The Simple Woman's Day book

FOR TODAY, January 11th, 2011...

Outside My Window...
It's cold, wet and windy . When the wind blows down the chimney it whistles and sounds twice as cold as it really is. One might almost imagine we were in a drafty old house lost somewhere out on the moors . . .

I am thinking...
Yesterday I realized that in just two short months we will have been back here in Chester a year. My goodness the time has just flown by! It hardly seems possible, and yet . . . it is!

I am thankful for...
Mitzie is healing very well from her operation. She had a good check up from the Vet yesterday and we were told we didn't need to keep that plastic thing on her unless we were not around to supervise her. I didn't have the courage to say that was what we were already doing!

From the kitchen...
I need to bake a cake. I am craving cake. A nice farmhouse fruit type of cake. Anyone else with me on this?

I am wearing...
Blue stripey jim jam bottoms, a turquoise short nightgown and my blue robe and slippers. Yes, I am still layering to keep warmer.

I am creating...
Still working on new designs and that special project. I have some new dolls that I am going to showcase soon as well. It's all go in my creative workshop! I feel like one of Santa's Elves, except a lot taller and my ears are not pointed!

I am going...
I have a Presidency meeting for Primary tomorrow night. I want to get in there early as I want to work on the bulletin board if I can. I will need to go into town in the morning to pick up a few things for it that I will need. I hope that it is not raining. Other than that I have not a lot of plans this week. So, all in all, a very quiet week ahead.

I am reading...



The Weight of Silence, by Heather Gudenkauf
A tense tale following the disappearance of two seven-year-old girls from a small town in Iowa, the storytelling is brilliant and easy to read. In short it is a can't put it down kind of book! Very engaging and wonderfully written. If you like books by Jodi Picoult you will love this novel. Spread over a 16 hour period of time it follows the disappearance of two 7 year old girls who disappear from their homes on the same night without a trace. Written a chapter at a time by a different narrator each time, (individual characters in the book) it is a real page turner!


I am hoping...
I have an appointment at that special clinic on the 29th of January and I am hoping it all goes well. I have been reading up on Knee replacements. It is a bit scary and I am deathly afraid of operations. The last operation I had, a tubal ligation (21 years ago now), I almost hemorrhaged to death afterwards. It was really frightening. I was walking out of the hospital to get into the car which my husband had pulled up to the door and everything just let go. I could feel the stitches ripping out and it was just like my insides were pouring out. He threw me into the back of the car and drove me around to the Emergency Entrance right away and back in I went. Very frightening experience to say the least!!

I am hearing...
Early morning sounds . . . the house cracking and snapping as it comes alive. Clocks ticking. Walls creaking . . . the Westminster chimes from our newest clock, Mitzie snuffling here beside me. Joyful sounds. The house is waking up. Some things never change . . . and that is a good thing I am thinking.

Around the house...
My kitchen table is so untidy. I am good at taking things out, but not so good at putting them back. It drives Todd to distraction!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...
Not a lot, not a lot. A bit of this and a bit of that and a lot of puttering in between. Sounds good to me!


Here is picture thought I am sharing...



He first lit up our screens way back in 1994 as the brooding hero of Middlemarch and has recently been starring as Aurelio Zen in the BBC 1 series, Zen, on Sunday evenings. (Based on Michael Dibdin's best selling crime novels.) Not since Vinni Barbarino in Welcome Back Kotter have I been so enamoured of a male television character. Rufus Sewell . . . that hypnotic green gaze, those chiselled cheekbones, that toused crop, that sultry husky voice . . . dressed in a well cut dark Italian suit, and wearing Persol shades . . . striding around Italy, the place I want to visit more than anything and dream about going to one day. Sigh . . . I think Todd thinks I've gone mad. As the youth would say . . . I fancy him something rotten. I thought he'd make a little eye candy this morning. I hope you don' t mind me sharing!☺

And just as a closing thought for today . . .

The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them.
~paulo coelho

A thought to inspire for today. I am glad that I can see the simple things. They greatly enrich my life in ways too many to count!


And there you have it . . . my day book for this week. Don't forget to hop on over to the Simple Woman to check out the other day book entries! (Or better yet, do a simple day book entry yourself! It's not that hard and I am betting you would enjoy it!

Here's some more eye candy! Oh my, but this is some good. And calorie free of course! (Shhh . . . )




*Hot Butterscotch Sauce*
Serves 2
Printable Recipe

Beautiful served on top of cold ice cream. Delicious contrast to say the least!

1/2 cup packed soft light brown sugar
a generous 1/2 cup cream
5 TBS butter

To serve:
4 scoops of vanilla ice cream
some crushed nut brittle or toasted nuts

Place all of the sauce ingredients into a small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until boiling. Reduce heat and cook for about 3 minutes. Serve hot as the sauce will set up when cool. Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator and gently rewarmed for use another time.

To make a sundae, put a bit of the warm sauce in the bottom of two bowls. Add the ice cream and spoon more sauce over top. Scatter with some crushed nut brittle or toasted nuts and serve.



Bacon and Cheese Scones are being served over in The English Kitchen today.