Milk jug/ turning into our mothers?

The one job I insist my husband does everyday is make me a pot of nice coffee in the peculator at 11am. We then sit together and share our interest in the news or something on YouTube (or sit in the garden). For ages he has been saying he find the plastic big jugs of milk a bit difficult with his arthritis and I argue back we use so much milk in custards etc that we need the big supply.

Last week I conceded we needed a milk jug "like our mothers used to have". So I went to the charity shop and found one for £1.50. Filled at early morning tea making it lasts all day for cups of coffee and tea and saves getting the big supply out.

It reminded me that my mother and aunts would gather round a kitchen table with a pot of tea and milk in the jug of course, for that daily catch up!!  Husband's mother was dead posh. Her tea set matched.

Gosh, turning into our mothers for sure.

Museums

We did a lot of museums while on holiday.

• Folk (village life)
• Railway - we expected steam but it turned out to be a "bus" driven by a diesel engine on a narrow gauge along the rocky coast and over the upper bog lands of Donegal.
• Carpet making (actually the most interesting - hand knotted wool carpets that have been in palaces, luxury oceans liner, embassy and posh hotels in the 1920s to 1980s.)
• Fishing - not a big thing but the volunteer was a scream and gave us the low down on the various deep sea fishing boats in the current harbour.
• Workhouse, and next door, the rather beautifully appointed doctors house.
• We went to a castle but ignored the baronial house and spent ages in the beautiful Victorian "walking" gardens and the walled veg garden. I would love one of those!

It is strange when you see bits of your life in a museum.  This was like my Dad's bike in the 1950/60s. He never learned to drive and cycled everywhere.

We also spent time talking to local makers and artisans.  A lovely old chap gave us a personal demo on his traditional weaving machine showing us a complex tweed design. Another chap showed us his complex modern enormous knitting machine where he designed his own knitted jumpers using locally sourced wool. We succumbed and brought a hard wearing traditional style donegal jumper each. We will not be treating them with reverence and keeping them in a drawer, they are designed to be worn and we will be using them in the cold weather.  Because after that purchase we can't afford to turn the heating on!

We visited a craft village near Donegal Town and although the art gallery and glass makers were nice we spent ages in the print shop with  a lovely lady who had an 150 year old printing machine that she uses everyday.  It was a fabulous machine. Real Victorian engineering.  Great work; it was simple and clear and lovely calligraphy style.  Trades as thepearinpaper.

Succumbed again - to a couple of cards!

We are home again now and real life is catching up with us plus its nearly half term and those grandchildren are being brought here (again).