My hand is easing up a bit, though I was shocked when I got changed last night to discover the back of my left shoulder was a glorious mauve. I knew it had been aching but I hadn't expected to be that colour. Still, I usually take the view, when the bruise comes out, the pain reduces. And at least today I have nervously managed to peel the spuds for dinner.
Yesterday turned into a more festive day than Tuesday, the Fox's birthday. The carpet measurer arrived not long after 1pm, rather than the 4pm or later time we had been advised. This liberated the afternoon to do something more exciting. So after a few chores, including collecting the paper & paint needed for the decorator - she comes on Monday - we adjourned to the Pub. We had a pleasant time doing the crossword & polygon with Little B, with interruptions in our thoughts by Gaz & Al, our gardener. Admittedly the Fox suddenly felt ancient as Gaz was talking about his mother's birthday next month. She'll be 60. The Fox was 59 this week. The age gap between Gaz & the Fox loomed a bit, though why people can't have friends of all ages, old & young I've never understood.
Then Mr P, the music teacher arrived. He's already getting organised for his next charity cycle next year. This time he's proposing to go from Ravenglass to South Shields. He'd been into the hospital to see MK. It sounds as though the latter is doing a lot better. He's managing without his oxygen mask for periods. He's also very eager to get home! I don't blame him. We're hoping to pop in for a while this afternoon.
Then Linda, Dave's widow, popped in to pay the bill for the wake last week. She's such a brave lady, very positive. I suspect the full reality of Dave's death hasn't struck her yet. She went to a family wedding in Dundee over the weekend & is now getting ready for a holiday in Tenerife next week. She & Dave had a time share there so it's partially necessity. She needs it transferred solely into her name so she'll have to take the death certificate. Luckily her brother-in-law has agreed to go with her, so she won't have to face it alone. I suspect it will only be when life returns to the more normal routine, that the real loneliness & sense of loss will hit. Meanwhile she's joking about the difficulties she's having around the house. Dave was 6ft 2ins, Linda a mere 5ft. He put the suitcases high up away, so now, even on a chair, Linda is having difficulty reaching the bags she needs for her holiday. She's cursing him like a trooper for lack of forethought.
We came on home to an excellent bacon omelette, made by the Fox. I suspect he will have to cook again tonight, but at least today I feel I should be able to help a bit, even if I'm moving rather carefully & slowly.
Thursday 30 April 2009
Wednesday 29 April 2009
Bruise report
The bruises are doing well. When I get ready for bed, I discover my front is purple. And I'd thought I'd got away with that part of me. After all that was under my usual layers of padding! By the time I got up this morning I almost gave up the idea of putting on a bra or pulling up my knee braces, such was the pain involved. The bruises are coming up well. By now there is a decided red lump on my right knee, a shadow under my chin & on the palm of my right hand.
But it is the left hand that is the worst. The palm is swollen, the fingers painful to move in some directions, the colour is steadily darkening. I can't lift anything with that hand. Even making a cup of tea has become a major operation.
As if the bruises in themselves aren't bad enough, I've been reminded of how much I use my hands just to get up. I always push or pull myself up. My legs alone won't do the job. Inevitably that means putting my weight right on the bruises. Ouch!
It also means I'm going to have to have a few days off cooking. The idea of holding a potato to peel it is a nightmare. I'm aware we're going to need to do some food shopping soon, but I can't see me doing it. Pushing myself around in a wheelchair is going to be impossible for a while.
I'm just hoping things settle down soon & life can get back to normal.
But it is the left hand that is the worst. The palm is swollen, the fingers painful to move in some directions, the colour is steadily darkening. I can't lift anything with that hand. Even making a cup of tea has become a major operation.
As if the bruises in themselves aren't bad enough, I've been reminded of how much I use my hands just to get up. I always push or pull myself up. My legs alone won't do the job. Inevitably that means putting my weight right on the bruises. Ouch!
It also means I'm going to have to have a few days off cooking. The idea of holding a potato to peel it is a nightmare. I'm aware we're going to need to do some food shopping soon, but I can't see me doing it. Pushing myself around in a wheelchair is going to be impossible for a while.
I'm just hoping things settle down soon & life can get back to normal.
Tuesday 28 April 2009
Not my day
It should be the Fox's day today. It's his birthday. Much to my surprise he fancies going to the garden centre this afternoon- to satisfy his urge to have a go at some veg growing. We may even pop into the furniture warehouse next door to see if we can find a new dining table. We fancy a round table. It would fit better into the dining area of our new kitchen.
It's certainly not my day. So far it's been a catalogue of misadventures. I'm cooking something special for his birthday - a homemade chicken pie. Here the problems start. I put the pie in the hot oven, catching my bare finger on the hot shelf. Result one burnt finger, stinging badly.
After the pie has completed cooking I venture into the garden to check my washing which is hanging out to dry. I miss my step & land sprawled across the crazy paving. It takes a little while before I can move to tackle getting up. Fortunately my chin doesn't look too bad. My hands are going to be a beautiful colour in the next few days. I didn't quite break the skin though there is a bit of grazing. As for my knee... Once inside I nervously take of my knee brace. I would be wearing the one that doesn't cover my kneecap. Again no broken skin but the bruise is going to be even more vivid I suspect. So I'm now hobbling around, aching knee, sore hands.
To cap it all, as I write this, the house has just shaken badly accompanied by a loud sound as of thunder. I hastily hobble to check the Fox hasn't fallen out of bed. No, he's all right. I'm left to suspect there's been a small earthquake somewhere & we've had the aftershock. What next?
It's certainly not my day. So far it's been a catalogue of misadventures. I'm cooking something special for his birthday - a homemade chicken pie. Here the problems start. I put the pie in the hot oven, catching my bare finger on the hot shelf. Result one burnt finger, stinging badly.
After the pie has completed cooking I venture into the garden to check my washing which is hanging out to dry. I miss my step & land sprawled across the crazy paving. It takes a little while before I can move to tackle getting up. Fortunately my chin doesn't look too bad. My hands are going to be a beautiful colour in the next few days. I didn't quite break the skin though there is a bit of grazing. As for my knee... Once inside I nervously take of my knee brace. I would be wearing the one that doesn't cover my kneecap. Again no broken skin but the bruise is going to be even more vivid I suspect. So I'm now hobbling around, aching knee, sore hands.
To cap it all, as I write this, the house has just shaken badly accompanied by a loud sound as of thunder. I hastily hobble to check the Fox hasn't fallen out of bed. No, he's all right. I'm left to suspect there's been a small earthquake somewhere & we've had the aftershock. What next?
Monday 27 April 2009
A bit of a change
More normal weather has returned. Once more a mini-lake has appeared near the greenhouse. It's really been one of the best April's we've had in a long time. Nature has responded with magnificent shows of blossom. For once the tulips stood up straight in brilliant colours, perfectly formed. But it has to be admitted the gardens were beginning to need a bit of water. Some plants already look the brighter for a drink.
We're out this evening. Last year a sub-group of Geriatrics' Corner started going out for a meal the last Monday of the month. We've not done so this year, partially because the weather was so bad early on in the year with the snow & ice, partially because I left it to someone else to organise tables. I 've relented.
I kept hearing mutterings about how much the meals were missed. Although the Fox & I sometimes question the value of these events, the others do positively enjoy them. Don't get me wrong, we do enjoy the evenings. It's just that somehow the whole day gets disorientated & is dominated by the need to be in a fit state for the meal, which is at a set time. There seems to be a lot of hanging around. But that seems a small price to pay for friendship. After recent deaths & illnesses somehow living friends seem to be all the more important, to be cherished now rather than later, when it's too late for them to appreciate. So I've taken up the cudgels & once more booked a table, though quite why I should always be the one doing the booking I don't understand.
So it is today I'm feeling footloose & fancy free. No meal to cook - we're eating at the Pub as that's where our group is based. The garden is so wet, there's no question of venturing out there this morning. Hopefully we'll get out & order the carpet this afternoon. And I'll try for an afternoon nap to boost my energies for this evening.
We're out this evening. Last year a sub-group of Geriatrics' Corner started going out for a meal the last Monday of the month. We've not done so this year, partially because the weather was so bad early on in the year with the snow & ice, partially because I left it to someone else to organise tables. I 've relented.
I kept hearing mutterings about how much the meals were missed. Although the Fox & I sometimes question the value of these events, the others do positively enjoy them. Don't get me wrong, we do enjoy the evenings. It's just that somehow the whole day gets disorientated & is dominated by the need to be in a fit state for the meal, which is at a set time. There seems to be a lot of hanging around. But that seems a small price to pay for friendship. After recent deaths & illnesses somehow living friends seem to be all the more important, to be cherished now rather than later, when it's too late for them to appreciate. So I've taken up the cudgels & once more booked a table, though quite why I should always be the one doing the booking I don't understand.
So it is today I'm feeling footloose & fancy free. No meal to cook - we're eating at the Pub as that's where our group is based. The garden is so wet, there's no question of venturing out there this morning. Hopefully we'll get out & order the carpet this afternoon. And I'll try for an afternoon nap to boost my energies for this evening.
Sunday 26 April 2009
Yet more choices
We start the hunt for flooring for the kitchen, now the paper & paint have been chosen.
All our friends have given us advice. You need laminates or stone tiles. We look at each other & think no. With my poor ability at flight despite my regular endeavours to take off, we need something that gives me a softer landing. Apart from which this is a kitchen/diner & we prefer something warm underfoot in the dining area. This is England after all.
We flirt with the idea of padded vinyl - easy to keep clean, but again not want we want in a dining room. Carpet tiles? Our old kitchen had them & my did they get filthy. No. We've decided on carpet, the sort that doesn't stain or absorb spills & is scrubbable.
We toodle off to the shops & almost instantly see just the thing. We're obviously getting much quicker at this deciding business. The only thing is the paint would need to be a different shade, but that's easy sorted as it's not yet been bought. As the shop is heaving - it's Saturday & the shop has just started a sale, slashing the prices by over 50% (a sign of the times?), so we leave the actual ordering until Monday when it will be quieter. Instead we adjourn to the village Pub & congratulate ourselves on how easy the process has been, before going home where the chicken is roasting away.
We have a moment of alarm as we get to the front door of home to smell smoke. There's no sign of a bleeping fire alarm. It was with relief we opened the door to be greeted by a waft of warm deliciously chicken air. All's well.
All our friends have given us advice. You need laminates or stone tiles. We look at each other & think no. With my poor ability at flight despite my regular endeavours to take off, we need something that gives me a softer landing. Apart from which this is a kitchen/diner & we prefer something warm underfoot in the dining area. This is England after all.
We flirt with the idea of padded vinyl - easy to keep clean, but again not want we want in a dining room. Carpet tiles? Our old kitchen had them & my did they get filthy. No. We've decided on carpet, the sort that doesn't stain or absorb spills & is scrubbable.
We toodle off to the shops & almost instantly see just the thing. We're obviously getting much quicker at this deciding business. The only thing is the paint would need to be a different shade, but that's easy sorted as it's not yet been bought. As the shop is heaving - it's Saturday & the shop has just started a sale, slashing the prices by over 50% (a sign of the times?), so we leave the actual ordering until Monday when it will be quieter. Instead we adjourn to the village Pub & congratulate ourselves on how easy the process has been, before going home where the chicken is roasting away.
We have a moment of alarm as we get to the front door of home to smell smoke. There's no sign of a bleeping fire alarm. It was with relief we opened the door to be greeted by a waft of warm deliciously chicken air. All's well.
Saturday 25 April 2009
Good on them!
I seem to have heard Ernest Borgnine talking on the radio a lot this week. I have to confess I have a certain affection this actor. I don't seem to have heard much about him since he appeared in the television series "Airwolf" in the 1980s. Indeed I'd assumed he'd died as he was 70ish then. But no, he's alive & kicking. At 92, he's just brought out an autobiography, has appeared in the final episodes of "ER" on TV, & is now preparing to make a new film.
What impresses me about the man? It has to admitted he is not the typical good looking leading man. He started out playing tough guys & people assumed that's all he could do until he auditioned for the lead role in the film "Marty" in 1954. Since then he has played so many sympathetic characters.
I suppose it's that ability to play warmth, humour, pathos, to show his humanity that draws me in. As he said himself, he always believes in playing his roles with his heart. That comes over, & what a big heart.
As for the energy & enthusiasm for continuing to work, in life itself, in his 90s, I can only envy him. So many people are burnt out long before then. It seems a common complaint among our contemporaries. Or alternatively ill-health has struck preventing them doing things. This enthusiasm I admire, too, in my Aunt Ivy, now around 87, but still ready to go to help her neighbours, cook them meals if they're ill. I've not been up to doing that for a long time & I'm still only in my mid-fifties! Good on them!
What impresses me about the man? It has to admitted he is not the typical good looking leading man. He started out playing tough guys & people assumed that's all he could do until he auditioned for the lead role in the film "Marty" in 1954. Since then he has played so many sympathetic characters.
I suppose it's that ability to play warmth, humour, pathos, to show his humanity that draws me in. As he said himself, he always believes in playing his roles with his heart. That comes over, & what a big heart.
As for the energy & enthusiasm for continuing to work, in life itself, in his 90s, I can only envy him. So many people are burnt out long before then. It seems a common complaint among our contemporaries. Or alternatively ill-health has struck preventing them doing things. This enthusiasm I admire, too, in my Aunt Ivy, now around 87, but still ready to go to help her neighbours, cook them meals if they're ill. I've not been up to doing that for a long time & I'm still only in my mid-fifties! Good on them!
Friday 24 April 2009
A good funeral
It was a good funeral. Around 200 people turned up, far more than the 80 Linda had asked the Pub to cater for. I suppose why I say it was a good funeral is that it captured something of Dave himself. He knew he was dying long ago & had largely decided on the service himself & chosen the music he wanted.
The service sheet was pastel coloured. Inside was a photo of Dave proudly holding up the huge fish he had caught, almost as big as he was & that was over 6 feet. He loved his big game fishing. On the back page was a lovely picture of Linda & him in happier days, radiating their shared love of each other & of life itself.
I realised by the end what I would miss most about Dave. No matter how gloomy things were, he would stride in & radiate light. He would always have a joke to tell, a tale to share. He always left you feeling brighter, cheerier, for having bumped into him.
It was also good to renew acquaintance with people who had moved away. Stella Dave was up from his new job in London - we're invited to stay sometime. Dave had a bad spell of unemployment a while back & became a temporary member of Geriatrics' Corner. He's only in his thirties so it's good to see him once more happy & enjoying life. Others returned from France, especially for the funeral. As I say there must have been around 200 people there, all coming together in love for Dave. A good funeral.
The service sheet was pastel coloured. Inside was a photo of Dave proudly holding up the huge fish he had caught, almost as big as he was & that was over 6 feet. He loved his big game fishing. On the back page was a lovely picture of Linda & him in happier days, radiating their shared love of each other & of life itself.
I realised by the end what I would miss most about Dave. No matter how gloomy things were, he would stride in & radiate light. He would always have a joke to tell, a tale to share. He always left you feeling brighter, cheerier, for having bumped into him.
It was also good to renew acquaintance with people who had moved away. Stella Dave was up from his new job in London - we're invited to stay sometime. Dave had a bad spell of unemployment a while back & became a temporary member of Geriatrics' Corner. He's only in his thirties so it's good to see him once more happy & enjoying life. Others returned from France, especially for the funeral. As I say there must have been around 200 people there, all coming together in love for Dave. A good funeral.
Thursday 23 April 2009
Funeral dress
And so we prepare for our second funeral of the year, the second for someone just 56 at the time of his death. Yesterday we were told of the dress code for the event. Dave had apparently stipulated he wanted no black at the funeral. This has caused a flurry as everyone has to rethink what to wear.
I wasn't intending to wear black. I reserve that for family funerals unless I just fancy wearing black that day or the deceased I feel is someone who would really want black, regarding it as a sign of respect towards them. My usual reaction is to wear something dark. Now I'm beginning to think I should wear brilliant colours. Indeed I have put on a fluorescent flame coloured jumper under a blouse. It something that always made Dave smile - more in shock as he joked about the need for sunglasses when I wore it, than because he really liked it I suspect. I'm wearing it under a blouse so only a bit is visible around the open neck, but I am beginning to wonder if I should go into full glorious colour, as bright as possible.
My mother had always said she wanted me to dress in bright colours for her funeral when the time came. She wanted a celebration of her life, not sadness over her death. I duly went in my then best dress, one she had helped me make, a wedgwood blue dress. My concession to society norms was a black hat. My uncle & cousin looked with disapproval at me, but it was my mother's wish. Even my father seemed to think I'd made a social faux pas, until I explained my reasoning.
I have to confess I do find these wishes of the deceased a little upsetting. If I want to wear black, & it can be a very smart colour which I wear anytime, not just for funerals, I don't see why I shouldn't. Equally being expected to be in celebratory mood, when all you feel is the weight of loss now the deceased is gone, is ridiculous.
I hope when my time comes, people will be comfortable wearing whatever they fancy. I hope some people will be able to celebrate I lived, but I am sure, at the time of the funeral, some will just what to mourn & get through the event however they can, & if black helps them, so be it.
I wasn't intending to wear black. I reserve that for family funerals unless I just fancy wearing black that day or the deceased I feel is someone who would really want black, regarding it as a sign of respect towards them. My usual reaction is to wear something dark. Now I'm beginning to think I should wear brilliant colours. Indeed I have put on a fluorescent flame coloured jumper under a blouse. It something that always made Dave smile - more in shock as he joked about the need for sunglasses when I wore it, than because he really liked it I suspect. I'm wearing it under a blouse so only a bit is visible around the open neck, but I am beginning to wonder if I should go into full glorious colour, as bright as possible.
My mother had always said she wanted me to dress in bright colours for her funeral when the time came. She wanted a celebration of her life, not sadness over her death. I duly went in my then best dress, one she had helped me make, a wedgwood blue dress. My concession to society norms was a black hat. My uncle & cousin looked with disapproval at me, but it was my mother's wish. Even my father seemed to think I'd made a social faux pas, until I explained my reasoning.
I have to confess I do find these wishes of the deceased a little upsetting. If I want to wear black, & it can be a very smart colour which I wear anytime, not just for funerals, I don't see why I shouldn't. Equally being expected to be in celebratory mood, when all you feel is the weight of loss now the deceased is gone, is ridiculous.
I hope when my time comes, people will be comfortable wearing whatever they fancy. I hope some people will be able to celebrate I lived, but I am sure, at the time of the funeral, some will just what to mourn & get through the event however they can, & if black helps them, so be it.
Wednesday 22 April 2009
Deficiencies in the system
There are times when you can't help being angry with the deficiency of the Health Service & the lack of co-ordination with Social Services.
As readers of the Fox's latest blog will know, we went to visit MK in hospital yesterday. In many ways he's doing remarkably well. Always cheerful. Mentally all there, keen for news of the outside world & of joint friends.
But he is afraid, & with good reason. Yesterday mucus had blocked his passageways with the result he stopped breathing. Fortunately he was discovered in time for the crash team to work their wonders. But the real problem, & the cause of his worry, is that his bed is mid-ward & he is not attached to any system that will advise the nurses at their desk that he has stopped breathing. He cannot press any alarms as he's lost the use of everything neck downwards due to the Motor Neurone Disease. With his oxygen mask on, he cannot even cry out for help. He has to rely on the good auspices of his fellow patients to raise the alarm or hope some medical staff just happens to be passing by & look his way. He fears that one of these days, by the time anyone notices, it will be too late to help him.
Meanwhile an elderly man in the next bed is worrying about what will happen when he goes home, which should be any day now. His wife is hardly able to walk & he is her carer. Although he's hoping to make a full recovery, it doesn't alter the fact that he knows initially they're going to need some help & for that help to be in place before he is released from hospital. Otherwise both he & his wife are going to be back in hospital! I can only suggest he gets onto Social Services immediately & not to put on a brave show about what they can & cannot do. He admits he has started the process. I just hope it's sorted before he leaves the ward.
I can't help remembering my last hospital visit. Before I went in, I told Social Services that I was going in & we would probably need more help when I came out. They said talk to Social Services in the hospital. I asked for Social Services for in hospital & I was told, through a nurse, that since I was already disabled & so had all the aids I would need & someone living full time at home with me ie the Fox, they would not be coming to see me. I was sent home with so little notice that the Fox didn't even have time to get the shopping in before I was home. He was very anxious leaving me alone, unsupervised, while he went to get some food in. And my state when I got home was such I was hard pushed to stand up on my own. Trying for a shower was a very nervous time for both of us! I just hope the system works better for this old man.
As readers of the Fox's latest blog will know, we went to visit MK in hospital yesterday. In many ways he's doing remarkably well. Always cheerful. Mentally all there, keen for news of the outside world & of joint friends.
But he is afraid, & with good reason. Yesterday mucus had blocked his passageways with the result he stopped breathing. Fortunately he was discovered in time for the crash team to work their wonders. But the real problem, & the cause of his worry, is that his bed is mid-ward & he is not attached to any system that will advise the nurses at their desk that he has stopped breathing. He cannot press any alarms as he's lost the use of everything neck downwards due to the Motor Neurone Disease. With his oxygen mask on, he cannot even cry out for help. He has to rely on the good auspices of his fellow patients to raise the alarm or hope some medical staff just happens to be passing by & look his way. He fears that one of these days, by the time anyone notices, it will be too late to help him.
Meanwhile an elderly man in the next bed is worrying about what will happen when he goes home, which should be any day now. His wife is hardly able to walk & he is her carer. Although he's hoping to make a full recovery, it doesn't alter the fact that he knows initially they're going to need some help & for that help to be in place before he is released from hospital. Otherwise both he & his wife are going to be back in hospital! I can only suggest he gets onto Social Services immediately & not to put on a brave show about what they can & cannot do. He admits he has started the process. I just hope it's sorted before he leaves the ward.
I can't help remembering my last hospital visit. Before I went in, I told Social Services that I was going in & we would probably need more help when I came out. They said talk to Social Services in the hospital. I asked for Social Services for in hospital & I was told, through a nurse, that since I was already disabled & so had all the aids I would need & someone living full time at home with me ie the Fox, they would not be coming to see me. I was sent home with so little notice that the Fox didn't even have time to get the shopping in before I was home. He was very anxious leaving me alone, unsupervised, while he went to get some food in. And my state when I got home was such I was hard pushed to stand up on my own. Trying for a shower was a very nervous time for both of us! I just hope the system works better for this old man.
Tuesday 21 April 2009
In a rush
I'm in a bit of a rush today. I've hastily been out & planted some new herbs - the tarragon I bought at the last Farmers' Market, the mint & coriander that has overwintered inside & are now accustomed to life outside. I did wonder whether they really needed watering in as the sky grew steadily greyer, but I have, just to be on the safe side.
Later I'm off to the hairdressers. I feel I ought to look a bit more presentable for Dave's funeral on Thursday. Linda, his widow, is a hairdresser, has her own business in Lancaster. Indeed she's even a trainer for the British Olympic hairdresser team. If you're like me you didn't even know we had a team, or for that matter there were Olympic competitions in hairdressing, till I met Linda.
This evening I was going to try doing a prawn dish in the microwave, but after discussing it with the Fox, I've changed my mind. Done in the microwave this meal is supposed to take 40 mins to table, according to the recipe book. Since this is essentially a stir fry dish, I'm going to take the same ingredients & dig out the trusty wok. I half-expect the Fox to take over as he loves using the wok, & there's the extra pleasure in watching the blue-grey raw prawns turn a glorious pink-orange colour as they cook. And what's more I bet it will take less than 40 mins!
Later I'm off to the hairdressers. I feel I ought to look a bit more presentable for Dave's funeral on Thursday. Linda, his widow, is a hairdresser, has her own business in Lancaster. Indeed she's even a trainer for the British Olympic hairdresser team. If you're like me you didn't even know we had a team, or for that matter there were Olympic competitions in hairdressing, till I met Linda.
This evening I was going to try doing a prawn dish in the microwave, but after discussing it with the Fox, I've changed my mind. Done in the microwave this meal is supposed to take 40 mins to table, according to the recipe book. Since this is essentially a stir fry dish, I'm going to take the same ingredients & dig out the trusty wok. I half-expect the Fox to take over as he loves using the wok, & there's the extra pleasure in watching the blue-grey raw prawns turn a glorious pink-orange colour as they cook. And what's more I bet it will take less than 40 mins!
Monday 20 April 2009
Microwave experiments
I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to cooking this evening.
Of late I've been trying to get to grips with the microwave, cooking whole meals in it. So last week we had noodles primavera, chicken & asparagus risotto, marinated chicken thighs, glazed gammon with jacket potatoes & steamed broccoli. I've tried using the various combinations. So I tried the microwave & fan oven on the jacket potatoes to crispen the skin a bit, the fan oven & grill to glaze the gammon joint. All the food has been edible if not always wildly exciting.
However, I come back to the view, that yes, I may save on fuel, but not on overall cooking time. It's amazing how much time is spent taking things out & stirring, & then there's the standing time at the end. The jacket potato is undoubtedly a bonus. That comes out considerably faster than in a conventional oven, & is incredibly moist inside. But the risotto still took 30mins+, & you don't even get the satisfaction & therapeutic effect of watching it gently plop.
Above all my problem is that I find using a microwave more like a scientific experiment than cooking. It has its place but I can't imagine it taking over in my kitchen. I'll persevere with a few more experiments, but that's just what I feel they are, experiments.
So it is today, I'm cooking a simple plain omelette, chips & baked beans. All done on the hob. The eggs are courtesy of the ladies over the fence, so sure to be full of flavour. That being so I thought I'd keep it simple. As Elizabeth David said it takes a lot to beat a good simple omelette & a bottle of wine. That's my idea of fast cooking!
Of late I've been trying to get to grips with the microwave, cooking whole meals in it. So last week we had noodles primavera, chicken & asparagus risotto, marinated chicken thighs, glazed gammon with jacket potatoes & steamed broccoli. I've tried using the various combinations. So I tried the microwave & fan oven on the jacket potatoes to crispen the skin a bit, the fan oven & grill to glaze the gammon joint. All the food has been edible if not always wildly exciting.
However, I come back to the view, that yes, I may save on fuel, but not on overall cooking time. It's amazing how much time is spent taking things out & stirring, & then there's the standing time at the end. The jacket potato is undoubtedly a bonus. That comes out considerably faster than in a conventional oven, & is incredibly moist inside. But the risotto still took 30mins+, & you don't even get the satisfaction & therapeutic effect of watching it gently plop.
Above all my problem is that I find using a microwave more like a scientific experiment than cooking. It has its place but I can't imagine it taking over in my kitchen. I'll persevere with a few more experiments, but that's just what I feel they are, experiments.
So it is today, I'm cooking a simple plain omelette, chips & baked beans. All done on the hob. The eggs are courtesy of the ladies over the fence, so sure to be full of flavour. That being so I thought I'd keep it simple. As Elizabeth David said it takes a lot to beat a good simple omelette & a bottle of wine. That's my idea of fast cooking!
Sunday 19 April 2009
Choices
Miscellaneous pieces of wallpaper are blu-tacked once more to our walls. We started the hunt for the kitchen paper yesterday. Blu-tacking pieces to the wall usually helps us decide which we prefer. We trudge from shop to shop, searching through book after book. This time, though, I'm somewhat surprised to say we both suspect we've found the winner already, despite only visiting one shop. Maybe we've just made so many decisions about the kitchen this year that we're getting faster. Or maybe it's just that we're just so fed up of the whole business, that we're both prepared to compromise quicker. We shall look a bit further, but as I say, we suspect the winner is already blu-tacked to the wall.
Choice sounds so wonderful. And it is in many circumstances, but there are times when you begin to feel that you're drowning in options, when you wish there was just a choice of yes or no, of this or that.
Yesterday, I was reminded by Peter White in "30 Reasons to Be Cheerful" on BBC Radio 4, of how little choice there was in the 1950s. I, too, remember a world where everything seemed to be painted cream or brown. I wonder if that is the reason why, when things became more abundant after the War & the end of rationing, we burst into the riot of colour that was the 1960s & 70s.
Now I almost feel overwhelmed by the level of choice. Not one washing powder but a whole shelf load to choose from. There's even a choice of powder, or liquid, of tablet or loose. I just want something to clean our clothes, that's all!!
On the other hand some choices I really appreciate. The range of food is a fine example. When I started to learn to cook in the late 60s/early 70s, olive oil came in a tiny bottle from the chemist. It was to the chemist, too, that you went for herbs. The range of fruit & veg was very limited. Peppers & aubergines were definitely foreign & almost impossible to find. Fresh limes & pineapple equally exotic. Cranberries only came in jars of cranberry sauce for Xmas, & then only if you were lucky enough to find it at all. Forget fresh ginger, lemongrass, passionfruit, figs etc. They just didn't exist. I do appreciate all the variety of taste sensation this increased range of ingredients brings & the different styles of cooking that need these items.
It's just that it can be exhausting to wade through the sheer extent of choice these days.
Choice sounds so wonderful. And it is in many circumstances, but there are times when you begin to feel that you're drowning in options, when you wish there was just a choice of yes or no, of this or that.
Yesterday, I was reminded by Peter White in "30 Reasons to Be Cheerful" on BBC Radio 4, of how little choice there was in the 1950s. I, too, remember a world where everything seemed to be painted cream or brown. I wonder if that is the reason why, when things became more abundant after the War & the end of rationing, we burst into the riot of colour that was the 1960s & 70s.
Now I almost feel overwhelmed by the level of choice. Not one washing powder but a whole shelf load to choose from. There's even a choice of powder, or liquid, of tablet or loose. I just want something to clean our clothes, that's all!!
On the other hand some choices I really appreciate. The range of food is a fine example. When I started to learn to cook in the late 60s/early 70s, olive oil came in a tiny bottle from the chemist. It was to the chemist, too, that you went for herbs. The range of fruit & veg was very limited. Peppers & aubergines were definitely foreign & almost impossible to find. Fresh limes & pineapple equally exotic. Cranberries only came in jars of cranberry sauce for Xmas, & then only if you were lucky enough to find it at all. Forget fresh ginger, lemongrass, passionfruit, figs etc. They just didn't exist. I do appreciate all the variety of taste sensation this increased range of ingredients brings & the different styles of cooking that need these items.
It's just that it can be exhausting to wade through the sheer extent of choice these days.
Friday 17 April 2009
It happened
It happened. Wednesday early evening, Dave C died. Too young, still in his fifties. Most of yesterday, despite workmen coming in, our minds & hearts were elsewhere with Dave & his widow, Linda, & his mother. We remember his passion for life, his love of fishing even if he rarely caught anything, his love of travel, his skill with his hands (he was a joiner), his jokes, always one for a laugh, his gourmet cooking skills... He will be much missed. And we prepare once more for a funeral.
Meanwhile MK lies in what was Dave's bed in hospital & superstitiously fears the same fate. Helen hopes this won't be the case & tries to get him home as soon as possible. She's aware that he is getting very dehydrated in hospital. He can not pour some water or lift a glass to his lips to drink. And there just isn't enough nursing staff to be beside his bed most of the time to give him water. Helen herself is not encouraged to stay longer than the 4 hours of regular visiting time. While she's there she tries her best to pour liquid down him, but he really needs a little & often. The ward in which MK is in is a rather depressing old Victorian one, which is not helping MK's morale one bit. We continue to wait & pray.
At last the kitchen people are done. John was round first thing yesterday. The last of the finishing touches were completed before 9am. In the afternoon Mark, our electrician arrived, & put up the new light fittings. Our next job is to decide on wallpaper. We've organised a decorator to come at the beginning of May, so there's a certain amount of urgency on the matter.
And in the meanwhile we mourn Dave. And also do our best to make sure all our other friends know that they are appreciated now, while they are still alive. And we hold on to each other & make sure the other knows that they are loved & treasured.
Meanwhile MK lies in what was Dave's bed in hospital & superstitiously fears the same fate. Helen hopes this won't be the case & tries to get him home as soon as possible. She's aware that he is getting very dehydrated in hospital. He can not pour some water or lift a glass to his lips to drink. And there just isn't enough nursing staff to be beside his bed most of the time to give him water. Helen herself is not encouraged to stay longer than the 4 hours of regular visiting time. While she's there she tries her best to pour liquid down him, but he really needs a little & often. The ward in which MK is in is a rather depressing old Victorian one, which is not helping MK's morale one bit. We continue to wait & pray.
At last the kitchen people are done. John was round first thing yesterday. The last of the finishing touches were completed before 9am. In the afternoon Mark, our electrician arrived, & put up the new light fittings. Our next job is to decide on wallpaper. We've organised a decorator to come at the beginning of May, so there's a certain amount of urgency on the matter.
And in the meanwhile we mourn Dave. And also do our best to make sure all our other friends know that they are appreciated now, while they are still alive. And we hold on to each other & make sure the other knows that they are loved & treasured.
Wednesday 15 April 2009
Grim times
I can't quite raise much cheer this morning. As readers of the Fox's blog will know, our friend MK is in hospital now. Helen, his wife, rang first thing. It seems he has a chest infection. Hopefully it will be cured with antibiotics & he will be home soon.
He certainly wants to be. The problem is that with his lack of muscle in most of his body now, he really does need someone there, at his bedside, pretty well full time & the hospital just doesn't have the nursing staff. The other problem is that as a side effect of the Motor Neurone Disease he doesn't respond as well as he once did to antibiotics. We can just hope & pray.
Even more disturbing is that MK has been put into what was our friend Dave C's bed. Dave has now been moved to a quieter part of the ward, literally to die. His wife, Linda has given the hospital Dave's living will. In it he advised the hospital he didn't want medical intervention if he was once more in hospital with liver problems. As a result all medical intervention has been withdrawn.
Helen bumped into Linda & reckons that Dave is now in such a state that Helen was hard pushed to even recognise him. Further prayers. We had heard via Chinese whispers that Dave would be home in another few days. Now it seems it will only be in his coffin.
The two women obviously did what they could to support each other. A grim time for them both.
As a say, a saddening day.
I had been going to write about the antics of the blackbirds last night, or the meal I'm intending to cook from scratch in the microwave tonight, a noodle primavera. But that just seems so trivial now.
I even had a chat with our neighbour, Andy, this morning. He's celebrating the fact that the trial of the murderer of his step-daughter has happened. He's been convicted for two life sentences, with a minimum period of 22 years before parole can even be considered. This is a source of relief to Andy & Julie.
They have taken in the young grandchildren, & can now feel at least the murderer, & father of the children, will be in gaol throughout the children's childhood. It will also make getting formal custody of the grandchildren easier. That hearing is due next month. Hopefully then their life can start to be lived again, instead of just being an existence in limbo, unable to make any decisions about their future life.
Even this news seems trivial as I think of my friends in hospital. And of their wives, both waiting, both worrying, one dreading, the other unsure whether to dread or not. Both determined to put on a cheerful face for their husbands & the world.
He certainly wants to be. The problem is that with his lack of muscle in most of his body now, he really does need someone there, at his bedside, pretty well full time & the hospital just doesn't have the nursing staff. The other problem is that as a side effect of the Motor Neurone Disease he doesn't respond as well as he once did to antibiotics. We can just hope & pray.
Even more disturbing is that MK has been put into what was our friend Dave C's bed. Dave has now been moved to a quieter part of the ward, literally to die. His wife, Linda has given the hospital Dave's living will. In it he advised the hospital he didn't want medical intervention if he was once more in hospital with liver problems. As a result all medical intervention has been withdrawn.
Helen bumped into Linda & reckons that Dave is now in such a state that Helen was hard pushed to even recognise him. Further prayers. We had heard via Chinese whispers that Dave would be home in another few days. Now it seems it will only be in his coffin.
The two women obviously did what they could to support each other. A grim time for them both.
As a say, a saddening day.
I had been going to write about the antics of the blackbirds last night, or the meal I'm intending to cook from scratch in the microwave tonight, a noodle primavera. But that just seems so trivial now.
I even had a chat with our neighbour, Andy, this morning. He's celebrating the fact that the trial of the murderer of his step-daughter has happened. He's been convicted for two life sentences, with a minimum period of 22 years before parole can even be considered. This is a source of relief to Andy & Julie.
They have taken in the young grandchildren, & can now feel at least the murderer, & father of the children, will be in gaol throughout the children's childhood. It will also make getting formal custody of the grandchildren easier. That hearing is due next month. Hopefully then their life can start to be lived again, instead of just being an existence in limbo, unable to make any decisions about their future life.
Even this news seems trivial as I think of my friends in hospital. And of their wives, both waiting, both worrying, one dreading, the other unsure whether to dread or not. Both determined to put on a cheerful face for their husbands & the world.
Monday 13 April 2009
Alleluia
It's been a glorious Easter here. Today it's even so warm I've had to resort to taking my layers of woollies off. The washing is drying rapidly on the line as I write.
Yesterday was a particularly joyous day. By the time I'd heard part of the Easter Service from Christ Church, Oxford, on Radio 4, I was ready to burst. There were just so many alleluias at the end. (It featured among other pieces Handel's "Alleluia" chorus.) It is strange how that single word - almost more a sound than a word - lifts the spirits.
I progressed to getting the dinner prepared. The meal the Fox cooked in the evening demanded cooked broccoli. Nervously I thought I'd have a go cooking it in the microwave from frozen. Success!
Then I got the Mean Machine out & made the short trip to church. There I met a lady who'd come by bus. The bus company had got into the celebratory mood. They'd bedecked the bus with balloons & every passenger had been given an Easter egg, just a small one.
I was amazed by how many people turned out for the service, far more than usual. Most weeks there are less than 50 people in the congregation, yesterday I counted nearer 100. Quite why this should be I don't know. Easter? The sunshine? People too short of money to go away for a holiday this year? The baptism that was to follow the main communion service? Whatever the reason it was good to see the church so full. The service books even ended up having to be shared between couples. I've never known that to happen at this church.
By the time I left, having sung a few alleluias, I found myself humming all the way home. My sense of well being was then increased after a gentle stroll round our back garden We've had a poor showing of daffs this year, but the narcissi are doing better. The polyanthus is providing patches of pink & yellow, smiling cheerfully at the world. The cherry tree is bursting into flower. The apple & pear trees are budding up - a potential bumper crop this year by the look of things. The spirea, which the Fox planted, is fast becoming a mass of white froth. The flowering currant is still covered in pink, past its best but no less welcome. New shoots & leaves are appearing everywhere. The horizontal juniper which I'd thought was dead last year, is showing fresh new growth so maybe it was just having a shed, a bit of a rest for a year, & is now returning to its full glory. The frogs do like to hide under its branches. Spring is definitely burgeoning in all its splendour.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Yesterday was a particularly joyous day. By the time I'd heard part of the Easter Service from Christ Church, Oxford, on Radio 4, I was ready to burst. There were just so many alleluias at the end. (It featured among other pieces Handel's "Alleluia" chorus.) It is strange how that single word - almost more a sound than a word - lifts the spirits.
I progressed to getting the dinner prepared. The meal the Fox cooked in the evening demanded cooked broccoli. Nervously I thought I'd have a go cooking it in the microwave from frozen. Success!
Then I got the Mean Machine out & made the short trip to church. There I met a lady who'd come by bus. The bus company had got into the celebratory mood. They'd bedecked the bus with balloons & every passenger had been given an Easter egg, just a small one.
I was amazed by how many people turned out for the service, far more than usual. Most weeks there are less than 50 people in the congregation, yesterday I counted nearer 100. Quite why this should be I don't know. Easter? The sunshine? People too short of money to go away for a holiday this year? The baptism that was to follow the main communion service? Whatever the reason it was good to see the church so full. The service books even ended up having to be shared between couples. I've never known that to happen at this church.
By the time I left, having sung a few alleluias, I found myself humming all the way home. My sense of well being was then increased after a gentle stroll round our back garden We've had a poor showing of daffs this year, but the narcissi are doing better. The polyanthus is providing patches of pink & yellow, smiling cheerfully at the world. The cherry tree is bursting into flower. The apple & pear trees are budding up - a potential bumper crop this year by the look of things. The spirea, which the Fox planted, is fast becoming a mass of white froth. The flowering currant is still covered in pink, past its best but no less welcome. New shoots & leaves are appearing everywhere. The horizontal juniper which I'd thought was dead last year, is showing fresh new growth so maybe it was just having a shed, a bit of a rest for a year, & is now returning to its full glory. The frogs do like to hide under its branches. Spring is definitely burgeoning in all its splendour.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Saturday 11 April 2009
A good day
I've had a busy morning on the phone, thanking people for their kind thoughts yesterday. Being good Friday means we've been receiving Easter cards along with birthday cards. It's always nice to be thought of by friends.
Yesterday's party was noisy. All the regulars were in Geriatrics' Corner & a few infrequent visitors. Little B was there, back from his Spanish holiday a week early - it was so quiet, even his usual eateries weren't serving, such is the effect of the recession & the exchange rate. Paul & Judith were there when we arrived, though they soon left. Fran & Den came bringing a bottle of wine as a present. They brought along Mrs B, bearing the card she'd made especially for me. Jimmy & Doreen, friends of Fran & Den, had come up from Salford for the weekend so they came in too - they regularly caravan near here & have started to come along to Geriatric's Corner when they're in the area. Al, our gardener, was sat on his stool in the corner by the bar, quietly looking on. Mr P was back after his coast-to-coast charity cycle ride from Whitehaven to Sunderland - it had been a hard pedal up the Pennines to Alston, especially when he had to cycle into the wind & rain that day. Dick Gobble joined us & told us about the new business he's starting up.Gaz, the owner/manager, stopped to give me an embrace & birthday good wishes. PD arrived in good spirits after his latest hospital trip & discovering he's lost a stone in weight. The bar was busier than usual with it being Good Friday, but all joined in the celebration. It was good.
Then we came home & the Fox cooked a salmon & rice casserole. Delicious it was too, accompanied by an excellent Moldovan Pinot Grigio. Later in the evening we opened a bottle of pink champagne to the exuberant sound of Django Reinhardt, followed by a bit of Piaf - I do love "Celine".
All in all it was a good day. And what better way is there to spend a birthday than to be surrounded by the people you love & who love you.
Yesterday's party was noisy. All the regulars were in Geriatrics' Corner & a few infrequent visitors. Little B was there, back from his Spanish holiday a week early - it was so quiet, even his usual eateries weren't serving, such is the effect of the recession & the exchange rate. Paul & Judith were there when we arrived, though they soon left. Fran & Den came bringing a bottle of wine as a present. They brought along Mrs B, bearing the card she'd made especially for me. Jimmy & Doreen, friends of Fran & Den, had come up from Salford for the weekend so they came in too - they regularly caravan near here & have started to come along to Geriatric's Corner when they're in the area. Al, our gardener, was sat on his stool in the corner by the bar, quietly looking on. Mr P was back after his coast-to-coast charity cycle ride from Whitehaven to Sunderland - it had been a hard pedal up the Pennines to Alston, especially when he had to cycle into the wind & rain that day. Dick Gobble joined us & told us about the new business he's starting up.Gaz, the owner/manager, stopped to give me an embrace & birthday good wishes. PD arrived in good spirits after his latest hospital trip & discovering he's lost a stone in weight. The bar was busier than usual with it being Good Friday, but all joined in the celebration. It was good.
Then we came home & the Fox cooked a salmon & rice casserole. Delicious it was too, accompanied by an excellent Moldovan Pinot Grigio. Later in the evening we opened a bottle of pink champagne to the exuberant sound of Django Reinhardt, followed by a bit of Piaf - I do love "Celine".
All in all it was a good day. And what better way is there to spend a birthday than to be surrounded by the people you love & who love you.
Friday 10 April 2009
Encouraged
It was with some relief that we discover the jacket potato worked. The inside was really soft & fluffy. The skin could have been better. I'll obviously have to have a go at combining the oven or grill with the microwave. That way we should get a crispier finish. It was definitely a lot faster than the conventional oven method.
I will admit I've always resisted the idea of a microwave. I could see the usefulness of a defrost setting, but then I can usually remember in plenty of time to get the meat, fish or whatever out of the freezer so it will have thawed at room temperature in time for me to cook.
I could see the advantage for ready meals, but we rarely have ready meals.
As for scrambled eggs they don't take much longer cooked on the hob. I have a wonderful pan to use on the hob that just needs a quick wipe over with kitchen paper, so there's not even a difficult pan to clean afterwards.
The one thing I did think a microwave would be useful for is jacket potatoes. Last night's meal would confirm this advantage. I suspect we may have more jackets in future. We do enjoy them for snacks & they make a pleasant change as the potato part of a meal.
I am much encouraged. I'm intending to try doing a few meals from scratch in the microwave, real cooking. Their success will decide whether I shall use the microwave a lot, or whether it becomes relegated for use for jacket potatoes & warming things up. I know I will get use out of it as a fan oven & a grill. I'm just not sure about the microwave side of things.
I will admit I've always resisted the idea of a microwave. I could see the usefulness of a defrost setting, but then I can usually remember in plenty of time to get the meat, fish or whatever out of the freezer so it will have thawed at room temperature in time for me to cook.
I could see the advantage for ready meals, but we rarely have ready meals.
As for scrambled eggs they don't take much longer cooked on the hob. I have a wonderful pan to use on the hob that just needs a quick wipe over with kitchen paper, so there's not even a difficult pan to clean afterwards.
The one thing I did think a microwave would be useful for is jacket potatoes. Last night's meal would confirm this advantage. I suspect we may have more jackets in future. We do enjoy them for snacks & they make a pleasant change as the potato part of a meal.
I am much encouraged. I'm intending to try doing a few meals from scratch in the microwave, real cooking. Their success will decide whether I shall use the microwave a lot, or whether it becomes relegated for use for jacket potatoes & warming things up. I know I will get use out of it as a fan oven & a grill. I'm just not sure about the microwave side of things.
Thursday 9 April 2009
Oh so tired
I was tired yesterday. Oh so tired. Nonetheless, as arranged, we went to see our friends MK & Helen in the afternoon. And a pleasant afternoon it was. The wine went a bit to my head. I think that was largely a reflection of my tiredness. On the way back we stopped for a carvery meal at the County Hotel in Carnforth. The meat was delicious. I had some turkey & some ham. The carrots were a bit hard for my liking,but apart from that all was good. The portions were generous. You could hardly complain at £5 each!
We were home around 7pm. I was going to put some chicken into a marinade overnight but I really felt too exhausted to be bothered with peeling an onion & some ginger. Instead I got changed for bed, had a cup of tea, curled up to the Fox & watched a pre-recorded "NCIS" programme for an hour. By 8.30 I was in bed & soon in the Land of Nod.
I woke from time to time throughout the night, but soon fell back into sleep. It was with some reluctance that I got up this morning, shortly after 7.15am. I hastily got the marinade made & the chicken began its soak by 8. I just hope that's long enough.
We're having tandoori chicken kebabs for dinner tonight. As there isn't much sauce, just the marinade, I thought I'd have a go at making some jacket potatoes in the microwave. This is going to be an adventure for me. So far I've not even turned this microwave on. We've never owned one before. I've managed scrambled eggs before now but that is about the limit of my culinary experience with a microwave using raw ingredients. Oh I've warmed ready meals in one when we've been on holiday but that's about it. I'm nervous, but I'm sure it will work out well. Everyone says jacket potatoes in a microwave are a doddle & so much faster than done in a conventional oven. We'll see.
We were home around 7pm. I was going to put some chicken into a marinade overnight but I really felt too exhausted to be bothered with peeling an onion & some ginger. Instead I got changed for bed, had a cup of tea, curled up to the Fox & watched a pre-recorded "NCIS" programme for an hour. By 8.30 I was in bed & soon in the Land of Nod.
I woke from time to time throughout the night, but soon fell back into sleep. It was with some reluctance that I got up this morning, shortly after 7.15am. I hastily got the marinade made & the chicken began its soak by 8. I just hope that's long enough.
We're having tandoori chicken kebabs for dinner tonight. As there isn't much sauce, just the marinade, I thought I'd have a go at making some jacket potatoes in the microwave. This is going to be an adventure for me. So far I've not even turned this microwave on. We've never owned one before. I've managed scrambled eggs before now but that is about the limit of my culinary experience with a microwave using raw ingredients. Oh I've warmed ready meals in one when we've been on holiday but that's about it. I'm nervous, but I'm sure it will work out well. Everyone says jacket potatoes in a microwave are a doddle & so much faster than done in a conventional oven. We'll see.
Wednesday 8 April 2009
The violent society
I've just been doing the ironing to the "Today" programme on Radio 4. Among other things was the mention of the 2 teenage lads accused of the attack on another 2 children near Doncaster. The worthies seem to blame this attack on children growing up in more violent households these days.
Is it just me or has violence always been a feature of many children's upbringing? Wives & children have always been beaten. I certainly wouldn't have fancied going to Squeers' school in Dicken's "Nicholas Nickleby". Do you honestly think Bill Sykes would have stopped beating Nancy if he'd fathered a child with her in Dicken's "Oliver Twist"? I don't. Countless people have told of merciless beatings at schools, people like Churchill.
I can't help suspecting that the level of actual violence hasn't increased. I suspect the level of acknowledgement that such domestic violence occurs has increased. Certainly in educational terms the use of the cane has had its day. What is more students know their rights & use them to threaten their teachers, whether the latter have used violence or not. These days teachers daren't even put their arms round a crying child to comfort them without fear of prosecution.
What has changed is the level of visual portrayal of violence on TV, film, computer games. This violence is without consequence. They see people struck with great violence get up again, apparently unaffected, certainly not suffering.
Here's a heretical thought. Maybe the fact there is so little actual violence, with consequence, in children's lives is the problem. I'm sure some children don't even realise a knife stuck into someone is going to hurt the other, let alone potentially kill them.
And no, I don't think we should go back to a world in which child or wife beating is acceptable. I am not trying to encourage that. I just think the causal link between such violence & the behaviour of young people such as these on trial is a non sequitur. It's an excuse, not a cause. It's not even been established that the accused come from homes where domestic violence is a norm!
Is it just me or has violence always been a feature of many children's upbringing? Wives & children have always been beaten. I certainly wouldn't have fancied going to Squeers' school in Dicken's "Nicholas Nickleby". Do you honestly think Bill Sykes would have stopped beating Nancy if he'd fathered a child with her in Dicken's "Oliver Twist"? I don't. Countless people have told of merciless beatings at schools, people like Churchill.
I can't help suspecting that the level of actual violence hasn't increased. I suspect the level of acknowledgement that such domestic violence occurs has increased. Certainly in educational terms the use of the cane has had its day. What is more students know their rights & use them to threaten their teachers, whether the latter have used violence or not. These days teachers daren't even put their arms round a crying child to comfort them without fear of prosecution.
What has changed is the level of visual portrayal of violence on TV, film, computer games. This violence is without consequence. They see people struck with great violence get up again, apparently unaffected, certainly not suffering.
Here's a heretical thought. Maybe the fact there is so little actual violence, with consequence, in children's lives is the problem. I'm sure some children don't even realise a knife stuck into someone is going to hurt the other, let alone potentially kill them.
And no, I don't think we should go back to a world in which child or wife beating is acceptable. I am not trying to encourage that. I just think the causal link between such violence & the behaviour of young people such as these on trial is a non sequitur. It's an excuse, not a cause. It's not even been established that the accused come from homes where domestic violence is a norm!
Tuesday 7 April 2009
Bad news
Things take on a more sombre tone. PD is on the phone. Al, our mutual gardener, has been to his house today & told him some bad news, only PD's not sure if he's understood it properly. Are we going to the Pub today as he wants to check on what has actually happened? We hadn't seriously thought about the Pub at this point but the news, if true, is dire indeed so we agree to go & meet PD there.
At the Pub we discover it is bad. Dave C, our friend & joiner who fitted our bedroom 18 months ago, is once more in hospital. Over the weekend he had a liver & kidney failure. He'd been in a coma for a while. The latest news from his wife is that he's out of the coma, but they're not sure how it will have affected his brain. Visitors are now allowed - it had been family only while he was in the coma. Now she hopes many of us will get in to stimulate his mind as much as possible, even if he doesn't seem too responsive.
When Dave came out of hospital last year, he said he didn't want to go into hospital again. He couldn't face it. It has been suggested he ought to go back to Manchester Infirmary where he ended up last year, but, in accordance with Dave's wishes, Linda has said don't bother, a brave decision on her part. Now we all just keep our fingers cross, pray & hope Dave's natural resilience will bounce him back to health.
As a side thought, I can't help thinking about the role of a village pub. These days so many villages are losing their pubs. This incident makes you realise what a valuable social role they have. As a central point for news this Pub is beyond price. It is to the Pub we go for the facts, a maybe a drink to get over the shock of it, & it's to the Pub that Linda, his wife, goes as a one stop visit to let the whole village & all his friends know what's happening. Where is to play that important role in society with the demise of the village pub, shop & post office?
At the Pub we discover it is bad. Dave C, our friend & joiner who fitted our bedroom 18 months ago, is once more in hospital. Over the weekend he had a liver & kidney failure. He'd been in a coma for a while. The latest news from his wife is that he's out of the coma, but they're not sure how it will have affected his brain. Visitors are now allowed - it had been family only while he was in the coma. Now she hopes many of us will get in to stimulate his mind as much as possible, even if he doesn't seem too responsive.
When Dave came out of hospital last year, he said he didn't want to go into hospital again. He couldn't face it. It has been suggested he ought to go back to Manchester Infirmary where he ended up last year, but, in accordance with Dave's wishes, Linda has said don't bother, a brave decision on her part. Now we all just keep our fingers cross, pray & hope Dave's natural resilience will bounce him back to health.
As a side thought, I can't help thinking about the role of a village pub. These days so many villages are losing their pubs. This incident makes you realise what a valuable social role they have. As a central point for news this Pub is beyond price. It is to the Pub we go for the facts, a maybe a drink to get over the shock of it, & it's to the Pub that Linda, his wife, goes as a one stop visit to let the whole village & all his friends know what's happening. Where is to play that important role in society with the demise of the village pub, shop & post office?
Monday 6 April 2009
Milder days
A spag bol is plopping away on the hob. For once I'm making it rather than the Fox. Mine is a more traditional one. I'm using minced lamb for a bit of a change. There's also some bacon in it. This means there's some bacon fat to put outside on the stoop for the birds. It's a while since we've had much to put out. The fat stayed there a while. Then I heard the familiar cry of a black-backed gull. He's standing guard on the garage roof, letting everyone know there's food below. No one comes & he flies off without even stopping to feed.
A little later Mr Blackbird turns up. He's far keener on the idea of some bacon fat. Now it starts to disappear. I'm always pleased to see the smaller birds getting a look-in. The gulls are great bullies & rarely let the other birds get a feed.
I've decided today is sufficiently spring-like for me to start hardening off the herbs that have been in the kitchen over winter. It's still too early for Basil Bush. He doesn't like the frost & we're still having some heavy frosts at night, even if the days have become considerably milder than they were. The mint & the coriander can certainly start hardenng off. The plants already in the garden are showing new growth now. I reckon if they can survive, it's time for these pampered plants to get used to colder climes & have a drink of rainwater for a change. I'll keep bringing them in at night for a while, but later in the months I intend to plant them out in the big wide world, along with a tarragon plant I bought at the last Farmers' Market. On the whole I'm pleased with the way the herb garden is filling out, with new, stronger growth, this year.
A little later Mr Blackbird turns up. He's far keener on the idea of some bacon fat. Now it starts to disappear. I'm always pleased to see the smaller birds getting a look-in. The gulls are great bullies & rarely let the other birds get a feed.
I've decided today is sufficiently spring-like for me to start hardening off the herbs that have been in the kitchen over winter. It's still too early for Basil Bush. He doesn't like the frost & we're still having some heavy frosts at night, even if the days have become considerably milder than they were. The mint & the coriander can certainly start hardenng off. The plants already in the garden are showing new growth now. I reckon if they can survive, it's time for these pampered plants to get used to colder climes & have a drink of rainwater for a change. I'll keep bringing them in at night for a while, but later in the months I intend to plant them out in the big wide world, along with a tarragon plant I bought at the last Farmers' Market. On the whole I'm pleased with the way the herb garden is filling out, with new, stronger growth, this year.
Sunday 5 April 2009
Beware the gremlins
Today seems to be a day when the gremlins have come to visit. I decide to have a go on the computer. I've a few things to alter on my freezer contents list.
First the screen is a magnificent magenta colour. I persevere. The screen often starts like this but quickly settles down. And sure enough now it does.
Having finished doing what I wanted on Word, I thought I'd write a blog. I try to sign in. The computer doesn't accept the password.
I typed in the password with my eyes on my fingers rather than the screen. I now realise the password looks extraordinarily long.
OK so type it in again. First entry fine. Second entry & the problem begins. I press the key once but on the screen there are now half a dozen big black spots. I try again. The same. I try a third time, very slowly & deliberately. Success. Just one spot. On to the next entry. Again half a dozen spots appear on screen.
I start repeating the process from the beginning. Each time, very slowly & deliberately. After half a dozen false starts I've finally got here, by which time I've forgotten the subject matter of the blog!
Even then problems continue. Midway in the third sentence the print has changed. It's as though the first bit is in bold (even though I never put bold on) & the rest is in the normal script. I didn't change anything. It must be those gremlins at their games again.
I'm off before they decide to confuse me even more........
First the screen is a magnificent magenta colour. I persevere. The screen often starts like this but quickly settles down. And sure enough now it does.
Having finished doing what I wanted on Word, I thought I'd write a blog. I try to sign in. The computer doesn't accept the password.
I typed in the password with my eyes on my fingers rather than the screen. I now realise the password looks extraordinarily long.
OK so type it in again. First entry fine. Second entry & the problem begins. I press the key once but on the screen there are now half a dozen big black spots. I try again. The same. I try a third time, very slowly & deliberately. Success. Just one spot. On to the next entry. Again half a dozen spots appear on screen.
I start repeating the process from the beginning. Each time, very slowly & deliberately. After half a dozen false starts I've finally got here, by which time I've forgotten the subject matter of the blog!
Even then problems continue. Midway in the third sentence the print has changed. It's as though the first bit is in bold (even though I never put bold on) & the rest is in the normal script. I didn't change anything. It must be those gremlins at their games again.
I'm off before they decide to confuse me even more........
Friday 3 April 2009
Wildlife discrimination
"She's up at 6 am, looking out of the bedroom window, on heron patrol," says PD in Geriatrics' Corner. A heron has taken to early morning fishing in the pond in their garden. "If it appears, she's off down those stairs, arms flying, determined to scare it away."
We remember our close encounter with a heron when we lived on the edge of the Leighton RSPB Bird Sanctuary. We opened the rather thin front door to find the heron on our doorstep, about to knock on the door. We saw the villainous beak, gently backed away, closing the door behind us, giving it chance to move along. That beak could easily have speared its way through the hardboard door, not to mention our legs.
"She fancied a wildlife garden, so I agreed. She wanted a pond with natural wildlife in it. She's loves showing the grandchildren the water boatmen and so on. But she complains about the heron fishing, & the sparrowhawk hunting. She's no happier about the wild rabbit that hops along in. It ventures into her veg plot. Lord knows what would happen if a fox decided to visit & chase after the bantams."
PD cannot understand this discrimination against some wildlife. "It's all part of nature I tell her. There's a mix of good & bad. You have to accept both sides."
It is true enough. Nature is a war between predator & prey half the time. Personally I would be thrilled if all that wildlife wanted to visit our garden. Though I will admit the visit of a sparrowhawk does tend to result in a distinct absence of birdlife for a while afterwards.
We remember our close encounter with a heron when we lived on the edge of the Leighton RSPB Bird Sanctuary. We opened the rather thin front door to find the heron on our doorstep, about to knock on the door. We saw the villainous beak, gently backed away, closing the door behind us, giving it chance to move along. That beak could easily have speared its way through the hardboard door, not to mention our legs.
"She fancied a wildlife garden, so I agreed. She wanted a pond with natural wildlife in it. She's loves showing the grandchildren the water boatmen and so on. But she complains about the heron fishing, & the sparrowhawk hunting. She's no happier about the wild rabbit that hops along in. It ventures into her veg plot. Lord knows what would happen if a fox decided to visit & chase after the bantams."
PD cannot understand this discrimination against some wildlife. "It's all part of nature I tell her. There's a mix of good & bad. You have to accept both sides."
It is true enough. Nature is a war between predator & prey half the time. Personally I would be thrilled if all that wildlife wanted to visit our garden. Though I will admit the visit of a sparrowhawk does tend to result in a distinct absence of birdlife for a while afterwards.
Thursday 2 April 2009
Birthday season
As we make our way to the Pub, I'm struck by the fact we're well & truly in yellow season. The gardens & hedgerows abound with yellow flowers - daffodils & narcissi, forsythia, dandelions & celandines. It always amazes me how all the flowers of the same colour seem to dominate this time of year. And also by how joyous & cheerful they look.
Yesterday was birthday party day at Geriatrics' Corner. In fact there are 2 birthdays, Fran & Paul. With all the celebration it makes it a very jolly occasion & a better than usual turn-out.
Paul is a younger member of our group, a bit on the periphery at the moment. He's reached the advanced age of 54, still working. All the family have taken the day off work to celebrate his birthday. So here are Judith, his wife, a librarian, & his two sons, Sam & Joe. We know Joe better. He used to work as a barman at the Pub when he was at university. He graduated last summer. Sam is a little older. He's off to the Far East soon for a year, starting in Singapore, then going on to Thailand for a month before going on to Australia. They make such a nice family group. All happy chatting to each other & enjoying each other's company.
Fran is the older of the birthday pair. She's in her 70s & grows younger in some ways every day. Such a kind & generous person. She's suggested she'll give us a ring some time next week & arrange a time for lunch out at the golf club. She & Den are both members so they can sign us in. We've never been before so it will be interesting to see. We've no intention of taking up golf but the golf club is one of the important social hubs in the area, with lots going on, so we're curious to see.
Fran still badly misses her husband, Harry, who died a few years ago. Den is her lodger & very good friend. Harry knew Den through the steam traction engine club - they both enjoyed playing around with these overgrown toys. So when Den got divorced, & was left homeless & broke as a result of the settlement, Harry suggested Den came to stay with them. There he's stayed for 20 odd years & become part of the family. Now that Harry is no more, Den has been an invaluable support for Fran. I'm not sure how she would cope without him.
Yesterday was birthday party day at Geriatrics' Corner. In fact there are 2 birthdays, Fran & Paul. With all the celebration it makes it a very jolly occasion & a better than usual turn-out.
Paul is a younger member of our group, a bit on the periphery at the moment. He's reached the advanced age of 54, still working. All the family have taken the day off work to celebrate his birthday. So here are Judith, his wife, a librarian, & his two sons, Sam & Joe. We know Joe better. He used to work as a barman at the Pub when he was at university. He graduated last summer. Sam is a little older. He's off to the Far East soon for a year, starting in Singapore, then going on to Thailand for a month before going on to Australia. They make such a nice family group. All happy chatting to each other & enjoying each other's company.
Fran is the older of the birthday pair. She's in her 70s & grows younger in some ways every day. Such a kind & generous person. She's suggested she'll give us a ring some time next week & arrange a time for lunch out at the golf club. She & Den are both members so they can sign us in. We've never been before so it will be interesting to see. We've no intention of taking up golf but the golf club is one of the important social hubs in the area, with lots going on, so we're curious to see.
Fran still badly misses her husband, Harry, who died a few years ago. Den is her lodger & very good friend. Harry knew Den through the steam traction engine club - they both enjoyed playing around with these overgrown toys. So when Den got divorced, & was left homeless & broke as a result of the settlement, Harry suggested Den came to stay with them. There he's stayed for 20 odd years & become part of the family. Now that Harry is no more, Den has been an invaluable support for Fran. I'm not sure how she would cope without him.
Wednesday 1 April 2009
What a relief!
After doing the big food shop yesterday, we toodled along to the Pub. Al, our gardener, had been while we were away so he needed paying. We don't like to leave paying small one man businesses any longer than is necessary.
We were also curious. When we'd seen Fran & Den on Monday, we were told that Al had reported at the Pub that there were problems with our kitchen installation. We wondered what they were.
It turned out it was just that he'd been round twice. On neither occasion was there any sign of workmen. He was therefore surprised when we reported it was finished on Saturday. There's a few tweaks to be done, the odd finishing touches, that's it. And on the whole we're pleased with the results.
Then the saga of all the problems with new kitchens, especially new kitchen equipment, came. Al, too, is renovating his kitchen. He's pleased so far with his new cooker & microwave, but, by the time some of the horrendous experiences of some people with new fan ovens etc were related, I was feeling distinctly nervous about cooking dinner. I remember the last time we changed cooker how often food was burnt or not cooked. I came to the conclusion then, that every cooker has its own personality & foibles. You've just got to discover them & adapt.
We got home & I started cooking. Result - flavoursome chips, sweet glossy Vichy carrots, puff pastry suitably puffed & golden, chicken vol-au-vent filling warm & tasty. I admit the pastry was a little bit over browned but I can easily adjust my cooking times in future.
Oh, how great it was to eat real home cooked food again! The Fox had cooked on Sunday but it was just a mass produced frozen pie. This was a meal made with raw ingredients. OK. The puff pastry was frozen, but I'd rolled & cut it into vol-au-vents, the sauce was condensed soup & the chicken was just some left over from a roast I'd done some time ago. But it tasted of home. What a relief!
Today it's the Fox's turn to try real home cooking. He's getting out his beloved wok & doing us a salmon & green bean stir fry. And I, for on, am looking forward to it.
It's good to be back to some normality again!
We were also curious. When we'd seen Fran & Den on Monday, we were told that Al had reported at the Pub that there were problems with our kitchen installation. We wondered what they were.
It turned out it was just that he'd been round twice. On neither occasion was there any sign of workmen. He was therefore surprised when we reported it was finished on Saturday. There's a few tweaks to be done, the odd finishing touches, that's it. And on the whole we're pleased with the results.
Then the saga of all the problems with new kitchens, especially new kitchen equipment, came. Al, too, is renovating his kitchen. He's pleased so far with his new cooker & microwave, but, by the time some of the horrendous experiences of some people with new fan ovens etc were related, I was feeling distinctly nervous about cooking dinner. I remember the last time we changed cooker how often food was burnt or not cooked. I came to the conclusion then, that every cooker has its own personality & foibles. You've just got to discover them & adapt.
We got home & I started cooking. Result - flavoursome chips, sweet glossy Vichy carrots, puff pastry suitably puffed & golden, chicken vol-au-vent filling warm & tasty. I admit the pastry was a little bit over browned but I can easily adjust my cooking times in future.
Oh, how great it was to eat real home cooked food again! The Fox had cooked on Sunday but it was just a mass produced frozen pie. This was a meal made with raw ingredients. OK. The puff pastry was frozen, but I'd rolled & cut it into vol-au-vents, the sauce was condensed soup & the chicken was just some left over from a roast I'd done some time ago. But it tasted of home. What a relief!
Today it's the Fox's turn to try real home cooking. He's getting out his beloved wok & doing us a salmon & green bean stir fry. And I, for on, am looking forward to it.
It's good to be back to some normality again!
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