Saturday 5 January 2013

First Trip of 2013 To St Bees Head

We had our first trip of the year to St Bees Head.  There was a small break in the weather, I wanted to make the most of it.  Mary-Jane was more than excited to finally be going to the cafe by the seaside and having chocolate ice cream.  We managed to get a window seat, which please MJ even more.  The tide was nearly fully in, not quite ready to turn.  The sea wasn't choppy but the waves seemed big.  Or was it because I've not been up close to the sea in too long?!
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Mary-Jane thoroughly enjoyed her chocolate ice cream, and the whole experience of being there.  The cafe was quite busy, with lots of children.
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I had already decided that it wasn't a beach day.  The gusts of icy winds served to confirm this.  We took a walk along the grass to the play area.  The grass was wet and soggy.  MJ wanted to go on the swings first.  There are two lots of swings, one with safety swings for toddlers and the other set have normal swings.  The toddler swings were being used, so we braved the big girl swings.  MJ knew she had to hold on to the chain, but hadn't quite fully grasped this concept.  She loved it.
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Swinging her and holding onto her wasn't the easiest thing
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Luckily there was a slide as distraction.  MJ mastered the steps with ease.  The bit at the top seems long, a few steps, which I think is good for young children, they can get up the steps then get ready to slide with plenty of room.  Here is MJ atop the slide with Granma.
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Seeing if Mr Snuggles is ready to slide
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And off they both go!
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Did I mention there was a bitter wind? It was one of those winds that give you a nasty headache with ten minutes. Like am ijiot I didn't bring a hat with me, me thinking that we were only going from car to cafe and back. In the car on the way back, Mary-Jane was drifting off to sleep, she didn't quite nod off. Back indoors, she had a burst of energy and ran and ran around the house giggling and laughing. Then the tiredness hit. I ended up taking her to bed just under an hour early. She was way past shattered and could do nought but lie down and ask to go to bo-bo's. So up she went. So far (touch wood) I haven't heard a peek out of her. All being well, she will have a good sleep and catch up on all these early mornings she has been having. I can only hope!
I have been carrying on with the cloths. I completed 'Janet's Tea Pot' by Rainy Kimbrough. This pattern was one of the first cloths I made.
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I have cast on 'Oak Leaf Cloth' by Knittingheavenonearth.  I have done a little over ten rows.  Then the tiredness hit me and I had to have a power nap.  Ten minutes later, I woke myself up with my snoring.  Early nights shall continue at present.

I do feel a bit brighter today.  I must admit that doing even small tasks leaves me feeling tired and weary, but I push on as much as I can.  I am starting to make small adjustments to my diet.  I am now eating brown bread instead of white.  If all is well with this swap I shall make my own bread as the price of a decent brown loaf is ridiculous - £1.77 for a Hovis multigrain medium sliced.  I also got some dark rye ryvita.  One of the more prominent things that I have noticed that upset my poor delicate tum at the moment is white chocolate.  What a bummer.  Good job I have eaten the bar now and got none left!  I am trying to remember all the things that I cut out before and all the things I did eat.  I know wheat and all dairy products went out the window and that I ate more pulses and beans (and was probably just as windy!)  I'm not quite as bad as I was then, but in reality I'm not too far off.
 
Baking is still way off the scale.  It did come a step closer in so far as I managed to look through an old baking book.  It is 'The complete cake book' by May Little, reprinted in 1929. I did think of it as a contender book for my 'bake every recipe' venture.  The only drawback is that there are around 200 recipes, not including 21 for making icings.  I could do a section at a time, to break it down into samller chunks.  I shall not dismiss it at present.  The book has no pictures (which helped me look at it, if you know what I mean!).  The preface appealed to me -
 
'It may seem at first sight that some apology is needed for presenting another book on cake making, as much has already been written on this subject; but I think a book with clear and consice instructions - easy to use by anyone, sure and reliable in it's practical results, and economical - is needed.  I hope this volume will justify itself in all these respects'.  May Little

2 comments:

Luneray said...

oh, I love MJ's hat!

a personal story: I used to suffer from IBS and discovered that one of the pleasant side effects from taking Prozac for my depression was that the IBS disappeared. (Fluoxetine is the generic drug name.) It must act as a smooth muscle relaxant because the drug is also prescribed to treat the pain associated with PMS as well. I think my body healed itself because I am not on the fluoxetine anymore but I haven't had an IBS episode since. I wasn't able to pinpoint a food trigger, so altering my diet didn't help. I do hope you find something that works for you. IBS is not fun.

CarpeDyem said...

Paula made MJ's fantastic hat.

I have come across fluoxetine at work, not one of the more pleasanter drugs.