Weekly Musings

2018 - Week Seventeen

'We never lose our demons... we only learn to live above them.'

(The Ancient One - Dr Strange)

Well, one word to sum up this week has to be stressful, as there have been yet more hurdles in my house buying process. The government Help to Buy scheme, whilst helping me to initially get onto the property ladder at 22 which was a godsend, has also proven to be the most frustrating and fruitless process to try and get out of/ speed up. This has not been helped by my solicitor's endless holidays and lack of communication, and an impatient vendor who has actually decided to put my little terrace back on the market on Friday to 'keep his options open' *eyerolls* - NIGHTMARE. 

Luckily I already had some fun events planned which have distracted me, and a shoutout to all my fab mates and Chris for the moral support which has stopped me acting like a raging dragon, and more of just a slightly grumpy lizard. I will get there eventually! New poetry up on Insta here, and track for this week is the coincidentally named new single from CHVRCHES, which has been my highly relatable jam.

On Tuesday I had a spontaneous afternoon off, so Jasmine and I went for a 2 for 1cocktail and brunch at The Elk in Chorlton. We both had the smashed avo and poached egg on toast, and also treated ourselves to a slice of cake to takeaway for dessert. Unfortunately the weather has taken a turn for the worst again, so we were holed up inside to shelter from the rain, but it was still good to get out of the house and make the most of some extra free time.

On Thursday it was mine and Chris's 100th date (my incessant diary symbols do come in useful sometimes!) and simultaneously our six month anniversary, which I know may be a little 'high school' to celebrate, but when you're happy who needs an excuse right? We went out for a posh tea on Friday to mark the occasion at 1847, a vegetarian restaurant I had spied online and fancied trying. It was a three course set menu that was very cryptic, but it was all incredibly tasty and looked so pretty on the plates I didn't want to tuck in.

For starters we got two dishes to share: yeasted cauliflower with red watercress, pickled grape, caperberries and mint oil, and spiced aubergine with miso butter, cashew crumb, coconut, lemon curd and curry foam. Mains were malt battered halloumi, pea hummus, tartare mousse, lemon air, black olive crumb and triple cooked chips for Chris and
crispy truffled gnocchi, ceps, girolle, tarragon, cashew, edamame bean and white truffle snow for moi. Our final course was dark chocolate, beetroot, olive oil snow, raspberry and viola (Chris) and rhubarb, cardamom, coconut, cashew, apple and rose water and pistachio dukka (me) - in layman's terms that was a chocolate brownie and a rhubarb cheesecake! Whilst hearty pub grub will always have a place in my heart, it was a cool change to sample some fancy nosh and made it feel like more of a special event; I even wore the booby dress I bought in Paris, which went down very well!

Yesterday I caught a train to London to visit my uni friend Claire as it was her birthday on Friday. We went for lunch at Crol and Co near her flat in Bermondsey, a cute little cafe where I had mushrooms and stilton on sourdough toast. In the evening some of her friends came 'round for a barbecue and beer pong - she had bought a gazebo for the balcony to combat the rain, and we decorated it with loads of fairy lights so it looked the part. I can't remember going to bed, but I did wake up this morning with a sore head and seven empty prosecco bottles on the kitchen side!

I powered through my hangover, as we had to catch a train to Oxford Parkway to meet our other old uni flatmate Laura, who drove us all to Soho Farmhouse. It is a private member's club set in gorgeous countryside that I have previously spied on Instagram, whilst following the blogging elite as they relax in the spa, take cookery classes, and cycle around on the customised bicycles. When Laura suggested a visit as her guests I was intrigued to have a nosy. We got quiche and salad with iced coffee for lunch and then went for a wander around the grounds and buildings. 

It was all beautiful, like being in a constant magazine shoot! We got some lovely pictures of us all sat outside the main barn, and worked out it is nearly a decade since we first met, crazy. We stopped again mid afternoon for a cake and cuppa before driving back to catch the train back to London, and for me to make my way back up north. Chris collected me from Stockport station and we have just demolished a Chinese, I am 100% ready for my bed now!