Cosy times in Norfolk

This weekend we learnt to make toast and stovetop roast potatoes on an Aga; stocked up on big lungfuls of freezy cold, clear air; listened to tales of baby hares curled up in long grass whilst curled up under blankets in front of a roaring fire ourselves; explored perfect rambling barns; watched barn owls at dusk and a deer gamboling across a snowy field; took 3 hot water bottles to bed; marveled at the number of rosettes one family of 1960s goats could win (I wonder if they ever competed with my maternal grandmother's goats - I didn't see any Devon rosettes); happened upon a snowman on a beach; and ate the most delicious sausage rolls I've ever tasted. Quite the weekend.

Romney Marsh

We've been having snowy times... but the good sort of snowy times when it's pretty but the roads are still clear. Unexpected and quite un-English.

We both had a day off today and took ourselves on a little Romney Marsh jaunt. The church in these photos is called Fairfield. It's a little piece of heaven.

You turn right off a fairly main road onto an unmarked lane, drive until you start to say <that can't have been the right right> and then suddenly up it pops out of the marshes. And there's a sign on the gate saying pick up the key to the church from Beckets House (we already knew about the key because I've got a clever Mum). And the key is 7 inches long and you feel all entrusted and thoroughly un-2012. The only people around are sheep and it's really quite magic.

An hour later, when it was -2C and our wellied toes were quite frozen, we returned the key and drove to Rye for cake and tea.

A lovely little day off.

The offside rule

My first football match, an excellent explanation of the offside rule by me to a boy (who sort of agreed), a curry feast with friends and a snowy Ribena. That's the weekend that was.

(the footie fotos were taken on an iphone so 'xcuse the quality - they're included for gist)

They're calling it Alpine Britain

Maggie and I wouldn't know much about that because we worked (or I worked and she radiator worshipped) inside all day and haven't yet ventured out into the cold. But it looked like a beautiful day. Streaming sunshine gave everything in the house an added sparkle. Even spoons.

Also, praise be, it's 5 o'clock and it's not pitch black yet. It's the most perfect peachy mauve.