All posts filed under: Life

Reasons to go to spin class

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 I went spinning this morning. Please don’t be impressed at my verve to stay fit and spry.  There are many reasons for my attendance and non of them indicate a desire to become a healthy human!  I went because I would have gone straight back to bed if I went home.  I had my gym bag ready at the door before we left for school so I might as well use it.   I wanted to take my daily photo, theme today was ‘This happened today’  and I wasn’t planning on going anywhere else so I needed a remotely interesting photo.  I know, really, I think a photo of a spin room is an interesting option….. My friend who was also planning on taking the class kindly guided me to the YMCA after school drop off, so what choice did I have.  Spin class completed, I sweated like a leaky water fountain and had wobbly legs afterwards, but I felt good dammit! I am now standing in the woods writing this on my phone while …

Blooming and fruiting and growing

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The garden is growing! Well the pots and Bodhi’s pumpkins are growing.  The torrential rain and crashing storms last night along with the humid, greenhouse warm air has helped them along no end. The oven-like summer seemed to stall all growth, but not quite kill it off. The chilli peppers were there, but not in great number.  This month, the plant has not grown any taller but the peppers have multiplied and the flowers pop out daily ready to be metamorphosised into hot red peppers. The little bell pepper plant is now joining the vegetable fun and is growing some lovely green peppers of it’s own. Plants I had given up on are springing out in lovely bright flowers  and the pumpkins are pumping up nicely.  I am sure if I sat and watched, the pumpkins would grow before my eyes!

Where’d you go Rock Cake, Pumpkin Spice Coffee and Bernadette?

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This morning I came across a recipe for Pumkpin Spice Latte. My taste buds were alerted as was my purse because buying the Pumpkin Spice Lattes on a regular basis will render me bankrupt. I was also sceptical as I have had a go at my own before and without much success. This recipe makes a syrup which keeps in the fridge to keep me in coffee exotica all week! I had all of the ingredients except vanilla extract, so I used maple flavouring which worked just fine. I used about 2 dessertspoons of the finished syrup in my mug of coffee and it was fabulous! Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe from Coffee Krave Ingredients for Pumpkin Spice Syrup 1 cup of water 4 cinnamon sticks and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon OR 5 tsp. of ground cinnamon 4 dried cloves 2 tsp. of shredded/grated ginger 1 tbsp. of ground nutmeg 1 cup of brown sugar 2 tbsp. of pumpkin puree 1 whole vanilla bean or 2 tsp. of vanilla extract Ingredients for the Pumpkin Spice Latte …

10 on the 10th

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Today being the 10th September, I am taking 10 photos through the day and putting them into a post for today. No plans, so we will see what evolves. Noodles left over from take out from Lu Lu’s express for school lunch, in the Thermos. Preparing to pogo to school Pogo’ing to school! Monday morning of cleaning and washing. Just as I get some beads out to make a little something, I get the e mail which derails me for the near future. A message from that one of the boys lost his mum this weekend. He is seven. His mum has gone. Forever. I didn’t know her very well, but I saw and talked to her last week and I can’t get her face out of my mind. A table full and ready to make a something… I made an Ivory and single Red Pearl bracelet and photo’ed it on a vintage Ladybird book. ‘The Ladybird book of Garden Birds’. Vintage Ladybird Books Pablo Photo of the day challenge – day 10, ‘black and …

Hurricanes and parachutes

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We are all awaiting the tropical depression which Issac has turned into as it is whirling up the country. So far we have had some frankly disappointing rain. So while we wait for the drama weather (I do like extreme weather, but only with no power outages and no lives in danger!), we are enjoying the slightly cooler breezes and chucking a GI Joe dude around on a parachute. Of course I have the Fat Mum Slim photo of the day  challenge to keep me entertained as well. Today’s is ‘hidden’… I love this challenge!  Keeps me observant and creative every day, even when I can’t think of anything, something is always there. September’s list is ready to shoot. Oh my, is it September already, soon be Christmas…! Well, here comes the rain, so it must be almost time to fish out the popcorn and find a movie to watch or some art to create, or both!

There be fairies….

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On the frantic (second morning back to school was not a success) walk to school this morning, we spotted some brand new spindly mushroom clusters in the woods. Their musty colours were lovely and of course I didn’t have my phone with me. So I came home after drop off and got said phone. I only hoped that the little clusters of fungi were still standing and hadn’t been trampled by an enthusiastic, big pawed dog or two. I followed a gaggle of dogs and owners back into the woods, so I willed them to tread carefully and hurry through so I could crouch in peace on the woodland floor and get pictures of the delicate mini mushroom trees.

Beetroot & Chocolate Brownies and Pizza Challenge.

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We recently harvested all of the beetroot from the garden and I decided to investigate different ways to use it. I like pickled beetroot, but I don’t need a whole fridge full! Some were crammed into a jar full of dark pink beetrooty ,vinegary, goodness. Some were swapped for peppers, a cucumber and a handful of hot chillies from my neighbor. There were more! Dig deeper for lovely beetroot ideas. My digging (ok, googling) proved fruitful. We were already planning a firepit, so following Jamie Oliver’s instructions, I wrapped some beetroots in a double layer of silver foil, along with some rosemary. Tucked it all in tight, jabbed in some holes to let the beets smoke as well as cook and onto the coals for about 40 minutes. They turned out really well, let them cool and the skin virtually peels off by itself and a delicious beet salad awaits its dressing. Beetroot and Chocolate Brownies Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall recipe from The River Cottage 250g/1 cup good, dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces …

London’s raining

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The Shard rose above us as we got off the train at London Bridge. Train into London from Brighton to sail the London Eye. It rained and rained all morning and it rained as we cruised the South Bank on the way to the Eye. We missed Damien Hirst in the Turbine Hall, but caught the giant biology statue outside the Tate.

Brighton rocks and stones

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Last night I watched Keely Hawes catch and prepare a cuttlefish on the River Cottage TV programme – ‘Three go Mad’. Reminding me of  my Grandma’s ever changing pet budgies as they had cuttlefish bones in their cages for their beaks. Today we are in Brighton and Bodhi finds about 7 cuttle bones within about 5 minutes. Wonder if Petsmart want to buy them or we could set up a stall on the beach – ‘All budgies catered for’! I treasure hunted for stones with holes-yes, I really do walk along any beach with my head down looking for stones with holes. My success was a heavy bag of 5 or 6 stones with holes, flints with  raggy holes lined with white, and a lovely sandstone worn to smooth perfection with a little hole I had to persuade a tiny pebble from as it was lodged in there. Off to Pizza Express who now serve a marvelous pizza with, you guessed it (didn’t you?!) – a hole in the middle! A hole filled with rocket/arugula …

Fields are not to be sneezed at, but in

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A village in the country is a lovely place to be, but it is making me sneeze like Mr Sneeze. The seaside was visited yesterday and of course, it was freezing! But we had the obligatory picnic on the beach. Shells were gathered, crabs were prodded and feet were sand exfoiliated. Today the field trip (literally) was along the creek which runs through and out of the village. We tramped alongside fields and got stung by nettles and scratched by thistles. Oh, and I sneezed. Dock leaves were deemed useless as a nettle antidote and we all went home muddy, itching and happy with our walk. This horseshoe was sideways in a tree. I put it the right way up, so that all of its luck doesn’t fall out. I just hope it didn’t loose too much before we ‘righted’ it!