A Middling Monday

After I’d posted yesterday, Cid decided he would like to try out Snowy’s spot on the monitor. Snowy, not one to give up her position as top cat decided to jump onto the other monitor despite the top being covered with bits and pieces which went flying everywhere.

Today been a very middling sort of day today, nothing outstanding but progression has been made. The glossing of the work surfaces isn’t fully dry, as I found out kneeling on it, so my hand and knee prints will be there for posterity. It was dry enough that I could start filling the holes in the wall behind. I still need another coat of whitewash under the sink and to fill a couple of large holes there where the water pipes used to be. The holes are large and deep so will take a couple of goes to fill but as you can see, the shelf is there in the corner unit.

While pottering round on that and mixing chicken feed I had another go at bread making and I just had to show you the results. I’d followed up Debra’s tip about the bread flour in Netto’s and had got myself some multigrain flour. I decided to stretch it a bit, having read a lot of the tips on the Old Style forum of MoneySavingExpert and made up a 50:50 mix with plain flour, adding a teaspoon more yeast (the multigrain was a ready made mix), sugar, a tablespoon or so of olive oil and a touch of salt. Then it was a really good kneading and two rises. I don’t have any loaf tins but chucked it into a couple of cake tins and et voilà!

I hadn’t seen Mr Tibbs since last Tuesday when he finally came down from the loft but today he was back again and I just called to him from the kitchen and he came in, all be it very gingerly. There are four other cats who are not actually anti him being here but are a little jealous over me. After a quick bite of food, he climbed onto my lap so he has had his flea and worm treatment too. This afternoon he was on the patio when I went out to feed the alpacas and I was able to call to him and he came in via the front door. I still have food for him in a separate place to the other cats so that they don’t feel too threatened but it’s looking like he will soon be an inside cat. In fact, as I write this, he’s curled up on a cat bed in the kitchen.

Early post tonight as I need an early night so I can be up in case my oil delivery comes first thing. I’ve done well over the winter but now the tank is nigh on empty so it will be around 850 litres tomorrow – shudder, and the price is still rising. But while I can do without the heating I can’t do without my tractor yet. Just how long would it take a couple of donkeys to plough 5 hectares?