Wednesday 28 November 2012

the good days...

Having just transferred the photos from my camera and my phone, I suddenly realise I have loads of things I meant to blog about! The time just seems to be scooting by and I feel I barely have time to draw breath at the moment.

So this is a bit of a 'mixed bag' post I'm afraid - I have had busy days and relaxing days and there is a bit of each in here, plus a nod to the relentless surge towards 'you know what' day...

A couple of weeks ago, I hopped on a train to Cambridge to meet my sister who lives in the Midlands. Sort of half way house for us both. It was such a beautiful sunny day (feels like it might have been the last one we had!!) and as I walked in from the station I was looking forward to just spending a bit of time together.


Cambridge is full of such beautiful buildings...



...and bicycles are an integral part of the surroundings...


We talked a lot, walked, shopped a bit, talked some more, walked some more...


We stopped for coffee, lunch and tea (well, you have to don't you...!), listened to the earnest, clever undergraduates that wander along having intense conversations and got snapped by an art student who wanted to take photos for her coursework! (We were 'papped', dahling!!) We laughed a lot and hugged a bit and I was reminded again of just how much I love my big sister. She has been there for me consistently and without judgement and knows me better than anyone else. All in all a Good Day...

As was the next day... I had set myself a bit of a challenge to do all the normal stuff that I do for Christmas, even though this year I think it is going to be anything but 'normal', whatever that is now. I have always made mincemeat, christmas puddings and christmas cake - partly because I just always have (as did my mum, never have been able to get a taste for shop bought mincemeat) and partly because my eldest son has Coeliacs disease and has to have gluten free. Although there's a lot more around now than there was when he was diagnosed 21 years ago, we always had a bit of a policy of him not being the odd one out in his own home so I made GF for all of us.

So I filled the house with Christmassy smells... apples, cider, orange and lemon zest, cinnamon...


...soft brown sugar, raisins, sultanas, currants, almonds, cherries, mixed peel, ginger, mixed spice and grated nutmeg...


This is a suet free recipe - I have really struggled to get suet that is GF for the last couple of years but actually, am no longer convinced you really need mincemeat swimming in fat. This all gets brought to the boil and believe me, at this stage smelt divine!


I tend to do this a bit by guesswork and was a bit worried that it was a bit 'liquidy' but left to its own devices off the heat for a while, it just absorbed all that yummy spicy juice to plump up the fruit...


It just got a good slosh of brandy before potting up - why is there always just a bit over that doesn't make a full jar?!


Christmas cake and puddings next. Didn't take photos of everything but the boys humoured me by stirring the pudding mix and by the time the cake was baked and the puddings steamed I was actually beginning to feel a bit festive!


I'd had a bit of a 'need to get out of Norfolk' moment - actually, to be fair, its not really the county, more that I have days when I can't bear the thought of being cooped up in my house with no prospect of speaking to anyone unless I do an impromptu trip to the corner shop to check my voice works... (or I start talking to the radio...!). Anyway, on the spur of the moment I arranged to meet a friend in London for the day. What I hadn't realised was that she decided to treat me to lunch in Covent Garden (look at these for baubles!!!)...


...followed by the matinee of Mamma Mia (fab! and yes, I do still know all the words to all the Abba songs!) and then dinner in the evening with another friend who happened to be in London too and joined us. These are the people whose friendship I value hugely and are soooo good at thoughtful pick-me-ups. It was a lovely day and even the train journey back was OK. I had time to pick up a coffee and a couple of magazines at the station so spent a pleasant hour or so flicking through looking for inspiration...


I can't say I have been enjoying this autumn with its inevitable slide towards winter - it has just felt cold and dark, and a bit miserable. I think I have struggled to get out and even when I have, I've not felt much like taking photos. But this little bit of blue sky and the last few autumn leaves did catch my eye...




And finally... a bit of crafty stuff. I wouldn't say I've exactly got the bug again, but 'necessity is the mother of invention' as they say and I'm on a bit of a creative present haul right now...

These are the gloves I made with my Mum in mind...



However, in spite of me doing a tension square (I never normally bother!!) this pattern knitted up on the big side. I don't have particularly big hands but they are definitely bigger than Mum's and they were huge on me...


Don't ask me why I carried on and made both gloves...not one of my brighter moves... And after much deliberating, I decided I couldn't possibly give these as a gift, so rather than waste the lovely Rowan (bargain bin!) yarn, I pulled them out again and have started again with a different pattern...


Can you see that rather delicious stripy yarn in the background of this photo? This is a bamboo/wool mix and is gorgeously soft (although not much stretch I've since discovered) - bargain bin again (I am a regular rummager just lately...!) and intended for something for a friends little girl whose birthday is Boxing Day. But about at this point I realised they were just shouting 'Socks!!!' at me! So I am having a badly timed self indulgent moment here and making myself some socks with it. These are not subtle, shy retiring socks, but I am loving them so far...


I've had the sewing machine out too... Bit of recycling of an old pair of jeans into something for my nephews 6th birthday...


He's got into cooking just lately so I got him some baking things (found some great smiley face silicone mixing spoons) and thought he could do with his own pinny, with elastic and velcro so he can get it on himself. 

Looking back at this, feels I have got more done this month than I thought! Some nice days out, some seasonal kitchen time, progress on presents...

On the down side, some pretty low days, lots of grey sky and rain, a complete inability to make any progress towards sorting out my home situation, huge amounts of stress at work... But I have deliberately not taken photos of the miserable stuff and even that bit of blue sky in these pics has cheered me up.

Just this I had to take...


I live in a terraced street and I came out to go to work last week to find this! I hadn't parked like that for sure! And when I looked at the back...


Some charming individual had hit my parked car, shunting it into the one in front! No sign of the culprit of course and no details left... So this has cost me £400 in insurance excess, lost no claims discount and I am currently car-less while it is sorted out, meaning my planned trip to see middle son in time for his birthday is off. Not happy.

Am trying to tell myself, its only a car and only money (!!!) but when I finally resolve the details of dividing our house/finances/etc etc and look for a more long term home, secure parking is up there on the list of must haves!!!

I am taking the view that these things are sent to try us and that life has a way of keeping going... So I will look at the pictures of blue skies and enjoy my bright stripy socks and not let it get to me. 

Til next time, then...
Sx

PS this has taken me forever to write because I have had such a job to get photos to load tonight. Has anyone else had this problem? I've ended up having to pay for extra Picasa storage but it still seems to be slow and a bit temperamental. Grr...

3 comments:

  1. I love the little apron, I'd be happy with one of those too. Whoever hit your car must have had a bit of speed going to push it forward like that. I understand your need for a more appropriate home. I am house hunting but the ones that suit my needs and income are few and far between! Unfortunately I also can't always manage to get to open for inspections, as I need to juggle it around the children. I'm sure I'll find something suitable soon!
    We've had a stinking hot day here today 37.2C in my suburb, hotter in others. I've just managed to get three very unsettled children to sleep and now that it is quiet I really need to be doing some work, but it's nice to just relax and procrastinate for a while, it was nice to hear from you again.
    xXx Helen

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  2. Busy getting Christmassy in your house, that mincemeat looks yummy! It is horrible when you have to pay for damage for something not your fault....and so near Christmas too, x

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  3. I bet your house smelt amazing while making Christmassy bakes.
    Keep your chin up, better things are on their way! :)

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