Today has been completely different to yesterday, today was happy and full of fun, warm bread to scent the kitchen and roasting hazel nuts.....lovely. Pa was so much better today and oh the difference it makes to all of us. We had tea together this morning before my son went off to bed and listened to his travellers tale of getting home while the tube trains drivers are on strike. He has already spent sixty pounds this week on taxi fares and is not pleased at all,even so he tells his tales with the intrepid air of an explorer, back from the lost world , and is most amusing to boot.
Pa and I had a lovely breakfast , buttery toast and poached eggs, with a pot of Yorkshire tea and some orange juice, then I set about the baking.

Three large loaves were needed today and I made them using two thirds white flour and one third wholemeal. I topped one with white poppy seeds another with flour and the third with semolina, it makes a crispy crust and toasts beautifully. One the bread was out of the oven biscuits were next on the agenda. I had been asked to make shortcake cookies with hazel nuts, I just made my usual mixture and then rolled the round balls of cookie dough in chopped nuts before flattening them with a fork. Next came two dozen cherry shorties and finally a small batch if experimental ones on which a scattered miniature chocolate stars. They came out well so if I can get some more of the stars I shall bake them for Christmas.

Pa filled all the bird feeders and put out some bread crumbs for our flock, our tame fox came strolling up the orchard to see what we were doing, he can smell biscuits baking half a mile away and often appears at such times.
I took a ride on the buggy to cool off and the lane was full of fallen leaves from the limes and copper beeches that line the sides of the lane. Sprinkled among them today were the vivid scarlet berries of yew, soft and squashy,each one containing a seed which the blackbirds love and I saw several feasting on this new bounty. The yew berry is poisonous to humans and most animals, birds however seem to thrive on them.
Squirrels and jays are also busy as there has been a bumper crop of sweet chestnuts ans acorns,I am told that most oak trees grow because of the jays habit of burring acorns. They often do this on the corner of a flower bed or vegetable plot ,presumably as a means of remembering the hiding place, clever things.

The chicken and leek soup made from the stock I made yesterday was well received ,it was thich and creamy as I added some potatoes, lentils and crème friach.it was perfect with the new bread.
Today has been lovely and I am so thankful, all that any one really has is today so I shall not worry about what tomorrow may bring, I shall, I hope fall asleep counting the many blessings of a perfect
happy day.