2017 Goals ~ Let’s go with Healthy, Wealthy and Wise… and a couple donkeys

I absolutely adore that the advent of the New Year gives one a sense of renewal, a chance to reflect and consequently focus on ones short and long term goals.  We have lots of changes planned for 2017 and, I must say, yes, I must, that we are very, very excited (and a teeny bit scared).  We will be putting all our eggs into our  entrepreneurial basket and focusing our time specifically ~ Pumpjack’s to our new wine business Terroir au Verre and me, Piddlewick, to my Pumpjack & Piddlewick  Shop and the life that goes on behind it, so our blog will get a bit of a face lift too this year.

Welcome 2017! It’s make or break time.
(Hmmm, maybe not a good euphemism when talking about entrepreneurial eggs.)

You can have only 2 kitchen utensils. Which do you choose?

I was cooking last night and it occurred to me (not sure why) that I use two particular utensils much, much more than others. This then had me thinking, in a general train of thought, if I was going to be washed up on a dessert island and could only have 2 utensils, which ones would they be?

The obvious one is the knife. Generally always needed and most utilised in the kitchen. One, well, cuts with it. Mince, dice, sliver, chops… a good knife does all these things. And I also use the side of the blade to crush, such as garlic.

I have a vintage Henkel steel knife that is my go to knife for everything cutting. It was Pumpjack’s birthday present to me a couple years ago, that has now started a birthday tradition. (And for those who subscribe to the concept that you should never give a knife as a gift, like Pumpjack, I did give him a penny for it just to be on the safe side as I did so want a knife.)

And why is it my go to, take to a dessert island, knife? It’s carbon steel, as opposed to stainless steel. It rusts, hence why knives these days are not made out of it, but it also is very very easy to sharpen. And a sharp knife is beauteous thing to work with in the kitchen.

So the easy choice is the knife, but what of the other choice? I’ve been thinking about this for awhile. Again, no idea why, as I have no intent to be marooned on a dessert island in the foreseeable future with two implements. I think it is more about minimalist living. I believe in homesteading, self sufficiency and old stuff. Combine these… and I come up with why I can only chose 2 utensils. (Well, the thought process worked for me.)

So, the other utensil I decided would be tongs. Yup, tongs. Not a spoon, I can use the tongs to stir. Not a fork, I can use the tongs to grab. Okay maybe whisk action would be pretty tricky, but I generally find myself using my tongs when the knife doesn’t, well, cut it. (Sorry, I just had to say it.)

What would your two be?

Our Stairs were designed to catch out advancing Knights with swords drawn

If you have ever visited a castle you may have heard the reasoning that a staircase curved upward clockwise to hinder an advancing enemy, who, normally right handed, would have his drawn sword consequently on the inner side of the stairwell as he climbed, whilst the defender would be free to advance down with his sword extended.

Why am I thinking about this? It’s our stairs. They are wonky. I mean really wonky. Our petite maison is very old, probably about 1600s. We think. And whoever built it, either didn’t have a clue about how to build stairs or was seriously out to put off advancing rogues.

Chamomile has taken over my garden – tea any one?

Last year I planted Chamomile, with no great success. I tried it in various places and had a little grow in one of my pallet planters. It produced one really good bunch of flowers, which were duly harvested and made into Chamomile tea.

But what I had forgotten, when I had been, with desperate conviction, trying to get my chamomile to grow, was that I had ‘lost’ almost half a packet of seeds that had spilled out of the envelope. Fast forward to a little over a year later and I now know where the seeds have gone.

Pumpjack’s Mathematical Gate (for the Chicken & Duck house)

During the summer, the gate to the chicken and duck enclosure gave up its life and collapsed in a heap of rotted wood and chicken wire.  As part of our roles as Gardiens (Caretakers) we fix things as and when needed. This was a big need and great research, planning and detail went into its replacement. This could be no ordinary gate, not where Pumpjack is concerned.

What’s In Store – From Us To You

We have been travelling the world for the last few years, making wine. In 2014, we took a leap, to follow our dream and make our own wine in France. To assist in supporting this dream, and with true entrepreneurial spirit, we are also putting our creative juices (or should that be wine?) to the fore in making a variety of additional items, crafted from the world around us, to sell in our shop Pumpjack & Piddlewick.

Breakfast in Bed Pallet Headboard

Today was a lovely day. Sun shining, daffodils starting to show their faces, hanging out with  the rabbits this morning. And, I built a simple headboard out of pallets, complete with shelf and hanging pockets for pillows so we can lean against whilst having our breakfast in bed, comfortably, everyday. Tick – off the list.

In the beginning … Creative Ginger supports letter writing and drinking wine

We’re Pumpjack & Piddlewick~

A redhead (Piddlewick) with a fun loving attitude and a quirky sense of humour, living with an eccentric, mad scientist oenologist (Pumpjack – he who makes wine). We have been travelling the world for the last few years, making wine in such places as Northern Spain, New Zealand and California. However, enhancing other peoples plans and lifestyles was not enough for us. We decided to take the leap, and Follow Our Dreams.