Weird and wonderful things are happening in the kitchen

I bought MozzyMr a gourmet mushroom kit for Christmas and before he'd even activated it (you should in theory soak the bag of coffee waste which contains the mushroom spores overnight) but these came poking through the corner of the box so we thought it was best to open it up and give them some room.  They're weird things, sort of velvety and ear lobe like *shudder*.

On the other side of the kitchen on the windowsill we have the tomatoes coming up, another week and they'll be ready to transplant to the polytunnel...

MozzyMr's handmade Birthday

MozzyMr got a little bit older recently.  Birthday's aren't really his thing, and this year he seemed to be taking a particularly disgruntled view of the big day so I wanted to make him something that might crack a smile when he opened it.  Hence the pug.  He's loved the Pedigree Chum advert where the dogs wear human dentures, his favourite was the pug but they cut it from the recent adverts so I thought I would make him an embroidery of it with sparkly thread for the teeth (classy).

It did make him laugh, but I think some of his laughter was because I'd actually bothered to make something so weird.  Secretly I'm quite pleased with it, it's the first embroidery-type thing I've ever made and it has turned out quite neat.

So on his actual birthday we drove up to Birmingham to see our Brummie chums, and the lovely Bon had made him this:

A sock creature (made from socks forcably "donated" from her Husband's sock drawer) that MozzyMr has named Leonard (I think, might be Lionel).  Leonard (Lionel) sits in Mozzy's chair in the living room and commentates throughout every TV programme we watch.  He likes Neighbours but not Home and Away and thinks You've Been Framed is barbaric, Leonard (Lionel) is unsure of the cat and plays dead when she's around, just in case.

Last but not least...

A birthday isn't a birthday without chocolate, especially knitted chocolate!  This little selection box was created by MozzyMa: knitting genius.  MozzyMr loves a knitted novelty item (we have knitted helicopters, chips, peas, invisible grandmothers, doughnuts, liquorice all sorts, roses, daisies and a knitted Waluigi) I think for his next birthday I might have to get him a display case for it all!



A month of reading

1. (not pictured) When God Was a Rabbit - Sarah Williams

I wasn't sure about this one, a number of people had recommended it but I suspected it wasn't for me.  Yes, I admit it; I judged a book by it's cover.  Unsurprisingly the old adage was correct, I really shouldn't have.  It was a pacy book and at no point felt like a struggle to read, the relationships between the characters are complicated at times, but touching as well.  This book hasn't changed my life and I don't think it is one of those books that everyone MUST read but is a good in between book when you've finished a really brilliant book and don't know what to read next. I've lent this one to my mum (hence not pictured) and I'm vain enough to not lend people books that I don't think reflect well on me!

2. The Imperfectionists - Tom Rachman

I read a review of this book on another blog and thought I would give it a go.  The story is set in the office of a failing newspaper, each chapter is written from the view point of one of the members of the office outlining the personal and professional politics, power struggles and ambitions of the staff.  I'm indifferent to this book, which sounds so much more damning than I really want it to.  It is a good book and I didn't struggle to get through it and at no point did I want to give up on it, but the characters were whiney and selfish and I struggled to find a redeeming feature amongst them (I am aware this was a necessary part of the plot, but it doesn't mean I have to like it).  Don't let me put you off this book but borrow it from the library, don't buy it new. 

3. The Confessions of Katherine Howard - Suzannah Dunn

Utter, utter meh.  My (not so) secret shame is an interest in the Tudors and I thought this one might be good.  It was eye meltingly dull I don't give up on books readily, and I didn't with this one but it came close a couple of times.

4. One Day - David Nicholls

This book didn't come to my attention until the film came out, now anything associated with Anne Hathaway makes me yawn, equally anything that is over-hyped switches me off so I wasn't that inclined to read it.  However last weekend my lovely sister-in-law gave me a copy, the copy she had received as part of World Book Night and I'm really glad I got over myself and read it because it was great.  My assumption had been that because Anne Hathaway was involved with the film that the character of Emma Morley would be a bit soft, but no, she was switched on, sarcastically funny and so well written.  This book was great because it portrays what I'm sure we've all experienced; the struggle to identify what we really want to do with our lives and how to achieve it.  Go forth and read this book!

So what have I learnt this month via the medium of books; I am very snobby and judgemental when it comes to choosing books, but equally am happy to admit when I'm wrong about these judgements so that's sort of ok, right?

What books would you recommend?

Another photographer in the family?

At the weekend MozzyMr and I travelled up North to Lichfield to celebrate our Jim's birthday.  Everyone was there to celebrate including our lovely nieces.  Little big niece was sadly poorly and not on her usual good form, Little small niece was full of smiles and had lots of fun with my camera.  To begin with we had lots of photos with fingers over the lens but then she really got the hang of things.  Here are a selection of her photographs, I think you'll agree she's got some real potential I hope it is something she explores further (she's only 4!).

I love that she went off and took photos of the toys she loves, she also got the best portraits of the family including this one of MozzyMr.