Why computers are trying things and I guess London isn't so bad after all.

Hello!

So, I haven't written a post in over a month because my laptop battery died a quiet, unassuming death which meant I had to contact Japan to get another one (yes yes, the whole country got involved in the quest for a new battery, it was like House of Flying Daggers but with beautiful precious batteries on plush cushions and all the 'combat' was performed via computers in the form of potent computer hacking manoeuvres).

But, hark! Lo, I see before me a working laptop so hoorah and hooray and I say, How Splendid to you Japan!

Now that the explanation is over we can get to the crux of the matter, meaning the main subject of this post:

GOING TO LONDON FOR A HORSE EXHIBITION AND TO MARVEL AT WATERSTONES PICADILLY.

I went along with the lovely George, who thinks London is pretty good. I have a history of not enjoying London too much, mainly due to the fact I feel constantly dirty while I'm there. Also, I don't like people pushing me which seems to happen every time I go. I must confess however that this trip was GREAT.

First stop was the British Museum for an exhibition on horses through the ages. It was lovely but I had hoped there would be more there. I did enjoy a short film projected onto the wall at the end of the exhibition which had some excellent dressage footage; George finds dressage silly and hilarious. Who can argue with that?

The top image shows the jazziest armour a horse could wear! I adore the middle sketch, I love drawings that look this spontaneous. The final image is a touch creepy but, for some reason, I like it.

We then had a falafel pitta for lunch with only two pieces of falafel nestled inside, outrageous. But as soon I started munching into it and realised how delicious it was, I forgave the "Pancake Cafe" man in an instant.

Journeying onward, we went to Waterstones Picadilly for a rummage in the Picture Book section. I had hoped to find a hardback with sumptuous illustrations preferably in french but alas did not. Luckily, I was not wholely disappointed and discovered a book called Bambert's Book of Missing Stories which looks fantastic, they certainly have a fairy tale quality to them. The illustrations are by Emma Chichester Clark whom I adore for her blue kangaroo stories. There were so many books to look at I found it a bit overwhelming. Coffee beckoned and we sat up at level 5 with a pretty good view of London to muse over while sipping frothy cappuccino.

By this point, time was running away with us so a few underground stops later we hopped onto the train home from Waterloo. I think more journeys shall be made to the capital but lessons have been learnt from this experience: 1. Always go with someone you like very much 2. Make sure to drink a few teas or at least one coffee and 3. go when it is not raining (I imagine this is just too much to handle somewhere so busy!)

BYEEEEEEEE.

I've never been to an antique fair before...and Breakfast.

Mmmmmmm delicious Porridge. As mums across the world would say, 'it's a great way to start the day' and as that rhymes, it must be true. For a more creamy, less fattening porridge make it with rice milk, then sweeten with sugar to taste and top with mixed berries. I promise you'll be full until lunch and smiling from ear to ear.

On Saturday I went to Staffordshire to an antiques market and after many hours of rummaging, managed to find some super fantastic bits and pieces.

Firstly, this lovely pipe in it's own green leather case lined with velvet (mmm velvet). The gentleman I purchased it from assured me that the colours are natural resins...I was clearly supposed to be impressed by this so there was much nodding and smiling. Behold an authentic man demonstrating how a pipe should be used...good stuff.

Secondly, I discovered that £2.00 can buy a person a stainless steel pen knife...with other attachments included. Quite the revelation. The man who sold this to me also had old fashioned lighters for £5...we are talking 1940's/1950's 'Can I offer you a cigarette my dear? My word, you are looking divine this evening' kind of lighters. There were also countless silver cigarette cases for sale, honestly if I were a smoker, antique markets would be my go to place for smoking related memorabilia. But luckily for my lungs and arteries etc, I do not.


Finally, I bought some black and white photos that are both beautiful and hilarious.

 

This one is my absolute favourite; this was actually taken in a photography studio in Blackpool (the sandbags have 'Blackpool' printed on them) and show a family posing in a hot air balloon basket. In reality, it's a plywood mock up but don't they look like they're having the time of their lives?! I love the fact that the Father's coat is poking out of the basket on the left hand side, he's quite the daredevil clearly.

I adore this photo but can you guess why? Yes of course I love their exceptionally well put together outfits, the fact that they are called Edith and Elena and that they are having a day out in Windsor (it's written on the back of the photo) but also because the lady on the left is carrying a cat. No, no it's not a little puppy I assure you, it's a black cat. Why is she carrying a cat around?! Did she bring it from home? Or has she just picked it up in the street? It looks pretty content, maybe she takes it on visits to all the Royal homes of England. I really, really hope so.

Look at these chaps, don't they look like a bunch of heart breakers?

If that guy on the left can get a tune out of that oar them I'm certainly interested. Such nonchalant sailors, smoking with a 'no hands' attitude and everything. Who's steering the boat? They don't even care.

Here's a group shot of the rest of the photos, fabulously stylish lot don't you think? I adore the grannies in their sunday best, the guy with round glasses was probably Head Boy and the lemonade seller's dress is perfect.

 All in all, I highly recommend a day out an Antiques Fair. Even if you're short on pennies like me, you can find some real treasures. I shall definitely be going to another one day soon and you're all invited. Now, the only question is, where am I going to find a hot air balloon real or otherwise? 

BYYEEEEEE.

Let's talk about FOOD.

MMMMMMmmmmmmmMMMMMMMMMmmmm food. Not only do we need it to survive and that, but unlike things we need which we don't like (spoonfuls of cod liver oil, dry swallowing life saving pills etc), we also LOVE and ENJOY eating it!!!!!!!! It's actually win, win (is that how you write win win or win, win or win/win? answers on a postcard). So, yes we've established those two important facts about food...now I'm going to write generally about it.

Firstly, I've been growing some luscious salad and it's coming along nicely. LOOK, a forest of salad leaves:

Had some in a cheese sandwich the other day and it was a taste sensation. Keep your chlorine washed, watery iceberg, I'm chowing down on these peppery delights. Oh, second along in the bottom picture is some spinach and then the one right at the back is a batch of spring onions but they are taking their sweet time in growing.

Moving on and Hoorah and hooray for strawberries, my most favourite fruit in the whole wide world. Some have been growing in a little pot in the garden and I sampled four tiny ones that were very sweet and of course, delicious.

Things I like to do with strawberries include: eating them with ice cream, cream or dipped in chocolate. Using them as an ingredient in eton mess or pavlova. EATING THEM.

It's recipe time!!!! You lucky lot, I bet you didn't think you were going to get a present in the form of a recipe did you?!!! I made this scrummy dinner last night and it is absolutely fantastic because it's super quick but super yummy at the same time. MMMMMMMMMM, I'm caught in the memory of a satisfying evening meal...and you could be too if you follow the steps below! It's from the Innocent Cookbook (which you really should buy, its so full of good ol' fruit and veg you'll getting to five a day without breaking a sweat) and this is what you'll need for SAUSAGE AND SQUASH MASH (serves 4):


8 good-quality pork sausages (Southampton people, we are talking Robinson's Butchers in Bassett).
2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges.
2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard.
2 tablespoons runny honey.
a good splash of apple juice.
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into small chunks.
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks.
extra virgin olive oil.


Preheat your oven to 200 degrees/400 fahrenheit/gas mark 6.

Put the sausages inot a baking tray and add the apple wedges.

Mix the mustard, honey and apple juice together in a small bowl, then pour over the sausages and apples and giver it a good stir.

Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, remembering to give the tray a decent shake halfway through to make sure everything is well coated.

While your sausages are cooking, bring a big pan of water to the boil. Add the squash and sweet potatoes, bring back to the boil, then turn down the heat and leave to simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until tender. Drain in a colander and return the veg to the pan.

Add a glug of olive oil, season well with salt and pepper and mash away.

Serve a generous scoop of squash mash piled up with the sausages, apples and sticky gravy.

NOW REJOICE IN A COLOURFUL, TASTY AND HEALTHY DINNNNNEEERRRRR!





BYYEEE.

Application forms coming out of my ears.

So this is my life now, lots of paper asking me to write about why I want to have a job. I really just want to write FOR MONEY but realise that probably wouldn't get me the job...life isn't like Bridget Jones (you know, that scene where she says she has to leave her current employment because she slept with Hugh Grant? Yep, that's the one, let's carry on now we're on the same wave length) and it's not like other films where people get jobs just by asking and being 'kooky' i.e. they fall through the doorway and spill coffee on their white silk blouse and break a heal of their shoe and their hair falls out of the impecable french pleat that took the character many attempts to create (we know this because we just watched the 'getting-ready-for job-searching montage). SIGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH. If my life was a film it would be so boring...nothing would really happen...wait, it might win some kind of award at Canne in that case...although there isn't enough play between shadow and light. I don't smoke either, in a moody fashion or otherwise.

Oh, I'm going to eat a sandwich (a potentially dynamic moment of cinema).

BYEEEE.

Sheds and Fathers go hand in hand.

Saturday was a day of firsts; I helped put up a shed and I attempted to make fudge. The former was a resounding success, the latter not so much. In fact the fudge was a DISASTER which involved me ruining one of my mama's saucepans and copious amounts of tears on my part. The fudge ended up resembling sugary concrete and would definitely have broken a few of my Dad's teeth if I had given any to him...so that was that Father's Day idea out the window.

Back to the shed though as that was, as I say, a success. Here are the sad remains of the shed my Dad has had since I was 9:

It was actually falling down, as you can imagine it would after 15 years of general use...and 4 children climbing on the roof to spy on the goings on in next doors garden.

Look at some of the lovely things Daddy had in his shed: 

While erecting the shed there was a dangerous moment that probably went against Health & Safety legislation where I crawled across the roof of the shed, like a marine, with a hammer in one hand and nails in the other. The roof is now super secure thanks to my dexterity.

On to today, which is Sunday and Father's Day! Hooray! As I am poor as a church mouse I couldn't actually buy him anything but reverted back to my 5-12 year old selves and painted a picture. I'd like to think it is a slightly better attempt than a 5 year old could manage but I shall leave it up to you to judge.

I shall also be cooking a delicious (hopefully) Curry later as well as baking some flapjacks for pudding. Fingers crossed. 

BYEEEE.

Paint and diaries and application forms...and now I Say, How Spendid!

Dear everyone who may be reading this, 

I'm not sure there are many of you...if any...but Hello *shake of hand*, thank you for coming, do take a seat. 

I have probably had one of the most hectic days ever, well as least since I can actually remember. My eyes hurt, that's how hectic the day has been. WORKING OUT like a pro this morning (it's unbearable to witness, I have to keep the door closed so not even my family can see me), sending email upon email to prospective work places, a telephone interview with a lovely lady from St. John's Winchester Charity, quick whizz up to Hobbycraft to get supplies for my planned painting (an Etsy shop may soon appear...ooooh) and now the creation of this blog. MY EYES HURT. 

This is me.

BYEEEEEEE.