If you go down to the woods today...

We decided not to go to the cinema last night and instead stayed in and watched Strictly Come Dancing and Merlin. We’re absolutely hooked on Merlin and it’s the best thing I’ve seen on TV in ages! We will go and see the film but last night just wasn’t the best time in the end.

I’ve been making a list – or trying to – of homemade Christmas presents. I know I will be making chocolate, biscuits and maple and walnut scones, possibly bread and possibly jam but who to give it to, and how much? Last year, the theme was the best of English, the best of French! So we did french chocolate, tea and preserve, with organic Satsuma’s, fresh homemade bread, mince pies and apricot pies. (We didn’t make our own jam last year, this year we will.) We only did it for about 4 people and it was very well received. People seemed to really value the time we’d put in to making up the baskets – and how tasty everything was!

I’m back down to Cornwall on Wednesday as I need to visit the cottage. Yay! When we saw the house the stairs to the attic room hadn’t been finished and the sale was on the condition of them being done. So the owners are letting me pop round on Wednesday evening to view the newly installed staircase – plus we have a list of questions we’d like to ask them. It will be the first time we meet the vendors so I’m looking forward to it.

Today we’re off to the woods with the dogs. We need to wrap up warm (which means Bess will be in her rather fetching sheepskin coat!) and take a flask of hot chocolate. All of this means I need to get a move on – there’s housework to do before we leave, and I haven’t even had a shower yet. So toodle pip for now...