NEWS

 Maybe it's my age but I'm pretty sure it is the weather - as I am writing this, despite having a fan blowing it is still boiling and we are all completely wiped out! As a consequence I am going to be uncharacteristically brief but I do want to let you know that for this weekend only there is 20% off everything (excluding tins and gift boxes) so to take advantage head over to the website now - www.finooliveoil.co.uk - and enter SCORCHER at the checkout.  I can hardly face cooking, and have turned the Aga off for swelter limitation but this simple recipe can be done in minutes...

This beautiful serene picture in no way gives away the level of stress I was feeling only one minute before taking it - I had been happily walking the dogs when Bert suddenly decided he was going to do his own thing and there was no way he was going to listen to me - a prolonged moment of madness ensued, and as I confess to be a control freak my stress levels shot through the roof! I finally managed to retrieve Bert and secure him on a lead, and at the point I took this picture I was just taking a moment to enjoy the scene in front of me whist breathing deeply and trying to...

What a tonic nature is - thank goodness that despite the madness which continues to consume the political world, and the fact that we are once again on hold, life does keep going - nature is the best example of this. I imagine many of you, like me, turned on the radio to the news of the Brexit extension first thing this morning - OMG! But with this weather the gloom soon dissipated - what a day it has turned into here in Oxford. It has been so beautiful - about as good as it gets. I had the most amazing walk with the...

Look at this little face - butter would not melt. Forgive my puppy adoration but I thought some of you might be quite happy to see a Bert update! He's nice and warm here in front of the Aga this morning, but he did also really love charging about in the snow. We think he's being  pretty adorable - hope it lasts! I know for many the snow has caused no end of challenges. Fortunately for us we had no need to go anywhere over the weekend so we were able to enjoy everywhere looking beautiful, go for snowy walks, and then head home and light the fire. Selfishly I rather enjoyed it while it lasted....

I hope you have all had a good christmas and are starting the new year with a skip in your step. Ours was great - lots of family time, not too much rushing around, and so nice not having to jump out of bed early - but that all changed on New Years Eve with a rather spontaneous new addition to the Taylor family - meet Bert our 9 week old jackapoo - we think he is divine, and he is being very good at the moment, but there are no more lie-ins, and unsurprisingly life is generally a bit more chaotic! Luckily Billie quite likes him....