Gosh. I've not posted forever. I do need to post about last week's holiday (a cottage in Noke, near Oxford, in which we visited Many Museums, marvelled over how familiar yet utterly changed Oxford was, and Some Of Us ate a ridiculous amount of cake.) I also need to post about What I've Read over the last month. (In case I don't get round to it, I' ( Read more... )

We were away last week, in a strange and bitty week with lots of travelling, much of which was spent with various relatives. Despite frequent reminders to myself ("must charge my camera before I go," followed by, "oh dear. Oh well... Must remember to pack the charger so I can charge it when I'm there") I managed to go away with a camera that ( Read more... )

I posted a few months ago about the concealed Brie that Pellinor's Mum securely hid for us into a soup-making gift set that she sent to us. Last night, I decided to make the soup. The instructions told me to tip the entire 500g sachet into a pan, add 2 pints of boiling water and a stock cube, and simmer until done, adding additional water if needed ( Read more... )

I abseiled off a tree yesterday. I didn't mean to do it, but wine had been flowing freely on the Friday night, when the sign-up list was being passed round. Pellinor signed up for it, and he's afraid of heights, which he claims are the haunts of that notorious trickster, Gravity, who lurks there, desperately trying to entice people to fall to their ( Read more... )

Just got back from a short trip away - two days staying with my parents in the north of the Cotswolds, then hopping a mere 11 miles or so into Worcestershire for the Evesham Morris weekend. Although it was so close to where I was brought up, Evesham didn't feel at all like home. Home means rolling hills and Cotswold stone, not flat plains full of ( Read more... )

I'm somewhat incommunicado at the moment, as a result of having a matched pair of three year olds living in my computer room, so the various LJ posts I've been writing in my head will have to wait. (Not that I've been writing that many in my head, since my new car can play Bellowhead CDs, but I have at least some, about books and things, and, oh, ( Read more... )

Conversation with my mother ( Read more... )

And, because Christmas is not just about breaking cars... We had a good few days with my parents, in W'combe (ancient capital of Merica, best small town in the whole world etc. etc. - I am consitutionally bound to say these things at all times, on pain of disinheritance.) An aunt always spends Christmas there, too, along with her invisible cat.

( Christmas )

Our dead car is still in our drive. I suspect it will remain there for a while, before any work can be done, while the insurance people thrash things out. We might be able to get a courtesy car to take us to the mainland this weekend, but might not.

( Insurance troubles )

Firstly, thanks to everyone who wished me happy birthday on Thursday. I wasn't being rude and ignoring you; I just wasn't here.

( Reading too much )