Thursday

Morning, everyone.  It's been a soggy, windy night and now everything is soaking.  Nice for Jeff who is going to come this morning and do a bit of garden stuff.  I've told him not to worry about it; he'd get so very wet!

Yesterday worked out fine.  Knitting, bit of housework, all the usual stuff.  I went to Morrisons in the end to sort out the prescription and to get a few bits and bnons amd I'm glad I did because they had marzipan in this time.  I got two packs, partly because one didn't seem quite enough and partly because I want to make some stollen and you need marzipan for that.  We all like stollen and when it's a bit dry it makes the most gorgeous bread and butter pudding!  I've dug out a recipe from BBC Good Food which is usually reliable and have also found one by Nigel Slater that uses cardomom - I love cardomom in sweet things.  I'll decide which one to follow later but did you know the cake is meant to resemble the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes, hence the roll of marzipan down the middle of the loaf?  I didn't!

Most of the Christmas makes are now on a list but I do have a question for those who make their own Christmas cakes - how long do you leave the marzipan to dry before adding the icing, please?

The air dry clay decorations have dried on one side and I've turned them over to dry on t'other side.  I think I will make a few more today as I don't have any heart shaped ones and I quite like that shape.  Aso, I want to see what the other bits of lace look like when pressed on and I have an idea using yarn to make lines.

I've made progress with the little mouse but not as much as I hoped because when I got home after personal training I fell asleep and slept for ages.  I think the main thing is that this virus hasn't totally left and keeps biting in different ways.  This week it's been sinuses that have ached.  It's not an infection, just playing up.  I took some tablets and when the ache went, I relaxed and slept.  Must have needed it!
Anyway, I hope I will finish the mouse today and, given that they are fun to make and so cute, I think I will add a little extra - a Father Christmas mouse.  I can't find a decent photo to show you though.

The main thing today is filling up the car at Tesco because I have a 10p off voucher (don't I live an exciting life?) and ironing/packing for my outing to Bury St Edmunds.  Yesterday, quite independent of each other, two people said, in effect, that there's a lovely Christmas Fair there.  I was excited until I realised it was last weekend.  Drat!  Never mind, maybe next year, eh?

Oh, I nearly forgot pottery.  There's pottery this evening.  I need to do a bit of designing so I can start my candle holder thingy, the one I saw in the magazine. I will start with quite a small one so as to learn the technique and, if that works, make a few more of different sizes, as a set.  When I was in Wilkinson's last week, I found some 'transparent protectors', like little felt pads but transparent soft plastic.  They are perfect for putting on the bottom of things like the leaf coasters and the leaf bowl and will work for this project as well..

I seem to have taken a lot of words to say not very much at all so I'll stop now and get going.  May your day be a good one.  What do you have planned?
xx