Tuesday 29 September 2015

Pottering

Hello there. Well, this week there hasn't been a great deal going on around here - not much getting out and about, just a lot of quiet pottering at home. We went from chilly autumn days needing this:
 ...... to some gloriously sunny weather more reminiscent of summer, which saw the girls working in the garden and me keeping them company doing a bit of knitting. L wants a new hat for the colder months and has bravely asked me to provide it - E was slightly incredulous as I've never knitted a hat before but how hard can it be?!!! I'm using a slightly adapted pattern from 'The Gentle Art of Knitting' and I'll let you know how I get on. The wool is slightly splitty (there wasn't a huge selection as our lovely, local yarn shop has closed down) and I have to concentrate REALLY hard - I'm hopeless at tinking, so don't want to make any mistakes. If it's really bad, we can always keep it for snowmen and I'll buy her one instead!
Harriet and Phyllis came to join us and practised their perching:

I had a quiet morning baking a carrot cake:

 A quick trip to the library for some new books. I'm really enjoying the Nigel Slater, as much for his glorious prose as his recipes:
We popped into Waterstones for a coffee and a browse - the smell of coffee and books is a heady combination:
 
Bought a Cholla loaf at the market just to show the family what mine was supposed to have looked like!
 .... and admired the autumn colours: 
 My Poundland blooms are still going strong - definitely money well spent:
 L made macarons for the first time - I've never tried them before and they were a tad sweet for me. They also didn't quite look like Mary Berry's version!
 Lastly, my new candle, although the jury's still out on this one - I can't decide if I like it or not, which probably means that I don't!
That's all for this week - I told you that not a lot has happened! Enjoy the gorgeous weather while it lasts.
Toodle Pip for now. x

11 comments:

  1. So much goodness in one post - quiet times, soup, good book, good company and cake. Lovely.
    Amalia
    xo

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  2. I love seeing what you've been up to. It seems like you did plenty! I enjoyed seeing your hens. Mine like to perch on your arm too; my kids say the hens think they're parrots! I love your hens' names; I think it's funny that hens seem to always have kind of old names. Mine are called Betty and Penny. Hope you're having a good week so far.

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  3. How funny, I'm re-reading Winter Solstice at the moment. I alternate between being annoyed that I hadn't written it (how hard can it be?) and really enjoying it as a complete contrast to the day job. And I read Nigel as I would a novel. Have put his new book on my Christmas list and told the family THAT is what they are giving me.

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  4. I love Nigel Slater's writing and I quite often read his cookery books just for the prose, without any real plans to cook anything. Lovely to see what you've been up to as the seasons change. xx

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  5. I really must try one of the Nigel Slater books, everyone has raved about them. Carrot cake is one of my favourites, I shall make one soon I think. I'm laughing about the Cholla, it looks very tricky indeed. Bet yours tasted good even if it didn't look exactly like the shop one. CJ xx

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  6. Great to catch up with you! I love Nigel Slater's Eat book, so I am sure that you will enjoy this one and Winter Solstice is a great read too! xx

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  7. Love the chucks! Cake and books, what a perfect combination! Good luck with that hat!xxx

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  8. I've never tasted macarons, I must remedy that soon although I will probably buy some rather than attempt to make them! I have just dug out some scented candles for lighting in the evenings too. Have a good weekend.

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  9. Looks a lovely weekend. Something very relaxing even just reading about all those nice things :) Gingerbread candle sounds like it ought to be nice... But maybe one that doesn't quite translate into candle scent so well?!! x

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  10. awwww look at those chooks, so funny perched there. I have never read Rosamunde Pilcher, but apparently she is very popular in Germany which is why we have so many German visitors to Cornwall. They are set in Cornwall and have been made into films, I spotted a German film crew in Newquay a few years ago and wondered what they were filming. Good luck with the hat.

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  11. There are some lovely hats in the gentle art of knitting aren't there? I'm sure yours will turn out great. The carrot cake looks yummy.
    Marianne x

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