Did the earth move for you?

Apparently there was a small earthquake in the Shetland Islands this morning (magnitude of 3.3 according to scientists) : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7830165.stm

However I don't think it was felt in Orkney - though as another gale was raging it would be difficult to say whether the rattling was due to the earth or the sky!

Seems earthquakes of a low magnitude in the area aren't that unusual as Shetland last had one in 2002. Clearly not quite the same danger zone as some of my friends in the US live in!

Hens arrived last night and are settled into hen house quite happily with Brown Hen and White Hen. The new arrivals are all brown - though slight variation in feather colouring. AND one laid me an egg this morning! The new hens are what are known as "point of lay pullets" so are just newly coming into lay - it was quite a small egg, but an egg nonetheless. Long may they continue!

Time for lunch I think - I'm still experimenting with my new bread machine and made a lovely loaf with pine nuts, sesame and sunflower seeds. Delicious with a fresh bowl of soup!

Though I probably have to confess that some of you are getting the wrong impression of my culinary skills - I actually don't cook that much. Though I do make lots of soups, some cakes and of course bread.

I've never really enjoyed cooking, or for that matter eating. I started doing the family cooking after mum died when I was 14 and used to regularly make batches of fruit and meat pies, cakes including Christmas cake with a crate of alcohol poured in, and christmas puddings, biscuits and desserts as well as regular meals. But I never *enjoyed* doing it. So once I only had to please myself I stopped doing a lot of cooking. I do try and eat well with fresh meat, fruit and veg, I just don't do anything particularly wonderful with them and preparation has to take a minimum of time.

I think that's why I love soup making because it doesn't take long to prepare everything and you get a large quantity for your effort! I used to get grumpy if I'd spent an afternoon baking and it was all gone the next day!! I should have been pleased that people ate it, instead I felt cross because after all the effort the cupboard was *still* needing replenishing!

So now - I cook to please myself (although visitors *do* get fed at regular intervals I hasten to add........). My neighbours tease me if I turn up with cakes - but as I say it's not that I *can't* cook it's that I generally choose not to :-)