There are things worth celebrating!

Number One: you see Samdog, up there? -We're not celebrating him. No, really, he kind of smells a bit. But he's illustrating the fact that, after a pretty miserable (weather-wise and emotionally) week, the sun has come out. Maybe just for today? And maybe my legs are already sunburnt - sorry, this positivity thing doesn't come naturally, apparently - but it's a start.

Number Two: marriage equality in New York! No, I don't live in New York. I live in a town called Bollington, and I'm totally happy saying that on the big bad internet, because that's how sure I am that no one would ever want to come to Bollington. But on Wednesday a few friends and I went to the Glee Live tour in Manchester, and if you watch Glee you'll be familiar with the t-shirts they wear for 'Born This Way', with things they've been bullied for but accepted about themselves. And all around us were guys wearing LIKES BOYS t-shirts, and girls wearing LIKES GIRLS (and other people wearing stuff like CAN'T SING or FOUR EYES or SELF-CONSCIOUS), and it was like, I don't know, this whole huge arena was a safe place for everyone to just be themselves. It was kind of incredible, to be there. So hearing NY had got their shit together, a few days later, made me a happy girl.

Number Three: this is less momentous, but I have to say it - nut butter. Okay, listen, we only have peanut butter in England, generally speaking. Almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower butter, hazelnut butter - I thought this was just a myth! I thought I was more likely to drink unicorn blood than I was to spread hazelnut butter on my toast! BUT NO. The farm shops have provided. Pictured above, left to right, are cashew, hazelnut and sunflower. I'm treating these jars like my children. Probably better than I'd treat my children, cause I don't really like children.

(This is not to say I've never made alternative nut butters myself before. Food processing is one of the most irritating things a person can do, which is why I consider a day wasted if I don't do it at least once. Bonus points if someone's trying to watch TV at the same time! Extra bonus points if dates or cashew nuts are involved, and someone looks at it and goes 'what the hell are you doing?'

I could write a food processing drinking game. Except you'd have to drink, like, green smoothies, or almond butter.

What I'm trying to say is, I totally burnt out the motor on my food processor making nut butters. In retrospect, I was probably too ambitious. It was only a little one, and I should have taken the burning smell as a hint to abort my mission. Or maybe it was instant karma for food processing at 11pm; I don't know. The point is, since then, I've absolutely been known to make breadcrumbs using a soup immersion blender. Leave your judgement at the door.)

So, nut butter ready-made, in an actual shop?! (You take this shit fo' granted in America, you and your Trader Joe's). The heavens have forgiven me for the obnoxious processing, I'm sure of it.

Number Four: I got my uni marks back yesterday, and I'm graduating with a First!!! So, so, happy and proud. Yet you notice my nut butter news took precedence over my academic success. Priorities: I got 'em.

What are you celebrating?