I have contracted a cold from the visiting Mothership, which has sunk to my chest. The growing bump prohibits any over-the-counter medications, so I have been forced to take to my bed with a large box of Kleenex, laptop, Sky Movies and plenty of fluids. It all feels very 1950's- laptop and Sky Plus aside naturally-and not a little dull. It's amazing how little there is to watch on television given that I have a choice of 1000 channels. I am in … [Read more...]
Shoo tar, don’t bother me!
When I emerged from the bedroom today I thought that the fairies had visited. The sad reality was that DH had unwittingly trampled tar through the house. I have written before on our unwise choice of carpet colour, and there's nothing like tar to make you realise how naive you were to think that pale carpets would be easy enough to eep clean. Fortunately I grew up getting tar all over my shoes beach-combing and my mum passed on her tip for … [Read more...]
24 weeks
The baby wants fish pie for supper…
People have been asking me whether I have been having cravings for anything weird now that I am halfway through the pregnancy. They seem desperately disappointed when I say that I haven’t really felt the need for something so badly that I’ve dispatched the DH to the 24 hour garage at 3am. Then I caught myself eating pickled onions. From the jar. With my fingers. I have been buying a new jar every few days. DH is quite grateful is nothing … [Read more...]
The Pre-Christmas Fudge-off
The Nigella was making Christmas food gifts before Christmas, and her recipe for fudge got me thinking about my childhood and how we used to make edible gifts for people. I remember making peppermint creams for my nan, a lifetime smoker and big fan of mints, coconut ice and chocolate florentines. The thought of making fudge again seemed to appeal to my nesting instinct. I’d recently been given a very dated recipe book by the lady who runs the … [Read more...]
Guest Editor Strikes again
As I write, she has safely re-entered the atmosphere in Ethiopia, but she left a little something with me for all the lovely readers she seems to think I have!Christmas spent overseas has always meant, as well as those already invited to join us, a last minute trawl round on Christmas Day to find those Brits who have not been invited to eat Christmas dinner elsewhere. This has guaranteed a houseful of people, usually of the young, single and male … [Read more...]
Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree, How lovely are your branches?
Very lovely I'd say, festooned as they are with white bows, candy canes and a selection of white and clear glass baubles. I don't quite know where the time is going at the moment...I'm sure I blinked and suddenly we were in December. But I have managed to slow down enough to enjoy dressing our tree, sing some carols, feed the Christmas cake and get all the cards in the post...wonder if I'll be this organised next year with a small person to sit … [Read more...]
