A Holiday Read

 

I choose books for various reasons, recommended to me, read about it on someone's blog, seen reports about it in the media or an author I know. This book had all these but I nearly gave up on it.

Two families, the Londoners,  who have holiday homes in the West Country. Their homes are right by each other in a cliff top region, where the beach is just a stones throw away. 

Idyllic?? It should have been but there was trouble in paradise.. the locals objected to the fact, these holiday homes were empty for the greater part of the year, while local people couldn't afford to buy a property there.

I had to re-read the first few chapters, because there were so many names to take in, the two sets of parents, their children and the children's partners and then there were the locals who were actively making their lives very difficult (NJFA=Not just for August) 

But I carried on and there was a lot more than locals throwing tomato soup at the arriving cars and sticking up posters, the holidaying families themselves had problems and when there was a murder, everyone was a suspect.

Lots of happenings, deceit and jealousy, in fighting, the simmering of ever increasing tension between the Londoners themselves, kept me turning the pages.

Worth a read.. I liked the way each chapter was a character's story.

Twists and turns and an ending I would never have guessed... Try it for yourself, the author Louise Candlish is one of my fabourite  authours          

                     Chrisxx

Salmon on Croute.

 (This a Waitrose recipe)

500 g Leeks

150 g pack Boursin garlic and Herbs

320 g Pack Jus roll Puff Pastry

500 pack Scottish Salmon

Method

Wash leeks and trim.

Slice leeks thinly and place in a pan with 2 tbl sp. water.

Cover and cook slowly over medium heat for 8 to10 mins.

Stir in Boursin Cheese 

Leave to cool

Pre heat oven 200C or gas 6

Unroll pastry onto a baking sheet.

Skin the salmon and place on baking sheet, leaving 2 to 3 cm border.

Spoon leek and cheese mixture and spread over salmon, just on one side.

Wet edges with water (or egg if you want)

Fold over pastry and press edges together, trim off edges to neaten.

Make a small hole to allow steam to escape.

Bake for 30 to 35 mins until golden or cooked through.

Allow to rest, then cut into slices.

I'd serve this with new potatoes and green salad with an oil dressing.

Or if you're being good, just a large green salad, made up of.

.... shredded lettuce, slices of pickled cucumber with ginger, cold cooked peas and water cress.

Enjoy!

Chrisxx

None so strange as folk!

 In the past whenever  I've seen an episode of 'Long Lost Family' I used to long for a sister perhaps out there, waiting for me to meet. However not these days, because a cousin with whom I hadn't had any contact for years, decided she wanted to play 'happy families,' and got in touch. It was to tell us that her mother, my mother's sister had died. They all hadn't spoken to me for over 20 years, It was all to do with the house, where I grew up here in Porthcawl. My aunt had given it to me, and when they discovered this, they thought they should have a share. They had lived in the house in the late 40s, but moved from there in 1950, so I wondered why they thought the house was part theirs. Anyway I went to the funeral, sad, because I did love her mum and had stayed with them when I was a child.

But from that meeting, my cousin invited herself to stay.. She had stayed before the 'break' when my daughter got married, in the big detached 4 bedroomed house I bought after my divorce. So staying in my little three bedroom semi, which I loved, brought various comments about it being very small. But the size didn't stop her inviting herself again, so she could come with us to  a Christmas concert in London. And we were then invited to stay with her in her new large converted barn. Gosh were we cold, it was freezing there, because the main living room had a wood burning fire and no other heating in that room. Never again I said to Dh, as we drove away.

She pushed and pushed to stay with us in Suffolk, and our large Victorian Villa, met with her approval! So when I said we were moving from it, she couldn't understand. But Suffolk was lonely and lockdown had brought home to us we were 'townies!'

She has pushed to stay here and I've said no, always saying we were having building work, or something doing. She did phone and I answered, it was one long moan about how she missed visiting Porthcawl, especially, as I had sold the house where I grew up and she had stayed so many times and enjoyed holidays there. . I couldn't afford the upkeep of the two houses  and although I didn't really want to sell, someone had to pick up the costs of my daughter's wedding and her father didn't even offer to pay for any part of it.

So if a long lost sister did turn up, she could turn out like my cousin, pushy, over bearing and a snob! And I wouldn't like that. Its strange because she and her husband (but now divorced) always gave the impression of being well off, while I worked to keep a roof over me and helped with Uni costs for my children. She had the income from her parents house and said she said a good settlement from her divorce..but now pleads only just enough money to live. 

So I don't want a long lost relative to be found, unless like me they don't think it strange to turn up to visit, with a home made cake, a pot of home made marmalade and a rooted snippet of a favourite plant from my garden, rather than a bottle of wine and an ornament!

I hardly drink these days, nothing worse than alcohol for an iffy bladder and ornaments to me = stuff!

Chrisxx

What generation were you?

 I was the generation who walked to school in all weathers.

I was the generation who did my homework as quickly as poss. to play outside.  

I was the generation who played hide and seek in the dark.   

I was the generation who made mud pies and daisy chains and believed if you picked a dandelion, you wet your pants!

I was the generation who played kiss chase with the boys, although nobody got kissed, we just ran about screaming!

 I was the generation who played marbles, and yoyos

 I was the generation that loved one penny sweets and fizzy pop.  

I was the generation that collected photos, cards and scrap books and had a stamp Album.

 I was the generation who made paper toys with my own hands.                                                

I was the generation who coloured in pictures, when it was too wet to play outside.

 I  was the generation who knocked for friends to come out to play and played outside all day.

I was the generation who played cowboys and Indians, Germans and the English and Robin Hood and Maid Marion.

I was the generation who rode my bike with friends for miles and miles.

I was the generation who went to sleep, after sneakily reading under the bedclothes with a torch.

I was the generation who did as I was told.. well maybe but not always... what did you do?

Chrisxx

Cheese cake? No!

 Since Christmas our SW group has doubled with a whole lot of new members, trying to get rid of their Christmas 'exra eats' me too!

We try to get there early, otherwise we have to wait ages to get weighed and as we eat our little one slice of bread, a sandwich, of butter and marmalade, after we're weighed our tums are screaming! So we try to leave the house about 9 , which means we get there round about 10 minutes past.. But oh my, was it cold yesterday morning, the car thermometer said 2C and it was bitter. A cold wind with icy rain drops was horrible. As I trundled along the path to the scout hut with my wheels, I was moaning to Dh, 'why are we doing this?' I had on a winter dress, but not a thick one and although I was wearing a half slip under it, it is so thin, its like gossamer! My thicker one weighs 12 oz which is practically a pound so I can't wear that one! One young girl had on just a spaghetti strap top with her leggings! Brrrr

And after all that what did I lose?? Half a pound, is that all I said! Ah well its a new week, and our planned Valentine's meal was steak, baked potato and a huge green salad, so on plan...but yes I did have ice  cream after it, but it could have been a lemon full fat cheese cake, but we resisted and made do with just ice cream, which was delicious..and tomorrow it's the start of a new week!

Chrisxx

No change, but I wanted new!

 

Because I haven't been sleeping well,  two nights awake for hours and then up three times to the loo on other nights, yesterday morning when I woke just after 7:30 I went to the loo and then back under the duvet and slept another couple of hours, I was so tired.

 By the time I'd showered it was coffee time, I only ate half my lunch because I wasn't hungry. We then rushed off to town because our eye tests were booked.

After  last years fiasco when the optician, who I'd used since moving here, failed to order the new lenses and were very snooty when I said in exasperation, ok I'll have my £400 back. I, then had disaster with a well known national eye shop where the vari -focals just didn't work. I could not see properly with them, so took them back and had just reading glasses lenses.

So yesterday we went to another optician. She was very nice, thorough and said my eyes hadn't changed that much, the cataracts were still very small, and the Macular Degenerative condition of my left eye was very little and shouldn't cause me any bother. So no need for new lenses, I was a bit disappointed because I wanted new! She suggested I have another test 6 months time if I want.  So I might do that because I really fancied some red frames!

While Dh was having his eyes tested, I chatted to the two young ladies, because I remembered that shop when it was Hawkins Toy shop. It had a fire there in the sixties and the news reporter  writing about it had said, there were children watching the fire burning the teddies and dolls in great distress! True? I have no idea.

It was bitterly cold out and the wind off the sea sweeping into the main street was cutting, almost like ice crystals in it. We were glad to get home and into the warm and I ate the rest of my lunch!

Chrisxx

GILMORE GIRLS

There are so many horrible films on TV that I find upsetting, so if there's been something on I don't like, we watch an episode of The Gilmore Girls before bed time.

It sort of helps me to sleep because I can think about that, rather than my mind whirring round and round saving the world from horrible things;  or me counting backwards in threes from a 100 or saying the alphabet backwards!

Usually these don't work so after nearly an hour of not sleeping I read...I read until my eyes start to close. And like the Gilmore Girls it has to be a 'nice' book, no murders or scary stuff.

I often had my dog and cat with me on the bed, before I met Dh, just to frighten off the 'badies'

(Not Nell, whose birth date was 8th January she would have been 16) 

My dog then was Mari, a miniature poodle, I loved her so much when she died I took two days off work, I cried so much. She was a baby I didn't have.

Anyway if you've never watched The Gilmore Girls, its worth watching for a really good.... feel good factor. 

Chrisxx

Are we warmer?

 

I don't know about you, but spring can't come quick enough for me. We went out yesterday morning and at 4C it was cold, it wasn't raining but there was that 'air rain' as I call it. I took my new bright red umbrella, that Dh bought for my birthday, I haven't used it yet. I don't like going out in rain as it's horrible for my arthritis and also, when you've paid £27 for a blow dry hair appointment, you avoid getting it wet!

I love all spring flowers especially daffodils, they're so bright a colour and of course are the Emblem of Wales. I used to wear one as a teacher on St David's Day, over the years.

I've always grown them in my garden where ever I've lived. So I used to watch them in my garden willing them to flower before March 1st,  St David's day.. but they never did until about 20 years ago, so I always had to buy some, to wear one to work!  Now my garden has them flowering freely at the beginning of February, so you can't tell me there isn't Global warming. 

 There is 3.5 minutes of day light each day, that's nearly 25 mins each week... roll on spring I'm waiting for you!

Chrisxx

New chocolately, creamy and gooey!

 

I'm not a great chocolate eater, ice cream is my downfall, but I wouldn't say no to a Creme Egg.  My youngest son loved Terry's Chocolate Orange and it was something I bought him every Christmas, even as an adult. It is regarded as a Christmas item, but to get into the Easter trade Terry's has brought out a dark chocolate egg with orange creme filling!

 

Terry has even suggested the gooey creamy centre is even better when left at room temperature, or if hidden in a pocket, if hiding it from others! Who'd do that??

A shopper who has tried it, has described it as lovely truffle orange cream, with a crisp dark chocolate surround.

Sounds good enough for even me to eat!

Chrisxx

Are dreams real, what do you think?

 I don't usually remember dreams but last night's was very vivid.. I dreamt we'd moved  house, Dh's worst nightmare. He has said never again.. yes it was hard moving here and the extra cost was a surprise, especially the removal firm... but I think maybe we might, who knows?  

I've watched a few of Kate Humbles TV programmes where city people moved out into the country side, for a 'better' life, with reduced costs. They've had to work extremely hard to make a living there. But that wasn't the hardest part; the hardest part was when lockdown hit and the women mostly, were hit by immense loneliness.  And that was me when we moved to Suffolk. Although I had Dh and we were comfortable in a super house, I was overcome by anxiety and loneliness. 

I wanted to move back to Billericay, where I knew people, the area, the surrounding towns and my church, I had lived there for 44 years. Of course we didn't and tried to settle there. But I couldn't, I was suffering from insomnia, I was anxious and some days I was very, very down. 

Then I thought of moving here, my home town, the town where I was born. It wasn't easy, as it was still lockdown and although we had buyers for our Suffolk house, there was a hold up with them getting  a mortgage. By the time it was in place, the only bungalow left for sale was this one. It needed everything doing to it, so this is practically a new bungalow with new everything and  now it suits us very nicely.

So why  am I dreaming about moving? I do look up houses for sale all the time, I just like to know. And recently my daughter has moved house, so perhaps it is dwelling on my mind. But we are not moving or even thinking about it. In my dream the house we moved to was awful with an awful garden! So definitely a no no! Thank goodness it was only a dream, the garden was really, really awful! 

Some some lovely honeysuckle we planted last summer.

Chrisxx