January 2009

1 Happy New Year to all of my readers (hee hee!).
2 Oh dear, mum-in-law still suffering with her bronchitis so we went there to cook dinner this evening and to get her shopping.  Busy day, as I had already been to the gym and the hospital.
3 This chicks had itIt's a bitterly cold day but we had a date.  A drive to the Red Cow in Chrishall for a meal with two of our best friends.  It was a delicious affair but I did think the price of £5.50 for three scoops of ice cream was excessive.  They were very naughty and delivered a late Xmas present to me.  All was immediately forgiven as soon as I saw that it featured a chicken (they know me too well).  It's a notice, now proudly displayed in my kitchen, which reads "Kitchen closed.  This chick's had it".
4 Hat 8 required and duly made for an honorary visitor to Crow's up & coming get-together.
5 Xmas went back in it's box.  There seems to be some debate on TV as to whether this is 12th night or tomorrow?  I count 25 December as the first day of Christmas which makes today 12th night.  Others disagree, but I don't really think the subject is worthy enough for mainstream news!
6 Boy, is it cold here.  I took my car for service & MOT at 9:00 this morning and it was -3.5C.  I returned at 12:30 and it was still below zero at -0.5C.
7 Tricky knitting at the moment - an evening wear poncho in a fine silky ribbon yarn.  Should be nice when done, but I have to knit far more slowly than normal.
8 Another car appointment as I took it for two new tyres to get it through the MOT.  Tyres were so expensive at the dealership, it was better to buy them at our local "tyre shop".  Then back to the dealership for the MOT certificate.
9 Xmas flowersThese beautiful flowers were a gift which arrived on Christmas Eve with mum-in-law.  

They are now starting their third week.

10 After a whole evening of fringing I finished the poncho.  Its very delicate and very pretty - even if I say so myself!
11 Another visit to take a meal to mum-in-law as she's now suffering with a frozen shoulder.  I've started knitting a new top to match the recently finished poncho.  After days of freezing cold weather , the temperature has suddenly jumped to 8C.
12 I'm very disappointed with the dual-control Dreamland heated duvet I bought in October.  Within six weeks of purchase one of the controls has failed and I've been chasing my supplier by email and 'phone but they won't respond.  It seems that this supplier - Snugnights - has no concept of customer service.
13 Since the weather has turned milder I ventured into my tunnel to clear a raised bed and tidy up the strawberry bed, but gardening in January is not a great pleasure.
14 Progress of my new top is fairly slow because of the ladder yarn and fine needles, but I've reached the armholes on the back.
15 The trouble with this ladder yarn is that it tangles up far too easily.  I spent the whole evening trying to unravel yarn but eventually had to give up and throw away this ball.
16 I've come across some gorgeous papers on the net which inspired me to have a card making session.
17 A couple of hours clearing out the potting shed ready for spring cleaning.  Spent compost spread on the veg garden and in one of the tunnel beds.  Yuk, it needs such a good cleaning in there, but that's for another day...
18 If you're of my generation then no doubt, like me, you watched Vision On as a child.  Being more of a scientist, I was never any good at art.  I seemed to lack creative imagination but I still enjoyed trying.  Sad news then that Tony Hart , the show's presenter, died today at 83.
19 I'm a bit into card making at the moment and several more have come off the production line.  I'm building up a bit of a stock so I may, if I think they're good enough, make up some sets as presents for my friends.
20 Dug up more jerusalem artichokes today, watched by a captivated Pepper.
Meanwhile, in the grand scheme of things, it's the inauguration of Barack Obama, the 44th US president and first African-American in the job.  It's also exactly 47 years to the day since John F Kennedy was sworn in as the youngest ever president at 43.  That was 1961, the year Barack Obama was born.  Strange coincidences...
Harvest:  1 leek, 6 lb jerusalem artichokes
21 A night at the Mercury theatre preceded by a meal.  The play was The Holly & The Ivy -  "Wynyard Browne’s play, set in 1940s Norfolk, begins on Christmas Eve and slowly unfolds over 24 hours, during which time secrets are revealed, skeletons are wrenched out of closets and lives are changed forever."  It was well performed, but the family secrets were a little lacking in excitement by today's standards.  It was probably far more shocking to its initial audiences in 1952.
22 I've been watching a successful Andy Murray win his 2nd round match in the Australian Open.  A straight set victory, he looks on good form for this contest.
23 Rain, rain go away....  A continuance of rain, some heavy, some persistent, some both has led to puddles everywhere, rendered part of the lawn unapproachable as walking on it will destroy the swamped grass and a pond close to overflowing again.
24 Shopping, cooking, outdoor cleaning, knitting - busy, busy, busy.  My outdoor cleaning was a venture into the potting shed to remove the first layer of filth - yuk!  My knitting was marred by having to give up on yet another completely tangled ball of ladder yarn fortunately quite near the end.
Preserving:  3 litres of carrot & jerusalem artichoke soup
25 It's Burns night.  In fact, the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robbie Burns so I've got haggis on the menu tonight.  But before that, a session of jam making interrupted by a surprise visit from two friends who were passing by.
Preserving:  12 jars of blackberry & apple jam
26 Hurrah - I've finished knitting my ladder yarn top - just needs sewing up.
Harvest:  swiss chard, spring onions.
27 I'm a glutton for punishment - still got ladder yarn left so I've started a scarf.  I know I'll regret it.
28 Red Nose Day 2009 had been launched this week, so have a groan at one of their jokes and make a donation if you can.
Q. How do bees get to school? A. On the school buzz! ...
29 Still slowly unravelling ladder yarn and making my scarf.
30 Almost there on the scarf, all yarn unravelled, just a little more to knit then the fringing.
31 Sue, David and Grace came for dinner.  The menu:  carrot & jerusalem artichoke soup, followed by golden five-spice chicken with egg-fried & jasmine rice and stir fried veg, followed by tropical trifle then the cheeseboard.  This was the closest I've ever been to cooking a chinese meal and although I had my doubts during cooking, it turned out to be a success.