Monday

Welcome to the start of the week!  A very busy week too, for me, and my diary is covered with scribbles and alterations!  It's all nice stuff though, nothing too hair raising!

Yesterday was really exciting.  Not 'impact the world' exciting, just impacting my world exciting.

H came round with the front door ramps and fitted them so that his lovely wife, my dear friend, Julia, can now come and visit, have lunch with me, coffee, etc.  I can't remember how long it has been since she could do that.  I forgot to take a photo in the excitement though, darn it!
We're now thinking lunches and craft days for me, Beth, Jules and Jen and, in time, maybe others.
That's exciting!!!  I'm thinking one in November and maybe a Christmas themes one in December, although that depends on how well busy ladies can make any dates!

I started off the day having a go at making onion gravy.  I've tried before but never really been successful except with the bisto and marmite version (which is nice enough with a decent stock for flavour  but . . .).  I'm a bit restricted because it needs to be vegetarian.
Anyway, I had a go at sort of following a recipe and what emerged was OK.  Actually, on its own it tasted just very slightly too vinegary but when poured over carrots, parsnips and new potatoes it came to life and was really delicious.  I suppose the sweetness of the veg and the tang of the gravy balanced each other.
We both had seconds.
I have some ideas for tweaking so will try it again another time soon and maybe report back, when I have got it just so!

Then I cleaned out Thermione and started off the bread dough.  On Saturday I used just spelt flour and it was really delicious but didn't rise all that much - it was a lovely texture inside though.  Yesterday I did half and half spelt and white and the loaf it produced was just beautiful.
I'm very lucky - I now have a contact who can get great quality flour for me at a ridiculously cheap price and, while I was perfectly OK with Aldi flour and would happily go back to it, should I need to, this flour is brilliant and it does make a difference.  Fantastic.

Of course, having fitted the ramp, Julia and Harry came in (ooooh - so exciting) for coffee and J selected the materials she wanted us to use to make two owl cushions.  She also spotted what I had made for my colleague and thought it was lovely so that settled my mind, especially after Beth was also very nice about it.  I have to get a few more bits and bobs to go with it and then I can take a photo and show it off!  She even hinted (well, stated) that she might like one herself and, as I have extra fabric, I could do that.

Finally, I booked to go on a course.  Being a governor, I am notified of relevant courses to match my interests and responsibilities and I liked the look of one that is taking place in January.  Generally we are, as a governing body, busy people so don't go on many of the courses but I thought 'why not' so did!  I don't have to pay and it should help me in my role as a humanities subject governor.

Today I'm in school wearing said governor's hat to do an audit of the Geography resources which, in reality, means tidying up the cupboard.  I know very well, from my own experiences, how hard it is to make the time to undertake something like that so am glad to be able to support in this way.  I'm booked to do something similar for the history cupboard at some point this term too.

After that it is tuition, changed from the normal day because of other commitments.  The planning is all done and I just need to glance over it all so it's at my finger tips.

My food plans for today:
B:  oat bran galette with fruit and yogurt; melon
L:  beans on toast (which I can prepare at school, if necessary); more melon
D:  leftovers from yesterday (ham, new pots, carrots), runner beans (the plants are still producing); fruit yogurt

I seem to have rambled on an awful lot.  Finished now!  Have a great day.