Hoping to resume regular programming

It's been one of those weeks so far.  I feel a bit like a zombie.  Getting back into early morning routines is hard enough, but combine that with giving up coffee and sugar and hitting the gym hard again, and well, I don't quite know where I am.  Yes, things were getting that bad that I had to take some drastic measures.

I've not really made anything all week.  Unless baking an orange cranberry date loaf for school lunches counts.  The original recipe was for a date loaf with lots of sugar, so I played around with the recipe (I always do); I suppose at least I was being creative.  I am hoping to resume regular programming in the near future.

Fortunately things haven't been catastrophic as I am allowing myself tea.  It's funny, I usually drink tea from a mug, and I enjoy it ( I have it with milk).  But when I have it in a proper cup, especially if it's first made in a teapot, I REALLY LOVE it.  I feel it reviving me, nurturing me. I went and bought myself this little cup from the local op shop (thrift store) just so I could use real teacup everyday.  I also try to make a pot in the afternoon when the little kids come home from school (the other two don't usually come home until dinner time).  Matt bought this lovely teapot for me for a birthday present a few years ago.  It is enormous.  I do love it, but unfortunately it doesn't pour well; it makes a terrible mess.  So now I'm on the look out for a little one just for me; preferably from the op shop.  I may even be tempted to make a little tea cosy.  My grandmother always had a pot of tea in a well worn tea cosy when we went to visit.  And she always made us a cake.

I have been thinking a lot about her lately.  Especially when I make tea.  She was a knitter, a baker, a maker of jams.  She used to sell her goods at two local shops which were mainly staffed by older women such as herself.  I wonder what she would have made of this world of blogging.  Of the exchange of ideas and inspiration that goes on with computers these days?  I wish she was still around; I'd love to ask her for some of the recipes I took for granted growing up:  Ginger Cake, Apple Jelly Jam.  And to show her some of the things I've made.  I will have to settle for continuing her tradition of a fresh pot of tea and cake for when someone comes to call.