Dear Marjorie

What a wonderful plum the Marjorie Seedling is. Our relatively new tree produced a wonderful crop this year, here are the last ones we gathered. The flesh is luscious, and juicy and a perfect balance of sweet and acid

Mummy, Daddy and Baby

Look at these little cuties I found on my run this morning. Sadly the big one was a bit eaten, but still lots to make a wonderfully intense Cep soup

Memories of Summer

Just a few brave flowers from summer remain. The odd brilliant cosmos nodding in the breeze, and Japanese anemones catch the low sunshine. But here is a little reminder of a wonderful summer's evening in Baja Hungary. Every year the town holds a Fish Soup competition, the emphasis more on friends and family getting together to cook and eat outside in a party atmosphere than achieving culinary honours. The result is over 2000 log fires and bubbling pots of fish soup all cooking at once in the town's very picturesque square. Next year our friend Vince is planning to cook - we intend to hold him to his word!

Back on the horse...

Life for the past 6 months in edited chunks.
How would I sum it up simply?
Work - some good, some not so good, never predictable,
Family - sad, my Mum has had a lot of struggles,
Weather - v. mixed
Garden - fruitful, but with gaps

Results - I will try to learn to value the little things that can be as satisfying as the bigger picture-

Here are some of those small moments which make me smile;

John Crowe lent me his 1953 tractor (Fergie). I took it for a spin around the yard.

A small tip - I don't recommend driving one in flip-flops, it made it changing gear very tricky.


Weekend Breakfasts

They replenish the tissues like nothing else.






Ambitions - very important for motivation, this is mine.