Time to Bake

After a lovely few hours at Andrew Price Hair this morning and then a wonder around Narberth, browsing around the shops, picking up five books at the Sartori Charity Shop for a £1 (I do love a bargain!), I made my way home to start baking. One of the books I bought was a cookery book by Jane Asher. I chose two recipes... Soaked Lemon Cake and Coconut Nut Crunch. Scrummy!

I started baking again about a year or so ago, mainly chocolate cakes. But then I got a bit tired of chocolate cake and stopped baking for a while. But now I'm experimenting more, baking different things every week. I'm loving it. Its a way of being creative, relaxing, enjoying the process. Its lovely. I usually share my cakes with my family and my friends at work, who all seem to be enjoying the tastes. 

Here are today's bakes....

A Dream....

Back in August I was given the opportunity to shoot photos of Dylan Thomas' Writing Shed. It was an exciting opportunity for me; I had dreamed of doing this for an absolute age. I shot five films, one 35mm black and white, one 35mm colour and three 120mm colour films.

I had hoped that I would be able to exhibit some of the images, but due to financial restrictions and in all honesty at the time, I hadn't been overly happy with the results, I decided not to show them. I was disappointed, but the excitement for me was being there in the shed where Dylan had spent much of his time writing such masterpieces as Under Milk Wood. So in the end it didn't matter that I couldn't exhibit the pictures, it mattered more to me that I had been there.

Having put away the images for a while, and now looking at them again, I'm not so unhappy with them.

These are some of the 35mm black and white film I shot...

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Span Arts Singing Workshop

I was able to attend the Singing Workshop at Span Arts tonight. I don't normally get home from work until about 7.30pm on a Monday, and then I'm hungry and tired so I'm not inclined to go to any classes. But this week I am working full time in the office so I had the opportunity to join the workshop.

I'm so glad I did. And I think that I will attend the next one even if I am hungry and tired and arrive a little late.

I love singing and I've been looking for a choir to join. Catrina said that she does regular workshops in St Dogmaels on a Thursday Evening, but that's an hour's drive from my home. I considered it, but I don't think it will be feasible for me to attend that one.

The next workshop with Catrina will be on the 14th November. I'm already looking forward to it. And now that I have been and enjoyed it so much, I'm thinking that I will also look for a dance class. Dancing is another pastime that I have always loved, but haven't done any in a long time. It would be good exercise for me as I hate going to the gym, I don't run, I do walk but its usually with my camera so I don't do the power walking thing which is the best kind for fitness, and I know that I would enjoy dancing. Just to find a class to fit in with my life...hmmmm...

Lemon Meringue Pie

I had intended to bake a Lemon Meringue Pie yesterday, but feeling a little low in spirit, I didn't feel like doing anything much at all. But when I got home from work today and I'd had a good day, I decided I really wanted that Lemon Pie. I was going to the singing workshop at Span Arts later this evening, so I got on with my bake.

It turned out really well! I hadn't thought that there would be so much of it, but boy it's good. I am so chuffed with myself and very glad I got on and did it. Mary Berry eat your heart out! I did follow Mary Berry's recipe so some of the glory goes to her. Thanks Mary! :D

It turned out fluffy, light and delicious :D

Up Days and Down Days

Sunday, waking up with a sadness in my heart for no particular reason. Maybe tiredness, maybe World events, maybe just Sunday blues.

A short walk around the castle noticing the chaos of the trees, the blue of the sky. Thinking of the ancients who lived here many centuries ago, what was life really like for them. Narberth at its beginning, a Castle and a Church, followed by the building of a few houses and the settling of families, becoming a village, until centuries later growing into the lovely popular Market town it is today. 

Appreciating All of It

Coppet Hall, Saundersfoot

A glorious October afternoon at Coppet Hall Beach, fluffy white clouds, reflections in the wet sand.....

Reflecting, watching the fisher men, women and children patient in their pursuit,

 

listening to the rush of the waves....

Basking in the beauty of the sun, the sky and the clouds

The glare in the West as I turn and photograph 360 degrees

Circles on the pebbles, circles of life

How lucky I am to live here, to be here, to feel the peace that so many do not have in their lives. I do appreciate all of it.

Coffee and Walnut Cake

  

After arriving home from work today, I was in the mood to bake. I decided to try a new recipe from the BBC, a Coffee and Walnut Cake. 

Baking, and cooking too, makes me feel that I'm doing something creative. I really enjoy getting everything ready, mixing the ingredients, putting a little love into what I'm doing, the smell of the baking in the oven, the anticipation of whether it will taste good, or if I'll under, or more likely in my case, over cook it, as the timings in the recipe never coincide with the settings and timings of my oven.

But the cake turned out just perfectly. I was really pleased, and it does taste mighty good even if I say so myself. 

Caught in the Rain

This afternoon I walked down the steep hill that is Bridge Hill, passing the gates to a graveyard,  I hadn't realised was there. I walked in to have a look, I didn't know any of the names who lay there, but I always find cemeteries an interesting part of our social history.

     


The grave that stood out for me today was a young man, 23 years old, a Pilot in the Second World War, killed in action in 1944. So young like many of those who sacrificed their lives for us. I think that it is important to remember them all, to thank them, respect them and their families and to never forget that if it wasn't for men and women like this young man, our lives might have been very different indeed. 

I left the cemetery feeling humbled. I had intended to do the full three mile circular route, But I got side-lined.

I decided to take an alternative route; the sign said Public Footpath, but in effect you walk through two very muddy fields, divided by a lovely meandering stream.

The temperature today was a bit unpredictable, I was cold, then hot then cold again taking my coat on and off as though the wind and the sun were having that age old argument to see which one could make me take my coat off first. 

I sat for a while admiring the running stream and the trees that shadowed it. I took some photos wanting to the feel of the stream. The meandering of its curves, the sounds of its small falls, my mind drifting at its metaphors for life's twists and turns, and of time moving always onwards.

After a while I pulled myself up the steep incline of the field to reach the gate leading out on to the lane. But only to find that the gate was locked by an old rusty padlock and two lines of barbed wire at the top of the gate that prevented me from clinging over.  The gaps between the gate's bars were far too narrow for me to climb through so my only option was to head back down the hill. I couldn't see another exit from the field, so I headed back to the road.

I noticed the clouds were getting darker, the colour of the trees and hedges more vibrant in this light, but I knew for sure that the rain was about to arrive. I wasn't mistaken. By the time I reached the first road junction, the heavens opened. The clouds poured buckets of water on my head. I didn't mind. I hid my camera inside my coat, put up my hood and felt invigorated by the fierceness of the rain's anger.

Bridge Hill is a steep hill but it was the only way home. I stopped a few times on my way up but felt quite proud when I arrived at the top! I'm not very fit, I love to walk, but I don't exercise enough, I really should. 



 

I arrived home, a hot bath to welcome me. 

Cor I Pawb (Singing for Everyone)

I had been looking forward to a day of singing, and I wasn't disappointed. We all arrived for 10am with six hours of vocal harmonies ahead of us. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole day's event. The sounds of about 80 voices singing in harmony was just glorious.

The day was organised by the Cheerful Project, part of the Span Arts in Narberth. The teachers were Maya, Rowan, Henry, Molara and Cat. They were all fantastic teachers and I wish that I could go to their regular group workshops. Unfortunately my work commitments don't allow me to do this as the times of the workshops clash. Shame. Still I'm looking forward to more weekend workshop events that I could go along too. They announced that there would be one in the new year.

The day was filled with different songs from different countries, and they were all fabulous songs and harmonies. Our voices together making such beautiful sounds, they made me feel quite emotional.

I only shot one image on my camera as I was then told that some of the people in the group had requested that they did not want their picture taken, so rather than upset anyone, I put my camera away. The one shot I did take was to see if I had the lighting right and this is it below. 



But actually I didn't mind because I was caught up in the actual singing and it was so nice to focus entirely on that.

At the end of the day we recorded two of the songs and were told that we would each receive an email with recordings of two of the songs so that we could listen to the whole group. I'm really looking forward to receiving that email.

Monkston Beach

After my walk at Lawrenny yesterday, I just wanted to have some fresh air today and go somewhere near by. I called at the garage for fuel and as I was talking to Pete, he said why don't you go to Monkston beach. He said the views are spectacular and the beach is lovely. So that's where I decided to go. When I got there, I remembered I had been once before and hadn't been over keen to go back; the walk down to the beach was pretty treacherous even though there are steps all the way down. It was very muddy and I lost my balance a few times, but managed to right myself before doing any damage!

The views from the top are spectacular; it was a bright sunny day so I could see for miles across the bays. To the west the view to Tenby was clear, and to the east, I could see towards the Gower Peninsula. It was breathtaking.

When I eventually arrived at the bottom of the steps on to Monkston beach, it really was lovely. There were only one or two people around. If I hadn't parked the car at the top of Monkston, I would have walked across to Coppett Hall as the tide was low, and there would have been enough time to walk there, but not enough time to walk back again. It was obvious that I would have to make my way back up the steps. I wasn't enamoured with the idea of it, but as it turned out, it was easier walking back up than it had been walking down. I was quite proud of myself when I got back to the top.