We have been rather busy for the past few weeks. Now I've started to feel a bit more relaxed: it's my last day at work for almost two weeks.

This is a summary of what we've been up to in the last few weeks: you'll see a lot about baking and about our Blooms of Penge stall.

The first week in November we went to see Anne Reid and Stefan Bednarczyk in "Just in Time" a cabaret that "celebrates the lives and work of American lyricists Comden and Green," at the Studio at the St. James Theatre. It was an enjoyable evening.

Then it was time for the first of 3 Christmas fairs we took part in.
This one was at our local church:

The following week-end I decided to re-paint the bathroom. "Jasmine" satin-wood on the sloping wooden ceiling and "arsenic" on the walls.
It was much a harder job than I anticipated, especially as the bathroom is so small.
After doing the first coat of satinwood paint on the Saturday bending at strange angles to reach some awkward corners (please feel free to insert your jokes here!), I woke up in the night with my back blocked and almost unable to move. In the morning I could only walk with the aid of a stick, but I decided to do the second coat regardless, and somehow it eased off the stiffness.

In the afternoon the three of us (Adrian, myself and my stick) went to see

at a small theatre above a local pub. It was hilarious!
And we learn a new description of Penge: "Penge is where London vomits over Kent!"

The walls were painted in the week after work, and my back also gradually improved to go back to normal after about 10 days.
And here's the finished bathroom! (It was straw yellow before)

The following Sunday we took part in the "Diggin' Design" fair at the Garden Museum.
Here's a grumpy Adrian (he is not a 'morning person'!) on the bus looking like a very posh bag lady! LOL!

Sales were very disappointing: maybe our cards/calendars are just too old fashioned (like us, perhaps).
One certainly couldn't blame the layout and look of the stall: Adrian always does such a stellar job.

The week-end after, we spent both days at the Alexandra Nurseries our local garden centre/cafe'/vintage shop for their Christmas fair.
Saturday was the coldest day this autumn; luckily as we were a couple of minutes away from home, every so often one of us would go back to thaw in the bathroom (the warmest - the only warm! - room in the house)

The week before the fair, Adrian applied his talents to decorate our home for Christmas. He put so much work into it and these pictures don't do it justice.

I took Monday off work to have a rest from the fair, and start baking!
That week I baked every night after work and all day on Saturday, often past the witching hour. After the last push on Sunday morning/early afternoon, we were ready - just in time - for our "Sparkling Christmas Afternoon Tea" at 3 pm.

(Adrian baked the scones and the Chocolate Guinness cake, and made all the sandwiches, and set the table, etc.; I baked the other cakes and the patisserie)

A few people didn't turn up: some were ill and some forgot, so the house wasn't too crowded. And I even managed to enjoy myself! The last guests left at around 11 pm.

And this is from Wednesday night. A smaller party for Adrian's Italian class (this time everyone contributed with food).

And now, I think, we deserve a rest! LOL!

Current Mood: calm
Current Location: London, SE20

Last Saturday morning Adrian and I went to Anerley Town Hall for one of a number of 'drop-in' sessions for the Crystal Palace Project.
The project is about re-building the Crystal Palace that stood at the top of the namesake park (on what was until then Penge Common) between 1854 and 1936 when it was destroyed by fire.

Now Ni Zhaoxing, a Chinese billionaire and art collector would like to rebuild the palace.

The presentation of the project was rather interesting. At present it hasn't been decided whether it would be a reconstruction of the original (although modified as there's a bus station and a TV mast on part of the grounds) or a new re-interpretation.
A number of subjects were touched such as transport links, what would be in the palace itself (they are planning to have 55%/60% available to the general public with a mix of art galleries and studios, exhibition space, perhaps a viewing platform...), regeneration of the nearby town centres, etc.

It was clear that a number of people in the audience were against it and a few didn't mince their words, to the point of being rather unpleasant and xenophobic. I - on the other hand - am in favour: the top of the park doesn't have much of an identity at the moment and it's a bit of a mess. It'd be good to have something iconic up there, which could be enjoyed by residents and tourists alike.

We'll see what will happen!

Walking back home, we went past this now abandoned building.

It is scheduled to be pulled down and replaced by a modern health centre. The same fate awaits the locally listed (ca. 1900) relief station nearby.

In the evening we had dinner at Jill and David's who recently left the cottages for a much larger property 10 minutes away.
We had a cracking lamb stew and a spiffing pear crumble with butterscotch sauce.

On Sunday lunchtime we went to the local garden centre/cafe' as Adrian had arranged to meet another volunteer from the Garden Museum.
When got back, we watched a film on TV ('Made in Dagenham') and then Adrian bagged the new Blooms of Penge cards

and later I planted some seeds in a recently purchased heated seed propagator.
Amazingly last night, there was already one sprouting (a cosmea double pink)! - and frustratingly some white fungus in a couple of spots on the soil. I opened the little vents on the lid... hopefully it will help.

Last week wasn't without worries.

My mother had heart surgery to repair a mitral valve (they originally said that it may have to be replaced but then settled for a repair). It seems to have gone well - but I was on tenterhooks for a couple of days. She was in intensive care for a night and was discharged on Tuesday after a week. Now she's at another hospital facility outside of Turin for a few weeks' convalescence.

I was repeatedly told by her not to go and visit; she said that she would have been cross if I had wasted money doing so and as, you don't want to upset someone with heart problems, I didn't go. Probably other relatives and friends of the family think I'm awful not to go but well I only followed orders! lol
I should see her anyway in 6 weeks' time for a long week-end on the way to Tuscany. Hopefully, she'll be home by then.

Current Mood: calm
Current Location: London, WC2H

We spent the whole week-end at our local garden centre/cafe' for their Christmas Market (9 am to 6:30 pm on both days).
Luckily the weather was rather mild and we even had sunshine on Sunday. It was fun but exhausting.

It took me a couple of days to recover: my left knee and ankle were swollen and the knee didn't quite feel right. Oh the joys of getting old!
We sold quite a few cards and calendars: so we are quite pleased about it.
The stall looked really good - thanks to Adrian's superb eye for visual merchandising - and inviting I thought. Of course not everyone stopped by; a couple of neighbours (not from the same household) tried really really hard not to notice it was there. Sometimes it's good to be invisible.

On Sunday as I was coming back from Mc Donald's with our lunch, I spotted a very old bus on the High Street

I had Monday off work. In the morning I went for a much needed massage (on Sunday morning I woke up with a bad lower back but it got better during the day) and I baked some biscuits in the afternoon which turned out only cosi'-cosi'.

I hope I'll have better luck with my baking on Friday and other food preparation on Saturday, as we're having neighbours and friends around for a 'Natale Tricolore', an Italian-themed festive party.

Current Mood: calm
Current Location: London, SE20