The last two days have been all go. After breakfast and stockings on Christmas morning we had a slightly hair-raising drive to Gala to see Dad and deliver his presents (Lachlan drove, taking all the bends with a racing line, because I was deemed too slow. Ishbel admirably kept her breakfast down, but only just).Continue reading “Bewitching ‘Twixting”
Category Archives: baking and cooking
The quiet before the onslaught
And so it is Christmas, and what have I done…. Everything!! Things have been manic since my last post. In the first wave of action cakes were iced, cards written and posted, mince pies baked in industrial quantities and force fed to the neighbours and two sides of salmon cured (one beetroot one experimental citrusContinue reading “The quiet before the onslaught”
One two three hop,
Back two three hop… goes the progressive barn dance. And so it is with all Ruthven home improvements. The lovely Barry painted and papered the big spare room in double quick time, the carpet fitters were secured for a few days hence. The carpet does indeed look lovely and tones nicely with the wallpaper. PityContinue reading “One two three hop,”
Whirlwind inside and out
After the gales and the blackout, the floods came… Sounds like the beginning of a dystopian “end of days” fantasy novel of the type it is highly satisfactory to consume when warm, dry and supplied with cake. However that was earlier this week – when we all piled into the car to go to theContinue reading “Whirlwind inside and out”
Flickering
After six days without power the lights went on last night. Then off. Then on again, but waveringly. We now have selective light, in some rooms, with a tendency to flicker if anyone else on the row decides they too want illumination. As a result the candles are still much in evidence and Christmas knittingContinue reading “Flickering”
Christmas Stocktake
“The time has come, the Walrus said, to talk of many things….” Ishbel has booked her train ticket and we have set a date and for the annual neighbourhood Christmas party, so there’s absolutely no getting out of it now. Christmas is coming to Ruthven. What with the rather reduced travel and entertaining over intermittentContinue reading “Christmas Stocktake”
Whirling Dervish Redux
No sooner had I declared that all is sloth, relaxation and a very laid back contemplation of my navel (see previous post) than mum came down with pleurisy (or some such) which triggered a massive asthma attack. She was duly ferried to hospital (protesting all the way) and firmly left there plugged in to theContinue reading “Whirling Dervish Redux”
Gingerbread days
The trees are starting to turn now and the first leaves are falling. The coating of spice brown leaves on the rich dark soil after the recent rain is redolent of gingerbread. Lyra and I finished this morning’s walk kicking through the leaves on the Hirsel forest tracks and whilst she thought of squirrels (whichContinue reading “Gingerbread days”
Send Ark Urgently…
It is tipping down. All productivity has been halted pending an improvement in the precipitation levels. Keith and I started early, as Edna the Morgan was scheduled for a service first thing and I had to drive Keith back from the garage. Sadly, the heavens opened just as we set off. I scooted off inContinue reading “Send Ark Urgently…”
The Aftersloth
Another huge gap with no post! The late August wave of visitors had barely broken on the shore when the September tsunami rose. The Highland branch of the Bee clan finally made it down and, in nothing short of a miracle, both of the esteemed offspring came (down from Edinburgh and up from Surrey respectively)Continue reading “The Aftersloth”