Vegetables

Yes, I've been eating lot more veggies this week, hence the post title! I've only been adopting the Food Doctor (low GI) principles in full since Thursday, as that's the day of the week the plan starts, so we have a way to go yet before seeing any positive changes. My guts are a little perturbed at the changes, but apart from that I've not experienced any other side effects. Not really craving sugar or chocolate either which is good. It has been lovely to try new things and also have recipes that include the likes of quinoa. I've used quinoa flour in my baking but wasn't sure what else to do with it, so now I know!

I haven't done much knitting this week as I've been concentrating on starting the new plan, and some extra cooking was required to prepare things like batches of soup, and smoothies. Flair is progressing but slowly, I now have the lovely olive wood buttons for her:



I also had my first yarn from The Yarn Yard this week, a new organic merino 4ply. This is two skeins in the shade "Egremont", from the one-off sale section:



This is beautiful soft merino and I plan to make some sort of shawl or wrap with it. I joined the Merino Club too, which runs for 3 months at a time, can't wait to see what the May yarn is like.

I've been tagged for a couple more memes in the past week, firstly one from Seahorse:

1. What do you hope to accomplish with your blog?

I didn't set out with a goal in mind, but I started the blog after encouragement from Lynne a couple of years ago. She had been blogging about her knitting for a while, and I'd just got back into the craft after a gap or 10-12 years. I've always been up for new web-based projects, and at first I wondered if anyone would ever read it! Happily I have been proved more than wrong on that account! It has become a way to share my craft pursuits with the online knitting community, and I have also made some lovely friends because of it.

2. Are you a spiritual person?

More so now than I was as a younger person. I don't hold with organised religion, but these days will admit that there may be some form of higher power in the universe, of what kind I wouldn't like to speculate! The power and the beauty of nature, or wonderful hand crafted items, these are the things that feed the soul. I do believe very much in the interconnectedness of things.

3. If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want to have with you?

If we can assume basic food and shelter, then I would unfortunately have to say primarily my asthma meds! The very thought of being stranded somewhere without that is terrifying! I am also quite allergic to fish (not seafood) so there'd better be something other than that to catch and eat! I'd have to say yarn and needles, goodness you could always unravel it and make something different :-) Finally, a big pile of books, all the ones I don't have time to read at the moment.

4. What's your favourite childhood memory?

The one thing that stands out is annual holidays to the Channel Islands, in the 70s and 80s. A fabulous place to take children on holiday, the beaches are just gorgeous and you can walk to all kinds of interesting places. I remember saving up my pocket money, and would be thrilled if I amassed more than ten pounds. It went a lot further in those days! We would always go shopping and buy trinkets and the soft toys made in Guernsey. So many things to recall - the cafe we walked to that had a mynah bird, who generally refused to speak to you (don't blame him), and also had an amazing Victorian floral toilet! The awful Underground Hospital, dripping tunnels and a bad atmosphere (once visited, never again). The Little Chapel, the walls entirely covered in shells. Great times :-)

5. Is this your first meme?

No.

I know a lot of people have done this already, but consider yourself tagged if you're at all interested!

I was also tagged by Franney for the 7 things meme:

The rules:

Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog.

1. I ate butternut squash (roasted) for the first time this week, it's fabulous.

2. Up until the age of 16 I played violin. I was in one of the county orchestras, which meant giving up every other Sunday, and also spent each Saturday morning at "music centre" where we had a small string orchestra. I still have my violin and may well pick it up again one day.

3. I'm growing my hair again after having it very short for the past 7 or 8 years. It is currently at the driving-you-mad-sticking-out stage :-)

4. I have a glass christening goblet inscribed with runes and other symbology from Middle Earth, I think this was primarily my grandad's idea. It's an incredible piece.

5. I was in the audience for the filming of the very last Vicar of Dibley, shown last Christmas. Richard Curtis sat right next to me on the steps for most of the evening.

6. I drive a black VW New Beetle, with black upholstery, tinted windows, and a black flower in the dash vase. Any resemblance to Disaster Area's stunt ship is purely coincidental.

7. I seem to have the "collector" gene and as well as hoarding yarn, I have collections including Toy Story, Lord of the Rings, and the Clangers. I'm now starting a Mr Benn figure collection, one of my all time favourite children's programmes.

Again please consider yourself tagged if you'd like to have a go, I know many people have already done this.