Friday 29 April 2011

William & Kate



C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S

Monday 25 April 2011

Our Easter Weekend

This weekend has been absolutely wonderful weather-wise, lets hope it continues for a good while - does anyone remember the summer of 1976 - I was working in the West End of London at my very first job then but that is another story for another day!


Good Friday we got up early and did the Tesco run - we were in the shop quite early to beat the crowds we were home and the shopping put away by ten!


I made some cup-cakes using this recipe and I cut the marzipan into tiny pieces, in fact it was what was left-over from the the previous cake.



I made some potato cakes made from left-over mash potato from the night-before and we had them with sausages and bake beans!


I read a lot of blogs that are being frugal, and save money and pass on tips so I thought I would show you some of my tips............


I use clothes pegs to close packets in the freezer and cupboards for packets of pasta and rice and biscuits



French Bread grated for breadcrumbs and freeze and these can be used from frozen

Because we live in a soft water area, I just use one tablet of soap powder so the box lasts me twice as long


I stand the washing up liquid upside down to get that last drop


and the shampoo bottle!



On Saturday Peter and Steph and children visited - Peter was roped in again to re-roof the shed, again!


Liam in the shade


Caitlin and mummy enjoying a book after playing with water


On Sunday Michael and Lizzie spent the day with us




Monday I completed a bit more stitching for Helen for the Bustle & Sew Magazine


Planted Petunias in the hanging basket


Sweet Williams in the tub


Sweet peas in the chimney


Waiting for the Lettuces to grow


Admiring the wallflowers


David and Jane popped round with a Clematis for me to put in my garden

Thank you. They joined us for a cuppa in the garden


Now back to work for three days and we do it all again next weekend

Hope the weather stays the same Robert and Anneka are coming then!

Sunday 17 April 2011

Well thats is for another year!

I would like to say thank you for all the Happy Birthday wishes on Friday.

I had a lunch with my friend Sue last Wednesday,

and Friday my friend Jane came to visit with a box of Cream Cakes,

so Friday afternoon we chatted and eat Cream Cake and drank tea.

These few flowers are a gift from my garden

Easter Cactus from Jane

And these arrived Friday afternoon from my son

Michael and Daught-in-Law Lizzie

Jane also gave me this book and a tin of biscuits



This morning I was welcomed by this lovely picture in a

email of my grandson Liam

Friday 15 April 2011

Today is MY Birthday NOT yours!

........................to me!..........


When were at my Dads the other week, we watched Breakfast News (we’re not normally an early morning television watchers, but it was on while waiting for Dad to get ready for his hospital appointment.) and this group were on. They are Kitty, Daisy and Lewis and are a young group of siblings. If you like the Rock n Roll style of music, we recommend a listen. They specialise in using old analogue recording equipment.


We returned home after a long day and “googled” them and found they made Vinyl Records - yes good old vinyl records. I said to Alex that as I didn’t know what to buy him for his birthday, I would buy him one of their records.




This arrived yesterday on the EVE of MY Birthday! Mmmmmmmmmmm!



I knew it had to be Alex's birthday present

as this was the only thing we recently ordered from Amazon!

Such a very large box for such a small item...........


Alex didn’t know what to buy me, but there were a couple of craft books I wanted, but I will have to wait for them to be delivered!:-0

Wednesday 13 April 2011

They look just the same...........

Eleven months ago I took this photograph, same road and approximately at the same time of day . This road we go down every morning, when the white Cherry Blossom is out that is all that can be seen and after twenty-one years it doesn't get any better than this!

Friday 8 April 2011

Card Making


I have a motto "Make Much of Time" . It is actually an old sampler motto, but I have adopted it. This afternoon I decided to create some cards as I wanted to try and create something different! Not sure if these are different, I call them my Collage Cards.

They can now be found here

Saturday 2 April 2011

Simnel Cake

I'll to thee a Simnell bring'Gainst thou go'st a mothering, So that, when she blesseth thee, Half that blessing thou'lt give to meI'll to thee a Simnell bring 'Gainst thou go'st a mothering, So that, when she blesseth thee, Half that blessing thou'lt give to me circ17thCentury
Tomorrow is Mothering Sunday. Originally the Simnel Cake was made for Mother's Day by girls in service who were given the day off to visit their mothers. The name is believed to come from a brother (Simon) and sister (Nell) who wanted to make a cake for their mother. During the Middle Ages the custom developed of allowing people who had moved away to visit their home churches, and their mothers, on the fourth Sunday of the Christian festival of Lent. The Simnel Cake signifies the end of Lent which is a period of fasting and repentance culminating in a feast of seasonal and symbolic foods. This cake is now made for Easter. On the top of the cake, around the edge, are eleven marzipan balls to represent the true disciples of Jesus; Judas is omitted. Marzipan Weight of 3 eggs in their shells Butter, Caster Sugar and Flour 1 lb dried mixed fruit 1 tsp ground cinnamon. 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg. Apricot jam (or any jam that happens to be open!) Line a 7 inch cake tin with parchment or greaseproof paper (like you would a Christmas cake). Divide the almond paste into three and take one portion and roll it to a round the size of the cake tin. Cream together the butter and sugar and eggs till very pale in colour. Mix all of the dry ingredients together and then add to the mixture. Fold in gently. Put half of the cake mixture into the tin, smooth and cover with the round of almond paste. Put the remaining cake mixture on the top of the marzipan smooth the surface carefully. Bake in a warm oven, 140°C (gas mark 1) for about 3 hours,test after about 2hours Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin. When cold roll another third of almond paste, again to the size of the tin. Make the remaining almond paste equally into eleven balls. Once the cake is completely cold, remove from the tin and brush the top of the cake with jam and cover with the disc of almond paste. Place the eleven balls of paste onto a heat proof dish and grill till brown. Place the marzipan balls evenly around the edge of the cake.

Friday 1 April 2011

One Week at the end of March!

One week ago today just as I was opening the front door after returning from work the telephone was ringing. Me - Hello....... Cynithia - I have your dad for you......... Dad - (very slightly slurring speech) What are you and Alex doing on Monday? Me - Working why? Dad - You can take me to the hospital! Me - Why? Dad - I have an appointment at 9.40am at Exeter and Cynthia can't take me! Me- Not sure I can, why? Dad - I had a funny turn this morning? Me - Why didn't they take you to the hospital Dad - I don't need to go till Monday Me - Can I speak to Cynthia.............. Me - I don't understand, if he has had a stroke why hasn't he gone into hospital? Cynthia - I took him to the local hospital this morning, they say he can go home the stroke was very slight, unnoticeable, and rest for the weekend, they have made an appointment for him on Monday I can't take him and he is not allowed to drive (by law you are not allowed to drive after a heart operation or a stroke for four weeks) They have changed his pills. Me - Ok - let me see what I can do. Couple of hours and two phone calls later....... Cynthia - Hello Me - We have Monday off can take dad to the hospital. Cynthia - OK, your dad has booked the room for two nights for you anyway. Me - Ok I will be on my mobile phone all day tomorrow, and we won't we arriving until late afternoon, I not sure what time. Saturday morning, we decided to go to Totnes as planned, the reason being, we hadn't had a phone call over night so decided everything was OK. Everything was he rang me to tell me Cynthia was taking us out to lunch. It takes about one hour and fifty minutes from Minehead to Totnes, some of the journey is on the motorway. Up in the sky we saw a weather balloon . We didn't arrive in Totnes till about 10.30 and parked down by the Quay and walked up the hill as usual calling in the charity shops, managing to kit Liam out for the summer, poor Caitlin didn't fair so well this time which is quite unusual for Totnes! Eventually got to the market and the Civic Hall and to the Nostalgic and Mix Fair run by Lesley. Helen presented me with this lovely gift for the birth of Liam She is having a giveaway on her blog just now, and also the issue 3 of her next magazine is out too, which the next part of her embroidery of Bear has been stitch by me.

I purchased some old magazines from three different stalls.


After lunching at Greys Tea Shop, we continued mooching around the shops. One shop which sells mainly musical instruments I found a set of postcards featuring the drawings by M. C. Escher. I find his work fascinating, and the drawings always turn on a puzzle-page somewhere!


After four hours in Totnes we went on to dads, to find him well. I cooked tea, he didn't want much, but when he saw my Cheese-on-Toast he was hungry! Sunday Cynthia took us to her golfclub for lunch, and afterwards we sat in the sunshine in the local park chatting, then came home.


Monday up bright and early to take dad to Exeter Hospital. We set the sat-nav, because we were approaching Exeter from a different direction from our normal way. If we followed the sat-nav we would have gone down a one-way street the wrong way in a bus lane! We soon recognised where we were and turned off the sat-nav and followed the signs. Arrived at the hospital and eventually found where we had to be, saw the consultant and who was very pleased with him, he didn't need to change his prescription again, and chatted to him asking him questions like have you any children, yes - this is my daughter and my son-in-law and I have great grandchildren! Then he had to go for a CT scan, and a blood test, when all of this was finished he took us for lunch in the hospital restaurant. Exeter hospital restaurant for lunch isn't too bad, can recommend it.


After dropping dad back home and a cup of tea we came home.


Weather this week hasn't been too bad, in fact the sun has been out this afternoon. Went into the garden took some photos to suit the sunshine!


Don't know what this is called - mum used to call it "Billy Buttons"!


Primroses


Forthsyia


Dandelion


Celandine



While at the Fair I bought this old fashioned string bag

circa late 1960's early 1970's for 50p. - mum used to use them all the time.

In the bag is a clue as to what I have been making Tea Cosies!

I will be showing them very soon!


I also saw this Ladybird basking in the sunshine in the garden too