Grimsdale goes festive

‘What are you doing?’ I snarled at Grim, seeing him glued to his computer when there’s a chapel to convert. ‘On that woodwork chatgroup again?’

Turns out he’s on Abe Books hunting down my Christmas presents. I keep a list in the front of my filofax of books I’d like to read, everytime someone mentions a good one or I read a review and think ‘hmm yes, sounds interesting’. So when it came time to start letting him know what I wanted this year, I typed it up and gave him a print out, thinking I’d maybe get one or two.

There’s nothing nicer than a big fat pile of new reading under the tree on Christmas Day. Bathsalts have lost their allure since we dont have a bathroom yet – likewise scented candles and suchlike. A good novel can take my mind off anything, even the sound of the mice busily working their way around the building each night.

He’s working his way down the list picking up secondhand copies on Abe books, for as little as 49p each, good ol’Grim eh!

Wales, Wales and more Wales

It wasn’t enough to go once, it wasn’t enough to go twice, no three visits to Wales this summer. Camping near St Davids.

Zen Cooking & Duck Dabbling

Bottoms up in Lathkilldale, idyllically beautiful stream and nature reserve. We went in search of dippers, chubby little bobbing waterbirds for my old friend Louise from Oz, publisher and expert in the wild wildlife of the bush.

In spite of its tameness, our lovely stream did not disappoint and the ducks and dabchicks more than made up for the disappearing dippers.

All will be silent here for a week as I too disappear, to deepest Wales to cook for the Zen meditators of the Western Chan Fellowship.

Zen Cooking – MrsG ties on her apron, heads off with a car load of food (meditation is hard work) can it all be held in the mind at once? Only with great concentration. All is silence – until July 23rd.

Fairs, festivals, fetes & get togethers

High summer, and weekend Derbyshire is just one festival after another.  The Vintage Motorcycle Club were gathering at the Stone Centre when we walked through to get the Sunday paper. The motorbikes gleaming and spotless, their  grey haired riders all in leathers with happy smiles on their faces.

Later, to Shipley Park once a coal tip now a country park for a multi cultural festival of music and dance and a performance chance for young bands from the area. Squelchy underfoot so the breakdancers had to perform outside the visitor centre, but the sun was shining, nobody had any suncream with them.

Bilberries on Stanton Moor

Bilberries big as blackcurrants on Stanton Moor. Discovered on the first sunny day for weeks, they’ve been secretly growing in the rain and no one out walking to pick them!