Nothing better than your own home

We have been away for a week or 5 nights to be precise. We went for a little family break to Gloucestershire as this is where Mr M is from and has lots family there still. So Sunday we traveled down and stayed in Stroud for the night and visited a lovely traditional pub high up in the hills neatly 900ft above sea water for a lovely meal. Monday we went to our cottage which was a a converted barn and lovely and also the perfect base to have space and family time but also to visit relatives. It wasn't to far from this high tech house.




You might have seen this in the BBC Sherlock programme.

We also took the children up to Nibley monument though it's not called that it's actually called the Tyndale monument in honer of of a William Tyndale who translated the New Testement. It was constructed in 1866 and is 111ft tall (34m) I didn't climb to the top though I'm scared of hights.






Views from the hill.

We also took the children to Cheddar Gouge somewhere I have never been and we all had a fantastic day out. I did also by some cave aged cheddar.




This is amazing and they have goats that live on the gorge also.


Inside Goughs cave


Looks like melted cheese but it's not





The tallest part of the gorge.

If you get the chance it really is a lovely little village.

We also spent time with various uncles,aunties cousins and second cousins. It was a lovely time.

It took us a while to come back though as lots if problems on the motorways so we came the A roads home but it's so good to be back home I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed and even though our cottage was really clean and had everything you needed there really is no place like home.

A family day out

Today I took the children to Sutton Hoo with mine and the children's God parents. Sutton Hoo is run by the National Trust and despite it only being 25 mins from home I have never been.

For those not sure what Sutton Hoo is it's a burial ground from the Anglo Saxons that came here just after the Romans left. Though the discovery of this wasn't done until 1938 when the occupiers of Tranmere House who was Edith Pretty to investigate the mounds in the grounds.








This mound is one which has a burial under a ship. The main one excavated was a burial in a ship. There are lots of mounds all shapes and sizes this is the highest.

On site is also a museum that house artefacts and various replicas













The above image is a recreation of a burial under a ship





Women were very important during Anglo Saxon times and often acted as advisors to the king.





This is a replica of the famous mask the original is currently at the British Museum in fragments.

On site is also Tranmere House and is set up in the 1930s still.

































The children had a fantastic day and we could resist a look in the shop where I purchased the National Trust Country Cook book. I have lots of cook books but this one has traditional recipes such as beef stew, cheese sauce, game pie and classic sponges. Most of my cook books don't have simple things like this and I know I'm going to be using this book a lot.

Failure and obsessing

I'm not what you call big and never had to worry about my weight, one point in my life I was weighed weekly to see if I was putting on weight. (My foster mum was obsessed that I was to small and needed bulking up) I used to put kitchen weights in my pockets. I didn't have a eating disorder and I loved my food but I did run,cycle, walk play hockey, football,cricket and netball plus athletics I never stopped and was always outside. How things have changed two children later and realising I'm not sixteen anymore I am carrying about a stone more than I want to. Some clothes are a bit snug. I'm relatively active but I also sit at the computer a lot. So I signed up to one of those diet clubs I had a free week pass I wouldn't pay that amount of money. It's the one where you have to count points.

Well I'm afraid to say I failed I became obsessed with counting and weighing even dreaming about food. I started eating different food from the children which I never want to do unless it's a fish finger and chips night. (I don't really like fish fingers). I did lose two pounds but I also lost a lot of time stressing about food so my week wasn't a succes.

I still have a stone to lose but I'm going to do it by moving more I cycled 30k last night with the cycle club and just maybe not have two slices of cake and maybe control my portion size because one thing I learnt this week I do have big portions and I don't really need them oh and four biscuits I have with a cup of tea maybe I will just have one.

I will get back to enjoying cooking though I am tracking what I eat and burn of using a free counter on my phone.

If you go down to my plot today you will be in for a surprise. Beans stalks everywhere, vegetable cage broken and trampled vegetables and damaged sweetcorn.

That's what greeted myself and a few other plot holders today some is wind damage most likely the beans as my canes were not the strongest the other looks to be vandals as wind doesn't have great big feet. I don't really know how to feel angry annoyed but also pleased that none of my tools were missing or damaged. It also has meant that people have pulled together. I'm also grateful that things have come to an end and it wasn't done at the start of the growing season.

So I have picked myself up and salvaged what we could and plan to start again. I wouldn't mind so much if they actually picked and made use of my beans and vegetables but just to trample on them that's just plain ignorance.




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Location:Vandals and wind

Nearing the end of the season

There is only two home games left if the husbands cricket season then my Saturdays will be free it's been a turbulent season with some good wins and easy losses. They have struggled with obtaining players and politics around the clubhouse has put people off. Hoping for a more togetherness next season as it is such a lovely club it's not the best club house and needs lots of work and we have such a great view.

Last night was my first migraine and it was a big one with flashing lights and a thumping headache so a early night. This morning I just have a very foggy head and vision a little blurry.

It's due to be very wet and windy today so the cycle club ride to Sizewell has been cancelled which is a shame but it's better to be safe than sorry.

No trip to the plot today but I will be browsing my new cookbook (Mary Berry Cooks) I got yesterday. I love cook books and cooking though I only keep ones I really use and a all time favourite is River Cottage everyday. Having a child who has coeliacs disease along with dairy and egg allergies (epi pens, antihistamines and a inhaler needed if accidentally ingested) it's hard to keep things different and we often end up eating the same food which is meat and veg and gluten free pasta. I cook something we all can eat though arm am doesn't eat pasta with a little variation so I'm not cooking lots of different meals and it means my daughter doesn't feel left out.

Baking. Expecting rain and a surprise trip

Today we are expecting heavy rain though we did wake up to blue sky and sunshine it has clouded over now.

It's a day at home today as I have cakes to bake for the cricket tomorrow Lemon Drizzle and chocolate brownies one of the other players mums is also baking so that takes a bit of pressure of me.

Mr M surprised me with a trip to Barcelona in September I'm so excited I have never been and I'm now ploughing though guides on all the things we ( I ) would like to do. We are away for 4 nights 3 in Barcelona and one at the airport as it's an early flight.

I have been busy planning next years space at the allotment and have decided that I'm making beds not completely raised as that would cost to much but using the treated wood to make separate areas. I think I will make six squarish beds and have one oblong where the asparagus is growing. I'm hoping to get up there this morning and dig the last of the potatoes and pick another lot of courgettes possibly use them to make a courgette cake for the freezer.




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Much needed rain

We have much needed rain today and my allotment will be singing with relief. As much as I'm watering I just can't seem to keep up luckily I'm near the tap but we are unable to use hosepipes due to water wastage so lots of trips with the watering can.

I'm still picking courgettes beans both french and runner and the raspberries seem to have finished now they were not that productive lots of greenery but very few raspberries.

The rain has meant a day at home and catching up with bits and pieces and playing board games monopoly has been the favourite today though I'm sure my two little ones are cheating they seem to have accumulated rather a lot of money between them.

Next game is cluedo!





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Bumper harvest of beans

We had a few rumbles of thunder in the night and quite a bit of rain which meant I didn't need to water the allotment. Though I did pick plenty of runner beans and dwarf beans and I'm still going with the courgettes. The pumpkins are coming along nicely and the sweetcorn is growing tall.

I do have these very fine white flies that are coming if my brassicas does anyone know what they are. They are munching holes in the leaves but I have found no caterpillars so I'm sure these are the culprits.

I did have a wobble today thinking it was all a bit much just struggling to find time to pop down it was easier when children at school as it's a 5 min walk from school but my two seem a bit reluctant to spend an hour or two on the plot. There is no shed for them to play and not a lot of space between plots for roaming about either.

Sue at simple Suffolk small holder I have also just reserved his book from the other sues blog. (Sorry don't know how to link blogs) I didn't realise he also write the river cottage handbooks.




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