Thinking ahead....

I am a planner by nature. Not one of those happy people who can just leave things to chance or the last minute. But it is not out of a sense of stress or worry, no, I enjoy the thinking about it all part just too darn much!!! For myself, being spontaneous is fine, and I can be that in a flash if something takes my fancy or I just want to do it at that moment, but for events, like birthdays, I need some good planning time. So here it is: the book I need ready for Tim's 18th birthday in April. What does our son want for his party? CAKES and DESSERTS!!!! Since we have not one single cookery book in the house devoted to such delights ( well, got to find the excuse to buy another one m'dears) I am going for this one.

THE HUMMINGBIRD BAKERY COOKBOOK

 It contains everything I could possibly want to bake for him, and now that  I know about the English Shop in Amstelveen, and with going to the UK shortly, I need to make my second favourite thing: LISTS. 

I have always loved - and  collected - pens, paper, felt tips, crayons, blank books, stationary items, books, all the accouterments of a literary minded gal. I keep at least 5 in my handbag, using the right one for the right writing moment.............how the slant of my hand will work, what style fits the mood and message; I simply enjoy playing around with letters. My daughter is precisely the same and considering that we are both Dyslexic I wonder what that says about us?......friends that know me best give me pens and paper as presents on a regular basis. I still hanker after that elusive beautiful nibbed fountain pen though - the one with the long and ever so slim nib..... I remember having an old fountain pen when I was at school, ( it was a burgundy colour) and I loved writing with it because of its nib. Never had another such again, but this one has remained in my memory just waiting to be re-found and bought. I am left-handed so once I have used a pen it is not right for anyone else to use because the nib slants to my way very quickly and then it is all wrong for those right-handed others. I am as precious about my pens as I am about my books. I also remember writing lots and lots of lengthy letters on airmail paper years ago. I was totally obsessed with only using the Toile Suisse paper which came in A4 size sheets and was just perfect. Can you buy that any more? No. People send emails or twitter or text, and the simple pleasure of writing on that filmy paper is gone. I miss it if truth be told. I am not a good telephone person, I use it for necessity only. But I do love letters. Probably why I write a blog - probably why I yearn to have an old-fashioned typewriter..................but I digress. This is a post about cakes after all!!

Sue xx