Gebbles Writes

Lots of Scones

On Sunday I decided to make scones so I sought out a very big and very, very old book and flicked to the dough covered page and checked that we had all the ingredients.

"Sieve the flour into the bowl, then rub in the butter,"I mumbled to myself as I checked the book.

I cut the dough into pieces and put them on the tray hoping that I had remembered all the ingredients.

While I waited for the tray of scones to cook, I decided to make another batch.

I plodded back to the kitchen counter and threw more flour, butter, and milk in.

"Now for the parsley and cheese," I announced. I looked on top of the counter, then I moved aside an empty flour bag, but the parsley and cheese weren't there! After awhile of searching it became evident that the two ingredients weren't anywhere on the counter.

I flew to the oven and peered through the door at some big white scones.

"Silly me, how could I have forgotten to put the cheese and parsley in the first batch of scones?" I chided myself. Grabbing the cheese fiercely, I started grating it to add to the second batch and finished making the scones.

Finally I wiped down the kitchen counter and rescued the second batch of scones from the oven. Finished.

"Mum, I made two batches of scones. One has parsley and cheese and the other doesn't," I said in an apologetic tone of voice.

"YUMMY," Mum shouted.

I grabbed a plate, cut a chunk of butter and a scone and arranged it all on a plate to be presented to Mum.

Today I decided to make more scones but this time I was determined not to forget the cheese and parsley. It all went well and now we have HEAPS of of scones.

It's Very Cold!

"It is very warm for this time of year," Mum commented a few days ago.

"We better make the most of the good weather," said Imogen.

We ran outside at morning tea time because it was nice and warm at that time. I played outside without freezing to death and we were so warm we didn't need to wear coats every time we went out.

Then there was a change in the weather.

"Mum, it's VERY COLD out here," said Charlotte as she pegged a T-shirt onto the washing line.

We started to use the gas heater, put extra blankets on the beds, wear big warm coats and sleep with hot water bottles.

"Sammy climbed into my bed this morning," said Mum.

"He must be cold," said Imogen, stroking the cat.

"They all seem to want to sit on people now," said Sophie.

I looked down at Poppy and wondered how she could be cold under all that fur.

I think everybody hopes it will warm up soon.

Zumba Girls

Mum decided to learn Zumba so naturally all us girls decided to learn it too.

Charlotte and Imogen move the table to the side of the room. Mum puts the disk into the DVD player. "This is going to be fun," Mum encourages. I pull a big silly smile. A lady appears on the screen and starts shouting at us.

"Get your heart rate up there. The higher you get it, the more calories you burn. Come on, wiggle those hips. Walk like a crab," she shouts.

I take three steps to the right and then three steps to the left and end up on Charlotte's toes. I pant away. I never thought Zumba would be this hard.A few sore toes later we stop.

"I think that's plenty of Zumba for one day," smiles Mum.

"You have learnt Zumba, but before you start partying, I would like to introduce you to the creator of Zumba," shouts the lady.

"It is beyond me how the ladies get their hips all the way round like that," pants Charlotte.

I can move my hips but I keep stepping on Charlotte's toes.

We keep going back and doing this strange sport. Why? I have no idea. We have no coordination.

Finally it gets warm enough to run outside and we give up Zumba. Zumba is fun but we prefer running.

Yummy Cakes

We always celebrate a special day with a yummy cake.

My eighth birthday cake

Happy Anniversary cake

Epiphany Crown Cake

My 9th Birthday cake

Charlotte's First Holy Communion cake

Easter Egg Nest Cake

Pentecost Cake

Imogen's 18th Birthday Cake

Fathers Day Cake

Sophie's Confirmation Cake

Tomorrow we will be having another cake. It is Mummy's birthday!

X kisses, O hugs and letters

To Dear Grandmother Charlotta,

I am writing to tell you about our holiday. The beach house is lovely.

I am sharing a double bed with Susanna. It is very high and I have to take a run up and leap to get on it.

I have two lamps on my bedside table. One of the lamps has a switch. The other one gets lighter the more you touch it. Susanna has one lamp on her bedside table.

My bedside table has a cupboard attached to it. Susanna has a a wardrobe on the other end of the room. We both share a desk and chair.

Susanna and I did some colouring in.

Mum decided that we should go for a walk down to the beach. The beach was huge with lots of sand.

When we got back we had dinner.

I love you so very much.

From a very loving granddaughter, Mary-Rose.

XXXXOOO

Dear Mary-Rose,

I like the sound of your bedroom. Can you climb on the bed properly yet?

Have you been in the water? I hope you bring lots of shells home.

Are you enjoying yourself?

I am missing you.

I hope the weather stays good.

Does your house have a garden?

I did some cooking today and made huge biscuits. (It is a new secret recipe.) They are very chocolaty.

Lots of love from Grandmother.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Dear Grandmother Charlotta,

Yes, the house does have a garden. It is all mulch. Mum loves it. There are metal fishes hanging in the trees.

The biscuits sound yummy.

Yes, we did go in the water. Today we went down to the lake again and then to the park. It was fun.

We went home for morning tea and had hot chocolate with marshmallows and ate biscuits. We played some card games while we ate the biscuits (the biscuits that we ate I doubt are half as good as your biscuits.) Irene was on my team.

Dad helped us lower the seats on our bikes. Mum announced it was time for a bike ride. Mum, Susanna, Caroline and Irene sped along. Dad stayed behind and helped me. I am not very good at riding a bike and I kept riding into the gutter. I fell off the bike.

Mum took me to the beach and I made a huge sandcastle.

Love from Mary-Rose


XXXOOO

Dear Mary-Rose,

Our cat Scratchy has had three kittens. We called one Rosie after you. The other two are boys and they are always fighting. Their names are Trouble and Hero.

Trouble is very fluffy. He is light brown with a slightly darker face. Hero is sleeker than Trouble and is mostly dark with light brown socks.

Rosie likes to sit on people. She has a darker brown tip of her tail and dark ears and socks.

I hope you are enjoying yourself,

Love from Grandmother

Dear Grandmother Charlotta,

Today Dad decided that we should have a look at the canoe that lives in the shed of the holiday house. Dad and Irene dragged the canoe all the way to the beach on its wheels. Caroline and Dad were the first people in the canoe. Dad is teaching her to row. When Irene came back from her rowing lesson she had a big smile on her face.

After Irene had finished her lesson Dad said he and Caroline could take a passenger along. I got to be the passenger. I had to put on a bright yellow life jacket.

Caroline and Dad are good rowers. It was very peaceful in the canoe. Suddenly we felt ourselves rock back and forth in the canoe. One second we were in the canoe and the next we plunged into the cold water. Dad got us out of the water and back into the canoe, and Irene and Susanna pulled us to shore. Irene swam out and found the paddle.

love from Mary-Rose

XXXOOO

To my dear granddaughter,

It sounds like you are having a very exciting time.

Grandfather and I are wondering if you want Trouble. Trouble and Hero don't get on well at all. They are always fighting.

Rosie and Trouble are trying to eat King the budgie.

Today I planted a rose bush in the garden. It is going to have pink roses.

Grandfather and I hope you are coming home soon.

Love from Grandmother

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Dear Grandmother,

We are coming home tomorrow.

I asked Mum and Dad about having Trouble and after a lot of persuading, they agreed.

I love the sound of the rose bush.

Today we went to a flea market and I bought five dolls. Caroline bought a bracelet. We went to a shop where Susanna bought a little toy dog. Irene went back to the flea market and bought a bracelet like Caroline's.

I can't wait to be home.

Love from Mary-Rose

XXXOOOO

When We Went to the Moscow Circus

We went to the Moscow Circus a few years ago. It was very exciting. They had a huge tent. They were very good.

One of my favourite acts was the trapese artist. Don't you think it would be grand to hang up side down on a trapese? I also liked the juggling. You would have to be very talented not to drop anything.

Circuses go on for a long time but they are very interesting. I wonder what it would be like to be in a circus with everybody in the crowd cheering. I think I would be scared and fall off the trapese or drop balls and sticks on my head. No, I think I will stick to watching the circus and let everybody else do the work.