Weekend work

It always seems fresh and new to me here. Like every morning when I get up to a brand new day there are possibilities and treasures just waiting to be uncovered. Hanno and I spent the weekend behind a closed gate again - no one here but he and me.

Most of my work was done indoors, writing taking most of my time, with some baking and cleaning to keep me on my toes, and knitting to reward me. My uncovered treasure on Saturday was the choice of illustrator for my book. I am so happy to have found her. Her drawings have captured for me the spirit of this blog in a charming and original way. We will talk on the phone later in the week to work out ways to transfer that charming originality to the printed page. Oh, and she has eight chooks, which is always a good sign. ;- )

I haven't said anything here but I've been missing Rosie a lot. I think Alice misses her too, or is that just me transferring my feelings to her? I don't know. When we have tea on the verandah I always think of Rosie sitting there staring at me and waiting for something to eat, then I remember and look over to where she is buried. Pets are a lot like family members, they take up a big place in your heart.

So we have starting talking about getting another dog! It's early days yet, and it will be after summer before we think about taking the next step, but the talks are going on. It feels good and I'm sure Rosie would love to know that Alice has a puppy to play with.

I wonder if it is true that you can tell a lot about a person from what they keep on their desk. The photo above, and the first two photos, are things on my desk. While I was looking at them, and hoping for some writing inspiration, I wondered why none of the figures - both the wooden one and the painted ones on the tin, have no facial features - no eyes, nose or mouth. All of them are Swedish, so can my Swedish friends enlighten me.

The rest of my weekend was spent cutting soap, cleaning the bathroom, reading and talking. Shane's girlfriend Sarndra phoned to say hello and tell me that Shane hasn't called because he's very busy. His head chef is away and Shane is filling in for him, plus doing his own job. Sarndra is such a lovely girl. We had a nice chat for about 20 minutes. They will be up here in the next couple of weeks.

There is another busy week coming up. I'm back at work today and tomorrow and that is always a busy time for me. It's a sharp comparison to being here but one I look forward to each week. I hope your week is a good one. Don't forget to look after yourself.

For those who asked for it, here is the recipe for the cake made a few days ago:

CHOCOLATE SOUR CREAM CAKE

• 180 grams (6.5 oz) butter - room temperature
• (3/4 cup) sugar
• 2 eggs - room temperature
  
• 300 grams (10.5 oz) sour cream
• about 1/3 cup milk
• 1 ½ self-raising flour or all purpose flour + 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ cup cocoa powder

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

• Place butter and sugar in a bowl and mix with electric beaters until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time and beat in.
• Stir in sour cream and milk.
• Sift in the flour and cocoa and stir until well mixed.
• Place into greased and lined pan and place in the oven for about 40 minutes.

When the cake is cool, cover it with frosting - melted chocolate, butter and icing (confectioner's) sugar.

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