We've been wed.

Tom and Lara's wedding sped by in a blur of kilts and cake. The speeches were heartfelt, not to mention bilingual, the weather was kind and my shoes didn't hurt at all. I had a great time getting to know Tom's new family and hope they enjoyed meeting mine. Heaps of singing and dancing, including my mother doing the twist, a sight that will live with me forever.

Best of all was seeing the bride and groom having the time of their lives.

It's all a bit anti-climactic now so thankfully my chum Rangercraig came up trumps with bags full of nettles and tansy for me to dye with. The kitchen smells like a woodland gone foosty and the dyed fleece is pale but interesting. I have no plans other than to spin it and see what it would like to turn into.

A golden transfomation

As I mentioned in my last post, I do have some clever chums. None more clever than Sylvia the jeweller who makes the most wonderful things. So, as the countdown to a major birthday loomed, I asked her to make me a ring as my present to myself for turning forty. It reminds me of one christmas when under our tree was a present labelled " To Mum. Love Mum. "

The materials for my ring were special - my grandmother's wedding ring and another diamond ring provided the gold, along with a key charm that had been given to my mother for her twenty first birthday. I helped with the design and the stone setter was the man who set Lady Di's engagement ring. Though, come to think about it, that didn't turn out too well.

My ring turned out beautifully and it reminds me of the sea, just as I'd hoped it would. It might sound like an odd thing to say about an inanimate object but it already feels like a friend. I love knowing that it has been made from objects belonging to my mum and her mother and that it was made by someone who knows me well.

Tonight finds me sitting on the sofa with a full face of make up on and wearing high heels with my jeans. I'm practising being smart for my brother and Lara's wedding tomorrow. Believe me, I need the practise. In Lara, Tom has picked just the right partner for him. A real other half. I wish them lots of love and happiness.

In praise of clever friends and new cookers.

There are many things I don't know about but luckily I have a selection of friends who can help me fill the gaps. Want to spin dog hair? Ask Julie. Not sure if a mushroom is edible? Check with Anne. Medieval history and recipe advice? Grahame every time. Sometimes it feels like I live in a small country surrounded by experts. It is a very nice feeling.

Take last night, a visit to Perth Concert Hall to hear music by Gorecki and Szymanowski. My knowledge of classical music is so limited it could be written in big letters on the back of a very small concert programme. Just as well then that our chum for the evening was Haworth, who had the knowledge to lead me through the performance and recommend further listening. Glorious music and a timely reminder to broaden my horizons some more.

On a more prosiac note, this week saw us take delivery of a new cooker. The old one had holes where there shouldn't be holes and an oven door that didn't shut. No souffles for us. The new one is a thing of wonder. There is a light inside the oven so that you can lie on the floor, accompanied by a puzzled cat and watch the sponges rise. Our first meal with the new cooker was cheese on toast, follwed by an orgy of baking. I made madeleines which were eaten outside in the sunshine with Marianne ( sewing and painting advice ). Most of us were on our best behaviour.