Angel Jem's City Cottage

I had a whole afternoon in Manchester with my beautiful daughter. The Christmas Markets are on,  and Sarah's never been. We had a good time, not least because there was a goodly amount of stopping for refreshment. Sarah's happy as long as there's a bookshop on the itinerary, and I was warmed by gluhwein and a pint of Kronenberg. How tired were we? Sarah slept on the way home, just after saying she'd had a brilliant day, and could we go again next year! My new friend.... Yes, I have what it takes!!! My final Chase from the beginning of the year is in the new book!!! Prize fund was actually £60,000 between 3. I have had such a good year after being on TV and radio. Being named in a book is the icing on the cake! I had a mint tea and a portuguese custard tart as my afternoon treat. The French macarons caught our eyes... and several came home with us! I did promise I wouldn't post a picture.... but I expect I forgot. Hi Sarah! You are too bea...

Thursday throw up. Doesn't have the same ring but is probably what I do most weeks; throw up my Wednesday Wind up onto the computer in a rush in between sorting out the weekend and finishing off the day. What am I reading this week? The Book of You was unsettling but a good read. I quite liked the ending (no spoilers!!!) but all the way through I was like, why doesn't she just go to the Police???? And I have begun  The Book of Lost and Found . It's good so far, but I have only just started it. A tale of ballet dancers and hidden family secrets. What have I watched this week? We are watching The Following on Pick (I think). It was on Atlantic originally so we couldn't get it, but now I am very happily watching a saga of serial killers based on Edgar Allen Poe, and enjoying watching it with my big boys. At some point I find I'm looking at them and thinking that they are old enough to watch the same TV that we do. Life was easier when they watched Thoma...

What am I reading this week? I started reading Stuffocation by James Wallman this weekend. It's not a very long read, but it's an interesting one. It argues that although consumerism is bad (for the debt, the environment and our emotional well-being), the opposite is not actually minimalism (which even Thoreau only kept up for two years) but experientialism, which can involve being a consumer, but a thoughtful one. In other words, we should be seeking to build our intrinsic memory and to be creating our life (in a way that suits us) to make ourselves happy, and not in a 'keeping up with the Jones' way, where we compete to be more or do more because we want to seem more. It makes sense to me, although I have already been through the blog envy," why do they have lots of followers, oh no this is useless I'll never be famous" stage and am now at a "this is where I am. Take it or leave it, I like it and I only write to suit me" stage. What have I ...

Your Inner European is Irish! Sprited and boisterous! You drink everyone under the table. Who's Your Inner European?

Or the little self-employed courier. My Amazon parcels were delivered today by a very very nice man and his wife who dropped them off with a smile and a very pleasant exchange. I always get a smile off the post man too. Is it that I am a naturally smiley person..... or is it the fact I answer the door still in my nightwear? You have a chance to decide which sort I wear, 1. this or 2. this Leave a comment and I'll see exactly what sort of a girl you think I am! (and I'll post about what I got on Wednesday 23rd..... wonder why?)

How I have enjoyed reading the entries for my birthday competition (that's my birthday on the 23rd May, Carolyn, please take note!) If only I were realy like these descriptions, I'd be a wonderwoman! Thank you, muchas gratias, danke, grazie and merci beaucoup to the very willing entrants; Papoosue at Random Blethers , Thimbleanna , Sarah at Everything stops for Tea , Isobel of the Cosy Corner , a Shropshire Girl , Weirdbunny of The Crystal Mountain , Victoria May Plum , Alison of Foxgloves in the Breeze , Beachy's Cape Cod Cupboard , Valerie of Un Arc de Ciel dans le lavabo and Gill at Lucy Locket . I had great fun trying to decide which one was most like me and how..... carefully balanced I could be between me and the person I think I am. No one put me down as a 6 foot blonde, which was a little disappointing as, obviously, in my wildest dreams I have been known to grow six inches, lose 5 stone and change hair colour, but I can live with that. What? You want to know what ...

I found this test on Mrs L's blog, couldn't resist it and did it. I was thinking along the lines of Valrhona's 85% real chocolate, or perhaps a decent truffle, but no, I am... You are White Chocolate You have a strong feminine side with a good bit of innocence thrown in. Whether your girlish ways are an act or not, men like to take care of you. You are an understated beauty, and your power is often underestimated! What Kind of Chocolate Are You? Wow! Perhaps I underestimated myself & white chocolate.