Cracking on (or cracking up)

We "despatched" the male pig, I will not be reporting about that here as it was wholly unpleasant and will not be repeated anytime soon. Lets just say that whatever breed the locals sold us they are not fast maturing or great meat providers!! we gave some bits and pieces to a friend and the rest is either in brine or has been smoked.



It has been decided that we will have to keep the females for another year to get what we need out of them but they are on a strict diet and we will have to wait and see if they got pregnant before the despatch of the randy male.

I have been busy in the garden, spring came and with it the promise and allure of growth and planting etc. however in my eagerness to get on, I did my back in. Something I have never done before, having been a pilates teacher for 7 years, back ache was not something I suffered from (although it was my original reason for becoming a Pilates teacher). I had religiously done my exercises and kept my back fit. There is not enough space in our flat for me to do what I need to do and the dogs dominate the only viable space, anyway, that's all excuses really, I've got out of my routine and discipline. I have recently started teaching a small class, filling in for the yoga teacher, so this has given me a renewed incentive for getting "back" on track. However, some serious anatomical intervention was called for and I embarked on a "find a therapist" quest. I found one, but let's just say I would not be recommending him any time soon......."back" to square one...self-healing.

So, I've found myself with alot of time on my hands and lying around recovering, was just too uncomfortable. So I got busy.

I made another cushion, discovering that not only can I NOT measure properly I also can't pin properly!!! notice the slightly off-centre vertical ribbon, cleaverly (or not) disguised with an "added-on afterwards to cover up my mistake" bow



next project...make a bag



Inside pockets and everything





This actualy went very well, there were no tears and very little swearing at oneself, measuring went OK as did the pinning......so I think as long as I have some instructions to follow and actually read them, my sewing is improving

Marmalade, a must have and make in February, I was given alot of seville oranges and seeing as husband loves it, I made 14 jars of the stuff. There is still some left over from last year which is looking a bit shrivelled on top, "that's ok", he says, it would make a great steamed pudding....



Getting rid of food in the freezers to make way for more, I found another bag of whole frozen tomatoes and enough chillis to make 4 more jars of chilli jam, grateful for the time I have had to do all these things and just when my back started to feel OK again the rains came!!!!, mmmm, what to do next, orange curd, another bag, and the inevitable steamed marmalade pudding