New Year!

It may be a sign of getting older that a New Year doesn't quite inspire me as it once did. I used to feel I had a clean slate, a new beginning, practically a sense of redemption. It was the same in September with the start of the school year. Of course it's been decades since I went to university. And I never felt quite finished with 2021, or 2020 for that matter, not even 2019. I don't think I'm finished being 53 or thereabouts. Time really has begun to slide past, a rushing river rather than the trickle of molasses I used to experience. 

Nevertheless, the calendar says I must learn to write another set of digits and so I sit me down to see where I might push myself for a while before getting, not discouraged so much as, distracted. I struggle to remember what seemed so important in January that I can't do something different in February or March. 

Bill and I returned to pilates class yesterday. We even paid for new instruments of torture: a squishy ball  each and some exercise bands. He is very good at finding a quiet moment to practice in the dining room. I quit trying to do this because he always seemed catch me out and want to watch. I'm better at ignoring him, I guess. Our instructor keeps asking me if I'm not really proud of him, which I am, though it's becoming rather annoying how she fawns over him. He is often the only man in the class. I'm mostly proud that this doesn't bother him like it would many men. The other guy that sometimes shows up is also a long distance walker, but probably closer to 64 than to Bill's (very soon) 74. 

Bill and I have been doing some running "together" several days a week. We've been doing something called 'parlauf', which apparently just means paired interval training. Bill has always used the term to refer to running in circles. We used to do this with the running club where he paired the fastest runner with the slowest then the next fastest with next slowest and so on. As part of a group, each pair would run around the pond at Exhibition Park until they met their partner, then they would each turn around and run until they met again and so on. This meant each person ran to their ability, with the faster person running further. Bill and I have a circular course that includes our front gate and circles the Metro station. My side of the course is slightly hilly, into the sun and wind on the way back and passes two bus stops (people waiting surely wonder what I'm up to if their bus is slow); I've no idea about his side of the circle. Of course I'm familiar with the route, but things look altogether different when running. The fact that I can't do more than two out-and-back efforts tells me I'm ridiculously unfit.

I've been moving our (my) diet towards being more plant-based, and seasonal. My current rotation for main courses through the week is (Sunday) soup/stew, roasted vegetables, beans, lentils, grain, fish, meat or cheese (Saturday). We each cook our own lunch and Bill frequently chooses sausage or beef burgers. I try to keep my opinions to myself, but of course I don't succeed. He is aware of both the personal health and the environmental issues associated with these choices and that's all that I can do. He nearly always eats whatever else I put in front of him cheerfully, so I can't complain. While I'm not likely to ever be vegetarian, never mind vegan, when I do eat meat I really appreciate it. 

I have pages and pages of other wishful thinking I'll not even mention now, but if anything comes of it I'll try to let you know. 

A lovely Christmas present from Helen & Martin.

December Book List

We had a lovely Christmas at Sarah and Gareth's house (with 3-year old Struan and 7-month old Ilsa). Then we gathered at Helen and Martin's house (with 9-year old Charlotte) where Sarah's family and Simon and his wife Katie were also to be found. It's the first time we've all been together at the same time in far more than two years, so it was very special. We all took lateral flow tests on the morning of each gathering so I felt relatively safe. It's to the point where 'normal' feels a bit odd...

Looking forward to 2022, other than a little concern about what the final consequences of Brexit may bring us, with lots of staying at home over the winter (love my solitude!) and planned visits one-on-one with friends.  

- Grave Mistake, Ngaio Marsh

- *How to Cook a Wolf, MFK Fisher

- *Codebreaking Sisters - Our Secret War, Patricia and Jean Owtram

- *The Five: the untold lives of the women killed by Jack the Ripper, Hallie Rubenhold

- The Wardrobe Mistress, Natalie Meg Evans

*Non-fiction

November Book List

I'm certain it will be 2022 before I know it. I am excited about this for two reasons: the US Census for 1950 will become available and the adoption records of my Dad's half-brother, Albert, will be 100 years old and therefore accessible. How easy that will be remains to be seen.

I read another six books in November, two of them (*) non-fiction. The Philip K. Dick book became the film Blade Runner, which I remember seeing but nothing about electric sheep stuck in my mind at all. I found it interesting to see how many bits of modern technology the author accurately predicted. Thankfully, we do not all (yet) buzz about in hovercars. The Appeal was particularly clever.

- The Sisters of Auschwitz: the true story of two Jewish sisters' resistance in the heart of Nazi territory, Roxane van Iperen*

- Dress Codes - How the laws of fashion made history, Richard Thompson Ford*

- The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, Charlie Mackesy

- The Appeal, Janice Hallett

- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick

- The Manningtree Witches, A. K. Blakemore

October Book Update

I'm struggling with the diminished light of late and dreading winter. I think I may have to bring down my Lumie light from the attic (or as Bill calls it, Loonie Light). I keep falling asleep while reading, which is bad enough, but also while knitting which is disaster! Was due to join my WI for a walk, but I've wimped out due to gale force winds and piercing rain. 

Finally gave in and subscribed to New York Times Cooking section. It was only $25 for a year (on top of my regular subscription). We'll see if it pays for itself. 

October Book List (6):

- Specials, Scott Westerfeld

- Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel

- Brave New World, Aldous Huxley

- The Pearl Sister - CeCe's Story, Lucinda Riley

- Sex and Vanity, Kevin Kwan 

- Moriarity, Anthony Horowitz

Kitchen Work

Last month Bill and I went to Brockbushes Farm, near Corbridge, to pick plums. Even though it was mid-September and their website said plums were available throughout the month, when we got there most were already rotten, with plenty of wasps buzzing around. We did manage to find a few kilos (hint: if you're shaking the tree to knock down fruit, don't look up, look down to see where they fall). The second disappointment was that - even with the discount the guy said he gave us - they cost more than at the green grocer. I don't think I'll do that again. Nevertheless, we are enjoying our plum jams, made with 'zingers': nutmeg and brandy or orange zest, ginger and brandy.

When we were foraging for rosehips (already made into rosehip syrup and put into the freezer), I found a yellow pear tree. There were only dropped pears in reach, but I managed to salvage enough pear to make several jars of jam. I used half the usual sugar to account for their very ripe state. For both Bill and me, foraged food is far more satisfying than bought food. However, I did buy a bunch of green pears, thinking I might need to add them to make enough to bother with. Instead, I ended up making a separate batch of green pear jam, which has an unfortunate colour. If I ever do that again I will definitely peal them first!

I use the jam recipe provided by a book by the author of blog NWEdible, Hands On Home by Erica Strauss. She's not blogging for free any longer, but there are still plenty of great articles at NW Edible Life. 

I got a surprise gift of a bunch of crab apples which I'm still working on.   

I have another project to re-process some mixed fruit: strawberries (from Brockbushes - a much better deal), red currants (gifted from a friend's allotment) and gooseberries (from our own 2-year old bushes!). I'm still trying to decide whether to boil it down further (as Erica does) or whether to give in and add pectin.  A lot of the strawberries went into vodka, and sloes into gin and blackberries into whisky, mainly for Christmas presents. 

Then to work on the damsons and more blackberries for more jam. I made so much jam and jelly during 2020 that we're quite spoiled to the pleasures of homemade, far less sweet than storebought.  Life is busy here in late summer/early autumn.

Still waiting for our seven apples to be ready to pick!

September Book List Update-

My reading seems to be slowing down these past months. I think that's a good thing. I'm socialising a bit more, knitting frantically for Christmas, foraging and making jam & jelly!

September - 8 

- Past Caring, Robert Goddard

- The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro

- Young Sherlock Holmes - Death Cloud, Andrew Lane

- *Women's Lives and Clothes during WW2, Lucy Adlington

- The Red Ribbon, Lucy Adlington

- The Offing, Benjamin Myers

- The Dictionary of Lost Words, Pip Williams

- The Sewing Machine, Natalie Fergie

Things I've Made

I've fallen down the genealogy rabbit hole again. My cousin, John, in Buffalo NY helped me work out another person to test as being my possible first cousin (once removed). The test will be sent off to Duluth, Minnesota soon and then a daughter from Chicago needs to visit to help set up her mother's account. It will be about a month after it is sent off when I know.... I'm very excited!

I thought I'd post about what I've been making, then realised I've told you about the big thing - Isla's cardigan. It suits her well, if it is a bit big (which is a good thing!). I'd love to show you a photo, but her father - who works in IT - has views about his children's online privacy, so I need to respect that. Sarah shares photos with family and I have to say they are gorgeous. Nothing to do with me, I know, but I feel very lucky to participate. I have a blue sweater / jumper on my needles which hopefully will be ready for Struan by Christmas. I hope to do another cardigan for Isla, the same pattern as before but with a hood on it. Struan's sweater will be BRIGHT blue (he's madly in love with blue just now). I found some coral red for Isla's hoodie and I think it will suit her well. 

One thing I don't think I showed you was the green bag I made for Katie, Simon's wife, last spring. I'd started it a long time ago and just got around to finishing it in time for her April birthday.   (I've clearly lost my mind) bag I made for my lovely friend Pat's 75th birthday. I made it in green and purple (Women's Institute colours) and white (which makes it suffragette colours). It has a pocket on the outside and two inner pockets, one on each side.

The other thing was that I finished the knitted blanket I began 2-3? years ago. I can't begin to say how thrilled I am to be done with it. Knitting patterned squares was a much bigger challenge than I'd expected, and I needed so many of them! in spite of having only made a half-sized blanket. This knitted blanket has obvious errors in it - some of the squares got put in sideways - but I'm not prepared to fix them. I think it just adds to the hippy-dippy 1960s look all the more (a bit more psychedelic, man). 

Then there were loads of leftover bits of yarn from that, which I made into my usual granny square type of throw.

Finally, I've been doing a few Innocent smoothie hats for Struan to play with. These are all the rage just now in my WI Craft Group, but I tend to do the ordinary hats. Much faster and Age UK gets 25pence for each hat whether they are fancy or plain. I'll do fancy for Struan, but not for Age UK. If that makes me mean, so be it.

This is a bird called a 'blue tit'. It took me a
long time to get used to that name.

This pattern is called a 'cheeky monkey'. 'Cheeky' seems to
be a word that refers to mischievous behaviour on the part
of children that is being accepted as 'cute'.