Bread and More Bread

Things are moving on I've been busy working on samples for my City and Guilds course, no images at the moment maybe next time. I've also been working on my pieces for the 'Seeking Artemis' Exhibition, when Chris invited me to join her and the other female artists in this exhibition I was flattered and excited. Since then I have fluctuated between that feeling of excitement and blind panic....... after our meeting on Saturday I'm in the state of excitement. How I'll feel as May fast approaches I don't know! Does everyone doubt their own abilities is it normal? Anyway I have been busy today posting images on the Seeking Artemis blog  pop over  and take a look at a small sample of work that will be in the exhibition, there are six  artist  of varying experiences in exhibiting from the very experienced to a first time exhibitor. We are all supporting and encouraging each other in the true spirit of Artemis. We also have a Facebook page take a look  and please press the 'like' button at the top of the page  (a bit of pushy promotion there).

Home baking is very much in vogue  I've been baking bread and since the New Year no shop bought bread has been consumed in this house,  home baked bread is so much tastier  plus  you know whats in it an added bonus the house smells lovely. I seem to have the cob loaf down to a fine art, the recipes are from Baking Made Easy Paul Hollywood.

 I wasn't at all happy with my attempt at sour dough, I've given up on that one! Tomorrow I'm making a wholemeal loaf, hopefully before lunch. Does anyone out there make their own sour dough? I'd love to know how they get on with it, mine was so well I cannot even put it into words........

I do seem to have the cooking bug at the moment on Saturday I made a lovely creamy chicken curry with stir fried spring onions, washed down with a pint of Crabbies, not good for the waist line but never mind. This recipe was from Anjum Anand's book Indian Food Made Easy, both of the books were Christmas presents, I cant say that someone was trying to tell me something, because I bought them myself with book vouchers!

There have been two pilates classes, after the first class my back ached, not a surprise and after the latest session it doesn't feel quite so bad. There are only four of us in the group and we all have lower back problems so the class is very gentle (apparently) . Hopefully by the end of the six sessions I'll actually feel the benefit.

2013

Christmas is over, our Birthdays are all done and dusted for another year!

Dave and I decided to resume  our traditional New Years Day trip  to London for a stroll and lunch, we didn't do it last year because Betsy was so tiny we didn't want to leave her. We usually visit the Southbank but this year we decided to visit St Katherine's Dock, I'm ashamed to say that although I worked for  years only a few minutes walk from there it's an area that I visited for the first time this summer when  friends moored their boat there for the Jubilee celebrations. As today was a bank holiday there was no parking fee and we parked the car easily.  We had a lovely meal in Ping Pong and then strolled around for a while in the bright sunshine, not to get over the large amount of dim sum or other irresistible Chinese delights that we just couldn't leave ( note to self don't over order next time)
When we got home we took down and boxed up the Christmas Decorations and they are all back in the loft. Dave returns to work tomorrow and Rachel went home on Sunday after a joint birthday celebration lunch with Becky and Becky's family. So now the house is quiet and tidy  ready for me to get on with the sewing projects that I need to get finished or started and the City and Guilds work that I have let slip.... No! not good - but my excuse is I missed the last meeting, I was unwell  and when Rachel comes home she sleeps in my sewing room, that makes it hard to get on with things. Yes, I'm making excuses........ But no distractions now.

Not sure if there will be any images with this post, I had a new iphone for my birthday and our Macbook is so out dated that it's not compatible with the phone, and so it goes...... Anyway we now need to buy a new laptop so until then I'll try and add images via my iphone, I took pictures on that today, knew I should have taken my camera with me today.

In the meantime I wish you all a Happy Healthy and Creative 2013!

St Katherine's Dock

Update I couldn't get the images uploaded, but as a post need images I'll add some images from previous London Visits.

Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Happy 2013

December is always full of celebrations in this family, we've already celebrated Dave's birthday and this year we had an extra celebration, on Saturday my lovely God Daughter Kate  married  Peter, see  her Mum's blog there are some lovely photographs of the happy couple. Then Sunday it was up early,  no time for a hangover and it was on the train to London for lunch with James and Becky plus Becky's family to celebrate James' 31st birthday, where does the time go, it seems like only yesterday I was pushing him in a pram........ Tomorrow it's Christmas Day then off we go again getting ready for another three birthdays!!!!!!
A Big Thank You to everyone that has visited my blog over the last year and to those that have left a comment an extra big thank you!  Those that haven't I look forward to maybe reading your comments during the coming year!

What twice in one week I hear you cry!

Well it's because Betsy and I had a lovely surprise this morning, we had been out for our walk and had just got back when the postman knocked at the door! I looked at the parcel that was being handed to me just seeing the first initial of the name 'B' I was about to say 'no that's not for me'. The postman get very confused here as my neighbours houses are A&B and I'm always having to re post their letters. Anyway back to the parcel, I then saw it was in fact addressed to Miss Betsy Weaver,  we rushed to unwrap it and there was a cute little card from Hetty to Betsy and an absolutely beautiful Harris Tweed Dog Coat made by Jackie Cardy. Betsy was swiftly dressed in her new coat and she paraded around the house wearing it  as though she was in ' London Fashion Week' (now there's an idea Jackie) she looks so cute in it. This is such a generous gift from Hetty and Jackie and Both Betsy and I are over the moon. I'm so glad now that I've booked Betsy in for a wash and cut this weekend, I'm going to have to smarten myself up now too, I don't want to let the side down when we're out walking..........

Thanks again Hetty and Jackie. 

A Lot of Images

The kitchen is finished, well apart from the walls, they need tiling, but us girls can only put up with so much before Christmas (that's me and Betsy). So until after Christmas we'll be happy to put up with undecorated walls, I've hung a Christmas wreath in the kitchen, very glad it didn't sell at the craft sale!

I had a great day at Art Van Go, and a surprise  bonus was when someone said 'Hello Miriam' it was Lynda Monk, she had popped into pick up some supplies and was asked by Viv to give an impromptu demonstration, which of course being such a lovely lady she did......

Lynda Monk

On my way back home from Art Van Go I stopped at Sewfine in Watford and picked up a new sewing machine a lightweight Janome, that I'd ordered  I've not had a chance to play with it yet.

 Kate my God daughter is getting married on the 22nd December and I was invited to her 'Hen Tea' you can read more about it on her Mum's blog. We all had a lovely time and there was soooo much food, and yes there was cake and yes, I did eat it and NO I haven't forgotten my diet.  At this time of year I find it so hard..... Last weekend Rachel came home for a few days, I can't believe that this time last year I was dropping her off at Heathrow for her trip to Australia. Sunday the rest of the family joined us for lunch as it was Dave's birthday. I cooked the first roast dinner in my new oven with no disasters, a good rehearsal for Christmas Lunch. Monday Dave took the day off work and we went out for Lunch with his Dad. Tuesday it was the Material Girls Christmas do, so much food and I just cant say NO!!!!

This year I took part in ALQS7, I posted my quilt to Scarlett in Chile, I've heard from Scarlett that the quilt arrived safe and she is pleased with it. The quilt I received came from Claudia she lives in Brazil, I'm really happy with the little quilt the colours and the work are beautiful, just right for Christmas.

The Quilt I sent to Chile

The Quilt I received

Today we decorated the Christmas tree (last year we didn't have a tree, new puppy and only Dave and I here) To start off Betsy was very interested but then she got tired of it all and went for a lie down but couldn't help coming back  to have look, fingers crossed the tree remains intact until at least Boxing Day!

The Tree in One Piece

That was hard work.....

What's He got?

 You  do know it's raining!!!

Help ME, don't let him take me......

I give in..... wait till I get back, paw prints all over your clean floor!

What's Going On?

The kitchen floor has been tiled it looks really good (Betsy was a nightmare), so Thursday and Friday while the electrician was working  she went to stay with  her  Mum, Dad and the rest of her doggy family. She became firm friends with a four week old Schnoodle, he apparently bullied her relentlessly (I think they have the same Dad), he is such a cute little thing, I was telling Dave and showed him the video Nita sent of them playing, his words were NO!!!! DEFINITELY NO!. He's a worried man, he thinks I want another dog, hmmm! Today there's a plasterer here and Betsy is so tired from her two days away she has settled down and is sleeping it off! Hopefully when the kitchen fitter starts work on Monday she'll be as well behaved as she is today...... ( I know it would have been sensible to have the floor tiled after the plastering but the cooker is being fitted on Tuesday and the floor needed to be ready before then.....) Meanwhile I'm stitching, stitching, stitching, thankfully I'm working on an Large Art Quilt for the Seeking Artemis Exhibition so when the heating is off I'm keeping warm.

 I did go to the William Morris Gallery, it has definitely improved since my last visit. I remembered it being very dark, no longer (apart from where the light would affect the exhibits). It's a lovely light museum with a very nice cafe (No I didn't have any cake). If your in London it is well worth  visiting and it's free, whilst there I  got to see the Society of Designer Craftsmen exhibition too!

One of many wooden printing blocks with brass inlay 

Wallpaper (sorry about the reflection)

The Winter Craft Market wasn't such a great success, at least I didn't make lots of bits specifically for this occasion. I tried but I don't think I'd bother doing it again.

Really good news I have the feeling back in my knee, I went for the first physiotherapy session this week. I was told that as I have no symptoms at this point they would usually be discharging me. I've got exercises to do and I'm  back next week to see how I'm getting on, and they are going to enrol me in six sessions of Pilate's that should be fun!

Now I can walk properly Betsy is back to having longer walks which we have both missed, that's when the weather allows, I don't mind the cold its the rain that makes things horrible.

This week I'm going to my regular C&G class and as an extra on Friday I'm off to Art Van Go with the class for a demonstration and then a play with the products, this could prove to be an expensive day, tell you more next time!

Oh well off to make another coffee for the plasterer......

It's all about remembering and giving thanks this month, so I thought I'd add this image of a poppy with a bee, I took this photo on a visit to RHS Hyde Hall way back in 2011.

This image of a WW1 cemetery and was taken in Belgium in December 2010 you can read more about this trip here

We've had a lovely family celebration since my last post my Uncle Alf was 90 years old and he invited the family to join him for Sunday lunch you can see more on Super Gran's blog.

Now for an update on my leg/knee saga, first thank you for your comments on my previous few posts. On Saturday I went to see the Doctor and get the results of the blood test and MRI, it appears that there is a constriction in a section of my spinal cord. The nerves that serve my lower leg and knee are affected by this.  There is good news the lower part of my leg is no longer numb, the Doctor thinks that with conservative care my knee should improve greatly too, I start physiotherapy next week. And no surprises I need to loose weight...... oh dear just when I'm getting a new cooker and a new kitchen I had such plans for some domestic goddessing!!!!!! I'll have to give it a go but with everything low or no fat....

Amanda thanks for your comments and yes it is scary isn't it.  I hope you are feeling a lot better. The choice was mine to do all the design work again for the City and Guild, apparently you don't have to repeat it if you've already completed the certificate in a certain time scale. It might be worth looking into if you really want to do it.

This weeks a full week, Tuesday Material Girls monthly meeting, Wednesday C&G we are visiting the William Morris Gallery. I've been there once before years ago, it's recently been refurbished and has a new cafe, I was going to say there will be cake, but there wont be any for me........ Thursday and Friday the floor in the kitchen is going to be tiled. Oh I wish I could go away for a week or so and come back when it's over. I know Betsy is going to hate all the disruption. It all seemed such a good idea at the time......