Rude and Crude - and wedding cake!

Mission birthday cake achieved and delivered. Really, really late. Terribly sorry about that Step-mother. Follow up gift DEFINITELY required.

Polling day. Finally. Maybe the news will talk about something else after the next day or so. I must be honest I was SO confused about what to do and who to vote for that I did consider not voting. The trouble with that was that every time I closed my eyes I could see Emiline Pankhurst chaining herself to railings. But the thing is, the people I want in power where I live sadly are representatives of the person I do not want in power in Westminster.

So, I ask this question. Talking of the oil spillage, which we weren't. Why is it that BP have sought to stick a massive bung in the hole spewing crude oil in to the gulf area after 16 days? Would it not have been a better idea to have done it immediately?

I heard earlier that BP were adopting a new approach earlier today. Instead of stood watching the oil gush out, thumb up bum, they were going to try to "catch" the oil and try to store it in a tanker. Well, I bet the person that came up with THAT idea has a degree in cunningness from the university of cunning. For goodness sake people.

And why is it that several news stations, naming no names (Radio 1 Newsbeat and Radio 4 - yes, I kid you not Radio 4), have reported in the last week that "authorities are worried about the environmental disaster that could be posed by the oil spillage". Is it not already an environmental disaster?!?! Exactly how could it dissipate with no other consequences? Bloody BP, profit before everything - they've got us over an (oil) barrel though, haven't they?

Well, I've just been told that Hubby had to go out and buy another sack of Goat fodder yesterday as the little blighter had pulled the other sack down and eaten it.

Apparently, she (her sex is once again up for debate - Hubby's convinced of her maleness!) has only gone and pulled the new bag down and eaten that now too! I hear she can barely move, she's eaten so bloomin' much. The fat get!

And Ms. Brooks reports that while tasting lush, my beetroot soup has the effect of a 1980's plaque highlighting tablet on her teeth! Ha ha ha ha ha - I'd pay good money to see that! I'm locking up my food cupboard tomorrow as Ms. Callan and her "gentleman caller" are coming to visit and she might try to rob more of my scran. You know what she's like. I think I'll knock up a little banana cake to give some (unnecessary) assistance to the nuptial arrangements.

Whensa Your Dolmio Day?

Today I have been mostly making homemade Italian tomato sauce. The "young people" scoffed the last batch the other week after the Blackout!, so I ordered a crate of tomatoes from the food co-op last week and after school today Meg and I embarked upon a marathon sauce making session and the results are marvelous, if we do say so ourselves.

There has been much thriftiness, creativeness and gardening-ness since I've been away.

Ms. Brooks cordially invited my good self and a couple of mutual friends around for a lentil-fest on Friday night. I'd not been out for a while so was rather looking forward to some tasty home cooking and good company, I just needed something new to wear.

(Cue a pair of Steve's old jeans and a big gorgeous wrap my Nana gave me)

I un-stitched the inside legs of the jeans, shortened, and made a lovely grey denim skirt. Then I stitched the end of the wrap to the side at the other end and made a gorgeous grey fluffy knitted poncho that everyone admired. It's incredibly warm too and a great use of the wrap as it was a bit big to be a scarf, and I don't really use wraps, so now, it's a lovely jumper type thing. Hey presto, a whole new outfit for nowt.

Thanks to Ms. Fleming, the growing is going good too. I've now potted up my apple seeds that are growing beautifully and the leeks, onions and tomatoes are all sprouting. I've gratefully accepted the gift of a whole load of gardening stuff, along with enough jars to make my Syn free sauce. I've had to transfer them to another window sill too as I ran out of space on the other one.

So the "Mumatron" has promised me two lovely emails of hints and tips in keeping with my frugality/anti-consumerism. One of them is about different uses for Bounce tumble drier sheets. I'm looking forward to that one, I must be honest.

The crochet is coming along beautifully and I've found some lovely inspirational thought for the day type words that fit in nicely with the theme of the blog. Stand by for inspiration.