Happy Easter

I can't believe it's come around again. I promised I wouldn't moan about the weather but this time last year we had the best weather imaginable. OK, some areas hadn't had rainfall for months but to call it a drought was ridiculous. As soon as drought warnings went out you know what happened. Month after month after month of rain, floods, freak storms and hurricanes. This winter has brought subzero temperatures, late snow and ice.

People are making this Easter a reason to put it all behind them and celebrate. British Summer Time starts tonight. Yipeee!

We've stocked up on cakes, lamb, (Welsh of course) chocolate and deicer. Tonight will be a snuggle under a blanket night with a glass of wine and a cat or two to cwtch.

I'm forgetting about calories for the weekend but I feel a little self-righteous for buying ethically. On two counts; I've bought from a local shop and considered the use of palm oil.

Not intending to get preachy. There'll be enough of that this weekend. You can check how green your Easter goodies are at The Rainforest Foundation

Just look at these beauties from Ella Riley's Toffee and Sweet Shop. I said retro and Freya came up with dolly mixtures and alphabet letters. They're too good to share and Rolla isn't coming home this weekend. Oh well, more for me!

Have a great holiday!

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda

or Happy New Year!

Thanks for being here for another year. A wet soggy year it was too. Record breaking in its rainfall. All the more reason for celebrating the first sunny day of 2013.

No resolutions from me except to get out more on the days the monsoon lets up. Oh, and to shift some weight, get more organised, have a life. All the usual.

Today I woke up to a blue sky and a brisk wind. A bit like being in foreign climes. I decided to go for a drive except when I hit the coast road I joined the rest of the sheep on their way to the beach. I headed over the mountain road instead and came across these boys. 

Birds are great. You can tell who's who in the pecking order. It was such a change to be hissed at by something other than Dizzy.

I had some odd looks from over the dry stone wall. The superiority of a creature who looks better in a high necked Dizabone jacket than any human. He soon lost interest and carried on soaking up the warmth.

Have a great 2013!

Shock of the new

I've been a very naughty blogger. I've failed miserably these last few months. My only excuse is a rubbish, overheating computer that finally died. It will not be moaned.

I promise I'll do better when I figure out how to use my new Apple computer and my new camera.

In the meantime I'll leave you with pretty pictures of autumn in Bute Park, Cardiff.

We stared at the squirrel for ages. Beth thought he was stuffed. He didn't even blink for about 10 minutes.

I think I might have cracked it. Now to catch up with all your news.

My belated birthday

well not really belated but belated in telling you about it.


So the three of us; me, Rolla and Beth hit London Town. To be fair Rolla was already there but she's never set a foot in Hammersmith before. We hit the Apollo to see Rhod Gilbert in his new show, The Man With The Flaming Battenberg Tattoo. For those of you who don't know about Rhod, his style is epic standup rants about life's minor irritations. His long suffering girlfriend is usually mentioned and their relationship plays a major part of this show. He says anger management has made him a more mellow person. Not! And yes, that is an actual tattoo.

On the Saturday, my actual birthday, we kicked off at Tate Britain and took the boat down the Thames to Tate Modern. Press passes got us into the Damien Hirst Retrospective. 


Like most people I knew about his work. It's difficult to miss some of the more derogatory reviews in the press. The impact of scale and detail is something reviews don't prepare you for. Some of the pieces in the Retrospective are huge and made a lasting impression. It was Lullaby, The Seasons that stood out for me. Four stainless cabinets with mirrored backboards and thousand of hand crafted pills lined up on shelves almost mesmerize you. The mirrors create a kaleidoscope of angles and colours in a display that initially appears formal and precise.

The short walk from Tate Modern took us to the Oxo Tower and my real treat in the shape of Summer Not Afternoon Tea.

Beth had Flower Power with the most gorgeous lavender macaroon. Rolla chose Berrilicious complete with strawberry and yoghurt ice lolly, dunked in white chocolate and sprinkled with dried strawberries. While I had Chocolate Madness complete with a coffee chocolate shot topped with advocaat foam. Each one came with a different cocktail.

Our waiter Mario was delightful and brought me a complementary chocolate ice cream complete with a candle and piped 'Happy Birthday' in chocolate ganache.

Another cocktail later we headed back to the hotel for champagne. As we walked along the Southbank we had an amazing surprise in the, now not so ample, form of Bryn Terfel. It was the closing free concert of Brynfest which formed part of the Southbank's Festival of World Music. It was a little Welsh sing song of 500 choristers and the Cory Band. I really didn't think I'd spend my birthday singing Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau along with Bryn Terfel. Thank you my lovely daughters!

They did say they arranged it just for me. They did, didn't they?

Wonderwool 2012

Yarn fanatics brought a huge crowd to Builth Wells last month for the annual Wonderwool.  The best part of it for me is an insight of the process from animal to garment. This year we had Blue Texels, alpacas and Shetlands. There were beautiful angora bunnies too but I stayed away from them for fear of wheezing. It's not a good look to be hugging on an inhaler. Not a good advert for them either.

I'm very focused when I go to these events. My only purchase was an Aran weight, organic wool and alpaca from Uppingham Yarns. It will make a great cowl for next winter. Although the way the weather has been I might start making it now.

The reason for this year's visit was to try my hand at dyeing. It's great fun getting messing but I'm sure that was not intended. We had plenty of time and space to try out different methods.

The final stages were carried out at home with a microwave. These wrapped up like a sausage hanks had to be cooked, then rinsed and put out to dry.

All the wools are organic. The pink and purple nearest are 4 ply Wensleydale. I love the way they shimmer and can't wait to knit them up. Any suggestions for one skein patterns?

I leave you with the real stars. In no particular order; Shetlands, alpaca (who look perpetually bored) and the lovely Blue Texel. Ahww!

Happy Mothering Sunday

It's been a weekend to enjoy. Yesterday morning the postman arrived with two packages of organic cotton, one box of embroidery hoops and another parcel with a lovely surprise inside. A lovely tin of biscuits from Rolla.

A gorgeous tin of biscuits from Biscuiteers. Aren't these so cute? It's what every yarn loving, kitty mummy wants.

Later in the afternoon this happened.

Yes! Wales won the Grand Slam!! A nail biting end to a tournament and the nation is still celebrating.

Today I went out with Beth for pancakes and a lovely wonder round the shops. I fell in love with a pair of shoes that are so out of my price range that I've got to have them.

Here's to a good week ahead for all of you yummy mummies and nonmums!

Reasons to be cheerful part 3

Wales 24-3 Italy

Wales’ Alex Cuthbert and Italy’s Kristopher Burton. Credit: Mike Egerton/EMPICS Sport

This time next week I could be even happier! Have a great weekend!

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus!

Happy St David's Day.

It's 1 March, the one day of the year that Welsh people everywhere get in touch with their inner nationalist. Children all over Wales have been taking part in eistddfodau, cultural competitions that involve singing, dancing, poetry readings and art. The younger ones will be dressed up in costume and wearing the daffodil or leek with pride. St David's Day is a not an uproarious drunken celebration but a day for the nation to take quiet note of its long history.

Today I'm going to give you a little taste of Wales. Traditionally cawl, a lamb stew is eaten, but I'm going to give you a recipe for something more yummy, Welsh cakes or picau ar y maen.

I'd like to say that this recipe was handed down from my mother. It's not. She did everything by sight and didn't possess a set of scales. On the numerous occasions I've asked her she's said that you just judge it.
Right!

This recipe is in Imperial. For metric I'll give you links to other recipes with better photos.

Picau ar y Maen
1lb self raising flour
4oz butter
4oz hard margarine
4oz currants
6oz caster sugar
1/2 teasp mixed spice (optional)
1 egg
pinch salt

Sift the flour and salt together. Rub in the fat until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add all the other dry ingredients.

Beat the egg lightly and bind the mixture to make a firm dough. You can add milk to make it more manageable.

Roll out on a floured board to a thickness of 1/4 inch and cut into rounds.

Cook on a lightly greased griddle or heavy frying pan for about three minutes each side until golden brown.

Sprinkle lightly with caster sugar and serve. Sometimes they are split and then sandwiched with jam.

After that you can sit back and enjoy!

For metric measures check BBC Food. For a Welsh site that sells the traditional bakestone try Welsh Griddles.

Do try them out. They're yummy!

Reasons to be cheerful part 2

I bring you sunshine and not even on a rainy day! I tried hard to find it but here it is, the only cloud in the sky.

As I was taking the photo mayhem broke loose. A flock of gulls and crows mobbed this,

The only shot that shows it was a buzzard. Three of them to be precise. The other shots are blurred because of all the frantic mobbing.

And then at night a waxing crescent moon and Venus. I didn't get Jupiter but I'll try tonight. I haven't got a clue about taking night photos but it's shiny.

It's amazing the things you see when it's not misty, foggy or raining!

Why I'm happy today

Wales' captain Sam Warburton holds up the Triple Crown trophy after Wales beat England 19-12 Photograph: David Jones/PA

It's the first time Wales has ever won the Triple Crown at Twickenham. There will be cries from English fans of, 'We woz robbed'.

No you weren't!

Play it again Clint

This time with emotion! Not misty but foggy. And not the best day for a walk but it's one of those days when it's warm and springlike even if you can't see a thing. It's also been a day of strange happenings.

I got retweeted by our celebrity weatherman. Given it was a pretty poor joke but it was raised enough of a chuckle for him to press retweet. No, I not going to share it with you.

The road to my favourite beach has been changed. My favourite restaurant has closed down. I should have gone more often, drank more wine, been tempted by the desserts. Gone too is the death defying drive along the cliffs. Instead a step climb with an embankment so that you can't see the drop. Now that's my kind of road. I shall be going more often, taking more snaps, taking longer walks.

The beach is strange in the fog. The surf roars so much that you don't where the sea is and figures come out of the murk.

There was no way I was crossing the stepping stones at Ogmore today.

 and the castle looked less than inviting.

Back home to a warming cuppa and I finished this in time for the big match tomorrow.

C'mon Wales!

If Wales wins I'll tell you the joke but I'm not tempting fate. Have a great weekend.

February

In the poem
January brings the snow,

Makes our feet and fingers glow.

February brings the rain,
Thaws the frozen lake again.

Well, Sara Coleridge might have thought that in 1834 but I'm more inclined to go with the version by Michael Flanders.

January brings the snow
Makes your feet and fingers glow.


February's ice and sleet
Freeze the toes right off your feet

This week has brought all of that, ice, sleet, snow, wind, freezing temperatures. I'm so glad I live here. Continental Europe has been plunged into serious minus figures. Saturday brought this. Through the snow you can just make out the orange chest of a bullfinch.

Here he is in his finery. He didn't stick around long because he was sent packing by this little thug.

I don't know where robins have picked up the cute tag. They are the terrorists of the bird world and will fight any bird that encroaches their territory. The Victorians again probably because they looked good on those new fangled Christmas cards.

With this going on outside it was good to settle down in the warm and start a blanket. I like the way the self patterning wool worked out. It's got an almost 1940s feel to it. Luckily it wasn't 1840s or it would have been very wrong! Finished and listed today. You can find it here in my Etsy shop.

Derek our local weather man has threatened more tonight. He's never wrong, so keep warm!

Holidays in January

Most people choose to jet away to the sun. Others might pamper themselves in a spa. I went to North Wales. In January.

Some people think it always rains in Wales. Well, they are wrong. Sometimes it snows. In January in North Wales. In February in my garden. It doesn't look much and hopefully it will soon stop but it was enough to drive the bullfinches to the feeder this morning.

North Wales was spectacular with enough snow on the peaks but none at lower level. We stayed in Bodelwyddan Castle. It's had a varied history dating from before 1460 but the castle dates from 1830.  That's modern by our castle standards. Since then it has been a hospital, a private girls school and is now an outpost of the National Portrait Gallery.

Lots of coffee shop stops and photos ops on Saturday as we head out to Snowdonia and Britain's tallest mountain. Be prepared to shiver!

 Llyn Padarn

 Llyn Peris

 Snowdon from Capel Curig

It was great to get back to Conwy Marina for sunshine and coffee.

On Sunday a trip to the Mostyn Gallery in Llandudno before a very windy trip around the Great Orme.

Always on the lookout for free grub! In the background you can see Anglesey and Puffin Island

Those vintage lovers have their own transport.

Now I think it's time for hot chocolate or perhaps a mulled wine. Mmmm? Mulled wine, I think. It is Saturday!

Have a great weekend!