Forgot to mention, I also write and am currently editing my third novel.

First and second novels?

It's complicated but not unexplainable :)

Delaying the D.I.Y. (It isn't difficult!)

It can be worth it.

Take some potatoes, onions, aubergine, spinach, gram flour, yogurt, cooking oil and a few spices and the following will be the result:

Should there be any left, you are lucky.

Home Made Samosa

Made my first ever Samosas today.  Normally it is a choice between going to my mum's or the local supermarket (always disappointing), or a restaurant (better), and once a mini supermarket for Asians in Wolverhampton (not bad at all).

Made the pastry around lunch time and put it in the fridge (plain flour, oil, warm water).  Then cooked the potatoes and peas.  Made mash.  Flavoured with a bit of salt, garam masala and chili flakes.  Ensured it was well mixed and left to one side.  Filled the large steel pan a third full of  sunflower oil.

Went to the library because they had a visiting author.  Came home.  Around 8.30pm(ish) decided I was hungry. 

Delicious.

AIMS ARE EASILY OVERTAKEN BY LIFE.....

I have lost count of the number of days that have passed since I started the DIY mention.  I could look it up but that would be like a spoiler.

The hall is finished and looks good.  More roomy.  I really want to rearrange the furniture - that is a true love of mine - but daren't until I have help.  The back is too precious.

As money is tight, I treated myself to flowers - for my hard work - from my garden.  There is an excellent argument that the outdoors should stay there, but occasionally beauty has to be where the beholder is.

D.I.Y. Has To Be Good Exercise

All that stretching, reaching, bending, slapping, brushing, lugging, carrying....need I say more?  Cursing and crying...it is all worth it in the end. 

I still haven't finished the hall.  Reckon it is going to take one more day. The hardest bit to do so far has been the stair side wall.  Standing on the top of the ladder didn't help because the stairs were in the way.  It took a firm left hand grip on the banister and a shakily held over loaded paint brush, going onto tip toe and then a gritted teeth prayer.

That side of the hall is now finished.  Had to wash the floor a little after but I'm more concerned with the paint on my trousers.  Oh, well, I suppose you can't have too many 'gardening' trousers.

D.I.Y. follow up:

After two days the walls of the porch are done and the shoes are back in situ.  However, I had to make another shelf in the shoe rack.  There were visions of complications but I found some leftover pine and found it very easy to nail/screw into.  Not being able to remember what the pieces of wood came off, I should be more worried, but I'm not because no doubt I'll find out sometime and there will be absolutely nothing I'll be able to do about it (they had to be sawn to make them fit!).

Several pairs of footwear are safely under the bed upstairs, some have gone to charity and a few that have only been worn a couple of times I might just try and car boot or ebay. Ebay will be a whole new experience. New technology and me, hmm, not always easy.  However, I have managed to upload that picture above and I did it without consulting friends.

The woodwork in the porch that connects the house to the porch still needs doing.  However, I have done the door frame that is at the very front of the house.  Unfortunately the gloss takes hours to dry.  And of course, it takes at least two coats.  When the front door was shut last thing at night the paint was still tacky which meant that when it was opened this morning, it took a tiny bit of paint with it.  The same will probably happen tonight.  Oh well. Might be repainting that particular spot for a few days to come!