And now for autumn!

Well, I’m back and I’m not going to bore you with a whole host of excuses as to where I’ve been. Suffice to say I’m here now and I haven’t been on holiday!

I can’t believe we are into autumn and I’m hastily picking elderberries, blackberries and sloes before the birds get to them. As I haven’t had a lot of time to make any preserves, I’m freezing the berries down until I can spare a few minutes. I hate to waste anything.

Talking of waste, as you all well know we are building an extension at home and, in preparation for major disruption in my kitchen, I’ve been sorting my cupboards and am embarrassed to say I had tins at the back with a best before date of 2004! Hence my need to have a larder so that ‘I can see everything and everything has a place’ – that is definitely going to be my motto from now onwards. I keep losing things, as our old backdoor has been demolished and we’ve taken to using the ‘posh’ front door and now I’m forever losing my keys. The cats have their very own backdoor cat flap and plank to walk up into it, as well as a very convenient litter tray (builders sand!!!) just outside. I hate to think what the builders say to them when we are not there!

Oh yes, there has been the small issue of the well – which the builders found when digging the footings for the glass link – right outside our backdoor. They don’t seem to be bothered by it but ‘MOAT’ does come to mind. Goodness knows what they are going to do with it and I definitely don’t want to look at it like some bright sparks have been suggesting to me – you know the helpful comments like ‘why don’t you stick some glass over it’ and ‘you won’t have far to fetch the water!!!!’ Hmmmmmm.

This is an insect house which I’ve put on my wish list for my new garden! I saw it at the National Gardening Show a couple of weeks ago – easy peasy to make. I do hope the guys at the bakery haven’t got rid of all the broken pallets!

On the subject of the National Gardening Show, I just had to show you all this pic of the giant vegetable class – I’ve never seen anything like it!!!

I’ve taken to visiting quite a few Retro Fairs just recently – this is important for research of course!! My plans are coming together for the Retro and Craft Fair I’m organising in aid of our lovely church and Help for Heroes in October, and I’ve had great fun with friends checking them all out. I went to one over the weekend and found the most amazing mink coat – it’s hardly been worn and is so glamorous… I managed to get it for £40 – what a bargain. I do hope it snows! I also found a beautiful turquoise pressed glass dish and it will be absolutely perfect filled with soaps and lovely things for my new family bathroom. Ooohhhh it’s all coming together. I sure you can feel the excitement is mounting!

Number two grandchild is on its way – or rather should have been last Friday! Poor Sarah, she’s very bored now and we are all on tenterhooks. Little Izzy is wondering if she really will have a new brother or sister and she told her nursery key worker that ‘mummy will probably have the baby on the carpet’ and daddy is pretty laid back by it all. Oh happy days!!

The Fudge family team are all gearing up for the Great South Run at the end of October – minus me I hasten to add. I’m pretty miffed about it. I had ‘the op’ on my knee three weeks ago and there is no way I’m going to be able to run this year so will have to make do with being the proverbial coat holder and main cheer leader. Oh well, next year maybe.

We are all gearing up to host the British Confectioners Association AGM at the weekend (these folks are the top confectioners in the country and they are bringing their wives) It’s a pretty important thing for us to get it right. So there will be a whole host of events we’ve organised to keep everyone happy, including go karting (they are all pretty competitive), dancing, eating and a visit to our bakery and the ladies will be doing a cooking course at Minterne House and wine tasting too, then a wobble around the gardens! (Must remember to tell the ladies to bring walking shoes.) We have had to organise the whole weekend with military precision so we hope nothing goes wrong – not for the want of trying anyway.

Have just come back from the Sturminster Cheese Festival here inDorset. It’s an amazing little show with wonderful food and local beer and cider. It is really well attended and our little stand was buzzing from the word go. Local crafts and the Morris men along with food demos all make up a really fun family day. Needless to say we sold out each day and left exhausted to boot!

Two more shows to go this year – one at Parnham House in Beaminster on 15^th /16^th October and the Taste of Christmas at Excel in Docklands 2/4^th Dec. Both promise to be excellent days out with celebrity chefs, demonstrations and fun to be had by all – including us. Put these dates in your diary.

Oh yes, nearly forgot, we will be at the Virgin Wine Tasting event in London(Horticultural Halls) on 9^th Oct. See you there I hope!

All for now and catch up very soon.

Sue x

Advertisement