We didn’t remember that it was Shrove Tuesday, so we had Shrove Saturday instead.

Bub had her first pancake. The only baby friendly topping I had available was peanut butter, and she seemed to like it, husband was horrified, he is not a lover of peanut butter.

We told her about the fillings she could have in the future, not just on pancake day but at regular intervals throughout the year. I told her that next time I’d make her some chia seed strawberry or raspberry 'jam'. We said in a few years she can have chocolate spread. She can try my favourite with topping - streaky bacon and maple syrup. Or ice cream. I love vanilla ice cream wrapped in a hot pancake! Or maybe we could have other flavours. Strawberry or chocolate. Salted caramel or pistachio.

Fillings won’t have to be sweet we told her. A cheese and ham filled pancake is delicious!

I was excited by the idea that one day we could have pancakes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Andy suggested a three course pancake meal with savoury options. He has fond memories of pancakes with bacon and fried onion, accompanied by lots and lots of tomato sauce.

I used to love ordering pancakes with vanilla ice cream and hot cherries in The Little Chef. It used to be a highlight of any long car journey.

I never knew I could get so excited about pancakes!

xx

On Random Act of Kindness Day (I didn’t know this was a thing) Confuzzled Bev (thanks again Bev!) nominated me to receive a prize from Nordic Stork in an Instagram competition!

I could chose anything I wanted from the website. I had a lovely time perusing the site. In the end I settled on some gorgeous wooden building blocks, and came away with a list of things I’d like to go back and purchase. I’m becoming mildly obsessed with wooden toys. These building blocks are just gorgeous.

We’re surrounded by hand me down plastic toys at the moment. I love that we’re reusing these toys, previously played with by nieces, nephews and friends children. But I’m looking forward to gathering a small selection of wooden toys too.

xx

Just a quick one for me today, and something a little different. I've just read Kezzie's Style Imitating Art post, and whilst I've always enjoyed reading these I've never taken part - until today.

I was wearing a white shirt under a mustard jumper and realised how easy it would be for me to change my earrings, bung a blue snood on my head and ta-dah! I would be transformed into Vermeer's The Girl with the Pearl Earring - a painting that I have always loved!

It very much reminded me of a viral challenge that emerged during the first lockdown where people recreated famous works of art at home, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and this presented the perfect opportunity for me to have a go myself.

Below are some links if you'd like to see some of these recreated artworks. Some are genius, some are funny, some ridiculous but they're all worth a look!

demilked.com

timeout.com

metro.co.uk 

It was a nice distraction to what had started out as a bit of a frustrating day, and really lifted my mood. Style Imitating Art has a new host this week, Terri, and you can see everyone's interpretations on her blog tomorrow.

I hope you're well and staying safe and sane.

xx

delete all the junk emails that have been languishing in my inbox

catch up on reading all my favourite blogs

make a significant dent in my mend pile

peel off all the sticky tape from the paper used to wrap my birthday presents for recycling

finally get loads of items listed on ebay

enjoy a little more sunshine before autumn takes over

make a new art purchase

discover that sunflowers come in other colours besides yellow

eat breakfast with my husband

eat supper with my husband

remember put the bin out the evening before collection

get really good feedback on a piece of work I was worrying about

drop off donations at my local charity shop

paint our front door 

 

What would be on your feel good list lately?

Andy and I went for a walk yesterday afternoon and visited the Naughty Cows. We always go and see them when we're there. We spend a chunk of time peering at them, as they peer back at us, sniffing and huffing, jostling for a prime spot. It's clear they think we have food. We never do.



Andy and I agreed that we like cows noses, yeah this is the kinda thing we chat about. So if you think the huge, wet nose of a cow is a hideous thing, look away now, because we're getting close up.











I hope you had a lovely weekend. I certainly enjoyed our walk, which started with a wander through the bluebell wood, allowed us to check on some crops, and ended at this cow gate.

I'm not sure I'd like to be in the field with them, but from behind a sturdy gate I can happily chat away with them for ages. They seem to like Andy, and spend a lot of time sniffing him, and often trying to give him a lick too. Make of that what you will.

xx

One thing that's guaranteed to make me feel better is a little colour. My last outing before lockdown was to the supermarket and I felt the need to wear something cheerful. My big 'special occasion' skirt was calling out to me and I succumbed, teaming it with an emerald green jumper. It wasn't really warm enough for 3/4 length sleeves, but I braved the low temperatures anyway. I love this skirt - it has pockets!



This was the last time I had any need to carry a bag, which is a shame as I'd only recently spent £70.00 on this one!

The days that followed have seen more colour, much more than usual. My love of grey, navy, and neutrals has been surpassed by the need for cheerful colour!



And of course nothing puts a smile on my face like my wedding dress, I hauled this out of the spare room and flounced around the garden for a while, as I do every year on our anniversary. I wore it for a Zoom meeting in which we were all supposed to wear a ridiculous t-shirt, but I don't own many t-shirts, let alone ridiculous ones, so I wore this instead, and felt bloody fabulous!

I hope you're staying sane and keeping cheerful? What are you doing to keep your spirits up?

My week has, on the face of it, been very normal (apart from wandering around the garden in my wedding dress). As I work for myself, from home, my days have changed very little since the lockdown started. It wasn't unusual for me not to leave the house (except to go into the garden) for three or four days. I have missed being able to go out whenever I need to, and of course I miss seeing people in person, but this week has felt easier than last. I've settled into this new normal of ours. That's not to say I haven't had the odd wobbly moment, but there have been far fewer than last week.

After a power cut at the weekend that left me completely cut off from everyone for a little while, I gained a deeper appreciation for all the ways in which we can get in touch with each other. We might be on lockdown but we are connected in so many ways. We can pick up the telephone and have a conversation, text each other, talk on FaceTime, have Zoom meetings, Skype gatherings. Heck, we could send an email, or even sit down and write someone a letter!

I've enjoyed keeping up to date with my blog reading, and it's nice that some people are posting more regularly. Of course there is social media too. I still don't bother much with Twitter, and I don't normally spend a huge amount of time on Facebook, I prefer Instagram and it's pretty pictures, but recently Facebook has been an entertaining diversion, sure the usual nonsense is still being shared and spread around but I'm learning to tune it out.

Facebook became a place where people justify their opinions by sharing posts showing that another person agrees with their opinion. Admittedly I've done that on occasion myself, but as I don't find this enjoyable to either do or read, the time I spent on Facebook had dwindled to almost nothing.

But then we were all put on lockdown and it's become a place to connect again, like it used to be. Sure the opinion justification still happens but the fun stuff is back and in abundance, so I'll be frequenting my timeline a little more until the niceness stops and it reverts back.

This list of questions popped up in my timeline and I liked them, it's nice to think about the small, the unimportant, the random, and the silly at times like this.

Please feel free to answer them yourself if you fancy, just let me know so I can read your answers.

1. Who are you named after?
No one, my parents just liked the name and wanted something unusual. If I'd been a boy I'd be called Kevin. I'm told my Mum also liked the name Suzette.

2. Last time you cried?
Tuesday.

3. Do you like your handwriting?
It's OK, it can be a bit messy because I write so rarely these days and I think faster than my hand can move.

4. What is your favourite sandwich?
Crisp, preferably Walkers Cheese & Onion, and it must be on white bread, with lots of buttery spread. This isn't something I eat very often.

5. Favourite drink?
Tea! But I couldn't possibly pick my favourite tea.

6. Do you still have your tonsils?
Yes.

7. Would you bungee?
I would've when I was younger but I don't think I would now.

8. What is your favorite kind of cereal?
Porridge, made with oat milk and sweetened with honey, I have it almost everyday.

9. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?
Yes.

10. Do you think you're strong-willed?
When circumstances require me to be.

11. Favorite ice cream?
Salted caramel or cherry.

12. What is the first thing you notice about a person?
Their vibe, how I feel in their presence.

13. Football or baseball?
Neither.

15. Last thing you ate?
Porridge.

16. What are you listening to?
The low hum of my iMac.

17. If you were a crayon, what colour would you be?
Today? Lilac.

18. What is your favourite smell?
Water - sea, rivers, rain, waterfalls, even running showers, as long as it's not stagnant I'm happy.

19. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
My husband.

20. In a relationship?
Yes, I'm married and today is our 5th wedding anniversary, which is why I've been wandering around the garden in my wedding dress...

21. Eye Colour?
Greeny blue.

22. Favourite food to eat?
I like roast dinners (even though I don't like cooking them), chip shop fish n chips, Chinese takeaway, steak and chips.

23. Scary movies or happy endings?
I enjoy scary movies, but prefer happy endings.

24. Last movie you watched in a cinema?
Spiderman, Far From Home, with my Dad on my 44th birthday after a meal in Ask.

25. What colour shirt are you wearing?
Orange.

26. Favourite holiday?
A long weekend in North Norfolk

27. Beer or wine?
Gin.

28. Night owl or morning person?
Morning.

29. Favourite day of the week?
Any day that my husband isn't working (which is about 5 days out of the year, one of which is Christmas Day).

30. Favourite animal?
Domestic - cat. Wild - giraffe.

31. Do you have a pet?
Two cats, brother and sister - Socks and Tinker.

32. Where would you like to travel?
Any where at the moment! Outside of lockdown Japan, or Egypt.

33. Tell me your favourite joke.
What do you call a hen staring at a lettuce?
Chicken sees a salad.

I'd love to hear your favourite joke!? How has your week been?

I thought I'd share a few happy little things that made me smile and chuckle over the past few days.



The cat bed I purchased weeks ago is finally being used! Both my cats had been stubbornly ignoring this bed. It looks very warm and comfortable, I'd be tempted to get in if it was big enough. A month after I bought it, I finally found Tinker curled up in it looking very comfortable indeed.

My first spinach shoot emerged. For me the most exciting part of growing veg is seeing them slowly emerge from the soil, watching them grow, getting bigger by the day. It's very satisfying. I've got lots of this to look forward to in the coming weeks.

Seeing 'then and now' photos of my family and friends on Facebook. Here's mine.



Having the patio doors open for the first time this year. The sun was out, it was pleasantly warm and I had washing on the line. It felt like spring had arrived.

I woke up to find myself pinned to the bed by a cat sleeping on top of the duvet on either side of me. I found it amusing that I couldn't move my arms and therefore couldn't sit up to get out of bed. What else could I do but stay there a while longer?

Another bit of Facebook entertainment - people's quarantine nicknames, which is how you feel right now and the last thing you ate out of the cupboard. Mine was Tired Bugles. Others included Drunk Gummy Bear, F**ked Off Toast, Old Porridge, and Perky Kit Kat, all of which kept me amused as they rolled in throughout the day.

What's your quarantine nickname? What's made you smile this week?

In the midst of Corona Virus, panic buying, quarantine, and self isolation, all made worse by the media frenzy, I'm contemplating how to turn the situation on it's head and relish the alone time at home.

I work from home already, so my working week looks very much the same as it always has, but the constant assault from the media has worn me down. I've switched off. I know what I should be doing, what precautions I should be taking, but the constant barrage of doom and gloom I can do without.

We have a well stocked pantry so if we need to self isolate we'll be OK for a few weeks. We might not have coherent meals by the end of it but we certainly won't starve. We have been known to enjoy one of my 'stuff teas' (a random collection of food that normally doesn't go together but needs eating) on more than one occasion, usually after Christmas when left overs are becoming scarce but I can't be arsed to go shopping.

I'm thankful that we decided to buy loo roll in bulk last year - not to stockpile, but to limit plastic packaging - and have medication in the cupboard should we need it. We're sorted.

My plans were cancelled last weekend, and this weekend my friend and I have decided to postpone our meet up until another time. It's disappointing as I was very much looking forward to it but it's the right thing to do.

Andy will continue to go to work, so what shall I do with my Saturday?

I came across this post from Lena Dunham on Instagram that made me think about what I could do instead of just bumble around doing this and that, which is what I usually do on weekends when I have no fixed plans.

What would my perfect day look like?

An early breakfast followed by an hour of yoga. My first cup of tea enjoyed looking out over the fields.

A soak in the bath with my current book - How To Be Happy. Followed by some of this maybe? (apologies if you're not on Instagram).

A potter in my greenhouse, perhaps sorting through my seeds to decide what I'll try to grow this year.

A nutritious lunch - poached egg with smashed avocado and homegrown chives on toast.

And one of Lena's suggestions - try every product I have (including the large eye shadow palette that is rather more orange that I realised when I bought it), keep what I love, throw out anything out of date, or recycle that doesn't suit me.

Start that craft project that's been rolling around my brain for a while. Listening to music played loud.

Making a huge batch of chilli con carne, eating a generous portion, saving some for the following day (it's always better the second day anyway) and freezing the rest.

All the while drinking tea, perhaps brewing up some of the flavours I often forget about and leave in the cupboard, the loose leaf stuff that I usually overlook in favour of the easier and quicker teabags.

And why not do it all wearing my favourite outfit, or that dress I love but hardly ever wear.

In fact I think every weekend should be like this! Let's find the good stuff, and under no circumstances turn on the news. Let's make ourselves smile, enjoy the alone time, dance, play, laugh, relax. Take a moment. Breathe.

What would you do on your perfect day at home?

I've copied these questions from Bev because I rather enjoyed the randomness of them.




Three things I liked about February
1. An impromptu trip to Chelmsford Cathedral to see Kezzie play in her flute ensemble, Flutista. My iMac broke so I was forced to take a few days off work (it's all fixed now). That morning I decided to just hop on a train and go. It was wonderful to see (and hear!) Kezzie play.

2. A night with friends. I hadn't seen a few of them for months and no sooner had we walked through the door, we fell straight back into our usual easy banter. It was a most enjoyable evening with excellent food, and gin.

3. The third thing is between noticing how light the evenings are getting, or taking my time over reading a fabulous book lent to me, and highly recommended, by a friend.

Three things I’m looking forward to in March
1. Going to see The Russian State Ballet of Siberia perform The Nutcracker with my Mum.
2. Coffee with friends
3. My nephews 18th birthday

Three vegetables I eat the most
1. Tenderstem broccoli
2. Onion
3. Spinach

Three grocery items I buy every week
1. Oat milk
2. Cat food
3. Cat treats

Three things we go through like crazy in my house
1. Teabags
2. Cat food
3. Hummus

Three things I always have time for
1. Baths
2. Reading
3. Cat cuddles

Three things I never have time for
1. Keeping up with the blogs I like to read. This has been more recently, I've been a bit absent from blogland, finding the time to sit and properly keep up to date has felt almost impossible at times, life has been busy and I've been making sure that I make time to switch off and step away from tech. I hope to catch up with my favourite blogs soon.

2. Housework. It's always low on my list of priorities and often doesn't get done properly, which is a shame because I love a neat and tidy house. I give everything a quick 'once over' rather than the jolly good clean it really deserves and promise myself I'll do a better job next time. I always end up doing something less boring instead. For example, I was going to roll up my sleeves and get stuck in on Sunday, and then Andy came home and asked if I would like to go for a walk on the beach, followed by a spot of lunch somewhere. I mean, there's no competition is there? The cobwebs can wait until another day.

3. Roast dinners. I love eating roast dinners, but I hate the faff of cooking them. I find it so boring, and I especially dislike the fact that you have to cook certain things for it to be considered a 'real' roast dinner (insert eye rolling emoji).

What are you looking forward to in March?

Do you use Pinterest? Do you, like me, sometimes fall down a pin rabbit hole?

I did this recently with words, more specifically, delightful, rarely used words that made me smile, that I identified with even though in most cases I had no idea of the correct pronunciation (I shall asked a more learned friend next time I see her).

I return home, plug in my phone so that I can tell my husband that I’m back, I put the kettle on and say hello to the cats.

I eat two Chunky Kit Kats in the time it takes Andy to get home. He’s pleased to see me, as I am him.

He laughs when he asks to see my photos and I tell him I haven’t taken many. I hadn’t, it's most unlike me.

Andy goes back to work but only after we discuss the acts, the weather, the food, the cats, my tomato plants, and the weather again.

I make another cuppa, eat the pasta pot snack I’d taken all the way to Henham Park with me, and brought all the way home again.

My luggage stays in the hall, I don't want to unpack.

I wander around not wanting to turn on my computer just yet. I feel like I’ve been unplugged for a while and I like it.

I always return from camping feeling very calm, I love the simplicity of living with just the things I absolutely need. I look at our accumulated stuff and promise myself that I won’t add more to it, I’ll sleep under canvas more often instead.

After a few days of being surrounded by people and noise, it feels oddly quiet, there is a low ringing in my ears. There is nothing to do, nothing to see, listen too, or be entertained by. There is a distinct lack of smoke filled bubbles.

I eat my supper in the garden, listening to music. I grab my book and sip another cuppa while I acclimatise to being home again.

Normal life will can wait until tomorrow.