It’s quite amazing, just when you have a problem you talk to someone in an unrelated way and they give you the answer. I’ve been very frustrated with the bathroom ceiling as you will be aware, anyhow the dark patches kept showing through whatever I did. Then the toilet flush broke, Yvonne and I had a row about it and she went off to Norma’s whilst I tried (successfully) to keep it going until I could get the new parts. When I had calmed down, I went to retrieve her and we got to chatting with Norma and Phillip in general. I mentioned the ceiling and Norma said “I know what that is, hang on”. She gave me a tin of PVA glue “Paint that on over the brown marks, it’s the remains of the glue from the old tiles, it will seal the surface so you can paint over it”.

So I’ve done that and sneaked off to work, hopefully it will have dried and will take paint on my return.

I’ve also got to check my preserved apples, they have been sitting in a mixture of water and campden tablets for two months now, last time I checked they were fine, Grandmother Winnie used to keep her apples like it and I have been trying to copy her, unfortunately I couldn’t remember the proportion of tablets to water, but Jean next door helped me out with that one. Yvonne told me that there is a huge bag of apples from her awaiting me, so if the stored ones are good, I will do the rest that way. Good news, they are fine, and still taste good, so we have done the bag we were given, and some stewed for tea tonight, with custard.

Bottled Two Months ago

That is the best thing about my new life in Devon, everyone is on my wavelength, and we all help each other. It will soon be time to make Christmas biscuits to give out around the place; also I want to try some orange vinegar and orange whiskey (You can tell I’ve got a load of oranges spare)