Monday, 18 February 2013

Things Self-Help Books Never Tell You…

dummies selfhelpLooking for something else at the weekend, I came across a page torn out of a magazine with the above title.

No idea where it came from or why I kept it. Most of the things listed are pointless – but here’s a few that amused me before I consigned the page to the paper recycling bin…

  • Getting up 15 minutes earlier every day to ‘make time for yourself’ will simply mean you put in an extra load of washing
  • Climbing the stairs at work will simply make you late for the meeting.
  • Having you hair cut in a radical new style will make your children laugh- and you cry – for a week
  • When you diet, you will lose all the weight from your boobs before you lose a single ounce from your thighs
  • Any time management regime that involves making multiple lists means spending time making lists when you could be achieving something else with your time
  • Drinking 10 glasses of water a day may mean you cannot sit through the entire film in the cinema – or sleep through the entire night.
  • Building up your confidence by starting conversations with people you do not know may also guarantee you a seat alone on the bus.
  • If you have time to fold your knickers neatly into individual drawer dividers, you should really be out somewhere doing voluntary work for charity instead.
  • Becoming assertive by saying ‘No!’ when people ask you to do things you don’t have time for will cause palpitations of guilt at 3am.

knickerdrawer

true story - I once had a friend who signed up for an Assertiveness Course. The first week she paid out £45 for the textbooks. The second week, she decided to leave the class because the tutor made her nervous. Sadly she was too nervous to go the third week, and return her books and ask for her money back!

Have you ever received any ‘self-help’ advice which proved to be less helpful than it might have been?

Sunday, 17 February 2013

Pause In Lent 2013 #1

A Pause in Lent Floss

I have been thinking about this poem by Herrick. Written at a time when it was usual to give up meat and instead eat fish during Lent – and Herrick points out that filling ‘the platter high’ rather defeats the object. True keeping of Lent is about the heart and not the belly!

"To Keep A True Lent"
Is this a Fast, to keep
The larder lean?
And clean
From fat of veals and sheep?
Is it to quit the dish
Of flesh, yet still
To fill
The platter high with fish?
Is it to fast an hour,
Or ragg'd to go,
Or show
A down-cast look and sour?
No: 'tis a Fast to dole
Thy sheaf of wheat
And meat
Unto the hungry soul,
It is to fast from strife
And old debate,
And hate;
To circumcise thy life.
To show a heart grief-rent;
To starve thy sin,
Not bin;
And that's to keep thy Lent.

robert-herrick

Robert Herrick (1591-1674).

Our local ‘Churches Together’ will be doing something a little different this year, on the Tuesday Evenings of Lent. I will say more about that when it happens!

Saturday, 16 February 2013

Building Healthy Community

So this is the proposal – a fairly large housing development just up the road from our village

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The official website says

New Lubbesthorpe will deliver a complete community to the west of Leicester providing new facilities for current as well as new residents. The site lies to the west of the M1, east of Beggar’s Lane, south of Leicester Forest East and north and south of the M69.

The proposal is being promoted by an experienced, local consortium with reputations for high quality developments including local developers, Davidsons, Barratt David Wilson and Hallam Land Management.

Scheme Key Elements

  • 4,250 high quality new homes
  • A strategic employment park, which with the district centre employment, can create approximately 2,500 jobs
  • 75 acres of new woodland and 250 acres of open space and park land
  • Two primary and one secondary school
  • Mixed-use neighbourhood centre with space for a range of food and drink, retail, a health centre, leisure and community uses (including a nursery & community centre)”

As you might have expected, there has been significant opposition to the project. BUT and I think this is a significant point, IF [let’s be realistic, and say ‘when’] the development goes ahead, who is going to ensure there is adequate community provision?  Nice new buildings are all well and good – but will there be real care for the people who move into the properties. “Community” doesn’t just ‘happen’. As Christians, surely we are called upon to love our neighbours…

tree

Which is why we are hosting a symposium at our church today entitled “Building Healthy Community” – to see how those of us already relatively local to the project can be involved, to make this new community a happy, healthy place to be.

We have got a variety of speakers lined up, and are serving lunch [guaranteed no horsemeat] and lots of excellent Fairtrade Coffee.

Praying this day will prove truly profitable…

Friday, 15 February 2013

Pull Up Your Socks And Keep Digging!

There was a time when people regarded the best socks you could buy were those manufactured by Wolsey, of Leicester. Clearly if your granny was a wizard with dpns**, her homemade knitted ones were better, but those who were in the know purchased Wolsey hosiery.

The company [established way back in 1755] got its name not from the owner, but from a local personality – the Tudor Churchman, Cardinal Wolsey, who died in Leicester in 1530 [on his way to London – he had been arrested and summoned to see Henry VIII] He was buried, unceremoniously, in the Abbey – now just a few bits of wall remain. You can see his statue in Abbey Park, Leicester [right outside the Tea Rooms!]

wolsey parkwolsey_thomas

He had originally planned a wonderful black marble sarcophagus for himself- but that stayed in storage – until George 3rd dug it out of the royal storage unit and donated it to St Paul’s Cathedral, to provide a fitting resting place for Horatio Nelson.

nelson-wolsey sarcophagus

But poor old Thomas is in an unmarked grave somewhere in the Abbey Ruins.

You know what’s coming next, don’t you? Yes, that’s right, people are calling for another dig, following the successful discovery of Richard III, to see if we can find another significant historical skeleton in our City Closet! I am not so sure that Wolsey has the same cachet as the horseless hunchback* – but you never know…

Hilary Mantel wrote a superb piece about him [here] and she clearly knows her stuff when it comes to “bringing up the bodies”!

Current joke doing the rounds in Leicester -Why was Richard calling for a horse, a horse? that car park is only just round the corner from Tesco!

[**that’s double pointed needles, for the non-knitting-readers]

Thursday, 14 February 2013

Valentine’s Day

One of my favourite poems – “To my Dear and Loving Husband”, by Ann Bradstreet

If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were lov'd by wife, then thee;
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me ye women if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole Mines of Gold,
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that Rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee, give recompence.
Thy love is such I can no way repay,
The heavens reward thee manifold I pray.
Then while we live, in love let’s so persevere,
That when we live no more, we may live ever.

We don’t go in for fancy meals, expensive cards, or over-priced bunches of flowers on St Valentine's Day – love is something to practise daily, little acts of thoughtfulness, words of affection – which demonstrate our love, and strengthen our relationship. We love because God first loved us. I hope and pray that we are able to show His love to others too. The full story of the original St Valentine isn’t really clear – but certainly at its heart is the idea of loving self-sacrifice. That is far more important to me than a “"£20 Meal Deal” from Waitrose or M&S.

1corinthians13

[Find out more about Mrs Bradstreet here]

Wednesday, 13 February 2013

Pause In Lent–Starts This Weekend!

A Pause in Lent Floss

Just a reminder that the annual Lent Pause blogfest starts in a few days time. Click on the link in the sidebar to find out more. I love reading other people’s contributions – they are thought provoking, interesting, a ‘different perspective’. Nothing too heavy or deeply theological – occasionally quite…quirky…but these blogger reflections, facilitated by Floss always prove worthwhile [and I have discovered new ‘favourite’ blogs, and made new blogfriends here]

There’s More To Lent Than Pancakes!

OK, I am not a Roman Catholic – but I do appreciate this special time of Lent, which starts today, Ash Wednesday. I thought this was an extremely helpful [and commendably brief] explanatory video

I believe the recent decision of the Pope to step down from his role is a brave and wise one – may God give wisdom to those who must make decisions about the next person to hold this office [and give Joseph Ratzinger a peaceful and happy retirement!]

Tuesday, 12 February 2013

Pasta, Not Pancakes

Although it is Shrove Tuesday, we didn’t have pancakes this evening

DSCF5198

I am very grateful to Bob for sorting out most of the meals over the last couple of weeks. Tonight he made some pasta and sauce and topped it with a grilled sardine [pilchard]. It was delicious.

He’s really getting the hang of the pasta machine now, and the tagliatelli strips were even in size and very tasty. The rich tomato based sauce complemented the fish rather well. He paid just 79p for a pair of generously sized Cornish sardines in the supermarket yesterday – so the meal was both enjoyable and inexpensive.

I am glad that the fishing industry down in the SW has seen a revival in fortune of late – but very sad today to hear of the death of Trevor Grills from the Port Isaac Fisherman's Friends Choir following an accident on Saturday, which also claimed the life of their tour Manager, Paul McMullen.

fishermans-friends-port-isaac

Find out more about these big hearted singers here, and an explanation of why pilchards are now called Cornish Sardines here

Cash Windfall!

The other week I read that one of the simple pleasures in life is ‘finding money down the back of the sofa’ This rarely seems to happen in our house. We have tight budgets, not loose change!

However, last week, Bob decided to deal with the box of tinned food in the garage. It was stuff leftover from Christmas and had come back from Cornerstones, but not been properly sorted and put into the correct places on the shelf. And in the bottom of the box was …

DSCF5196

…a small bag of chocolate coins. I meant to put these in  the stockings for Christmas morning, but then mislaid them. It is not best quality dark chocolate** – but it will be fun to serve one in the saucer with a cup of coffee, or as a garnish on top of dessert such as a cheapo Approved Foods Butterscotch Whip

A little Christmas treat in February – a simple pleasure indeed!

I’ve heard that in some hotels, they leave a chocolate on the pillow for guests. Not sure I like that idea – what if it melts on the pillowcase? or you don’t find it until you climb into bed ? [and then you’d have to get out again to clean your teeth a second time] Are they the same hotels as the ones which do origami stuff with the end of the loo roll

**it is Lidl budget stuff- the label says best before September 2014 – however I don't plan to keep this coinage for the 2013 Xmas Stockings. That would be a little too frugal, even for me.

Monday, 11 February 2013

How To Not Do Nothing

There’s a good double negative for you!

James 2:16 says…

If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but DOES NOTHING about their physical needs, what GOOD is it?

I’ve thought a lot about the words of James recently. So I am trying to make a greater effort to  use up my Great Stash for the benefit of others. Each month I want to try and send something to a charity which I have made from the resources I have in store. The enforced sofa-situation has obviously assisted that process thus far.

DSCF5187January – the Leprosy Mission will benefit from the blanket I’ve made and posted off to Belfast. That should eventually end up in Hombolo

DSCF4670February – the Sailors’ Society Woolly Hat Week benefitted from all those hats I was making around Christmas [other than the ones received as gifts by friends and family]

March? ah well, I have a March project already on the go. But you will have to wait to see what that is about…and remember,

Don’t Do Nothing, Do Good Instead!

Tea Time Trivia

Well that was a satisfyingly fast project! Two balls of wool from the stash and a pattern which is actually easier than it looks.

DSCF5197

I started it on Thursday night – and by bedtime Saturday the cosy was done and dusted, and keeping the pot warm!

Some old favourite tea jokes…

“What do you mean it’s ‘Fortnight Tea’?”

“It’s Two Weak!”

“Which is the favourite Bible book of tea drinking vicars?”

“Hebrews”

and my personal favourite

“Why don’t Marxists drink Earl Grey?”

“They believe Proper Tea Is Theft!”

Sunday, 10 February 2013

The Return Of The King

4075314

It has been such an exciting week here in Leicester – confirmation that the bones found in the carpark are truly those of King Richard III

bones

People have flocked to the Guildhall to the free exhibition, to see the artefacts, and informative interactive displays [and an amazing replica skeleton made in  plastic, using MRI scan technology and a 3D printer] One woman, interviewed in the queue said she had flown in from New York, where it was the top news story. She said she’d jumped straight on a plane and come to see for herself! [Our top news story has been about horse-burgers!]

guildhall

Helen Fairhead, from Leicestershire Promotions, said they expected the exhibition to give a boost to tourism in the city and the county."This is extremely exciting for us, I have never known anything quite as phenomenal as this in our region in terms of the impact it will have on local tourism and the economy.”

And it is exciting – once I am off these crutches and able to get around more comfortably, I shall be into the city and queuing up for my chance to have a look at it all – because I love history, because I feel privileged to live so close to where it is all happening, and because for years I have felt poor old Richard has been unfairly treated.

But you know what?

He is just a Dead King

and last year they found his bones buried in the ground.

The greater news – which deserves to beat archaeological discoveries, horsemeat in the lasagne, and an MP trying to avoid a conviction for speeding to be the Top Headline this week and any week, is about an empty tomb, and all about Jesus

He is the King of Kings, and Alive Forever!

I suspect that people will be talking about Jesus long after Richard of York is not just dead, but re-buried and completely forgotten.

I just have this hunch!

Saturday, 9 February 2013

Showers Of Blessing!

Yesterday my mate Carole kindly chauffeured me to the Medical Centre. [thanks C] The District Nurse checked my leg, removed all the dressings and steri-strips and pronounced everything fine and dandy. She put a small, clear waterproof dressing over one small wound which wasn’t quite healed up, and said that with care [and clingfilm] I could have a shower.

Then Carole took me to Cherry Tree Gifts for a coffee, which was a real treat. I am beginning to feel that life is getting back to normal.

DSCF5195

Today I raided Bob’s box ** of PA gear for some gaffer tape [red, yellow, black, white, silver…why does he need all those colours?] and waterproofed the whole area. You can hardly see the little dressing on the inner part of the knee.

There is no way that a 4’11½” woman can photograph her own knee and make her leg look long and slim. “But it’s not long and slim anyway” said Bob. Well, I accept that – but it looks even shorter and fatter than usual in this shot! But at least it is clean!

Never take hot showers for granted.

[**that should be one of his many, many boxes of PA gear!]

Swimming Against The Current

Morgan** lent me Salmon Fishing In The Yemen – and I loved it. I have since read various online reviews which were unbelievably snooty about the film. Well, I don’t care- I thought it was fun!

It is clearly aimed at a middle-aged, middle-class, middle England audience. Not at the ‘film critic of the Guardian’ or whoever. And as such, this happy little ‘feelgood film’ hits it target bang on!

fishy business…

Scottish Ewan McGregor [who I suspect may turn into an Alec Guinness clone as he gets older] plays the buttoned up scientist, who helps Emily Blunt in her attempt make a dream come true for her boss [the Very Rich Sheik] Kristin Scott Thomas is a sharp tongued political spokesperson, who let nothing get in her way to achieve the desired result. [I believe there are some head teachers like that]

Filmed in London, Scotland and Yemen Morocco [!], it shows lovely scenery and there are some great characters. I am told [by those who know] that the author’s portrayal of ‘the bureaucracy surrounding how the Civil Service organises such things’ is uncannily accurate.

I am looking forward to reading Paul Torday’s book, on which the film was based, as I understand it has a slightly different ending. The DVD Morgan lent me has some extras – including an interesting interview with Torday.

If you are old enough to remember the TV ad below, you are probably in the right demographic to enjoy Mr McGregor’s performance!

first shown 1983

**If you can, please do pray for Morgan and her family at the moment, as her husband is quite unwell in hospital- and she is driving most days to see him [and it’s a 60 mile round trip]

Friday, 8 February 2013

Security Blanket

linus-blanket

I have been working away at my crochet during convalescence, and now my blanket is finished. It was an enjoyable project

I shall be sending it to Mags, to pass on to Heather for her son’s next trip to Africa [details here] in support of the Leprosy Mission.

DSCF5187I finished it on 1st Feb. I had hope to finish one project a month during 2013 – but various things in January held me up a bit. At least the enforced sitting down gave me an excuse to hook away happily on this one. The colours are not very bright, I know, but the yarn is soft!

I used up more of my stash wool – and wanted to make something which was warm and washable, rather than worry about colours!

Thursday, 7 February 2013

To Dye For?

Some reflections from the sofa…

pantone purples

“The great thing about Tyrian Purple dye was that the colour became more intense as the fabric aged”…have you seen the bruise on my knee. Lydia of Thyatira would have been proud of it!

 

Elbow CrutchThis morning’s Bible reading was from Exodus 4 and I happened to read it in the ‘Good News Version’ where verse 17 says

“Take this walking stick with you, for with it you will perform miracles”

These miracles do not include carrying a tray of food from the kitchen to the lounge whilst negotiating elbow crutches! I am having a smashing time convalescing [total of one dish, one mug, one ramekin thus far…]

vista cat

I did get out of the house this morning [I was beginning to go Stir-Crazy] I accompanied Bob to our local home for the visually impaired, as he was conducting a funeral in the little chapel there, for one of the residents [she was 103] Before the service, the home’s pet cat wandered into the chapel, and was removed by a member of staff- but the cat returned- jumped onto the altar, walked across the coffin and then strolled casually across Bob’s bible on the lectern! Bob was totally unfazed by all this – and even managed to weave the feline into his address!

Planning to spend the rest of the day back on the sofa, writing sermon notes, and knitting a teacosy similar to this one, from this lovely book which I’ve mentioned before.

teacosyknitters year

True Romance

Thanks Jean, for sharing this one – with one week to go, to Valentine’s Day, I thought I would pass it on.

Jean says “L’escargot de Paris” is actually in Macclesfield!!

Wednesday, 6 February 2013

Twenty Years Ago Today…

arthurashe…since the death of Arthur Ashe, the brilliant tennis player. He won many awards, including Grand Slam titles, and won Wimbledon in 1975. Despite his incredible fitness levels, he suffered with heart problems – which were hereditary – and then contracted HIV/AIDS through an infected blood transfusion, received during heart surgery. He died aged just 50.

He was a wise and gracious man, and the courage with which he faced his illness and the words he wrote remain as an inspiration and challenge – not just to would be tennis stars…

ashe quote

and how about this one …

ashe quote

Tuesday, 5 February 2013

Tis The Gift To Be Simple…

SIM05.cover.inddThank you so much to Sarah [everyday life on a shoestring] who very generously sent me some Convalescent Reading Material!

Not only did she send me the mag, but kindly pointed out a couple of items she thought would be of particular interest to me – an article about purple dye, and a tray matching Steph’s new curtains.

Hannah Nunn's lamp

It is certainly a really interesting read- and the website is fun too. Even if you cannot afford the items, and are unlikely to travel to the far flung corners of the planet, it’s fun to sit dream – and work out ways of using the ideas.  I particularly liked Hannah Nunn’s lamp – a simple parchment cylinder surrounding a glass containing a tealight.

I suspect Bob is going to enjoy the pasta making feature too…

SIM05.market_lunch.indd

I have spent a pleasant afternoon relaxing today with this magazine!

Thanks, Sarah!

Thought For the Zzzzz….

snoopy2Have you noticed that when the body is busy healing itself, it leaves little energy for anything else? The adrenalin rush of Thursday-Saturday has definitely worn off now.

So excuse me if I just spend today doing nothing much. When the medics say “It will take you at least a fortnight to feel 100% again” They have good evidence for that!

Monday, 4 February 2013

Anybody Got A Spare Camel?

That doesn't mean Bob has got the hump. Although he’d be perfectly entitled to. Despite his excellent care, and constant reminders to “Stop doing that, Ang, go back to the sofa. Now!” I think I tried to do too much on Saturday [pottering round kitchen on my crutches, attempting complicated knitting, banging away on the laptop, stumbling up and downstairs…] and on Sunday was utterly knocked out and in a fair bit of pain. So no church – just lying down, taking painkillers and ..sleeping mostly…

newman md

I watched “Captain Newman MD” [you would not believe how much stuff I have recorded to watch at some unspecified future date] This was because a; I hadn’t seen it, b; It stars Gregory Peck, Tony Curtis and Angie Dickinson c; the blurb said

“contains violent acts, strong language, distressing scenes and SURGERY”

It wasn’t worth the effort of watching. And as far as I could tell, the only surgery was the odd injection!

Beneath-BleedingI also read one of my library books – Val McDermid’s “Beneath The Bleeding”. Only just started reading Val McD stuff [and I have yet to watch any of the ‘Wire in the Blood’ programmes on TV] This one begins with one of the main characters getting his kneecap smashed. It was a clever book, even if some parts of the plot were easy to decipher, even for my drug-sedated brain. But full marks to the author for her brilliant, excruciatingly accurate description of walking on crutches.

I insisted on reading aloud to Bob the paragraph where Tony gets out of bed and struggles to get to the loo and back. Either VMcD has had knee surgery herself or she has been forced to look after someone who has. Every agonising detail was correct!

bonesToday has been a little brighter – mainly because I stayed in bed till 11am. Bob nobly kept me informed about the live feed from the Richard III news conference in Leicester.

They are the King’s bones! Do you think the newly confirmed Archbishop will come up to do the funeral in our Cathedral. We must wait and see on that one…

needle threader

Why do I want a camel? Well I may need to practise [Mark 10:25]

This morning’s post brought a lovely little package of these from Jane at Daisies. Not the usual sort of gift for a convalescent I admit – you will have to wait for further elucidation on that one.

But now I am going to get properly dressed – we are spending the afternoon with BIL & SIL. It will be lovely to get out of the house for a bit!

camel needle lego

A Very Artful Dodger

2013 Book Review #2

dodger terry pratchett

Bob really enjoys Terry Pratchett – we have a whole shelf of his books, all the Discworld stuff, and the DVDs [Hogfather etc] but I just cannot get into it. I have tried, and fallen asleep frequently in the effort. I enjoyed watching the DVDs over the Christmas period, so I tried again [You really must have a go at Dodger, it’s full of historical allusions you will understand, said my beloved] So I placed my crutches carefully beside the sofa and began reading…

I loved it! It is not part of his other series, so prior knowledge of the Pratchett oeuvre is unnecessary . This is the story of Dodger, who is a Victorian ‘tosher’ – he makes his living scavenging for valuables which have washed down into the London sewers. He lives with an old Jewish Watchmaker, Solomon, and his stinking dog Onan [same name as Dorothy Parker’s pet bird. From the character in Genesis] In the story, he encounters loads of characters – Mr Charlie [Dickens] Ben [Disraeli] Todd the barber [Sweeney] young Joe Bazalgette, and the glorious Angela Burdett Coutts*. His adventures happen above – and below – the busy 19th Century London thoroughfares

Pratchett’s wordplay is brilliant and his clever interweaving of real and fictional characters is great. I laughed out loud, a lot – but fortunately did not fall off the sofa. I shall have to make another foray into the Discworld books – maybe this time I will appreciate them better. 

Dodger by Terry Pratchett scores *****

[*ABC is another of my heroines – check her out here]

Sunday, 3 February 2013

Not The Law, But Grace

Victor Hugo’s classic ‘Les Miserables’ is a great story about two men in revolutionary France, which brilliantly shows the biblical ideas of the contrast between Law and Grace, the meaning of redemption.

les mis javert

On the one side, Officer Javert – totally committed to his calling, and his mind set upon justice, finding and punishing those who violate their parole, upholding the law in the smallest detail. He does his duty as he sees it to be right – but his heart is cold.

lesmis valjean

Jean Valjean, after twenty years penal servitude, violates his parole- but through the words and prayers of a generous priest, his life is redeemed. He understands grace and mercy. Valjean seeks henceforth to do right, and live a good life, correcting injustice, and trusting God. A heart full of love.

All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn’t, and doesn’t, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace.When it’s sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that’s the end of it. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us into life—a life that goes on and on and on, world without end

Saturday, 2 February 2013

Crutches Conundrums

knee crutch

I’ve managed over 50 years without having to use crutches – and now I am really admiring people who seem to use them efficiently and speedily.

I had a lesson with Mark the physio before the op [good bloke, his Gran is one of our church members] and he helped me go along the corridor and  up and down stairs. I thought I had it all sorted out – and would be able to manipulate the things.

“You can go home once you have been to the loo unaided, had a cup of tea and eaten a piece of toast”  they told me before the op.

Tea and toast – that was no problem, fortunately I have never suffered nausea after general anaesthetics. And I hopped off the bed and hobbled down the corridor to the Ward Loo fairly easily.

bin

I managed fine until the very end of the procedure. I balanced both crutches against the side of the handbasin, stood on my left foot, leaning against the basin – and washed my hands thoroughly. Then I pulled a paper towel from the dispenser and dried my hands. And then…

How on earth are you supposed to open the foot operated rubbish bin?

I didn’t want to press down with the right leg [after all those warnings about ‘you cannot drive for a fortnight because you can’t press your foot down on the brake’] I didn't want to press down with the left leg because it was barely 2 hours after the op, and I wasn’t sure my right leg would support me, even with crutches, and I was afraid I would overbalance.

I transferred paper towel to my teeth, picked up the crutches and moved over to the bin. Then leaned on left foot and balanced myself with the crutch in my right hand. And tried to open bin by pushing left crutch onto the bar. That didn’t work. Then I put left crutch in right hand [horizontally as Mark had shown me] and used left hand to lift lid, and dropped towel from teeth into bin. What a performance!!

Since I got home, things have mostly been ok – once I realised that I must leave the crutches somewhere safe whilst I was reclining on the sofa, as they’ve nearly tripped Bob up twice.

But I am a dreadful patient. I get thirsty, but don’t want to disturb Bob because he is working very hard in his study. I manage to get in the kitchen, and make 2 cups of tea standing against the worktop. But then have no way of carrying them anywhere. So I end up disturbing him anyway, to come and collect his tea, and to carry mine back to the lounge.

I am trying, honest. Bob says I am very trying!!

Friday, 1 February 2013

Poste Restante?

My dear friends are eager to ensure that I rest properly – and our postman has brought lots of exciting goodies in the past few days, to assist with that process.

Salmon__Fishing_In_The_Yemen

Morgan [Growing in the Fens] has lent me a Ewan McGregor DVD [that’s earmarked for watching this afternoon]

messmuddlefun proze jan 2013

Carolyn [Mess, Muddle and Fun] awarded me a prize in her recent giveaway. The brooch is now pinned onto my dressing gown, and the bookmark is holding my place in the book I am reading [in between dozing]

DSCF5186

The beautiful narcissi were labelled ‘a little Cornish Sunshine’ and came from Elizabethd [Cornish Cream]  They arrived stylishly tied with green satin ribbon, and wrapped in cellophane and tissue paper in an elegant slim box. They are filling the lounge with their gorgeous perfume.

There have been so many emails, and text messages, and kind thoughts – and offers of practical help from friends nearby.

I can only say to all of you…

thankyou card

I Yam What I Yam

bake rachel allenOn Sunday afternoon, I had an urge to make a cake. I flicked through my Rachel Allen’s ‘Bake’ and spotted a recipe for Sweet Potato and Pecan Bread. Aha! I thought – there’s a large sweet potato in the fridge, and some Christmas walnuts and hazelnuts in the dish in the lounge. I was right about the SP [‘yams’ as my US friends call them] but wrong about the nuts. The dish was empty!

Somebody else must have eaten them on Saturday evening whilst I was concentrating on the Borgen subtitles and scarves! But I used some almonds from the jar in the pantry.

DSCF5185

Sweet Potato and Pecan Bread [Serves 12]
Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 150ml (¼ pint) vegetable oil
  • 200g (7oz) soft light brown sugar
  • 300g (11oz) sweet potato, peeled and grated
  • 100g (3½oz) pecans, chopped
  • 180g (6½ oz) self-raising flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • ½ tsp mixed spice

13 x 23cm (5 x9in) loaf tin

  1. Preheat the oven to 150ºC (300ºF), Gas mark 2. Line the loaf tin with parchment paper.
  2. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, then add the oil, sugar, grated sweet potato and chopped pecans. Sift in the dry ingredients and bring the mixture together using a wooden or metal spoon.
  3. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin, smooth the surface and bake in the oven for 1-1 ¼ hours or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  4. Allow to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before removing. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

Note: You can use walnuts instead of pecans, if you like, or add raisins or other dried fruit.  I think I should have lowered the temp slightly- the top cracked!