Archive for the ‘Food’ Category
Posted by Shirley Anne on January 22, 2012
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On Wednesday, after some morning’s work, E and I decided to dine out at one of our favourite places some 12 miles out-of-town. I had been working outside in that fine drizzle type of rain, not enough to prevent the work being done but enough to make me feel a little irritated. By the time I had returned home the weather hadn’t changed so we were reluctant to chop up any more of the trees we had felled on Monday and Tuesday. There is no urgency to do that as we have two more weeks before the green waste bins are next emptied. When we arrived at our destination we found the car park practically empty and consequently there were plenty of empty tables inside. Of course we usually dine mid-afternoon and therefore expect fewer diners. We were pleasantly surprised to find an empty table next to the fireplace. This fireplace stands in the centre of one of the rooms and is open on two sides. A young couple occupied the table on one side so we took the table on the other side. It was so nice to be able to sit by a log fire for a change although anywhere in the dining rooms is pleasantly warm. I had a bottle of red wine which I didn’t drink completely, in fact I took it home still half full when we left. We both had a cola drink too. I chose sea bass for my main course and E chose a gammon steak. Neither of us had a starter but we chose something from the dessert menu later. When we had finished eating E had a coffee and I finished the glass of wine I had left. I wasn’t feeling well for some reason and I went to the toilet. On my return my brief uneasiness had disappeared. E mentioned that it could have been the heat from the fire which caused me to feel strange but I have my doubts about that because I remained sitting next to it without any further problems. Whilst out I received a couple of calls requesting my services. That work will more than pay for our lunch by the cosy fireside.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Food, Leisure, Lifestyle | Tagged: Dining room, Drink, Fireplace, Food, Leisure, Lifestyle | 5 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on January 14, 2012
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The end of the week usually brings a release from the working week and a chance to relax, or used to! When I worked for an employer I didn’t have the same freedom as when I started to work for myself but the pressure became stronger. So although I used to look forward to my Fridays and my weekends to myself when I became self-employed those feelings became stronger even though I had the freedom to choose how I spent my time working. There is a greater sense of urgency when working for one’s self I would suggest. That being the case and especially now as I am kind of semi-retired or at least only working part-time I relish taking time out to engage in some self-indulgence. Last Friday afternoon I went dining out with E and yesterday we had a repeat performance but at a different location. Yesterday morning I did an electrical job repairing some lighting and replacing fittings and returned home sometime around noon. We had already planned to dine out so I wasn’t prepared to take on any more work for the day. We tend to eat a little later into the afternoon as many places by then are not crammed full of other diners and the pace is subsequently much slower and more relaxed which makes for a better afternoon I think. I tried a new dish this time. Even though the sea bass looked very tempting I decided together with E, to have pork rump in a plum sauce with steamed vegetables and new potatoes. E had tasted this dish before but it was a first for me and she told me that I would enjoy it. I always thought that pork and apple were good together and I had reservations about pork and plum. I was pleasantly surprised when the dish arrived and I tasted it. The pork was very tender and the sauce was sweet. The two things go well together. However I did find the sweetness of the sauce a little too much by the time I’d finished and I think it would have benefitted from being a little less so. I pushed the boat out with my dessert too trying a lemon based dish I had never ordered before. Its name escapes me but it was basically sponge soaked in a lemon sauce topped with something resembling custard but not custard mixed with white chocolate and meringue chippings. It was too bitter for my liking but I ate it. I probably will not have it again. I am usually open to trying new dishes up to a point but I will draw the line at some things. We left the restaurant about two and a half hours later with the other half of the bottle of red wine because for once I behaved myself by not drinking it all at the table. We stopped by a supermarket on the way home to re-stock on cola and some foodstuffs. A very nice afternoon was had by all.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Food, Lifestyle, Rest and relaxation, Work | Tagged: Cooking, Drink, Food, Friday, Meat, Pork, Potato, Rest and relaxation, Sauce, Work | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on January 8, 2012
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I had the day to myself on Friday as I was released from my jury service until Monday. Not wanting to let the opportunity pass by to enjoy myself for the day I invited E out for an extended lunch, well they are always extended when I dine out. I love the experience of wining and dining out and generally socialising and it is nice to do that with friends and family but it is nicest when in the company with someone very special. In my case that would be my ex partner E whom I love dearly. I take the opportunity to dine out with her as often as I can so that not only do I get to enjoy myself but that she can enjoy life more than she usually does. As is the case I often ask her if she is happy so that I can help her to be happy as much as I can. She is hard to reach sometimes but I persevere for I don’t want her to feel unhappy if I can do something to change that. I wonder sometimes what makes her tick, what it is she wants out of life because I feel she is missing out on things when she should be getting the most out of life. I know she enjoys her outings with me but she is often reluctant to show that. So it was that we both went to one of our favourite haunts in the next town on Friday and had a carvery lunch with dessert and drinks. I polished off a full bottle of red wine and later had a liqueur coffee with a cream topping, similar to the picture on the right. We both had soft drinks too, she was drinking Pepsi-Cola and I was drinking the diet version in-between my sips of wine. I like the taste of the cola following the wine and sometimes I mix the two in the same glass when I am tired of drinking the wine neat, which isn’t often (LOL). We arrived at the restaurant/pub at around 1.30 and we left just before 5.00 stopping off at the supermarket for some rum, whisky and cream. I wanted to enjoy another glass or two of a liqueur coffee! I am off to work on Saturday morning which will be yesterday by the time you read this so I will not be able to have a drink, if I want one, until late in the day. I probably won’t indulge as I value having a healthy liver which needs a break now and then! I might have a drink today, Sunday but then nothing until the end of the week when I have finished my jury service. Mind you, I may get on a case that lasts longer than this coming week but in any event I will enjoy a drink or two at the weekend. I might even surprise the staff at my local pub by paying them the first visit for over six weeks. I love life and I love people who are prepared to enjoy it with me. Life is too short not to enjoy it.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Enjoyment, Food, Happiness, Leisure, Life, Lifestyle, Philosophy, Values, Wisdom | Tagged: Alcoholic beverage, Drink, Food, Friday, Leisure, Life, Lifestyle, Monday, Pepsi, Philosophy, Saturday, Soft drink, Wine | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on January 1, 2012
E and I went to Preston hospital this afternoon to see our first grandchild. I couldn’t wait to see her and hold her in my arms, in fact I was only there ten minutes when I got the chance. I didn’t want to give her back! So adorable, so tiny, so beautiful. I was reminded of the time my two sons were born and how they looked and how it felt to hold them for the first time. Now my eldest at 29 is a father. How time flies. E got her chance to hold her a minute or so later. We didn’t stay too long, about forty minutes or so but we’ve plenty of time to see them all later. On the way home I asked E if she would like to dine out as we were passing a favourite restaurant of ours. She did and so we dined out for the first time in many months. A pleasant day all round.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Family, Food, Happiness, Life | Tagged: Drink, Family, Food, Preston | 4 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on October 13, 2011
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As those who have been reading my many posts over the last twelve months will know, E takes care of what is grown in the greenhouses we have. I take a passing interest. I am not a gardener by any means and really only help out with the more heavy work of mowing the lawn, chopping up branches and clearing out debris. I like gardens but don’t much fancy working in them! E’s pride and joy is to see the fruits of her labour and being able to stock our refrigerator with tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers from what is produced in the greenhouses. I have been eating tomatoes so much I fear they will be coming out of my ears soon and there are still plenty more of the to eat yet. A week or so ago I came across this specimen
Alongside is a more normal specimen, like the rest of them. Now I have seen many odd things in my lifetime but never a tomato that has a nose! It tasted good though – nose and all! The crop has been incredible and it is difficult to keep them fresh for any length of time although the fridge keeps them so for quite some time. Those that cannot be eaten raw because of the time element have to be fried or used in cooked dishes like chilli-con-carne or Bolognese but get eaten they do. This year we had so much cucumber that E had to give some away. One or two specimens grew to about three feet or about a metre in length and as you know cucumbers don’t stay fresh too long once cut into and really can only be eaten in a salad. I think that next year we will have to grow fewer cucumbers for that reason unless we can give them away. In fact as I write this there are still tomatoes and cucmbers growing in the greenhouse! There has been success in growing beetroot and carrots too. A couple of onions have done well but as this was really the first season for E to experiment with growing vegetables she has done remarkably well. The greatest success outdoors has been the potato crops but they are quite easy to grow. I am wondering what sort of crop we will get next time. The apple trees have produced quite a crop too and there are still apples on the branches. E has made several jars of apple sauce for use when having pork and there is some left for making pies. The rhubarb has supplied me with a few rhubarb crumbles and continues to grow as it is picked but the weather will soon put an end to that until next Spring. Altogether we have done quite well growing our own produce and we hope it will be even better next year.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Food, Garden, Gardening | Tagged: Apple, Chili con carne, Cooking, Cucumber, Fruit and Vegetable, Garden, Greenhouse, Home, Tomato | 3 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on September 22, 2011
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Some people say that I have some strange eating and drinking tastes. According to them my habits are a bit weird but it’s all down to personal taste. I stumble across things by experimenting. Many years ago now a friend and I were drinking at a bar. I was drinking cider and she diet or normal cola, I can’t remember which. Not watching what she was doing she poured the cola into my drink but rather than throw it away I tasted it and liked it so much I ordered a cola and cider and mixed them 50% equal measures. Later I discovered that the cola would actually sit on top of the cider if poured slowly. The resulting effect is startling and when drunk it starts off tasting sweet and gradually the cider can be tasted until almost all of it is just cider. A bit of a novelty which I still enjoy today, if the bar staff have the time to pour the cola slowly but now I only add diet cola. That original discovery led to two more concoctions, diet cola with Red Bull and cider with Red Bull all in the same proportions as before and all with their own distinctive taste. Now here is a really odd thing. Many people drink ‘spritzers’ which is white wine mixed with soda water or lemonade but there isn’t, or wasn’t a similar drink using red wine. One day a couple of years ago I had a diet cola as an initial drink at the dining table but ordered red wine to accompany my main dish. When the main dish had been eaten and I had almost drunk what was left of the red wine I took a sip of cola. Because I still had the taste of red wine on my palette it mixed with the cola and a new drink was born! I poured a small amount of cola in the remains of the red wine in the glass and tasted it. I was amazed that it tasted so good. Nowadays, when I dine out, or as I did on Monday evening in the pub, I buy both cola and red wine and when I am tired of drinking the wine by itself I mix the two together. People think I am mad but it is all a matter of taste.
As for food, I tend to experiment at home with what I have in the refrigerator or larder. I try different things to see if they go well together before including them in a dish together, just as I would with drinks. Many things can be put in an omelette and I often have more than one of these, peas, sweetcorn, mushrooms, onion, tomato, potato, almost anything that tastes well with eggs. Then I lay the omelette on a bed of cold lettuce and it tastes delicious. I mix fried chopped onions with baked beans, put black pepper and herbs in with cabbage when cooking it (the water is a nice savoury drink). Stews can have lots of strange things in them when I cook them here’s one I cooked a few days ago containing, fried onion, garlic, capsicum, minced beef (could be any meat), water, peas, sweetcorn, carrots, mixed herbs, beef stock cube, vegetable stock cube, paprika, ground black pepper, salt, sage and onion stuffing mix, gravy browning, sunflower oil (cooking the onion and meat). A dash of malt vinegar was put on the dish when served in a bowl. It all sounds a bit too much but the taste is worth the effort and it really isn’t an effort, taking only twenty minutes from start to finish. I get bored eating the same old dishes all the time and that is why I experiment. Variety is the spice of life they say.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Food | Tagged: Cider, Cola, Drink, Food, Home, Red Bull, Vinegar, Wine | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on September 10, 2011
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So I spent Wednesday afternoon/early evening down at my local pub. After visiting the place about two weeks ago after a long absence and promising that I would go more often I have returned there twice since. My workload is very low just now and I was feeling so bored sitting home alone I decided to do two things. One, was to go for a walk and two, was to go to the pub. I did both. The weather at home has been rather a wet and windy affair so walking too far was out of the question, especially as I was wearing (small) heels and wasn’t dressed for taking on the elements. Fortunately the streets afforded quite a bit of shelter from the wind until I walked westward but even then it wasn’t too bad. At least the rain held off until I was back indoors, that is inside the pub! On arrival I found but a few patrons inside so I grabbed the local newspaper and sat down with my drink on a lovely leather sofa near to a window (I need daylight or bright artificial lighting to read comfortably) so that I wasn’t straining to see the script. My eyesight is quite excellent and I don’t need glasses as an aid, just good lighting. After an hour I began to feel hungry so I looked at the menu. For a small establishment they have quite an extensive choice of meals and snacks. I chose a smoked salmon sandwich with a salad as I wasn’t hungry enough to eat a large meal. It was delicious and enough to satisfy me for a few hours. By the time I had finished eating many more folk started to arrive and all but a few (those I don’t know) greeted me. I don’t know about you but I love ‘people watching‘ and I was quite contented to just sit there across the room watching them come and go. Finally though some wanted a little more contact with me and came over for a chat. By early evening I was up and about chatting with people myself. I am a very gregarious and sociable person and I find chatting with people so easy. Of course I had to watch my alcohol intake as I can get carried away sometimes by overdoing things. It was getting late and I decided that I must return home so I said my farewells and off I went for the ten minute walk to my house. I got home just after eight-thirty and found I had mail and a parcel containing the new shoes I had ordered a few days ago. I tried the shoes and they are a perfect fit but I doubt I shall be walking to the pub in them as the heels are just over four inches! I shall take a cab if I wear them out.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Enjoyment, Exercise, Food, Friendship, Leisure, Lifestyle, People, Rest and relaxation | Tagged: Bar (establishment), Drink, Entertainment, Food, Friendship, Leisure, Lighting, Newspaper, People, Rest and relaxation | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on September 5, 2011
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Over the last few months I have made myself a chilli-con-carne almost once every week. Now I do like chilli but after this weeks serving I am finding that the novelty is wearing off, so much so that I don’t think I’ll be making it for a while. Also I think once every week is too frequent so if and when I resume making it I shall only make it occasionally. It isn’t just chilli either, I find I am getting bored eating many of the meals I prepare. It could be that my tastes are changing or it could be that I am simply tired of eating from the same menu week after week. Last week I made myself a spaghetti Bolognese for the first time in a couple of years and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have resisted the urge to make another one too soon. I love fish but don’t cook it often enough at home. It is sometimes my choice when dining out though but still I don’t eat it too often. I like to vary my diet as much as I can but find myself just eating whatever is available. I like to concoct dishes where possible and end up finding unlikely combinations on my plate. For example as a snack I like chopped fried onion mixed into baked beans (it is tasty, try it), boiled rice mixed in with peas and sweetcorn, omelette filled with the same and served on a bed of lettuce – less the rice of course (maybe I’ll give that a try), anything is possible if my taste buds allow. It does no harm to try things but usually I serve separately before mixing them in the cooking process so that I have the choice of mixing them or not. It is surprising what unlikely dishes I come up with sometimes and it puts a bit of fun into the process. I do get bored with food though so I like to have a non repetetive and varied diet where possible. This is one reason I like to dine out, there is often quite a varied menu on offer. Another reason is I don’t have to wash up afterwards!
My drinking habits often follow along the same lines inasmuch as I like to vary what I drink and I like experimenting with drinks to find something that I like. For instance I like cider with cola (50/50), cider with red bull (50/50), cola with red bull (50/50), red wine with cola (50/50) and many more. I never mix spirits with other spirits, not that I drink much of them anyway and never mix wines with other wines. I get bored drinking the same old drinks each time I go out so you will find me often selecting the unusual. Whatever I choose to drink on any particular occasion I will stick with it save for any soft drinks that I may have at the time.
Perhaps it is just me but I hate sticking to the same thing, whether it be food or drink or anything else for that matter. What about you? Do you like to experiment?
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Food | Tagged: Beverages, Cola, Cooking, Drink, EAT, Food, Home, Soft drink, Wine | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on August 18, 2011
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I was sitting quietly in the lounge when my son informed me that he had arranged to have some sausages made for me by his friend, a butcher. The thing is I only eat beef sausages and he knew it. E has been finding it difficult to find beef sausages in the shops she uses so it was nice of my son to order some specially for me. I don’t often eat sausages I have to say but they are a nice treat occasionally. Sausages have been around for over two thousand years and even now new types are being developed. The first record of sausages was found in an ancient Greek play called “The Orya,” or “The Sausage,” written about 500 B.C. Early sausages were often salted to preserve the meat. The origin of the name ‘sausage’ comes from the Latin word ~salsus~, meaning salted. In some countries it was a normal practice to ‘smoke’ the meat in order to preserve it during warm weather. The sausage was a popular food throughout many countries which produced and still do, many different varieties, especially spiced varieties. In England the sausage has been associated with certain counties such as Berkshire, Wiltshire, Lincolnshire and Cumberland etc. .It was considered a special meat, a delicacy, by many of the country’s aristocracy and the common man could not afford such things. More recently it became commonplace and it lost its high status as a special food. Sausages made from the offal or poorer cuts of meat and fat became mass-produced and as a food became a rather unhealthy alternative. However it has made great strides in making a come-back and is often found as a main course in many good restaurants having improved its credibility and of course its ingredients. There are so many different ingredients which find themselves inside a sausage these days and vegetarian sausages are also popular. I still prefer the simple beef sausage however, nice with mashed potatoes and peas.
Shirley Anne
Posted in Food | Tagged: Berkshire, Cumberland sausage, England, Food, Lincolnshire, Meat, Sausage, Wiltshire | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on August 12, 2011
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The dictionary description of Rhubarb :-
noun
2.
the rhizome of any medicinal species of this plant, forming a combined cathartic and astringent.
3.
the edible, fleshy leaf stalks of R. rhabarbarum, used in making pies, preserves, etc.
4.
Slang . a quarrel or squabble.
I don’t know about you but I love rhubarb whichever way one spells it. It is one of those plants that I suppose isn’t classed as a vegetable and certainly not a fruit, in a class of its own really. The unfortunate ‘delicacy’ is however rather acidic and far from being sweet. It has to have a sweetener added if it is to be eaten, well we all know that but there are different sweeteners that can be used, the main ones being sugar, brown, white or honey which gives it a smoother taste. I like my rhubarb with a crumble pastry topping although other pastries taste good too. With the rhubarb crumble I usually have custard but ice-cream or whipped cream is nice too. Yesterday I had the chance to go into the garden for the first time in days. The rain has kept me from the garden and as I didn’t need to go out except to work, I remained indoors. Almost the first thing we see when we enter the garden from a door in the cellar, our usual method of exit into the garden, is the small rhubarb patch. Over the last few weeks it has grown considerably because of the fertilisers we put into the soil which means lots of lovely rhubarb! I picked a few stalks and made myself a rhubarb crumble. I say myself because I am the only person presently living in our house who likes rhubarb. E doesn’t like it and neither does our youngest son. Only our eldest son likes it but he doesn’t live here. I went to a restaurant quite some time ago now and one of the cold deserts on offer was a rhubarb and strawberry mixture served with ice-cream or cream as desired. I had reservations about that combination but I tried the dish anyway. I was very surprised just how well these two unlikely foods compliment each other and taste so good on the palette. Try it for yourself and see, cold of course.
Earlier in the day I prepared for myself a chilli-con-carne and left it to stand all day. It tastes much better if it is allowed to stand for several hours before eating it. With chilli-con-carne as a main course with rhubarb crumble to follow I might possibly be everyones favourite person today!
Shirley Anne
Posted in Food | Tagged: Baking and Confections, Cooking, Crumble, Food, Fruits and Vegetables, Home, Ice cream, Medieval Latin, Polygonaceae, Rhubarb | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on July 16, 2011
On Thursday I was rearing to go. I got up very early, had my breakfast and was ready for work at 08.00! Problem was, I wanted to go shopping with E for some more materials for the garage but she wasn’t up yet! I went on my computer and checked my Emails and blogs. Soon enough E came downstairs and I explained what I wished to do. She agreed, had her breakfast and was ready within a half-hour! Off we went in my van to the timber supplier with list in hand. When we arrived the guys there were a bit surprised we had returned after only being there last week and having bought quite a lot of materials from them. ‘We’re back’, we announced as we walked into the reception to their amusement. We bought even more stuff than we had previously bought from them so I guess they were pleased to see us! I am building a studded partition wall inside the garage and wanted timber and plywood, a door and furniture, some more wood preserver and a few sundry items including wood drill-bits. whilst I was there I received a request to change a light fitting. The house was en-route to home so I told the client I would be there within twenty minutes. I arrived there and did the job whilst E sat in the van listening to the radio. I was only in the house for fifteen minutes, received payment and was back on my way home. It all helped to pay for my materials! When we arrived home it was too close to lunchtime to start work so I again waited until I had eaten. It was about 2.00 when I eventually started work in the garage. Again I spent four hours out there erecting the framework for the studded wall and inserting a door frame. E came back from her Thursday shopping spree and took me by surprise. ‘Let’s have a barbecue ‘, she said. I did a minor repair on the barbecue and then spent a few minutes clearing up in the garage. E began to light the barbecue whilst I went indoors to wash and change. Soon we were having another impromptu meal from the barbecue in our new patio and were joined by our youngest son. I had opened a bottle of red wine a day or so before (I vacuum seal my wine if I don’t drink it all on the same day so that it remains fresh) and had taken but one glass full from it. I finished the rest with my barbecue! Today, Friday, I hope to receive delivery of the bulk of my purchases from the timber suppliers so that I can continue with the job in hand…….unless I get an electrical job in the meantime! There is never an excuse to have nothing to do in my house! All that is needed is the inclination, which I have to confess is not always there sometimes. I think I do too much work at times so I treat myself to a break now and then and let the work wait. My youngest son mad a remark earlier asking when the wet room would be finished! I told him that it would take me until six weeks hence before it would be done (it will probably take longer than that as I am tied with completing the garage). He doesn’t realise that it is only myself doing the work and I am getting little or no help from anyone else. Children…..who’d have children? LOL.
Shirley Anne
Posted in Drink, Food, House and Home, Lifestyle, Rest and relaxation | Tagged: Barbecue, Door, Food, Garage, Lumber, Shopping, Wall, Youngest son | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on July 2, 2011
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And so it was that Shirley Anne got up late on Friday morning, a habit that is so unbecoming of her normally but lately seems to be the way to go. Anyways, I got up late, missed my breakfast, although I did manage to eat a small banana. I had received a call to do some work but it was nothing much and I was back home within the hour. I asked E if she would like to dine out and as usual for her she had to wash her hair first! She does tend to get greasy hair whereas mine is the opposite and takes days before the natural oils work their way down my tresses. I was in no hurry to eat so I sat and played my guitar whilst waiting for her to come downstairs. Off we went to a carvery about six or seven miles away, a place we often visit. I had a full bottle of red wine with my dinner, again something I do probably far too often! I can handle that much wine with no adverse effects and especially if I am eating. We drove back home after a couple of hours and sat around in the patio for a while. I have plans to work on the water-butt base and also the garage passageway roof but they can wait for a day. In fact I propose to do them both today unless something else turns up in the meantime. Today is supposed to be my sabbath day of rest but I have had so much free time lately it wouldn’t be right to just sit around and do nothing. The principle remains the same, don’t work 7/24/7 but take a break as you are supposed to do! I like to work but I also like to chill out, especially with a bottle of red wine!
Shirley Anne
Posted in Drink, Enjoyment, Food, Leisure, Rest and relaxation | Tagged: Drink, Entertainment, Food, Philosophy, Rest and relaxation, Wine | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on June 28, 2011
Our first barbecue on our new patio went down extremely well even though some of our guests had to back out because of other pressing matters. One friend, who was supposed to be bringing his mate, turned up with his daughter and her husband and two (grown-up) children instead assuming we wouldn’t mind! Well, as he is a friend and we did have the space and food we didn’t mind. As it turned out they were very good company and were the last to depart. It seems they enjoyed it that much they didn’t want to leave.
By the time this photo was taken three of our guests had gone home. Peter, the friend I refer to is being his usual self by giving my camera the sly fingers! He is a real character and once he starts to tell stories about his life we end up in stitches with laughter. A real life-and-soul of the party type is Peter. We put away some wine between us all and the beer was hardly touched. You can just about make out the little drinks fridge on the left of the picture which had been stacked with different beers but only four bottles got drank! There was plenty more in the cellar which didn’t see the light of day. It is handy being able to use the fridge outdoors, it saves having to dash indoors every time you want a drink! The red wine didn’t need refrigerating of course and the white wine wasn’t on the table long enough for it to warm up! We did have to make a couple of trips indoors to replenish the white wine which is kept in the kitchen fridge. Anyway a splendid time was had by all.
Yesterday I went to do a job in a house some eighteen miles away where I had been asked to disconnect the wiring to a large garden shed and to trace the fault that had cut off the supply to the power outlets in the kitchen. The strange thing was the power was leaving the distribution point but not arriving at the kitchen! Obviously a break in the cable somewhere along the way. This meant a physical trace on the cable, lifting boards and such to find perhaps a broken connection in a junction box. Unfortunately, having determined that the fault probably lay beneath the bedroom floor, the client was reluctant to allow lifting the boards until she had spoken with her husband who was at that time in work. The problem is the large amount of furniture in that room which makes lifting floorboards extremely difficult. It appears they will clear the room themselves and decide on any further action later. I was able to locate were the supply to the shed was connected within the kitchen and I disconnected it. So the job has been left only half done! The circuit itself requires altering in any case, even after the fault has been located and rectified. It is one single cable presently supplying about eight power points! The limit for that size cable is two and they have to be in the same area! Converting it to a ring circuit is relatively easy though but requires an extra cable be run under that same bedroom floor!
Shirley Anne
Posted in Enjoyment, Family, Food, Friendship, Leisure, Work | Tagged: Food, Home and Garden, Kitchen and Dining, Recreation, Wine | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on June 21, 2011
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On Sunday evening, after a late dinner I began to feel uncomfortable. I could feel the symptoms of trapped wind in my stomach. I do suffer from this occasionally and now know how to deal with it but this time it just wouldn’t go away. I thought it might be not only trapped wind but perhaps food poisoning. I spent a very restless night but did manage to get some sleep. When I awoke yesterday morning I was feeling decidedly out of it! My arms, shoulders and upper torso as well as my head were all suffering pain. I am the kind of person who resists taking pain killers, pumping medications into my system unless I really need to do so. Needless to say I had no breakfast as my stomach was still in pain but I did sip water which seemed to help by bringing up the occasional ‘burp’. I struggled through the morning and when it came to lunchtime I was still feeling queazy. If it was food poisoning I didn’t want to eat more food, however I think on reflection it was due to other things, trapped wind, tiredness, mild ‘flu and the after effects of working on the garage all day on Saturday. I had wanted to go out and purchase paint and a few other items but E found two full cans of the paint we needed and some other materials so anything else I wanted I would have to go out and buy. E had her lunch around 1.30 but she wanted to watch a program on the television until 2.15 and wasn’t ready to go out just then. We had expected the boys to arrive early in the morning to finish off the paving in the rear garden but they arrived at noon. I fell asleep on the couch whilst E was watching television but aroused myself and ventured out to the shops with her to buy some things. We bought a parasol to fit over the wooden dining table (part of the garden furniture, I will post a pic later if I remember), a bamboo door curtain that we can hang over the door space when the door is opened in Summer (just to keep out the flies!) and plenty of beer for the weekend. When we arrived back home the boys had finished the rear garden and had started preparing the area under the window at the front of the house. They are supposed to be returning at 8 o’clock this morning to complete that work (finally!). The weather seems to be getting better, just like I am. I hate feeling unwell when I know there is much to do but I never do work when I am not feeling well.
Shirley Anne
Posted in Energy, Food, Health, Shopping | Tagged: Abdominal pain, Food, Foodborne illness, Health, Shopping | 2 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on June 17, 2011
On Wednesday E and I went to do some shopping after I returned home from a job. We bought furniture oil for our outdoor furniture (seems logical) and some more brick sealant (we ran out of the stuff when we treated the patio brickwork last time). That will keep me occupied for a day or two I am sure! Whilst we were out E paid a visit to the store where we bought the materials and furniture for converting our toilet/cloakroom into a shower/wet room and cloakroom. Coats will only be left there temporarily by visitors, our own coats are stored in our bedrooms. It is the only room downstairs that can be used as a temporary cloakroom. I digress. She went into the store whilst I sat in the car. We were wondering why it was taking them so long to deliver our goods, E was told that it would all be delivered the same day, a matter of two hours later! They were true to their word and it was delivered as promised. This means when it is raining I have a job to do indoors and when it isn’t I have plenty yet to do outside! There is no escape. All this depends of course on my availability, I do work as an electrician too!
Next weekend we hope, weather permitting, to have our first barbecue of the year (we did have a small one a week or so ago, just the two of us) where we will invite family, friends and neighbours. This will make good use of the patio too, well that was one of the reasons for building it! If the weather is not fine we simply eat indoors but that means cooking indoors too which takes more time I find, especially when it comes to cleaning up! As long as it isn’t raining or it isn’t too windy we should be alright. I like having people around for drinks, food and fun. We usually have music, games or a quiz to help things along. As long as my guests are happy, I am happy.
Shirley Anne
Posted in Drink, Enjoyment, Family, Food, Friendship, Fun, Life, Lifestyle | Tagged: Drink, Food, Friendship, Fun, Garden furniture, Home and Garden, Life, Patio, Shopping | Leave a Comment »
