Since Last Time...

• There has been lots of teaching and my regular weekly class is back into the swings of things. We've lost a couple of people... well, not lost exactly, I know where they are they just didn't re-enroll... but we've gained a couple too which is the way this class has been for the past ten years or so. I can't believe I have been doing it that long but they still delight me with what they make. These little book jackets were just some of the results of our first project. I think that I would like a little book of magic.

• It was caramel week in the bake off and although I didn't make stroopwafel I did make millionaire's shortbread and two caramel cakes. They weren't all for us I hasten to add... I have a skimpy outfit to get into by the end of October, but more about that later.

• No sooner than we'd eaten all that cake, it was pudding week. I went back to making the technical bake which was a molten pudding filled with peanut butter. It was so wrong... I love peanut butter but in the middle of a pudding it was dry, claggy and too salty. Won't be making those again in a hurry, which seems to be the theme of this year's bakes. Just for the record I did make them in under the specified time of one hour whilst also making dinner for four and under the influence of a couple of gin & tonics!
• I've been rehearsing twice a week because at the end of October I'm in a play... Funny Money, a farce by Ray Cooney. I play the wife of the main character, Jean Perkins and there are lots of lines to learn. I thought it would be good for the old grey matter but it's not as easy as it used to be and some days it feels like my brain is mush. All other reading has gone out of the window for the time being. It is also the reason I have to fit in to a skimpy outfit. To be fair it's not that skimpy just a size too small... but I also have to change into a nightdress and fall about on the floor a lot. Do you think I might be getting too old for this lark?

• Another day teaching and this time it was in a village hall in Acton, Suffolk. It is about an hour and half from where we live and straightforward journey. I left in plenty of time but was still an hour late arriving... because I got lost! For nearly twenty years I have travelled all over the country teaching or giving talks, I have arrived in city centres in the dark - Bristol, Derby, Birmingham, I have gone to every county you can imagine but I have NEVER, ever got lost before. I was listening to the radio, took a wrong turning and drove on for another ten miles before I realised, by which time I didn't have a clue where I was. I know, I know I should have a satnav or even use my phone but  I stubbornly stick to old fashioned maps because I prefer them. Phone calls were made, the map consulted and I arrived eventually. A cup of tea was thrust into my hand and I hit the class running, which was actually quite amusing. I do have to say all eleven ladies in the class were delightful, very understanding and all made the most amazing landscapes... I could show you all eleven but they are all up on my facebook page so I'll just show you mine.

• The dog has recovered from his operation. His cone of shame lasted two days before he learned how to remove it and started to eat it. He could reach his stitches anyway so it was a bit of a waste of time. On the plus side he has saved the vet a job and has removed his own stitches. He has also taken to carrying his blanket around all the time which is quite cute, except he has started to eat that too... pink poo, that's all I'm saying! As for his behaviour... well I'm optimistically telling myself it is early days yet but I wasn't very impressed by the regurgitated sock I found on the kitchen floor one morning at 6.15 am. I swear I thought it was a dead rat and did have a moment of panic (environmental health... my five star rating!) before I discovered it was a dead sock.

So that was my last ten days... I didn't intend staying away so long but you know how it is. This weekend we have nothing planned, nowhere to go, no cakes to bake just chilling, seeing the family and not doing anything in particular. I am determined to make the most of some down time... and learn my lines!

I hope you have a good weekend