Ketchup & Cake!

Well! What a weekend!  Last night we were taken out to dinner by, we now know, our future son-in-law.  And very nice it was too, both the meal and the fact that he chose to do things the old fashioned way and ask her dad first.  I guess chivalry isn't dead after all.  Lovely Man was delighted and to the dismay of his daughter actually offered the lad a £1 plus an extra 50p if he took me away too!  All joking aside we are both really glad John is going to officially be one of the family, even tho he did blow the Kenwood mixer up!
Today we decided to take a day off from car boot sales where I have been trying to get rid of some of our treasures.  But we got lured into a walk around a local market by said daughter and future son-in-law and ended up buying a lampshade, carpet cleaner and a purple umbrella with diamante studs! 

All was well in our household until I realised it was 3pm and John was due to leave at six to catch a flight back to Scotland to join ship again.  I had promised to make a Great Canadian Heinz Ketchup Cake so I had to work fast.  Lovely Man decided to help... he managed to eject the beaters from the hand mixer (John blew up the Kenwood remember) across the kitchen.  He also managed to get egg shell in the mix along with the egg but we got there in the end!

Thank you to the guys at work for introducing me to the ketchup cake, feel free to click on the link I really don't have the energy to write the recipe out now!  If you make it don't worry it's meant to be VERY red!

To Bec & John congratulations and John keep your chin up mate only a week and you'll be home, miss you heaps.

Indian Summer

Indian Summer
Originally uploaded by Rona Gregory

Recently I purchased a small inexpensive note book from a well known supermarket because I was drawn to colours which reminded me of my holiday in Goa. This, together with a half price offer on felt in my local craft shop, spurred me into making the paisley motif on the right. Then I just got a bit carried away resulting in a set of three. Luckily I had three spare canvas who's sizes lent themselves to the project and this is the result.

mosaic

mosaic
Originally uploaded by Rona Gregory

First time mosaic! Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention. We needed to block off a window in the front porch but, with the best will in the world, we were never going to match either the render or the colour of the outside wall. So I had to think of a way to do it and this was the result! A rather large house number plaque! Still, if we get a short sighted postman it may come in handy!

Counting down, but a girl's still gotta eat!

Well! We may well have started on the last leg of our journey but I'm sorry we have to draw the line somewhere!  Lovely Man decreed that thou shalt eat up all the things in the store cupboard.  However, it seems that whilst I have cupboards positively brimming with all manner of tins and bottles there was still nothing of any real substance to eat!  So tonight friends I have sinned!  Forgive me but I could not endure another night of baked beans, tinned tomatoes and pilchards! So I took four wee little pieces of Neck of Lamb and pan fried them just to seal the sides.  Then I took half a pack of flaky pastry, rolled it thinly and sprinkled with chopped sage.  Next I lay the lamb on the pastry and wrapped up like a sausage roll.  Baked for 20 mins in the oven and served with veggies and gravy!  MMMmmmmm

Of course had I anything of any use, like redcurrant jelly and port, in the damn cupboard we could have had a lovely Jus instead of Bisto!  But hey ho!

Autumn Riverbank

Autumn Riverbank
Originally uploaded by Rona Gregory

Finished my third canvas!  Autumn River Bank.  Inspired by the colours used in  a wall hanging in Birdham Village Hall I got the idea for this piece.  The original, by an unknown artist, featured water and pear shapes which somehow worked for fabric but not for paint.  The colours reminded me of autumn leaves and so this is the result!

Having a fantastic Mum

is something we sometimes take for granted.  There's nothing like a spot of emigration to focus the senses and heighten emotions.  With our departure date fast approaching I allowed myself to dwell a little longer than usual on the thought of leaving my mum so far behind.   This was not pleasant and something I've been very successfully avoiding so far.  Usually I try not to think about these things too much because it hurts.  Mum, on the other hand, will tell me to pull myself together.  During one of my little tearful 'glitches' recently she quite firmly told me to 'get a grip because she'd bought me up differently'.  Mum isn't fearful at all, telling me I have a life to lead, things to do and see.  She reassures me that she'll be fine and is already saving for her first visit to Canada which, she says, will be next summer.  Her reasoning is that by the time we're settled enough to receive house guests the weather will be far too cold! That in my book is a mum in a million.  I suspect she feels differently on the inside but she'll not let me in on that one!  That's my mum.  Always encouraging me to follow my dreams even if those dreams put an ocean between us.

As I reflect upon our lives as mum and daughter I realise how very lucky I am.  Never has mum 'told me' what to do.  Don't get me wrong she listens to my dilemma's and will offer practical help if she can,  but she never says 'you should do this' or 'you should do that'.  Her favorite offering is "It's your life love, only you can decide what you need to do".  Despite feeling frustrated occasionally, usually when I lapse in to the role of a child and simply want someone else to make a decision for me, I will be eternally grateful that I have learned to take responsibility for my own life. I just wish sometimes I could take a leaf from her book and let my own son do the same instead of being one of those irritating mums who think they know best and are very keen to tell you.  Sorry Phil!

 So I dedicate this blog to my mum.  Thanks mum for absolutely everything and for simply being you.  And Phil, well I promise to try harder to be like your nan!

The simplest pleasure of all...

is spending quality time with old friends. This weekend we left behind the stresses of trying to sell a house, choose a shipping company, pack up and so on. We spent Easter Weekend with friends in Morley, Leeds. With our pending emigration all shopping is banned so we set off instead for a weekend of culture!   Leeds Armoury was our first port of call. One word. Fantastic!  Well ok, three words. Fantastic and Free!  This is well worth a visit, spread over some 5 storeys,  there are so many displays by the time you reach the fourth floor you're on sensory overload!  The Coal Mining Museum in Wakeford was our second visit.  Again this was FREE!  The generosity of the North knows no bounds.  We traveled in a cage some 140 metres down to the pit face and spent an enjoyable hour or so wandering around in the dark with a lamp!  Our guide, Mick, was very knowledgeable and even offered to black our faces with coal to prove we'd bin down't pit.  I felt the rather fetching white hard hat and light complete with battery pack belted around my waist was quite proof enough!  My thanks to Jacqueline & Kev for their hospitality.