Thursday 27 December 2007

Nadolig Llawen!

The frost is finally gone, but it got quite cold before it finished. This is a drainage ditch which normally has running water in it -- frozen solid!

And on to Christmas. We went to Greg's brother's house in the Cotswolds and had a lovely time. Some of my favourite presents: A knitting needle gauge so I can sort out second-hand knitting needles:

This isn't really a present, but Louise got a new toaster so we took her old (working) toaster home to have as a spare for when our current (Freecycled) toaster dies:

Greg bought me (us really) a new turntable -- ours had been on its last legs for a long time so this is quite welcome. If anybody wants our old one -- which I think is eminently fixable if you're of a mechanical mind -- it's on Freecycle.

Several books -- two of which are mine and one which is Greg's -- Bread Matters, which I hope will teach me how to make better bread, The Building of the Green Valley, which I hope will give me more insight into how people might have lived here 400 years ago (and ways that I can use that knowledge in my own life), and A Carmarthenshire Anthology, which I hope will have interesting information about the history of the area we live in.

Greg got this useful energy monitor so we can see what is eating electricity in our house. Of course it's made in China -- why isn't there a company here in the UK making these??? Having to choose between a device to help us reduce our electricity use (which is a good thing) and having yet another thing that was made in China (a bad thing) is not a fair choice!

I got this food mill which will make making ketchup and apple butter much easier!

I don't think I've done an egg post in a while, so here are two really cute fried bantam eggs -- check out the yolk to white ratio!

We've also decanted the first of the sloe gin -- yum! It is really a much lovelier colour than you can see here but I couldn't get it to photograph the way I could see it so you will have to use your imaginations...

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Jessica and Greg: A very happy New Year to you (can't say it in Welsh!). The shed looks great and I love the size and colour of the eggs. Hope the weather improves soon. Enjoy your home cured pork, and mincemeat and fresh bread, not to mention the sloe gin! Phyllis

Malcolm Cinnamond said...

Happy New Year!

The sloe gin looks wonderful. We can only be deeply envious here in the far North.

The eggs, too, look wonderful. Our hens have decided it's too cold to lay. . . or they hate me.