Friday 29 March 2024
Cross Purpose
Thursday 28 March 2024
A Shedload* Of Fun!
Has anyone else got one in their town,
or belongs to one themselves / has a spouse who is a 'shedder' ?
Many sheds have a women's contingent now as well.
From "The Shed" ... Michael and Gwen are looking for the placemats Gwen's mother bought them for Christmas.
'Quick,' says Gwen. 'She will be here in twenty minutes!'
'I bet we hid them in here,' says Michael, closing himself inside the quiet shed.
Michael says he will not give up looking for the mats in the shed, even if it takes him all day.'
Wednesday 27 March 2024
Janome Joys!
Five weeks ago, just before holiday club started, I took myself off to Norwich and ordered a new sewing machine. It is a Janome 5270 QDC. QDC stands for Quilting, Decor, Couture - it is a designed to be an "all-round" machine, for people who make Quilts, Curtains, Clothes etc.
- The scissor switch- which cuts threads very neatly as you finish a piece
- The lock-stitch switch, which does that little forward-backward-forward dance automatically at the beginning and end of a lionbe of stitching
- The Knee Lifter - a lever which attaches to the front of the machine, and when I'm manoeuvring round corners or curves, this allows me to do it with both hands, because I can raise the presser foot by nudging the lever with my knee.
- The automatic needle threader.
- The easy digital stitch selector panel
- The option of operating with a foot pedal or a stop start switch
- The clear LED display
- PLUS
- The 'quilters' box' containing a Walking Foot and other aids
- The extension table for spreading the weight of larger projects
Tuesday 26 March 2024
Gird Up Your Loins
That phrase means prepare for action by tucking up flapping robes into your belt/girdle . My action here is cooking - I prepare by putting on an apron. I'm a very enthusiastic, messy, splashy sort of cook
Here's Miguel Barclay's Pork Stroganoff from his "£1 Meals" which I reviewed recently. Sorry, we ate ours before I took the picture, this is from the book! It was delicious, I will definitely serve it again. It was easy to multiply up the quantities for two people.
- ½ mug of brown rice
- 1 mug of water
- ¼ onion, peeled and diced
- Olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced
- 1 pork loin chop (about 100g/ 3½oz), cut into strips
- Salt and pepper
- A handful of mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tsp paprika
- 100 ml (3½fl oz) single cream
- A handful of spinach
While the rice is cooking, gently pan-fry the diced onion in a splash of olive oil over a medium heat. After 3 minutes, add the garlic then the strips of pork. Season and continue to cook for a few minutes.
When the pork is starting to brown, add the mushrooms and paprika then continue to fry until the pork is cooked through.
To finish the dish, add the cream and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens slightly, then stir in the spinach and, once it has wilted, serve with rice.
Monday 25 March 2024
A Difficult Day
Sunday 24 March 2024
Not Simply "Palm Sunday Christians"
Shout and cheer, Daughter Zion!
Raise your voice, Daughter Jerusalem!
Your king is coming!
a good king who makes all things right,
a humble king riding a donkey,
a mere colt of a donkey.
I’ve had it with war—no more chariots in Ephraim,
no more war horses in Jerusalem,
no more swords and spears, bows and arrows.
He will offer peace to the nations,
a peaceful rule worldwide,
from the four winds to the seven seas.
"I wonder if Jesus knew. as he looked at their demonstration of support and loyalty, that when the going got rough, they would turn and run? Our response today is to pray, not for human strength, but for the strength that comes from God; that through his strength we can learn to love him even when the going's rough; that we won't be simply 'Palm Sunday Christians' seeking all the comfortable aspects of religion Instead let us ...learn how to follow Jesus, imitating his humble submission to the Father in all the circumstances of our lives. Above all, let us learn to recognise Jesus not only in praise and worship, but also in the midst of our difficulties, sorrows, or frustrations; so many times in such circumstances, we tend to close the door on him, forgetting that the resurrection happened in the midst of chaos and confusion. Let us pray for grace to allow the Man of Sorrows to enter in and share all our sorrows....See now, your King comes to you.He is triumphant, he is victorious.
Paul writes to Timothy and urges him to pray for those in authority, kings etc [1 Tim 2:1-3] So it is right for me to pray for Catherine, Princess of Wales right now [and her family]
In her message on Friday, Kate said: “At this time, I am also thinking
of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer. For everyone facing this
disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not
alone.” Amen to that thought.
Saturday 23 March 2024
Sitting Pretty
Last summer I did a refurb on my 1960's bedroom chair I painted the wood a rich blue, and recovered the seat in glorious IKEA print [50p from a village yard sale] We also have four folding chairs [Habitat 1980] When we first got Cornerstones, I made cushion pads for them using Laura Ashley curtain fabric.