The first of many.. I hope !

This year I decided it was time to get back into reading 🙂

I soon realized that this was never going to happen, unless I made a plan.

First I joined a face book reading group,started by a friend, but that did not spur me on.

Then I decided just like for everything else in my life , a routine was needed.

So I marked a time in my diary , that would be my reading time every day, just half an hour to get me going.

Now five weeks after starting my book I have finished it, not a great achievement for most but a huge one for me.

The book was The Memory Keepers Daughter, not a fantastic book, as it goes a bit flat in the middle , but it had a great start and a decent ending, which is good as I always feel let down by books that have a rubbish ending.

Now the question is what to read next ??

The book group people have given Room good reviews but I think I will read a book I bought a while ago called The ice cream girls .

OR

Maybe it will be The Friday Night Knitting Club.

Decisions .. Decisions

Remember my love of beach huts and the paintings I love but could never afford

Well I have come across a painting I could afford but cannot decide if I should buy it or not.

By the time I decide I expect it will be too late.

Do go take a look at Duane Lake Images he has some pretty nice stuff

On a cold rainy day

Try making some Antony Worrall Thompson’s

Chicken Chili and Corn soup

It really is delicious and very warming

Low in fat and calories too so great for all of us that are watching the calories 🙂

For vegetarians just leave the meat out !!

Muddy and Mirky in Newport

Is a good way to describe yesterdays walk with the Cambridge Rambling club.

4×4’s and Quad bikes had churned up the path quite badly in places, making it very muddy and very slippery too.

Even so this did not stop 11 of us from enjoying a nice 13 mile walk led by Sarah.

At the same time Geoff was enjoying a 14 mile walk in Madeira and I am counting the days till I go out to join him 🙂

Muddy Newport

Zumba

For weeks now I have been trying to get into the Zumba class  held on a Saturday morning at Greens

I always thought I could book 7 days in advance and could never understand why I could not get into the class.

Last week I realized that due to my platinum membership I could actually book 8 days in advance.

So at 7am yesterday morning I phoned to book, I have received no return call so this means I am booked into the class on Saturday 26th Feb 🙂

After all this trouble lets hope I enjoy it, and can get my running shoes clean enough to use, I may have to put them through the washing machine 🙁

  

Marmalade

This year I almost missed the Seville oranges 🙁

Then after a quick reminder I managed to get 3kg from Cambridge Market.

With those 3kg I made 2 batches of marmalade.

I used a different method this year, instead of cooking the oranges whole, I squeezed the oranges first then cut the rind into small slices.

I preferred this method but each batch took four hours from start to finish.

So Geoff now has 26 jars of marmalade to get though 🙂 not quite enough for the jar a week he eats but I hope he will be pleased .

Geoff’s sister gave me a new little gadget that certainly made filling the jars much easier 🙂

I have not tried it yet but someone told me marmalade and cheese makes a delish sandwich 🙂

My perfect day

My Valentines day was the most perfect day for me 🙂

Where would you take a fish lover to dinner ?? … Loch Fyne of course, and I wore my new little red dress too.

The valentines menu was superb and making my choices was easy.

For starters I had grilled oysters with garlic and breadcrumbs.

Main course was Sea bass fillets and Scallops

and for dessert I had the most amazing Rhubarb creme brulee

All washed down with a delish bottle of Chablis wine, which has to be my favourite wine 🙂

Then to end the evening Geoff took me to a Valentines Ceilidh, something I have only recently discovered and I just love it 🙂

So we spent the evening dancing off all the calories we had eaten at dinner

This Ceilidh was amazing as almost everyone there was young students.

Thanks to Geoff I had such a wonderful time that I have not stopped smiling this week and yes I do know just how lucky I am !

Stour Valley Bunkhouse

This is where we escaped too at the weekend, along with 20 other members of the Cambridge Rambling club.

Jill led us on two great walks , a 19 miler along the Stour Estuary then a 14 miler from East Bergholt in Constable Country.

The weather was not fantastic but better than you would expect for February

We Finished the weekend off at FlatFord Mills for tea and cake 🙂

A great relaxing weekend spent in good company.

More photos can be seen here and here  🙂