Happy Birthday to me

Vicky spent the day with me. We went to see Sherlock Holmes at the local cinema and could have done with some of his deductive reasoning to find our way back to the car afterwards!

The snow has gone for the moment at least, although it sounds like there could be more on the way ready to disrupt New Year celebrations.

Anyone for cake?

Bad News

I received a phone call today from the Secretary of the Horticultural Society to let me know that vandals have been at work over the allotments again, and this time have burned down the two sheds on my plot and the one on my neighbours plot. On the left is her photo of the remains, above is the potting shed when it was newly constructed in December 2007. At the moment I don't have the heart to carry on with the allotment next year. Although plot-holders pay towards the insurance for the allotments, wooden sheds are specifically excluded (and my own home insurance doesn't offer cover for anything off-site). My uninsured losses probably amount to around £2,000.

Barcelona, Spain

From the cafe on the top floor of El Corte Inglés, the city lay spread out beneath us basking in the sun. Beautiful!

Toulon, France

Loved it! Toulon opened her arms to us and we strolled through wide and welcoming streets, browsing the market on Cours Lafayette.

Naples

Surely the place which gave the world the stereotypical image of Italian driving - a bustling blend of anarchy and horn tooting!

Of all the ports we visited, this felt the least hospitable to the casual tourist.

Civitavecchia, Italy

It was easy to pick out the British tourists as you strolled through the town - everyone else was wrapped up in several layers topped with puffa jackets despite what to us Brits seemed pleasantly warm sunshine.

Marina di Carrara

Marina di Carrara nestles on the Tyrrenian coast, protected from the cold north winds by the Apuan Alps - origin of the flawless white marble used since the time of ancient Rome, with the Pantheon and Trajan's Column being constructed using it, besides famous sculptures such as Michelangelo's David, and London's Marble Arch

Mediterranean Treasures Cruise

Follow the arrow (and the tourist trap pulled by a very skinny horse) and that's the Thomson Destiny, home for the next 8 days.

If you want to browse a web page with the full story, email or leave a comment using the comment facility below.

Weekend in Cornwall: The Eden Project

A friend who hadn't taken a holiday in 30 years invited me to join him on a trip to Cornwall to visit the Eden Project. We made an early start, I picked him up at the station and drove us down making really good time - we arrived just after noon having stopped for coffee on the way. Lunch at the project was tasty: baked potato and hot bean salsa - I can recommend it! Fortified, we explored the biodomes. It has been a while since I went and for some reason it hadn't occurred to me that visiting it at this time of year, the thing I had most enjoyed about my previous visit (seeing citrus fruit ripening on the trees) would be out of season.








I do find this sculpture impressive. The story of how the piece of rock was carefully chosen and specially quarried, etc, is interesting, too.













We went and booked in at the Travelodge then walked down to the local harbour where I snapped this attractive sailing boat (schooner?). Having stretched our legs, we returned to the Travelodge for a very tasty meal of ham, egg and chips, then drove back to the Eden Project for the Arts Cafe evening event.



It was a beautiful evening weather-wise, and the site looks pretty lit up at night. I'd been looking forward very much to the evening of live music but sadly it proved a disappointment. There was different music playing in each of three venues around the site, but it was so painfully loud that it was far too uncomfortable to sit near the source to listen and watch. The staff had been issued with ear defenders. I'd guess from the fact that there was a large clear area around the speakers at each of the venues that other guests also found the music to be too loud. People were clustering at the outskirts, but the problem then was that the different style of music from the neighbouring venue intruded.
We cut our visit short and went back to the blissfully quiet Travelodge.

Bramble and Apple Jelly

The allotment has produced a glorious abundance of blackberries and cooking apples this season. Following my successful adventure in jam making earlier in the year, a friend described how his mother used to strain the cooked fruit to create seedless jam/jelly. Naturally this inspired me to want to have a go. Studiously I searched my recipe books and the internet and decided I needed to buy a jelly-straining bag. There is a comprehensive cookshop in town and I was able to buy a ‘jam muslin’. I thought I was all set to go and began stewing the fruit, then opened the jam muslin only to discover it wasn’t a neat funnel-shaped bag as anticipated, simply a highly expensive square of plain white muslin. I couldn't immediately work out how to use it!

I got out the sewing machine and began to set it up, but managed to get a piece of cotton jammed in the mechanism. Sewing isn’t one of my special talents, and I hadn’t managed to fix the sewing machine by the time I needed to leave to attend a meeting.

Someone at the meeting was able to describe how she used her jam muslin to line a large sieve and suspend it over the bowl that way, so when I came home, that is what I did, and left it over night. Next day I completed the process, sterilising the jars, boiling the strained juice with jam sugar, and bottling it once it had reached setting point. Happily the blackberry and apple jelly was a total success.

Need any help there?

I bought a flat-pack 3-drawer unit and the instructions claimed it needed an 'expert' to put it together - cue Vic and Rusty!

House Guest

This is Rusty, my house guest for a week whilst his family are on holiday. He's a fine, sociable fellow, a joy to have around, and very biddable. He does a wonderful foot massage!

Tomato

Over the allotment this tomato ripening on the plant got me excited as I think it's the first time I've successfully produced a ripe tomato on the plant!

Chun Yi: The Legend of Kung Fu

Travelled into London today with a friend and went to see Chun Yi: The Legend of Kung Fu at the London Coliseum. We got there a little early to pick up the tickets and were upgraded for free, which was very nice. The theatre is amazing - it was very tempting to take photos but there were notices forbidding photography and the staff were enforcing the rules rigorously well before the curtains went up. The opening sequence of the show was very effective - there is a curtain which depicts a scene where monks are practicing their martial art skills, and as the lighting changes, it's like the figures in the picture come to life and move about the stage.

The show was totally out of the ordinary, a magic glimpse into another culture, and thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable. You can see a preview video here.

French Beans

This year I grew three varieties of french beans: dwarf greens, climbing purples and dwarf yellows. Here you see one picking - they are abundant croppers!

New Toy

I'd always promised myself that if I ever had a big enough kitchen, I'd get a Kenwood Food Processor. Last week I looked on ebay and sure enough, there was one for sale which had been an unwanted present. I put in a bid and won it. Today I carefully unpacked it, washed all the accessories and then used my new toy to make this gluten-free sponge cake. What with the speed of the food processor and the speed of the fan-assisted oven, it only took half an hour!

Last week I harvested the wonderful crop of blackcurrants from the allotment and made blackcurrant jam, which is very yummy! As you can see, I used it in the cake. I'm thoroughly enjoying my new kitchen.

Hedgehog

Haven't updated in a while due to having been pretty busy with the house move, but this very welcome garden visitor had me reaching for the camera. He's wandering around the garden today apparently unaware that he's supposed to be a nocturnal animal.

Anemones & Sweet Peas

The anemones and sweet peas provide a pretty, colorful, fragrant accent to the allotment.

Success!

I just picked over 2lbs strawberries from the allotment! Anyone want to share them with me?

Today we successfully exchanged contracts - next Friday is moving day. Lots to do.

Allotment Delights

We've been feasting on strawberries from the allotment this week. I was over there doing some weeding today and enjoying the fragrance of the sweet peas, and the vibrant colour of these Californian poppies.

Race for Life - Stoke Park, Guildford

This was my first time doing the Race for Life. I got a lift there, and then was on my own. I was early, so found a park bench out of the way and sat there for a while people-watching, listening to the public announcements and the music being played over the PA system. Nearby there was a bunch of Army Cadets looking very smart in their uniforms. It was enjoyable watching their interactions - one young female cadet was also enjoying the moment, smiling and dancing (despite her army boots) to the music with natural rhythm and a seeming lack of inhibitions. After a while one of the cadets came over and sat beside me on the bench, engaging me in friendly conversation. Within a few moments the rest of his crew came over and joined him, and for a while I was part of the group, chatting with them. When they were called away to begin work, they wished me good luck. It was a most pleasant way to begin the afternoon. I admired their energy and fluent teamwork as they set to their allotted tasks, sorting out the pile of goody bags and water to be given out at the end of the event to all the 3,500 participants.

After a fun warm-up, the event began. The runners set off first, the fastest completing the 5 kilometres in just under 20 minutes. I set off at a slightly more sedate pace, finishing in around 46 minutes. The weather was cool with a gentle light rainfall. Many of the participants were running or walking in a group wearing co-ordinated outfits - for example the four ladies in the photo above with their bunny-ears, multi-coloured leggings, pink tutus and pink t-shirts. The youngest participant was a wee tot who could only have been around 18 months at the most, gamely holding her mother's hand as she toddled along with the rest of the bunch. I was also impressed with a number of girls who looked to be around 8 years old running the course. Maybe next year, I told myself, if I keep up the good work at the gym.

Race for Life is the largest women-only fundraising event, all proceeds going to Cancer Research UK. Earlier in the week I had the privilege of helping a cancer survivor - I went over the allotment to do some watering in the early evening. It was wonderfully peaceful over there - a truly beautiful evening - and a couple of plots over, a fellow allotment-holder was sitting outside his shed soaking up the last rays of the warm sunshine and enjoying the peace. After a bit he went into his shed. I carried on with what I was doing, and then something prompted me to walk over to his plot. We greeted each other and exchanged a few pleasantries, and then he asked me if I could help him get his boots off. In the heat, his wellingtons had somehow moulded themselves to his legs and stuck firmly, and he hadn't the strength to get them off. It made my day, being in the right place at the right time to be able to help!

Car Boot Sale Virgin

This week we sorted out a load of stuff for the car boot sale today. We went along not quite sure what to expect. I found it surprising what sold and what didn't! In theory setting-up time was from 11 am to 12 noon, but even before the car wheels had stopped rolling, there was a gentleman peering through the windows at the stuff in the back. He spotted an ancient cabin trunk and recognised it as being German (my father brought it home with him from Berlin in World War II). It was in terrible condition, having been stored in the greenhouse for a while and then the garage, yet he quickly agreed to pay £15 for it! Trade was brisker in that first hour before the sale officially opened than in the following three hours. What was also surprising was the stuff that was left over unsold at the end of the sale - the things that I thought would sell quickly (including, for example, a Spode muffin plate). Anyway, we came home with a lot less stuff than we went, so it was a successful day. The weather was ideal.

Out & About - Civic Pride and all that

I recently attended a meeting at the Council Offices of the neighbouring borough, and was delighted by this artistic topiary in a pretty garden decorating the entrance to the offices. It needs no explanation, an attractive standalone piece symbolising harmonious relationships.

Compare it to this weird sculpture (below) that has pride of place in front of the entrance to my local borough council offices ... what is THAT about? What is it trying to say? It begs the question of who exactly got to choose the sculpture and how. I've yet to meet a local who likes it.

More floral beauty

Sunshine after the rain, and the flowers look more beautiful than ever, the raindrops like jewels reflecting the light on the luscious peony and rhododendron.

The Wisteria looks pretty too.

Blue skies, sunshine, blossom: beautiful!

The warmth of this April has brought an early peony into bloom in the garden.

Swan on the River Thames

'What is this life if, full of care,

we have no time to stand and stare?'

'No time to see, in broad daylight,

streams full of stars, like skies at night'

Excerpted from 'Leisure' by W. H. Davies

Pleasant days, pretty night

The weather has been delightful recently and I've been making the most of it over the allotment, sowing seeds, planting out seedlings, doing the weeding and pulling some rhubarb. Rather a lot of rhubarb, as it happens. So much that, having made a rhubarb crumble, I bundled the rest of the sticks into small packages and gave them away after Church on Sunday.

Today a friend came over for lunch and then we walked into town for an amble round the shops. It was interesting to note that neither of us was particularly thinking of buying anything for ourselves, but we would look at things and think of other people. I looked at a lovely picture of an African elephant with two baby elephants in the foreground, their trunks intertwined, and thought how much Vicky would like it. My friend looked at an abstract picture of chickens and decided to buy it for another friend. I saw an attractive silver butterfly necklace and bought it for Vicky. My friend saw some wooden ornaments and bought them for her grand-daughter. It was a very pleasant shopping trip, with the added delight of anticipating the pleasure our purchases would bring to their recipients.

In the cookshop there was an apron with a message printed boldly on the bib: 'I kiss better than I cook'. It seemed an odd motto to choose to wear on an apron considering the possible consequences: would readers take it as an invitation to sample the wearer's kisses? Would that distraction at a critical moment make it a self-fulfilling prophecy? Alternatively if the reader had his/her own judgment on how good a kisser the wearer was, might it put him/her off sampling the cooking? What do you think? (This is not a rhetorical question - I'm curious to read your answer. For example, are there any circumstances you can think of that would call for someone to wear an apron saying I kiss better than I cook? Or what motto would you prefer to wear on an apron? There's a comments facility below).

Tonight another friend phoned and had been chatting for some time when I glanced out of the window and realised how stunning the night sky looked with the moon peeping into the garden through the clouds and the branches of the trees. When I came off the phone, I went out into the garden and tried to capture it with the digital camera. The scene doesn't look quite as beautiful in the photos as in real life, but the camera didn't do too badly, all things considered.

Open Day at the Well-being Centre

This morning I went to the Open Day at the Well-being Centre. I cycled there and was about to leave my bike propped up against the wall of the building when a member of staff came out. “It’s ok to leave it here, isn’t it?” I enquired politely, anticipating she would agree it was fine – not in anybody’s way – but no.
“Oh no, someone might walk off with it if you leave it there – bring it inside, it’ll be safer.”
“Oh, no one’s going to steal it” I told her confidently. It’s an old bike, not in the least bit trendy, and as if that isn’t enough to deter a would-be thief, it has a large wire basket on the back, but she wouldn’t have it. Holding the door open wide, she ushered me and the bike inside. Reluctantly, obediently, I wheeled the bike in and flinched at the look another staff member cast my way. The Well-being centre has narrow corridors and with it being an Open Day, it was already heaving at the seams with people.
“Can she leave the bike indoors so it doesn’t get stolen” asked my usher of the other staff member. Inwardly I sighed – it now sounded as though I was the one concerned the bike would be stolen and wanting special attention. They conferred and decided the best place to put it was in the garden – which meant wheeling it all the way through the building, apologising to the people who had to flatten themselves against the walls, and lifting it round sharp corners until it was safely stowed in the garden. It seemed a lot of unnecessary fuss for a rusty bicycle. Besides, if someone stole it, I’d have a good excuse to buy a new one!

I enjoyed the Open Day, especially the drama presentation by Express Yourself. It provided a foretaste of the group I’ll be joining on Fridays.

In the evening I went to the Midweek church meeting, which was on the subject of service. I did my bit by serving teas and coffees. Unfortunately that meant I was close to the bowl of popcorn and large box of After Eights … which proved irresistible. One of my friends came over and we were chatting about how we both need to lose weight, but ironically even in the midst of that conversation my hand was busily conveying popcorn to my mouth. Go figure!

I’d got a lift to the meeting but it was a nice evening and I planned to get a bit of exercise by walking home. I’ve done that before from Midweek meeting and enjoyed the walk. It’s about a mile and three quarters. The road goes down the hill through the Old Dean forest, and at night when all is quiet you can hear the furtive rustling of nocturnal animals going about their business. At the end of the evening as we were saying goodnight to each other, my friend came over and asked how I was getting home. When I explained I was going to walk, she wouldn’t hear of it. In the end rather than argue my case and hold fast to my decision, I submitted to her suggested compromise and accepted a lift to the bottom of the hill then walked home from there. As I was walking I realised that my frame of mind and thoughts were very different to what I’d anticipated. Instead of feeling peaceful and happy and enjoying the experience moment by moment, I was feeling a bit resentful at my friend’s well-meaning intervention. I knew she meant well – I recognised the love and concern behind the words - but her mothering had seemed smothering. She hadn’t been prepared to respect my first choice as it made her feel uncomfortable – how could she have forgiven herself if something had happened to me taking the risk of walking alone past that spooky forest?

I reflected on the day, remembering the similarity of the episode with the bike. I wondered whether this is something I’m inclined to do too - to express concern over the validity of another adult’s choice, and force my own choice upon them as a way of validating my view of myself as a ‘caring person’. I may feel I’m doing the ‘right thing’, showing my love and concern, but I realise now that when you’re on the receiving end, it can feel quite disempowering.

I’ve just finished reading a novel called ‘The Shack’ by William P Young, and one of the themes of the book is free will. It’s one of those books that once you’ve read it, you want everyone you know to read it too. If you’ve ever wondered about the question of how come, if God is a God of love, there is so much suffering in the world, I can heartily recommend you read this book – it may change your mind big time!

Burns Supper and Ceilidh

Traditionally a Burns Supper would be celebrated on the anniversary of the Bard's birth, 25th January 1759. The official Burns site warns one should 'Be prepared to enjoy yourself beyond all expectation', and I have to say I did tonight!

In the hall there were 10 tables with 8 guests to a table. We all stood and recited the Selkirk Grace:

Some hae meat and canna eat
Some hae nane that want it
But we hae meat
And we can eat
Sae let the Lord be thank it

then clapped to the beat as the piper in full traditional scottish dress led the chef carrying the haggis into the hall and up to where our lady Chairman waited to address the haggis. (You can find the words on the Burns' site - follow this link )

The event was hosted by a local church. I went along with one of my neighbours and a couple of friends. Nary a man amongst us, but we didn't let that hold us back when it came to joining in the Scottish country dancing, adding much confusion and consequent fun and merriment! "I had four sex changes in that dance" Barbara giggled as we reclaimed our seats after one particularly energetic reel.

The evening began fairly early - 6.30 - and ended at 10 pm after a full and enjoyable programme of entertainment. The meal consisted of the traditional haggis, neeps and tatties (haggis, mashed swede and mashed potato) followed by trifle and shortbread. There was a small jug of whisky on every table. Hector Gilchrist gave a little talk about Robert Burns' life, singing some of the songs the Bard composed and accompanying himself on the guitar. We sang along to some traditional Scottish ballads - Mairi's Wedding, the Skye Boat Song and Westering Home amongst them. Altogether much fun and frivolity.

Spring has sprung!

Here are the crocuses blooming beautifully in the garden. Over the allotment I did a bit of weeding and helped unload a delivery of organic compost. The bags were suprisingly warm.

Have a nice day y'all

The day didn't get off to a great start - somewhat overcast, and the meter reader knocked at the door whilst I was still swanning about in my nightclothes. After he'd left I had a bath and refocused, and the day got better.

The mild, dry weather tempted me over the allotment where I had a nice chat with one of the regulars. I'd heard he'd been very poorly, and it was good to see him looking fit and well. I pulled some leeks, picked some sprouts and some gorgeous purple sprouting broccoli, did a little weeding and then began to walk home for lunch. In town I found a debit card lying in the street, took it into the issuing bank and approached a young man in a suit. "Do you work here?" I asked him. "I try to" he said. Smiling at his disarmingly modest response, I handed him the card, explained how I'd come by it and asked if he could contact the cardholder to let her know it was safe. He thanked me and assured me he would be very glad to do so. I carried on my way feeling in a very mellow, peaceful mood, glad when I resisted the temptation to pick up a KFC.

Further along my way, a little out of town a lady stopped me and asked about the Spiritualist Church - she had seen a sign pointing to it and had walked down the road but not found it, and wondered what it was. I explained that the Spiritualist Church is about speaking with those who have 'passed over' via a medium. Was that what she was looking for? From her expression I could clearly see it wasn't, so I spoke about being a christian and hearing from God in church, and that we'd love to have her in our church. She asked about the church - she works in the local nursing home on Sundays and was wondering if there were church meetings at other times. I told her about our midweek meetings in each other's houses and gave her my phone number. She explained she is church of England and I was able to tell her where the local C of E church is. As we parted she said, "You've made my day!" I felt really good after the encounter - it made my day, too! My only regret was that I hadn't done the obvious: I had neither asked her name nor asked for her telephone number.

I walked on and as I was about to enter the street where I live, a car drew up alongside me and the young lady driving asked me for directions to the local doctor's surgery. Again I was able to help. Doesn't that feel good, when we are in the right place at the right time with the right information to be able to help someone!

Pyrex Bowls - Design Fault

I began buying stuff for my 'bottom drawer' when I was 15. One of the items purchased was a set of Pyrex dishes: - a Pyrex mixing bowl and three pudding basins, variously 2 pint, 1½ pint and 1 pint. This set accompanied me to college and through various moves, and it is hard to imagine cooking without them. The large mixing bowl and the 1 pint basin have survived 38 years, but recently I've had to replace the other 2 sizes with their nearest metric equivalent. On the original bowls, the Pyrex trademark in the bottom of the bowl is detectable to your fingers only on the outside, leaving the inside of the bowl smooth. This sensible design has been abandoned - on the newest bowl, Pyrex is embossed in the bottom of the basin. I have to ask - what were they thinking? Whisking or stirring with a metal implement now provides a percussion accompaniment to the task and sounds like it may adversely affect the working life of the electric whisk. Then with the risk of sticky substances adhering to the letters, you have to pay particular attention to ensuring that the bowl is fully cleaned after use.

I'm not usually one to stand in the way of progress, but in this instance I have to say that the new design is significantly inferior to the old.

New Me

I got a new haircut today. Put myself in the hands of the stylist and here is the finished result. I asked the stylist to take a photo with my phone camera - and looking at the photo, I've just noticed that a man I was totally unaware of appears to be taking a photo of me with HIS phone at the same time! How very odd! By the way, I didn't really go for a 'blue rinse' - not sure where that blue is coming from.

Corduroy Corner

Back in November last year I received an invitation to join a national medical research project. Involving 500,000 people aged 40 – 69 from all around the UK, “UK Biobank” has been set up to support a diverse range of research intended to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness, and the promotion of health throughout society.

Taking part involves a single visit of about 90 minutes to the local UK Biobank Assessment Centre where you first of all sit in front of a computer screen and answer some questions on health and lifestyle, then move around the centre from one standard medical test to another – providing blood and urine samples, being weighed and measured and having your relevant medical history taken along with a record of any prescription or over-the-counter drugs you take on a regular basis.

I agreed to join the study and my appointment was on 21st January, in Reading (about 20 miles from the Wingfield Ward). I was given special leave to go (escorted by a friend).

It seems the invitations were sent out by postcode area, and I found myself sat between a small group of people from my neighbourhood, including a lady I knew from when we served together as School Governors back in the mid to late 1980’s. Besides her and myself, there were three men of similar age, height and build, all wearing similar clothes (corduroy trousers, a casual shirt and woollen jumper). She was chatting with a couple of these men and that was how I discovered they all lived within a stone’s throw of me.

(Having noted the corduroy trousers there, I thought no more of it until today’s meeting of the Spirituality Project group, where once again I found myself sat beside another man of that ‘certain age’ where corduroy trousers, a casual shirt and woollen jumper are the fashion choice). I’m starting to seriously consider whether I need to rush out and buy Vic some cords so that he can get in the spirit of the neighbourhood.

Self sufficiency – v – Social Skills

As a child I was very self-sufficient – a ‘loner’. I looked to have one special friend with whom I could share my world when I ventured out into the realm beyond self-sufficiency. These days that isn’t regarded as a healthy option for children who, from nursery school onwards, are encouraged to enlarge their social circles. Putting all your emotional eggs in one relationship as I did time and time again was a sure way to get hurt (as long as that relationship was with another human being).

Looking back down the years, I can recognise how inadequate my social skills were as a child, and although I’ve since learned how to demonstrate love and respect for myself and for other people (which I believe to be at the heart of social skills), it doesn’t always come naturally and even at 53 there are times when I let myself down. Here’s a very recent example from my sojourn in Wingfield Ward.

When I meet someone I take to, I give them a little card with my contact details and blog address as my way of offering the hand of friendship. Few people respond, but one person subsequently offered this conversational gambit:
“I read your blog.”
I was delighted and wanted to know more - but did I say so? Nope. My response:
“Oh, it’s been quite boring lately – degenerated to the level of ‘what I had for breakfast'. Some of the earlier articles were more interesting”
This killed the conversation dead. If I could rewind, I would now respond,
“What did you think of it?” I really would like to know.

Another bad habit: making assumptions. Someone hands me some deeply personal information and (in the words of one of my closest friends) I ‘throw it back in their face’. An example: a person I respect and like spoke of having been adopted and I tossed this into a conversation about parenting. This, I suspect, is me playing the role of psychotherapist – trying to help someone see the link between their emotional past and their present difficulty – and it doesn’t take a huge step from there to realise that it is myself I’m trying to help; trying through another’s life to find the key to unlock the door to ‘freedom’ in my own life. Eckhart Tolle’s book, A New Earth, has a lot to say about ego playing roles and the strife this gets us into. Can recommend it if you haven't read it.

Occasionally though, this child of love gets it right! Occasionally the love and respect I feel for another simply oozes out and I see the difference it makes! Hallelujah!