Hope tomorrow turns out better @Priscilla and so glad that you managed to sing @piglet and the service was a good one.
I've had a lazy afternoon doing a Christmas jigsaw and then watched a very silly film on Netflix this evening. Husband being away means that Strictywill be watched tomorrow when he's back.
I made mince pies - with home-made pastry!
Must be two years since I last made any, as there has been an unopened jar of mincemeat in the cupboard since last December. Also, earlier in the week, I had found my jar of plain flour was infested with teeny-tiny beetle like things, so had thrown it away, washed out the pot and soaked it in a solution of bleach to kill off any critters still hiding in the ridges of the screw -top fastening.
I dealt with the problem of mincemeat being too sweet by tipping the jarful into a bowl and stirring in 1 tbsp of pomegranate molasses. Seems to have done the trick, as the resulting pies are very palatable.
I do like my own pastry, although it's not as good as my mother's was, but I can never roll it out evenly, so have some pies with thin pastry and some with thick.
I have the same trouble cutting a slice of bread that is the same thickness from one side to another, especially fresh bread.
My sister in law has a brilliant pastry recipe that she gave my son, and his mince pies are excellent. I always buy a jar of mincemeat so he can make some when he comes home. Her maids of honour tarts are even better, but we don’t have the recipe for the filling unfu.
My contribution to the post-concert festivities last night was a tray, for the carrying of glasses of wine to the seated audience. I forgot to bring it home. It is a Most Useful Tray for jigsaw puzzles so I will need to retrieve it somehow.
The concert went well overall but the men messed up big time in one carol and a minor way in another. I realised just in time that I didn’t need my Green and Orange carol books after all, as the words were on the sheet and I know the descants. Everything else was separate sheet music. It made my folder so much lighter, but still didn’t avoid the back ache that I only get when singing.
Today is a day of rest and recovery.
I decided against church this morning; I was very snufflous, still coughing and had a bit of a headache, so a lie in and some extra zzz was had.
I finally bestirred myself and had a little amble to the corner shop to get bread, red WINE and some more orange juice, and picked up a BACON ROLL on the way back.
Laundry is laundering, and at some point I'll put a STEAK in to marinate for supper.
We've had a busy weekend. Yesterday we had the blind association Christmas dinner, then one of the people stayed at ours last night prior to going to church together this morning. Afterwards we came back via the market and ran into a bloke dressed as Father Christmas.
Our singing at Bletchley Park went well today. Our audiences were sparse but appreciative. It stayed sunny and dry though chilly out of the sun.
Much excitement in our family as eldest grandson is in California with his Dad and cb for his karting league finals. So strange to watch his races on YouTube and see his name displayed.
@piglet I hope your throat gets better soon and you’re having a better day today @Priscilla
Some years ago we had a young French tenor in our choir who was bemused by the instruction “bring your greens and oranges for the carols”. When I showed him the copies of Carols for Choirs he was astounded that choirs had such a wonderful resource in the UK - proper choral arrangements of varying difficulty and style.
... I was coughing like an engine during the first part of the rehearsal (and getting some rather old-fashioned looks from the conductor)...
I can well imagine. We are under strict instructions to stay away if we are in the least bit coldy/coughy/snuffly as he doesn't want the possibility of folk bringing and sharing something and buggering up the Christmas services.
For Shipmates seeking the True Path etc, some enlightenment from this morning from Difficult Relative.
She messaged me to say that she was trying to phone the NE Man but his phone seems to be off. I replied saying it is probably off as he is in a church meeting. To which DR replied: You find God by being empathetic and caring, not by a position in the church.
AFAIK the church meeting is not trying to find God, but is trying to find a way to make church property more energy-efficient. But when the NE Man gets home, I'll be sure to pass on DR's words of wisdom.
DR doesn't attend church, having flounced from the last three that I know of. She feels churches fall short of her own personal spirituality, which is on a Higher Plane.
O dear. DR sounds like one of those crosses that has to be borne...
After a weekend of laying low and doing nuffink, I sallied forth to Tess Coe for this week's supply of Ready Meals, Poor Old Singletons For The Use Of...
Two Angels Of The Lord assisted me in this task:
AOTL 1 was the Nice Lady who looks after the trollies in the car park on Mondays. As soon as she spotted me parking the car, she came over with a trolley for me, to save me hobbling to the place where they're stored.
AOTL 2 was the Nice Lady on the checkouts who always - without asking, or being asked - packs my two bags for me, making sure that the loads are distributed equally.
Back to a rather grey and windy Arkland the Noisy, where the walkway near the Ark is being repaired by two of The Lads, with much Hammer Ing, Saw Ing, and Drill Ing. The repairs are urgently required, as the walkway (which fortunately I don't have to use) is nearing the time when it may have to be completely rebuilt.
Lunch is LASAGNE - one of Mr Co-Op's specials - because use-by date.
With only a few hours’ notice, our final rehearsal for next Saturday’s carol concert has been put back from 6.45 to 7.30pm start, because the school where we rehearse needs the hall. We were going to have an early finish then seasonal refreshments ( mainly but not exclusively mince pies) were due to be served, but this has now been cancelled, or rather postponed until January.
Oh dear @North East Quine . Does DR every ask you how you are as they are obviously so empathetic and caring.
I mooched off to cathedral city to the east to do a bit of shopping. I managed to buy one present. The funniest thing was bumping into a friend in three of the shops I visited. We obviously have the same tastes in women's clothes shops (Seasalt, White Stuff and Fatface).
After a busy week last week this one is shaping up to be quiet apart from lunch out with some friends tomorrow.
I've just come back from an excellent Nativity Play at the school where I'm a Governor. It was thoroughly Christian - no sign of God being evicted as some might claim.
... I was coughing like an engine during the first part of the rehearsal (and getting some rather old-fashioned looks from the conductor)...
I can well imagine. We are under strict instructions to stay away if we are in the least bit coldy/coughy/snuffly as he doesn't want the possibility of folk bringing and sharing something and buggering up the Christmas services.
Hope you feel better though.
Thanks Kingsfold - I did feel a bit guilty, but I so didn't want to miss it! Still a bit chesty today, but not as snuffly as I was yesterday.
I hied me to Tessie's at lunchtime and procured some of their rather excellent fish cakes, one pack of which claims to be made of cod and chorizo, which I haven't tried before, and is now heating merrily in the oven.
I've just spent half an hour enjoying my elevenses coffee and my book on Kindle. Now I must get to it. The dogs have been walked and the housework has been done, so it's time for more Christmas preparations.
It's a lovely day so I'd rather be doing outside work!
A bright, sunny morning, most of which I've spent in various pastel-painted rooms of the Oncology department of the WGH. Next scheduled appointment is with the consultant on Hogmanay.
Now back to the usual afternoon of knitting, reading and dozing off.
A busy day in Arkland the Gloomy, though it is still exceptionally mild for The Time Of Year. Pilates has been endured, and my right Leg is still telling me that he did NOT appreciate it, but a spell of S & Q (with painkillers) is helping. No more torture sessions are programmed until January, so I have some homework exercises to do in the meantime.
'CHRISTmass' presents and cards have now all been posted or delivered, though there are a few cards still to write (for my Neighbours), and there is CHOCOLATE to take into the Arkland Office for the ever-helpful Staff.
Lunch is COD MORNAY with Mash n'Peas - another of Tess Coe's Simple Sustenance for Sad Singletons.
I'm just back from lunch with three friends at a local Keralan restaurant. One friend isn't that keen on Indian food and ordered what she thought would be a plain turkey dish, it wasn't. The rest of us enjoyed our food and I think she enjoyed the company so all was not lost. Only downside was that I've lost one of my Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer earrings on the way home.
Hope the visit to the Oncology department was as good as such things can be @Firenze.
The NE Man has departed southwards for a 2 day conference. Dinner tonight will be crackers, cheese, chutney and a pear. This will involve no cooking and, even better, will generate one plate, one knife and one spoon to wash up afterwards. I am a happy quine.
Today, instead of the invariable soup, I had a salad of lettuce, cherry tomatoes, onion, chickpeas with the addition of Polish pickles - cucumber, mainly. All dressed with lime juice and sweet chilli. It was thoroughly tasty, and I will have it again tomorrow.
Wishing you all the best for your next consultation, Firenze!
A fairly gentle day at work (although it was Decidedly Colder getting there). Then appointment for eyebrow waxing after work, and pasta with prawns and greens for supper (because it's relatively quick to make).
Concert #1 went well last night. Over a hundred people turned up, which is good going for a Monday night. I got back late, so didn't do anything exceptional today apart from Shopp Ing and a bit of Iron Ing. We're playing the same programme again on Friday.
Tonight husband en rouge is dining with a friend who is passing through Paris. I had dinner early with Captain P. Apparently owing to the very mild weather in November, France has a big surplus of certain vegetables, especially cauliflowers and leeks. Consequently they are very cheap and eating them helps the farmers who need to sell them. Tonight we did our bit by eating a leek tart.
Two days of No Cooking For Nen, due to birthday celebrations yesterday and pre-Christmas lunches today. We had a happy day yesterday - went to playgroup with Nenlet1 and the GrandNenling and saw the little one meet Santa for the first time!
I am slightly more caught up on festive preparations than I was - our decorations went up at the weekend and I wrote and posted the cards today and also sent a parcel to Nenlet2 and his husband as we won't be seeing them over the Christmas period.
Out and about tomorrow seeing a friend for coffee and lunch and a spot of shopping. It would be nice if it didn't rain, but I think it's going to.
A grey day in Arkland the Mild, with some very weak Sun-Shine trying to break through the cloud which covereth the Firmament. I'm reminded of the words of the poet Thomas Hardy, in 'Neutral Tones':
We stood by a pond that winter day,
And the sun was white, as though chidden of God,
And a few leaves lay on the starving sod;
– They had fallen from an ash, and were grey.
Never mind. There is Coal in the Dragon, and SPAG BOL with Italian BEER (Peroni today) for lunch.
Wet and windy here in the slightly desolate East Midlands. We went for a ramble with the Ramblers. The company was excellent but the countryside wasn't look its best. The walk was round a nature reserve which meant there were a couple of very well-placed and comfortable bird hides to have our coffee and lunch stops.
In some ways, I appreciate the milder winters, but I do miss the visiting birds we used to get in Arkland at this time of year - not a Dunlin, Peewit (aka Lapwing), or Redshank to be seen...
We've had a rather satisfactory day. This morning we went to the hospital for Captain P's post-operative appointment (all is well, and now that there's more space in his mouth, an orthodontist is going to be able to get to work on getting his teeth into something like a straight line).
After that back home for Iron Ing and lunch, then the Captain's regular Wednesday afternoon theatre workshop. Then he said he wanted to go for a walk to the Eiffel Tower. So we did, and discovered a Christmas market when we got there. We didn't buy anything apart from one candy cane, but it was quite pretty all the same.
This evening, in a continued effort to Help The Farmers, husband en rouge is doing something with a cauliflower.
Caught up with my work admin this morning and then wrote a feedback plan for my next batch of marking (psychological approaches to mental health and talking therapies). New batch of marking has been duly started and progressing as well as can be expected.
Tea will be a partridge, cheese and potato pie. I had a cheese and potato pie kit as one of the recipe kits with my veg box but I have partridge breasts that need using up.
Ooh! Mr Whibley would be quite envious of your partridge breasts. He ordered some last weekend but the supermarket delivery substituted pheasant, and he sent it back. The local butcher doesn’t have a game license so can’t sell them. I'd have been quite OK with the pheasant but I don’t do the cooking in our house, so what do I know?
... I had a cheese and potato pie kit as one of the recipe kits with my veg box ...
You need a kit to make cheese and potato pie???
One of David's default recipes was cheese and potato pie: boil some spuds, fry a chopped onion in a mixture of chilli oil and not-chilli oil (mostly the latter), mash spuds with indecent amount of butter, a handful or three of grated Cheddar and the aforementioned onions, put into greased dish and bake for about 20 minutes to half an hour. Serve with bacon, or, better yet, good sausages.
It was a mild day in West Lothian, and it had the decency to stay dry while I had to amble up the street to get some more Christmas cards (I had some left from last year, but not enough). My intention had been only to go as far as the Oxfam shop, but bugger me if it wasn't closed, so I had to go about the same distance again - almost as far as the porcine chateau - to the Cancer Research shop.
However, cards are now all wrote; the work ones will be delivered tomorrow, and the ones that need posting may get posted tomorrow, or may have to wait until Saturday.
Supper was f&c, because (a) I won't be using them on Friday as we have our work Christmas do; and (b) once I'd written the cards, I was a bit knackered ...
I don’t need a kit to make cheese and potato pie but the veg firm makes a different pie kit every week so I get whatever is on the list. This week it contained the ingredients for smoked cheddar, potato and leek pie including fresh thyme and ready made pastry. It’s a good way to vary the dishes cooked and try different recipes.
I do prefer partridge to pheasant. It was a very nice pie.
I've just come back from an excellent Nativity Play at the school where I'm a Governor. It was thoroughly Christian - no sign of God being evicted as some might claim.
A good cheese and potato pie. Using strong cheese is a wonderful thing . One of OU local ish. Garden centres used to do a good one, with or without onion.
Complete tangent - I'm in the I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue Appreciation Society FB group, and they just posted Rev'd Richard Coles singing Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood to the tune of When I was a lad, I served a term from HMS Pinafore, and it was one of the funniest things I've heard in years.
Today I wrapped Christmas presents. When I fetched the wrapping paper from the garage I discovered that the flat roof is leaking in two places. I’ve contacted the roofer but no idea when he will come. I keep all sorts of things in the garage but the puddles seem to to be just in the ‘corridors’ as far as I can tell.
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I've had a lazy afternoon doing a Christmas jigsaw and then watched a very silly film on Netflix this evening. Husband being away means that Strictywill be watched tomorrow when he's back.
Must be two years since I last made any, as there has been an unopened jar of mincemeat in the cupboard since last December. Also, earlier in the week, I had found my jar of plain flour was infested with teeny-tiny beetle like things, so had thrown it away, washed out the pot and soaked it in a solution of bleach to kill off any critters still hiding in the ridges of the screw -top fastening.
I dealt with the problem of mincemeat being too sweet by tipping the jarful into a bowl and stirring in 1 tbsp of pomegranate molasses. Seems to have done the trick, as the resulting pies are very palatable.
I do like my own pastry, although it's not as good as my mother's was, but I can never roll it out evenly, so have some pies with thin pastry and some with thick.
I have the same trouble cutting a slice of bread that is the same thickness from one side to another, especially fresh bread.
The concert went well overall but the men messed up big time in one carol and a minor way in another. I realised just in time that I didn’t need my Green and Orange carol books after all, as the words were on the sheet and I know the descants. Everything else was separate sheet music. It made my folder so much lighter, but still didn’t avoid the back ache that I only get when singing.
Today is a day of rest and recovery.
I finally bestirred myself and had a little amble to the corner shop to get bread, red WINE and some more orange juice, and picked up a BACON ROLL on the way back.
Laundry is laundering, and at some point I'll put a STEAK in to marinate for supper.
Much excitement in our family as eldest grandson is in California with his Dad and cb for his karting league finals. So strange to watch his races on YouTube and see his name displayed.
@piglet I hope your throat gets better soon and you’re having a better day today @Priscilla
I can well imagine. We are under strict instructions to stay away if we are in the least bit coldy/coughy/snuffly as he doesn't want the possibility of folk bringing and sharing something and buggering up the Christmas services.
Hope you feel better though.
She messaged me to say that she was trying to phone the NE Man but his phone seems to be off. I replied saying it is probably off as he is in a church meeting. To which DR replied:
You find God by being empathetic and caring, not by a position in the church.
AFAIK the church meeting is not trying to find God, but is trying to find a way to make church property more energy-efficient. But when the NE Man gets home, I'll be sure to pass on DR's words of wisdom.
'Reasons for not attending Church'
no: 22b
After a weekend of laying low and doing nuffink, I sallied forth to Tess Coe for this week's supply of Ready Meals, Poor Old Singletons For The Use Of...
Two Angels Of The Lord assisted me in this task:
AOTL 1 was the Nice Lady who looks after the trollies in the car park on Mondays. As soon as she spotted me parking the car, she came over with a trolley for me, to save me hobbling to the place where they're stored.
AOTL 2 was the Nice Lady on the checkouts who always - without asking, or being asked - packs my two bags for me, making sure that the loads are distributed equally.
Back to a rather grey and windy Arkland the Noisy, where the walkway near the Ark is being repaired by two of The Lads, with much Hammer Ing, Saw Ing, and Drill Ing. The repairs are urgently required, as the walkway (which fortunately I don't have to use) is nearing the time when it may have to be completely rebuilt.
Lunch is LASAGNE - one of Mr Co-Op's specials - because use-by date.
With only a few hours’ notice, our final rehearsal for next Saturday’s carol concert has been put back from 6.45 to 7.30pm start, because the school where we rehearse needs the hall. We were going to have an early finish then seasonal refreshments ( mainly but not exclusively mince pies) were due to be served, but this has now been cancelled, or rather postponed until January.
Will this mean no mince pies? Please?
I mooched off to cathedral city to the east to do a bit of shopping. I managed to buy one present. The funniest thing was bumping into a friend in three of the shops I visited. We obviously have the same tastes in women's clothes shops (Seasalt, White Stuff and Fatface).
After a busy week last week this one is shaping up to be quiet apart from lunch out with some friends tomorrow.
I've just come back from an excellent Nativity Play at the school where I'm a Governor. It was thoroughly Christian - no sign of God being evicted as some might claim.
Thanks Kingsfold - I did feel a bit guilty, but I so didn't want to miss it! Still a bit chesty today, but not as snuffly as I was yesterday.
I hied me to Tessie's at lunchtime and procured some of their rather excellent fish cakes, one pack of which claims to be made of cod and chorizo, which I haven't tried before, and is now heating merrily in the oven.
It's a lovely day so I'd rather be doing outside work!
Now back to the usual afternoon of knitting, reading and dozing off.
How do you know it was "a bloke dressed as" and not the genuine article?
A busy day in Arkland the Gloomy, though it is still exceptionally mild for The Time Of Year. Pilates has been endured, and my right Leg is still telling me that he did NOT appreciate it, but a spell of S & Q (with painkillers) is helping. No more torture sessions are programmed until January, so I have some homework exercises to do in the meantime.
'CHRISTmass' presents and cards have now all been posted or delivered, though there are a few cards still to write (for my Neighbours), and there is CHOCOLATE to take into the Arkland Office for the ever-helpful Staff.
Lunch is COD MORNAY with Mash n'Peas - another of Tess Coe's Simple Sustenance for Sad Singletons.
Hope the visit to the Oncology department was as good as such things can be @Firenze.
Tonight is pork steaks, pineapple and fried rice.
A fairly gentle day at work (although it was Decidedly Colder getting there). Then appointment for eyebrow waxing after work, and pasta with prawns and greens for supper (because it's relatively quick to make).
Tonight husband en rouge is dining with a friend who is passing through Paris. I had dinner early with Captain P. Apparently owing to the very mild weather in November, France has a big surplus of certain vegetables, especially cauliflowers and leeks. Consequently they are very cheap and eating them helps the farmers who need to sell them. Tonight we did our bit by eating a leek tart.
Another day of marking but I have sent back one batch of pre-Christmas marking. Another lot arrived today to start tomorrow.
Tea was sweet potato chilli with tortilla chips and sour cream, topped with crispy pork chop. Followed by a Tanquerey Rangpur Lime gin with tonic.
I am slightly more caught up on festive preparations than I was - our decorations went up at the weekend and I wrote and posted the cards today and also sent a parcel to Nenlet2 and his husband as we won't be seeing them over the Christmas period.
Out and about tomorrow seeing a friend for coffee and lunch and a spot of shopping. It would be nice if it didn't rain, but I think it's going to.
We stood by a pond that winter day,
And the sun was white, as though chidden of God,
And a few leaves lay on the starving sod;
– They had fallen from an ash, and were grey.
Never mind. There is Coal in the Dragon, and SPAG BOL with Italian BEER (Peroni today) for lunch.
Again.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50427/song-when-that-i-was-and-a-little-tiny-boy-with-hey-ho-the-wind-and-the-rain
In some ways, I appreciate the milder winters, but I do miss the visiting birds we used to get in Arkland at this time of year - not a Dunlin, Peewit (aka Lapwing), or Redshank to be seen...
After that back home for Iron Ing and lunch, then the Captain's regular Wednesday afternoon theatre workshop. Then he said he wanted to go for a walk to the Eiffel Tower. So we did, and discovered a Christmas market when we got there. We didn't buy anything apart from one candy cane, but it was quite pretty all the same.
This evening, in a continued effort to Help The Farmers, husband en rouge is doing something with a cauliflower.
Caught up with my work admin this morning and then wrote a feedback plan for my next batch of marking (psychological approaches to mental health and talking therapies). New batch of marking has been duly started and progressing as well as can be expected.
Tea will be a partridge, cheese and potato pie. I had a cheese and potato pie kit as one of the recipe kits with my veg box but I have partridge breasts that need using up.
One of David's default recipes was cheese and potato pie: boil some spuds, fry a chopped onion in a mixture of chilli oil and not-chilli oil (mostly the latter), mash spuds with indecent amount of butter, a handful or three of grated Cheddar and the aforementioned onions, put into greased dish and bake for about 20 minutes to half an hour. Serve with bacon, or, better yet, good sausages.
It was a mild day in West Lothian, and it had the decency to stay dry while I had to amble up the street to get some more Christmas cards (I had some left from last year, but not enough). My intention had been only to go as far as the Oxfam shop, but bugger me if it wasn't closed, so I had to go about the same distance again - almost as far as the porcine chateau - to the Cancer Research shop.
However, cards are now all wrote; the work ones will be delivered tomorrow, and the ones that need posting may get posted tomorrow, or may have to wait until Saturday.
Supper was f&c, because (a) I won't be using them on Friday as we have our work Christmas do; and (b) once I'd written the cards, I was a bit knackered ...
I do prefer partridge to pheasant. It was a very nice pie.