Grow your own Pork.

Could you?

Could you raise a piglet, feed it, clean it, play with it, name it, take care of it, take it to the abbatoir, then to the butcher, then to the freezer and finally to your dinner plate.???

I think I could.

We have been discussing this a lot recently, a friend of ours who has a small holding and raises sheep, cows and chickens, cannot eat his own animals.

I would love to raise my own livestock, to feed it well, give it a good quality of life before sending it away to be killed. Yes, I could not kill it myself. I would have to have it done professionally and butchered professionally as well.

Meat is not chunks of flesh, from a supermarket. Its a cow, a sheep, a pig, a deer. A leg of lamb is a lambs leg. a shoulder of pork is a pigs shoulder. a chicken is a chicken! Where I can I buy free range chicken and outdoor reared pork. If I cant get/afford outdoor pork It has to be red tractor pork. I love meat. I love farming. I like to see the old fashioned butcher's where they have the whole carcasses hung up. That is the reality of what you are eating. People need to get in touch with what they are eating. 

It comes from my childhood, I grew up on a farm. It would break my heart as a child when the steer's went off to the abbatoir. However, It was short lived grief and I would happily tuck into my beef on a sunday. We were used to it. I would often see braces of pheasants hanging in porches and sheds. Rabbits being skinned. bags of feather's. men with guns and spaniels ready for the off. Rabbit and pheasant were free food. People would hunt for pheasants and rabbits and there was often  more than they needed so they were handed out and gifted. Often to be exchanged for a pint of beer.

However,  LSP and the children do not share my kill it, Cook it, Eat it philosophy. Where do you all stand?

Could you raise your own meat? Do you?

Germ Dodging.

I am currently trying to dodge the germs, they are everywhere.......

Friends...Family, Colleagues... everyone.

Everyone is poorly sick. Today. Some people were to ill to come to work, other's came to work ill (yes just make us all sick thank you) people on buses were sneezing and coughing. people in the shops were sneezing and coughing. .....

I did some interesting shopping. I spent the princely sum of £1.40... The 40p was on a JAJ snowflake pattern platter for a friend who is pyrex crazy. The £1 was for something for my swap partner..... Marina

This week is going to be a very busy one. I am currently trying to slot 5 day weeks into 4 days. I am looking forward to Friday when I have a coffee date at M&S yay.

Now, a serious thought.....last year I gave up shopping for lent. 40 days without buying anything other than food. Do I do it again this year? Given that we are back and forth to the vet at the moment. Dog 1 is having weekly injections. Dog 2 needs his mouth checking tomorrow. It would be good to save some cash. .....

well lots to think about.....We are off to the theatre later this week and I am looking forward to sharing it all with you as it is going to be very very interesting.

Hope you all had a good Monday.

Sunday Roast.

Thank you very much for your lovely comments from yesterday's post.

Today has been an odd day. My plan to catch up on some work from home was scuppered by the fact I left my computer cable at work. !!! more work for me in the week.

I cant actually say what I have done.... LSP cleaned the bathroom, I cleaned the fire. I cooked dinner....thats about it. I pottered. LSP did the books. I had a bath.

This morning instead of my hop in hop out shower, I choose to have a bath. LSP was having a lie in, YD had gone to work. So I lay in the bath and listened to the Sunday Service on radio 4. Bliss. As we have an old house we have to bath and shower with the window open. So I lay in the bath with an icy chill coming though the window. It was like being in a spa...(well that's what I was telling myself)

Breakfast was our lovely special Sunday breakfast of Bacon, Mushroom and Spinach served with toast.
The morning was pottering to The Archer's. I love the Archer's. I have only been listening for the past couple of years. Radio 4 is the soundtrack to our Sunday's at home.

This afternoon I have been cooking a roast dinner, mmm. Older daughter and Older daughter's boyfriend came round for dinner.

I may look like a jumble but boy it tasted good. We had lamb. We don't have it often.

I seasoned it and shoved loads of fresh rosemary and garlic into it and poured some red wine into the pot.

Served with roast potato's, roast parsnips and yorkshire pudding.

Veggies were carrot, swede, peas, sweetcorn and butter braised leeks. 

As well as Apricot stuffing and lots of gravy. Yum. 

Tomorrow we will have the leftover's in a hot pot/hotchpotch. 

I love Sunday roasts, there is something very special about having the family around the table for Sunday. It is special as the food takes more preparation and is a more expensive meal. 

There is that great moment as well when you have done and the other family member's are going the washing up. That is all done now. 

LSP, OD and ODBF are on the sofa playing with lego (yes I am serious) YD and I are on the other Sofa she reading me writing this blog. 

The fire is lit, and the dogs are on the rug. 2 hours of TV before bed. 

Hope you all have a good week. 

Being Wifely.

Before I start, You might want to make a cup of tea as this is going to be a long one.

Today we were supposed to be staying in but we switched our plans as there is going to be snow.
This morning, as Saturday Mornings often do started with housework. Stripping beds, dusting, tidying, organising, sorting etc.

I turned my attention to my wardrobe which had become a jumbled mess. The idea was take the mess, put things in a bad for the charity shop and tidy what's left.

Sorted! 

I managed a full bag for the charity shop and then once I had finished in the bedroom, I went into the loft and picked up the 3 other bags I had sorted from there as well as 6 bags for the recycling centre. 

By the time all this was done it was lunch time, so LSP and I tucked into cheese with oatcakes and onion marmalade. 

Ok, so it was 12.30 

We had to go to the charity shop, the recycling centre, TKmaxx and Tesco and be back in time for the Rugby  at 5pm. 

Charity shop, 4 bags in, nothing came out and we have sorted out gift aid for our donations. 

Recycling centre, no queue. (well it was freezing cold) 6 bags of rubbish out of the house and recycled. 

TKmaxx, I went as I heard on blogger that they may have had some CK delivered. Alas none to the one by us. However, I did see an amazing rug.

All made from old mens tie's. An idea I will steal. 

Ok so all there was left to do was Tesco. Now, it seemed like the whole world wanted to get to Tesco before the Rugby started. It was horrible. I was on my own as while we were out one of the bulbs in the car had gone so LSP went to get it fixed while I trugded round the aisles. Every now ans then we have to do a Tesco shop to stock up on the things that Aldi and Lidl do not sell such as no salt Bisto and orkney oatcakes. 

I was in there for so long, it felt like I was in Purgatory, I did not even fill a large trolley, I wanted to get finished so we could get back for the Rugby. 

We did get back, in time. 

LSP decamped to the sofa to sit and watch the Rugby. I have very little interest in the Rugby, Just the result. (go England) 

I settled LSP with, 

and got on with the other jobs. 

It amazing what you can achieve during a rugby match. 

I lit the fire, unpacked the shopping, made the dinner, made the beds, hung up 2 loads of washing, folded the dry washing reloaded the washing machine and got in some coal. 

All the time that I was doing this I thought about how much I love being a wife, doing wifely things, the cooking and shopping etc I love making a comfy home for us to share. 

However I am not technically a wife. 

LSP and I are not married. not because we do not want to be. 

Because it is not allowed. My Long Suffering Partner is a Woman. 

We have been together for 15 years and have been in a civil partnership for the past 5 years. 

There is nothing different about our relationship to a hetrosexual relationship. Our tasks and labour is divided. I cook, we clean, LSP does the finances, drives the car, sorts out the dogs, washes up, cleans the drains, mows the lawn etc, I do everything I blog about doing. 

The world has changed a lot over the 15 years we have been together, we have raised 2 children, been able to be recognised as partners. Attitudes towards gay and lesbian people have moved on. 

However, I have not mentioned it in my blog before. I dont know why, its important and not important all at the same time. Everyone assumes that everyone else is heterosexual. I was reminded of this on Friday. 

After work, I went shopping in Monsoon and LSP went shopping in a phone shop. I had just left monsoon when i had a call from LSP saying that she had sold my phone and I needed to come to the phone shop. 

LSP had bought me a new phone for valentines day and had part exchanged my old one at the same time as getting herself a new phone. She said to the sales assistant that she would give the other half a call and when she had established that I was close by, let them know and was asked how soon her husband would be there.  They were surprised when I walked in. 

So, here we are, LSP and I are tucked up in front of the fire, The snow is getting thicker outside and we are watching Birdsong on BBC iplayer as the snow has knocked out the Sky signal. 

The fire is keeping us toasty and warm, the dogs asleep in front of the fire. 

I am hoping that the snow is still around in the morning as a brisk walk with the camera may be in order. 

Photo Friday

Brrrr. yesterday was a a bit cold. However it did give me an opertunity to photograph how amazing nature is
.

Hope you all had a great day. x

Today, I wore a purple hat and no socks.

Hi. Today, here in this corner of England it was cold. V cold. So cold I wore my winter hat. 

My Winter hat is....

Woolly.....

Purple....

Knitted.....

Warm...

I think it is fab! 

However, LSP thinks I look like a

 Tellytubby !

A friend at work said I reminded her of being a like a real life

Gnome . 

(how lovely are the people in my life) 

This hat was bought in Scotland, not in a winter sports shop but in the north east in a pretty fishing village 

By a Smiling man from Nepal.

All that colour, all that lovely knitted lovelyness.

Hand knitted in Nepal

To a little fishing village in Scotland.  

To my head. 

Anyway, Today it was cold enough to wear it. 

However not cold enough for socks. 

I have very hot feet and so seldom wear sock's. its one of the way's I know I am unwell If I get cold feet. 

Tonight the bus stops were cold.

(don't be fooled by the evening sun) 

I am glad to get home, to get changed, 

To sit on the sofa with the dogs, Dog 2 is curled up on his bed, he is seeming better. 

Tomorrow is Friday. 

Hooray. 

This weekend is a weekend at home. We have a very long to do list for this weekend. 

one sick puppy.

Ok, so dog 2 is not a puppy. however he is not feeling at his best tonight.

This morning, Dog 2 needed to go to the vet's for his operation to remove a tooth, he is an old dog and a cocker spaniel and they do have quite weak teeth.

This morning was a bit of a rush so I found myself, outside with the dog, late and without my jacket. So dog 2 and I ran (well jogged) to the vet. It was v v cold. I was wearing a t shirt and a cardigan and shoes with no socks. We arrived 2 minutes early (yay) and then waited 20 minutes for the vet to check him in. En route to the wet we walked past some woodlands and I was eye to eye with a Montjac deer. (the wind meant that dog 2 could not smell him) Now I did not have my camera, but it was still a magical moment. me and the deer looking at each other, before he turned and ran away.

Now dog 2 was confused. 1) he had no breakfast. 2) he was out for an early walk 3) he was at the vet again!
Dog 2 does not always think he is a dog, sometimes he thinks he is people. and as he thinks he is people he does like to sit on, sofa's, beds, chairs, benches etc. now sitting on seats is not allowed at the vet and as dog 2 does not like dogs (he is old, blind and antisocial) I try to keep him away from other dogs as the result involves lots of barking. (I must just point out he is a lovely dog and we love him very much, he gets on well with dog1 but as he cant see he does get loud when faced with other dogs).

So on the floor, he barks and he is not allowed on the seat. Guess who sat on my lap for 20 minutes!

Dog deposited.

Go to work. (not a great day)

Collect Dog.

Pay Bill.
(ouch....bill was double the estimate as he needed some more work. a serious amount of money)
(yes we have insurance but does not cover very old dogs dental)

Dog is now sore and dopey, he has had painkillers and something to keep him calm. He is lying on his bed half awake and half asleep.

We love him so much and want him to feel better soon. x x x