Photo diary: Project 365, week 9, 2026

 Oof and oof, what a stressful week it was...

It was my birthday on the last day of February, and we still had my birthday cake to polish off on Sunday the 1st. Only beautiful memories are left of the delicious red velvet sponge with chocolate cream.

For a whole week I was collaborating with Penandinkchallenge on Insta, with a list of prompts on the theme of Art Journal. I did my own seven drawings, commented on each post done by the inky community and also shared their artwork on stories. That was a full-time job (unpaid, I hasten to add).

My first prompt was Cherished Memory, and I did a sketch of little Eddie and my Mum playing football on the beach in Perranuthnoe all those years ago.

On Tuesday we had to travel to Banbury to see the anesthesist. It was rather a waste of time, as everything could have been perfectly discussed on the phone or online. It's not like Sasha was participating in the conversation. He was anxious and impatient to leave the doctor's office, my husband had to take him out for a walk around the hospital, and I stayed behind to talk it through. As predicted. I did ask them in advance if we could perhaps discuss it over the Zoom, but they insisted to see us in person. Sasha's presence there was purely nominal. They didn't check his weight or anything, and talked to us rather than to him for obvious reasons.

After the hospital visit, we popped into Coffee #1 for a quick drink.

Wednesday was the day I'd rather forget, it was so riddled with anxiety. Sasha was frustrated to travel to the hospital for the second day in a row. He was hungry as he wasn't allowed any food before the operation. He needed a dental procedure under general anesthetics. We waited for over an hour before anyone has seen us, by which time my boy was ready to climb the walls.

Once they started though, I couldn't fault them. The meds worked pretty fast, and soon he was taken away to an operating room for his procedure to be done. My husband and I waited in the separate room, went to have lunch in the hospital canteen. It was clean and had a good choice of hot and cold food. We had an omelette each, and it was delicious. I even went back to the chef to say how tasty it was, in fact better than we had in Paris. 

It took about two hours for everything to be done, and then we had to wait for Sasha to wake up. They let one of us stay with him, when it was clear he might be awake soon. It was quite scary to see my boy, who is always on the move, to be lying so still, with the oxygen mask on. 

We stayed for another couple of hours for him to get a bit more active, and got an Uber to travel back home. I was grateful that the operation went well, and that we had the option of staying in a separate room, without being bothered.

And then it was all about managing the pain relief medication for the next few days.

I took this photo on the way to Banbury, through the windows of the taxi. It was a misty morning. We went through some very pretty villages, though my mind was on the upcoming operation.

As one of Christmas gifts, I have subscribed to SnackVerse box for Eddie. It is supposed to be a selection of snacks from a different country each month. 

I subbed when they advertised the next box to be Japan (before Christmas). What we got though was Czech Republic, and they said Japan box was only for ad purposes. Very sneaky.

January box went awol. Evri claimed they delivered it, but they didn't have any proof photo, and at the time they said they did bring it in, we were all at home. I got a refund.

Then a few days ago I got a notification that February box was arriving, again with Evri. I knew we would be away in the hospital but there was no way to divert it or stop on the app. The box was left with the neighbours. When I picked it up, I realised it was already open, and most of the items except these three snacks were missing. Also the date on the box showed January. 

Where the heck has this box been hidden all this time, and who opened it? I contacted SnackVerse, they were not bothered, saying I got my refund anyway. 

I have cancelled my subscription. So, if you decide to subscribe to SnackVerse, do it at your own peril.

I understand that this is the first world problem, and ultimately totally insignificant. With all the worries we had in the last week, this hardly matters.

To coincide with my week of collaboration on Insta, and to cheer myself up after the hospital, I am running a stationery giveaway, including a set of Stranger Things stamps. There will also be a chocolate bar of the winner's choice.

Rather than post yet another drawing from my art week, here is a photo of the menu which my husband took on my request at the Founders' Feast in his college. I'm always fascinated by menus, and this one looked fabulous. He had a vegetarian meal.

After three Dick Francis' thrillers, I wanted to change to something different. Last week I went to the local library, and took out The Snow Ghost and Other Tales (Classic Japanese Ghost Stories). Supposedly these are the best and the scariest tales, though so far they read more like folk tales and legends, quite old-fashioned and hardly scary. Japanese horror could be quite creepy. This selection is a glimpse in the fascinating world of beliefs.

I was mostly influenced by the book cover design.

I have also finished listening to The Twisted Women's Book Club on Audible. Overall, it was entertaining (and just right for the ironing times), however, all the characters are so unpleasant and unrelatable. My new Audible book is Hart's Ridge by Kay Bratt (it was a free book). I'm only on chapter 3 and enjoying it.

As I usually have several books on the go, I'm still reading Citizens (about the French Revolution), tackling about a dozen pages per day. Hope to finish this educational project by the end of  this month.

How was your week?

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Degustabox February Box

 February is full of promise. The spring flowers are already out, our garden looks pretty with snowdrops and crocuses bringing a new hope of warmer days to come.

Degustabox is a monthly food and drink subscription box. It's an excellent way of discovering new products which have only just appeared in the shops, or those which have been around for a while, but you haven't had a chance to try them yet.

Thanks to Degustabox, I have found new favourites to add to our shopping list, including some products which I otherwise wouldn't have tried.

Each time a monthly box arrives, its contents are a total surprise. You get a good selection of foods and drinks.

If you haven't tried Degustabox subscription box yet, and would like to have a go, I have a £3off discount from your first box (and you can unsubscribe any time), just use code DKRLN when placing an order. 

What did we get in February Box Degustabox?

We start with Bisto Smooth Peppercorn Sauce (£2.95) a new product from the well-known and much loved range. 

Like many British families, we buy Bisto gravy granules for a quick and easy gravy. Last month we tried Bisto cheese sauce, and enjoyed it, so we were quite curious to try the new product.

Simply add 4 level tbsp of Bisto instant pepper sauce to 250ml boiling water and give it a quick stir until the sauce thickens.

It's perfect for lamb chops or poured over steak. For a vegetarian dish, use the granules to cook a veggie Bolognese.

Each tub contains 19 individual servings. 

Typical values: 42kcal and 0.41g of salt per 50ml portion as prepared; no artificial colours or preservatives.

Available in the major supermarket chains.

Wagamama Firecracker/ or Coconut +Lemongrass Curry sauce (£2.75)

You will receive one variety in the box. We got Firecracker curry sauce, which is a sweet and spicy sauce with sriracha and chilli. The label promises a bang to every bowl (and I'm taking their word for it. I haven't used this sauce, and will most likely pass it on a friend who enjoys extra spicy food).

The image of three peppers indicates a high level of spiciness. Recreate restaurant dishes at home, like prawn, chicken and tofu firecracker curry.

Nutritional values: 82kcal and 14g of sugar per 100g.

Available in Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Ocado.

Truly Nuts! Brazil Nuts (£3.99) are sustainably-sourced Amazon-harvested nuts, available plain or coated in rich Belgian chocolate, combining high selenium and healthy fats.

You will receive one variety of three. We got Buck Naked Whole & Raw Brazil nuts, unflavoured, unroasted and unsalted.

I have chuckled on seeing a pack of brazil nuts in the box, as I was talking to my Mum just the other day, and she said they were her favourites. I told her I wish I could give her the pack. Most likely, I will chop the brazils and use as an ingredient in baking cookies or muffins.

Nutritional values: 690kcal and 14g or protein per 100g.; high fibre, source of selenium, vegan friendly, gluten free and non-GMO. Packed in the UK with brazil nuts from Peru, Brazil and Bolivia.

Available in TG Jones (former WHSmith).

Snyder's of Havover Pretzel Pieces - Honey, Mustard & Onion (£2) are American-style snacks.

These pretzel pieces come in big crunchy chunks. The flavour is bold, very mustardy. Other varieties come in such flavours as Hot Buffalo Wings, Cheddar Cheese and Jalapeño.

I'm not sure what the final verdict is. they are not bad, but I do prefer small thin pretzels. Perhaps we need to try different favours to find out our favourite. I imagine this snack would be great with a glass of cold beer.

Nutritional values; 532kcal and 7.4g of sugar per 100g.

Available in Amazon, Ocado and quality convenience stores.

Tuk in Foods Lime Pickle Bombay Trail Mix (£1.50 for 40g) is a flavourful snack, which offers a combination of cashew nuts, roasted corn, Bombay mix, almonds, mustard seeds and plenty of spice.

The resulting mix promises to boost your energy levels, and is packed with nutrients.

Nutritional values: 222kcal and 0.26g of salt per 40g pouch; 7g protein, high in fibre, source of magnesium and vitamin E.

Available in independent retailers.

I was super excited to see three bottles of Filippo Berio squeezable olive oil (£7.99) in the box. I have seen the new products on Insta and did think they looked fab.

You would only receive one variety in the box (as a regular blogger I got all three flavours to try).

This is the same quality olive oil you expect from Filippo Berio, only coming in a squeezable bottle format for easier drizzling and finishing touches.With an easy-pour cap you can dispense oil without a mess. Great for so many dishes.

There is a Classico olive oil, composed of refined olive oils and virgin olive oils, great for cooking meat or vegetables.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is produced from extra virgin olive oils from Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Excellent for finishing and dressing salads or pasta.

And Chilli flavoured olive oil, hot and fiery, will enhance any pizza or add a dash of heat to a pasta sauce.

Available at www.filippoberio.co.uk or on Amazon.

As a subscriber, you will receive extra goodies to those shown above.

What product did you find the most delicious?

Photo diary: Project 365, weeks 7 and 8, 2026

 Typically I finish Project 365 posts on Monday mornings, and would have done so with week 7, but last Monday morning we had a call from the son of our dear friends, telling us that his father died. We knew the end was imminent, and still, the news hurt. Our friend and his late wife were more than friends, they were part of our family, wonderful special people who kind of "adopted" us when we were a young couple. We got married from their house (while living with them). They helped and supported us in so many ways. I could never repay their kindness. A big part of our lives is gone with them.

Too upset, I kept crying all day.

Running into town on Sunday, I saw these white doves on the rooftops, and they made me think of the musical notes.

We recently bought an art poster from Postera for Eddie's room. It was his choice. I love the fonts of Hokusai's name, with the red sun instead of the letter O. He also has a huge Dune poster on one of the other walls, unframed. It's not a scene from the film, but an illustration from an old edition of the book.

I wasn't feeling well, and ordered McDonald's meals for my guys for dinner. Now we have two Friends toys from the collection, Monica and Chandler.

Abel & Cole delivery day, with one pot recipe for a vegetarian curry, with sweet potatoes, black beans, spinach, coconut milk etc. It was really tasty.

I read another book by Dick Francis, named Decider - my Mum recommended it enthusiastically. I didn't like it as much as To the Hilt. It is entertaining enough. The plotline is centred around the multi-million pound Stratton Park racecourse, which faces ruin in the hands of a squabbling family.

Lee Morris, architect by education and builder in real life (and also a father of six sons) who restores derelict houses, has inherited a small share in the race course (his mother was the ex-wife of one of the vile Strattons). The family can't seem to agree what to do with the Stratton Park, either to modernise it or sell to the highest bidder. One day Lee is approached by two gentlemen running the race track, asking to help preserve the race course. His eight votes could make a difference. Little does he know how quickly a simple request will escalate, putting him and his family in mortal danger.

The Strattons are a dysfunctional family and quite cartoonish too. Potential triggers: domestic abuse and violence. 

On Saturday Eddie visited our friends for dinner, I tagged along, and stayed for dinner as well. The guys played Catan. I watched and chatted. 

What else did we do this week? Watched Knowing with Nicolas Cage, a sci fi/dystopian thriller about a mysterious list of numbers that has predicted future disasters. I'm usually a fan of the genre, but I would not recommend this film. The ending in particular is absurd. Have you seen it?

A couple of years ago I was attending a book club at the local Waterstones. It was great fun, and I enjoyed it. Sadly the mid-week days were not super convenient, as that's when my husband is often away, which means I couldn't leave my guys on their own. I recently found out that the club is meeting on Sundays these days, and I'm considering of re-joining it. Not sure of the latest book choice, it's not really my genre. Perhaps I should wait until the next month.

Crocuses in town are looking much perkier than mine in the garden, which were left bedraggled after incessant rains. The snowdrops are almost all gone too. For some reason, there were not as many snowdrops as there used to be. I wonder if I can blame the rain?! Was it too wet for them? Typically our garden is carpeted with spring flowers, but this year it was less of a carpet and more of a scattering.

We have plenty of primroses though, yellow and white.

Painting a sketch with a strong brewed coffee. This was the initial stage, I have finished this piece by now, so it looks quite different. From 1 March I will be collaborating with Penandinkchallenge, creating a list of prompts for art journalling. I am very excited about it.

The fields nearby are still under water, though it is subsiding a little. You can pass through, probably even in big wellies.

Believe it or not, I started reading the third Dick Francis' book in a row, this time it's In the Frame (another recommendation from my Mum, who, as you can guess, is a big fan of Dick Francis). I managed to find the original 1976 edition from Amazon sellers for £3.50 with postage included.

The book cover design is a typical 1970s psychedelic cover.

The main character is an artist Charles Todd who loves painting horses. He travels to Australia to see his old mate who paints abstract art, and together they try to solve the conspiracy of racing, art and murder. 

The thriller starts dramatically, and the characters are very vivid. I'm half way through, and enjoying it immensely. 

It was my birthday on Saturday. Eddie and I went to Oxford, while my husband looked after Sasha. We had a late lunch at Itsu, and hit the shops at the West Gate centre, traipsing through the usual suspects, Uniqlo, T K Maxx, John Lewis etc. 

We happened to watch some Latin and modern dancing in the little square next to John Lewis. I liked the youngest group the best, they were performing a dance routine to Mamma Mia, and people around were singing along and dancing too. I might have wiggled my bum as well. 

I wanted to buy a patisserie cake to bring home. Sadly, all cakes at Paul's were of a mousse variety, and I didn't fancy any in particular. Eddie insisted we walked further up High Street to Saint Claire Valentine patisserie. When we came in, there were a couple of cakes in the window, alas, they were only for display. The chef happened to be there and we started chatting. I told him we were totally chancing it, and I was happy to buy a selection of delicious looking pastries. The  chef kindly offered to make me a cake, if we would wait.

There was a choice between Red Velvet or Joconde. We opted for the Red Velvet. We waited while enjoying a coffee and a pastry. It was the end of the day, everyone left. The staff were chatting to us, wishing me a happy 21st birthday, so sweet. Really lovely friendly people working there.

The house where the cafe is situated, is many centuries old, like most buildings nearby.

The cake was superb, with chocolate cream, and a layer of fresh strawberries inside. Truly, one of the best cakes I have ever had in my life, and I surely had plenty of cakes. So delicate, not too sweet, the flavours were balanced perfectly. We all loved it. Eddie declared that he wants a cake for his birthday in summer from the same patisserie.

Top marks for the cake and brilliant service. I was so touched that the chef made a cake for me personally.

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