A very nice Sunday....

The night before a new school term, I always go to bed too late in the hope of putting off the inevitable,(that's not to say that I don't love teaching) it's just that I am increasingly reluctant to get back on the hamster wheel which is my life, during term time,the travelling every day, the stresses and mental fatigue akin to being pecked to death by hens and the fact that I have to do a professional job with exacting standards( which my pupils deserve) and dress in a way that is alien to me(yes we have a fairly strict dress code).All of this is at war with my yearning to head for the hills and live in a shed where I can create,draw sew or make whatever I fancy and live in my dressing gown.
On the plus side, the beginning of the autumn term is my new year.I have a new school bag and coat and new shoes.I am full of good intentions to write menus for meals so I can write sensible shopping lists in order to not waste food and have things mouldering in the fridge long after their eat by date.
I will eat a proper breakfast instead of standing in the staffroom shovelling mueller light yogurt into my mouth two  minutes before the bell.I will eat lots of soup and exercise more and become if not thin ,then certainly thinner.I will tidy the kitchen before I go to bed and I will keep on top of the housework  by rising earlier  and doing a bit each day instead of a bucketful at the weekend.I will take my cod liver oil tablets and I will use my rescue remedy when I feel I am about to come apart at the seams....I will watch less television until Downton abbey returns and I will spend an hour a day after cooking, ironing,marking,planning doing something I enjoy and the list goes on....good intentions...all achievable if only I didn't feel so tired after about three days and the good intentions pack their bags and bugger off to torment some other poor soul..Anyway I digress..back to my opening words.Procrastination in my best friend,I am an expert in the field of denial so today-instead of doing what I really should.I dragged my poor Mum(Poor Jules is laid up with a nasty flu virus) off to Thirsk to Homemade and Vintage, run by two lovely ladies called Jackie and Sarah.The fair was on both today and yesterday and was quite delightful.I don't know how on earth they managed to organise everything so brilliantly.It was such a lovely way to spend a sunday morning and it all looked so beautiful.I had to part with a few pounds and will take some photos when the light is better.I did however take some photos of the room to give you an idea of how fab it was.

                                  Loads of pretty vintage kitchenalia and furniture....

Lots of pretty sewing

China to hire for a vintage tea party..

China to buy...

Lots of ideas and suggestions about how to make your home beautiful in an imaginative and thrifty way...I love the flowers in the Tate and Lyle syrup tin....

                                                     Homemade cakes , jams and chutneys...
Very clever ladies who must be exhausted by now.Jackie and Sarah are having their next Vintage & Handmade on 4th December at Coxwold near Ampleforth.

Here you can see Cheryl and Maxine(Cheryl's Mum ) enjoying their coffee.(Sorry it's a bit blurry).Cheryl is the clever girl who organises the Homespun and Vintage fairs in Pickering with Linda.Cheryl has invited Jackie and Sarah to take a stall at Pickering  on October 29th for the Christmas Fair...something lovely to look forward to....
In my next post I will tell you about the Rural Arts at Thirsk which was the venue for today and which was totally inspirational...I must log off now and pack my school bag and polish my shoes. or shall I read You magazine??.Have a great week...

Anne x

Seasons of mist ..........

Dan and I went for a walk and all the signs heralding the autumn were very evident and very early...

Sloes,sorry Im just getting used to my new camera....

We found a lovely crop of blackberries.......

Throw in a couple of Bramleys and a good eater...

A spoonful or two of brown sugar

Line a 20cm loose bottomed tin with half of crumble mixture ( 250g plain flour,125g ground almonds,125g caster sugar ,250g of really cold butter so it moulds into the tin )

Spread apples and blackberries over the base.Sprinkle second half of crumble mixture with zest of orange or lemon and voila you have blackberry and apple streusel. 

 Add a dollop of finest ice cream and you have a little bit of autumnal heaven on a plate!

If you eat it with your eyes closed there are no calories in it , honest!!

As it was also a tad chilly,on return  I whipped up a very comforting pan of leek and potato soup.

( Saute finely chopped onion,three large leeks and two medium potatoes for thickening,chuck in one and a half litres of stock,simmer.When cooked, liquidise and add milk to make it more creamy.Season to taste.

Now what to do with the plums?????Watch this space......

Anne x