It's been a little while since I updated, reason being, my mum came to tea on Friday so we could celebrate her birthday together. My mum was minimalist long before the word existed, so everything had to be tidy (correction, everywhere she might see had to be tidy - the rest doesn't bear thinking about!). I made her a Victoria sponge with lemon cream filling, so Friday was spent in the kitchen, adding to the washing up!! My dad always made one for our birthdays and when he died I took over the task. I was a little perturbed when I took it out of the oven - it looked as though it had hardly risen and felt as heavy as a brick!! But it was OK - apart from being very slightly lopsided (but that can be wangled when you put it together) and at least it wasn't burnt round the edges (much more drastic, you have to indulge in corrective surgery and then cover it up, and I hadn't anywhere like time for that!!).

I had a quiet evening after that - and managed to dig out a bit of my finger trying to open a crown cork without a bottle opener - that is still recovering. (It's right on the knuckle, so every time I flex it, it gets disturbed a little.)

Now I have time to do something else - what do I fancy? I'd love to make some cards (but that would play havoc with my tidy sitting-room, it's an inherently messy process, involving everything being out!!) and I have that book on the Catholic (aka Counter) Reformation which would be a good way to ease myself into studying again .... and a lot less messy!!

I hope one day I will make some cards - then this blog will look a little more interesting ..... assuming I eventually suss out how to post piccies .....

Well, I did neither of those things. I decided to go to Croydon to get some things I needed as the weather was as good as it was going to get for the next month or two, although that bite was back in the air again, which meant it felt worse than on Sunday even though it was sunny, and by the time I came back, after dark, I was quite well chilled.

First objective was to replace the purse I had stolen. They had the same one, so I could have replaced it exactly, but that one always tipped money out so I went for a slightly different one - not so many useful compartments, but the money stays inside. Next stop the kitchen department, for oven gloves and a baking tray, which I got, and added to them a new frying pan and a worktop slicing machine, which is really like a guillotine for food and I hope has a finer blade than a knife so will cut thin slices neatly. The frying pan is actually a skillet, so has higher sides - less food spilling out of it, I hope! I also got one of those things you use to hold an onion while you slice it which I hope will keep the onion in place.

I looked at hand mixers/blenders; the Kenwood Chefette I have had for years still works, but one day the bowl will crack and I doubt I can get a replacement. I couldn't see anything as compact, though there was a Bosch that seemed to do everything under the sun and I might well go for that if I need something new. For the moment I will stay with my old faithful.

Whatever they invent, they don't seem to have a tin opener that is compact, works efficiently and is easy to clean ....