The new neighbours have moved in. The old ones were still in the process of moving when the next van arrived with the new neighbours' belongings. The van was from Luton so clearly our new neighbours have moved quite a distance. The van remained outside overnight. Despite this it was, and is, remarkably quiet. We have yet to meet them but, at least, they're clearly not excessive noisemakers which is always of concern when you have a shared wall.
Down at the Pub yesterday it was a noisy session. The crossword never even got started, let alone completed. All the regular faces were there. Both Fran & Mrs B, the retired headmistress, have been ill this year, so it was great to see them again. In Mrs B's case it is the first time she's managed it this year! The ill-health has clearly taken its toll on our friends. At least part of that is because Mrs B, Fran & Den, are all 80 this year & their powers of recovery are slowing down. However, they are on the mend & that is the main thing. Mrs B could even raise some of the old spark & fire which makes her such great, if sometimes, dangerous company.
This week I seem to have been very tired. It's that spot of gardening on Tuesday that did it I suspect. I'm hoping later today to get on to the next stage, adding some compost to the bed, then I only have to plant the new herbs I bought at Barton Grange over a week ago. Time goes so fast. I'll also plant out the parsley & mint that have been inside over winter. I've been hardening them off all week. Next week I'll start hardening off Basil Bush, so he can be planted before we're off to France next month.
I think we're pretty well prepared for the holiday now. Just a few last minute things to do & that's it. We're really looking forward to it.
Saturday 31 March 2012
Friday 30 March 2012
Moving house
So we set off to the Farmers' Market. Soon we grind to a halt behind a long line of stationary traffic. What's this? New roadworks? Then it dawns upon us. No, this is the queue for petrol at the garage a bit further along the road. We hastily get out of the queue, pass it & get on our way. We were warned from then on. Every time we came to stationary traffic & there wasn't normally lights etc but there was a petrol station nearby, we pulled out. Every garage we passed had a long line of cars etc spilling out onto the road. Panic buying has really set in. The more the government tries to backtrack on the jerrycan comment, the longer the queues grow. And the strike may not even happen!
Meanwhile today, on a suitably cloudy grey day, our neighbours next door are busily loading up their belongings. They've finally managed to sell their house & are moving to pastures green.
In my experience it always seems to be grey, often positively wet, when you need to move house. Maybe it just seems that way, because I don't think I have ever moved house without some feelings of regret, pangs of happy memories spent in the old home.
I can't say I've ever really regretted our move here. Certainly the move from Arnside has been wholly positive. From an upstairs flat in which I was beginning to feel increasingly imprisoned due to my growing mobility problems, to here, where I can just step out of the door to the car or garden can only be good.
At the time we would have liked to stay in Arnside. We had lived happily there for over 20 years. We came to Morecambe because it was the only place we could afford which we thought wasn't too bad. Since coming here, we have been overwhelmed by the friendliness of the people. Arnside is very hilly & most of the shops have steps in. Here things are much flatter & most of the shops have level entrances.
Having a garden has been a real boon. Although I can rarely make it to the far end of the back garden - it's 100 metres long! - I can enjoy the colours of the grass, trees & flowers, enjoy the sounds & antics of the birds and other wildlife, without having to venture far from the building. There is an area just to sit out & feel the sun on my face on the rare day it's warm enough for me to want to sit out. The bits of the garden near the house ie the herb garden in the front & the bog garden in the back, I try to keep tidy myself. The rest tends to get left to Al & the Fox. It's wonderful to see the passage of the seasons, the signs of new life in the spring, the glorious colours of autumn. No, the move was good.
At one point, since we moved here & we gained some extra money, we did wonder whether we wouldn't prefer to move over to the other side of Morecambe since we mysteriously seem to have made most of our new friends over there. However, property over there was £100,000+ more expensive (and generally smaller and/or in need of great renovation), which is a lot of holidays & other treats. Ultimately we concluded we prefer the extra privacy afforded by living that bit further away from friends.
This is the place for us & we intend to stay until we have to move again. We suspect that will be when one of us dies or we've become too infirm to cope with such a large house & need sheltered accommodation or even a care home. Hopefully that won't be for a long time to come.
Meanwhile today, on a suitably cloudy grey day, our neighbours next door are busily loading up their belongings. They've finally managed to sell their house & are moving to pastures green.
In my experience it always seems to be grey, often positively wet, when you need to move house. Maybe it just seems that way, because I don't think I have ever moved house without some feelings of regret, pangs of happy memories spent in the old home.
I can't say I've ever really regretted our move here. Certainly the move from Arnside has been wholly positive. From an upstairs flat in which I was beginning to feel increasingly imprisoned due to my growing mobility problems, to here, where I can just step out of the door to the car or garden can only be good.
At the time we would have liked to stay in Arnside. We had lived happily there for over 20 years. We came to Morecambe because it was the only place we could afford which we thought wasn't too bad. Since coming here, we have been overwhelmed by the friendliness of the people. Arnside is very hilly & most of the shops have steps in. Here things are much flatter & most of the shops have level entrances.
Having a garden has been a real boon. Although I can rarely make it to the far end of the back garden - it's 100 metres long! - I can enjoy the colours of the grass, trees & flowers, enjoy the sounds & antics of the birds and other wildlife, without having to venture far from the building. There is an area just to sit out & feel the sun on my face on the rare day it's warm enough for me to want to sit out. The bits of the garden near the house ie the herb garden in the front & the bog garden in the back, I try to keep tidy myself. The rest tends to get left to Al & the Fox. It's wonderful to see the passage of the seasons, the signs of new life in the spring, the glorious colours of autumn. No, the move was good.
At one point, since we moved here & we gained some extra money, we did wonder whether we wouldn't prefer to move over to the other side of Morecambe since we mysteriously seem to have made most of our new friends over there. However, property over there was £100,000+ more expensive (and generally smaller and/or in need of great renovation), which is a lot of holidays & other treats. Ultimately we concluded we prefer the extra privacy afforded by living that bit further away from friends.
This is the place for us & we intend to stay until we have to move again. We suspect that will be when one of us dies or we've become too infirm to cope with such a large house & need sheltered accommodation or even a care home. Hopefully that won't be for a long time to come.
Thursday 29 March 2012
Change of a day
The sun is trying to shine again, though it is later on the scene today. Yesterday, the temperature had gone down again to more normal March temperatures. In the pub garden, smokers & dog-owners once more huddled into their jackets. Today even looks colder.
While we were out yesterday, we noticed the sign for the Famers' Market has been put out. So today we are once more thinking of venturing that way & then maybe have lunch at the Pub, as we had intended to do last week. PD, too, has seen the sign & hastily rang this morning to let us know. He knows how disappointed we were last week & didn't want us to miss it because we hadn't seen the boards - a kind thought.
Meanwhile we seem to be having a bit of a plague of new invaders into our home - ants. We keep trying to work out where they come from but it is not obvious. We would put something down to deter them if we knew how they came in. We suspect there just must be so many around, they are coming in on the soles of our shoes. However, they're doing it, there's just too many for our liking.
The other notable thing yesterday was the queues at the petrol stations around. On Tuesday, when we we'd done our supermarket shop, we stopped & filled up with petrol. The tank was a fair way down, & we were aware we would need plenty for our trip down to Liverpool airport & back next month. It seemed busier than usual but not too bad. We did notice one person filling a hand-held container. Even then we suspected panic buying was beginning to set in. After the government's announcements about filling "jerrycans" yesterday, panic buying is now in full swing. At this rate the garages will be running out of petrol just because people will be stockpiling so much, despite the potential fire risks & illegality involved in so doing. At this rate there will be no need for a strike to grind the country to a full stop!
While we were out yesterday, we noticed the sign for the Famers' Market has been put out. So today we are once more thinking of venturing that way & then maybe have lunch at the Pub, as we had intended to do last week. PD, too, has seen the sign & hastily rang this morning to let us know. He knows how disappointed we were last week & didn't want us to miss it because we hadn't seen the boards - a kind thought.
Meanwhile we seem to be having a bit of a plague of new invaders into our home - ants. We keep trying to work out where they come from but it is not obvious. We would put something down to deter them if we knew how they came in. We suspect there just must be so many around, they are coming in on the soles of our shoes. However, they're doing it, there's just too many for our liking.
The other notable thing yesterday was the queues at the petrol stations around. On Tuesday, when we we'd done our supermarket shop, we stopped & filled up with petrol. The tank was a fair way down, & we were aware we would need plenty for our trip down to Liverpool airport & back next month. It seemed busier than usual but not too bad. We did notice one person filling a hand-held container. Even then we suspected panic buying was beginning to set in. After the government's announcements about filling "jerrycans" yesterday, panic buying is now in full swing. At this rate the garages will be running out of petrol just because people will be stockpiling so much, despite the potential fire risks & illegality involved in so doing. At this rate there will be no need for a strike to grind the country to a full stop!
Wednesday 28 March 2012
Busy day
Yesterday was an exhausting day. It started well. I stepped out of the back door to go to the laundry room, when my eyes were caught by the sight of this magpie flying over with what looked like a branch of a tree its beak. It's clearly nesting time, but this "twig" was so big it was almost enough to ground the bird & it would certainly of been difficult to manipulate - or is that beakulate - into position as part of a nest.
My first task of the day after breakfast was to prepare some potatoes & bake a flan case ready for dinner - a turkey & ham flan. Then I progressed with the ironing. One thing about all this warm dry weather is that it is conducive to getting the washing dried early in the week so I can get on with the ironing early in the week too.
Ironing, too, turned into a bit of a nature watch. As it was so warm, I had the back door open. An enormous bumble bee paid a visit. At first it didn't bother me, but then it started flying around my hands. At this point I started to get worried. I didn't want to get stung. Eventually it flew off & buzzed ineffectually, though noisily, on the window. I duly got up, unlocked the window & let it out. Peace once more!
After a tea break, & completing my jigsaw, I decided the time had come to tackle the front garden. My hands are now covered with scratches to prove the hard work put in. I pulled out the weeds, the remains of the fennel that had died in the snows of the winter of 2010-11 (I'd left it in all last summer in the hope of a revival, but there were still no signs of life), pruned some of the herbs that were getting overgrown. The oregano needed more drastic treatment. It was doing its best to take over the whole garden so I tried to dig up a large part of it. I never realised what long roots it had. Now the garden is looking a lot tidier. My next job is to add a little extra compost, before planting out my new herbs. But by this time I was too exhausted to continue on that day.
So, come the afternoon, we decide the time had come to do the big food shop. In theory I write a shopping list for 6 days meals. The Fox then usually decides on one meal a week he fancies trying. Generally, somehow, that means we have food for 2-3 weeks with a minor top-up shop in the intervening week(s). But this was a big shop.
Home after that & dinner. The Fox had to give me a hand. By this time exhaustion was well & truly hitting me. By 9pm I was in bed - so much for going to see the drama being put on at the library - & was quickly fast asleep. For once I never ventured out of bed, or even more than momentarily from the land of nod, until after 8 this morning.
So now I'm wondering what to cook today. I'm contemplating, after doing this, popping down to the shops on the Mean Machine, my electric scooter, to get some fresh fish. There's no signs of advertising boards for the Farmers' Market yet. We had wondered if they'd changed the 4th Thursday of the month to the last Thursday of the month, but it doesn't look like it. We're back to supermarket meat it would seem. We're thinking we might go over to Carnforth & the Booth's supermarket there. The standard of meat does seem to be so better & to be very local. It may be a little pricier but you can usually taste the difference, certainly on the prime cuts of meat & I'm hoping to roast some lamb at the weekend. And there you can buy slat marsh lamb which we have come to really appreciate & prefer.
My first task of the day after breakfast was to prepare some potatoes & bake a flan case ready for dinner - a turkey & ham flan. Then I progressed with the ironing. One thing about all this warm dry weather is that it is conducive to getting the washing dried early in the week so I can get on with the ironing early in the week too.
Ironing, too, turned into a bit of a nature watch. As it was so warm, I had the back door open. An enormous bumble bee paid a visit. At first it didn't bother me, but then it started flying around my hands. At this point I started to get worried. I didn't want to get stung. Eventually it flew off & buzzed ineffectually, though noisily, on the window. I duly got up, unlocked the window & let it out. Peace once more!
After a tea break, & completing my jigsaw, I decided the time had come to tackle the front garden. My hands are now covered with scratches to prove the hard work put in. I pulled out the weeds, the remains of the fennel that had died in the snows of the winter of 2010-11 (I'd left it in all last summer in the hope of a revival, but there were still no signs of life), pruned some of the herbs that were getting overgrown. The oregano needed more drastic treatment. It was doing its best to take over the whole garden so I tried to dig up a large part of it. I never realised what long roots it had. Now the garden is looking a lot tidier. My next job is to add a little extra compost, before planting out my new herbs. But by this time I was too exhausted to continue on that day.
So, come the afternoon, we decide the time had come to do the big food shop. In theory I write a shopping list for 6 days meals. The Fox then usually decides on one meal a week he fancies trying. Generally, somehow, that means we have food for 2-3 weeks with a minor top-up shop in the intervening week(s). But this was a big shop.
Home after that & dinner. The Fox had to give me a hand. By this time exhaustion was well & truly hitting me. By 9pm I was in bed - so much for going to see the drama being put on at the library - & was quickly fast asleep. For once I never ventured out of bed, or even more than momentarily from the land of nod, until after 8 this morning.
So now I'm wondering what to cook today. I'm contemplating, after doing this, popping down to the shops on the Mean Machine, my electric scooter, to get some fresh fish. There's no signs of advertising boards for the Farmers' Market yet. We had wondered if they'd changed the 4th Thursday of the month to the last Thursday of the month, but it doesn't look like it. We're back to supermarket meat it would seem. We're thinking we might go over to Carnforth & the Booth's supermarket there. The standard of meat does seem to be so better & to be very local. It may be a little pricier but you can usually taste the difference, certainly on the prime cuts of meat & I'm hoping to roast some lamb at the weekend. And there you can buy slat marsh lamb which we have come to really appreciate & prefer.
Sunday 25 March 2012
A surprise
What a lovely surprise! I was just about to switch off, when I discovered a friend was trying to get through to us on Skype. It's the first time we've used this facility & it was great to chat a bit to an old friend. Although I sometimes wonder about modern technology, it does have some advantages. I can see this may well turn into a good tool in these days when age & ill-health restricts all our abilities to get together, especially when you live miles away, & this particular friend lives over in Harrogate.
In the garden
The Fox is thinking of having another go at veg growing this year. We've just ordered some more raised beds. Then we'll get some extra compost to fill them. We're also thinking of looking for some seed potatoes now, while there's still plenty of choice. However, we're not thinking of planting much as we don't want things to go amiss while we're away. For all that it's becoming incredibly sunny & warm at the moment, it doesn't alter the fact we fear frost isn't far away at night. It's also been surprisingly dry & there will be no-one around to water any new plants at an important stage of their development.
Meanwhile I'm hoping to tidy up the herb garden & get the new plants I bought this week in the ground. The herbs that have been sitting on the kitchen window sill through the winter are being harden off a bit so they, too, will go in the ground soon.
That just leaves Basil Bush. He seems to be particularly tender so I'm leaving him inside a bit longer before I harden him off. I'm hoping to get him out just before we go away. He's not likely to survive a fortnight inside without attention. I'll just have to hope it isn't too cold when we're away.
I've also got some nasturtium & marigold seeds to plant in the herb garden to provide a bit of extra colour. I may put some in a planter on the wall to brighten up the patio area a bit. I'll have to see how far the seeds stretch. Again I'm hoping to do that just before we go away in the hope the first green shoots will be appearing when we come home.
The busy season in the garden is upon us.
Meanwhile I'm hoping to tidy up the herb garden & get the new plants I bought this week in the ground. The herbs that have been sitting on the kitchen window sill through the winter are being harden off a bit so they, too, will go in the ground soon.
That just leaves Basil Bush. He seems to be particularly tender so I'm leaving him inside a bit longer before I harden him off. I'm hoping to get him out just before we go away. He's not likely to survive a fortnight inside without attention. I'll just have to hope it isn't too cold when we're away.
I've also got some nasturtium & marigold seeds to plant in the herb garden to provide a bit of extra colour. I may put some in a planter on the wall to brighten up the patio area a bit. I'll have to see how far the seeds stretch. Again I'm hoping to do that just before we go away in the hope the first green shoots will be appearing when we come home.
The busy season in the garden is upon us.
Saturday 24 March 2012
A change of plan
One thing's for certain. Today's rabbit is wild. I seem to have had to dig so many hard metal pellets out of it, it was clearly shot. At the moment the jointed rabbit is marinading in some red wine along with various other herbs & flavourings, ready to be cooked this afternoon.
On Thursday, for some reason the Farmers' Market, wasn't on. We turned up to find the church hall where it is held was all locked up & no sign of why. Have they changed the day? Have they stopped having Farmers' Markets in Morecambe? Have they relocated the market elsewhere in Morecambe? No indication was given. We'll just have to keep our eyes open for the next lot of ads, if there are any.
As we were on the road bright & early, we decided to make it the day to go down to the garden centre at Barton Grange. It's the first time we've ever been. It's not far from Preston so quite a distance from home for us. It's an absolutely enormous place with a farm shop (a sort of permanent farmer's market), cook shop, gift shop, restaurant, cafe, acres of plants. We spent quite a while there, strolling around. We didn't buy much but were amazed by all there was to see. At one point we stopped for a sit down & a spot of lunch. The side salads accompanying our sandwiches were awash with flavour, which gave us some encouragement to think that the fresh veg for sale in the farm shop , although pricey, was probably good quality. We indulged in that childhood delight, dandelion & burdock, for a drink. In the end tiredness began to overwhelm us, & anyhow we wanted to be back, through Lancaster before the main Lancaster rush hour traffic ground to a virtual halt, as happens every day.
We were both pretty well pooped. It's not often we both end tucked up in bed by 8pm. Although the Fox found the day tiring, and he was finding his leg dragging by the end, nonetheless, next day he was back to normal again. He's obviously coped well with the trip - a fact that augurs well for our holiday next month. To discover that was one of the main reasons for our trip.
Would we go to Barton Grange again? I'm not sure. It seems a long way to go when so many of the things we could have bought more locally or on line. They was certainly plenty to see so maybe we will venture again some time but it won't be very often.It was lovely to see the banks of golden daffodils along the roadside as we went. It was also lovely to have a mild sunny day to go & that seems to have continued ever since. Has summer jumped through spring to arrive with the changing of the clocks tonight? I wonder. I don't entirely trust it to last.
On Thursday, for some reason the Farmers' Market, wasn't on. We turned up to find the church hall where it is held was all locked up & no sign of why. Have they changed the day? Have they stopped having Farmers' Markets in Morecambe? Have they relocated the market elsewhere in Morecambe? No indication was given. We'll just have to keep our eyes open for the next lot of ads, if there are any.
As we were on the road bright & early, we decided to make it the day to go down to the garden centre at Barton Grange. It's the first time we've ever been. It's not far from Preston so quite a distance from home for us. It's an absolutely enormous place with a farm shop (a sort of permanent farmer's market), cook shop, gift shop, restaurant, cafe, acres of plants. We spent quite a while there, strolling around. We didn't buy much but were amazed by all there was to see. At one point we stopped for a sit down & a spot of lunch. The side salads accompanying our sandwiches were awash with flavour, which gave us some encouragement to think that the fresh veg for sale in the farm shop , although pricey, was probably good quality. We indulged in that childhood delight, dandelion & burdock, for a drink. In the end tiredness began to overwhelm us, & anyhow we wanted to be back, through Lancaster before the main Lancaster rush hour traffic ground to a virtual halt, as happens every day.
We were both pretty well pooped. It's not often we both end tucked up in bed by 8pm. Although the Fox found the day tiring, and he was finding his leg dragging by the end, nonetheless, next day he was back to normal again. He's obviously coped well with the trip - a fact that augurs well for our holiday next month. To discover that was one of the main reasons for our trip.
Would we go to Barton Grange again? I'm not sure. It seems a long way to go when so many of the things we could have bought more locally or on line. They was certainly plenty to see so maybe we will venture again some time but it won't be very often.It was lovely to see the banks of golden daffodils along the roadside as we went. It was also lovely to have a mild sunny day to go & that seems to have continued ever since. Has summer jumped through spring to arrive with the changing of the clocks tonight? I wonder. I don't entirely trust it to last.
Thursday 22 March 2012
Lunch for a change
It's a bright sunny morning. It comes as a shock so soon after last time. We're off to the Farmer's market today. I'm hoping for sausages & a leg of salt marsh lamb.
We're contemplating popping over to the Pub for a spot of lunch afterwards. They started a loyalty card scheme whereby one earns points on purchases which then can be redeemed on food. We should have enough points by now for couple of free lunches.
We've reluctantly come to the conclusion that the Christmas meal we had in December was the last main meal we would be having there. The steps to the restaurant part are just too much for the Fox to get me, in my wheelchair, up & down, now that his wrist has been weakened by the stroke. I confess I've been feeling this way for several years in that I feel undignified, not to say precarious, being lifted up & down the steps anyway. Equally I'm not very happy knowing the toilets are not accessible. An hour or so in the afternoon I know I can manage without a loo, but a more leisurely couple of hours over a meal is a different matter. A bar snack we can have in the bar without having to negotiate any stairs.
Food is much on my thoughts today. When I first got up, opened the kitchen door & stumbled in, I was almost knocked over by this amazing smell. The Fox had been slow cooking a lamb curry last night, ready for dinner tonight. The smell is full of promise, a sweet spiciness with hints of cinnamon among other things. It looks a bit dry but then food tends to thicken up when it cools & turn more liquid when it is warmed up again. I also know some more liquid, ie cream, is going to added later along with some garam masala to add to the spiciness. If necessary he can always add a bit of water or stock at the same time. We haven't had a curry for a little while. This lamb korma smells just wonderful.
We're contemplating popping over to the Pub for a spot of lunch afterwards. They started a loyalty card scheme whereby one earns points on purchases which then can be redeemed on food. We should have enough points by now for couple of free lunches.
We've reluctantly come to the conclusion that the Christmas meal we had in December was the last main meal we would be having there. The steps to the restaurant part are just too much for the Fox to get me, in my wheelchair, up & down, now that his wrist has been weakened by the stroke. I confess I've been feeling this way for several years in that I feel undignified, not to say precarious, being lifted up & down the steps anyway. Equally I'm not very happy knowing the toilets are not accessible. An hour or so in the afternoon I know I can manage without a loo, but a more leisurely couple of hours over a meal is a different matter. A bar snack we can have in the bar without having to negotiate any stairs.
Food is much on my thoughts today. When I first got up, opened the kitchen door & stumbled in, I was almost knocked over by this amazing smell. The Fox had been slow cooking a lamb curry last night, ready for dinner tonight. The smell is full of promise, a sweet spiciness with hints of cinnamon among other things. It looks a bit dry but then food tends to thicken up when it cools & turn more liquid when it is warmed up again. I also know some more liquid, ie cream, is going to added later along with some garam masala to add to the spiciness. If necessary he can always add a bit of water or stock at the same time. We haven't had a curry for a little while. This lamb korma smells just wonderful.
Wednesday 21 March 2012
Of fish & birds
I've been busy this morning, scaling, gutting & filleting some sardines ready for dinner tonight. I can quite understand why fish are so unpopular in this country. It's the bones. Even if you buy your fish ready filleted, so often bones remain to be found, usually mid-mouthful. On the top chef's programme's they keep mentioning about the importance of pin-boning. Somehow I feel that's what the fishmonger should have done for you when you buy the fish. As you may have gathered I long ago learnt how to skin and/or bone fish. Maybe that's part of the reason we love our fish so much.
From time to time I looked up from my task & looked out of the kitchen window to see another sign of spring. The blue tits are once more moving into the nest box. They seem to be constantly flitting between the hedge & the box. Sometimes they go on elsewhere, sometimes they just hop back in. It's a delight to see them so close to the window. I quite expect to see signs of a new family there anytime now. I hope all goes well for them.
From time to time I looked up from my task & looked out of the kitchen window to see another sign of spring. The blue tits are once more moving into the nest box. They seem to be constantly flitting between the hedge & the box. Sometimes they go on elsewhere, sometimes they just hop back in. It's a delight to see them so close to the window. I quite expect to see signs of a new family there anytime now. I hope all goes well for them.
Tuesday 20 March 2012
In reverse
I feel my day is going in reverse. The usual pattern of my morning is breakfast, then I get on with preparing dinner if I'm in charge of the meal that day, then any other essential chores eg ironing, only then the computer & my blog ending with a few games before settling down to my jigsaw at midday. So it seems rather strange to first go onto the computer to write my blog.
Why this change? I'm intending to make a lamb stew today. I thought I would try, for the first time, to adapt one of my tried & tested recipes cooked using traditional methods, & try cooking it in Big Ears, the slow cooker. A stew is as good a thing as anything to try & it would reduce the amount of energy required considerably - a light bulb's worth rather than two hours of gas if I did it on the hob, or two hours of electricity in the oven.
As we won't be eating until this evening I think I might as well wait until nearer lunch-time before getting started on the food. Hence the reversal f daily activity.
I confess, though, it does feel a little disconcerting to change the normality of my existence in this way. Once the stew is under way I'll probably feel happier. I suspect it will seem oh so normal if we get to the supermarket for the weekly shop this afternoon. Not that we need much - just a bit of a top-up. We're off to the Farmers' Market later in the week to get some meat.
Why this change? I'm intending to make a lamb stew today. I thought I would try, for the first time, to adapt one of my tried & tested recipes cooked using traditional methods, & try cooking it in Big Ears, the slow cooker. A stew is as good a thing as anything to try & it would reduce the amount of energy required considerably - a light bulb's worth rather than two hours of gas if I did it on the hob, or two hours of electricity in the oven.
As we won't be eating until this evening I think I might as well wait until nearer lunch-time before getting started on the food. Hence the reversal f daily activity.
I confess, though, it does feel a little disconcerting to change the normality of my existence in this way. Once the stew is under way I'll probably feel happier. I suspect it will seem oh so normal if we get to the supermarket for the weekly shop this afternoon. Not that we need much - just a bit of a top-up. We're off to the Farmers' Market later in the week to get some meat.
Monday 19 March 2012
Spring?
The sun is shining once more. The washing is on the line. From the weather forecast it sounds as though we should have a spell of fine weather. I hope so. I keep hoping the cold is behind us, but so far it's not gone very far. The trees are budding up. Cherry blossoms are appearing. Crocuses & daffodils abound. And yet it still freezes at night. Maybe if we can have a sustained spell of milder days the land might finally begin to warm up, but at present there's little sign of that.
I wonder if Al, the gardener, will turn up. The grass is decidedly squidgy under foot. Angie, the cleaner, is sure to arrive later on. What else we do today is uncertain.
For dinner today I'm intending to get a few sausages out of the freezer to finish off some Cumberland sauce I made last week. I must have a go at trying to decide what to do with the next item on the freezer list for tomorrow's dinner - that's some diced leg of lamb. A curry perhaps? Or a casserole of some description. I've got all day to decide.
I wonder if Al, the gardener, will turn up. The grass is decidedly squidgy under foot. Angie, the cleaner, is sure to arrive later on. What else we do today is uncertain.
For dinner today I'm intending to get a few sausages out of the freezer to finish off some Cumberland sauce I made last week. I must have a go at trying to decide what to do with the next item on the freezer list for tomorrow's dinner - that's some diced leg of lamb. A curry perhaps? Or a casserole of some description. I've got all day to decide.
Sunday 18 March 2012
Too early?
Al, our gardener, is proposing to come tomorrow, weather permitting. Undoubtedly the lawn could do with a hair-cut. The garden generally could do with a tidy-up. The winter has left it looking a bit of a mess.
He told us his intentions on Friday. He asked how our lawn was doing, fearing it might be waterlogged as usual. We had to admit we didn't know as it is a while since we last ventured on it. When we left for home drizzle had started. I did try stepping on the grass. Definitely soggy. During the night & yesterday morning further rain fell. In the evening I tried the grass again. Even before I'd put my full weight down, water was oozing up around my foot.
Much as I would like to see the garden once more looking cared for, there is a bit of me hoping Al doesn't come. He's had a hard winter healthwise. He suffers from asthma. Around here chest infections have abounded & he has been so badly affected that some days he's not had the breath to even get out of bed. On Friday he was still looking very grey & was still coughing badly, gasping for breath. He's decided he's up to doing half days but I can't help feeling it's still too early. He needs a bit longer to recover.
On the other hand I can see the urge to get back to work. It's one of the problems of self-employment. Being too ill to work also means no income. Al's in his sixties now, but he's still got a couple of years before pension time. I'm not even sure if he will get full state pension as he worked for several years in Africa. I know my father found he wasn't entitled to the full state pension because he hadn't kept up with his stamp payments while he worked abroad. I hope that is not the case for Al. Either way I fear Al looks as though he's trying to work himself into the ground - not a good thing. With a bit of luck the rain will have made him change his mind.
He told us his intentions on Friday. He asked how our lawn was doing, fearing it might be waterlogged as usual. We had to admit we didn't know as it is a while since we last ventured on it. When we left for home drizzle had started. I did try stepping on the grass. Definitely soggy. During the night & yesterday morning further rain fell. In the evening I tried the grass again. Even before I'd put my full weight down, water was oozing up around my foot.
Much as I would like to see the garden once more looking cared for, there is a bit of me hoping Al doesn't come. He's had a hard winter healthwise. He suffers from asthma. Around here chest infections have abounded & he has been so badly affected that some days he's not had the breath to even get out of bed. On Friday he was still looking very grey & was still coughing badly, gasping for breath. He's decided he's up to doing half days but I can't help feeling it's still too early. He needs a bit longer to recover.
On the other hand I can see the urge to get back to work. It's one of the problems of self-employment. Being too ill to work also means no income. Al's in his sixties now, but he's still got a couple of years before pension time. I'm not even sure if he will get full state pension as he worked for several years in Africa. I know my father found he wasn't entitled to the full state pension because he hadn't kept up with his stamp payments while he worked abroad. I hope that is not the case for Al. Either way I fear Al looks as though he's trying to work himself into the ground - not a good thing. With a bit of luck the rain will have made him change his mind.
Saturday 17 March 2012
A wonderful rediscovery
We recently visited & renewed the membership of our local library. We used to depend on the library for our reading, but disability has made actually getting there more awkward. We've always remained members though.
The library here in the village was an old Victorian edifice with a flight of steps to negotiate before entry, so we had had to go to the one in Morecambe. In many ways it is an excellent library but, for us, necessitates a separate trip to just go there with the result we've never been that often. Instead we've relied on our own books, often second-hand, and pass-ons from friends & family. A new library was built in the village a couple of years ago but we were out of the library habit so hadn't actually visited.
The Fox has decided to do a revision course in French in preparation for the holiday & so, as we were passing anyhow, we decided to go into the local library to see what courses they have there. While we were there we thought we'd renew our library tickets as they were somewhat out of date.
The experience so far has been utterly positive. At this library you can take out jigsaws free which has given me a whole new range of jigsaws to tackle. At present I'm tackling "The Baptism of Jesus" by Perugino. He's not an artist I know, or had even heard of. Clearly from the style of the painting he is from the Renaissance period. Indeed, inside the box I've found a leaflet on the artist & discover his dates were c1448 - 1523.
The picture fascinates me. It has a vast crowd scene, all dressed in 15th century attire - I can just imagine the Medici court so dressed.It looks as though there is a lot of detail in the sea of faces. I'm looking forward to getting to know the characters depicted. I gather the painting is part of the Vatican Museum collection.
I also discovered the library holds a monthly book club. I'm not quite sure about the idea of a book club. I love the idea of being encouraged to read books & authors I possibly wouldn't read otherwise, but on the other hand I'm not sure how much I appreciate the discussions on the books. From what I've heard on radio & TV I get the impression that these debates are often rather superficial, or alternatively too serious. Nonetheless I've started to read this month's book "The Heretic's Daughter" by Kathleen Kent, a book I'd never even heard of. So now I'm back in the world of the Salem witch trials in late 17th century New England. I can't quite get out of my mind the portrait of the period shown in the film version of Arthur Miller's "The Crucible". I'm not sure if I'll actually attend the discussion but it is wonderful to have in hand once more a plastic coated hard backed version of a novel.
The library also does other courses & sometimes puts on plays. So it is we're contemplating going to a performance of "All the Great Books (abridged)". It's being promoted as "a 90 minute tongue-in-cheek, slapstick rollercoaster" encompassing books "from Pride and Prejudice and 1984 to Green Eggs and Ham and Harry Potter". It's being done by Lancaster University students. The only problem is the performance at our local library is in the evening & I'm not always too bright to attend a 2 hour show (including the half hour interval) so late. The only afternoon performance would involve a trip into Lancaster library on a busy Saturday, a time we usually try to avoid as much as possible.
Our only disappointment so far with the new library is that the Fox has been unable to find a French course to suit him. The only ones available are basic beginner's French, whereas his French is far more advanced than that. He just needs something to help the words & grammar to come to the fore of his mind quicker for when we arrive in France. Still he thinks he's found something more suitable on the internet. If I have time I will try to watching the odd French film or read a novel in French off our own shelves (I didn't notice any foreign language books on the library shelves.) Otherwise I'll just rely on the words coming back quickly once I'm in France. They usually do.
The library here in the village was an old Victorian edifice with a flight of steps to negotiate before entry, so we had had to go to the one in Morecambe. In many ways it is an excellent library but, for us, necessitates a separate trip to just go there with the result we've never been that often. Instead we've relied on our own books, often second-hand, and pass-ons from friends & family. A new library was built in the village a couple of years ago but we were out of the library habit so hadn't actually visited.
The Fox has decided to do a revision course in French in preparation for the holiday & so, as we were passing anyhow, we decided to go into the local library to see what courses they have there. While we were there we thought we'd renew our library tickets as they were somewhat out of date.
The experience so far has been utterly positive. At this library you can take out jigsaws free which has given me a whole new range of jigsaws to tackle. At present I'm tackling "The Baptism of Jesus" by Perugino. He's not an artist I know, or had even heard of. Clearly from the style of the painting he is from the Renaissance period. Indeed, inside the box I've found a leaflet on the artist & discover his dates were c1448 - 1523.
The picture fascinates me. It has a vast crowd scene, all dressed in 15th century attire - I can just imagine the Medici court so dressed.It looks as though there is a lot of detail in the sea of faces. I'm looking forward to getting to know the characters depicted. I gather the painting is part of the Vatican Museum collection.
I also discovered the library holds a monthly book club. I'm not quite sure about the idea of a book club. I love the idea of being encouraged to read books & authors I possibly wouldn't read otherwise, but on the other hand I'm not sure how much I appreciate the discussions on the books. From what I've heard on radio & TV I get the impression that these debates are often rather superficial, or alternatively too serious. Nonetheless I've started to read this month's book "The Heretic's Daughter" by Kathleen Kent, a book I'd never even heard of. So now I'm back in the world of the Salem witch trials in late 17th century New England. I can't quite get out of my mind the portrait of the period shown in the film version of Arthur Miller's "The Crucible". I'm not sure if I'll actually attend the discussion but it is wonderful to have in hand once more a plastic coated hard backed version of a novel.
The library also does other courses & sometimes puts on plays. So it is we're contemplating going to a performance of "All the Great Books (abridged)". It's being promoted as "a 90 minute tongue-in-cheek, slapstick rollercoaster" encompassing books "from Pride and Prejudice and 1984 to Green Eggs and Ham and Harry Potter". It's being done by Lancaster University students. The only problem is the performance at our local library is in the evening & I'm not always too bright to attend a 2 hour show (including the half hour interval) so late. The only afternoon performance would involve a trip into Lancaster library on a busy Saturday, a time we usually try to avoid as much as possible.
Our only disappointment so far with the new library is that the Fox has been unable to find a French course to suit him. The only ones available are basic beginner's French, whereas his French is far more advanced than that. He just needs something to help the words & grammar to come to the fore of his mind quicker for when we arrive in France. Still he thinks he's found something more suitable on the internet. If I have time I will try to watching the odd French film or read a novel in French off our own shelves (I didn't notice any foreign language books on the library shelves.) Otherwise I'll just rely on the words coming back quickly once I'm in France. They usually do.
Wednesday 14 March 2012
Hand luggage ?!
As you know, we are going by Ryanair to France for our holidays. With Ryanair you have to pay so much per bag of hold luggage. We opted for one 20kg bag between us. Normally when we go away for a fortnight that's around about the weight we take, sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less. Knowing Ryanair's reputation for putting swinging excesses on if you go over the weight, & so many people goggling at us only taking the one bag between us, has left me feeling nervous.
It occurred to me that maybe we should each take as large a bag of hand luggage as was allowable so there would be some spare capacity just in case we were tempted to buy some souvenirs of some sort. I could always put my handbag inside it or the Fox's favourable bit of hand luggage could easily fold up & go inside it so he could still carry around the smaller shoulder bag while actually on holiday to carry camera, water, maps, spare woolly etc. I duly looked up the dimensions of maximum hand luggage according to the Ryanair website. I was staggered.
The dimensions stated are 55cmx40cmx20cm to a maximum weight of 10 kg per passenger. In other words we could take 20kg of luggage through without even having to pay for hold luggage!
At the weekend we had a measure of our cases. Sure enough we could find what I would call a small suitcase, rather than hand luggage, that was less than the dimensions stated. No wonder so many passengers stagger on to planes with such huge bags in hand. I'm even beginning to wonder whether we even need to take hold luggage, though I suppose we must as we inevitably take some scissors, razors, creams etc which are not these days permitted in hand luggage. And of course there's a bed cradle which may be rather big to go in the hand luggage & is certainly rather heavy & awkward for so doing. But at least we could save money by going for the minimum amount of hold luggage possible which seems to be 15kg & carry the rest by hand.
The only difficulty is that taking two biggish bags in hand plus pulling along a bigger suitcase & pushing a wheelchair along is not easy. It's no problem once you're at the airport where you can get a trolley to make life easier, but to self-propel a wheelchair & balance a bag on your lap is difficult. We're contemplating seeing if we couldn't invest in a bag of appropriate dimensions with a shoulder strap so I won't need to keep worrying about the bag falling off my lap. We'll see.
It occurred to me that maybe we should each take as large a bag of hand luggage as was allowable so there would be some spare capacity just in case we were tempted to buy some souvenirs of some sort. I could always put my handbag inside it or the Fox's favourable bit of hand luggage could easily fold up & go inside it so he could still carry around the smaller shoulder bag while actually on holiday to carry camera, water, maps, spare woolly etc. I duly looked up the dimensions of maximum hand luggage according to the Ryanair website. I was staggered.
The dimensions stated are 55cmx40cmx20cm to a maximum weight of 10 kg per passenger. In other words we could take 20kg of luggage through without even having to pay for hold luggage!
At the weekend we had a measure of our cases. Sure enough we could find what I would call a small suitcase, rather than hand luggage, that was less than the dimensions stated. No wonder so many passengers stagger on to planes with such huge bags in hand. I'm even beginning to wonder whether we even need to take hold luggage, though I suppose we must as we inevitably take some scissors, razors, creams etc which are not these days permitted in hand luggage. And of course there's a bed cradle which may be rather big to go in the hand luggage & is certainly rather heavy & awkward for so doing. But at least we could save money by going for the minimum amount of hold luggage possible which seems to be 15kg & carry the rest by hand.
The only difficulty is that taking two biggish bags in hand plus pulling along a bigger suitcase & pushing a wheelchair along is not easy. It's no problem once you're at the airport where you can get a trolley to make life easier, but to self-propel a wheelchair & balance a bag on your lap is difficult. We're contemplating seeing if we couldn't invest in a bag of appropriate dimensions with a shoulder strap so I won't need to keep worrying about the bag falling off my lap. We'll see.
Tuesday 13 March 2012
Souping
Some time ago I remember writing that PD had given me a couple of Heston Blumenthal booklets that had come free with his newspaper. I was rather disparaging at the time.
Nonetheless, last week I had a go at his Leek & Potato Soup. I admit I did adapt the recipe a bit. He makes things so complicated that really despite the booklets being entitled "Heston's Home Cooking", the only way I could imagine doing it is to have an army of sous-chefs & washer-uppers, & more pans than our domestic kitchen could house. You also need all day minimum to tackle all the stages in the way he suggests. I've decided the only way to use the booklets is as a source of inspiration, ideas of maybe what could be done. I will also admit that it was a remarkably tasty Leek & Potato Soup, a soup I usually find bland, nondescript, too boring for words or to be worth ordering if out.
Today I'm tackling his Pea & Ham Soup. Again I'm using the recipe as a guideline rather than a route map. I'm not expecting anything like the Fox's mother's superlative Pea & Ham Soup. With garden peas rather than marrowfat peas it just doesn't stand a chance. I'm not even sure it should be regarded as the same thing. However, I am hoping to end up with something tasty.
At the moment I'm waiting for the gammon joint to cool down. The Fox cooked it in Big Ears, the slow cooker, overnight. I'm also waiting for the streaky bacon & the peas to thaw. Nearer lunchtime I'm hoping to get the soup all together.
Today is a good day to make some soup. We're off for the weekly food shop later on so we can get some fresh bread while we're out. And when we get back all I need do is warm the soup up & spread the bread. Quick & easy. We may have a bit of cheese after, or even a pizza mid-evening. Essentially I'm regarding the soup as a main course soup. It should be substantial with a pound of peas in it along with a pound of gammon!
We'll see how it goes come this evening.
Nonetheless, last week I had a go at his Leek & Potato Soup. I admit I did adapt the recipe a bit. He makes things so complicated that really despite the booklets being entitled "Heston's Home Cooking", the only way I could imagine doing it is to have an army of sous-chefs & washer-uppers, & more pans than our domestic kitchen could house. You also need all day minimum to tackle all the stages in the way he suggests. I've decided the only way to use the booklets is as a source of inspiration, ideas of maybe what could be done. I will also admit that it was a remarkably tasty Leek & Potato Soup, a soup I usually find bland, nondescript, too boring for words or to be worth ordering if out.
Today I'm tackling his Pea & Ham Soup. Again I'm using the recipe as a guideline rather than a route map. I'm not expecting anything like the Fox's mother's superlative Pea & Ham Soup. With garden peas rather than marrowfat peas it just doesn't stand a chance. I'm not even sure it should be regarded as the same thing. However, I am hoping to end up with something tasty.
At the moment I'm waiting for the gammon joint to cool down. The Fox cooked it in Big Ears, the slow cooker, overnight. I'm also waiting for the streaky bacon & the peas to thaw. Nearer lunchtime I'm hoping to get the soup all together.
Today is a good day to make some soup. We're off for the weekly food shop later on so we can get some fresh bread while we're out. And when we get back all I need do is warm the soup up & spread the bread. Quick & easy. We may have a bit of cheese after, or even a pizza mid-evening. Essentially I'm regarding the soup as a main course soup. It should be substantial with a pound of peas in it along with a pound of gammon!
We'll see how it goes come this evening.
Monday 12 March 2012
Breakfast continued
We're once more having breakfast for dinner tonight. We have a couple of Italian sausages left over from the Fox's experimental cook last week. I'm curious how they taste as plain sausages. Certainly in the ragout they tasted more like minced pork than sausagemeat. I've also got a bit of bacon & some mushrooms left over from the beef bourguignon I made last week. I thought I would have a rummage in the freezer to see what other extras I could find. I know there's a couple of slices of black pudding. I'll maybe take out some extra bacon or English sausages. Of course I will also add an egg each & some baked beans.
As you may have guessed from yesterday's blog, I'm not a great one for breakfast. It's not that I don't enjoy a traditional British breakfast. It's more of a case I can't face it every day so early in the day. I love it in the evening with a few chips.
We don't have it very often. I have a vague sense of it being sinful in these days when we have to worry about cholesterol & blood pressures - hence the fact it will mainly be grilled rather than fried - but it is, nonetheless, a welcome treat occasionally.
As you may have guessed from yesterday's blog, I'm not a great one for breakfast. It's not that I don't enjoy a traditional British breakfast. It's more of a case I can't face it every day so early in the day. I love it in the evening with a few chips.
We don't have it very often. I have a vague sense of it being sinful in these days when we have to worry about cholesterol & blood pressures - hence the fact it will mainly be grilled rather than fried - but it is, nonetheless, a welcome treat occasionally.
Sunday 11 March 2012
A bit of a treat
I've never been a great one for breakfast. Throughout my childhood, my mother would endeavour to persuade me to have a good breakfast - cereals followed by bacon & eggs, then toast & marmalade. Throughout my childhood I resisted her urgings. The only thing I ate consistently was the toast, usually with jam. Occasionally I had a cereal phase. The only exception was when we went on holiday. That's when I discovered the joys of Manx kippers.
This pattern has continued. For many years I didn't bother with breakfast at all, but these days I have medication that tastes so awful that I really have to cover over the flavour in order to enjoy my morning mug of tea. Usually it remains just a slice of toast, these days usually with marmalade. I'm not averse to a bit of chocolate or a biscuit as an alternative if there's any hanging around. The most effort I usually make is to make a tomato/salad sandwich if we have some fresh ingredients in.
Today, though, was different. As the Fox is making a Kipper & Egg Kedgeree tonight for dinner, I've got the task of boiling some eggs ready. I thought, as I'm doing that, why don't I put an extra egg in for once & have it for breakfast. And so I did.
I made some toast soldiers to accompany the egg - the bread is too stale for pleasure untoasted. The egg came out & into the cup. I tapped off some shell. Spoon in. Golden yolk oozed out. I happily dipped my soldiers in. Delicious. A real treat. All the more pleasurable for its rarity.
Saturday 10 March 2012
Down at the Pub
It was a lively group at the Pub yesterday.
There was Henry, an elderly man, public school if ever there was. He has been thrilled to receive an offer for a very reasonably priced break in Honfleur. He loves France & is always keen to go. He's trying to persuade his son to go as well.
Mr P was in too, still flush with the success of his dining club. He'd just been to visit his daughter-in-law who is stuck in Preston hospital. She collapsed earlier in the year & seems to have lost the use of her legs. They suspect it's ME. She's been in months but tests are still going on. She's still very young, can only be in her early twenties.
Bob, the landlord, kept interrupting as Mr P plugged his restaurant to Henry who is contemplating going some time. Bob reckons the restaurant that ought to being plugged there is his pub restaurant, not Mr P's.
The crossword caused controversy. The clue was "Simple operatic aria". I thought Mr P, the ex-music teacher, should instantly know the answer. He didn't. He was utterly bemused by the concept of a "simple" operatic aria. When we had all the letters from intersecting clues, he finally guessed the answer - cavatina. He checked it in the dictionary to be told a cavatina was a simple song. So why did they call it a simple "operatic aria" he wondered. I could only point out an aria is a song so I suppose a simple one must be a cavatina.
Mr P has been offered his old job back part-time, just one day a week. PD reckons he should take it, but Mr P isn't keen. He's enjoying his retirement & doesn't want to tie himself again to having to work even one day a week throughout term time. He's hoping he & his wife may be able to take advantage of some of holiday bargains on offer as the weather improves, provided, of course, her ME isn't in too bad a state.
Others come & go. All join in the merriment. There is much laughter & leg-pulling. All in all it's a good session.
There was Henry, an elderly man, public school if ever there was. He has been thrilled to receive an offer for a very reasonably priced break in Honfleur. He loves France & is always keen to go. He's trying to persuade his son to go as well.
Mr P was in too, still flush with the success of his dining club. He'd just been to visit his daughter-in-law who is stuck in Preston hospital. She collapsed earlier in the year & seems to have lost the use of her legs. They suspect it's ME. She's been in months but tests are still going on. She's still very young, can only be in her early twenties.
Bob, the landlord, kept interrupting as Mr P plugged his restaurant to Henry who is contemplating going some time. Bob reckons the restaurant that ought to being plugged there is his pub restaurant, not Mr P's.
The crossword caused controversy. The clue was "Simple operatic aria". I thought Mr P, the ex-music teacher, should instantly know the answer. He didn't. He was utterly bemused by the concept of a "simple" operatic aria. When we had all the letters from intersecting clues, he finally guessed the answer - cavatina. He checked it in the dictionary to be told a cavatina was a simple song. So why did they call it a simple "operatic aria" he wondered. I could only point out an aria is a song so I suppose a simple one must be a cavatina.
Mr P has been offered his old job back part-time, just one day a week. PD reckons he should take it, but Mr P isn't keen. He's enjoying his retirement & doesn't want to tie himself again to having to work even one day a week throughout term time. He's hoping he & his wife may be able to take advantage of some of holiday bargains on offer as the weather improves, provided, of course, her ME isn't in too bad a state.
Others come & go. All join in the merriment. There is much laughter & leg-pulling. All in all it's a good session.
Friday 9 March 2012
Down by the canal
On Wednesday we had decided on Thursday we would go to Barton Grange, to what is supposed to be a fabulous garden centre & local food hall. We've never been ourselves but have heard only praise about it.
Thursday started sunny. But by the time we were ready to set off, the skies had clouded over. Even the odd spot of rain fell. We decided to abandon Barton Grange & head over to Carnforth instead. The Fox was hoping to do a sausage in red wine meal this week, as I mentioned in my last blog. Unfortunately the recipe called for Italian sausages & we hadn't been able to locate any Italian style sausages. We were contemplating just using pork sausages but PD had mentioned he'd seen Italian sausages in Tescos in Carnforth, their usual weekly shopping destination.
So off we went. First we stopped at Tescos. We found the sausages (& last night the Fox duly cooked them ready for today's dinner), along with some tinned kippers (Morrisons seem to have stopped selling them for some reason). It was still early so we thought we'd stop for a drink somewhere.
On the outskirts of Carnforth is a pub I've mentioned before. It sits beside the canal. It has a conservatory you can sit in & watch all the activity on the canal, always an entertaining spot to sit.
To start with there's all the colourful boats to look at, often with imaginative names & amusing bits of decor. One boat chugged out of its mooring as we sat there. We were given a cheery wave as it left.
The sight that really bemused us was a swan. This magnificent great white bird was given its feet some attention. It floated on the water, one webbed foot out of the water. It stretched its strong sinewy neck round to nibble at something on the foot. As it did, it span in the water. Round & round it went. From time to time it straightened up before it returned to its job & span yet once more. I think it must have been getting giddy.
Suddenly there was a kerfuffle elsewhere on the canal. A female duck was scuttling across the canal, closely pursued by four drakes. The latter soon caught up with her. Despite her protests, the drakes mounted her. I thought for a moment they were going to accidentally drown her. It's clearly that time of year again Sex is in the air. I would say love, but I'm not sure if this isn't more akin to gang rape.
Next a big dogs bounds along. It looks like a wolf with pale greenish eyes. It's owner quickly calls it back before it comes into the pub.
It was a delightful stop, spoiled only by the poor quality of the beer. The Fox struggled to down one pint & couldn't face another. Pity really. The pub is so perfectly located we would come more often if the beer was that bit better. Maybe next time we think about it the pub will have changed hands to someone who cares more about their beer.
We headed home, having had a pleasant afternoon.
Thursday started sunny. But by the time we were ready to set off, the skies had clouded over. Even the odd spot of rain fell. We decided to abandon Barton Grange & head over to Carnforth instead. The Fox was hoping to do a sausage in red wine meal this week, as I mentioned in my last blog. Unfortunately the recipe called for Italian sausages & we hadn't been able to locate any Italian style sausages. We were contemplating just using pork sausages but PD had mentioned he'd seen Italian sausages in Tescos in Carnforth, their usual weekly shopping destination.
So off we went. First we stopped at Tescos. We found the sausages (& last night the Fox duly cooked them ready for today's dinner), along with some tinned kippers (Morrisons seem to have stopped selling them for some reason). It was still early so we thought we'd stop for a drink somewhere.
On the outskirts of Carnforth is a pub I've mentioned before. It sits beside the canal. It has a conservatory you can sit in & watch all the activity on the canal, always an entertaining spot to sit.
To start with there's all the colourful boats to look at, often with imaginative names & amusing bits of decor. One boat chugged out of its mooring as we sat there. We were given a cheery wave as it left.
The sight that really bemused us was a swan. This magnificent great white bird was given its feet some attention. It floated on the water, one webbed foot out of the water. It stretched its strong sinewy neck round to nibble at something on the foot. As it did, it span in the water. Round & round it went. From time to time it straightened up before it returned to its job & span yet once more. I think it must have been getting giddy.
Suddenly there was a kerfuffle elsewhere on the canal. A female duck was scuttling across the canal, closely pursued by four drakes. The latter soon caught up with her. Despite her protests, the drakes mounted her. I thought for a moment they were going to accidentally drown her. It's clearly that time of year again Sex is in the air. I would say love, but I'm not sure if this isn't more akin to gang rape.
Next a big dogs bounds along. It looks like a wolf with pale greenish eyes. It's owner quickly calls it back before it comes into the pub.
It was a delightful stop, spoiled only by the poor quality of the beer. The Fox struggled to down one pint & couldn't face another. Pity really. The pub is so perfectly located we would come more often if the beer was that bit better. Maybe next time we think about it the pub will have changed hands to someone who cares more about their beer.
We headed home, having had a pleasant afternoon.
Wednesday 7 March 2012
The disappearing pancetta
The post has just arrived. While the computer was booting up, I thought I'd fetched it in. I was surprised to find one very thick bulging letter. It was impossible to see who it was addressed to so I opened it. It was the holiday insurance documents. In it they go through all our medical conditions, a sheet a condition. Having read through my conditions to check it was a reasonable statement of what I had said on the phone, I tried to put the letter back in the envelope. Impossible, short of tearing the envelope down one side. Why they used such a small envelope is beyond me. Maybe they just don't have any bigger envelopes because they assume people don't have more than one or two medical problems. We both ave more than that! I'll let the Fox check the sheets on him.
Meanwhile I'm cooking the meal. We're going to do the food shopping today, so yesterday I had a rummage in the freezer. According to my list of freezer contents the oldest thing should have been pancetta. Could I find it? No. It seems to have literally evaporated. So much for the mushroom, pancetta & pesto pappardelle meal I was thinking of making for today.
Later on I mentioned to the Fox I hadn't found the pancetta.
"We could buy some while we're at Morrisons, along with the mushrooms. It's a quick meal that doesn't need any preparation," said the Fox, trying to be helpful.
"But the whole point of doing that meal is to use up the old stuff from the freezer," I protest.
What's next on the list? Half a tin of red wine cooking sauce. I suggest I could make a beef in red wine casserole. That will also use up some braising steak from the freezer.
"You can't do that," protests the Fox. "The meal I'm cooking this week is in a red wine sauce."
He's planning to do sausage meatballs in a tomatoey winey sauce later in the week. I contemplate making the beef in red wine into a pie, though I can't see a bit of pastry on top alters the flavour much. I had contemplated using the sauce to make meatballs in red wine yesterday, but was told the meatballs would be the same as his. The minced beef became a cottage pie instead, not that I thought pork sausage & minced beef would taste the same no matter if they were cooked in the same sauce. Deciding on what to cook has become much more complicated now the Fox has taken to cooking more often. In the end the Fox reluctantly agreed to have the beef casserole.
So yesterday, while the cottage pie warmed up in the oven, I popped out to the freezer to find the meat & sauce. The sauce was where it should be. The meat was down a great pile of other little bags. I ended up emptying most of the freezer in the hunt. I found the beef eventually. As I searched I kept my eyes open for the pancetta. No sign. though I did find some chicken breast which wasn't on my list for that date. Had the pancetta changed into chicken? Unlikely I'd have thought. I also looked for the items for next few month on my list & made sure they were moved up to the top. Hopefully that means they will be easier to find when I want them.
But where on earth, or more specifically in the freezer, is the pancetta? Or have we eaten it & forgotten to cross the fact off my list!
Meanwhile I'm cooking the meal. We're going to do the food shopping today, so yesterday I had a rummage in the freezer. According to my list of freezer contents the oldest thing should have been pancetta. Could I find it? No. It seems to have literally evaporated. So much for the mushroom, pancetta & pesto pappardelle meal I was thinking of making for today.
Later on I mentioned to the Fox I hadn't found the pancetta.
"We could buy some while we're at Morrisons, along with the mushrooms. It's a quick meal that doesn't need any preparation," said the Fox, trying to be helpful.
"But the whole point of doing that meal is to use up the old stuff from the freezer," I protest.
What's next on the list? Half a tin of red wine cooking sauce. I suggest I could make a beef in red wine casserole. That will also use up some braising steak from the freezer.
"You can't do that," protests the Fox. "The meal I'm cooking this week is in a red wine sauce."
He's planning to do sausage meatballs in a tomatoey winey sauce later in the week. I contemplate making the beef in red wine into a pie, though I can't see a bit of pastry on top alters the flavour much. I had contemplated using the sauce to make meatballs in red wine yesterday, but was told the meatballs would be the same as his. The minced beef became a cottage pie instead, not that I thought pork sausage & minced beef would taste the same no matter if they were cooked in the same sauce. Deciding on what to cook has become much more complicated now the Fox has taken to cooking more often. In the end the Fox reluctantly agreed to have the beef casserole.
So yesterday, while the cottage pie warmed up in the oven, I popped out to the freezer to find the meat & sauce. The sauce was where it should be. The meat was down a great pile of other little bags. I ended up emptying most of the freezer in the hunt. I found the beef eventually. As I searched I kept my eyes open for the pancetta. No sign. though I did find some chicken breast which wasn't on my list for that date. Had the pancetta changed into chicken? Unlikely I'd have thought. I also looked for the items for next few month on my list & made sure they were moved up to the top. Hopefully that means they will be easier to find when I want them.
But where on earth, or more specifically in the freezer, is the pancetta? Or have we eaten it & forgotten to cross the fact off my list!
Tuesday 6 March 2012
A bit of sunshine
Yesterday the sun shone. I got my washing out for the first time this year. What is more, most of it dried. Even PD commented this morning when he rang on how much brighter he felt today, he suspects primarily because of the sunshine. There's no doubt about it spirits soar & aches dissolve with a little warmth & blue skies.
In the garden there is a fabulous stand of deep purple crocuses. I love strong colours & it's difficult to think of any colour stronger, especially when it is emphasised by the saffron gold stamens protruding from the open floral cups.
Yesterday we had Angie for a couple of hours rather than her usual one. It gave her chance to tidy up one of our cupboards, & also to stop & have a mug of tea. She seems to work so hard - she's a real whirlwind round our house - and yet so many of her clients seem so unappreciative of her efforts. I like to try to make her know how much we do. It's certainly taken a weight off the Fox's shoulders. He knows I'm safe when she's here. Talking to her often puts my world a bit more in perspective when I'm on a downer. And there's also the practical advantage of less work the Fox has to do - a big consideration these days. Post stroke, he still tires very easily. And we both appreciate a clean home.
In the garden there is a fabulous stand of deep purple crocuses. I love strong colours & it's difficult to think of any colour stronger, especially when it is emphasised by the saffron gold stamens protruding from the open floral cups.
Yesterday we had Angie for a couple of hours rather than her usual one. It gave her chance to tidy up one of our cupboards, & also to stop & have a mug of tea. She seems to work so hard - she's a real whirlwind round our house - and yet so many of her clients seem so unappreciative of her efforts. I like to try to make her know how much we do. It's certainly taken a weight off the Fox's shoulders. He knows I'm safe when she's here. Talking to her often puts my world a bit more in perspective when I'm on a downer. And there's also the practical advantage of less work the Fox has to do - a big consideration these days. Post stroke, he still tires very easily. And we both appreciate a clean home.
Saturday 3 March 2012
The price of a stroke (& CKD diagnosis)
The last couple of mornings have been spent trying to sort out the holiday insurance for our trip to France.
Of late we've bought an annual policy. Our renewal notice came with a price of £116, a little higher than last year but that's inflation for you. However, I thought I ought to advise them of the change in our medical conditions before we accepted. In the last twelve months I was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) & the Fox had his stroke.
I thought I'd start with a few alternative companies to get an idea of prices. One company asked for £760! Even a single trip insurance policy would cost £640! That's nearly the cost of another holiday! I was expecting the price to go up, but not by that much.
I tried a few others. Eventually I got back to our insurer of last year. They wouldn't even consider insuring me, let alone the Fox any more. Instead they gave me the number of a company specialising in insurance for people with medical problems Still higher than we were prepared to pay. I tried another disability insurance specialist. At last a company that would do an annual policy for £341, a single trip for £150.
I persevered and eventually found a company that will cover us for a single trip for £105, though we will have to pay the first £250 if we have to make a claim due to a pre-existing condition. That's okay by us. As far as we can see, we're far more likely to have to make a claim because we've been robbed or been involved in a car accident.
What gets to me is that the price should have gone up so much. To my mind we're far less likely to have a stroke, heart attack, break bones etc now we're on appropriate medication than we were before.
What is more, so many conditions we are only aware of because we've accepted offers for scanning etc from the NHS. It is only because I was having an early menopause so the doctor thought it would be wise for me to have a bone density scan, that I even know I have osteoporosis. I've never broken a bone in my entire life, despite the fact these days I've often landed flat on my face on concrete. Bruised yes, bone broken no.
It just seems like one giant rip off. Yet, if something did happen, & we needed extra accommodation as one of us was in hospital, or another flight home etc, it would be reassuring if we were insured.
It also gets to me that increasingly package holiday providers insist on you having insurance & knowing the details of that policy. Surely the decision about insurance should be voluntary, not one proscribed by a holiday provider. If we're prepared to face the consequence of going without insurance surely that should be up to us.
And the questions they ask! What relevance is my height? You're expected to know which pills are for which complaint even though one complaint goes hand in hand with another. So, for example, high blood pressure is almost inevitable with, and worsens the effect of CKD, so the extra pills I take to lower that pressure, are they for hypertension or CKD? As for the cancer. I had that over 11 years ago. It was surgically removed. I've needed no further treatment & there's no sign of any recurrence, so why does that matter? And so it goes on.
Thank goodness it's sorted now for this trip. I'm hoping if we go abroad later in the year, with the diagnosis of CKD & the stroke being over a year ago, prices may come down by then. I wouldn't count on it though.
Of late we've bought an annual policy. Our renewal notice came with a price of £116, a little higher than last year but that's inflation for you. However, I thought I ought to advise them of the change in our medical conditions before we accepted. In the last twelve months I was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) & the Fox had his stroke.
I thought I'd start with a few alternative companies to get an idea of prices. One company asked for £760! Even a single trip insurance policy would cost £640! That's nearly the cost of another holiday! I was expecting the price to go up, but not by that much.
I tried a few others. Eventually I got back to our insurer of last year. They wouldn't even consider insuring me, let alone the Fox any more. Instead they gave me the number of a company specialising in insurance for people with medical problems Still higher than we were prepared to pay. I tried another disability insurance specialist. At last a company that would do an annual policy for £341, a single trip for £150.
I persevered and eventually found a company that will cover us for a single trip for £105, though we will have to pay the first £250 if we have to make a claim due to a pre-existing condition. That's okay by us. As far as we can see, we're far more likely to have to make a claim because we've been robbed or been involved in a car accident.
What gets to me is that the price should have gone up so much. To my mind we're far less likely to have a stroke, heart attack, break bones etc now we're on appropriate medication than we were before.
What is more, so many conditions we are only aware of because we've accepted offers for scanning etc from the NHS. It is only because I was having an early menopause so the doctor thought it would be wise for me to have a bone density scan, that I even know I have osteoporosis. I've never broken a bone in my entire life, despite the fact these days I've often landed flat on my face on concrete. Bruised yes, bone broken no.
It just seems like one giant rip off. Yet, if something did happen, & we needed extra accommodation as one of us was in hospital, or another flight home etc, it would be reassuring if we were insured.
It also gets to me that increasingly package holiday providers insist on you having insurance & knowing the details of that policy. Surely the decision about insurance should be voluntary, not one proscribed by a holiday provider. If we're prepared to face the consequence of going without insurance surely that should be up to us.
And the questions they ask! What relevance is my height? You're expected to know which pills are for which complaint even though one complaint goes hand in hand with another. So, for example, high blood pressure is almost inevitable with, and worsens the effect of CKD, so the extra pills I take to lower that pressure, are they for hypertension or CKD? As for the cancer. I had that over 11 years ago. It was surgically removed. I've needed no further treatment & there's no sign of any recurrence, so why does that matter? And so it goes on.
Thank goodness it's sorted now for this trip. I'm hoping if we go abroad later in the year, with the diagnosis of CKD & the stroke being over a year ago, prices may come down by then. I wouldn't count on it though.
Thursday 1 March 2012
So green
The sheer vibrancy of the green is amazing. So where is all this green? In the meal, of course.
Yesterday the Fox got out his trusty wok once more. He made us a Pork Fillet Stir Fry with Oriental Greens. The oriental greens in question were a mixture of broccoli, peas & pak choi. As they cooked the vegetables seem to get ever greener, more brilliant.
The pork itself was cut into strips, then velveted. After stir frying, it just melted in the mouth. The sauce involved oyster sauce, soy, ginger, garlic, rice wine with the result the meat & noodles took on a darkish colour which contrasted so well with the brilliance of the green.
Altogether it made a very satisfying meal, a feast for the eye as well as the stomach. Yes, it did taste good too. Well done, the Fox.
Yesterday the Fox got out his trusty wok once more. He made us a Pork Fillet Stir Fry with Oriental Greens. The oriental greens in question were a mixture of broccoli, peas & pak choi. As they cooked the vegetables seem to get ever greener, more brilliant.
The pork itself was cut into strips, then velveted. After stir frying, it just melted in the mouth. The sauce involved oyster sauce, soy, ginger, garlic, rice wine with the result the meat & noodles took on a darkish colour which contrasted so well with the brilliance of the green.
Altogether it made a very satisfying meal, a feast for the eye as well as the stomach. Yes, it did taste good too. Well done, the Fox.
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