The frustrating incident of the quince jelly in the night-time

Ok, so I accept that 10.00pm is not the best time to be manipulating a pan full of quince + juice and a stand with a jelly bag. Let's just cut to the chase and admit that about a third of the juice ended up all over the floor and up the walls....

After that interlude, I decided to just 'make the damn stuff'. Of course, I could not find the sugar, the ring on the cooker was too small to bring the pan up to the boil and so it went on. Finally, at 11.00pm I decided enough was enough. If the now-boiling mixture didn't pass the
wrinkle test I didn't care, and surely there must be something to be done with about 3 litres of quince syrup????

I was a bit apprehensive this morning, but as you can see I have some jars full of glowing loveliness :0)

Admittedly, it would not win a
WI prize, due to the slight cloudiness. This was caused by the squeezing that I had to do last night to rescue as much of the juice as I could. Had everything gone to plan ( and YES!!! if I waited for Number Guy, who offered to help) the juice would have been strained gently with no squeezing and hence no cloudiness. But it isn't going to be judged by the WI, so I don't care!

Gnashing of teeth...

I phoned my health insurance company today.


They do not have the x-ray plus report from my dentist.


I know he sent it.

It's not that I am looking forward to this procedure - but it needs to be done.

This is very frustrating...

Community

Number Guy and I had a great day out yesterday, courtesy of our Gemeinde (comununity).

After a tour of the local area ( I understood about 5% of the commentary since it was in Swiss German) we were served lunch. Now, this was a potentially difficult situation - we were fairly certain that horse would not be on the menu and reasonably certain that veal would. Of course, with our high moral standards we decided that we would politely leave it on one side. Then, of course, we were worried about offending a community that we are trying to be part of. Next we gave ourselves a verbal whipping for being so weak and small-minded. And so it went on. Eventually, we decided on what we felt was the only sensible course - we would eat the veal...and feel guilty after. I ate the veal...and didn't feel guilty, but I did feel uncomfortable.

This doesn't mean that I am ever going to buy veal, nor am I going to eat it at a restaurant. At the end of the day, it WAS more important to me not to reject this hospitality. Am I willing to lay aside all of my principles to become part of a community? No. But this one I can live with.

Before our meal we had a wander around the Hebsmarkt which was, it has to be said, somewhat of a disappointment. I had been expecting lots of local producers and artisans, but there was a preponderance of plastic. But there were a few delights:




These pear-like fruits are actually quinces. I was so excited to find them. The price? You won't believe it. A whole.....2CHF a kilo. In other words, 50p/lb. It was only my lack of jam jar capacity that stopped me buying the lot. Even better, I then
spied a very rare bird indeed - the lesser-spotted spinner. Yep, I found a spinner. Even better, she seems to be a lovely lady, who is going to collect me in a couple of weeks to take me to a spin-in. I don't need to worry about my lack of Swiss German - the lingua franca is fibre :0)

Hand me a hanky

I think I'm going to cry - I've just been listening to

The Book Thief again.

I just had a great phone call with my boy...

..and that's all I want to say about that ! :0) :0)

Only 3 years late....

Pattern: Cabled Socks

Book: Home, Debbie Bliss

Yarn: Cashmerino DK

Mods: Wrapped short-row heel; the directions in the pattern left holes.

For: My mum

Finished: Sept '09

Started:....blushes...3 years ago...

An observation....

When the weather got really hot at the beginning of spring, I had a few weeks of suffering with migraines, including one real belter that was one of the worst I have ever experienced.

About a week/ten days ago it was as if someone had thrown a switch and summer immediately became autumn. Once again, my migraines have been bad. Today, after a visit to the Lang shop (more later) I am again suffering.

Seems to me that the changes in weather are really influential so I I will be paying attention to seasonal changes next year.

Now I am going to curl up on the sofa with my yarn haul from Lang - it is modest, only 2 sweaters-worth, but I am certain petting it will aid my recovery ;0)

Herbst is here.

Yep, there is a definite autumnal feel to the air - almost as if someone has flipped the switch on summer. I always feel a little despondent at this time of year. However, I am hoping that there will at least be some sunny days between now and the spring. The weather in Glasgow is almost unremmitingly grey and wet between October and March and I have high expectations that Swiss winter will be cold but sunny. A girl can hope.

The osteopath that I am seeing has given me a regime for using the PC and for knitting. It's not a lot but it is better than I thought. I really was staring a life of no crafting in the face. It was ugly.

So on that note, my time at the PC has come to the end for now. Here's a picture to remind me that the sun will 'return' next spring.

PS - and while I am thinking gloomy thoughts about world, here is something which would have made me laugh a lot (instead of a little) if it wasn't so pertinent...
Earth to America

good/bad

What I don't like about Burda patterns:



Lack of seam allowances, which have to be added on either when you trace the pattern as I am doing, or added directly onto the fabric.

What I do like:
downloadable instructions in English . Particularly useful when you've been daft enough to buy a pattern with 6 different languages, none of which is actually English...