Hair Today (and gone tomorrow!)
Rush job this morning re blog as it is Norma the Hair day, and as not having it done for two weeks, it really needs it. Mind you, the day after it needs doing again. I have baby fine very straight hair, no perm now as years of perming (and that spell of heavy anti-biotics) have caused my hair to slowly get thinner so am lucky to have any at all. Thank goodness I am very old, so it really doesn't matter that much any more.
The Google opening page was fun today, once I'd got the hang of clicking on all the shapes. Done one at time they change shape then go back again, done at speed they all start 'performing'. Lots of fun.
A welcome to Krisarix who has pointed us in the direction of a website after reading about my fantasy derilect cottage. Took a quick peek at the Madam Scarecrow bit of the site, and it looked interesting, but gave up after the third about goats. Her mixture of English swearing (is that necessary>)and French language (that is at least one way I can refresh my school French) got me a bit confused. May give it another go later. The main site seems to have lots of interesting things on it about frugal living. Might even learn something new.
To clarify - the derelict cottage is not the type of dream I get when I sleep, just a home-made 'story' that I work my way through while trying to get to sleep. So I can change things if I like. At the moment it is spring-time with daffodils appearing in the cottage garden, so 'spring-cleaning' the cottage seems to fit in quite well.
Didn't have any need to even enter my cottage last night as my thoughts after getting into were to do with what shall I cook for supper tonight in real life. Decided on chicken curry, at which point I fell fast asleep.
Not sure what weather is like on your side of the pond Lisa, but here it is going downhill fast. We seem to be settling in to days of grey cloud and rain, with or without wind. The only 'true' summer weather I can remember is a few weeks in late spring (usually starting around the end of April) and the recent week (or Indian summer). Other times we have had sun and heat but it has never been really 'settled' and very short term. Mind you, can only speak for Morecambe (where we live) as the rest of the country seems to have had better weather AND heat. We never know what our weather will be other than a forecast a few days ahead. Unlike the larger continents we cannot expect settled weather for months - which is why a lot of people here now go abroad to Europe and beyond to at least be sure of getting sunny weather for their holidays.
Wonder if everyone will get a free box of that All Bran Golden Crunch. My thought is that if we all then go and buy another, this will make sales shoot up so that all the other manufacturers will take note and start supplying us with free samples. Could work.
Can't say I was that keen on the cereal myself, perhaps because I put some in a small bowl and ate it dry (like sweets). The taste was good but it was very hard to eat (with old teeth have to be careful). Tried putting some in a plaggy bag and crushing it with a rolling pin to add to the flour when making bread, but all I got was a pile of very small balls of something very hard. Will try eating it after it has had a soak in milk. At least the bran does work well! If you get my drift.
Did cook the Romanesco (eventually) Eileen. It is far too beautiful to eat, the florets being like that diagram (is it called a 'fractal'?) where it shoots of spurs that are small replicas and each spur having more exactly the same until they disappear into infinity, still looking identical. How on earth did the Romanesco ever see the light of day in the first place.
However, WAS disappointed in the flavour. Expected it to be much better than a cauliflower, but not a lot different although it was much firmer and also took longer cooking to become tender. Made a cauliflower cheese with some (mixing the Romanesco with cauli) and also served it as a veg (also with cauli). Now I've tried it will probably not bother again (it is bound to be more expensive than cauli), although it would be a superb veg to serve when entertaining as it has such eye-appeal.
Your mention of Heinz Tomato Soup gillibob reminded me of a day in my early childhood. This was one of the first soups I remember my mum serving (doubt she ever made any from scratch - but she might have done), and can still vividly remember when she gave me a mug (or cup) full of this soup to drink as I couldn't eat anything due to both my middle top milk teeth were very loose and ready to fall out. Can remember my teeth wobbling as I drank the soup. Drinking the same soup today am taken right back to that moment.
Yesterday was spent doing everything but what I intended doing. At least managed to make a Fish Risotto for both our suppers. Used one small fillet of (frozen) 'white' fish, smoked haddock, and salmon. The stock being first white wine (soaked up by the rice) then good chicken stock, ending up with the fish-flavoured stock the fish had been poached in. to the risotto also added some diced red onion, diced yellow bell pepper, some peas and - for good measure (as found the dish still a bit bland and don't know why), some diced red Peppadew, which I have to say worked very well.
Had a sudden craving for something sweet, so as B was going to the corner shop to buy his lottery ticket asked him to buy me something sweet. Not chocolate, but something hard I could suck. He brought me a bag of marshmallows! I pretended to be pleased. B always brings the opposite of what has been asked for, so there must be a good reason other than trying to wind me up (which I thought for years was his motive). Almost certainly his contrariness must be caused by a form of dyslexia.
Watched Jo Brand on 'Dave' the other night. Something to do with her and water, but inbeween there are bits of her on stage and have to say her outlook on life (and especially her husband) are exactly the same as mine, and our sense of (dry) humour is very much the same. In some ways (not so much now I have lost weight) we are not that difference in appearance either!
Last night watched the repeat of the last episode of Billy Connelly's 'Route 66'. Do find the American countryside fascinating. All those open spaces where people still seem to live a lot like they did in 'The Waltons'. Although there seems to be some need for everyone to fly the American flag over their property (unlike here where the only place we are likely to see it is over Buck House when the Queen is NOT in residence - she has her own flag), and the constant placing of the hand over the heart when the US anthem is sung in schools each day (and at other times) - we Brits used to rush out of the cinema when the our anthem was played at the end of each night so that we didn't have to wait and stand in respect, but now they don't play it any more. But that is just me being 'English'. What I do admire is the way the smaller communities in the American 'outback' and also the families tend to stick together. We do have family gatherings at Christmas, but not always, unlike the American Thanksgiving which is very much more family orientated.
What did come across in the above programme was that there seems to be a greater divide between the 'haves' and 'have nots' in America than here. In the prog it showed that some people are really struggling to survive and having to sell many of their possessions to do so. Some areas also seem to have a lot of cultural problems as well, whereas here we are just one great melting pot and (seemingly) have a different style of poverty than many in the US. Over here 'benefits' are handed out to those who have not (which means that many don't bother to save money when they have it because they know they will always be 'looked after' - and this includes anyone who comes to live here from abroad, legally or illegally). To be 'poor' here means not being able to afford a holiday abroad, or having to do with only one TV or have a small car instead of a large one. True, there are those that are really hard up, but when we see people on benefits who manage to be able to afford large plasma TVs and computer games for their numerous children, and countless other things that we (normal working folk) can never afford, there is something wrong somewhere. But that's another Bee in my Bonnet that I will put back into its hive as Norma will he here shortly, so must now love you and leave you, and all things being well should be able to spend more time with you tomorrow, so hope then to meet up with you again for our regular 'morning chat'. TTFN.
The Google opening page was fun today, once I'd got the hang of clicking on all the shapes. Done one at time they change shape then go back again, done at speed they all start 'performing'. Lots of fun.
A welcome to Krisarix who has pointed us in the direction of a website after reading about my fantasy derilect cottage. Took a quick peek at the Madam Scarecrow bit of the site, and it looked interesting, but gave up after the third about goats. Her mixture of English swearing (is that necessary>)and French language (that is at least one way I can refresh my school French) got me a bit confused. May give it another go later. The main site seems to have lots of interesting things on it about frugal living. Might even learn something new.
To clarify - the derelict cottage is not the type of dream I get when I sleep, just a home-made 'story' that I work my way through while trying to get to sleep. So I can change things if I like. At the moment it is spring-time with daffodils appearing in the cottage garden, so 'spring-cleaning' the cottage seems to fit in quite well.
Didn't have any need to even enter my cottage last night as my thoughts after getting into were to do with what shall I cook for supper tonight in real life. Decided on chicken curry, at which point I fell fast asleep.
Not sure what weather is like on your side of the pond Lisa, but here it is going downhill fast. We seem to be settling in to days of grey cloud and rain, with or without wind. The only 'true' summer weather I can remember is a few weeks in late spring (usually starting around the end of April) and the recent week (or Indian summer). Other times we have had sun and heat but it has never been really 'settled' and very short term. Mind you, can only speak for Morecambe (where we live) as the rest of the country seems to have had better weather AND heat. We never know what our weather will be other than a forecast a few days ahead. Unlike the larger continents we cannot expect settled weather for months - which is why a lot of people here now go abroad to Europe and beyond to at least be sure of getting sunny weather for their holidays.
Wonder if everyone will get a free box of that All Bran Golden Crunch. My thought is that if we all then go and buy another, this will make sales shoot up so that all the other manufacturers will take note and start supplying us with free samples. Could work.
Can't say I was that keen on the cereal myself, perhaps because I put some in a small bowl and ate it dry (like sweets). The taste was good but it was very hard to eat (with old teeth have to be careful). Tried putting some in a plaggy bag and crushing it with a rolling pin to add to the flour when making bread, but all I got was a pile of very small balls of something very hard. Will try eating it after it has had a soak in milk. At least the bran does work well! If you get my drift.
Did cook the Romanesco (eventually) Eileen. It is far too beautiful to eat, the florets being like that diagram (is it called a 'fractal'?) where it shoots of spurs that are small replicas and each spur having more exactly the same until they disappear into infinity, still looking identical. How on earth did the Romanesco ever see the light of day in the first place.
However, WAS disappointed in the flavour. Expected it to be much better than a cauliflower, but not a lot different although it was much firmer and also took longer cooking to become tender. Made a cauliflower cheese with some (mixing the Romanesco with cauli) and also served it as a veg (also with cauli). Now I've tried it will probably not bother again (it is bound to be more expensive than cauli), although it would be a superb veg to serve when entertaining as it has such eye-appeal.
Your mention of Heinz Tomato Soup gillibob reminded me of a day in my early childhood. This was one of the first soups I remember my mum serving (doubt she ever made any from scratch - but she might have done), and can still vividly remember when she gave me a mug (or cup) full of this soup to drink as I couldn't eat anything due to both my middle top milk teeth were very loose and ready to fall out. Can remember my teeth wobbling as I drank the soup. Drinking the same soup today am taken right back to that moment.
Yesterday was spent doing everything but what I intended doing. At least managed to make a Fish Risotto for both our suppers. Used one small fillet of (frozen) 'white' fish, smoked haddock, and salmon. The stock being first white wine (soaked up by the rice) then good chicken stock, ending up with the fish-flavoured stock the fish had been poached in. to the risotto also added some diced red onion, diced yellow bell pepper, some peas and - for good measure (as found the dish still a bit bland and don't know why), some diced red Peppadew, which I have to say worked very well.
Had a sudden craving for something sweet, so as B was going to the corner shop to buy his lottery ticket asked him to buy me something sweet. Not chocolate, but something hard I could suck. He brought me a bag of marshmallows! I pretended to be pleased. B always brings the opposite of what has been asked for, so there must be a good reason other than trying to wind me up (which I thought for years was his motive). Almost certainly his contrariness must be caused by a form of dyslexia.
Watched Jo Brand on 'Dave' the other night. Something to do with her and water, but inbeween there are bits of her on stage and have to say her outlook on life (and especially her husband) are exactly the same as mine, and our sense of (dry) humour is very much the same. In some ways (not so much now I have lost weight) we are not that difference in appearance either!
Last night watched the repeat of the last episode of Billy Connelly's 'Route 66'. Do find the American countryside fascinating. All those open spaces where people still seem to live a lot like they did in 'The Waltons'. Although there seems to be some need for everyone to fly the American flag over their property (unlike here where the only place we are likely to see it is over Buck House when the Queen is NOT in residence - she has her own flag), and the constant placing of the hand over the heart when the US anthem is sung in schools each day (and at other times) - we Brits used to rush out of the cinema when the our anthem was played at the end of each night so that we didn't have to wait and stand in respect, but now they don't play it any more. But that is just me being 'English'. What I do admire is the way the smaller communities in the American 'outback' and also the families tend to stick together. We do have family gatherings at Christmas, but not always, unlike the American Thanksgiving which is very much more family orientated.
What did come across in the above programme was that there seems to be a greater divide between the 'haves' and 'have nots' in America than here. In the prog it showed that some people are really struggling to survive and having to sell many of their possessions to do so. Some areas also seem to have a lot of cultural problems as well, whereas here we are just one great melting pot and (seemingly) have a different style of poverty than many in the US. Over here 'benefits' are handed out to those who have not (which means that many don't bother to save money when they have it because they know they will always be 'looked after' - and this includes anyone who comes to live here from abroad, legally or illegally). To be 'poor' here means not being able to afford a holiday abroad, or having to do with only one TV or have a small car instead of a large one. True, there are those that are really hard up, but when we see people on benefits who manage to be able to afford large plasma TVs and computer games for their numerous children, and countless other things that we (normal working folk) can never afford, there is something wrong somewhere. But that's another Bee in my Bonnet that I will put back into its hive as Norma will he here shortly, so must now love you and leave you, and all things being well should be able to spend more time with you tomorrow, so hope then to meet up with you again for our regular 'morning chat'. TTFN.
posted by Shirley at 7:26 am
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