Nigella mark 2?

It started when I noticed some cheese scones on television.
"I could make some of those," I remarked.
Keith looked at me in amazement. "But you never make me cakes," he said. "You always say I can't have any."
This is true and is in vain pursuit of a leaner, svelter man, but so far, it hasn't worked.
So, by the time he got home I had been shopping, bought the required ingredients and utensils, and there was a superb scent of newly baked scones wafting from the kitchen.
I used to do a lot of baking when my children were growing up. Those were the days when I could produce six dozen mince pies on Christmas Eve and be left with an empty cake tin by Boxing Day.
But today - those scones. They were so light, a puff of wind could have blown them away. Didn't take long to make, either.
Hmm, I feel a new creative urge coming on.
Nigella, eat your heart out, girl. Make way for the expert!

Street cred

My Ford Probe is up for sale.

I was quite happy with my aged Peugeot 106 until Keith acquired the Probe and made me take it on. I have to say, I got used to it. It was quite pleasant having leather seats, electronic windows, air conditioning and cruise control. Actually, scrub the cruise control - I never really got the hang of that.

However, it was quite addictive shooting up the A483, being able to outpace the idiots who, seeing a mere woman at the wheel, foolishly thought I'd be no match for them and shouting, "Eat dust!" at them as they trailed behind in the ever lengthening distance...

But, back to reality.

It is now time to pull in my horns, take account of my newly restricted budget and take delivery of something a little more economical...

like a Toyota Yaris, for example.

OK, it's not so good for my street cred, but it is better for my budget.

It's a hard life!

Yesterday I had to go for my counselling supervision in Chester. It was another beautiful day, crisp, but not really cold, sun shining, blue sky - a day that we will doubtless pay for in weeks to come, but to be appreciated nonetheless.

I have come to like Chester, but only since I discovered the convenience of 'Park and Ride'. Driving around Chester is not to be recommended for those of a nervous disposition. The least hesitation, wrong turning, incorrect lane chosen and you face a barrage of hostility from the 'locals'. I have even had a driver squeezing past me where there was no space to squeeze and folding my wing mirror in as he passed.

So now, I use the 'Park and Ride' bus, get off at Pepper Street, walk smartly down Watergate Street, City Walls Street, over the railway and there I am on the canal bank.

And this is what it looked like yesterday. Unfortunately, the powers that be in Chester seem determined to allow every last possible space to be built on so this area will not be quite so peaceful in the future.

Putting the record straight

I have been asked to put the record straight by Keith. He is concerned that, whilst I have blogged about the fact that my desk mysteriously fell to pieces in his hands as he was moving it to put up the blinds in the conservatory, I failed to mention that the reason for this was my failing to tighten two screws properly when I moved it down from the little bedroom a few weeks ago.
Of course, I only have his word for this.
Oh, but he did a great job of putting up the blinds!

Such disappointment!

The day out was lovely. The weather was better than perfect when you consider that we are not yet even half way through February, beautiful blue sky, sun, not a breath of wind. Even the sea was like a mill pond as was Llyn Tegid, which we passed on the way.

So, you might wonder, where does the disappointment come in?

A glance at the photos of that cute little restaurant the Proper Gander will give you a clue. We were just too late!

Keith was distraught...

Lunch in Tywyn

Keith wants us to go here today, 'here' being a little place called Tywyn over in west Wales. It's not a particularly unusual place, except for one of its restaurants, the Proper Gander, which does amazing Sunday lunches, and probably amazing meals throughout the week as well. I once made the mistake of refusing a full three course lunch and was immediately harangued (in a very nice way, you understand) by the proprietor who stood over me until I was won over and agreed to comply.
Keith has obviously forgotten that he is supposed to be on a diet!

Tidying up

Last night, I began what I have been meaning to do since New Year and have been putting off for just as long, I began to sort out my filing cabinet. It took me all evening, but then, it's something I have avoided doing for the past four years at least. One thing I did notice during my efforts was that, although I have my decree nisi and a letter from my solicitor telling me that my decree absolute was enclosed and not to lose it as I might need it some time in the future, for instance if I ever decided to get married again, of the document in question, there was not a hint. So that's that then, Jennyta, spinster of this parish for evermore.
However, I digress. Today, having got the bit between my teeth, I began bright and early to shred the foot high pile of redundant paper, but that was soon done, and my eyes fell on ...yes, you've guessed it, Keith's pile. Now Keith has a unique mode of filing and dealing with his paperwork. It consists of chucking it, mostly unopened, in a pile on NASA and then, when the pile gets too high to cram any more on, it is relocated (crammed) into a drawer underneath.
Soon the floor was covered with neat piles of paperwork, arranged in date order and ready to be filed.
Impressive, don't you think? But that's not all. Next I moved upstairs to the forests of trees which were felled and turned into bi- products of the National Curriculum. And this time, I REALLY had a ball. There is now a pile of paper at least two and a half feet high awaiting recycling and thereby being banished from my life for evermore! A completed gestalt.
And that feels very good.