Ah the Easter break.
So why did I still wake up at 6.30? At first I felt deprived but do you know I could get to like this getting up before the rest of the house. Especially on a bright sunny morning when I don't have to dash about doing anything.
It's a long bank holiday for me I'm not working till Wednesday now. I feel the call of the garden centre already. The question is should I do the shopping, cleaning, washing chores today or rush off and buy seeds.
It's a giddy exciting whirl of a life folks no wonder I couldn't sleep.
Friday, 21 March 2008
Sunday, 16 March 2008
Saturday, 15 March 2008
Gardening by shopping
The collection of plants that we were not going to buy and take back with us is steadily growing. That is the size of the collection not the plants. Although I'm having to hang on tightly to my common sense here and not buy pots and compost to start some off.
We now have
Chilli pepper seeds which I absolutely positively was not going to bother with
Onion sets at least I didn't fall for the seeds again
A mixture of aubergine seeds which is a bit strange as neither of us like them over much but they are special ones and look pretty (they are so)
Some multi coloured chard which is actually a really sensible buy (honest) as I wanted some last year and couldn't find the seeds in France
Carrots and dwarf peas - they were a bargain couldn't pass them up
Mushroom seeds (or whatever it is that mushrooms have) well TS has always wanted some
Dahlias which I would normally say I don't like but I saw lots last year in big informal blousy patches as opposed to rows for competitions and cut flowers. So I'm changing my mind.
Gladioli - move over Dame Edna.
So far the investment has been modest and easy to rationalise. We could stop buying seeds just like that. It's not like we're addicted or anything.
Four weeks and counting
We now have
Chilli pepper seeds which I absolutely positively was not going to bother with
Onion sets at least I didn't fall for the seeds again
A mixture of aubergine seeds which is a bit strange as neither of us like them over much but they are special ones and look pretty (they are so)
Some multi coloured chard which is actually a really sensible buy (honest) as I wanted some last year and couldn't find the seeds in France
Carrots and dwarf peas - they were a bargain couldn't pass them up
Mushroom seeds (or whatever it is that mushrooms have) well TS has always wanted some
Dahlias which I would normally say I don't like but I saw lots last year in big informal blousy patches as opposed to rows for competitions and cut flowers. So I'm changing my mind.
Gladioli - move over Dame Edna.
So far the investment has been modest and easy to rationalise. We could stop buying seeds just like that. It's not like we're addicted or anything.
Four weeks and counting
Wednesday, 5 March 2008
Normal Service?
I've just noticed how rubbish my spelling is and those tippy tappy typing mistakes are creeping in all over.
It's the rush of city life folks it's taking me over and my poor little fingers just can't keep up. They want to be gardening fingers weeding and planting seeds and such or chicken wrangling fingers collecting eggs and giving out treats.
NOrmal service will soon be resumed I just thought I'd tell you since I somehow managed to get to work half an hour early and I don't have to impress anyone by actually looking like I'm going to start work before nine.
Temping - the pay is crap but you can be too
It's the rush of city life folks it's taking me over and my poor little fingers just can't keep up. They want to be gardening fingers weeding and planting seeds and such or chicken wrangling fingers collecting eggs and giving out treats.
NOrmal service will soon be resumed I just thought I'd tell you since I somehow managed to get to work half an hour early and I don't have to impress anyone by actually looking like I'm going to start work before nine.
Temping - the pay is crap but you can be too
Sunday, 2 March 2008
The Measure of a Meal
For some reason I have been glued to the last two episodes of Masterchef. I haven't watched this in ages and it's a far cry from Lloyd Grossman I can tell you. But then again you probably know this.
Instead of making their best three courses chosen by themselves the poor contestents are now given a series of very scary challenges like cooking for Michelin starred chefs and weddings and stuff. It's edge of the seat stuff I can tell you.
Inspired I decided to up the stakes in my cooking this week. Emboldened by the switch from Khaki Flosam & Jetsam Vegetable Soup to soup with named ingredients and real colours I thought I know I'll do a curry from scratch, then when we finally get back to our little corner of paradise TS will only be missing real ale.
Off I went to the co-op since TS was unavailable for shopping expeditions seeing as he was back on his favourite job. I bought the garum masala, cumin, tumeric, coriander, chilli etc etc. Called in the butchers for some diced lamb. Went back to the co-op for yoghourt and ginger. Went home checked out recipes. Went back to the co-op for onions and naan bread.
In the end I got sick of going to the co-op and settled on Lamb Rogan Josh accompanied by Saag Aloo and Naan Bread. No more hotline to Ali's Curry House I thought as I chopped the onions and laid all the spices out on a little dish like they do on the telly programs. Then I made my very first curry from scratch.
TS was duly appreciative of the spicy scents wafting round the house when he got in from the first part of his 14 hours counting taxis. I filled up his plate and he made all the right noises.
Then today he admitted yes it seemed to have all the right ingredients but it didn't quite come together. "But I ate it all" he said "that's the true measure of a meal". Which would of been comforting except it came from someone who eats tins of beans with sausages in them.
Better not throw that takeaway number away just yet I guess.
Instead of making their best three courses chosen by themselves the poor contestents are now given a series of very scary challenges like cooking for Michelin starred chefs and weddings and stuff. It's edge of the seat stuff I can tell you.
Inspired I decided to up the stakes in my cooking this week. Emboldened by the switch from Khaki Flosam & Jetsam Vegetable Soup to soup with named ingredients and real colours I thought I know I'll do a curry from scratch, then when we finally get back to our little corner of paradise TS will only be missing real ale.
Off I went to the co-op since TS was unavailable for shopping expeditions seeing as he was back on his favourite job. I bought the garum masala, cumin, tumeric, coriander, chilli etc etc. Called in the butchers for some diced lamb. Went back to the co-op for yoghourt and ginger. Went home checked out recipes. Went back to the co-op for onions and naan bread.
In the end I got sick of going to the co-op and settled on Lamb Rogan Josh accompanied by Saag Aloo and Naan Bread. No more hotline to Ali's Curry House I thought as I chopped the onions and laid all the spices out on a little dish like they do on the telly programs. Then I made my very first curry from scratch.
TS was duly appreciative of the spicy scents wafting round the house when he got in from the first part of his 14 hours counting taxis. I filled up his plate and he made all the right noises.
Then today he admitted yes it seemed to have all the right ingredients but it didn't quite come together. "But I ate it all" he said "that's the true measure of a meal". Which would of been comforting except it came from someone who eats tins of beans with sausages in them.
Better not throw that takeaway number away just yet I guess.
Wednesday, 27 February 2008
I wanted this title in text speak but I don't know any
Did I say nothing ever happens here?
Proof positive last night that it's just me. We had an earthquake. 5 point whatever. The bed shook and everything. I somehow managed to incorporate it a third into a dream, a third into the wind gusting outside and a third into the dog scratching.
I can vaguely remember wondering what was going on, getting up and going to the loo then going back to sleep. Just what would have to happen for me to take notice. I have visions of the world ending one day while I'm stood at the bus stop wondering where everyone else got to.
The funniest thing I heard about the earthquake was from a work colleague who said her daughter sent her a text to ask what was happening. I'm still chuckling in disbelief. The daughter was just in the next bedroom by the way.
I still haven't got the hang of this texting thing. I'm so bad at it that I turned the beeping off on my phone so no one could hear how slow I was. The whole office used to take the p*** . Now I just don't use one at all.
Which is why when you lot are all texting each other about the apocolypse I'll be stood at the bus stop.
Proof positive last night that it's just me. We had an earthquake. 5 point whatever. The bed shook and everything. I somehow managed to incorporate it a third into a dream, a third into the wind gusting outside and a third into the dog scratching.
I can vaguely remember wondering what was going on, getting up and going to the loo then going back to sleep. Just what would have to happen for me to take notice. I have visions of the world ending one day while I'm stood at the bus stop wondering where everyone else got to.
The funniest thing I heard about the earthquake was from a work colleague who said her daughter sent her a text to ask what was happening. I'm still chuckling in disbelief. The daughter was just in the next bedroom by the way.
I still haven't got the hang of this texting thing. I'm so bad at it that I turned the beeping off on my phone so no one could hear how slow I was. The whole office used to take the p*** . Now I just don't use one at all.
Which is why when you lot are all texting each other about the apocolypse I'll be stood at the bus stop.
Sunday, 24 February 2008
Sunday Blogger
Do you think it's a bit like a Sunday driver? Whatever I've no time to dawdle about on the leafy less travelled bits there's a queue forming behind me.
One PC and internet connection between three adults does lead to the tiniest bit of tension. My brother is looking at something to do with Leeds United or cheap holidays, TS is looking out for a bargain on e bay, I want to flit about and see what my imaginary friends in the blog world are up to. We all think the others are rubbish drivers hogging the middle lane of the information superhighway.
Anyway enough of the driving analogy already. It's not like I even like driving. It's just all padding because I can't think of anything to blog about. The times I can I'm at work, or walking the dog, or shopping or at the back of the PC queue.
I quite like getting the bus though especially if I can get a seat next to the window. Then I sit and day dream or notice that everyone outside is wearing black or everyone is looking miserable and walking really fast. Actually I notice quite a lot of other things about people but I don't want you to know what I bitch I really am.
But I will say
Boys - baggy jeans showing your undies - not a good look when you have a fat bum, even less so if you (or was it your Mum?) have tucked your vest in your undies
Just don't get me started on the girls
One PC and internet connection between three adults does lead to the tiniest bit of tension. My brother is looking at something to do with Leeds United or cheap holidays, TS is looking out for a bargain on e bay, I want to flit about and see what my imaginary friends in the blog world are up to. We all think the others are rubbish drivers hogging the middle lane of the information superhighway.
Anyway enough of the driving analogy already. It's not like I even like driving. It's just all padding because I can't think of anything to blog about. The times I can I'm at work, or walking the dog, or shopping or at the back of the PC queue.
I quite like getting the bus though especially if I can get a seat next to the window. Then I sit and day dream or notice that everyone outside is wearing black or everyone is looking miserable and walking really fast. Actually I notice quite a lot of other things about people but I don't want you to know what I bitch I really am.
But I will say
Boys - baggy jeans showing your undies - not a good look when you have a fat bum, even less so if you (or was it your Mum?) have tucked your vest in your undies
Just don't get me started on the girls
Sunday, 17 February 2008
Happy Blogaversary To Me
Yes I have been blogging for a whole year today.
Strangely enough a year later and I'm in almost the same place but different.
I am staying at my brother's again (same brother, well only brother, different house) waiting to go off to France to fill our garden with food, do the house up etc. etc.
But another year older is another year wiser so I have been looking on e-bay at bits and bobs to take back with us like kitchen units that are strangely expensive in our bit of France where people don't chuck everything out and go for a new look kitchen, living room etc every few years.
I won't be taking umpteen packets of veg seeds, except I have already bought six on a whim yesterday but they were only 29p each so maybe I will. But I won't make the mistake of putting them in too early or trying to give plants a good start in crap compost. And I will plant some stuff that will produce food into the winter like chard. I'll also be planting squashes because I've discovered that I do like them to eat as well as to look at. I will not however, be trying to grow onions or leeks from seed. I'll buy a punnet of 50 little leeks for 5 euros and a bag or two of onion sets instead. I'll also buy pepper plants and chilli plants and probably tomato plants because we have nowhere warm and light enough to start them off.
I'll also be working on making the garden pretty as well as productive so that we can enjoy sitting out there even more. Whilst still feeling guilty that we're not doing up the house or something else useful.
All in all I'm just as excited as I was this time last year but I know a little bit more. Maybe I'll direct my energies better and finish some jobs. More likely I'll just find a whole new lot not to finish. At least we'll be starting off with heating, washing and cooking facilities even if we are still on the blow up bed. That has to count for something. Right?
Strangely enough a year later and I'm in almost the same place but different.
I am staying at my brother's again (same brother, well only brother, different house) waiting to go off to France to fill our garden with food, do the house up etc. etc.
But another year older is another year wiser so I have been looking on e-bay at bits and bobs to take back with us like kitchen units that are strangely expensive in our bit of France where people don't chuck everything out and go for a new look kitchen, living room etc every few years.
I won't be taking umpteen packets of veg seeds, except I have already bought six on a whim yesterday but they were only 29p each so maybe I will. But I won't make the mistake of putting them in too early or trying to give plants a good start in crap compost. And I will plant some stuff that will produce food into the winter like chard. I'll also be planting squashes because I've discovered that I do like them to eat as well as to look at. I will not however, be trying to grow onions or leeks from seed. I'll buy a punnet of 50 little leeks for 5 euros and a bag or two of onion sets instead. I'll also buy pepper plants and chilli plants and probably tomato plants because we have nowhere warm and light enough to start them off.
I'll also be working on making the garden pretty as well as productive so that we can enjoy sitting out there even more. Whilst still feeling guilty that we're not doing up the house or something else useful.
All in all I'm just as excited as I was this time last year but I know a little bit more. Maybe I'll direct my energies better and finish some jobs. More likely I'll just find a whole new lot not to finish. At least we'll be starting off with heating, washing and cooking facilities even if we are still on the blow up bed. That has to count for something. Right?
Sunday, 10 February 2008
My cuppa soup runneth over
The useless B's at the paper shop have sold me a defective lottery ticket yet again. This means that instead of winning 96 million on Friday and buying a rather nice chateau on Saturday I am faced with another working week.
So Saturday I moved to item 2 on my shopping list and bought some veg, soup for the making of. I have moved on from Khaki Flotsom & Jetsom (this is what TS calls my normal veg soup)and created Butternut Squash Soup in a very nice shade of orange and Pea Soup in a fairly alarming shade of green. The Tomato and Red Pepper has somehow morphed into a rice salad but hey ho it all looks very nice sitting in the fridge ready for next week.
Moonroot tagged me the other day. Thank goodness. Now instead of trying to find something interesting to post about I can rest on my laurels a bit
Archive Meme Instructions: Go back through your archives and post the links to your five favorite blog posts that you’ve written. … but there is a catch:
Link 1 must be about family.
Link 2 must be about friends.
Link 3 must be about yourself, who you are… what you’re all about.
Link 4 must be about something you love.
Link 5 can be anything you choose.
I think this is a great way to circulate some of the great older posts everyone had written, return to a few great places in our memories and also learn a little something about ourselves and each other that we may not know. Post your five links and then tag five other people. At least TWO of the people you tag must be *newer acquaintances so that you get to know each other better….and don’t forget to read the archive posts and leave comments
So here goes
Family - actually I don't exactly post anything about my family as such. It feels like talking about them behind their backs. However my brother does get mentioned in passing here
Friends - Mmm same as the above (how rubbish am I at this meme?)
Myself - Oh it's all about me me me really but here's where I discovered painting the house white
Something I love - Well it has to be TS doesn't it? The God of Chickens with a mongoose obsession
Anything I choose - It's Chicken Run I love these photos of Mimo, Sissy and the Dinnerladies even though it still makes me feel sad that Mimo isn't with us any more
So which lucky people shall I pass this on to?
Aims - because we are discovering such hidden depths with her
and
Travelling But Not in Love - cos he's a fairly new aquaintance
So Saturday I moved to item 2 on my shopping list and bought some veg, soup for the making of. I have moved on from Khaki Flotsom & Jetsom (this is what TS calls my normal veg soup)and created Butternut Squash Soup in a very nice shade of orange and Pea Soup in a fairly alarming shade of green. The Tomato and Red Pepper has somehow morphed into a rice salad but hey ho it all looks very nice sitting in the fridge ready for next week.
Moonroot tagged me the other day. Thank goodness. Now instead of trying to find something interesting to post about I can rest on my laurels a bit
Archive Meme Instructions: Go back through your archives and post the links to your five favorite blog posts that you’ve written. … but there is a catch:
Link 1 must be about family.
Link 2 must be about friends.
Link 3 must be about yourself, who you are… what you’re all about.
Link 4 must be about something you love.
Link 5 can be anything you choose.
I think this is a great way to circulate some of the great older posts everyone had written, return to a few great places in our memories and also learn a little something about ourselves and each other that we may not know. Post your five links and then tag five other people. At least TWO of the people you tag must be *newer acquaintances so that you get to know each other better….and don’t forget to read the archive posts and leave comments
So here goes
Family - actually I don't exactly post anything about my family as such. It feels like talking about them behind their backs. However my brother does get mentioned in passing here
Friends - Mmm same as the above (how rubbish am I at this meme?)
Myself - Oh it's all about me me me really but here's where I discovered painting the house white
Something I love - Well it has to be TS doesn't it? The God of Chickens with a mongoose obsession
Anything I choose - It's Chicken Run I love these photos of Mimo, Sissy and the Dinnerladies even though it still makes me feel sad that Mimo isn't with us any more
So which lucky people shall I pass this on to?
Aims - because we are discovering such hidden depths with her
and
Travelling But Not in Love - cos he's a fairly new aquaintance
Monday, 4 February 2008
Still here
but nothing much is happening I'm afraid.
This week I am still at the Uni but in a different department. Working 10 while 3.30 which is very nice as far as the whole sleeping till you wake up thing goes but not much good to someone who just wants to grab all the cash she can and go home.
Some things I'm appreciating that I didn't know I had missed are
being called love by all and sundry (a Leeds/Northern habit even the men call each other love)
evesdropping on the bus
living in a "finished" house and work being finished when you finish work
and having the use of a broadband connection that really is broad. In fact I bet Us In France's connection is so fast, now we're not there, that she's in danger of being sucked in.
Some things I'm missing are
The Dinnerladies - no silly chicken antics (though I have heard a rooster) and no eggs - I had one bite of a supermarket free range egg and had to throw it away it had a really strange harsh metallic taste
birdsong - nothing much to be seen round here but magpies and while they have a good sense of humour they just can't be described as tuneful
stars - that last little walk with Sissy before we go to bed looking up at the stars and next door's Christmas lights (I wonder if he's taken them down yet).
All in all though it's not as bad as I feared just kind of dull.
This week I am still at the Uni but in a different department. Working 10 while 3.30 which is very nice as far as the whole sleeping till you wake up thing goes but not much good to someone who just wants to grab all the cash she can and go home.
Some things I'm appreciating that I didn't know I had missed are
being called love by all and sundry (a Leeds/Northern habit even the men call each other love)
evesdropping on the bus
living in a "finished" house and work being finished when you finish work
and having the use of a broadband connection that really is broad. In fact I bet Us In France's connection is so fast, now we're not there, that she's in danger of being sucked in.
Some things I'm missing are
The Dinnerladies - no silly chicken antics (though I have heard a rooster) and no eggs - I had one bite of a supermarket free range egg and had to throw it away it had a really strange harsh metallic taste
birdsong - nothing much to be seen round here but magpies and while they have a good sense of humour they just can't be described as tuneful
stars - that last little walk with Sissy before we go to bed looking up at the stars and next door's Christmas lights (I wonder if he's taken them down yet).
All in all though it's not as bad as I feared just kind of dull.
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