It LIVES!

You may be forgiven for wondering if I had decided to give up on the whole blogosphere due to my continued silence. You may be forgiven for losing interest in the blog due to my disappearance and you may be forgiven for wondering just what exactly I had gotten so wrapped up in that I seemed to have forgotten all about you. For the record, I never forgot about any of you and held conversations with you daily. Oh happy the day when you can blog direct from brain to internet without first having to find time to boot up a pc, but I digress. As usual.

For those who wondered, I wasn't kidnapped by aliens or locked in the Tipsy Tarts wine cellar (although it would be an interesting way to go)... I wasn't even trapped by an overgrown Venus Fly-trap bent on world domination... I was - to put it bluntly - held hostage by "life". It's that unavoidable thing which lays waste to many a well-laid plan (and dinner table) and leaves you wondering just exactly where the last two months have gone?! I'm back now though and hope that you will forgive the interruption in our regular visits. I know the Tarts have missed you and Miss Twinset has a whole wardrobe she'd like to run past you. The Other One has even managed to master the art of "boiling water" since we last spoke, but chuck an egg in there and she's hopelessly lost!

The garden is looking good, even though the extreme heat and humidity has taken its toll on some of the plants. On the whole, Phin has kept them going nicely and I'm so grateful to her for all her efforts. I bet she's looking forward to Autumn when she can start to ease off a little on her "to do" list :-) I know Ruby's in her element because during a recent baking project (over Valentine's), I found the kitchen covered in edible glitter. I checked and my supply was untouched, so I think a certain romantically inclined pixie had a bit of a decorating lark at my expense. It was very pretty, but as you know, glitter is a devil to clean up!!

Now... you may remember that I got a fantabulous Kenwood mixer for Christmas. I confess that I haven't quite finished jumping up and down in delight over it yet :-) I knew that I loved it when I first saw it in its box, but having used it now for baking cakes, cupcakes and biscuits, I can tell you that I absolutely ADORE it :-) It makes my life so much simpler and to be able to continue with any prep work while the batter keeps mixing is a Godsend! Of course, I don't let either of the Tarts near it... Not only because it's mine, but because they're usually soused :-)

There are so many fabulous projects ahead that I'll be sharing with you, from gardening exploits to the challenging of baking bread that is actually edible :-) but for now, I'm going to head back outside to enjoy the breeze that's finally come up to break the heat. Tonight promises to be another evening where the scent of unnaturally sweet flowers hangs heavy in the air, where a nice glass of wine wouldn't go amiss...

Until next time...