Horrendous Humidity

Hi Dear Folk,

Remember I said I would probably have been an Edwardian intrepid explorer, let me refine that only in places with low humidity.  Tuesday was far worse than Monday and late afternoon I retired to my bedroom with the AC, couldn't take it outside any longer.

I went to Lowe's for the Danish Oil and breeze blocks.  I'm sure they used to have them in the garden section with the stone etc, but now it seems they're in the building section, possibly before they had them in both, in any case that meant walking from one end of the building to the other and then all the way back for the car and bring it round for the loader.  After this I got in the long drive through line at Wendy's and brought a peach milk shake, and very good they are too.

Poor cardinals, I think I know how they must feel building a nest right outside our bedroom window which now has the AC running all night.  It's like when you go to a camping site with your tent and you somehow seem to get a space right next to the RV who runs their generator day and night and never comes out.

Not so much done today, but yesterday was most productive.  Mr. B. and I stripped all the bed, washed all the linens right down to the dust ruffle, flipped the mattress and put it all back together.  I was happy that that job has been done.

Did I tell you about the letter we got from the UK, from the Metropolitan Parking Services.  It seemed that Rob stopped off at a McD at Stansted Airport, after having picked up their rental car up at Heathrow Airport, and were more than half way to my nephew's.  Well the parking at airports is atrocious and it seems that Stansted is notorious.  He probably just saw signs off the motorway for McD and it happened to be there.

He parked in the Southgate Park and walked over to McDonald's thinking it was their parking lot.  You would have one hour if it was.  Starbucks is nearby and also has their parking lot.  All this is under camera surveillance so heaven forbid, you should park in one lot but not patronize them by walking in their store.  Yes you can guess a 100 pound fine, that is a lot of money.  Not a thing you can do about it.

It seems that at Southgate he should have paid, he didn't realize, that it didn't belong to McD's  Can't possibly get in contact with a person, but they do tell you that your personal information will be kept on file for at least six years and if not longer.  So they must have got his hire car registration contacted them and get his personal information here in the States, if it's not just all on one open computer software network that they probably use.

These large corporations that run all these parking lots are such money grabbers.  Jean who was just over here said you can no longer buy a parking ticket and give it to someone if there is more time on it, because you have to punch in your car registration.

Rob's friend came over, movie night, he works at a florists and guess what he had for me, aren't they lovely?  I like how he had wrapped the large leaf around the stems in the vase, and in the bouquet they are folded over.

Look at the blush on this calla lily, exquisite.  Who doesn't like a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

These are photos of the day lilies in my garden.

Christine

Glutton for Punishment or Mad Dog's An English Woman

Hi Dear Folk,

Yes I am a glutton for punishment or you could say mad dog's an English woman who goes out in the mid day sun.  Well you know how hot it has been here almost 100F and what am I doing?  Laying a patio, at least it was under the oak tree.

After my changes on the Oak Tree Patio, my circular glass table was just sitting on dirt and that didn't hold well with me, and I came up with the idea of disassembling the seats I made from the breeze blocks and laying them down as a patio.  Yes I know it's not a professional job but I'm pretty pleased with it.  It's quite stable.

I had these old louvre doors up against the garage, pulled them out and just placed them on the corners, just to see what they would look like.  I will clean them up, they are a bit of a mess at the moment and they need securing.

You have to step up so the whole patio sits just that much higher.

So while Mr. B. was out running around taking things to the thrift and shopping I was doing this.  Was all accomplished by the time he got back.  Sometimes you just have to get on with things, action! action!

I think I would have been one of those crazy intrepid Edwardian ladies who travelled to hot places.  Maybe!

Being higher when you are on the breeze block patio, it gives you a lovely view back across the garden.  The Boy said he liked that too.

So the rest of the day I was hunting around pulling in pots and planters.  Such as the old cast iron long planters that came with the house, I think they are great to define the edge.  They need holes drilled in them to drain the water.

My other idea is to use this piece of marble to make a bar/drinks top. I asked my boss for this when we closed up the old office.  It had been on a credenza way back and had sat in the closet for years, so he said I could have it, it's super heavy.

I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I'm going to go out and buy more breeze blocks to make two columns to place this on, then I can make it just the height I want on the edge of the patio and it won't cost that much.

The old brass chandelier did not sell in the yard sale so I have put that aside and hope to hang it over a branch of the oak tree, above the table.  I will need Mr. B. to help with that.  Wire it up and get it up there.

Late last night I took a drink out there, lit some lamps and candles and just sat and enjoyed all my hard work.  It felt good, just listening to a hot summers night.

How much have all my patio changes cost me?  Zero.  No, not quite true, I did buy a new base for the one umbrella.  $29.00.  Now I have no more resources because they've all gone.  But that's OK, you never know what will come along shopping in the trash.

Today is meant to be even hotter, think I may just go out buy those breeze blocks and get the Danish Oil and the paint I need to paint the garage door.

Christine

What a Scorcher

Hi Dear Folks,

What a scorcher Sunday was 98F.  This was a set I found in the trash probably about ten years ago.  I actually crammed it all into my PT Cruiser and got it home, that's why I like a hatchback, and not so thrilled with the car I have now.  But I guess it will stop me filling up the garage again.

I would think it's from the sixties, and these are the original seats, the cushions were from Ikea.

I used to have a garden tent sit in this position, but after several years it fell to bits, and Mr. B. laid the patio.  I did enjoy the tent while I had it.  The problem with being outside is that the cushions need to come in when it rains.

I do like the sofas in the corner here with the Ikea table, all out of the garage.

Along with this octagonal table which I want to sand and put Danish oil on it.  Also this candle chandelier was in there too.

Plus these little oil lamps.

As you can see Tupp is totally done in with the hot weather, and even she couldn't take it outside any longer, came in the house and flopped on the stool and we don't even have AC, but it is ten degrees cooler in the house.

Christine

Yard Sale

Hi Dear Folk,

What a week, I'm not sure I remember it all, so let me work backwards.  Yesterday Saturday we had a Yard Sale to clear out the garage.  It has needed doing for years, but to be quite honest with working full time and the energy I know it takes to do a yard sale I didn't want to tackle it.

The garage is almost a double in size and let us say, it was packed like a UPS truck, my husband used to work for UPS.  Quite neat but to get to the back the front items had to come out first and some items were totally buried and had never seen the light of day.

Mr. B. took off Saturday, The Boy was on board, as he wants to use the garage for his second car, also any repairs he does have been done out on the street and now he will have the garage to work in.  Friday night, we knew it was not expected to rain, so we got everything out and piled on the lawn.  I made up posters and ran around stapling them on poles in the neighborhood.

Saturday morning we were up early, putting everything out front, arranging it so that people could see.  Our first visitor was a local policeman, he said I can see everything here is from the eighties, yes I guess he hit that spot on.

We had a lot of furniture and camping items, some bigger ticket items such as the leather chair and old Empire style rocker, and I wondered if they would go, but I was presently surprised by the end of the day that we had sold most items that I really wanted cleared out and the balance Rob took over as a donation at the local thrift.  Now for the organizing of what will remain in the garage.

This was what we put out along the curb for people to see and there was more inside on the lawn.

It was a hot day, but I think it could have been worse.  We had a pretty solid flow of customers from 8:00 AM onwards, in between I would take a break on the Oak Tree patio, so up and down, up and down.  Today Sunday I'm ready for a rest.

Unfortunately I pulled a muscle over my right hip on Tuesday. I reached over at the wrong angle to get a trash can out of the garage and zing. Friday I went for some therapy, Mr. B. made the appointment for me, and I'm glad he did.  We have friends who do Deep Muscle Therapy and I was able to get an appointment on Friday.  It is the weirdest thing how your hip muscle controls the lifting of your leg.  I cannot lift my right leg to get into the car, and have to lift it with my hand, not to mention the pain in doing so.

We have a high bed and Mr. B. took off the extra foam pad, so that I could get up into bed. Harder than you think when your back hurts, and turning is like being a beached whale. I'm hoping that once the muscle settles down it all goes back to normal, but it is most disturbing, not to mention the pain.  I'm amazed I made it through yesterday.

I have taken some time though to sit and read.  Earlier in the week was quite cool, so I finished the hand stitching I needed to do on my crochet hat.  It felt good to have that completed.

My orchid bloomed and is doing well sitting outside.  I love the purple contrasted with the orange day lily.

Miss Tupp sitting on the Pond Patio, keeping me company as I read.

Sharpening of claws, rather outside than in the house.  The old ash tree roots are just right for this.  I have several friends who never let their cats out.  It seemed a most peculiar thing to me because in the UK most people let their cats outside and they love it, their two worlds, in the house and out.

Fungi is always sprouting up around the dead tree roots, it's a major contributing factor to decomposition.

A local thrift is either going out of business or being bought out by Goodwill, will wait and see.  In any case I stopped over Friday afternoon as they were having a clearance and found three winter coats.  One of those things such a good price I couldn't let them pass.  One was an all wool duffle coat from Talbots, in a sand color.  The other a black, double breasted type of pea coat with gold military buttons in wool and cashmere blend.  The last was a hounds tooth check cape.  All look nice on me.  Total $16.00.

I think the cape might have been hand made and needs a little neatening on the arm lining at the ends, but nothing I can't do.  The lining on the duffle coat needs a stitch on the back seam, but both minor repairs.  The black coat has one button missing, but I have a tin full of buttons and I don't honestly think anyone will notice if it is slightly different.  I can always put the odd button at the top under the collar and move that one down to replace the one that is missing center front.

I think when an item of clothing needs a minor repair, people get rid of them.

Well that's a wrap.  Have a wonderful weekend.

Christine

PS:  Will show you what was unearthed and now have sitting on the Oak Tree Patio.

PPS:  I have a funny little story.  An old lady from across the street who lives in the senior apartments must have a birds eye view of what goes on and knew everything about Rob having two cars and working on the Blue Miata and then getting the Red Mini and working on that, in fact she had a whole conversation with Rob about it.  You never know who is watching you.

Good Friends, Good Food

Hi Dear Folk,

Sunday we had friends over for an outside dinner/barbeque.  Graham who I've known since I was two and his wife Janine along with Jean visiting from England.  We had a fun time.  Mr. B. helped me get it together.

I prepared the lasagna and potato salad the day before, while listening to Dispatch to a Friend podcasts, it was a cool evening and seemed just right.  The scones and Italian Pie I made on Sunday morning.

Love this set of serving bowls I found at the thrift a while ago, Limoge.

I love this set of pottery old world cabin American scenes.  I bought the flowers at Produce Junction.  I made a special trip because I needed another garden umbrella and that was $25.00 there.  So while there I couldn't resist two hanging pots of red begonias at $3.50 each which is very cheap and this pot of pink mums, I love the shade of pink $3.99.  Plus I picked up a huge pineapple and some portobello mushrooms.

Set up for a nice cup of tea, also iced tea.

I needed a second table but until we sort the garage out it's almost impossible to get one out, so I decided to use my gateleg from out of the house.  I think it looks very Victorian afternoon tea sitting on the lawn.  In fact I know I've seen them used in old Victorian photos, they never had special garden furniture, except maybe for the wicker or bamboo.  I like a gateleg table and they close down so neatly, I might look out for another one to use in the garden.

These trousers/pants are part of a set I bought at the thrift, the jacket top has gold on it, but when I bought it I thought I'd be able to dress them down with a different top.  I found this top at Clothes Mentor and I liked the flower design.

Here I am showing Mr. B. my new thrifted shoes.

I made lasagna, potato salad and the Italian cold cut vege pie along with a regular salad.  Mr. B. cooked chicken on the grill.  Plain and raisin scones for desert along with strawberries, blackberries and cream.  Of course I did not take any photos of the first course set out, one forgets.  Also Janine brought lemon bars.

We were just finishing up and putting things away, when an early evening thunderstorm came through.  A nice watering for the garden.

Christine

Italian Cold Cuts and Vegetable Pie

Hi Dear Folk,

I had posted this on my Instagram lilbitbrit007 and said that I would blog the recipe for my Italian Cold Cuts and Vegetable Pie.  This is a recipe given to my by an Italian friend Fran who was such a fun person to know and died a while ago so I treasure this recipe.  Everybody who eats it loves it and I had a special request from my son, "Mum make this more often."

Every layer in itself looks lovely.  Rob said the only thing he didn't like was the celery, I think I should have cut that up much smaller and maybe put the ham in a layer lower down.

Italian Cold Cuts and Vegetable Pie

Lettuce Romaine (I used a butter lettuce and that worked well)
Provolone cheese
Cooked salami (I used pepperoni)
Genoa or hard salami
Onions
Green peppers (I used a yellow one)
Celery
Cucumber
Sweet pickles (gherkins in a jar, sliced thinly lengthwise)
Capocollo or pepperoni (I used ham)
Tomatoes (I used cherry as that is what I had but a nice large summer tomatoes would be good)
Olives green or black (I used black from a tin)
Shake on oregano, garlic powder and Crazy Jane Salt (seasoned salt)
I did not have oregano so topped with fresh basil

About a quarter of a pound of each
Layer in order listed above (can be changed around)
Large round serving plate
Cut and serve in wedges, just like you serve a pizza

I think you will like this.
Christine

A Day Out

Hi Dear Folk,

I woke up this morning with such a headache, not quite a migraine, but pretty bad.  We had a busy weekend, but fun, will post about that later.  So a few aspirin and cups of tea later and it is just going away by midday.

Last week I got to visit with some friends.  I'm going to stop putting old friends.  Jean on the far right is a friend visiting from England and staying with some other friends in PA here.  Celestine in the center is in her nineties.

Her daughter insisted we borrow her GPS, but Celestine knew exactly where to take us.  The restaurant we wanted to try was closed, bit of a disappointment, how dare they go on vacation.  We went to another one which was OK, the food was good, ambience not so much.  Stopped off at a little Farmers Market and scored on the one day old section for baked goods, as everything was half price.  So bought a tasty apple and strawberry crumble along with a loaf of Rosemary and Olive Oil bread.  After lunch we stopped off at a dairy and bought ice creams.  I had salted caramel pretzel and the second scoop was rum raisin.

I remember when I first came to the States I couldn't get over the variety of ice creams.  I think in England I only ever had, vanilla, chocolate or strawberry and a great treat was Cornish ice cream.  I know all that has changed now.  A block of Neapolitan ice cream (vanilla, chocolate and strawberry in a block) and a pack of wafers, was our Sunday treat.  We would cut it up and put it between two wafers.

Onto thrifting, and stopped off at an Antique Emporium, I saw a little Victorian painted washstand, but where to put it?  So resisted, still on my mind though, as was a good price.  Jean found three pairs of brown leather shoes $2.00 each.  She said it's hard to find brown shoes at the charity shops in England, and I found a pair of black Clarks sandals also $2.00.  It seems their shoes are cheaper than at the thrifts in our area.

We had a lovely chatty, fun day out together.

Look at that deluxe chicken coop and only two chickens, who are not earning their keep.

Christine

Cooking and Cleaning

Hi Dear Folk,

I am wondering how I ever worked in a secular sense, because it has been all go.  Mr. B. and I got together to clean these kitchen windows, the whole works. screens, jams, stained glass, deep sill, etc. I can't believe it took us a couple of hours, unless we're just getting slow, which could be the case, but they did look nice when done.

I did a little rearranging of things up there, took my soup crocks off and added some pottery.  The jug and dishes I bought in Quendon, Essex.  They remind me of pottery I saw at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and that was all made within a fifty mile radius of where I live now.  Love the English oak leaves on the jug.  The jug on the far right was made on Cape Cod, MA, and of course the pottery to the far left is from Poland, I love the lady cheese dish.  It's hard to find a lovely great wedge of cheese to fill the old fashioned cheese dishes.

In the center my Made in England set of scales, I need a few more weights.  Will have to go on a little search for brass weights.  My mind still thinks in pounds and ounces as we do over here in the States, but I know Europe has moved onto grams.

Mr. B. came home with beets and all the leaves left on, they looked so green and fresh that I decided to cook them up with sausage, in olive oil.  I should have cut the stalks a little smaller.

Served with a wild rice medley and my homemade Branston Pickle.  I love Branston Pickle and you have to be an Anglophile to appreciate it, just a certain taste hard to duplicate, but I thought I'd have a go.

I made this pickle in 2013.  I went to a produce place where everything was in larger amounts, so landed up with a ton of ingredients.  Here is my 2013 post of making the Branston Pickle and the recipe.  Preserves really do keep a long while, and here I am in 2018 still eating Branston Pickle.  When I first made it, it wasn't as dark as the store bought Branston Pickle, but now with age it is, and I can say almost a dead ringer.  Success five years down the road.

Christine