The Capacitor, The Garden and a Mystery!

Well the man who knows and does Did!

He repaired my Kenwood Chef Mixer.

After it filled the kitchen with smoke we opened the

mixer operated on its internals and found this!

This nasty mess is the the capacitor that caused the trouble!

Alex found another and fixed it - isn't he clever?

I apprehensively started the mixer and made this.........

I made this with the usual sponge recipe.

This time I added some Cherries, but as you see they sank!

I did roll them in some of the weighed out flour but to no avail!

If you don't like cherries try other fruit.

This morning we did some gardening again.

In answer to some of the comments as to how
we managed to garden in the hot weather last week,
we actually get up early and in the garden between
8.30 and 9 am and come in when the sun gets too warm.

Now we are up to the prickly bit.

The Yucca has razor sharp leaves

and the Brambles are just too prickly!

And finally a footnote - pardon the pun!

The numbers you see in Alex's slippers,

he can count honest!
The numbers are formed by grass

and in the correct order,
but the mystery is how did the numbers

get there..............?

Too Hot to Garden!

For the last two days we have been trying to sort the garden. Not an easy task, as we have picked the hottest days to do it and really we don‘t like working outside in the rain and cold. We have lived in this house for twenty years. When we first came here the garden had a Willow Tree and a hedge. The tree was actually the width of our garden and a concrete path which ran down the centre of the garden to just past the tree and stopped. It actually started in the centre of the conservatory where there isn’t a door and lead to no-where! At the bottom of the garden was a path which was the unused bier trail to cemetery. All the houses this side of the road have incorporated it into their gardens, so we gained another few feet too. The garden was very dark because of the tree. As much as we don’t like cutting things away for the sake of it, the tree had to go! The garden was now open, we could see it needed a lot doing to it. For another few years it began to look like a fallow field complete with the concrete path. Then about thirteen years ago we had new neighbours, a lovely family, they hadn’t been in long when T came to the front door early one morning and asked would we mind if they could take the hedge out, they would leave a little bit of hedge at the bottom if we wanted it? My reply - take it all away! Well I had never seen an expression like it, I think “glee” came to mind for her, it was the thought of no hedge on T’s and our part, have to admit I did a little skip after I shut the door too, they had the garden cleared and a new fence up in a day and we had gained another eighteen inches, yes the hedge was that wide and it was quite disgusting, weeds, dust, rotting apples and wind blown rubbish. T’s garden was full of very old apple trees when they moved in. Then another few years passed and then we had the grass laid which I hasten to add we tried to kill off twice! Once when the grass cuttings were not raked away properly an old lawn mower and no cuttings box, and again when we laid turfs down on top because we needed to put them somewhere else and the day turned into quite a few days and you can guess the rest! We then had a patchwork lawn because the lawn underneath went brown and slimy, it did grow back perfectly. We still have a lot to do the bottom of the garden which will have to wait till next spring to catch the weeds growing before they get to maturity. But at the moment we are de-weeding the flower bed and moving a few plants to out the front really to give the front some colour!

The root of one of the spectacular weeds!


Two days worth of work!
The weed on top is the
rest of the plant from the above picture!

Todays effort!

Yesterdays effort

The bottom of the garden

this will have to wait till next spring now!

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Now I change the subject! Early this morning I made these for Alex. It was because I threw a massive tantrum on Friday - still not over it……YET! But I made these all for him. I won’t eat them because they are Coffee and Walnut. It’s a bit like Marmite you either like Coffee or you don’t and I don’t like either Marmite or Coffee, Walnuts are OK! He was a bit suspicious when I presented him with a plate of cakes - he asked me what was in them, Arsenic I replied! He did try one but I still haven’t had a verdict on them, all he said they were very sweet!

Coffee & Walnut Cakes

(please let me know if you make these)

Weight of one egg weigh in butter/margarine, sugar and flour
Beat butter and sugar together,

beat in the egg,

fold in flour carefully adding the coffee teaspoon at a time to taste.
Make-up two teaspoons of coffee in half cup of boiling water

Save any left over coffee for flavouring the butter/glace icing

Holiday at Windowsill Bay - 2

I am not a happy bunny today! I feel like the child who is told you cannot have ice cream if you don’t eat your tea! Perhaps I am being a spoilt brat but when I get told I could go to Totnes, come what may, on Friday 21st May, I expected to go! I really shouldn’t have boasted I was going to Totnes again after a ten year gap of not going, I should have kept quiet about it and told people afterwards. Well the chauffeur (I don’t drive - I don’t like driving so I don’t do it - long story) awoke this morning not feeling well (I‘m sure he does it on purpose!), so there I was laying in bed 7am the time we should be leaving Minehead for a two hour drive to South Devon. I somehow knew yesterday we wouldn’t be going out today so I don‘t know why I am so disappointed. I decided to get up put the washing in the machine, go on the computer and read “happy” blogs! I am thinking thoughts of Murder and how I could commit murder to three members of my family without being found out! I was told we can go to Totnes tomorrow……..‘TOMORROW!………..I should have chosen Tuesday to go then there would have been a fighting chance of getting there all I wanted to do was to go to the Market, I could go alone on the bus, but actually takes and hour to get out of Minehead! Reading Sal’s blog there is something going on in Exeter tomorrow too. I thought I can‘t have both because we were not staying in Okehampton.……..but on this occasion I would prefer to go to Totnes. If we had been staying in Okehampton we could have gone to Exeter on the way home!



Yesterday we played tourists for the afternoon, I bought an ice and sat looking out to sea, nothing unusual in that you might say but the ice cream was melting faster than I could eat it! Locally made ice cream with a good reputation, if I had taken it back there would not have been any evidence of it ever being in the cone, it would have looked like I had eaten it and gone back for a refill, I emailed a complaint, still awaiting reply.

Wednesday we saw Caitlin again, Peter was returning Richard to Minehead.

Monday we went to Taunton, a brief visit in town and tea and cake in the new tea shop in town, then out to the outskirts for a new computer monitor We really do need one and I thought really we could do with out the expenditure on such thing, but since having it for four days now I realise how bad the other one had got! I also nearly bought a new mixer on Ebay as the other gave up after thirty years of use but according to the man who knows it’s capacitor had blown up hence the smoke filled kitchen. Hoping for a repair soon! I have brought a new hand mixer but I do prefer to using my big mixer which is now laying a box awaiting this capacitor - one day!

Holiday at Windowsill Bay - 1

Our week off started today. We were going to stay at Dad's while he had his holiday in Cyprus, long story which I will not go into just at the moment, but he is in Cyprus, we are at home! We promised Peter that we would take his friend Richard to Okehampton today too. We did take him anyway and we also got to see Caitlin and proudly walked her round Okehampton while Peter did a quick bit of shopping while mummy waited for her friend to arrive too.

This afternoon we ventured to Ashburton on the way home.

Called into here and had a good look at the books.

We then decided to find somewhere for afternoon tea

Between us we had Carrot Cake and Bakewell Tart and Earl Grey Tea.

That's not a bird............

Craft Fair it isn't!

Sunday morning I had to get up at an unearthly hour to be dragged along to the

National VintageCommunications Fair! I was not happy but then I do drag him to

craft fairs and the like! At one point I did take control though as one member was acting like a naughty school boy and throwing a wobbly because of "elf and safety" rules, his boxes of many many magazine stuck out to far in the gangway. I told him if he didn't behave he would have to sit on the seat and man the stall all day!!!!

We would love to own a dog like Nipper - he is the icon for HMV

When we returned home after a three hour drive, I opened the back door only to find the bird feeder in the middle if the lawn. Just because we went away for a couple of days does not mean the birds can have fun and play with their food!

This Wood Pigeon has decided this is his dining table,

and occasionally allows other birds to feed from it.

Little of Everything..........

At our local Farmer's Market

the first of the Cheddar Strawberries

were for sale this morning!

My Cath Kidston magazine

was waiting for me on the doormat

when I arrived home from work!

..........and I had to buy the

'Take A Break' magazine today

I wouldn't normally buy it, in fact

I don't buy any magazines like this at all!

But........it is my son Robert in the photograph

illustrating for one of the stories!

Also I had a commission to knit some more of the Bunting too!

Yesterday.............

................Two makes!

Knitted Bunting

(Use knitting needles a size up than is recommended)

I used Double Knit yarn with 4.50 mm Knitting Needles

Cast on 3 stitches
Knit three rows

Next row :: Knit 1, pick up loop between the two needles and knit, knit 1, pick up loop between the two needles and knit, knit 1

Knit 3 rows

Next row :: Knit 1, pick up loop between the two needles and knit, knit 3, pick up loop between the two needles and knit, knit 1

Knit 3 rows

Next row :: Knit 1, pick up loop between the two needles and knit, knit 5, pick up loop between the two needles and knit, knit 1

Continue this way until you have the length you want.

After the last increase knit 3 rows

(count the stitches - this Bunting was 35 stitches wide - make more Bunting to match)

Either :: cast off loosely*

Or :: put the Bunting onto a 100 cm circular needle (same size as knitting needles)** (break a long length of yarn)

*If you cast off loosely follow this ~

Cast on 5 stitches - knit in Moss Stitch to length required.

Sew the Bunting evenly across the length of knitting

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**If you you have put the Bunting onto a circular needle

Cast on 10 stitches, knit in Moss Stitch across the first Bunting, cast on five stitches using the yarn from the next Bunting then break yarn leaving enough to sew in ends, knit in Moss Stitch. Continue this way until you have knitted across all the bunting, cast on 10 stitches.

Knit 3 rows back and forth in Moss Stitch. Cast off loosely in Moss Stitch

Moss Stitch

Row 1 - knit 1, Purl 1, Knit 1, Purl 1, Knit 1

Row 2 - knit 1, Purl 1, Knit 1, Purl 1, Knit 1

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RHUBARB CRUMBLE

Wash and chop the Rhubarb into short lengths and put into a saucepan or oven proof dish.

Grate zest and squeeze the juice of one Orange put in with Rhubarb with two tablespoons of water. Poach until soft then add sugar to taste

Crumble Topping

4oz Flour

2oz Butter

2oz Golden Granulated Sugar

Rub the butter into the flour until looks like fine breadcrumbs stir in the sugar

Put Rhubarb into another bowl and put the crumble on top and cook until golden brown on 180 degrees C, 350 degrees F, Gas 4

Things cannot get any better................*

..............So I am waiting to come down to earth with a BIG bump!

It's the 1st May today.

Its when the Sailors Horse comes to town

He spends a week here then goes back to his

stable for another year.

He is awaken from his slumbers at about 6am

and anywhere you live in Minehead you hear the drumming!

Since my birthday I have been doing a lot of this!

Stargazer Lilies - aren't they just lovely?

The smell is divine!

These two were in a recent bunch of flowers

bought at good ol' Tescos!

My lettuces are doing great although

I have had to remove a slug and a snail

I think the slug and snail are a bit kamikaze because

the only way to get to these pots is to climb

the wall and jump off!

Perhaps they have little parachute packs!

While visiting dad last weekend I went to a charity shop

and found this little happy chappie

I already own his cousin.

I found these two unused cushions
in a charity shop locally
they go just perfectly on my settee
perhaps now I will stop putting my current
project on there and letting the pile
get higher!


I was asked by my boss to make a shop display
using all the colours of Splash yarn we sell
When I get it returned I am going to make it into
a Bolster Cushion

Because she fell in love with this one I made for us!
The pattern can be found here
I did think a lot about my dilemma and decided to undo the row
that was too short but, I also re-crocheted it more carefully
and slightly tighter not noticeably tighter
and managed to complete the row
Tip :: If like me you crochet the foundation chain too tight
use a size larger hook then go back the proper hook to continue the crochet

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*The title :: In the matter of days I had a parcel from Jayne , Sophie and Kazzy I consider myself extremely lucky so now I am waiting to come back to earth with a BUMP as I am on a high! So once again I say THANK YOU to you all. I also accompanied with my friend Denise to a "Race Night" last night so she could bid on a Jonny Wilkinson Rugby Shirt which guess what she won! I also won a Meal for Two in the raffle!