A fright in the night.

 Apart from waking at night for no reason, altho its been suggested, its hormones. Hormones?? I thought I'd left them behind years ago,  but it seems that's what causes insomnia in post menopausal women; wouldn't you have guessed men are exempt!! But last night I woke at about about 4:25ish with a bladder spasm, which causes a feeling of wanting to wee even with a catheter in place. Its not just annoying but also distressing, because obviously there's no point going to the bathroom to the toilet.  But I've learnt if I get out of bed and stand up for a while, the feeling of wanting to wee goes. Dh was already awake, he didn't know why he woke.

I got back into bed and we were just lying there deciding should we have  a cuppa, when there was a banging on our front door!  It was quarter to five, Dh put on his dressing gown and I sat up, shouting  'BE CAREFUL'  He asked who was it and the answer was.... the police!! We are well lit up outside and have a hall lamp on all night as well. There were three of them, asking if Dh's name was Andrews... no one here of that name and they asked how long we'd been there, as someone named Andrews was listed here, as his last known address. We were able to give them details of the previous owner, but we did say he hadn't lived there, but there was lots of post still arriving for different people,  as the bungalow had been leased to numerous tenants. 

And off they went into a people type carrier vehicle, in fact there were two vehicles! Wow what a night! I wonder if any of our neighbours saw anything, perhaps they now think the two OAP who pass their houses are criminals in disguise! 

We did then have a cup of tea, but I went back into bed after half an hour and slept till gone nine. I must admit we were slightly afraid with the banging at first, as that time of the night it could have been yobs I thought,  but Dh thought it could have been a neighbour in distress, anyway it was not nice. But we have laughed about it since, because Dh had on his nose snoring strip, and one toe peeps through his right slipper, so might have caused the police a smile as they walked away.

Chrisxx

Post Christmas.

 Thank you everyone for your Happy Christmas wishes, hope you all had a wonderful time. We really enjoyed ourselves.. all sort of back to normal now, altho we leave our Christmas decorations up till 12th night.

We ate more than we should have, but today we're back on the slimming world food plan and its a start.  We've walked every day except Boxing day when it rained and apart from Boxing day, we've had wall to wall grey days! So dreary and it doesn't engender happy... ...lets go walking vibes! 

Yesterday as soon as we'd eaten our Sunday dinner we shot off, because the sun was shining and that would mean our town would be full and it was! Coney Beach was busy with  a 'Sausage Dog' charity walk across the beach! So this added to the other charity events, there was the swim on Christmas Morning, then there was the Boxing day Park Run,  except its not a Park Run, but along the prom; and at Rest Bay there was a Sand Snowman competition! There was also the usual Saturday Run. So many energetic people here in our town!

I quite like walking once I'm out, but I still worry about tripping so hang onto my wheels.. so yesterday was frightening. Along West Drive where I like to walk as its tarmac and not pavers, as I stepped away from our car I was nearly knocked over by a young girl on an E-Scooter! I screamed, it gave me such a fright.. she shouted 'sorry, sorry' but didn't stop as she whizzed off. Several people stopped to ask if I was alright, I was shaken up and a bit teary! But I got myself together and walked a bit further than I did the day before, no point wearing my watch,  as the jolting of my arm holding on to my wheels adds steps!

And wasn't this fantastic, I loved every minute and we probably will watch it again!

Chrisxx

Happy Christmas

 

Happy Christmas Everyone... hope you all have a Happy and Blessed Christmas... enjoy your day.

Thank you to all the comments and kind thoughts through out the year. I have enjoyed reading your blogs too.. Blog land is a wonderful place!

Chrisxx

Thank goodness for side streets!

We had a lovely morning in town yesterday, no rain, at last it had stopped and the wind had dropped. The main reason of going was to pick up our Christmas dinner, duck from the butchers..There was a young woman singing in the middle of the main street and she had the most beautiful voice.. she was collecting for women in East Asia, all official, as there are often people singing or playing instruments there, all always very talented. I stood and listen to her for ages.

 

Then ooops I had a bit of a problem, because suddenly one of the straps on the wee collection bag on my leg of this catheter, loosened and it slipped down  and we had to step into a side street, so Dh could tighten it up! All done very discreetly and quickly, so all ok. People were all too busy to notice anyway.

We had a lovely coffee and one of these, well it is Christmas!

Chrisxx

Christmas Sweet Bread

Saturday Dh and I spent the afternoon baking! And we loved it, working together, tasting as we went and we've realised how many food bits our dog Nell ate that dropped onto the floor, because the floor was a mess when we'd finished!

This is the fruit bread we've made it in the past, but the uncooked roll is cut length ways and both sides then rolled round to make this shape. It is delicious and very more-ish!

The recipe can be found here and how its made into this shape..watching this video is very calming!

We had such a lovely afternoon, we also made an Orange flavoured cake mix and of course Tiffin.. roll on Christmas.

Chrisxx

A super birthday day!

What an awful weather, the rain is streaming down the window panes, but its not cold as temps outside are 11C so comparatively warm, as long as you're wearing warm clothes. We keep our home on the warm side! 

I really enjoyed my day yesterday, with a slow start not showering till 10-ish.. yes we swerved SW, as I was sure I might have gained a pound or two in the week and who wants to be told they've gained weight on their birthday??

We hadn't really planned anything definite except to eat out for lunch but not where.. I said the garden centre which is about 5 miles from us and does have a decent café. 

Wow, they had extended it and now had a full menu! I still just had a sandwich, a big meal at lunch time doesn't suit me; so a prawn mayo sandwich was my choice. It was delicious, white bread, real butter and served with crisps and a salad. all went down very nicely with an Elderflower Presse. Dh had a Ham and Cheese Panini.. 

And then we went into the garden section. Although it was raining there was an overhead covering, which was just as well because the heavy rain was like someone going mad on drums!

And this is what I choose..a Winter Flowering Jasmine for the fence.

A white Hellibore for the front trough as one plant has died off in it.

And a Skimmia again for the front trough.

(These are photographs from the internet as too wet to go outside)

So a very pleasing visit and buys.. I ate 6 chocolates from the Dairy box Dh had bought me, the only chocs I eat and those yesterday will keep me happy for days. I'm not a big chocolate eater, ice cream is my happy eats!!

So I enjoyed my day, I have a thick fleece dressing gown to wear while I read my new book, and while I fill in my new address book and stuff myself full of chocs! And all were beautifully wrapped too with bows and ribbons.. Dh always goes the extra mile for my birthday as its so near Christmas. 

So I've made it to 82, it doesn't always feels that old, except on wet days, my aches and pains let me know I'm no longer a spring chicken!

Chrisxx

My Special Day... 82 years!!! 20/12/42

 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE 1% ERS:

99% of people born between 1930 and 1946 (GLOBALLY) are now dead.

If you were born in this time span, your ages range between 77 and 93 years old (a 16-year age span) and you are one of the rare surviving one-percenters.

You are the smallest group of children born since the early 1900's.

You are the last generation, climbing out of the depression, who can remember the winds of war and the impact of a world at war that rattled the structure of our daily lives for years.

You are the last to remember ration books for everything from tea to sugar to shoes. You saved tin foil and poured fried meat fat into cans.

You can remember milk being delivered to your house early in the morning and placed in the "milk box" at the front door. Discipline was enforced by parents and teachers. You are the last generation who spent childhood without television and instead, you “imagined” what you heard on the radio.

With no TV, you spent your childhood "playing outside". There was no city playground for kids. The lack of television in your early years meant that you had little real understanding of what the world was like.

We got “black-and-white” TV in the late 50s that had 3 stations and no remote.

Telephones (if you had one) were one to a house and hung on the wall in the kitchen (who cares about privacy). Computers were called calculators; they were hand-cranked. Typewriters were driven by pounding fingers, throwing the carriage, and changing the ribbon. INTERNET and GOOGLE were words that did not exist.

Newspapers and magazines were written for adults and your dad would give you the comic pages after he read the news. The news was broadcast on your radio in the evening. The radio network gradually expanded from 3 stations to thousands.

New highways would bring jobs and mobility. Most highways were 2 lanes and there were no Motorways. You went downtown to shop. You walked to school.

A favourite singer.

Alison Kraus is my favourite Country singer, her song, 'Now That I've found You.'  was played so often by my daughter, my grand daughter at 4 years old used to sing along with the CD and knew all the words.

I still like her although many people have never heard of her. In the last school I worked, a teacher there used to organise a music quiz every year for a local charity. I astounded my colleagues by naming her when he played her most popular song, which gave our team the winning point!

How could I not know it when my grand daughter used to sing it all the day long, and I still like it.

Chrisxx

A calming carol to put right my traumatic day!

I need this carol to calm me down; I was awake in the night for hours which means so was Dh! I did eventually get back to sleep and slept till 9.. at 9:15 I had a phone call from the district nurse to say she was coming at 10:30 ish!! Big rush to shower and dress and to make sure there was a clean towel in the bathroom because she has always washed her hands.. what a good thing that we cleaned yesterday and cleared away the stuff we leave about,.. she arrived with  a young man, who is training to be a district nurse..

I was waiting for the questions, how I was etc, when she said the whole point of her visit was to change the catheter!!Oh no, pain my mind said! But honestly it didn't hurt one bit! This is a 12 week catheter, so bringing it to March before it can come out! Altho' I should be contacted by a Urologist before then, to decide what happens next??? I wasn't expected that, I thought this was a short time temporary thing. So I am not happy.

I already had an appointment with the chiropodist, she was supposed to come on 9th Dec, I had written the date and time down when she was here after last time.. she absolutely denied she had made that appointment for me and so I said 'what ever;' I seethed inside, she is  a very 'I am right' sort of person with very black and white views. She did annoy me! She insisted it was 1:00pm Dec 18th which is not a time I usually agree to, because we eat at that time.

But on top of that we had a phone call from the library to say the Book Group time had been brought forward from 2:30 to 1:00 pm!! 

So Dh informed them we would be late! Why and how some people expect you to fall in with their times, when they give you such short notice I don't know!  Its a one off thing because its Christmas, we were told and it will be back to our usual time after it... didn't the person who organizes it know to tell us last month?

So all in all a traumatic start to my day.

The  book group book was 'Foxash,' by Kate Worsley, I wouldn't recommend it. It was a depressing dark, horror story set in the 1930s, post the Great Depression, and based on true historical fact when unemployed people were set up on 4 acres of land, to grow produce to sell and make a living.

 So I was very glad to pick up a book by Erica James last night to read at bedtime, a real comfort read!

What a day I was exhausted and it was only Wednesday, there's the rest of the week to get through now. I hope no other phone calls to upset plans already in place!

Chrisxx

Its Beginging to Look Like Christmas

We did manage to decorate the outside of our bungalow yesterday and  although Dh had promised he wouldn't do daft things on the steps,  like over stretching and falling off, to make sure,  I supervised!

So we have coloured lights round our brick posts which flick off and on, so maybe annoying to our neighbours, whose music is sometimes very, very loud! Although this year they do have lights outside round their Olive trees! 

And one of the very large extended houses, whose house front is a large glass frontage have firm to decorate their house, so it probably can be seen from space!

Our town does have lights but they're not wonderful and there have been numerous complaints from the towns people and a query as to where does our money go to? 

One of the main roundabouts last year, we haven't got this on the roundabout this year because the reindeer were stolen! Sad!

Chrisxx

We're very happy!

    Our new cooker is perfect with a lot of features we hadn't realised it had, a de-frost setting and a proving setting for making bread. So Dh is very happy, as its he who does all the cooking and I'm happy too! I might have a go myself and make some of the extras we have at Christmas time. We had a very tasty chicken Sunday dinner, the oven heats up a lot faster too, so perhaps the old one was failing for a while?

The only snag is the company we bought it from keeps texting to ask how was........ the delivery, the unpacking, the driver, bringing it into our house etc. I've given up answering and now delete them. And the phone call to push for the extra cover, no thank you; its guaranteed for 5 years, more than we thought.

To be honest if I was in better health and it wasn't Christmas I would have looked into having  the old one repaired, but needs must sometimes and I just couldn't face the stress. 

We had to connect it up ourselves, its a duel fuel but Dh knew what to do.

We were all set to go walking in the afternoon yesterday, but the heavens opened and the grey skies let us have what they've been threatening all week. I watched the squirrel skip through the drops straight to the fat balls we put out for the birds, not a bit bothered by the rain. He's amazing the way he hangs upside down by his tail, gobbling away, his little pink ears sticking right up. He's been digging at the edge of the flower bed, so hope he's left some bulbs for me!

So we're all calm with a cooker that works and some Christmassy things in the lounge and as we've sent our cards and presents to Dh's grand children so we feel organized.. I've sent birthday cards to two friends who have birthdays right after Christmas and Dh's remembered his son in law's.. so all happy here and our tree lights are twinkling!

                                 Chrisxx

Slimming group Christmas Dinner, no diet here!!

Bucks fiz

Starter:

Scallop, quail egg on a bed of smoked salmon and crab, dressed with watercress and a sauce of Gazpacho.

Main.

Turkey Wellington, mixed root vegetables, roasted sprout tops, roasted potatoes, pureed beetroot, drizzled with red wine gravy, dressed with pea shoots and cranberry sauce.

Desert

Home cooked Christmas Pudding with creamed custard.

Followed by...

Coffee with cream and a mince pie

All delicious!

 Chrisxx

Very tired!!

A very busy day and I'm out of 'go juice'  I am still waking at night wanting to wee! Its torture and I phoned the help line,  which is available 24/7 and evidently its normal, and she couldn't have an answer, except try to relax.

But how do you sleep if you have the feeling you're needing a wee??

I did go to my old hairdresser so I'm looking tidy in fact better than tidy, curled nicely....

So an early night for me, I think.

 A gentleman waiting for his wife in the hairdressers spoke to me while I was waiting for Dh.

Siarad Cymraig? And I was able to answer.

Ie, tipy ty bach,  sut dych chi?= yes a little, how are you?

He answered Dw i da iawn... =I'm very well. 

Then Dh arrived and I said..

Yma fy cariad= here is my darling,.... because I couldn't remember the word for husband! 

So even spoke some Welsh!

Chrisxx

A toastie and a naughty

We were up and out quite early yesterday, not to do anything really special, we needed a walk in the fresh air.

I collected some face cleansers from Boots, who didn't have it in the store,  in fact talking to the sales assistant last week you'd have thought I was asking for an unknown item, face wash cream didn't register with her at all, So I ordered it on line and had it delivered to the store. 

A mooch round the veg shops as Dh loves Russet apples and I got a pomegranate, which I love!

Then we did something we rarely do, we went to Costa and had a cheese toastie and a mince pie and coffee! Well we don't have an oven at the moment so an excuse to eat out, altho' we could have made a cheese toastie at home, and the mince pie was not the food plan, but very nice!

When we got home we decorated our tree, a smaller one this year but it is just right for our lounge. We used to buy really big trees but in the last few years 4 to 5 ft is big enough..we have more than enough sparkly decs to go on it and we have white lights. We still hang some bells on the lowest branches, which we always did, so we'd know if the dog went near to it, as its in a 'well' of water and given a chance she'd be there drinking it!  

A very nice morning strolling along looking in the Christmassy shop windows.

Chrisxx

We needed this, definitely!

I had another unplanned early start to my day, and although I wanted to go back to sleep I couldn't, so Dh and I were drinking tea at 6:17am! We had a leisurely breakfast caught up with the news and we were showered and dressed before 8:30 not my sort of start to the day, these days I like to take my time.

Dh suggested we went to town to post the parcel to Isla, her Teddy... which we didn't do yesterday because we dozed most of the afternoon! One of the results of broken night's sleep. I didn't really want to go to town, it felt too cold and the kitchen needed clearing up. We'd left everything after dinner because the cooker went phut!

It was out of the guarantee, and we hadn't extended it. We debated what to do, the grill wasn't heating up and hadn't for a while, but we waiting till after Christmas.  Now it was the oven!

Did we want the stress of finding a repair man, getting the part, fitting in a date etc!! Definitely not....... me and this catheter is enough stress, and broken nights sleep is tipping me over the edge and there's only 2 weeks till Christmas!

It only took us less than half an hour to buy a new cooker, we knew what we wanted, and its coming Saturday and we've paid to have the old one, and the packaging taken away! We believe in being stress free, so buying new was the best idea for us.. just as well we don't spend our money on useless stuff these days! And we will be able to have a Christmas dinner!

Chrisxx

Oh Holy Night -

Yesterday we had a slow day after a broken nights sleep,  for some reason my body is waking me up the times I used to wake to use the toilet. It's so annoying and its like I'm walking through treacle all morning trying to keep  going!

In the morning Dh packed the teddy we've bought for little Isla ready to post it when we go to town later.

We had a quick clear up of our lounge because the chiropodist was due, however she didn't arrive, it seems its Thursday she is to come? I wrote the day and date down as she told me last time so?? No matter she can come next week and we needed to clear some of the books away. After visiting my cousin whose lounge was spic and span, we came home to ours with the piles of books on the coffee table and my scarf and gloves on the side, and slippers ready to slip on and shoes ready by the French doors to go out into the garden! 'Its our living room,' I said, we live here!

We are decorating our tree later and Dh is putting up some lights outside so we'll be Christmas-ed! 

Don't you love all the lights and carols?

Chrisxx

The Candle Song

https://youtu.be/TGAXlGBB10M

While living in Essex I often went to Chelmsford Cathedral. When I heard that Graham Kendrick was at the Cathedral promoting a new worship song, some church friends and I went.

The singing was glorious and he taught us all his latest then song, 'From a Spark to a Flame' a truly lovely song.

This song today is sung by children and is his Candle Song.

Beautiful!

Chrisxx

O Little Town of Bethlehem

Our little town was more or less closed yesterday because of the storm.. Dh had put everything that might fly in the wind away and we made sure we had the torch and mobile phone with us in the bedroom. We did wake at 4 as the wind was howling, but all was well. I do hope anyone in the red and yellow zone were alright and no damage to your homes. Very frightening and the text warning frightened me when it went off, as we were very quiet here and the noise was a shock!

One year Dh and I went to York to do some Christmas shopping and we had an amazing time. 

On the Sunday we went to York Cathedral for the Evensong Service. It was wonderful, the choir sang this and other carols, we thoroughly enjoyed it. The inside of the cathedral had its own atmosphere and we were both caught up in it all and it was very emotional. 

When I lived in Billericay I always helped set up the church for the Carols by Candle light.. altho as years went on we didn't have real candles, 'Health and Safety,' but it was still a lovely service.

My grand daughter was part of Kings College, (Cambridge)  Carol service one year and altho I was only able to see it on TV and couldn't really see her, I felt very proud. Her school was asked were there any children, who could be part of the choir and her teacher put her name forward. She had been 'Oliver' in year 5 in her school and 'Joseph' in year 6, so did a lot of singing. 

How can you not join in when you hear singing like this.

Chrisxx

I'll be singing too.

The Princess of Wales Christmas concert was recoded last evening and will be on our screens December 24th 7:30pm on ITV...I for one will be watching and joining in!

When I was teaching I played the piano for Assemblies and the Christmas concerts. I practised a lot at home and living by myself and in a detached house, at all times of  the night and day..I bought my piano with my first full month's pay when I started teaching in 1978.

One year in the 1990's we had succession of power strikes and I put two little tea lights on the music stand on my piano, so I could see the music and played for hours. Except for one evening when my phone rang and on answering it, I discovered it was from an  older lady living alone, who had misdialed and got me. She was lonely and only had a couple of candles, so was a bit afraid too in the dark. We chatted for an hour, till the lights came back.. I heard about her grown up children and grand children and I told about me practising the piano for my school.. She wanted to hear me, so I played the school song I had been practising and sang along. She said it was lovely, but I wondered if she could really hear, although the phone stretched across the dining room was near-ish to the piano! Anyway I wondered after what happened to her, we didn't swap addresses, but I wish we had.

I have continued to love singing although of course no longer play since my arm injury, but I'll be singing with the concert on Christmas Eve and hope they sing this one!

The concert will focus on themes of love, kindness and empathy. It comes after a challenging year for the Princess who has undergone cancer treatment and had stepped back from public engagements.

Chrisxx

The real reason why shops close for Christmas!

Christmas poem by Mary Oliver.

Says a country ledged told every year,

Go to the barn on Christmas eve and see,

What creatures do as that long night tips over.

Down on their knees they will go, the fire

of an old memory whistling through their minds.

I went, wrapped my eyes against the cold,

I creaked back the barn door and peered in.

From town the church bells spilled their midnight music,

And the beasts listened- yet they lay in their stalls like stone.

Oh the heretics!

Not to remember Bethlehem.

Or the star as bright as the sun,

Or the child born on a bed of straw!

To know only of the dissolving now!

Still they drowsed on-

Citizens of the pure, the physical world.

They loomed in the dark: powerful

of body, peaceful mind,

Brothers I whispered, 'It is Christmas!

And you are no heretics, but a miracle,

immaculate still as when you thundered forth

on the morning of creation!'

As for Bethlehem that blazing star

still sailed in the dark, but only looked for me.

Caught in its light, listening again to its story,

I curled against some sleepy beast, who nuzzled

my hair, as though I was a child, and warmed me

the best it could all night.

Chrisxx

My list is getting less.

I've started writing my Christmas cards hence the Christmas music, but when I looked at my list, I was over come with a sadness, as I saw I'd put a line through my friend Diane's name, as she had died early last year. We first met when we both started our nursing training in January 1960, so we'd known each other a long time. We did meet up once a year until a few years ago.

I was her bridesmaid and I remember it well. She had a white velvet dress and her sister and I had dark blue velvet dresses. 

I went to her home the night before as she lived in Newport and I was here in Porthcawl, I caught a bus.. I loved going there as she had a 'normal' family, a mum who was lovely and dad and sister.. so very different to me, I lived with my grandmother and two maiden aunts.

We both had a bath the night before, no showers in those days and her dad had put an oil heater in the bathroom, as no central heating either then! We slept on blankets on a bedroom floor because they had relatives staying. It must have been comfortable as I can't remember not sleeping, but we did chat for ages, so probably were very tired. What did we talk about?? Well this was a time when people didn't 'sleep' together till you were married, so we talked about what it might be like, we were totally unknowing about marriage!

So some lovely memories although sad.

She and her husband David were girl friend and boy friend in school so together for over 64 years.. when he phoned to tell me I was too choked up to speak. My list is getting smaller every year, so sad.

Chrisxx

A better end than a beginning!

I always enjoy our trips to town but yesterday morning was ugh!

I'd had a message, that it had been decided to have a Secret Santa at our SW Christmas lunch... Dh and thought the same, oh no what to buy and also what vile gift would we receive. Ok yes I'm a bit of a prude, but a chocolate 'men's' bits is not for me! I've had it in the past and the nearest bin received it!

But we had seen some things in one of the lovely gift type shops in town, that would be suitable and we could have a coffee in our favourite coffee shop. It was fairly crowded so we couldn't sit where we usually sat.. I found a table at the side while Dh got our coffees. There were two groups of older women there, chatting away and laughing, making quite a noise.  One lady got up to go and as she came past me grabbed my arm as though to swing around me! I let her know and the rest of Costa to 'get off me!' Why do some people have to touch you? I hate it!

Then Dh arrived with our coffees, he always has black with milk on the side, and as he put down the tray, he spilt the milk! Fortunately most went in the tray. But then he was discombobulated and sat down.. wondering should he get another milk, he did, but our coffees were cold! Normally we'd have asked for another one, but the noise, the spilt milk, it was all too much and we were glad to get outside!

Of course the best gift shop has a steep step so not for me, but there were things in the window so Dh went in to enquire the prices, £5 was the suggested price for the secret Santa, and to ensure one gift would be suitable for a man..

So we bought..this sequined bow tie for a man. The shop had it on a card as for your favourite pooch, but I thought it would be super for a man and a fun pressie without being offensive.

And this china tree ornaments for a lady, it says 'Nadolig Llawen' Merry Christmas.

So we were very pleased with our buys and hope who ever gets them will be too. 

Our morning ended quite pleasantly after all, and we bought new baby Isla, a beautiful Steiff Teddy Bear, that's creamy, soft and cuddly.

Chrisxx

Mary Did You Know? (Official Music Video) | One Voice Children's Choir c...

This is one of my favourite Christmas songs.

We haven't put up our Christmas decorations yet but we do have a few ready and Dh has a CD playing when he's  cooking in the kitchen, sometimes rather loud!

Even though there is only the two of us we have all the usual food treats, although we have duck rather than turkey. Its all ordered at our local butchers. The year before last when Dh went to pick it, as he was given it, wrapped, he remarked that it felt rather light and it wasn't the duck! But they sorted it and it was delicious!

We serve it with a red wine sauce that is a Delia Smith recipe.

4 tble sp Morella Cherry Jam

400 ml red wine 

Bring to the boil and then  simmer till sauce thickens. 

It can be made in advance,

And we make Jaime Oliver's gravy

2 Onions

2 carrots

2 celery sticks

2 rashers smoked bacon

Fresh bay, sage leaves, 2 each and a sprig of rosemary.

2 star anise

10 chicken wings, 2 chicken legs

optional port or sherry 

2 tbl sp flour

Olive oil.

We pare this recipe down to suit us

All ingredients are put in a cooking tray except flour and on the top of the cooker, break up the chicken wings, (bash with the end of a rolling pin) and boil vigorously, stirring. Then mash with a potato masher and cook for about an hour. Then stir in flour stirring all the time, add 2 pints boiling water, cook for a further 35 mins. If using the alcohol add now and heat through.

If it is a consistency that you want, strain through a sieve getting all the veg and chicken liquor through. It can be cooled and frozen if you want. 

We make this Christmas eve afternoon.. it is worth the effort, its delicious!

Chrisxx

A Bun

A story I wrote when I belonged to a writing group.

Eleven Pounds

 ‘Only eleven more,’ she said.

‘You could do that in two months, Clara said.

‘I know I could, if I tried really, really hard,’ Said Laura.
Thoughts rushed through her mind. Once she reached that target weight all her troubles would be like sand in the wind. She’d be beautiful, people would look at her differently. No longer a blob stuffed into clothes much too small, no more trying to get her battle ship of a body into those magic knicks. She would find the man of her dreams too, just eleven pounds that’s all.

She looked down at the small plate with the cream cake and the large late´ coffee. ‘I 'll start after this cake,’ she said. ‘Or I could chuck the cake and start now.’ 

It was so hard, so hard to give up the foods she liked. Already one hundred and two pounds lighter and the clothes she wore now, were more fashionable, but she needed those eleven pounds more, to be really slim. She absent mindedly bit into the soft squelchy bun, cream oozed out of the side and the sweet icing stuck to her top lip. ‘If only I could lose those eleven pounds.’ she said and she swallowed the soft sticky sweet bun, ‘only eleven.’

Would you like another bun?’ asked Clara,’ they’re priced three for two.’
‘Oh alright then, pity to miss a bargain.’ Said Laura, as she looked at the bun in her hand, how could this small bun be so bad, there's always tomorrow for the diet, she thought.

               ********************************************

I don't think like that today, but I do like cream cakes, so we don't buy any, nor ice cream as that is my real failing! Since having this catheter I have gained weight, not eleven, but I am back on the plan. It will take me a while to lose this gain of four pounds, but I will, pound by half pound, so definitely no cream buns!

Chrisxx

A fun watch.

 Sometimes you just need a film that needs no deep thoughts and this one 'The Merry Gentlemen,' is one of those.

The main female star, Ashley who is a big city dancer and has been dropped from a regular show for a younger girl with 'pert boobs'  (the films words not mine!) returns home for Christmas, to find her parents small town performing venue, is failing. 

Of course she saves her parents business by staging an all male Christmas theme review. there is a love interest too. Luke, a fit looking young man who helps her parents by doing their repairs. A film with all the usual story lines you can predict.. but sometimes you just need an easy watch! It was very enjoyable and Dh and I sat and watched in silence and when I took a side wise glance at him, he was smiling at a silly bit! I'd recommend this for anyone who enjoys these sort of Rom Coms... Can you tell I'm not full of beans rushing around. but very willing some evenings just to sit and relax and watch TV. Almost like lock  down when our world stood still!

Chrisxx