Rain did not stop play

It has been exceeding vile abroad. Lyra and I have bravely ventured forth every day, but it has not been delightful. The back lane is awash with puddles and the ditches are running lipping full with cold milky tea. By the end of our daily perambulation my finger ends are numb and Lyra is a bedraggled sight. As soon as we are back I have to make a dash for the kitchen door to try to keep her out of the respectable half of the house until the mud has dried and relocated itself to the kitchen floor (which can at least be mopped). (For those wondering, washing and brushing Lyra is not a task for the fainthearted and we outsource to a burly ex-soldier called Andrew). Keith has recently pointed out that my efforts on this score have been in vain as she just waits till I’m not looking, breaks into the pantry and then takes the back route to the living room via the washhouse, stopping only to eat the cats’ food, and the back stairs. This explains a lot – in particular the indignant looks the cats keep giving me and the abject state of the sofa.

I have managed a couple of forays into the garden. It is really too soggy to get into the borders, but I can weed and cut back the library beds from the drive (well mostly) so I have started on that. Between showers I got maybe a third of the way through and if the rain can just hold off slightly I should get it all done before the hellebores are out and the first bulbs through. I’m somewhat hazy on the specifics, but I think some of the new tulips might have gone in there so I’m keen to clear away the dead stalks to let them strut their stuff. My plan for the next few weeks is to focus on areas where I think (and no I did not write it down..) there might be new bulbs in and I’ll get to the rest as and when….

In the hazy days between Christmas and the New Year my mind had turned, as is the way of these things, to new projects and I ordered a giant load of wool for crewel work. Doubtless when under the influence, I seem to have promised to embroider a vast set of curtains…Anyway, the wool arrived last week and I decided to experiment. To assist in this project Keith went to Nottingham for a football match. I found a delightful Northumbrian lady on You Tube (Marion’s World if anyone is interested – honestly it was so delightful to watch – even if you don’t fancy sewing it’s enormously relaxing) for a bit of a refresher and then I was off to the races. I combined the fancy stitchery with an excellent crime drama (Steal on Amazon Prime), salt and vinegar peanuts and a rather nice gewürztraminer. I am really quite pleased with my trial goes (which are destined for future cushionhood) and, naturally, plotting ever more fancy confections. I did suggest that mum donate some of her vast box of unused crewel wool which I found in her attic in the great attic clearance but apparently this is all essential and urgently required…….So it’s back to Etsy for some red shades for me.

When not wallowing in mud or sewing I have been experimenting in the kitchen. A haul of reduced mushrooms at the Co-op led to two batches of soup (one rustic with lentils and one a bit posher (for which the recipe is here)). A jogged elbow led to a batch of home made puff pastry which turned out splendidly (I was making shortcrust with half lard half butter but accidentally added way too much water. I topped up the flour to make a very floury paste then added back a job lot of butter and lard by doing the fold, roll and turn puff pastry method. It worked brilliantly and was way easier than the last time I made puff, but given the rather hap hazard method I doubt I could replicate it! Today I knocked up a rather luscious coffee based spiced tropical fruit cake because when the weather is foul you need a little pick me up…