....... if you want one of these!! Maria brought her puppy, Lily, to patch'n'chat this afternoon, and she is so cute there was not a lot of sewing done as we played with her
Maria told us that Lily is almost blind, but as dogs rely more on smell and hearing, it is not as great a handicap as it would be in a human. This is Maureen trying to get her to turn towards the camera
a lot of photos turned out like this!
when we went through for our afternoon cuppa, I was allowed to look after Lily. Maureen promptly took the camera and started snapping
after we had finished our cuppa, Maria took this photo of me with her baby
but I did get some work done! I made a start to a Santa wallhanging, which is to be a Christmas present
I gradually assembled the pieces
I did get all the pieces in place and started stitching ....... but I forgot to take another photo (I wonder why?!). But I do have another piece of sewing to share with you - I forgot to take my knitting with me last weekend, so I finished another stitchery - that's 23 done!
and of course we mustn't forget the Friday cake, a lovely rich gingerbread
we're staying home this weekend, as we want to get everything organised for the Christmas Fair (it's in two weeks time!!). Snow has been mentioned in the weather forecast, but hopefully we won't have any. Whether you are freezing in the Northern Hemisphere, or enjoying the sun in the Southern one, I hope you have a great weekend, love Anne
So, where have we been for the last two weeks? We have been having a very, very lazy holiday in Portugal, with some lovely sunshine. Then we arrived back at Newcastle Airport yesterday to nasty fog, and this afternoon it has rained steadily! We went to Carvoeiro, where we have had several very enjoyable holidays in the past. We stayed in the same hotel as we did two years ago
we spent a lot of time relaxing by the pool
and enjoying an occasional glass of wine in the colourful lounge
of course we had lots of delicious meals
I have dozens of photos still to sort through, but you will have to wait until Friday to see a selection of them. I have a lot of sewing and knitting to do between now and Christmas, so I am going to blog on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for the next few weeks.
To finish ...... I have mentioned before that walks with Malcolm always seem to involve lots of stairs!
Thank you very much for all your birthday good wishes! I had a lovely birthday - once I got the boring household chores over with! As usual I headed off to patch'n'chat, where I handed over my two quilts to Sandra, our lovely Linus Lady
the Friday cake was an extra-delicious chocolate, cream and strawberry confection
and Margaret gave me a very, very special present ....... a beautiful block,which I will turn into a wallhanging. Her work is exquisite, and I had tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat when I opened the parcel and saw what she had made for me
Stuart and Alison came for a visit ...... and I never gave a thought to taking photos of the wonderful birthday dinner that Malcolm made. We started with asparagus and broccoli soup. topped with crumbled blue cheese, then we had the most wonderful rack of lamb ........ which maybe wasn't quite as good as this one which Stuart had when he and Alison dined in a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York last month!!
for dessert we had Malcolm's signature bread and butter pudding, and it was all washed down with a glass or two of fizz. On Saturday morning, we headed out to Pirn House for breakfast, which we all enjoyed, then Stuart and Alison headed off for a visit to Ikea on their way home.
We came over to the flat yesterday, and I was delighted to see the little table looking so good in the hall
do you like the lamp? Malcolm made it from a biscuit tin after seeing the idea in a magazine
this seaside-themed dish was one of Malcolm's birthday present from me
taking the photo of the dish reminded me that I had forgotten to show you the present that I bought for Malcolm some weeks before his birthday ........ aren't these little boats just the cutest things!
we went for a long walk round the old walls yesterday, and although it was misty, I took lots of photos, which I shall share with you tomorrow. To finish, two photos of a robin which stayed still as I took the first photo, then turned to face the other way and waited until I had taken the photo before it flew off!
This morning we set off bright and early, and soon crossed the Border
we kept seeing little flashes of autumn colours in the trees
Malcolm was slightly cross when this slow moving beastie pulled out in front of him ....... fortunately we didn't have to crawl along for too long before it turned off
there are no photos from our first destination. We were calling in at friends of Rachel (who hopefully by now is a Lovely Grandmother, as the Lovely daughter-in-law has been in labour for some time), who had very kindly brought several packages for Malcolm back to Northumberland after a recent visit to Rachel. I haven't yet taken photos, but the packages contain lots of wonderful stuff for stained glass making - Rachel had been having a clear out, and having decided that she wouldn't make more stained glass, she offered all her supplies to Malcolm, who was delighted to accept. With everything safely stowed in the car (with very careful handling of the box full of sheets of glass!) we headed to Corbridge. We had our lunch here
we both had one of the day's specials welsh rarebit. It was so good I am going to have to make it for lunch one day soon!
strolling round the town, we couldn't decide who (or which) was older, the tractor or the driver
not only were these meringues enormous, but they had delicious fillings such as lemon curd. I absolutely deny that Malcolm had to drag me away, before I bought the entire stock!!
a proper, old fashioned, greengrocer
this shop had lovely things, both inside
and outside
of course we can't visit Corbridge without a browse round our favourite shop ...... but for once I didn't buy anything - there was so many lovely things to chose from I couldn't make up my mind!
we could have spent a large amount of money in this new shop, including buying one of these wonderful shepherd's huts (but again Malcolm may have dragged me away as I got out my credit card!!!!!)
I think I have mentioned in the past that post boxes in Scotland don't have EIIR on them, as we have only had one Queen Elizabeth (the current one),unlike England, which has had two. But the main point of interest in this post box for us is the fact that it was made in Falkirk, where we lived in the 90s (before we went to Indonesia)
when I saw this sign, I wondered if it was the Methodist or the chapel who was primitive!
back at the car park, there was a lovely display of sunflowers
on the way home there was more frustration, stuck behind large vehicles
so we had to pop in for a delicious cheese scone to recover!
whenever we pass this cafe, with its very large sign, I want to open a cafe a hundred yards along the road with a larger sign saying "oh no you're not!"
as we began the long climb up to the border, the mist came down from the hills
but cleared in time to capture the moment we crossed back into Scotland!
just look at the rich, red, newly ploughed earth!
to finish - when we got home, there was one of those annoying cards from the postman. But fortunately it told us where he had hidden the parcel in the front garden, so we wouldn't have to trail into Hawick tomorrow to pick it up
so what was in the parcel ........ just a little taste of heaven! We love these Australian biscuits, so I was delighted to track down an Australian shop in London which sells them online. But as the postage was almost as much as the biscuits, this is a very special treat! The big question is - will I hide them away and eat them all myself, or will I share them with Malcolm and Stuart, who really likes them too??!
After our indulgent dinner on Wednesday night, we had muesli with fresh strawberries and raspberries on Thursday, knowing that we would be over-indulging again later in the day! We zoomed over to Berwick first thing, dropped the luggage of at the flat, then drove down the coast to Bamburgh. Unfortunately the weather deteriorated, and when we got to Bamburgh it was wet and very windy. We had planned a walk on the beach, but having walked through the dunes so that Anna could take photos of the castle, we decided to go for a cuppa, to warm up and dry out! Knowing that we would soon be having lunch, we shared that one scone between the three of us, as we didn't want to spoil our appetites. But we had one more stop before lunch ....... the Grace Darling Museum. Anna was fascinated by the tale of Grace's bravery, and after we had spent some time in the Museum, we then walked along the street to find the house where she was born
we then drove the few miles down the coast to Seahouses, to have lunch at Pinnacles, our favourite place for fish and chips. Because of the weather, we decided to sit in for lunch, rather than get a takeaway and eat it on the benches overlooking the harbour. Malcolm explained the menu to Anna
..... she sensibly declined the offer of mushy peas
and we were soon tucking into the most delicious fish and chips - but we didn't eat as much as you might think from seeing the photo. Malcolm and Anna ordered fish and chips, while I ordered only fish, then they shared their chips with me
when we got back to Berwick, we had a short walk round the town and the old town walls, which of course were built to keep those pesky Scots out! Back at the flat, Anna enjoyed watching the ever-changing view from the window. Malcolm was watching cricket on tv, and we had fun trying to explain the rules to her. Then it was time to head over to town for ........ Malcolm's birthday dinner! We went to Audela, as we had checked out the menu when we were in town. We only had a main course each, having had our fish and chips at lunchtime! The birthday boy had lobster
Anna had chicken ...... she wasn't too sure about the black pudding!
I had the most delicious lamb - and yes, I did pick up the bones at the end to make sure I had eaten every possible scrap of tender, tasty meat!
over dinner, we further explained the rules of cricket. I think the man at the next table was quite entertained as I took out a notebook and we started drawing diagrams! We walked back over the new bridge, for some last photo opportunities for Anna of the old bridge ......
and the railway bridge
the cricket was still on when we got back to the flat, and Anna was just getting the hang of things when England managed to collapse and the game was over! All to soon it was morning, and time to take her to Berwick Station, to catch the train to London. We had lots of fun (and lots to eat!) and hopefully next time she will be able to stay longer, and we might even have time to sit and do some sewing!
To finish, a bit of fun from the Grace Darling Museum
....... and lots of good food! After a quiet evening on Tuesday, Wednesday saw us raring to go, to show Anna as much as possible. We started with a stroll up the road to the church ...... but didn't get far before we had to stop to take photos of this huge flock of birds sitting on the phone wires
then there were sheep posing prettily - in deference to our visitor, they didn't turn and point their bottoms at her, as they do with me!!
and there were views to be admired
we headed into Hawick to visit the exhibitions at The Towerhouse. After parking, we crossed footbridge over the River Teviot ....... I jokingly said I has asked the heron to be there - and there he was!
we had a brief diversion to call in to our lovely neighbours shoe shop, then we spent so long at the Towerhouse that we had to review our plans for lunch, and called into the Pickled Orange. Anna had expressed an interest in experiencing one of our famous "scones for lunch" ....... so that is what we had, sharing a plain one, a cheese one and a cherry one (superb!!)
suitably fortified, we headed off to Jedburgh to visit Mary, Queen of Scots House
our next stop was at Abbotsford, home of Sir Walter Scott
we had a very special dinner on Wednesday, as we had lots to celebrate ........ we have just had our 29th Wedding Anniversary, it is ten years since Malcolm took early retirement, nine years since we moved to Hawick, and of course Anna's visit. We started with a glass of champagne ......... Stuart and Alison gave me this bottle for Mothers Day, and I had put it away for a special occasion
The first course was Scottish smoked salmon, with homemade brown bread (ok, I opened a packet of bread mix and put it in my breadmaker!)
we had started the next course before I remembered to take a photo! Asparagus and broccoli soup, topped with crumbled blue cheese
then I forgot to take a photo of the main course - venison casserole with sage dumplings (delicious!). So, on to the pudding. I thought I would make cranachan, which I had never made before. I had a look in two of my Scottish cookery books ...... the recipes were much the same, except one said to add one tablespoon of whisky, while the other one said to add six! (and if you click on the link to look at the recipe, that one says seven tablespoons!) I thought I would play safe and only add one spoonful, which pleased Malcolm, as I was using his best single malt!
We should have finshed with some local cheeses - but e couldn't manage another bite! We eventually staggered off to bed, as we wanted an early start to go over to Berwick ....... and Thursday was another special day, as it was Malcolm's birthday! I'll tell you all about it tomorrow (and explain why we only had one scone between the three of us!!)
Oh my, from the moment we picked Anna up from Edinburgh Airport at 3pm on Tuesday, until we dropped her off at Berwick Station at 10am today ......... we just didn't stop!! We started on Tuesday with a toast to our wonderful friend Meredithe, who so sadly couldn't join us, and Malcolm also filmed a short clip on Anna's phone which she sent to Meredithe, to say that we were missing her
we had a very busy day on Wednesday sightseeing in and around Hawick, then yesterday we came over to Berwick for another packed day ....... but the weather let us down, and as you can see from this photo of Malcolm and Anna, it was wet and windy at Bamburgh!!
I have got lots of photos to sort out (for some reason a lot of them seem to have food in them!!), so I will do that over the weekend, and give you a much more detailed report on Monday. Of course there is no Friday cake as I wasn't at patch'n'chat today, but I rather think you will like this scone which we shared yesterday in The Copper Kettle Tearooms in Bamburgh. You may think we were being a bit mean, only having one scone between the three of us, but all will be explained on Monday
We will be heading back to Hawick in the morning ....... and I might even get some sewing done in the afternoon! I hope you have a good weekend, love Anne
We have all been fascinated by the photos of Pluto ......... but did I find a new planet when I was taking photos in the front garden last night?
alas no ....... it was just me playing about with the camera settings when taking photos of the sunset!
the front garden looked slightly different when I popped out to take some photos this afternoon
the cherry tree was given a good taking to, after only producing five cherries last year. Oh dear, there hasn't been any improvement in this year's crop!
this is the beginnings of a quince ..... for the last few years the quince haven't matured, but hopefully they will this year, so we can have some quince jelly
I haven't fed my orchids for a while ...... they generally thrive on neglect! But when I saw the drip feeders on a BOGOF this morning, I thought I would give them a treat!
and to finish ...... I bought this bag of salad leaves this morning for tonight's dinner. As you can see it contains 90g
we had half the bag each - a generous serving. But according to this panel, a serving is 80g. You would have to be very fond of salad to eat that much in one sitting - and what would you do with the leftover 10g?
Yesterday evening we walked along to the old bridge, to wait for the arrival of this year's Salmon Queen. Her approach was heralded by the skirl of the pipes
with all the crush of people, I only managed a quick snap as she went past
then a view of her back as she got out of her boat (which had been towed behind a car!)
it was hard to take photos of all the people up on the stage, as the light was behind them, so these are the best of a poor bunch! First, Lauren, the outgoing Queen
this woman with the fantastic hat is the High Sheriff of Northumberland
and this, of course, is the Mayor of Berwick, whom we met last month at the craft fair
and the most important person of the evening, the new Queen Shannon
after speeches by the two dignitaries and the two Queens, we were led in prayer by this chap - being Scottish I would call him a minister
we then walked the few yards to the War Memorial, where the minister again spoke, and the lone piper played a lament
Queen Shannon then prepared to lay a wreath, as the dignitaries looked on
with the solemn part of the evening over, the pipe band struck up a cheery tune
there was a big lad on the big drum
and a wee lad, who looked as if he might be his brother, on a much smaller drum!
as we left, we saw the High Sheriff chatting to some spectators
I wonder if she had a donut before she went home!!
in a comment on yesterday's post, Julia mentioned that her son would be fishing today near the old bridge. As I walked along to the Gallery this morning to do my stewarding at the exhibition, I saw these men on the river, so I hope one of them is Julia's son
when I got to the Gallery, I was delighted to see the finished exhibition
when we arrived yesterday, Reaper was moored at the quayside across the river
we went to see the ship after lunch today. I stayed on deck, declining to climb down the ladder to see below-decks, so Malcolm took these photos. He said it was quite cramped, and that there was also a strong smell of diesel (fuel) which makes me feel sick, so I was glad I had stayed in the sunshine
these are my photos from on deck
then I took this one from the old bridge as we walked home
to finish ...... when I looked out the window after dinner tonight, a line of geese was heading out of the dock
within minutes, the remaining geese, who were still playing with the swans, hastily raced after the others
apart from this dozy one!!