Celebrating a Life

Today, my grandma, Dorothy Jane, would have been eighty-four years old. 

I decided to honour her birthday by baking her recipe for lemon meringue pie.  "I jist git it off the cornstarch box," she told me many years ago, but I had the presence of mind at the time to copy it right then and there.  I'm so glad I did.  She was such a good cook, but we have only a handful of her recipes.  Her habit of keeping those recipes filed in a mental recipe box meant that when she began to lose her memory, they went too.

The sunshine blazed out today in a blue sky here, on St George's Day.  It's telling of my Anglicisation that one of the ways I remember Grandma's birthdate is that it is the same as this most English of unofficial holidays!  A fresh cold breeze reminded me that I'm in still in Blake's "green and pleasant land" and not some milder climate. 

Our grandparents' days, celebrated on their birthdays, are a chance for us to celebrate their lives and write down our memories of them.  This is important for the kids, who barely remember them, but also for Dan and I.  Today I remembered one of my phone conversations with my grandma in her final years.  She was very confused at that point but she still knew who I was.  In a moment of unusually wistful clarity she was able to express to me that she was proud of me for travelling out of the country of my birth, and being brave enough to do that.  She had always wanted to do have adventures, but in her words, she was too afraid.  

My memory of this conversation should probably be shaded with sadness for her, but it isn't.  She had a full, busy life in Indiana.  Her days were crowded with food preparation, farming tasks, friends and family, card games, watching her favourite TV shows, ladies' club meetings, thrift store shopping, and grandchildren.  

Instead it just reminds me that every time I take a wobbly step of uncertainty towards some goal of mine that appears doomed to fail, I am choosing not to be afraid, and I know she would be proud of me.  

Today my step was simply making lemon meringue pie for the first time, ever.  In spite of all my baking and kitchen creations over the last twenty years, I've never made lemon meringue pie.  The recipe's exorbitant amount of sugar nearly deterred me at first, but I soldiered on!

It was good.  Six other people told me so.  Maybe it was the sugar.

But best of all was just thinking about Grandma, and how glad she'd be to know I've followed in her footsteps and love baking for my family.  

Celebrating a life isn't necessarily about having a prestigious funeral or an elaborate burial plot.  It's about remembering and honouring that loved one in simple ways, and that's what we did for Grandma today. 

Happy New Year?!

On the phone to a friend today, I realised aloud how I'd been labouring under the delusion that after our busy and crazy December, finished with a big New Year's Eve bash, we were "done" and could sit back and take a breath or two in these early days of 2013.

I'm not sure what I was thinking. As I stuffed bedding into the washing machine this morning and washed up the breakfast dishes after the last of the overnight guests had gone, it suddenly hit me that life was just not stopping as I had glibly imagined it would!  More weekend plans to be finalised, food to be planned and made every day [for no less than the seven of us but usually a few more than that!], an entire day away on Saturday, and the organisation of a family trip to the dentist on Friday minus our car [which needs its MOT sorting].

Life goes on.  Most definitely. I am sitting down now for a writing break even if I don't really have time to do so.

Mr J has found a beard and wig in our fancy dress box that he thinks is appropriate for Gandalf.  I think he looks more like one of the dwarves. He has been in Middle Earth all day today, but consented for me to take a photo.

Coo and the older two boys sat with me earlier and we tiled individual mosaic projects, which had been Christmas present kits kindly given to us by my arty friend Chris. It was hard work to ignore the silence of the finished washing machine and instead continue helping Coo cut tiles as she did her leaf mosaic.

The completed mosaics, awaiting their tile grouting:

After I've organised our January, I'll be posting about our adventures and fun over the last few weeks, including an end-of-the-year trip to Stratford!

Thankful Day

So, Thanksgiving... an entire day devoted to thankfulness, with the intention of continuing to maintain a thankful attitude in the future no matter what the circumstances and how difficult the days.

This past spring, I finally read One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp.  Favourite bloggers of mine have raved about it for a while, so I finally jumped on the bandwagon with gritted teeth [I dislike reading popular books, unless they qualify as nerdy --pride, I know!] and read Ann's book too.  For those of you who aren't familiar with it, in a nutshell, it's a challenge to cultivate gratitude and thankfulness: "a dare to live fully right where you are".

I began to compile my own list of gratitude, inspired by Ann's challenge to write down a thousand things to be thankful for.

Does it all sound a bit shallow? "That's nice for her, living in her sunshiny homeschooling bubble on her Canadian prairie farm, but for me, here in the stinking city, it just doesn't work!"  Yes, I thought so too. When I finally broke down and read the book, within three or four pages I'd forgotten all about my little fits of prejudiced judgment.

Anyway, I'll leave reviewing One Thousand Gifts until another day.

In honour of Thanksgiving Day, which is now known simply for the enormous dead poultry carcass that we cook and stuff ourselves with, I'll share from my list of thankfulness, dipping in and out as it seems appropriate.

Clean-smelling smoothness of new book's pages.  Squeezy Mr J's clinging hug.  Making wrong things right.  White dress to tie-dye blue as sky.  Twin towers of cumulonimbus clouds.  Tiny fairy lights valiantly illuminating dark window.  Stories not yet told.  Other stories told many times over.  Words of encouragement spoken in love.  Wrapping up in a blanket, hearing outside gale.  A three-year-old listener. Soft golden woven Grandmother bedspread.  Happy laughing shouting resourceful sons.  Sunshine beaming through cloud gaps.  Scrap of flannel and ribbon "banklet" loved so dearly.  Old books enjoyed by a younger generation.  Candlelit bonfire of tea-lights in glass jars.  Grace of God that covers the darkness.  Seven-year-old bruised grubby brave knees.  Old toys brought out to grace newer childhoods.  Scriptures written on stones.  Sharp fresh scent of just-pulled carrots.  Crackling fire spitting heat into cooling air.  Vanilla-scented candle burning creamy comfort. Summer's bunting fading in the autumn light.  Early-morning Scrabble on a birthday.  Cold toes, clean and worn smooth from bare feet in sand.  Homemade pumpkin spice latte made with fresh almond milk.  Faded blue grey rose toned autumn sky.  Starting a well-loved book for the umpteenth time. Quiet reminders of the preciousness of present.  Time... I have it in front of me today.

The murmur of the everyday and the reminder to seize it anyway.

As American As Apple Pie

I did actually make an apple pie for the fourth of July.  And a chocolate fudge cake with vanilla bean icing.  We were hosting a community meal and needed the extra puddings.

However, this is the pudding I made for Dan, myself, and the kids to eat after a simple tea of Greek pasta salad.

It's a raw pecan spice cake, and my first attempt at a raw cake. The recipe is from Amy at Fragrant Vanilla Cake.  I love her raw recipes!  I followed it closely, but did increase the recipe by a half.  For instance, instead of two cups of raw pecans, I used three, and so on.  I made the cake layers in two eight-inch tins instead of three four-inch ones.

It was deliciously crumbly with a definite coconut texture.  The brown taste of the pecans went well with the creamy coconut and both blended beautifully with the cashew-based icing, full of vanilla flavour.  Everyone enjoyed their helpings and we were all quite full afterwards! As it contains plenty of protein and fibre, this is one cake I certainly don't mind giving the kids for breakfast.  Even Mr J liked it.

Coughton Court

As a family, we've been discussing the historical significance of this year's Diamond Jubilee, celebrating the 60 years that Queen Elizabeth II has reigned.  I've impressed upon the boys the fact that they will probably not see another Jubilee like this in their lifetimes.  If the Queen reigns for another three years, she will surpass the years of Queen Victoria and take Victoria's place as the longest-reigning monarch in British history and the longest-reigning female monarch in the world. So, yes, we do love history in our house!  

The traditional British end-of-May Monday bank holiday was moved ahead to this weekend to coincide with the date of the actual Jubilee, marked on the Queen's official birthday, Tuesday, the fifth of June.  This was done to create a four-day weekend.  It feels as if the entire country has been celebrating!  

We decided to spend the Monday bank holiday at Coughton Court, a National Trust property in Warwickshire. One of the country's many Jubilee beacons was being lit at Coughton just after dark, and we knew how much the sight of a blazing conflagration would help the kids remember the day!

After a slow morning we packed a picnic for tea and set off, arriving around 2.  Before setting foot outside the car, we ate up the remainders of the Jubilee cheesecake I had made for our usual Sunday night open house.

Even though the weather forecast had included rain, we were thankful to be met by sunny skies and warm temperatures.

The boys opted to do a "Royal-T" bunting hunt around the grounds and gardens with Dan, while I took Coo to the children's play area.  She easily made two new friends and amused herself with them for quite some time.

When we were together again, we headed indoors to view the house.  Members of the ancient Throckmorton family still reside in the home, but the main part of it is open to visitors. 

Coughton Court itself is very simply constructed, probably because it wasn't the primary residence of the family for many centuries.  During Georgian times, many homes like this were being built around, expanded upon in opulent fashion, and sometimes destroyed altogether by their wealthy owners in favour of more fashionably grand homes. Somehow Coughton managed to escape renovations and remained the Elizabethan Tudor house that it is.  It now also retains some of the Jacobean features that adorned other long-lost Throckmorton properties, like a beautiful wooden staircase.  

This house was just the right size to keep the kids interested.  They were fascinated with the model of Sir Walter Raleigh's head, peeping out of a bag.  [Tradition has it that his wife, Bess Throckmorton, carried poor Sir Walter's head around with her for 28 years after his execution!] Coughton Court is famous for being associated with two ill-fated rebellions: the Throckmorton Plot [to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I] and the Gunpowder Plot [to blow up the houses of Parliament --old Guy Fawkes took the rap for that one].

Coo and I found a very old painting of a little girl who looked about her age.

 The boys loved peering down into the illuminated "priest hole".

and running up the circular stone stairs [not unlike climbing the Scott Monument, just much shorter!] to the roof. 

The roof area was quite safe for the kids, and we all enjoyed the views of the surrounding countryside, as well as the sight of the wooden beacon that had been specially constructed for the evening's festivities.

The gardens at Coughton are award-winning, managed and tended by members of the Throckmorton family.  A kind stranger snapped this photo for us, standing on the lawn behind the house.

We went back to the car to rest and munch our picnic: houmous, with a variety of yummy stuff to dip in it: cucumbers, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, and oatcakes. Everyone seemed quite full by the time we'd finished off all the food, and they were ready to listen to Dan read aloud the bedtime books: The Fellowship of the Ring for Mr J, and Brisingr for Lefty and Righty. I read a bit from The House at Pooh Corner to Coo, but she was more interested in rolling the car window up and down repeatedly.

Finally we trekked over to the open field in front of the house, where the wooden structure for the beacon had already been constructed.  Crowds began to fill up the grassy space, and we dropped our blanket down onto the [thankfully] dry ground.

Barbecue food was available for a small cost, and the three boys marched over to wait their turn in a very long line.  Mr J and Lefty returned, happy, with sausages; Righty felt privileged to be one of the final few who received a baked potato!

Meanwhile, Coo passed out from the exertions of the day, and we enjoyed several sets of live music performances.

Finally, at quarter to ten, bells from one of the two churches on the grounds of the estate began to ring.  Then, at 22:01, the beacon was lit.

Our guys were ecstatic at seeing the fire and the tall flames. After watching such a beautiful blaze, Dan said he doesn't feel as if our firepit at home really "cuts it" anymore!  Coo woke up and watched it all very coolly, but looked a bit more impressed after she saw a guy doing a dance with fire sticks near the music stage.  

Finally, we gathered up our sleepy short ones and journeyed the long, slow walk back to our car.  I think I can safely say that our nine hours at Coughton Court were wonderful, and a great reminder of the Diamond Jubilee festivities, but we will probably never have that same extensive amount of time on a National Trust property again!  Our family membership purchase this year has definitely been worth it.

Diamond Jubilee Cheesecake

Inspired by the Union Jack, [yes, I know, not correct, but who calls it the Union Flag?] I made this cheesecake for our usual Sunday night open house evening.

Jubilee Fun

We began our participation in the four days of celebrations for HM the Queen's Diamond Jubilee by spending an afternoon at a local parish church's fete on Saturday. After the wonderful weather last week, I must say that this weekend has lived up to the stereotype of British weather: cold and rainy.  Fortunately, the rain held off until Saturday evening and in spite of the cold, we had a lovely afternoon.

There were traditional games on offer, as well as bouncy castles, food stalls, live music, and football.  Everything was free apart from a minimal charge for food items.  Righty enjoyed the coconut shy, and it wasn't long before he managed to bag a coconut.

Mr J had fun on the Jungle Bounce.

Coo and Daddy...

Using pocket money kindly provided by Nanny and Great-Nanny, the kids chose treats to eat.  Mr J decided on a burger.  I'm not quite sure how he managed to eat this comfortably, with the gap at the front of his teeth caused by losing two on the same day!  [In true "against-the-grain" Mr J style, the first lost tooth was swallowed in his sleep; the second departed his mouth more conventionally during a pillow fight with Coo.]

Coo happily munched her way through a regular-sized ice cream cone.  [Did I mention what a cold day it was?!]

Mr J was inspired by Coo's cone, and went to buy his own.  "White ice cream, please, with red lines on top." [vanilla with strawberry sauce!]

Meanwhile, Righty was busy on the coconut shy again.  He eventually ended up with three in total.  

We'd been outdoors in the freezing cold for over two hours,  so everyone was glad to go back into the church hall for a drink and a rest.

After glimpsing another little girl's painted face, Coo decided she wanted to go back out and have her face painted.

Of course, when she was inside again, she felt the need to dance, so off came her jacket.  She dressed herself this morning, as usual.  Her outfits are always quite creatively colourful.

Then it was back to Nanny's house for tea, and a glorious Diamond Jubilee cake.

Congratulations to the Queen, from all of us!

Celebration

Easter.  Resurrection Sunday.  New life.  A jumble of traditions past and present.  

"Death, where is your victory?

Death, where is your sting?"

-1 Corinthians 15.55.

On the Arrival of April

The first week of this month has overflowed with people to see and things to do.  We've had the usual stream of people in and out of our house [particularly around tea-times!], and more than the usual: our buddy Hannah Stone visiting from Derby, a day spent with my friend and her twin boys, our monthly community meal finished off with ten shared tubs of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, our regular weekly trip to the library and Starbucks, and time at the local art gallery.  

One of the highlights of the week was musical, of course. Our friend James brought guests with him to lunch at ours on Sunday, and two of them, Tom and Hannah, treated us to their own loud and live version of The Civil Wars' song, "Barton Hollow". It was brilliantly sung and appreciated by all, even a passerby on the street, who stopped to listen as they sang their hearts out in our front room!

This afternoon, things are winding down just a tiny bit.  We are sharing lunch tomorrow with extended family, so even though I'm contributing to the meal, the main responsibility for a big Easter dinner isn't falling to me.  Our house cleaning has slowly and steadily been finished, though I have put off scrubbing the bathrooms until later tonight. Birthday cards and a few short letters have been written and are sealed and waiting for the next posting day -- Tuesday. Our chocolate Easter cake is iced with coconut buttercream, decorated and waiting for tomorrow's lunch. Though I had great ideas for naturally dyed Easter eggs, that hasn't happened.  Maybe next year!

I'm off now to work on cinnamon roll dough for tomorrow's breakfast... recipe here.

Thoughtful times.

New Year's Ideas

Ah.  First post of the new year.  Why has it taken me so long to have something to say?  Rhetorical, I know; and the answer is, I have no idea.  I've been busy.  But I'm always busy.  

I think the real reason is that my brain is having a difficult time adjusting to the fact that we've moved into a new year.  

Lots of little happenings around me are a reminder that it has arrived.  

The Christmas tree has been ceremoniously placed in the back garden [where it was almost immediately blown over by gale-force winds].  Fragile decorations have been wrapped in crumpled, decade-old tissue paper and packed away with Coo's eager assistance. Green and red ribbons and candles are tucked away in the Christmas box for next year.  Seasonal greeting cards are stacked in a bag to be taken out one at a time during our family's morning prayers, when each of us will pray for the giver[s] and then the card can either be recycled or saved for crafting.

Our numerous fairy lights shine on.  I made the decision that in this blustery, grey January we needed more light than usual and didn't pack them away.  Winter-themed things are scattered around now... snowflakes on the candle holder in the middle of the dining room table, our funny china penguin tea-light holder in his place on the kitchen windowsill, the winter books being read aloud.  Red, cream, and gold bunting brightens up a wall in the dining room, wooden snowflakes hanging at either end. 

So I'm not in denial about Christmas being over.  I'm definitely ready for this new year.  There's just a slight feeling of limbo going on right now, because...

I haven't PLANNED anything yet.  No projects, no crafts, no trips.

Well, that's set to change.  My list of things-to-do will be carried over from last year, with a few new additions.

Projects:

• Soap-making, and candle-making.  In that order.  The supplies have remained packed away in my under-stairs cupboard for over a year now.  No more excuses on this one!

Crafts:

• Finally learn how to knit on circular needles!  I want to knit this slouchy hat for myself, and these sucky thumb mitts for Coo.

Trips 

• Return to York.  We had a lot of fun there in November, but it was too much to take in during one visit. Possibly on the same trip, also visit Haworth Parsonage, the home of the Bronte family.  
• Take out a  National Trust membership again after a seven-year hiatus. A year-long family pass is a worthwhile investment. Favourite places I want to go back to include Calke Abbey and Kedleston Hall. I'd also like to see Lyme Park and Sudbury Hall for the first time. We really should visit Moseley Old Hall, too, as we've just read about Charles II. This is where he hid from Cromwell's troops after the Battle of Worcester in 1651.

2011 trips included...

Those were Wroxeter, twice; Attingham; and the National Space Centre in Leicester.

Finished.  Now it feels more like 2012!

Small Joys

• First sleepy glance out the rain-spattered window: a many-layered cloudy landscape of sky with a tiny bit of sunshine peeking through.
• Adding milk froth to my usual black coffee.
• Watching my kids dance around the kitchen to Bruce Springsteen singing "O Mary Don't You Weep".  They were using carrots and leeks for guitars and fiddles!
• Helping the three boys wisely spend their Christmas money on Amazon.  I think I always knew we were going to end up with three sets of miniature Tintin figures!
• Enjoying our California girl's last post, about her New Year's resolutions.
• Planning two new recipe posts: gingerbread cake, and haricot bean soup. Watch this space.
• Thinking about how nice it was to see our friends yesterday. Ruth and her family stopped by for a few hours, which flew past too quickly!
• Feeling thankful, once again, that we're not ill during these holidays, unlike last year  and the year before!
• Still wearing my pajamas at eleven in the morning.
• The invention of italics...

Dear Santa

Because you all know how much I love the consumeristic season that is once again rushing towards us at the speed of a freight train, full of selfishness; debt; and spending; I thought I'd write out my wish list to Santa as a blog post.

Dear Santa,

For Christmas this year, I'd like to be able to walk through town and see people carrying their toddlers and laughing with them, instead of shouting and swearing at them while they lug heavy carrier bags full of plastic toys which will eventually end up as floating waste somewhere in the Pacific.  

For Christmas this year, I'd like to see people giving each other time.  It's something we never seem to have enough of.  I want people to come round to my house for a hot drink and a chat and empty hands, instead of armfuls of presents and a hurried chat before rushing away.

For Christmas this year, I'd like to receive some simple things I need from people who can give them, but won't, because they're not "proper" presents.  Such as haircuts for my kids and a fresh coat of paint in the boys' room.

For Christmas this year, I'm hoping that my family and friends will be happy with presents we're choosing to give: vouchers for home-cooked meals and homemade cake; fresh Christmas cookies; and time.

For Christmas this year, I'm most looking forward to individual hours spent with each of my children, shopping for necessaries for their siblings and continuing conversations about how much more important giving is than receiving.  I'm looking forward to baking together and decorating the house for the season; and planning how we'll spend our St Nicholas money this year.

For Christmas this year, I'm hoping that our industrialised world's temporary frugality in the face of recession becomes a way of life. I'm hoping that the current trend towards simplicity is more than just a fad.

Because people are more important than stuff.

All of it.

Santa, you don't qualify, as you're not real.  You're sadly nothing more than a validation to spend money we don't have on more stuff we don't need.

I'll be addressing any further correspondence to Nicholas, the patron saint of giving, instead of to you, the patron saint of receiving.  

Love,

Erin 

Birthday Preparations

Or, what I've been up to in my not-so-spare time.

I've created oversized, simple rag dolls with crazy heads of yarn hair and dungarees made over from daddy's old jeans for each of our boys.  This doll, for the Tiny Feminine Person, has marked my foray into slightly more complicated doll territory.  I'm enjoying every minute of its creation... even though the hours until the Birthday are quickly ticking down. She is two on Friday. Where have these last twenty-four months gone?

Glued to the TV

We almost never watch television.  If there's anything we want to see, we'll find it online or on DVD.   However this last 24 hours I feel as if I've been swimming in TV. 

It all began with the Royal Wedding.  From 10.45am to 4pm yesterday, we basked in the glow of the television.  A welcome glow, as the weather outside was hazy for much of the day, a slow plodding end to the sunshine of the last few weeks.  

Lying in bed last night with my eyes closed, I could still see the events of the day, many of them re-played over and over, as they were during yesterday's live coverage.  Sadly, I must admit I was only re-envisioning the clothes, the fashion, the shoes...  I don't [and never would, even if given the opportunity] dress sophisticatedly, in comparison with all the royals and celebrities, but I love to critique the fabrics, colours, and textiles.  Was that a blue boat on Tara P-T's head? And who was behind all the corkscrew-inspired hats? [Philip Treacy, in answer to that]  Where was Posh's baby bump? Is she even pregnant? Did Zara Phillips realise how huge her hat was in comparison with the rest of her? Who missed out on the key fact that the colour of the Queen's dress would match the Dean of Westminster's robes? My favourite outfit among the wedding guests belonged to Nick Clegg's wife Miriam, but in my opinion the design of the day was Kate's veil, as anyone who sat near me as we watched the wedding could tell you.  It was perfect.

Back in real life and away from the world of royalty... the global celebrations over a British royal wedding really amused me.  From drinking tea out of china cups in the Midwest of America and prancing through the early dawn streets in wedding dresses in New York City, to royal wedding house parties in Australia and Kate and William cakes in South Africa, to troops in Afghanistan watching the nuptials while playing Scrabble, it was astounding how one social event could cause a large portion of the world to come to a standstill and stay glued to their television screens. 

My TV watching doesn't end there.  From the sublime to the uh... incredible.  In American news, I've been amazed on so many levels by the story of Stormy and Sky, who, with their mother, took shelter under tanning beds in Georgia during Thursday's deadly tornado and survived.  Don't miss this...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Who's Watching the Wedding?

This was going to be my usual Thursday food post, but I'm interrupting the regular scheme of things to comment on the Royal Wedding extravaganza.

I've just spent a few minutes on the BBC news website, watching video clips of the people already camping out with tents, sleeping bags, and folding chairs so as to be in a prime viewing spot when the royal processions to Westminster Abbey start tomorrow.  Many are Americans.  Some of the watchers have been in the same spot for the last three royal weddings.

I particularly enjoyed a video reporting on a political mood box that was dusted down and set up in a royal park in Richmond, west London.  Participants voted by chucking plastic balls into "Watching" or "Not Watching" boxes.  The presenter asked passers-by for more information after they'd voted.  A group of girls responded that of course they'd be watching; a guy on a bike said he wasn't fussed as it was just a wedding - "It's not really that important, is it... actually, don't tell my girlfriend I said that!"; an elderly man replied that he wouldn't as he had work to do in the garden.  Two Australian women said they'd won a trip to London for the wedding day, so of course they would.  A woman said she'd watch the wedding though "it should be me up there marrying Prince William, not her!"

And from a mid-thirties man: "I think it's a bit of a PR stunt to get everyone's mind off financial matters." There's nothing like a cheerful dose of British cynicism to remind us all that there's no point in ever celebrating anything wonderful in life because of a) recession, b) war, c) death, or d) all of the above.

Forget about money for ONCE and just have some fun!

We'll be spending tomorrow with a group of friends, games on hand in case of rain, plenty of yummy food, and the television on to watch the big day.  I'm making a chocolate marmalade cake - very dark with all the Green and Black's 85% bars it contains!

The potential of this royal romance in livening up the nation and helping us all feel a bit more cheerful, for a change, does tread a fine balance.  I'm trying to ignore a shadow of worry that has been stalking me for the last few weeks and I admit that I'll be happier tomorrow evening after the wedding celebration has taken place calmly, as planned.

Memorable Moments

• On Friday evening, thanks to brave babysitter H, we were able to go out for a meal at the Mango Tree with Dan's mum and stepdad.  South Indian food... mmmmn!!!  

• Saturday morning smoothies; then Coo and I travelled to Derbyshire with friends for a day conference.  Coo spent the day in creche, in capable hands.  She was definitely ready to see me at the end, but she'd had a lovely time and was delivered with a written timetable of her activities for the day!  

• On Sunday, my birthday, I awoke to a cup of green tea made by Righty and a box of little presents from Dan and the kids, and a Winnie-the-Pooh balloon from Mr J, who wanted it for me because we read the book together!  Presents were pens and paper, an iTunes gift card, tickets to see Iron & Wine play in B next year, a voucher from Lefty for a coffee date, and Mr J's used football ticket from the game he attended with Dan. :) 

• Sunday morning flew by in a blur of porridge, morning church gathering, and then rounding everyone up so we could drive off to B for lunch.  There we spent the afternoon enjoying yummy food and conversations with friends, until all three boys were nearly climbing the walls and we had to give up and return home!

• Sunday afternoon was chocolate hedgehog cake made by Dan's mum, hedgehog prickles stuck in by the kids.  

• Sunday evening was bedtime for all miniatures and open house time with lots of friends and homemade cakes, which were yummy.  However, the best by far was Dan's homemade baked cheesecake, recipe here. Presents included many cards, an ever-growing Green and Black's chocolate stash, scented candles and a candle holder, handmade mug cosy, and a winter scarf with pockets... and a matching dreadie hat!

• Monday started bright and early with Maths lessons, breakfast, and another trip to Birmingham; Dan and the kids dropped me off to have my locks maintained by Cristina.  Nice afternoon of dreading and conversation!

• Monday evening seemingly inexhaustible Nanny and Grandad showed up to babysit children while Dan and I were off to the Yardbird to see Rue Royale, and meet up with friends.  RR were amazing, as usual, in spite of being jet-lagged; however, I was beginning to flag after a very social weekend.  Happy to chug down still-hot coffee from my new insulated mug, on our drive home, and climb into bed at midnight.  Getting out of bed this Tuesday morning was a challenge.

And now, I'm looking forward to this weekend, spent almost entirely at home.

Bonfire Night

This was our Bonfire Night, two days late...

Not pictured are the following:

Good friends

Heaps of homemade cookies

Hot chocolate pot

Muddy floor

Happy small people of the house staying up way past bedtime

Fireworks... about one hundred of them!

Celebrating the 5th of November... on November the 7th

That's what we're doing tonight.  

Bonfire.  Half-price fireworks.  Cookies and hot chocolate.  Coffee, of course.  If you know what the 5th of November is, comment!  I'll blog an explanation link tomorrow for all of you non-English out there.

Mmmn...

I'll be posting a cinnamon roll recipe as soon as I have half a chance.  We enjoyed them yesterday with our homeless friends at the Big Feed.  Sugar high afterwards!  Oh.  Maybe not sugar.  Well, mine was a sugar high anyway.

I'll blog about the Big Feed sometime soon too.