- I much prefer cooler weather. Actually, the colder the better (hence the Antarctic adventure earlier in the year). Ideally with a layer of snow. Or a crisp frost. Or an early morning mist.
- I could eat a whole freshly baked blackberry and apple pie. Maybe not in one go though I haven't put it to the test. Yet.
- I used to be completely useless at identifying national flags. Apparently I still am.
- I can't stop adding to the notebook pile. The latest is from Orla Kiely and will be used for writing, well, I'm not sure what. Maybe the novel that's been in my head for the last 10 years or so. Or maybe I'll just produce prettier shopping lists.
- I can't abide people who don't know how to eat properly (or, if they do, choose not to). You know, the ones who grasp cutlery like shovels or hold their knives and forks limply instead of using straight forefingers and with the fork tines and knife blade edge facing down. Or those who chomp with their mouths open. Or slurp their drinks. And don't get me started on the 'I've finished eating, thank you' cutlery positioning. Sheesh.
- I love long soaks in the bath. At least once a day but always just before bed. Just plain water and soap, no bubbly additives. The other night I was happily splashing about when I noticed I was still wearing a bra.
- I like to order DVDs every now and again but when they arrive I can't remember why I bought them and they usually turn out to be absolute tripe. The blurb on the cover of the latest purchase sounds alright-ish but I have no idea why I chose it or how I found out about it.
- I salute lone magpies. Always. It's unlucky not to, so they say. But there are so many around here, people must think I'm barmy, saluting all over the place. And then what about the ones I inappropriately salute, the ones which turn out not to be on their own but are part of a duo for joy or a trio for a girl? Is that still lucky?
- I used to spend my birthday money on short skirts, tailored coats and long leather boots (which kind of makes me sound like a lady of the night but be assured I'm not). Now it's wellies and padded jackets.
- I love baking, much more than producing meals, always have since my dad, the family cook, showed a 7 year old me and my friend, Marian, how to make currant buns. I find the whole process of measuring, mixing, rubbing in, rolling, folding, beating and timing so calming, however frazzled the morning or the day or the week has been. There are sometimes failures, of course there are, like this week's lemon drizzle loaf which sank spectacularly (there was more sinkhole than cake) and ended up in the bin. But mostly the biscuit and cake tins get stocked with something edible at the end of a session and we get to munch on a few freshly baked treats (there have been banana choc chip pecan muffins and chocolate peanut butter cookies since the lemon cake fiasco) because a mug of coffee is just too wet without one.
But it can't be just me, can it?