t e n b y

One-by, two-by, three-by, four-by... Tenby! The very name was a magic charm when we were little, conjuring up ice-cream parlours (coke floats!), buckets and spades, Clarice's toyshop, the Frog Streets, fish and chips, endless shops selling a million little creatures made out of shells and goggly eyes, warm sunshine, feelings of total happiness and contentment. We. Loved. It. And we did again very, very much. It is such a charming seaside town, and the colours when the sun shines are like nothing but perhaps Miami's South Beach. But Miami doesn't have a patch on the feeling of solid contentment and happy nourishment that Tenby releases when you're sitting on the harbour front with a mug of tea and a kit kat. Perhaps it's the medieval town walls and the old churches (still active) that are shuffled in between the ice-cream colours and boat rides. A truly lovely place for holiday time.

c a s t l e

We got home last night after the best time -- ten days in Manorbier, Pembrokeshire in bright, warm sunshine every day. With my family, and with the lovely doglet and co-carer to make it perfect by becoming witnesses to all my favourite childhood places. It was a nostalgia fest, and I loved it so much! Lots of photos to sort through, and washing and unpacking, and writing an article (!) and a million and one things, so this is just a very short glimpse of the beautiful castle, almost a mirage in the very early sunshine as I walked doglet down to the sea. Wish we were still there... but restored by the recollection (in tranquility, of course).

p e a c e f u l n e s s

I discovered this blog too late for to be able to go to a lovely-sounding workshop on soundscapes and the capturing of them in wool-covered pillow speakers. But it appealed to everything in me that loves tactile engagements with abstract things, like feelings and sound. Inspired by it, I bought some new pillow speakers (my Roberts one having started to act up) and made these knitted covers, which pleasingly make them look like furry teabags, which just adds another love of mine to the mix.

I've downloaded some soothing podcasts for them, but perhaps most soothingly (and again inspired by domestic soundscape), I have made some night and morning soundtracks of birdsong and sheep baa-ing. I'm quite frightened of waking up in the morning -- worries crowd in on me and grip my stomach. But with these, I can wake up gently, and remember I am in a good place, because it sounds like one, with your head buried in the cotton sheets, and an eye mask helping to day to arrive slowly and carefully rather than like a howling wind.

The other images are of wonderfully scented stocks, and dried lavender and nigella from around the house. Doglet and I have been home alone these last few days and noticing things around the house. Also had a lovely friend to stay on Friday night, which mades us really happy and excited (doglet especially).

sweet tooth

I'm not very good at baking, or in general at making sweet things. Perhaps it's my puritan / austere side. But lately I've had a couple of goes at this, having bought a new ring-mould cake tin and in honour of various people. We had retirement drinks for two much loved colleagues last week, so I made an almond cake for that one. Not particularly easy to make because it's very hard to get marzipan to smooth out into a paste, but it was very nice -- moist and buttery as well as sweet, which I like because too much sugar puts me off.

Then on the weekend, we had two young, new colleagues over for dinner -- which was lovely because it made us feel a renewed sense of hope, despite the departure of aforementioned warhorses. So for that I made blackberry and raspberry ice cream. And used the leftover egg whites to make almond macarons (almonds seem to be the theme, as I also made Elizabeth David's completely addictive salted almonds to have with champagne). These really were too sweet, and I still have lots to learn about greasing the greaseproof paper (??) and baking at the right level. But I enjoyed them, and the ice cream (River Cottage Year) is really, really delicious -- even before it's frozen. And the yolks are cooked in the custard, so it's safe for everyone.