Sunday sweep-up

It's been an odds-and-ends sort of day, the kind I like best, with nothing planned, just doing what I feel like at any one time.

I phoned friends, and had a good catch-up. They spoke of trips to London, to Paris, to Scotland, to North Wales; I realised that I haven't actually been further than about 20 miles from home since last July. Must get out more.

I tidied the hall. This means picking up all of Flossie's toys, for her to get them all out again half an hour later. Like having a toddler around, really. She is utterly besotted with her newest toy, the teddy that Scooter and Millie have outgrown.

I fetched logs, chopped sticks, swept the hearth, laid the fire. All that was missing was drawing water from the well and milking the goat. I often have a sneaking, mocking little feeling that I am still 'playing cottages' when I do this sort of thing.

I walked the dogs, with uninvited Millie in tow. Millie adores coming for walks with us. The noisy little terrier who guards the top of our road burst through the hedge and tried to chase her, but met her match - a small silent sitting cat, holding its ground while giving a fearless-and-fearsome look, is clearly too daunting. Little terrier backed down and trotted off, and Millie resumed her walk, which consists of loping runs and zig-zagging dashes, occasional wild leaps up trees, and acrobatic moves trying to trip the dogs up. Joy on four paws.

Back home, I tidied a heap of recipes torn from magazines, found one for Quick Walnut Bread, and, on impulse, made a loaf. First loaf I've made since I moved here. It looked ok, but should be renamed Quick Walnut Brick. It may have to go to the birds.

While it was setting like concrete baking, I made maple syrup and pecan scones, using a new recipe, my previous dry crumbly ones having failed to impress. As I weighed and measured, I began to be alarmed - surely, with that amount of butter and maple syrup, these should be termed Luxury Maple Syrup & Pecan Scones? Millionaire's Maple Syrup & Pecan Scones? The recipe was really for walnuts, not pecans, but I prefer the latter, as they combine so blissfully with maple syrup, so on I went, thinking that this might be the last time I blow the grocery budget on a humble scone. (Actually, I used up most of my precious, hoarded, gift-from-Canadian-friend and quite superb maple syrup.)

"Makes about 12 good-sized scones" the recipe stated. So I used my good-sized cutter, and got 17 from that mixture. 17! But I'm not surprised: the recipe came from the Hairy Bakers, and you know that they are... well, substantially built men. Who have a blithe disregard for the cost of maple syrup in this country.

But oh, the difference! Those scones were divine.

Reader, I ate three. With butter. Luxury Obese Millionaire's Maple Syrup & Pecan Scones.

The rest are in the freezer, for when you come to visit. Bring sensible shoes for walking with Millie.