Froglet

I love the fact that so far we are a group of people who don't 'do crowds'. I have just finished a lovely family weekend but am tired! My funny moment from this weekend was on arriving at my parents house this morning my youngest nephew (2 1/2) was just coming down the stairs with the light up magnifying glass my mum uses for reading (I hope she got it back - he was much taken with it). He saw me and said 'Aunty Froglet got dressy, Aunty Froglet go walkies?) Cue much laughter as his mum translated this to Aunty Froglet's got a dress on, she looks nice, is she going out?!

I demand photos! Sorting my spare room (of doom) is eternally on my list and it is mostly filled with craft stuff. At the moment I seem to just be moving it from one side of the room to the other! I went for a walk at Calke the other day and the woods were filled with snowdrops - such a joyous, hopeful sight. They are filling their 'auricula' with pots with all the different varieties they have - who knew there were so many! I have almost finished a second sock - a new to me pattern which had a stitch pattern which required much counting. It's been worth it and I'm inspired to have a go at other sock patterns now. Family weekend this weekend to celebrate my sister's 50th. I'm doing food for Saturday night (just jacket spuds and assorted toppings) and have just finished baking a salted caramel sponge cake for a birthday cake. Apparently my youngest niece (9) is bringing her crochet down for a mentoring session with Aunty Froglet. I showed her some basics when I visited in the autumn and she requested a 'crochet kit' for Christmas so I put one together from a bag I made and lots of mini balls wound from my stash. I'm thrilled she's enjoying it. She is also very into Swallows and Amazons. My brother reads with her each night and had borrowed a load of my childhood favourites from me - she loved Swallows and Amazons and has been playing it - making maps, creating dens under the stairs to be the camp and roping her 2 year old brother in to play key roles! Have a good weekend everyone!

Sending you both love Sunnyday, I'm glad you were able to be with her. Take care all.

I think it's both!

Sorry to hear that Sunnyday, sending good wishes your way. Zigzag/Louby - another one for the overthinking club here! I have had a very lazy week so nothing much to report! Have a good weekend everyone, take care.

Good to hear you are safe. Hope it's not too long until you get water back.

Glad to hear that Mousie, hope Zigzag is ok.

I thought about both of those but in the end decided on a risotto. Every Friday I do a 'clear the fridge' meal where I aim to use up any odds and ends that are left in the fridge before re-stocking the next day. It's usually some kind of roast veg with pasta or a vegetable fritter and an egg! Sometimes I'll make a small portion of soup for lunch (just one portion as opposed to the batch I usually make for a week).

Good morning 'tis Friday. Hope you're all safe in the weather. Productive week here doing various 'life admin' type jobs. Went into town yesterday to spend a book token I got so have those to look forward to (not that I don't have enough books to be getting on with!). Planning to go and see some of the Kanneh-Masons at the weekend (can't remember which ones without routing out my ticket at the moment) so am hoping that the weather still allows for that to go ahead. Other than that, sock knitting is slow - I got stuck with the new pattern and took a couple of days for me to regain enough patience to have another go with it! Contemplating what I can do with a leek and some ham for my 'clear the fridge' tea tonight and writing the menu plan for next week! Take care all, have a good weekend.

If that's what your friend wants to do absolutely! Having said that it was glorious outside today and the cold is the best excuse for hot chocolate or hot spiced apple juice! Plus balaclavas absolutely essential!

I know those conversations Mousie! Christmas was at my sister's and New Year's was just quiet. Bitterly cold here too but so glorious with the sunshine and bright, clear skies. Went for a lovely walk at Calke yesterday with a friend and today was just errands around town. I've decided to try and keep a nature journal - the intent being to help keep me moving and getting outside regularly! Started a new pair of socks today. It's a textured pattern with patterned yarn which means it doesn't show up brilliantly but I am really trying to use up some of my stash of yarn! Having said that I did get yarn money/vouchers for Christmas so have a couple of bigger, new projects in mind!

Happy New Year to you all!

Merry Christmas to all of you!

Only just remembered what day it is! Zigzag - I hope you feel properly better soon! I have spent the week doing some crafting and planning cooking for the various Christmas gifts I'm giving. I finished my 'Guess the weight cake' and it turned out pretty well so I was pleased. I don't have a tree yet. I don't put it up until Christmas Eve and usually buy it the weekend before Christmas but I discovered that the place I usually get it from has sold out so am mildly stressed about that. It will all work out though. It's my sister's 50th on New Year's Day. She isn't having any big celebrations but I thought I'd try and think up some nice things to do at 50 day intervals throughout the year. Take care of yourselves and Merry Christmas!

Just wanted to say it's so nice to speak to people who get what I mean by foggy! Slightly worried about my cake - it sunk a bit in the middle but I'm sure it's cooked. Marzipan and icing can cover a multitude of sins can't they?! I keep telling myself that it's highly unlikely that I'll know who wins it and even if I do, very unlikely that I'll see them soon and if it's a friend that wins then I won't mind if it's not great!

I had a message from someone at my old school yesterday asking if I knew a Father Christmas as theirs was unable to. If you were a little nearer I'd be volunteering your step grandson! I shall enjoy researching recipes - I'm pretty sure that you can get the BBC Good food veggie magazine online through my library which should be a good source.

Hope you feel better soon Zigzag. Sunnyday - enjoy the performance - I'm sure you will! I have had a 'foggy' sort of week and settled to very little although the last couple of days I have managed to focus on reading a book. I have been asked to bake a Christmas cake for a 'Guess the weight of the cake' competition - it will just be a rich, moist fruitcake so the fruit is currently soaking. I made cheese and onion pasties yesterday for the first time ever - they're a good alternative to soup as a warm lunch. Other than that I really must finalise Christmas presents and do some research for a vegetarian Christmas dinner option - we're going to my sister's for Christmas and her daughter has become vegetarian recently and I've been delegated to come up with something for her to have as a main. Have a good weekend all.

'Tis Friday (sorry - it just doesn't feel right if it doesn't get said!) Mousie - I sympathise, there's more than once that I have tried to explain the vagaries of funding to people and have given up. Mildly frustrating time this week trying to sort out a new bank account - I needed to add a mobile number but I could only do that via the app but couldn't set the app up without having a mobile number already registered! Many minutes on the phone to a lovely person who was confused at first and then understood the circularity of the problem and really went to trouble to help me solve it - I think it's done! Apart from that I have done much clearing of the spare room which is now causing messy chaos all over the house and wrote Christmas cards which have gone in the post - does anyone else still write them? I feel like an old fashioned dinosaur but I love getting and sending things through the post - I have been writing my regular 'Sunday notes' for a while now - just a gentle splurge of what I'm up to sent to a different person each week. I have also planted some cyclamen in pots just outside my kitchen window with a few bulbs layered underneath. They are looking very cheerful just now and I'm hoping they will look lovely in spring too! I haven't baked anything this week but have a feeling I'm about to be asked to do some themed festive baking for my old school's Winter fair which will be fun and I really need to sort Christmas presents for family.

Hello everyone! Internet has been a bit dodgy here which is frustrating. Other than that I am combatting the cold with a jacket potato in the oven and some colourwork knitting on my 'cow socks'. The chart was making my eyes go blurry though so I need to stop for a bit. Went to see a festive light trail at Calke Abbey yesterday which was lovely, more low key than some and I enjoyed the space and relative peace to enjoy the lights/music. Plus, it was another excuse for a National trust scone of the month! Have a good weekend all.

Oh it’s been a while since we had a shindig!

All are welcome - today I’m baking bread - a couple of loaves about to go in the oven.

😂 Anytime! I keep trying to decide what to do with myself in the longer term - I love feeding people and making things - maybe having your 'friend' as a lodger could be the way to go...

It's good - bit like a moist caramelly madeira cake topped with a caramel with almond flakes in. I think I should maybe have cooked it for about 5 minutes less - the caramel is verging on bitter but overall it's good!

I have no idea why that would make you think of any of us! 😉😂 I am about to cook - curried parsnip soup for lunch and a an honey and almond crunch loaf cake (new to me recipe) just because. Then I really must do some admin type jobs this afternoon!

We don't have snow although it's flippin freezing - gloriously bright, clear skies though! It's beautiful! Had a lovely surprise yesterday evening - a knock on my door and a woman I was at playgroup and then all through school with was on the doorstep. I last saw her around 30 years ago. We still exchange birthday and Christmas cards and I wrote her a letter a couple of weeks ago. She now lives in Ireland but was over here visiting her parents and took the off chance that I'd be in. It was so lovely, we had a great catch up. I'm on cushion making now and then I'm planning to have a go at making a new seasonal outfit for a rag doll I made when I was about 13. It's time she has a new dress I think! Have a lovely weekend, take care everyone.