Wednesday 26 January 2011

This & That.



Oh the joys of end of year Tax Returns. Yes, yes, I know I should have done it before now, but there are so many other things far more interesting to do aren't there? It could have been worse as I discovered I was almost up to date which had completely slipped my mind. I like a nice bright file to cheer things along, not to mention a cuppa and one of Lucy's gorgeous biscuits.



She made a batch of these last night, informing me that the different sizes are so that you can choose a small one if you are not so hungry - because that happens a lot here! - or a large one if it's a long wait till dinner. Seems good reasoning to me.



Now the weather is improving a little and there are new shoots of nettles growing in the garden I am craving cups of nettle tea with its wonderfully earthy aroma and almost soup-like taste.



I can practically feel the good of this cleansing drink and find it a bit more satisfying than some of the other herb teas, though I also love mint tea made from the new leaves of the peppermint plants just outside the kitchen window. How much nicer it would all seem if I only had this tisaniere I have been hankering after for ages now from Sarah Raven. Isn't it pretty?



A quick visit into the sewing room this morning unearthed these gorgeous fabrics from the piles falling off the shelves and I was smitten with a desperate need for some dressmaking. They were given to me by a dear friend, one of the many who help my fabric fetish along, and they are suggesting spring skirts to me. My mannequin - Myfanwy is the name she goes by and I can hear Diana snickering from here - thinks they would look good on her too and so I really must find a pattern soon.



Well enough of my ramblings and procrastinating. The books must be completed and the form filled in ... oh, hang on, I can hear the ducks barking outside the kitchen window. Better feed them first and then maybe a quick look round the garden to see what's new or perhaps I'll bake a cake or pop the washing on....



Hope you have only lovely things to do today...sigh x

11 comments:

  1. Hello Pipany I do sympathise with your tax forms dilemma! It's the only thing about being a freelance designer that I don't enjoy!! As I write this I'm drinking tea out of the same mug you picture here. You are so lucky having a duck pond and ducks and hens! Hope you get the tax forms out of the way and enjoy some lovely sewing. Helen x

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  2. Lovely restful post, Pip (for me anyway, sorry about the tax thing). I'd love to be there watching the ducks, throwing in some broken up crusts. Ah well, I can dream! Back to the hoovering...
    Hen x
    P.S. Have you tried teapigs? They are little silk teabags filled with "real leaves not dust" apparently. I love the mint, it's so strong and my sister who is the regular tea expert (can't stand it myself), even likes the English Breakfast variety which amazed me (she's staunch on Tesco Finest normally!) They do lots of herbal varieties. Available in Waitrose, delis etc. Other teabags are available!

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  3. Oh... the dreaded tax return when there are so many other things to do. I finished mine last week and it felt so good!

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  4. I hope you manage to get your tax return done today but can completely relate to why you are procastinating....it does feel so good when it is out of the way! I have been coveting the Sarah Raven tisaniere too - my farourite herbal tea is wild thyme, and it is so pretty too. Juliex

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  5. Is there a time to pick wild nettles for tea - I have more than enough round me here, but imagine it is the young leaves that make good tea?xx

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  6. Procrastinating is what I do best! I have loads of 'dull' things to do but just want to idly while away the time daydreaming. I think the different sized biscuits are a great idea. I would have 3 small rather than one big! Or maybe 3 big ones!!! x

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  7. Chamomile for me and a biccie please.

    Hope you get the tax return done in super quick time.

    take care,

    Nina xxx

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  8. I know that feeling but as nothing is more guaranteed to make me frustrated and angry than tax returns we decided it was worth the cost to get someone to do it for us so we can sit back feeling smug now! Hope you get it sorted before the due date. Love the the tisaniere - I saw that and wanted one too.

    Jane

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  9. Hope the tax return isn't too taxing! Sorry, that was dreadful.

    Lovely pictures as ever. I must get around to trying mint tea one day.

    I got the larger pictures on my blog by changing the template on blogger. There are some new versions on the design bit of the template and it gives you an option of larger images. When you've upload a pic into a new blog post, before you publish, right click and you can choose Xlarge. They're massive!

    Have a lovely Friday.
    Stephxx

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  10. I do like the idea of the different size biscuits for different levels of appetite, brilliant idea in fact! Love Vanessa xxx

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  11. love the idea of different size biscuits - might make me choose a small one for a change so as not to look greedy!!!!

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