Am I Being Picky?

 I have no problem with the word pick -  it is useful in so many contexts

• pick and mix [Woolworths, Saturday morning, sixpence worth]
• pick a card [any card] 
• pick the locks [never as easy as it seems on TV]
• pick of the pops [with Alan Freeman et al]
• pick your own [strawberries, apples, pumpkins etc]
• pick up the tab [thank you, that's kind of you]
• pick up and knit [that gets more stitches on the needle]
• pick up the pieces [and move on...]
• pick at your food [no go on, eat it!]
• pick your nose- or teeth [but in private, please]
• pick a quarrel [no, don't!]
• pick a pocket [or two]

But please don't expect me to get excited about PICKY BITS - I do not like this term! It has been everywhere this summer!

In Spain they have tapas, in the Eastern Mediterranean, meze, in Scandinavia smörgåsbord , French friends enjoy l'apero and tartines
Picky bits just sound so much less appetising. It's the meal made from "what is in the fridge when the family need feeding - and there's not enough of any one item to go round". Three slices of a quiche, some leftover cooked potatoes and two cold cooked sausages, half a bag of salad leaves, some crisps, and a wedge of cheese. Plus a part baked baguette lurking at the back of the bread bin for emergencies, and some yogurts [the less popular flavours from the multipack which always get left till last!]  All piled onto the table with a stack of plates, and some cutlery in the big enamel mug. 
Yes I have served a meal like this. But I am not going to call it Picky Bits.  And I'm not sure about Sainbury's Picky Bits Offers...definitely not following Waitrose's suggestion of buying their Cantabrian Anchovies, Greek Halkidiki Olives, and Iberico Cheese Involtinis. [what are these ?]

I think I am going to pick a better sounding term. I may refer to a Cold Collation, as the Victorians did, or perhaps 'a few things from the deli counter'

If it is a meal made entirely of leftovers, then I call it orts - the Old English word for 'the food which remains after a meal'
How do you feel about picky bits?

Incy Wincy , Please Keep Out!

For nearly six months, Bob's Spider Rehoming System has been working very well. I am happy to use it to take offending arachnids to the end of the front path and release them onto the pavement. Except when it is dark, and I'm in my pjs and I spot a spider in the bath.
At such moments I drop the plastic pot over the creature, and it gets dealt with in the morning. This has happened a lot recently, as we approach September Spider Month.

Our bath has an overflow outlet the exact same size as the plughole. When we empty the bath [usually because the grandchildren have been in it] we 'park the plug'. But this means the spiders come up the regular plughole.
And if the plug goes back in the hole, then they squeeze their 8 legs through the overflow hole.
I was in the Futility Room when I had a brainwave! Back in Kirby in 1996, we had a kitchen sink with 2½ bowls, and only 1 plug. So I bought a red 'universal' silicon 'travel plug' to use when needed. And I have kept that in my 'laundry stuff' box for years.
Perfect solution.
There is no way Incy can climb up into the bath now. I still have the red bowls I bought for that kitchen. They are used every Friday for the orchid watering session. The flowers all gone now, the Sir David models are guarding the foliage.

A Prayer For Nepal

God of mercy and healing,

We come before you grieving for the lives lost in Nepal. We grieve with the people of Nepal as we hear the echoes of their sorrows. Our hearts are with them as they pick up the pieces of their lives swept by the massive flashflood in their community. Lord, hear our prayer and extend your sheltering arms upon them.

We lift up to you the people of Nepal, whose lives were inundated by floods. May You equip your people to bring them their basic needs. May You move your people to provide them shelter. May You empower your people to rescue more lives and bring them to safety.

Your Creation groans, and the people of Nepal and of the world groan with it. Use your people to bring comfort to the afflicted. Use us, dear God, to seek justice for the victims and survivors of this climate and ecological crisis.

In Christ’s merciful name,

Amen.

 [thank you to Christians in the Philippines for sharing these words]

Coffee And A Danish?

Thank you to everyone who has recommended The Sommerdahl Murders on Channel 4 'Walter Presents'. We are slowly working our way through the 5 series and enjoying the show. It has really made me want to visit Denmark! Last year, Rosie went on a brief city-break to Copenhagen with Liz, and loved it. 
When I visit new places, the three things that interest me most are the people, the history and the food. 

Denmark ranks 5th in the world for 'coffee consumption per capita' - with a consumption of 3.7 cups daily. [Belgian is 9th, at 2.9 cups. Bob is definitely half Flemish] The phrase 'coffee and a Danish' is so common now. Bizarrely the name for 'a Danish pastry' in Denmark, Norway and Sweden is wienerbrød  which means Viennese Pastry - apparently the recipe was brought to Denmark by Austrian Bakers. However in Austria, they call it Copenhagener Plunder. Crazy!

And as for Smørrebrød, which Danes consider a national dish, that's a whole other etymological minefield. I'm more used to the Swedish term smörgåsbord. Bob told me that this word means butter-goose-bread. I checked it out, and it does. But only if you break it into three. Smörgås  means lump-of-butter. [I mean, we wouldn't translate car-pet into French as auto-chouchou would we?] Smørrebrød and smörgåsbord both mean buttered bread'

Well, now I am just keen to go over there and try some of this stuff sometime [the food, not the crime!]

Initially I thought the O on this poster was a potato [Brunede Kartofler is their popular Christmas dish of caramelised potatoes, which sounds delicious] But closer inspection revealed it to be just a fingerprint!

Face-Off

The family dropped round, and I bought out the packet of Party Ring biscuits I'd hidden in the cupboard.

Rosie immediately cried "Grandma! Can we do the Biscuit Face Challenge?" So we all had a go. The rules

• biscuit is placed on forehead and moved to mouth
• only move it using facial muscles, no touching 
• if biscuit falls, you are out [pick it up, dust it, eat it!]
• one minute time limit

We all took part with differing results. Rosie changed seats after her first ring went down the back of the sofa. Jess was happy just looking through the hole

Bob concentrated really hard, and succeeded. At least he said he did. Unfortunately I'd turned away at the crucial moment so didn't actually see the ring disappear. But I trust him!

Important extra Cornerstones rules -

•  nobody gets more than three tries
• biscuits down the back of sofa should be retrieved promptly and put in the bin

I may be a grown-up, but I still enjoy Party Rings -  they have "less fattening centres" as they used to say in the Maltesers ad.

Have you played this game in your family?

Why do children love Party Rings so much?

Goodbye, Dolly!

The wonderful Dolly Parton has left us, to go and sing with the angels! She will be greatly missed by so many. Her nephew paid a moving tribute.[see video below]
I loved her, for her music, her honesty and her openness about her faith. I loved her generosity - helping children in the US get to College, and her worldwide Imagination Library [my own grandchildren benefited from the books they received through that] I am appalled that the hypocritical President says flags will fly at half mast for a week at the same time as his Republican Party is withdrawing funds from the I.L.across the States.

Here's Rosie, ten years ago, with her first Dolly Parton Book!

When she learned that the doctor who once treated her after a car crash was working on a vaccine for Covid, Dolly's immediate response was to pull out her chequebook and donate $1M to help. Thanks Dolly, I had my Moderna Jab!

Dolly once said “God has a plan for everything. I think it probably was his plan for me not to have kids so everybody’s kids could be mine. And they are now.”

She brought joy throughout her life, to so many people. but never forgot her humble roots, and was always generous to others. She had a very long and happy marriage. RIP Dolly- we will always love you!

I did love the tribute from the band outside Buckingham Palace today! 

There's A Mouse In The House!

 

On Saturday, the final full day of their Norfolk holiday, Liz suggested we did the Museum Open Day. So we did. Mouse crafts, Mouse Hunt, and much more mousiness - Rosie spotted that the mice were all wearing the hats and scarves I'd been knitting before the holidays. A volunteer I'd not met before thanked me for all my mouse-making. Then I walked with the girls in p to Starbucks where Liz was waiting. A long cool drink was very welcome.

Do you like their Mouse Ears?