Birthday Wishes

Happy Birthday to Sue & Lee, thanks for your best wishes today, and for all the encouragement over the past few years, you've both been great followers of the blog, thank you so much, and have a great day each of you

Photopost 001 - Spring

                   Spring Blossom

                   Hedgerow floor

                   Snakes Head Fritillary

                   Buzzy Bee

                   English Bluebell

                                        Fern

Variety is the Spice of life

So, since February I have been languishing in the land of the un-contracted contractor. If I was an actor I would be resting, as it is, I sometimes think I am only play acting at my job, as it still surprises me that I can keep down a day job, when I think personally some of my best thoughts are when I am shaving... but hey it takes all sorts.

I decided (with Peter as back up) to start looking at contracted work after resigning my full-time post last June, and yes, we are lucky that we can make that sort of decision, especially in this day and age.
It was similar to the time that I decided to leave the Hotel and Catering trade behind, I was worried that making such a jump would herald a whole host of issues, insecurities, and a gnashing of teeth, but to be honest, now that I have dipped my toe in the water, and have had six months with another company under my belt, the idea of being in-between jobs isn't as daunting as I had anticipated.



As of tomorrow, I start a new contract for the next three months, based close to home too, so no sitting in a car for three hours a day! It'll stop me thinking about all the stuff I said I would do and never got around to.. so no probs there either.



One thing I did do while I have been at home, was to sort out all the crap in the pantry... all those half empty packets, out of date tins, and packets of unidentifiable things that lurk in the back.
Now, instead of shifting twenty things to get to the tin you want, everything is gently ordered into pull-out containers and baskets. It also means that all the stuff we go to regularly, is there in front of us, not on the bottom or very top shelves like they were. You'll have guessed by the pictures that the spices and herbs took some sorting!

At one point nearly every surface in the kitchen had stuff on it, with the overspill being stacked on the floor. It looked liked we had been robbed by a team of chefs with slight OCD.




I also managed to make Marmalade for the first time in ages, and we tried it with breakfast this morning, and I have to admit, it's pretty good. Top tip from my friend Glen on the sugar, and it worked (preserving sugar).



Personally, I think the new contract will break me out of this snap of domestic God-ness, just so I don't go overboard and start my own tea room, or start giving the WI a run for their money.

Right, short and sweet (and spicy too) Have a good week folks.

20 Years

So what were you doing on the 25th of March 1993?

Well I was gearing myself up to meet the man of my life. We hadn't met before, we knew only the briefest of things about each other, and yet, by the time the evening was over, we knew everything we needed to know.

In the following 20 years, we have learned more about each other, we've grown together, become Civil-Partners; become God-Parents, Great Uncles, and Best Men. We've learned to grieve together, laugh together, and make the decisions jointly, that have affected our lives.

In all of this we have had the support of our family and friends, without whom, we would be lost. We are lucky in life that we are surrounded by these people, and I am more than lucky as I have my man by my side.

There are two people to thank for giving both me and Peter the impetus to make all this happen, one we lost touch with and one we don't see enough of, so Paul, if by any chance you are out there and here of this, then thank you, and Bruce, well it has to be, cheers Marmite. 

Anne Griffith 1936 - 2013

Anne regularly read my blog, an achievement in itself for me, as I only ever think a core of less than half a dozen people actually do read it, and I never realised Anne was one of them.

Unfortunately, after a diagnosis of Cancer late last year, Anne passed away peacefully in a wonderful and caring place, not far from her home in Javea (Spain),  a home she had made with her husband Huw for the past 15 years or so.

Anne was Peter's mother.

We attended Anne's funeral in Spain last week, along with Peter's two step-sisters, and to our comfort and joy on that sad day, along with many of Anne & Huw's friends, that they have made since moving to Spain so long ago.

In conversation later, Huw mentioned that I had not been keeping my blog up to date, and I asked if, to kick start it again, I could start with a copy of my part of the Eulogy, that I read at the funeral, and he said by all means. So here it is, my words for a woman I grew to love.

"Although I had met Anne & Huw on previous occasions, I like to think that the first time I actually met my "in-laws", was when Anne & Huw came to visit Peter for his 30th birthday, and where he was going to tell them about our relationship.

You can imagine, I was understandably nervous, and to be honest, I remember very little of the day itself, but for one moment, which will stay with me forever.... at the very end of the evening, just as we where saying our goodbye's, Anne gave me a hug and a kiss, and looking me straight in the eye, kissed me again and said "Welcome to the family".

Not long after that I was invited down to the family home in Axbridge, to stay for Christmas. 

Peter had already gone down a few days earlier, and so I found myself on a bright, crisp and very frosty Boxing Day morning, motoring on down through the Somerset countryside, wondering, with a little trepidation, what the next few days with the family would be like.

I need not have worried.... 

.......as from the moment I stepped through the front door, I was enveloped into the warm and welcoming embrace of a family at home.

There were gifts to be exchanged and opened, Champagne to be drunk, dogs to be petted and fussed with, lunch to be prepared, guests to arrive, tables to be laid and lunch to finally be served....

...... And throughout all this jovial chaos and merriment, Anne sailed her ship, acquiescing here to a suggestion, making sure something else was 'just so', and more often than not, delegating by stealth..  such as "Peter.. Darling.. would you be a dear, and sort out the gravy, as you do it so well".. who could refuse?

All this until such time that she could sit back, look around her dinner table, and take pleasure in the happy and replete family and  friends, secure in the knowledge that her, and Huw's, hospitality had been well rewarded.

When it came to her work, Anne applied the same love, care and attention.  From the very beginnings of teacher Training college in Bath, to all her years teaching Drama, and in time, many other subjects on the curriculum of the day.

Anne always said she had taught every age, from 2 to 92 year olds, and this was particularly true, when, after many years teaching, Anne moved on to take up her role as Co-Ordinator for Adult Literacy for the county. 

All this experience led her to devoting further periods of her time to work teaching Vietnamese Refugees, that had settled in the county, and even more time working with Youth Training.

And then, if this was not enough, there was the total immersion in life in Axbridge.

In her time there, she was Chair of the Town Trust, she also found time to be the Chair of the Board of Governors for the local Primary School, and Anne also became the founding Secretary of the Friends of Houlgate Society, which was the local twinning group for Axbridge's sister town, Houlgate in France.

.... Take all this, then add in the fact that she also Produced the town Nativity plays each year, and you get the impression that Anne's calendar was pretty full. Then I haven't yet mentioned that she also produced the Historical Town Pageant...

... Performed every ten years, with a cast of hundreds, and with two years in the preparation and planning of each one, Anne managed to produce the Pageant three times, 1970, 1980, and 1990.

And then.... beyond everything else, Anne still managed to maintain her deep and unwavering love of her Husband, Huw, her 5 children; Hannah, Rachel, Peter, Jonathan and William, and then her friends and ever increasing social circle, and possibly, the odd dinner party or two!

Inevitably, there came a realisation that some day, Anne would eventually hand over the reigns of all these events and projects, and her family and friends knew that Anne & Huw would finally bid Axbridge "Au Revoir" .... and head for "La belle Francais"...

...... or so we thought!

Before I hand over to Rod, who will talk about Anne's life with Huw, here in Javea, we all recognise today that we say goodbye to a wife, a mother and a friend. On a very personal note, I will be saying goodbye to my mother-in-law, and where there will be an empty space in my life, which should be filled by Anne, I am happy in the knowledge that there is a warmth and depth of love left with me that will stay with me forever, because I am part of this family."

Thank you to everyone for all their wishes and thoughts. We are still surrounded by family and wonderful friends, I wouldn't change any of them for the world. 

The new header picture and the pictures in this post, are from Javea.

World Aids Day

Do your thing, but whatever you do, and how you do it, do it safe! 

World Aids Day is today, but for a lot more people, it's every day.

Terence Higgins Trust

BBC News Article - The number of gay and bisexual men being diagnosed with HIV in the UK reached an "all-time high" in 2011, according to the Health Protection Agency (HPA)

Sunday Morning Musings - Part 142

Well, My man is in Madrid until Wednesday, then back for a night until he goes off to visit the folks, back in Spain, (don't ask why he couldn't just fly from Madrid on an internal flight, as that would mean a rant cursing the short-sightedness of his work's travel agency... the useless bast*rds).... so anyhow, while there is a Thai green curry heating up in the oven, I've got just enough time to post these pictures,




And sign off until next week... short but sweet. Have a great week

Sunday Morning Musings - Part 141

Well for the first time in a long time, I made bread today, the old fashioned traditional way (sans bread-maker).

I had forgotten how satisfying bread making is, as usually Peter makes bread if there is any needed, that can't be got around by using the bread-maker.

Inspiration for today's loaf came from a super recipe in yesterday's (Saturday's) Independent newspaper magazine. For some years I have read the "Indie", ever since it was launched. What struck me the most was the extent of it's photojournalism, that just had an edge, that I had never come across in a newspaper before.

Now reading it as a weekend regular, there is usually at least once recipe that gets torn out, tried, or (and mostly) stored in an ever increasing pile, ready for the day I finally decide to put a scrapbook of recipes together.

One cookery columnist that I regularly read is Dan Lepard (not in the Indie though... in the Guardian magazine.. bad me), and most of the recipes I try tend to be his, and while there is a good mix of others too, his recipes consistently catch my eye and tend to be tried out, and posted about (of course, it goes without saying there is always always something to try, when I catch up with Ilva's blog, Lucullian Delights)

I love this transition we have between the seasons, as they alter our perception of food and the way we look at it. As the light of summer fades into Autumn, we begin to eat less "al fresco", and close the doors on the coming chill, and begin to hunker down with more robust food, letting crisp leaves and delicious dressings fade, just as the light fades over the day, and the evening creeps closer to the afternoon.

Pulses, and delicate tiny pastas come out of the pantry to fortify stews and soups. Earthy and heart warming root vegetables make star appearances, and become more of a meal themselves.

This wonderful Nordic Muesli bread (and thanks to Bill Granger from the Indie for the recipe) is just such a thing. Filled with dried fruits, oats and seeds, it will make a delicious breakfast, toasted, buttered and served up with a thick jam, or warmed and drizzled with honey. Add thin slices of Manchego cheese to the warmed and honeyed bread for a more filling treat!.

It bakes well, and more so, doesn't take too long to prove, so if you want, by the time you pour another coffee and finish off the weekend papers, it is almost ready to knock back and finish off.

I wouldn't be too worried about the types of fruits, nuts or seeds that you add too. As Bill says in his article, it may be that he hasn't made the bread twice the same way, it all depends what is in your larder.
So, if you want to give it a go, here is the recipe;



Muesli Bread

Recipe:

100g / 3½ oz Porridge oats (rolled oats), plus 1 tbsp for sprinkling
150ml / ¼ pint Natural yoghurt
1 tbsp honey
450g / 14½ oz plain flour
100g / 3½ oz Rye flour
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Fast-action dried yeast
1 tbsp Light-flavoured oil (corn oil or similar)
100g / 3½ oz Toasted hazelnuts, and/or walnut halves
75g / 3½ oz Dried apricots, chopped
150g/ 5oz Dried berries (Blueberries, Sour Cherries, Cranberries, etc etc)
1 tbsp Sesame seeds
2 tbsp Sunflower seeds

Note:

tbsp - tablespoon
tsp   - teaspoon
Imperial measures - UK measures
And - I have made this with strong flour (for bread making), but looking again, it does state plain flour in the recipe, so it will be interesting to see what difference this makes to the texture etc.
Feel free to mix up the seeds /nuts/ berries as you like, as long as the measures remain the same, however saying that, I think my loaf looks like it could have more "bits" compared to the recipe photo.
Also, I used naturally dried apricots that are a lot darker than the usual ones, so my loaf doesn't have that jewel like quality that the recipe photos have.

Method:

Pre-heat your oven!

Combine the oats, yoghurt and honey in a bowl and set aside for 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix together the plain flour, rye flour, salt and yeast.
Add the oat/honey/yoghurt mixture, add the oil, and add 300ml/ ½ pint warm water (not too hot otherwise the yeast won't work as well)
Knead everything together, until the mixture comes to a soft sticky dough (add more water if needed)
Now cover with a wet cloth and set aside somewhere warm and draught free for an hour, or until the dough is doubled in size.

Once your dough is ready, turn out onto a lightly dusted (with flour) surface and gently knead in the nuts and fruits.
Shape into an oblong and place onto a lightly oiled baking sheet (feel free to use a baking liner if you are more used to one).

Scatter the top with the seeds and some more rolled oats (I added the majority of the seeds into the mix for a crunchier texture).
Cover with a damp cloth and leave to prove for another 30 minutes.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 220C / 425F / Gas mark 7 for 10 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 180C / 350F / Gas mark 4, and bake for another 30 to 40 minutes, until the underside of the loaf feels hollow, when you tap it. Cool on a wire rack.... or scoff it warm until your stomach hurts, and you wonder where a pound of butter has gone!

Have a great week folks, tuck up warm as the chill begins to bite, or snuggle up to your loved ones. And Chuck, no more acrobatics with ladders! Glad to hear you are on the mend ;o)

Cheers

Sunday Morning Musings - Part 140

So I missed posting anywhere near Halloween or Fireworks night too, so here is s clever piece of marketing from those wonderful people at Lyle's. Two of their products must have been the staple of many a pantry over the years, and despite many reincarnations of these products, such as squeezable bottles and such, they have remained faithful to packaging Black Treacle and Golden Syrup in tins, so similar to the ones my mother used, that I cannot notice any differences.

Once thing I forgot to mention, is that we had a great time the week before the 5th of Nov, attending the firework display at Milton Keynes Village, and it was superb! They really do a good show, and I hope they raised enough money for the good causes they collect for. And.. a really big thank you to Paul, for fixing our tap, you're a star ;o)

One thing though, if you bake, these two products are a must. It's good to know that some firms have such faith in their products...  and employ people with some wit an humour too!

Tonight sees me and Peter catching up with the rugby on TV (I'm multi tasking), having chilled over the weekend, after coming back from a super vacation in the Lake District with friends and family. It seemed to go so quickly, but as always, we had a super time.

We managed to get out for a walk every day, and while the weather wasn't the best, we still managed to enjoy ourselves, and when the sun did come out the views where breathtaking.
As always we fed ourselves well, laughed our way through the week and got to spend time with our Great-Niece Poppy ;o)

One thing you need to appreciate about the Lake District is that no view is the same over any two days, and when you wake up in the morning and this is what you are looking out at, then you can't help thinking that nature has the upper hand every time!

Breaking in new boots was always going to be an issue, but once you get past that first blister, and the urge to weep, then you are fine. I always remind myself that there is nothing worse getting up in the morning on the second day of skiing, because those ski boots are never, ever, ever, going to get any softer.... curse you snow boarders!

I'm looking forward to see what we can come up with for next year, as we are still trying to find the ultimate experience... A well equipped cottage, in a small village, with a local shop, a really good pub and a great selection of walks... it's out their somewhere, and it will be fun trying to find it!

The pub let us down this time around (and less the lack of shop), I can pay £3.50 a pint here in MK, I don't expect to pay that in the Lakes!  Beer was good though... darn.

Yesterday I managed to catch up with my friend Stephen, who is moving to Belgium to be with is partner Chris. It was a good catch up over coffee and cake, but not long enough really, and we missed Chris going over. So I hope this next step in their life goes well, good luck guys!

As always, thanks to A&C too, for chicken watch. They are fine and dandy and we have a wee something for you as a thank you (scrummy things)

Right, short and sweet, have a great week and we'll catch up next weekend (once I have hoovered up all the leaves that have been dumped in the garden while we have been away!) The rest of the pics are over on Flickr, or on the side bar as a slideshow, hope you enjoy them, cheers!

Roo

Remembrance Day

Sunday Morning Musings - Part 139

So where did September go? I'm not sure either , but I know I have to get back on the horse and start keeping LLWW up to date more often.

If blame is to be laid then I could say that the new job has a lot more commuting to it, but to be honest, it's not too much further and certainly a lot better than the last one! I could also blame Instagram (just a little) as it is so easy to snap a quick photo, mess a little with it and post it, and get an instant reaction. But honestly, I think I have just been lazy.

However, this weekend has been taken up with baking (Madeleines and Pear and Chocolate Custard tart) and completely cleaning out the Conservatory, so that we can get the tender plants inside, as last winter was so harsh. That means the chillies, rosemary, and thyme are coming in, and just in time as we had the very first frost that you could see this morning.

We are also looking forward to a week away soon with the family, in the Lake District, as we have done over the past few years. It's always good humoured, with a decent amount of exercise as we go walking, and great gatherings around the dinner table at the end of the day (or the very near pub!) I'm looking forward to it, and to getting out in the Autumn with the camera. One thing I do have to confess, is that I am not getting along with the new camera body as I thought I would, and it is not just because I can't just stick it on automatic, but I find that once I get any decent lens on it, the whole thing is just so heavy. I'll have to find a way around this, or go back to the old body.

And lastly, I'm leaving you with a picture I took a long time ago, and I'm not sure if I ever posted it, but I came across it again the other day, and it reminds me of so many things, I wonder what it will remind you of?

Have a great week, and thank you all for our Anniversary wishes, we had a quiet time in the evening, saying hello to a new addition to our friend's family, and she is very sweet. 

Look after yourselves

Sunday Morning Musings - Part 138

Did you know that the moon on the night of August the 31st was a Blue Moon - as it was the second full month in month. It can also be the third of four full moons in a Season. Or it may just appear blue...   That's this weeks fact for you. Award yourself points if you already knew this ;o)

So on Thursday last week, I started work again after 8 weeks off!

Now I'm not sure where the weeks went, as there at least 140 things still left to do on my mental check list, the written check list I can't find, my Outlook check list, and the list on the kitchen notice board. Now I know we went to Paris for 5 days, and I've met up with a few friends for lunch/ jobclub/ coffee/ moaning/ laughing (you get the drift, we did more lunch and coffee than the job thing) and I've spent some time in the garden (enjoying the sunshine, and watching the seasonal blight write-off all the bloody tomatoes again).

I did actually do some job hunting, but it was actually a friend that pointed me towards the one I am taking, and despite it being for a 6 month contract, hopefully it may go full time, and if not, the experience will be good. I am also incredibly grateful to Ali for ringing me up and putting the fear of God in me when she said, "can you come to an interview, the day after tomorrow!"
I was actually looking forward to it, mainly for the fact that I will be working again for a company that has credibility, purchasing policies, a canteen, occupational therapists, a decent pension scheme, car parking that doesn't involve something akin to off road driving, decent hours, and doesn't seem to be run by a despot. It will be like being dragged back from the dark ages.. And for the record, I was knackered after two days. You soon get out of routines!

I have been spending a fair amount of time baking and cooking while I have been off, trying my best to offset all the hard work Peter is doing to keep fit. We've worked out that if I bake two cakes at a weekend, we can't get through them all in a week.

And  I am holding up my hand straight away, I didn't make these Macaroons, (I wish). We bought them in a wonderful shop in Paris, and they are divine. I had to try out the new camera, and hopefully I have done them justice.

This weekend was the Pidley International Teddy Bear Freefall Parachute competition, and we where in attendance, manning the raffle stall, and it is always a laugh and raises money for a good causes. After the weekend, it will be my time to start getting fit again. I will have about 8 weeks to get into shape before we spend a week walking in the Lake District, and I want to be able to walk for a day without getting out of breath!
The trickiest thing I always find is to get into a routine whereby you exercise, as we already have a good diet, however commuting to work and back for two hours a day doesn't leave much room before or after the working day, so I will have to figure out something, even if it's taking the bike out for a morning ride at the weekend and going for a walk during lunch at work. We shall see how it works out.

Now way back at the beginning of August, I was surprised by Sue over at "Snakes and Snails and Puppy Dog's Tails" by her nomination of me for this wee award. Surprised mostly because I have been really bad at keeping up to date with reading Sue's blog, (and everyone else's too), I love it though when I do catch up. 

More to the point, Sue writes from a very personal viewpoint and wears her heart on her sleeve, and on the occasion I went right back to the very start of her blog, I was struck by the openness and raw emotion I found, and I have stuck with her blog, and have found countless joy in her writing, and I have been humbled on more than one occasion, and for this I am thankful.

As for me, I started this blog way back, as some of you know, to get myself out of a mental fugue due to being unemployed for the best part of six months. Added to this I was given the encouragement to pick up my camera again, and go out and use it. That was nearly 7 years ago (30/09/2005) and despite some cases of the doldrums, I hope over the 7 years I have managed to entertain everyone.

I think my blog garners a small audience, however I am happy to have everyone around and visit. And maybe one day, I will get to catch up with everyone! The Morgan Mouses where perfect hosts on our trip to Australia (and Dancing Mouse has gone quiet for a while, has the wee mouse hung up her dancing shoes?), and it goes without saying that if anyone is coming over to England, then we are only an hour form central London, so lunch somewhere is expected.

There are a few rules that go with the award, that I am more than happy to comply with, so here they are;

• Add the award Logo
• Link the nominators Blog
• Nominate 5- 10 blogs you usually follow
• Let the nominees know that they have been nominated and add their links
• Say 7 random things about yourself

Well I have added the Logo, and linked back to my nominators blog (see above) The tricky part is nominating other members, as I have the same problem as Sue, in the fact that I regularly only check out a handful of blogs, with some of my favourite seemingly hitting the same impasse as we have all experienced, however here is my list;

• "A Wee Bit of Cooking" - Wendy (and her beautiful dog Marco), have kept me entertained and delighted with her photos form Scotland and delicious food photos and recipes.
• "Pink Granite" - The slices of life from Lee, and her husband Chuck, have kept me entertained, and our correspondence over the last few years through difficult periods on both sides of the pond, have made me realise that friendships can be forged and maintained with wit and humour.
• "Break the Illusion" - DaveyWavey is a bit of a celebrity, and a leading online voice for the LBGT community. He has a different take on life and manages to advise and inform and has an apparently boundless enthusiasm for life.
• "Lucullian Delights" - Ilva has to be one of the most inspirational of  food bloggers and photographers that I link to. Her photos are sublime and her recipes, well, you just have to try them. She has been a voice of encouragement for my photography, and a constant source of waistline antagonism, as I try out her delicious dishes (mainly puddings... hmmmm)   

A special thank-you goes out to my good friend JT, over at "Swimpig", who, as always, has my special thanks for helping me make that tentative step into picking up a camera again, and encouraged me to start the blog all those years ago, and who I don't spend enough time with. 

So 7 random things, here goes;

1. I used to be a member of the British Institute of Innkeepers. I managed a pub here in MK ( the reason I came here in the first place), and joined when I was awarded a Master Cellerman's award.
2. I miss the sea. We live almost equidistant from the coast , and I miss the sound of the waves and walking along a beach, despite the fact that I don't like the idea of deep water, can't swim, but bizarrely love sailing. I could never go to a SeaWorld type of attraction, as the thought of walking through those glass tunnels of fish with tonnes of water behind the glass, gives me goose bumps just typing about it. 
3. I am not mechanical in any way, shape or form. I wish I could look at an engine of a car and think... "ah, yes it's...." but I can't. 
4. I hate it when, either on a menu or on a cookery programme, a classic dish is given a twist, whereby a key element of the dish is changed, making it NOT THAT DISH. For example - on a recent TV cookery show, the presenter was make an Eton Mess with her own twist. Now substituting the strawberries with succulent blackberries, I don't have a problem with. but making a meringue nest, adding cream, blackberries and a meringue top, isn't an Eton mess, it's a Meringue, filled with fruit and cream. If she then smashed it into bits, then it's an Eton Mess.... for f's sake.
5. I adore Thai food.  A Thai Red Curry is the best remedy for a cold.
6. I still use some of the chef's knives I started college with at the tender age of sixteen. This makes them  35 years old (this month in fact) and they are the best knives I use. They are razor sharp Sabatier knives, made from carbon steel, and they are precious to me. Did you know too, that in an emergency, you can sharpen a carbon steel knife off the back of another? My college lecturer, Mr Frost, taught me that, and I have never forgotten it. The blades go black, but a good silicone paste will get them gleaming again.
7. I hate shaving. I don't shave at a weekend, and while there is nothing better than a decent shave with a good shaving foam, a sink of hot water and a sharp razor, I just simply hate the fact that I have to do it every day for work. I like a beard and a moustache, and Peter doesn't, so I don't have one ;o)

So that's it. Big thanks to Sue again for the nomination, I'm off to sit and read for a while, before thinking of dinner, and then an early night, before work tomorrow. It will be my first full week, so I hope I get into the swing of things and don't end up completely knackered by Friday.

One last thing;

Happy Anniversary Lee & Chuck, 21 years and still counting

Lots of love and happiness x

Have a good week folks.