love those cupcakes

Diversion

I should have been busy doing Quite Important Stuff, namely cracking on with the remaining bits of my consultancy work.  Instead, I've done everything but, such as:

• finishing Boo's blanket (but no special edging, I can't fathom how to do that)
  

• baking Sue's apple cake (using allspice rather than cloves and adding chopped walnuts)

• making jam (three jars of damson and two of strawberry)

I've also baked bread, planned the next trip to Spain, visited the beauty salon for a little pampering and been to the cinema in the afternoon to see this (Prohibition era.  Bootlegging brothers.  Violence.  Brutality.  Blood.  Tom Hardy in a cardigan.) 

 Next week: focus.

 

Not much has been happening here lately, in bullets

• A haircut (about 3 inches chopped off this time) and colour.  Back to blonde.

• A new dress.  Actually, my only dress.  For the upcoming family wedding. Ordered from Germany, cost a bomb and about which I'm very unsure.  I do like the box, though.

• A new biscuit tin.

•   Chocolate chip cookies to fill the new biscuit tin.  Some of these are the size of saucers. I may need a bigger tin.
  

• Colourful soup in the making.  Autumn is knocking on the door and I'm more than ready for some menu changes.

• A new camera (hence rather odd pictures in this post). Nothing too complicated, I know my limitations, but a step up from the one I've been using.  Who knows, maybe I'll eventually move out of 'auto' mode.
  

 

A bit of cosmetic surgery

Everyone has their views about it.

Me?  I'm all in favour of enhancing the appearance, albeit temporarily, with a bit of restoration.

Of course I know it's not possible to turn the clock back but I just couldn't look at the cracks and crevices and other signs of ageing any longer.

So I consulted with an expert who, after a thorough examination, explained what I could expect if I went ahead.

He also pointed out the risks.

His fees seemed reasonable for what he proposed to do and, most importantly, I trusted him.

We met again at the appointed time on Saturday and he began the improvement work that would take longer than anticipated, eight hours in total.

He told me afterwards he'd needed copious amounts of strong coffee to keep him going.

Recovery is still in progress.

Every picture tells a story

These are a few photographs taken during a recent holiday staying at our house in Spain.

  

Those abandoned sandals were a bit worrying but I think/hope they'd just been left behind rather than being a vital clue in a more sinister story.

   

If at first you don't succeed.....This poor beetle was trying desperately to get his haul up the wall.  Didn't like to point out it would have been quicker to go round it.

 

You see, it's all a bit droopy/heading south and I can't afford a facelift (and yes, if I had the money I'd elbow my way to the front of the queue) so I thought I'd give Eva's workout regime a try.  I did the  exercises for improving "the facial contour" (not recommended for public places, by the way, unless you enjoy being stared at and possibly punched) every day and followed the instructions to improve the  circulation to my face (involves a fair bit of slapping, tapping and stroking) to the letter.  I can honestly say that, at the end of the 10 day holiday, I looked not one jot better/younger/tauter.  Oh well, maybe my expectations were a tad unrealistic. After all, would an ordinary workout have given me a significantly younger looking body in 10 days?  I think not.  So, I'll keep at it and let you know what happens in the longer term.  Fingers crossed. But sitting up straight. Eva says so.