Scenes from the fridge

Orange pals :)

Life

The Life Aquatic

When I should be at work

Three Pink

EVENING PICNIC TABLEPERCUSSION EGG

PERCUSSION MEG

Midnight Picnic Table

To get over my blog boredom I think I'll aim for a photo a day. No words.

Scraps; and a cold

I just kinda like this photo. It's the scraps from making the bag and headband at the weekend. Very artistic.
Unfortunately this has pretty much been my view for the last three days. I've been in bed with a horrible head cold. I catch colds very easily. I think this was the one my dad had when I was in Scotland. Tonight I discovered whisky is infinitely better than Lemsip.

Usually I alternate reading proper, adult fiction with an Enid Blyton. It's like cleansing the palate. I get so absorbed into a book that when I finish I'm not ready to leap straight into another, so I do some lighthearted EB for relief. It works really well. However, since I've had this cold I've read about five EB books straight. I tried reading a couple of A L Kennedy short stories but they were too SERIOUS for my attention span at the time. I'm almost finished The Mystery of Tally-Ho Cottage, with the greatly-named Mr Hoho-Ha, then I'll go onto adult fiction again. I can feel my brain returning so I'm looking forward to it.

Small Projects

I spent today making a toiletries bag and headband for my sister to go her holidays with. She's off to Gran Canaria next weekend. I'll put a couple of little bottles and a toothbrush holder in for her and post it on Monday.
This is what I've been knitting while watching TV - a little pair of socks, for no one in particular, just something to keep me occupied.
I made these for Connie, our friends' baby in Scotland.

I have a cold today. Meg slept with me last night, very sweetly leaning against me. Every time I moved she moved too so she was always lying next to me, touching me, which was very nice except by the time the church clock struck ten o'clock in the morning, waking us both up, we were way over Hagos's side of the bed. She's a darling.

Happy Birthday Jacqueline

I'm in Scotland for my sister's birthday, which was yesterday. We met in King's cafe before checking out the new swimming pool and swimming for an hour. Due to my strict diet, I allowed myself a little bit of celebrating and Jacqueline and I returned to Kings after the pool and indulged in these magnificent strawberry tarts.

It's really nice to be in Scotland again and see my family. I was beginning to feel hemmed in in Norfolk so it's been good to get perspective and step off the treadmill for a few days.

Hagos and I had a really lovely weekend before I came up. We did our usual Saturday visit to Ha Ha's and had brunch, before returning home and watching The Man Who Knew Too Much, a Hitchcock film. It isn't his best but I was in the mood for it and enjoyed it thoroughly.

I'm looking forward to seeing these two lovely beings when I return home tomorrow.

Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer

I'm so happy this book has finally been published. I've been waiting for it since I first heard Jane was writing it.

I absolutely loved reading when I was a kid, and particularly read Enid Blyton books, especially the Five Find-Outers (and Dog), the Famous Five, and the Malory Towers books. I re-read all of the Find-Outers books a couple of years ago and was transported back to my childhood when I had all the time in the world to read and dream and read some more (and play).

I've also re-read a couple of the Famous Five books and a Malory Towers book recently hoping to recapture that wondrous escape into adventure but felt mildly irritated by the sexism in the Famous Five (a result of its time, I know) and the xenophobia displayed by Darrell Rivers and her equally righteous friends in the Malory Towers series.

Anyway, what they all have in common, as Jane has demonstrated, is the authors' understanding of treats and baking in children's literature. It is so comforting to read about picnics and treats and cafes. All things I still get excited about today.

I've had the loveliest day, with Hagos and Meg and a proper Haggarty Saturday.

Crochet, Cats, Friends and Books

I'm bored with my blog. Maybe I'm bored with myself. Above are the granny squares I've been crocheting. I'll do the same amount again then make them into a cushion cover.

Bev came over last night and we had a nice dinner then did some crocheting (I'm sure she's finally got the hang of it now. I told her last night was the last time the crochet consultancy was open for business.)I bought the Daily Mail yesterday as I read on Jane Brockett's website that there was a feature in it on her new book, Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer, which I'm really looking forward to reading as I love children's literature and was a huge Enid Blyton fan when I was a kid and particularly liked the descriptions of them all going to coffee shops and having macaroons and buns etc (maybe that's why I love cafes so much now!). Anyway, while hunting for this article I came across another feature on a writer who used to teach me when I did my first degree at Middlesex University. I was reading while driving (well, when I stopped at traffic lights) and was really upset to read that her husband had died three years ago. I've often thought I should get in touch with her again but felt I should wait until I had a published book to show her! She was the most generous and kind woman and teacher and had actually given me the use of her house to write in when she and her family went on holiday when I was in my final year at university and was trying to finish a piece of writing.
Meg has been such a good friend and companion to me recently. When Hagos is away she spends part of the night lying beside me (sometimes she's too lively and jumps around the room and I reluctantly have to shut the bedroom door with her on the outside). She's so sweet and soft and entertaining.

I'm really missing Hagos today. He's off to Croatia for a gig, then has a rehearsal in London on Tuesday so I'll see him late Tuesday night. I wish we were both going on holiday to a little cottage in Scotland for a week together and could walk and read and see friends.

I finished To Kill a Mockingbird last night and it was a totally amazing book. No wonder it won the Pulitzer Prize. Atticus is my new hero.

The first hollyhocks

I love the variety of colours of the Hollyhocks we have in our garden. Some are very subtle, others are vibrant. There is one smoky tobacco hollyhock in a garden in town that I particularly love. I go to see it every year.