Celebratory … ish

In the middle of Sunday afternoon, while rereading a book, I looked up at the kitchen ceiling (the kitchen elides into an area with an arm chair and the dog’s beds, and behind that is my part enclosed work area) to see … a damp patch. Maybe shower, maybe something else (pipe). Left plumber a message and will call him tomorrow. It’s not his doing – rather the twats (sorry on word) who put in the bathroom when the house was refurbed four and a bit years ago. If I could sue the builders I would.

Anyway.

We’re in a mild period, perhaps between cold spells — perhaps we are starting to move cautiously towards spring. The plants are leafing (what do they know that I don’t?). According to the groundhog in Pennsylvania we’ve still got around three weeks of winter.

The skin on my face has gone weird. Too much indoors with the heating on?

I’ve missed my chance to see “A Complete Unknown” in the theatre. So, that will wait till it comes out on one of the services. My parents saw Bob Dylan in concert in the early 1960s. Well, actually, they’d gone to see Joan Baez and she brought Dylan out to sing Blowin’ in the Wind.

I’ve started the sunflowers and new sweet peas indoors. The cornflowers will wait till it’s ok to plant the seeds outside. They’ll go here and there in the hope of attracting bees and butterflies.

It was my birthday last week. Not a ‘significant’ – ie, one ending in 0 or 5 – just a regular, nice birthday. The day before I wore Fracas. Not sure why. It’s really not my tuberose but it makes me feel like I’m pushing the envelope a bit. It’s not as heady as Malle Carnal Flower and not quite as out there as Lutens Tubereuse Criminelle. But it smells special – like it knows something I don’t.

I made my mother’s (and grandmother’s and maybe great grandmother’s) flourless chocolate cake. I have tended to do that at Christmas but just couldn’t feel the oomph last year. So, did it early last week. Takes three to three and a half hours without baking time, but feel like I’m sort of communing with my mother while I do it. The cake itself, which we always called killer cake, is so worth it.

(I know it’s not the neatest looking cake but
who cares when eating something so sublime.)

A sort of quiet birthday. I decided what I really want for my birthday meal is a garden or terrace lunch in the warm sunshine. So, ‘proper’ meal will wait till summer. Instead, it was takeaway from the gourmet Middle Eastern food truck that shows up in the next town over once a week. The food is luscious. And their dessert special last week was a sort of soup with filo sheets in it: chocolate and salted caramel. Genius.

And lovely gifts. A box from a friend which, among other things, contained a bottle of Theo Fennell Scent. Sigh. I’m so glad to now have a backup. I spritzed it once to check the juice was ok (glorious), put it back in its box and away. I know for some people the saffron note makes this a no-no. For me, it just smells … like if I had a signature scent this could be it. (Released in 2006, and called a chypre floral by Fragrantica, notes include rose, saffron, lily, cardamom, orchid, caraway, cinnamon, jasmine, orange blossom, labdanum, benzoin, patchouli, sandalwood and tonka bean.)

Also got a Trudon small Josephine candle (supposed to smell like a spring garden – it does). This is my second Trudon candle (I also have the small mint one) and I think the brand is among the best out there. And the small size candles are vaguely reasonably priced.

And, a flower box which contained a small vase and a flat box of very interesting mixed flowers. Very mini and really lovely (see pic).

And then on Friday I did the first of my three ceramics classes. I’m doing wheel throwing as opposed to hand building. I said in a recent post that I thought this would be good for my brain and it is. Completely new experience of brain/body coordination. I made two Japanese style tea mugs (ie, tall and thinnish). When they are glazed and fired I’ll post a pic.

Are you hoping for anything fragrant for your next birthday? Thinking of developing a new skill?

Pics: Pexels and mine