Inverness Floral Hall

Chris and I love gardens. We're not so big on museums (though I, at least, like them in theory if not practice) and Chris isn't impressed with ruins, castles, or manor houses but we both love walking around gardens. We've been to the Glasgow botanical gardens several times and love Kew gardens in London. Our one attempt to visit the Edinburgh botanical gardens ended abruptly as they closed it due to weather just as we arrived (and a gust of wind blew a surprisingly large chunk of bark into my eye), and our honeymoon was marked by the number of days we spent crossing every path in the lovely gardens in Madeira. 

It is a surprise to both of us that we'd not yet made it to the Inverness Floral Hall just across the river from us. We had tried, once upon a time, though our failure was less spectacular than Edinburgh - we couldn't find anyone to take our admittance fee so we left and just never made it back. Until Sunday when our trip to the pool was foiled by "technical problems" and, as long as we were there, we decided to brave a certain dampness in the air and take advantage of the free admission (because, seriously, £0.50/person would've been so hard to come up with).

We were very pleasantly surprised. The glass house was beautiful with a fountain, grotto, koi pond, benches, statues, and an upstairs patio with a table and chairs.

Next to the glasshouse was another with a beautiful split level succulents garden: 

 

Outside there we're formal gardens, including a little one in memory of lost babies, and a field turned into a wildlife garden, with flower beds for bees, butterflies, and grass left long outwith paths through it. There was a cute wee thistle next to the patio, and a little section where all the plants had scented leaves one could touch to release their fragrance. 

  

 

It was starting to rain so we had lunch inside and then everyone except Little Djinn selected a plant to buy from the nursery and we walked home again. We didn't quite make it around the whole garden and barely spent any time looking at the parts we did see. It is definitely on our "must-see" list for guests and could be our go-out-for-lunch default. Such a nice place.

Semianniversary

Little Djinn is six months old! It doesn't seem like we've had her nearly that long. We started her on solids this last week, though I've been slipping her food items to taste (and spit out, pulling faces) for about a month now. She started watching us eat with interest at around three months (craning her head to follow the trajectory of a cup) and everything she gets her hands on goes straight in her mouth so handing her bits of strawberry or apple or lettuce or whatever I was eating seemed like a good way t expose her to "taste" and "texture" of food with zero expectation that she would eat anything. The only thing she actually seemed to like the taste of was banana chips. But she was clearly ready so I bought a box of baby rice cereal (think cream of wheat but rice and made with breast milk) and she really seemed to enjoy it. She likes to hold her own spoon. I've been giving her 1tspn rice to 2tspns milk (today with a touch of ground cinnamon) and then giving her whatever is left in the bottle, followed by nursing and a nap (that's where we are now. I'm "typing" with my left pinky). She thinks letting me sleep in until 7 is a lie-in so it's not surprising that she's asleep again by 11. 

She loves bread and gets fed small pieces from my sandwich at lunchtime (she insists which is how we knew she's ready for solids) and Chris has started making food up for her - yesterday was potatoes and zucchini/courgettes with a touch of nutmeg which will be today as well. He bough sweet potatoes and carrots for more colourful lunches down the line. The rest of the day is nursing, nappy changes, playing, and baby-wearing while I do chores. This week I concentrated on the back patio, dead-heading the roses (followed by hacking them back when I decided I wanted actual space on the patio), hacking back the geraniums, pulling weeds, and owing to a fortuitous thunderstorm and deluge, not having to scrub the paving stones and furniture. Hopefully it will be dry this weekend and we can actually sit outside. 

On Fridays we go swimming, though this past week was the first time since Ted died, first with the funeral planning, then it was too hot* so we set up her bath tub in the back garden instead, and then I stepped on a sliver of something (Chris pulled it out and then threw it away before I could look at it) which went over half an inch into my foot, and one week we went to visit a friend in hospital instead. But Fridays we go swimming and we'll go later today. Sunday mornings we take a bath together. 

We start bedtime around 6:15 with baby massage, pjs (lately a onesie and maybe a light cotton blanket), shuttering the room, and then I read** while she crawls all over me and the bed until she's ready to nurse to sleep and I shift her to her cot, usually between 7 and 7:30, 8 at the latest. Meanwhile Chris makes dinner, we eat, watch an hour or two of telly, we get ready for bed, I express milk for Little Djinn's breakfast, we have a cuddle and I spend the night in the nursery. Little Djinn used to make it through the night with just one nursing but this past month has been evenly split between weeks when she does and weeks when she wakes up twice or more. Between that and her new habit of waking up between 6 and 7 (I entertain her until 8 and then we go join Daddy and it's his turn for a while) and I am a tired mama. The upside is that I've started taking my shower earlier, while Chris is playing with the Little Djinn and she doesn't scream the whole time like she does when I take my shower after Chris starts work and leave her in the nursery.

She can sit on her own, turn around, roll from her back to her front, suck on her toes, and rock on her hands and knees but she just can't quite crawl yet. In less fun news, Little Djinn has ringworm which is not a worm, it's a fungus. I'm trying to remember when I saw the first rash, but it was at the edge of her nappy and I though it was just a bit of chaffing. Two weeks ago she had another, similar rash, further down her thigh so I googled it and surprisingly the answer wasn't bubonic plague but a little painless rash for which there is over-the-counter cream. Chris was dubious, having not got a good look at her rashes, until he saw the same thing on his own thigh. They're sharing a tube of ointment.

In "way to bury the lede" news, back in March, at Little Djinn's 6 week checkup, the doctor thought she might have heard a murmmer and asked us to come back in a month when LD was a bit bigger to have another listen. That time she was certain she heard it, so we were referred to the paediatrician. Our appointment finally came up the week after Aged Parent passed away in June. The paediatrician listened to her heart and said "there's a murmmer" which I thought we already knew, but she referred us to have an ultrasound which we did a fortnight ago. The letter came yesterday saying she has an Atrial Septic Defect, which is to say a small hole between the upper two chambers of her heart. My understanding is that these "usually" close on their own, but at the very least she's in for a lifetime of sonograms.

* I know, hard to believe but it's an indoor pool and it's always hot and stuffy in there, even in winter, so I didn't want to face it on a hot (warm) day.

** River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay which was beautiful but ended abruptly. I get why, but I still feel like I read half a book. Currently, Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith, better known as JK Rowling. No real feel for it yet, but I think I know Whodunit. I only get to read about 20 minutes a day :-/

21 Weeks (State of the Union)

I have three posts in my drafts folder, waiting to be finished and posted. One of them is an obituary for Aged Parent, my f-i-l, Ted, who passed away last weekend. It has only been a week and, as you can probably imagine, everything since has been coloured by his passing. Little Djinn has really been our saving grace: she's so bright and happy that it's impossible to wallow around her. Feeling sad and overwhelmed? Go play cuddle or play with the baby. She's really enjoyed getting to see so much of h Daddy this week as Chris took the week off to Deal with Things and every day this week has involved a trip to Aged Parent's house or a walk into town as we've sorted through his things and made arrangements, as well as previously scheduled appointments. 

  

Back at the start of the month, I had ordered a bouquet of our wedding flowers for our anniversary.* I stopped by the shop yesterday and had it converted to an arrangement for the casket: same day, same flowers, same price, different place to take them. After the..hassle isn't really the right word but I can't think of anything better, of everything else it was almost astonishingly easy. We'd agreed not to do presents but now it looks like there won't even be cards exchanged. 

In Little Djinn news, she's 5.65kg (12lbs7oz) and 61cm (24") which keeps her on her 9th percentile weight and 25th percentile length lines. She's a tiny, slender baby. She can sit up on her own for a few seconds before she gets distracted, leans to one side and topples over. She wiggles off our laps to get on her tummy then screams because she can't crawl yet. She also likes to stand holding hands for balance and bounces from squatting to standing. We did a three week baby massage class, to promote bonding and improve circulation. She didn't much care for the class, she wanted me to hold her so she could see what everyone was doing and didn't want to lay on her back, but she loves being massaged. It's now an integral part of her bedtime routine and often the morning one, too. Speaking of bedtime, she's still a really good sleeper though she's pushed her bedtime back from 7-8 to 8-8:30. She usually sleeps through to 5 or 6, nurses, and sleeps again till 8:30 or 9:30. There have even been days I've woken up, had breakfast with my husband, showered and gotten dressed before Little Djin woke up. We usually go swimming on Fridays but this week we needed to meet with the funeral director. Chris signed her up for swim lessons when he went to register Aged Parents death as the archive centre is next to the leisure centre: that will start in September. She's also started being scared of strangers and, when not hungry, didn't seem to notice who held her. Now she grins and bounces when she sees one of her parents and cries if anyone else gets too close or tries to hold her.

Chris and I have made three things from Paul Hollywood's How to Bake: absolutely amazing bacon and cheddar loaves, wholemeal and cheese scones (good, but eclipsed by Aged Parent's death), and really good shortbread biscuits. Though that last recipe almost ended badly when my American brain translated "corn flour" as "corn meal" rather than "corn starch". Fortunately Chris saw my mis en place bowls and questioned my plan. I thought it seemed an odd variation. 

I also, finally, got to try out my sewing machine. Chris settled down to watch cricket with Little Dinn and I got to set up my sewing machine, wind a bobbin, and sew two triangles before she had a melt down and wanted lunch. And, as the cricket match was rain delayed (shocking in England, I know) I had a bit of an audience. Currently the table is covered in legal and financial documents as Chris sorts through his father's life. Bunting doesn't seem quite the thing anyway. Knitting hasn't progressed much though the end is in sight for my cross-stitch.

* an idea I borrowed from my friend Andy though he got married locally and was able to ask the same florist for the same flowers. Chris and i got married a fair bit south of where we live and our florist was even further down the country so I picked the one where a friend's mother used to(?) work. 

I should change my blog to "Jennifer Lives"

I should change my blog from "Jennifer Knits" to "Jennifer Lives" but I can't edit that from the blogger app. I started off blogging about my knitting and now we're lucky if I mention a project, let alone show pictures and talk about it and I am doubtful that I'll make a better sewing-blogger. 

I received a blogging gift! Long time reader, first time gifter, er, fellow knitter / American abroad and occasional (once so far, but we live in hope especially as Ging Kitty actually let her pet him) house-guest Amy sent me a copy of Paul Hollywood's How to Bake. It was only reading the article in Delicious Magazine that I learnt he's famous for judging Great British Bake-Off (and that he'll be judging the US spin-off); I only heard of him when I saw adverts for the BBC's "Paul Hollywood's Bread" which I recorded for Chris, our resident bread baker. Sure enough, he's fairly rapturous about this cookbook and has already picked several recipes we must make forthwith (the first being Chedder and Bacon Loafs). In non-baking news, I made Rhubbarb Fool (stewed Rhubbarb, mashed strawberries, and whipped cream all mixed together). The picture in the magazine looks smooth and pink. Mine is lumpy and pinkish with bits of fruit swirled around. It's tasty, but not something I'd serve at a formal dinner party.

My mother heard my "I want a sewing machine but don't know what to do with one" and, a life-long sewer, decided that if I have one the rest will take care of itself. I bought a pack of gingham squares and a length of bias tape for bunting to hang on the wall leading up the stairs. I hung the advent calendar bunting there over the winter and the wall has looked a bit bare since. It would be a perfect place to hang pictures of Little Djinn as she grows but I usually lean against the wall when going down the stairs to keep from falling. These are the concerns of the clumsy. I've washed and ironed my fabric and, while I could start now, I'm waiting for the rotary cutter, mat, and ruler I bought with a gift card I was sent. 

I finished another mini knitting project, tiny baby booties from the book I got for my birthday. Unfortunately I was using a bit of scrap yarn and ran out so instead of little ducky booties I made little ballet flats. But the pattern was well-written and they're only a smidge large for her tiny feet. I'll try again with more yarn because, even though I know I'll never be able to keep them on her short of sewing them to her outfit, they are awfully cute.

Little Djinn and I finally started our baby massage classes. Chris had a big project due this week and had to miss the first one, but I can catch him up. We covered legs and feet, which she grudgingly liked (mostly she wasn't happy that I wasn't holding here) and lost it a bit when we went on to chests. Another baby had started crying, then a second, and soon all the babies were screaming except the little butterball to our right who was just looking around like "it's cool man. It's all cool." One totally chill dudelet. I did the massages again before bed tonight and she was more enthusiastic. 

It was a gorgeous day so we did a bit of shopping, took a bus into the city centre, and walked home. After lunch we went back out and lay on the lawn for a little while. I had just about convinced myself that my grass allergy is all in my head, but having my bare legs on the grass for a few seconds was enough to turn my legs pink and splotchy and I had to go back for a second blanket for myself. I am clearly meant for pool decks, not back gardens. 

I leave you with this picture of Ginger Kitty helping.

Operation: ILR

We have reached the point in my immigration process where I can (almost) apply for settlement, for Indefinite Leave to Remain. This is the last step before citizenship and grants most of the benefits of citizenship such as "public funds" and no longer being subject to immigration control but lacks certain little things like being able to vote or have actual rights. Think Second Class Citizen only without the citizen part. Mind you, I'm being snarky but I don't actually disagree with the process, at least in broad strokes. I'm not one of those people who think that everyone should be able to up sticks and move anywhere in the world just as easy as deciding. I think the immigration process as it applies to me is fair, if bloody expensive, but I also know that I am fairly uniquely privileged: most immigrants to the UK face more hoops and higher hurdles than I have and do and the rules I'm applying under are no longer available even to relatively favoured immigrants. I want to be here and I don't mind that there is a protracted immigration process but it's easy to feel bitter while doing it.

Things I need to do in roughly the order I need to do them:

1. Have my US passport switched to my married name. I may have already left this too late as the embassy website says it takes five weeks to process and that gets me into my visa application window (I have 28 days before my current visa expires). I don't need to update my US passport but my visa will be issued in the name on my passport and it would be nice to have everything in my married name. The hold up here is that I need a US sized passport photo. 

Cost: $110 for passport, plus courier, plus photo

2. Knowledge of Life in the UK test. This one is fairly self explanatory. The only possible complication is that my ID (Biometrics Resident Permit) is in my maiden name and my proof of address is in my married name. They should accept my (british) marriage certificate as a bridging factor. Good thing we got three "original" marriage certificates as one will be off with my passport. 

Cost: £50 per test (can take as many times as needed to pass) plus study materials. A friend sent me hers for the old test but I didn't get around to taking it before it changed in April.

3. Organise "supporting documents" including proof of cohabitation (official post addressed to both of us at the same address), proof of income to support ourselves, UK passport photos, marriage certificate, passports, etc.

Cost: passport photos, and photocopies...?

4. Apply. Hopefully we can get an in-person appointment for a same-day decision, otherwise it'll be a postal application (with an option on a checking service first) and a six-month wait.

Cost: in-person: £1426 plus biometrics, plus overnight trip to Glasgow; postal: £1051, plus biometrics, plus checking service plus overnight to Edinburg.

So all of that before my current visa expires the first week in August.

Thank you cards

One of my friends asked on twitter if there's a point at which you get to declare wedding thank you card bankruptcy, after a few years have passed or when you have your first child, which is ridiculous of course as new babies are the ultimate source of unfinished Thank You cards.

A few weeks ago, on our way home from visiting Granddaddy (formerly Aged Parent), we passed our* gardener's house when he happened to be out front with his granddaughter. They called for his wife and other granddaughter to come meet the tiny baby.  He handed his wallet to his wife who took out  £10 and tucked it in Little Djinn's pram. I used the money to buy her a swimsuit.

Fast forward to yesterday and he came to mow the lawn. Perfect! I can give him his thank you card and not have to remember which house is his (hint: the one with his business' van in the driveway). I quickly write out their card but he's talking to our neighbour so I write her card as well and the card for the one other neighbour I'd not yet done and Little Djinn and I headed off to drop them on porches** and through letter boxes. Our gardener was off with his lawn-mower and I didn't want to interrupt (and give him a card he'd then have to carry with him) so I put his under the left windscreen/shield wiper where he'd be sure to see it when he returned to his vehicle. Sure enough, he finishes for the morning, goes out to his car gets in on the right side and drives home for lunch.

Crap. I'd forgotten that the British drive on the wrong--I mean right!--side of the road. Um. Oops. We saw him on his way back when we walked into town for my dentist appointment and it was still there. At least I'd placed it securely. The story does have a happy ending: Chris passed him again on their respective ways home. It had just started to rain and he'd turned on his wipers and finally noticed the card, pulled over, and retrieved it. Seeing Chris he asked, "oh, did my wife give you something then?"

We plan on being that couple in thirty years.

* the home-owner's association's

** over hear a "porch" is what I'd call a storm room, an outside door that opens to a small room and another door so that one can come and go without letting the heat out or bringing the weather in. Needless to say, I read about them in books such as "Little House on the Prairie"; we don't have them in San Francisco. If it's not actively storming, the done thing appears to be leaving the outside door open.

Two updates in one week?

I've installed the blogger app on the iPad and, if this works, I should be able to update more frequently. Maybe.

Yesterday was my birthday: I continue to be thirty-something (which was kinda the point of describing myself as such). With a little help from her daddy and input from the kittens, Little Djinn got me a boot of baby bootie patterns (she doesn't even know about Yarn Harlot!), a pair of socks, and a plush Boofle. She's clearly her father's daughter. I had, on several occasions, expressed a desire to fill the house with rainbows so Chris gave me 77 prisms. No, I don't think the number has any significance. I've made a few strings of five prisms to hang around the house but, while we purchased a box of suction cups with hooks, I can't for the life of me find it. I even pulled the Christmas box down from the attic but they're not in there.

I made a lemon some-kinda-torte for my cake and it turned out really well. I got the recipe from one of Chris' Delicious magazines back when they had the Deliah special (and Paul Hollywood -I want to Bake All the Things!). It was relatively easy, just the extra step of whipping the egg whites like an angel food cake, and at 6 servings it's not too much cake for two people. Did I mention that I made brownies last week? The ones from Nigella's _Kitchen_. I've never been a particular fan of chocolate baked goods but since I had Little Djinn I'm starting to see what all the fuss is about.

My mother, a life-long sewer decided that I should have a sewing machine and ordered a little beginner machine for me. I'm not a beginner sewer (my first project was a Victorian ball gown from the bloomers out) but I'm not particularly adept either (advanced beginner? Low-moderate? I have restaurant sewing?) and my sewing needs will probably be modest. I don't see any Victorian or other balls in my future. She mentioned the brand but not the model so I spent a bit of time googling to try and guess which one she bought until I decided that that way madness lies. After my dentist appointment (boo, hiss) I stopped by the quilting shop in town to pick up some fat quarters* and bias tape so I could test my sewing machine on a simple bunting project, but alas they were closed yesterday and today :o( Other prospective projects (Sew All the Things!) include a little lap quilt to protect Chris from the enthusiasm of Libby's kneading/puddings or little project bags for my knitting projects.

Speaking of knitting, I know I said I wasn't really making any progress and I was resisting the urge to Knit All the Things (is anyone else sensing a pattern?)? Well, I caved and took some yarn from my stash (artyarns super merino) and picked a patten I recognised Thistle Cap by Liz Abinante, the woman who did The Great Cowl Knitalong. The main pattern was free with a small charge for lots of sizes and I probably could have worked it out, but I feel she's earned my $3 (seriously. I'm neither that poor nor that cheap.) My yarn was listed as Aran but knit up more like sportweight so for Little Djinn's 16" head, in the hope that she'll be able to wear it past tomorrow, I wound up knitting the women's medium (and found an error in the pattern, but I reported it and her tech knitter is on it). I can't decide which I love more: the yarn, the pattern, the colour of the yarn, or the way the three came together. Look at how perfect that bluey-purple yarn is for a "thistle" hat! And such buttery yarn, too. I'm super happy to put it next to my baby's skin. Even if she wouldn't sit still and have her picture taken.

And segueing from Little Djinn not being able to sit still, she's super close to crawling. Tonight, before bed, she finally figured out that she needs to get her knees under and her bum up though she can't seem to keep pushed up on her arms at the same time so she was scootching along like a little inchworm: head up, bum up, scootch, head up, bum up, scootch. So close!

 * "fat quarters? Now I have to filter out sewing jargon, too?" sorry, Shaun. They're bundles of samples of coordinating fabric prints.