Kung Hei Fat Choy!

That's Happy New Year in Chinese. We have had a special Chinese Day at school today, and I was booked for a morning's supply Cover, so got to join in the fun.

Kathy put a display in the entrance area...

red is the colour for good luck

gold is the colour for prosperity

[in case you are wondering, I am a goat!]

After a brilliant assembly, when the Year Ones told us the story of the animals giving their names to the years, and a visiting Chinese lady showed us lots of special Chinese New Year items, I worked with groups to make dancing dragons

The owner of the Chinese takeaway just across the road from school came in, and taught all the pupils to use chopsticks, and gave each child a set - and a fortune cookie.

The children had the option of Chinese food at lunchtime - and we enjoyed a superb buffet in the staffroom.

The children and staff had all been instructed to wear red, as this is traditional.

So I borrowed a wig from my good friend Lynda, and entered into the spirit of the thing with enthusiasm. My nose remained resolutely red as well!

 

[those of a nervous disposition, look away now!]

The Head says she will never think of me in the same way again, having seen me with red hair. Other colleagues think I should dye my hair this colour permanently! One of the Governors, who had come in to help with the activities said "And they tell me your husband is the minister at the chapel ??"

Can't see why she was surprised - the Rector's Wife [also a teacher at the school] spent the day in a pair of fabulous Chinese embroidered silk pyjamas and dressing gown!

Sew Far, Sew Good...

The snow suddenly came down again quite heavily this afternoon- so only four girls made it to Sewing Club this evening.

This term we are teaching them to embroider. We'd been given some iron-on transfers and a huge selection of floss, so the girls chose designs they liked and are stitching away...

...dolphins...

...fungi...

...and flowers...

 

There were a number of 'variegated' threads in the selection, and the girls were quite excited to see how they stitched.

I have to say, two adults with just four keen girls is great! It is so  much easier to sort out stitching muddles when they occur. But I did miss the regular crowd of them chattering away, it seemed strangely quiet!

Surgical Dressings

I read that NHS hospitals are considering replacing those awful open-back gowns with something better.

About time, I thought.it is impossible to retain your dignity in them!

 

Then I read they had asked American designer Ben de Lisi to come up with something. Well, I thought, he dresses film stars like Kate Winslet...

...so I hoped he would come up with something elegant

But this looks rather like a parcel coming unwrapped to me! Admittedly it does cover one's nether regions - but it is hardly red carpet chic, is it?

Ben De Lisi said "I wanted the new gowns to feel fabulous and aspirational. They are made from beautiful cotton shirting which is very smooth, cool and lux." He said his design "means patients can have their modesty covered but still allow medics immediate access through clever "entrance points" in the gown. It's infinitely dignified, yet practical. And Velcro doesn't enter into the equation." De Lisi's NHS collection, in his signature printed fabric, also includes pyjama bottoms, nightwear and slippers.

[Don't ask me, I thought 'lux' was the SI unit of illumination equal to one lumen per square metre!]

The other week I asked my friend Dave if he had gained anything from his recent spell in hospital - his swift reply was "A new pair of pyjamas!"

Have A Break...

Which do you prefer for a snack - a KitKat or a banana? According to the BBC News website [here] PM Gordon Brown is attempting to wean himself off his four-a-day KitKat habit, and eating nine bananas instead!

Given the choice, I think I would opt for a banana - it is healthier, cheaper, and much more versatile. You can eat it as it is, mush it on toast [spread with Nutella, if feeling really decadent] chop it into custard, blitz it into a smoothie, sling in on the BBQ, slice it over your Branflakes ...and if it languishes too long in the fruit bowl, it will still bake into a moist, sweet banana loaf.

And then there is the indescribable sensual pleasure of writing a message on a banana skin with a ballpoint pen [you just have to try this yourself to understand what I mean!]

Not sure I could manage to eat NINE in one day though! Apparently the PM's strategy is to help him prepare for the upcoming Election. But I would certainly prefer 63 bananas a week to Maggie Thatcher's 1979 pre-election diet [allegedly 28 eggs, plus spinach, cucumber, the occasional steak and a regular swig of whisky]

Do you remember this? [surely there is only one 'p' in unzip though?]

I asked Bob which he would prefer for a snack - KitKat, or banana.

He said "Both!"

The Bookworm Reviews

Sitting around snuffling, I have been able to catch up reading

This one was great - one of my pupils told me it was his current 'home reader', and I remembered I had a copy in a boxed set of Morpurgo Novels. It is, like all MM stuff beautifully written [see more here] . Set on the Isles of Scilly in 1914, it tells the story of two children learning about friendship and prejudice. I polished it off in an evening, and look forward to chatting about it to my pupil this week.

Then I re-read "The Getting Of Wisdom" by Henry Handel Richardson.

HHR is a stern looking lady! the website of the HHR Society [here] gives biographical details of this Australian, who married a Brit, and wrote a novel set in her own Alma Mater, the Presbyterian Ladies College in Melbourne at the end of the last century.

The story is about Laura, the eldest daughter of a widow, who is sent to boarding school, and her experiences there.

Apparently the PLC were not happy when HHR returned to Melbourne years later, as a successful author, to research for her autobiography - she didn't present the school in a very good light!

My copy has a preface by Germaine Greer, and was the first ever Virago publication I owned [according to my note in the front I bought it in 1981]. It is a clever book, and has some good descriptions of the life of Australian girls and women. But it is not a terribly cheerful book - why do teenage girls have to be so nasty to each other? and why was there no character in the entire book who seemed genuinely pleasant and caring? However I think this is probably a more realistic book about boarding school life than the Malory Towers ones churned out by Enid Blyton!

Finally, another historical murder mystery

I picked this one up on the 'new books' shelf at the library. I hadn't come across 'Thomas Chaloner' Adventures before.

TC lives in Restoration London, and is a spy working for the Earl of Clarendon. I enjoyed this one, and will look out for more of this series.

The writing was not quite as good as CJ Sansom - but a good read nonetheless.

My cold is heaps better - so back to work tomorrow - and that will curtail the "reading for pleasure" for a bit!

Atishoo! Atishoo!

Oh, the bugs out there are frightful!

What you’ll catch is NOT delightful!

Since you don’t want sick, sick glands!

Wash your hands! Wash your hands! Wash your hands!

Bugs now don’t show signs of stopping!

And we know they mutate! -  Popping

Up all over you’ll find new strands!

Wash your hands! Wash your hands! Wash your hands!

Yes, we finally understand

How much damage those bugs can do!

We're determined we'll stand and fight

Let’s say goodbye to the flu!

Yes, the bugs out there are frightful!

But it’s now we must be spiteful!

Health and Safety now commands!

Wash your hands! Wash your hands! Wash your hands!

by Karin Ristau over at Yesterday, Today, Forever

Just explain to me, though- I have been OBSESSIVE about handwashing lately [Particularly since the Pastor did that children's talk on the subject] So why have I suffered such a dreadful cold this past week? My suspicion is that I caught it from the little darlings I encounter at school, who've yet to fully investigate the joys of soap!

Good News!

Two great stories from the BBC News Website about Haiti

The first [here]about the decision of the G7 countries to Drop The Debt. Gordon Brown hailed the pledge, saying: "It must be right that a nation buried in rubble must not also be buried in debt".

At least a million people in Haiti are in need of aid. It is hoped that the debt relief will free up funds for reconstruction work.For once, the people in government are doing the right thing!

 

The second [here] tells of a mother in the US reunited with her son through the BBC's Creole language programme.

Simone Macary, who lives in Boston, Mass., had not heard from her 16-year-old son, Penaisse, since last month's earthquake. He was in Haiti studying. But when Penaisse texted his mother's phone number to the Koneksyon Ayiti (Connexion Haiti) programme, the BBC team in Port-au-Prince managed to make contact with Penaisse and interview him. When the programme called Simone and played the interview to her later on Tuesday, she reacted by singing How Great Thou Art while listening to the sound of her son's voice! The two later spoke on the phone.

I think the TV licence should be renamed- after all, it pays for all BBC output - one quarter of the revenue goes to pay for Radio, and BBC Websites. The World Service, and Foreign Language broadcasting is of immeasurable value to people around the world [many of whom are too poor to own a TV, but do manage to get a radio signal] When you read this sort of story, you realise how important the BBC and Public Service Broadcasting is.

And don't you just love Simone's reaction ? - She knew Who had answered her prayers!!

A Truly Wise Man

Maybe it's being stuck at home with a really unbelievably heavy cold, maybe it is because Bob seems to be officiating at the local Crem. an awful lot lately, but this blog does seem to have taken on a somewhat funereal tone! I promise I will be brighter next week.

Nevertheless, I do have one more obituary to mention tonight.

Prof Donald Wiseman, the gifted biblical scholar, and influence on countless generations of theological students and preachers has just died at the age of 92. I have had the IVP New Bible Dictionary on my bookshelf since the early 70s - and I couldn't begin to count all the books on our shelves now to which this intelligent man contributed in some way.

He was editor for the superb Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, and the inspiration for much of the work published by IVP.

I should have loved to have met him in person, he was, by all accounts, utterly fascinating. Having studied Hebrew and Assyriology, he did archaeological work with his friend Max Mallowan [husband of Agatha Christie]  Pictured below [DW on left next to AC]

He had a distinguished War Record, a Wing Commander in the RAF, he was awarded the USA Bronze Star, and involved in secret work for Churchill involving Enigma.

But above all, his burning desire was to make Jesus known, and help others understand the Scriptures better.

I am reminded of the passage in Acts 8...

Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked. "How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. [He]was reading this passage of Scripture:
   "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth." The man asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus...

Donald Wiseman was a man like Philip.

As My Whimsy Takes Me...

Just heard of the death of Ian Carmichael - who played the archetypal English "Silly Ass" in so many films. In the 60's and 70's he played Peter Wimsey, and Bertie Wooster on TV - but his career began on stage, and in films in the 50's with roles in "The Colditz Story" [shown on TV only yesterday] and "I'm all right, Jack"

The Telegraph obituary says "To his wide-eyed boyish grin, bemused courtesy and trusting manner, Carmichael brought an invaluably comic air of innocence to bear on his thousand and one misfortunes...If he eventually resented his having been type-cast as "the same old bumbling accident-prone clot," the type did his career and the public vivid service and he polished it with care"

Here he is with Dennis Price - the Jeeves to his Wooster...

Is it inappropriate to say that much as I enjoyed IC's acting, I actually prefer the later partnership of Fry&Laurie as J&W?

 

Apparently monocles are back in fashion again - the optician Vision Express has recently announced it is to re-introduce the single eye-glass following a sudden surge of interest among customers. But nobody seems sure where this craze has come from. Furthermore, nobody ever wore a monocle because of poor eyesight. It's a common misconception that the glass circle is held in the poor eye to help give 20/20 vision. In fact the monocle is nothing more than a well-bred magnifying glass.You put it in your strong eye in the same way you use your strong eye to look through a microscope or fire a rifle.You put it in the eye when there is a need to magnify something. It's only in fiction that anybody wears a monocle all the time.

To which there seems only one response  "I. C. - R.I.P."

Wish The Day Goodbye ...

These wonderfully retro cushions are all made in fabrics designed by the great Lucienne Day, who died this week at the age of 93. You may not have heard of her, but I am sure that if you are over the age of 30, you'll have come across some of her work. She was born in London of Anglo/Belgian parentage [an excellent combination, I feel!] In 1942 she married the artist Robin Day and they opened a design office in 1948 and worked as freelance exhibition, graphic and industrial designers.[details here]

An obituary in the Guardian says "Her designs held a wide appeal, and sold well – something that mattered very much to her and her husband Robin. Both came from the "nothing is too good for ordinary people" tradition. The idea was that good, intelligent design should be part, parcel and fabric of everyday life. Lucienne was an unfailingly generous person, and a designer who knew how to balance the popular and the refined, or how to make the refined popular. Here was a couple deeply concerned with notions of public service, who were also stylish and fun."

Her 'Calyx' design [left, below] was used extensively for the Festival of Britain in 1951,

Another Guardian piece says "Lucienne had a wonderful way of looking severe, and then breaking into a warm smile and happy conversation. I suppose her best fabrics – and that's pretty much all of them – are a bit like that: disciplined, intelligent, diligently researched, but also warm, playful, colourful and delightful too. Her talent stayed with her for a lifetime, as did her marriage to Robin. He survives her; so does both their lives' work."

 

 

This picture of the devoted couple was captioned "Textiles and Furniture in Holy Matrimony"

 

 

 

From 1962 to 1963 Robin worked on the Polyprop chair. From 1963 to the present day over 14 million chairs have been sold in twenty three countries. It has been described as one of the most democratic modern designs of the 20th century.

Even if their names mean nothing to you, I'm willing to bet that you have sat on one of Robin's chairs [at school, or church, or in the Village Hall]

 

 

What a wonderful partnership they had together!

To be so committed to each other, and committed to using their gifts to make a better quality of life for other people is praise-worthy in these self-centred days.

Pin-Up Girl?

I am still feeling a bit like this, with a Very Sore Nose

but grateful for this...

but then I had a wonderful surprise in the post! Before Christmas, my blog giveaway was won by Michela in Italy.

Out of the blue I've received a lovely parcel from her - a beautiful pin

It is really carefully made, and the two large beads are gorgeous

However it looks strange pinned to my dressing gown! I think it will look really good on my black coat at the weekend. Or perhaps pinned through a felt beret.

Thanks Michela - what a fabulous surprise!

The Original Celebrity Chef

Today a very long post, in celebration of the bicentennial of Alexis Soyer - a man of many talents - but his legacy to the cooks of Britain has been almost forgotten - but here are some fascinating factoids about this Fabulous French Fellow.

• Alexis Soyer was born 4.2.1810 in Meaux [The French town famed for its mustard]
• At 11 he started working in a kitchen in France, and by 18 he was working in London
• At 27 he was appointed chef at Reform Club, where he installed revolutionary kitchens in the basement, with gas ovens.
• He developed many new recipes there including Lamb Cutlets Reform [served at the club to this day] and various sauces, marketed through 2 grocers- Mr Crosse & Mr Blackwell
• He wrote cookery books in the style of a lady correspondin g with friend [Hortense & Eloise] in which he includes the first recipe for potato crisps [Isabella Beeton used many of his recipes in her book published 22 yrs after his death]
• He was a great inventor, designing many kitchen gadgets [and worked with Isambard Kingdom Brunel]
• His Phidomageirion [means ‘thrifty kitchen’] was a brilliant design for a domestic stove
• He went to Ireland during the potato famine and set up a marquee which he had designed, containing a ‘Model Soup Kitchen’, which could feed 1000 people an hour on an economical and nutritious broth.
• He bid for the contract to serve mineral waters & light refreshments at the Great Exhibition in 1851 but lost out to a small company which did very well out of it [Sch you know who]
• He went to the Crimea in 1855 and revolutionised the cooking in Florence Nightingale’s hospital at Scutari, and invented a portable stove for the Army.
• These stoves lasted well into the 20^th century – but sadly many of the army’s stock were lost when an Exocet Missile sank the supply ship carrying them to the Falklands in 1982 [although some are still in use in Canada and Australia]
• His wife Emma was a talented artist, but died in childbirth – he designed a 27foot high memorial for her grave in Kensal Green Cemetery, including an eternal flame [the gas flue disguised as a cherub!] and the inscription TO HER
• As well as serving gourmet food to the rich, he felt very strongly about feeding the poor, and arranged for leftover food from the Reform Club to be distributed to the needy, and set up soup kitchens in East London.
• He had an obsession with clothes cut on the bias [French - ‘a la zoug zoug’] and even his business cards were rhomboid in shape
• He was a real showman, wearing his trademark red beret
• Yet he died in relative poverty and obscurity in 1858

but...

• He arranged fabulous dinners – even more extravagant and bizarre than Heston Blumenthal
• He took his travelling cookery show round Britain – more of a showman than the Hairy Bikers
• His attempts to cure social problems and encourage everyone to eat cheaply but healthily were even more committed than Jamie Oliver’s
• His style of demonstration cookery was even more sensuous than Nigella’s
• His recipe books were even more precise than the blessed St Delia's

Ruth Cowen’s biographical book ‘Relish’ ends “If any of these chefs are tempted to think of themselves as pioneers, they are mistaken. Because one man had already achieved it all. And he did so with a level of ingenuity, farsightedness and sheer panache that remains unrivalled to this day.”

...let's take a moment to remember the great Alexis Soyer!!

Coughs And Sneezes Spread Diseases...

"If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear." [Winnie the Pooh]

[or maybe she has such an appalling cold, that her whole head feels like a large piece of cotton wool]

I rang in to both my schools, apologising for being absent today and tomorrow - and they said "Please keep your germs to yourself, get better, see you next week!"

I have spent the day in my pjs, sneezing and sniffing. Really grateful for kind friends who have called to check on my welfare, and the wonderful box which appeared on the doorstep, labelled 'Meals On Wheels' containing a lovely meal for Bob and myself.

But I am at last learning that there comes a point when you have to say "Stop! Rest! Get Better!"

A couple of weeks ago I decided I wanted to do a Special Post tomorrow - so I am feeling pleased that I prepared it in advance. Tomorrow I may not even switch on the PC!

The Spirit In Which They Were Sent**

Back in September, Lesley gave me some damsons [here] so I made a damson loaf and prepared some damson gin [intended for Christmas]

 

I have to report that it was all very successful.

Once the fruit had 'steeped' for about three months, I drained off the liquid, back into the green glass bottles, and put the fruit into two smaller kilner jars.

The girls took small bottles of gin back to London with them, and I was able to give away some jars of 'soused damsons' as gifts. They make a lovely dessert when warmed through and served with good ice cream or clotted cream [but do not eat them in posh company - there are lots of pips to spit out!]

And the gin is...amazing...My alcohol tolerance level is very low - but I admit to taking a small glass of the stuff whilst I have had this extremely heavy cold, as it has really helped me to sleep.

AND I checked out prices - this works out at less than a quarter of the price of buying it in the shops.

**VERY old joke  - a Methodist Minister [who was supposed to be teetotal] was moving away from the area. Knowing he liked such things, the other clergy in the town gave him a jar of peaches in brandy. "You can ONLY keep this gift if you publicly acknowledge it in your church magazine" they said.

So he published this notice "I wish to thank my fellow ministers for their gift of fruit, and the spirit in which it was sent"

Candlemas

Today is Candlemas. It is the feast celebrating the presentation of the baby Jesus in the Temple. Not something we Baptists usually make a fuss about - but Floss has a very informative post today

She includes this lovely prayer...

God our Father, source of all light,
today you revealed to Simeon
your Light of revelation to the nations.
Bless these candles and make them holy.
May we who carry them to praise your glory
walk in the path of goodness
and come to the light that shines for ever.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.

I shall dig out some nice candlesticks and put them on the meal table [and tell Bob he has no reason to be suspicious about the food tonight, they are not there for camouflage but rather for liturgical reasons!!]

He's Got The Whole World In His Hands!

Things have had a 'world church' theme round here today...

Our speaker at the Ladies ' Fellowship this afternoon was a rep from Open Doors, the organisation started in 1955 by Brother Andrew, to serve the persecuted Church throughout the world. [website here]

We had also had a letter from Jill, of the Peru Children's Trust [see here and here] who came and spoke at our meeting last year.

And then, this morning, I had an email from Scott, our BMS link missionary in Peru.

This one was particularly good news...

You remember all those socks and gloves we collected at Christmas, to send to the children in Peru because it gets so cold round March/April ?? [pictures here] I confess that at the time I was overwhelmed by the response, and wondered if S&A would find enough people to give them to.

Well at the time, none of us knew that the Cusco area where Scott and Anjanette are working would suffer such appalling floods in January.

Scott said in his email that two of the parcels [100+ pairs of socks/gloves] had just arrived safely. Just in time for him to take out to some of these families who have lost everything.

I am so thrilled that we have been able to help them in their situation.

Those parcels were posted before the flood happened - but arrived at exactly the right moment. What a great God we serve!

And there are two more parcels here, which we are planning to give Scott when he visits KMFC next month.

The Good Old Days?

Everybody seems to want us to go back to the cooking of a previous generation.

I have been watching 'Delia Through The Decades' and finding myself thinking "I had that book, I had that dress - gracious, I even had that haircut!!!"

I was with some colleagues at school last week, and we all agreed, that Delia's great success was giving recipes which, if followed exactly to the letter, always worked!

 

I am also watching the Hairy Bikers "Mums know Best". I confess to a slight problem with Dave and Si in this series- yes, they are very entertaining, but their recipes [and those of their guests] haven't left me feeling "Wow, I want to go and try that out!" Furthermore, the recipes do tend to err on the side of high sugar, high fat' high calorie treats. I suppose that is inevitable - many of these heirloom recipes date back to a time when ordinary families were involved in a lot of hard physical labour, and needed inexpensive carbs to fill them up  - cakes and pastries and pies and puds. And unlike Delia's meticulous recipes, they are alarmingly vague sometimes. We couldn't understand why the cornbread was so white - you have to read the recipe on the website to discover it is made with white cornmeal.

Following the 'traditional recipes' theme, I picked up this book in the library. Written by Jane F-W, mother of the ever-enthusiastic Hugh, it is an interesting read.

But she keeps on about "Taking a trip down memory lane for my generation" [She was born in 1939] and gets her friends to contribute their favourite childhood recipes.

This is a completely different set of people to the ones who speak to the Hairy Bikers. Whereas the HB set tend to be working/middle class people, JFWs mates are quite definitely middle/upper class. So there are lots of references to nannies, cooks, shooting parties and boarding school. I remember my Mum saying that if it was a good day, she might get a slice of 'bread and dripping' when she got in from school - she certainly didn't have 'Gentleman's Relish on Toast'!Furthermore, we had rationing in this country till 1954 - but the young Jane managed to eat pretty well if her stories are accurate. For her 13th birthday, her parents took her, plus a schoolfriend, to dinner at a Greek Restaurant in London.

Our eating habits have changed so much - and we have so much more choice available to us now - even compared to 40 years ago, when Delia started.

I can remember clearly the first time I sampled yogurt [1970] and 'real' spaghetti [not Heinz stuff in a tin] - that was 1973. My first avocado was in 1976, and the first time I tasted smoked mackerel was 1982. But those items feature regularly in my supermarket trolley these days.

What are your 'food memories' ?