Wedding cake

Lovely day today - had seriously good thunder and lightening storm with lots of monsoon like rain - puts me almost into a trance.  I love how it sweetens the air afterwards.

 

It's always good to have a reason to bake - and today, while not being mesmerised by the weather, I've been baking and decorating. 

 

The bride-to-be wanted a traditional rich fruit as the bottom tier of her wedding cake, above that is a madeira, then a moist, lemon layer, a chocolate layered with ganache buttercream and raspberry jam, and finally another small madeira cake. 

 

The final touch on the five tiers will be a few fresh orchids placed on top and around the tiers.  It's simple, but quite elegant.  I'm a little nervous of how well it will travel out to the reception in Fermanagh - the same place the G8 met a few weeks ago.  It's a two hour drive from here.... quite a distance to nurse the fragile royal iced piping.  I hope they drive it gently!

 

Today, I'd orders for another two cakes - a four tier wedding cake and a single tier birthday cake.  I didn't actually mean this to happen....  it's a lot of fun...maybe more so than making radio documentaries! (Though it sure doesn't pay so well.)

 

cosying up....

So while channelling my inner Amish, I've been making jams (strawberry, then lemon and elderflower marmalade) and lots of cakes, elderflower cordial etc.  I joked on FB about quilting (but yes, that's in the basket being worked on) and barn raising (that WAS a joke) but there's also the crochet; a granny square rug (why do American friends call them Afghans?) and a SECRET project for my mother's birthday in a few weeks.

The happy hookers also went on tour - a friend and I were invited out to Spain to help with a musical project for a week, but the home we were staying in was owned by a couple of friends who live in Dublin.  This is relevant.  In Ireland they have a green, white and orange coloured tea cosy - the source of much amusement from friends (male especially) who lump it in with other girly things like cushions etc.  Shame on them!

To prove how useful they are (and to keep the craic going) I crocheted one in Spanish flag colours while in Spain.  Thanks to a lovely lady called Leah, I found a very useful pattern which, in normal fashion I tinkered about with on the bits I couldn't do or didn't understand!  Ta da!  Thank you Leah -  hope the earth quits rumbling for you really soon.

Misty Dunluce Castle and the Dark Hedges

So, two creepy but awesome pics taken near Ulster's north coast within the last 24 hours.  First, emerging out of fairly hefty sea mist last night was Dunluce Castle.  Within minutes, it couldn't be seen at all... but I love how the windows look like eyes. 

What I can't capture is the change in how everything sounds in the heavy mist.  Sounds close in and hang in the air which adds to the creepiness. 

There was an amazing sunset tonight, but I couldn't get round the coast fast enough from Portstewart to capture the incredible pink glow on the water just below the castle.  hard to believe that on a clear day you can see right along the coast to the great stretch of sandy beach known as White Rocks and on to the seaside town of Portrush beyond.

Just before teatime, we headed out to find the stretch of road known as the Dark Hedges - beech trees planted in the 18th century to form an impressive drive up to the home of the Stuart family - Gracehill House, near Armoy.

Locals talk of a "grey lady" that's sometimes to be seen wafting up the road around dusk... but only as far as the last tree.....  frankly, I was glad to have company today.  In any light there's a slightly unsettling atmosphere on the road - but maybe I just have an overactive imagination!

The trees have been photographed by lots of tourists, used in films and tv programmes and painted by many artists. 

Hot summer days

We've been having unusually hot weather here in Northern Ireland - perfect for spending more time outdoors with friends and family.....

 

mum and her cousin E took a stroll to the beach by our home... it always looks like this in my childhood memories - blue skies, clear water and warm sunshine.  (I clearly forget the other 90per cent of the "Irish" weather!)

 

 

We've eaten many meals outdoors too.... always tastes better.

Mum and E helping me gather elderflowers for this summer's batch of cordial.

Lewis and Gavin at the family picnic near Portrush - looks overcast but was still really warm.

The 11th July bonfire tradition is strong in Bangor, County Down - this one is at Kilcooley - and it's probably taller than the homes nearby.  A crowd of several hundred people gathered for the lighting of this one.

Earlier in the evening, we lit our own!  Actually a chiminea I was given as a Christmas gift getting it's first burning.

 

What on earth is going on?

I'm sure there's a name for it, but what?

Last Thursday, we travelled to the village of Drumbo to meet my mother's third cousin - not really a long lost one as she didn't know he existed for most of her life.  In the journey to track down his own family roots, he stumbled across another cousin who'd been working with us in digging down into our own roots.

A summer-school in Brno in the Czeck Republic beckoned and so Ray thought he'd swing by Northern Ireland on the return leg of the journey home to New Zealand.

And last Thursday, we travelled to the village of Drumbo.... etc.

Ray Craven was born in 1936 - the same year as my mum, and they share a relation four generations back.  Along with other cousins, they had a good poke about the family photos and scrutinised for family likenesses (who had the same earlobes as who etc) and mum was delighted to learn that he was a layreader in his Anglican church (she'd been in the diaconate of her denomination and another cousin was a minister... so clearly God does genes too ha!)

Here's mum, Ray and cousin Eileen.

It was a good night, and "nice", we all agreed, to have our horizons broadened a little more.

Jump from Thursday to Sunday with me.

We head off to church and are settling in doing that rubber-neckin thing of who's here and who's away... and lo and behold, two rows back, I spot a couple of familiar faces.  Eyebrows leaping there too when they spot me.  Charlie and Flo were working in Seychelles with FEBA radio when I went out to do a six month stint in 1992.  I've seen them a couple of times since then, once in Nairobi (2002 I think) and once shortly after in Ireland.

They just decided to come to the coast for the day and rocked up to HRPC not knowing they'd find me there.  (Not that it would have put them off I guess.... at least I hope...)

It was one of the best services ever.  A Chinese lady who'd moved to Northern Ireland had started attending "English Corner" and in time, had chosen to follow the Lord Jesus and was being baptised.  Her faith is stronger than her English capacity so it was necessary and absolutely brilliant to have the vows and blessings translated for her during the service! 

"Nice", we thought to have our parochial little ways stretched and our horizons broadened.....

Meanwhile back at the ranch, Charlie and Flo arrived after a picnic and walk on the beach and we were thrilled to catch up with much tea and lots of laughter.  When they'd gone, we marvelled at how "nice" it was to have our horizons broadened a little more.....  (see a theme emerge?!)

Here they are with yours truely, ma and pa.

That was yesterday.  Today, a friend called to relate "devastating news".  I know Bobby Ringland well enough not to take that tone seriously.  "After knowing you all your life, I've just found out we might be related."  He's one of the nicest souls I know, so I can cope with that....

His cousin was visiting from Australia - originally from Belfast and it turned out her husband was my father's cousin. 

So the teapot was warmed again and in no time, the doorbell went and my father, aunt and mother welcomed Tom and Flo and they went through the who's-dead/alive/married/divorced routine, then the "d'you remembers" started... and then we talked about life in Oz versus life in NI and ..... yea... you're with me... all agreed that it was really "nice" to have our horizons broadened.

So what's going on?  All of a sudden, everything feels very international and intentional.... first mum's cousin, then my missionary friends, the bi-lingual baptism and then dad's cousin..... 

Answers anyone?  Oh and here they are... Tom, ma, pa, Flo and Betty.

Sunday at the Walled Garden in Bangor



There's a lovely old walled garden near us and for the last few years, the council's gardeners have been working away, restoring it to it's former glory.  I love it so much.  This summer, it's full of flowers, herbs, vegetables and fruit all thriving on the wet and warm weather we've had. 

 At the moment, there's a sculpture exhibition on too - didn't have time to take many pics on Sunday as the rain came on and, well, we all know people melt in the rain so we didn't stay long.  Although it's not "scuplture", the girl "manning" the exhibition was putting in time when it was being gathered, and yarn-bombed a leaf in the wrought iron gate.  I love it.  

The l'il guy was fascinated by the tiny "garden" planted by the gate - especially the wee diddy ladder for the borrower-sized gardeners to use! 

And these three boyos below looked fed up with the rain!

The flowers are amazing - can anyone explain why same coloured flowers bloom at the same time?  Lots of purples and pinks around at the moment....

 And then my blooming lovely family - well, minus dad who, servant heart that he has, decided to stay at home and attend to the ministry of clearing the dishes after lunch.  (That and a snooze while Wimbledon was on......)  So there were just the five of us rain dodging.

Hope you'd a lovely Sunday afternoon wherever you are!

mellow days

  

It's balmy down near the beach today and the garden is lovely. Dad's been busy cutting the grass and sorting out some of the borders while I do a little bit now and again. I'm experimenting with bagged spuds this year - Maris Piper variety - and the first bag is doing well. Hopefully I've staggered the planting enough to get a longer harvest!

I hadn't noticed that the apples had swollen so much  - looks like we'll have a good crop of Bramleys this year.  The late spring means all the pollinators and blossom arrived together and with the recent heat and rainfall, it's the perfect combination!

 

What is it about a shed. I wish the smell could be blogged!  The spades, fork and rake are years old - some even belonged to my grandfather - but they still do the job! 

Next job is to sort out the herbs - a few chives with the lovely purple heads and some parsley and lemon balm but everything else needs replaced.  Really miss the rosemary and thyme especially.

I should be working.  Working more.  Working on things that actually pay..... more.  It's been over nine months since I left work and while I promised myself a wee break, there's wee and there's wee.  I'm having too much fun, and as that was part of the intention, I need to be doing more actually paying work.

So today, full of the need to earn, I headed off to meet a couple of cousins (Eleanor and Gail) for a very lazy, chatty, girly lunch and mum joined us.  We had such a giggle.  I love our lunches.  Today, we met in the Dirty Duck in Holywood, Co Down and it was great.

Back home, I delivered a card to a neighbour to thank her for her lovely handknit leprachaun.  She donated him to help raise funds for a project I've been fundraising for in Uganda.  He's now been named as Darby (as in Darby O'Gill) and is soon to be delivered to his new home in Belfast. She put so much work into this wee guy.  Such a generous thing to do.

An elderly friend knit these boyos too - teddyboys for Uganda.  Soon, they'll be on their way to endless hugs and fun in grubby wee hands who'll love them until the teds are falling to bits.  Isn't that a satisfying thing to be knitting for!  So for Darby and the teddyboys, thanks Anne and Bertha.

I love that people are so generous with their craft skills.

Cool place to work...

Sometimes it's the little things that make us laugh right? 

At a very nice farmshop/restaurant (McKees for the local readers....) the former members of the 14th NI GB were out for dinner.  (Not sure why the BB has an "Old Boys" association, but we have "Former Members"?!) 

Anyway, it was a lovely evening and good to catch up with lots of old chums.  But the fridge notice caught my eye.  It's so silly, I'm wondering if it's deliberate.  What do you think?



Tick...

I finished, posted and days later in another continent, I see "my" scarf becomes "her" scarf...exactly as it should be!  Lovely smile Hannah. 

It's lovely to finish little projects....

UFOs at last!

It's been an interesting Easter - too cold to do the normal things like day-drives and picnics.

So I've been tidying up a few UFOs (UnFinished  Objects....) like the knitting; indigo merina wool cowl for mum and a scarf for Hannah (almost there), a prem baby coat (very cute) and a prem blanket. 

Then there was the crochet - several baby blankets with less or no pink as everyone seems to have had boys recently and there weren't any boy blankets left in my stash.

It's been satisfying.

This week?  Baking and writing and getting sorted for a whole week away at cookery school...  I think I'm looking forward to it... the hesitation is just because it's been on the horizon for so long, and I'm now fluffled in case it doesn't live up to it's expectations.  Trying to see it as a holiday doing something different.

guess what I'm working on....!

It might be well thumbed, stained and with loose pages, but this is my favourite book from way back when. I think I bought it in 1974 at CSSM in Groomsport.  CSSM is like a non-residential camp organised by Scripture Union (Children's Sea Side Mission - or Come Single Soon Married for the students on the team!)

Every day we made a huge platform in the damp sand and decorated it with shells and flowers and trailing sea weeds, then gathered round with parents... scores of  us.  From the top of the platform, guitar playing students led us in choruses, stories were told, Bible verses were memorised and we learnt to love Jesus...

That summer, I learnt to love Narnia too.  I also learnt to see and love deeper, Biblical truths it taught.  CS Lewis (Jack) was from Belfast, my home town, and there was a certain pride that something so magical had been written by one of our own. 

I loved those books and still do, so imagine my delight to be writing a "journey through Narnia" in words and music for a festival in Dublin.  On Saturday evening, part of our choir, orchestra and band will be in Christchurch, Bray and I am so looking forward to sharing the good news about the real Aslan with the audience - I have so loved writing it. 

Words... music... and Narnia... bliss.



50 things

 

4 birthday cakes, 1 basket of flowers, 39 friends, 2 hours of candle-light in a powercut, 4 days of celebrating. Turning the half century has been good and has reminded me how blessed I am to have so many people I love in my life - friends as well as family.

All change!

So I turned 49 at the end of November.  Time for a mid-life crisis methinks.  49 is a sort of a key number I reckon - my "seven Sabbaths of years" - a "super Sabbatical" before the big Jubilee.  

Time to change a few things in anticipation of the next 7 years (and I have things brewing in my head on that front.....)

So a new year, fresh diary and the fastest way to get a bit of control over things was to allocate themes to each month.  

January = "deal with it" month - tying up urgent loose ends;  two tax returns (yes TWO) - the IR "misplaced" the 2010 return.  Then it was pantomime time at the Ulster Hospital (it's behind me...) I had a brilliant band this year - great music.  Looking forward to next year already.

February = "Dump it" month.  Dumping from the study, the wardrobes, the fabric stash, the roofspace etc.  One thing I hadn't quite factored "dumping" was my job...  (thanks auntie beeb).  They say it's "restructuring" - the same old same old.... we're all the same and too old....   10 of us in the pot to go and 6 have already gone. (i still can't work out how that adds up to the "7 posts only to go" thing... maybe I need fresh batteries in my calculator.....)

March?  "Technology" month... though it's started early - dad come over all technological on us yesterday and insisted on loading up a database for his choir.  Brilliant!!  March will be for gutting out the picture and video files, changing internet/phone provider here and up north and silencing the tedious talk talk - which apparently is all they do.  I'd be happy if it was "do do" although in childish language, it sums up their service.

April I'm planning to spend finishing all the UFOs so it's "Sew and Sew" month - though if I've been pushed off the shelf in the office, I may get to this faster.

Any lonely millionaires out there?!