...are you sure?!

Today we went into town to do recycling and other necessary things, 

like taking library books back 

(which I couldn't cause it was closed!) 

and food shopping 

(which took ages longer as we bumped into our landlady and had a really long chat)

...we also got some new wool and some PHAT knitting needles to keep me entertained whilst Jamz takes his computer back! 

(mine is broken, so I'm borrowing to blog)

On the way home we stopped to grab a branch of fallen wood so I managed to get a couple of pictures of the 'way to civilization'!

 

We have been intending to walk into town from our house (about 6/7 miles) before the snow comes so we know we can! But this still hasn't happened...too much other stuff to do it would seem!!

I also managed to get a picture of some lovely graffiti! (YES!! LOVELY!!)

A couple in the parish recently got married, we know this as on the way into town and the church, their families had sprayed messages on to the road.

This one means, "Are you sure"!!! The were others too...perhaps I'll get some snaps of those aswell.

I really love it, this sort of thing just wouldn't happen in a town or city. 

Today we also met one of the farm owners moving his sheep down the road, this chap is called William and he lives near the junction on the road home. 

It's still very weird meeting people in the parish, as they all seem to know where we live, and we know nothing about them!

"how are you finding the track in that car then?" he goes...!!

We said hello and mentioned how happy his sheep looked, and he told us that he'd found some of his sheep had gone a bit lame 

(their feet are susceptible to rot in muddy fields) 

he'd only properly noticed with them on the road and he said he'd 

"done two of them on the road, now"

 ...

We're not entirely sure what that meant, but there we no dead sheep up the road, so I'm sure they'll be fine!!

 

Still no snow here, but about 18 miles away on Cadair Idris there is a smattering of white...!!

The fire is roaring, we've a bottle of wine open and I'm currently making some decorations to hang on my twig tree (the real tree will come nearer to christmas)

These are made super simply by cutting out circles from some Ash bark which I've saved and dried and hanging them with some seasonal tread.

Lovely Lovely Lovely

xxxxxx

storms, chilli and knitting

 I am so glad the geranium still has her flowers, the leaves have mostly left the trees now and the winter pansies are looking pretty sorry for themselves, she is the only proper flower left.

We're getting ready for winter properly now, collecting and chopping wood, we've now got oil in the tank, and the underfloor heating on (which is amazing!). 

And we've also done a big shop, spending far more than we'd initially intended...we have now got enough tins of beans, pasta, flour, uht and toilet roll for at least a few weeks!!   

It would seem that we did the 'apocalypse shop' just in time, as that evening there was a storm, crazy winds and lots of hail stones!! Enough to put the wind up us!!

As last year it hit about -14 up here we are starting to panic a bit as to weather we'd be okay if we couldn't get to town for a few weeks...

(shoddy photo, I know, but it was frrrrreeeeeezing!)

Aside from that, we have begun to bring a big of christmas into the house, I love the smell of christmas, cloves, orange, pine, all of them, I can't wait to get our tree! 

But for now I've settled with a few sprigs of scots pine and some festive cones to get me going....

As it is that time of year, I also get to bring out the goddess...of course, I mean Nigella. 

I totally love her!

I love her face, her cheesyness, her decorations, the dodgy sexual looks she gives the camera...EVERYTHING!

  

 I stole this book from my mum a few years ago now and I can't see her getting it back any time soon, it has so many lovely recipes in it, great for feasting ideas and also for edible gifts. Usually I make a ton of peanut butter cups, but this year, as I've been making getting into it, I decided to make some chilli jam. You don't need to buy the book to get the recipe, it's available online here.

I've never used jam sugar before, so I was a bit worried about the consistency of the dissolving sugar in the cider vinegar and the amount of time it was taking for the sugar to dissolve, but I think it worked out okay...It looks like jam!! 

James likes it, though I think its a little too vinegary... perhaps it'll become richer once it is cool? 

In other news, 

I have been knitting like a woman possessed and almost finished my first panel for my blanket! Its not entirely like the blanket which I saw and loved, but this way will work just the same. 

I love the colours, and I think I'll carry on the brown/purple/green/cream theme in varying tones in the other panels.

I am so excited about finishing it...as usual, I want it to be finished already!!

I can't wait for fireside cwtches under my own handmade blanket...it's going to be immense!

Though for now, I need to get on with making some more christmas decorations/presents.

xxxxxxx