At last most things have found a home in the kitchen. It took us all day. By 5.30pm we decided it was time to see about some food. It had been impossible to prepare anything earlier, so we decided to go down to our local village pub. Part of our thinking was just to get away from the remaining chaos.
The Fox was about to sit down, having got us a round of drinks & the menus, when, lo & behold, our friends Fran & Den arrived. They'd been to the Pub hoping to catch us. When they saw no car there, they decided to try elsewhere. They were pleased to have found us & joined us for a meal.
It was a real pleasure to see them. Now we feel we're properly home. Over the meal there was much laughter as we described our reluctance to throw away. I hoard empty jam jars, cream & marg tubs; the Fox is a terror with cardboard boxes. Nonetheless, we have managed to do some throwing out.
I've finally decided to throw out a cheeseboard - the Fox always regarded it more as a cricket bat - & a chunk of wood with a hollow gauged out for paper clips etc. They were given to us as wedding presents by a couple of children then aged 7 & 10 who I had looked after for the summer months previously. I was so touched that they had gone to all that effort to make these presents that, even though they were pretty ugly & useless I've kept hold of them. Now, nearly 34 years later, I'm left wondering why.
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Monday, 30 March 2009
Time for a tea break
Time for a break. I've been emptying boxes this morning. Slowly things are returning to the kitchen. It's beginning to be more possible to get around the house.
Needless to say, when I've decided this is the best place for the oils, for example, I can't find the box with the oils in. And yes, we do have a selections of oils & vinegars. The oils include not only the inevitable olive & veg, but also truffle, sesame, groundnut, chilli.... As for vinegars apart from the basic distilled & malt varieties, there's raspberry, rice wine, red wine, white wine, cider, sherry, tarragon, balsamic.... All to give that subtle difference of flavour, especially in salad dressings.
I'm telling myself the sooner we're all unpacked, the sooner the kitchen will seem like ours. The sooner, too, I can get to grips with the new equipment. I'm really looking forward to the place being straight & I can get back to cooking as normal.
In the meantime, it's time for a tea break before tackling yet more boxes.
Needless to say, when I've decided this is the best place for the oils, for example, I can't find the box with the oils in. And yes, we do have a selections of oils & vinegars. The oils include not only the inevitable olive & veg, but also truffle, sesame, groundnut, chilli.... As for vinegars apart from the basic distilled & malt varieties, there's raspberry, rice wine, red wine, white wine, cider, sherry, tarragon, balsamic.... All to give that subtle difference of flavour, especially in salad dressings.
I'm telling myself the sooner we're all unpacked, the sooner the kitchen will seem like ours. The sooner, too, I can get to grips with the new equipment. I'm really looking forward to the place being straight & I can get back to cooking as normal.
In the meantime, it's time for a tea break before tackling yet more boxes.
Sunday, 29 March 2009
Written while away
While we were away I did indeed have a go at writing some blog entries. However, we couldn't get internet access to publish them. The following are what I wrote when away.
We’ve got away & are safely settled into our cottage haven. I hadn’t realised before how near it is to not only the canal but also the M6 motorway. I’m aware of a constant buzz of traffic in the background, but at least it is just in the background.
This marina development has only recently been built. Some of it is still being built – again not unduly noisy.
For a cottage for disabled people it is poorly equipped. The wooden floors are great but the rugs are an unnecessary obstacle. The main concession seems to be the fact there is a ground floor bedroom, but I certainly wouldn’t fancy trying to cook in a kitchen where there’s barely room to turn your wheelchair to face the cooker or the fridge/freezer on the opposite wall.
More concerning is the lack of grab bars in the bathroom. It is a strain getting up from a rather low toilet. I’m having to pull myself up with either the sink – not wise as it is possible to pull the sink away from the wall – or the door handle. I’m telling myself if I cause any damage it will make them realise the inadequacy of provision they’ve made for a wheelchair user. The shower is a flat walk-in one. However, there is a glass screen around most of it, making it impossible to get a wheelchair into the shower area. Also there are no grab bars & no seat. It looks very tight to put a plastic chair in. So, no shower for me for the duration. Still we’re only here for 4 nights so I should be able to manage with just a wash for that long. If not, I’ll just have to pop home. It’s only half an hour away.
We’re coming to the conclusion that this place is a triumph of design over practicality. In the kitchen, the toaster is placed almost directly under the fire alarm. You’ve guessed it. Long before the toast is brown, the fire alarm is bleeping madly!
Despite all the disadvantages of the place, it is reasonably peaceful & stress-free. We spent a couple of pleasant hours yesterday with our friends MK & Helen. They live just a few minutes away. We’re hoping to pop in for at least a few minutes each day while we’re here. If the weather holds us, we may even try to get MK out to the pub here for a change of scene & maybe even for a meal with us.
Today is bright & sunny at the moment so we’re hoping to go to Kendal for a change & have a look at a lighting shop – we can’t entirely forget the kitchen at home! We also fancied having a look at the bookshop to see if we can find something on microwave cooking. We’ll be getting a microwave for the first time in our new kitchen, so feel we ought to give it a trial for proper cooking & not just for re-warming ready cooked meals or quick thawing of food from the freezer.
Having carefully tiptoed out of the bedroom in my bare feet so as not to disturb the Fox, I decide to have some toast for breakfast. I carefully move the toaster to the far end of the tiny kitchen so it wouldn’t be under the fire alarm. I think I’m doing well. The toast is turning golden brown. Then the bleeps begin. Piercingly they reverberate around the cottage. So much for not disturbing the Fox.I hastily try to silence the thing. All quiet, I settle to eating the toast & having some tea, when the alarm starts bleeping again!
Today I shall get something to have for breakfast that can be had cold – some cereals for a change maybe, after all we are on holiday of a sort.
In the end we decide to pop over to Kirkby Lonsdale. When we were first married & lived next to the Leighton Moss bird sanctuary, we used to visit often. But now it has been several years since our last trip. We seem to remember it was in 2000 when we took a French visitor over. Time to see how it had changed we thought.
The first thing that struck us is the beauty of the scenery around. From our first home, we passed along this same route to Kirkby Lonsdale. It takes you along a country road, passed fields at present filled with baby lambs & their mothers. From the road you can get fabulous views of Ingleborough & Penn-y-Ghent, Pennine hills both. Our second home was at Arnside just a little further north, over the border into Cumbria. The route from there to Kirkby took you along the busy A65 into Yorkshire, in between the hills which blocked much of the views.
Kirkby is built in the local golden sandstone. It’s a pretty village built near the River Lune. Indeed it’s famous for Ruskin’s view, supposedly the most beautiful view in England. We didn’t bother going to the view. It’s not the easiest placed to go to in a wheelchair, with a steep slope & a flight of steps to it.
It’s an old village. Since we were last there, many of the ancient ginnels & back yards have been opened up. Shops & cafés hide down them. In many ways it is a pretty village, but I’m also struck by the fact that most of the shops are geared towards the tourist. The practical shops seem to have largely gone. There still remains a butcher, a chemist & a small Spar. A cheese shop & fancy baker have arrived, but the greengrocer, the Coop, the ironmonger, all have disappeared. Instead there seems to be an infinite variety of gift shops & eateries. It sadly seems so typical of so many picturesque villages in this country.
In the past Kirkby was full of pubs but these days many seem to have closed, be for sale or changed purpose. All this makes it a place of interest to look around if you like looking round antique shops, expensive clothes shops or are seeking some novelty for a present but not very practical for residents beyond the fact they provide employment.
The one new addition is a Booth’s supermarket on the outskirts of the village. Booth’s, a Preston based chain, tends to be a bit pricey but they do carry a wondrous range of foods. This is the supermarket for your delicacies. The shop in Kirkby is no exception. The fresh fish stall is gleaming with fish. The fresh meat is stocked mainly with local fare. Bread too is mainly from a local bakery. If you fancy trying the local damson beer Booth’s is the place to go. I’ve always thought, if ever I became rich, & there was a local largish Booth’s nearby, then that would be where I would shop. They’re always such friendly shops, stocked with some exciting products as well as the more everyday items you require. Unfortunately our nearest reasonable sized Booth’s is several miles away from our present home. So I continue going to Morrison’s most of the time.
-----------------------------------------------------
Written on Tuesday
Written on Tuesday
We’ve got away & are safely settled into our cottage haven. I hadn’t realised before how near it is to not only the canal but also the M6 motorway. I’m aware of a constant buzz of traffic in the background, but at least it is just in the background.
This marina development has only recently been built. Some of it is still being built – again not unduly noisy.
For a cottage for disabled people it is poorly equipped. The wooden floors are great but the rugs are an unnecessary obstacle. The main concession seems to be the fact there is a ground floor bedroom, but I certainly wouldn’t fancy trying to cook in a kitchen where there’s barely room to turn your wheelchair to face the cooker or the fridge/freezer on the opposite wall.
More concerning is the lack of grab bars in the bathroom. It is a strain getting up from a rather low toilet. I’m having to pull myself up with either the sink – not wise as it is possible to pull the sink away from the wall – or the door handle. I’m telling myself if I cause any damage it will make them realise the inadequacy of provision they’ve made for a wheelchair user. The shower is a flat walk-in one. However, there is a glass screen around most of it, making it impossible to get a wheelchair into the shower area. Also there are no grab bars & no seat. It looks very tight to put a plastic chair in. So, no shower for me for the duration. Still we’re only here for 4 nights so I should be able to manage with just a wash for that long. If not, I’ll just have to pop home. It’s only half an hour away.
We’re coming to the conclusion that this place is a triumph of design over practicality. In the kitchen, the toaster is placed almost directly under the fire alarm. You’ve guessed it. Long before the toast is brown, the fire alarm is bleeping madly!
Despite all the disadvantages of the place, it is reasonably peaceful & stress-free. We spent a couple of pleasant hours yesterday with our friends MK & Helen. They live just a few minutes away. We’re hoping to pop in for at least a few minutes each day while we’re here. If the weather holds us, we may even try to get MK out to the pub here for a change of scene & maybe even for a meal with us.
Today is bright & sunny at the moment so we’re hoping to go to Kendal for a change & have a look at a lighting shop – we can’t entirely forget the kitchen at home! We also fancied having a look at the bookshop to see if we can find something on microwave cooking. We’ll be getting a microwave for the first time in our new kitchen, so feel we ought to give it a trial for proper cooking & not just for re-warming ready cooked meals or quick thawing of food from the freezer.
---------------------------------------
Written on Wednesday
Having carefully tiptoed out of the bedroom in my bare feet so as not to disturb the Fox, I decide to have some toast for breakfast. I carefully move the toaster to the far end of the tiny kitchen so it wouldn’t be under the fire alarm. I think I’m doing well. The toast is turning golden brown. Then the bleeps begin. Piercingly they reverberate around the cottage. So much for not disturbing the Fox.I hastily try to silence the thing. All quiet, I settle to eating the toast & having some tea, when the alarm starts bleeping again!
Today I shall get something to have for breakfast that can be had cold – some cereals for a change maybe, after all we are on holiday of a sort.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Written on Thursday
In the end we decide to pop over to Kirkby Lonsdale. When we were first married & lived next to the Leighton Moss bird sanctuary, we used to visit often. But now it has been several years since our last trip. We seem to remember it was in 2000 when we took a French visitor over. Time to see how it had changed we thought.
The first thing that struck us is the beauty of the scenery around. From our first home, we passed along this same route to Kirkby Lonsdale. It takes you along a country road, passed fields at present filled with baby lambs & their mothers. From the road you can get fabulous views of Ingleborough & Penn-y-Ghent, Pennine hills both. Our second home was at Arnside just a little further north, over the border into Cumbria. The route from there to Kirkby took you along the busy A65 into Yorkshire, in between the hills which blocked much of the views.
Kirkby is built in the local golden sandstone. It’s a pretty village built near the River Lune. Indeed it’s famous for Ruskin’s view, supposedly the most beautiful view in England. We didn’t bother going to the view. It’s not the easiest placed to go to in a wheelchair, with a steep slope & a flight of steps to it.
It’s an old village. Since we were last there, many of the ancient ginnels & back yards have been opened up. Shops & cafés hide down them. In many ways it is a pretty village, but I’m also struck by the fact that most of the shops are geared towards the tourist. The practical shops seem to have largely gone. There still remains a butcher, a chemist & a small Spar. A cheese shop & fancy baker have arrived, but the greengrocer, the Coop, the ironmonger, all have disappeared. Instead there seems to be an infinite variety of gift shops & eateries. It sadly seems so typical of so many picturesque villages in this country.
In the past Kirkby was full of pubs but these days many seem to have closed, be for sale or changed purpose. All this makes it a place of interest to look around if you like looking round antique shops, expensive clothes shops or are seeking some novelty for a present but not very practical for residents beyond the fact they provide employment.
The one new addition is a Booth’s supermarket on the outskirts of the village. Booth’s, a Preston based chain, tends to be a bit pricey but they do carry a wondrous range of foods. This is the supermarket for your delicacies. The shop in Kirkby is no exception. The fresh fish stall is gleaming with fish. The fresh meat is stocked mainly with local fare. Bread too is mainly from a local bakery. If you fancy trying the local damson beer Booth’s is the place to go. I’ve always thought, if ever I became rich, & there was a local largish Booth’s nearby, then that would be where I would shop. They’re always such friendly shops, stocked with some exciting products as well as the more everyday items you require. Unfortunately our nearest reasonable sized Booth’s is several miles away from our present home. So I continue going to Morrison’s most of the time.
Home again - with a new kitchen
They finally finish the kitchen mid-afternoon. We then start the melancholy job of emptying all the banana boxes & deciding where to put what. I'm surprised by how depressing I find this. It's partially that by mid-afternoon I'm tired, too tired really to get down to such a demanding job. There's quite a bit of thinking involved, deciding the best place for pans as opposed to food, the most convenient for a well functioning kitchen. I suppose, too, it is partly that I had hoped to cook once more, to christen the new kitchen. There's no hope of that. We end up at our local pub. My morale is much restored by a tasty coq au vin, with loads of mushrooms in the red wine sauce.
The clutter is the first thing to greet me in the morning. I had thought I'd get to church this morning, it being sunny, but I'm up late. I just had to take some sleeping pills last night - I just couldn't stop thinking about what to put where - with the result I was late up today.
During the night I discover the Fox has managed to empty a few more boxes. Nearly all the glassware is out. I note the odd breakage but that's inevitable.
I had told myself today I wouldn't do much in the kitchen. We'd found the essentials of cutlery, crockery & spuds yesterday. Nonetheless I find I keep having the urge to re-arrange this or that.
But it is with some satisfaction that I manage to sit down & get some potatoes peeled. I shall do my usual Sunday chores of bed-changing & sorting out the washing. The Fox will, no doubt, be doing a bit more unpacking. The one thing we are determined on is eating at home. It will only be something simple, if for no other reason than the fact we haven't got as far as unpacking the boxes of food, all the tins, bottles & jars. Still, I remember we have a pie in the freezer. Carrots went with us to the cottage & returned uneaten, so we'll have them. Above all, it will be cooked & eaten in the peace of our own home once more. And since we've found the glasses we can even have a bottle of wine too.
Oh, by the way, we are pleased with the new kitchen. It looks great - all the more so after the dark impractical one we had at the cottage. Unfortunately they do make the rest of the room look a mess. Luckily while we were away, we think we've come to a decision about the lighting so that can be sorted promptly. The next decision will be the decorating &, in the meanwhile, we're having to walk around on bare floorboards, partially covered with loose carpet tiles. It had never occurred to me that the tiles couldn't just go back where they were until we had got around to deciding on the new floor-covering. It gives the room a vaguely camped in feeling. But at least the units are in, & look great. That should be the worst phase of the job done. The rest we can take our time over.
And it's certainly to great to be home again!
The clutter is the first thing to greet me in the morning. I had thought I'd get to church this morning, it being sunny, but I'm up late. I just had to take some sleeping pills last night - I just couldn't stop thinking about what to put where - with the result I was late up today.
During the night I discover the Fox has managed to empty a few more boxes. Nearly all the glassware is out. I note the odd breakage but that's inevitable.
I had told myself today I wouldn't do much in the kitchen. We'd found the essentials of cutlery, crockery & spuds yesterday. Nonetheless I find I keep having the urge to re-arrange this or that.
But it is with some satisfaction that I manage to sit down & get some potatoes peeled. I shall do my usual Sunday chores of bed-changing & sorting out the washing. The Fox will, no doubt, be doing a bit more unpacking. The one thing we are determined on is eating at home. It will only be something simple, if for no other reason than the fact we haven't got as far as unpacking the boxes of food, all the tins, bottles & jars. Still, I remember we have a pie in the freezer. Carrots went with us to the cottage & returned uneaten, so we'll have them. Above all, it will be cooked & eaten in the peace of our own home once more. And since we've found the glasses we can even have a bottle of wine too.
Oh, by the way, we are pleased with the new kitchen. It looks great - all the more so after the dark impractical one we had at the cottage. Unfortunately they do make the rest of the room look a mess. Luckily while we were away, we think we've come to a decision about the lighting so that can be sorted promptly. The next decision will be the decorating &, in the meanwhile, we're having to walk around on bare floorboards, partially covered with loose carpet tiles. It had never occurred to me that the tiles couldn't just go back where they were until we had got around to deciding on the new floor-covering. It gives the room a vaguely camped in feeling. But at least the units are in, & look great. That should be the worst phase of the job done. The rest we can take our time over.
And it's certainly to great to be home again!
Sunday, 22 March 2009
Nearly ready
We're nearly all packed up. I contemplated going to church today but decided it was probably wiser to stay at home. It will be a tiring afternoon packing the last few things away. Tomorrow will be an early start. The kitchen people are due between 8 & 10am, so we'll have had to be up, breakfasted & tidied by 8. Then I'll have to pack a few clothes for our trip away. We'll be taking our laptop so I should have chance to write my blog, but whether it will get published immediately is a different question. I'm not sure if we'll be able to get Internet connection where we're staying, so this might be my last few words for a while. It's finally happening. Our new kitchen is on its way. Now we just hope it all goes smoothly. After our debacles over the bedroom & the driveway, we're anxious some problem will arise. Here's hoping that won't be the case this time.
Saturday, 21 March 2009
All golden
In the end, I've made some chicken croquettes for this evening. They're breadcrumbed ready to fry up this evening. Nice & easy. And we'll have some of those carrots to accompany them. Tomorrow will be stir fry day with loads of peppers & a carrot perhaps.
The sun of late has really brought out the daffodils. They seem to be everywhere, even growing in the trees - some prankster, no doubt. The small ones seem very popular in gardens around here. Mainly, we gather, because the strong gales off the sea usually flattens the taller ones. This year seems to have been surprisingly quiet, windwise. And that explains the banks of tall ones in every hedgerow & along the streets.
I gather the weather is due to change to wet on Monday, just in time for our few days away. Isn't that the way?
The sun of late has really brought out the daffodils. They seem to be everywhere, even growing in the trees - some prankster, no doubt. The small ones seem very popular in gardens around here. Mainly, we gather, because the strong gales off the sea usually flattens the taller ones. This year seems to have been surprisingly quiet, windwise. And that explains the banks of tall ones in every hedgerow & along the streets.
I gather the weather is due to change to wet on Monday, just in time for our few days away. Isn't that the way?
Friday, 20 March 2009
Distracted
I'm supposed to be deciding what to cook tomorrow, but somehow I just can't get my mind around the matter. I'm too full of thoughts about what yet has to be done before we go away, & a certain excitement about being away. I can't help feeling that it's more important to get things in boxes rather than worrying about what we eat. We can always just get a ready meal out of the freezer. We've still got plenty of peppers & carrots to use up. I can see they'll be going off to Borwick with us.
Today, at least, I know what I'm doing. I'm half way through making a chicken & vegetable pie, just waiting for the filling to cool & the pastry to thaw.
The only food left in the cupboards is very basic - some chicken stock cubes (for today's gravy), seasoning, veg & olive oil, a few tiny bottles of colouring, some odd spices like apple pie spice & that's about it. I suppose I could do another chicken meal. There's plenty of cooked chicken in the freezer. Or maybe it's time for something like a Spanish omelette with some peppers thrown in the egg mix. I'm just too distracted to give the matter serious thought.
Today, at least, I know what I'm doing. I'm half way through making a chicken & vegetable pie, just waiting for the filling to cool & the pastry to thaw.
The only food left in the cupboards is very basic - some chicken stock cubes (for today's gravy), seasoning, veg & olive oil, a few tiny bottles of colouring, some odd spices like apple pie spice & that's about it. I suppose I could do another chicken meal. There's plenty of cooked chicken in the freezer. Or maybe it's time for something like a Spanish omelette with some peppers thrown in the egg mix. I'm just too distracted to give the matter serious thought.
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