Is it autumn or is it an Indian summer? Who knows? Whatever it is, its colourful.
There’s a stretch of the A134 between Mundford and Lynford where the huge chestnut trees that flank the road are busy assuming their burnished autumn colours. It would be reasonable of you to expect a picture from me here but it’s a fast road and there’s nowhere to stop. So you think “I’ll take a picture further up after I’ve walked the dog at Lynford,” and mysteriously last week all the trees after Lynford were still green. No idea why.
I am now on a break from the diet to eat normally, or incorporating a bit more mindfulness, at least. The plan is to start it again in a few weeks. Naturally, as soon as I started eating more than Jane Plan’s minimal amounts of food, my weight went up and I berated myself for this. In truth, though, after a week I’ve gained only a few hundred grams notwithstanding this present of Lindor balls brought from Montreal by J and G. My favourites are the pistachio cream.
Things I liked this week:
- Not my normal taste - I prefer modern clean lines to cottage core - but this Tomatoes bowl from Emma Bridgewater seemed appropriate for holding, well, tomatoes.
- Following the theme of autumnal colours, I invested in a pair of Frame cords in Paprika to reward myself for my diet discipline. I love the spicy red colour and I’ll certainly be bringing down the cost per wear over the next few months.
- I am planning for Christmas already and I say this without hint of apology because I always get caught on the hop in late November when everything good is already sold out. I have invested in a Carmine red jumper from NavyGrey which I shall wear if we join festivities at the pub.
Doggery
We spent Sunday afternoon at a well-attended Flatcoat Walkies event in Kent, in aid of the Independent Flatcoated Retriever Rescue (IFFR). Flatties are beautiful, wonderful dogs but they can be pretty bouncy and they take up a lot of space. For whatever reason, sometimes they need to be rehomed and the IFFR does exactly that. Thankfully the list of people wanting to take in one of these fabulous creatures is much longer than the ones waiting for rehoming.
We took our lovely Fergus to the Hildenborough meet-up and, though a little bewildered and overwhelmed at first, he had a lovely time meeting relatives and making new friends. He was more enthusiastic than skilful at his first scurry and wasn’t great at the Sit, Stay but he did seem to enjoy himself and won a prize for the best bandana because he has fabulous taste.
Agility
We also tried agility for the first time this week. Fergus had a great time bouncing around over the jumps and cottoned on fairly quickly that he was supposed to jump over the gates and not just sniff and pee on them. He even managed the tunnel with the help of a new blonde bombshell friend. We’ll certainly be going back.
Jam today
This week, for the first time in decades, I made jam. I had to buy lots of jam-making equipment - big pan, jam thermometer, jam funnel - from Lakeland, and waited nervously for it to be delivered, fearing that my defrosting blackberries would go off and go to waste. The parcel arrived just in time before the blackberries finally turned.
Ironically, no-one in this house eats jam, or didn’t, but this stuff is so good, despite the free added fibre from the unsieved seeds, that we might be about to change that. I achieved a good rise from my latest sourdough, number VII on my Before 60 checklist, and it’s delicious toasted and spread with the purple unctuousness.
Food swap angst
My friend and neighbour Ms N brings me Bramley apples from her beautiful garden every year. My embarrassment at not having anything to give her in return is disproportionate. I think it’s something to do with my upbringing.
You’ll have seen from last week’s newsletter that Ms N duly supplied me with some of this year’s apple crop and received one of my crumbles for her trouble but, to my consternation, responded immediately with a slice of her Bramley apple pie thus exacerbating my food swap asymmetry stress.
But aha! I could offer her a jar of my Norfolk blackberry preserve. That would show her! She seemed pleased but immediately raised the stakes further with another bag of Bramleys. I’m making a pie today. I wonder if she’d like some.
Until next week, then, have fun.
G x
Member comments