THE KITCHEN

I find it hard to believe but it is 5 years since I moved here.  At the time Doug did work on the kitchen making a large larder type cupboard which was actually for crockery.  The kitchen then got left while the rest of the house was repainted and many other jobs completed.

With the arrival of Omicron and the thought of possible isolation we decided to make our own bread and bought a breadmaker for Doug's "real" bread.  As there are cupboards above the bench I wanted somewhere to put the breadmaker so asked Doug to build me a trolley.  It was built partly to specifications for the area it was to sit but also governed by the timber that Doug had stored.  I am thrilled with the final result and love the top which was actually part of an old bed headboard.  

As well as making the trolley Doug also repainted the kitchen and made a couple of shelves for one of the cupboards.  (Things on the top shelf were hard to get at so he made a blocked off half shelf at the bottom and half shelf at the top).  It is great.  Doug likes Bonne Maman jam and the jars are useful for storing so many things. At present there are several in the deep freeze with stewed rhubarb and apple.

When Doug bought this house he decorated it in what was supposed to be white but was more of a grey.  This colour is much warmer.  

Since it has been finished I have made Doug three loaves of bread, 2 white and one with oats and bran and have a fourth cooking at present which is wholemeal and white flour with rice added and is a loaf I always enjoyed when I used to make bread previously.  I have also made four loaves with the new Gluten Free flour I have found that makes a much softer loaf.  As long as I can still get the High Grade flour and yeast we are now o.k. for bread.

KINDNESS

The Jehovah Witnesses have stopped their door knocking because of Covid and are now sending out handwritten letters instead.  We have received several mainly from young people.  We received another this week and Doug, being kind, decided to phone the lady who had sent it as she had put her number at the end of the beautifully written letter.

It turned out she was not young but was 77 years old and lives very close to here.  She told Doug that she had sent over 600 such letters and not had a reply so prayed to Jehovah and then received one of the letters back in the mail although it was unopened and had abusive messages on it.  She prayed once again and then received the call from Doug that made her day.

They ended up talking for nearly an hour and she has actually called on us and, once the peak of Omicrom is over will visit us again.

Before I met him Doug had got to know a lovely Jehovah family and the mother actually did a reading at our wedding.  We often comment on what lovely children they have raised.

BANANA UPDATE

 It is 10 days since I took this photo of the bananas

 and today they look like this 

I am trying not to count my chickens before they hatch or, in this case, my bananas before they ripen but they are looking good.  Still a long way to go .

The second plant is just coming into bud as well.

UKRAINE AND GUAVAS

 A few days ago we commented that the flag on top of Doug's windmill needed refreshing.  Yesterday, it was given new colours in support of Ukraine.

Red guavas are quite a small fruit and drop when ripe which often means missing them as they fall to the ground.  Yesterday, I set up an old net curtain to catch the fruit as it falls.  I  have already had a few early fruit.  

Linda asked for a photo of the guava fruit so here is one from the internet.