How can people actually choose to eat cold toast? What is the point of toast if it isn't hot with gobs of melting butter dripping down your fingers as you work your way from one corner to another (because you have cut it on the diagonal of course.)

You may as well just leave your slice of bread out for a few days. You'll get the same result and have used no electricity.

English cooking, eh?

Since I clearly have been absolutely rubbish at writing with any regularity on this blog I have devised a way to trick myself into it. The eagle-eyed among you (probably about 2 readers... Hi mom!) will have noticed a list I have put at the side of all this called...um...what did I call it anyway? Something about 13. It is a weekly list. Since I can't figure out a way to subtitle it each time and still keep the main title, you'll just have to figure it out for yourselves. Or, read my post. Today I have listed the last 13 books I have read only in that order. I finished D-Day just the other day.

So much death... I mean, really. And all the while I'm reading this, I'm thinking how did they manage to keep that a secret?! I guess, technologically speaking, things were a bit simpler then so even though thousands of ships were crossing the channel, if you didn't actually see it, I guess you just didn't know. Weird. That's been a very interesting thing about moving to England. Living in a country that was so directly affected by the war - it's just much more embedded in the social consciousness of people over here. The reason there are such UGLY buildings next to lovely old ones in the town I live in, is because German bombs were dropped on the main street and they didn't get around to rebuilding until the glorious Age of Concrete. It's only two blocks from my house! And my house was built in 1896 so it felt those bombs. Really says something about how they used to build houses, doesn't it?

I keep thinking it's such a shame that my Dad isn't around anymore. This isn't a new thought of course, but as I get older (sigh) it tends to come up a lot more. He was such the history buff and turns out so am I. (I will freely admit that when I was in high school I did think it was one of the more pointless subjects, but we never seemed to study anything interesting!) Now I live in this country with SO much history. Too much for their own good I think. There is an old medieval manor house (Gainsborough Old Hall - built about 1460) a stones throw from my doorstep - now known as one of the finest and best preserved medieval manor houses in all of England - in the 1950s they wanted to pull it down to make a car park/parking lot. Amazing. There are shells of formerly glorious mansions all over the place in this country. And they pulled loads down in the 20s/30s cause they just couldn't afford the upkeep.

I've gone the last 2 days without my winter coat. It's a bit optimistic, I know, but it's March, and I'm sick of it. (My coat that is.) I need some warmth - that isn't created by a heater or fire.

Have I mentioned here how very much I love Clotted Cream? If I see it (oh, and it has to be Rodda's cause there is no comparison) in the shop, I will buy it and then have to make scones so I can eat it. I'm trying to find other ways to get it in my diet, but nothing can really compare to the scone. I realize that the scone is merely a vessel for the cream, but I do make some damn good scones and you want a tasty vessel.

So I woke up this morning to snow. It's the SECOND of MARCH. Now, I realize in a lot of places, this is not uncommon, but I live in England... at sea level... We have had our fill of the snow thanks. It's been a long cold wet winter and I am done with it. Unfortunately, Mother Nature is not. We had a lovely sunny day yesterday - I think it actually got up to about 9C! Everywhere I went (and I went a lot of places yesterday!) people were commenting on the weather (in England? Shocker I know) and how lovely it was. We NEED some sun here. I'm booking a holiday.

I have officially earned my third trip with the direct selling company I work with. Yay! It wasn't easy this time, I have to say... Lots of last minute frenzy, but I think it will be worth it. We're going to Greece - a lovely peninsula outside of Athens, on the sea. Greek food.... yum. And sunshine!! I'll be there for my birthday and sharing a room with one of the greatest girls I know. So a great trip is on the cards. No, I didn't earn enough points to get my husband there. A real shame as he could use a good holiday sans enfants... Next time I hope! We find out where next years trip will be in July. Hope it's good. I've been to Monte Carlo and Chicago on the two previous trips I've earned. Looooovely!