Shiralee at Willington #4

Saturday 25th September

I can’t say that very much of interest has occurred since my last posting, whenever that was, but at least I have not been sitting around idly doing nothing. With six months enforced idleness since we are approaching winter rather speedily, I have decide to look at ways to earn some extra cash. Not that we are in any desperate need ate present; after all, we don’t have the usual millstones such as mortgages, around our necks. What we do seem to have, constantly attacking us from all angles, is additional expenses for the boat.

Last Wednesday, I think it was, our heating system gave up the ghost and we had to call in the local engineer. A service for this system costs £140 but, if the burner needs replacing; which it did in our case; that will be £280! Thankfully it only took a couple of days for the nice man to get the necessary parts and fit them so we are now up and running again.

We also have another list of jobs to be done before we go off cruising in April. These include an engine service and we also need to replace the batteries, which are now four years old and well past their sell-by date. Thos two jobs alone will probably set us back another £500.

So, you can see the need for me to look for ways to bring in some extra moola, geldt, dosh, wongle, or whatever you like to call it. I do have one or two ideas on the subject and they all include the Internet.

So, what else is new?

Well, I trotted off to the surgery yesterday morning for yet another blood test, whilst my good lady took the bus into Derby. It won’t be very long before I’ll be going with her, that’s if my legs improve as they have been doing. I know I’m forever bemoaning the fact that I spend most of me sleeping time in the armchair, but during the day I am at least finding it easier to walk.

There’s also Burton upon Trent for me to visit, although Sheila much prefers Derby when it comes to the range of shops available. Indeed, that fair city is where I first bought a walking stick, and that must be at least three years ago when I was really starting to feel the strain and pain of dodgy knees.

As for today, well, since Wifey did all the necessary shopping yesterday, we only need to buy today’s Mail and the rest of the day will be thoroughly lazy.

Sunday 26th September

Up again at 05.30 this morning, getting to be a bad habit!!

Now, how about another recipe? This time from Cheshire


Vegetarian Brunch Pie

Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes
1 medium onion, diced
1 large flat mushroom, sliced
1 pinch chilli powder
½ tsp ground cumin
A little butter
1 tsp whole grain mustard
4 oz crumbled Cheshire cheese
1 egg
Short crust pastry

Method:

Roll out the pastry and line a deep oven proof dish with it saving enough for a lid
Boil the potatoes in salt water for 8 to 10 minutes
Lightly fry the onion in the butter until soft
Add the chilli powder and cumin
Cook for about 2 minutes and remove from the heat
Stir in the mustard and cheese
Drain and grate the potatoes and stir into the mixture
Season with salt and pepper
Fill the pastry to about ¾ full with the mixture
Make a well in the mix and break the egg into it
Cover with the rest of the mix
Add the pastry lid and seal it well
Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes at 210C/435F/Gas Mark 6

Even though this is a vegetarian dish and, even though I haven’t tried it myself, it certainly looks very appealing. Give it a try, you never know, you might even enjoy it.

Some time ago, having bought some ornamental plates depicting canal boats, Brian and Marian gave us the ones they were to replace. The plates they gave us are a set of four called Harvest Home Collection from Royal Doulton. We passed a few pleasant minutes yesterday hanging them on the wall and, I have to say, they do look rather good. We’ve probably got more pictures and plates hanging on our walls than your average two up two down but, since it would be foolish in the extreme to paper our walls, the pictures and plates are a great alternative.

Saturday 2nd October and we started off with a very bright day. According to those clever clogs at the Met. Office though, it won’t last past this evening, when we can expect some more rain.

This morning we took a run over to Findern in the hope and expectation that we would be able to buy out Lottery tickets. Sadly the shop there doesn’t do them, so we carried on to Littleover, but the same applied there. We therefore had to turn around and go into Willington. And that is the extent of our excitement for today, except for the fact that we can look forward to a rabbit stew for dinner. Yummee!!

Sunday 3rd October and what a lousy start to the day, pouring with rain and looking set for the day. When it rains the pontoons can be pretty treacherous, to say the least, so I have to be particularly careful. We received a sales page inside the Daily Mail yesterday that included studded slip-ons for shoes, to be used on slippery surfaces and in icy weather. I’ll be sending off for them soon, but Wifey has decided to go for a pair of snow boots instead.

The rabbit stew yesterday was really delicious, especially the herby dumplings. We gave a small taster to the pooch, which of course she thoroughly enjoyed. However, about 11.30 pm, after Sheila had been safely tucked up in bed for over an hour, Rusty became rather unsettled, which usually points to her needing to take a call of nature. Now, since I’m still using crutches to get around, making it impossible for me to take Rusty out, Wifey wasn’t best pleased at having to get out of bed at such an unearthly hour. Still, it’s better than a smelly boat, if you get my drift.

Believe it or not, I’m still playing about with this pesky recipe book and am now in the final stages of proof-reading. With a bit of luck, once I’ve converted it to a .pdf file, I’ll have it on eBay some time next week. I might even post it on Clickbank and let other folks sell it for me, always assuming it sells reasonably well on eBay.

Later today, as is my wont, we’ll be off to The Wheel in Findern for a Sunday drink, and I don’t care if it is raining. Of course you would be right is suggesting that, as we are retired now, every day is a Sunday, but I’ve become so used to a drink on Sundays that the other seven days are not quite the same.

Soapbox Time

I haven’t done this for a while, but something irritating has surfaced of late and I would like to pass it on to you.

What do you feel about background music in shops and stores? I think they used to call it Musak back in the day.

Now, I would be the first to admit to enjoying some easy listening music when I’m shopping. It certainly goes some way towards making a chore a relaxing experience. But I do object to that music battering my eardrums to such an extent that I can’t think straight. But, as if that wasn’t enough, when a superstore like Morrison’s; which we find to be far superior even to Sainsbury’s; rack up the volume when advertising their own wares, I think it’s time to go elsewhere to spend my money.

Over the past four years since buying the boat, we have sought out Morrison’s whenever possible. Indeed, when moored at Tring for two winters running, we always shopped in the Aylesbury branch and, more recently, when moored at Pillings Lock Marina, we shopped at the Loughborough branch, neither of which battered the ears with loud music and promotions. But the one at Burton is the giddy limit, so much so that I have emailed their head office with a complaint. Meanwhile, until I receive a reply to the effect that something is being done about the din, we’ll probably shop at Tesco in Mickleover, a store that does not subscribe to background music at all.

End of Soapbox!!

Wednesday 6th October and the weather has now turned Autumnal, with rain overnight and still raining this morning.

My apologies for the delay in posting this blog, I will try to do so later today. Meanwhile, Wifey is now up and will be wanting brekky soon.

Monday 11th October and, because it’s only just past 5 o/clock and it’s pitch black outside, I have no idea what the weather is like. I do know that it isn’t raining because, if it was, I would hear it on the roof of the boat.

Now, I realise that I seem to be leaving longer and longer gaps between postings but, in all honesty, even though we live on a boat, we still face the same daily grind as all you other retirees out there, and you wouldn’t be wanting to read about our daily visits to shops, or doctors’ surgery, or even the pub on a Sunday, now would you?

Ever since my operation in July, I have been looking forward to the day when I could walk without crutches. Well, that day arrived last Thursday when I decided to leave them behind and go for a walk with Wifey and the pooch. Mind you, I’m not yet into walking around the perimeter of the marina, which must be almost a mile.

You will be pleased to know that I have now finished the recipe book. I am doing no more to it, although, I have had to produce it as a .pdf file instead of that other book layout. So, I won’t be doing any more to that one.

Having finished that one I came up with the idea of compiling another one, this one being aimed at those folks out there who do not always have a lot of time for cooking. Believe it or not, just like that well known chef who advertises for a big supermarket chain, I decided to limit the cooking time to 30 minutes. I can guarantee one difference between us when it comes to the finished article, my book will be about REAL cooking, as opposed to all that fancy stuff and nonsense. It will be a darn sight cheaper too.

Anyway, that one is also finished and I am now working on a really good vegetarian cook book.

I don’t really want to be posting just one book on eBay, nor do I want to limit my offering to two, which is why I am getting stuck in to the veggy one, which will probably take me a while yet, but when it’s done I will have three good books, along with some of the other tat we’ve accumulated over the years. We have quite a few books hidden away under the dinette, some to do with how to paint in different mediums and others about how to play the guitar. Quite a few of those will go and they are all in very good condition and should fetch reasonable prices.

Of course, we haven’t checked our ticket for last Friday’s Euro Lottery, so all this talk about eBay and recipe books, could be a complete waste of time. Yeah!! Right!!

Now, not knowing just how busy I am likely to be over the next week or two, I suppose I really ought to post this blog now. Perhaps, once I am able to take longer walks and can take my camera along with me, I will find something of real interest to write about. You just never know, do you? We might be the ones to come across an exciting event and, unlike most times when we’re cruising, have the camera to hand to record it.

Incidentally, even though I am now walking just like other folks, I am still having problems sleeping and spend most of the night in the armchair. I am also still suffering with water retention, which is why I am seeing the doctor again this morning. Hopefully he will be able to help me on both counts. It really is a pain in the nether regions, having to get out of bed only an hour after getting into it.

It’s just as much of a pain having to drink so much water, just in order to encourage my kidneys to eliminate all the excess. That’s what kidneys were designed for, for goodness sakes, why can’t they get on with their job and leave me to decide how much liquid I take in?

Such is life!

Meanwhile all you lovely people, have a good week.

Dave, Sheila and Rusty