Amanda Prowse and Penny Dommett nattering around the kitchen table, chatting about all things random. Are we sitting comfortably... here we go! Join us for a dollop of chatter! We set up the recording all by ourselves and are feeling technically smug. We reminisce about the times when the TV used to end for the day and they played the National Anthem! - we are OLD! Do you remember that? Penny talks about Grapenuts - we think she might have made this up. Who's had a Grapenut? We talk about the loveliest day where we planted a tree - it really was magical, knowing that tree will flourish for decades and has started out as this lil fella! What a treat. We suffer all the usual interruptions from Mandy's family pinging their messages... and phoning oops! We announce our plans to video the podcast so you can see us too - not sure it's a good thing, but watch this space. Dishwashers - are they a necessity? How often do you use yours? Penny is horrified that Mandy puts dog bowls in the dishwasher - is it wrong? We take a dum dum look at AI - trying to figure it out, help! How long will we be in a job? Should we be afraid or should we embrace it? And can we trust it? There's a new mixer in the house - Sara's present for her to start her micro bakery! How exciting.
So, if you fancy it, pull up a chair and join us for a delightfully irreverent chit chat about life and all its random tangents - bring a cuppa. Cake optional...

Amanda Prowse and Penny Dommett nattering around the kitchen table, chatting about all things random. Are we sitting comfortably... here we go! Join us for the usual shenanigans! We have our usual weather chat and Mandy is still bowled over as Penny bought her a tree!!! Yes! A tree! What a grand and beautiful present! We shall watch it bloom with excitement and talk about all things Cherry tree! We talk about our live event last weekend which was such a fabulous time for us all, so much fun and we met some wonderful people! And we are planning some more - would you like us to come to your town? Let us know! Northern Lights, have you been lucky enough to get a glimpse? We talk stargazing - when there's a clear enough sky! Just wish we knew what we were looking at. We get a bit giggly as Penny tries to make a point about history. Mandy has hurt her bum and Penny offers medical advice - thank goodness! We get in a tizz over sciatica and tapioca - much laughter! We go back to the bloody Shakti mat discussion. We talk TV and what we are watching. We are off to Lainston House for Simeon's birthday and can't wait!!! Fancy pants dinner here we come...
So, if you fancy it, pull up a chair and join us for a delightfully irreverent chit chat about life and all its random tangents - bring a cuppa. Cake optional...

Amanda Prowse and Penny Dommett nattering around the kitchen table, chatting about all things random. Are we sitting comfortably... here we go! We start with a giggle - shock horror! And get straight into the weather - of course we do ! We talk about the lingering after effects of Christmas... Penny still has Christmas cake lurking in the kitchen! We lose it talking about our house guests and the joy of nightlights and candles... Mandy had a fright in the night and then swallowed some Deep Heat (not recommended!) - and Penny sounds like Aunt Josephine from A Series of Unfortunate Events - she's scared of everything!!!! How we laugh. Mandy had her own unfortunate incident in the night with a bowl of gummy bears - don't ask! Feeding the birds - what's best to give them? Penny's roof squirrel is back! We have a little insight into Penny's beautiful zoned garden and her bird life... How many coats is it okay to own - Mandy has one, just one - whereas Penny's cloakroom looks like a rack at Go Outdoors!!!! Did you know many local libraries have a collect a coat scheme - check out to see if yours does - it's brilliant! We talk about the general brilliance of libraries... visit yours! We go large on outdoor picnics - what a treat on a cold day to have soup in a field ! And discuss the joy of a grazing board! Did you ever have a hot Bovril after swimming when you were at school? Ah... memories! We find out that Penny's dad had a governess - I knew she was posh!
So, if you fancy it, pull up a chair and join us for a delightfully irreverent chit chat about life and all its random tangents - bring a cuppa. Cake optional...

Amanda Prowse and Penny Dommett nattering around the kitchen table, chatting about all things random. Are we sitting comfortably... here we go! We are the New Year Grinches!!! Both go to bed early without any fuss... neither of us are enamoured with the whole build up and it all feels a bit flat. Maybe we are old people!! Penny shares a terrible tale of New Year that went disastrously wrong many, many moons ago! We talk about our glorious trips to New York; cue snow! Romantic and wonderful, the great times we've had in that city that never sleeps... We compare Christmas presents - Mandy finally got her perfume - phew! We talk the weather, of course we do, and marvel at how little clothes the kids wear! We talk hypnotherapy and Mandy shares her surreal night out with Led Zeppelin - yes, really! Penny is afraid to get hypnotised incase they take over her brain!
We are still working our way through leftovers... bit of Brie anyone? Penny has a nocturnal plant muncher - she might be setting up a camera to catch the culprit! We think it might be a squirrel which leads us to discuss the Tufty Club, anyone else a member?
Mandy has a new book out on January 7th!!! We are excited for This One Life to be born. Our launch event is going to be LIVE on January 11th - see Tea Leaves and Reads on Instagram tickets and details X
So, if you fancy it, pull up a chair and join us for a delightfully irreverent chit chat about life and all its random tangents - bring a cuppa. Cake optional...

Amanda Prowse and Penny Dommett nattering around the kitchen table, chatting about all things random. Are we sitting comfortably... here we go! We are in our post Christmas fug and neither of us can look at a Quality Street or a bit of cheese! Do we eat cheese with Christmas cake? Weird! Did we all have a lovely time? Penny and I discover we both dislike Christmas pud and mincemeat - at LAST something in common!!! Who makes there own pastry? Who has time for that?! Penny, apparently. Penny's recommendation for watching is - Black Doves - Mandy watched and agreed it was epic! Little bit throat cutty at times, so peer from behind a cushion, but SO good - Keira Knightley - she's marvellous! We talk gifts - we both got everything we wanted - Mandy got perfume (finally) and Penny did very well too. Bulb planting - yep, more good planting advice! We talk the wisdom and joy of spending time with older people - so much to love and learn! We talk about Mandy's book An Ordinary Life - Molly is 94 and has a fantastic story to tell. We take a deep dive and sudden turn into WWII - and the importance of sharing those stories and experiences, lest we forget! Including our own family experience. We talk about our hopes for the coming year and the horror of January birthdays!!! The joy that is Snowdrops - something that heralds new beginnings. The value of close friends as get older - how lucky are we! ...we share a moment when Penny makes me howl with laughter - so what's new!
And don't forget - January 11th - OUR LIVE EVENT at Weyhill near Andover - tickets from @TeaLeavesandReads save the DATE!!! X
So, if you fancy it, pull up a chair and join us for a delightfully irreverent chit chat about life and all its random tangents - bring a cuppa. Cake optional...

Amanda Prowse and Penny Dommett nattering around the kitchen table, chatting about all things random. Are we sitting comfortably... here we go! Have we noticed how Penny's voice gets higher when she gets excited - we love it! How lovely was it when we were read to as children, audiobooks are a lovely replica of that! We look at the process of reading and recording an audiobook - it's a lot! Mandy sings all the way to a recording to open up her pipes - it works! We get a ping from my dad, as usual and he's had a pasty - yay! We talk about the lovely people you meet in a waiting room - if you are brave enough to chat to them... Mandy met Norman and he was just wonderful! We think motion is the lotion and the more you move the younger you stay - right? Penny gives us good advice on bulb planting - now is the time apparently! We talk about being ready for Christmas and how we are both terrible at leaving things til the last minute for the festive season- let's hope there's still sprouts on the shelf. Penny hates coloured Christmas lights and anything too kitsch - Mandy is the opposite! We talk about the joy of houses decked in lights - it's wonderful that people do that for others. Neither of us are massive fans of Christmas and we are both asleep long before Midnight on New Year's Eve!!! Bah Humbug! Party animals we are not... Do we still send Christmas cards? Have we seen the price of postage?? We talk about the things you can do for free over the Festive season - and the starting of traditions - the lovely things we all remember! Penny had the joy of Monty's nativity - not a dry eye in the house! It reminds us of our own nativities of our childhood - which weren't always successful. Penny is flabbergasted by a Terry's chocolate orange - yes, really! Happy Christmas one and all, we send you love.
And don't forget - January 11th - OUR LIVE EVENT save the DATE!!! X
So, if you fancy it, pull up a chair and join us for a delightfully irreverent chit chat about life and all its random tangents - bring a cuppa. Cake optional...

Amanda Prowse and Penny Dommett nattering around the kitchen table, chatting about all things random. Are we sitting comfortably... here we go! Are we looking forward/ready for Christmas? We talk about the fact that it isn't always fairy lights and fabulousness! How to deal with the commercialism when times are tough, is the answer making traditions that cost nothing? We talk about our favourite presents from our childhood. Penny misses the good old days of the toffee hammer! Did you know that deer love roses? Me either! Do we remember Heartbeat, The Royal, Z cars? - We show our age and spend a while trying to figure out the phonetic alphabet without much success. Mandy discovers that some people have more than one perfume - who knew? She only ever wears one! Do we remember the White Musk or Dewberry days of our teenage hood? Which were you? We talk about smoking... we aren't fans and remember all those years ago when everyone did it!
So, if you fancy it, pull up a chair and join us for a delightfully irreverent chit chat about life and all its random tangents - bring a cuppa. Cake optional...

Amanda Prowse and Penny Dommett nattering around the kitchen table, chatting about all things random. Are we sitting comfortably... here we go! Penny admits she's stopped saying the word SUBSCRIBE because she can now say it! We talk about Penny's wonderful wreath workshop - Mandy is panicking because she is artistically challenged! Real versus fake Christmas trees - what do we think? Which is actually the most sustainable? And are our trees up yet? We talk cut flowers and bulbs and how to decorate sustainably. Penny laughs at my beautiful crochet blanket which my beloved nanny made, until she knows the history of my favourite blanket. We talk home grown herbs and the lovely value of plucking something to use in your cooking! We take a deep dive into the collective experience of women who make things together - the beautiful world of women crafting together - it's ace! Mandy's collects embroidered art and is very proud of it. We debate using salt in cooking - it's all about balance! How are we already in December - where has this year gone? We end on bus travel and we laugh a lot, welcome aboard. Penny gives Ocado a big old plug and we discover that Penny has never eaten a Monster Munch - how? But she does rather like a farm shop - who knew.
And don't forget - January 11th - save the DATE!!! X
So, if you fancy it, pull up a chair and join us for a delightfully irreverent chit chat about life and all its random tangents - bring a cuppa. Cake optional...