....................from this week.
- Haven't had flowers in for a while, it's been so dry there are a shortage in the border but the white rose was blooming well so I cut a few for a small posy.
- After 4 years here I discovered the Bosch induction hob has a child lock, don't know how it got switched on but I had to search for the instructions for how to unlock it.
- There is a film of The Salt Path book by Raynor Winn. Released on the 30th. Do I want to watch it? Yes, because the book was good, but no because there's a lot of terminal illness involved.
- Sitting out in the sun was wonderful earlier this week, not too long at a time but even half an hour is so good for mental health. This is what I saw on just one afternoon ...........Way overhead a buzzard circled before disappearing, lower down swifts were flying round and round - hopefully finding lots of insects, there were several gulls, a housemartin and crows and pigeons of course, a pied wagtail sat on the neighbours roof, a female blackbird came and had a very splashy bath in the birdbath, the sink-pond and then back in the birdbath and then something I didn't recognise stopped on the guttering of my bungalow. Had to get the bird book and decided it was a garden warbler. Only one butterfly - an orange tip but the Ceanothus is covered with bees.
- Why hadn't I had a home made curry for a while? - because there were none in the freezer. I needed to make a batch and had korma paste and coconut milk in the cupboard and a bag of Quorn pieces in the freezer. I started with onions, added potatoes, spinach from the freezer and bought a pack of mangetout peas for some colour. It made enough for 10 meals - 9 boxes to restock the freezer and one to eat straightaway - it was very delicious.
- Next door neighbours cat was hit by a car and killed this week. Their daughter is distraught as Crumble was her cat and followed P up the road to the school bus stop every morning before coming back when P met her friends. Crumble was a lovely cat but her favourite place for hunting was over the road in the new part of the burial ground and I've held my breath many times when I've seen her dashing back across the road not far from a passing car.
- I've just finished a crime fiction book set in wartime Cambridge (Jim Kelly- Night Raids) and it mentions a lady using a tea-bag - now I'm sure (well I was sure until doubting) that teabags weren't around in the UK until much later. I googled of course and it says "Tetley introduced teabags to Britain in 1939 but paper shortages meant they didn't become common until the 50's and not in general use until the 1960s". What was used in the first half of the C20, for making one cup at a time were infusers - holding loose tea . My mum said that during wartime rationing, tea was used many times for a cuppa until it tasted of nothing much except hot water.
- Eurovision Song Contest on TV tonight. I half watched the semi-finals - good grief there's some rubbish this year - but people seem to be having a really good time out in Basel and if it brings together people from many parts of Europe and makes a lot of people happy then it has to be a good thing.
And that's the end of another week. Thank you for reading and comments and have a good weekend.
Back Next Week
Sue
There's a similar assortment of birds in my garden. Last week, we had red kites flying overhead too. Also, a similar lack of butterflies. Time was I could count the varieties in the tens of different kinds every day. Sadly, no longer.
ReplyDeleteI watched the semifinals of Eurovision too, and completely agree there's a lot of rubbish this year. I'm not even sure I'm going to waste my energy watching it for a second viewing, But then of course, when you don't watch the live performance something exciting almost invariably happens doesn't it.
So many flashing lights it was sometimes difficult to see who was singing!
DeleteAnachronistic details like unexpected teabags can really get in the way of reading sometimes.
ReplyDeleteWe had our car for a year before we discovered a very discreet cd player in the top of the glove box.
That was a good find!
DeleteChild locks and safety features are sort of useful. My new stairlift had the new safety feature of a stiff and awkward mandatory seat belt. My 90 year old neighbour had the identical but slightly older one with optional seatbelt and it was fine. The kind technician 'fixed' mine... don't ask...
ReplyDeleteColin used to 'fix' lawnmowers so the motor didn't stop running when you stopped to empty the grass box!
DeleteWe spend so much time making our gardens, and the joy of sitting quietly and enjoying watching everything which shares our space is priceless.
ReplyDeleteluckily I have a corner out of the breeze just outside the patio doors to put my chair
DeleteOur butterfly population has dwindled in past years but this spring we've seen a couple more varieties, still nothing like the numbers we used to have.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sad thing to happen to the cat and the girl who loved her. Losing a pet leaves such a hole. When I worked in a school we saw the impact the loss of a pet could have on a child
and were very mindful of it through the early days of loss.
Your homemade curry sounds good and ready to go meals in the freezer are a winner.
I enjoy random jottings, thank you.
Penny
Even within the life time of this blog I used to see so many butterflies at other homes, but not here in this garden
DeleteI remember reading the same book and having exactly the same thought. It really spoils the whole thing when you find a glaring mistake like that.
ReplyDeleteI really feel for your young neighbour. It is horrible to lose a pet.
AND he mentioned village street lights being on - What? in the blackout! - don't think so and anyway not many villages had streetlights before the 60's.
DeleteEurovision gets worse every year. Haven't been able to watch is for a long time.
ReplyDeleteI can't say I actually watch as I'm usually reading at the same time!
Delete- The roses are beautiful.
ReplyDelete- I did exactly the same with my Neff hob.
- I know, I can't wait, but I don't think it's coming to our cinema. :-(
- I've hardly seen any butterflies yet this year, although one did lay some eggs on my kale, so there WILL be more.
- I love a homemade, cobbled together curry, yours sounds very nice.
- RIP Crumble xx
- I used to have a heart-shaped tea infuser, I don't know why I don't drink tea.
- I saw our entry for the first time, the other night. I think they have amazing voices, but I don't think I like it very much.
Hope you have a lovely sunny, relaxing weekend. xx
Love you comments in notes!
DeleteI'm surprised at tea bags - a bit like sliced bread, which surprisingly was introduced in 1928
ReplyDeleteThat's surprisingly early too - I had no idea
DeleteGood catch on the teabag! Might be possible -- but BARELY! Your food sounds wonderful. And spot on about the sun!
ReplyDeleteA glaring mistake I think which is a shame as the stories are good
DeleteYour white roses are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteObserving the wildlife and birds is always good fun. They are all out and about in the mild weather. I am noticing several new nests too.
Loss of a much-loved pet is very sad, and it takes time to recover.
Your curry sounds outstanding.
I'm glad I didn't bring my cat here from the cottage down the lane - much too near a road.
DeleteWithout giving too much away, if you read Landlines there is hope. Hopefully that's vague and encouraging 🙄😁
ReplyDeleteI tried to read Landlines but didn't finish it for the same reason as not wanting to watch the film. Treatable but not curable didn't work well for Colin - makes me sad to read about similar health issues
DeleteIf you don't want to read all of it. Just read the end chapter 'After'. You will be pleasantly surprised.
DeleteI can understand your reticence, my dad died of leukaemia - there were many treatments but only one end. However, the story for Raynor and Moth changes dramatically at the end of Landlines.
I had to look up "Bosch induction hob" as I didn't know what that was. Learned something new today.
ReplyDeleteI'm reading Jim Kelly's "The Mathematical Bridge" right now. What a coincidence that we are reading the same author, although, I probably got the idea to read him from one of your book pile photos!
Something to learn everyday!
DeleteInduction hobs are super speedy - first time I've had one but it's a favourite thing and easy to clean too.
Yes, I read the Mathematical Bridge this month too. The fourth in this series has just been published 'The Cambridge Siren' . I'm on a long waiting list at the library
Ah, Eurovision! Thanks for the reminder!
ReplyDeletePoor Crumble. :(
Poor Crumble, and poor little girl. I hope she bounces back. We have Bosch appliances, and our Induction hob drives me NUTS. It's either screaming at me because there's a drop of water on the Control panel, or locking itself! And the double oven is a pain too. The Oven/microwave needs at least FIVE pushes of the control panel to get to Full power MICRO. !! 1. On. 2. Menu 3. Microwave 4. Power level (it's set on 60% which is rarely enough) 5. Change the dial if you want more than 60 seconds, Finally 6. Start. How mad is that? designed by a bloke, and one who never cooks, is my guess! It needs a separate Microwave 'button', and then just ON, unless you want to change the power level.
ReplyDeleteWe don't watch Eurovision, but we love Landscape artist of the year, and the Portrait one, AND the Great British Sewing Bee, AND of course best of all, The Repair Shop! SO, all the way down here, there is a fair bit of British tv watched. Not to mention husband and grandson (and son) all being Football nerds. Grandson, just 10, can tell you who scored, and in what minute, in all of the games! (Football Madness is an inherited gene!)
Enjoy your lovely weather, and glorious white roses.
Poor Crumble! The death of a beloved pet I'd the first experience most kids have with loss. I am sorry for the grieving child as well.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the poor cat!
ReplyDeleteSitting out in the sun and enjoying nature does wonders for the mental health. It always makes me feel better to get out and have a look around at the things in nature that make me smile.