Sunday, 19-11-23

 Good morning, everyone, and  happy Sunday greetings to you.  How are things?

This may sounds daft but I'm starting by wishing Happy Birthday to my Dad.  He would have been ninety five today.  I still miss him (and Mum) terribly - that won't stop - but once Mum passed away he was very unhappy most of the time and I'm glad he didn't have to be so sad for all that long.
Love you, Dad.

Moving on - the plasterer turned up as promised, finished plastering throughout in between drinking numerous mugs of coffee, cleared up and left mid afternoon.

Meanwhile, I did the SET online class and then settled to some most enjoyable kitchen stuff.  
I baked a couple of small loaves of bread which I have just sliced and popped into the freezer.
I made a couple of portions of tomato, roasted red pepper and lentil soup, one for this evening and one for the freezer.  I threw in the very last remaining garden tomatoes that have been patiently ripening by the window so that really is it for the year now.  I have some passata and peeled tomatoes in the freezer and that's all.  It's been a good year for tomatoes, I think.
In the afternoon, I used Thermione linked to Cookidoo to make some rich shortcrust pastry which I then used to make some mince pies using some black forest mincemeat from last year (bought, not home made).  After taste testing two (just in case the first one was a quirk, you understand), the rest are now in the freezer and I think I will make one more batch another time to finish off the jar of mincemeat.

I put a battery in the clock I bought and used one of those new no-damage stick-on hooks to get it up as it's really very, very lightweight (and cheap!!)

In a way, it's a try out.  I was so unsure about size, etc, or even whether I would really like it as much as I thought I would so, when I saw this one which wasn't all that much really, I bought it.

I rather like the effect although I think when I get a better one at some point in the future, I think I will get one slightly bigger.  It doesn't help that the sideboard is somewhat cluttered at the moment - I must get that sorted out.

Strictly at Blackpool was pretty good although I though tens were scattered around like confetti and, maybe to contrast, Craig was even more nit-picky than usual.  To me, it's fairly clear who ought to be in the dance off and also who ought to go this week.  No spoilers here; it makes me sad but fair is fair and I suspect they won't get the 'fan vote' as much as the other couple.  It's decided now, of course, but I never go looking for spoilers.

Today I want to pop out to B&M, pretty much the last molto cheapo big store I haven't looked through yet this season.  Suitcases are on the list, of course, as well as starting to look for Christmas presents for friends.  Also on the list is roasted red peppers which sounds a bit random, I know, but I always have a jar in use and haven't been able to get any for love or money over recent weeks which is quite frustrating.

Once home, there's washing to start and then I have a list of 'sort outs', just small tasks that never seem to get done.  I also want to dig out one of Lindsey's workouts - I always feel invigorated afterwards and it warms me up so nicely.
So it will be an easy, satisfying, gentle, pottering sort of day.  Nice.
How about you?  What's on your list today?  xx