It's been a funny (odd) few days. The house is completely topsy turvy and I'm busy ignoring it. Or trying to ignore it. I'm going to write it down here, and then I'm going to forget about it.
DH picked a couple of crates of apples yesterday. I wrapped them and put them in crates, so we can press them in a week or so. DH otherwise engaged until then, and it's one of those busy activities which is definitely more fun with two. They are sitting on the kitchen table, waiting.
The apple crusher, the apple press, the apple picker, a step ladder, and folded crates are standing by the french windows, waiting. Because I can't get to the cupboards that side of the kitchen, the stuff that needs to be put away is being piled up on the worktop.
Lots more tomatoes, and lots more Passata. The new Weck jars are working well, and I think I prefer them to Kilner jars now. I like Kilner jars but I find that the screw caps tend to rust; sometimes they are difficult to open. I've almost run out of the 500ml jars now, so I'll have to go back to Kilner for the rest of the tomato crop. I'm debating whether to buy some more Weck jars - but I have so many Kilner jars, I'm not sure I can justify it. I do have some 250ml and 500ml Weck flasks, but I'm saving those for apple juice. Picked tomatoes, which will go into the next batch, are overfowing from a large bowl on one of the worktops.
We had to fire up the spare freezer in the garage. We moved some of the bulky items from the house freezer, plus the corn on the cob in there, and I started making bags (and bags. and bags. ) of ice cubes. We're having some family over for lunch soon and, in the anticipation of it being a warm day, we're stocking up on ice. It's not particularly about ice in drinks (although we do need some for that), we also want ice for buckets to cool wine and beer. We will probably end up buying some bags of ice, but it's definitely cheaper to make our own with ice cube bags, so that's what I'm trying to do. Bit tedious though, frankly, standing by a slow running tap filling the bags. I do about 10 in one batch.
The new hive arrived (Modern Beekeeping were having a sale, and we wanted to have a spare hive for emergencies. And we wanted to get a Nucleus sized box, for next year, so we can raise a spare Queen. All these have needed painting, and we've had bits of hives in various states of painting, all over the kitchen. They are finished now and stacked up neatly. We're going to put them in the spare bedroom next week (after flying visit from DD and family). And then we can move the spare brood boxes and all the supers - currently forming a tower in the only bit of unused floorspace behind DH's desk in the study - into the spare bedroom as well.
Under the stairs - the space is open to our hall - is crammed with bee related paraphernalia, including the saucepan and sieve DH used to melt and purify the wax. We've got another batch of wax to do, so the stuff is sitting under the stairs for now. There is also a huge box containing a Baby Class machine waiting to go back to Gaggia.
In my living room, I have another huge box containing another coffee machine, a Baby Class D, which is also waiting to go back to Gaggia. This was in the utility room, but that space was needed for the pastueriser. It was in the kitchen, but it got in the way. It was under the stairs, next to the other one, but that space was needed for the bee stuff.
A third machine should be delivered next week. Hopefully before then I will also receive the returns paperwork for the machine in my living room, and then I can arrange for them both to go back.
I had a new companion bench delivered yesterday. It came wrapped in two huge pieces of bubble wrap. It seemed a shame to bin the bubble wrap (I have lots in store already), so I posted it on Freegle. There was a surprising number of enquiries, so I picked someone who was working nearby and who could pick up yesterday afternoon. Bubble wrap was then placed in the middle of the hall, ready. Chap didn't show up. I assume that he was on auto pilot going home, so probably just forgot...but I didn't get an email or phone message from him. I was going to go to the next person on the list, but decided I'd at least email this chap and give him this afternoon to reply. Having a bubblewrap mountain to negotiate isn't helping!
Right. I've finished moaning now. I'm going to get on and clear away anything and everything that can be cleared away, and then I'm sure I'll feel better!
DH picked a couple of crates of apples yesterday. I wrapped them and put them in crates, so we can press them in a week or so. DH otherwise engaged until then, and it's one of those busy activities which is definitely more fun with two. They are sitting on the kitchen table, waiting.
The apple crusher, the apple press, the apple picker, a step ladder, and folded crates are standing by the french windows, waiting. Because I can't get to the cupboards that side of the kitchen, the stuff that needs to be put away is being piled up on the worktop.
Lots more tomatoes, and lots more Passata. The new Weck jars are working well, and I think I prefer them to Kilner jars now. I like Kilner jars but I find that the screw caps tend to rust; sometimes they are difficult to open. I've almost run out of the 500ml jars now, so I'll have to go back to Kilner for the rest of the tomato crop. I'm debating whether to buy some more Weck jars - but I have so many Kilner jars, I'm not sure I can justify it. I do have some 250ml and 500ml Weck flasks, but I'm saving those for apple juice. Picked tomatoes, which will go into the next batch, are overfowing from a large bowl on one of the worktops.
We had to fire up the spare freezer in the garage. We moved some of the bulky items from the house freezer, plus the corn on the cob in there, and I started making bags (and bags. and bags. ) of ice cubes. We're having some family over for lunch soon and, in the anticipation of it being a warm day, we're stocking up on ice. It's not particularly about ice in drinks (although we do need some for that), we also want ice for buckets to cool wine and beer. We will probably end up buying some bags of ice, but it's definitely cheaper to make our own with ice cube bags, so that's what I'm trying to do. Bit tedious though, frankly, standing by a slow running tap filling the bags. I do about 10 in one batch.
The new hive arrived (Modern Beekeeping were having a sale, and we wanted to have a spare hive for emergencies. And we wanted to get a Nucleus sized box, for next year, so we can raise a spare Queen. All these have needed painting, and we've had bits of hives in various states of painting, all over the kitchen. They are finished now and stacked up neatly. We're going to put them in the spare bedroom next week (after flying visit from DD and family). And then we can move the spare brood boxes and all the supers - currently forming a tower in the only bit of unused floorspace behind DH's desk in the study - into the spare bedroom as well.
Under the stairs - the space is open to our hall - is crammed with bee related paraphernalia, including the saucepan and sieve DH used to melt and purify the wax. We've got another batch of wax to do, so the stuff is sitting under the stairs for now. There is also a huge box containing a Baby Class machine waiting to go back to Gaggia.
In my living room, I have another huge box containing another coffee machine, a Baby Class D, which is also waiting to go back to Gaggia. This was in the utility room, but that space was needed for the pastueriser. It was in the kitchen, but it got in the way. It was under the stairs, next to the other one, but that space was needed for the bee stuff.
A third machine should be delivered next week. Hopefully before then I will also receive the returns paperwork for the machine in my living room, and then I can arrange for them both to go back.
I had a new companion bench delivered yesterday. It came wrapped in two huge pieces of bubble wrap. It seemed a shame to bin the bubble wrap (I have lots in store already), so I posted it on Freegle. There was a surprising number of enquiries, so I picked someone who was working nearby and who could pick up yesterday afternoon. Bubble wrap was then placed in the middle of the hall, ready. Chap didn't show up. I assume that he was on auto pilot going home, so probably just forgot...but I didn't get an email or phone message from him. I was going to go to the next person on the list, but decided I'd at least email this chap and give him this afternoon to reply. Having a bubblewrap mountain to negotiate isn't helping!
Right. I've finished moaning now. I'm going to get on and clear away anything and everything that can be cleared away, and then I'm sure I'll feel better!
