Youngest's December

The trouble with the computer not working properly is that I’ve got out of the habit of visiting. Perhaps Husband will sort it over his holiday?

I still have 35 cards to write (and must therefore make 10 more), and most of my relations have a present: the ones that haven’t are the brothers and father of Husband, so I’m laying the lack firmly at his door to sort out. Most of the presents are even wrapped!
This organisation is due to the fact that the family all break up from school on Friday so ‘my’ time is running out, and tomorrow is Youngest’s 14th birthday and always provides other complications – though this year we have agreed not to have a party.
Of course this doesn’t mean we’re not celebrating! On Sunday we had the Grandparents and Godparents to lunch and a birthday tea – roast chicken for 14, and a gluten-free cake. Tomorrow there will be various other presents that have arrived in the post, plus ours, and a light fruit cake (must sort that!). We have had to promise to get her friends together in the spring: she couldn’t possibly do something now.
Youngest is an enthusiastic participator in life. Last weekend we had one lot of Godparents staying on Saturday night, and one set of Grandparents on Sunday so we weren’t free to do a party, and Strictly is unmissable! Not to mention the job: Youngest gets up in time to be at her Saturday job by 8am where she spends a happy couple of hours variously mucking out, milking, grooming and feeding goats, a horse, sheep, chickens and (I think)pigs. She comes back cold and filthy but happy and richer! (She is saving for a Guide trip to Switzerland in the summer.) On Monday she helped fundraise for her house charity at a Parents’ Evening at school. Last night there was a house trip to Bristol to see a pantomime. Tonight she is singing at the school Carol Service. Friday there is a Guide night hike and sleepover, so the goats will have to wait ‘til Sunday… We have visitors from abroad staying on Saturday night, and the Strictly final. There’s no time for a party!

In case I don’t get back here: Happy Christmas!

Why blog?

Absolutely staggered this morning to find I have a comment: I've been found out in my bottom drawer in the cellar! Was carefully refraining from commenting on anyone else's blog so I wouldn't be discovered... Not that I don't want to be read, just thought that there would come a moment when I would be saying something beautifully and not just randomly rambling. I wonder how I'd know?

I've been surfing to see who else might be out there and was amused to find a kuche full of hausfraus! I've added the two I enjoyed most to my list of blogs to follow. Also went to look for seamstresses, but almost everyone seemed to embroider or knit. I've had my moments - embroidery as part of my O and A level Needlework, and a bit for pleasure, and knitting with everyone else when we went through a phase at school - but my ability doesn't really lie in that direction. I like the speed with which a garment can be produced from ready made fabric and am too lazy to knit the bits first.

The blog I fell in love with when I was following my nose is Gluten-Free Girl. Her writing style is lovely and I've decided to send her book to my wheat intolerant friend on the strength of her blog. Will let you know. I may have to loose one of the hausfraus as I was horrified to read that she had made coconut macaroons with chocolate ganache. It sounds just too sweet to me, I can't think why you'd make anything other than the classic almond mixture with just an almond on top. On that note I'm off to make an apricot and almond cake full of gluten and completely delicious!