Seasonal
Happy New Year, Dear Reader!
It's been a funny old week. H went back to work Wednesday, after a good fortnight off. Boy, do I miss him!
That said, I'm fully fit and well again, so didn't mind hauling the fruit and veg home from the market yesterday. When the lady on the stall said, "£10, please," I wondered what I'd forgotten. It's usually nearer £15 per week, just from that stall. Mind you, I looked at the plastic packaging even on some of their stuff and some of the 'country of origin' labels and thought, 'hmm, maybe not.' If you really want excess plastic packaging, go to a supermarket. It all adds to the price you pay, not to mention the environmental impact. After all even oil, from which the (mostly totally unneccessary) plastic packaging is made, is a limited resource.
It's seasonal pears, plums and apples at this time of year for us; for all strawberries might be available. Oranges too. Yes, I know we don't grow oranges in the UK (though maybe come further Climate Change . . ?) There were even Seville Oranges, for marmalade, making their seasonal, two weeks, appearance. I've made marmalade from Seville oranges, it was nice. It's also a bit of a sticky process, but there you are. These days I buy the chunky stuff from Asda, which I like and is reasonably priced. Now we have a vast collection of jam jars and matching lids. Anyone make their own marmalade and need a few jars?
Meanwhile I have taken steps to ensure that the next time our Postie has something a tad too large for our letterbox and, having waited around the corner til I've gone out, can't deliver it.
We have patterned glass in our front door. Having checked the size of type that can be read through the glass, I've written instructions as to 'What To Do If I'm Not In' and stuck them up on the inside of the glass. It's legible, I've checked.
Basically, if the package says anything about 'knitting' on the label, give it a squidge, it might be squashable enough to force through the letterbox without damage. Otherwise go round the corner and toss it, gently, over our back yard wall! It'll be fine if it's not raining, for goodness sake. And if they can't bring themselves to do either of those, I've asked them to check with two neighbours who are often in and have said they don't mind taking packages for us.
As I have at least two parcels en route, one of which will be on its third-and-final-attempt-at-delivery, I'm hoping our regular Postie is on. I've spoken to him a couple of times about what to do should I be out. Apparently it's the relief Postie who's been hiding around the corner the previous couple of times. I shall have the Posties trained!
It's so much easier with delivery people, they come while I'm still in of a morning. Honestly, the Government 'privatised' the Post Office. Now, like the trains, it's so much worse. Trouble is we've effectively had a Tory government (cos many of New Labour's policies, under Tony Blair, were to the Right of the previous Conservative governments') for the past twenty years.
The present lot seem particularly keen on dismantling what's left of the Welfare State set up in post-WWII. They also seem to not care at all about people on incomes of less than £50,000 per year - look at their policies. And as for the total debacle and shambles that is Brexit . . .
Right, I'm off out for coffee with a friend. Here's hoping the Postie can read, should he have a package for us!
Y'all have a good New Year now!
It's been a funny old week. H went back to work Wednesday, after a good fortnight off. Boy, do I miss him!
That said, I'm fully fit and well again, so didn't mind hauling the fruit and veg home from the market yesterday. When the lady on the stall said, "£10, please," I wondered what I'd forgotten. It's usually nearer £15 per week, just from that stall. Mind you, I looked at the plastic packaging even on some of their stuff and some of the 'country of origin' labels and thought, 'hmm, maybe not.' If you really want excess plastic packaging, go to a supermarket. It all adds to the price you pay, not to mention the environmental impact. After all even oil, from which the (mostly totally unneccessary) plastic packaging is made, is a limited resource.
It's seasonal pears, plums and apples at this time of year for us; for all strawberries might be available. Oranges too. Yes, I know we don't grow oranges in the UK (though maybe come further Climate Change . . ?) There were even Seville Oranges, for marmalade, making their seasonal, two weeks, appearance. I've made marmalade from Seville oranges, it was nice. It's also a bit of a sticky process, but there you are. These days I buy the chunky stuff from Asda, which I like and is reasonably priced. Now we have a vast collection of jam jars and matching lids. Anyone make their own marmalade and need a few jars?
Meanwhile I have taken steps to ensure that the next time our Postie has something a tad too large for our letterbox and, having waited around the corner til I've gone out, can't deliver it.
We have patterned glass in our front door. Having checked the size of type that can be read through the glass, I've written instructions as to 'What To Do If I'm Not In' and stuck them up on the inside of the glass. It's legible, I've checked.
Basically, if the package says anything about 'knitting' on the label, give it a squidge, it might be squashable enough to force through the letterbox without damage. Otherwise go round the corner and toss it, gently, over our back yard wall! It'll be fine if it's not raining, for goodness sake. And if they can't bring themselves to do either of those, I've asked them to check with two neighbours who are often in and have said they don't mind taking packages for us.
As I have at least two parcels en route, one of which will be on its third-and-final-attempt-at-delivery, I'm hoping our regular Postie is on. I've spoken to him a couple of times about what to do should I be out. Apparently it's the relief Postie who's been hiding around the corner the previous couple of times. I shall have the Posties trained!
It's so much easier with delivery people, they come while I'm still in of a morning. Honestly, the Government 'privatised' the Post Office. Now, like the trains, it's so much worse. Trouble is we've effectively had a Tory government (cos many of New Labour's policies, under Tony Blair, were to the Right of the previous Conservative governments') for the past twenty years.
The present lot seem particularly keen on dismantling what's left of the Welfare State set up in post-WWII. They also seem to not care at all about people on incomes of less than £50,000 per year - look at their policies. And as for the total debacle and shambles that is Brexit . . .
Right, I'm off out for coffee with a friend. Here's hoping the Postie can read, should he have a package for us!
Y'all have a good New Year now!