Chez Spud

Awful title I know but I’m sick and my head is thick and has no imagination today. But look what Postman Andy brought, a lovely and perfect present all the way from lovely Elizabeth in Denmark. I have another piece of her work in my home, her gift to me at Blog Camp last year and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have another, custom made to ORDER piece. Oh, I’ve just remembered I also have a lovely Christmas decoration too which arrived as part of Elizabeth’s decoration swap. Lucky lucky me!

How clever she is! These photos aren’t really doing her work justice, I’m using a borrowed camera and am finding it hard to work to get to grips with. What vibrant colours and perfect, neat embroidery. The colours are just right but then, they should be, because they the colours I asked for when I inadvertently ordered it. Earlier this month, Elizabeth celebrated her 500th blog post by asking her readers what they thought she should work on next. Or that is how I read it. What she was actually doing was offering to gift something, so when I said ‘something in bright, vivid colours’ that’s what I got.

The back of the potholder is knitted in a delicate duckegg blue, with a crochet (I think?) trim. I’m not sure why the Momjii doll hopped in to this picture, but I wasn’t about to argue.

Thank you Elizabeth! In a note accompanying the package Elizabeth suggested that I pass the potholder along if I didn’t like it. WHAT?! Is she nuts? Nooo, it’s mine. all mine. To be treasured. xx

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Despite the combined efforts of a vomiting bug, a queried broken leg and the combined forces of National Express rail and my inability to keep hold of vital travel documents for 5 minutes….I made it to London yesterday to meet with seasoned Blog Campers Bee and Blanca. Getting home again was a whole other story however which I will save for a different post on Family Spud’s Famous Travel Disasters.

I will just open brackets here to mention that there has been some kind of travel disaster associated with each of the 3 Blog Camps I’ve attended. The car park M25 did for me for Blog Camp 1.5 and I was 2 hours late arriving for lunch at Bee’s house. Blog Camp 2.0 was worse…8 hours late due to my inability to pack my bag in time for a stupid o’clock flight. Blog Camp 3.0 was better. I arrived on time, but left too early having misread my flight information. And then Blog Camp mini-meet brought all kinds of travel nonsense and ridiculous expense which I can’t even be bothered to talk about. Closes brackets.

I knew I was in for a joyous day when Blanca’s opening gambit was, ‘I’ve got a confession to make. But you can’t tell anyone!’. Secrets? Gossip? Confessions? And it was only 11.00am….bring…it…on…

Blanca unburdens herself of her secrets

We didn’t ‘achieve’ much. We went to Starbucks (natch), we battled with the tube to High Street Ken, walked in the sunshine in Hyde Park for hours, took a few photos, went to lunch, went for a Snog (more later), walked some more in the park and then it was time to go home. Not much activity really, instead we invested our energy in talking. Should you feel the world is missing a couple of million words today it’s because we used them all up yesterday. Sorry about that.

Books, films, families, husbands, sons, daughters, fiances, weddings, honeymoons, babies, blogging, bloggers, photography, food, the weather, cooking, secrets, secrets, secrets, holidays, work, sleep….nothing was off our agenda yesterday. We took a breather for a now traditional bloggers jump…oh look, all TWO of them off the ground at the same time. Result…

Things I learnt:

• Despite having lived in London for 17 years, I don’t know the way from High Street Ken to Hyde Park without using a map. What’s that about? I spent huge periods of that 17 years living around there. Embarrassing.
• I am so pleased the stress and hassle of planning a wedding is over for me. I’ve done it twice. That’s at least once too many. Poor Blanca! No wonder she was rather weary.
• Bee should probably have an eye test….
• There are so many people in London. I was quite overwhelmed with how many people were out and about, in the streets, in the park, in the restaurant. In a short year I’ve turned in to a country bumpkin with a touch of claustrophobia.
• I am totally intolerant of other people’s small children kicking off in restaurants, despite being the mother of small children. Wrong and bad of me.
• Blanca has a life plan. Beth and I do not. Interesting.
• By common agreement, 26 is a bit too young to get married. At the time you feel all grown up, but the 20s are all about change.
• We all miss being bored. Having huge, vast stretches of time with nothing to do, nowhere to go, no chores to do…just lying around reading books, or just being bored.

Blanca wanted to go for a Snog and who were we to deny her?  In fact we built the day’s geographic agenda around having a Snog. I had a chocolate mini-snog with strawberries, the others had a vanilla with, erm, stuff. Blanca enjoyed her Snog, Beth and I binned ours at the first opportunity having decided that a frozen yogurt dessert that ‘lacks fat, shuns sugar and has hardly any calories’ tastes revolting. What can I say? Me and Bee are in the environs of 40 years old…..Blanca is, what, about 17 or something? She likes Snogs, we like The Archers. It’s a generational thing…

When I (eventually) got home I was tucking in a sleeping Bertie when he briefly woke and whispered, “Did you have a lovely time with your friends?”…”Yes” I whispered back, “I had a brilliant day, thank you.” I said…”That’s nice!”, he said. And it was. xx

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Thanks to The Domestic Sensualists via Julochka via Julochka’s grandmother for the gift of Banana Bread. And a special big thanks to Julochka’s daughter, Sabin, for her inspired addition of vast chunks of chocolate to the recipe. Such insight at the tender age of 9! Banana and chocolate go together like, er, banana and chocolate. Yum.

Lesson One of the the Day: I am more capable of baking than I thought. But I did have a little ‘helper’ so perhaps it was the 3 year old’s supervision which made all the difference?

Bertie went for a bike ride with MrSpud this morning. As in, both Bertie AND MrSpud were on bikes…that feels so grown up to me. Won’t be long before they can all push off for the weekend camping/mountaineering/deering doing etc etc while I recline on the sofa with wine and a trashy magazine for a couple of days. Bliss….

While Bertie and MrSpud were off jollying, I stayed home with Diggy to make the cake and then indulge in a little light crafting. First of all we created the above masterpiece with stamps. And, just when I was really getting in to it, he changed all the rules and told me that “the fun part is taking the stamps off and making them in to a cosy nest for the birds”. So he pulled all the stamps apart, made his “cosy nest” and told me off for being “too noisy” anytime I attempted to sneak in another stamp on to our picture. This continued for another 20 minutes until he decided to use the “jellies” (stamps) as decorations. Scream.

Lesson Two of the Day: children play, create and learn in ways which really should be a surprise to me anymore. They pretty much NEVER use a toy, implement, ‘thing’ for its intended purpose but spin off in to a truly creative place. I need to learn to unclench and go with it.

This wonderful bracelet arrived in the post today, a gorgeous and thoughtful gift from Shannon at An Enlightened Heart. There’s a story behind this bracelet and what it means to me but, suffice to say, it’s a perfect gift. I’m embarrassed that I don’t have a better photo…this one doesn’t show the gorgeous red heart bead embellishment and heart shaped clasp around the back. She’s so clever, her work(wo)manship is stunning. But it’s her warm and generous nature which makes this something I will treasure forever.

I’ve had a number of lovely gifts from bloggers in recent months. I haven’t blogged about them because I haven’t wanted to embarrass the senders but,  what the hell, they’ll get over it. So, in the hope of not missing anyone out, thank you to Ali at Inner Rambling of a Mid Life Mama, to rxBambi at A Day in the Life of a Would Be Bambi, Janet at Are We There Yet?, Blanca at Cuttings on a Blog and Vancouver’s Enviro Girl at The Misadventures of VEG for your lovely, thoughtful and wonderful gifts. Plus all the Blog Campers, of course. You’re all in my Best Book forever. The rest of you? Consider yourself grudged ;-)

Lesson Three of the Day: I’m feeling the love, man, feeling the love…..man, I LOVE feeling the love. Man. Etc etc etc.

Here endeth the lessons. xx

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I love tea. It’s a love affair that’s evolved over time and has involved occasional flirtations with coffee but me and tea are now going steady. I have standards and these are they: builder’s tea (strong as you like and ideally one tea bag to a cup, then pressed against the side for extra za-za-zooooom), a little milk and one sugar, in a mug and not a cup and three times a day…on rising…mid morning…mid-afternoon. Sometimes I go crazy and have four cups a day, but I regret it. Me and tea have found our groove and three times a day is the foundation of the groove.

Today I did a little photoshoot at home for my friend Katherine, who is shortly to relaunch her super cakes and catering business. She zipped over with delightful baked goods for me to shoot (badly, but that’s a whole other story). I found myself hoping she’d be prompt as I was more than ready for Cup Two of the day. I debated having a cup before she arrived, but then realised she’d have to drink tea alone when she arrived, or I’d have to push on with an ill-advised pre-noon Cup Three. It was quite a quandary…

In the end I waited for her and the gods of tea delivered her right on time (rejoice). So, it seems, it’s not just the tea and tea addiciction that is at stake here…it’s the well documented ‘ritual’ of tea. I’m not fancy about the ritual though and, frankly, nor is Katherine. We bonded over our trashy love of cheap builder’s tea, and disdain for Earl Grey and other such nonsense. That one sugar makes me very common; Katherine is fancier and goes without but I don’t grudge her for it (yet). So, as non-fancy girls, the ritual doesn’t seem to be part of it on the surface…but neither of us can set a foot over each other’s doorsteps without the kettle going on for a ‘cuppa’.

It’s almost like ‘breaking bread’ together.  Why is that? It’s so deeply ingrained…someone comes round? Put the kettle on. Bad news? Put the kettle on. Good news? Put the kettle on. Need a little pick me up? Put the kettle on.  Recently a New Friend came to visit for the first time. Naturally I put the kettle on and asked if she’d like some tea. “No thank you”, she said. “Coffee?” I said, in desperation, “No thank you I’m fine”. Erm, I don’t think so…no tea..no coffee…are you ILL? I immediately grudged her…f…o…r…e…v…e…r.  Surely everyone knows that tea is the elixir of life, the oil in the wheels of social situations. To refuse? Rude.

I knew I’d love Bee forever when I first met her at Blog Camp 1.5 which she hosted last Summer. I arrived unfashionably late yet again and all in a flap. The others offered me wine, but Bee saw the fear in my eyes and offered me a ‘cuppa tea and then some wine?’ which was just the thing. Made all the more charming since she had taken on some kind of East End accent for ‘cuppa tea’ which juxtaposes in a very interesting way with her Texas/Berkshire drawl…

And then lovely Blanca bought me Friendship Tea as my Blog Camp 3.0 gift and it hit the nail right on the head for me:

“Pour on boiling water and, while it brews, we’ll talk. We’ll talk about everything, we’ll talk about nothing. Whatever you want to say, I’ll listen. Show me your secrets, your troubles, your joys, your profound thoughts and silliest imaginings”.

Tea…the balm for life. We had a long discussion about tea at Blog Camp 3.0 and the differences between Denmark and Other Countries…teabags…loose tea…sugar…milk…warming the pot..many nations… divided by a common tea leaf.

Anyway, tea rocks. Luckily not-so-common Katherine bakes so beautifully and thus tea is always a tea ‘n’ cake experience with her. That’s why I heart her. Her baked goods and love of trashy cheap teabags won me over.

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Cheers! Gin & Tonic (Hendricks of course) at Julochka‘s place to celebrate the start of Blog Camp 3.0.

End of day one…I got up at 4am…left the house at a less than ideal 4.45am…foggy (oh crap) so got to the airport at 5.50am…arrived at check-in at 6.13am (2 minutes before it closed)….resuscitated myself after briefly passing out due to stress and had a disgusting coffee (thanks Pret-a-Manger) and then took a lifetime to get through security ARGGHHH.

Ran through the departure lounge to the gate with the words ‘Would the last remaining passenger Miss Spudballoo please go immediately to Gate 19 etc etc". ARGHHH. So I got up at 4am and yet barely made the flight.

I then hung out in Starbucks at Copenhagen airport for 4 hours waiting for the rest of the Blog Campers which was way more jolly than it sounds.

Skipped back to Julochka’s on the train, drank gin, drank wine, drank wine, drank wine, drank wine (etc etc), ate dinner, drank wine, drank wine, decamped to blue room, opened wonderful presents, drank wine, gossiped, laughed a LOT, giggled some more, drank wine, bitched about people, drank wine, took a million photos.

Roll on tomorrow. And crafting. And crochet lessons.  And wine.

I heart Blog Camp. And wine….

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Hello [Virtual] Campers! I present A Tale of Four Breakfasts…but which is the odd one out?

Is it the delicious homemade scones knocked up in a jiffy by Miss Buckle? Or the delicious pastries (Danish, of course) which Julockha‘s husband kindly went out and bought for us, the tip-top Blog Camp Jam made by the fragrant B for Blog Camp 1.5…or is it the burnt offerings of scone, sacrificed at the altar of Otin after we forgot to take them out of the oven?

You decide.

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It’s all about the little things…that’s the conclusion Jelica (which, by the way, is pronounced Yel-IT-sa) and I came to whilst discussing how to differentiate one European city from another when, in certain ways, so many seem similar. Same shops, same brands, same coffee chains, same rather grotty main train station situated in the seedy part of town, same ‘famous’ main shopping street which is always heaving despite being really nothing special when compared with the lovely surrounding streets.

Copenhagen felt a lot like Brussels in places, then Vienna and then, out of nowhere, a huge piazza presented itself and we were in Italy! But it was the little things that set Copenhagen apart from its European cousins, and those are details that I will burn in to my mind and spin my memory web around.

Even the manhole covers in Copenhagen, a city drunk on design, can’t be purely functional. Why be plain when you can be fancy? This one is inspired by one of Denmark’s most notable sons, Hans Christian Andersen, and his tale of the Steadfast Tin Soldier (who falls in to the sewer..so apt). It’s not a very good photo, but you can just make out the famous silhouette of HCA in the middle, the soldier, fish, mermaids etc. Thankfully Danish good taste prevailed and we spared the sight of turds floating by…

Bertie was very excited when I told him I was going to visit Copenhagen. Both he and Diggy adore the movie of Hans Christian Andersen and, especially, the song ‘Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen’. Bertie quickly instructed me on how to greet HCA should I happen upon him:

“You must say, ‘Hello I’m Bertie’s Mummy! Bertie watches you on the DVD all the time!’ and he will say, ‘Hello Bertie’s Mummy! Now you are in the TV with me.’” Argh…help! I’m trapped in the telly with Danny Kaye and his singing thumb. Send help. And a mallet for the singing thumb…

Back at Julochka‘s fabulous home it was the little things that were catching my attention too. Her house is completely divine, and you can’t turn a corner without something beautiful, engaging and often witty to look at. The place is STUFFED full of pretties, as per the numerous shots on my previous Blog Camp 2.0 posts. Even the ceiling is fascinating Chez Julochka….!

That sign above the door? Want to take a closer look…I thought so…

Giggle…speaking of which, check out the one outside by the front door…

Speaking of hippies…turns out that Flower Power is alive and well on the streets of Copenhagen…

Madame…if you’re going to Julochka’s be sure to wear some flowers in your [grass] hair…and use the side entrance. And absolutely NO spitting. I thank you.

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HELP STOP AM STUCK IN JULOCHKA’S BLUE ROOM STOP SEND HELP STOP CAN’T GET OUT STOP HELP STOP REPEAT HELP STOP

Oh look! Blog Campers in Reno, hellooooo

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Mmmm, Julochka made gin cocktails, it’s raining, we’re cosied in the Blue Room, the Blog Camp blend from The Fragrant Muse is burning, the ‘loungey’ music is playing…we’ve done our jump shot….all is well in Blog Camp 2.0 world…

We made clay creatures…

We learnt how to say ‘Spitting on the floor is forbidden’ in Danish…

These guys looked on in horror

It was time to go to lunch…the Blue Room clock said so…

We went to lunch, we took a million photos, we attracted the attention of a local photographer who enticed us in to his studio, we tried to take photos of the local waterfall…here’s Anne…

More later…

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I’ve been absent. Life has been giving me a run for my money and briefly bankrupted me. I was 8 hours late for Blog Camp due to having hopelessly not packed in time. No matter…I am now famously late for Blog Camp. I might have to host the next one myself to stop me being late…although plans are afoot for BC 3.0 in New Zealand next February. If I leave now I might be on time?

So here we are at Julochka‘s cool pad…me, Jelica and Anne having a blast. It’s raining right now, Julochka’s daughter is thrashing Anne on the Wii, Julochka is tidying in the kitchen and occasionally smooching the Red Smeg.

I’ll let the pictures do the talking…

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