Rob Ryan book signing.

Aw.... am thrilled to bits! I got to meet Rob Ryan today at his new book signing at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park...ever since my friend introduced me to his work, I've been a huge fan...it felt like a huge honour and he was such a lovely bloke too. His new book A Sky Full of Kindness is beautiful. I felt completely overwhelmed and couldn't stop beaming!

Look at the wallpaper too and they'd covered the signing table with it...gorgeous! A very talented man. What a happy day!

Cartwright Hall, Lister Park, Bradford.

And that's just the outside! You should see what's inside...jaw-dropping paintings from Warhol, Hockney, Ford-Maddox-Brown, Gainsborough, Lowry,  Lichtenstein to name but a very few...even a Damien Hirst print of his iconic skull! The new exhibition of Hockney's Bigger Trees by Warter is just magnificent.

Parkin Pig

At this time of year you can buy Parkin Pigs...they're like gingerbread men, but pig-shaped....traditionally a Yorkshire treat, I remember being given them near Bonfire Night.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins.

These are a quick and easy muffin to make.

Melted butter, whisked with egg and milk and lemon juice and stirred into flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, caster sugar, poppy seeds and lemon zest. Spooned into squares of baking parchment pressed into the bottoms of muffin tins they look really pretty. Only one thing wrong, they don't seem to keep that long.... ;-)

Sprinkle with icing sugar to serve.

Toothpicks.

I saw these spilled on the ground in a car park..how very random..but I was attracted to how they had ended up.

Crocus Hocus Pocus

Ooh we're having a bit of a warm spell this week...I've been faffing in the garden clearing and tidying, pruning the little Morello Cherry tree which was getting too big for its pot...and pulling out hardy Geraniums that had got out of control...well and become a hotel for snails and slugs...bleugh....I've planted some miniature daffodils and some mixed Crocus and some wonderful looking (on the label) Cream Beauty Crocus...every Spring I always get cross with myself that I didn't get a grip at the end of Summer and plant more bulbs, because I do absolutely adore the Spring and take such great delight in seeing all the new, fresh green shoots coming up after the long, cold winter. Anyway this warm spell has encouraged me to be out in the garden after tea just pottering about...I planted some more Snowdrops too..Fair Maids of February..I love their grey blue-green foliage. I always think planting bulbs is such a wonderfully positive thing to do...looking hopefully to the future and the expectation of being there for the reward of seeing them bloom...a bit like a promise...see you on the other side of Winter. Hope made reality.....magic.

Cream Beauty Crocus...12 for £1...I always think there's something very nice about picking your bulbs into a paper bag..counting them carefully and writing on the bag what they are! Much more exciting than   just buying a ready packed bag!

Nestled in the soil...ready..steady..grow!

Babycham.

I'll have a Babycham!

I was given some authentic Babycham glasses..I used to have some, years ago...well they may still be in a box somewhere up the loft! It's such a girlie drink..don't forget the maraschinos! I just need to get some of those retro plastic swords...