Small changes and some plans

 I've done a fair bit of baking the last couple of days....3 dozen sausage rolls, 2 dozen mince pies, most of which have gone in the freezer.  Also a couple of cheese, onion and tomato pasties using leftover pastry (we had those for lunch yesterday), and a cake.  I used to make cakes twice a week when husband worked, for him and a workmate...since he retired 3 years ago I don't make them so often.  I don't often eat cake at home, partly because of my diabetes, partly due to making cakes that husband likes, but I'm not very fond of.  He likes bread pudding and fruit cakes, any kind really, so long as they don't have nuts in.  I'm not keen on fruit cake and certainly not bread pudding, and I do like nuts in cakes!  The cake I've made is a chocolate orange cake....yummy!  Husband isn't so enamoured of it though.  I'm not going to be regularly making cakes I like but he doesn't - coffee & walnut, lemon & blueberry, Bakewell tart, chocolate hazelnut brownies - because it won't suit my diet.  But I will occasionally make one that I like, for a change, rather than just what he likes.

Once husband retired, I'd looked forward to us spending more time together, having days out, long walks in woods or countryside with the dog, picnics on the beach, exploring little towns and villages here in Somerset (it's a big county and we've not seen all of it), or further afield in neighbouring counties.  Or just browsing round a garden centre and having a drink in their coffee shops, and going to lots of local car boot sales.  I was hoping for trips out 2 or 3 times a week.  Well, that's not really happened, we've had trips out certainly, but nothing like as many as I'd hoped, once every 2 or 3 weeks if I've been lucky.  Car boot visits have been a rarity, I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times we've been to one in the last couple of years....obviously this year has been a washout for that.

Since husband retired, he's taken to doing gardening and odd jobs for friends and neighbours...during spring, summer and autumn he's out several times a week, sometimes for a couple of hours, sometimes most of the day, although he does usually come home for lunch.  Which means I'm stuck home alone with the dog, apart from walking her in the field.  To be fair, car maintenance has been a bit of a problem sometimes, necessitating expensive repairs a few times, and husband's prostate and bladder problems did stop us from going out sometimes last year, until his doctors finally got it under control.  Well, I've decided that I'm not going to continue in the same vein, being confined to barracks twiddling my thumbs more or less, whilst husband's out doing what he wants.  I wouldn't stop him doing what he likes doing, but I'm going to start doing things I like too....things like going to the Walled Gardens in the village (lovely gardens open to visitors, not very large but pretty, with glasshouses and a nice little cafe).  Or the Marshes nature reserve, miles of walks there - no cafe but I've bought myself a little backpack big enough to hold my small flask, sandwich and a book.  Or the town - not huge and not my favourite place, but it'll be nice to have a browse round the shops on my own, something I rarely - well, never - get to do.  All these are things for next year, of course, husband can drop me off, go off and do his jobs, then pick me up later.

I'm also going to investigate what courses are available at the local college....I quite fancy doing something arty or crafty, like pottery or jewellery making or papercraft.  I might see if there are any local groups who go on coach trips to cathedrals, gardens or manor houses...none of which husband is that keen on, but I am.

So there are a few of my plans.  I'd still like days out with husband, but if he's going to continue to be too busy next year, I shall do my own thing.