Playing catch up in 4000 words

Somewhere from within my haze of internet-deprived petulance that manifested itself as my last post I think I mentioned that my weekend looked a little like this:


My evenings now look like this:

As I crochet my way slowly around the edge of the blanket. Since the picture was taken I have finished round one and made four blobs for round two - progress indeed and I can start to see why it is worth doing.

I have also been greatly assisted by (a)


A happy side effect of being married to my husband. There is something about that man that makes our relatives provide him with cake parcels. My mother makes him chocolate sponge cake and his grandmother recently sent us a shiny gold shoe box full to the brim with long thin bricks of goodies wrapped in greaseproof paper. These are her millionaire's shortbread and even though she gave us her recipe I am the first to admit that I cannot make them as well as Gran.

What makes it even funnier, and proves that not only is he giving off "send me cake" vibes, but more precisely, "send me good cake" vibes, is that the first batch were deemed by Gran to be below par, so she handed them out to H's cousins as treats for them and immediately set about making a fresh batch for him. I am allowed a piece if I have been really good!

and (b)

The second 'crochet edging incentive' is a recent discovery resulting from Hotel Chocolat's delightful idea to have a shop in Birmingham next to Borders. I went for a walk at lunchtime and just happened to stroll in. Once I'd been given my 'welcome to the shop' chocolate - a praline heart patterned with songbirds and leaves - I melted; and came home with these, cherries soaked in kirsch and dipped in chocolate. If you like Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice-cream (or the oh so much healthier frozen yoghurt), these are for you.