Wednesday 19 July 2017

A this and that kind of a day . . .


I was washing my face the other morning and doing an inspection, as you do as a woman. Peering into the mirror looking for anything untoward when all of a sudden I noticed it.  It was a hair, whisker, whatever you want to call it . . .  on the side of my face/chin and it had to have been about half an inch long.  I was in shock and horror for a few minutes.  First of all  . . . . wondering how long it had been there without me noticing it,  and then secondly  . . . and this is the thought that filled me with  real horror and dread . . .  how many people had noticed it before I did!

Finally . . .  why didn't somebody
tell me it was
there?
...

I suppose most people don't really want to be the bearer of bad tidings . . .  so they can be excused, and, well . . .  how can you ever really delicately tell a woman they have a hair the length of the mighty Mississippi growing out of the side of their face, without them wanting to avoid you for the rest of their lives???  You are all forgiven.  This getting old is not for sissies.  That's for sure.

 

We started watching Season 7 of Game of Thrones last night. We are watching it on Now TV.  I have to say the picture quality really was appalling, but we were just happy to be able to see it without having to subscribe to Sky television. Maybe it was just a bad night for streaming. It looks like it is going to be quite a cracker however.  I have a few favourite characters in the Game of Throne Series.  I like Danerys Targaryen, Jon Snow and Tyrion Lanister.  I think it is because they have all shown us that they have integrity throughout the serie, even when they are being forced to do things that they really don't want to do. Yes, it is a violent series.  Yes, there are plenty of cringe-worthy scenes and bad language, but it is a fascinating story and so we do enjoy watching it. I have not read the books it was based on.  I have a few questions in my mind about this first episode but I will not ask them here for fear of spoiling someone else's viewing.


My editor sent me the full draft of my book to show me how everything is falling into place with it.  The team are now working at setting it all in order and putting in the pictures, etc.  Its amazing to see the progress, and I was amazed to note that there are 723 pages in total.  Wow, I did not imagine that I had written that much because I basically wrote it in Word, one chapter at a time, sending them one chapter at a time, and the photos for each chapter as I wrote.  I had never seen it all pieced together.  I can't believe that this is finally going to happen.  It seems I have been waiting forever for this, and in all truth it has been a whole lifetime of waiting. I had the dream as a little girl to be a writer one day. I think all children aspire to do something great like that in their lifetime.  Here I am sitting more near the end of my life than the beginning and I am finally seeing that childhood dream come into fruition. Although in all truth anyone who blogs is a writer.  That is the wonder of the internet . . .  we all get to penn our thoughts and people get to read them.  Not sure if that is a good or a bad thing, but as a half glass full type of person, I will say good!


You've heard of Grumpy Cat, I am sure, well, this is the opposite of Grumy Cat.  This is Happy Cat, otherwise known as Sirius.  A cat who, with the wonders of nature, always seems to be smiling with a permanent grin.  


Siriusly.  (Yes, I did that on purpose.) He's always smiling. 

I was always a cat person. My whole life.  I grew up with cats and always had cats when my children were growing up.  Cats make great pets, as independant as they might be. Its really only since I moved over here that I have been allowed to totally embrace my love of dogs.  My ex would never let us have one.  We did have a Beagle when I was growing up.  Someone my mother worked with was moving and couldn't take the dog with them, so my mother took her for my brother because she thought it would be good for him.  Her name was Penny and I adored her.  She slept with me every night, taking up all the space in my bed.  There is a part of me that would still like to have a cat but then I think of wall paper being scratched and furniture destroyed and I change my mind.   There were two cats fighting in the back garden when I got up this morning. I hate that sound.  There are no screens on the windows over here so it would be impossible to have an indoor cat, and so we quite simply don't have a cat at all.  I am not sure Mitzie would tolerate one if we did.


I have been thinking that I would like to try baking some bread from scratch today. I am not really a great bread baker, but there is a part of me that would like to master it, from scratch, with no breadmaker involvement.  It seems like it should be such a simple thing to do, but it is something which has always challenged me.  My ex husband used to make bread for the family every week when he was home.  Great big huge fluffy loaves of bread.  He was great at kneading. He would make the kitchen table dance across the kitchen floor when he was kneading the bread.  He would crank out 6 or 8 loaves at a time and it was beautiful bread. It would all get eaten.  If there is one thing that I miss about him, it would be his bread.  He was a wonderful bread baker.  I think the trick to good bread must be in the kneading.  We will see what I do.  I may or I may not.  I am craving raisin bread. But, good raisin bread.  I may just have to go to the store and buy some raisin bread.

Last night I went to make my evening snack of toast and
the loaf of whole wheat bread was covered
with big blue freckles.  High 
humidity and heat
had done their
worst.
...
I hate it 
when that happens because
it seems to taint everything breadwise
that is even remotely sitting close to it, and it had.
All of the bread smelled or tasted of mould and there was no saving it.

And so, due to a lack of funding, we may have to suffer through my making a loaf of bread from scratch, today. At least I have all of the ingredients to do that in house. Silver linings.


It was a beautifully gorgeously sunny and warm day yesterday.  I was able to hang the wash out of doors again and it came in all smelling of sunshine and the wind at the end of the day. I love it when that happens.  I still have a load of colours to do and I am hoping that today I will have a chance to hang that out.  I am looking forward to seeing and smelling all of my coloured t-shirts afterwards.  I'll be smelling all fresh and sunshiny for days! Greeaaaaaaaat!!  Although it is still quite hazy at the moment and could go either way.  Freaky flash flooding in Cornwall last night, almost scary, with thunderstorms and huge hailstones. 


The seaside village of Coverack was particularly affected by it. You just never know. We are very lucky in that we live in an area that is pretty high up. Even when the River Dee floods it doesn't affect us here in Blacon.  


And now I am wanting watermelon.  Which amazingly, somehow
never tastes as good these days as it did
when I was a child.
funny how
that goes
...

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

.° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★

 *.˛.° ˛°. .I slept and dreamt that life was joy.
I awoke and saw that life was service.
I acted and behold,
service was joy . . . ~R. Tagore  .° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •



In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Summer Macaroni Salad with Crispy Garlic Breadcrumbs.  Delish!

Have a great Wednesday!  Don't forget as you spend your day . . .

═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════ ⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════


And I do too!



9 comments:

  1. OH dear I am having cyber swallowing problems today.

    I had heard about the storms yesterday. Beth's friend described the storms in Brighton as insane. I hope your have better weather today. Most of our clothing is line dried. I need to wash a lot and hope to do so tomorrow.

    Marie our cats have cause destruction. They are not allowed outside according to council law. I think they need more exercise. They fight too.

    God bless you today and always.

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  2. I, also forgot to add about watermelon. We always ended primary school years with a party day. The unwritten rule was that the teacher was to supply the watermelon. It was one of the few times we had melon to eat as the long melons available here then. Thankfully we can buy smaller melons now and we enjoy the odd slice now and then.

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  3. I like watermelon when someone else preps it..and no one does:)
    I saw cute watermelon pops on IG..it's a cutter..cute cute


    I like seedless to eat..w/ seeds to paint.
    I wheeze w/ cats:( So highly allergic.
    So I think they are cute but sly..terribly photogenic and quite beautiful..but they are the lack of breath for me.

    Funnily enough..clothes hung outside..don't smell the way they used to for me..Bonne Journée!!


    Wow..big book! Oh so happy that your childhood dream has come true:)

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  4. Hi Marie, so excited for your book to come out, can't imagine how you must feel!! Have you been given a date yet for when we can all buy it? I could live on watermelon!!! I have it most days. Hope the storms miss us so you can get your washing dry. Must admit it's one of the few things that I miss since moving into the flat. Lots to love xxx

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  5. So thankful you haven't been affected by the flooding and have been able air dry clothes out doors. I do love the fragrance that lasts forever it seems. Memories of past days linger in my mind. No place for hanging out here and it's not allowed either in the community I've moved into. Sad that some feel it's offensive. Good news about your book. What a great sense of accomplishment you must have ! These summer days I have taken to keeping my bread in the fridge to keep it longer. Hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!

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  6. I'm so excited about THE book, I thought all aIng that your art would be the key to your success and prayed hard for it, never did I imagine an answer would come as a BOOK...Yes its true the Lord works in mysterious ways....I wonder if it's going to come out in time to solve a lot of people's Christmas presents ????......I wonder if you made your bread, it's something I have never attempted I don't think I would have enough puff toned and need it...Mary remembers making it once at school and the teacher was very pleased with her. ( think it was the one and only time she was praised for anything ) ....looking forward to seeing your ..loaf........I had a cat up in Scotland, Mum and I were in a pet shop and there was the loveliest ginger kitten...I just had to have it, on our way home we came via Woolworths pet food section and bought a small tin of cat food called Timmy....guess what we called the cat.....yes Timmy cat, and he ate that kind of tinned food for years !...but I always wanted a dog a dashhound...and that's what I got when I stopped work, but that's another long tale ....hope you have had a good day been quite humid down here but dry, no thunder storms although lots all around us..we did have one clap of thunder and very heavy rain around 5.30am. But that was all...must go Mary hinting to me making dinner !! Ham egg and chips tonight as I had ham left from yesterday....

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  7. Cats are bendy, dogs are not. I love both, but I find cats easier to live with. If you clip their claws regularly and provide scratching posts, they shouldn't really do much damage.
    I think the trick to good bread is a long slow rising. It develops the flavor and gives a better texture to the final product. I've made a starter, which is yeast, sugar, water, and a small amount of the flour. Let is sit overnight, add the rest of the flour the next day, and knead well. There is nothing like homemade bread. I also like to rub a stick of butter over the crust when it comes out of the oven. Not sure why, it's how I learned.

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  8. Oh my dear Marie, we are two of a kind. Don't feel too bad I found a hair under my chin about that long. I have to shave daily my chin and above my top lip. Too top that off last night I noted that I have deeper wrinkles under one eye than the other; what's with that. It seems it deepened over night. Yes, getting old is not for sissies.
    I am happy for you that your childhood dream is coming true for you. I love that you book is getting close to completion. I am very excited for you. Just think you will be an author of a published book; wow!
    I love cats too. We had one for 18 years and it was so sad when he passed. I was allergic to him but we kept him anyway and I loved him so much. Now we have sweet Sammy and he feels our life with so many joyful moments.
    I used to make bread and thre is nothing better than homemade bread with butter and jam. I would love to make bread again. Maybe, I will someday.
    I happy you are pretty safe from flooding. We have had alot of flooding in Utah; but not near us.
    Blessings, love and hugs for you two!

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  9. I am so sorry my dear friends. My day got away from me yesterday and I was not able to respond to each of your lovely comments, but I have read and appreciate each one! Suzan sorry for your computer woes. I love watermelon when it is small, sweet and seedless. ( like you Monique!) I will have to check out the watermelon pops on IG! Thanks Kate and Sybil, so excited about the book also! And I am surprised about Mary and the bread baking! Love the story about the orange kitten. I love orange kittens. Thanks for your bread baking tips Eccentric! I will take them on board! Pam,that is so sad that you can't hang laundry out and that some find it offensive! That's crazy!LeAnn, you do make me smile! Love you allXoxo

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Your comments mean the world to me, and while I may not be able to address each one individually, each one is important to me and each one counts. Thanks so much!