A busy week ahead

I am away to Southampton for a few days, back Wednesday afternoon, so I thought I had best do a blog post before I go.

Yesterday we bought a lovely little hand-crafted coffee table, made by a chap in Welshpool (sticker on bottom).  I love the adzed top, all ripply, and the carved supports which look like a truckle of cheese with a big bite taken out of them.  What you can't see is the crinkle-crankle bar underneath which joins the two legs together.  We had been using the really beautiful free form yew wood 1960s coffee table we have, but it is too long, so we will put that back out to sell in the Unit or the next big Fair.

This afternoon I baked the first Mince Pies of the season, using scrummy orange pastry (you add the zest of a large orange and enough juice to bind the pastry mix together.)  Home made mincemeat too of course.  They look very scorched in the photo but only a couple were in reality.  I will blame the food picture setting on my camera.

I just couldn't resist this issue of Landscape magazine.  It is one of my favourite magazines for the interesting articles on country living, and the beautiful photographs.  This didn't disappoint, and there is a little patchwork project I fancy making of an evening.  I will put up a photo when I've made it.

I wanted a book on making bags - this has loads of ideas, but probably most of them I won't attempt!  There are times when really, you need to see a book in the flesh and check it out before buying it.

This is what I am reading at the moment.  The first of her novels I've tried - rather gritty and she pulls no punches about the low-lifes she is writing about.  Not sure if I will read a second.  That said, she writes well - it is the subject matter which is a bit too gritty in places.