Bits and Bobs and Bhajis

 I’ve made a few purchases this week, of little things that suddenly became needed. For example, a new litter picker. My old litter picker is dying a slow death and will now only close its pincers far enough to clamp around a tin can or bottle. No use for smaller items which means, on my litter ramble, I have to pick up small things and flat things with my hands, which is defeating the point of carrying a litter picker. I mean, I COULD wear gardening gloves but once you’ve experienced picking litter with a litter picker, you can never look back. It’s orange, my new litter picker. I thought it might make me more visible on the roads. I can shake it at drivers who pass too close. It is arriving tomorrow.

Also arriving tomorrow is a small rain gauge. It’s basically a pot demarcated in millimetres and with a handy loop attachment so I can fix it to a pole (not supplied). I want to measure rainfall, you see, so I can learn more about the weather at Damson Cottage. For gardening purposes, not for the sheer hell of measuring rainfall. I’m not THAT sad. Currently, I am using a jam jar. It is unsatisfactory. Luckily, there has been very little, if any, rain to measure in an unsatisfactory way.

On Saturday I am due to take possession of a set of four wide necked 975ml capacity Ball mason jars. These are specific in size because I have gadgets to attach to the jars, draining gadgets, which means I can start seed sprouting. I have a few packets of sprouting seeds ready for action and specifically for this purpose, and need to get cracking with this new facet to my healthy eating regime. I say ‘regime’ like it’s going to be some kind of communist imposition on my enjoyment of food. It won’t be - I like things like bean sprouts as I think they add a certain crunchy je ne sais quoi to salads and stir fries. Anyway, I’ve got a green draining gadget and a blue draining gadget and on Saturday I shall have jars to attach them to. 

At some point in the near future, date as yet unspecified by email notification although goods are in transit, I am expecting two 50 metre rolls of 35gsm horticultural fleece. I sourced this from a supplier in Scotland which has the most boring online shop EVER; however, the fleece was very good value for money - too good not to purchase, especially as Operation No Dig Garden is imminent and the peas are ready to plant out. 

Yesterday I took delivery of a head block for Pilates. Basically, it’s a rectangle of very solid foam-type stuff upon which you rest your head in order to align aforesaid head with one’s spine for the purpose of balanced muscle movement. Or something like that. It’s blue. My Pilates mat is pink, but I couldn’t find a pink head block so I went rogue and went for a complete contrast because that’s the kind of gal I am! I took the head block for a test drive yesterday afternoon, making sure first that Bambino was fast asleep because he can somewhat interfere in my Pilates sessions in a manner that suggests one day he will either suffer death by being squished, or I shall suffer injury by cat getting under my feet and upsetting my balance. 

Bambino woke IMMEDIATELY and interfered AT ONCE. He loomed in on me in what I thought was an unfairly oppressive manner. He also showed undue interest in my new head block, in the manner of ‘Oooh, a new scratching toy? For me? You shouldn’t have!’ Well, I didn’t. So I aborted my Pilates session and put the block on a high, cat safe shelf. I hope he’ll forget about it soon. If I’m being realistic, he won’t. 

Bambino has also decided to become official quality controller for my current scrap patchwork project. It’s reached unwieldy stage which means I have to spread it on the floor to ascertain progress and aid sewing. And when I do, this happens…

This is NOT helpful. I tell him this. I say, ‘Bambino Bobble Wilson, this is NOT helpful.’ He regards me with disdain and carries on. It’s hard work. 

Yesterday, I made some bhajis. I’m not a great fan of spicy food, what with not wanting to upset my delicate lady constitution, but Andy DOES love a curry, the hotter the better. Like eyeball sweating hot. Insane. Anyway, sometimes I make the effort and so I made these…

They contain onion, carrot, sweet potato, ginger, curry powder, turmeric, lime, chickpea flour and a chilli pepper, which, in a fit of what can only be described as spite, tried to spit in my eye. Hurrah for being a spectacle wearer, that’s all I can say. Anyway, they turned out okay and just about within my spicy food toleration. I shall make them again. 

That’s it for now. Bobbing along quite nicely. Here’s hoping you are bobbing along quite nicely, too.