Winner!

Well, life is good here. Have just won the Green Parent draw and My taller half bought home the prize - a powabyke!- this morning after picking it up from local dealer.

Unfortunately, I was too small to mount said bike, even with the saddle down in its lowest position. At only 5ft 3 I did have a slight niggling feeling that it wouldn't be the perfect fit to be honest. Although dissapointed, I got TH to try it, and lo its fine for his 6ft 3 frame! So the universe gave me a bike, which will be used by someone else. I however, have a folding bike, which I aqquired from freecycle a while back, and laspsed from using while preggers (it also really needs a bit of love..) as I had no balance to speak off at all. Its now been dusted off and once we aqquire TH a helmet we'll be off on family bike rides. :D

Pickling a-go-go

Well its been a busy day here. Have been pickling all manner of items to give as tasty crimbo treats... The list so far

6 jars of pickled red cabbage (makes a great addition at christmas time and both sides of the family are saurkraut demons)
1 large jar pickled shallots, with chilli flakes (Pressie for Mum, who likes it hot)
1 large jar pickle beetroot (for in laws who are slightly more traditional in their tastes)
another large jar pickled beetroot.... for the buffet table on christmas eve. Its a tradition we have a help yourself going in the evening while everyone arrives at the house.
1 final large jar of pickled mini cucumbers, which were the last (rather megre) offerings from a friends plants. They didn't have time to mature and get to any size before the plant caught a chill.... they'll go down well christmas eve too.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/cabbageredpickled_3409.shtml

Back!

After a long period of not being able to access my account - here I am. And then I find myself with nothing monumental to report. sigh.

Lavender's Scarce (Dilly Dilly..)

A plea went out on my local lets scheme from me for lavender to make lavender bags for elderly aunties christmas presents (this year it going to be a homespun yule!) but no-one has much to offer seems to been a bad flowering season for local lavender...

I'll be making the bags to this pattern - https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDL2du0mJrb_k9e4nBolB-hJZ4g0wtd3tXMm862oh8JW6U3vMOyxdUQxYPaHwmg7uYbtuoQtR-W85nr_5L0vbPNu0b57CBS-ZeOcHaxGucfe9ph20NUAOvGLjxi9dk-5m_k4OiFiGZXX0/s1600-h/panty+card+template.jpg - with a few adjustments, as this is a card template. My aunties are all young at heart and I'm sure they'll see the fun in adding these to their smalls drawers....

The Great Outdoors

Well, what with that glowing orb in the sky over the weekend, we thought we'd venture out as DD2 wouldn't have a pool forming in her sling, or buggy (she's getting heavier now, and carrying is sadly getting painful, 'cos of the back injury.) - unless of course it was of her own making!

So off we adventured. 1st to Willen Lake, which is a very nice stroll, and home to the peace pagaoda, pictured right. Peacefull, apart form the call of an irrate goose, who had discovered someone fishing on her patch of bank.

After this we took a stroll round the lake, with a brief stop on DD2s part for 'refreshments' and then on to Willen Old Village... And the church. It seemed to be a day for religious structures..

Victoria Beckham has cut her hair

And the funny thing is the papers think I care, nay I am supposed to be interested.
I so love being the house popular culture forgot. Doesn't make for great light conversation at mums and tots though.

Well, the world hasn't ended.

So, we've re-created the big bang. And the world hasn't ended.
Treated myself to a coffee with DD2 while DD1 was at school today, and had a brief chat with owner/another customer (we're in there a lot, they do a lovely cappuccino, and an even lovelier apple slice!) and came to the conclusion we could very well be in an alternate reality, and there's only one small difference which no-one has discovered yet...

I'm hoping that its the fact the rain appears to have stopped, for the time being at least.