Just Another Lockdown Day

Gosh, it's been a while (again!)

I almost didn't come back, I wasn't really sure I had anything to write about... I'm still not sure I have anything much to write about to be honest. I think that maybe this has something to do with our current situation and the fact that the days seem to blend into each other with very little variety, so I feel there's nothing new to say.

We are back in lockdown in the UK and are only supposed to leave the house for essential shopping or exercise within our own neighbourhood. I'm not bored, in fact, if anything the opposite is true in that I have so much to keep me occupied I sometimes wonder how I get it all done. But maybe it's the same repetitive nature of the days and the lack of spontaneity that I'm struggling with at the moment? I have no desire to jet off to somewhere exotic, or indulge in any particularly exciting adventure, but it would be so good just to meet a friend for a coffee occasionally, or get on a train and go and see an exhibition. Maybe go for a long walk and finish up with a pub lunch, or visit family members and have cuddles with the grandchildren. Just those small things that bring variety to our lives. Of course I know that I'm not alone in feeling this way and in fact I have much to be appreciative and grateful for so I'm not complaining, merely pondering why I feel so restless and why there seems to be nothing new. 

As a lifetime early riser, it has come as a bit of a shock that suddenly an extra half hour in bed seems preferable to getting up but there doesn't seem to be much rush to get going in the morning lately. When I do haul myself out of bed it's a case of throwing on whatever old clothes I can lay my hands on and getting out with the dog. If I'm lucky it won't be wet, although the mud is pretty horrendous at the moment. With my track record I'm convinced I'm going to end up flat on my back one of these mornings. It's probably my favourite part of the day though,  time on my own to contemplate the day ahead... or if I'm completely honest contemplating the prospect of breakfast and a cuppa on my return home. Meals seem to be a welcome punctuation to the day and something I really look forward to at the moment! Although in truth they are pretty repetitive too. In my attempt to make shopping as quick and painless as possible we are stitcking to old favourites week in, week out.

There has been the launch of another online course, one that I am running over the next six months so it requires much filming, editing, note writing and sample making, which frankly has turned into a full time job. Fortunately it is a full time job that I am really enjoying, especially as it's all about taking inspiration from the work of some of my favourite artists. The filming I try to get done in the morning out in my studio... but it's bloody freezing out there even with a heater. So afternoons are spent inside, wrapped up in lots of layers until I start to feel warm again, but at least I can get the editing done whilst wrapped in blankets on the sofa.

Work inspired by Matisse

Once every couple of weeks Izzy and I record the podcast and already we are up to episode 5 which will be released this Thursday. (I talk about the blogging among other things)  I look forward to our hour chatting and catching up. We both rather like the way it makes us accountable to each other. In the weeks in between I write a newsletter to go out to my subscribers. I should be doing that now rather than writing a blogpost! 

Some days there are extra walks when I might meet a friend or occasionally join Stewart for the afternoon dog walk. There's not a huge variety as to where we can walk at the moment (the mud being a limiting factor) but it's still good to get out. And then in the evenings I might read. I seem to be getting through a lot of books and I'm already on my fifth novel this year, which I'm sure must be something of a record. I'm currently reading The Snow and the Works on the Northern Line by Ruth Thomas ,which is fabulous. It has been serialised on the radio but after listening to just the first episode I knew I wanted to read it. I have also enjoyed I am, I am, I am by Maggie O'Farrell, The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, a couple of Ian Rankin Rebus novels and an Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway story. Next on my reading pile is The Confession by Jessie Burton 

On the rare occasion there is something worth watching on TV (I'm loving the behind the scenes look at the V & A in The Secrets of the Museum and have only just discovered the programmes about the  Sky Portrait artist and Landscape artist of the year , but I digress) then I'm getting some knitting done too. I'm almost embarrassed to admit I have four projects on the go at the moment and all for me! I have one sock finished but need to cast on the second, I'm half way up the first mitten of a pair, I have almost finished a shawl but I'm desperately trying to finish this cardigan below which is The Bees Knees by Thea Coleman in a gorgeous hand dyed Cheviot marsh Aran from Whistlebare.  I obviously need some more good TV recommendations to get these projects finished.

So as you can see, I don't have any reason to complain or feel restless as life is as full and as busy as ever... but sometimes it would be rather lovely to be spontaneous and do something a little bit different, just once in a while. And at least then I could write a blogpost about it! How are you coping with these Lockdown days? Do leave me a comment and tell me so I know I'm not alone.

November Days

 

Despite another Lockdown here in England and the ever shortening days, life had started to get into a pleasant rhythm of daily dog walks and beautiful sunrises at the beginning of this month. I'm trying not to sound like a cliche but finding the simple pleasures in life seems more important than ever right now, and getting outside and appreciating our surroundings is one of those pleasures.

I  launched my final online class of the current series of three this month and although I am working on a short free class to launch next month I had decided to take a little break from creating new classes

Instead I thought I would try to get back to some painting. I've not picked up a paintbrush since before breaking my hand in the summer so I have been easing myself back by working in a sketchbook and following Laura Kemshall's sketchbook challenge to fill a sketchbook in November. It is a series of eight classes, two per week, just colouring pages, stencilling, printing etc, all very relaxed and informal... and excellent value. It was all going so well...

Then out walking with the dog on Friday afternoon, on our way home, literally ten yards from our back gate, Hector spotted another dog and lurched to say hello. I was completely off guard, so the lead whipped around my legs pulling me with it and the next thing I knew my head was smacked against the road. I thought that 'seeing stars' was something that only happened in Beano cartoons but it happens! I've never known my head hit anything so hard. What followed was a blur of trying to sit up (I couldn't), being moved to the pavement (I was in the middle of the road), hearing someone say there was blood and Stewart calling an ambulance. Neighbours came out with blankets and a hot water bottle and all I could think was that I couldn't possibly die as I hadn't finished sewing our grandson's advent calendar and there was no way Stewart would know what to do!

I was taken by ambulance to hospital and it was scary for a few hours - I've heard way too many horror stories of brain damage and worse after head injuries - but although it wasn't really what I had planned for a Friday night, I cannot fault the hospital staff who ran just about every test possible. A ct scan showed I was lucky, my head was just bruised so besides concussion, vertigo, some minor cuts and a headache I was fine. In fact, more than fine... blood pressure, heart and lung function and everything else was absolutely tip top! They let me go home at midnight.

Saturday morning the dog wouldn't leave my side... you might be fooled into thinking those doleful eyes are saying sorry, but I'm not. He's a hooligan and would do it all over again if another attractive pooch were to wander past. I do wonder what we achieved with all those months of puppy training.

Meanwhile I'm confined to the sofa. My headache has eased but the vertigo not so much. When I get up and walk I feel like I'm on a boat. It's very strange and quite disorientating. Fortunately, if I don't move my head too much I can still read, type and knit so there has been a lot of progress.  The painting and other activities will have to wait again until I can safely get out to my studio. You can find details of these hats on Ravelry. I've been on Ravelry for years but only recently started to figure out how it works! Well, how some of it works at least.

And I'm still counting my blessings and appreciating the simple things in life because to be honest, I was grateful to wake up on Saturday morning (even if it was at 4 am with a stonking headache).

I hope you are all keeping safe and well.

A New Normal

I don't think I'm going to write at length about the current situation sweeping our country and the world. We are all in the same boat, with the same problems to face and everyone going on about it doesn't help anxiety levels. It's going to be tough but I believe we will get through it and hopefully come out of it a kinder and more caring society. Of course it will also bring out the worst in some people but let's hope they are the minority. I'm not used to having so much time on my hands though. I'm not working from home because all my work has been cancelled for the foreseeable future - no talks, no classes. I've starting investigating how to produce teaching material online but it's all new to me so it's a steep learning curve... but at least I have plenty of time to learn.

Yesterday we cleaned the house, I did two loads of laundry (which dried outside... yah!), washed the windows outside, which were very dirty after recent storms and then decided to clean and sort out our larder cupboard. We don't have a lot of space for storage so I probably have potential to rummage up four or five unplanned meals at the most, Ready Steady Cook style! Most of the contents are spices, vinegars and jams... so many pots of jam! No hoarding going on here (apart from the jam of course, although it is mostly homemade), but at least I can see what we've got. 

All that was done and it was still only lunchtime so in the afternoon we decided to take advantage of the fine weather and go for a long walk around the villages. It was quite cold and blustery, but lovely to be outside. There were more people than usual out walking but still not that many and all at a distance!

There were lots of signs of spring arriving which was a cheering sight. Mother Nature carries on regardless.

It was Hector's fourth birthday so an extra long walk was a treat for him too!

I've also managed to set up my new website in the past few weeks, which I'm really pleased about. It's very simple but I do quite like it. You can find me here if you want to take a look

www.ginaferrari-art.co.uk

Plans to sell my art are now on hold however!

This is my most recent painting... I found a tiny rough sketch in one of my sketchbooks and based it on that. I like it enough for the moment but it may get changed or painted over. I've only a limited number of canvases to keep me going over the next few months!

So that's what I've been up to this week... staying at home, pottering in the garden, making lots more phone calls than usual and sending more messages. It's going to be our new normal!

We've Moved

Hello!

Have you missed me? I've missed you! Blog reading has been pretty low on my list of priorities the past few weeks (plus I broke my iPad on which I usually do blogging stuff, but that's a whole other story), however we have now actually moved and have already been in our new home a whole week. I may write a blog post about the experience... I may not. But just to say we love our new home and all the stresses of the past few weeks have disappeared. The night we moved in the lights were put on at the church to welcome us to the village which was lovely. This is literally the view from our front bedroom window... before I dropped the said iPad out the window smashing the screen to smithereens.Oh well, it's only stuff... and despite months of clearing out we still have far too much stuff!

Hector went into kennels for a few days while we packed and moved but he has now arrived at his new home and together we are exploring new footpaths (despite only being a mile and a half from where we were before!)

The previous occupiers had a black lab too and he has spent much of his time here sniffing out every nook and cranny, plus every square inch of the garden, quite determined to find the puppy we are obviously hiding from him. Silly dog!

Anyway, that's it for now but I just wanted to check in briefly to let you know I'm still here, still blogging. Will be back soon but there are a few boxes to unpack.

It Just Wasn't my Day!

Having delivered these four paintings for a small local exhibition last week, I was looking forward to seeing them in situ. Although I have had textiles in many exhibitions over the years, paintings are still new territory for me and I wasn't feeling too confident. But on Saturday morning we set out, collecting my Mum en route, to visit the exhibition.

Imagine my disappointment to find two of my pictures hung together like they had run out of time and space. I wouldn't have minded quite so much if the whole exhibition was badly hung but every other picture had lots of space around it and looked very professional. The chances are I wouldn't have sold anything anyway but I knew there was no chance of selling them looking like this. I felt like I had been an after thought.

It was disappointing but there wasn't much I could do at the time (I have let the organisers know what I felt since) so we left and went off for some lunch before returning home to carnage! Our very naughty dog had managed to get into my studio (he likes it because it is the only room downstairs that has carpet on the floor) and take six embroideries out of a bag, destroying them all, along with several reels of thread. I'm not sure how much of it he swallowed but so far has shown no ill effects (Suffice to say some of it has reappeared!) He had no concept of having done anything wrong and was really excited to see us and wagged his tail enthusiastically when we got back, keen to show us the new toys he had chewed! I wasn't quite so enthusiastic as him as you might imagine.

Taking the philosophical approach that it is only stuff that can be replaced, we had a quick cuppa and I took Mum home. When I got back there was a message from Stewart that he had gone out to collect his son from the station but was unable to start his car again so was stranded at the station. I had to go and rescue them leaving the car there for the weekend until we could get it towed back. It's a very old car. Originally mine, it was the first one I bought for myself after I was divorced. That might not sound very significant but was actually the first car I had ever bought or chosen for myself, having always had cars chosen for me, (don't get me started on the subject of control) which at the time seemed a huge step  towards my independence. After four days without it, our local garage have got it working again for the time being but its days are definitely numbered. I know it's only a car but I will be sad to see it go.

By then, we didn't  think anything else could go wrong. In the evening we were going to a village social fundraising supper to celebrate Thanksgiving. I decided to wear red, white and blue so put on my special dress that I had made for Kirsty's wedding, along with red shoes and cardigan. As the first course was served I suddenly had a whole cup of pumpkin soup poured over me... accidentally I might add, the poor chap serving us was mortified. It mopped up and the dress has been washed so there was no lasting damage but I couldn't help thinking I should have stayed in bed on Saturday!

I know I have not replied but thank you if you commented on my last post. I really appreciated your kind words and thoughts but didn't have the energy to answer. Jacob seems to be in a better place and dare I say it, life is returning to normal... well as normal as it ever gets if you have just read this post!

Beast from the East

So how have you coped with this "Beast from the East"? If you are not in the UK you probably haven't a clue what I'm taking about. It's not some sort of Abominable Snowman (which is how I quite like to imagine it) but a snowstorm that has swept the country and brought us to a standstill. There's nothing like a bit of weather to get us all talking and posting snowy pictures all over social media. We've not been hit too bad in south Cambridgeshire apart from the biting winds and sub zero temperatures but still we've not ventured out much except for a couple of essential doctors appointments... which reminds me, thank you for the kind wishes on my last post. Things are now a little calmer and we are finally getting some support. I missed the appointment for my hair cut though so I'll probably end up looking like some shaggy Beast from the East by the time my next appointment comes around.

Of course we have also had to go out for dog walks although even Hector wasn't convinced he wanted to go out this morning... he looked at me like I was crazy.

He enjoyed it once we were out and it was particularly beautiful and peaceful at 7.30 this morning... the only other tracks were rabbits, birds, deer and even a fox. Quite magical... except the bit where the rabbit tracks coincided with the fox, that wasn't magical. It looked like there might have been a scuffle.

We decided we ought to clear the driveway (not that we have taken the cars out today) but I got bored with shovelling snow so harnessed my inner child and built a snowman instead and I left the shovelling to Stewart. (I've just remembered... I must rescue my hat)

Other than that it has been a good excuse to stay home by the fire and keep warm with some new socks to knit. I've not decided whether I am keeping these or giving them away.

I've also spent time in the studio doing some sewing. I've been faffing about with not much of a plan but have ended up with another three little applique bags.

Potential Mother's Day gifts maybe?

They've gone into my Etsy shop anyway.

I also made some Brownies but I can't show you a photo of those because we've eaten them. I'm ready for some warmer springtime weather now though... are you?

And so that was Christmas

Well that came and went all rather quickly. Our celebrations started on Christmas eve with the arrival of my Mum, two eldest sons and partners plus one of their Mums... nine of us here for dinner which was quite modest compared to some years. There was some last minute present wrapping of some homemade Limoncello which I was happy that I'd made, as DPD managed to mess up on a next day delivery that was due on the 19th... it arrived today!

Christmas day was quiet as the eldest boys went on to other places leaving just the three of us and Mum here. Jacob and I had Salmon en Croute but I cooked a turkey crown for Stewart and my Mum. We spoke to Joe in Nicaragua who had just had breakfast and was heading off to the beach, and to James in Australia who was setttling down for the evening having had a warm and sunny Christmas too. It was very relaxed and low key and we only ventured out for dog walks. Someone in our village had added twinkly lights and baubles to a tree in the woods... it really is the little things that make lovely memories.

And talking of dogs Hector amused us all by being very excited to have his own present. He ran off to the kitchen with it (just in case it was a big mistake and we changed our minds)...

and then proudly came back with his new bone toy having very cleverly removed and discarded all the packaging. He was very pleased with himself.

On boxing day we were joined by Stewart's daughter and family and it was lovely to spend time with this gorgeous little chap who really could not see the point of wearing silly hats... nor having to eat sprouts!

He entertained us all on the piano!

So now today it is all over and everyone has gone home. "The weather outside is frightful" as they say so there is no desire to venture out. One cold and slushy dog walk was quite enough for me this morning. There is plenty of left over food to keep us going for a few more days and I'm trying very hard to embrace the down time before the New Year celebrations. To be honest I'm a bit fidgety with no definition to my days but I have been keeping myself occupied with some knitting. It was meant to be a Christmas present but didn't quite get finished in time. Navy blue yarn wasn't my idea but I had sent his grandad out to buy it and told him he could choose the colour, so I couldn't really complain... Well I did when I went wrong for about the fifth time because I couldn't see the blasted stitches.

But I think I have cracked it and I'm looking forward to finishing it off whilst watching the second episodes of both Little Women and The Miniaturist this evening.

As yet and as always the Christmas cake remains untouched and I wonder why I bothered to finish it off late on Saturday evening.... but then it wouldn't be Christmas without these traditions would it. All in all it has been a good few days.

I hope you have had a good one too.

Since Last Time...

• There has been lots of teaching and my regular weekly class is back into the swings of things. We've lost a couple of people... well, not lost exactly, I know where they are they just didn't re-enroll... but we've gained a couple too which is the way this class has been for the past ten years or so. I can't believe I have been doing it that long but they still delight me with what they make. These little book jackets were just some of the results of our first project. I think that I would like a little book of magic.

• It was caramel week in the bake off and although I didn't make stroopwafel I did make millionaire's shortbread and two caramel cakes. They weren't all for us I hasten to add... I have a skimpy outfit to get into by the end of October, but more about that later.

• No sooner than we'd eaten all that cake, it was pudding week. I went back to making the technical bake which was a molten pudding filled with peanut butter. It was so wrong... I love peanut butter but in the middle of a pudding it was dry, claggy and too salty. Won't be making those again in a hurry, which seems to be the theme of this year's bakes. Just for the record I did make them in under the specified time of one hour whilst also making dinner for four and under the influence of a couple of gin & tonics!
• I've been rehearsing twice a week because at the end of October I'm in a play... Funny Money, a farce by Ray Cooney. I play the wife of the main character, Jean Perkins and there are lots of lines to learn. I thought it would be good for the old grey matter but it's not as easy as it used to be and some days it feels like my brain is mush. All other reading has gone out of the window for the time being. It is also the reason I have to fit in to a skimpy outfit. To be fair it's not that skimpy just a size too small... but I also have to change into a nightdress and fall about on the floor a lot. Do you think I might be getting too old for this lark?

• Another day teaching and this time it was in a village hall in Acton, Suffolk. It is about an hour and half from where we live and straightforward journey. I left in plenty of time but was still an hour late arriving... because I got lost! For nearly twenty years I have travelled all over the country teaching or giving talks, I have arrived in city centres in the dark - Bristol, Derby, Birmingham, I have gone to every county you can imagine but I have NEVER, ever got lost before. I was listening to the radio, took a wrong turning and drove on for another ten miles before I realised, by which time I didn't have a clue where I was. I know, I know I should have a satnav or even use my phone but  I stubbornly stick to old fashioned maps because I prefer them. Phone calls were made, the map consulted and I arrived eventually. A cup of tea was thrust into my hand and I hit the class running, which was actually quite amusing. I do have to say all eleven ladies in the class were delightful, very understanding and all made the most amazing landscapes... I could show you all eleven but they are all up on my facebook page so I'll just show you mine.

• The dog has recovered from his operation. His cone of shame lasted two days before he learned how to remove it and started to eat it. He could reach his stitches anyway so it was a bit of a waste of time. On the plus side he has saved the vet a job and has removed his own stitches. He has also taken to carrying his blanket around all the time which is quite cute, except he has started to eat that too... pink poo, that's all I'm saying! As for his behaviour... well I'm optimistically telling myself it is early days yet but I wasn't very impressed by the regurgitated sock I found on the kitchen floor one morning at 6.15 am. I swear I thought it was a dead rat and did have a moment of panic (environmental health... my five star rating!) before I discovered it was a dead sock.

So that was my last ten days... I didn't intend staying away so long but you know how it is. This weekend we have nothing planned, nowhere to go, no cakes to bake just chilling, seeing the family and not doing anything in particular. I am determined to make the most of some down time... and learn my lines!

I hope you have a good weekend

Technical Difficulties

I think I should start by saying thank you to all you lovely people who left me such fabulous moral boosting comments on my last post. It does feel a little pathetic that I can so easily doubt myself when times are unsettled but there you go... the creative urge is a strange thing at times and I'm not always as confident as I seem to appear. It's all a bluff!

But I do what I always do when there are deadlines and life seems a challenge, I retreat to the kitchen and bake... and set myself more deadlines and challenges! This year I thought it would be fun, because obviously I have nothing elsle to do, to make the signature bakes as well as the technical bakes for this year's GBBO.

You have already seen my mini rolls which was the technical bake from week one but I also made a signature fresh fruit cake too... an trusted Dorset Apple Cake recipe full of lovely fresh apple. I also made a blueberry cake that week and wondered why some of the contestants found it so difficult to add fresh fruit to a cake.

Week 2 was biscuit week and the technical bake was fortune cookies. The first batch ended up in the bin (the oven temparature in the recipe is too low)... the second lot weren't much better and all I could think was why on earth would anyone want to make these. They burn your fingers when you make them and they don't even taste nice.

Definitely not worth the effort nor the calories! I think my fortune should have read "You will never make fortune cookies again".

The signature bake was to make sandwich biscuits so I made these carrot cake inspired biscuits from a recipe on the Great British Chefs website, which also happened to part of a bake along competittion on Twitter.

Not only did they taste great, they also won me a prize in the competition... this fabulous Emma Bridgewater biscuit barrel which is waiting to be filled with homemade biscuits!

Bread week saw a technical bake of a cottage loaf.

My shaping was a little bit out as I think I made my dough a little too wet but it tasted great and had a good crumb. I used butter instead of lard and I did just about do it in the alloted time but the figures didn't add up in the recipe... 10 minutes kneading, two one hour proving sessions and 35-40 mins in the oven... all to be done in two and a half hours! I managed it by cutting the proving times down to 45 minutes.

The signature bake in bread week was teacakes, something I had never made before. I made an apricot and date version flavoured with orange and cinnamon, mostly because that was what I had in the cupboard.

They were a big hit and I may have eaten a few too many, delicious toasted with lots of butter. If I get the time I may even share my recipe, although I may have to test them again first!

This week saw the bakers in the GBBO tent  having to deal with caramel and attempt a technical bake of Stroopwafel... a thin Dutch waffle with caramel filling. And so ends my journey of baking every technical bake this year because I am certainly not going to invest in a cone waffle maker that I will use once and then consign to a cupboard for the next ten years! I will probably try the signature bake of millionaire's shortbread though.

In other news, I've heard from Joe who had a brilliant four days in Vancouver and is now enjoying Cuba, the painters have finished and have done a great job, and Hector has has a little outing...

He loves going out in the car... but I'm not sure he was so thrilled whan he came home!

It may calm him down a little, it may not (the operation not the cone) as opinion seems to be divided but the vet seemed to think it might stop him running off even if it doesn't dampen his adolescent enthusiasm, only time will tell!

And as you can see I've not stopped blogging... at least not for the moment so thank you for continuing to read and being such a lovely supportive community of people. See you again soon.