Thank you for all your lovely comments and emails from my last post. I am still not feeling great, but am soldiering on (I'm a real trooper like that), and not letting it get me down, although Andy has done more cooking and making cups of tea recently, so maybe I should go back to coughing and moaning quietly to myself for just a little longer!
Well, the last couple weeks have been busy as usual. Sorry for the lack of posts again - there just aren't enough hours in the day at the moment. However, today has been different. The girls both had play dates after school, and Andy took them to school this morning as he was running late, so I didn't have to do the school run at all today, which make a pleasant change. I did some tidying and ironing, then popped into school for an hour, and then came home and made 3 cakes, with a little help from Bodie, who likes to wedge himself between me and the kitchen units when I'm cooking. I'd like to think it is so he can be near me and to keep me company, but I know it is really in the hope that I am going to drop something on the floor. His nose is covered in icing sugar, but I couldn't get a good picture without him trying to lick the camera.
Tomorrow is my 33rd birthday and I am working all day so I have a Victoria Sponge (with homemade blackberry jam), an Apple and Cinnamon cake and some choc and walnut brownies to take in. It does seem a funny tradition that the person celebrating has to take the cakes in, rather than the other way around, but it has always been the case in every job I've had. Still, according to Women's Hour this morning it is National Baking Week, so I felt I should do my bit to support it! Andy has got the day off on Wednesday and we are going exploring and out for lunch, so I get to extend my celebrations too.
Someone asked me if it was a big birthday this year, and I was starting to get a little upset at the thought that I may look 40, but she went on to say I must be getting near to my 30th. Obviously a friendship to cultivate there!!
The last week or so has been taken up with meals out, trips to the pub, cooking and Literature Festival events, including a talk on Virago publishers. I was smugly rather pleased to note that I had read all of the ones they mentioned in the lecture, having had a spell of collecting them when I was a student. This is just a few - the others are dotted around the house (we only have 1 room that doesn't have books in it, and that is the kitchen!).
I also went to see A Good Read which was being recorded for Radio 4, and Sandi Toksvig, who did her straight comedy act. I have seen her several times doing interviews and panel events at the festival but never her own routine. It was, needless to say, hilarious. I was a bit disappointed with the programme this year as I normally try to see as many as possible, but not much leaped out at me this year. I did walk past Kate Adie in town the other day and was tempted to ask her never to write another book, having had the torture of reading one of her autobiographies for my book club. I did resist the temptation though and just smiled politely!
Sophie and I went to a car boot sale last weekend, and I got a few treasures - including some china, just for a change. Andy begged me not to get any more tea sets or plates before I went, but when they are gleaming up at you and a real bargain it is very hard to say no! I came home with a huge haul, including these little bellows for £2. The log basket was a charity shop find recently, but as yet only has kindling in it (logs to follow soon).
I got these Royal Worcester soup bowls for best,
and also some plain pale yellow ones for every day (well, you can never have too many soup bowls).
This basket makes a great magazine rack.
I fell in love with this tea set which is currently dumped unceremoniously on top of the piano, but I do have bigger plans for it - watch this space!
Sorry for the terrible picture quality - it was virtually dark when I took these.
On Saturday we all trooped off to the Racecourse to walk Bodie, forgetting that there was a race meet. We often walk around the fields behind the racecourse as it is a great place for Bodie, and also for picking Sloes (which we did, although the crop this year is sadly depleted due to the weather), and managed to watch a few races in the process. Yesterday we went on my favourite walk, which leads to this lake. It is breathtakingly beautiful and makes me think of a place in Canada called Sand Lake (which is a little larger) where I stayed in a log cabin when I was young(er).
Anyway, as it is my birthday, and I have long since passed my blogging anniversary I thought it was time for a little give-away. Please leave me a message and I'll pop you all into a hat to find the lucky winner. I haven't quite decided what the prize is, but I have a few ideas up my sleeve!
I hope you are all having a good start to the week.
Lots of love
Cathy XX