Dr Anne had the impulsion to log every one of her 12 weeks x 7 days of lockdown. She wanted to see how she reacted to being shut off from her friends and neighbours and what she would do. She has spent a lot of time doing nothing. She gets up late and goes to bed late. She hears 'Sailing by' nearly every night.
However:
The Freezer
Dr Anne went to her freezer and found endless tubs of red currants. She made red currant jelly but... Morag told her to make sorbet and that was a great success.
Red Currant and Mint Jelly
500g red currants
500g sugar
1/2 lemon juice
mint leaves
Wash the red currants and put them into a large preserving and with 500ml of water and a sprig of mint. Slowly bring to the boil.
Stir and press the redcurrants to break down the fruit.
Remove from heat and pour the contents into a jelly bag. Leave overnight.
Place the juice in a pan with the lemon and sugar. Allow sugar to melt, then bring to a rapid boil for 10 - 15 minutes or until setting point is reached.
Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped mint.
Pour into sterilised jars.
Red Currant and Elderflower Sorbet
450 grams
2 tablespoons elderflower cordial
140 grams golden caster sugar
Put red currants in a pan with 2 tbsp water. Bring to the boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes until soft.
Remove from heat and pour the contents into a jelly bag. Leave overnight.
Stir the elderflower cordial into the red currant liquid and set to one side to cool.
Put the caster sugar in a pan with 300ml of water, leave over a low heat for 5 mins until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat and boil 10 mins.
Tip the red currant mixture into the syrup and mix. Return to boil, turn down and simmer for 2 minutes.
Cool, pour into a container and freeze for 3-4 hours until frozen.
Found in the freezer were numerous bags of gooseberries. What should she do? Well, she made gooseberry and gin jam, gooseberry and elderflower jam, gooseberry and elderflower jelly, gooseberry and elderflower puree.
Gooseberry and Gin Jam
1kg gooseberries
1 kg granulated sugar
150ml gin
Put gooseberries and gin into a preserving pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes until the fruit is softened. Add the sugar and cook over a low heat until it is fully dissolved. Increase the heat and boil rapidly for 8 - 10 minutes.
Once the jam is ready, turn off the heat, skim any scum or use a knob of butter to disperse it. Ladle the jam into sterilised jars.
Gooseberry and Elderflower Jam
1 kg gooseberries
1 kg granulated sugar
150ml water
4 tablespoons elderflower cordial
Put gooseberries and water in a preserving pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for around 15 minutes. Add sugar and cook over a low heat until it is fully dissolved. Increase the heat and boil rapidly for 8 - 10 minutes. When set, stir in the elderflower cordial and allow to settle for 15 minutes before pouring it into sterilised jars.
Apple and Chilli Jelly
All that is left now is apple juice. There are enough cartons to make many pots of apple and chilli jelly. The apples have been quartered and boiled to mush then strained through the jelly bag before freezing.
1litre juice
1kg sugar
level teaspoon of chilli flakes
Bring to apple juice to boil and stir in the sugar untilled dissolved. Reduce the heat and carefully skim off any scum. Return to the boil and boil vigorously for 15 -20 minutes.
Remove pan from heat and leave to settle. Skim the surface. Pour the jelly into sterilised jars.
Music:
Dr Anne was due to take her Grade 8 piano exam in piano on 23 March. At Christmas her music teacher told her to step up her practice to 4 hours per day. This, she almost achieved and then lockdown...
Dr Anne gave up practising for around 5 weeks then she heard that she had to video her three pieces and send them to Trinity. Dr Anne's weakest aspect are her pieces. Nevertheless she got going. The pieces had to be recorded by the end of May. She tried and tried to record the pieces but really found it impossible to record three pieces without a break. The date for submission came and she submitted her application. It took four weeks to get a password to upload the video. During that time Dr Anne had to learn techie skills in order to compress the video and then upload the video and paperwork to the Trinity platform. This piece of work has caused Dr Anne unbelievable stress as it was very personal. She awaits the assessment.
Dancing:
When Boris Johnson announced 70 years old was vulnerable Dr Anne closed down the dancing school.
However three of the girls decided to go forward with their dancing teacher's certificate. They decided on an hour three times per week. The girls have been diligent and have worked consistently on the their projects and Dr Anne feels that they are now ready after 30 hours teaching. UKA dance have decided that exams can take place virtually so now the girls must submit their dance performance and portfolio by uploading to the UKA platform. They will be allocated an examiner for their written and oral papers. It is all very exciting and requires Dr Anne's techie skills again.
Dr Anne has tried to do some teaching virtually by zoom but it lacks in success because of the delay. The girls are keen to undertake their exams virtually. More practice for Dr Anne's techie skills!!
Dr Anne and Eloise did a little project with the dancers to keep them on side. The dancers sent in a video of them dancing to the Red Hot Chilli Pipers. Eloise did a mix to put them into a private video.
Walking:
Dr Anne started the lockdown by marching around a number of circuits by herself. She notched up many K and counted the steps. One day she just gave up and although she has walked a few times recently it has not had the vigour of the early days.
Pilates:
Wendy Pilates came on the scene with virtual classes. Dr Anne signed up for a 1:1 very willing as Wendy Pilates is an excellent teacher. Dr Anne was also allowed to join any of three group classes. This pattern, although irregular was much enjoyed and Dr Anne felt that her fitness increased.
Netflix:
Dr Anne gave up her Sky subscription after nearly thirty years. Life has changed and she found she really wasn't using any channel except Sky News. She bought Apple TV and when lockdown came she took a subscription with Netflix. Her first watch was the Crown, then Anne of Green Gables, then... she has enjoyed numerous inane series enjoying the moment.
Friends:
Dr Anne has had no visitors to her house in 16 weeks but she has enjoyed chats by landline, mobile, text, FaceTime, Skype, messenger, what's app, zoom, Microsoft Teams and google teams. She is beginning to wonder what real people look like.
However:
The Freezer
Dr Anne went to her freezer and found endless tubs of red currants. She made red currant jelly but... Morag told her to make sorbet and that was a great success.
Red Currant and Mint Jelly
500g red currants
500g sugar
1/2 lemon juice
mint leaves
Wash the red currants and put them into a large preserving and with 500ml of water and a sprig of mint. Slowly bring to the boil.
Stir and press the redcurrants to break down the fruit.
Remove from heat and pour the contents into a jelly bag. Leave overnight.
Place the juice in a pan with the lemon and sugar. Allow sugar to melt, then bring to a rapid boil for 10 - 15 minutes or until setting point is reached.
Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped mint.
Pour into sterilised jars.
Red Currant and Elderflower Sorbet
450 grams
2 tablespoons elderflower cordial
140 grams golden caster sugar
Put red currants in a pan with 2 tbsp water. Bring to the boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes until soft.
Remove from heat and pour the contents into a jelly bag. Leave overnight.
Stir the elderflower cordial into the red currant liquid and set to one side to cool.
Put the caster sugar in a pan with 300ml of water, leave over a low heat for 5 mins until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat and boil 10 mins.
Tip the red currant mixture into the syrup and mix. Return to boil, turn down and simmer for 2 minutes.
Cool, pour into a container and freeze for 3-4 hours until frozen.
Found in the freezer were numerous bags of gooseberries. What should she do? Well, she made gooseberry and gin jam, gooseberry and elderflower jam, gooseberry and elderflower jelly, gooseberry and elderflower puree.
Gooseberry and Gin Jam
1kg gooseberries
1 kg granulated sugar
150ml gin
Put gooseberries and gin into a preserving pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes until the fruit is softened. Add the sugar and cook over a low heat until it is fully dissolved. Increase the heat and boil rapidly for 8 - 10 minutes.
Once the jam is ready, turn off the heat, skim any scum or use a knob of butter to disperse it. Ladle the jam into sterilised jars.
Gooseberry and Elderflower Jam
1 kg gooseberries
1 kg granulated sugar
150ml water
4 tablespoons elderflower cordial
Put gooseberries and water in a preserving pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for around 15 minutes. Add sugar and cook over a low heat until it is fully dissolved. Increase the heat and boil rapidly for 8 - 10 minutes. When set, stir in the elderflower cordial and allow to settle for 15 minutes before pouring it into sterilised jars.
Apple and Chilli Jelly
All that is left now is apple juice. There are enough cartons to make many pots of apple and chilli jelly. The apples have been quartered and boiled to mush then strained through the jelly bag before freezing.
1litre juice
1kg sugar
level teaspoon of chilli flakes
Bring to apple juice to boil and stir in the sugar untilled dissolved. Reduce the heat and carefully skim off any scum. Return to the boil and boil vigorously for 15 -20 minutes.
Remove pan from heat and leave to settle. Skim the surface. Pour the jelly into sterilised jars.
Music:
Dr Anne was due to take her Grade 8 piano exam in piano on 23 March. At Christmas her music teacher told her to step up her practice to 4 hours per day. This, she almost achieved and then lockdown...
Dr Anne gave up practising for around 5 weeks then she heard that she had to video her three pieces and send them to Trinity. Dr Anne's weakest aspect are her pieces. Nevertheless she got going. The pieces had to be recorded by the end of May. She tried and tried to record the pieces but really found it impossible to record three pieces without a break. The date for submission came and she submitted her application. It took four weeks to get a password to upload the video. During that time Dr Anne had to learn techie skills in order to compress the video and then upload the video and paperwork to the Trinity platform. This piece of work has caused Dr Anne unbelievable stress as it was very personal. She awaits the assessment.
Dancing:
When Boris Johnson announced 70 years old was vulnerable Dr Anne closed down the dancing school.
However three of the girls decided to go forward with their dancing teacher's certificate. They decided on an hour three times per week. The girls have been diligent and have worked consistently on the their projects and Dr Anne feels that they are now ready after 30 hours teaching. UKA dance have decided that exams can take place virtually so now the girls must submit their dance performance and portfolio by uploading to the UKA platform. They will be allocated an examiner for their written and oral papers. It is all very exciting and requires Dr Anne's techie skills again.
Dr Anne has tried to do some teaching virtually by zoom but it lacks in success because of the delay. The girls are keen to undertake their exams virtually. More practice for Dr Anne's techie skills!!
Dr Anne and Eloise did a little project with the dancers to keep them on side. The dancers sent in a video of them dancing to the Red Hot Chilli Pipers. Eloise did a mix to put them into a private video.
Walking:
Dr Anne started the lockdown by marching around a number of circuits by herself. She notched up many K and counted the steps. One day she just gave up and although she has walked a few times recently it has not had the vigour of the early days.
Pilates:
Wendy Pilates came on the scene with virtual classes. Dr Anne signed up for a 1:1 very willing as Wendy Pilates is an excellent teacher. Dr Anne was also allowed to join any of three group classes. This pattern, although irregular was much enjoyed and Dr Anne felt that her fitness increased.
Netflix:
Dr Anne gave up her Sky subscription after nearly thirty years. Life has changed and she found she really wasn't using any channel except Sky News. She bought Apple TV and when lockdown came she took a subscription with Netflix. Her first watch was the Crown, then Anne of Green Gables, then... she has enjoyed numerous inane series enjoying the moment.
Friends:
Dr Anne has had no visitors to her house in 16 weeks but she has enjoyed chats by landline, mobile, text, FaceTime, Skype, messenger, what's app, zoom, Microsoft Teams and google teams. She is beginning to wonder what real people look like.
