Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone and I hope 2016 will be a year of good health, laughter and joy... and if you're like me, it will be the year you keep to the food plan and lose that extra weight!!
Usually I post all the craft work I have completed in the year in this last post, but this year broken arm stopped 'play!!'
But I am determined to get back into stitching so if anyone is hosting a WIPs finishing group or you know of someone hosting one please let me know. 
I have to say a big thank you to all you lovely bloggers, that have left comments over the year to wish me well and that my arm will heal, I can't say  thank you enough, they all gave me such a lift.. thank you to the moon and back!! I love you all......
A very Happy 2016

XX

Happy Christmas all, the little play is delightful.

 

An Unexpected Christmas - YouTube or Photo Display ...

www.morefm.co.nz/An-Unexpected-Christmas/tabid/94/...

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An Unexpected Christmas. This is so adorable! ... The Best Christmas Card You'll See This Year; OMG! GALLERY: Home Alone stars Then vs Now. A Look Inside Santa ...
 

Happy Christmas all and hope 2016 will be your best year ever.. I am hoping my arm will continue to get better. I did last evening for the first time was able to eat my yogurt with a spoon in my right hand!! yeh!!

Love to all you peeps that have visited my blog over the last year, especially as I haven't been that active but typing left hand is very slow.

Wishing you all the happiest of Christmasses and a Healthy 2016.

Chris xx

If the link doesn't work, just search for you tube.. an unexpected Christmas.. well worth it

Hurrah I did it!

I managed to knit the last two pairs of socks.. it was an effort but here they are. These for #3 grandchild, opps young person!

  And these for my grand daughter.. I really like this colour and bought some plain pink to match up with the self patterning yarn to make a pair for myself.

The yarn I used was Drops Fabel sock yarn, 75% wool, 25% polyamide, so they can be machine washed.

And here they are my three growing up fast grand children, who are wonderful, of course!

My grand daughter, BSc... starts her first job in the new year, she is thrilled and so are all of us, although she kept her Saturday job in Waitrose all through her University years, so she knows the world of work..

Happy Days

xx

 

 

What a horrible day!

I had a horrible day yesterday.

Every other Monday DH drives to Coventry to see his aging parents, especially as his 93 year old dad, who has been very ill. DH's mum phoned at quarter past one to ask if DH had been in contact because he hadn't arrived. I said not to worry as I knew traffic was held up on the M25 so an hour and a bit late arriving wasn't too bad. My mobile was dead and I didn't have DH's number so I had to phone #1 son for DH's number!! Then I phoned DH.. and it went straight to answer phone. I decided to check the traffic and there was an accident reported on BBC traffic on the M1 north with a 12 miles tail back. I tried DH again thinking, if he was stationary in traffic he'd be able to answer. Answer phone again. at 2:30 I was frantic. I kept phoning him.

 At 2:45 I phoned the police to try to find out about the accident on the M1. I had to search thro papers to find the car number, I could only remember the old car number!! By now my mobile had charged up, so if DH could phone he would have phoned that as we both have each others numbers first on the list of contacts. He was now 3 hours over due.  I had to describe DH, and what he was wearing, was he mentally stable, etc!! I was crying on the phone, my son phoned me on my mobile to say he had tried our home phone too and it came up engaged.. he tried to console me saying I would have heard if anything had happened.

At 3:20 I had a text from DH, he had chugged along in the traffic and managed to leave the M1 at Dunstable and then chugged his way back to South Minns services, as there had been an accident on the south side of the M1 too!!  It was such a relief to hear his voice when I phoned him, there was something wrong with our home phone, hence the engaged tone. When he arrived home as well as crying because I was so happy to see him, I burst out laughing as I was completely wrong about what he was wearing!! 

He was in the car for 5 hours!!! I don't ever want to go thro' that again!

What a day……BUT I have learnt to keep my mobile charged and to use our land line to check if it’s ok and to memorise DH number!!.
Thank the Lord for his safe return on a day when there were accidents all over the place. I hope no-one has to go through what I did yesterday.

Chris xx

You win some and you lose some!!

As I have said before, I love reading blogs of those women who are determined to save every penny they can, usually because their income has been greatly reduced. I have looked at our spending and we do shop what I would term wisely, but we spend a lot more than these frugal ladies.

But I did have an amazing saving last week My little battery operated toothbrush which I bought duty free at Gatwick years ago went phut.. we looked at them in Tesco and they were £35!! I couldn’t believe the price, but I needed it so into the trolley it went. However it was reduced by £20 at the checkout. Tesco had price compared it and hence the reduction!! Wow!! Even the checkout girl looked at our receipt twice too. Isn’t that amazing?

And this little chrysanthemum was free! One of my SDs sent me a beautiful bouquet when I broke my arm and this was in it.. I loved the little pink rose bud type flower so took cuttings and here is my most successful one, flowering!               

But I didn’t do so well with the little bag I bought. I first saw them in October in Skipton market for £4.99.. I said to DH I am not paying that for a shopping bag, I’ll make one as I have loads of fabric. But last week when visiting my cousin in Shropshire, we visited a garden centre and there they were, the very same ones, for £2.99, so I bought one. However at a garden centre we visited at the weekend, right near us, they had them for £1.99 Poooo!! I was most put out, but I have used it and it is saving me 10p a time, except I can’t remember a time when I have bought something and not had a carrier bag in my hand bag to use!! Because I can’t stand all the bags and wrapping for items, which you then have to dispose of. Never mind it’s a pretty little bag and it could hold a lot if I wanted it to!

And it rolls up neatly into this little bag.

So not too bad, I think I ‘m winning!
I am still knitting and have completed the first one of my next pair of socks but so slowly, I used to knit a pair in three evenings, but I have to rest my arm now and then,  so it is taking a lot longer. We are carrying on with the ultra sound treatment each day, and I do think my arm is less painful, but it still doesn't do what I want it to and wanders all over the place when I try to spread butter on my toast. I suppose the answer is to go without butter,  but I couldn't, I love it!

XX

I can knit !!!

Each Christmas I knit a pair of socks for each of my grand children, actually I should say grand young people as GD is 21, #1 GS is 19 and the youngest is 15. They all tower over me! 

It has been a struggle as it isn't as easy as crochet as I have to move my arm, but here is the first pair completed. I wondered if they wear them but when I visited them the other week, the youngest had on a pair, except they were odd. Both hand knitted and a blue colour but odd! My DD was wearing a pair belonging to #1 GS as she was gardening and wearing wellies!. So they do get worn..
I even knitted this last weekend when we visited my cousin who has bought a very swish barn conversion in Shifnal. We had a lovely long weekend with her; it is out in the country and we walked through the autumn fallen leaves. She fed us well with home baked apple pie, and other treats, I put on weight!!

Home again now and another Christmas cake is in the oven, this one for my #3 son.
How are your Christmas preparations going?

Still here......

 

Thank you everyone for your kind comments about my broken arm. The exogen treatment is going ok. The 20 minutes goes in a flash and the machine records all the treatments. It is just a hand sized unit with the plug part on a curly wire that is held in place with a strap.

I don't feel anything at all. I was expecting to feel waves of warm or something but disappointingly nothing. Only another 70 plus days to go! I shall be having it on Christmas day!!

I have been able to do some knitting and started socks for my grand children.

My camera seems to have gone phut so no photos, sorry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have been reading blogs of those people, mainly women who have decided to blog about living frugally. They are fascinating and buy food from supermarkets at near closing time when a lot of fresh food stuff has a marked down price on 'yellow stickers.'

So I decided to look at what we buy. But we make a list linked to a weekly menu so we buy what we need not what's on offer, although if something we needed was on offer we would buy it.

We rarely if ever throw food out and at least once a week have a 'bottom of the fridge' soup. Today I had a root veg soup with some home grown squash and frozen peas added for a variety of colour and it was delicious. I struggled to cut up the veg into small chunks (DH is visiting his Dad who is not well and his mum) but I managed.

I think over these seven months my left hand has got stronger and I can do things that I couldn't before.

Thank you again everyone. I am not going to lie and say I am happy, happy,  because I am not,  I am still having weepy days and my diet has gone right out the window!

XXX

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bad news about my arm!!

My broken arm goes on and on and on, grrrrrrr!! Today I have seen a very nice Consultant whose name was Ravi Ray! (nice name!)My humerus has not healed, here I am week 28 and it still hasn’t healed. But I am having exogen treatment which is ultra sound on my arm where the fracture is, 20 minutes each day. Because it is a very expensive treatment the consultant had to apply for it and it has been approved so I suppose I should be grateful but I have gone a long time with no treatment at all, except for the brace which I hated at first, but I  have got used to it and I feel secure when I am wearing it as it protects my arm. This treatment is for 12 weeks!! Can you believe that, 12 more weeks or maybe more? I don’t understand because I am taking extra calcium and multivitamins and doing the exercises….

 I am fed up and having trouble getting jumper sleeves over the brace.. so this afternoon diet out the window and I have had toasted currant bun with lots of butter… yummy. So I am keeping positive and praying, surely this will work!  So please remember me in your prayers, I need lots.

 

Chris xx

Such a busy time..

I saw this on Attic24's blog, a multi coloured poncho, so I decided I'd make one for me.

I am having problems getting jumper sleeves over my brace and in an evening this would ideal. I sometimes wear my shawl but this was a bit of a stash buster too! 

Crocheting is some I can do and it's good for my hand, as sewing is still difficult and still causes tweaks of pain.

 

 

 

And sorry this is the 'C' word!!

 

Christmas!!

 

 I have made the first Christmas cake( I always make some for my grown up sons as well as us.) and a very large pudding as we are joining with DH's daughter and her hubby for Christmas in Yorkshire. DH's  other twin daughter will be joining us as well , so quite a different Christmas for us as we always stay home.
And not to be out done, Dh has made mince meat.. we have already given some away, it will be ready to use in a months time.

I can't wait to make the pies but with my arm still not ok I will need help or I could let DH make them!!

Have you started your Christmas baking yet?

XX

 

For Downton Abby fans

A treat for Downton fans, I loved it..get your cup of tea or coffee, sit and enjoy

                            https://vimeo.com/115023404

Chris xx

I don't usually swear... but.......

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in 1988. Since then I have once a year blood test to check my thyroxin dose. I went yesterday. Over the years my veins have become difficult, evidently they collapse when touched? Anyway it doesn't really bother me,  it is an unpleasant prink,  but I no longer look and I take deep breaths to relax. 

 

But this time, the phlebotomist inserted the needle, hissed that the vein was difficult and then started to wiggle the needle in my arm, the pain was horrendous and my reaction was immediate, I yelled 'Ow,' and said, 'Bloody hell that hurt.' I looked at the bruise expanding on my arm, she gave a weak' sorry,' She tried in another place, no joy, stuck two plasters on my puncture wounds and called to the senior phlebotomist to take over. Anyone would have thought it was my fault she failed to get the blood in the tube!! The senior phlebotomist got it straight away from the back of my hand, which is black this morning.  DH said they could hear me in the waiting room!! I am not having that woman again... EVER!!!  Thank goodness it's done for a while. (I  was a nurse when I  young and did loads of injections and no one ever screamed!)

XX

Five on Friday.. is about my Greatest Love

When I was a child, we did not have a TV .I was brought up by a Victorian Grand mother and two maiden aunts after my mother died when I was two and my father re-married. I spent a lot of time alone and found through the local library a love of books. I read everything and went along the shelves with no guidance and lived inside which ever book I read. I didn't need to go to ballet lessons I read all about it in ‘Ballet Shoes,’ I didn't need a dog I had Timmy, George's dog in the ‘Famous Five’.. I flew aeroplanes with ‘Biggles’ and lived in the wilds with ‘North American Indians.’ Today as a much older 'child' I read more than anything else in my life, it is my greatest love!!
And having been bought a Kindle by DH, a few years ago  I have been able to supplement my library books with ebooks. And the ease of buying a book instantly has given me more and more books to read.

Some books like this one I loved so much,  that I gave away two  copies and then bought another copy for myself.

It’s the story of two young girls, Bobbie and Cynthia, who are best friends and also of their mothers. It's a book about friendship and tragedy and forgiveness and so much more besides. We live with them all through two decades and through wonderful times and terrible times and when we leave them behind at the end it's with a sigh and a tear. I didn’t want it to end and when it did I felt bereft!

My Favourite author 7 years ago was Emily Barr, ( I change favourite authors as I read more and more) But then,  I read everything she wrote, ‘Cuban Heels,’ ‘The First Wife,’  ‘Stranded,’ Backpack.’ ‘The Sisterhood.’ My love of her books was helped by the librarian of the local library loving her books too, so I was able to read all ten of them. But then in 2014, a new book was published,

 ‘The Sleeper’ A sort of mystery. What a disappointment it was, and I bought it which was another downer too, have you ever found that? You've longed for another book and you feel let down; but is it that you have changed?

I cried through ‘ A Song for Jenny.’

A mother’s story of how she and the family coped or didn’t cope when her daughter Jenny was first missing and then confirmed dead in the London 7/7 bombings (2005).. so sad. It made me feel blessed. My daughter worked in London a few years earlier and used the underground every day on her way to work.

Having thoroughly enjoyed Hosseini's former books – ‘The Kite Runner’ and ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ - I harboured the suspicion that he could not pull it off again. Oh what little faith I had, 'And The Mountains Echoed' is an excellent book and I am confident that anyone reading it will not be disappointed.  Set mainly in Afghanistan, the story starts with a poor farming family, barely able to feed themselves. The father's brother-in-law works for a rich couple who are unable to have children themselves. In exchange for his daughter, they will offer money so that the father is able to feed the rest of his family. He succumbs to this temptation and so starts the interweaving of the different generations and to the finale leading to a family reunion. A beautiful and very moving book that brought me to tears on several occasions, this isn't fundamentally about politics or war; it is about the unforgettable people who populate its pages - about humanity. And though there is sadness and sorrow here, there is also love and joy and a deep sense of hope.

For my 5^th book, I chose… well if I just tell you of some of the stories and perhaps you can guess. It has incest, rape, homosexuality, heads cut off, daughters sold to old men, theft and crimes that will make you cringe, brothers killing brothers, sons killing fathers. Hatred and wars, lovers and passion and tender love. ....
And then a friend who betrays his greatest friend who is then killed in the most abominable way.. beaten and crucified. Have you guessed???

The greatest book ever written, the most sold book ever and translated into every language there is….

Yes it is The BIBLE!!! Would you believe it has such stories, well it does!

I am joining again with Amy for Five on Friday...and these five books are just some that I have loved. I read on average  60 to 90 books each year. I live inside which ever book I am reading at that time and when the dark evenings start, I like to retire to bed early just to read; I have even stayed awake till nearly day break, because I have to find out what happens next!

http://lovemademyhome.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Five%20on%20Friday

What are your favourites, have you ever stayed awake till nearly daylight just to read, have you ever cried and cried over a book, have you ever read a book that had such a powerful effect on you, you couldn’t forget it? I can’t imagine life without books, what about you?

XX

Happy reading!!

 

Did you see it?

I woke at 1:30am and woke DH and we stayed up to see the eclipse and the red moon; beautiful clear skies and not a bit cold. We opened the bedroom window wide as the double glazing was giving us a double moon!!  DH went down stairs to go outside on the front lawn with his binoculars and camera.  We watched as the earth's shadow gradually crept across the moon.

It took 90mins!

Here is one of the photographs that DH took as it was happening.

 

 This is a professional photograph, DH camera wouldn't give as clear a picture.

  

We went back to bed just after 3! Well it won't happen again till 2033 and even if I will be still alive I guess at 91 I will be happy to stay in a warm comfy bed!!

I think I will be having a nanny nap this afternoon, but it was worth it.

Yawning already!

Chris xx

 

Ah!!... Just what we needed

We have had a lovely break away in Southwold.. sun most of the time, only had rain at night or early morning. The only time I used my umbrella was when I was sitting on a bench and the sun was too hot!! Got up last Friday morning to brilliant sunshine, so did our walk to the sea front the long way round,  so I could have my daily 30 mins walk plus!! I did more than that,  because we then wandered back through the town and popped into those shops we had promised ourselves we would. We had cakes out side the kitchen shop,  as it was the Macmillan's coffee morning and Nell nearly had a creamy cup cake because the lady dropped one on the ground!! LOL They had dog biscuits ready for your dog! Then we sat in the middle  of the high street on a bench in the shade with a take away Costa coffee,  as it was too hot in the sun!
We got back to the cottage middle of the afternoon, and decided to come home that evening so we could have all Saturday at home as the weather was supposed to be good and we had promised ourselves to get the garden a bit more sorted,.. we stopped off at Waitrose for a cooked chicken, coleslaw  and some salad bits and full fat yogurt, the last treats of our holiday!! (we like to live dangerously LOL)

Super cottage, only minutes from the town.. I ate all sorts of naughty things, so dreaded weighing and yes I have put on 3 pounds but we're back on track already. I liked to go back there for a another holiday, such a lovely little town.

My physio app. has come thro' at last, it's next Friday, so hope they are not too fierce as my arm is still very tender. I used to call them physio-terrorists after my knee op.LOL
These pretty beach huts sell for around £175,000!!  Can you believe that!!
 

 Hope you all have had a break away too and had sunny shiny days like us. Thank you for all the comments on my happiness post, this week away has almost got me back to my happy go lucky ways! And yes I had a few of these!

 Be happy.....

XX

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

Five on Friday... Happiness!

So many things make me happy and I have so many blessings.  Here are just five as I join with Amy on 'Five on Friday.'

Wednesday here was a very, very wet day, it was real weather for ducks!

 We were in town by 9:30 as I had a nail appointment, both pedicure and manicure so wasn't finished until nearly 11. My nails looked lovely, a deep crimson colour. I love them!  I was smiling and my nails flashed red as I walked along.

 

 

Then I went to the library as I had to see the librarian about the book group I run,  and the books I ordered for myself were in... yeh!! My happiest times have been when I have been inside a book. I can't wait to start reading....'The Paying Guests,' by Sarah Waters, 'Stranded,' by Emily Barr (one of my favourite authors) and 'My Sister's Secret,' by Tracy Buchan. Then on our way back thro' the town I stopped at one of the charity shops as they had books for 25p, I bought three.....what bliss.. lots of reading, how could I not buy books for only 25p!!

 

 .......and then in the shop, I saw a tote bag which was a Kate Spade New York!! It was £8.50 and brand new, never been used by the look of it, white  patent with seagulls on it in navy, just the sort of bag for a sea side holiday and I looked it up on line when we got home, they sell for £165 !!!! Wow I felt I had won the lottery!

‏            

Isn't absolutely gorgeous? We wore our new macs and mine is lovely, kept me dry altho' having bought that bag I wouldn't noticed the rain as I was so happy!!

And even with my broken arm, I‘ve done some sewing. DS#1's girl friend had asked me to make some cushions, using some old curtains, two days before I broke my arm!!   I did manage to sew, last week,  but it was a struggle because I can't lift my right hand up unaided, but I did them and feel I did my arm good because I had to stretch it forward,  which is one of my exercises. I couldn't match the stripes back and front as I had to cut out the material from the curtains that had rust marks on them, so was limited, but they look good and I inserted a zip in each one for removal for washing, so I was pleased. But I won't be sewing proper for a while, it was too hard and painful.  The cushions were a great success especially the zip inserted so you can’t see it, so now her mother has asked will I make some for her, but not till after Christmas as she has bought a new static holiday home in Norfolk and wants them for that, praise indeed. Although if you sew, you'll know cushions are pretty simple to make!          

    

 

And I can crochet!! wow such excitement when I realised I could. First time in 20 weeks. I am doing a stash buster item, I shall reveal it when it is done. Although you can see it is shaped so I wonder if anyone can guess what I am making?
So yes I am feeling much better. There is still lots of things I still can't do but my greatest bliss since my last hospital appointment is I can remove the brace to have a proper shower. It took me three days to get up the courage to take it off: but oh the shower was wonderful, first proper one for 22 weeks!! I felt I had turned the corner and I felt so invigorated I cleaned the kitchen and it gleamed. I sang the whole time wiping around (still left handed) And I felt normal, thank the Lord, my arm is healing. Thank you again for all your get well wishes and prayers, and all the comments, they brighten up my days. I think I've got my 'fiz' back!
 

xx

A delightful few days away.

We had to cancel our planned Italian holiday, so have been having days out and days away.

Last week we had three lovely days in Stratford Upon Avon.  

Our hotel was just five minutes stroll to the town.

We stopped each morning on the little bridge to watch barges going through the locks on the way to have breakfast at Carlucci's,

an Italian café that over looked the river.

In the sun sitting outside, we could have been in Italy!

When we lived in Coventry we visited Stratford quite often and it still holds its charm for us.

Lots of visitors there all visiting Shakespeare's house.

It always looked pretty with the pelargoniums; the floral displays were beautiful throughout the town. We mooched around, stopped at a cafés, drank lots of coffee, ate lemon cheese cake and scoffed a bag of fudge, did some shopping and bought a winter jacket each. All in all we did what we liked and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The sun shone and it was warm, even though it poured with rain as we drove there, by the time we arrived the rain and black clouds had gone. I said probably because we had forgotten our sun glasses and I had bought a mac!!

 It was nice to get away. and what I needed because  I saw a specialist on the Wednesday before we went and the news on my arm was not good. My bone has not healed, and he said it might never heal.

The brace was taken off and a new one put on.  I am to start ultra sound treatment on my arm, he advised multi-vitamins and calcium tabs. I really don't need them, as we eat a very healthy diet and I drink at least half pint of milk and eat two yogurts daily, but I have bought them and am taking them. Anything to get back to normal.

On Tuesday it will be September 1st, our first day of Autumn, I feel I have missed the whole of summer with this arm!

XX

 

Gifted Gorgeousness ( Sorry ....A day late!)

Ingrid gifted this chart to me a couple of months ago and  a lovely stitched pin keep, which said 'Believe in yourself, Follow your heart.'

 

The chart is 'La foret Enchantee Printemps' by Tralala. Isn't it pretty, I loved it as soon as I saw it. It is going to be one of my blogaversary gifts. So watch this space, it will be to celebrate 7 years of blogging, which not only do I enjoy, but I love to read other very talented women's blogs.

The little I have stitched has taken me several days, but it is getting easier each time I try. It is now 19 weeks since I broke my arm, so I should hope it would get easier to use. I have a lot of people praying for me, so I know it will mend in God's planned time.

Thank you for all the good wishes, it does give me a lift to read all your comments.

Happy days!
 

 

Back on The PLAN !!

At last we have had some real rain, just what the garden needed. Thunder and lightening last evening and still raining this morning.

But the rain  had stopped by 9 and we had glorious sunshine.. I wore my cardi out and was sweating. When we got back from shopping DH went for his Dr app. and I was left filling the fridge and I  found mushrooms galore so......we had mushroom soup for lunch and it was delish. I hadn't made it before but  there were loads of recipes on line. I nearly fell at the first hurdle because I couldn't turn the key in the garage door to get an onion, so used a red one we had in the cupboard! I also couldn't chop it finely so just chunked it. It all whizzed up ok and I managed to cut small sprigs of thyme because I couldn't cut the woody stems. This broken arm stops me doing so much and my left hand  is hopeless with a knife or scissors. Anyway it was lush for our lunch.

 

We are also using up our tomatoes as they are all ripening fast, in this warm weather, so tonight we had a super pasta meal with roasted baby toms, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil. (recipe in the Waitrose mag. ) Perfect for my slimming world food plan, and this last week I lost 3 pounds!! At last I am back on plan and eating some delish meals and losing weight again since my Dr has upped my thyroxin dose which was suddenly too low. No wonder I was sleeping every time I sat down!

Happy days even with my useless right arm.

Trying to be frugal?

Last week I blog hopped and found some very interesting blogs of people that are trying and succeeding to live frugally. They made me think of how we shop.. we are the traditional shoppers, we do one weekly shop and in the same supermarket each week. But it has made me think of what we buy. We do buy the cheapest tinned tomatoes because we use them as a base for soup, curries and bolognaise sauce or whizzed for a passata, but for everything else we buy the brands we know and like. But we are savvy and don't always buy so called bargains until we have done a quick calculation,  to check if 2 small packets of the equivalent weight is cheaper than the 'bargain' larger size. Thank goodness for the mental maths lessons of our generation!

 I have always grown tomatoes and we have a veg patch where we grow salad crops,  beetroot, radish, carrots, chard, squash, courgette and runner beans. Then in pots and bags we grow potatoes, more carrots and more tomatoes. So we do have a lot of veg from our garden.

An early morning view of our small but productive patch.

A lunch of a ham and mushroom pastryless quiche (frittata) with our own veg.

And from one of the blogs, I hopped to a recipe site and made these rustic herby crackers, using chickpea flour (besan flour) and ground flaxseed and my own rosemary, sage and thyme chopped up finely. We had them for lunch with my own sweet Sungold tomatoes, picked from the plant and warm from the sun. Absolutely delish! The pate was from Mr Waitrose although we normally we would have my homemade salmon pate..

So probably not frugal but do you know, I felt as though I was 'saving' money because I never really thought about how much we grew in our modest sized garden.

Of course at the moment I am limited to what I can do one handed but I can still sow seeds and prick out seedlings so not totally useless!

Thank you for all your good wishes and comments on my Five on Friday.. and welcome to my three new followers; perhaps when I am back to normal I will write about what I can do with two working hands!

XX