Saturday and home again

I've had a lovely time with Mum and Dad this week, driving home early this morning.

When I drove up there on Monday, the car was messing about - sluggish and engine racing from time to time.  It would have been not as bad if it hadn't been quite busy and I got quite stressed about how much traffic I was holding up.  It wasn't that the car was particularly slow, once it got to speed things were fine, but . . . not great.
So I decided that it's time to get a replacement car and I could myself lucky that I have the wherewithal to do this.
The journey back was fine but the sluggishness was still there (and has been for quite a time now).  However, as the roads were just about empty, it wasn't an issue.

I've filled you in with most of what I've been up to through the week.  We went to Boundary Mill (near Grantham) yesterday and had a splendid time amongst all the goodies.  They have an extensive kitchen department and, as Mum and I both like rootling amongst such treasure, we had a grand old time.  They've also got a small wool department now, new from last time I went.  Dad, of course, stayed out of our way!

So I've come home with:
A blanching basket (yes, Beth, you can borrow it)
A little butter dish (a terrine dish really).  Mum bought two full sized ones and I wish I had too now, but never mind.  There weren't any more on the shelf anyway.
Some wool (of course)
A knitting pattern.
Two books.  One is a Phillipa Gregory about Katherine of Aragon and the other is a Gervase Phinn I haven't read called 'Out of the Wood but not Over the Hill'.  I think he's very funny so I'm looking forward to getting stuck in.  They were two for a fiver, so great value.
Some talc and a cologne stick

I think that's it . . .

So now I am back in my scruffy, untidy home which looks even more untidy after five days of immaculacy! (Is there such a word?)  I need to pop round to Morrisons for a very few bits and bobs (and check the slabs while I'm there) and then the day's my own.

During the week, after telling myself firmly that I did NOT need any more cookery books, I treated myself to three (yup, three) fairly substantial tomes.  Two are Hairy Dieters books:  I had the first one and didn't realise that they had brought any more out.  The other is an Allegra McEvedy book called Big Table, Busy Kitchen.
They all look great so guess what I will be doing today in between washing, unpacking and the like!

But first - to the shop!



Added later:
They had all the new foodie mags in Morrisons.  Guess what . . .  :-)