Meanwhile my thoughts are going to you, my readers. I wish you all a
HAPPY NEW YEAR.
May it be filled with joy. I'm sure there will be the inevitable ups & downs in the course of it, but may the ups outweigh the downs.
HAPPY 2011.
Friday 31 December 2010
Late arrival
It finally arrived. I've been a bit anxious since one of my cousins failed to send a Christmas card. Had something dire happened to her? I had decided to phone tomorrow. Then yesterday the card arrived. I was utterly bemused to see the note enclosed was dated Nov 14. Yes that is NOVEMBER, not December. I know weather's been bad down south. Snow has caused much delay in postal services but that's a bit ridiculous. But at least my mind is at rest now. No need to worry about her.
Meanwhile my thoughts are going to you, my readers. I wish you all a
Meanwhile my thoughts are going to you, my readers. I wish you all a
Thursday 30 December 2010
At last
"It will be the 12th of Jan before we can come," said the voice from the Water Authority at the other end of the telephone line.
At this Dave erupted. "But we've already been half a week without water."
Eventually a compromise was agreed. They would come today, Thursday. This was Tuesday.
Dave continued to come round with his bucket & kettle. Yesterday he managed to find somewhere to buy the 5 gallon water containers you see in waiting rooms & offices. Now he only came with his bucket for water to flush the loo.
So we'd just finished dinner. The Fox was just clearing up, washing bowl on the go, when the doorbell went. Dave. No bucket, just a broad smile & a whoop of joy. They'd absentmindedly switched on the tap, forgetting the lack of water, & a trickle came out. The trickle wasn't particularly healthy looking but at least it was coming through. He was now confident things would be alright. Once more he thanked us for our help - he'd brought a bottle of wine round in the morning as a sign of their appreciation.
Since then, this morning the water in our cold water tap is considerably warmer as is the day, so hopefully all is flowing well for them. Now Dave just needs to wait anxiously in case there is any sign of a burst. Hopefully the water wasn't so long frozen to have burst the pipe anywhere. Meanwhile he'll cancel the appointment with the Water Authority.
What it must be like in Northern Ireland! And to think Dave & his wife were only away for just over 24 hours, leaving their heating on in their absence!
At this Dave erupted. "But we've already been half a week without water."
Eventually a compromise was agreed. They would come today, Thursday. This was Tuesday.
Dave continued to come round with his bucket & kettle. Yesterday he managed to find somewhere to buy the 5 gallon water containers you see in waiting rooms & offices. Now he only came with his bucket for water to flush the loo.
So we'd just finished dinner. The Fox was just clearing up, washing bowl on the go, when the doorbell went. Dave. No bucket, just a broad smile & a whoop of joy. They'd absentmindedly switched on the tap, forgetting the lack of water, & a trickle came out. The trickle wasn't particularly healthy looking but at least it was coming through. He was now confident things would be alright. Once more he thanked us for our help - he'd brought a bottle of wine round in the morning as a sign of their appreciation.
Since then, this morning the water in our cold water tap is considerably warmer as is the day, so hopefully all is flowing well for them. Now Dave just needs to wait anxiously in case there is any sign of a burst. Hopefully the water wasn't so long frozen to have burst the pipe anywhere. Meanwhile he'll cancel the appointment with the Water Authority.
What it must be like in Northern Ireland! And to think Dave & his wife were only away for just over 24 hours, leaving their heating on in their absence!
Tuesday 28 December 2010
Too little yet too much
And so Dave, our neighbour, keeps coming round, bucket & kettle in hand. His water supply has still not been restored. The great thaw has happened. Pretty well all the slush has been washed away after a night of rain. No apparent bursts have appeared. Dave has tried plumbers & the Water Authority. Everyone says the same thing - it's not our job. Dave & his wife have got to the stage of not caring whose responsibility it is, as long as someone sorts it out.
They've done very well. They dug up a lot of snow to use for loo flushing. They've now got the buckets & pans out collecting the rainwater as it falls. They don't like to pester us all the time. They want water to come from the tap when they switch it on. It's not too much to ask, is it? Apparently so.
Other neighbours will be returning home soon from their holiday breaks. I'm beginning to think they will all be queueing up at our door when they discover they, too, haven't got water.
Meanwhile the world has returned to its usual grey & wet.
We got to the Pub yesterday. Everyone seems to have had a good Christmas. All are already regretting the disappearance of the brilliant white winter wonderland with its bright blue skies & which has now be replaced by dark grey. In other words there's been a change of moan. Life goes on.
They've done very well. They dug up a lot of snow to use for loo flushing. They've now got the buckets & pans out collecting the rainwater as it falls. They don't like to pester us all the time. They want water to come from the tap when they switch it on. It's not too much to ask, is it? Apparently so.
Other neighbours will be returning home soon from their holiday breaks. I'm beginning to think they will all be queueing up at our door when they discover they, too, haven't got water.
Meanwhile the world has returned to its usual grey & wet.
We got to the Pub yesterday. Everyone seems to have had a good Christmas. All are already regretting the disappearance of the brilliant white winter wonderland with its bright blue skies & which has now be replaced by dark grey. In other words there's been a change of moan. Life goes on.
Monday 27 December 2010
The price of going away
I hope you all had as good a Christmas Day as we did. The meal was excellent. Den & Fran were in good form. The gifts in the crackers were worthwhile. Altogether a pleasant time.
Yesterday was quiet. At least until teatime, when the doorbell went. It was a neighbour, just back from a night away for Christmas. He was wondering if we had water, as they had none. I knew we had earlier on - I'd been busily doing the week's wash - but I went to check. Yes, we still had water.
He'd tried us as we were further up the mains water supply. Clearly any problem was between the mains & their house. He then went home, back to the task of finding a plumber on Boxing Day. The Fox popped over with a kettleful of water so they could at least get a drink. Later on Dave was back, seeking more water. They'd had no luck & would have to survive until today without a mains water supply, so we've become the water-hole for them.
They'd left the central heating on while they'd been away as they have a cat which they'd left in the house. Somehow an underground pipe must have frozen even so. The lack of flow of water for about 30 hours was sufficient to enable it to solidify. They are now just hoping not too much damage has been done & that something can be done to solve the problem today.
If nothing else the thaw has set in overnight. Everywhere is slushy, a condition encouraged by the rain & sleet we had earlier on this morning. In many ways it is more dangerous under foot than it has been so far.
I'll be glad to get back to more temperate times, a world of colour with green grass instead everything white. The novelty has more than worn off. For that matter a world which is just not so cold. Brr.
Yesterday was quiet. At least until teatime, when the doorbell went. It was a neighbour, just back from a night away for Christmas. He was wondering if we had water, as they had none. I knew we had earlier on - I'd been busily doing the week's wash - but I went to check. Yes, we still had water.
He'd tried us as we were further up the mains water supply. Clearly any problem was between the mains & their house. He then went home, back to the task of finding a plumber on Boxing Day. The Fox popped over with a kettleful of water so they could at least get a drink. Later on Dave was back, seeking more water. They'd had no luck & would have to survive until today without a mains water supply, so we've become the water-hole for them.
They'd left the central heating on while they'd been away as they have a cat which they'd left in the house. Somehow an underground pipe must have frozen even so. The lack of flow of water for about 30 hours was sufficient to enable it to solidify. They are now just hoping not too much damage has been done & that something can be done to solve the problem today.
If nothing else the thaw has set in overnight. Everywhere is slushy, a condition encouraged by the rain & sleet we had earlier on this morning. In many ways it is more dangerous under foot than it has been so far.
I'll be glad to get back to more temperate times, a world of colour with green grass instead everything white. The novelty has more than worn off. For that matter a world which is just not so cold. Brr.
Friday 24 December 2010
More festive at last
Maybe things are picking up.
We toodled up to the Pub. It was heaving with builders coming for the firm's Xmas dinner. It made it hard for the Fox to hear. Nonetheless there was good cheer. Al, our gardener, was taking a break from the Christmas baking. He comes from a family of bakers so that's his domain, especially at this time of year. Phil, the Whizz Kid, is full of the news of his twin grand-daughters, born just days ago. In came Paul & Cheryl with tales of their hens with their red Santa hats. Russell, the pie-maker, popped in for a brief respite. He was going to have to be up baking at 4am today. Pies are disappearing like hot cakes apparently. He cheerily told me not to burn the turkey. PD was full of invitations for us to pop round some time over the Christmas period. He still regrets that we won't agree to seeing the New Year in at his house. Good spirits abound. We had the news that the stopping & restarting of his heart had not worked for Rob, the landlord, though he had at least successfully revived (which he had feared) & is now safely home again. But even that did not stop the good cheer.
Once home we dug into a very nice minced lamb pie, homemade of course.
After dinner, we watched "The Andy Williams Christmas Show" on BBC4, a half hour of festive song. This we followed with an excellent bottle of Vouvray to the sounds of Dusty Springfield.
Suddenly the world is looking more festive.
Which reminds me of the most important part of this blog. I suspect I won't be writing tomorrow, so I shall take this opportunity to wish all my readers
We toodled up to the Pub. It was heaving with builders coming for the firm's Xmas dinner. It made it hard for the Fox to hear. Nonetheless there was good cheer. Al, our gardener, was taking a break from the Christmas baking. He comes from a family of bakers so that's his domain, especially at this time of year. Phil, the Whizz Kid, is full of the news of his twin grand-daughters, born just days ago. In came Paul & Cheryl with tales of their hens with their red Santa hats. Russell, the pie-maker, popped in for a brief respite. He was going to have to be up baking at 4am today. Pies are disappearing like hot cakes apparently. He cheerily told me not to burn the turkey. PD was full of invitations for us to pop round some time over the Christmas period. He still regrets that we won't agree to seeing the New Year in at his house. Good spirits abound. We had the news that the stopping & restarting of his heart had not worked for Rob, the landlord, though he had at least successfully revived (which he had feared) & is now safely home again. But even that did not stop the good cheer.
Once home we dug into a very nice minced lamb pie, homemade of course.
After dinner, we watched "The Andy Williams Christmas Show" on BBC4, a half hour of festive song. This we followed with an excellent bottle of Vouvray to the sounds of Dusty Springfield.
Suddenly the world is looking more festive.
Which reminds me of the most important part of this blog. I suspect I won't be writing tomorrow, so I shall take this opportunity to wish all my readers
A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL
Thursday 23 December 2010
Festive gloom
Readers of the Fox's blog will realise we're having problems with raising much festive cheer this year. I think we've finally got the tree looking good, all the cards are out, many received, the freezer is well stocked, bird food supplies are replenished, all should be set for go.
I find myself trying to analyse why there is this absence of festive cheer. I've come to certain conclusions.
Firstly I suppose it is that Christmas should have a religious element in it, to my mind. Yet would I make such a fuss about anyone else's birthday? No. Part of it is undoubtedly that I've not managed to get to church since mid-November due to the weather. This means I've not sung any carols, seen the tree in church, lit the advent candles, heard the Christmas stories anew. I had hoped to at least get to the Carol Service but there was far too much ice for me. There is a steep ramp into our church which isn't salted or cleared - a very dangerous path in these inclement times.
Christmas used to be associated with certain rituals. Christmas Eve was always the Big Bake day, when my mother & I made plate size minced pies & jam tarts, as well as dozens of smaller ones - a time when she was exclusively mine, a rare event in the year. Come the evening my brother would join us to prepare the turkey. Christmas Day was my special time with my father when we would walk down together to the morning service at church while the dinner was cooking. But now both parents are dead, along with my brother. Even after setting up my own home with the Fox, certain rituals became established, the bottle of port on Christmas Eve, the special meal on the Day but now our tastes have moved from port, & certainly our capacity to drink it in such quantities is diminished, & the dinner is just too exhausting to make.
Other things I associate with Christmas are the getting together of families & friends, some of whom are rarely seen throughout the year. But now so many of the immediate family are no longer here, & so many houses are just not accessible for me now. We never had the children who should now be visiting.
Even the long break from work was part of the treat of Christmas but when you no longer work then that is nothing very special.
Instead of all these things that should make this time exciting, all I'm seeing is the long queues in the shops, especially the supermarkets. The sense of panic that radiates from all these stressed shoppers. Then there's the bars crowded with noisy over-indulged merrymakers. And in the midst of this there's anxiety, too, over friends - Jean, our friend with cancer should be hearing today whether her tumour has shrunk sufficiently for her to have an operation in January to safely remove most of it, & Rob, the landlord at the Pub, is having his heart stopped & restarted today in the hope of restoring a more normal heart rhythm. It isn't helped with hearing that the Fox's trip to the surgery yesterday was bad news so he will be seeing the doc early in the new year. Admittedly the nurse who did the test is young & very panicky about anything that varies the least bit from the stipulated norm, so there may be no real cause for concern, but that doesn't stop the worrying. At least my tooth is repaired & seems to be settling down fine.
Hopefully our Christmas lunch should be something special. The menu certainly looks good. I'm just hoping Den & Fran are in better mood than last year. Admittedly that was about the first time Den had ventured out since his stroke &, as far as I've know, he's in good health now. But Christmas is always a bad time for them as Fran's first husband, Den's best friend, died on Christmas Eve & tends to cast a dark shadow over the event for them.
No, despite all the above, I'm telling myself it will be a happy Christmas. Now the chores are done, we can sit back & get on to the fun.
I find myself trying to analyse why there is this absence of festive cheer. I've come to certain conclusions.
Firstly I suppose it is that Christmas should have a religious element in it, to my mind. Yet would I make such a fuss about anyone else's birthday? No. Part of it is undoubtedly that I've not managed to get to church since mid-November due to the weather. This means I've not sung any carols, seen the tree in church, lit the advent candles, heard the Christmas stories anew. I had hoped to at least get to the Carol Service but there was far too much ice for me. There is a steep ramp into our church which isn't salted or cleared - a very dangerous path in these inclement times.
Christmas used to be associated with certain rituals. Christmas Eve was always the Big Bake day, when my mother & I made plate size minced pies & jam tarts, as well as dozens of smaller ones - a time when she was exclusively mine, a rare event in the year. Come the evening my brother would join us to prepare the turkey. Christmas Day was my special time with my father when we would walk down together to the morning service at church while the dinner was cooking. But now both parents are dead, along with my brother. Even after setting up my own home with the Fox, certain rituals became established, the bottle of port on Christmas Eve, the special meal on the Day but now our tastes have moved from port, & certainly our capacity to drink it in such quantities is diminished, & the dinner is just too exhausting to make.
Other things I associate with Christmas are the getting together of families & friends, some of whom are rarely seen throughout the year. But now so many of the immediate family are no longer here, & so many houses are just not accessible for me now. We never had the children who should now be visiting.
Even the long break from work was part of the treat of Christmas but when you no longer work then that is nothing very special.
Instead of all these things that should make this time exciting, all I'm seeing is the long queues in the shops, especially the supermarkets. The sense of panic that radiates from all these stressed shoppers. Then there's the bars crowded with noisy over-indulged merrymakers. And in the midst of this there's anxiety, too, over friends - Jean, our friend with cancer should be hearing today whether her tumour has shrunk sufficiently for her to have an operation in January to safely remove most of it, & Rob, the landlord at the Pub, is having his heart stopped & restarted today in the hope of restoring a more normal heart rhythm. It isn't helped with hearing that the Fox's trip to the surgery yesterday was bad news so he will be seeing the doc early in the new year. Admittedly the nurse who did the test is young & very panicky about anything that varies the least bit from the stipulated norm, so there may be no real cause for concern, but that doesn't stop the worrying. At least my tooth is repaired & seems to be settling down fine.
Hopefully our Christmas lunch should be something special. The menu certainly looks good. I'm just hoping Den & Fran are in better mood than last year. Admittedly that was about the first time Den had ventured out since his stroke &, as far as I've know, he's in good health now. But Christmas is always a bad time for them as Fran's first husband, Den's best friend, died on Christmas Eve & tends to cast a dark shadow over the event for them.
No, despite all the above, I'm telling myself it will be a happy Christmas. Now the chores are done, we can sit back & get on to the fun.
Tuesday 21 December 2010
Food matters
After yesterday's dinner, I concluded I would have to revise my meals plans for the days ahead. The hole in my tooth hadn't particularly affected my pleasure in eating the Fox's dinner on Sunday, a salmon kedgeree, but yesterday's meatballs were hard going. The crisp chips & crisp edging of the meatballs & the pancetta in which they were wrapped, was difficult. I then spent the evening trying to get a small piece of minced pork from the meatball out of the cavity. So today the chips are off & I'm making a curry instead. Wednesday's slow roast belly of pork can wait. The last thing I need is crackling when I have a new filling, even if it's a temp.Instead the Fox is going to have a go at a kipper & egg filled jacket potato. Hopefully by then I will be able to eat without worrying about the effect on my mouth.
Meanwhile that other hungry feeder has arrived. Mr Blackbird arrived on the kitchen doorstep. His beady eye turned to me imploringly. So more food was thrown out. I half-expect him to be pecking at the door tomorrow for attention.
We did manage to get out yesterday. The tree is now decorated. But today is the challenge of a last trip to Morrisons, & hopefully to the pet shop for some more wild bird food. Mr Blackbird is clearly eager to be fed & we seem very low on supplies of wild bird food. That will never do. This is not the time to neglect feeding our feathered friends.
Meanwhile that other hungry feeder has arrived. Mr Blackbird arrived on the kitchen doorstep. His beady eye turned to me imploringly. So more food was thrown out. I half-expect him to be pecking at the door tomorrow for attention.
We did manage to get out yesterday. The tree is now decorated. But today is the challenge of a last trip to Morrisons, & hopefully to the pet shop for some more wild bird food. Mr Blackbird is clearly eager to be fed & we seem very low on supplies of wild bird food. That will never do. This is not the time to neglect feeding our feathered friends.
Monday 20 December 2010
Going out?
I picked up the hand free phone to take it through into the study - I'm expecting PD to ring any minute to see if we're coming out to play - when suddenly it rings. How's that for timing I thought. It wasn't PD. Instead it was an unfamiliar voice - the Fire Brigade. They'd installed a fire alarm a while ago & were just ringing to check all was well. Kind of them I thought but I assured him we checked the alarm regularly & it always bleeped, though it never did when I burnt the dinner. He told me great & again asked if we'd like them to come round for anything. Again I said no. It is only now dawning on me that what he was really offering was to do any shopping etc as, knowing I was an elderly or disabled person as I'd had to be to get the free alarm, they'd thought we might be having difficulties getting around due to the amount of ice & maybe running out of food supplies for example. What a kind thought. I'm all the gladder that I'd wished them Merry Christmas.
As for PD, I'm not sure if we'll be going out or not this afternoon. The road outside looks like an ice rink. We had thought we might have to go out. I managed to lose a bit of a tooth on the roast goose on Saturday. However, as my tooth is aching at a very tolerable level, I've not got an appointment until Wednesday. I suspect my Christmas present is going to be another crowned tooth! Exciting isn't it? But I will be relieved not to have a jagged hole.
Our other reason to venturing out is that we finally decided to get the Christmas tree out. The first thing we tried was the lights. Nothing. We checked all the bulbs were securely in. Light. The Fox draped them on the tree. Dead once more. Took them off, twiddled the bulbs, light came on, so put them on the tree again & once more the lights died. This time we couldn't get them going again so we're thinking it's time for some new lights.
I've also finally decided to get a turkey, for the new year rather than Christmas. Experience has taught us turkeys become astronomically expensive outside the pre-Christmas rush. One year I had thought there would be some good offers to clear the freezers, but no, they doubled the price instead. If we can get out we're thinking of a quick shop before the pandemonium of the last few days of food shopping before the festive season.
All depends on the state of the road. We're telling ourselves once we're out of our side road, onto the main roads, we'll be okay. Those roads will be well salted. Cars do seem to be managing to manoeuvre better today. Tyres do seem to be able to get some traction & not just spin around going nowhere. We'll see how it looks by this afternoon. I certainly can't see us wanting to be out late, when the freeze once more sets in. At least it's got u to -8C today!
All this cold has kept our avian friends busy. Yesterday the goose skin disappeared rapidly under the onslaught of a flock of starlings. This morning I looked out of the kitchen window to see Mr Blackbird sifting through the snow on the patio wall. I usually put the hanging feeders there when I'm filling them. I think he was hoping to find some escapee seeds. He doesn't usually like foraging quite so close to the house. My heart went out to him. I hastily got out some bread for him. Then I progressed to preparing our dinner - some meatballs with a festive touch of cranberries. There was a part slice of bread & a few dried cranberries left, so they, too, got scattered across the patio. It only took a few minutes before Mr Blackbird was back, with the wife this time, feeding happily. They really must be desperate in this cold.
And that's another reason to try to get out. We're nearly out of bird food & our avian friends definitely need feeding up if they're to survive this vicious cold.
And yes, I was right. PD has rung while I've been writing this blog.
As for PD, I'm not sure if we'll be going out or not this afternoon. The road outside looks like an ice rink. We had thought we might have to go out. I managed to lose a bit of a tooth on the roast goose on Saturday. However, as my tooth is aching at a very tolerable level, I've not got an appointment until Wednesday. I suspect my Christmas present is going to be another crowned tooth! Exciting isn't it? But I will be relieved not to have a jagged hole.
Our other reason to venturing out is that we finally decided to get the Christmas tree out. The first thing we tried was the lights. Nothing. We checked all the bulbs were securely in. Light. The Fox draped them on the tree. Dead once more. Took them off, twiddled the bulbs, light came on, so put them on the tree again & once more the lights died. This time we couldn't get them going again so we're thinking it's time for some new lights.
I've also finally decided to get a turkey, for the new year rather than Christmas. Experience has taught us turkeys become astronomically expensive outside the pre-Christmas rush. One year I had thought there would be some good offers to clear the freezers, but no, they doubled the price instead. If we can get out we're thinking of a quick shop before the pandemonium of the last few days of food shopping before the festive season.
All depends on the state of the road. We're telling ourselves once we're out of our side road, onto the main roads, we'll be okay. Those roads will be well salted. Cars do seem to be managing to manoeuvre better today. Tyres do seem to be able to get some traction & not just spin around going nowhere. We'll see how it looks by this afternoon. I certainly can't see us wanting to be out late, when the freeze once more sets in. At least it's got u to -8C today!
All this cold has kept our avian friends busy. Yesterday the goose skin disappeared rapidly under the onslaught of a flock of starlings. This morning I looked out of the kitchen window to see Mr Blackbird sifting through the snow on the patio wall. I usually put the hanging feeders there when I'm filling them. I think he was hoping to find some escapee seeds. He doesn't usually like foraging quite so close to the house. My heart went out to him. I hastily got out some bread for him. Then I progressed to preparing our dinner - some meatballs with a festive touch of cranberries. There was a part slice of bread & a few dried cranberries left, so they, too, got scattered across the patio. It only took a few minutes before Mr Blackbird was back, with the wife this time, feeding happily. They really must be desperate in this cold.
And that's another reason to try to get out. We're nearly out of bird food & our avian friends definitely need feeding up if they're to survive this vicious cold.
And yes, I was right. PD has rung while I've been writing this blog.
Sunday 19 December 2010
Snow, & water
The snow has finally arrived. It came Friday night. By the morning everything was under an inch of white, not much compared with most areas but plenty for us. So yesterday I was anxious when I saw great flakes of white descending. Then I realised it wasn't snowing, it was just windy. As the evergreens blew around, they scattered snow from their boughs in every direction like shaggy dogs after a swim. Today all is frozen, -15C. I nervously ventured off to the bird table to let them have the skin etc from the roast goose we had yesterday - delicious by the way. My feet never sank in the snow. It was just too hard. I'm pleased to see now that the birds have found my offering & are devouring it hungrily.
********************
As so often I wasn't sleeping so well last night. I switched on the radio, BBC World Service, "The Food that Feeds Billions". By the time I had listened to this programme I was desperate. Half an hour - it seemed like hours - on the subject of bottled water with appropriate watery sounds was enough to drive me to the loo rather than to the Land of Nod again. What a time to have such a programme on! I had to tell myself that most listeners would be listening in other time zones where it would come over as an interesting programme. To me, in England, in the middle of the night, it was just too liquid!
Thursday 16 December 2010
Surprise post
There is a great noise at the door. The post has come. It's not the usual Christmas cards. No this is a large official-looking envelope. The bathroom designs at last, I think. But no, the envelope is stamped "Lancaashire County Council".
I am somewhat bemused to discover it is about the proposed cuts in adult social service provision. It's a consultation document, a questionnaire. I haven't done this sort for work for years.
I used to do quite a lot of such work when we lived in Arnside. I did it on behalf of a local charity representing disabled people. I was even consulted on the green paper for the Disability Discrimination Act. In the process, such consultation gave me stimulation as I challenged some of the suggestions, amusement as I read disabled people had no need of accessible prison vans as they clearly didn't commit crimes, an awareness of what was available to assist disabled people as often I was dealing with questions of benefits & medical provision in the area, a sense of purpose & value as I adjusted to my own disability, a sense of achievement when some battles were won.
I'm just somewhat surprised to find myself being consulted now, ten years later. I assume it's just because we've made more use of social services this year with the Fox doing his carers' course.
However, having consulted me, the council is in for a shock. They seem to expect you to do a simple tick job on a questionnaire &, looking at the questions it is obvious that will be impossible to me. They lump too many things together.
I appreciate the council is going to be strapped for cash & need to make savings. But I feel it's one thing to increase the price for the hourly rate of £11 for care services to do essential things such as getting people up, washed, fed & watered, & which incidentally the user is paying almost the full sum already. It's quite another to increase day care services at a centre where apparently you are charged £5 a day which presumably includes a cooked meal, transport there, constant supervision, stimulation to some form of activity, & which is heavily subsidised. The former I wouldn't like to see increase as, over a course a day, it quickly mounts up to a considerable sum, as well as being essential for your well-being. The latter strikes me as a cheap day out if you can afford it & which isn't so essential, though clearly desirable for the sake of morale of the user, & to give hard-pressed unpaid carers some respite. In both cases means testing is essential in that often those with the greatest needs are also those with the least money to pay for the services.
Lancashire County Council had best look out.
I am somewhat bemused to discover it is about the proposed cuts in adult social service provision. It's a consultation document, a questionnaire. I haven't done this sort for work for years.
I used to do quite a lot of such work when we lived in Arnside. I did it on behalf of a local charity representing disabled people. I was even consulted on the green paper for the Disability Discrimination Act. In the process, such consultation gave me stimulation as I challenged some of the suggestions, amusement as I read disabled people had no need of accessible prison vans as they clearly didn't commit crimes, an awareness of what was available to assist disabled people as often I was dealing with questions of benefits & medical provision in the area, a sense of purpose & value as I adjusted to my own disability, a sense of achievement when some battles were won.
I'm just somewhat surprised to find myself being consulted now, ten years later. I assume it's just because we've made more use of social services this year with the Fox doing his carers' course.
However, having consulted me, the council is in for a shock. They seem to expect you to do a simple tick job on a questionnaire &, looking at the questions it is obvious that will be impossible to me. They lump too many things together.
I appreciate the council is going to be strapped for cash & need to make savings. But I feel it's one thing to increase the price for the hourly rate of £11 for care services to do essential things such as getting people up, washed, fed & watered, & which incidentally the user is paying almost the full sum already. It's quite another to increase day care services at a centre where apparently you are charged £5 a day which presumably includes a cooked meal, transport there, constant supervision, stimulation to some form of activity, & which is heavily subsidised. The former I wouldn't like to see increase as, over a course a day, it quickly mounts up to a considerable sum, as well as being essential for your well-being. The latter strikes me as a cheap day out if you can afford it & which isn't so essential, though clearly desirable for the sake of morale of the user, & to give hard-pressed unpaid carers some respite. In both cases means testing is essential in that often those with the greatest needs are also those with the least money to pay for the services.
Lancashire County Council had best look out.
Wednesday 15 December 2010
Tsunami attack
I was just in the midst of having a cup of tea with some cheese to finish off the meal, when the tsunami hit, a great wave of tiredness. I began to wonder if I would even manage to finish the tea before my eyes shut. It may only be 7.30 pm but it was clearly time for bed for me.
It came as a great surprise, when I eventually managed to prise open my eyes, to see the clock said 9 & yet it was daylight. I had clearly been in bed for over 13 hours. Most of the time I had been asleep. It had taken a while to get off, to make the transition from dopey to asleep. I know I followed the radio programmes until somewhere between 8 & 8.30 pm. I woke briefly to hear "Book at Bedtime" (10.45-11pm) but that was it.
Even at 9am I couldn't say I felt refreshed. In fact I feel just the opposite. My eyes are heavy lidded with a certain amount of gunk which wants to glue them shut. I have managed to do a quick bit of weeding in the front garden. It's green bin day so I thought I'd take advantage of the bin to get rid of some grass that's been irritating me when I've been to gather some thyme for dinner of late. Apart from that I've managed breakfast & now feel ready for sleep again. Fortunately the Fox is cooking today so all I need to do is find some wine & decide when the goose has to come out of the freezer for Saturday's roast.
I'm beginning to conclude yesterday's heaviness was not the result of over-indulgence but rather a letting go, the start of relaxation & exhaustion. I have been missing out on a lot of sleep of late. Clearly it's catch-up time. I don't feel ill just plain exhausted.
It came as a great surprise, when I eventually managed to prise open my eyes, to see the clock said 9 & yet it was daylight. I had clearly been in bed for over 13 hours. Most of the time I had been asleep. It had taken a while to get off, to make the transition from dopey to asleep. I know I followed the radio programmes until somewhere between 8 & 8.30 pm. I woke briefly to hear "Book at Bedtime" (10.45-11pm) but that was it.
Even at 9am I couldn't say I felt refreshed. In fact I feel just the opposite. My eyes are heavy lidded with a certain amount of gunk which wants to glue them shut. I have managed to do a quick bit of weeding in the front garden. It's green bin day so I thought I'd take advantage of the bin to get rid of some grass that's been irritating me when I've been to gather some thyme for dinner of late. Apart from that I've managed breakfast & now feel ready for sleep again. Fortunately the Fox is cooking today so all I need to do is find some wine & decide when the goose has to come out of the freezer for Saturday's roast.
I'm beginning to conclude yesterday's heaviness was not the result of over-indulgence but rather a letting go, the start of relaxation & exhaustion. I have been missing out on a lot of sleep of late. Clearly it's catch-up time. I don't feel ill just plain exhausted.
Tuesday 14 December 2010
All went well
In the end all went well. Lin's dad had his entry into hospital delayed so Lin was able to arrive with PD on time. Her dad was staying overnight at their house as he had to get into the hospital by 7.30 this morning & PD's house is nearer the hospital than Geo's. He was quite happy to have a quiet evening on his own while PD & Lin came out partying.
Ken, Linda's new man, seemed to fit in well. He seemed positively devoted to Linda. A sign of things to come?
The food was delicious. The goats cheese souffles some had as starters stayed well risen. The poached eggs oozed over the black puddings others had. All those who had the fillet steak were agreed it was the best steak they'd ever had. Meanwhile the meat just fell off the bone for those who had the slow-cooked lamb shanks. There were no moans about the turkey either. Puds were all very satisfactory. The cheese board included some Garstang blue (or so we think) which was delicious.
Lively conversation flowed around the table. An occasionally uproar of laughter erupted. Good wishes spread around the table, along with a flow of Christmas cards.
All in all a good time was had by all.
I'm now feeling the consequences. I feel rather heavy & bloated, definitely lethargic. Too much good food & wine I suspect. Still a blow-out once in a while does you good. That's my belief anyhow. But I am relieved to think I've planned to do a light penne & crayfish dish for dinner tonight. Light has appeal for me today.
Monday 13 December 2010
Things turn aggly
A sense of dampness pervades the air. It's one of those dark grey days that doesn't give much sense of light. It's not actually raining. It hasn't all morning, yet everywhere drips. The ground looks sodden. The trees drip. The bird table drips. The roofs drip. Everything drips.
Today we're off to the Christmas meal at the Pub. Already things are going aggly. PD has just rung to say his wife, Lin, will be late arriving, may even miss the first course.
Lin's dad is due to go into hospital today for a minor op. Last night he apparently got in a panic so Lin ended up staying the night with her father, trying to reassure him all would be well. His doctor didn't think the op was really necessary but Geo, Lin's dad, elected to go ahead. In his 90s, he's now beginning to wonder if he shouldn't have listened to his GP's advice.
So Lin will be taking her dad to the hospital this afternoon. They want to do a few preliminary tests today before the op tomorrow. In view of the state her father's already worked himself into, Lin feels she ought to visit him in the evening to make sure he's still okay. But that will inevitably mean she will be late for the meal tonight. She's intending to join us all as soon as she can. It's a pity but it can't be helped.
I wonder what's next to disrupt things.
Today we're off to the Christmas meal at the Pub. Already things are going aggly. PD has just rung to say his wife, Lin, will be late arriving, may even miss the first course.
Lin's dad is due to go into hospital today for a minor op. Last night he apparently got in a panic so Lin ended up staying the night with her father, trying to reassure him all would be well. His doctor didn't think the op was really necessary but Geo, Lin's dad, elected to go ahead. In his 90s, he's now beginning to wonder if he shouldn't have listened to his GP's advice.
So Lin will be taking her dad to the hospital this afternoon. They want to do a few preliminary tests today before the op tomorrow. In view of the state her father's already worked himself into, Lin feels she ought to visit him in the evening to make sure he's still okay. But that will inevitably mean she will be late for the meal tonight. She's intending to join us all as soon as she can. It's a pity but it can't be helped.
I wonder what's next to disrupt things.
Sunday 12 December 2010
More cold
I thought I would be going to church today now the snow had gone, but I didn't get there. I was late up for a start - the first decent night's sleep for weeks, not to be missed - so it would have been a rush. When I looked out of the kitchen window I remained hopeful. Then I ventured into the lounge & looked along the street. All was white - a really heavy frost & once more very slippy. I concluded I would be wiser to stay at home in the warmth.
So now, late morning, I decided to venture out in the back garden to feed the birds with the left over scraps of pork fat (see the Fox's blog), get some wine to chill for this evening & locate some cheese for afters. It was like walking over a carpet of crystal. The bright sunshine glistened on the frost. A kaleidoscope of brilliant colours flashed back. I had a quick look at the thermometer, -7C. Definitely cold.
The road, shaded by the houses along it, remains white. The only dark patches being where parked cars have moved off. We're certainly having a cold winter this year. Brr...
So now, late morning, I decided to venture out in the back garden to feed the birds with the left over scraps of pork fat (see the Fox's blog), get some wine to chill for this evening & locate some cheese for afters. It was like walking over a carpet of crystal. The bright sunshine glistened on the frost. A kaleidoscope of brilliant colours flashed back. I had a quick look at the thermometer, -7C. Definitely cold.
The road, shaded by the houses along it, remains white. The only dark patches being where parked cars have moved off. We're certainly having a cold winter this year. Brr...
Saturday 11 December 2010
More hopeful
I've not been on the computer for a day & the toolbar of the blogsite has changed. I'm no computer geek & trying to work out what all the symbols mean is an unexpected challenge for me. At least I'm starting to get something down without changing character size, font, colour, italics etc every other letter, by accident rather than design.
Readers of the Fox's blog will know of his hospital ordeal yesterday. Not long after our return home, the second bathroom designer arrived. He came up with some new, quite revolutionary ideas, which seem much more inspiring.
We now await the detail plans to see if we like them as much as we hope.
He's proposing moving everything. Then we would end up with a walk-in shower cubicle along the window wall, where the toilet & sink are at present. The sink & toilet could then go where the present bath is. That way we could have a spacious shower, which I could get into in my wheelchair if I should ever need it & there would be so much more space to get to the sink & toilet. A sense of space, rather than clutter, should pervade the room.
So fingers crossed things are looking a bit more hopeful.
PS I'm sorry about the white background for the first few words. I was trying to give a white background to it all but I can't work out how to do it. Neither can I work out how to make the white background of the first few words disappear. I can see the next few entries are going to be a challenge!
Thursday 9 December 2010
Building up
It's amazing how mild -8C can seem after a day of -14C. Who knows, before the day is out, maybe a little snow might have disappeared.
We meanwhile are busy on building up the internal fires. After a couple of days of chillied meals we're going for more traditional British fuel, a chicken & vegetable pie. It's all made up now, ready for the oven this evening.
This afternoon we're off to the Farmers' Market to collect some pork we've ordered for the Christmas period. The market usually is on from 10-2, but this one, as they did last year, is on from 1-6pm. In many ways this is a lot more convenient for us. The market is held in a church hall nearly two thirds of the way to the Pub, so we may even go on to there afterwards. I've got to get the final seating & food orders in for the Christmas meal we're having there on Monday.
Monday should be a lively evening. There's 13 of us booked. Linda, Dave C's widow, is bringing along her new boyfriend. I should think it would be quite intimidating for him. We can be a rowdy lot at the best of times. Linda seems quite serious on him so I do hope all goes well. In her mid-50s & full of life, Linda is far too young to spend the rest of her life mourning Dave. She'll never forget him & she knows he wouldn't want her to be miserable for the rest of her days.
We meanwhile are busy on building up the internal fires. After a couple of days of chillied meals we're going for more traditional British fuel, a chicken & vegetable pie. It's all made up now, ready for the oven this evening.
This afternoon we're off to the Farmers' Market to collect some pork we've ordered for the Christmas period. The market usually is on from 10-2, but this one, as they did last year, is on from 1-6pm. In many ways this is a lot more convenient for us. The market is held in a church hall nearly two thirds of the way to the Pub, so we may even go on to there afterwards. I've got to get the final seating & food orders in for the Christmas meal we're having there on Monday.
Monday should be a lively evening. There's 13 of us booked. Linda, Dave C's widow, is bringing along her new boyfriend. I should think it would be quite intimidating for him. We can be a rowdy lot at the best of times. Linda seems quite serious on him so I do hope all goes well. In her mid-50s & full of life, Linda is far too young to spend the rest of her life mourning Dave. She'll never forget him & she knows he wouldn't want her to be miserable for the rest of her days.
Wednesday 8 December 2010
Ups & downs
It was an odd day yesterday, a mixture of pleasure & disillusionment. As you already know, it snowed in the morning. By lunchtime it had stopped & quickly thawed away, not entirely but sufficient to make going out a possibility. So we went out.
First we went for another look at bathrooms. We're beginning to get the idea of what to look for now. I persuaded the Fox to get in some of the shower units & move around as he would need to when having a shower. The smallest unit we found was 800mm wide. Our bathroom would have to be a 700mm wide to allow easy wheelchair access past to get to the toilet & sink.
He tried one with an inward folding door - almost impossible to get around the door. Then he started to realise when he moved about he constantly seemed to be hitting the screens all the time. Admittedly he was well padded with layers of winter clothing - he may not the stick insect he was when we first met nearly 40 years ago, but he is not grossly overweight either. We came away thinking that we may be better off with just a wet room floor & a shower curtain.
I meanwhile had been trying to get under various sinks in my wheelchair. Most of the pedestals were difficult to get my legs around but to not do so made getting over the sink a strenuous stretch. I've come to the conclusion that maybe we would be better off with a half-pedestal or even a sink where the pipework underneath is uncovered.
We left the showroom saddened. We'd fancied a stylish modern shower unit & now it looks as though, short of knocking down walls into the kitchen or study & so enlarging the bathroom, we'll have to have a simple shower curtain. The Fox ended up feeling enormous & grossly fat. I pointed out he was very thickly clothed. That must have put on inches.
We retired to the pub for a bit of a breather & consolation. I'm glad to say our spirits revived with the dinner. The quick stir fry was delicious - for once it was as pretty to look at as satisfying to eat. The prawns, so unpromisingly blue-grey when they went in the wok, had become a gorgeous orangey red. This was contrasted by the fresh bright green of the Chinese leaves. Specks of scarlet chilli bits & of dark green of basil & coriander leaves flecked the dish. Then came the eating. There was the meatiness of the prawns, the fire of the chillies, the fragrance of the ginger & lemongrass, the saltiness of the Thai fish sauce, the acidity of the lime juice & the sweetness of the spoonful of sugar. Delicious.
First we went for another look at bathrooms. We're beginning to get the idea of what to look for now. I persuaded the Fox to get in some of the shower units & move around as he would need to when having a shower. The smallest unit we found was 800mm wide. Our bathroom would have to be a 700mm wide to allow easy wheelchair access past to get to the toilet & sink.
He tried one with an inward folding door - almost impossible to get around the door. Then he started to realise when he moved about he constantly seemed to be hitting the screens all the time. Admittedly he was well padded with layers of winter clothing - he may not the stick insect he was when we first met nearly 40 years ago, but he is not grossly overweight either. We came away thinking that we may be better off with just a wet room floor & a shower curtain.
I meanwhile had been trying to get under various sinks in my wheelchair. Most of the pedestals were difficult to get my legs around but to not do so made getting over the sink a strenuous stretch. I've come to the conclusion that maybe we would be better off with a half-pedestal or even a sink where the pipework underneath is uncovered.
We left the showroom saddened. We'd fancied a stylish modern shower unit & now it looks as though, short of knocking down walls into the kitchen or study & so enlarging the bathroom, we'll have to have a simple shower curtain. The Fox ended up feeling enormous & grossly fat. I pointed out he was very thickly clothed. That must have put on inches.
We retired to the pub for a bit of a breather & consolation. I'm glad to say our spirits revived with the dinner. The quick stir fry was delicious - for once it was as pretty to look at as satisfying to eat. The prawns, so unpromisingly blue-grey when they went in the wok, had become a gorgeous orangey red. This was contrasted by the fresh bright green of the Chinese leaves. Specks of scarlet chilli bits & of dark green of basil & coriander leaves flecked the dish. Then came the eating. There was the meatiness of the prawns, the fire of the chillies, the fragrance of the ginger & lemongrass, the saltiness of the Thai fish sauce, the acidity of the lime juice & the sweetness of the spoonful of sugar. Delicious.
Tuesday 7 December 2010
Muffled
It's amazingly quiet this morning. All sound is muffled. It began snowing a few hours ago & is still falling. It's not very deep so far but nonetheless the deepest we've had it so far this winter. For the first time the taxi doesn't seem to have arrived to take a child who lives next door to school. At least there are no tracks in the snow to indicate it's been. I suspect that finally children in the area are being allowed their first day off - a chance to play in the snow.
My first task of the day was to get to the laundry room while I still could. I got out some prawns & cheese for dinner. I then popped to the garage for a bottle of riesling to wash it down with. At the rate the snow is falling I can't imagine wanting to venture out, let alone being able to, much later on today. I also hastily put out some bacon rinds for the birds. I suspect they're having a hard time of it at the moment.
I'm really looking forward to the spicy stir fry the Fox is making this evening. I suspect I will be ready for something with plenty of chilli in it to warm me up by then.
We did venture to the village pub yesterday. I couldn't help feeling sorry for the likes of Howard, a regular, who had to vanish outside in the sub-zero temperature to have his cigarette. He recently found a pub which had a separate shelter, with heating, tables & chairs, & TV, for smokers. He was envious of locals there. Neither of the pubs we usually go to have such facilities. Instead people wrap up well, hover outside the door & dive back in as quick as possible. I feel sorry for older people, pensioners like Little B, who are not about to change their ways & yet have difficulty coping with the cold, wet &, at the moment, ice.
My first task of the day was to get to the laundry room while I still could. I got out some prawns & cheese for dinner. I then popped to the garage for a bottle of riesling to wash it down with. At the rate the snow is falling I can't imagine wanting to venture out, let alone being able to, much later on today. I also hastily put out some bacon rinds for the birds. I suspect they're having a hard time of it at the moment.
I'm really looking forward to the spicy stir fry the Fox is making this evening. I suspect I will be ready for something with plenty of chilli in it to warm me up by then.
We did venture to the village pub yesterday. I couldn't help feeling sorry for the likes of Howard, a regular, who had to vanish outside in the sub-zero temperature to have his cigarette. He recently found a pub which had a separate shelter, with heating, tables & chairs, & TV, for smokers. He was envious of locals there. Neither of the pubs we usually go to have such facilities. Instead people wrap up well, hover outside the door & dive back in as quick as possible. I feel sorry for older people, pensioners like Little B, who are not about to change their ways & yet have difficulty coping with the cold, wet &, at the moment, ice.
Monday 6 December 2010
Whiter than ever
It's whiter than ever today. Over the weekend no snow fell. It has been very slowly melting away. But last night! Oh dear last night! Talk about cold. Everything is now covered with a thick sheet of ice. It's more dangerous than it has been. Over so much ground the snow had melted, leaving it wet. Now it is just ice everywhere, a giant skating rink. All the worse because it is only if the light catches it that you realise what is safe ground & what is ice. The trees too are covered in white. The covering of snow here was so light that I never really saw the branches lined with white. Now you do. All very pretty but also oh so dangerous.
Friday 3 December 2010
At a loose end
I've just rushed around, peeling potatoes & sprouts for dinner. I popped around to the compost heap, a little concerned by the light shower of small flakes of snow. I've got the sausages out of the freezer - thought I'd best go while I still could - & got some red wine in to thaw for this evening. All this to be ready for our morning visitor, another man coming to measure up our bathroom & produce a more satisfactory design for our new shower room.
Then the phone rang. It was our morning visitor. He wondered what the weather was like at our end. I duly told him - all major roads absolutely clear though our side road is icy, snow falling but very light &, even as I was speaking, it was stopping again. No cause for worry in other words. I didn't mention it was very cold, the thermometer outside saying -16C. Nonetheless he decided not to come as it is very icy where he is. I said fine. It's not urgent. We're not thinking of getting the work done until next year. He sounded very relieved. He'll give me another call on Monday to see how the situation is then.
Suddenly I have a clear morning with nothing much to do. Maybe I'll have a look at all the brochures we've already got. Or contemplate what to put on our next food shopping list. Or just disappear to India with my novel or Paris with my jigsaw. Just be lazy in other words. This is the life!
Then the phone rang. It was our morning visitor. He wondered what the weather was like at our end. I duly told him - all major roads absolutely clear though our side road is icy, snow falling but very light &, even as I was speaking, it was stopping again. No cause for worry in other words. I didn't mention it was very cold, the thermometer outside saying -16C. Nonetheless he decided not to come as it is very icy where he is. I said fine. It's not urgent. We're not thinking of getting the work done until next year. He sounded very relieved. He'll give me another call on Monday to see how the situation is then.
Suddenly I have a clear morning with nothing much to do. Maybe I'll have a look at all the brochures we've already got. Or contemplate what to put on our next food shopping list. Or just disappear to India with my novel or Paris with my jigsaw. Just be lazy in other words. This is the life!
Thursday 2 December 2010
Life goes on
We're still amazed by how little snow there is here. There are pavements which look as though they've never even seen snow, yet I don't believe they've been cleared. Pavements along the prom, where the shoppers are, remain white & icy. Our biggest problem is ice.
On Tuesday we went to the Pub with PD. We took him home as usual. He lives halfway up a hill. We stopped & let him out. That was a mistake. We nearly didn't make it up the rest of the hill. PD's just rung, cadging a lift to the Pub today. I've already told him, if we're taking him home, we're going up the hill above his house, turn in a side road there, & dropping him off on the way down. That way we should be able to continue down the hill with no problem at all.
We had similar problems yesterday when we went to our village pub. We came out off the car park onto a narrow one way street. When that road joined the wider road, we tried to turn left up the hill, but didn't have the traction to succeed. Instead we turned right, down the hill & came back along the clear main bus route. No problem. It makes us realise how lucky we are living on a level street adjoining a main road which is always well salted & gritted. It's the sort of thing you don't think to look at when you are house-hunting.
We also went along to yet another bathroom showroom locally yesterday. They were very helpful. We came back with an armload of brochures, all to be waded through.
Tomorrow, hopefully, another company is coming round to draw up some designs. We weren't very impressed by those the first company came up with - too clinical. This is another company recommended by the Occupational Therapist for design & provision of disabled bathrooms.
I already feel overwhelmed by it all. I'm beginning to question if it's worth the effort. But I suppose it has to be done. If nothing else I will be relieved to see the present avocado green suite go. I can't see us actually getting anything done until the new year & hopefully better weather.
On Tuesday we went to the Pub with PD. We took him home as usual. He lives halfway up a hill. We stopped & let him out. That was a mistake. We nearly didn't make it up the rest of the hill. PD's just rung, cadging a lift to the Pub today. I've already told him, if we're taking him home, we're going up the hill above his house, turn in a side road there, & dropping him off on the way down. That way we should be able to continue down the hill with no problem at all.
We had similar problems yesterday when we went to our village pub. We came out off the car park onto a narrow one way street. When that road joined the wider road, we tried to turn left up the hill, but didn't have the traction to succeed. Instead we turned right, down the hill & came back along the clear main bus route. No problem. It makes us realise how lucky we are living on a level street adjoining a main road which is always well salted & gritted. It's the sort of thing you don't think to look at when you are house-hunting.
We also went along to yet another bathroom showroom locally yesterday. They were very helpful. We came back with an armload of brochures, all to be waded through.
Tomorrow, hopefully, another company is coming round to draw up some designs. We weren't very impressed by those the first company came up with - too clinical. This is another company recommended by the Occupational Therapist for design & provision of disabled bathrooms.
I already feel overwhelmed by it all. I'm beginning to question if it's worth the effort. But I suppose it has to be done. If nothing else I will be relieved to see the present avocado green suite go. I can't see us actually getting anything done until the new year & hopefully better weather.
Tuesday 30 November 2010
Odd logic
Sure enough Helen rang. She was under several inches of snow. There was no way she could get the car up onto the lane, but the rest of us met up at the restaurant at 6ish.
It's the first time the Fox & I have been to the Honey Tree. It turned out very pleasant indeed. The food was different, even if the meal names were sometimes the same as at Ricky's. Here the style of cooking is that of Hong Kong rather than Canton. So the shredded fillet beef Fran had was soft & tender in a sauce, rather than crispy as you would get at Ricky's. On the whole I think I still prefer Ricky's but it did make a very pleasant alternative.
Conversation inevitably turned to the weather. The snows of 1947 were remembered. I gather then, in Morecambe, the snow was up to the garage roof according to Fran. I remembered my mother saying that she was in Wales then & the snow was up to the first floor windows. Clearly a bad year & before both of our time.
As usual there was much badinage & laughter, but I think we were all relieved to be finished at a fairly early hour. We left about 8ish. It's just as well. By 9pm huge flakes of snow were descending. Our road had remained white all day without this extra layer so we were glad to be safely tucked up inside in the warmth by then.
It seems to have been a milder night than of late with the result that some of the snow seems to have melted. It's certainly no worse than yesterday despite the night-time fall.
We were bemused yesterday to get a call from PD. He knew we weren't going to the Pub yesterday as we were going out for a meal in the evening. He just thought, with all the snow, the meal might have been cancelled & therefore we could take him to the Pub instead. It didn't seem to occur to him that Ricky's, where he thought we were going, was just a few minutes away from the Pub, accessible by busy main roads all the way, unlike the Pub which is up a steep hill on a minor road which is never cleared. If we couldn't get to the one we were hardly likely to get to the other. That's PD for you! We assured him we would try to get to him today, weather permitting.
It's the first time the Fox & I have been to the Honey Tree. It turned out very pleasant indeed. The food was different, even if the meal names were sometimes the same as at Ricky's. Here the style of cooking is that of Hong Kong rather than Canton. So the shredded fillet beef Fran had was soft & tender in a sauce, rather than crispy as you would get at Ricky's. On the whole I think I still prefer Ricky's but it did make a very pleasant alternative.
Conversation inevitably turned to the weather. The snows of 1947 were remembered. I gather then, in Morecambe, the snow was up to the garage roof according to Fran. I remembered my mother saying that she was in Wales then & the snow was up to the first floor windows. Clearly a bad year & before both of our time.
As usual there was much badinage & laughter, but I think we were all relieved to be finished at a fairly early hour. We left about 8ish. It's just as well. By 9pm huge flakes of snow were descending. Our road had remained white all day without this extra layer so we were glad to be safely tucked up inside in the warmth by then.
It seems to have been a milder night than of late with the result that some of the snow seems to have melted. It's certainly no worse than yesterday despite the night-time fall.
We were bemused yesterday to get a call from PD. He knew we weren't going to the Pub yesterday as we were going out for a meal in the evening. He just thought, with all the snow, the meal might have been cancelled & therefore we could take him to the Pub instead. It didn't seem to occur to him that Ricky's, where he thought we were going, was just a few minutes away from the Pub, accessible by busy main roads all the way, unlike the Pub which is up a steep hill on a minor road which is never cleared. If we couldn't get to the one we were hardly likely to get to the other. That's PD for you! We assured him we would try to get to him today, weather permitting.
Monday 29 November 2010
A winter wonderworld
It's a winter wonderworld outside. It's rather like one of those glittery Christmas winter scenes on cards. The sun just causing the snow crystals to sparkle.
It began Friday night. Nothing much. Just enough to give a frozen white glaze on everything. In the cold sunshine it started to melt.
Saturday night brought more snow. Once more everything was covered with white. Still it remained just a thin veneer.
Last night was heavier. Even so I doubt there's even as much as an inch.
We've been lucky so far.
This morning has been grey skies, followed by a flurry of large snowflakes, followed by a spell of bright blue skies & sunshine. Even now we seem to be returning under a heavy grey cloud cover. I suspect more snow is on its way.
Today is our last-Monday-of-the-month meal. I'm half-expecting the phone to ring as people cry off. In particular I expect Helen, who lives in a rural area & has a steep drive to negotiate before she even gets onto the country lane, to call. It's not worth having an accident for the sake of a night out. We can meet up again some other time. We should be meeting up for our Christmas meal at the Pub before so long anyhow.
We've had to have a change of venue for today's meal. We had planned to go to Ricky's, the excellent Cantonese restaurant which is always a favourite amongst us. Unfortunately he's decided to close this Monday, so we're trying another Chinese restaurant. We're told it's very good though different in cooking style. Fortunately it is on the promenade in Morecambe & that's one road that gets high priority for snow clearance. Hopefully that means we will still manage to get there. If not, it will be something quick out of the freezer. We're still hoping though.
I'm also feeling a little anxious about family & friends. As you know, we have some friends on the other side of the Pennines & that area seems to have been hit harder than this. Having spoken recently to friends in Arnside I'm also reminded how very little snow seems to cause Arnside, accessed only by minor B-roads, to be cut off from civilization. Many a winter we ended up shopping for elderly neighbours who daredn't go out, to find shops low on supplies as food delivery vans had been unable to get through. The pub always became the central point of refuge at such times. Much of the family lives in & around Stoke, another spot that always seems to get more snow than here. Hope all is well with them all.
It began Friday night. Nothing much. Just enough to give a frozen white glaze on everything. In the cold sunshine it started to melt.
Saturday night brought more snow. Once more everything was covered with white. Still it remained just a thin veneer.
Last night was heavier. Even so I doubt there's even as much as an inch.
We've been lucky so far.
This morning has been grey skies, followed by a flurry of large snowflakes, followed by a spell of bright blue skies & sunshine. Even now we seem to be returning under a heavy grey cloud cover. I suspect more snow is on its way.
Today is our last-Monday-of-the-month meal. I'm half-expecting the phone to ring as people cry off. In particular I expect Helen, who lives in a rural area & has a steep drive to negotiate before she even gets onto the country lane, to call. It's not worth having an accident for the sake of a night out. We can meet up again some other time. We should be meeting up for our Christmas meal at the Pub before so long anyhow.
We've had to have a change of venue for today's meal. We had planned to go to Ricky's, the excellent Cantonese restaurant which is always a favourite amongst us. Unfortunately he's decided to close this Monday, so we're trying another Chinese restaurant. We're told it's very good though different in cooking style. Fortunately it is on the promenade in Morecambe & that's one road that gets high priority for snow clearance. Hopefully that means we will still manage to get there. If not, it will be something quick out of the freezer. We're still hoping though.
I'm also feeling a little anxious about family & friends. As you know, we have some friends on the other side of the Pennines & that area seems to have been hit harder than this. Having spoken recently to friends in Arnside I'm also reminded how very little snow seems to cause Arnside, accessed only by minor B-roads, to be cut off from civilization. Many a winter we ended up shopping for elderly neighbours who daredn't go out, to find shops low on supplies as food delivery vans had been unable to get through. The pub always became the central point of refuge at such times. Much of the family lives in & around Stoke, another spot that always seems to get more snow than here. Hope all is well with them all.
Friday 26 November 2010
A bit of integrity
The surveyor has just been from the bathroom specialists. I suddenly feel so much more knowledgeable about what I'm looking for & what to avoid. That's not to say we will necessarily go with this company. I am keen to see the designs he's drawing up. I remain absolutely convinced of the need for a wet room floor rather than a shower tray. After that there's a lot to discuss with the Fox.
Yesterday we got down to the Farmer's market. We asked whether the usual stall we get our meat from did poultry for Christmas. We were thinking of maybe trying a fresh goose. We're nearly out of goose fat for the roast potatoes. Admittedly we could just buy a jar of fat, but, as it's that time of year, we thought we might treat ourselves for once with an actual bird.
Unfortunately he didn't. Turkeys & chickens, yes. In previous years he has done geese but not this year. His usual supplier has ceased doing them himself. This supplier could get some for Mr Lamb, our man, but then there would be double the mark up on them which Mr Lamb feels is ridiculous, too much to charge his customers. On top of that he likes to pick the live birds he wants, so he can be confident of their quality. He couldn't do that if his source is getting them dead from another party. He was most apologetic. We assured him that we appreciated him for his integrity. We're now wondering whether we should try a fresh turkey instead. We've certainly ordered some belly pork for the December market.
Mentioning geese, I've just been round to the compost heap with my potato peelings. I suddenly heard a lot of honking. My eyes scanned the sky. Nothing, except dense cloud. I moved around so the sky was no longer so obscured by the trees. Sure enough, there were the Vs of geese. For once they were flying south, rather than the usual northwards they seem to go at this time of year. I wonder what that presages. Bad weather? Snow certainly seems to have hit much of this country, even though we've so far escaped it. We've just been freezing with temperatures of around -10C instead.
Yesterday we got down to the Farmer's market. We asked whether the usual stall we get our meat from did poultry for Christmas. We were thinking of maybe trying a fresh goose. We're nearly out of goose fat for the roast potatoes. Admittedly we could just buy a jar of fat, but, as it's that time of year, we thought we might treat ourselves for once with an actual bird.
Unfortunately he didn't. Turkeys & chickens, yes. In previous years he has done geese but not this year. His usual supplier has ceased doing them himself. This supplier could get some for Mr Lamb, our man, but then there would be double the mark up on them which Mr Lamb feels is ridiculous, too much to charge his customers. On top of that he likes to pick the live birds he wants, so he can be confident of their quality. He couldn't do that if his source is getting them dead from another party. He was most apologetic. We assured him that we appreciated him for his integrity. We're now wondering whether we should try a fresh turkey instead. We've certainly ordered some belly pork for the December market.
Mentioning geese, I've just been round to the compost heap with my potato peelings. I suddenly heard a lot of honking. My eyes scanned the sky. Nothing, except dense cloud. I moved around so the sky was no longer so obscured by the trees. Sure enough, there were the Vs of geese. For once they were flying south, rather than the usual northwards they seem to go at this time of year. I wonder what that presages. Bad weather? Snow certainly seems to have hit much of this country, even though we've so far escaped it. We've just been freezing with temperatures of around -10C instead.
Thursday 25 November 2010
Wrong preconception
We actually got there! I'm not entirely sure how useful it was looking at the various shower units for disabled people, but at least it did clarify some ideas. We now know we definitely want a flat entrance into the shower. Even a small step, which may be negotiable now, is likely to cease to be so before long.
The one thing that really got to us was that the demonstrator was determined that we needed a shower with glass waist down, shower curtain above. This is in order to make it easier for someone else to be on the dry side of the glass to wash the person in the shower. Clearly, to her mind, anyone in a wheelchair needs such a person.
I cannot see any reason why my disability should necessitate such a person. I may increasingly need help to get in & out of the shower. But my disability only affects my knees. It's unlikely to spread to the rest of my body, so there is no reason why I shouldn't be able to reach around to wash myself. Therefore I do not see why we need these rather ugly, hospitally styled, shower doors. We would much prefer a normal shower unit, preferably glassed up to the ceiling, something elegant, stylish & modern that has a seat & grab rails in it. In other words something that is an asset to our property, a pleasure to use, & not a deterrent for future purchasers if we should ever want to sell up.
No decisions have been made. A rep is due to ring this morning to arrange a day to come to measure up & draw up a design to fit our room. We'll see what he comes up with.
Meanwhile I think I will contact the other two companies the Occupational Therapist recommended to see if they would come & draw up some designs so we have something to compare with, both from the point of view of design & price. I even noticed in the local free magazine that came yesterday a local firm advertising which specialises in bathrooms for disabled people so we may even visit them & their showroom.
The one thing that really got to us was that the demonstrator was determined that we needed a shower with glass waist down, shower curtain above. This is in order to make it easier for someone else to be on the dry side of the glass to wash the person in the shower. Clearly, to her mind, anyone in a wheelchair needs such a person.
I cannot see any reason why my disability should necessitate such a person. I may increasingly need help to get in & out of the shower. But my disability only affects my knees. It's unlikely to spread to the rest of my body, so there is no reason why I shouldn't be able to reach around to wash myself. Therefore I do not see why we need these rather ugly, hospitally styled, shower doors. We would much prefer a normal shower unit, preferably glassed up to the ceiling, something elegant, stylish & modern that has a seat & grab rails in it. In other words something that is an asset to our property, a pleasure to use, & not a deterrent for future purchasers if we should ever want to sell up.
No decisions have been made. A rep is due to ring this morning to arrange a day to come to measure up & draw up a design to fit our room. We'll see what he comes up with.
Meanwhile I think I will contact the other two companies the Occupational Therapist recommended to see if they would come & draw up some designs so we have something to compare with, both from the point of view of design & price. I even noticed in the local free magazine that came yesterday a local firm advertising which specialises in bathrooms for disabled people so we may even visit them & their showroom.
Wednesday 24 November 2010
Wigan, hopefully
It's another one of those beautiful mornings. The sky is bright blue, full of light, positively glowing with it. Everything around has a white haze over it. So it is that, as I look out at the front garden, I see the purple sage is almost the same colour as the silvery grey colour of the curry plant in front of it. The temperature, when I ventured out just after 8am, was -10C, definitely cold. As I made the tea for breakfast, I looked out of the kitchen window to be wowed by the sight of a couple of Vs of 50-100 geese. A definitely wintry morning.
It's a quiet morning too. If it stays dry, we're hoping to get off to Wigan this afternoon. Either way dinner is a quick stir fry, Thai green chicken curry, which the Fox will be making so there's nothing for me to prepare. If we do get off to look at bathrooms we'll probably eat out so the curry will be made tomorrow instead.
So I'm sitting here, trying to take it easy so I'll have the energy to cope with a day out. I will be glad to have a clearer idea of what we want & how much it will cost. There obviously will be loads of decisions to be made. When we went to the local showroom on Monday, we picked up a catalogue. There seems to be hundreds of choices from sinks, loos, taps, plug hole shapes, buttons or handles for flushing loos, shower head shapes, shower cubicle shapes...... Endless choices. And all to be made.
It's a quiet morning too. If it stays dry, we're hoping to get off to Wigan this afternoon. Either way dinner is a quick stir fry, Thai green chicken curry, which the Fox will be making so there's nothing for me to prepare. If we do get off to look at bathrooms we'll probably eat out so the curry will be made tomorrow instead.
So I'm sitting here, trying to take it easy so I'll have the energy to cope with a day out. I will be glad to have a clearer idea of what we want & how much it will cost. There obviously will be loads of decisions to be made. When we went to the local showroom on Monday, we picked up a catalogue. There seems to be hundreds of choices from sinks, loos, taps, plug hole shapes, buttons or handles for flushing loos, shower head shapes, shower cubicle shapes...... Endless choices. And all to be made.
Tuesday 23 November 2010
To Wigan?
Yesterday we decided to try going along to a local bathroom showroom. It was better than anywhere else we've looked, but, above all, it proved the need to go down to Wigan & the specialist disabled bathroom showroom. It's all very well looking at shower cubicles & trays but it's difficult to imagine how much space is needed for a seat for me to sit on, & grab rails so I can get back up again. So Wigan it is.
The Fox has still not got back to normal sleep pattern which is having a disruptive effect on our lives. It's difficult planning anything in such circumstances, let alone a trip down to Wigan. I'm beginning to think we should just book some accommodation there. Maybe a change of scenery would kill two things with one stone, help clarify our ideas for the new bathroom as well as get the Fox back to normal sleeping by having a couple of nights away from the usual stresses of home life.
Nothing's decided yet. I have to confess Wigan isn't my first choice of holiday destination & it is only an hour or so's drive from here. It should be easy enough to do it, there & back, in a day.
If I was seriously tempted by the idea of a few days away, the idea of a train trip to Edinburgh has more appeal. It's ages since we last went there. Long before the great fire that burnt down so much of the old central part of town, & before the building of the Scottish parliament building.
The Fox has still not got back to normal sleep pattern which is having a disruptive effect on our lives. It's difficult planning anything in such circumstances, let alone a trip down to Wigan. I'm beginning to think we should just book some accommodation there. Maybe a change of scenery would kill two things with one stone, help clarify our ideas for the new bathroom as well as get the Fox back to normal sleeping by having a couple of nights away from the usual stresses of home life.
Nothing's decided yet. I have to confess Wigan isn't my first choice of holiday destination & it is only an hour or so's drive from here. It should be easy enough to do it, there & back, in a day.
If I was seriously tempted by the idea of a few days away, the idea of a train trip to Edinburgh has more appeal. It's ages since we last went there. Long before the great fire that burnt down so much of the old central part of town, & before the building of the Scottish parliament building.
Monday 22 November 2010
A good morning
It's been a good morning so far today. Maybe it's partially just because I managed a good night's sleep last night & so feel up to appreciating the day. The relief of no stomach or toe cramps is immense.
I was up before 8am. What a morning! The sky was a brilliant, luminous blue with hints of underlying yellows & pinks. This is what a winter's morning should be like, not the grey wet ones we've had so many of lately.
After my wash & scrub up, followed by my breakfast pile of pills washed down with a mug of tea, I set off on my main task of the day - preparing dinner. Today we're having homemade meatballs in goulash sauce with homemade fresh pasta.
I've not made fresh pasta for ages. It's just been impossible to buy the right grade of flour locally. But last week, we found Morrison's has started to stock it. We grabbed a bag & hastily replaced the packet of mass produced dried fettuccine on the shelf.
I love making my own pasta. I find the kneading relaxing, quite therapeutic. There's even a chance for a bit of a rest before moving on to the job of rolling & cutting the pasta into shape.I've no broom handles to hang the moist pasta on to dry so I use the towel rail in the bathroom. It quickly dries there when the heating is on, as it was earlier on this morning.
While it dried I got on with the meatballs. They are now sitting in a paprika-spiced tomato sauce ready for the oven to automatically go on this evening. It should be good.
I've even remembered to get some cheese out of the freezer to have afterwards. It should have plenty of time to thaw out & get to room temperature.
All that remains is to find a good bottle of red wine to wash it all down with.
I'm pleased by the way it has all gone. I feel I've achieved something & enjoyed myself in the process.
I was up before 8am. What a morning! The sky was a brilliant, luminous blue with hints of underlying yellows & pinks. This is what a winter's morning should be like, not the grey wet ones we've had so many of lately.
After my wash & scrub up, followed by my breakfast pile of pills washed down with a mug of tea, I set off on my main task of the day - preparing dinner. Today we're having homemade meatballs in goulash sauce with homemade fresh pasta.
I've not made fresh pasta for ages. It's just been impossible to buy the right grade of flour locally. But last week, we found Morrison's has started to stock it. We grabbed a bag & hastily replaced the packet of mass produced dried fettuccine on the shelf.
I love making my own pasta. I find the kneading relaxing, quite therapeutic. There's even a chance for a bit of a rest before moving on to the job of rolling & cutting the pasta into shape.I've no broom handles to hang the moist pasta on to dry so I use the towel rail in the bathroom. It quickly dries there when the heating is on, as it was earlier on this morning.
While it dried I got on with the meatballs. They are now sitting in a paprika-spiced tomato sauce ready for the oven to automatically go on this evening. It should be good.
I've even remembered to get some cheese out of the freezer to have afterwards. It should have plenty of time to thaw out & get to room temperature.
All that remains is to find a good bottle of red wine to wash it all down with.
I'm pleased by the way it has all gone. I feel I've achieved something & enjoyed myself in the process.
Sunday 21 November 2010
Explanations & dreams
Readers of the Fox's blog will already know we've been having a very tiring & disruptive time of late. My problems have not been helped by lack of sleep. I've been going through a patch of stomach pains and/or toe cramp that lasts from about 1-6am every night, not conducive to sleep at all. The doctor has finally agreed with me that it is probably a reaction to my medication & I'm now trying something different. Hopefully it will suit better. I have since managed one good night's sleep at least, though last night was once more a problem. He did give me some muscle relaxants to ease the problem if it should begin, which I tried last night. At least the pain only lasted an hour or so instead of the majority of the night. He reckons things should settle down with time & the change in medication. Either way I'm to go back in the New Year for a check-up.
Meanwhile we've had yet more bad news. A friend from the days we lived in Arnside (we moved here in 2000) we discovered is also suffering with cancer. Her outlook is more optimistic. It's been discovered in its early stages. She's currently getting chemotherapy. Unlike Jean, Ellie is reacting badly to the chemo, suffering a lot of nausea. They're starting a new treatment soon. She'll also be having radiotherapy as well as chemo. I do hope all goes well for her. She certainly sounds in good spirits & getting a lot of family support.
Apart from that we've been trying to sort out holidays. I'd really like to visit Brunei, land of my birth, but trying to find a operator to take us seems nigh impossible. We have found a cruise that stops there. It sounds a fascinating trip, starting at Hong Kong, visiting Japan, China, the Philippines, Borneo, Bali, Indonesia, before ending at Singapore. The only problem is that it is at the beginning of Feb 2011 & there's not really the time to organise jabs etc. We'd also like to know the results of the Fox's hospital trip about his continuing & worsening tinnitus, & to get my medication once more on n even keel. February is just too soon.
The company does another cruise in Feb 2012, the only problem with that one is that the itinerary doesn't appeal so much to us. It will be from Singapore to Brisbane. We don't particularly want to go to Australia again at the moment. If we were going to do that we would prefer to just go to Australia, see the Great Barrier reef perhaps. And this cruise means a lot of days just at sea, which we suspect we will find rather tedious.
So we're still no more decided on the holiday score. We'd certainly like to see the price for the new bathroom we're hoping to install next year, & see how all the government cuts are going to affect us, before we commit to such an expensive holiday. If benefits are hit badly we will not be going.
I hoping this coming week is going to be more settled. I could do with a quiet week. The only consolation is the return in working order of our radio. Doing without that, for me, has been harder than doing without a TV! A month is too long.
Meanwhile we've had yet more bad news. A friend from the days we lived in Arnside (we moved here in 2000) we discovered is also suffering with cancer. Her outlook is more optimistic. It's been discovered in its early stages. She's currently getting chemotherapy. Unlike Jean, Ellie is reacting badly to the chemo, suffering a lot of nausea. They're starting a new treatment soon. She'll also be having radiotherapy as well as chemo. I do hope all goes well for her. She certainly sounds in good spirits & getting a lot of family support.
Apart from that we've been trying to sort out holidays. I'd really like to visit Brunei, land of my birth, but trying to find a operator to take us seems nigh impossible. We have found a cruise that stops there. It sounds a fascinating trip, starting at Hong Kong, visiting Japan, China, the Philippines, Borneo, Bali, Indonesia, before ending at Singapore. The only problem is that it is at the beginning of Feb 2011 & there's not really the time to organise jabs etc. We'd also like to know the results of the Fox's hospital trip about his continuing & worsening tinnitus, & to get my medication once more on n even keel. February is just too soon.
The company does another cruise in Feb 2012, the only problem with that one is that the itinerary doesn't appeal so much to us. It will be from Singapore to Brisbane. We don't particularly want to go to Australia again at the moment. If we were going to do that we would prefer to just go to Australia, see the Great Barrier reef perhaps. And this cruise means a lot of days just at sea, which we suspect we will find rather tedious.
So we're still no more decided on the holiday score. We'd certainly like to see the price for the new bathroom we're hoping to install next year, & see how all the government cuts are going to affect us, before we commit to such an expensive holiday. If benefits are hit badly we will not be going.
I hoping this coming week is going to be more settled. I could do with a quiet week. The only consolation is the return in working order of our radio. Doing without that, for me, has been harder than doing without a TV! A month is too long.
Wednesday 17 November 2010
News
I found myself feeling rather put out listening to the radio news this morning as I tried to persuade myself to get up. Why you ask. The main item continued to be about the royal engagement. Now don't get me wrong, I am happy for the couple. Everybody deserves the happiness & support of a loving relationship. But that was yesterday's news. There was nothing new, no date fixed, no venue, nothing new. I was rather more concerned to hear more detail of the flooding in Cornwall which was mentioned in a small aside beforehand. This was news, something that had happened in between my going to bed & waking in the morning. Surely it should be in the nature of news that there should be something new to report.
Tuesday 16 November 2010
Oddities
There are times when I feel I'm getting food obsessed. I suppose it's partially because it is one of the few practical things I still achieve most days. Work, other household chores apart from the washing & ironing, have all been abandoned as too much these days. But food.... I continue with that, I suppose, because I enjoy it so much. It gives me so much satisfaction to put an interesting & exciting meal on the table, to be able to sit down & eat it with the Fox & friends, accompanied by a bottle of wine & good conversation.
So it is today I've just spent the morning preparing a square parcel of puff pastry - the last of this batch in the freezer - & filled it with a turkey curry mixture. It is all ready to be egg-washed & baked in the oven this evening. It's a recipe I'd forgotten I even had, it's so long ago since we last made it. It should be something different. We're having it with peas & saute potatoes.
Yesterday, while I sat waiting in the car as the Fox popped to the jewellers - my watch needed a new battery or so we thought - I was struck by an odd sight in a shop window nearby. It was a laundrette. They had hung a washing line across & scattered some very odd articles of clothing on it, mainly underwear. So there was a bra for a lady of large size, something like a 50D. Next to that was a pair of pants. The elastic had given up, but again the lady it was made for must have been 30 stone plus. Then came a very flimsy sheer thong, minuscule by comparison. There was a well-boned corset there too. As I say, a very odd selection of items to grace a window.
So it is today I've just spent the morning preparing a square parcel of puff pastry - the last of this batch in the freezer - & filled it with a turkey curry mixture. It is all ready to be egg-washed & baked in the oven this evening. It's a recipe I'd forgotten I even had, it's so long ago since we last made it. It should be something different. We're having it with peas & saute potatoes.
Yesterday, while I sat waiting in the car as the Fox popped to the jewellers - my watch needed a new battery or so we thought - I was struck by an odd sight in a shop window nearby. It was a laundrette. They had hung a washing line across & scattered some very odd articles of clothing on it, mainly underwear. So there was a bra for a lady of large size, something like a 50D. Next to that was a pair of pants. The elastic had given up, but again the lady it was made for must have been 30 stone plus. Then came a very flimsy sheer thong, minuscule by comparison. There was a well-boned corset there too. As I say, a very odd selection of items to grace a window.
Monday 15 November 2010
A quiet morning
It is with some relief I greet the bright sunshine of the day. It may be freezing but it is also stunningly beautiful. It does one's spirits good.
So far all I seem to have done is get a couple of loads of washing done & hung up in the laundry room to dry. I've put out a few scraps of chicken skin onto the bird table once more. The magpie seemed to enjoy his helping yesterday.
I've prepared dinner. That means I've rolled out the pastry & cut out the vol-au-vent shapes ready to go in the oven this evening.. I've scraped & parboiled the new potatoes to saute later. I've peeled the sprouts. I've just got the leftover chicken & half tin of condensed chicken soup out of the freezer to thaw. In case you hadn't guessed it's chicken vol-au-vents tonight.
I'm still going down the freezer. It's the puff pastry that is the most urgent to use up but the chicken is of similar vintage so I thought I'd combine the two.
Next time I get to the shops it will be a big shop day & we will once more return to pre-planned & budgeted meals. In the meanwhile it's quite fun to discover what oddments can be put together to use up. As you maybe realise by now, we're not great believers in binning the smallest scrap of edible food. There has to be something that can be done with it, even if it's only to feed our avian friends.
So far all I seem to have done is get a couple of loads of washing done & hung up in the laundry room to dry. I've put out a few scraps of chicken skin onto the bird table once more. The magpie seemed to enjoy his helping yesterday.
I've prepared dinner. That means I've rolled out the pastry & cut out the vol-au-vent shapes ready to go in the oven this evening.. I've scraped & parboiled the new potatoes to saute later. I've peeled the sprouts. I've just got the leftover chicken & half tin of condensed chicken soup out of the freezer to thaw. In case you hadn't guessed it's chicken vol-au-vents tonight.
I'm still going down the freezer. It's the puff pastry that is the most urgent to use up but the chicken is of similar vintage so I thought I'd combine the two.
Next time I get to the shops it will be a big shop day & we will once more return to pre-planned & budgeted meals. In the meanwhile it's quite fun to discover what oddments can be put together to use up. As you maybe realise by now, we're not great believers in binning the smallest scrap of edible food. There has to be something that can be done with it, even if it's only to feed our avian friends.
Saturday 13 November 2010
Getting back to normal
This morning I've been busy trying to locate people to invite them to the Pub Xmas meal. I keep getting engaged tones. Clearly everyone's busy.
This afternoon the Fox is thinking of having a go at window cleaning. The car was so filthy after the storm on Thursday evening, he'd had to wipe the worst off before we set off to the Pub yesterday. It was impossible to see out of the window otherwise. He's hoping to do a more thorough job today & maybe even do something about the house windows, which are also now filthy. It was quite strange going along the prom to the Pub yesterday & seeing piles of sand on the land side of the road. Presumably it had all been blown over in the 90mph+ winds.
It comes as quite a shock today to see bright blue skies & shrubbery standing almost still after a couple of days of such strong winds. I'm just relieved no damage seems to have been done. A little mortar has come off the roof but I don't think it's sufficient to cause any problems. We've been lucky. Many fences around have come down. Trees have lost branches.
At last blessed calm has returned. For a bit at least.
This afternoon the Fox is thinking of having a go at window cleaning. The car was so filthy after the storm on Thursday evening, he'd had to wipe the worst off before we set off to the Pub yesterday. It was impossible to see out of the window otherwise. He's hoping to do a more thorough job today & maybe even do something about the house windows, which are also now filthy. It was quite strange going along the prom to the Pub yesterday & seeing piles of sand on the land side of the road. Presumably it had all been blown over in the 90mph+ winds.
It comes as quite a shock today to see bright blue skies & shrubbery standing almost still after a couple of days of such strong winds. I'm just relieved no damage seems to have been done. A little mortar has come off the roof but I don't think it's sufficient to cause any problems. We've been lucky. Many fences around have come down. Trees have lost branches.
At last blessed calm has returned. For a bit at least.
Friday 12 November 2010
Change of plans
As we were expecting a long day of waiting for the heating engineer to come to sort out the central heating boiler, we hastily got today's chores done yesterday. Not that that involved much, just a quick trip to the butcher's to buy a chicken for Saturday's roast.
We were told the engineer would ring an hour before coming. So you can imagine our surprise when the doorbell rang, promptly after 8am. We were still in bed. We hastily got out of bed. The Fox put on his dressing gown while I tried to get dressed. Five minutes later, when I had progressed to cleaning my teeth, the man was leaving again, job done. The thermostat on the boiler was indeed set far too high & had been adjusted. Now we wait to see if the heating stays off during the night as it is supposed to.
So now I've got a free morning. I've just made some Durham cutlets, sort of triangular shaped rissoles, using up some up some left over roast beef. They're ready to fry up this evening.
Hopefully this afternoon we will get over to the Pub. We were hoping to get there today as Friday is the day most of our friends turn up. PD is itching for me (why is it always me?) to organise a Christmas dinner for us all at the Pub for December some time. If we're going to have one it's time we settled on a date & booked the table(s).
Meanwhile I've got some reading to do. Our financial adviser was round yesterday & left some reading matter. Decisions have to be made, the sooner the better. Though whether I will be able concentrate sufficiently with the sound of the banshees blowing around outside & howling down the chimney is a different question.
We were told the engineer would ring an hour before coming. So you can imagine our surprise when the doorbell rang, promptly after 8am. We were still in bed. We hastily got out of bed. The Fox put on his dressing gown while I tried to get dressed. Five minutes later, when I had progressed to cleaning my teeth, the man was leaving again, job done. The thermostat on the boiler was indeed set far too high & had been adjusted. Now we wait to see if the heating stays off during the night as it is supposed to.
So now I've got a free morning. I've just made some Durham cutlets, sort of triangular shaped rissoles, using up some up some left over roast beef. They're ready to fry up this evening.
Hopefully this afternoon we will get over to the Pub. We were hoping to get there today as Friday is the day most of our friends turn up. PD is itching for me (why is it always me?) to organise a Christmas dinner for us all at the Pub for December some time. If we're going to have one it's time we settled on a date & booked the table(s).
Meanwhile I've got some reading to do. Our financial adviser was round yesterday & left some reading matter. Decisions have to be made, the sooner the better. Though whether I will be able concentrate sufficiently with the sound of the banshees blowing around outside & howling down the chimney is a different question.
Thursday 11 November 2010
Right measures for the problem?
I spoke, or rather wrote, too soon. The boiler keeps coming on. I complained once again. This time they're sending a man around. The current thinking seems to be that the anti-freezing setting on the boiler is set too high. The laundry room never got below 10C, not the 5C it should be at. Only an engineer can sort that out. So now I've got another day of waiting to look forward to tomorrow. They couldn't even tell me whether it would be morning or afternoon. Oh what a pleasure that will be!
While we were out yesterday I couldn't help noticing, & feeling a little annoyed about the number of roads having their permissible speeds reduced to 20mph.
I appreciate this seems to be happening in the essentially residential areas of town, though not always. What gets to me about this is that the only people who will slow down will be the conscientious careful drivers. I appreciate lower speeds do mean in the event of a car hitting a person injuries are likely to be less severe. However, the drivers that cause the accidents tend to be the tearaway speedsters who ignore the old 30mph signs. I can't see them being deterred by a reduction in speed limit.
It has to be admitted that modern cars tend not to be designed for such slow speeds. They tend to use more fuel & cause more pollution. Often the engines make more noise.
I can see careful drivers may well not venture into these areas unless they have to. But the council is leaving so few roads where you can go at 30mph that I suspect they are going to grind to a halt under the sheer level of traffic trying to use them to avoid the 20mph areas! And anyhow, even before the changes these careful drivers wouldn't attempt to go at 30mph if there were pedestrians & animals wandering all over the road so why bother changing the speeds?
I sometimes suspect the real reason why so many accidents occur involving children is just that the children are not taught any road sense. The number who seem to think they can just walk across the road without even stopping to look first is incredible & seem to be steadily increasing in number. What ever happened to the green cross code?
While we were out yesterday I couldn't help noticing, & feeling a little annoyed about the number of roads having their permissible speeds reduced to 20mph.
I appreciate this seems to be happening in the essentially residential areas of town, though not always. What gets to me about this is that the only people who will slow down will be the conscientious careful drivers. I appreciate lower speeds do mean in the event of a car hitting a person injuries are likely to be less severe. However, the drivers that cause the accidents tend to be the tearaway speedsters who ignore the old 30mph signs. I can't see them being deterred by a reduction in speed limit.
It has to be admitted that modern cars tend not to be designed for such slow speeds. They tend to use more fuel & cause more pollution. Often the engines make more noise.
I can see careful drivers may well not venture into these areas unless they have to. But the council is leaving so few roads where you can go at 30mph that I suspect they are going to grind to a halt under the sheer level of traffic trying to use them to avoid the 20mph areas! And anyhow, even before the changes these careful drivers wouldn't attempt to go at 30mph if there were pedestrians & animals wandering all over the road so why bother changing the speeds?
I sometimes suspect the real reason why so many accidents occur involving children is just that the children are not taught any road sense. The number who seem to think they can just walk across the road without even stopping to look first is incredible & seem to be steadily increasing in number. What ever happened to the green cross code?
Wednesday 10 November 2010
The mystery of the new boiler
We seemed to have finally sorted out the problem with the central heating. In October both the Fox & I wrote in our blogs about the difficulties we were having with our new boiler. We had a fiddle with the controls & it seemed to settle down. Then it started playing up again. Once more it started coming on when the timer said otherwise. What is more the light on the timer control panel didn't come on to indicate the boiler was working yet the radiators were red hot.
Yesterday we decided to get onto the experts. I rang Eaga who had installed it. They put me on to a technician. He gently questioned me, made me go through all the settings on the control panel. All was correct.
Then he asked where the boiler was sited. I duly said in the laundry room, attached to the house but accessed through a separate outside door.
"Ah. That will be it," he exclaimed as light dawned. "The boiler itself has its own thermostat. If the ambient temperature around it falls below 5C, it automatically switches itself on. It's to avoid the boiler freezing up."
So now we have a thermometer in the laundry room to check if the temperature is getting that low. We also closed the window in the hope of keeping the room warmer, then the house wouldn't have to be quite so sweltering.
It has to admitted we have been having some cold days, & nights especially, of late. I looked at the outside thermometer attached to the shed this morning just before I sat down to write this. Even then it had only just warmed up to -6C. It had been colder earlier on when I first got up.
Now we're keeping our fingers crossed that closing the window has been sufficient to stop the boiler from going on. Otherwise I can see this new boiler is going to be a darn sight more expensive to run than the old one, as it will be running 24 hours a day by the time we get fully into winter.
The man did suggest we had a few options if it did not. We could try boxing the boiler in. That should keep the ambient temperature higher. Alternatively we could have a radiator installed in the laundry room. There's the option of just paying for the extra gas, reassured that we will at least be warm. Finally there's the drastic option of moving the boiler inside, though where I'm not quite sure. It would have to go on an outside wall & most of our outside walls are broken up with interior walls, fitted cupboards, windows & door frames. And a boiler is not the most attractive thing to have in the midst lounge! We'll just have to see how it goes on.
Yesterday we decided to get onto the experts. I rang Eaga who had installed it. They put me on to a technician. He gently questioned me, made me go through all the settings on the control panel. All was correct.
Then he asked where the boiler was sited. I duly said in the laundry room, attached to the house but accessed through a separate outside door.
"Ah. That will be it," he exclaimed as light dawned. "The boiler itself has its own thermostat. If the ambient temperature around it falls below 5C, it automatically switches itself on. It's to avoid the boiler freezing up."
So now we have a thermometer in the laundry room to check if the temperature is getting that low. We also closed the window in the hope of keeping the room warmer, then the house wouldn't have to be quite so sweltering.
It has to admitted we have been having some cold days, & nights especially, of late. I looked at the outside thermometer attached to the shed this morning just before I sat down to write this. Even then it had only just warmed up to -6C. It had been colder earlier on when I first got up.
Now we're keeping our fingers crossed that closing the window has been sufficient to stop the boiler from going on. Otherwise I can see this new boiler is going to be a darn sight more expensive to run than the old one, as it will be running 24 hours a day by the time we get fully into winter.
The man did suggest we had a few options if it did not. We could try boxing the boiler in. That should keep the ambient temperature higher. Alternatively we could have a radiator installed in the laundry room. There's the option of just paying for the extra gas, reassured that we will at least be warm. Finally there's the drastic option of moving the boiler inside, though where I'm not quite sure. It would have to go on an outside wall & most of our outside walls are broken up with interior walls, fitted cupboards, windows & door frames. And a boiler is not the most attractive thing to have in the midst lounge! We'll just have to see how it goes on.
Tuesday 9 November 2010
Traumatised
"I heard a ruckus outside. I looked out into the garden. There was an enormous bird sitting on top of one of my hens," said a still traumatised Cheryl. She keeps hens. She'd just recently bought a pair or rare birds, a hen & her mate, for breeding purposes. It was on this hen the bird was sitting.
"It was a Harris hawk," she continued. "It belonged to a man who was hunting for rabbits with it in a field just across the way. It must of mistaken the hen for a rabbit. It just sat there, waiting for its owner to retrieve it. We tried to get it move off by poking it with a broom handle but it wouldn't go. When the owner came over, he nonchalantly said not to worry. He was insured so he would be able to pay for the injured hen."
This did nothing for Cheryl. Her birds are her pets. She loves them dearly & she'd had this one long enough to have named it & learnt its character.
All this happened on Sunday. Needless to say Cheryl instantly got on to the vet to see if the bird could be saved. But no, the injuries were too extensive. Her hen had one broken wing, one broken leg & the hawk's talons had penetrated into the hen's neck, damaging her nervous system. It had to be humanely killed. Needless to say the vet charged a lot as it was out of hours.
"The worst of it is I will have to find a new home for the cock as he won't be happy partnerless. So that's going to cost me yet more. Then I've got to locate another pair which isn't going to be easy when they are such a rare breed."
Cheryl didn't blame the hawk. It was a beautiful bird, only doing what came naturally & what it had been trained to do. It was the owner she was annoyed with.
"To keep the foxes away I have a Jack Russell terrier who lives in the garden. Even if the dog had seen the bird, he would probably have been hurt or taken too. And just imagine if the hawk had gone next door. My neighbour is a childminder. She often lets the young crawlers & toddlers play on the grass with the pet rabbit. The children could have been attacked, certainly hurt. At the very least they may have been traumatised by watching the rabbit being torn apart by the hawk in front of them. It's not even a British bird! And this man seemed to think it didn't matter!"
Maybe the situation was all the worse because Cheryl is a vegetarian on principle. She'll eat the eggs, but the hens are always allowed to live out their old age, long after they are past laying eggs on an economic basis. She doesn't believe in causing pain to any creature, although she does accept nature can be cruel. This had all been too much for her.
"It was a Harris hawk," she continued. "It belonged to a man who was hunting for rabbits with it in a field just across the way. It must of mistaken the hen for a rabbit. It just sat there, waiting for its owner to retrieve it. We tried to get it move off by poking it with a broom handle but it wouldn't go. When the owner came over, he nonchalantly said not to worry. He was insured so he would be able to pay for the injured hen."
This did nothing for Cheryl. Her birds are her pets. She loves them dearly & she'd had this one long enough to have named it & learnt its character.
All this happened on Sunday. Needless to say Cheryl instantly got on to the vet to see if the bird could be saved. But no, the injuries were too extensive. Her hen had one broken wing, one broken leg & the hawk's talons had penetrated into the hen's neck, damaging her nervous system. It had to be humanely killed. Needless to say the vet charged a lot as it was out of hours.
"The worst of it is I will have to find a new home for the cock as he won't be happy partnerless. So that's going to cost me yet more. Then I've got to locate another pair which isn't going to be easy when they are such a rare breed."
Cheryl didn't blame the hawk. It was a beautiful bird, only doing what came naturally & what it had been trained to do. It was the owner she was annoyed with.
"To keep the foxes away I have a Jack Russell terrier who lives in the garden. Even if the dog had seen the bird, he would probably have been hurt or taken too. And just imagine if the hawk had gone next door. My neighbour is a childminder. She often lets the young crawlers & toddlers play on the grass with the pet rabbit. The children could have been attacked, certainly hurt. At the very least they may have been traumatised by watching the rabbit being torn apart by the hawk in front of them. It's not even a British bird! And this man seemed to think it didn't matter!"
Maybe the situation was all the worse because Cheryl is a vegetarian on principle. She'll eat the eggs, but the hens are always allowed to live out their old age, long after they are past laying eggs on an economic basis. She doesn't believe in causing pain to any creature, although she does accept nature can be cruel. This had all been too much for her.
Monday 8 November 2010
The challenge ahead
The sun didn't last long. Yet again I woke up, opened my eyes, thought it was so dark it had to be the middle of the night to realise it was already 8.15am & time to be up. These southerners who say don't bother to change the clocks in spring & autumn clearly don't know how dark a winter morning can be in the north. Heaven knows what it must be like in the north of Scotland!
I told myself to get up. I have a challenge ahead of me for today. What is that challenge I hear you ask. Somehow a meal for two has to be made with one chicken thigh. The Fox's reaction was to go to the butcher & buy some more. But, to my mind, the whole point of using up the things in the freezer is not to go buying yet more.
So, what have I decided to make? Chicken vol-au-vents. I'm proposing to cut the thigh into fairly small pieces, fry them, add some flour & milk to make a white sauce which I will flavour with a bit of curry powder French style. All of this mix will then go into some vol-au-vent cases & be served with chips & peas. Should be good & satisfying.
PS Hasn't it been a quiet bonfire night? Around here we've had very few. A sign of the recession really hitting home & people's pockets?
I told myself to get up. I have a challenge ahead of me for today. What is that challenge I hear you ask. Somehow a meal for two has to be made with one chicken thigh. The Fox's reaction was to go to the butcher & buy some more. But, to my mind, the whole point of using up the things in the freezer is not to go buying yet more.
So, what have I decided to make? Chicken vol-au-vents. I'm proposing to cut the thigh into fairly small pieces, fry them, add some flour & milk to make a white sauce which I will flavour with a bit of curry powder French style. All of this mix will then go into some vol-au-vent cases & be served with chips & peas. Should be good & satisfying.
PS Hasn't it been a quiet bonfire night? Around here we've had very few. A sign of the recession really hitting home & people's pockets?
Saturday 6 November 2010
Looking sunnier
It's come as quite a shock today to get up to a gloriously blue sky. Sunshine for once. The cars down the street sparkled in their frosty coatings. The itch to go out is upon me, though I half suspect by the time we're ready to do so the sun will have disappeared. It has to be admitted the clouds are already beginning to collect. Still, at least, my morale has had a boost.
I even managed to stop to have a good look at the sunflower at the back door. It looks pretty blackened & dried out now. The Fox suggested I uprooted & binned it but I thought no. I'm glad I didn't now. The sunflower seeds in the bird feeders don't seem to have been going down much lately. I had put it down to the rain & that persistent cat. The birds don't seem to have been around as much of late. Now I know the real reason. The birds have obviously discovered this sunflower & all its seeds. I presume they must be at the peak of ripeness & tastiness. Seed casings are scattered all around. Definitely someone has been busy feeding.
I gave Jean, our friend with cancer, another ring today. She's found the chemotherapy not as bad as she feared. So far. She has had some reaction which she is assured is a sign that it is having some effect. This has given her some hope that things may improve. It certainly makes the prospects of continuing the course not so daunting. She's also arranged to have an aromatherapy massage at the local CancerCare place. Let's hope it continues to go well. It's time something got better for her & her husband.
Meanwhile we're looking forward to roast leg of salt marsh lamb for dinner tonight. It's a while since we had roast lamb. It should be a bit of a treat.
I even managed to stop to have a good look at the sunflower at the back door. It looks pretty blackened & dried out now. The Fox suggested I uprooted & binned it but I thought no. I'm glad I didn't now. The sunflower seeds in the bird feeders don't seem to have been going down much lately. I had put it down to the rain & that persistent cat. The birds don't seem to have been around as much of late. Now I know the real reason. The birds have obviously discovered this sunflower & all its seeds. I presume they must be at the peak of ripeness & tastiness. Seed casings are scattered all around. Definitely someone has been busy feeding.
I gave Jean, our friend with cancer, another ring today. She's found the chemotherapy not as bad as she feared. So far. She has had some reaction which she is assured is a sign that it is having some effect. This has given her some hope that things may improve. It certainly makes the prospects of continuing the course not so daunting. She's also arranged to have an aromatherapy massage at the local CancerCare place. Let's hope it continues to go well. It's time something got better for her & her husband.
Meanwhile we're looking forward to roast leg of salt marsh lamb for dinner tonight. It's a while since we had roast lamb. It should be a bit of a treat.
Friday 5 November 2010
Lamb curry
It is amazing how evocative food can be. Today my mind is off to La Rochelle in France once more.
First I'll tell you the meal that's plopping away at the moment is a Bhoona Gosht, a lamb curry. The last time I remember cooking this recipe was in France when we were staying with our French friends. Their son had been to stay with us a year or so before. While he was here we took him along to our local Indian restaurant & he discovered curries, a new experience for him. So when we visited them next in France, he was keen for us to make a proper curry. He hadn't been able to find anything like it in France. So I agreed to do this lamb curry.
While the son located some spices, Marie, his mother, our friend, took me along to the butcher.It was just a small suburban establishment on the outskirts of La Rochelle. There we utterly bemused the butcher. Not only was I very definitely English, a rarity in those parts, but I was clearly a friend of a Frenchwoman - the French seem to regard this as an impossible concept. He was even more amazed when he realised that I, the Englishwoman (& therefore obviously a hopeless cook as no English person knows how to cook), was going to cook for Marie (a professional chef, which he knew) & her family &, what was more, I was cooking an Indian curry!!! This was internationalism gone mad for him. Still we managed to get the meat.
So back we went & set about making the curry. Marie watched eagerly, always keen to learn new culinary techniques. She was impressed by the Fox's knife skills as he diced up the onions. She was quite content as we sweated off the onions & garlic, but then came the spices. As I was cooking for 6 people in went 9 teaspoons of curry powder plus a teaspoon of chilli powder to give it a bit of extra oomph. Marie's eyes grew bigger & bigger, her mouth dropped further & further open, as I counted out the spoonfuls of spice. In France we discovered their idea of a curry for four people involves a quarter of a teaspoon of curry powder at most.She wasn't much reassured when she saw no liquid going in the pot except a tablespoon of vinegar & one of tomato puree. Nonetheless she let us get on with it & prayed the meal at the end would be edible.
After it had all plopped along we sat down for the meal. By then plenty of juices had come out of the meat to give a rich sauce. Nervously Marie took her first mouthful, expecting her mouth to burst into flames. She was somewhat surprised to discover it was really rather good. Her husband is a lot more conservative in his likes. He tried it, said it was good, but clearly found it overwhelming. The son & his girlfriend loved it.
So here we are again, once more with a bhoona gosht. And our memories return once more to that day in France & our friends - good times
First I'll tell you the meal that's plopping away at the moment is a Bhoona Gosht, a lamb curry. The last time I remember cooking this recipe was in France when we were staying with our French friends. Their son had been to stay with us a year or so before. While he was here we took him along to our local Indian restaurant & he discovered curries, a new experience for him. So when we visited them next in France, he was keen for us to make a proper curry. He hadn't been able to find anything like it in France. So I agreed to do this lamb curry.
While the son located some spices, Marie, his mother, our friend, took me along to the butcher.It was just a small suburban establishment on the outskirts of La Rochelle. There we utterly bemused the butcher. Not only was I very definitely English, a rarity in those parts, but I was clearly a friend of a Frenchwoman - the French seem to regard this as an impossible concept. He was even more amazed when he realised that I, the Englishwoman (& therefore obviously a hopeless cook as no English person knows how to cook), was going to cook for Marie (a professional chef, which he knew) & her family &, what was more, I was cooking an Indian curry!!! This was internationalism gone mad for him. Still we managed to get the meat.
So back we went & set about making the curry. Marie watched eagerly, always keen to learn new culinary techniques. She was impressed by the Fox's knife skills as he diced up the onions. She was quite content as we sweated off the onions & garlic, but then came the spices. As I was cooking for 6 people in went 9 teaspoons of curry powder plus a teaspoon of chilli powder to give it a bit of extra oomph. Marie's eyes grew bigger & bigger, her mouth dropped further & further open, as I counted out the spoonfuls of spice. In France we discovered their idea of a curry for four people involves a quarter of a teaspoon of curry powder at most.She wasn't much reassured when she saw no liquid going in the pot except a tablespoon of vinegar & one of tomato puree. Nonetheless she let us get on with it & prayed the meal at the end would be edible.
After it had all plopped along we sat down for the meal. By then plenty of juices had come out of the meat to give a rich sauce. Nervously Marie took her first mouthful, expecting her mouth to burst into flames. She was somewhat surprised to discover it was really rather good. Her husband is a lot more conservative in his likes. He tried it, said it was good, but clearly found it overwhelming. The son & his girlfriend loved it.
So here we are again, once more with a bhoona gosht. And our memories return once more to that day in France & our friends - good times
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