Reflections

I'd like to wish all my friends here a very Happy and Healthy New Year. 

I've heard the word Twixmas mentioned in blogland several times lately - a word used to describe the kind of limbo we experience between Christmas and New Year. A funny time of year where you can't settle down to anything until after 1st January. My tree and decorations have been put away for another year and so I've been playing around with a new Photo Collage app on my iPad. The results of which I want to share with you now - just a few reflections of the past year.

I've just completed a ten week course on the history of The Tower of London and John took me there a few weeks ago

Another trip to London's East End - more about this later

 Some very special family moments - 

A new boat for Emma and family; My graduation; Emma's 40th; Our Sicilian holiday and our new VW Campervan

 Some of our beautiful walks in surrounding woodlands

Some good times with special family and friends -

With Emma, Harry and Leo on the London Eye; with my two sisters Barbara and Helen at my niece's wedding; old friends Peter, Barbara, Ken and Freda on a Brittany beach; two of whom are brothers Ken and Peter; me with son Jonathan celebrating my Degree at The Ivy;  with friends Ellen and Norman at Rudyard Kipling's home Batemans (a post for the New Year maybe)

And lastly - remembering my late special Uncle Jack.

(quite a dashing young fellow in his day don't you think)

I hope you all have wonderful New Year's Eve celebrations whatever your plans - as for us we've opted to spend a quiet evening at home with even more reflections and maybe a glass of something! or three....

See you next year xx

Merry Christmas Everyone

Christmas is almost here - just a few more days to go and loving all the catch-ups with friends and final preparations ......

Making tree decorations

Lots of baking

Gifts for girlfriends

and a few last minute candle decorations for the mantlepiece and table

I'd like to wish all my dear blogging friends around the world my very best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Happy New Year. Thank you all so very much for all your lovely posts, your friendship and the wonderful comments you have left me during the last year - they mean so much.

Take care and I'll be back in the New Year.

xxx

Christmas cracker swap

A couple of months ago I entered into a Christmas Cracker swap organised by Tracy at Mad about Bags and my partner was Kimberley at A Creative Chaos  who lives in New Zealand. We exchanged a couple of emails and found out a bit about each other and today my cracker arrived!

All wrapped up in some pretty seasonal fabric

Unwrapped - these were three long strips of fabric - ideal for quilting

Some beautiful ribbon and braid

The felt star was made by Kimberley and now takes pride of place on my tree

 I just love these cute little note cards and envelopes

Look at how tiny they are

A pen and some tubes of glitter

Candy canes and chocolate Santas

(Only three left as Leo spotted them!)

A Kiwi cross-stitch kit

Kimberley tells me this Puteko decoration is one of New Zealand's native birds

A hand knitted dish-cloth

(I've been so wanting one of these as I see them on lots of blogs)

Also in the parcel were a selection of Postcards from New Zealand showing some pretty beauty spots and natural wildlife - a lovely idea and wished I'd thought of that too.

Thank you so much Kimberley I've really enjoyed this swap and hope that any day now your cracker from me will arrive on your doorstep. Many thanks to Tracy for organising this swap - such a fun thing at this time of year.

See you soon x

Life's ups and downs

Hello to all my friends. Just a short post to explain my absence for a while. Not only have I been having problems with Blogger but some personal stuff has been going on too. Hopefully all is beginning to get back to normal but do apologise that I've been unable to leave any comments recently, totally out of my control I'm afraid.

As for me - well I had a nasty fall at the top of an escalator three weeks ago - my fault entirely as I wasn't paying attention as I neared the top and went flying over, and until my daughter pressed the emergency stop, everyone else flew over the top of me too! Anyway the upshot was I broke my thumb - well a chipped bone really and after a trip to A&E have been in a splint since then.

The same weekend I lost my very dear Uncle Jack who had been ill for some time. Although expected it was very hard to accept.

He was my late Mum's brother and meant the world to us all. The funeral was Monday down in Bournemouth a 250 mile round trip. However we decided to spend the night before in an hotel nearby to cut back on travelling time. On our way down we stopped at Winchester - more about that another time.

\

Me with Uncle Jack and Auntie Rosa on their wedding day 65 years ago

To cap it all I've now gone down with a cold which, on its own is not a problem - we all get them - but it's left me with a nasty chest infection. Anyway enough of all that - Christmas is coming!

I have my grandson Leo staying for the weekend and right now I'm sitting in his school hall where they are holding their Christmas Bazaar and he's having a whale of a time on the various stalls trying to win some prizes. And of course a visit to Santa made his day.

Well that's all from me right now and I'll be back very soon. Got to get back to decorate my tree, make some decorations and bake a cake! Apologies for a gloomy post but I guess life's like that - lot of ups but occasionally some downs.

Take care x

Eggs .......

.......In the fridge or out of the fridge?  

Where do you keep yours?

I get my eggs from a neighbour who runs a poultry farm nearby. Lovely fresh eggs, when I want them, varying in size and colour with beautiful deep yellow yolks.  I usually buy a tray of 36 eggs (at a mere £3.80) that last for a couple of weeks. We get through quite a few - breakfasts of boiled, poached or scrambled eggs; Yorkshire puddings, omelettes, pancakes and of course the odd cake or two.

Many years ago there was quite a debate about salmonella in eggs - I believe it was Edwina Curry who raised her concerns and from a health and safety point of view it was deemed safer to refrigerate. My neighbour the poultryman favours keeping them at room temperature whilst I have always kept them in the fridge since I was first married simply because of the health issue. But what about cooking them from cold?

Most recipes ask for room temperature eggs which I do. But when poaching an egg, I have for years put them in the boiling water straight from the fridge, where they end up with the whites swimming messily around the pan and end up looking very sad indeed. So today I tried room temperature and - hey presto they looked normal. In fact my best yet - and a tip from my grown up son no less.

Then there's boiled eggs. My husband, like his late mother, brings the water to a boil and then puts the egg in for four or sometimes five minutes depending how soft/firm you want it - but they always crack. I put mine in cold water and after the've come to the boil, time them for three minutes. So, on the odd occasion that we may have gone away and the hotel/guest house asks if we want a 3 or 4 minute egg, we have to go into the whole tirade of asking how they do it - cold water or hot water?

 So - what is the consensus of opinion?

~~~~~~~~~~~

Incidentally, my dear friend Val at Val's Alentejo asked me to say Hi to all those who know her. She is having some blogging problems at the moment as well as busy with her family but hopes to see you all again very soon.

Patricia x

My mojo's back

It's taken ages for me to settle down after six years of studying at home. I've been faffing about, dipping into this, dipping into that, can't concentrate and generally lost my  mojo.

Unlike many of my fellow bloggers I'm not what you'd call a prolific quilter, crocheter or knitter. I do a little now and again but that's as far as it goes.

For several years I have been doodling and sketching with the idea that one day I'd like to create an art journal, logging my life - holidays, cooking, family, nature to name but a few.  Today I met up again with a lady who has just had published a non fiction book about her life sailing around Leigh on Sea. I am so in awe of her and told her that I would love to write - albeit an article, a column or even a book one day. I also said how I enjoy my sketching and art journalling as well as blogging, and she said "Pat you're halfway there and you're being very derogatory about yourself, you just have to go for it - don't think you might do it, just do it". So - I'm going for it.

 I get my inspiration from various books, the internet and You Tube. It's exciting and I'm enjoying the challenge. I'm only in the practicing stage at the moment with a few sketches here and there but from "little acorns" as they say.

 I was inspired a couple of years ago when I saw the work of my dear blogging friend Connie at Crafty Home Cottage  - take a look she's so talented.

I sometimes draw from photos I've taken

and it's giving me so much pleasure 

I took a photo of this picture hanging in the wall of a pub and then sketched it at home.

Well, after taking the plunge to post these, I've definitely got my mojo back 

and now keen to pursue it even more. 

Age shall not weary them...

.....nor the years condemn

At the going down of the sun

and in the morning

We will remember them

For your tomorrow

we gave our today....

Thoughts go out on this Remembrance weekend to all those who served their country in times of war and for those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

5 in 5 photo challenge

It's that time of the month again when I take part in the 5 in 5 photo challenge organised by Sandie at Itchifingers.  Five photos taken in five minutes for posting on the 5th of the month (or thereafter).

Since John cut his working week to three days, he now has Mondays off and we've taken to going out for the morning/day and taking in what I call a "Monday Munch", whether it's lunch in a small country pub,  a snack in a hotel in the middle of town or a bacon roll in a village tearoom somewhere. In fact I'm keeping a journal recording all the places we've munched in and what we thought about it. Yesterday we took ourselves off to the seashore at Westcliff on Sea, just a short 10 minute drive from home and a place we regularly love to walk.

The morning started very wet indeed and the skies were grey but before we knew it, the sun was shining and the skies completely cloudless and blue. We headed out towards the coast because I had an errand to run in the area but decided it was too nice to go back home.

The tide was up and the sun was out and the sound of the waves lapping over the shingle was quite hypnotic. I love the beaches when no one else is around. This shoreline can get very busy in the summer with holiday-makers and day-trippers alike but today was just perfect. 

 The Cliff gardens just across the way from the beach are amongst the most popular in the town giving stunning views of the Thames Estuary and to the coast of Kent beyond.

where an abundance of winding woodland paths, specimen trees and exotic plants adorn these popular Victorian gardens. I think this might be Rowan but not entirely sure?





You could almost be fooled into thinking you were abroad,  where the numerous Palm trees line the promenade under the bright blue skies.



Our Munch today was here at The Beach Hut - a wooden building on stilts which actually sits in the sea when the tide is up. In fact you almost feel as though you are on board a boat where the waves rise and fall around you. We sat on the decking area in the front by the windows overlooking the water - probably not a wise choice as the sun shine reflecting off the water was exceedingly hot - not complaining I promise!

John had a fish finger sandwich and a bucket of chips. Not just any fish finger sandwich mind, it was a huge Ciabatta roll filled to its capacity. Mine was similar but with sausage and caramelised red onion. All washed down with a nice cup of Earl Grey. 

Hope to see you soon x

Out of sorts, and some lovely pick-me-ups

About ten days ago I had a flu jab at my GP's surgery. I never ever get flu but as it was offered to me I decided to take it up. Best to be safe than sorry I thought. I asked the nurse if it would have any adverse effects on me and was told "no, it won't give you flu". Well, less than 8 hours afterwards I started to get a fever - hot/cold and aching all over and after dosing myself up spent the next day sleeping. All week it's been in the background and I've just not felt myself. Yesterday I had another shivery day with more aches and again dosed myself up. I phoned the GP's surgery for advice and was told that you definitely cannot get flu from the jab but that I "was probably about to come down with a virus anyway" - (on the very day I had the jab? I think not) for someone who never gets flu, and probably wouldn't have caught it this year either - I've ended up feeling worse than when I'd started.

On a lighter note, I had a lovely surprise last week when I received a parcel containing the Halloween giveaway that I'd won from my friend Tammy's Carry it Forward Giveaway which included:

24 Bat large baking cases for cupcakes and 100 witch hat mini baking cases, 

 two flat fabric quarters and one rolled Jack O Lantern fabric quarter

a bat cookie cutter, and a pack of edible candy eyeballs for making spooky desserts.

and a box of cute wooden characters for colouring in

Grandson Leo is already helping me with some Autumnal and Halloween decorations

and is going to LOVE helping me bake the cakes (as well as eating them of course) So thank you very much Tammy at My Journey for this lovely giveaway which I plan to carry forward at the beginning of December for the Christmas season.

Talking of cakes, I must just show you my favourite Chocolate spice cake that I made recently for a family gathering. It came from my very dog-eared Be-ro Cook book which I've had for nearly 40 years and simply couldn't be without. It really is gorgeous.

Enjoy!

Have a great weekend and I'll be back again very soon