Friday
I had a relatively quiet day yesterday. I didn't feel too good and all I really wanted to do was sleep. I don't think it was anything to do with Covid and was much more likely due to the combination of a poor night's sleep and the dreaded hay fever - the symptoms of hay fever are very similar to those of Covid once you've had both doses of the vaccine. I had a nap in the afternoon and slept well last night so am feeling much brighter today.
I've put the sewing on hold until my dressmaking shears are returned. I don't have any choice really as I don't have any other scissors suitable for the task and I don't want to replace the shears, so I sent out a request ultimatum to the likely candidates and waited ... the culprit confessed and will get them sharpened before returning them to me. Instead I spent a pleasant morning pottering in the garden, deadheading, sweeping the patio, and sitting in the sunshine. It was a glorious day.
The Indian cookery class was fun and I will try the recipe on Saturday. I'm missing two of the spices but she said they were optional so, as I have everything else, I will have a go at making the Tadka Dal. It looks like a very easy and quick recipe, so a useful addition to my growing repertoire of spicy meals.
M will be here this morning. I'll leave the side gate open and stay indoors out of her way. There isn't much to do this time, just the salvia to go in the centre bed, and the marguerites to go in pots. There are also four perennial nemesia which I bought to go in the centre bed but am now thinking I'd prefer them to be in pots so will see what M thinks is best. There's some weeding needs doing, and one of the pots of cosmos seems to contain an ant's nest so that will have to be sorted.
It's the nutrition focus this afternoon when we're discussing sleep, which is the one I missed, and that's about it for today. Once that has finished I'll keep my mind occupied by chopping and changing between reading and carrying on with the family tree. The complete lack of mindless TV watching has already made a big difference to how I feel and how much enjoyment I get from the things I've chosen to do. Already it is clear that I haven't lost my reading mojo at all and, with no distractions or half hearted concentration, have read two books this week and started on a third.
I'm glad you're feeling better and enjoying your time in the garden. It's good that M is able to come and do those jobs for you. Ants are a curse. Us and our next door neighbour have them in our gardens although thankfully they aren't coming into our conservatory like they did last year. I bought a couple of ant traps which seem to have done the job of getting rid of them. I hope your sewing shears are returned soon so you can get on with making your skirt.
ReplyDeleteM's just left so it'll all good for another two weeks, with just my amateur attempts at care in the meantime! Ant powder has been used as the first attempt at clearing them and luckily they aren't coming in the house.
DeleteThe shears will be back over the weekend so I'm looking at the sewing as something for next week, although I do want to get out of the house as much as possible once the self isolation period finishes on Sunday so I'm not quite sure when I will fit it in!
Ants are certainly a problem in my garden/house this year. Both the big black ones & the tiny little black ones. Thankfully putting a vinegar soaked cloth across the door step has rid them in the house - a nice cheap safe remedy. Oh lending scissors out a crafters worst nightmare (lol). I have a pair of specialist crafting scissors that I keep under lock & key, should someone just think they are perfect, close at hand, to use. I hope that hay fever improves/goes soon. Happy Weekend.
ReplyDeleteI've never really had any problems with ant here, so this is a first.
DeleteI don't usually loan scissors but she obviously caught me in a weak moment and of course, I haven't seen her in person since the first lockdown so she hasn't had the opportunity to return them before.
I feel fine today. A good night's sleep helped and the hayfever isn't a bad today. This more severe bout be gone in a couple of weeks and then I'll just be left with the occasional sniffle for the rest of the season. Hope you have a good weekend too.
I'm very glad M was happy to come with a few precautions.
ReplyDeleteWhat a good idea about vinegar and ants - thanks, Patio Postcards.
xx
She was here for about an hour and I stayed in the house the entire time, communicating via the French door with me inside and her standing half way down the garden! She is a bad influence as she's seen some healthy phlox plants which she's encouraged me to try - she'll buy them and bring them next time if there are any left. She also mention the different types of cyclamen for me to research, so that's my homework!
DeleteGlad to read that you've felt better, today, and M was able to do what was needed in the garden. Glad, too, that your sewing shears will be returned to you, sharpened, so you can get started on your skirt. I hope you enjoy the tempered dal when you make it this weekend. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Bless. I've caught up with my sleep so feel more able to cope with all the hay fever symptoms. It never stays this bad for long so I am luckier than a lot of people I know. I'm relieved that I know where the shears are as they are not cheap to buy and I'll soon have them back.
DeleteThe dal looked lovely but the end product was a lot different to what I was expecting. I always think of a dal as being a fairly thick saucy dish but hers was very runny and soup-like. She did say that it's the comment she gets from most of her students as the British expectation for a dal is for it to be more on the thick side. She did explain how to correct the consistency for our own preferences though. I think I'll try for something in between, so not as runny as hers but not as thick as I've had before.