Lovely time

Oh I love the Zoo!

We met the tapir’s, as I said before – it was world Tapir day on the 27th of April, and we had been particularly disappointed not to see the Tapir. Apparently Belfast Zoo has had Tapirs since 1995 (or 1991?)- But we had never seen or heard of them! We were all the more frustrated to learn that the time before last that we had been to the zoo with friends they had had a BABY tapir – which I am sure you all know are the cutest things in THE WHOLE WORLD. My pics of the Tapirs were a bit disappointing to be honest, but I found this wonderful picture by Brendan Wenzel on his blog: http://www.brendanwenzel.info/blog . In fact, this blog appears to have amazing artwork and NOTHING at all else on it!


There isn’t much else going on really. The parental units finally managed to get away to Spain (3rd flight lucky) and now of course may not be able to get back again. Alastair is sick – he’s been under the weather for a week now. This is the longest he has been ill since I’ve known him. Even when he had the mumps he was only sick for 3 days, so I’m pretty worried about him. Also he has now developed what I believe is referred to as an IRRITATING cough…. Not getting much sleep at the moment.


I’m getting ready to book my driving test now – very nearly ready! I’m pretty nervous though, I’m going to have to just bite the bullet I think. I’ve been distracting myself making jewellery and cards and so on. Still no sewing machine though, but I’ve just bought this month’s BurdaStyle and it has lots of lovely things that I want to make. I can’t wait to get started!

It’s a jungle out there!

OOPS! I didn’t really mean to leave it so long… on the other hand I couldn’t really say where the time has gone. The competition that I was getting ready for in my last post was AGES ago, in fact we’ve flown to Glasgow for another one in the meantime. We’ve had overseas visitors x3, I’ve been on a week-long training course in a new Diabetic “diet” or lack thereof – otherwise known as DAFNE, or Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating, I’ve taken up horse riding again and I was gifted a year’s membership to Belfast Zoo by my other half. Possibly the nicest present that he’s ever bought me – well, after the pasta maker that is.

I’ve taken some photos that I’m really proud of recently – some of which I’m thinking I might enter in the annual photography competition at the zoo! I have also opened a Photobox account to try and sell some of my photos online – and I’ll post a link here soon so you can see them as soon as I get organised.


I’ve broken my sewing machine! Not sure what’s going on there, I’ve had to buy a new manual having lost the original along with the pedal in one of my many moves around the UK. I was horrified to learn that you can’t download the manual for free the way you would with a camera or whatever – really I can’t do without the book – I can’t even figure out/ remember how to put thread on the bobbin! Anyway now there is a wire sticking out where there shouldn’t be and the whole thing has gotten so tight that my thread keeps breaking. *cries*
I’m now really looking forward to the bank holiday weekend – we’re thinking we might go to the zoo again, since it’s now free! Mainly because Al wants to see the Gibbons again (they’re his favourite) and we missed a few thing last week – we didn’t get to see the tapir, most disappointing as world tapir day was last Monday, or the capybara – not so much because it wasn’t out as because we couldn’t find it!
Have a fab weekend everyone!

The Joy of DECENT Pins…

This sounds like an eccentric album title, but I couldn’t be more serious! I'll get to the pins in a minute...
Such a week I’ve had! A new job, a training course, various financial disasters, a letter from HMRC telling me that I’m being fined for not filling in my tax return… I have not been self employed since June 2007, I had half a mind to ring them to say, “I can’t find my P60, could you send me a copy so I can tell you what it says on it?” Is it any wonder that our economy is failing??

Anyway! No one really cares about my tax return woes! This weekend Al took the boat to Liverpool for the Merseyside Open. Things did not go well, but that’s another story! He bought a lovely new sword, which unfortunately did not seem to improve his performance any. We reckon he can’t do without having me there to coach him! Gosh, it’s nice to be needed isn’t it? The upshot of which is that I’m being taken away for a weekend in April for the Glasgow Open!!! NICE to be needed!!
While he’s been away I had a few jobs this weekend. I’ve had presents for some of Al’s family sort of half started since before Christmas. As it turned out we couldn’t afford to get over to see them so the gifts sort of got shifted to the back burner… of course we now only have 2 and a half days until we see them! So I had to get them sorted this weekend (don’t tell!) I picked out material, bias binding and thread to make 3 scarves. They are all gorgeous! If I didn’t have to give them away I’d be keeping them, but it must be said that the only thing that I have EVER done with a sewing machine before is turn up trousers.
Oh the pins!!!!!!!! My pins are so tiny; looking at my ruler here they are maybe 12mm long – why did no one ever warn me? I hate pinning! Hate it! It’s fiddly! It takes ages! And ages! And the corners are awkward! And I can’t sew in a straight line apparently… but they are now finished, and even if I do say so myself they don’t look half bad. By the 3rd one I was feeling a bit more confidant, and I think I’ll do a few more as soon as possible to keep my hand in. This week I also made a fabric necklace for my cousins little girl who was 11(?) on Monday the 15th. I know that’s awful that I’m not sure which birthday it was, but in fairness to myself, I also forget how old I am sometimes. This is always helpful if you get ID checked when buying a bottle of wine. : )
It’s been a busy week, not least the training course on Thursday and Friday – look I’m certified! Or certifiable anyway! Another strange little aside to add to my CV – not sure what it would be useful for, but you never know! This week is set to be just as bad, so much to do before we fly on Friday morning. Competition no. 3 –Yorkshire Senior Foil on Saturday, this is also the York Presidents Weekend for x fencers from York Uni. – hence us both going. So I’ll be able to coach Al and also get to shop in York and see some friends! So far it looks as if Al and I are the oldest people going… Is this bad? There is at least one more fencing couple, possibly 3 others, attending – so we’re hoping for a good weekend! Details and pic’s to follow!!

READING!!!

OK, i haven't posted in a bit (OMG nearly 2 weeks!) but I've been oh so busy!!

I have now finished the boxed set of the Charlaine Harris books that the Mr got me for Christmas, and Pandaemonium, the newest Christopher Brookmyre novel that he asked me to read - we have also finished watching all 3 series of supernatural that Kitty and Kevin bought us for Christmas, but that's another story entirely!!

I have now started Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke that Claire loaned to me - its huge! which is slightly daunting, and its very heavy to Carry around on the bus! but I shall persevere.

Aside from that I have cut all my squares out for the quilt that i intend to make - 30 10" x 10" squares! it took ages! and i have also cut out all the pieces for the blue silk skirt that i have been meaning to start for some time now - these shall be added to the pile of things that i will finish when i acquire an instruction manual for my sewing machine - this is so cheeky!! i can download a manual for my camera or computer for goodness sake, why not the sewing machine?!?!?

anyway. i shall just have to keep at it. i may upload a pretty recipe or jewellery tutorial this weekend - Alastair is off to Dublin on Saturday for the East of Ireland open (last year it was actually ON valentines day and he still went!!) so I will probably be at a loose end - thought there are hundreds of things i should be doing - time management is the key! got to get shopping and tidy and I have mine aunt and uncle coming round for lunch to organise for... maybe not such a loose end after all : (

Cards!!!

I realised this week that I had run out of 'emergency' cards and had better make some more - I have made a few valentines cards as well, since thats nearly upon us! I think i may start selling them for £2.50 or so - i'm loving my new heat tool and embossing powder, can you tell at all??



I have bought the new papremania breast cancer awareness stamp 'build-a-rose' - which is LOVELY, but I can get my hands on the poppy one that was out in november, no one seems to have any! I shall keep looking though, as this one is my new favourite stamp! I may make a few more purchases this month - there is a papermania font that i fancy (and i can never find stamps with the sentiments I want) and i also feel that i need the stamps with the chairs and things (chatsworth collection or something). I have been trying to convince myself that these stamps will be very useful, though i cant think for the life of me for what!

New Beads!!!!

My new year's order of beads has arrived!! I'm well impressed, I ordered them at 1pm yesterday and they were on the doorstep waiting for me when I got home from work today. That's no mean feat considering they had to come from all the way over the ocean! Oh, and they are lovely! I got tempted by a sale at www.beadsdirect.co.uk, this little lot cost less than £25!

I am especially excited about the 'lemon jade free-form slab's and also the 'lava stone barrel's -

the Jade I bought just because I saw it and wanted it, I've actually bought a lot of greeny- yellow things this time - but the lava stone I have been wanting to work with for ages! I've never got my hands on any before now - I was tempted to make some out of fimo but just never got around to it.

I saw a free tutorial for it somewhere, it involved pressing rock salt into the fimo before baking, then soaking it in water after to dissolve the salt! Not a patch on the real thing though!

I'm hoping I will finally get around to making something for my Etsy shop, but we shall see – there are a lot of things here that I will have trouble parting with at all!

I think I will try and make a tutorial at the weekend for one of my Troll (Pandora) bead lariat necklaces – there were loads of things that I wanted to post about last week that I didn't get around to – and now look – forgotten forever!

Happily I seem to be getting over my 'cant be bothered reading' slump – I think I read so much coming up to Christmas that my brain just couldn't take any more! Hardly surprising really, there is only so much Jasper Fforde that even a disturbed mind such as mine can handle. I'm maybe a sixth of the way through the first Charlaine Harris book, 'Dead Until Dark' (the series that True Blood is based on), and I think I'm enjoying it even more than the series if that's even possible! I am missing the title song though – Bad Things – must download to listen to while reading, wont Al be pleased!

Recipe - Post Match Big Yorkshire Breakfast

acting on Scarlette's excellent recipe share idea I'm going to post the breakfast I make for my Mr after a big fencing competition (like the Northern Irish Open).

This recipe is inspired by a fantastic recipe in Jamie Oliver's 'Return of the Naked Chef', the midnight pan cooked breakfast on page 27. (the recipe is also available online at http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/Eggs-Dairy/recipe.html?dishid=745 if anyone wants it!

My Al is a Yorkshire man, and is a huge fan of Yorkshire pudding, massive curly sausages, English mustard and pork pie's with mushy peas, so I have edited this recipe especially for him its sort of a cross between Jamie's recipe and toad in the hole!

This works best with a pan that can go into the oven or under the grill – with a handle on either side rather than a long handle.

For the base:

X quantity of sausages (if they are smallish sausages I do 3 per person – this is assuming that this recipe is being cooked for brunch and counts for 2 meals – it is NOT low fat )

x quantity of mushrooms cut into slices(the portabello ones are best for this, one massive mushroom is enough per person, or a handful of normal sized ones)

several tomatoes cut into slices (if desired)

several sliced onions if desired

*Jamie's recipe also calls for bacon and eggs but my variation works better with sausages than bacon and you will see where the eggs go!

For the batter:

100g of plain flour

2 eggs

a dash of milk

1 heaped tsp of wholegrain mustard

~ first make the batter, whist together the eggs and milk and then add the flour a few spoons at a time, beat with the whisk until fairly smooth and then beat in the mustard. Leave to rest while you do the rest.

~ if you are using onions, place these in the pan first over a medium heat with a little oil until they start to soften.

~ cut the sausages in half lengthways and then again across the middle and place in the frying pan. You shouldn't need extra oil here – I never have

~ when the sausages are just about cooked through, turn on the grill to a high temperature and add the mushrooms and tomatoes to the pan. cook on until the mushrooms are cooked through.

~ the key to a good Yorkshire pudding is to have the oil really hot, if the sausages you are using have not given up much oil add a tsp or two and heat through, you really don't need as much as you think.

~ when your oil is hot and the ingredients are cooked give your batter one last whisk and pour over the whole lot, and keep it on the heat until the whole thing moves as one piece when you shake the pan.

~ remove from the ring and place under the pre-heated grill, it should start to puff up – if your grill is like mine it only cooks at the back for some reason, but if your 'pudding' has come together you can turn the whole think around 180 degrees in the pan and put it back under.

~ when the top is starting to go crispy and is a goldy colour slice into portions and serve – and there's only one pan to wash up!