Wednesday

Today I feel human again.  OK, sore throat, bunged up nose, but normal, all the same.  Fantastic!  Now the holiday can start!

Yesterday was good too.  I used the cheap chicken wings I bought a few days before to make a chicken gravy for the freezer, using Jamie Oliver's recipe as a guide.  Apart from the star anise (I will only use one next time) I was jolly pleased with the results which are now safely in little pots ready to go into the freezer.  It's very irritating to take out nice slices of turkey and not have a decent gravy to go with them so now I do.  I really ought to do what Diane does and freeze good stock when I have it, but somehow it always gets used up!

I also started practising a pattern for a shawl.  I found the pattern on the internet and it looks just right for the lovely yarn Beth gave me for Christmas.  The beginning was tricky and I had to try it three times before I sussed it out properly and it's American so the terms are different but I'm sure I'll get there.  The biggest disadvantage (that's not the right word because it will look lovely, but I can't think of a better word) is that I will have to get another yarn that tones in for the lacy edging but I do have Hobbycraft and I do have vouchers to spend there.  It's also better knitted on a looser tension (sorry - gauge) and, as is always the way, can I find the pot I keep my crochet hooks in?  No, I can't, it seems to have vanished into the blue yonder.  Highly irritating!

So today starts with a trip to Hobbycraft.  I've been intending to go there all holiday and never feeling up to it, so this is long overdue.  I just have to make sure I have my vouchers with me, in case . . .  After that it's round to B's to pick A up and take him to his old school.  He's off to see a pantomime with a group of old friends.  Then it's off back home where I will hopefully have something Hobbycrafty to play with.

And I have to start thinking about planning!  Not New Year Resolution planning, school planning.  Reality draws ever closer.

Edited later to add that I've finally got round to uploading the photos n my camera (or off my camera) so here's one I took earlier - when we had the freezing fog.