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Sunday 25 December 2016

Christmas Blog

Good afternoon Morning (was going to post yesterday) and a “Happy Holidays” to my readers.

I hope that year as gone well for you and next year will be better.

So lets face it tomorrow is going to be one of the most stressful days of the year, especially of those who have chosen to cook on the day and not prep the day before.

After working in hospitality and catering for over 10 years I know how import prep is and even I fall behind now that I have two children running around all day.

So now might be the time to put the kettle on and sit down and run though my check list and see if it helps.

  1. Tea is important, you always have time for tea!
  2. STOP! Washing the clothes. If you have not done it by now leave it until after Christmas. There is nothing worse than the smell of damp laundry. So put all the dirty clothes in the laundry basket with an air freshener, put the iron away and the clothes that I dry.
  3. Find out your clothes for the morning.
  4. Put the washing machine on WITHOUT any thing in it, possible white vinegar, disinfectant or glucagon just to give it a clean and a fresh smell for when your guest are here.
  5. Now have a cup of tea!
  6. Make a list of now many people you think that you will be cooking for towmarrow and decide when is the best time to start cooking and preparing. REMEMBER the fresher the better and “IF in doubt throw it out!”
  7. Check that you have enough tables, chairs and remind people to bring a chair with them IF you need one do not feel embarrassed to ask for help if you need chairs, cups plates, etc.
  8. Think about using paper plates and plastic cups IF they can be recycled on the day.
  9. Clean as you go! Start with the kitchen and then the bathroom. They are a MUST!
  10. Have a cup of tea.
  11. If you are cooking from frozen with meat reed the instructions so that you cook it correctly to avoid food poisoning, the same when mixing any cooked and uncooked food., Meat, fish, dairy.
  12. Check who is eating what, NO you are NOT running a cafe BUT some people may have special dietary requirements or allergies so if cooking from scratch be careful and if from a box/packet keep the information to hand.


I can not think of any thing else a part from, keep places that MUST be off limits to children or pets closed off where ever possible.

Do not forget to wash your hands!

Have any area that is for children to play in and adults can talk if possible.

It is OK to ask people to take their shoes off at the door.


DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE

HAVE FUN!

PS Practice safe SEX or make sure you have one more seat next year!

PPS any thing that I have for sale will be on E bay by Boxing Day.

Monday 5 December 2016

NB Painted Lady Alan Pulling the boat part two

NB Painted Lady Snareston Tunnel 2015

NB Painted Lady Atherstone Top Lock Dickens Night 2015

NB Painted Lady New Year 2015

NB Painted Lady New Year 2015

Washing in the Coventry Canal

Boats are homes London Union protest against CART

Boats are homes part two

Boats are homes part three Number Ten Downing Street

Happy Birth Day Bryndly Love form Callan

Bosworth Marina

http://bosworthmarina.co.uk/

The Griff Arm Resoration

https://www.facebook.com/GriffArmRestoration/?hc_ref=SEARCH&fref=nf

Friday 30 September 2016

Back at Nursery October 2016

Callan is finally back at nursery after having 6 week off for the Summer Holidays.  I choise to keep him off for the 6 weeks because I am a SAHM. (Stay at home mum.)


The other reason why he was keept off was beacuse I currently get 15 hours per week "FREE" Education for him that only really runs Tearm Time only!


This would mean that if I wanted him to go out of Tearm-Time or Full-Time so that I could return to work it would cost me about £80.00 per to send him and his younger brother who will not get the Two Years Funding until September 2017.


https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/free-childcare-and-education-for-2-to-4-year-olds


When I made the dision to send Callan to nursery, I found that it was a very hard dision to make and one that takes a lot for form filling and planning.  Every Nursery that I looked at was diffrent in the way that they ran the day and so were their forms.


I finally pick a place for him that enabled three afternoon per week and on a public tansport route.  Who ever seen the 5th September Bus Time have changed and are about to get worse.  FRom the 10th October 2016 one of the main roads in Nuneaton is going to be closed for 8 weeks.


This means that 3 bus services will be effected and so will one of the main road links not just into Nuneaton Town Centre, but the A444.


http://www.nuneaton-news.co.uk/gridlock-ahead-as-work-to-replace-gas-main-will-close-road-for-8-weeks/story-29734222-detail/story.html


https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/roadworksmap


It is at times like this that I whish that I had not allowed CART (Canal and River Trust) to bully me into renting a house just so that my son could attend nursery for 15 hours per week. 


I know that the time Callan as spent there has helped him alot in his development, but I could have traveled form any where and probably got him to his class with in two hours.  This how long I travel for at the moment from the house that I am renting.


So I have been giving Home Schooling a lot of thought latley and think that Home Schooling is probably what I will do with both Callan and Bryndly in the Future.


https://www.gov.uk/home-education


https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/homeeducation


With so much on line surrport on offer and class room sizes incresing I am thinking that I can work from home and treach at the same time.  At the moment I am still wegihing up the idea and will see how the next year goes when Bryndly is offered 15 hours "FREE" Education in September 2017.

Wednesday 17 August 2016

summer 2016

At this moment in time the summer holidays have not gone how I would have liked them too.

Although I have spent every day with my children I have had an endless amount of meeting to attend and appointments.

This meant that I have not been able to do any thing "fun" with the children and staying at "home" seams to be all that we have done on a daily basis.

On occasions I have taken them to town and given them Ice Cream and Chocolate Cake.  I have also continued to take Callan Dancing and to visit the family.


But when it as come to my own "personal time" nothing seams to have been achieved.

I am hoping to review my book over the next couple of weeks and try to get the first 200 pages completed.


Friday 1 July 2016

1st July 2016 "The Battle of The Somme" What is the Future for my children?

1st July 2016 "The Battle of The Somme"

Today is the First Time that I have boggled since moving house with my children and becoming a "Full-Time" "Single Mum".

But what dose that really mean?

I have not really cooked in over 4 months and used nature to inspire my cooking with the swans poking there heads onto my kitchen for a few tiny morales.

When I look over the last years of my life before my 33rd Birthday on 4th July 2016 I think of how much my children miss there farther.

And then I think of all of those people who lost there their fathers and prayed for them to home.

My children's father does not live with us and it is not because he his in the armed forces fighting for Queen and Country.  It is because we currently  live in a world where people are encouraged to be "single parents".

For almost three years we tried to stay together and raise our children as a couple BUT over the last 4 months I have done so on my own.  This means taking both my children off the water and placing them into "Bricks and Mortar"

This is due to not being able to raise my children no a narrow boat which was their home due to the way that we where being unfairly treated by Canal and River Trust.

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/?gclid=CNyXsaGx0s0CFRYTGwod6SUAgA

But today I do not think about this I think about those that gave their lives in the hope of a better future.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36674451

In Nuneaton at 17.00 there will be a service for those that died on this day.  Those Miners from my Home Town Nuneaton.

https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/node/161639

http://www.nuneaton-news.co.uk/forgotten-heroes-remembered/story-28837557-detail/story.html

Sadly I will be unable to make it due to picking up my oldest son from Nursery  at 17.30 and having to use public transport to do so.

The information about the event should hopefully be displayed on Nuneaton Memories Page on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=nuneaton%20memories


To night I will probable cook fish and chips, this is due to it being a "traditional" meal of Great Britain.

Once I have got organised I will try to get back to my "Towpath Cooking"  I have just started to prepare the Elderflower to make home made wines and tinchers.  This is what I miss about living on the boat being able to just wake up in the morning and steep out side my front door and be any where in the UK.

Being able to see the sun rise and sunset over the water and hear the song of bird call fill the air.

What is the future for my son(s)?  I what him to go to school but NOT to loses there heritage and grow up not knowing his farther.

This year We have faced many changes with many still to come.

I guess only time will tell.

Sunday 14 February 2016

"Women Who Run With Wolves."

Women Who Run With The Wolves: Contacting the Power..., Estes, Clarissa Pink.

I have this book for sale a classic addition on Amazon the book retails at £9.09p
Like any book that I own it as been read at some point by the owner and this previous owner highlighted parts of the book which were personal to her. 


 


If you are looking at buying this book, please click on the link below.

 

For Sale!

PAIR-OF-ANTIQUE-OAK-WELL-BUCKETS-WITH-CAST-IRON-RINGS-CARRYING-HANDLE-COALhttp://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PAIR-OF-ANTIQUE-OAK-WELL-BUCKETS-WITH-CAST-IRON-RINGS-CARRYING-HANDLE-COAL-/381545252210

Time to say Goodbye!

This week I have been going though all iof my belongings again and have now desided to get rid of some of my books  that I have had stored for a number of years and no longer use.  Those that are behold disrepair and damaged I will use as "winter fuel"  or upcylce into art work. 

I will be putting them on line sometime this week.

Thursday 28 January 2016

IWA Himalayan Balsam Campaign Highlights

Himalayan Balsam

Himalayan Balsam

I have added some useful links about this invasive plant that flourishes all around the UK.

 current-control-methods

 gov.uk/guidance/prevent-the-spread-of-harmful-invasive-and-non-native-pla

Himalayan-Balsam-seed-curry-recipe 

wildplantforager.com 

www.theotherandyhamilton.com 

Dave-Hamilton 

riverseverncustodians.co.uk 

uk/news/science/himalayan-balsam-call-the-marines-it-s-an-alien-plant-invasion-8723024.html 

 Information about what Canal and River Trust and the Inland Water Ways Association are doing to help?

canalrivertrust.org.uk himalayan-balsam 

www.waterways.org.uk 

What can you do, to help?

https://www.waterways.org.uk/news_campaigns/campaigns/himalayan_balsam/himalayan_balsam_work_parties 

https://www.waterways.org.uk/news_campaigns/campaigns/himalayan_balsam/organising_a_himalayan_balsam_work_party 


For more information please view my Himalayan Balsam Page or follow my blog of further updates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic Foraging Rules
-  Never pick a plant to eat unless you are certain you have identified it ad know it is safe.
-  Take care where you are foraging: avoid places that may be polluted from heavy traffic, industry, chemical fertilisers or pesticides, and dog pee.
-  Always respect the plants: don’t pick something if it is endangered, or the only one of it’s kind in the area. As a general rule pick 10% of what’s there.
For the legalities of picking plants from the wild, see this page from Fergus Drennan’s website.
A great website for information on plants and their properties is ‘Plants for a Future’:  www.pfaf.org

Fieldkitchen

 


Wednesday 13 January 2016