A strange coincidence . . .

Good morning.  I could tell it was a weekend day here, as even before 8 a.m. there were the roar of motorbikes heading up the main road and it is still continuing.  I imagine that the West End Cafe in Llandovery will be doing a brisk trade this morning.  That's where they always seem to head for.

Yesterday I had an email from an old friend/neighbour of ours where we used to live.  She said that our nearest neighbour had died last week - the disease which killed him having been a rapid-onset version of something which normally takes many years to claim a life.  He died on Tuesday.  Strangely enough, on Tuesday Keith and I were talking about him - it makes you wonder whether we were somehow intuitively aware of his passing - as if his spirit had given us a thought as it left him.  Who can say?  A strange coincidence though.  What do you think?  Pure coincidence or something more?

Having put the lining paper on the scraped-down bit of our bedroom wall where the sink used to be, today I am going to see how I manage with some of the dark blue wallpaper I bought back in the summer.  I will need to clear the decks on the kitchen table first though, so I can cut the wallpaper.  I was going to do it yesterday, and then Keith mentioned that there was jumps racing on from Cheltenham, so wallpapering was abandoned and I sat and watched the racing instead.  He made me laugh when his horse (subject to a £2 bet!) was going round, resolutely last and he said, "Well, if THAT wins it will be a blardy miracle!"  It managed to come in 4th.

I did some more on the x-stitch Christmas present having realized, if the date on the magazine I'm using is anything to go by, that it has been a Work In Progress for up to 5 years now, though I think it is actually 3years.  (I don't feel so guilty then!)  I am really enjoying it - it is my treat, something to look forward to doing each day.  I'm doing outlining at the moment, and grass, and that way I can put in any tiny bits of stitching I had missed.  When this is done I shall finish the Devon village x-stitch (quite a big one that I'm nearly finished on) and get that hung.  I've hung my little collection of x-stitch and embroidered pictures on the staircase wall so will take a photo of that next week.

 The view from the bathroom window, looking across to Llanelwedd quarry.  Not a romantic scene perhaps, but a familiar one. The quarry lights are on all night - they must have a huge electricity bill!  As you can see, autumn colours abound, and the Sycamore across the lane from us has lost most of its leaves now and we are starting to see the glimpse of Aberedw Hill we get in the winter months.   

More Autumn colours looking out of the Pink bedroom window.  It was better with the light on it the other day when the tree to the left, which is smothered in Oak Moss, lit up beautifully.

Ghengis warming his btm and yes, the keyboard DID get a wipe down after he was moved on.

I had An Indulgence this month - Country Living was on offer, and you get a couple of extra bits too.  I got 6 months for £10 off the normal price, plus a Calendar and Diary which will be delivered separately.  This December issue arrived this week.

Another indulgence.  I had and read this book years back, and then it went in a clear out a few years back.  I fancied reading it again, especially as we fans of Phil Rickman are eagerly awaiting his new book, which has been held up for several years because he had a Stroke, poor man.

Apple Dappy.  It tastes SO good.

APPLE DAPPY (Serves 6)

8 oz (225g) S-R flour
2 oz (50 g) margarine
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 pint (150 ml) milk
Pinch salt
1 tblspn Demerara sugar
1/2 level tsp. cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves or mixed spice
2 good-size apples (I use cookers, but dessert will do)

Syrup:

1 (washed) lemon or a little lemon essence
1 tblspn golden syrup
1/2 oz (15g) margarine
4 oz (100g) sugar
7 fl. oz (200 ml) water

Make syrup first.  Peel fine strips of lemon rind and squeeze lemon.  Put rind, juice and all other syrup ingredients into a pan and stir over a gentle heat until sugar is dissolved.  Leave to cool.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl and rub in marg.  Mix to dough with milk.  Roll into 8" x 5" x 1/4" thick rectangle on floured board.  (20 x 13cm x 7 mm thick).

Peel, core and chop apples and spread on pastry.  Mix sugar and spice together and sprinkle over apple.  Roll up pastry and apple like a swiss roll.  Then cut into slices about 1" (2.5 cm) thick.

Grease an oven-proof dish  and lay slices flat on it.  Remove lemon rind from syrup and pour over the apple slices.  Bake in a moderately hot oven, Gas 6, 375 deg. F, 190 deg. C for about 30 mins.

Serve with cream or custard.

This is an old Devon recipe .