Buckle, Coridal, and Jam

yes, my morning was very busy with all these things and many more besides. So while the Jam boiled on the stove, the buckle sat patiently for its turn in the oven while the bottles for the cordial (and the jam jars) were sterilising.

So lets take a look at what I did today:

First up was making buckle as I had a lot of rhubard left over from the jam.
Here is the bottom of it waiting patiently for the rhubard to be added.


Now it has the rhubard added just waiting for the top to be put on before being put in the oven.




With the top all ready to roll, into the oven it goes.










Here is the final production!





























So while the buckle bakes, the jam continued to boil it was time for the cordial turn to step up and be next. I started it on Friday, and bottled it today, so from 1.5l of water, I made 2.5 bottles for future use




















And last but not least, the jam. So I made rhubard and ginger jam which I have to say is decent for my second try at jam (first batch was rhubard, strawberry, and ginger)

So seriously.....

I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, but I have been rather busy with life, funny that!

So now that I have some spare time (between two jobs until Uni starts again) I'll start contributing a bit more. No point in bringing you up to speed on what has been doing on over the last few months, some of it interesting, some of it not so interesting, all of it needs to be told in person.

My plans for tomorrow are to finish making elderflower cordial, make my ginger rhubard jam, make some rhubard buckle to eat through the week. Then on Friday make some cinnamon swirls for my friend who is finally going to be back to work after 4 weeks off (1 week holiday, 3 weeks dislocated elbow owieees!).

Tomorrow expect some pics!

Back up to speed

So I've been seriously busy over the last little bit too much so to write. I studied my butt off for my first round of exams in 8 yrs. That was pretty scary, but the way they exam is completely different from what I'm used to. Basically all you have to do is write 3 essays out of x choices. Hmmmm......not used to doing things that way, I didn't even have exams like this in High school! So in one sense it was really easy, but the other sense is I have no idea how well I did because the marks are not out yet.

I'm waiting for my new bow to arrive, it should be here today, it better be here by tomorrow at the latest as I have training and we have two competitions coming up in just over a week b so I'd like to get some training time with the new bow to work out any glitches. Anyways I'm well excited to get a proper bow finally even though it has cost me a fortune!

I have also joined a sugar flower making course. I'm enjoying it, it is a little strange to do at the moment as everything is new, but so far my carnations look like carnations. I'm hoping to pick up a cake decorating course to go along with it. Then at least with all my baking skills, I'll be able to finish cakes etc nicely!

Next trimester will be starting next week, I'm well excited as the courses will actually start doing some proper scene stuff and analysis of things! Much better than genetics and law that I just finished. So I can't wait for that to start, how sad.

I have also applied to do my masters down in Glasgow so I'm just waiting to hear back from that. It was an interesting meeting to say the least!

I have to put a hold on knitting things as I have hurt my wrist. I think it is telling me to take things easy for a bit. It is well annoying that I can't do any knitting at the moment, as my things are all sitting there on the needles calling out to me. Frustrating!

old and new

DSC_0222.JPG
Originally uploaded by lemonblondie21

as you can see the old bruise is the brown colour underneath the nice new purple/red monster. I seriously will stop doing this to myself at some point.

Don't give me a laser

cause I know how to use it!


Oh yes! I can't believe two things: one that I haven't written here in about a month! Shocking really since I've had quite a few things happen, and two that I kick ass at laser quest!

Right let's back up and work our way to tonight. Uni is going okay, I have a genetics midterm on Monday. Quite scary as I haven't written an exam in years, but I'm studying my little (or should that read big???) butt off for it. So I'm hoping I come away with an 80% at least. Actually I'm looking for a pass, but 80% is where I am aiming for.

I have managed to get a job finally. It's great, I work for a really nice supermarket and everyone is really really nice. I actually was trained unlike my last job, which is a vast improvement. So I work the weekends as well I don't have time during the week with uni.

Did I tell you I took up archery??? Well if not I did. I should really post some pics of the wonderful aray of bruises I have managed to accrue. Not because I don't have a clue what I'm doing (funnily enough I do), but these are from my arm anatomy being completely wrong for the sport. So I have to compensate, and when I concentrate too much on everything else I go back to the way (the proper way) I was taught and get myself. When I do that I realise I'm concentrating too much on m,n,o, and q but forgot the p. You stop doing that quickly let me tell you. Bruise on this post is the first bruise, the second bruise has a bit to itself. It was fun let me tell you!

So that covers, job, uni, archery. Oh yes laser quest!

So our archery club is quite social and we went out tonight to do some laser quest. Never done laser quest before in my life, and the first game I did I was totally rubbish. Mind I'm a fast learner so I ended up in the top 5 out of 20 people. So well done me! I kept shooting our coach as he was as bad as I was during my first game. I had triple score on him! It was really good, so I hope we do that again.

What else.....I can't think of anything, but I'm sure it will come to me again. So lesson for today: don't give me a laser gun unless you want to have your ass kicked by a girl!

First week at the big school

Okay so I've gone back to school which is pretty cool. I managed to get out of one class (stats/dissertation) since I have already done a stats course, and I already have an honours degree so by default I've already actually done a dissertation. So that is one class that I don't have to repeat. Yipee!

You think that is great, more time to skive around you say. Well not entirely. I'm using the time to study more for genetics and law. I'm trying to be good you see, you can help me out by reminding me every once in a while that I should stop watching CSI and actually do some studying to be come one. I'm trying to convince myself that it is educational, yeah yeah it's also fun to watch.

So I'm in two classes with a bunch of people that are about 21 yrs old. So that makes me exactly 10 yrs older than them. What do we have in common other than school? So far nothing, which is why I sit by myself in every class, and no one speaks to me. Why should they? They've known each other for the last 3 years and I'm the new person. It doesn't bother me as I'm there to learn not to socialise. I've done that the first time around, I'm there to study this time. Okay having friends would be nice, but I'm quite a loner anyways so it's no skin off my nose.

Thing is I don't think my PDT (personal development tutor) likes the situation. She has been in two of my classes where it's obvious that I am by myself. Every time she seems me she asks me if I'm settling in etc. I keep telling her I'm fine and that it's interesting which it is. I feel bad for her in a sense as I think she thinks I need friends or something. It's only the 3rd week, which is now the proper week for actual lectures. I have tons of time to make friends.

So that's school, I'm still looking for work and I have an interview in a few hours. Just a part time weekend work which will give me enough to live on and pay the bills each month. I'm trying not to use my student loan as much as possible. I'll keep you posted on how that went!

A nosy that lead to an interesting

conclusion........

Now I have no idea where my other post went about this subject, but hey I'll write it again as I have had some new information.

So after thinking of everything and doing searches for vet schools, funding, and talking to people about it, I've decided that I'm not going to be able to go. Full stop, nothing is going to happen. In one sense I was sad, but in another I was quite happy as I know I'm good enough to be a vet as I got into a prestigious school, but the only thing holding me back is funding. If money was no object then life would be sorted.

I was speaking to one of my friend's at choir about this, and she was really sad for me. I told her not to worry as I'm happy as like I said before "I'm good enough" just piss poor! Something will come along as I totally believe in hmm what would you call it? Karma? Fate? Randomness? Well whatever it is called it came knocking on my door like I knew it would. Why? because these things happen to me all the time for whatever reason.

So about a week later, Wednesday to be exact, not this past Wednesday, but a Wednesday none the less I decided to go nosy around the other unis for something to do. I have no idea why I do this, filling time? Interested? Lusting? whatever the reason it was on my side that day.

I happened to go to another local uni, we have about 5 in town I think (haven't counted, not really that interested in doing so) and I came across clearing. Now for those of you who don't know what clearing is it's basically the University telling everyone aka students what courses still have openings. So if the student didn't get into their desired course, uni or whatever they can pick up a clearing course if they choose. Now, this doesn't work in North America where my previous degree came from which is why I was a little curious.

So I clicked on the clearing section to see what was available as I had resolved myself to work for the next year while plotting what the hell I was going to do with my life, yet again! So up comes the courses and vet nursing is on there. I thought, "hell I could easily do that, but I don't want to torture myself with knowing I could easily have been a vet" so passed that course over. I then came across one on herbal medicine, which I find very interesting as being in China for the last two years I've used pretty much for every complaint I had. Passed that one over as even though I'm interested, I'm not that interested to study it. I'm like that!

So scrolling and looking and came across one that I though might be interesting. I called the clearning hotline and spoke to a nice man. He took my details (name, address, previous education etc) and told me that someone would call me back, by this time it's approaching lunch. Now I called for information only just to see what I would need to do or what have you.

I get a call about about an hour later from a very nice gentleman and he was very interested in my degree (BSc Biology, honours Psychology - good old double major). He said that they were very interested in having me on the course, and from simply talking to me they would put me into year 2. Hey hey, bonus! So I agreed.

I got off the phone in a very shocked state as I was only looking for information not to sign myself up for starting uni. As requested I sent along my transcript, and had a lovely talk to another gentleman (must be high up in the course somewhere) and he said from reviewing my transcript they can actually place me into year 3, but I would have to take one course from year 2 as it is a pre-requisite. So I'm going into the uni tomorrow to talk to this very nice man about the course, and my feelings/abilities about doing over a full course load, and to be shown around. By the way I'm going next thing they will tell me is to simply show up for graduation as I seem to be knocking down years as fast as they come.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow and the strange thing is this course was something I wanted to do ages ago when I was quite young (well in my early twenties!). So off I go to uni, which by the way is fully funded! I don't have to worry about paying anything unlike my previous course.
Plus the course is something that I am interested in for years on a very round about way.

So here I go to Uni starting in 3rd year come the end of the month. What am I doing? you might be asking yourself............forensic biology aka CSI!!!!

So get out of my way Sara Siddle, you're annoying at least I've always thought so, cause I want your spot!