Handy little containers.

Here is an idea you might like to copy. I get through quite a lot of 'So Good', soya milk, and it seems a shame to throw away the cartons. Our council does not collect these tetra packs, if we want to recycle them we have to take them to the collection point which is five miles away. As I very rarely go there I do not want to have them lying around for that long.

Once washed they can become handy little containers for small items. I cut these down to three inches tall, and as you can see, twelve of them fit nicely inside the lid of a box. You could make them any height you like, and if you have a bigger box you could put more of them in, maybe 15 or 2o or more. If you had a hobby that you needed to store lots of small parts you could cut them to fit inside a drawer.

I'm not sure what to put in these yet, I was thinking of sorting out my nails and screws as they are all mixed up in a big tin, it takes me ages to find the ones I want. Or I might put my buttons in them. There must be loads of ideas you could use them for.

My free greenhouse

Yippeeee, I have been given a greenhouse. It's new to me because I have never had one before, but it's second hand, from the people up the road. They have moved to a new house which already has a greenhouse, and the lady moving into theirs doesn't want it, so they asked me if I would like it. How thoughtfull, yes thank you very much.

The husband has very kindly dismantled it for me, and delivered it, all free of charge. So this is my new challenge, sort all the bits out, clean it up, and put it back together again. Now where do I start? I think it's going to be a two person job so I will have to find a willing helper.

That's my lunch break over, back outside again to finish my hedge trimming, it's a lovely day, too nice to be in.

No cooking till Tuesday

I'm not getting much sewing done at the moment, too busy outside while the weather is still ok. Today I walked to town and back, it's about 4.5 miles each way. I can use footpaths across the fields for part of it, but have to put up with cars whizzing by along the road, for the rest.

I had a browse round the charity shops but nothing took my fancy. I am always on the look out for some sturdy outdoor walking shoes, as I like to have a choice of what to wear, according to the conditions I am tramping through.

I picked up some pumpkin seeds and flax seeds from the health food shop, then went to the library. Had a read of the newspapers, half an hour on the computer, and borrowed a couple of books.

On the way home across the fields, I met a woman coming the other way and stopped to have a chat. It was a coincidence that she was doing virtually the same walk as me, only the opposite way round. Funny how these things happen. We agreed we were both walking because we love the outdoors. I could have easily got the bus but I really enjoy the physical excercise, knowing that each step is doing me good.

When I got home I made a big pan of veggie stew, there's enough for three days, so I wont have to bother cooking untill Tuesday.

A lot to remember !

I thought I was going to get my hot water fixed today, two young men arrived this morning, they said they had come to change the gas pipe from the meter to the boiler, which was the wrong diameter. Ten minutes later one of them said he had forgotten something and drove off in the van and left the other one to make a start on the job.

He came back. Half an hour later they said they had forgotten to bring a gas bottle for the blowtorch, and they had to go back to the depot to get one. They both went off in the van.

Forty minutes later they came back. Have I got a key to open the gas meter box? They had forgotten theirs. Have I got a cloth to wipe up with? Have I got some washup liquid? Have I got a pen? Goodness gracious, it's a wonder they remembered to bring themselves !

Three and a half hours later they had finished the simple job. I said what about no water coming out of the hot taps? He said, 'We'll tell the woman in the office when we get back.'

I told the woman in the office, yesterday, that's why she sent someone round today. A fat lot of use they were. Wonder if I will ever get my free Warm Front central heating and hot water to work !

The wanderer returns

Hiya, I'm back, I do love my short de stressing breaks, not that I have much stress in my life anyway :-) My journey was M181, M180 westbound, M18 north, M62 west, exit junction 24 towards Halifax, A646 through Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd towards Todmorden, then turn off for Mankinholes.

I arrived at the hostel at 1pm, I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. After crawling along narrow lanes worried about meeting something coming the opposite way, and having to shunt around a particularly tight right hand turn, there was the entrance. A narrow rough track, should I drive into it, or park and have a look first, remembering my days of driving a lorry into a yard and finding myself unable to get back out again. I took a chance and inched my way between two massive stone pillars that were once gate posts, relief as it opened out into a small car park.

No sign of anyone as this hostel is run by volunteers and the opening time is 5pm. I grabbed a bite to eat from my pack up, and put my boots on. Armed with my map I headed off towards a tall monument on the top of a hill, which looked not too far away. This area is riddled with footpaths, the Pennine Way, the Pennine Bridleway, and the Calderdale way, and hundreds of others. The climb became very steep and I had to have a breather a couple of times. As I sat on a rock a little boy appeared from nowhere, and started chattering merrily away to me. I was just about to ask who he was with, when the rest of the family turned up. Grandma and Grandad, Mum with a little girl, and Dad carrying a small boy. It was nice to see the whole family enjoying themselves. When I reached the top the views were wonderful, well worth the effort. This is Stoodley Pike, it stands at 121 feet tall and was first built in 1814, it collapsed in 1854 after a lightening strike and was rebuilt.

This is what I am looking at, heaven.....
From here I went down the other side, a very difficult walk over boggy ground with no obvious signs of a footpath. It was a matter of looking into the distance and heading for what looked like a stile or a marker post. I reached Withens Clough Reservoir and skirted round the edge of it before returning to the Hostel.

The next day I was up bright and early to get the bus to Todmorden and the train to Manchester. I must say the Northern Rail service was excellent, a clean train, running every half hour, and a reasonably priced day return ticket. I had a bit of time to kill in Manchester so I had a ride on the huge Observation Wheel. It's a bit like a smaller version of the London Eye, only it went a bit faster, a good panoramic view of the city. The pods had smoked glass so I was afraid the photo's wouldn't come out very well.

Pity the Cathedral is undergoing renovation and is half covered with plastic sheeting.

I also had time to have a peek inside the Town Hall, a stunning building.
View of the clock tower taken from inside the building.
Now it was time to head off for Granada Television Studios, and join the throng waiting to sit in on the recording of a new game show called Heads or Tails, hosted by Justin Lee Collins. There were about a dozen people in front of me, I did wonder at one stage what on earth I was doing there, for a start I hate waiting for anything, especially in a queue. I took a photo of the rather sad and neglected looking gateway which might have been the main entrance at one time. Now it is rather shabby and blocked off.

At 1.30pm a young lady came out and checked our names and issued us with wrist bands. We were escorted in and went through the usual security checks, handbag search and metal detector. We were then herded into a room next to the Rovers Return, a replica of the famous pub, not where they do the filming, then we were led into the studios, passing the Countdown clock in the props department.

I got a seat on the second row, and once we were all sitting the warm up people came out and whipped us all up into a frenzy! No not quite that bad, we were given instructions when to clap, cheer, shout, and jump up and down with glee. They recorded all this activity at the start, and then they add it all in afterwards.

Justin Lee Collins appeared next and everyone applauded. I couldn't stop giggling, I thought he was a big chunky guy, what a surprise to see a not very tall, rather weedy frame dressed in a baggy suit. The show got underway, the contestant was a young lady called China, who works in a circus. I couldn't understand how the game worked, other than you could win one million pounds if you correctly guessed heads ot tails all the way through. Maths has never been my strong subject.

It dragged on and on and on. Stopping and starting, surprise guests, lots of banter, I could have happily left halfway through it. Eventually the end was in sight, building up to the grand nail biting finish, would she gamble the £10,000 that she had won, and try for the million. She asked us what should she do, we all shouted. It makes for good television if someone goes for the make or break death. We waited for her answer, 'I will take the ten grand thankyou very much.' A huge sigh from me, and a sort of half hearted cheer from the audience, yay, we can all go home now. Bye the way it will be on Channel Five, not sure when.

Back at the hostel I found I was not the only one staying the night, a man turned up who actually works for the YHA, he had come to do a health and safety inspection. We got chatting he was an experienced walker and very knowledgeable about maps, he gave me a quick map reading lesson. He also had two lurcher dogs in his van, which he had trained for mountain rescue, they were lovely animals. It was nice to have a bit of company.

The next day I was up early again, eager to get a full days walking in before returning home. I picked my route and set off once more into the hills. It was very misty, and at one point it appeared to be getting heavier instead of lifting. I marched on through the swirling fog. Eventually visibility began to improve. I came down from the hills to walk along the Rochdale Canal for a while.

I shared my cheese sandwich with two black cats who lived next to the canal, and on the last leg of my walk I stopped to chat to a man who was repairing a drystone wall. You meet some interesting people when you holiday alone. I arrived back at the hostel at 5pm and said my goodbye's to the wardens, you never know I might bump into them somewhere else one day.

I feel a mini break coming on

Can you manage without me for a few days, I'm off tramping the hills of West Yorkshire. I have booked two nights in Mankinholes Youth Hostel near Todmorden. It's a 16th Century Grade 2 listed building in a picturesque conservation village on the edge of Calderdale, and only cost £10 per night. A bargain price.

I shall also be going to Granada Television Studios for the recording of a game show hosted by Justin Lee Collins, I mentioned it last weeek. I'll tell you all about it when I get back. Toodle Pip.

Now it's just a dribble !

I thought it was too good to be true, two days of gas contractors working in my house, and I have a fully functional central heating system....ermmm, not exactly. True, it was working and I had two wonderful baths out of it, but things seem to have come to a halt, the water has stopped flowing. Now it's just a dribble, .

I am now reluctant to switch it on because I suspect the tank maybe empty. It's not easy to tell with all that cladding on it, but it sounds like an empty tin when I give it a slap. So best err on the side of caution and leave it alone till someone comes to look at it.

Last week Warm Front sent an inspector to check out the work. Sharp intake of breath and a tut tut was heard from the vicinity of the airing cupboard. He called me over, 'See that meter there, they've put it on upside down, they will have to come back and put it right.'

Then he asked where the gas meter was, I directed him to the box outside, on the front of the house. Another sharp intake of breath. 'They've used the wrong diameter of copper pipe from the meter to the boiler, it should be bigger than that due to the distance between them. I'm afraid they will have to come back and change it.'

So now I have to wait for Bodgitt and Slapdash to return with their bag of tools. I suppose another few weeks won't make any difference, I've been without central heating for two years, I am well used to it.

Saving up for a new car

Do people accidentally drop money in the streets, have they got holes in their pockets, or do they deliberately throw it away? This morning I have yet again found a coin in the road, a shiny 20p piece caught my eye as it shimmered in the sun.

Now 20p might not be a good enough reason to go out and celebrate my good fortune, but at least I came back with more than I went out with, which can't be bad. If I can do that more often then I'm laughing, it all helps to balance the books.

I was listening to Ellen McArthur yesterday morning on Desert Island Discs, Radio 4. She told of the time when she was at school and wanted to buy a dinghy, and needed about £500. The clever girl worked out that if she only had potatoes and gravy for her school dinners, then she could pocket the rest of the money. All the pennies she saved were recorded on a chart, when she got to 100 she put it into a savings account. She reached the magical figure and got her boat. Now that's what I call enterprising. I will put my 20p towards a new car, which I will probably need in about 2 - 3 years time. :-)

Hidden under the stairs

I'm just back from the council dump, and guess what, it is closed, ggrrrr. I forgot about the new winter opening hours, should have checked first. Never mind, it gives me chance to sort out my shed and garden, no doubt there will be some more stuff to dump. I'll take it again tomorrow, good job it's only two miles away.

Look what I found under my stairs.....

A lovely big puffy cushion I made about 25 years ago. I thought I had thrown it out, I'm rather pleased I didn't. It measures 24 inches across, and I can remember painstakingly hand stitching every piece. The cover has a zip opening, and I made the cushion inside out of an old nylon bed sheet, remember those awful things! I cut the 61 hexagons from a couple of my dresses, again a crimplene/nylon type fabric that never creased and never needed ironing. The back is just one piece of plain dark blue. No great achievement when you think of how big a whole bed quilt is, but it's a big enough project for me to tackle.

Just chuck it !

I'm having an easy week this week, due to dog sitting duties, my friend Ben is lying by my side as I type. It's three walks a day, so I'm not able to venture very far.

Yesterday I very bravely entered my spare room, I have been putting off this moment for a couple of months, knowing what I would find on the other side of the door. Anything that doesn't have a designated place in the house, and isn't used very often, gets shoved in there. It's just got to be done, I thought, as I cautiously peered inside. A big sort out is needed.

I like to do this chore every couple of months or so, but you know what it's like, keep the door shut and forget about it, and a year later the clutter is horrendous. Pussycat Bugsy came in with me, hopeing for a game of hide and seek, he soon did a runner when I hauled a lot of the stuff out onto the landing and plugged the Dyson in.

The secret to sorting stuff out, or decluttering as I like to call it, is that you don't put it all back again, like my friend Rosie. Her house is a nightmare, it is packed to the rafters with stuff, and she keeps buying more. As a consequence her life is rather chaotic like her house. I couldn't be doing with having to search through mountains of stuff everytime you want something, I'm sure it was here somewhere, ;-0

Anyway today I feel a whole lot better, like a burden has been lifted off my shoulders. I have some stuff to take to the council dump. Why do I need to keep an electric blanket that could potentially burn my house down, or a padded headboard that hasn't been used for twenty years and probably never will again? I've got a couple of boxes of stuff for the charity shop. I don't need a magazine rack , I keep my copies of Psychologies on the dining room table to browse while I eat, and I don't need a waste bin in the bathroom, I take my rubbish downstairs and put it straight in the kitchen bin.

I have just been in my tidy spare room, there are still a few items I can give away. As time goes on and I haven't used something, why hang on to it, you can't take it with you. Out of sight out of mind, that's what I say.

Best ever bag

A couple of weeks ago I saw some patchwork bags in River Island which were rather nice, they gave me some ideas to make my own. I picked out some matching fabric samples from the pile I have been hoarding for many years, and cut them into three inch squares. I stitched these together with the machine to make two sides. I added a strip across the top of each one because I thought this would make it easier to sew the zip onto, I also added two strips on the inside cut from an old plastic tablecloth to act as a stiffener.

Next I made the handles with matching fabric, and stitched one onto each side. Then came the decoration, always best to sew it on now before you join them up. I cut three leaf shapes from some red upholstery fabric, and sealed the edges with clear nail varnish, then hand stitched them into place with a few buttons.

I rounded the bottom corners and sewed the two sides together. Next I sewed the zip into place, this came from a garment that I took apart. Finally I made the lining from a gold shiny blouse that I bought for 20p from a car boot sale. I hand sewed this into the bag neatly round the top. Everything fitted together perfectly, the right colour lining, right colour cotton, and a zip the right size. It is 12" x 11" and the handles are long enough to put them over your shoulder. I'm very pleased with it.

Extreme money saving tips

You may have read my money saving tips on the side --> I thought I would explain the logic in my thinking, in case you are wondering whether I have totally lost the plot. I know some of them are a bit bizarre, but believe me, they work.

My background is that I was brought up in a family with no money to spare, my mother was brilliant at making ends meet, and so I watched and learnt from her. In fact I probably go further than her when it comes to saving money in the kitchen. You have to keep in mind that I live by myself, so it is a lot easier to adopt a frugal lifestyle. Some of the things I do may not be readily accepted by other members of the family.

For instance, cooking a three day stew in a big pan and eating it out of the same pan. I cannot see the point of putting a portion onto a plate, eating it, then you have to wash the plate. It costs money to wash dishes, so don't dirty them. When I make a meal I use the minimum amount of pots and pans, so I don't have to pay for the water, then heat it, and buy lots of washup liquid.

Who says you have to wash the dishes after every meal anyway? It's not set in stone, it's just a habit. Why not put them on the side of the worktop for a few days, and when you need a pan or a plate, take one off the pile. When the pile gets too big or they get too dirty, then wash them. I have been known to lick my plate clean after a particularly delicious meal, shock horror. I don't want to waste any of it. Not very ladylike you may say, but there is no one here to see me, and the plate can be used again. Seems logical to me.

My meals are simple. I use very little oil, I hardly ever make sauces, and never fry anything. For example, you fry an egg, frying is bad for you, it spits oil all over the cooker, time, effort, and money to clean it. Why not boil it in a pan used just for this purpose, you don't need to wash the pan.

I never use the oven, it uses too much gas, and it takes too long to cook anything, and I hate cleaning ovens. Those who want roast meat should seriously think about becoming vegetarian, it's a healthy lifestyle and a lot cheaper. You wont die if you stop eating meat. Which brings me onto the next point, bulk up your food with oatbran, it's wonderful stuff. Put it into everything.

I never follow recipes, it's cheaper to make it up as you go. How many times have you bought ingredients for a special dish only to use half of them, and the other half sits in the cupboard for the next five years! When concocting a meal throw in anything you happen to have in your store cupboard. Only buy items for your cupboard that you know you will use within three months.

When you shop for food don't take a list unless you have a terrible memory. Buy your food on price, good value for money, and nutrition. Don't be a picky eater, buying what you fancy costs a lot more. I don't care what I eat as long as it is not meat, and it is good for me. Food is the fuel I need to keep my body in good condition. I miss out whole aisles at the supermarket, dont do cakes, biscuits, soft drinks, crisps, ready meals, confectionary, sugary spreads, ice cream, and puddings. I might spend some time studying prices and reading labels, but it makes shopping a lot easier if you limit the range of food you buy.

And the last money saving tip is, never ever throw food away. Eat everything you buy.

My winter tonic

I noticed a bush heavily laden with elderberries last week and after passing it several times whilst dog walking, I finally remembered to take a carrier bag and a pair of scissors with me.

After stripping the berries from the stalks, I boiled them up in two big pans, adding a small amount of sugar and a few drops of lemon juice. When cooled I put the mushed berries through a sieve.

The sesame seed oil bottles I had been saving came very in handy for bottling the juice, and the excess was frozen in ice cube trays. I shall be adding it to other drinks, as I find the taste a little strange. The main reason for me making this is because it is good for me, so as long as it is palatable that's fine. Hopefully it will give my immune system a bit of a boost as we head towards the season of colds and flu.

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The hovercraft is back

I was a bit more successful with the hovercraft photo's this morning. When I saw them on Wednesday they said they would be launching further along the river bank today, just down the hill in Burton upon Stather. I didn't know what time but I took a chance and went to have a look for them. Sure enough the orange blob was highly visible from a distance.

They were almost ready to launch, and in place of the young lady from Hull University, the passenger this time was a man who was going out to measure the contours of the waters edge. The pilot cut the engine for a few minutes to chat to me, and I cheekily asked if I could have a ride, not expecting a yes, but if you don't ask.......He said the regulations don't allow for passengers that are not part of the official business, all kinds of permits have to be applied for before any craft can go on the river. I discovered that the pilot is also the owner of the hovercraft, Dr James Thurlow, he gave me his card. The company is called intertidal, here is the website if you want to learn more.

http://www.intertidal.net/

I would love to be able to go on one of these, and even learn how to pilot one, but I feel my age is against me, I have missed the boat :-( I remember how excited I was when I learnt to drive a lorry, got my first job, and several years later worked for Leicester Heavy Haulage transporting abnormal loads, the buzz was fantastic. My work often involved massive cranes, something else I would have loved to learn. But there was three things against me, my age, I should have started lorry driving earlier, the fact that I was born female, not a problem for me but it was for other people, and the cost of the training. Never mind, I'm going to put my cosmic order in for another life, there's a lot more to do, and I'm going to need another go at it :-)

And then they were gone.........

A walk with a bonus

It was a bright sunny morning, this morning, so as soon as I had my breakfast I was out the door for a walk. The footpath behind our church leads onto what we call the Hills, a series of mini ups and downs along a wide grassy area. It runs high above the River Trent as it joins the River Ouse. I have walked this path many times before, but each time I get a thrill as I marvel at the spectacular views, I never tire of it. It takes one hour to walk to Alkborough, and this is what you find when you arrive. Julians Bower, a maze cut into the turf. This was first recorded in 1697, it stands high up on a plateau. In 2007 it was closed for three months for restoration. I walked down the steep hill to the Alkborough Flats. It has been developed as part of the Environment Agency’s flood risk management strategy. In September 2006 a 20m wide breach was cut into the flood defence bank allowing up to170ha to flood during the highest tides of the year. The site is designed to act as a flood storage area in times of extreme weather, primarily during tidal surges which will reduce impacts of flooding along the Trent, Ouse and Humber.

Just as I reached the bottom of the hill I saw a hovercraft about to leave, there was no time to take a photograph, with a loud roar of the engine it was gone. I wondered how long it would be away for, so I had a walk round and waited for it to come back. About two hours later it appeared and guess what, I was in the wrong place to get a good photo :-(

This is the best I could do.

I had a chat with the two people that had been using it. The young lady was working for Hull University and they had hired the craft from a company a few miles up the river in Barrow on Humber. The reason why they were away so long was because she has to take hundreds of samples from the mud, so there is a lot of stopping and starting. After their lunch break they were going to go out again, but I didn't wait around, it was getting a bit chilly. I took a few photo's of the flora and fauna.

On the way back I stopped to chat to a couple who were sitting on the bench at the maze. They were on holiday at the caravan site, so I was able to suggest places for them to visit. Then half way back I came across five men who were sitting on their fold up chairs, flying their radio controlled model aircraft over the edge of the steep bank. They were very friendly answering all my questions, no one would let me have a go though. Boys and their toys, ha ha.

What an interesting walk, you never know what you are going to find, it was a bonus to see the hovercraft. I was out for six hours, completely missed lunch.