Wednesday Witterings . . .

 

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 Dad called me the other afternoon and wanted to talk. He was feeling kind of low. He said all the bad news in the world was getting him down.  Its all bad news.  I told him, "Dad I don't watch the news."  I give it a quick glance in the morning to make sure we are still here and then I forget about it for the rest of the day, but I don't dwell in it all the day through.  The media doesn't share "good news."  Good news doesn't make them money and it is all about making money. I try to stay informed, but I don't wallow in it.

We live in a world where the minute something happens, it echoes around the world and we learn about it instantaneously.  Years ago this was not the case. People learned about the things they needed to know eventually, but we were not constantly bombarded with it.  I like being informed, but I also like the peace of not knowing everything as soon as it happens.  Perhaps I am naïve.  

When I worked at the Manor, they had a tv in the kitchen and of course in their private rooms and the news was playing on them 24/7. You could not get away from it. Fox news. I hated it.  All you really need to do is listen to the news once a day. I don't think it is healthy to have the same information playing over and over again and sinking into your brain almost like a form of brain washing. 

Anyways, I think he felt a bit better after we talked.  He will still probably be watching the news pretty much constantly, but old habits die hard I guess.  At his age and with his mobility, he is a bit of a captive audience.  I suggested he watch other things.

This was a visitor to my garden yesterday. I was out watering my flower boxes and refilling/cleaning my humming bird feeder and I saw this dancing across the grass. It stayed around for quite  a while, long enough for me to take  few photographs.

 

It was a common whitetail strimmer dragonfly. I had never seen one before. This was male because of the vibrant white dust on its tail. Nice to have about as they eat things like mosquitos.  

I did not know what it was at first. I had to put my photographs into Google Images to find out. It took a bit of research but I finally got there in the end.

About 3000 species of dragonflies are known.  Wow, that's a phenomenal number and this is only one of them. Predatory insects some are known to live as long as 10 weeks, but most only 5, and some for only a few days.

In  Indonesia people eat them. 😕 (I suppose it all depends on the diet you are used to eating!) the Japanese see them as being a symbol of courage, strength and happiness, and also use them as medicines.  In Europe and Western cultures they seen as being somewhat sinister.

I see them as beautiful creatures, but a bit unnerving.  I admit I jumped a few times yesterday when it moved, lol.

 

 

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I dragged Cindy out for a bit yesterday. I am grateful that she doesn't mind going on these little jaunts with me. I wanted to transfer some money over to the bill paying account, and I wanted to do it yesterday.  I don't like it to go under $100.  So we did that and then we decided to go to Giant Tiger. 

I confess before I moved back to Canada, Eileen would talk about going to Giant Tiger and I saw it as this huge Chinese store. I had no idea really of what it was.  Anyways, now I do and my sister and I check it out frequently. 

When we were in there we ran into my old Home Room Teacher from Grade 7 (I was 13).  We had a lovely visit and a chat together for quite a bit actually. People probably found us to be annoying. I probably hadn't seen him in person since Grade 7, but we are friends on Facebook. He was always one of my favorite people and there is a family connection.   He is a really, really nice man.  He had some really kind things to say to us and it was clear to me that he  notices people and he cares about them and what happens to them.  We are not just names to him.  Everyone should be so kind.

After that we decided we needed to go to the loo.  What is it about getting older and the loo?  Every time we go places these days, we plan our shopping excursions around loo availability.  There are certain public ones we don't mind using and others we avoid at all costs.  Its all down to cleanliness, but in desperate situations even that criteria goes out the window, lol.  With proper planning however, most of the time we can avoid the nasty ones.

Then we went to the Superstore. I wanted to pick up some milk and bread and hotdogs for Friday and a few other bits.  Then we went to the farm market and I got the most delicious fresh veggies.  We lucked in and they were just bringing in the bakery items for the week and we each scored a tasty loaf of cheese bread!!  Their cheese bread is so good I can eat it fresh out of the bag with nothing on it.

After that it was time to get some petrol and I wanted to pick up some stamps and then it was home time.   A morning packed with fun and I was home in time to do my recipe for today.  The best part was doing it all with Cindy.

 

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I am about done with the humidity now and am looking forward to autumn.  I don't mind heat. Heat I can take, but I find the humidity very draining. I know I am not alone in this. Heat combined with humidity do me in. That was one thing I liked about living out West. It got hot, but only ever rarely was the heat combined with humidity. If anything it was sometimes a bit too dry.

My 50th high school reunion is happening this summer. As a member of the graduating class of 1973 I probably should have been told about this but I have not. I managed to see a few people making some comments about it on fakebook and they seem to know all about it. I have not been informed about any of it.  Perhaps it is just the select few? 

Just like high school.  Only the select few. I wouldn't go in any case, but it would have been nice to be invited.

 

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The corn in the fields has got to be more than waist high now and heading towards shoulder height. I can't wait for fresh corn season. I know I have a very low tolerance (digestively speaking) for sweet corn, but I love it so much. The whole time I was in the UK, I missed fresh corn on the cob.  They had it there but it was not fresh.  It had to be shipped in from other places.  The climate in the UK is too wet to grow corn.  I did try one year, but all I got one four tiny cobs no more than 3 - 4 inches long out of a full packet of seeds.

I will have a feast of fresh corn on the cob a few times this season, digestive complaints be darned!  I enjoy it too much to give it up entirely.  

When my children were growing up we froze oodles of corn every year.  We tried freezing it on the cobs but were never quite successful at that, so instead we blanched and cut it off the cobs. That worked out for us much better.

When I was a child we would have feasts of corn on the cob. Mom would boil it in a large pot on the stove and we could have as many ears as we wanted with as much butter and salt as we wanted. That would be supper.  Love LOVED it!

Fresh corn season, bring it on!

 

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The new season of Silent Witness has started on BritBox. I love that show.  I think this is series 26. Its been on the air since 1996. I have not watched all of the past series of course, but I hope to eventually. It is very well done. It is a forensic pathology kind of show. There is also a police presence in the show.  I am very interested in the science of forensics.  I find it fascinating. I don't think I could have been a forensic scientist, because of the ick factor, and a week stomach, but I love watching shows like this.  Another favorite was Unforgotten.

I have always enjoyed crime shows and mysteries anyways, and nobody does them better than the British. They are quite gritty and realistic.   

But them, I prefer British television full stop. I watch very little of North American television.

 

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I do confess, and I know I shouldn't like them but  . . .  I also like reality based dating/romance types of shows. Like Love is Blind, Dating on the Spectrum, and yes  . . .  Too Hot to Handle.  I hate to admit it,  but they draw me in. I guess I still believe in Happily Ever After's and that love prevails. In most cases it does not work out, but there are a few exceptions and I applaud those.  Right now I am watching Love is Blind Brazil. I enjoyed the Japanese version a year or so ago also.  I couldn't stand the German version of Too Hot to Handle. 

Yes, now you know my guilty secret. I love cheesy dating shows, as vapid as they can be.

And with that I best leave you with a thought for the day. I have loads to get on with today and time marches on!

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

 *.˛.Things taste

better in small houses.

~Queen Victoria•。★★ 。* 。

I have loads of comments to respond to. I promise I will get to them! 💖 

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Pan Seared Steak with Garlic Butter. Sized for two. Delicious!

I hope you have a beautiful Wednesday!  Dinner with dad tonight!  Looking forward to it. Whatever you get up to today, stay safe and don't forget!

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And I do too!