blissfullyeccentric

Just a test

2012-02-01T15:20:00.002Z

View National Trust London and South East - Happy Places in a larger map

Can you be Ginger Bear?

2012-01-30T21:24:00.001Z

My mum is a playschool lady (Hi Mum!) and she made a lovely story book to read to the children about one of the bears in the toybox, Ginger Bear.

Some of the children loved the bear so much that they were refusing to play with anything else. So Ginger Bear has gone on holiday.

Here's where you come in. Could you send a postcard from where you are to the playschool as Ginger Bear?

If you can, keep it simple with something like

"Dear children

Am having a lovely time on holiday in XXXX, I have been to see XXXX

Love Ginger Bear

in nice big clear letters and post it to:

Daisy Chain Preschool

Methodist Church Hall,
Station Road,
Westbury,
BA13 3JL

Trying to do something about this

2012-01-29T23:04:00.001Z

The second person this year implied I was pregnant. The first at my dance lesson just asked outright when the baby was due, and today someone asked if I was knitting for my baby. Since the ectopic pregnancy, my stomach has been bloated and hasn't gone back to normal. So I clearly need to do something, so we're on a major health kick. Tracking the calories, avoiding the booze, and doing as much exercise as my dodgy leg can manage. Here's me and the sunday gang on a 2hour walk.

Half the Sky

2012-01-20T15:25:00.001Z

A lady at church let me borrow her copy of http://www.halftheskymovement.org/

I knew superficially about the horrors inflicted on women around the world. I knew that educating women lead to smaller healther families, and increased economic growth by increasing the workforce.

What I didn't know was just how brutally some women are treated, just because they are women. Rape being used as a weapon of war, culminating in rape with sticks or glass to kill the victim or stop her having children in the future.

I didn't know that girls married young cannot bear children as easily, and without access to good maternal healthcare, labour on their own, their babies die inside them.

In both instances parts of their reproductive system rot away, or tear, and then fistulas form so urine and feces leak through the vagina constantly. Making the girls outcasts for not saving their children, and because they are dirty and smelly.

Fistulas like these can often be repaired if the woman is able to seek medical attention, and projects throughout the developing world are trying to set up hospitals and teach local people how to repair them without the need for a surgeon.

I didn't know that paying for a girl's school uniform every year can help keep her in school for longer by relieving the financial burden on her family. She'll be better educated and the longer she stays in school the later her marriage will be, and so she will be older, and will find having children easier.

Some of these things are so small and simple and will make a real difference to lives.

I encourage you to read the book if you can, or look through the website to find out more about what we very lucky people in the western world could do to help. I've just sponsored a woman through Women for Women http://www.womenforwomen.org/, where I will be able to write encouraging letters to my sponsored sister. If you can spare the money to do something like this, please please do.

And if not, maybe you can donate a little somehting to a girls school uniform? http://www.womenforwomen.org/

And if you have no cash at all, could you spare time to publicise this? Or to write letters lobbying the governement to spend more money supporting female education and maternal healthcare?

This is about all human beings being treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. This is about equality and looking after our worlds future.

From the Sartorialist - Dries Van Noten

2012-01-20T14:46:00.001Z

via images.thesartorialist.com

Love the live art at the show along with the boldness of the art on the jacket.

Trying to make Mario and Sonic Winter Olympics realistic

2012-01-18T23:17:00.001Z

Here's the bobsleigh...

See the full gallery on Posterous

25+ Lunch Bags & Accessories To Make: {Free Patterns} : TipNut.com

2012-01-15T13:45:00.001Z

http://www.stumbleupon.com/to/s/1esKZY

...and is making me broody...

2012-01-12T16:47:00.001Z

via crucifixes-forladies.tumblr.com

Just because he's a bit lovely...

2012-01-12T16:46:00.001Z

via 29.media.tumblr.com

from http://doctor-who-companion.tumblr.com

Yoghurt Cake , Yoghurt Muffins (Yogurt Cake, Yogurt Muffins) of Any Flavour

2012-01-12T14:24:00.001Z

via azeliaskitchen.net

Reminder for later

Resolving to create things for you

2012-01-10T16:20:00.001Z

Hello all and welcome to 2012. A few weeks in, how are you feeling?

I like the fresh feeling of new beginnings. In the last few days I feel like I must have knitted a hoard of tiny baby things for friends. That thrill of the cast on new and full of potential in your hands.

I seemed to go through this last year. How lovely it is to have a blog where you can chart your personal life rhythms and know you're not going mad.

I often find myself resolving to eat less and move more this time of year, and I am trying, I am really trying. 40 star jumps, 30 sit ups, 20 squats and 10 press ups on the days I can't manage more, and wii fit and the gym when I have more time.

I'm resolving to be quiet and silent again more, and to create more, and to be happy.

So, given this is how I feel about knitting,

Knitting and Safety

Sat here knitting, writing, watching bad yet good telly I am surprised at how well I multitask. It's like my brain is so full of energy and noise that the only way I can concentrate on what I need to get done is to channel all the excess into other outlets until nothing is heard but the history noise. Slowly but surely I'm typing the words, knitting good rows and learning about lives I never lead.

Knitting is so soft and natural to me. It takes up my hands and fills both of them. I've been experimenting with crocheting, and the spinning with one hand, reaching in and out of chains drips slowly out my fingers. It's both frustrating and fascinating. I'm not sure I like the dense fabric of it much. I think knitting will always be my go to craft.

Some thing in me wants to knit primeval simple warm things to look after people. Blankets for babies, rugs for floors, simple sweaters for my friends to wrap them in my love always. I want to loop tales with hopes and prayers and make smiles. If only I had the money for yarn.

and I can sew, and paint, and make websites and cook and flower arrange, and that I enjoyed my making 5 things for people last year, can I make something for you this year? I can advise on email marketing and organise events and design flyers too.

What little thing would give you a lift this year, what would you like?

A tiny norwegian baby jumper

2012-01-08T20:03:00.003Z

Made following instructions in Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Without Tears.

Epiphany galette and the ninja game

2012-01-08T01:38:00.001Z

Here is my galette. It was tasty.

Tonight was family party night, and at midnight we went on to Charley's birthday do. They are playing the ninja game and having pen fights.

See the full gallery on Posterous

A first sonnet for Epiphany | Malcolm Guite

2012-01-06T12:20:00.001Z

Epiphany
It might have been just someone else’s story,
Some chosen people get a special king.
We leave them to their own peculiar glory,
We don’t belong, it doesn’t mean a thing.
But when these three arrive they bring us with them,
Gentiles like us, their wisdom might be ours;
A steady step that finds an inner rhythm,
A pilgrim’s eye that sees beyond the stars.
They did not know his name but still they sought him,
They came from otherwhere but still they found;
In temples they found those who sold and bought him,
But in the filthy stable, hallowed ground.
Their courage gives our questing hearts a voice
To seek, to find, to worship, to rejoice.

via malcolmguite.wordpress.com

Today we're going to have an Epiphany party to end Christmas. We're going to eat Galette du roi, and have broccoli for bitter myrrh, spicy curry for fragrant frankincense and satsumas for gold. Whoever finds the bean in the galette will be the king of the party.
So when I saw this shared on Phil's Tree House - http://philipstreehouse.blogspot.com/ it touched me, and I thought I'd share it on again here.

Here we are all dolled up for new year.

2012-01-04T22:50:00.005Z

We had lovely time at Lula's house. Here's to a happy new year for all you and yours.

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I'm a tiny jedi

2012-01-04T22:50:00.003Z

That is all

Funny & Unusual Romantic & Love Stories – Not Always Romantic » The Time-Traveller’s Wife

2011-12-30T13:20:00.001Z

The Time-Traveller’s Wife
Text/Chat/Email | Johannesburg, South Africa | Marriage
(I am emailing my husband. He is very into sci-fi, and we have lots of theoretical debates about time travel.)
Husband: “Hello, future wife. It’s sad but unavoidable that present me cannot tell present you that I love her. So, we’ll have to settle for this quantum ping pong that currently exists. I love you, too, in any case. And past you. And future you, after you. I look forward to minimizing our proximities, so I can be closer to my current you. More love. Past husband.”

Don't let a festive flower arranger get bored.

2011-12-23T18:34:00.001Z

Or things like wearable flowers happen. Here's my church flower arrangement, table flowers for my grandparents and some silly flowers on my head.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Carol of the Bells (for 12 cellos) - Steven Sharp Nelson - YouTube

2011-12-21T10:25:00.001Z

via youtube.com

AWESOME!

Christmas bread recipe - Channel4 - 4Food

2011-12-20T15:05:00.001Z

via channel4.com

Hopefully making this bread this week to go with our pannetone.

What makes Christmas, Christmas?

2011-12-20T09:51:00.001Z

Stolen from Chronicles of a Reluctant Housedad, courtesy of Kate Takes 5

It's nearly Christmas - yay - am sat here in Santa hat. Here's what makes my Christmas Christmassy.

1. Sat home alone with the Christmas tunes on wrapping presents for those I love.

It makes me feel all tingly and happy. It's also best done by the lights of the fairylights on the tree.

I normally favour swing versions of festive songs and choral carols, but this year, I enjoyed the alternate Christmas playlist on Stereomood.

2. Midnight communion.

My dad would always come upstairs after we'd all gone to bed on Christmas Eve and read us the Christmas story from the bible. When I was a teenager, I decided I wanted to go to midnight communion, and so the story reading morphed in to Dad and I sneaking out at 11pm to walk down the road from my Gran's in Woolston to Peartree Church for midnight communion. When my sisters got older they came too, and I loved this little special thing we did just with Dad.

I love the magic of the Christmas communion, the waiting for the Christ child, old church words muddling with timeless winter celebration. The knowledge that the saviour was made a man on this world in the lowliest of low situations.

3. Carols.

My family are a family of singers. We'd sing in the car when we were little to keep ourselves entertained, and as we got bigger and my sisters more talented, we'd go all Von Trapp and Dad and Ellie would sing the harmonies whilst mum and I would sing melodies.

Dad said if you knew the tune to a hymn when you were in church it was your duty to sing out and sing loud to help other people who might not know it. I always sing loud.

We'd sing everything. Pop songs, hymns and best of all carols. Speeding to Southampton for Gran's for Christmas, counting the fairylights on the way, and singing carols over and over again.

Again as a teenager I decided we ought to go carol singing as I'd never been, and my family and another family would go to the old people's houses over the road and just stand outside singing our little hearts out. We never door knocked, but we did take requests.

Now we're older, I'm so looking forward to Christmas day today when we'll be at my Aunties, all 16 of us including cousins, granparents and Tom's dad, and my sisters will play carols and us three girls will sing around the piano.

4. Special tasty food.

I've taken on my mother's tradition of making Christmas pudding, on Stir Up Sunday. I made Tom stir it and make his wish, and it's sat in the cupboard under the stairs maturing, awaiting more and more brandy, ready for our little family dinner with Tom's dad on Boxing day.

We've also got smoked salmon and champagne for breakfast on Christmas day, a tradition started last year when we went to Devon with our friends - grown up, special and AWESOME!

5. Partying

The last hurrah for Christmas is our family party the weekend after new year. My Gran was one of 8 kids, and I'm the oldest grandchild. I've got 32 second cousins at last count, and every Christmas and August bank holiday we get together for a family bash. A party at Christmas and a picnic in the summer.

There's party games and food and dancing. Family bring their friends, and some of them have been coming so long they're practically family now. The kids love it till they're teenagers when it becomes boring, but when they get to 17 or so, they see the awesomeness of it all.

It's something I adore, and I'll do my utmost to keep it going for another 40 years.

Here's our little Christmas tree

2011-12-13T12:43:00.001Z

We rescued the bedraggled little one and chopped a few branches off. Those went to decorate the mantlepiece. We've got new fairy lights too!

See the full gallery on Posterous

Readvent 11: Resting

2011-12-11T19:22:00.001Z

I give myself permission to rest because I am a human being who has needs like any other person. I need rest because I never get enough sleep.

After a weekend of joyous fun with friends, I'm going to be tucking myself into bed with a book early tonight.

Readvent 10: Writing

2011-12-11T19:19:00.001Z

I do have some rules when writing on here. I don't mention specifics about my job, or who my employer is, and I don't write anything I feel Tom would be unhappy with.

This came up in conversation with Mel yesterday at Jess and Andy's awesome party. She was commenting on how I'd been more candid on the blog of late. I have come to the view that most of the people who read this are friends, and so I can write anything on here that I would say to them. And I'm pretty blunt in real life to be honest.

I find writing like this very cathartic, and I'm going to keep being brave and say the things I need to say out loud.

1. I got all the merit badges as a child. I love getting a badge. Today I would like to get a badge that says "Good friend" or "Very hospitable"

2. I'm proud of Tom for sticking with trying to be a vicar. It's hard, it's slow, but I still hope that it's meant to be. I'm also proud of all my friends who work hard saving the world in little ways.

3. I wish for the safe delivery of the babies friends are expecting in 2012, my current job to become permenant, and that Tom and I stay happy and healthy.

4. I think that Autumn Socks day is the most unappreciated holiday - it's one that Tom and I invented, where we swap socks to keep the autumn blues away. I'd like to challenge you all to set up your own little holidays to share as a family.

I'm going to save the rest of these prompts for when I run out of blogging inspiration. And I can do this, because it's my blog.

Readvent 9: Influence

2011-12-11T19:09:00.001Z

My greatest influences:

1. Dancing

Ever since I was a little person in a white leotard and pink socks, dancing has always spoken to my soul. The rigorous discipline still finds me pulling in my stomach muscles and standing up straight before a meeting, using my face to sell a song whilst singing, being aware of the muscles in my body and what they're doing, even when sitting.

I see in shapes and colours when thinking, a product of learning to choreograph. My work ethic and my ability to work in a team were also honed in a dance studio. I probably also learnt how to manage many egos too.

I also loved the costumes and sets in dancing, and a large chunk of my A level art was about dancers.

I've not longer got the figure or the flexiblity of a dancer. And I'm sad about that.

I still cheer mysef up by dancing around the house when I'm alone.

2. Chaplaincy

When I tumbled into the world of chaplaincy at the end of my first year, I didn't realise it would bring me life long friends, a husband, a renewed and strengthend faith, a passion for hospitality, chances to debate into the night, and an experience of living community.

I can't express how grateful I am to all the people who built that community and gave their time.

I would have never read Oscar Romero. I wouldn't know who Dietrich Bonhoeffer was. I wouldn't know what it was like to be accepted just as I am. Thank you.

3. My parents

I've written before on what I learnt from my dad

Growing up in a house full of girls, I'm always surprised how many of
Dad's hobbies he managed to share. I read the label on every exhibit
in a museum just like him. I spent three hours in the London Transport
Museum, which would have done him proud. I share his love of choral
music, and family history. We would watch Formula 1 with him, and go
to transport festivals, and war museums.
From Dad I get my public speaking skills, my gift of the gab, my love
of the craic. I was used as pro in many talk during family services,
and it's a sheer delight to watch my Dad now taking the tentative
steps towards a vocation in the church, turning these skills over to
God in a new way.
I also got from Dad the idea of what a husband should be. Watching a
man who has to work hideously long hours remembering to buy the yellow
rose for my Mum every Christmas, tucking handwritten notes into packed
lunches and praising my Mum for her creativity her talent, catching
them smooching in the kitchen and cuddling up to watch a film.

and from my mum? How to sew, knit, paint, glass paint, pergamano, sculpt, bake, lacemake, garden, write, read, the list is endless. Mum thinks outside the box. She uses her creativity to solve any problem.

Need a remote controlled goat with removal legs for a school production of Joseph? No problem. A full on Joseph coat with the colours in the fabric in the order of the song so you can point to it as you sing? No problem. Alter your ballgown the day before the ball No problem. Look after your kids because you're having an emergency? No problem. Again the list is endless.

Mum's good at radical hospitality, and putting people together. She'll talk to anyone and put them at their ease. Thanks for teaching me about all these things.

4. Books

I couldn't pick just one book, but reading and books play a huge part in my life. I have visited other places, countries and worlds through books. Their knowledge just seems to sink in through my pores. I can swallow a book in a few hours if it's good, and the ability to do this has provided me with ideas that have challenged, scared, pleased, and made me.

I remember reading Emily Dickinson as a teenager and memorising her poems because they sang to my soul. Rereading Gaarder and Pratchett and Austen again and again. I would love to pass on this love of reading to any future children. The Yarn Harlot was talking about how her family was choosing their favourite childhood books to give to a much anticipated new arrival in her extended family. This is such a lovely idea, and I'm going to be stocking up on copies of Mr Magnolia Has Only One Boot, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Tinker and Tanker.

5. The Internet

I love this big and sprawling connected thing. As a teenager I taught myself HTML as I just wanted to see how it worked, and now it lets me keep in touch with friends and family around the world. I can read tutorials and instructions on just about anything. I can peer through the digital net curtains and read the blogs of others. I wouldn't be without it.

Readvent 8: Comfort

2011-12-11T18:41:00.001Z

Ok, so out of my comfort zone.

1. I am not very good at meeting new people and talking. I'm happy being quiet and minding my own business. I'd like to try being more welcoming and open to people, and being brave and inviting them into my life.

I've invited one lady from my church round for dinner and it was really interesting finding out about her life. If I can do more about this, I think my life would be enriched. People of the world out there reading this, if you'd like to hang out and get to know me better, just shout.

2. Another of my comfort zones is probably being too sensible and not making the most of opportnities when they arise. I will say no, not today, we can't afford it, we're too busy, that's not practical. I'd like to say yes to more of the fun random things that turn up .

Some boring comfort zones? For a long time, I wouldn't cut my hair short, but I seem to have conquered that one. Left to my own devices, I would probably eat ony cold things from the fridge. I'm not a morning person and I sleep in whenever I can.

When working from home, I try to challenge my lazy ways by making an actual lunch, and making sure I eat some veggies. I'm trying to get up earlier at weekends to try and make more of the time.

See, I'm such a boring person.

Something a little festive

2011-12-09T13:35:00.001Z

I love covers of Christmas songs

Readvent 7: Travelling

2011-12-07T23:13:00.001Z

In my one bag I would have:

a ponte or jersey dress in black with mid length sleeves I can dress up or down. I
would have a couple of big brightly coloured silk scarves I could wear on my head, round my neck as a belt, use as a sling, or a bag.
sturdy walking shoes and a pair of heels,
a pair of jeans and a white shirt.
A survival kit in a tin with matches, aspirin, safety pins, a needle and thread and a multi way tool. A corkscrew and a port bottle top.
a notebook and pencil.
two sets of undies, one nude, one black
a waterproof coat

When we went to Loch Allen on honeymoon, we stayed in a cottage halfway up a big hill/small mountain. There was such a beautiful view from one of the windows down the mountain over the lake. And on one side there was a hill covered in wind turbines rising from the mists in the mornings like great triffids. There was a little wind turbine powering the cottage. An efficient wood burner in the living room. The house was full of old art and antique furniture.Toilets flushed with grey water

Even though it rained and rained I left feeling refreshed and happy and if I had seen the world. I saw how a lovely home could be eco friendly but still homely. I also saw modern technology working in harmony with stunning landscapes.

I love to travel. I find the travelling as fun as reaching the destination. I love all kinds of transport, (save perhaps submarines and spaceships - too claustrophobic) and enjoy marvelling at how it works, it's design language and the way it's used. I'd be happy to go as far as I could. There are some places where I'm going to burn to a crisp, but it may be worth it. Factor 50 all the way.

Readvent 6: Starting

2011-12-07T22:55:00.001Z

I'm going to come back to Readvent 5: Drawing because I don't have any paper to hand on the sofa.

I have some goals that I wrote down and stored on my other computers. I can't remember what they are now. So let's write some new ones. I will try and remember and cross reference them later.

Actually, thinking about it. I don't really know what my goals are.

(A sideline, January Jones is a silly name no? Am watching X-Men First Class now)

Ok. So here it goes.

1. Continue working for my current employer. I love my job and I want to progress in it.

Do my very best when at work
Research innovative ways to reach my work goals
Be a pleasant and useful employee
Show the value of my worth.

None of these cost money. So I'm going to get on with this tomorrow.

2. Travel extensively abroad

Plan where I want to go
Save some money
Book the time off
Go!

Saving money costs money. So if plan where I want to go, I can get a better idea of how much it will cost. Making this much more realistic.

3. Write and publish a book.

Come up with an interesting idea
Do copious amounts of research
Be disciplined and write a little everyday
Edit the manuscript
Send it off to publishers
...or if all else fails, self publish if only to hold one copy in my hands

Up to point 4 won't cost me a dime in anything but time. So I will just have to devote some time to this one.

4. Have a happy and fulfilling life.

Do what I love to do
Don't settle for second best
Give to others
Give thanks

Again all free apart from time costs.

5, Stay happily married.

Give my husband lots of love and hugs and attention
Do things together, both fun things like going out to dinner, and constructive things like working on projects together.
Give each other space to persue our own hobbies
Lots of rampant sex :0)

And again. All free. Apart from Tom's expensive going out for dinner and drinking all the wine habit. Which I help him drink.

Readvent 4: Caring

2011-12-07T22:33:00.001Z

Success is doing something you care about.

Set a timer for 30 minutes today for NO multitasking. Focus your care and attention on one task that you need to do. Allow yourself to focus instead of comparing your task to what you’d rather be doing. Hundreds of things are more fun/rewarding/exciting than what you are doing at any given moment, but by caring for the moment, for the present, you nurture it into the best it can be.

Today I focused on writing for 30 mins, and I feel that I have really gained from giving myself some time to breathe and look at my thoughts.

I saw people today scurrying around London where I went for my meeting. I saw baristas creating perfect swirls atop lattes. I saw street cleaners bending down for that last piece of paper. I saw a TfL employee on the platform of a tube station make a tube drivers day by announcing over the tannoy that all the people on the train were in very safe hands as this train driver was the best in London.

This year I began caring about radical hospitality. This was inpired by reading A Just Church by Chris Howson and the Irrestistable Revolution by Shane Claiborne. I feel happier the more time I give away, the more I give to others.

I also began caring about giving thanks whenever and where ever I can. This was inspired by 1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp. The more I try and find to be thankful for the more and more I realise the blessings in my life.

I have been trying to take better care of myself by trying to dress well in a way that pleases me, getting a good hair cut and so on. Little vainities, but ones that make me feel put together. A good pair of shoes on my feet makes me smile everytime I look down.

It's better not to care about what people think of you. It's better to act now and apologise later. It's better to ruffle some feathers and get the job done. Not everyone is going to be positive about you, and you're not going to get on with everyone.

I don't care about money, I don't care about status, I don't care about a big house or a fancy car. I don't care about the stock market.

What really matters to me is integrity, creativity, happiness and sharing.

Readvent 3: Fascinating

2011-12-07T22:15:00.001Z

How do I keep myself interesting?

I read as much as I can both online and offline. I read widely, on any subject that catches my eye. Chances are, one day, something on that topic will come up on converstation and I will be able to offer that bon mot.

I also try to take up opportunties to try unusual things. It's quite fun to say ' I made head cheese from half a pigs head' . Certainly gets the conversation started.

It helps that I don't care too desperately what others think of me. I used to mind terribly, going over and over how a situation turned out, trying to put myself in the other's shoes. Now, not so much. I am just me after all, and whilst you can change aspects of yourself, you will always be you in someway.

Interview yourself

Why do you proclaim to be a feminist but enjoy traditionally female activities?

I am a feminist because women across the world are still marginalised. All women deserve especially to recieve the same education as men, because we are equal. When there is equality of potential or prospects for both men and women I will be happy.

I do enjoy activities that the western world considers feminine activities such as work with textiles, flower arranging and so on. However, I don't see them as feminine. I see them as activities. I think they are things that can be enjoyed by anyone, and it's only western gender stereotypes that prevent this.

Should a future girl child of mine want to learn woodwork, I would support her, just as I will teach my boys to knit.

If you could travel the world, which places would you visit?

All of them if I could. we've just watched A Life in a Day, and it's really ignitied my passion to travel. I enjoy visiting a place and going to its railway stations, its supermarkets, it's little sparks of everyday life. I hope to visit somewhere new in mainland Europe next year, and eventually I'd like to visit places like Petra in Jordan

When are you happiest?

When fingering a new ball of yarn and deciding what it will be. When sipping the first sip of cold white fizzy wine. Waking up snuggled into Tom's arms. Standing on top of a cliff staring out all over the landscape. Standing on top of a big hill staring all across the landscape. Singing the melody of carols whilst my sisters sing the harmony. Sitting down to a big dinner with family. Sitting down to a big dinner with friends.

Wear something you never wear

I did this earlier this month. I wore a mult coloured chunky cropped cardigan I never wear because it's loud and an awkward shape. I wore it with a simple white top and blue jeans, piled my hair in a massive bun on top of my head, and paired it with clunky boots. It looked fab. I don't know why I didn't do this before to be honest. It was also snuggly warm.

Readvent 2: Balancing

2011-12-07T19:53:00.001Z

At the moment my life is very heavily weighted towards work. Increased travel times, Christmas campaigns and a job I truly love and adore means you can often find me working late into the evening.

I fully realise that this isn't healthy or sustainable. However, I am starting to develop some great ways of managing my time at work. The last quote on the image is key. I always write a list of tasks for the day, highlight the ones that absolutely have to be done that day, and then make sure those are done. Everything else can always wait a day.

I'm also taking time to truly enjoy and be grateful for my life as it is. On the way home from a meeting this week, I took a longer more scenic route to challenge my navigating skills, and drove through the Surrey Hills. The slightly longer journey gave me more time to think, and I got to see a beautiful part of Great Britain that I had never seen before. I am so grateful that this job includes travel and I am getting to see my stunning country.

Work has also been good about challenging counsultants to say no to work if they don't have the capacity, and I have done this, rather than doing the 'oh I'm the new girl, I need to say yes to everything' thing. This has helped with making sure I'm only working on projects I really need to be.

In my personal life, Tom and I try and schedule in at least one night where we intentionally spend time together. As I type, Tom is cooking an exciting seafood platter, there's chilled cava and a film awaiting us. I'll turn the computer off and we'll just be together.

I also try and have 1 night to myself a week. At the moment I'm going to modern jive classes with Ruth and Lula. I enjoy the movement and lights and feeling free on the dance floor.

Readvent 1: Challenging

2011-12-07T19:42:00.001Z

An awesome blogger I read called Princess Lasertron does this cool thing called Readvent, a serious series of blog post prompts around the subject of self reflection.

Here are my thoughts on her prompts so far.

1: Challenging

At the moment I am being challenged most by one big thing and one small thing. The big thing is my fertility.

At the moment Tom and I don't want any children, and because of my ecoptic pregnancy, I don't know what my future fertility will be like. It has supposedly been reduced by 30% due to the removal of my ectopic pregnancy, but I have a contraceptive implant fitted, and so have no idea what it would be like if the implant were removed.

What I am finding challenging, especially at in the run up to Christmas, a real family orientated time of year, is a possible future desire for children that I might not be able to have.

Friends and family have started asking about if we were thinking of having children, and a few good friends are expecting much wanted babies or have babies. I have been thinking of Christmas traditions I might like to share with children if we had any, like the reading of a chapter day through advent of Jostein Gaarders 'A Christmas Mystery. I have also attended some family events, and really enjoyed the new large and complex extended family I've gained from my marriage to Tom.

However, I don't want to think about it all too much because, I might not be able to have my own biological children, I'm not sure our families would be welcoming of adoptive children, and I'm not sure I'm unselfish enough to be a parent. I am grateful for our uncomplicated, well fed, well financed child free life at the moment. I don't think I can resolve this one yet, and I need to talk to my parents about it. It just gives me that lump in the throat-tight in the chest feeling when I try and mull it over.

The small challenge I am facing is keeping up with housework and everyday life with my new job that involves lots of travelling. Our house is often a mess as Tom and I are both hoarders, and not good at putting things away. It's not often dirty, just lots of things everywhere. It didn't bother me so much when I was younger, but I'm starting to find less cluttered spaces more relaxing and calming.

I am grateful that I am fortunate enough to have all the random stuff I might want and need. I'm going to resolve it by trying to do one little bit of tidying a day, getting the spare room sorted out for Martin coming to stay on Sat, and completely clearing out and dusting all the rooms by the 22nd when Tom's dad comes to stay.

I don't feel that I totally 'kicked butt' at any challenging thing this year, but I have mastered driving since my horrific learning to drive experience. I've had a couple of minor bumps with parked cars, but I got over my fear of motorways pretty quickly, what with having to drive alot for work. It is liberating being able to just get in the car and go.

How to do christmas decor

2011-12-07T13:31:00.001Z

See the full gallery on Posterous

Queen Anne's Gate London

Cheered me up this morning

2011-12-02T10:57:00.001Z

NaBloPoMo 30: all the prompts

2011-11-30T15:33:00.001Z

What is the last thing you do before bed?

Snuggle more under the covers and give Tom a kiss.

Describe an heirloom that has been passed down through generations of your family. What is its significance to you personally?

Coming from a family of hoarders, there's a few of these. I have a big chignon pin, possible tortoiseshell, with little cut glass stones around the curve that was from my Great Granny's house. She was the ultimate hoarder, and I think this hair pin could be Victorian.

We've also got some WW1 medals and memorabilia that was my Great Grandad's on my dad's side. He won a medal for bravery, but as he wasn't an officer, he wasn't mentioned in dispatches. There were other records, but these got bombed in WW2. These are very significant to me as they are one of the things that Dad and I especially are interested in, and one of these days we're going to go to the records in Kew, and do some research to try and find out what Grandad did to win his medals.

Do you like to buy presents ahead of time or right when you need to give them?

I like to buy presents ahead of time as I hate rushing around buying them. It also helps with spreading the cost alot. I'm pleased to report that most of the presents have been bought. I'm in charge of present buying in our house as Tom doesn't like doing it very much, and I think it's a fair swap for all the cooking he does.

Do you enjoy being alone? Would you rather be around other people?

I like both. I like a few days to myself, to listen to my music and bimble around. Thus I'm quite enjoying my working from home days as I get my fill of being alone. But I love people too, and get withdrawl symptoms when I've not done enough social things.

Write about a piece of music that changed your life forever. What do you feel when you hear it now?

The Misa Criolla by Ariel Ramierz

I can't think of any song that especially changed my life, but this piece gave me a love of choral music, and another happy bond with my Dad. We'd play it really loud in the car so we could pick up the soft drum beats. It makes me feel alive, and brimming with possibilities. That's probably linked to all the times we were zooming off to pastures new with this as a soundtrack. Here's the Kyrie, but I urge you to listen to all of it.

I also love this cover of Paramore's Hallelujah by the Vitamin String Quartet

I first came across it on this video of dancing when I was looking for inspiration when I started dancing again:

It's one of those pieces where I can just move to it, and see how I would dance to it. It's also very uplifting.

NaBlopomo 29

2011-11-29T23:42:00.001Z

Quickly reporting in. Am knackered a night dancing, with Ruth and Lula.

NoBloPoMo 27+28 Out and about

2011-11-28T19:32:00.001Z

Been gadding about again for meetings so am catching up now. So very nearly ready for our Christmas campaign.

Went to the advent carol service in the old church near my mum and dad's and brought the mother-in-law along with us. She and Tom's step-dad joined us for supper at my parent's afterwards. All seemed to go ok.

They'd shaken up the order of service slightly, for the better I think, but still with the hymns I've sung under candle light every year I can remember. When you're tiny the box pews were like a maze to prance along, trying to steal more mince pies during the refreshments after than your dad. He ate 8 in one evening there once. I only had one this year, and contented myself with catching up with all the grownups who've known me since I was knee high to a gnat.

It was also the warmest it's ever been at that service. I had to take my gloves off. Last year we trudged through snow and there was ice inside the windows. What a difference. We did have the second frost of the year today, my last rose in the garden shivering under a dusting of ice.

The lovely Amelia asked me "what is the best thing you have ever made?"

Again I can't answer in one. I loved the cake I made for Dad's birthday I made recently and the look on his face when he cut it open.

I loved the Clangers birthday cake I made for my mum with a blue buttercream craggy moonscape, and pink marzipan Clangers.

I like the oil pastel of my uncle and cousins, and the very large wax screenprint of dancers I made for my A level art course.

I like the dress I made with red silk bought all the way back from China, that doesn't fit any more but I can't bear to throw away because it's perfect, and the head piece I made to wear to my wedding, it's pearly wax petals having been in my grandmother's and mother's headpieces before mine.

I think I may love the gloves I knit for Tom the most, expressions of love made to wear out over time, even more so than socks because all of those tiny tubes for fingers and thumbs, ripped out and re knitted to fit over and over again, in the softest stripiest sock yarn.

Better image of the new hair

2011-11-28T19:18:00.001Z

Straigh out the hairdressers - hard to keep it like this!

What's your favorite kind of fruit?

2011-11-28T09:45:00.001Z

I love grapes - portable, tasty and you get to eat more than one.

Ask me anything

For my mum

2011-11-26T23:48:00.003Z

See the full gallery on Posterous

New hair

2011-11-26T23:48:00.001Z

Not great but the best I can do

NaBloPoMo 25+26

2011-11-26T17:48:00.001Z

Gah, a second fail.

I have now got the shortest hair cur I've ever had in my life. No photos yet as I've not uploaded them yet. I feel swishy and grown up.

Work was manic yesterday, still not done, need to do some later today.

Currently at the mother in law's farm, providing tech support on various computers. Went to a village craft fair in a little church and watched a floristry demonstration. Especially like the versions of standard bay trees made up with winter foliage and flowers. Definitely making one for the doorstep this christmas, and if I'm doing your wedding flowers, I think they'd make fab table centres.

NaBloPoMo 24: Tired

2011-11-24T19:10:00.001Z

Today was the first day of this job where I actually felt rushed of my feet. Interestingly though, it wasn't in a bad way. We've booked in a date for a lovely xmas do too.

Cracking headache now though. Probably due to dehydration and tiredness. Stayed up too late last night. Bizarrely, some of yesterdays work included making a pomander and taking step by step photos of the process. Will reveal all shortly.

Am off dancing tonight with Lula, Ruth and Olivia. Don't know if I will be able to keep my eyes open.

Hair cut tomorrow, am going to go much shorter as an experiment. Hold me to that, I always chicken out.

NaBloPoMo 23 thankful

2011-11-23T21:46:00.001Z

Today I am thankful for this beautiful sky I saw on my walk home from a very productive day working at my friends house.

[[Sent using 1000 gifts app for Android ]]

Shared from 1000 gifts app for android

2011-11-22T22:47:00.001Z

A lovely husband, good food and love

[[Sent using 1000 gifts app for Android ]]

NaBloPoMp 22: When the Night Comes

2011-11-22T22:34:00.001Z

This evening we've had music pouring through the house rather than television. Eva Cassidy, Simon and Garfunkel, Manic Street Preachers, REM and now the Boomtown Rats. Tom and I have been painting the hall covering up white and scuff marks with light reflective cream. The magic ladder couldn't cope with our stairs so we taped brushes to poles to get into the high high corners. It's looking good. The new natural wood of the bannistair, the new brass door handles and the soft warm cream begging to be adorned with my photos and paintings.

Coming home earlier also means eating earlier, and more evening time, so we're getting loads done in the evenings, and eating better. Last night I wrote nearly all our Christmas cards, and wrapped the presents we've bought so far with Tom. Tonight I did lots of washing up as well as painting. We had posh Brinner or Breakfast for dinner tonight, and I made a rich beans in tomato sauce with chard, lemon and dill to go with the bacon, sausages and eggs. Last night was veggie night, and we had pumpkin with a cheese and garlic crust, kale and garlic mashed potatoes and white romanesco cauliflower. I love romanesco cauliflower. It's like eating the beauty of maths, fractals coming to life in plant form.

Sorry, nothing moving or grand to write tonight. Just wanted to get something down to keep it going. Go on, ask me a hard question for tomorrow.

1000 Gifts - Android Market

2011-11-22T12:19:00.001Z

via market.android.com

For future reference.

NaBloPoMo 21: An ideal rainy day

2011-11-21T15:22:00.001Z

Describe an ideal rainy day

I've had a few ideal rainy days. Earlier this year, Tom and I kitted up in waterproof trousers and macs, and went blackberry picking in the absolutely pouring rain on Southampton Common.

It was great. The common was deserted bar a few anglers, we were soaked through, we only got a few blackberries, but boy did we have fun. There's something so subversive about going, oh well, let's get on with it. John, you would have been proud.

I really enjoy the noise of really heavy rain as it drums on surfaces. Whilst we were on holiday in Wales this year, we had some rainy evenings when we curled up in our armchairs either side of a real fire as the rain came down. The noise is very soothing.

I also like waking up on a rainy day, when you know you have no reason to go outside, and you can lie snuggled up in your duvet, just listening to the rain. It's the same when you get a light shower when camping, the beating noise on the tent.

Nothing will beat the rainy camping trip I had with friends in the New Forest. We didn't get dry for the whole weekend, but it didn't stop us, not one bit. We cooked under brollies, and drank cider in the tunnel of tents. I want to go camping again now!

Summer rain is fantastic too. When you're out for a picnic or something and it just tips it down and it's warm and smells of cut grass. I love standing in summer rain letting myself get drenched, knowing you can go inside and towel off later, but right this minute, you're supposed to be in the rain. As Tom says, skin's waterproof.

Little bit in love with this...

2011-11-20T23:07:00.001Z

...bluegrass/country cover of Lady Gaga's 'Born this way'

NaBloPoMo 20: Stir up Sunday

2011-11-20T21:27:00.001Z

Today is Stir Up Sunday, when you traditionally make Christmas pudding. It's the last Sunday before Advent, the season of preparation and penitence before Christmas, and it's celebrated as Christ the King, looking at the power and majesty of God. The traditional collect or special daily prayer for this day is:

"Stir up, we beseech thee,

O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people;

that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works,

may of thee be plenteously rewarded;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

The old wives tale is that old wives, hearing this collect, would be reminded that they needed to go home after church and stir up and make their Christmas puddings, giving the puddings time to mature over Advent, ready for Christmas.

So that's what I did after church today, having printed out hundreds of flyers and posters advertising the various events we're running, and done a spot of present shopping.

Here's our family recipe from my Great Auntie Peg:

ingredients

2oz flour
4oz breadcrumbs
4oz brown sugar
2oz sultanas
4oz raisins
4oz currants
2oz candied peel
1oz almonds
rind and juice of 1/2 orange or lemon
1 sour apple, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp. mixed spice
2-3 eggs
2 tbsp whiskey

N.B. You can used mixed fruit

Method

Put all the prepared fruit into a large bowl, all the other dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Beat up the eggs and them, the orange/lemon and whiskey to the dry mix and bind together.
Leave overnight.
Turn into a well greased bowl and cover with greased paper then foil, tying tightly.
Steam for 4 hours.
When cold store in a dry place for several weeks.
Steam for 2 hours before serving onto a hot dish with brandy butter

NaBloPoMo 19: A Photo Post

2011-11-19T21:59:00.001Z

Here are some piccies. My version of the Corrinne cardigan I made for Ruth as one of my 5 creative things this year, pictures from the confirmation service I went to at St Denys church, and the rainbow cake I made for my dad's birthday. I am now sat here with a sugar high from all the food colouring and buttercream.

See the full gallery on Posterous

NaBloPoMo 18 : Marge the Barge

2011-11-18T16:53:00.001Z

See the full gallery on Posterous

Walking home from the docs today (routine check up, no worries) I saw Marge the Barge was for sale at the little boat yard by Cobden Bridge. Shall we buy her and go on an adventure.

NaBloPoMo 17: Favourite food

2011-11-17T22:34:00.001Z

Mr Hunt asks "What is your favourite meal?"

This is as hard as choosing my favourite recipe. So rather than thinking back to a particular meal, I'm going to craft my dream meal.

I would start with myself, Tom, some lovely friends, dressed up to the nines. A comfortable rural localtion.

We would start with a spread of olives, cold meats, smoked salmon, hummus, and lots and lots of champagne. There would be chatting and laughing and music.

Then we would move on to a selection of starters, a duck terrine, something with smoked salmon, and a beetroot and goat cheese salad. There would be more champagne. I love champagne.

For a main, we would have a large piece of a forerib of beef, roasted to a medium on the edges and a blue in the middle, with dauphinoise potatoes, sprouting broccoli, and because I can magically control seasons in this post, asparagus covered in buttery hollandaise.

To wrap up, a light dessert, perhaps a trio of fruitysorbets followed by a massive and varied cheese board and grapes and apple slices. And port, plenty of port.

I would finish my evening drinking champagne, bursting at the seams from all the cheese and dancing, talking and laughing into the night.

NaBloBoPo16: Why?

2011-11-16T17:27:00.001Z

The glorious Mr. Segall asked: why did you study history at university? Or, why did you focus on your focus?

I don't really remember my exact reasons for why I chose to study history at uni. I do remember combing through the prospectuses in the little resources cubby hole of a room the in the sixth form centre at school. I was looking for unis that fell a certain distance away from home. Close enough to get home to the then boyfriend, far away enough from home to feel like I was going to be living my own life.

I wasn't doing the most sensible A levels. History, french, art and dance. The careers advice at my school wasn't great, I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my life, and so I just picked the things I liked best. I had a whale of a time studying them too. Art in particular felt like the last chance to do something I love at a very high level and I suppose picking History for university was partly like that too. When else was I going to have access to printing presses and acid for etching?

I've just re-read some of my blog entries from 2004, when I was waiting to hear from universities about places and it's slightly scary how different I am 7 years on. In part, age 17, I picked history because it was the only nearly sensible and useful subject out of my A levels. I did consider french for a while, but in all honesty, my french was never as good as my history, and I don't like to do things I think I will fail at.

I also think I picked it because I loved it. I loved reading about why things are the way they are and drawing parallels to the present. I loved escaping to another place and immersing myself in that world. There were a few essays I wrote in sixth form where we learnt about referencing and I enjoyed the landscape of interconnected footnotes that bring even more knowledge as you read.

When I arrived at university, I was convinced I was going to be a modern historian as that's what I'd enjoyed at school, and where all the important work would be being done. However, my plans were scuppered when one of the modern courses, I think Victorian Childhood, was over subscribed and I ended up on Early Jewish Magic.

And that was that, I was hooked. It was only pre 200AD or Jewish history courses for me. Compared to my courses on The First World War and the Russian Revolution it was gripping.The anthropology, the history of religion, of ethics, of magic, of Hebrew, of Jewish culture. It was a new and entirely alien world to explore. I loved it.

I liked having a focus that was different from most of my fellow history students. It meant less fighting over book, more contact time with staff and a feeling of uncovering secrets. I also liked the multidisciplanry opportunities it offered. I wrote about feminism, hasidic women in New York, magic bowls, blogging, and modern politics all within the context of Jewish history.

The specifics haven't proved useful in the job market, but the skills have. The most useful? Being able to argue a point well, being able to pull together useful research and being able to manipulate search engines to find the exact results needed.

NaBloPoMo 15: Favourite places

2011-11-15T12:10:00.001Z

Describe a favorite place. Focus on how that place affects your sense of taste, touch, sight, sound, or smell.

I have more than one favourite place of course. It's extremely hard to choose. So here's just one snapshot. Let me know if you know where I am.

I walk through the grand courtyard, tourist eating sandwhiches on the low stone walls either side. There's that touristy hum of voices, pigeons cooing and the slapping of feet on stone.

I always get a shiver looking up at the statues of classical ideals on the facade, climbing the grand steps up to the door. And slipping through the large pillars, ignoring the donation box, I stand in the grand hallway and let soft red and golds and mosaics caress my eyes.

Then it's gently on into the grand white space, the sunlight streaming down through architectural magic, noises like in the swimming pool or the shopping centre. Bustle, hustle, bustle. People shopping, people laughing, grand scupltures becoming meeting points.

But I'm not here long, I'm off through a side door, the smell of light dust and many people receeding into the cool and calm of a not as popular space. Still light, still airy, but smaller, the new room full of grand glass cases.

And there it is, not as grand as you'd think, but something I can just about read after a few years study, full of promise and excitement. An account that colloborates and contradicts the famous account, but makes me want to read more.

NaBloPoMo 14: Goat

2011-11-14T23:33:00.001Z

Well today I got up a bit late, but happily made up the time on the
way to work. Work was busy but in a good way. I was very productive
and got to learn a bit more about the world of radio advertising. This
isn't something I've been involved with before, so I found it really
interesting. After work, I scurried home to pick up the cardigan I had
knitted for Ruth, gave Tom a kiss, and then set out for Ruth and
James' for roast leg of goat.

Sadly, there was a large accident in Fareham, which meant I spent an
hour trying to get across to the other side to reach Ruth and James,
and poor Oli and Harvey didn't get to see me bar a quick hug when I
arrived. I did have a nice cuddle and chat with baby Arthur, and the
roast goat was lovely. Ruth seemed to like her cardigan very much
indeed, so that was good all round really.

I'm please to report that although Laura had a mishap with her new
knitting and unravelled it all, she's managed to teach herself how to
cast on, and has 36 rows. I'm very proud indeed.

I'm not so proud of my church at the moment. It's managed to project
at £16 deficit next year before the £80k of desperately needed roof
repairs. So I'm off now to research viable fund-raising ideas, and try
not to feel too miserable about. Bloody material culture.

Na Blo Po Mo 13: Nothing much

2011-11-13T19:00:00.001Z

Nothing much to write today, church, housework, knitting, whilst Tom
stripped our bannister of white gloss paint. Roast pork with the
trimmings for dinner tonight. Irrationally grumpy.

Let's find a prompt shall we? (On a side note, if there's anything in
particular, dear reader, that you'd like me to write about, please
tweet it, leave a comment, email etc...)

From George, over a year ago:

Take your favourite recipe, and make it read beautifully.

My favourite recipe? Now that's a hard one. For a foodie, I don't
enjoy cooking all that much. It stresses me out, and I find it
somewhat boring. If I had my way, I would fill the fridge with
delicious things that could be nibbled upon cold, with a glass of
champagne. Cold meats, olives, cheese, vegetables already cut into
crudités.

However, a recipe. I think the recipe below is probably my favourite
because it never fails to impress. Need to take something as a thank
you gift to a hostess? This is it.

Snow flecked brownies. Well actually, I think white chocolate is a
waste of space, not having any cocoa in it, so we will call them
'Death - on - plate - but - worth - it Brownies.'

Ingredients

To make the most of making this dish, one should select one's
ingredients from the kind of shop that makes one feel happy. For the
author, this is the worker's co-op of middle class pretensions,
Waitrose. A happy cook makes happiness inducing food, and happy
ingredients even more so.

375g of Divine dark chocolate or other fairly traded chocolate so that
your deadly brownies can be happy knowing that the workers involved in
their produce got a fair wage.
375g salted butter at room temperature at least. I like salted butter
as it adds tang to the sweetness, and I cut it in to chunky cubes to
aid with melting.
1 tablespoon real vanilla extract, or fake if you're cheating. Who has
the cash to buy the real thing when you're spending on chocolate? To
be honest, I normally forget about this bit. It's probably not needed
if you're not using the horror of horrors, white chocolate.
6 eggs from the happiest of hens
400g sugar, preferably golden caster, again fair trade or from British
sugar beet.
1 teaspoon salt
225g plain flour
250g dark chocolate, roughly chopped into chunks
baking tin measuring approx 33cm x 23cm x 5.5cm

METHOD

How to cook the brownies that are a heart attack on a plate, but melt
in the mouth and fabulous. These make a great dessert at a party,
especially when served with champagne.

1.Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/350F.

2.Line your pan with greaseproof paper, or like me, use a silicon pan
to avoid faffing with paper and make washing up easier.

3.Melt the butter and dark chocolate together in a large heavy based
pan, stirring constantly to stop it burning. Try to stop yourself from
eating the dark glossy gorgeousness at this point.

4. Turn the chocolate butter mix off. In a bowl or wide mouthed large
measuring jug, beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla.

5.Let the chocolate mixture cool a bit before, and then beat in the
eggs and sugar. The cooling is important to stop you getting chocolate
scrambled eggs, but I normally chuck it all in fairly quickly. Never
had any touble.

6.To stop making even more bowls dirty, measure the flour and the salt
into the saucepan, and beat in until smooth. Again, stop trying eat
the mixture.

7.Finally fold in the shards of dark chocolate. Scrape out of the
saucepan into the pan. Bake for about 25 mins. or until the top has a
dry rather than glossy looking top. Whilst it's baking find someone to
lick the saucepan out for you, as you will be feeling sick from all
the mixture you've already eaten.

8.The brownies are ready, when the top is dried to a paler brown not
glossy texture,, but the middle is dark and dense and gooey still;
remember that they will continue to cook as they cool.

9. If you're feeling really fancy, serve with a snowy topping of icing
sugar. You probably won't want to share.

The original:

This recipe is taken from the Christmas Special of Nigella Bites.
Nigella says: "Christmas food is the best sort of food because it's
about proper, unpretentious home cooking. Feasting isn't about
formality: it's about providing friends and family with good things to
eat."

Ingredients

375g best quality dark chocolate
375g unsalted butter at room temperature at least
1 tablespoon real vanilla extract
6 eggs
350g sugar
1 teaspoon salt
225g plain flour
250g white chocolate buttons, preferably Montgomery Moore, or just
chop same amount of good white chocolate
tin measuring approx 33cm x 23cm x 5.5cm

METHOD

How to cook snow-flecked brownies

1.Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/350F.

2.Line your brownie pan base and sides.

3.Melt the butter and dark chocolate together in a large heavy based pan.

4.In a bowl or wide mouthed large measuring jug, beat the eggs with
the sugar and vanilla.

5.Measure the flour into another bowl and add the salt.

6.When the chocolate mixture has melted let it cool a bit before
beating in the eggs and sugar, and then the flour.

7.Finally fold in the white chocolate buttons. Beat to combine
smoothly and then scrape out of the saucepan into the lined pan. Bake
for about 25 mins.

8.The brownies are ready, when the top is dried to a paler brown
speckle, but the middle is dark and dense and gooey still; remember
that they will continue to cook as they cool.

(Incidently, Nigella wrote what I consider to be the best named recipe
ever. Massacre in a Snow Storm, an eton mess type dish made with
pomegranate. Think about it.)

NaBloPoMo 12: All the things

2011-11-12T23:37:00.001Z

After blogging last night, Abi and Lula appeared, as they were off to the pub with Ben, Laura, Marmers and Twinkle, but had arrived from Pompey early. They stayed and chatted until Tom and I had to go off to a church meeting.

This meeting was about a Christmas service that's going to be held in the new community service at Townhill Park. We brainstormed ideas, got a rough layout down, and when our rumbling stomachs couldn't take it any more, we trundled off to join the others at the pub.

The rain showers meant we sat inside, rather than our normal habit of crowding around the Oink horse box. Nearly typed pork box then. A much better name. The lovely Giles bought our food up to us, and Tom and I enjoyed basamic hog roast buns a piece, and a portion of mushroom and parmesan risotto to share.

For some reason I wasn't really feeling the pub, and the topic of conversation got on to pancakes. So I suggested we went home and cracked out the Pancake Party for Six by King d'Home that Tom's dad gave us for Christmas last year. This is large teflon coated, electric griddle with small circular indentations, 6 spatulas, and a ladle. All you need for a pancaking good time. Ben and Marmers were dispatched to the corner shop for supplies, and I set about teaching Laura to remember what she could about being able to knit.

I had to give up on teaching her how to cast on - a first for me, but we soon had her knitting and purling again. In fact, she was such a good student that I skipped the knit a boring square part of learning to knit, and got her knitting the very item that had piqued her interest in knitting again, my ear warmer headband thingy. That's knitting, purling, increases and decreases. Not bad for a first re-knitting lesson. If any one else wants knitting lessons, please shout.

When the ingredients arrived, I was summoned away from the knitting lesson to make pancake batter, and pancakery ensued. We gathered quickly that thinner spreads of batter, french crepe style, lead to much better pancakes. Marmers smothered his in trifle as you are wont to do, and I stuck to just lemon. Ben experimented with shape and form, including spirals and spiky haired pancakes. The height of my artistic endeavours for the evening went as far as using the ends of a ladle-ful to make a tadpole/sperm shaped tiny pancake.

Having eaten their fill, the lads ended up playing Wii games whilst Laura and I continued our knitting lesson in some horribly gender stereotyped moment. But hey, at least we were all enjoying ourselves.

Today, I enjoyed a long lazy lie in interrupted by bouts of nonchalantly reading my paperback, and lunch with Amy at Port Solent. It was very nice to catch up with her. We realised how long it had been since her last meeting when I commented on what I thought was her new hair colour, a lovely chocolatey brunette - the last time I saw her she was blonde! I drove into Southampton on my way home to do some Christmas shopping, particularly for Tom, as otherwise I won't have a shopping chance without him in tow. It wasn't a very successful trip, as most of the other items I wanted weren't available. Oh and Verity, Vicky on behalf of Max, and Ruth on behalf of Harvey if you're reading, please can you let me know want you want for Xmas?

When I got in, Tom was out buying ingredients for this evening's curry feast. We had peas with cumin, ginger and lemon, cannellini bean curry, dhal, and punjabi lamb. All amazing!

Since dinner I've been working on posters for the church Christmas events, the church website, and submitting the events to online events directories. Bit too close to work for my liking, but there you go. I shall go back to my wine now.

NaBloPoMo 11: Remembering

2011-11-11T17:10:00.001Z

It's remembrance day today. I had a training session at Sandham Memorial session, and was invited to come early to attend the rembrance service. This chapel has fantastic murals painted by Stanley Spencer and was built in the 1920s as a memorial to a solider, Lieutenant Henry Willoughby Sandham. Sandham fought in the same Macedonian campaign as Spencer.

The images are startling and disturbing, and I adore the main image of the resurrection when soliders are climbing out their graves and carrying their grave crosses away. Christ is a tiny figure in the top of the painting, sat down, collecting the crosses from the soldiers as they pass by. I love the fact that Christ is in the midst, a friend, not a triumphant warrior king.

The service had a moment where we were asked to write our prayers on poppies. The end of the service was conducted outside where we hung our poppies on one of the trees, and then sang our final hymn.

I prayed for peace. I've been wearing my white poppy and my red poppy together like last year. A red one to show my thanks to those who fought for my freedom, and a white one to show my commitment to a peaceful future.

What was your best subject at school?

2011-11-10T21:40:00.001Z

Art or Dance or Drama. Or History.

Ask me anything

NaBloPoMo 10: Grey mist rising

2011-11-10T20:19:00.001Z

Today I drove to Oxfordshire for a training session with a volunteer at an estate office in a quaint and lovely village.

I got only lightly lost, right at the end of the journey, only one turning away, but it didn't make me late, so that's ok.

It went really well, and I was complemented on my training style. I really enjoy the training component of my job. It's rewarded seeing someone get excited by the possibilities of all they could do.

I also noticed today how driving has become second nature to me, which is a good thing I suppose. I don't think anything of slip roads, roundabout and motorways. I'm not enjoying it mind, it's just a thing I do.

The grey morning mist along the A34 was entrancing this morning, like a neutral wash on canvas for the flaming colours of the leaves on the trees that line the road. Fabulous.

I got home mid afternoon and got stuck into my piles of proofreading, and when Tom got in, we went off for some more DIY shopping. M&S sucked us into their Two can dine for £10 offer. We'll see how that works out. Some fishy thing, garlic mushrooms, chocolate mousse millionaire shortbreads, and Tom turning his nose up at the wine option, posh orange juice.

So let's have the real writing of the day:

What is your secret (or not-so-secret) passion?

Passion. It's a strong word. Obviously. My not so secret passions are fairly obvious, no? Dancing, I love dancing, I love how it makes me feel vibrant and alive and happy and strong and me. Knitting, I love the magical creation of fabric from sticks and string, and the hum and the harmony of it swishing through hands. I especially enjoy knitting socks and baby hats, simple tubular things with minimal sewing up. (LeeMee, your gloves are done and just need to be posted. Sorry for not being organised!)

I love art. I suppose I'm drawn to colour, intricate surface design and the promise of capturing emotion for ever. I enjoyed my trip to the Afghan exhibition with Cecil and Tom because Cecil bought out the muso in me, and we discussed the pieces both for their artistic and historic merit.

I love entertaining. I like the rush before, getting the house ready, dreaming up the perfect dish and the perfect drink, and then the mad whirl as people arrive, and that glorious moment, normally after the main course, and fuelled by wine, where people start really talking to one another. Sitting surrounded by friends and laughing, laughing, laughing together.

But secret passions? I think I wear my heart on my sleeve too much! Ok. A guilty, dirty pleasure - I love squeezing blackheads. Mine or someone elses. Disgusting I know, but there's nothing more satisfying. I even have one of those metal tools that the beauticians use to get really stubbourn ones. I know it hurts, but I think that when you see the really deep blackened ones on old men it's horrid! Get them while you're young folks, and keep hydrated to make removing them easier.

Another love, much less disgusting, is fashion. You may not be able to tell this from the lack of fashionable clothes in my wardrobe, and the fact I rarely wear make up these days. However, I love the thrill of dressing up, and the pleasure I derive from textiles in general means I take real pleasure from the feel and texture of silk scarves, or good quality woollen coats. I like playing with colour, and seeing how shapes work on people. It's art but on the human form for me.

But a passion? Something consuming, that I love to dream of, work towards, evangelise about? I suppose it's people really. It ties in with my love of entertaining. I'm passionate about getting people to eat together and get to know each other. I dream of community and deep friendships, and acts of love. There is nothing I can think of that is more sustaining and joyous than that.

NaBloPoMo 9: One of these things is not like the other

2011-11-09T16:27:00.001Z

When was the first time that you realized that your home was not like other people’s homes?

The earliest memories of what would be my childhood home growing up are of playing shop in the front room, my wares spread out over an old chest. Looking over the room I can see a piano and book cases and a sewing machine and a lovely roll top desk.

And there's papers and bags of things and ornaments spilling out from every corner.

Or memories of sat with my legs under the coffee table, some woolly cardigan on, eating cheese and carrot, watching Seasame Street having come home from playschool.

I know that I noticed when we went to friends houses for tea that they didn't have art on all the walls, and their houses had playrooms so toys and craft materials didn't appear in every room all over the place. And they had large swathes of carpet for running on.

As I grew up, I noticed that other people didn't have mounds and mounds of books everywhere, that other people didn't have cases and cases of dressing up clothes and a cupboard under the stairs that could give up a perfect sparkly ribbon or pearlescent paint for a craft project.

As a teenager, I noticed some people's homes didn't actually feel homely.

As an adult, I notice that other people don't have 1.5 walls of their spare room devoted to bookcases, and manage to put things away. And be tidy.

So, I am my parent's daughter. I delight in art and colour and clutter. Fortunately I am strict enough to tidy somethings away.

As I've blogged before, I am what I am because of these experiences. I can't find it now, but on an older blog post, I had a picture of my family at Christmas dinner and you can see the swirly whirl of colours and posters and art that made me.

** edit, found the picture

NaBloPoMo 8: Trauma

2011-11-08T16:27:00.001Z

As today has been another worky worky day, and we're out tonight at a church meeting, I'm going to write from the official NaBloPoMo prompt for the day.

Has anything traumatic ever happened to you? Describe the scenes surrounding a particular event.

There have been a few traumatic events in my life, as I suppose there are for anyone.

Most of mine seem to circle around health issues of some kind.

When I was very small, I had my tonsils out, and I have vivid memories of nightmares I had about being put to sleep by the anesthetist where I would struggle and struggle as I thought I'd never wake up. Very traumatic. I am pleased to report the operation went well, after all, I'm still here.

More recently my traumas have stemmed from dodgy female parts. In my last year of uni, an ovarian cyst flared up just as I was about to take my finals. You know how pain can have a texture? Sometimes it is sharp, sometimes it is dull, somtimes it is stabbing?

This pain had a texture like nothing else I have known. It was stabbing but almost granular, and radiating from deep to shallow. It made me nauseous and it was just awful. Fortunately, they didn't have to operate on it, but the cocktail of pain killers they gave me completely strung me out. I was talking nonsense. When Tom took me into uni to get me signed off as I was in no fit state to take my exams, they were all for me taking them as I was there already. Until I rambled something at the member of staff, and Tom said to them " That didn't make any sense to me. What about you?" and suddenly they were all no, ok, postpone it.

The most recent trauma was last summer when I had an ectopic pregancy, which ended in me losing a fallopian tube. There I wrote it. You don't know how hard it is for me to be upfront and say it. But I'm going to write about it

I had been suffering with extended stomach ache and heavy bleeding for a few weeks, which given I had a copper coil fitted wasn't completely unusual, but it had just been getting worse and worse. I was grinning and bearing it, as in my last job, I had to take holiday to go to the doctors, and I didn't have much holiday left. Stupid me.

But on that day at work, I went to the loo, and when I tried to stand up I thought I would faint from the pain. It was the exact same texture as the pain from the cyst but hundreds of times worse. I made my excuses from work and called Tom to pick me up as I could barely walk. I am grateful that at the time he'd just finished his Chaplaincy job and so was around. I don't know what I would have done other wise.

He took me to what we thought was drop in centre in the city centre hospital as it was closest. Turned out in the time since we'd last been there, it had turned into a minor injuries unit, but as the receptionist had admitted me, we stayed rather than going to A and E. I sat swimming in and out of the pain, surrounded by sprained ankles and wounds.

I have to say, normally I'm a big fan of the nursing profession, but one of the nurses at the minor injuries unit provided me with the worst care I've experienced. She was rude and dismissive in manner, and belittled us for coming there rather than to our GP or A and E. She seemed to take no account of the fact that I was in huge amounts of pain and that we were scared and not sure what to do.

There was another nurse there fortunately, and she was a bit kinder. They fed me some painkillers, and made me do a urine sample, asking if there was any chance I could be pregnant. We said no, as I had a coil fitted, but the sample came back positive, and then my memories get a bit more hazy. I think the kinder nurse said some words about how this must be a shock and to take some time and some deep breaths and so on. They made me a doctors appointment at my GP for later that day.

I suppose one of the real traumas of this was sitting there at home waiting for the appointment talking through what it meant to be pregnant in this situation with Tom. It was a complete shock, I thought I'd taken all proper precautions, went for long term contraception as it was supposed to be better, non - hormonal as it suited me better and so on. The shock of being one of the tiny stats in the leaflet was hard. We knew a pregancy with a coil in place is often not viable, but after much mulling and talking and crying we decided that if it was viable we'd keep it. It would have meant a lot of financial hardship and being pregnant at our wedding but if it could survive the coil removal then it would clearly be meant to be. But really it was waiting to see what happenned. It certainly didn't feel real.

As it happenned, the lovely doctor at my GPs examined me, which hurt immensely, decided it was serious and packed me off to the Princess Anne hospital. It was traumatic to be on the general women's ward, the patients a combination of pregnant women, and those with gynacological problems like me. As I was swinging between wanting to be pregnant and not wanting to be pregnant it was hard to see other pregnant women.

I don't remember much about my hospital stay, as I was on lots of painkillers. I remember Tom staying with me for as long as he could, and having to face his own trauma of phoning my parents to say I was pregnant and in hospital. I remember increasingly serious members of hospital staff coming to check on me as it all looked more serious and they needed to operate on me. I remember Tom kissing me goodbye just before I went into the operating theatre, and the kind older nurse who put blankets over my legs as I was so so cold waiting for surgeons to be ready.

When I came to, I couldn't bend at my waist was bloated from the gas they'd used to blow up my stomach to use for the keyhole surgery and had three new tiny scars to add to my appendix scar. I think I stayed in hospital for another two days, and my dad came down to see me, I can't remember if that was before or after, it was all a blur. When I came home, I sat on the sofa alot, and fortunately, we'd already agreed to go to see Tom's dad in France, so I had a week of recuperating in French sunshine reading and moving slowly. Sleeping on the ferry over there was dreadful mind.

In removing the ecoptic pregancy, they had to remove one fallopian tube, which has reduced my fertility around by around 30%. Apparently the remaining tube will waft across to catch the egg from which ever ovary fires that month. We laugh and joke that I managed to get pregnant around a coil, so we must be super fertile, so it won't matter if we want children going forward.

But the trauma is that the choice has been taken out of my hands somewhat. I don't know how my body will react if we decide to have children naturally going forward or even if I'll be able to have any at all. I have an increased likelyhood of another ecoptic pregnancy.

I also mourn the potential of a child that never was. It never had a chance, even if it wasn't planned, and wasn't really wanted, it was something for a while. If it had been viable, I would have a 7 month old baby now. It was a something made of me and Tom, and it never was anything. It hurts that I didn't choose to be pregnant, didn't choose not to be pregnant, and can't make an easy decision going forward.

NaBloPoMo 7: Worky worky work

2011-11-07T16:47:00.000Z

Today's entry is bought to you by the letter W for work. I dragged my sorry earache out of bed, drove the wrong way to work and got stuck in the traffic at North Baddesley.
I worked on proofreading, stats and much much else. It was pretty chilly in the office, so I was grateful for the heavy typing to keep my fingers warm.
The day pretty much flew by, and after a gentle warm dark drive home, I got stuck in to domesticity with Tom.
We made a goulash, popped it in the oven, filled the dishwasher and trundled off to the delights of Hedge End retail park to return too small curtain hooks, buy paint, paint stripper, bannistair brackets, new door handles, batteries and so on.
What exciting lives we lead...
Though we both decided lime green and gold Christmas decorations look excellent.

NaBloPoMo 6: Sundays

2011-11-06T23:11:00.001Z

We had a gentle lie in this morning, and rushed to church with John, just making it in on time. I wore my rainbow skirt and my new dogstooth shoes and felt suitably brightly coloured. A couple of people complimented me on my flower arranging which was nice. It was all age service, and Graham, the curate, read Badgers Parting Gifts, a lovely bittersweet story to help children make sense of death. A few of us grown ups were shedding a couple of tears by the end.

We rushed back for a roast chicken lunch, followed by a pear frangipan tart John's mum had sent down for us.

After dinner, the lads measured the loft space above the kitchen and insulated it, whilst I unpicked and re-knitted the top and bottom of the hat I made Tom a few months ago. Last night, it's nipple-esque top and the fact it was far too short was irritating. So to borrow John's phrase, I anti knitted it, using scissors to cut out the cast on edge, and knit another inch or so to the end to make it longer, and knitted in a much flatter top. I'm pleased to report it looks much better now.

After waving goodbye to John mid afternoon, and having a catch up chat with one of the neighbours, I helped with the tv aerial project by nailing in cable ties to the wall to keep the cable tidy. I quite like playing with hammers. Tom was trying to fit his new fog lights, so I found myself playing torch holder and car look out as his fished around under the car in the middle of the road. As it got darker and colder, I amused myself by watching fireworks emanating from the gardens of nearby houses.

Tom had to give up in the end due to lack of light and work space, so we retired inside. I've been making a start on my final knitting project of the year,chatting to mum on the phone and watching River Cottage on 4oD, until Tom reminded me I've been saying I'd cut his hair for him for weeks and weeks.

For some reason cutting Tom's hair gives me the willies. I think because I have to live with the result, and his opinion is probably the only one that matters. Still I manned up aftera suitable amount of complaining and he's sat here looking suitably shorn.

If only I could get rid of this blasted cold that seems to have turned into ear ache. It's bloody painful.

I shall leave you with some more pictures. Church today, last nights fireworks, exciting romanesco cauliflower and some of the awesome places I have visited for work.

See the full gallery on Posterous

NaBloPoMo 5: Fireworks

2011-11-05T23:19:00.001Z

Today we woke up to John in the spare room, him having arrived last night for a weekend of diy.
Last night we ended up at Tragos in Portswood with Ben, Laura, Marmers and john in honour of John's presence. I had a delicous New York steak sandwich and lovely Miss Piggy mocktails, a combination of apple, ginger, raspberry, cranberry and lime.
Today, I had a fine lie in, mooched round to the shop for milk and crumpets for breakfast and gardened.
On my walk to the shop, I saw a victorian villa named 'Tolstoi'. What was a lower middle class home owner in Southampton doing reading Tolstoy? Ah the stories I will never know. I also saw oversized chandeliers in victorian terraces and familes with small puppies calling over teenage boy dog walkers to socialise in a canine fashion.
In the afternoon, I pruned and pulled up weeds whilst Tom and John removed our old tv aerial and put up a new one. I also made a lovely lunch of a spanish omelette with potato, onion, leek, chorizio, mushroom, peppers and herbs.
We gaily went off to introduce Andy, Jess and John to the delights of Yo Sushi around 530 and then met up with Ben, Laura and Marmers on the balcony of West Quay to watch the fireworks display. If we'd gone to Mayflower Park to watch, it would have been £6 a head, but we had a great view from West Quay.
We tried to find pub to have a drink afterwards, but everyone else had had the same idea. We had a swift one in the Grapes in Oxford Street, but the lack of chairs lead to Andy and Jess inviting us to theirs.
So here I am, sat on their floor, having drunk wine and feasted on crisps, cheese and ryvita. Jess is trying to make Strictly Come Dancing work on the telly. All is good in Alex land.

NaBloPoMo 4: A lazy warming moment

2011-11-04T17:37:00.001Z

The official prompt for today is:

When you are writing, do you prefer to use a pen or a computer?

I prefer to use a computer for blogging, or writing extended pieces of work like essays. But I definitely prefer writing out ideas or creative pieces on paper with a decent pen. I love the way ink rolls over paper and the shapes of letter form in space.

What I feel like writing:

I also love the warm lazy feeling of sitting in a softly lit room watching the dark outside.

I have worked from home today crunching endless puzzles of numbers to show the success of various campaigns run by my department over the summer. It's exercising the parts of my brain I'd gently tucked away age 16. Creating nubs of algebra to spin maths for me. The numbers are, on the whole, positive and so whilst hard work, not entirely unpleasant.

I am now at the point where I need numbers from other departments so I am working away waiting for these on other smaller things.

Tom is home now, and I can hear him pottering in the kitchen, the soft tones of PM on Radio 4 are slipping under the door.

The wonderful Oink have scuppered my dinner plans by not being able to provide tasty pork at the South Western Arms tonight due to an electrical fault, so now I shall potter off and see what I can find in the kitchen to cook for John this evening, or an appropriate restaurant to patronise.

NaBloPoMo3 - Home

2011-11-03T20:42:00.001Z

There's something very satisfying about being at home after being away.

I had a quiet lovely and polite breakfast with John's rents as he'd already left for work on his bridge at some godawful hour of the morning. As civil engineers are want to do. I then drove to the White Cliffs of Dover for today's training session. The M20 and A20 were nice and quiet and I got drive in another tunnel and go up the very steep and windy hill past Dover castle to the cliffs.

When I arrived, I sat checking my email on my phone whilst watching the ferries coming in to the port in the wind and rain. It was dramatic and beautiful and the sea was green and grey and glassy.

As part of the session today I got to have a private tour of South Foreland Lighthouse. It was fascinating, I love old technology, and the views were also fab. It's 19 miles away from France, and on the most south easternly part of Britain. Definitely recommended if you're in the area.

I found today's work very satisfying, as it was a bit more of an advanced training session, so I got to talk about some more indepth things, rather than just the basics. And the team were friendly and enthusiastic which helps!

On the drive home, I got caught in torrential rain on the M25, but the traffic wasn't too horrible overall. I find the lights of cars in the rain very beautiful, especially coupled with the swish swish swish of the wipers. The industrial things often call to me, like the great grey buildings as you approach London Waterloo on the train. I broke the journey at Fleet again, and I think the AA salesman recognised me, which is weird.

And now I'm home, and Tom made salmon with caper sauce, swede mash, purple, white and orange carrots and romanesco cauliflower for dinner. It was delightful. I'm looking forward to my working from home day tomorrow so I can try and catch up with all my emails.

NaBloPoMo 1+2

2011-11-03T20:11:00.001Z

See the full gallery on Posterous

Hello all, its that time of year again where I try to post once a day.

As you can see I'm already failing miserably. I will blame the nasty cold I picked up, I think kindly shared by a work colleague. I even had Tom worrying I had consumption for a moment. How very victorian.

Nov 1

Today I went to work at the site that is nominally my office. We had a big team meeting and I was pleased to be able to share some really positive figures showing some improvements I helped achieve since I started. The only problem with a big team meeting is everyone was in the office and so the bandwidth died a horrible death. This is not good if you're the web person.

I also had a battle with the technical support team that had me fuming. Having been technical support, I know a kind, apologetic manner can get you far. These guys were less than useless.

I stayed a bit later than normal to try and wrap stuff up, enjoyed my dark drive home, and spent the evening knitting and watching a feelgood film.

Nov 2

I was up early today as I had to go to Berkshire to run a training session. Traffic was alot better than I thought it would be so I arrive early and got through it at a reasonable pace.

I then had to drive to Richmond for a meeting. This was going well until I discovered a road closure with no aparent diversion on my usual route. Cue driving around for an hour trying to find an alternative route.

Fortunately a nice colleague made me a big cup of tea when I arrived and the meeting was very productive.

I'm working in Kent tomorrow so rather than driving home, I'm staying with the lovely John and his rents who live 30 mins from where I need to be tomorrow.

We had dinner in a pub with roaring fires and the largest persian cat i've ever seen.

I'm really enjoying the travel with this job as I get to visit so many interesting places.

I shall leave it here for now. Here are some pictures of swans.

Rich is awesome.

2011-10-26T11:07:00.001Z

I still can't work out how he got here from Surrey to do this between 8am when Tom left and 830am when I left for work.

formspring.me

2011-10-24T16:19:00.001Z

Ask me anything http://www.formspring.me/alexejones

What's your favorite late-night snack?

2011-10-24T16:18:00.001Z

Salty popcorn, or cream cheese and Marmite on crackers

Ask me anything

Thank you Martin

2011-10-21T10:41:00.001Z

for my awesome birthday shoes!

bacon and beans recipe

2011-10-21T10:37:00.001Z

From Tom

Recipe......

Err....

Warning: this is NOT a health food.

Bacon & beans;

Take a piece of good pork belly, this should have what seems to modern eye a large proportion of fat. Like 50%. Fit the size of the belly to the number of people you wish to feed, but people won't need a huge amount of the finished product, as its rich and filling, but then it will shrink. a peice the size of a sheet of A4 should do 4-6 depending on hunger.

Rub the skin with a LOT of salt, a mix of coarse and fine is best, to get great crackling. We don't put any other salt in any other parts of the dish. If you had to get a modern fat-less pig then you may first need a good glug of a neutral oil before the salt.

Put this in the oven, if you have all the time in the world go for 4 hours or more total time and put the oven on at 150c and if your a bit tighter for time you can go for 3 hours at ~170c. You could do 2 hours at 180c, but it just won't be as good. put the oven up to 200c for the last hour to crackle the crackling.

When you have 2 - 1.5 hours tilll the pig is done make the beans. these quantities will do 6-ish.

chop 1 shallot or a very small onion very finely & 2-3 cloves of garlic. Dice 150g of Chorizo, and drain 2x 400g cans of different beans (pinto & berlotti is my favourite combo, but any beans work, or a couple of cans of mixed beans).

Fry the onion in a largeish sauce pan in the smallest amount of oil you can, and soften on a low heat, the add the chorizo, turn up the heat, and fry to release the chorizo oil and get a little colour. then chuck in the beans and garlic. add a glass of white wine, blakc pepper and some stock. (or a stock cube and some water). Turn down to stew.

Stew this till the pork is ready, adding a splash of water as necessary, thicken with whatever you like just a touch (cornflour, chicken bisto, Beurre manié).

Serve a square of the pork on a couple of spoons of the stewed beans, and crackling on top. Serve with something light and fresh veg-wise to cut through the fattiness. The beans make this a very filling dish.

Alex
http://blissfullyeccentric.blogspot.com

A christening

2011-10-17T20:06:00.001Z

Thank you to Ruth and James for inviting us to the christening of their newest child, Arthur Reginald John Snook. We had a lovely time, and especially enjoyed the food ;o)

See the full gallery on Posterous

A tea cosy

2011-10-17T19:41:00.001Z

Made from stash scraps. Design laid out by Toddy. Note to self, keep lining bigger so its easier to turn through and hem. Looks good worn as a bishops mitre.

See the full gallery on Posterous

A birthday do

2011-10-17T19:25:00.001Z

See the full gallery on Posterous

Thank you to the lovely Giles of Oink for the delicious food. I loved creating the outdoor party space. Thanks to everyone who came.

The @waitroseuk experience

2011-10-17T11:54:00.001Z

The food arrived, it was on time, there were three substitutions. I'd ordered some wheat free bread and pasta, and they didn't have the exact brands I'd ordered. This was absolutely fine. They found us without any trouble at all.

We had also ordered some lamb, and they didn't have the exact cut we had wanted. They had bought an alternative, and when I hesitated, the lovely delivery man said "Tell you what, have one of the packs for free" Absolutely no quibbles, just have it for free.

Everything came in bags relating to whether it was fridge or store cupboard etc as well, and the driver offered to take any bags we had for recycling. As you would expect the food was lovely.

To top this, the last Sainsbury's order was booked in to come an hour later, and the driver phoned to ask if he could come half an hour earlier, and also, could I tell him where our house was? It just says it all really. He was lucky I was working from home that day, and could accept an earlier delivery.

We're sticking with Waitrose from now on...

Tom in his element

2011-10-05T18:49:00.002Z

Flip Over a Muffin Tin to Make Delicious Ready-to-Fill Cookie Bowls

2011-10-03T13:14:00.001Z

via lifehacker.com

Snazzy!

the final part of the @sainsburys saga - now moving to @waitroseuk

2011-10-02T21:43:00.001Z

So, Sainsburys finally send me £20 in vouchers to apologise for the order when it arrived not using my voucher and having a more expensive delivery slot. Still haven't told us why the delivery didn't turn up in the first place, but we were feeling fairly pleased with this outcome.

We tried to spend the vouchers on this weeks shop. The online shopping experience doesn't offer fresh meat or fish from the counters, only pre packed stuff. We wanted a roasting joint, and they had a very limited selection, less than the small Sainsburys up the road from us.

In light of all this, we put the same order through the Waitrose online shopping. It was £4 more expensive on food price alone, but the delivery price clinched it. On Waitrose, completely free if your order is over £50. On Sainsburys, if your order is over £40, between £3.50 to £5.50 a pop. You do the maths on that one. This week's groceries are coming from Waitrose.

What do you do with the vouchers then? Well. Spend it on wine to drown the sorrows of the terrible experience of course. We put 6 bottles in our Sainsburys basket for our one last final shop with them. Our order came to less than £40. So the delivery slot we picked went up to £6 from £3.50, only being announced as we went to check out. We're probably still going to buy the booze to drown our sorrows, it's just alot more expensive than we thought it would be.

On a user experience note, we liked the feature on Waitrose's website that allowed us to leave little notes on each item for the personal shopper who would be picking our order, such as "green bananas please" or "two fairly similar sized fish please". When we found that, I felt like leaving them a note saying "At last, someone who wants to know what their customer wants from their shopping". They even had a box by the delivery address box where you could leave notes too, so I made sure I had explained where our house was in detail. If the Sainsbury's website had had this address notes box in the first place, they probably wouldn't have lost us as customers.

Let's hope Waitrose delivers...

Harvest festival flowers

2011-09-30T11:29:00.001Z

Further @sainsburys issues

2011-09-26T12:52:00.001Z

An update on the Sainsbury's online shopping issues. I emailed them my tale of woe, got an auto response saying they'll get back to me in two days, so tweeted like hell at them till someone said they'd look into it. Here's where we are so far. Just so you know, when the order did arrive on Sat, they couldn't supply one item, and had to supply a replacement for the other.

Dear Mrs Tarling

Thank you for your email about your recent order. I'm sorry for the problems you’ve experienced. I can understand how disappointed you must be.

I’d like to assure you that this isn't normal of our usual high standard of service. I realise on this occasion the level of service you've received has been poor and there is no doubt we have let you down. I've shared your email with the online manager, who will speak to the colleagues that processed your order and ensure that better care is taken.

One of my colleagues has tried to contact you this afternoon. As there were unable to reach you if you would kindly contact us on 0800 328 1700 we will be happy to look into this matter further for you.

We appreciate the time you have taken to let us know about this. Please let me assure you that we do value your custom greatly and I hope you will feel able to give us another chance to serve you better.

Kind regards

Neil Mahood
Customer Manager
Sainsbury's Online
onlineservice@sainsburys.co.uk

Dear Neil,

I wanted to let you know the outcome of this situation.

Jason left a voicemail on my landline on Thursday, despite me explaining to Keiran in my call that morning that I was not available all day for a delivery at home due to being at work, and giving him my work mobile number for any further communication on this matter that day.

I therefore was unable to call Jason back until I was at work the next day. I spoke to one of his colleagues in the morning of the 23rd, as he was busy, and they arranged for my order to finally be sent to me on Saturday 24th. He was unable to provide me with a reason as to why my original order had not been delivered.

What they did not tell me during this call was that by placing the order for the only available time slot on the Saturday, the delivery cost would go up, and that the voucher I had used on the original order would not be applied. This meant the shopping cost alot more. I had initially only decided to try out the online shopping feature as Sainsburys had sent me a £10 off a £50 shop voucher.

In order to update the order to a price I could afford (as it will take 3 - 4 working days for the cost of the original order to be refunded), I had to use the £10 off voucher I had been provided with on the 21st of September as an apology for the inconvenience of my shopping not being delivered when I had ordered it.

I would like to you provide me with the reason as to why my shopping was not delivered as arranged on the 21st, as no one has been able to yet, and a refund of £10 to again cover the inconvenience caused by Sainsburys.

As I have stated before, I have been a loyal instore customer for years, and have never had any issues, your staff all be very friendly and helpful indeed. This online shopping experience does not match up to what I expect of Sainsburys at all.

Yours sincerely,

Alex Tarling

Seriously disappointed with @sainsburys

2011-09-22T10:19:00.001Z

I am seriously disappointed with Sainsbury's online shopping. I placed an order to be delivered last night between 10 - 11pm. I needed it this week as it's stuff for the weekend. I picked a late slot, because I knew we'd be out in the early evening.
So 11pm rolled passed and my order hadn't been delivered. I rang the customer helpline at 1115pm, and a very unhelpful man said that there was nothing he could do because he couldn't get through to my local store because it was shut for the evening. He gave me a tenner voucher for online shopping "For the inconvenience" and said to call back tomorrow.
I called back this morning, and another unhelpful man said that the driver had tried to contact me on my mobile number. It turns out I entered it wrong, Hands up my fault that bit, but I had made sure I'd added our landline, which was right. There were no missed calls or voicemails on our landline, so the driver hadn't called that number.
The customer services person this morning couldn't give me a reason why my order hadn't been delivered or why they didn't ring my landline. I asked if they could book it for delivery on Friday, giving him the times I was unavailable. He came back saying the store couldn't deliver at those times, but if I cancelled my order and rebooked it it could be delivered. I also asked if another store could deliver it, as they were saying my local store is one the other side of Soton, and there are two others closer to me, but this apparently wasn't possible either, as stores can only take on a certain number of customers.
As none of this made no logical sense to me, I asked for the order to be cancelled and a full refund to be given. This is going to take up to 10 working days apparently. All I want now is my refund, and a good reason why my order wasn't delivered. I know my mobile number was wrong, but there was an alternate contact number provided. I know it was a late slot, but if your drivers don't want to deliver at that time, don't offer it to customers.
I've tried tweeting at the main Sainsbury's account, and they've not come back to me after I told them I've also emailed a complaint and got an auto response saying they'll get back to me in two working days. It's just appalling.
In store Sainsbury's staff are lovely and helpful, but their customer service people sound completely disinterested, unable to communicate effectively and are unable to actually help out. I suppose if you're this big a retailer you can afford to treat your customers badly as there's always more punters. Doesn't stop you being seriously disappointed in them though.

On the Street….Don’t F with Waris, New York « The Sartorialist

2011-09-21T11:47:00.001Z

via thesartorialist.com

Love this

Shoes shoes shoes

2011-09-20T15:43:00.001Z

via next.co.uk

We could try red dogs tooth, or these green velvet ones. If you're stuck for a present for my birthday....

http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&...{2}~[15|60]^Shoe%20Size{1}~[37]&noOfRefinements=1

A trip to Wales

2011-09-13T14:23:00.001Z

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We are just back from a lovely trip to Wales where we stayed in the village of Cwmdu in some holiday cottages run by the National Trust. The income from the cottages pays for the village's shop/post office and pub. You can find out more about the village here http://cwmdu.com/

The village is in the middle of nowhere and quiet and lovely with no light pollution. We loved the huge comfy bed and the cosy living room in our cottage. Unfortunately we didn't get to go in the pub or the shop as we timed our other outings badly. On the saturday there was a charity bike show with music late into the evening, which we drowned out with the telly. But other than that, perfect! It's clearly a thriving little community.

On the Friday, we went to the National Wool Museum http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/wool/ and learnt about the Welsh woollen industry which I loved, and tried to find a railway for Tom to visit. The first one we found closed for the season, so on the Saturday we went to the Gwili Valley railway,http://www.gwili-railway.co.uk/ . I love volunteer run railways for their curious amateur kitch vibe, and although we had to go on a DMU as no steam was running, I certainly enjoyed it, and I think Tom did too. I especially liked the Mobile Sorting Office Carriage that the Post Office used until 2003.

On the Saturday afternoon, the sun came out and we went for a paddle at Pembrey Country Park. http://www.sirgaerfyrddin.gov.uk/english/leisure/countryside/countryparks/pages/pembreycountrypark.aspx This was amazing. The sun was so bright, and the water clear and fairly warm. I wish we could have camped there but the on site camping is for groups like scouts/schools only. I'll have to find a campsite nearby. There were all kinds of activities like golf and riding on site besides the beach and the lovely parkland.

Our next stop on Sunday was Dinefwr Park, the local National Trust place http://beta.nationaltrust.org.uk/dinefwr This had a mansion house and gardens, which were especially interesting as there was no set route round the house and you were encouraged to handle objects and sit around. Upstairs were exhibitions about the history. Once we'd exhausted these, we walked up to the CADW owned castle ruins and admired the amazing views of the surrounding countrysides.

In the evenings, we spent our time mainly reading and vegging out in front of the telly, and it was so nice to have peace and quiet away from the busy - ness of home. I read 3 books in 5 days and very nearly finished knitting my cardigan. Tom made lots of delicous food too.

I got in lots of driving practice on my favourite kinds of country roads which was good, though I baulked at driving home. On the way back we went to Brecon Cathedral, and saw Dr. Who and Amy's signatures in the visitors book as they filmed an episode there. We went home over the old Severn bridge, and stopped at the services so Tom could look at it from the view point.

All in all, a lovely time .

Tamsin and Q's wedding

2011-09-12T17:55:00.001Z

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I got to do the pretty flowers as a wedding present. White carnations, white germini, blue aster, blue eryngium, blue veronica, geeling green and white spider chrysanthamum, ivy, bear grass, sage, soft ruscus.

It was a lovely wedding, and I was impressed with them memorising tehir vows, and running out the church to fun swing music.

backgrounds

2011-09-12T17:16:00.001Z

Grilled Naan | Serious Eats : Recipes

2011-09-07T23:26:00.001Z

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For future reference

On our first anniversary

2011-09-06T20:09:00.001Z

I know it's not actually our annviversary, but I wanted to mark the occasion on the blog.

Just over a year ago, Tom and I stood up in our church in front of friends and family and made our vows. We then feasted on tea and cake and partied into the night.

One year on, I can't remember much about the day, but I've got a year's worth of happy memories of being married. Still finding it wierd and enjoyable to say "Hello Husband". Gardening and holidaying together. Being subtly more part of each other's families. Praying together. Reading to each other. Still catching myself gazing at him adoringly. Partying together.

Thank you Tom for a very happy year. Here's to many more. I love you xxx

Some thoughts on driving.

2011-09-05T11:45:00.001Z

After 2 theory test, 4 practical tests, 6 instructors, 7 years of lessons and thousands of pounds, I have finally managed to pass my driving test.

I started learning when I was 18, driving around country lanes to the county town where the test route was. I liked national speed limit roads and my friendly instructor, hated traffic lights and roundabouts, and went off to uni nearly ready to pass my test.

That first term at uni, I had some lessons with an instructor that was a friend of a famly member, and promptly freaked out because driving in a big city was so different to driving in a small town. I had to deal with flyovers, hill starts on huge junctions and merging with what felt like a sea of traffic. After an unfortunate incident with a bus, a slip lane and changing lanes, I went home at Christmas with a practical test booked, but I had lost my nerve.

I didn't take my test that Christmas, and forgot all about driving until after university. Why would I bother? I had little to no money to pay for lessons, I lived in a city with a relatively good bus network, especially the Uni Link buses that catered for students especially well. When I got my first job, I could easily cycle to work, and cycled all over the city with ease, getting huge calf muscles again in the process. Besides, cars are bad for the environment aren't they?

But once I'd been working for a while, and moved in with Tom, being able to drive seemed more attractive again. I wanted to be able to get myself to floristry courses as there seems to be none in Southampton. I wanted to be able to vist friends in far flung places without taking Tom, and I wanted to be able to consider jobs a bit further afield. It didn't seem fair to be making Tom my personal chauffeur, even if he did look smart in gloves and peaked cap.

So I booked some lessons. The first instructor in Southampton had a grubby car, made me drive through Saturday morning traffic during my first lesson, and I came home and sobbed for an hour after. Driving makes me feel sick. I can't work out how to do somethings because they don't seem intuative to me, and I find judging distances incredibly hard. I felt awful all the time I was learning to drive because other people seem to find it so easy, and I find it so hard. Even now.

This instructor began cancelling lessons, and not returning my calls, telling me his wife was ill in the end. The next instructor was an older guy, with a shiny new Fiesta, diagrams in laminated pouches, and worksheets for me to take home. He got me to drive round in circles in a quiet carpark until I stopped hyper ventilating on our first lesson, and was just nice all round. Then he had a serious illness, and stopped teaching for a bit. I was heartbroken.

So I asked around for recommendations, and a friend of a friend gave me a number. This guy had an older Polo, and kept telling me to drive faster, don't hold people up. I would go out to practice driving with Tom, think I'd got the hang of it , and then have a lesson and go to pieces. I think our personalities just clashed, and when he told me he was fed up of teaching me, I sacked him off.

Well so much for independent instructors, I thought. I'll try a big name. A friend had just passed a test learning with BSM, so I gave them a call. They had a good discount offer on when I rang, and I arranged a trial lesson to see if I would get on with the available instructor. So I waited outside work in the drizzle for 30 mins, an hour, an hour and a half. No show. I called the BSM call centre and they were unable to get hold of the instructor. So I asked for my money back. They sent it back after 3 emails and 2 calls minus a £10 admin fee. I decided I couldn't face fighting it further.

Finally, a colleague passed their test with the AA, so I tried them. Steve was the instructor available, and he kindly agreed to let me continue learning in my nearest test centre area, rather that his usual one, even though it must have added significantly to his commute. He was kind and friendly and calm. He made sure I knew when I was doing something right, as well as telling me when I got something wrong which helped build my confidence. And because of his great attitude, I began to even look forward to my lessons.

Would you believe, the first test I took was with Steve? None of the other instructors had got me to a level where they thought I was ready! The first test I failed for stopping at an amber light and making the guy behind me stop quickly, which I blame on nerves. The second I failed for not checking my blind spot when changing lanes on a big roundabout. The third I failed for getting too close to parked cars when going downhill with cars coming the other way, 20 seconds away from the test centre.

When I was researching learning to drive, I noticed not many people tell you about the time they pass their test, so I thought I'd go into some detail. I had an older lady examiner, who chatted to me on and off throughout the test which really helped put me at my ease. Right at the beginning of my test, as I was turning right on a roundabout, someone approached the roundabout from the left very quickly and nearly pulled out in to me. I did an emergency stop and thought I'd failed. The examiner asked me if I was ok, and gently prompted me to continue.

During the independent driving section, we went around the suburbs, mainly going through large roundabouts, which involved some lane changing. My manouever was a turn in the road, which was done on a very quiet side street. When I was asked to pull up at the side of the road, as they like to do on the tests, the examiner noticed I was panicking a bit, and asked if I would like to take a few deep breaths before starting off again. On the way back to the test centre, we came across some unexpected road works, and the examiner apologised for sending me this way.

I passed with 3 minors. One for going too slowly in a national speed limit section, one for being too cautious pulling out of a junction, and one for braking too soon at a set of traffic lights and having to creep forward. When she told me I'd passed, I burst out with "Oh my God" quite loudly, which made both my examiner and instructor smile.

So now, Tom is making me drive everywhere when we're together as he's currently using our car to get to work. I drove to Portsmouth on A roads yesterday, and am going to have some motorway lessons soon. I still don't like driving, but at least now I've joined the ranks of normal people.

End of summer

2011-09-04T21:59:00.001Z

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Here is some of our vegetable growing haul this summer. It is pleasing to eat things we have grown. Here are some pictures from on the way home from my family picnic in the new forest. I've started bringing good friends to the picnic as it's something I love so dearly. Sometimes there will just be a day that summer throws you, full of love and sunshine.

how to upholster dining room chairs | Craftaholics Anonymous

2011-09-02T11:12:00.001Z

via craftaholicsanonymous.net

For future reference

Eco-Graffiti and Grassity Moss Art Grace London, New York : TreeHugger

2011-09-01T14:53:00.001Z

via treehugger.com

Would some ones like to help me cover bits of deralict Southampton with moss?

Perceptions of time and knitting

2011-08-16T13:04:00.001Z

I find it interesting how habits formed change your perception of time and space. This weekend we went to the South Western Arms for drinks and hog roast from the Oink Pork Company. So that made Friday feel like Saturday. Then we had Ben and Laura and Lula and Neil round for dinner on Saturday so Saturday felt like Sunday. Last night I was sat curled up round Tom knitting whilst we watched Chuck and it felt like a Sunday night.

Working from home skews my perceptions too. The new job includes monitoring social media, so when I'm sat at my kitchen table searching for info on Twitter whilst listening to Radio 4, I don't much feel like I'm working.

The only day that fitted into it's designated slot was Sunday which included church, then lunch and Scrabble at Luke and Christelle's, followed by a lovely walk on the common.

Tom and I found loads of blackberries during this walk. I think we will go back with a bowl and get a selection to freeze to make pies when apples are properly in season.

That being said, people at work were talking about apples being ready earlier this year due to the warm spring. I've seen leaves turning at every place I've visited in August. Global warming eh?

It's certainly cold enough to enjoy knitting again. I've finished the socks I had to knit as part of the Facebook "Make something Creative for 5 people" thing I signed up to, and have started on a cardigan for the same project. I got quite the case of Second Sock Syndrome on the socks, so I'm pleased to wrap them up and post them off. I have left to knit the hat and the scarf I promised after the cardigan.

The cardigan is Corrine from the Knitty before this one, and is all in garter stitch, and I've got a lovely yarn off ebay, that has some real wool in it. I managed to reverse some of the directions and so the short rows were making the neckline longer rather than the hem line. That was alot of ripping out. I was going to leave it to see what happened, but it really REALLY wasn't working!

I do have a case of "oh it's good enough" with my crafting. I rarely go that last 20% to make it really perfect, like pressing all my seams when sewing or doing a proper blocking. As the stitch pattern for this cardi is very simple, I'm going to try and ensure I finish it to the highest standard, just to see if I can.

Going somewhere?

2011-08-12T15:58:00.001Z

Tonight's dinner

2011-08-11T20:28:00.001Z

Chicken from the mother in law's farm with all the trimmings

Tonights dinner

2011-08-11T19:53:00.001Z

Mother in laws's home grown chicken, with all the trimmings.