Blogtober 2023 : Day 20
It has not stopped raining here today. The wind has been howling and the rain has been battering on the windows but I know that we have still got off lightly compared to some people – big daughter got stuck in long tailbacks of traffic on the way to work this morning, and friends who live in Wales have had their house flooded – as Storm Babet continues to wreak havoc around the country. It’s definitely been a day to stay indoors … but earlier, I was chatting by text with my friend Lucy who’s down in Dorset and she sent me a photo of a beautiful sunny day on the beach. Isn’t it crazy that the weather can be so different from one end of our island to another?
This is where I’ve been for most of the day …
It’s been too awful to go outside so the dog hasn’t had a walk but has run into the garden a couple of times and then straight back into the house. Our daft Hattie cat has been going from one side of the house to the other in the hope that it won’t be raining on the other side, but she’s been disappointed.
It’s actually been quite nice to be inside with the opportunity to sit and knit with the fire on – it’s something that I don’t take for granted! There’s been progress on the baby sock …
and I’ve also managed to tick a good few things off my list of jobs too.
One of the things that my husband and I have been getting round to for aaaages is to update our Wills. It’s not something that you ever like to think about, but it’s important stuff and I think there’s no better gift to leave to your family than your affairs being in order so that they don’t have a big tangle to unravel. We saw a solicitor a few weeks ago and had some paperwork to go through – it does remind you of your own mortality which is most uncomfortable and is in sharp contrast to my memory of being not so small daughter’s age when I was pretty sure that I was immortal – and I got that sent off so that was a relief, and one less thing on the list.
A happier thing was filling this jar which not so small daughter brought home from Brownies last night. She’s way too big to be a Brownie these days but she started volunteering at a local pack a couple of years ago and loves it, so she’s stuck with it and was very pleased to discover that there was a spare bulb jar left for her after the Brownies had finished their activities for the night.
We’ve never had a proper bulb jar before so this will be something new. There’s water almost up to the bulb and it will sit in the dark for six weeks now until the stem has grown and it can come out into the light and hopefully flower in time for Christmas. What a lovely gift!
Right, that’s me for tonight, I’m going back to my knitting and the fire and I hope you can stay safe, warm and dry too! xx
Sadly the weather is truly dreadful for so many. I grew hyacinths like that from my childhood in the 1950s until about 20 years ago. It seemed miraculous how water could produce so much. Blotting paper round the inside of a jamjar with a little water germinated broad beans or runner beans which could then be planted out. Damp blotting paper in a saucer grew mustard and cress for sandwiches.
It is lovely to get things done – and I agree about leavings things nice and tidy for your family. we have had to administer three family estates in the past 18 mos which were anything but.
Knitting indoors on a day like today is a wonderful thing to do.
I hope Babet goes away soon – but Scotland are still on red alert for tomorrow too.
Stay safe and dry.
Stay safe
Thank you xx
I have never seen a “bulb jar” before. We just stuck toothpicks around the edge of the bulb, and balanced it on a regular jar. Interesting!
Yes, that’s what we’ve done before (it worked beautifully with an avocado stone), and I think this is the same idea but in glass – I guess it’s more decorative if you choose to leave the bulb in the jar whilst it’s flowering 🙂 xx