Roast Beef v. Meatballs

Kick-Off 19:45

Olympic Stadium, Kiev

BBC1
Radio 5 Live!


Being presented tonight...
Chicken Risotto.

The Bungalow......... truly international:)

Euro 2012 It's Putting Puff In Me Pastry!

1 Day To Go...

(For footie fans...there's a link to UEFA in my sidebar)>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

My head and soul, although in tatters over the fact that I'll probably be out of the house when England face France on the 11th, is relishing the prospect of watching heaps of exciting footie.Sometime. Somewhere. Some chance...
Mother allowing!

I intend to bake apple pasties and whoopie pies for the great occasion and all and sundry are kind of invited to chill out with me and the football ....................No funny business just fellow sports lovers hanging out in the drawing room of me bungalow....sharing bacon and trivia........but not after a day like I had yesterday.
Whoa cowboy!

Major talks with nursies of all sorts, information overload, mum being extra talkative with me but saying zilch to others.
I actually had, for the first time since all this hullaballoo began....a headache of nuclear proportions. Started when I nastily extricated myself from mother's bedside and took cover in the relatives room...Boom boom...the hammer inside my head went. Thought my brain was boiling. Half expected to be found by a couple of Domestics spread out on the floor of the little escape room...
Still, I had a ham sandwich so I wasn't that dying.
Lol!


I took a blanketted mum out again for a ride-along, stopping at Smith's for papers and a small nook where two over painted ladeeeeez were selling home made jewellry.
I pushed mum as close to the tables as possible without bringing them down so she could hold and admire the quite lovely trinkets.
She chose a silvery diamonique watch for herself and for me, a faux pearl bracelet.
Mum's watch was a tad too loose on account of her skinny wrists but later on in the evening, my mate Reg soon had that little prob sorted.
What WOULD we do without the kindness and intervention of the able-bodied.

Went to bed VERY late last night, even forgetting to remove my GENUINE pearl necklace. It felt very warm and moist on waking.



Ok so on to today.
Mother.
That's it.
Will/Must try to relax tonight by....
stoking my boiler with ham and rejuvenating my parched brain cells with a massive inhalation of Clint Eastwood.

Now I must fly.........................

X

Just The Good News

Yesterday afternoon took mum for a wicked spin around the hospital grounds in a borrowed wheelchair.
I ran. She held on. It felt good laughing with her.

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I found a room where patient's relatives can hang out 24/7. I spent some time in there last night drinking coffee, eating custard creams and flicking through the dvd collection. The hospital care not only for the physically sick but for the worriers too. I'll be chilling out in there again today, tonight, and to save costs take a couple of sandwiches and possibly a microwaveable hot pot!

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Early this morning....De-tangled some red flowers which were being strangled by a mess of sticky weeds. Couldn't bare the thought of flowers being crippled.
Re-filled feeders, saw two robins, one sparrow.

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Two days to the start of Euro2012...

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That's about it, now I do stuff:)

ENGLAND V NORWAY

I said England v Norway...X

My whole day is planned around tonight's MUST/SHOULD/ HAVE TO WIN GAME.
I'm already in me shorts and waving a miniature England Kit about. No brekkie just enthusiasm.

What to cook though? For tonight's pre-match tea...That's the thing matey.
Probably do a quick tuna penne thing with plenty of corn, tomatoes and green stuff on the sidelines.
Pud?
Lemon cake with ice cream.
Then settee bound for the highlight of my week, KICK-OFF!



Now I must fly but one final thought...

If I could be anywhere, other than here right now, I'd be with Roy.

Monday in shades of lavender

.....Sunlight on the grass as I sat serenely on the back step potting up ten lavender plants.
Monty goofed as a spot of compost fell on his head. Silly boy.

I've placed the green plant pots in and around a few flowering shrubs and by carefully placing one of the pots next to the apple tree I managed to cover a hard crack in the dried up soil.
Something saddens me about dryness.
Which.... led me to fill three watering cans with water from the Water Butt so as to refresh the new baby plants and ease the pain of scorched earth.
My empathy has no bounds.

Had a quick natter with mum about potatoes, Saturday's Eurovision Song Contest and England's warm-up match with Norway...Heaven help Hodgson if it goes pear shaped. Can't wait for all of it! I feel a major cook-in will be necessary as will a long sit down.
I love events!

...After washing the dirt from my hands I made a 'risotto' adding mushrooms, peas and tomatoes to the easy cook rice...Along with curry powder, garlic and s&p. Decent little mix this, goes with any kind of meat, especially good bangers which is what we'll be eating tonight.
Pudding is being a pain, probably plump for tinned pears and chocolate custard!

Now I must fly........................
:)

A Quick Badly Thought Out Post

After a fab sleep I woke to banana toast and Roy Hodgson.

The two are unrelated. Sort of.
I very much doubt that Mr Hodgson would embrace such a girly breakfast. But as breakfasts go it's a corker especially when it's made for you. Mr H. peeling orf his yellow rubber washing up gloves in order to grill me bread and honeyed nanas.

Hodgson.
Roy, has said that he expects, nay demands his pampered players to behave well during Euro 2012 and would therefore like to see the skilled brats drinking coffee outside a nice cafe and drowsily tiptoeing around museums. Er..... Can't see Mr Rooney with a guide book can you?
This England coach means business.
I like him already.

Yadder yadder....

I have a long to-do list today so better get a move on.

Bacon. To braise. (Ideal for mother's gums)

Cake. To bake. (Ideal for friends, family and sanity)

Fruit. To saladyfy. (Two cheap tins decanted into glass bowl)

Creases. To iron away. (Yeah right)

Plants. To tend. (My little green babies)

Monty. To mother. (Cat won't leave my side, feels he's being excluded on account of football and mum)

Violent film. To re-watch. ('Law Abiding Citizen' revenge, torture, perfect viewing with a bag of milk bottles)

Readers Digest. To flick and fondle. (Recipes all in large print)

Euro 2012. To look forward to. (And Wimbledon, I ask for nothing more than a summer of sport and love and cheesecakes) Not necessarily in that order.

Ok now I must fly.
Mother needs to be air-lifted into position, Monty needs a smacked arse and Mr H. needs...me!

Cheerio
;)

Er, no. HODGSON IN.
According to Radio 4.
I'm stunned John.

So after sorting out radiator problems, honest job offers, mother's issues and my expectations for our life expectancy I think I'll overdose on phone-ins...

Dinner will be cold English beef. Probably.

"Yeah my new assistant is a small bird, about this high, not a lotta knowledge but a good gel"

The mucky saga of Capello v. F.A. waddles along, and I'm ecstatic. Nothing puts an extra beat in my heart more than a silly fracas over choice of England Managers.
As long as it isn't Terry O'Neal I'll be alright.

I see Fabio is back on continental soil already, what a rotter. And after all we gave him, millions of English Pounds and all that. Didn't even stay long enough to thank supporters for their support.
Typical Italian.

Well blow you.

England will rise from the cinders like my legs rise when I've had a bad day. Up they come, torn and scarred but willing to give it another go. Backs and Walls and all that.

Talking of Backs. When it gets to night time, round about 9 I'd say, my back gives me what-for. I seek relief by rubbing it but my hands only reach a little way up. I'd ask Mother to rub it but her left elbow is bandaged and her sight isn't very excellent so she's out of the frame. Oh well, we all have our cross to bear.

Going back to Football Catastrophes, I hope England don't have one when playing with the Dutch. Good team, the Netherlands, not a team to ever take lightly, should be feared and respected. Chuffed to hear Pearcey will be in control. always liked and admired Psycho. (See above HOT PIC)The best manager we never had?
I tell you all this kerfuffle over who will lead England into Euro 2012 has put iron in me marrow.

Talking of marrow and meat...I'm making a nice beef stew today, it'll be stacked with tons of root veg...parsnip carrot potato leek all simmered for ages in two oxos. I'll drop eight dumplings in too. By the way last nights chops were lovely but the bungalow walls were almost shattered by the sound made when Mr H and I stuck our spoons into the soft squidgy chocolate puds. There are no words to describe how smashing they were. So I'll stop here!

Must dash I have a new iron to play with..................

Cheerio!

Norris A.I. in 2018

Norris A.I. in 2010

After all Becks did for the England team and now Don Fabio Capello has dumped him. Typical. A good English boy been put out to grass by a 64 year old foreigner.

Becks must be livid but he'll get over it especially if his dream of making a movie with Tom Cruise comes to fruition. Have to do something about the old voice though Becks...Can't have you gelled and toned and thrusting a weapon in someone's face whilst sounding like Helium Man...

So....back to footie, the lads with their green shoots of newness sprouting up, smacked the Hungarians. And what a relief that was. I watched it in bed you know so I could dive under the duvet if things got bad.

The whacking we received in South Africa could be the turning point for the England team, if Don Fabio chooses the right players at the right time and for the right games, the world could see the emergence of a world class team once again.

I went into mystic mode last night and all of a sudden 'saw' us lifting the World Cup in 2018. I don't know why or how this fab vision came about, could have been the chocolate Ovaltine but more than likely it was my tortured inner most desire to see my beloved England WIN SOMETHING.
And then I did the finger thing...
I added up on my fingers how old I'd be in 2018.
62.

Oh, F***

Pensioner in Rochford arrested for 'Breaking The Peace'.
Mrs Norris, 62 of Rochford, was arrested last night after complaints from neighbours about excessive screaming. The spritley swinger who has several alias's including little gem and sex pot, told police she was merely experiencing shock and elation over England's 2-0 win in the World Cup Finals.
After being put in the cells she asked if a burly copper could take care of her, for a price. She was later charged with bribing a member of Her Majesty's Constabulary.


Ta ta!

An Awful Rant About A Wonderful Land

My England supporter's stuff is in a cupboard, in the front parlour, with olde birthday cards, candlesticks and broken necked dolls. And this is why...

According to FIFA we are now ranked 13th in the world lagging behind Japan, yes JAPAN, Ghana and the U.S. The U.S.! What you saying to me!!!

We have unceremoniously fallen to the lowest of the low and I am mightily sick. Our highest ever position was ONE after lifting the cup in '66. We have crashed seven places since 2006 and now rub shins with silly Mexico, nutty South Korea and the barking Slovaks. We have no place with these sorts.
The other wannabees including France are at the bottom of this horrible heap.
I am so ashamed.

But my shame will be short lasting because...

On 11 August we play a 'friendly' a 'FRIENDLY' against Hungary. Hoo rah! Hip hip hooray for the Goulasch guzzlers.
And I can't wait...
"Where's me vuvuzela and little horn" I will bark, as I tie a giant flag around me bumps and bits.

Not forgetting my little car of course, flags will be pinned and clamped and then after a drive down to a cheap shop I'll sip sweet tea from my pint capacity England mug...I love my land.

Then it's the start, the beginning, the onset of Almighty Euro 2012.

And so will I and millions of other twits dive into the cupboards of tears for our England caps of passion? Of course will will. Just because someone breaks your soul extinguishing the very fire of life within you, it doesn't mean you ditch them...

Because although the wonder boys stunned us with un-netted balls they didn't break our love. And love for the land is not only quaint.... but immeasurable madness also!

C'mon England....