Chilly Bum-Bums.

I love this weather! I'm a winter person-much happier containing my layers of cellulite in cashmere than flaunting what God gave me in pink hotpants (heaven forbid!!!!) so this current cold snap suits me very well. I have invested in some new woolens to warm my bits whilst I live out my last days working at Dunster. Dunster, as anyone who has visited will know is set up on a hill on Exmoor. The weather blows in from the sea and whips a chill up my skirts whilst I am on the mountainside trying to be charming to visitors. I was happy to arrive home today to a prime example of pre-war pastry making as practised by my rather talented Mother. I am now unable to move for the fear of bursting all over the carpet. The threat of obesity bangs at my door like a bailiff.
I spent yesterday roaming the lanes and painting which kept me out of trouble for the evening. I have some markets coming up before the festive season so there is plenty to do. (Example of my effort above). This evening calls for a large Whiskey to herald a new adaptation of 'Little Dorrit' my all time favourite Dickens novel............I hope they do it justice.

Gardener's World.

My current state of mock retirement (laziness) has found me tucked up with a hotwater bottle enjoying 'Gardener's World'. I don't have anywhere to grow things at present as I'm housesitting for family until next spring-infact my horticultual knowledge is limited to lettuces and my potted herb garden. However, I watch GW religiously, despite the fact that I have almost no idea what they are talking about. I have no idea when to plant or pot or prune but do so love the presenters collective healthy outoor glow. It is slow moving, genteel, calm-without lurid graphics or intrusive incidental music-and better than anything else assumes that the viewer 'knows his onions' rather than patronising the heck out of the viewer. Of course, I don't 'know my onions'...but I'm certainly going to learn!

Blog Virgin!

Yesterday I found myself standing amidst 3,000 free range chickens. As job interviews go it was unauthodox but an education into animals that so many of us sadly take for granted when we fry our eggs.
As a little girl I had many differing ideas on what I 'wanted to be' when I grew up. My thoughts varied from Broadway actress to crime writer, dress maker to vicar and for one long period-Farmer's wife. The 9 year old me obviously felt the agricultural life would be an endless cycle of double cream sandwiches and ruddy faced ploughman leaning up against the kitchen window sill for a refreshing glass of cider. At some point in my adolescence I changed my mind and am yet to discover what it is I want to do on a permanent basis-infact I stopped worrying about that years ago. I'm a woman-not a job description and what comes comes for a reason.
Anyway, I can't wait to learn all about this side of animal husbandry, how chickens behave and more than anything being out on the hills in all weathers!.