27th March............

...on this day, the shoelace was said to have been invented in 1790, as an alternative to buckles for fastening footwear. So, there you go :0)Also, in 1871, Scotalnd defeated England by one try in the first ever international rugby match.

Lovely day here, after yesterday's blustery rain and cold drizzle - will get outside and do some sorting and planting in the garden, washing out and a bit of housework. Off out tonight to an am-dram production, helping with the costumes, behind the scenes, should be fun. Think I might prefer a hot bath and bed, but will enjoy it when I get there :)

The boot sale on Sunday yieleded a couple of nice things - lovely sandwich plate by Falconware, three new auriculas, some nice silver earrings; not many sellers there due to the weather, but worth going. Also got two boxes of pastels, so need to get back into that at some point. Yesterday went and trawled a couple of my favourite charity shops; got a couple fo knitting books for e-bay and some for myself, also a very pretty skirt and lace top, and two very sweet mugs with cats and pigs on - brand new, 25p only. With Bean at college on Tuesday night, I went in with them, with the intention of gettings oem strawberry plants at B&Q. However, Lidl had them at 1.49 for 6 plants, so bought two dozen of them, and some pretty oxalis bulbs. Treated myself to a very nice stainless steel trowel in B&Q, and a couple of other bits. I just need to get everything planted/sorted now - that's the hard bit.
Bad cold has receeded now, so feeling more energetic - might even clean the bathroom!

I am going to see........................

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in Nottingham in May. How excited am I? Words cannot do it justice.

My friend got me a ticket, and I'll enjoy a few days staying up in Yorokshire with her, haven't seen her for a couple of years. Chance of a lifetime, thrilled to bits.

Field walking

The Bean went out field walking while I was in the kitchen yesterday - came back with some interesting finds. Always lots of fossils about, as our village stands on a run of corn braish, full of good fossils, bits and pieces. Lovely big ammonite fossil, bit of old roof tile, several fossilised shells and a lovely little stone with a perfect white heart formed inside it - this one looks like it has been napped on the other side, very interesting.

Being ill.........

Not really ill, just have a bad dose of the cold - throat, nose, head, eyes - the lot! I'm not very good at being ill either - I try to carry on as normal; have put off tomorrow's visitors though, not a good idea. Making hot cross buns today I hop, and staying inside. I finished the marmalade in the afternoon, turned out well - lovely colour. Hope it tastes as good as it looks.

Also knitted some Easter eggs - like you do!!

Link for egg pattern:

http://www.curlypurly.com/eggs.html

Lemon curd recipe

>The best recipe I've found over the years, and the only one I use now. Try it - you'll never use another, or buy lemon curd again. It's quite versatile in the kitchen too - add to meringues with cream, lemon curd tarts, add to double cream and/or yoghurt and make ice cream, or just eat it out of the jar with a teaspoon :0)

Lemon curd

Juice and grated rind of 5 -6 large juicy lemons

5 -6 new laid eggs

8oz unsalted butter

1 1/4lbs sugar, caster or granulated

Grate the rinds finely from the lemons and put in a bowl, then juice the lemons well and add the juice, strained. chop the butter and add to bowl, along with the sugar. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water, and stir regularly until the sugar is dissolved and the butter melted. Beat the eggs well, and pour through a sieve into the bowl; stir frequently until mixture thickens to coat the back of the wooden spoon, then pour into hot jars. Leave to cool, covered with a tea towel, then seal and label.

Oh what a beautiful morning............

..oh what a beautiful day! Makes you want to sing :0) Absolutely lovely here. Sky was strange last night - covered in separate fluffy clouds, with the moon peeping through; tried to take a picture but it didn't work. Glad I saw it though. Not sure what's on the agenda today, but I need to get the grapefruit and ginger amrmalade finished and the lemon curd sealed, bacon sliced (still not done), might make some biscuits, bit of gardening, washing, the usual. I really need to get the curtains on the go for the kitchen too, which I talked about last week, but enver got round to. Maybe I'll get spurred on at the sight of the rather gorgeous chicken fabric!!

Grapefruit and ginger marmalade

3 large thin-skinned grapefruit - ruby ones are nice, for the colour

3 lemons

5lbs sugar

piece of root ginger

6oz crystalised ginger, chopped

6 pints water

Wash fruit and cut in half; using a grapefruit knife, remove all flesh and juice and put into preserving pan. Tie the pips in a muslin bag with the lemon skins and root ginger piece; cut the grapefruit skins into fine, short lengths and add to the pan with the water. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours or so until the peel is very soft and the contents of the pan reduced by about half. Remove the muslin bag, squeezing it well, stir in the warmed sugar, then the chopped crystalised ginger, then boil rapidly to a set. Leave to cool a while, then stir to distribute the peel and ginger, then pot and seal.

You ain't seen me..........

.......right? I'm supposed to be at the Parish Council Meeting, but honestly didn't feel up to it, so cried off; hot bath and an early night, I think.

I did get the grapefruit and ginger marmalade started this afternoon, and a bit more crochet done, but it really was too cold to go outside.