DIY day

After a glorious day yesterday today we were back to cloudy with sunny spells and a very chilly wind.  John and the boys did go out on a bike ride and whilst they were out I did some cooking.  

The picture is not my picture because anyone who knows John will know that I do not, and I mean do not, cook with mushrooms even though I love them!

I had defrosted a load of skinned and boned chicken thighs in order to make a job lot of coq-au-vin to go in the freezer for days just like today.  We would have eaten it tonight if it had not been for the fact that I had already defrosted some sirloin steak from a barbeque pack of Shuks and the steak needed eating.  Sirloin is not my favourite but I wasn't going to let it go to waste and we are trying to make room in the freezer to put in the few bits we currently have in Argy and Lakis's freezer.  In fact they called today, on a video call when I was looking like the Wreck of the Hesperus - they can really chose their moments!!!  Anyway it was good to speak to them even if I wasn't looking as elegant as Mrs K!  Sadly it is the first anniversary of her Mum's passing tomorrow which coincides with what would have been my mum and dad's 68th wedding anniversary.

With the food sorted I got on to sorting out a couple more of my drawers.  I have given up with the idea of having things ironed so I can just take them off the hangar and wear them.  We just don't have enough wardrobe space so I have folded and stacked.  I can at least see what is in the cupboard and can iron as I go which is probably the better solution.  It will also make it easier for me to decide what I am going to keep and what I am not.

Once John had returned the remainder of the afternoon was spent recreating the base for what is to be Joani's Spot - it kept us warm if nothing else!!!  John had built a wooden platform upon which he was putting decking and we had to measure out and dig out an area to sink it in, taking into consideration that the right hand shed door needs to be able to open.  This is where I have a passion fruit growing and which has been protected from the cold winds.  I took the fleece off to see how it was doing, which was fine, and then replaced the fleece because tonight's weather forecast was for the temperature to dip dramatically.

John managed to get himself a massive blister because he didn't put on his new work gloves and managed to hit himself on the head with his metal levelling device even though I was the one that got the lecture on proper use and stowage of tools so as not to cause an accident!

So here it is with the existing furniture in situ (this is going to be replaced on Tuesday when the new stuff is delivered).  The olive tree has been moved from the front and its pot is on the lovely little bronze hares that John bought me for my birthday.  This area gets the early morning sun so we wanted to create a space where we could have breakfast or coffee and I wanted a base so that the legs of the chairs would not get scratched by the shingle.  It was hard work but a job well done and we finished it just before the weather got really damp and nippy.  In fact I think we may have had some rain.