we do enjoy picking our own food from the garden, not on a grand scale but the few bits we have grown as given us so much pleasure.  We are hoping to add more and extend the season as long as we can next year.  We have kale and cauli growing at the moment and it seems to be doing well.  

We are managing to get out for a walk on a daily basis which is good.  The weather is very changeable at the moment so you certainly need a raincoat but the sun still shines.  We have not been able to cut the grass this week as it is too wet but we are hopeful that the wind will dry it enough for next week.  We like to have the grass as short as possible before the weather changes so we can still walk down to the chickens easily.

With a walk and a craft project I am managing to fill my day, about you?  I will share some of my projects on the next post.  Hope all is well with you and that you are living life the best you can in these very uncertain times.  Take care and stay safe.

See you soon.