Real Parties

In this day and age of ready meals, quick this and instant that, I'm currently feeling very slightly smug.

Its Louisa's birthday party tomorrow, and she's having 8 or so school friends round for a nice traditional party. There's going to be balloons and Pass The Parcel and Simon Says and lots of other games. There will be real food. There are sausage rolls with 100% pork sausages, I know, because I made them myself - the rolls, not the sausages... maybe next year ;-)
There will be free range roast chicken sandwiches. Ok, I confess. I did not make the bread, just bought it in Waitrose (Oh we're soooo middle class!). And Kettle Chips.
The last is particularly important, as Louisa reported at another party that there were crisps, but she didn't like them. (Not up to her exacting standards!)
Yes, I'm a party snob, and I've spent all of today either shopping for party gifts or cooking. But I'm also very happy in that all the food is real, and made from real ingredients, and lacking in artificial colours and flavours, and cooked from scratch (mostly!)

And I'm now knackered. But I do love my daughter, and I'm not afraid to show it.

Red Kites!

Red Kites 0001
Originally uploaded by Herring 42

I've been trying for ages to get some pictures of some Red Kites. Its been very frustrating. Every time I got my lens out, any kites in the area would disappear.

Finally!

Well, that was a surprise!

A few weeks ago we had a sofa delivered. To get it into the house, we needed to move the morgan out of the garage. As it was going to sit on the drive for a few days, I thought that it really ought to be insured.
Then came the mad idea.
Well, we thought, if its going to be insured, we may as well get it taxed and MOTed as well. It can't cost that much more...
A new battery, new headlights, a new sidelight, new oil and oil filter later, and much to our surprise, it passed its MOT.

Today, of course, its raining.