This Rocks!

How I Came to Write an Apostolic Letter to Non-Christians in Esquire - Shane Claiborne - God's Polit

Click onto the above link and follow through to the article. It's really worth a read.

Autumn Vegetable

The veg growing this year wasn't too great. The potatoes grew successfully but I wasn't impressed with the flavour. The tomatoes failed. The yellow courgettes were good. Peas were a limited success as were some of the herbs and flowers.
For autumn I planted Jack O' Lantern pumpkin and butternut squash. Neither of these grew but 2 huge marrow-like plants did grow. At first I decided they were marrows and made chutney with the first which worked well but then the other one started turning orange...so I am unsure what this was but made lots of soup with it and served it as a roast vegetable too along with carrots...roasted with honey drizzled on top which worked well too.
Whatever it was, it was nice!

Grandma & Grandpa

We loved having Grandma and Grandpa to stay for a few days.

Mike's dad helped at the new house a lot, including making the oak stand for the washbasin in the bathroom that I had planned in my head but didn't have the skills to make!

Janet pottered about with me and Martha ...we walked into town a few times, had lunch out with Becky and the kids, went to Ikea and stuffed the car full of unexpected things and the nice Ikea men had to close my boot with string for us to get home (two wall cabinets from the bargain corner were just too good to miss) Mike's face was a picture when I drove up to the house..and not in a good way!!

We carved a pumpkin, made soup and cupcakes, caught up with news and Martha had lots of cuddles and attention.

Pie & Peas at D&C's

Every year Mike's aunt and uncle host a family get together. His aunt (above) is the 'Queen of Meat & Potato Pie' and we all look forward to eating it every year.

We have mulled wine, catch-up conversations, go outside for sparklers and fireworks, line the kids up for a photograph with varying success, dip into chocolate fondue with fruit and marshmallows, the men play with trains and we go home tired and happy.

It's becoming a lovely tradition and one of my favourite nights of the year.

Reece

Miriam

Naomi

Alice with Esther

Martha with Mike

Nick and Becky

All the kids

Halloween

Martha dressed up as a cat for Halloween and we went to Cradle Club where there were pumpkins, bats, skeletons.
Good fun for the mums ...the babies were oblivious!

First Foods

At 5 months I felt I couldn't hold off weaning any longer. Martha was giving me grudging looks every time I ate anything and she was so interested in everything being prepared that we started on the baby rice and porridge.

Needless to say she has taken to everything and eaten all sorts of things. She progressed from rice & porridge to veggies by accident...with me serving her mashed veg from my plate and then spooning soup from my bowl for her.

It wasn't really planned, just happened and so far has been plain sailing and we're all enjoying this new stage.

First Concert

We took Martha to her first concert! It was the Fisher's Tale Chill Out Evening to raise funds for Project Aid (charity to help provide cows, bikes etc where needed) ....she cried at first as it was too loud and she was tired so then we sat in the foyer with her where we could still hear and she slept through the rest of it! All proceeds from the coffee and cakes were for the charity.
I had fun making cupcakes for it and Fisher's Tale cookies.

The cupcake recipe I got from the internet but it wasn't that great - the cakes were too heavy so I've modified it a little since.
3 eggs
5oz butter
3oz caster sugar
3oz icing sugar
6oz SR flour
1 tsp vanilla

First I whisked the eggs with an electric whisk this time, then added all the other ingredients and whisked again until light and creamy. Bake at 180/350 for 18/20 mins. Cool before icing. Makes 12 cakes.
I'd really like to find a recipe with 2 eggs for cupcakes so my search will continue.

Jewellery Making

A few of us had a jewellery evening at church which was good fun. I haven't made jewellery in years and thoroughly enjoyed making it again...plus much more fun as a group with chatting, coffee and cakes.

Three Years!

We celebrated our 3rd Wedding Anniversary...sadly all 3 of us had colds and bugs on the day so we didn't enjoy it as much as we hoped. Mike did bring me some buttery-lemon asters which cheered me up a lot!
We plan still to have a meal when we are a bit more organised with things.


Time has flown since our wedding day ... it was such a special day for us and we love to re-live it every year.

Outside Carver Church in Windermere

Our lovely guests

The sail on the lake before dinner