Marmalade

 First batch made yesterday..

Ten pounds made with three pounds of Seville oranges. 

I have three more pounds...I'm considering a batch of Cranberry and Orange...that was tasty last time...and maybe save some to go with a batch of Blood Oranges to help the setting.  I haven't seen Blood Oranges in the shops yet...but they should be available soon.

They make a colourful and fragrant marmalade.

A healthy store cupboard...and enough for gifts as well.

The new chair

 

Pirate has a "new" chair...not quite a Lazyboy....but good! It's a present from a friend, and we all went out on our bikes together this afternoon. 

He stays with us occasionally and gives a hand with bikes and with shed construction and maintenance. Good company too.

Prints and gifts and the best laid plans....

 Mounting a few small prints for sale, I tried setting up different sized mounts, thanks to a suggestion on the Linocut Friends group on fb...a very useful group of people with the whole range of experience and source of advice and encouragement. ( There are a few clay based ones too, like Clay Buddies...despite the names, both worldwide).

It was worth doing, even if just to reinforce my initial size decision.

There are a few more to do, then photograph and post them on my website and Etsy.

Gifts from near and far.

We had planned a bike ride this morning, but slept in...and missed the weather window!

We will take a short walk instead and hope for better luck this afternoon! 

Too busy to be bored!

 This is our view most mornings...from our turbotrainers, after a cup of coffee..
We have a half hour or so ride before breakfast..so that it is well earned!
You can see the sheds..now all the same colour to match the kiln shed on the right. Far easier that way as it is coated metal!
The workshop doors started to get a refresh today..just top coat tomorrow, then the back fence and I will have had enough of painting to last me a long time...until my workshop gets its verandah of course!!

 My little fig tree is still growing.. luckily it was in the kitchen while we were in New Zealand. Now it is outside, but I will get it back in if frost threatens. I had thought a year ago that it was just a dead stick as the growth that was to the left at the base was dead. Tragedy as the original cutting came as a gift from our late friend in Abergavenny, as did the present of a rug which you can see.

At last another return to drawing...makes a change from painting the sheds!

Hopefully there will be time for gardening tomorrow..it is set to be fine if going back a little colder.
The leeks and beans have germinated..at last..time to get a lot more seeds in and seedlings pricked out.. thinking of food!

And thinking of food I have a shopping list...or is that a wish list?!...for first thing tomorrow morning, when we head for the Pensioneers Shopping Hour and the Trolley Minuet!!

back home

Safe home...and we're homesick for Aotearoa/New Zealand.
We left Auckland at 24C, landed in Dubai at dawn...24C...landed in Glasgow on a pleasantly warm and sunny Sunday afternoon.
Three buses later we arrived home, and it was beginning to feel a little chilly...and after a cold night we reached the dizzy heights of 4C!! 
Further North and East from us, up in Aberdeenshire, roads are closed due to snow, and it has been hailing and snowing (but not settling) here. 

Spring??!!

I'm back on my old laptop, so blogging is easier...I just need to transfer the photos to here then I can share a few .

Our Monday afternoon was brightened by the arrival of a parcel from Ohio...a pair of beautiful handwoven towels from Joanne of "Cup in the Bus". A priceless gift.  Also an incentive to get back working myself!!

wishes and gifts

 A card we found in the Applied Arts Centre in Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow.
It is advertising Ceol's Craic, the Gaelic club for music and banter....but it says it all for us!

Then he bought me roses on the way home....after all, here it was Mothering Sunday!

and happily all my brood were busy....too busy to remember!!

  It made a lovely change from the 1980s and 1990s when Mother's Day was when Mother was twice as busy as usual!!