Not so easy jetting.

Life is sometimes a little too interesting. Lately, like this past couple of years, it's been too interesting and too complicated.

We flew to Spain for a quick respite break and, thanks to the wonderful people at Easyjet who cancelled our plane after technical difficulties, we spent 3 hours waiting for the flight, one our collecting our embarked then disembarked luggage, and 4 hours queuing to get a replacement flight. So, after around 10 hours at Alicante airport we had a flight for 2 days later, four cancelled appointments, a distressed madmother, who didn't know why I wasn't visiting or talking to her, an extra car hire bill of Euro 150 and aggravation from Easyjet customer service who appear not to want to abide by the terms of European legislation, particularly EU Regulation 261/2004 which says that Euro 400 should be payable to customers who have been denied flights. Automatic compensation - not claimed for; not argued about but payable. The "debate" rages on. But for now, my personal opinion, avoid any "service" that doesn't offer customer service.

Meanwhile DH's indigestion was getting worse, it became compounded by a gastric bug which gave him "traveller's diarheaa" Lovely! This was so bad that it affected his heart, and he now has atrial fibrillation which, coupled, with his slight heart murmur, has left him debilitated, breathless and weak. Once home the GP has popped him on beta blockers, asprin (totally aggravating the indigestion) and now PPIs to reduce the acid and hopefully diminish the acid levels in his stomach.

I've got a cold. Poor me. It's only a cold, but instead of being able to mope and keep warm I'm playing nurse to a sickly husband and minder to a mad mother.

All bad things have a silver lining and the knitting is yomping home. on 3rd pair of socks ... the latest for "son-in-law", ie partner of daughter, whose birthday is next monday. Also going well is the Aeolian shawl, Kingscot, DA's mystery blanket, and sock of the month club.

Meanwhile, as I have no knitting photos to show you, here's one of MM herself ... slightly puzzled as to why I am pointing a phone at her!!

I've met up with a lovely friend, whose Mother is waiting for the results of investigative tests, and my fingers are crossed for the results of that. She's a knitter too ... we agreed, like so many others, that knitting keeps us (almost) sane during stressful times.

So wherever you, and whatever you are knitting, or frogging, or sewing up, or contemplating, may the needles treat you kindly.

Love and hugs

Hasta la tortilla baby

So, Hubby's Dd and SO were due round tonight for food ... they've recently returned from a quick break to Spain and are settling back, somewhat uncomfortably, into cold, wet, windy and wintry UK weather, so to cheer them I decided on a Tapas type menu.  It was rather fun actually, spending a couple of hours making :-

Albondingas (meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce)

Champinones al ajillo (mushrooms in a garlic and sherry juice)

Chorizo de horno (chorizo cooked in oven in garlicy oil)

Ensalad de tomate (tomato salad)

Lentejas con chorizo (lentils stewed with spicy sausage, red wine, onion and herbs)

Pan de horno (hot fresh bread)

Patatas bravas (hot crunchy potatoes in a very oomfy chili tomato sauce)

Pimientos morrones con queso (baby peppers stuffed with cheese)

Queso - Manchego \ Mebrillo (cheese and a quince "chutney")

Tortilla espanola (spanish omelette)

Then, just because a few calories had been left laying around on the work surface and I figured people may still be able to poke a few inside, I created a raspberry vodka, raspberry and hobnob cheesecake.  Now hobnobs are oaty biscuits, like digestives only nicer - they made the base (mixed with some melted butter); the cheesecake was marscapone, whipping cream, egg white, raspberry vodka, gelatine and a little unrefined icing sugar, with the odd chopped raspberry thrown into the mix; the top was raspberries steeped in raspberry vodka - it worked really well!!  

The wine was from northern spain - up near Barcelona in Catalunya ... 

Good it was ... stuffed I am (Yoda has returned!!)

Have undone waist buttons so as not to explode whilst knitting!