Friday Skywatch

After days of dull, murky weather it is a real pleasure when the sky clears and the light level lifts, in company with my spirits. I couldn't stay inside, I had to pull on my boots, coat and hat and walk over to the lake  to capture the setting sun for Friday Skywatch.

But it's cold out and muddy underfoot. Walks are short and there are plenty of excuses for staying inside. Yesterday I made a supply of mincemeat for Christmas. It's a fat-free recipe that uses our stored apples and home-made juice. (I won't mention the butter that's in the pastry for the mince pies!)  The recipe below makes about five jars.

Ingredients.

8oz soft dark sugar melted with
200ml apple or orange juice. When sugar is dissolved add
2lbs finely chopped apple
1 teaspoon spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
8oz raisins
8oz currants
2oz chopped glace cherries
2oz slivered or flaked almonds
grated rind and juice of one lemon.  

Bring to the boil and then simmer for about half an hour until you have a a soft mash. Put into sterilised jars while it's still hot. It will keep in a cool place for a couple of months, although if previous Christmases are anything to go by my supply will have disappeared before the family leave at the end of the holiday!

Friends were round this morning so we ate a few to check if they were up to scratch.

The days are short. Tonight the full moon was in the sky by 4 o'clock.

Good, it leaves a pleasantly long evening to read by the fire.

I've not long finished,  'At Mrs Lippincote's'. What a joy! It stayed in my head for days while I reassessed the story in the light of information given at the end of the book. The characters projected forward beyond the book and I worried for them and wished them well. I am a great admirer of Elizabeth Taylor's writing, both her novels and her short stories. Her work doesn't seem to get much attention and some may think them period pieces in which nothing much happens. True, nothing much happens, but devastatingly well!

 I've since read a much publicised and praised book, 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry'. What a leaden and predictable piece of writing that was by comparison and yet it has been on everyone's lips. So often a much hyped book fails to live up to it's reputation. Never mind, I've still got a few more Taylor books that I've yet to read!