First Harvest

The early days of June usually find us keeping a watchful eye on the elderflowers in our garden. As soon as the big, showy blooms blossom, we brave the little clouds of pollen and fill bowls with the glorious scent of summer.

It's always a time tinged with sadness, for I was standing at the kitchen window, making elderflower cordial when the phone call came from Cyprus, with the dreadful news that Daddy had suffered a fatal heart attack. But the process reminds me that though life changes, the seasons come and go and the little family routines continue.

Until - crisis - the recipe is lost! Though I have made this dozens of times, the first batch of the year is tricky, when it's so long since the last time and quantities are uncertain.

Fortunately, Mark was a little more diligent in searching the recipe folder and before long, the crisis was averted.

And just in case the little newspaper cutting goes missing again, a recipe monitor has been appointed. Congratulations on your new responsiblity, Hobson!

About the little books

Jordi was asking about the little books, featured on my photo blog last week but not really mentioned much here, in case any of the recipients stopped by.
 

Since they were for my six colleagues who formed the Textile Treasures team at the recent exhibitions, I tried to keep to a textile-y theme and chose to use Basic Grey's Stella Ruby paper throughout. I stitched many of the photos into the book with my sewing machine and attached the odd button here and there.

Though I have now got a Bind it All machine, I didn't actually use it for these but instead, used the last seven 7 Gypsies Mini books from my stash.

I had a lot of photographs to include, so used different means of fitting as many in as I could. These books are small and have just ten pages.

In addition, I tagged them with small samples of the bits and pieces we made during our tour. We'd done a few beading classes and an embellisher workshop.

Finally, in case anyone was in doubt, a reminder of why we agreed to give up seven weeks of our life!

Though of course, no reminder was really needed - and it was terrific fun!

And now, for those who didn't manage to get to see the exhibition, you can have a quick tour with a YouTube video, narrated by Susan, Textile Treasure extraordinaire.

Tag and Double Tagged

OK, so I've been tagged twice - once by Della and again, but slightly differently, by Jordi.

Della's rules:

Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

Jordi's rules:

1. Link back to the person that tagged you
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your entry.

Seems to me that my answers to Della's questions would be unimportant enough to satisfy Jordi's criteria too...so here come the answers from Gloucestershire

• What was I doing ten years ago?

In 1998, I was a stay at home Mum, doing all the things SAHMs do. In addition, I was just beginning to get more involved with the WI, extending my embroidery skills by taking classes and courses and generally enjoying myself as much as I do now! Though I find it hard to pin point exactly what happened in that year, I know from my passport stamps that we travelled to Thailand, to Cyprus, to the USA twice, and joined my parents on a Mediterranean cruise to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary.

• What are five (non-work) things on my to-do list for today

It's Saturday, so non-work things definitely take priority! It's an interesting day, spent mostly with my Californian friend, Mary. We've been to a private view at the spectacular home of two local artists, we've enjoyed a walk around Tetbury town centre stopping by a shop or two, viewed an apartment for sale, bought a cardigan and had a very enjoyable lunch with an amazing woman and her charming husband.

• Snacks I enjoy: )

My downfall. Sesame Snaps and Daylesford Organics Anzac biscuits

• Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

Difficult that one. I am generally more than satisfied with my lot and find it hard to imagine what more I could wish for. If pressed to spend it on pure indulgence, then perhaps I'd pay to have someone change the sheets on my bed and replace them with freshly laundered, finest quality white cotton every day. All neatly pressed and carefully done, of course - and please no tucking in at the sides, because I don't like to be confined, thank you. Of course, I'd also have to do something about the environmental fallout from so much unecessary washing and ironing but the rest of the billions would surely allow me to make some compensating actions.

• Places I have lived:

Hull and Hedon, both in East Yorkshire. York. Newport, Isle of Wight. Shepshed, Leicestershire. Avening, Gloucestershire and here. That's it.

• Jobs

Teacher. I did once confess to some boy in a disco that I was an Elastoplast Packer but it was a lie.

• Peeps I want to know more about

I think a lot of people have already done this. I’d love to see the answers from anyone who feels the need to share similarly useless but fascinating information about themselves! Come on - 'fess up!!

In an Oxfordshire village

I've been at a meeting in Oxfordshire today and went to the pub with colleagues afterwards for a chat before heading home. Taking this photograph as a potential "photo of the day" I thought how that brass plate of William Shakespeare adds a bit of class to the joint.

Or not.

As you can tell from the photo I chose, taken at the same time, it was a classy place. Good job the company was entertaining! (Thanks girls)

Comfort foods

We've been to Hull and back since my last post - just a flying visit because we realise that it's something we've been putting off for too long. Sorting Mummy's house out is not a comfortable thought for either of us and though we've had time to do it, we have found excuses and have prevaricated too long. Anyway, it had to be done and to be truthful, it wasn't as bad as I feared. Upsetting at times, of course, but actually, it's so long since she lived there (9 months since her stroke) that there is little of "her" still in the house. Though the garden was looking a little bedgraggled from all the wind and rain, Daddy's clematis was blooming lovely!

There was one nasty shock in the form of a summons for us both on the doormat. Though we had paid the Council Tax bill to the end of the financial year in April, the East Riding bureaucrats had changed the name on the account and been informed of our address, they had changed one but not the other. So, there was the bill, a reminder and a summons all there waiting for us. Fortunately, Mark had the most efficient and charming lady clerk to deal with when he went in on the dot of 9 this morning to sort it out, and sorted out it was, in no time at all, apologies all round.



We needed comfort. He brought that home with him in the form of a Yorkshire Curd Cheesecake from the bakers in Cottingham. yum!! We have been known to devour a whole one of these in one sitting, most recently at a service station on the M1, but this time, we restrained ourselves to a delicate slice at lunchtime and brought the rest home with us.

Well, we had just had haddock and chips for lunch and in Hull, the fish are far from small! (Plates above are dinner plates, believe me - and that's just one portion of chips shared between the two of us!)