We drove to Salisbury first thing this morning to go to church. I know I'm going to have to start going to the local one soon but I kind of wanted one last service at St Thomas to say goodbye. Frustratingly David, who usually takes service, wasn't there and he was the person I really wanted to let know I've moved, and to talk to him about wedding stuff. I guess I'll have to email him instead.

We then spent pretty much all day in Salisbury, doing some essential and some non-essential shopping. Came back with shoes for both of us (much needed for Tom, as his were a few threads away from disintegration), Rhythm Paradise for Nintendo DS, ingredients for banana honey teabread (currently in the oven and smelling AMAZING) and a shiny new flat screen monitor. Our poor old PC has had a bit of an overhaul recently - a reinstall and a legal copy of Windows XP fixed the software issues and BSOD, and now a shiny monitor to replace the 9 year-old hefty 18 inch CRT (which will be freecycled, if anyone wants it). We weren't planning on getting one before the wedding, but there were a coupld of good offers out there so now we have a 22 inch Samsung which is full of shiny!

I've been baking all afternoon for a colleague's birthday tomorrow. I did plan to do some garden stuff but yesterday I managed to burn my back in the gap between my trousers and T-shirt when bending over and my legs are also rather stiff from digging! I'll have to warm-up and stretch afterwards in future. :P

We have reached that annoying stage in house sorting and box unpacking where we have all but the junk unpacked and have reached a sort of apathy with the few remaining bits and bobs. There are wires and bike bits and games and toys still scattered around and I've become used to seeing them so no longer feel the desire to tidy them away out of sight and mind in the spare room. Boo! I'll have to make the effort soon.

I have started Operation Kitten Hunt with some gusto. When we first moved in I called a few rescue centres but was told to call back May/June when feral kittens would be appearing. So I emailed every rescue centre and rehoming charity I could find asking to go on their waiting list, but so far have only heard back from one, which is disappointing - I guess they're very busy. So this week I'm going to start calling round again. I did see a couple of adverts in a petshop window in Salisbury but all the kittens had gone - one lady gave me the name of her sister who has kittens due in a week, but she sounded quite posh and I suspect may be a breeder. I have no issues with home-bred cats provided it's done compassionately and responsibly, but there are so many cats and kittens in shelters that desperately need good homes I'd much rather get a couple from a charity than a breeder. The only drawback is a lot of charities, certainly the RSPCA, don't rehome kittens until they've been neutered at 6 months, which means missing out on a lot of kitten-ness. I will of course get my cats neutered as soon as they are of age, and I'm happy to pay for it, so I'd like to have kittens from 8 weeks and get to enjoy all their adorableness for those first few months!

Watch this space - I'm sure many cute photos will appear the instant we have kittens! ^_^

I just totally failed to make cake. :(

It didn't cook properly, and the icing was too runny. I'm disappointed because it was a Greene and Blacks and a Nigella recipe, and they're normally so good! I'm hoping it's going to be tasty but it' scertainly messy.

Well, almost. Man I can't wait to eat this! ( Read more... )

Roll on Sunday. :)

I have to make mince pies tonight! I hope I have all the ingredients at home. I know I have about a kilo of mincemeat that's probably five years old (does that stuff go off?) and flour and sugar and all the necesseties for pastry. It's for the Christmas performance which is next Monday and Tuesday. I might wuss out and buy a couple of boxes if I don't feel like baking tonight. I usually feel like baking on a Sunday - mid-week baking just feels wrong!

I am so damned hungry right now. I was trying to resist it, but I'm going to have ot have some toast. The current ceral in my cupboard is just not keeping me going until lunchtime, which annoys me because the only stuff that seems to work is the expensive Kellogs own brand stuff that doesn't come in a cheap Tesco equivalent. Darn cereal. Maybe I should try porridge in the morning...

Ho hum.