1.
Read: The Dinner is finished. What a strange book! I found it a little clunky too, which I suspect is due to the translating from one language to another. I then read: Fizzlebert Stump: The boy who ran away from the circus (and joined the library) - by A F Harold. It's a children's book by author and poet A F Harold who entertained us with his poetry on the Friday night of the bookcrossing convention. I'm sure any 8-10 year old that hasn't discovered Fizzlebert Stump is missing a treat.
I'm desperately trying to finish have just this moment finished: "In the Dark" by Deborah Moggach. Which would actually make a great book group choice. So much in this book and plenty you could discuss. Once I've read that I may well start on my own book groups next choice as the May meeting will soon come around.
2.
Made: I have really lost my sewing mojo. I want to finish the Amsterdam quilt, but to baste it requires ironing it and piecing the backing and quite frankly I've been too lazy to get the ironing board out. I've even contemplated whether I should be destashing a load of my treasured fabrics to fund a camera lens I REALLY
want need. I am far more into photography than I am sewing. I can pin point the exact moment things stopped being so fun for me. The changes in the community haven't helped things either. The only thing stopping me destashing is what if I regret getting rid of stuff in six months time?
3.
Watched: Safe House - a new drama to ITV on Monday nights. Starring Christopher Eccleston, it's a gripping drama about a family in need of some police style protection in a safe house and the ex police man who provides it. There is a tense sense of menace as the person/people out to get the family seems intent on stopping at nothing. Creepy. I switched off the laptop to concentrate fully on watching it and am already looking forward to next weeks episode.
4.
My Garden/Flowers I am loving the spring flowers everywhere. Something new in the garden every day.
5.
Eaten: At long last a friend that had been desperate to try the thai tapas at The Railway came over on Wednesday so we could have an early dinner. Sadly since I visited with my niece at the begining of the month they've done away with the three dishes for £12.00 so it does work out more expensive. When I asked about this it turns out they're changing the menu and will be adding a large sharing platter as a starter (Yay!) and more thai soups and salads (Boo - these are my least favourites on the menu. Not a soup person and the salads just don't do it for me at all by comparison to the other lovely tempting things that were on the menu.
6.
Visited/Seen: Chief came down last Thursday night and stayed until Saturday tea time, when he had to return home. Friday we headed off to Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens near Burford, Oxfordshire. It's a lovely wildlife park as you can get so close to many of the animals. There is something pretty special about seeing a crash of white rhinos on the lawn of a Cotswold Manor House.
The baby Rhino was only born at the end of last month and is called
Ian - so cute!
7.
Recommended: I can't think of anything right now to recommend. Well, I can but that particular recommendation deserves some pictures, so maybe next week!
8.
Stash: In 0 Out 0 I'm not even looking at fabric right now. It's so tempting to buy and I'm sure most of us have more in our stashes than we can ever use. I really don't want to add to a stash I'm hardly using!
9.
Birds: I've done really well on the bird front. Whilst a post Cotswold Wildlife Park trip to Farmoor provided no new birds. I did get to add a bird I'd never seen before to my list the next day: Ring Ouzels. Not the greatest shots. But the countryside was pretty amazing too. I also got my best ever Red Kite photos at what Chief refers to as: The Kite Cafe. If I look back at my first attempts at capturing them I cringe out how bad and blurred those attempts were.
Only record shots but those black and white blobs are Ring Ouzels
Red Kites - there are more in the flickr set if you click through from either picture.
10.
And Finally: I'm looking forward to a long overdue lunch with a school friend tomorrow. I haven't exchanged birthday or Christmas presents with her! I'm so looking forward to catching up with her.