A heartfelt Thank you to everyone for their warm wishes and comments on the previous two blog posts. Each comment has been read, digested and truly appreciated.
Well the move from Scotland to Wales has been with relative ease. The only drawback is that we are still tied to the flat as it has not been sold, in fact that is where D is right now. He travelled down with me for the move a couple of weeks ago and was up again with his sleeping bag within a couple of days. I hope to see him next week. Unfortunately until the flat is officially sold, he will have to travel back and fro. We also have some local friends who will regularly drive by and check it out.
As this was our first ever major move with large wooden furniture, lots of books: cookbooks and academia, fragile glass and ceramic goods, as well as pots and a bench from the garden. I have to say the removal company we contracted in Scotland: DMG Direct made our move most comfortable. Not only is the DMG Direct accredited by the National Guild of Removers, very important in these days as many other companies can be just a man with a van. We were offered a very fair and competitive quote, (and more importantly within our budget). They do say, moving home is one of the most stressful times in peoples lives. I have to say, I praise David and his team for making the move easy and working with a genuine smile, even when the number of boxes and weight of my cookbooks was starting to lose its humour. I have to admit, I was expecting something to be either scratched, cracked or at least smashed during the move, but not one single thing was damaged. So if you are ever moving home - in and around Scotland; or from Scotland - I really cannot recommend DMG Direct highly enough. The service on the day of removal and the day of delivery was first class.
Well most of the recycled cardboard boxes have been emptied and things put into their new place for now. Framed pictures have yet to be hammered into the walls. There are still a number of unaccounted expenses. For a start, our curtains are too heavy for the curtain rails in the house and are very likely to break. Either we will have to purchase lighter curtains or replace the curtain rail with a pole to support them. What is missing from this house and something that I am missing already is in built storage space. We will have to buy a second-hand wardrobe for our seasonal clothing and heavy coats. I've not yet leaped into the kitchen with much enthusiasm yet, as I am still getting used to the place and the space. Saying that though, at the weekend when I had my younger brother and his nippers over, I did get to test the new cooker out. The rings operate by gas and the oven by electric. I made some macaroni cheese and some banana muffins, which were snubbed a little by my brother who said they were not sweet enough. Ah he just doesn't appreciate natural sweetness. His kids approved though of both dishes. My parents and other brother, also younger than me and his family have yet to visit me.
I am really looking forward to seeing this place, albeit it rented for now, become our home. I am looking forward to getting back into cooking for pleasure. I am looking forward to growing organic vegetables again. Yes I am excited to share that this house comes with a reasonable bit of growing land, but that won't stop me from signing up for an allotment too. I also have to sign up with some employment agencies too - savings are really dwindling now.
Oh before I sign off, I'd like to share that just before Christmas 2011, I won a giveaway from Sue at Our New Life in the Country. The generous lavender patterned gift bag contained lots of lavender scented goodies from her farmers craft market stall such as: a tube of hand lotion, bottle of bath essence and a selection of gorgeous handmade soaps that are being sniffed by admiring nephews and nieces. I left them all untouched until I moved home. I viewed Sues giveaway as a wonderful home-warming gift. Its already making the bathroom a very appealing place indeed. Thank you so much Sue.
Sue has always been warm towards me, she occasionally highlights a 'Blogging Buddies' post, and guess what one of them was me - see here. - Ah I felt so big-hearted and fuzzy all over when I read it. Like me Sue has just moved home, please please do go by and visit her here. I know she will give you a very warm welcome.
The past few months, I have not been able to treat myself to little kitchenette treats, but the generosity of fellow bloggers has been coming my way, albeit through the lucky dip selection. Here let me share them with you.
The first comes from Pia K of The World According to Pia. This is how I found out - see below (image borrowed from her blog).
Pia has a very charming blog based in Stockholm, Sweden. I absolutely adore visiting it as uplifts me tremendously in many ways. I like her little babbaloos, moreso since one of them picked my name out as winner for her Tea giveaway - it was not ordinary tea, but Chocolate tea from Malmö Chokladfabrik.
I have yet to try the chocolate tea, but I've already tucked into the complimentary bar of chocolate-liquorice- salty chocolate that was simply exquisite. D ate most of it. There were also three magnetic bookmarks. This was not my first win with Pia, last year I won some tiny purple knitted mittens. Pia has recently published her first book 'Food and Drink with Bobbaloos'. Click here for more details. You may also be interested to not that she recently celebrated her 6th Blogiversary. Now that is dedication. Thank you so much Pia for your heart warming blog - long may it continue.
The next is perhaps the biggest and heaviest bars of chocolates I have ever received. These were schlepped all the way from Wellington, New Zealand by Lucy aka The Kitchen Maid. I was fortunate to be one of many of Lucy's winners for her first and most generous Blog Birthday giveaway. Lucy writes 'Whittaker's is the only
commercial chocolate brand made in New Zealand and I can personally vouch for
its deliciousness. It's the only chocolate I use in baking (and we eat a fair
amount of it too'. I have to admit I have yet to try a bite, I am a little wimpish when it comes to dark chocolate, so these are definitely going to be baked into some chocolatey delights.
There are a number of things about Lucy's blog that I like, but mostly I like checking out her Musical Mondays, as she has similar musical tastes to me. Thank you so much Lucy.
Next up, from the other side of Scotland (I live on the West and Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes lives on the East). I won Jacquelines Apron giveaway from Buy Cute Aprons.
Cheekily, to save me from modelling it, I am perusing her image(see below), plus the fact its svery similar to the one she chose for herself known as the Wrap
Apron Victoria. I quite like it, especially as it mimics a elegant dress rather than an apron. I have to add, I was pleasantly surprised with the apron, as those I've had in the past never felt right on me, as they were often designed for tall people, I am about 5'2, so this fit perfectly all round. Thank you Jacqueline and Buy Cute Aprons. I am looking forward to wearing it more when I eventually get moved to Wales.
Finally, early this week I found out that I had also won Tans Ramsay's I love to bake cook book from Ren at Fabulicious Food. I have to admit, this book is not on my 'wish lsit', but after reading Ren's review of it, I was curious about it. It was in my hands by this afternoon.
So you can see from this blog post, that I have been a very lucky recipient indeed. Thank you to them all!
