Five things about me

Here's a few things not many people know about me:-

Me!

1. When I was very little, I apparently used to throw myself down the stairs. My mum says I used to giggle as I hit the two doors at the bottom before I got up unharmed. She, I suppose, found it a lot less funny. Perhaps that was a factor in them moving to a bungalow when I was four! 

2. I have never had a pet. I have never even wanted a pet.

3. I started living with my husband four days after we got together. That was almost 23 years ago. Sometimes you just know its right!

4. I don't own any shoes; only walking boots, trainers, snow boots and  heeled boots. I don't like wearing shoes.

5. I have to read every night before I try to go to sleep or I cannot get to sleep no matter how tired I am. It is my bedtime ritual.

Until next time. Take care.

Gillian

Home made Cornish Pasties

Yesterday was St Pirans Day here in Cornwall. It's a time to celebrate all things Cornish on our national day. St Piran was a saint, chased out of Ireland, who came to Cornwall during the sixth century tied to a millstone . He is renowned for building a chapel in the sands at Perranporth and bringing Christianity to Cornwall. He also supposedly accidentally discovered tin, when silver white tin flowed from his black hearth stone, and this is why the flag of Cornwall is a white cross on a black background.


Today Kieran (middle son) wanted to make some pasties and, I might be biased but, together we made some of the best pasties I've ever had.


So here is our recipe:


For the pastry
500g plain flour
250g Stork cooking fat
4tbsp cold water


For the filling
1 onion chopped and cooked until soft
140g swede, chopped into very small cubes
140g potato, chopped into very small cubes
140g carrots, chopped into very small cubes 
300g strips of beef for stir frying, cut into small pieces
Salt and pepper




1. Make pastry. Rub four and fat together to make breadcrumb consistency. Add water and mix together. Wrap in cling film and chill in fridge for 20 minutes.


2. Roll out pastry and either cut around a plate or use a pasty cutter to make perfect circles.


3. Share filling out between pasties. Season well. Crimp edges. Brush pastry top with milk.


4. Bake for about 55 minutes at 170 celsius


We served our pasties with home made chips (cut potato into wedges, par boil until you can pierce with a fork, drain, spray with fat and oven bake until brown, about 35 minutes).


Today was an extra special day for us, as Sean ate his first ever pasty. Kieran made some little  pasties specially for him with just cheese and potato for the filling.


Looks like we'll have to make our own pasties more often...


Bye for now


Gillian

How I started digital scrapbooking

I have been paper scrapbooking since 1997, admittedly I have recycled those photos and redone those first pages, but it got me hooked on a more meaningful way of remembering past memories rather than looking at a box of old photos. My family have accumulated several old family photos where it has been difficult to even work out who the photos are of, and so I especially wanted to label the photos and give some basic information at the same time.

I  discovered digital scrapbooking in 2006. Looking online I found a few websites with freebie digital backgrounds and embellishments and  downloaded a few to try, initially planning on just printing them out to use as paper resources.  I soon progressed to buying Paint Shop Pro to put my pages together digitally, as I had a growing pile of heavy scrap albums that were just not convenient to have lying around (they have ended up on the top shelf of my wardrobe where they still sit barely viewed). My digital pages take up no room and can be easily shared with family, and, since I now use a digital camera, I can now make a page without going near a print shop and for no incremental cost.

My personal favourite digital kits are from Scrapgirls (http://www.scrapgirls.com); they are really easy to use and I recommend them to anyone starting out with digital scrapbooking.

These are three of my early digital pages, all featuring me!  The photos are  from 1985 to 1988 and are not great quality but I'd rather have a photo than not. Even a poor quality photo brings back a memory!

From my student days

In my parents garden - 1988

My parents house - 1988

Bye for now

Gillian

Special places - Eden Project

Having looked at the Stonehenge photos yesterday, I remembered these great photos of the Eden Project. We are fortunate to live close by and have visited lots of times. It is a stunning place, like nowhere else I have ever been.

My other half

So sweet

African wood carvings in the Tropical Biome

The heat must have got to him- he's got a bit funny!

Bye for now 

Gillian

Special places - Stonehenge

Some places are special. They become somewhere you visit and go back to again and again. I've always found Stonehenge to be like that. We drove past last week and didn't have time to stop despite Sean's requests. 
Now, admittedly I always find there are too many other people there and wish I could have the place to myself, but it is a haunting place. Last time we went the weather seemed to change by the minute, ending up with dramatic stormy clouds giving a perfect dramatic background to the stones.


Here, for Sean, are some of the fabulous pictures I took last time.

Can you see the face?

Storm clouds gathering!

Until next time

Gillian

Time for the children

I love this poem that I first heard when my children were much younger. Its one that I think should be taught to all mothers (and fathers) to help when the guilt of not getting everything done makes them wonder what they should leave out or not do. Just think about it...


I hope that my child, looking back on today

Will remember a mother who had time to play;

Because children grow up while you're not looking,

There are years ahead for cleaning and cooking.

So, quiet now cobwebs, dust go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep.

Take care

Gillian 

My philosophy for life

When I was a student I found a little wooden plague with the saying below on it. I think it is as applicable today as I thought it was then. 


I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore, that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again. 


From last year, here are a couple of my favourite photos. The theme is hollow trees, the subjects are my crazy family.

Me and Sean-hiding (oops, we just got found!)

I am definitely shorter than my teenagers!

Until later

Gillian