My blogging has been a bit spasmodic of late, for which I apologise, but now two grandchildren are demanding my attention I seem to be belting up and down to London and in between catching up on all manner of things. I feel pleased I managed to review a book this week....expect the publishers are as well.
So today a catch up day and I have been doing some baking and cooking. I have decided to expand my new baking blog to include other cooking as well as I am finding I am doing much more these days, and not just restrict it to baking. I was going to change the title as well but it seems that if I do that I lose all the settings and links etc and it was such a faff getting it up and running I simply cannot face doing it again, so Great Colchester Bake Off it will remain - may change the header though and use text instead of a pic. We shall see.
Up in London on Wednesday and had a lovely day. Helen and I went to the park with children as normal and I put on my trainers as it is quite a long walk there and back. Florence picked one grubby shoe up 'Grandma these are slightly dirty' she said. It was the 'slightly' that made me laugh. Off we went and I took charge of the buggy when we arrived at the park and Helen took Florence onto the swings, slides etc and got her running around and tried to tire her out. HAH! After we had done this, seen some squirrels and picked up some conkers we walked in Victoria Park Village as it is called just outside the park gates. Lots of nice little shops, a good bookshop and toyshop and lots of coffee bars. There is one we go to every time now as
there is room inside for buggies etc and the staff are very welcoming and helpful. Last week when we wre there about five Yummy Mummies arrived with their offspring and it all got a bit squashed.
On the way Florence asked 'Can we buy a magazine please?' so we nipped into the paper shop and bought the latest In the Night Garden/CBeebies or whatever and then off to get coffee. We sat there for about an hour, I was drinking my cappucino, Helen her latte, and Florence her apple juice. She was colouring in and putting stickers in the magazine with our help, Beatrice peacefully sleeping and suddenly I was overwhelmed with emotion as I remembered the days when my mum and I used to do the same with me, Kathryn and Helen. I had a hard job not to burst into tears, but though I wished my lovely ma was still with us, it was happy tears. Being a parent opens one up to all sorts of feelings and a grandmother even more so.
So home and next day a really exciting day as I went to have my flu jab. O joy o rapture. I have not had one for years because when they were dished out at work years ago every time I had the injection I felt vile for about three days. However, for the last three winters I have had the 'flu and felt as if I was at death's door so I hied me off to the GP. Huge queues and lots of people chatting and talking and it was all quite fun. Had the jab and then the doctor said Would I like the pneumonia jab (a one off) as well? Well, in for a penny in for a pound, so the other arm was duly done. The receptionist, with a dead pan face, said I had been so good I could have TWO jelly babies.....
As you can see I lead an exciting life, but it is a good one and as the winter draws in and I am sitting writing this with curtains drawn in a nice warm room, I feel very content with my lot. I feel it even more when I wake up at 6am, as is my wont, and realise that it does not matter if the mornings are dark any more, I can stay in bed.
Over the next few weeks I have a couple of publishing events to attend and I am also going to the Wivenhoe Book Shop to meet up with Liz Trenow whose wonderful book, The Last Telegram, I reviewed this week. Have not seen her for a long time so that will be fun and that particular bookshop is always a pleasure to visit. The annual NSPCC book fair takes place next week and I usually come away with a haul from there, I am doing some baking for Rosemary as she is holding a tea party for Amnesty International and shall be helping out as well, my sister is coming down for a few days to meet Beatrice, and I have a meeting coming up to discuss the Felixstowe Book Festival which is being organised at the moment and is shaping up nicely. More of that later. A busy few weeks.
In between all this giddy dissipation I shall endeavour to read and review some books, Yes I Will, I promise and do some more baking and cooking. I am currently watching Strictly Come Dancing and will favour you with my views on that as well. Now there's something to look forward to......
