Expenses

My loyal minions.

I know I have been quiet and have not regaled you with the tales from my royal household. This is merely due to some serious issues I have had to address. I have had to investigate some illegal expenses claims made by my representatives. It appears that my loyal team have been siphoning off extra chocolate biscuits and brownies from the royal mint to have with their "second breakfast" I can assure you there will be no more flagrant abuse of my chocolate accounting procedures.

Having now resolved that issue. I have embarked on my Royal Summer Tour of 2009 with three of my most loyal minions. I believe there will be chocolate cake in my honour on Friday (one of the minions has requested one for me specially on her birthday) and then we will be touring this fine nation. No chocolate shop shall go unsullied.

Your benevolent and mighty ruler,

King Dumbledore

Corporate Sponsorship

As you, my loyal followers and minions, know I am grand overlord and benevolent (when it suits me) ruler of all that I survey.

I rule not only the lowly peoples of this world but also receive tribute from the many corporate entities who benefit from my kindly and supportive rule. On a recent tour I was given a substantial tribute by one of the largest corporations that support me.

Here I am at a Starbucks receiving one very large gold covered chocolate coin (the best kind) and a very welcoming Hot Chocolate on a rather chilly, even for this handsome polar bear, morning.

Benevolence

In my role as benevolent leader I have taken on the duty of learning from those who came before my most majestic self.

In my study of Marie Antoinette I feel I am able to enhance her policy of "let them eat cake". Quite obviously where she went wrong is that she should have stated "let them eat chocolate cake".

This is one of the founding principles of my dominion. Chocolate cake for all, so long as I have the largest slice.

The Royal Mint

As the world faces financial ruin I, as Supreme Ruler, I have ordered the production of my very own coins to save the world economy.

The process is not very fast (possibly due to my only employing two small tigers) but I demand high standards and supervise every step of the production.Finally my waiting is rewarded with the presentation of the first two official coins of my realm.

Hitching a Ride

As many of you know I feel little need to walk, that is what the masses must do. I am above such mundane transport instead I am driven or ride to all venues.

I have three servants who are willing to ferry me to any location I desire.

Should they fail me I will ride my royal steed swiftly across the landing to the nearest chocolate source.

Christmas Food

Ah, Christmas is all about the food on our Orkney trip.
We started with our traditional cinnamon buns (Dumbledore tried to keep them all to himself) at about 9:30.

Then we prepared the Salmon Moose and Deep Fried Cheese. I even helped to prepare the cheese (Grimbister, coated in a double layer of bread crumbs and served with Christmas Chutney).We ate this starter at about 12:30.

The main meal was served at 4ish - Tom's folks are from England so they have a big meal far earlier than my family who'd eat about 6.

The meal included Granny Elliot's stuffing (a Whalley family tradition).

Then about 6pm pudding was served.

Kathryn had made profiteroles which proved to be very popular with a certain Polar Bear. Also on offer was Owen's Tiramisu, though this was not suitable for younger family members!

Present from D'Alby girls

Loyal subjects,

As you know I expect tribute from all of my subjects and the D'Alby girls did not let me down.

My exciting present...

Getting help from loyal servants to open it... (sometimes you do need an opposable thumb)

Look at all my precious gold coins! Not to mention the handmade royal stocking they also provided. It really was fit for the King.

I hope you all have a lovely Christmas too,

Your benevolent overlord,

Dumbledore

Christmas Morning

Visions of Sugar Plums dance through my head...

When I awoke it was clear that Santa had been...
Though I was not the only one to get a visit from old St. Nick...
Santa knows me so well, he gave me this magnificent crown...
and a pile of gold coins...
Mohan got some crushed spiders and Mohinder some dried Buzzy Bees what more could we ask for?

Getting ready for Christmas

According to Kermit the Frog one of the most pleasant of all activities is getting ready for Christmas. Dumble and the tigers certainly got in on the act. While Mohan and Mohinder decorated a little tree, Dumbledore made a gingerbread house.

It's the same gingerbread house kit the D'Alby's used.

Dumble felt that he'd missed out since we'd ran out of time when to to it with them so he insisted we buy one to bring north!

He let me, Magnus and Kathryn help but he insisted that I add that any dodgy bits were done by us. His bits all worked out wonderfully.

Visit to Santa

Loyal Subjects,

I went to visit the one and only Santa (he visited Stirling just so we could meet up). I took the D'Alby's with me (mostly for warmth it was freezing!). I asked for chocolate and World Domination. Lottie asked for a game but Lexie forgot what she wanted though she had mentioned chocolate coins previously so I told Santa to give her that (after all who wouldn't want that?).

Till next time,

Dumbledore

Love of all things sweet

As many of you loyal subjects know I, King Dumbledore, have a sweet tooth - I got given it by the Tooth Fairy :)

Anyway I have been sampling a couple of exciting dishes recen

tly. One was at the Stenness Ice-Cream Parlour. I thought about the Stenness Monster but it is bigger than me and I had had breakfast already.

Then I also sampled some cake at the local Garden centre with Tom's help. I let him have a couple of crumbs as a thank you for his loyal service.

"Heaven, I'm in heaven, and my heart beats so that I can hardly speak..."

…when we’re out together buying chocs to eat.

Underling I have discovered heaven and it’s name is ‘The Oban Chocolate Company’.

Handmade chocolates you can see being made. The first challenge
was to choose from the menu. Not a simple task – even choosing a hot chocolate was a challenge in the end I couldn’t decide so I got two.


The chocolate sampler was wonderful. They had ones with chilli so they had a hot after taste, banoffee truffles, honey and ginger white chocolates…

Though I can’t help but feel I might have had eyes bigger than my tummy…

Rather busy...

Please don't take the lack of posting as a I have given up the crafty goodness - more that proper work has caught up with me and I am currently trying to help get a Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition out, co-ordinate Duke of Edinburgh Award stuff for Girlguiding Scotland, finish my sock monster, get my Lones newsletter finished and do myreal 9-5 job!

Crafty night was cancelled this week but my version of Jingjing, a cat badge plus 'Pungy' the sock monster and some more Dumbldore adventures are all coming soon... ish :)

Can't wait for more Dumbledore adventures? He's been spotted lurking over at Clair's House

Spotted!

During this afternoon's procedings there was one small, furry, kilt wearing interloper who was spotted gorging on the chocolate cakes. You'll notice he has shunned the fruit based confectionery on the right.

Otter-ly Brilliant

Polar Bear watches Otter

This weekend Chris and I were child-free and in Oban (not for a romantic getaway or anything so sensible you'll understand, but for Chris to go to an archery competition). So whilst he and Tom were playing shooty, Kateri and I opted to don our "Archery Widow" badges and looked for something that offered more entertainment and visited the chocolate factory (seriously Yum) and the Seal Sanctuary on the Saturday.

The best bit by far was the Otter (Fingal, a North American Otter), we also had Dumbledore, Kateri's stuffed polar bear who seems to be fixated on anything that could possibly be food (chocolate, seals, crabs...)

We did take him absolutely everywhere with us over the weekend and not a single comment on the fact we posed him at any opportunity we could find. Either people were concerned that we were dangerous to approach or people regularly photograph stuffed creatures around Oban. Either way, it was a fantastic day out!

Zoo Trip by Dumbledore (King) Part 2

Welcome back loyal subjects!

After lunch we decided to walk on the wild side. By taking a look at some cats.

Now those of you who know me may know I live with a couple of tigers (one a tad bee obssessed and one who is a spider fan) neither are exactly towering.

It turns out that they are very little indeed compared to those who feast on bigger meat than insects!

I on the other hand am as tall as an 8 year old Chimp!

I then hunted spoke to some of my subjects.

The penguins looked tasty but I just couldn't get their wrappers off!

Alas it finally came to heading home.

However I had found a new subject to help me rule my Kingdom.

Bill Tong is a Red River Hog and is now the offical Royal Chocolate Finder. This high honour is because I am told that pigs are specialists at finding chocolate truffles.

Until next time,

King Dumbledore.

Zoo Trip! by Dumbledore (King) Part 1

Greetings Loyal Subjects,

I thought I would share some of my royal adventures with you (so you can feel close to my greatness).

Last week I went on a royal visit to Edinburgh Zoo with some of my subjects (opposite).

Apparently it was one of the smaller subjects birthday so as a special reward for surviving a year I let her carry me.

There were of course many animals for me to talk to and it was intersting to catch up on gossip and of course for them to have the honour of meeting me.

The Honey Badger was filling me in on good places to find honeycomb covered in chcocolate.

The trip was very educational apparently these camels do not carry fat in their humps but rather babies.

Not all of my subjects seemed keen to chat. This Koala seemed much more intersted in sleeping than meeting his King. However, even he felt the aura of greatness I project and woke up to say hello.

For lunch my subjects provided me with a range of chocolate choices. Including the zoo themed Animal biscuits I love so much. Nothing like munching on monkeys to set you up for the afternoon!

Then we looked at the map and decided which of the animals I'd like eat meet.