Friday

I had intended to get back in here later on yesterday but, as things turned out, I didn't make it.  It was a busy day, one way and another.

In the morning I rushed about a bit, getting things ready for a double dose of visitors - triple, if you count Beth and Alex (and why not?).  I even managed to steam clean the kitchen floor, wondering as I did so why I don't do it this way more often as it is so simple and easy.  Once the steamer was away I stood in the middle of the kitchen and started thinking about how to rearrange things to make space for the thermomix.  See, I'd already decided really, even before the demo, because these last four or five months I have scoured the internet for any and all information I can find about it, information, recipes, positive and negative points, problems, triumphs . . . so the demo was really going to be merely a confirmation and a teaching session.  Not that I admitted that out loud or even to myself in so many words, of course.

It's actually a grand opportunity to sort out one or two of my cupboards, especially the one with the electrical equipment.  I have a food processor that takes up a fair amount of space, I have various other bits and bobs that I haven't used for many seasons.  They are not earning their space.  And then I have other things that I use a lot - my hand held mixer, the Bamix stick blender (expensive but wonderful), the slow cooker and various other odds and ends.  And, somehow, I have two steamers.  Not electrical steamers, just ones that you pop on the hob.  No-one needs two steamers, surely!!!  One is large, solid based, great quality, bought with a school parents voucher many, many years ago and which I haven't used for ages, certainly not since the extension was done.  The other is molto cheapo from Matalan, smaller, different shape entirely but I use it all the time.  It's the right size for me.  So the other has to go and I am hoping that Jemma (last week's bride) will be able to use it.  Very sensibly, they are not expecting everything to be brand new and sparkling as they start their married life together and Beth thinks that she (Jemma) will be able to use it.  Beth herself seems keen to have the food processor so I'm very happy about that.  With all its bits and pieces it takes up a stupid amount of space in the cupboard.

But, despite all the common sense, I am sad.  I have become attached to these things.  It's not the things themselves, it is what they represent in my life that creates attachment.  There are always memories attached to objects and I have to remember that I am not discarding the memories as I rationalise my storage space.  It just feels like it!

Tania turned up for lunch.  Tania is an OU friend who I met briefly at Conference a few years ago and I was delighted when she emailed to say she was in Chelmsford and could we meet up for coffee.  This quickly turned into a 'come and have lunch here' occasion.  I made a  rather nice leek and potato soup (I LOVE leek and potato soup) with croutons, cheese and creme fraiche and then I knocked out a Victoria sponge for afters.  The soup recipe is on Teacher's Recipes, so this is a link to it.

After a good natter, Tania left and Beth and Alex arrived, followed shortly afterwards by Leonie, the Thermomix demo-lady.  What followed was fascinating and great fun.  I won't go into details now but suffice it to say by the time she left we had dinner ready and I had shelled out a shockingly large amount of Auntie May's legacy on one for myself.  It's being delivered next week.

They say soup is a very filling dish, more filling than the equivalent ingredients non-souped, and I can well believe it.  After two lots of soup yesterday I was stuffed and it looks as if today will be similar as I have leftovers!

Today is going to be a rest day.  I intend to pick up a packet from the parcel office and then knit, crochet and watch telly for most of the day.  It's cold and gloomy outside and I intend to stay warm, especially as the aches of a few days ago have turned into a cough/cold.  I also intend to hunt out and print off some Thermomix recipes so when my new toy arrives I can get going straight away.  It's a different way of doing things, that's for sure.

But now I'm off to make my breakfast porridge, having waffled on for much longer than I originally intended. Sorry!