This week I have had the pleasure of my own ongoing wildlife comedy show right outside the kitchen window. The super stars are Squidge and Squish the squirrels and the tiny woodmouse, I've called him Willie, but they never appear together.
It all started when I refilled the squirrel's nut box earlier this week. Now when I do this and Squidge comes down, he thinks there's going to be a shortage any time soon so he eats two and buries one. This goes on for a considerable time while Squish sits on the fence and watches him.
Once squidge has finished and left the premises, Squish comes down and eats a few nuts from the box and digs up some of the ones that Squidge has buried.
Later in the morning when the squirrels have gone home, Willie comes along and he too digs up one or two nuts, he must smell where they are. These are almost as big as him, then dashes off with them and disappears under the edge of the fence where I think he has a little hole down into his burrow.
The next day when Squidge comes into the garden, he has a few nuts from the box then goes to dig up some of the ones he buried the day before. It's quite amusing to see him dig where he thinks he left one, but can't find it. Eventually, he'll dig up a few if he can find them and eat them.
I sometimes wonder whether the squirrels realise that the nut box never gets empty. Perhaps if they did, they wouldn't bother to bury any for another day and besides, I've never understood why they dig them up the day after they have buried them anyway.
Friday, 30 April 2010
Thursday, 29 April 2010
Ten things I want you to know
I would like to dispel some of the misguided beliefs that a lot of people and all government departments, councils and various other authorititive bodies hold about someone who has retired.
1. My brains did NOT fall out the day I retired, they are still functioning perfectly well and I can complete crosswords and other mind tasks with no problems at all.
2. There is nothing wrong with my hearing even at ten good paces so don't talk about me as if I am not there.
3. My eyesight is 20/20 with my contact lenses in. I bought up two children so I also have eyes in the back of my head and therefore can see the faces and gestures you make behind my back.
4. I have every right to walk at my own pace when crossing the road on a pedestrian crossing and while the pips are going don't you dare toot at me.
5. Shopping trolleys are not a nuisance, they're quite trendy.
6. Wait until you have arthritis in your hands, then you too will hold up the queue in the supermarket (even young people can have it).
7. My generation was properly brought up and educated so we find conversations peppered with 'f' words totally unnecessary and not nice to hear.
8. We also know how to use 'please' and 'thankyou'. These words don't hurt and cost nothing.
9. I will catnap whenever I want to.
10. I don't need anyone to feed me, blow my nose or wipe my bum thankyou. I can still manage the same as you.
I hope that's clear!
1. My brains did NOT fall out the day I retired, they are still functioning perfectly well and I can complete crosswords and other mind tasks with no problems at all.
2. There is nothing wrong with my hearing even at ten good paces so don't talk about me as if I am not there.
3. My eyesight is 20/20 with my contact lenses in. I bought up two children so I also have eyes in the back of my head and therefore can see the faces and gestures you make behind my back.
4. I have every right to walk at my own pace when crossing the road on a pedestrian crossing and while the pips are going don't you dare toot at me.
5. Shopping trolleys are not a nuisance, they're quite trendy.
6. Wait until you have arthritis in your hands, then you too will hold up the queue in the supermarket (even young people can have it).
7. My generation was properly brought up and educated so we find conversations peppered with 'f' words totally unnecessary and not nice to hear.
8. We also know how to use 'please' and 'thankyou'. These words don't hurt and cost nothing.
9. I will catnap whenever I want to.
10. I don't need anyone to feed me, blow my nose or wipe my bum thankyou. I can still manage the same as you.
I hope that's clear!
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
Success (at last)!!!!!
After many months of trying to lose weight I have at last succeeded! It's starting to go and what's even more amazing is that over the last week or so I have eaten quite a lot more too. Some of the medication that I was prescribed a year ago made be blow up like a hot air balloon and I can tell you it doesn't do any good for one's morale to be told that there is no alternative. At the same time my diet had to be amended slightly and I had to give up my early morning glass of orange juice and biscuits (of which I ate very few).
Now I have lost about seven pounds in a little over a week but there is still a long way to go. However, at least I no longer feel that I'm pursuing a hopeless dream and you may well ask how I did it. I don't believe in slimming clubs because I don't see why I should pay money each week to be weighed and to discuss my eating habits with someone who has probably never had a weight problem. It's too expensive anyway when you're on a limited income.
All I have done is halve my portion sizes of carbohydrates, reduced fats to an absolute minimum by using olive oil reduced fat spreads for cooking or dry fry spray and I have doubled up on the fruit and veggies (except potatoes). If I fancy eating pasta or rice, I keep the whole day vegetarian and I keep a few cold hard boiled eggs in the fridge which I can snack on if the hunger pangs won't go away after a drink. I shall stick to this and let you know if it still works in a few months time.
Now I have lost about seven pounds in a little over a week but there is still a long way to go. However, at least I no longer feel that I'm pursuing a hopeless dream and you may well ask how I did it. I don't believe in slimming clubs because I don't see why I should pay money each week to be weighed and to discuss my eating habits with someone who has probably never had a weight problem. It's too expensive anyway when you're on a limited income.
All I have done is halve my portion sizes of carbohydrates, reduced fats to an absolute minimum by using olive oil reduced fat spreads for cooking or dry fry spray and I have doubled up on the fruit and veggies (except potatoes). If I fancy eating pasta or rice, I keep the whole day vegetarian and I keep a few cold hard boiled eggs in the fridge which I can snack on if the hunger pangs won't go away after a drink. I shall stick to this and let you know if it still works in a few months time.
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
A bit of Iceland
Today I decided to clean the windows at the back of the house. The front ones were done inside a few weeks ago when I was spring cleaning and the window cleaner comes every fortnight to do the outsides.
I took down the net curtains and put them in the washing machine and cleaned the outsides first. Now I know I only do these twice a year because I have to climb out of the bathroom window onto the flat kitchen roof in order to do the back bedroom and bathroom windows. Then I have to get the steps out to do the dining room one and I don't like heights especially when the steps wobble.
These windows were cleaned in November last year but the builders made a mess of them when they worked on the side of the house in December but as they are not double glazed and get loads of condensation all through the winter, I tend to leave them until April.
Not only did I have the mess from the builders to wash off but there was something else which was far more disturbing...volcanic ash deposits. We haven't had that much rain since the eruption of the Icelandic volcano with the unpronouncable name, but we did have a couple of showers at the weekend and the wind has also been coming from right direction too. There doesn't seem to be any other explanation because when I did the small lights on the top of the front door I found the same fine, black dusty deposits and these were cleaned last Thursday.
Still, I must be thankful that it was only dust deposits and not great big lumps of lava or pumice!
I took down the net curtains and put them in the washing machine and cleaned the outsides first. Now I know I only do these twice a year because I have to climb out of the bathroom window onto the flat kitchen roof in order to do the back bedroom and bathroom windows. Then I have to get the steps out to do the dining room one and I don't like heights especially when the steps wobble.
These windows were cleaned in November last year but the builders made a mess of them when they worked on the side of the house in December but as they are not double glazed and get loads of condensation all through the winter, I tend to leave them until April.
Not only did I have the mess from the builders to wash off but there was something else which was far more disturbing...volcanic ash deposits. We haven't had that much rain since the eruption of the Icelandic volcano with the unpronouncable name, but we did have a couple of showers at the weekend and the wind has also been coming from right direction too. There doesn't seem to be any other explanation because when I did the small lights on the top of the front door I found the same fine, black dusty deposits and these were cleaned last Thursday.
Still, I must be thankful that it was only dust deposits and not great big lumps of lava or pumice!
Monday, 26 April 2010
I think we've all had enough
I am sure I am not alone in cursing this wretched forthcoming election. As an informed adult I know what each party is supposedly offering, although we know that when any party is elected the politicians soon forget the people who put them there and do the opposite to what they had said. Every time I turn on the radio or the television this is all we hear.
The election ruins every news programme and the schedules have been altered dramatically to accommodate the various party political broadcasts and debates. There must be a huge proportion of the population that feels the same as me and a lot of them won't even bother to vote. I will vote, because then when the new government comes up with some unpopular legislation I will be able to say "Don't blame me because I didn't put them there!"
I'm just hoping that the weather stays fine for the next week and a half so that I can sit outside and watch all the bedding plants grow that I put in today. At least it will be more entertaining.
The election ruins every news programme and the schedules have been altered dramatically to accommodate the various party political broadcasts and debates. There must be a huge proportion of the population that feels the same as me and a lot of them won't even bother to vote. I will vote, because then when the new government comes up with some unpopular legislation I will be able to say "Don't blame me because I didn't put them there!"
I'm just hoping that the weather stays fine for the next week and a half so that I can sit outside and watch all the bedding plants grow that I put in today. At least it will be more entertaining.
Sunday, 25 April 2010
Let down....
This afternoon I went with my friend Chris to the open day at Goldney Hall. This is a large house that was built by a wealthy Quaker in the early 1700's and has fairly extensive grounds, considering it is now in the middle of a city.
Back in the 1980's Chris worked there as a gardener for four years when she and her husband moved from London where she had been working at Kew gardens.
Today was a huge let down for both of us as the gardens had not been kept to the standards that they had been when Chris worked there. I am only an amateur gardener but even I could see the weeds, bad pruning and lack of lawn care. The planting also left a lot to be desired. Oh yes, some areas were attractive with wallflowers and tulips giving a colourful display as well as the trees and shrubs that are in flower, but even small gardens like mine are just as colourful at this time of year given the weather that we have had recently.
Chris and I were talking about the way that some gardens and parks departments have made so many cutbacks that they no longer provide the excellent displays that they once used to and that gave pleasure to so many people. Not so vey long ago they would all have extensive greenhouses where staff would propogate cuttings and grow plants from seed during the winter so that they were well stocked with bedding plants in the spring and then they would sell the excess plants once they had completed their display. These would last all through the summer fom April/May right through to October when bulbs would be planted for the spring.
It's such a pity that this has happened but I suppose it's all down to money again and councils have so many managers earning such large sums that cutbacks are made in all the wrong places in order to pay them.
Back in the 1980's Chris worked there as a gardener for four years when she and her husband moved from London where she had been working at Kew gardens.
Today was a huge let down for both of us as the gardens had not been kept to the standards that they had been when Chris worked there. I am only an amateur gardener but even I could see the weeds, bad pruning and lack of lawn care. The planting also left a lot to be desired. Oh yes, some areas were attractive with wallflowers and tulips giving a colourful display as well as the trees and shrubs that are in flower, but even small gardens like mine are just as colourful at this time of year given the weather that we have had recently.
Chris and I were talking about the way that some gardens and parks departments have made so many cutbacks that they no longer provide the excellent displays that they once used to and that gave pleasure to so many people. Not so vey long ago they would all have extensive greenhouses where staff would propogate cuttings and grow plants from seed during the winter so that they were well stocked with bedding plants in the spring and then they would sell the excess plants once they had completed their display. These would last all through the summer fom April/May right through to October when bulbs would be planted for the spring.
It's such a pity that this has happened but I suppose it's all down to money again and councils have so many managers earning such large sums that cutbacks are made in all the wrong places in order to pay them.
Saturday, 24 April 2010
Enough to give me palpitations!
This morning I got up early and went to collect my newspaper and on the way back it was my intention to have a peep in the garden centre as soon as they opened. The walk over the car park was enough to lift my soul with the birds that were singing. It's hard to believe that this is in the city centre but there was very little traffic noise as I suppose that most people weren't up even although it was 9am.
When I went into the garden centre the sight that awaited was enough to give me palpitations! They have just had a delivery of this season's plants. WOW!!!
There were loads of annuals, so many that I found it very hard to choose so I got a basket and wandered round. Then I wandered round again! At this rate I thought, I would be here most of the morning and I needed to come back later with my trolley because I wanted a bag of compost. So I selected a few plants to 'keep me going' and I also bought a couple of packets of seeds. I got some dwarf sunflowers and some Californian poppies which I love. They will seed themselves so that I have some for next year too.
I went back later and got the compost the spent the day finishing the work in the garden. All my little plants are in their new homes and I've already made a list of what else I will need although there isn't really a lot of room. I might buy a couple more perennials too.
Tomorrow I'm off to a garden open day at Goldney House with a friend who used to work there when she had got her horticultural degree. It only opens occasionally so I'm really looking forward to that and who knows, perhaps it will give me more ideas, or make me jealous!
When I went into the garden centre the sight that awaited was enough to give me palpitations! They have just had a delivery of this season's plants. WOW!!!
There were loads of annuals, so many that I found it very hard to choose so I got a basket and wandered round. Then I wandered round again! At this rate I thought, I would be here most of the morning and I needed to come back later with my trolley because I wanted a bag of compost. So I selected a few plants to 'keep me going' and I also bought a couple of packets of seeds. I got some dwarf sunflowers and some Californian poppies which I love. They will seed themselves so that I have some for next year too.
I went back later and got the compost the spent the day finishing the work in the garden. All my little plants are in their new homes and I've already made a list of what else I will need although there isn't really a lot of room. I might buy a couple more perennials too.
Tomorrow I'm off to a garden open day at Goldney House with a friend who used to work there when she had got her horticultural degree. It only opens occasionally so I'm really looking forward to that and who knows, perhaps it will give me more ideas, or make me jealous!
Friday, 23 April 2010
One little sparrow
Today I have spent most of the time in the garden re-arranging it and tidying up and I'm almost done. The weather was very warm so I took my time and thought I would start where the garden was in shade. I reckoned by the time I had finished that bit the sun would have moved round and it would be too warm.
I finished the first little area then decided that while there was still some shade on the patio, I would prune the camelia and re-pot it. The task was not as straight forward as I had thought because the pot it was in is quite decorative and resembles lead but is actually made of fibre glass, it also has a bit of a lip on the inside. This meant I could not tip the camelia out so I had to spend quite some time cutting away the roots all round so that I could get it out.
About halfway through I stopped for a rest and made myself a cup of coffee and sat down on the patio step to drink it. Then I had a surprise visitor. A little male house sparrow sat on the fence chirping away and then flew over to the seed hanger and started to eat. I watched him for a good few minutes and kept quite still as I didn't want to frighten him off. This is the very first time I have had a sparrow in the garden since December when the landlady had the garden over the wall at the side of the house cleared.
Hopefully, he will tell all his friends and bring his young to feed when they have fledged too. As for the camelia, it's now sitting in a larger pot and looks quite happy.
I finished the first little area then decided that while there was still some shade on the patio, I would prune the camelia and re-pot it. The task was not as straight forward as I had thought because the pot it was in is quite decorative and resembles lead but is actually made of fibre glass, it also has a bit of a lip on the inside. This meant I could not tip the camelia out so I had to spend quite some time cutting away the roots all round so that I could get it out.
About halfway through I stopped for a rest and made myself a cup of coffee and sat down on the patio step to drink it. Then I had a surprise visitor. A little male house sparrow sat on the fence chirping away and then flew over to the seed hanger and started to eat. I watched him for a good few minutes and kept quite still as I didn't want to frighten him off. This is the very first time I have had a sparrow in the garden since December when the landlady had the garden over the wall at the side of the house cleared.
Hopefully, he will tell all his friends and bring his young to feed when they have fledged too. As for the camelia, it's now sitting in a larger pot and looks quite happy.
Thursday, 22 April 2010
A little bit of peace.....or is it?
Today I decided that I would get the shopping for the weekend so that I can spend tomorrow in the garden tidying up around the patio and re-arranging it.
After I had examined what Tesco had to offer and ticked off the items on my list I headed for home over Castle Green.
As the weather is still very good and the birds were singing, I sat down on a bench under a cherry tree in full blossom to listen. It was very quiet, even with the noise of the city traffic in the background, so I sat there listening to the birdsong and watching a blackbird gathering worms for his young. This was perfect bliss.
When I looked up at the sky which was cloudless, I noticed the criss cross vapour trails that have been absent since everything was grounded due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland.
My peaceful sojourn was ended abruptly when my ears were assaulted by some uncouth yobbo yelling a string of obscenities at his companion. She never uttered a word. I got up and continued on my way thinking that if he had yelled at me like that, I would have floored him!
After I had examined what Tesco had to offer and ticked off the items on my list I headed for home over Castle Green.
As the weather is still very good and the birds were singing, I sat down on a bench under a cherry tree in full blossom to listen. It was very quiet, even with the noise of the city traffic in the background, so I sat there listening to the birdsong and watching a blackbird gathering worms for his young. This was perfect bliss.
When I looked up at the sky which was cloudless, I noticed the criss cross vapour trails that have been absent since everything was grounded due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland.
My peaceful sojourn was ended abruptly when my ears were assaulted by some uncouth yobbo yelling a string of obscenities at his companion. She never uttered a word. I got up and continued on my way thinking that if he had yelled at me like that, I would have floored him!
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
I have declared WAR!
Yes! That's right. I have had enough. From today I have declared war on all the seagulls and pigeons in our area. I am absolutely fed up with them spraying their guano and pigeon poop all over the car, the pavements and ME!
Because it's the spring, the seagulls have come back into the city to rear their young but this year their numbers are even greater. We probably have more seagulls in this city than they have at any seaside or port. The pigeons are on the increase too because they have been driven away from the new shopping area as the management have employed a falconer who regularly patrols the perimeter with his sparrow hawks and peregrine falcons.
However, everywhere else is fair game to them. The seagulls have hit several cars in our road today, including mine and one also scored a direct hit on my shoulder this morning as I was on my way to the farmer's market. Luckily I was only fifty yards up the road so I came home to change and put my stinking top in to soak while I went out.
Then as I make my way over to the centre I pass under some trees where there is a burger van parked and I have to pick up my shopping trolley and pick my way through the disgusting deposits on the pavement. When I come home I very often get the stuff stuck on my trolley wheels so I always have a large wad of kitchen towel by the door so that I can wipe the wheels before bringing the trolley inside.
Around the old shopping area, the council have now put up notices to say that if anyone is caught throwing food on the ground for pigeons or seagulls, they could be fined £250 but I don't think this is anywhere near enough. Besides, I always thought seagulls ate fish, but this lot seem to prefer fast food. As for the ferile pigeons, I won't even tell you what I've seen them eating off the pavements, especially on a Saturday morning!
As far as I'm concerned, they are all filthy pests and carry goodness knows what diseases so they should all be shot.
Because it's the spring, the seagulls have come back into the city to rear their young but this year their numbers are even greater. We probably have more seagulls in this city than they have at any seaside or port. The pigeons are on the increase too because they have been driven away from the new shopping area as the management have employed a falconer who regularly patrols the perimeter with his sparrow hawks and peregrine falcons.
However, everywhere else is fair game to them. The seagulls have hit several cars in our road today, including mine and one also scored a direct hit on my shoulder this morning as I was on my way to the farmer's market. Luckily I was only fifty yards up the road so I came home to change and put my stinking top in to soak while I went out.
Then as I make my way over to the centre I pass under some trees where there is a burger van parked and I have to pick up my shopping trolley and pick my way through the disgusting deposits on the pavement. When I come home I very often get the stuff stuck on my trolley wheels so I always have a large wad of kitchen towel by the door so that I can wipe the wheels before bringing the trolley inside.
Around the old shopping area, the council have now put up notices to say that if anyone is caught throwing food on the ground for pigeons or seagulls, they could be fined £250 but I don't think this is anywhere near enough. Besides, I always thought seagulls ate fish, but this lot seem to prefer fast food. As for the ferile pigeons, I won't even tell you what I've seen them eating off the pavements, especially on a Saturday morning!
As far as I'm concerned, they are all filthy pests and carry goodness knows what diseases so they should all be shot.
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
Pot bound
I have been trying to catch up with work in the garden as well as re-arranging it over the last couple of days. Now I have a very nice hosta which has been pot bound for about three years but due to one thing and another I hadn't been able to deal with it until now.
The task was not as easy as I thought it was going to be because when I eventually managed to get it out of the pot I had tremendous difficulty in dividing it. The roots were a solid mass, so taking the fork and spade I tried to get them back to back into the middle of the plant but even with all my weight on them I was unable to penetrate more than an inch. It was almost like trying to get the fork into concrete. After several minutes of extreme effort on my part and the sweat trickling down my face, I gave up and hunted in my shed (outside loo) for something to help divide the wretched plant.
The answer was sitting there against the wall, a pruning saw. Thinking that would do the trick I set to work once again and after some time I had succeeded. I managed to divide the plant into four and potted up two pieces, one for me and one for a neighbour, then I planted the other two pieces in the garden.
Now the unfortunate thing about this hosta is that it makes a very attractive meal for slugs and snails so I think I will be saving egg shells and coffee grounds to put around those in the garden. The piece that I have in the pot has a mulch of broken cockle shells which I saved from the top of the original pot. I just wish I knew where to get some more of these because they are by far and away the best slug repellent that I have ever used as well as being an attractice mulch. Human hair is also supposed to be good too but I haven't got much of that anyway and I don't think it will look as nice as the cockle shells!
The task was not as easy as I thought it was going to be because when I eventually managed to get it out of the pot I had tremendous difficulty in dividing it. The roots were a solid mass, so taking the fork and spade I tried to get them back to back into the middle of the plant but even with all my weight on them I was unable to penetrate more than an inch. It was almost like trying to get the fork into concrete. After several minutes of extreme effort on my part and the sweat trickling down my face, I gave up and hunted in my shed (outside loo) for something to help divide the wretched plant.
The answer was sitting there against the wall, a pruning saw. Thinking that would do the trick I set to work once again and after some time I had succeeded. I managed to divide the plant into four and potted up two pieces, one for me and one for a neighbour, then I planted the other two pieces in the garden.
Now the unfortunate thing about this hosta is that it makes a very attractive meal for slugs and snails so I think I will be saving egg shells and coffee grounds to put around those in the garden. The piece that I have in the pot has a mulch of broken cockle shells which I saved from the top of the original pot. I just wish I knew where to get some more of these because they are by far and away the best slug repellent that I have ever used as well as being an attractice mulch. Human hair is also supposed to be good too but I haven't got much of that anyway and I don't think it will look as nice as the cockle shells!
Monday, 19 April 2010
Crazy or what!
I'm beginning to think that money and celebrity status has a strange effect on some people's minds in the way that they behave and dress.
The strangest thing I have heard this weekend was about the singer Madonna's radiators. Apparently she needed the services of a plumber to deal with a problem with her heating system and he had to drain the water from one of her radiators. What he didn't realise was being Madonna, she had the heating system filled with holy water so he had to save it and return it to the central heating system when he had fininshed. This story was actually on the radio at the weekend when they were doing a newspaper review.
Another news magazine that came with Saturday's newspaper had some photos of Helena Bonham Carter and her family. The clothes that she was wearing appeared to be charity shop rejects and she looked extremely scruffy as well as strange. This is a great pity because she has a classic beauty which is evident in some of her films, especially the period costume dramas. In these pictures though, she was wearing a summer dress that didn't fit properly and made her look like Little Bo Peep. The dress was topped with something that resembed her granny's cardigan and on her feet she wore what looked like a pair of labourer's boots. Now casual is one thing but this didn't even fit that category!
Perhaps that's why I'm not a celebrity or rich because I much prefer a smart casual look unless I'm working in the garden. I always used to wear business suits at work and proper evening dress for for the occasions where this was required or expected.
At least I think I'm in the right group: I haven't got money but I have got taste whereas some celebrities have money but no taste.
The strangest thing I have heard this weekend was about the singer Madonna's radiators. Apparently she needed the services of a plumber to deal with a problem with her heating system and he had to drain the water from one of her radiators. What he didn't realise was being Madonna, she had the heating system filled with holy water so he had to save it and return it to the central heating system when he had fininshed. This story was actually on the radio at the weekend when they were doing a newspaper review.
Another news magazine that came with Saturday's newspaper had some photos of Helena Bonham Carter and her family. The clothes that she was wearing appeared to be charity shop rejects and she looked extremely scruffy as well as strange. This is a great pity because she has a classic beauty which is evident in some of her films, especially the period costume dramas. In these pictures though, she was wearing a summer dress that didn't fit properly and made her look like Little Bo Peep. The dress was topped with something that resembed her granny's cardigan and on her feet she wore what looked like a pair of labourer's boots. Now casual is one thing but this didn't even fit that category!
Perhaps that's why I'm not a celebrity or rich because I much prefer a smart casual look unless I'm working in the garden. I always used to wear business suits at work and proper evening dress for for the occasions where this was required or expected.
At least I think I'm in the right group: I haven't got money but I have got taste whereas some celebrities have money but no taste.
Sunday, 18 April 2010
Cutie!
I now have a new little visitor to the garden. Well, it's actually one the the tiny little woodmouse chaps that Eden and I watched last weekend. He has been out in the garden several times this week even though I have removed his 'climbing' stalks.
This afternoon I was going to go out to do a little more work in the garden but the neighbours from hell next door were out in their garden and they had a CD player belting out that awful 'head banging' music at top noise level. It was so bad that within a half hour I had a migraine so decided that I would stay in, put in some ear plugs and wait for the painkillers to do their stuff.
As I went to close the back door I noticed this little cutie just outside and he was obviously looking around for something to eat. He disappeared under a pot at the speed of light when he saw me move, so I watched and waited and half a minute later he was back out. I was surprised that he wasn't deafened by the noise from next door because I could even feel the vibrations from the 'music' when I put my hand on the doorframe.
This little chap is only a baby and is about an inch and a half long with a pair of ears that are miles too big for him, so are his eyes. I threw out a few pieces of maize kernel onto the path and a minute or so later, he popped out of his hiding place and picked one up. I left him to it and came in to lie down.
The migraine's eased a bit but I know that I will have to put up with it for the next three days, so I think a telephone call to the anti-social behaviour and noise pollution department is called for tomorrow.
This afternoon I was going to go out to do a little more work in the garden but the neighbours from hell next door were out in their garden and they had a CD player belting out that awful 'head banging' music at top noise level. It was so bad that within a half hour I had a migraine so decided that I would stay in, put in some ear plugs and wait for the painkillers to do their stuff.
As I went to close the back door I noticed this little cutie just outside and he was obviously looking around for something to eat. He disappeared under a pot at the speed of light when he saw me move, so I watched and waited and half a minute later he was back out. I was surprised that he wasn't deafened by the noise from next door because I could even feel the vibrations from the 'music' when I put my hand on the doorframe.
This little chap is only a baby and is about an inch and a half long with a pair of ears that are miles too big for him, so are his eyes. I threw out a few pieces of maize kernel onto the path and a minute or so later, he popped out of his hiding place and picked one up. I left him to it and came in to lie down.
The migraine's eased a bit but I know that I will have to put up with it for the next three days, so I think a telephone call to the anti-social behaviour and noise pollution department is called for tomorrow.
Saturday, 17 April 2010
What a pleasant surprise
Not having Eden with me this weekend I decided to potter and not plan, so when I got up I went to buy a newspaper and indulged myself by reading it through this morning.
As we haven't had any rain for some time, the car was looking decidedly dusty so I took it round to the garage at lunchtime because they will wash it for free which I think is a brilliant idea.
When I got back home I thought I would go out and do a little bit of work in the garden. By this time it was feeling really warm and I don't do heat so I was taking things quite steady pulling out a few weeds and deciding what plants I was going to get. Then I found something growing that took me completely by surprise.
About twenty years ago I had planted a stachys byzantina (lamb's ears) which was severely damaged by a very wet and cold winter after it had been in the garden for about two years and as it had almost rotted away I dug it up. Today however, I found a small plant growing in exactly the same place so I can only assume that it had seeded and even after all this time the conditions must have suited it so it is growing quite strongly. I haven't got the heart to move it after it has made such a splendid effort so I shall leave it to grow and maybe it will reward me by flowering next year!
As we haven't had any rain for some time, the car was looking decidedly dusty so I took it round to the garage at lunchtime because they will wash it for free which I think is a brilliant idea.
When I got back home I thought I would go out and do a little bit of work in the garden. By this time it was feeling really warm and I don't do heat so I was taking things quite steady pulling out a few weeds and deciding what plants I was going to get. Then I found something growing that took me completely by surprise.
About twenty years ago I had planted a stachys byzantina (lamb's ears) which was severely damaged by a very wet and cold winter after it had been in the garden for about two years and as it had almost rotted away I dug it up. Today however, I found a small plant growing in exactly the same place so I can only assume that it had seeded and even after all this time the conditions must have suited it so it is growing quite strongly. I haven't got the heart to move it after it has made such a splendid effort so I shall leave it to grow and maybe it will reward me by flowering next year!
Friday, 16 April 2010
Poor old soul!
This morning when I went out I didn't think I looked too bad even though I feel a bit grotty today but I must have looked a whole lot worse than I thought.
I hadn't got too far up the road when I stopped to listen to a goldfinch who was singing right up in the top of a tree on the homestore car park. I stood below leaning on my shopping trolley and holding on to the wall, looking up to see if I could spot him in the branches with my eyes screwed up against the bright sun and a smile on my face. Of course, I was lost in deep concentration which was immediately shattered when someone put their hand on my shoulder and asked if I was alright. I'm sure the well meaning gentleman must have thought I was a bit mad when I explained what I was doing but he humoured me and stood there looking up too. When he heard the bird singing he agreed with me that it was worth stopping and listening to and he went on his way.
I carried on to do some shopping and my last stop was Boots the chemist where I needed several things. Now they are always moving things about in there so it often takes me some time to find what I want and I was obviously looking bewildered when two assistant managers asked me if I was alright. I told them I was looking for footcare so they both kindly took me along to the right section and enquired if I needed any further help. I thanked them and said I was fine then finished my shopping.
On the way home I noticed there was a French market in the centre so I had a look around at the various stalls thinking that, had I known they were coming, I would have looked there first before going to Tesco so all I bought was a baguette. I put it in my shopping trolley and it stuck out of the top about seven inches or so. A little further on the trolley wheel hit my foot and as I turned around I noticed the bread had broken so I stopped to sort it out. The best way was to break the bread right through and then try to get both bits into the same bag and back down in the trolley where they wouldn't stick out. As I was huddled over trying to get things sorted, yet another well meaning passer-by asked me if I was alright and if I needed any help.
Now I don't wish to sound ungrateful, but I'm not really that old, confused or decrepit. I'm just a bit creaky and stiff sometimes but at least it's a relief to know that there are some people who are ready to help.
I hadn't got too far up the road when I stopped to listen to a goldfinch who was singing right up in the top of a tree on the homestore car park. I stood below leaning on my shopping trolley and holding on to the wall, looking up to see if I could spot him in the branches with my eyes screwed up against the bright sun and a smile on my face. Of course, I was lost in deep concentration which was immediately shattered when someone put their hand on my shoulder and asked if I was alright. I'm sure the well meaning gentleman must have thought I was a bit mad when I explained what I was doing but he humoured me and stood there looking up too. When he heard the bird singing he agreed with me that it was worth stopping and listening to and he went on his way.
I carried on to do some shopping and my last stop was Boots the chemist where I needed several things. Now they are always moving things about in there so it often takes me some time to find what I want and I was obviously looking bewildered when two assistant managers asked me if I was alright. I told them I was looking for footcare so they both kindly took me along to the right section and enquired if I needed any further help. I thanked them and said I was fine then finished my shopping.
On the way home I noticed there was a French market in the centre so I had a look around at the various stalls thinking that, had I known they were coming, I would have looked there first before going to Tesco so all I bought was a baguette. I put it in my shopping trolley and it stuck out of the top about seven inches or so. A little further on the trolley wheel hit my foot and as I turned around I noticed the bread had broken so I stopped to sort it out. The best way was to break the bread right through and then try to get both bits into the same bag and back down in the trolley where they wouldn't stick out. As I was huddled over trying to get things sorted, yet another well meaning passer-by asked me if I was alright and if I needed any help.
Now I don't wish to sound ungrateful, but I'm not really that old, confused or decrepit. I'm just a bit creaky and stiff sometimes but at least it's a relief to know that there are some people who are ready to help.
Thursday, 15 April 2010
Where's the squirrel?
I haven't seen any squirrels for about two days and I don't know if they have been coming down early in the morning. Usually I can hear them banging the nut box lid but I haven't noticed that either.
Perhaps they are not happy with me clearing the garden as I do know that when I was out there all day Monday, one was spying on me waiting for me to come inside so he could have his tea. Then on Tuesday, one of the young ones spent the entire afternoon on the top of the fence sunbathing and watching the nut box. He was also keeping his eye on me when I was in the kitchen dealing with the washing.
Now usually when they come down to feed, they spend half the time eating and the other half burying peanuts in the garden and I would have thought that now I have cleared out some of the plants, they would have more space to bury their nuts.
I do know that they weren't very happy when the landlady had the garden at the side cleared because it gave them less cover when they came to feed. I also know that there are quite a lot of cats too so I'm wondering if that's got anything to do with their absence, but the cats round here are too slow and fat to catch the squirrels who shoot up the walls of the house quick as a flash when they see a cat and they sit on the roof swearing.
Hopefully they will be back tomorrow.
Perhaps they are not happy with me clearing the garden as I do know that when I was out there all day Monday, one was spying on me waiting for me to come inside so he could have his tea. Then on Tuesday, one of the young ones spent the entire afternoon on the top of the fence sunbathing and watching the nut box. He was also keeping his eye on me when I was in the kitchen dealing with the washing.
Now usually when they come down to feed, they spend half the time eating and the other half burying peanuts in the garden and I would have thought that now I have cleared out some of the plants, they would have more space to bury their nuts.
I do know that they weren't very happy when the landlady had the garden at the side cleared because it gave them less cover when they came to feed. I also know that there are quite a lot of cats too so I'm wondering if that's got anything to do with their absence, but the cats round here are too slow and fat to catch the squirrels who shoot up the walls of the house quick as a flash when they see a cat and they sit on the roof swearing.
Hopefully they will be back tomorrow.
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Here comes the rubbish
Now that we are one week into the run-up to the election, the rubbish has started to come through the letterbox as well as out of the radio and television.
Thankfully the pamphlets, letters and leaflets can all be put in the recycling box and this week I put out quite a sizeable bundle. This will of course increase as the weeks go by so I'm glad that re-cycling collections are done weekly and we are fortunate the we do not have local council elections on the same day in this ward.
I am fed up with the majority of the main news programmes on radio and television being taken up by politicians and so-called experts who are saying that most of the electorate are showing a great deal of apathy and they think the turnout to vote will be quite small.
Is it any wonder? Most people are sick to the back teeth with the three main parties, all the bickering and one upmanship, so I'm gad I'm not alone.
We're already in one hell of a mess and whichever party gets in, or even if it's a hung parliament, I think it will get much worse.
Well, at least I can recycle all the paperwork which may end up as something useful, it's just a shame we can't do that with the politicians.
Thankfully the pamphlets, letters and leaflets can all be put in the recycling box and this week I put out quite a sizeable bundle. This will of course increase as the weeks go by so I'm glad that re-cycling collections are done weekly and we are fortunate the we do not have local council elections on the same day in this ward.
I am fed up with the majority of the main news programmes on radio and television being taken up by politicians and so-called experts who are saying that most of the electorate are showing a great deal of apathy and they think the turnout to vote will be quite small.
Is it any wonder? Most people are sick to the back teeth with the three main parties, all the bickering and one upmanship, so I'm gad I'm not alone.
We're already in one hell of a mess and whichever party gets in, or even if it's a hung parliament, I think it will get much worse.
Well, at least I can recycle all the paperwork which may end up as something useful, it's just a shame we can't do that with the politicians.
Tuesday, 13 April 2010
My recipe for rogan josh
To make a rogan josh from scratch you will need to gather the following items and the recipe will make about 4 servings.
You will need a small food processor/blender, a chopping board and paring knife, small non-stick saucepan and a casserole pot with lid that can be used on the top of the cooker (or a wok with lid).
Ingredients for the paste:
2 largish cloves of garlic a piece of fresh ginger peeled (thumb size)
3 oz (75g) red peppers 1 fresh red chilli (medium hot)
1 teaspoon each of smoked paprika and turmeric
2 teaspoons garam masala 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons each of oil(sunflower or groundnut) and tomato puree/paste
a small bunch of fresh coriander leaves and stalks
For the toasted spices:
2 teaspoons each of coriander seeds and cumin seeds and 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
First heat the small non-stick saucepan on a medium heat and then put in the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and peppercorns and toast until the perfumes are released, taking care not to burn them, then put them into a pestle and mortar and grind them into a fairly fine powder. Keep the saucepan without washing it up as you can use this for the rice later.
Then put everything into the small processor and blitz until you have a paste.
For the main dish you will need:
a large onion or two medium sized ones (sliced) 2 large tomatoes cut into quarters
2 and a half cups of water oil for frying
1 pound (500g) of cubed lamb, chicken or any meat you prefer
In the casserole pot, heat the oil and fry the sliced onions without browning for 5 minutes then add the meat and brown that on all sides. Put in the paste and water and bring to simmering point. Then cover with the lid and cook on a low heat for an hour or so until the meat is tender (chicken may not take as long). Add the chopped tomatoes about 20 minutes before serving. More water can be added if required. Serve with rice, or home made naan bread.
Bon appetite!
You will need a small food processor/blender, a chopping board and paring knife, small non-stick saucepan and a casserole pot with lid that can be used on the top of the cooker (or a wok with lid).
Ingredients for the paste:
2 largish cloves of garlic a piece of fresh ginger peeled (thumb size)
3 oz (75g) red peppers 1 fresh red chilli (medium hot)
1 teaspoon each of smoked paprika and turmeric
2 teaspoons garam masala 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons each of oil(sunflower or groundnut) and tomato puree/paste
a small bunch of fresh coriander leaves and stalks
For the toasted spices:
2 teaspoons each of coriander seeds and cumin seeds and 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
First heat the small non-stick saucepan on a medium heat and then put in the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and peppercorns and toast until the perfumes are released, taking care not to burn them, then put them into a pestle and mortar and grind them into a fairly fine powder. Keep the saucepan without washing it up as you can use this for the rice later.
Then put everything into the small processor and blitz until you have a paste.
For the main dish you will need:
a large onion or two medium sized ones (sliced) 2 large tomatoes cut into quarters
2 and a half cups of water oil for frying
1 pound (500g) of cubed lamb, chicken or any meat you prefer
In the casserole pot, heat the oil and fry the sliced onions without browning for 5 minutes then add the meat and brown that on all sides. Put in the paste and water and bring to simmering point. Then cover with the lid and cook on a low heat for an hour or so until the meat is tender (chicken may not take as long). Add the chopped tomatoes about 20 minutes before serving. More water can be added if required. Serve with rice, or home made naan bread.
Bon appetite!
Monday, 12 April 2010
Dreams and decisions!
I've spent most of today outside tidying the garden and pruning. I'm a long way from being finished and as I work I think about what I can plant for this year.
I have a small wooden patio table and two chairs that Eden and I bought about six years ago. It was a wet Saturday but when we got it home I had to put it in the lounge so that we could have our lunch off it because Eden was so impatient. Anyway, it spends it's time in the shed (outside loo) so that it doesn't get spoiled, and comes out in the summer on a dry weekend and is then put away again. I had imagined that when I was retired I would be able to sit out in the garden in the summer under the big umbrella, wearing a long feminine floaty skirt with a straw sunhat and sipping chilled wine with lunch while enjoying the perfumes and blossoms of beautiful flowers! Ha! So much for dreams!
The problem with my garden is that it is not very big and totally enclosed by walls and buildings so that it gets very little sun in the winter and it resembles an oven in the summer. This means that most plants grow to more than twice their normal height in an effort to get the most of the sun and as the soil is very fertile, they also grow too large so I have to dig them up and remove them. We tried growing radishes last year but they grew 2 foot high with nothing at the root and the potatoes we planted in containers also grew so high that they fell over. We did get some potatoes but they cost about £3 a kilo after paying out for the compost, containers and seed potatoes!
This year, I'm sticking to flowers. I already have a few climbing roses and some low growing perennials so the rest will be annuals because they give a good show all summer long. The problem I have is which ones to buy. I really like so many of them that I may even buy several packets of seed and just scatter them everywhere and wait to see what grows!
I have a small wooden patio table and two chairs that Eden and I bought about six years ago. It was a wet Saturday but when we got it home I had to put it in the lounge so that we could have our lunch off it because Eden was so impatient. Anyway, it spends it's time in the shed (outside loo) so that it doesn't get spoiled, and comes out in the summer on a dry weekend and is then put away again. I had imagined that when I was retired I would be able to sit out in the garden in the summer under the big umbrella, wearing a long feminine floaty skirt with a straw sunhat and sipping chilled wine with lunch while enjoying the perfumes and blossoms of beautiful flowers! Ha! So much for dreams!
The problem with my garden is that it is not very big and totally enclosed by walls and buildings so that it gets very little sun in the winter and it resembles an oven in the summer. This means that most plants grow to more than twice their normal height in an effort to get the most of the sun and as the soil is very fertile, they also grow too large so I have to dig them up and remove them. We tried growing radishes last year but they grew 2 foot high with nothing at the root and the potatoes we planted in containers also grew so high that they fell over. We did get some potatoes but they cost about £3 a kilo after paying out for the compost, containers and seed potatoes!
This year, I'm sticking to flowers. I already have a few climbing roses and some low growing perennials so the rest will be annuals because they give a good show all summer long. The problem I have is which ones to buy. I really like so many of them that I may even buy several packets of seed and just scatter them everywhere and wait to see what grows!
Sunday, 11 April 2010
The proper way to do it
Being a grandma is, I think, a very special and responsible role. After all, when you get to my age and had all the experiences that life throws at you over the decades, then it is a duty to pass on the very best of your knowledge to the younger generations. Well, that's how I see it.
So with that in mind, when Eden comes over to stay, I try to teach her as much as possible while having fun at the same time. This weekend has been no exception. We made our own leek and potato soup and some cheese rolls to go with it and some for her to take home. Then we made some bread for grandma for this week and the project for last night's dinner was a proper curry.
Quite a long time ago, I had made pizza with Eden and we made the tomato topping too. We have also cooked chinese food as well as food from other countries. The main reason for this was to demonstrate that home made can taste much better than food that has come from fast food outlets and also that does not have unnecessary additives.
We looked through quite a lot of recipes and eventually decided on rogan josh to go with the pork. After assembling all the spices and ingredients for the paste we set about making the curry and the end result was delicious.
I did have a jar of cook-in sauce for rogan josh but I prefer to cook everything from scratch and besides, it's much more fun when we do things together. I explained to Eden that the jar was for a day when perhaps we're in a hurry and don't have enough time or all the right spices.
So with that in mind, when Eden comes over to stay, I try to teach her as much as possible while having fun at the same time. This weekend has been no exception. We made our own leek and potato soup and some cheese rolls to go with it and some for her to take home. Then we made some bread for grandma for this week and the project for last night's dinner was a proper curry.
Quite a long time ago, I had made pizza with Eden and we made the tomato topping too. We have also cooked chinese food as well as food from other countries. The main reason for this was to demonstrate that home made can taste much better than food that has come from fast food outlets and also that does not have unnecessary additives.
We looked through quite a lot of recipes and eventually decided on rogan josh to go with the pork. After assembling all the spices and ingredients for the paste we set about making the curry and the end result was delicious.
I did have a jar of cook-in sauce for rogan josh but I prefer to cook everything from scratch and besides, it's much more fun when we do things together. I explained to Eden that the jar was for a day when perhaps we're in a hurry and don't have enough time or all the right spices.
Saturday, 10 April 2010
Is it a bird, is it a plane?
No it's mighty mouse, or two to be exact! While Eden and I were baking bread this afternooon, I happened to look out of the kitchen window and saw something hanging on to the dried stems of the japanese anemone which end just under the bird table where the hanging wire nut container is for the blue tits. Now I know that I should have cut these down long since but I haven't had time to get round to it.
What I saw there was not a blue tit but a very tiny mouse which I think could be a woodmouse with it's long tail and great big beady eyes and big round ears. He was climbing up the dried stems towards the nuts and was about four feet off the ground. We watched him as he tried to work out a way to get at the hanging wire basket, but reaching a bit too far, he fell off onto the ground. Eden gave a shriek thinking he had badly injured himself because after all, it would be a bit like me falling from the roof of a two storey house.
We saw where he fell but he was up straight away and climbing up the bird table which was a bit slippery for him. Then we spotted another one climbing up the dried stems as he too, was after the nuts. The same fate overtook the second mouse but they were very determined and had quite a few tries to get at those nuts and also the squirrel box, but every attempt was unsuccessful.
Eventually, as we had been entertained by these two little creatures for a while, I threw half a dozen maize kernels out onto the ground (I know they like these because they ate the ones the squirrels dropped a week or so ago).
Sadly, I hope these creatures move on because we are fast becoming overrun. Quite a few of the neighbours keep rabbits, guinea pigs and various other pets in hutches and there is a very plentiful source of food for them, so they are multiplying at an alarming rate.
What I saw there was not a blue tit but a very tiny mouse which I think could be a woodmouse with it's long tail and great big beady eyes and big round ears. He was climbing up the dried stems towards the nuts and was about four feet off the ground. We watched him as he tried to work out a way to get at the hanging wire basket, but reaching a bit too far, he fell off onto the ground. Eden gave a shriek thinking he had badly injured himself because after all, it would be a bit like me falling from the roof of a two storey house.
We saw where he fell but he was up straight away and climbing up the bird table which was a bit slippery for him. Then we spotted another one climbing up the dried stems as he too, was after the nuts. The same fate overtook the second mouse but they were very determined and had quite a few tries to get at those nuts and also the squirrel box, but every attempt was unsuccessful.
Eventually, as we had been entertained by these two little creatures for a while, I threw half a dozen maize kernels out onto the ground (I know they like these because they ate the ones the squirrels dropped a week or so ago).
Sadly, I hope these creatures move on because we are fast becoming overrun. Quite a few of the neighbours keep rabbits, guinea pigs and various other pets in hutches and there is a very plentiful source of food for them, so they are multiplying at an alarming rate.
Friday, 9 April 2010
The brighter side
This afternoon I drove over to collect Eden for the weekend and it's a little over twenty five miles through city, urban area and quite a lot of countryside. The one thing I noticed most was, that following a colder winter than we have had for some considerable time, all the trees and spring flowers have come to life all at once.
Because of this the gardens and countryside look quite spectacular with an abundance of spring flowers of every shade and the trees which if not flowering, such as the cherries and prunus, are showing the early signs of fresh, bright green leaves.
With the sun shining and the temperature a few degrees above the normal for this time of year, it was very pleasant indeed. Even the spring lambs were frolicking and leaping about in one field that I passed and I could also hear various birds singing too.
I enjoy my tiny little backyard garden and I'm hoping that this year the flowers will not be attacked by too many pests. With luck, a lot of them will not have survived the winter.
Although many people complained about the bitterly cold weather which did last a long time, we did not have as much rain as we usually do and we did have a lot of crisp, sunny days too.
The reward for the winter is this absolutely glorious spring with it's marvellous display of colour.
Because of this the gardens and countryside look quite spectacular with an abundance of spring flowers of every shade and the trees which if not flowering, such as the cherries and prunus, are showing the early signs of fresh, bright green leaves.
With the sun shining and the temperature a few degrees above the normal for this time of year, it was very pleasant indeed. Even the spring lambs were frolicking and leaping about in one field that I passed and I could also hear various birds singing too.
I enjoy my tiny little backyard garden and I'm hoping that this year the flowers will not be attacked by too many pests. With luck, a lot of them will not have survived the winter.
Although many people complained about the bitterly cold weather which did last a long time, we did not have as much rain as we usually do and we did have a lot of crisp, sunny days too.
The reward for the winter is this absolutely glorious spring with it's marvellous display of colour.
Thursday, 8 April 2010
Jolly planting weather
At long last, today we have had some decent sunny weather without the biting wind, so I took full advantage and actually got out into the garden for a short time to start pruning and planting.
The first thing I did was to plant the evergreen honeysuckle that I bought at the end of last year just before the weather turned bad. Because it was too wet and cold to plant when I bought it, I left it in the pot just outside the back door and over the last week it has put on a phenomenal amount of growth. So now it has been planted in a spot up against the wall with a trellis to clamber over and if it carries on growing at the same rate as it has during the last week, it will reach the top by Sunday!
While I was pottering in the garden I was also deciding which plants would have to be moved and which were going to be taken out completely. As I carried on with a bit of pruning and weeding, I attracted the attention of a female blackbird who sat on the top of the wall watching me for a while before flying off again.
I don't know whether it was the sound of the secateurs or the smell of earth being disturbed that attracted her but when I came in for lunch, she was down where I had pulled out some weeds. After turning the soil over and scratching about for a few minutes, I saw her fly off again, but this time with a beak full of worms, probably to feed her young.
The first thing I did was to plant the evergreen honeysuckle that I bought at the end of last year just before the weather turned bad. Because it was too wet and cold to plant when I bought it, I left it in the pot just outside the back door and over the last week it has put on a phenomenal amount of growth. So now it has been planted in a spot up against the wall with a trellis to clamber over and if it carries on growing at the same rate as it has during the last week, it will reach the top by Sunday!
While I was pottering in the garden I was also deciding which plants would have to be moved and which were going to be taken out completely. As I carried on with a bit of pruning and weeding, I attracted the attention of a female blackbird who sat on the top of the wall watching me for a while before flying off again.
I don't know whether it was the sound of the secateurs or the smell of earth being disturbed that attracted her but when I came in for lunch, she was down where I had pulled out some weeds. After turning the soil over and scratching about for a few minutes, I saw her fly off again, but this time with a beak full of worms, probably to feed her young.
Wednesday, 7 April 2010
Fancy cuisine - no thanks
Like many other people, I enjoy watching cookery programmes on television because I get a lot of good ideas that I can use to make my own recipes. I much prefer what I call 'good cooks' as opposed to the celebrity chefs, mainly because their food is more realistic.
There seems to be a trend for very fussy and fiddly 'nouvelle cuisine' amongst the celebrities and they spend what seems to be ages putting the food onto the plate, titivating it about, smearing frothy sauces and dropping little drops of oil or balsamic vinegar around the egdes. This is called 'presentation' but I know that if I tried it, the food would be stone cold by the time I put it on the table as I'm sure theirs must be. If you were to order any of their dishes in a restaurant, you would probably need to take out a mortgage because it is also very expensive.
I was reminded of this last night because the series of Masterchef is reaching it's climax and the three remaining amateurs have been preparing ever more elaborate dishes in an effort to outdo each other in order to win.
Now I know that the appearance of food is very important because we 'eat' with our eyes first, but I do not think that food tastes any better if you have spent hours faffing about with it.
The best tasting food always used to be fish and chips in the days when we ate it out of old newspapers. The most fiddling that it ever had was a good slosh of vinegar and a shake of salt.
Yummmmm!
There seems to be a trend for very fussy and fiddly 'nouvelle cuisine' amongst the celebrities and they spend what seems to be ages putting the food onto the plate, titivating it about, smearing frothy sauces and dropping little drops of oil or balsamic vinegar around the egdes. This is called 'presentation' but I know that if I tried it, the food would be stone cold by the time I put it on the table as I'm sure theirs must be. If you were to order any of their dishes in a restaurant, you would probably need to take out a mortgage because it is also very expensive.
I was reminded of this last night because the series of Masterchef is reaching it's climax and the three remaining amateurs have been preparing ever more elaborate dishes in an effort to outdo each other in order to win.
Now I know that the appearance of food is very important because we 'eat' with our eyes first, but I do not think that food tastes any better if you have spent hours faffing about with it.
The best tasting food always used to be fish and chips in the days when we ate it out of old newspapers. The most fiddling that it ever had was a good slosh of vinegar and a shake of salt.
Yummmmm!
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
Here we go!
Well the general election has been announced so now it's time to block our ears, stop buying newspapers, turn off the television and radio then run for cover or better still, emigrate!
For the next month in the media we will be bombarded by a never ending succession of politicians, would-be politicians and party leaders arguing, bickering and lying their heads off like small, naughty children out of control, all in an effort to get us to vote for them.
There will be mud slinging a-plenty, accusation and counter accusation, fingers will be pointed in every direction, skeletons will be found in cupboards left, right and centre and even the tiniest whiff of scandal will be aired. Lets face it, a lot of these are not squeaky clean, fine upstanding citizens, some of them are the same politicians who have fleeced us of millions in order to line their own nests and they don't really give a hoot about us, the electorate.
I suppose we will have to endure no end of cancellations and re-timing of programmes on radio and television in order to make room for all the party political broadcasts, you know the ones, that's when we all get up and go to the loo or make a cup of tea. Let's hope we're all well stocked with the teabags and biscuits!
Newspapers will fill most of their pages with stories about the various politicians and the towns they're visiting and of course we all know that any of the public that they encounter will all be hand picked to kow-tow to these demi-gods so as not to rock the boat.
At the weekends, the smallest whiff of scandal will fill pages and pages of the Sunday newspapers accompanied by a load of photographs.
I don't normally wish my time away as every minute is precious, but I can't wait for June!
For the next month in the media we will be bombarded by a never ending succession of politicians, would-be politicians and party leaders arguing, bickering and lying their heads off like small, naughty children out of control, all in an effort to get us to vote for them.
There will be mud slinging a-plenty, accusation and counter accusation, fingers will be pointed in every direction, skeletons will be found in cupboards left, right and centre and even the tiniest whiff of scandal will be aired. Lets face it, a lot of these are not squeaky clean, fine upstanding citizens, some of them are the same politicians who have fleeced us of millions in order to line their own nests and they don't really give a hoot about us, the electorate.
I suppose we will have to endure no end of cancellations and re-timing of programmes on radio and television in order to make room for all the party political broadcasts, you know the ones, that's when we all get up and go to the loo or make a cup of tea. Let's hope we're all well stocked with the teabags and biscuits!
Newspapers will fill most of their pages with stories about the various politicians and the towns they're visiting and of course we all know that any of the public that they encounter will all be hand picked to kow-tow to these demi-gods so as not to rock the boat.
At the weekends, the smallest whiff of scandal will fill pages and pages of the Sunday newspapers accompanied by a load of photographs.
I don't normally wish my time away as every minute is precious, but I can't wait for June!
Monday, 5 April 2010
The strangest things
With today being a bank holiday things have been pretty quiet so I thought I would make some bread when I got up this morning. While the bread was rising I decided to clean off a chicken carcass so that I can make soup tomorrow when I get a few more vegetables.
I got on much better than I thought so before lunchtime I sat down in the front room to do some writing. After a short while I was distracted by something odd that I perceived out of the corner of my eye so stood up to stretch and look out of the window to see what it was that had got my attention.
I live not too far from a scrapyard and it's not unusual to see strange men pushing a bike or supermarket trolley past the window loaded with various assortments of scrap metals. On these occasions it's usually the noise that gets my attention but this time there was no noise.
What I saw was a rather scruffy woman in her mid twenties with a large haversack on her back and she was pushing an old baby buggy which was piled with what I can only assume were her personal possesions, the whole lot was about seven feet high and covered with polythene.
She disappeared up the road and I returned to my writing only to be disturbed an hour or so later by a large tree passing by the window. A TREE? I jumped up and looked out to see the tree being carried by two youths. Now I have no idea whether they came by this legitimately or whether they uprooted it from someone's garden (in this area that would not be surprising).
They too, disappeared up the road so I resumed my writing wondering what would be the next strange thing to pass the window..
I got on much better than I thought so before lunchtime I sat down in the front room to do some writing. After a short while I was distracted by something odd that I perceived out of the corner of my eye so stood up to stretch and look out of the window to see what it was that had got my attention.
I live not too far from a scrapyard and it's not unusual to see strange men pushing a bike or supermarket trolley past the window loaded with various assortments of scrap metals. On these occasions it's usually the noise that gets my attention but this time there was no noise.
What I saw was a rather scruffy woman in her mid twenties with a large haversack on her back and she was pushing an old baby buggy which was piled with what I can only assume were her personal possesions, the whole lot was about seven feet high and covered with polythene.
She disappeared up the road and I returned to my writing only to be disturbed an hour or so later by a large tree passing by the window. A TREE? I jumped up and looked out to see the tree being carried by two youths. Now I have no idea whether they came by this legitimately or whether they uprooted it from someone's garden (in this area that would not be surprising).
They too, disappeared up the road so I resumed my writing wondering what would be the next strange thing to pass the window..
Sunday, 4 April 2010
Heaven scent
The family came over for lunch today and bought Tinkerbell their shitzhu, so after we had eaten, I took her out into the back garden as you do.
The sun was shining and it was quite pleasant outside but also fairly windy. The wind had flattened some hyacinths which only came into flower this week so I decided that I would cut them and bring them inside. Because the flowers are so heavy I didn't think they would be able to stand up straight on their own.
The perfume of the hyacinth and also mahonia are two of the most seductive perfumes of spring and I adore both of them equally. However, I don't have room for mahonia in the garden and the hyacinths are some that I had inside a few years ago which were planted out when they went over. They have been coming up every year since and are flowering as well as they did when they were inside.
Now that I have cut them and bought them in I know that they won't last as long but at least I will have that delicious perfume for a few days.
Happy Easter.
The sun was shining and it was quite pleasant outside but also fairly windy. The wind had flattened some hyacinths which only came into flower this week so I decided that I would cut them and bring them inside. Because the flowers are so heavy I didn't think they would be able to stand up straight on their own.
The perfume of the hyacinth and also mahonia are two of the most seductive perfumes of spring and I adore both of them equally. However, I don't have room for mahonia in the garden and the hyacinths are some that I had inside a few years ago which were planted out when they went over. They have been coming up every year since and are flowering as well as they did when they were inside.
Now that I have cut them and bought them in I know that they won't last as long but at least I will have that delicious perfume for a few days.
Happy Easter.
Saturday, 3 April 2010
Value for money - not eggsactly
When I did my monthly shop at Tesco this morning I had to buy two Easter eggs. One was for my grandson and the other was for my daughter. My grand-daughters both decided to opt for a chocolate bar instead.
This year, I had made a point of asking them all what they wanted for Easter because in years past, I was working and had more money to spend so they usually had a decent, if more expensive egg or such like from Marks & Spencer. No matter how hard I tried to pursuade Harley, my grandson, that he would get a lot more chocolate if he had a bar instead of an egg, I could not convince him or change his mind and it was the same with his mum, Sarah.
I thought that buying my Easter eggs in Tesco would be cheaper so looked carefully up one side of the aisle with the chocolate eggs and then down the other side and I was truly shocked. The prices were shockingly expensive and it seemed that there was more packaging than chocolate on some of them. Even those that claimed to have less packaging were every bit as pricey with about the same amount of chocolate as the others.
In the end, I bought an egg each for Harley and Sarah and a bar of chocolate for Eden and Amber. The girls of course are very shrewd because they get four times as much chocolate for the same price as I paid for the eggs! Two chocoholics in the making?
This year, I had made a point of asking them all what they wanted for Easter because in years past, I was working and had more money to spend so they usually had a decent, if more expensive egg or such like from Marks & Spencer. No matter how hard I tried to pursuade Harley, my grandson, that he would get a lot more chocolate if he had a bar instead of an egg, I could not convince him or change his mind and it was the same with his mum, Sarah.
I thought that buying my Easter eggs in Tesco would be cheaper so looked carefully up one side of the aisle with the chocolate eggs and then down the other side and I was truly shocked. The prices were shockingly expensive and it seemed that there was more packaging than chocolate on some of them. Even those that claimed to have less packaging were every bit as pricey with about the same amount of chocolate as the others.
In the end, I bought an egg each for Harley and Sarah and a bar of chocolate for Eden and Amber. The girls of course are very shrewd because they get four times as much chocolate for the same price as I paid for the eggs! Two chocoholics in the making?
Friday, 2 April 2010
Radio rage
I don't think a day has passed this week when I haven't shouted at the radio, or more to the point, the politicians and union leaders who were being interviewed. Every time there is an election in the pipeline, the current affairs programmes get these blighters on and interview them.
Not a single one of them sticks to answering the questions put to them, they never listen to what the interviewer has said or asked, and every single last one of them will lie through their teeth and try to convince all listeners that black is actually white.
How on earth can these people expect to get our votes and respect when they behave in such an impolite manner and treat us all with contempt. I will certainly not be voting for any of the major parties because they're all as bad as one another. If I could, I would sit them all on the 'naughty step' for a very long time and all sweets, treats and expenses would be withheld until they could demonstrate acceptable behaviours and manners.
When date of the election is announced, probably this week, the radio interviews will be increased, we will get mountains of waste paper (election notices) stuffed through the letterbox and then we will get the party political broadcasts on televesion. I can already feel the need to go into the kitchen, make another cup of tea and raid the biscuit tin!
It will be less expensive than throwing the radio through the window or putting something through the television set.
Not a single one of them sticks to answering the questions put to them, they never listen to what the interviewer has said or asked, and every single last one of them will lie through their teeth and try to convince all listeners that black is actually white.
How on earth can these people expect to get our votes and respect when they behave in such an impolite manner and treat us all with contempt. I will certainly not be voting for any of the major parties because they're all as bad as one another. If I could, I would sit them all on the 'naughty step' for a very long time and all sweets, treats and expenses would be withheld until they could demonstrate acceptable behaviours and manners.
When date of the election is announced, probably this week, the radio interviews will be increased, we will get mountains of waste paper (election notices) stuffed through the letterbox and then we will get the party political broadcasts on televesion. I can already feel the need to go into the kitchen, make another cup of tea and raid the biscuit tin!
It will be less expensive than throwing the radio through the window or putting something through the television set.
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Why do men do this?
I'm sure a lot of women have asked the same question again and again when they have been sitting in a traffic jam or at traffic lights and looked in the mirror at the man sitting in the car or van behind.
It's always a male of the species who is sitting alone in a car or van. Just take a look next time you are stuck in traffic or even pushing the supermarket trolley back to the car. If there is a lone male sitting in the car waiting for his wife, the chances are pretty strong that he will be indulging himself.
There was one sitting outside my front window this evening. He had pulled into a parking space and instead of getting out of the car he sat there and then he started. First he used the little finger on his left hand and then one by one, he used the other three fingers and then his thumb. He repeated the process with his other hand and then returned to his left hand and did it all over again.
The only reason I was watching is because he was a stranger to the area and I like to know who's about especially if they are acting suspiciously. Anyway, after about five minutes or so of indulging in his filthy habit, he drove off.
And just what was he doing? You've guessed it, he was picking his nose! I only hope he washed his hands when he got home!
It's always a male of the species who is sitting alone in a car or van. Just take a look next time you are stuck in traffic or even pushing the supermarket trolley back to the car. If there is a lone male sitting in the car waiting for his wife, the chances are pretty strong that he will be indulging himself.
There was one sitting outside my front window this evening. He had pulled into a parking space and instead of getting out of the car he sat there and then he started. First he used the little finger on his left hand and then one by one, he used the other three fingers and then his thumb. He repeated the process with his other hand and then returned to his left hand and did it all over again.
The only reason I was watching is because he was a stranger to the area and I like to know who's about especially if they are acting suspiciously. Anyway, after about five minutes or so of indulging in his filthy habit, he drove off.
And just what was he doing? You've guessed it, he was picking his nose! I only hope he washed his hands when he got home!
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