Exams are nearly here!

Am very jealous about the big fat chocolate cheesecake the girls are having to celebrate the end of their exams - mine start tomorrow!! ARGH!!!

It's not that I haven't studied, you understand, I have been for weeks and months. The three assignments have all gone well, the revision has all been fine. My biggest worry is not having sat an examination for 17 years! I'm sure all that stuff has gone in, but given 3 hours to write, will it all come back out again??!! And will my arm be up to writing for 9 hours in 3 days when all I'm used to writing these days is a signature on a cheque??!!

Right, time to relax, lovely hubby is cooking what smells like a delicious sausage casserole, here's looking forward to chocolate cake on Wednesday night - or maybe even indulge in a mid-week appointment with Messrs Wolf and Blass!!

I promise once they're over to get out more and do some more interesting Brit stuff for the blog site. My poor camera thinks it's been made redundant ;0(

Waddesdon Manor

This week we visited Waddesdon Manor for the first time since last year. We have lovely fond memories of November birthday celebrations at the Floodlit Openings and dinner in the Dairy. One year, 2 of our guests didn't show but we'd pre-ordered the wine - needless to say it was a very merry evening ;0)

This time of year they protect the stone statues and fountains from the winter frost by covering them - they look like ghosts wandering around the gardens!

This weekend the house was "dressed for Christmas"! No photography in the house, sadly, but a beautiful Christmas tree at the front of the house. Each room in the East Wing was dressed with a colour co-ordinated and specially themed tree, all truly spectacular.

And we rounded off our bracing walk around the gardens with a scrumptious glass of hot mulled wine and mince pies in the restaurant. We came away quite in the mood for our Christmas holidays (only 4 weeks to go...)

We raised a toast - "to absent friends"! xxx

Winter's coming!

For all of our friends outside the UK, we had a stiff easterly wind last week and all those beautiful autumn colours were gone overnight. Instead, bare naked trees and piles of leaves everywhere.

We even had a flurry of snow on Sunday morning, just as Tim was about to take our friends to Gatwick airport for 2 weeks in the lovely warmth of Florida! Sadly by the time the rest of the house stirred, the snow had been replaced by rain and all evidence was gone!

What a shame we have no hot volcanic springs to go and soak in to warm ourselves through - we'll have to be content for now with a deep hot bath! Brrr......

London Science Museum

We took a trip to the London Science Museum this weekend. The halls on space and satellites, and the one on electricity and forces were all very interesting, but the most fascinating place for Tim and I is the "Secret Life of Household Objects" exhibit, showing technology through recent history. The picture above, believe or not, was a hair drying device, all the rage in the early '70s. Note the really scary head it's being modelled on - the eyes actually move...scary!!!

Xanthe, this one is just for you. The smokeless fuel called Hard Coke. And the bite size pieces of coalite called Nuts. We were thinking of you and the pile of logs for your lovely stove - couldn't you just imagine ordering Hard Coke or Nuts instead?? Hee....

The Pudding Club

This week I had my very first experience of the Women's Institute! A friend invited a group of us to the fund-raising 'Pudding Club' organised by the ladies of the village. For a modest cover charge, we were served with a pudding of our choice, and seconds, and thirds! It was absolutely fabulous! I have to confess to having had the Sticky Toffee Pudding with custard; the Chocolate and Raspberry Trifle; and to top it off, cheeseboard with Port. We rolled out of the village hall and round to the pub for a nightcap.
Only to say that we have all put our names down for the next Pudding Club event. Bring it on! :0)

The Cotswolds Wildlife Park

On recommendation from Karen at work, we took a trip to the Cotswold Wildlife Park this weekend. It's all built around a country house with the most exquisite gardens.

We spent ages watching the Meerkats - they'd been given some raw eggs to eat and spent so much time trying to bury them, then squabbling over them that much of the broken eggs ended up in the sand. But when they did crack and eat one, it was with complete relish!

Our first view of a native of New Zealand since leaving - a Pukeko or Purple Swamp Hen!!! We could have been back down under just for a minute there...