Silence Please

DD1 just managed a whole minute of silence for rememberence sunday.

DD2 was asleep, so was quiet too.

Hamster Dance

DD1s hamster - Nibbles - escaped. I went in to her room to feed him this morning, and obv after she'd come and woken us up at 7.30, he'd made a bid for freedom. The cage door had been opened (It's a wire job which has a clip. The hamster had leant against it and opened it up.) and there was no sign of him.

After much frantic searching of her room, we discovered him hiding out under the wardrobe. DD1 has a pine slated wardrobe with canvas cover, so thankfully he was easier to spot. After 45mins of pleading, he eventually moved out from under the wardrobe and was caught and placed back in his cage. We then put cable ties on the offending door and will be using the other access point from now on.

Friday night goes with a bang.

Well, TH and DD1 have just been to local rotary clubs firework display, at middle school in town. The bangs were a bit loud but the colours were very pretty, apparently. DD1s favourite were the green fireworks. (See piccies to choose your favourite!)

Yet more pickling.

Have been busy again, making a fig, apple and sultana chutney. With apples gathered off a tree on common land, and figs from our tree (!) The sultanas had to come from the local health food shop, but a 66% free chutney isn't bad scoring.

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.