Greetings Everyone!
Back at base once more, after a splendid holiday in Devon, and stop overs with daughter Philippa in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire on either side of a five day visit to one of my cousins. Lovely time, helped by the fact that the English weather actually co-operated all the way through, with rain only starting as I got off the train on the return journey at Kirkby in Ashfield Station, in time to catch my 'bus for the final stage home.
While there was Wi-Fi linkage where we stayed in Devon, it's not really the done thing to spend one's usual time dealing with the daily Etsy business for www.Coldham Cuddlies.co.uk. when in one's family members' home (or anyone else's when it comes to it!) so I just checked in each day, and then began to catch up when I returned to High Wycombe at the end of our week away. (Last Sunday, when I might have been able to do something, frankly, I didn't feel like it - so, hopefully, we've not lost too many of our regular Followers as a result of this dereliction of duty!!!).
So, this week's post is really a bit of a catching up one - to bring you up to date on matters here at base.
However, we did hear that the package, with Winston Wombat on board, arrived in time, and that the recipient was "very pleased" with his gift! The Slipper order that we spoke about in our last post has been started, and the first slipper is at the final stage - where the ribbon trim needs to be added. MrMJW, the customer, was kind enough to give me a little more lee-way in dispatch time, because of course when I got back it was to find myself head over heels in preparations for the upcoming MacMillan Cancer Coffee Morning we are holding on Tuesday - 4th October - for which I had prepared the Crab Apple Butter (posted about in our last but one bulletin a week or two ago - visit here to see more - http://coldhamcuddliescalling.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/sampling-local-foraging-opportunities.html).
These are now ready for display- and sale - at the Coffee Morning
There are eleven jars in all - and I'm planning on taking them over to the Residents' Lounge, where the event is taking place, tomorrow afternoon. I'll be rushing around setting up the Coldham Cuddlies sales table on the actual day!!
One thing all this "extra-curricular" activity has done though - is to encourage me to return to the baking stakes. Since Peter died, four years ago, followed by the move from Wiltshire to Nottinghamshire, I've really not felt motivated to do much baking - but this year, I got the urge! So, earlier this afternoon I had a go - largely as an experiment, in case my oven didn't play ball. Much to my surprise, it did co-operate, and this is the resulting offering!
While studying my pantry shelves prior to this foray into the baking stakes, I discovered I still have two jars of Strawberry Jam (made in July 2007!) using berries grown by myself in our West Lancashire garden , so one of them is going to be opened to form the sandwich middle of this Victoria Sponge. I'll be making a second one, as celebration of my return to the baking stakes! (The jam looks darker than most Strawberry Jam - because Peter couldn't eat anything baked with White Sugar, so all my baking - which included breads, etc - all used Brown Demerara Sugar. I still use it - from habit - and really think the flavour is improved as a result!)
In between all this week's activities on all fronts, I've also had time to list two new Cuddlies - which have been mentioned in the past few weeks, if memory serves. Either Cy Bear or I will tell you more in coming weeks (in between posts showing the places I visited in Devon - which lived up to all expectations!) - but to whet your appetites, here are pictures of the two new members of the COLDHAMCUDDLIES Family -
The missing ear belonging to the Fantasy Bear on the left is now firmly attached I hasten to add - it was listed in this way as a way to illustrate Cuddlies en route as it were!!
Also listed this week, was the associated Fantasy Bear Baby Mobile - seen here.
Now, after a frustrating afternoon trying to find all these pictures - all as a result of some new manoeuvres I'm required to do on my computer, which seem to have emerged since I left for Devon (don't know what wrong button I landed on this time around!!) - I'll end this week's update.
Look forward, together with Cy Bear, to being with you all next week. Meanwhile, have a great one!
Your Friend, Isobel
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| The travelling version of Winston Wombat! |
These are now ready for display- and sale - at the Coffee Morning
There are eleven jars in all - and I'm planning on taking them over to the Residents' Lounge, where the event is taking place, tomorrow afternoon. I'll be rushing around setting up the Coldham Cuddlies sales table on the actual day!!
One thing all this "extra-curricular" activity has done though - is to encourage me to return to the baking stakes. Since Peter died, four years ago, followed by the move from Wiltshire to Nottinghamshire, I've really not felt motivated to do much baking - but this year, I got the urge! So, earlier this afternoon I had a go - largely as an experiment, in case my oven didn't play ball. Much to my surprise, it did co-operate, and this is the resulting offering!
While studying my pantry shelves prior to this foray into the baking stakes, I discovered I still have two jars of Strawberry Jam (made in July 2007!) using berries grown by myself in our West Lancashire garden , so one of them is going to be opened to form the sandwich middle of this Victoria Sponge. I'll be making a second one, as celebration of my return to the baking stakes! (The jam looks darker than most Strawberry Jam - because Peter couldn't eat anything baked with White Sugar, so all my baking - which included breads, etc - all used Brown Demerara Sugar. I still use it - from habit - and really think the flavour is improved as a result!)
In between all this week's activities on all fronts, I've also had time to list two new Cuddlies - which have been mentioned in the past few weeks, if memory serves. Either Cy Bear or I will tell you more in coming weeks (in between posts showing the places I visited in Devon - which lived up to all expectations!) - but to whet your appetites, here are pictures of the two new members of the COLDHAMCUDDLIES Family -
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| https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/468211694/fantasy-bear-toy-cotton-poplin-bears?ref=shop_home_active_1 |
Also listed this week, was the associated Fantasy Bear Baby Mobile - seen here.
 |
| https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/481643347/fantasy-bear-mobile-bear-toy-mobile?ref=shop_home_active_2 |
Look forward, together with Cy Bear, to being with you all next week. Meanwhile, have a great one!
Your Friend, Isobel
