Normal service resumes...

First of all thank you all for your kind comments about yesterday. I still can't believe it's only 4 months since my Mum passed away - sometimes it feels like a week ago and other times it feels like forever.


Yesterday was not too bad - I put my energies into nurturing activities like baking, making a roast dinner and actually staying at a birthday party with the kids! Once or twice it got tough, like remembering that this time last year we were dancing the Can Can at her 70th birthday party :o) but, being my mother's daughter, I just had to get on with it.

I know that my Mum never wanted people to mope about when she had gone and I, for one, intend to (for once!!) do what she wished. I really can't ever describe how amazing my Mum was but if I can only be half as good I'll be happy.

I've done a little bit of gentle crafting over the weekend - nothing messy as I couldn't do with tidying up! I've finished the back of the cabled jacket I am knitting for Madam Minx. I know I've made some errors - CF instead of CB (wot?)- but they shouldn't be noticeable and I was not going to unravel it for the 6th time!

I've also been teaching myself a bit more crochet from this book:

Sorry about the dark photos - awful dull, wet day here.

Today I've been round to my friend's for a cuppa and a chat, whilst she made soup - and of course, had to come home and make some myself.

I've started menu-planning each week in an attempt to budget more effectively and it is helping - I even stuck to the whole week's menu last week ;-)

Here is this week's gastronomic extravaganza to feast your eyes on:

No great detail but it's a useful guideline.
To avoid repeating the same food all the time I've also started drawing up a list of ideas to draw on:

It can get very dull having to think about what to feed the family all the time so this helps to inspire me again (I hope!).

DH went and bought a new animal into the house on Saturday. He hated the Hoover bagless vac I bought a while ago and I know he was secretly yearning for a Dyson. So when he found out they were half price at Argos off he popped, with his little Minxie shopping buddy and came back with The Beast:

Being a boy he read all of the instructions and can tell me what each of the scary looking tools does. The upside is that almost every corner of my home - including upstairs (wow!) - has had a thorough going over with this baby - and I didn't have to do it!! Yeah for Mr Dyson! Ever thought of inventing an iron for boys Mr D?

Thanks for all your comments about the Dammit Doll last week - I can't lay claim to the idea so thought you might like a link to where I found them.

Y'know I said I wasn't going to order any more books? Mmmm - slight hiccup there then. If you haven't already and fancy getting really incensed follow the link to the Sunday Telegraph article on Jane Brocket's blog. I was spitting feathers at what the female reviewer wrote.

She'll never be one of the sistas that's for sure!!

I'm off to Lucy Locket's now 'cos I've been tagged :o)