Back to normal

Well, we are now a week into the New Year and it is almost as if we never had the Christmas break as I clear away all my 'stuff' that accumulated through December. I have already collected my first project for the year and I shall be starting on that later today. But before then let's have a little catch up!!

As I mentioned in my last blog, I have decided to cycle more so Sunday midday I set out for my first ride of the year and made a terrible mistake. I always wear fingerless cycling gloves so I put these on and went out and within a few yards of the house my fingers were completely frozen as the temperature was only just above freezing. However I persevered but found that I was having difficulty applying the brakes because I couldn't feel my fingers so like a complete wimp I gave up and returned home. I will not tell you how far I had travelled, but suffice to say that I tried to look as if I had only gone to the shops as I nonchalantly pushed my bike back into the house!! Needless to say I was in agony when my fingers thawed out and ! felt a complete idiot.

However the next day was Nordic walking and what a complete change in the weather. Beautiful weather with huge blue skies and after about a mile we were stripping off our gloves, hats and scarves.

 There were all sorts of wildfowl on Stanwick Lakes and so many swans. We could see about 50 of them on a field in the distance with Canada Geese. I should imagine that they were decimating a farmers crop! It felt good to be out and walking and we met so many people we knew that we had to keep stopping for a chat.

Wednesday evening is Higham Piecemakers group meeting so I have decided to bake a cake and take it in as it was my birthday during the holiday. Whipped up a traybake last night and I hope they like it:-

Orange iced traybake

Thank goodness for Mary Berry and her 'Baking Bible'.  It is completely foolproof and I have not had a poor recipe from it.

My sister is coming for coffee this morning so we might just have a piece of cake, but there will be plenty left for group tonight.