Happy New Year

I've been away, visiting family and then recovering from a pulled muscle in my back (too much granddaughter chasing and over indulgence), hence the lack of posts.

I hope you all had a great Christmas, and that 2017 will be a good year for you, I'm determined to make the effort to have a better year than last.

Here are a few pictures from the last week, too much happened to document it all in this post but I enjoyed every minute, apart from the six-hour drive home with my back in spasm and every gear change sending pain up my leg!

We had our turkey on Christmas eve, with pigs in blankets of course!

On Christmas day we went to the beach for a mince pie and mulled wine,

  
there were swimmers!

Then it was off to see the daughters and grandchildren,

  

and out for an afternoon tea.

Now we are home and it seems like it was a long while ago, we will be back together soon for Maeve's birthday.

Incidentally; the January newsletter for my alter-ego; Richard Dee, is now available. If you want to subscribe, click on this link. This month, you'll also receive a free gift.

Deano's Grill and Totnes Good Food

Last week, an interview I did for a fellow author was posted and I forgot to put the link for it up the last time I posted, you can find it here.

I have also got the manuscript for Andorra Pett back from my editor. Fortunately, she liked the change of style and could only find a couple of plot holes and inconsistencies, so after I've sorted it out I will be offering that up as a beta read. The interesting part is that whilst I was walking along the cliffs yesterday I had an idea for a SEQUEL, we'll have to see where that goes,  but I've already got 2,000 words of it down and have a rough idea of what might be going to happen.

 And the artwork for Myra will be going to my designer for layout, here is the full picture, it seems a shame that I have to put words over it. The artist's website is here, you should really take a look

Totnes Good Food Market is on today, that means a catch-up with friends, a good piece of Steak for supper and cakes in the park for lunch, as long as it's not raining.

We found some flavoured Mead in Totnes and just had to get a couple of bottles. They had many different flavours, Chocolate, Chilli (in two strengths!), Nettle, Hawthorn etc but the ones we chose were these,

the company can be found here

Plus I got some delicious surloin steak (look away veggie types) from Peter at Evergreen Farm,

I can't wait!

Wednesday ramblings

Slightly later than usual, to allow me to put in a link to an interview I did for an author's blog.
Deanno's Grill is hosted by James D Mortain at his website and I was pleased to be interviewed by his fictional detective for his latest post. The link is HERE if you want to see how I survived the interrogation.

As I posted wordless on Sunday, here's a roundup of recent activity, starting off with a few pictures of the bread that I've been making recently.

First up are some Cheese and Pickle Swirls, made with Wessex Mill Onion Bread Flour,

I've done these so many times but they are still a favourite, and work with just about any filling, or with soup.

I've also been making conventional loaves, but with added Sourdough starter for a little extra flavour.

The weather here has been so warm and dry recently, my walks around the cliffs have been a joy,

and the sunrise's very pink, although the pictures don't really do them justice.

We bought some hyacinth bulbs to brighten the house up, but they initially refused to grow straight,

however, a bit of persuasion and normality has been restored.

I sent a manuscript off to my editor a while ago and I'm currently in that strange limbo where I’m waiting for first impressions of my creation. I can tell you that it's not a nice place to be, will someone else share my vision? Have I explained it properly? 

And all the time that passes before it comes back (although I know it's not due till the end of the week), the more doubts that creep in. Have I wasted my time and energy on a project that's going nowhere? Stay tuned and I'll let you know, I really hope this one is well received because I loved writing it.

Deck the Halls

Our festive decorations are up, here're a few pictures.

Everything has significance, memories and meaning.

Gardens, the beach and a mince pie, wordless

A few scenes from last week, Dartington Hall gardens, the beach at Teignmouth and some festive comestibles.