What a gorgeous day.
Lashings of sunlight soothing away some of the crackling bitterness of a wickedly cold day.
So on this well lit but iced up day I wore my fur coat to Henry's.
And I might have worn it inside if I hadn't had so much work to keep me warm. The castle was a mess.
My dear Henry was in bed when I arrived so as usual I got on with what I had to do. Happily for me, Blackie and Ging lent their support by rubbing their faces against my legs.
After doing a little of this and a lot of that Henry bellowed asking for some tea...
His gargantuan frame rolled in the bed, his face reminiscent of a giant plum so I poked him with a spoon saying his tea was here.
He was pleased to see me.
So we rattled on about new year's resolutions whilst I skidded around the bedroom trying to avoid numerous pairs of trousers, pants and socks.
Then the cats made an appearance. They leapt like roos onto the bed sniffing at pillows and jimjam bottoms and flatulent Henry was so pleased.
"They're alright Angie, aren't they?
"Of course they are" I said shooing them away from the trouser press.
By this time my time was running out so I left Henry and ran downstairs.
I did all sorts of nonsense downstairs and by 12 was almost done when Henry made his grand entrance.
"When things pick up later in the year I might want you full time." he said
Did I smile or did I wonder if it was the after effects of a swell night in with a bottle. A little of both. Me attending to his every need five days a week might do wonders for my purse but what would it do for my mind. And knees?
I left him with his pork chops braising...
Simmering on my stove is a Steak and Mushroom pudding. Should be ready by four. If it stays together after I've gouged it from the bowl I might post a pic.
Monday, 4 January 2010
Sunday, 3 January 2010
Everything About You. Poem.
Talking, when you knew that silence was best,
told me you wanted to speak some truths
And listening, when you knew that I had to talk,
told me everything about you
Caught, as I was, in the wire of a killing marriage
you swiftly set out
to shear me away
from
his long-life talons of contemptible familiarity
Tender you were, and with each quick cut
barbs fell,
felled like solitary dead trees,
falling like tears, slowly, without form
I floated
on a boiling lake of aloneness
an impossible survivor
clinging to your outstretched arms
Awash with awkward silences
we got there
and drifted from pain to relief like people in recovery
each realization
a smile
each selfless act
a kiss
a knowledge got without diplomas
a price we had to pay
told me you wanted to speak some truths
And listening, when you knew that I had to talk,
told me everything about you
Caught, as I was, in the wire of a killing marriage
you swiftly set out
to shear me away
from
his long-life talons of contemptible familiarity
Tender you were, and with each quick cut
barbs fell,
felled like solitary dead trees,
falling like tears, slowly, without form
I floated
on a boiling lake of aloneness
an impossible survivor
clinging to your outstretched arms
Awash with awkward silences
we got there
and drifted from pain to relief like people in recovery
each realization
a smile
each selfless act
a kiss
a knowledge got without diplomas
a price we had to pay
Can of Peaches? What WAS I Thinking?
Open a can of peaches?
I don't think so. Musty have been having a bit of a turn when I wrote that.
Decided on a bowlful of vanilla ice cream with shaved chocolate sprinkled on top.
Canned peaches indeed!
Staying on the pud front..
I got to thinking about tomorrow's munchies...
Sliced some trifle sponges, liberally spread them with blackberry jam, placed them in a pudding bowl then laid some blackberry and apple pie filling on top. Covered this with custard and whipped cream. But no hundreds and thousands because they are so naff. And they eventually melt leaving trails of rainbow liquid all over me cream. If food is good it doesn't need messing about with.
I managed to get two trifles out of the meagre ingredients at hand, one I'll have for tomorrow's tea, the other will go to Henry to follow his pork chop casserole. I don't think there's anything more satisfying than gathering together a few ingredients and coming up with a simply smashing meal. Henry's pork chop affair will be a simple mix of lean chops, big fat onions, sliced unpeeled potatoes and fingered carrots all braised in the slow cooker for hours and hours. Just hope he remembers where it is :(
I'm back at 'work' tomorrow, God knows what I'll find, all I'm hoping is that dear Henry is lucid and not hungover. But his problems aren't mine and I won't and can't make them so. On a clear- headed day he's a joy to be with but when a vodka storm roars in, he's lost, not only to the world but to me as well.
But tonight, what about tonight?
After Googling 'contact lenses and can Varifocal users wear them' I suppose I could polish up my glasses with the hem of my skirt, rustle up a toasted cheese sandwich and be good, but I don't want to do that, what I want is to spray scent all over my bare shoulders and eat Szechuan chicken v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y... And be bad.
Goodnight All.
I don't think so. Musty have been having a bit of a turn when I wrote that.
Decided on a bowlful of vanilla ice cream with shaved chocolate sprinkled on top.
Canned peaches indeed!
Staying on the pud front..
I got to thinking about tomorrow's munchies...
Sliced some trifle sponges, liberally spread them with blackberry jam, placed them in a pudding bowl then laid some blackberry and apple pie filling on top. Covered this with custard and whipped cream. But no hundreds and thousands because they are so naff. And they eventually melt leaving trails of rainbow liquid all over me cream. If food is good it doesn't need messing about with.
I managed to get two trifles out of the meagre ingredients at hand, one I'll have for tomorrow's tea, the other will go to Henry to follow his pork chop casserole. I don't think there's anything more satisfying than gathering together a few ingredients and coming up with a simply smashing meal. Henry's pork chop affair will be a simple mix of lean chops, big fat onions, sliced unpeeled potatoes and fingered carrots all braised in the slow cooker for hours and hours. Just hope he remembers where it is :(
I'm back at 'work' tomorrow, God knows what I'll find, all I'm hoping is that dear Henry is lucid and not hungover. But his problems aren't mine and I won't and can't make them so. On a clear- headed day he's a joy to be with but when a vodka storm roars in, he's lost, not only to the world but to me as well.
But tonight, what about tonight?
After Googling 'contact lenses and can Varifocal users wear them' I suppose I could polish up my glasses with the hem of my skirt, rustle up a toasted cheese sandwich and be good, but I don't want to do that, what I want is to spray scent all over my bare shoulders and eat Szechuan chicken v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y... And be bad.
Goodnight All.
Suet Seems I've Finally Lost The Plot
Normal red blooded females would, at 7 in the blasted morning, be re-living the cracking shenanigans of the previous night, but not me. I was immersed in suet.
As a busy lady I always try to get jobs done in a calm efficient manner because there's nothing worse than letting chores get on top of one. So as tomorrow is my first day back at Henry's I thought I'd get ahead and do tomorrow's dinner today!
So as Monty yelled and Mr H. snorted, I limped to the screamingly bright kitchen to make a Steak and Mushroom pudding. In my nightie. It's queer, you know, how little things like a big cup of tea and a fat posing pigeon give comfort to a big kneed poet/cook. And by jolly jingo did I need comfort. The beef was achingly cold, the onions were more vicious than usual and the rolling pin had ideas of its own...But I had a job to do and do it I did.
When it was assembled I stood and looked and it was, I have to say, quite cute. A large plump pale lump sitting in a blue and white basin wanting to please its creator.
Then I had a cup of tea.
Today's nosh is a chicken, quite a small skinny one but I'll augment it with the addition of loads of veg.
I have no idea about pud, probably open a can of peaches.
I'm a woman so I need to do pink womanly things now. And no suet is involved.
Cheerio!
As a busy lady I always try to get jobs done in a calm efficient manner because there's nothing worse than letting chores get on top of one. So as tomorrow is my first day back at Henry's I thought I'd get ahead and do tomorrow's dinner today!
So as Monty yelled and Mr H. snorted, I limped to the screamingly bright kitchen to make a Steak and Mushroom pudding. In my nightie. It's queer, you know, how little things like a big cup of tea and a fat posing pigeon give comfort to a big kneed poet/cook. And by jolly jingo did I need comfort. The beef was achingly cold, the onions were more vicious than usual and the rolling pin had ideas of its own...But I had a job to do and do it I did.
When it was assembled I stood and looked and it was, I have to say, quite cute. A large plump pale lump sitting in a blue and white basin wanting to please its creator.
Then I had a cup of tea.
Today's nosh is a chicken, quite a small skinny one but I'll augment it with the addition of loads of veg.
I have no idea about pud, probably open a can of peaches.
I'm a woman so I need to do pink womanly things now. And no suet is involved.
Cheerio!
Saturday, 2 January 2010
First Shop of The Year.
After yesterday's tremendous efforts I thought I needed a little relaxation so off I tootled to Hockley.
The sun shone at its best and brightest as I marched along Spa Road, first to Potters for 5 metres of 'teak' Fablon, a wooden washing up brush and acidic orange potato peeler, then came the charity shop by Somerfields...
What joy!
First to be held to my breasts was a large pink and white speckled cat, then as the joint filled up, I found a sweet yellow-flowered cloth evening bag which I'll use for lipsticks. As I gazed at the treasure chest of bric-a-brac I found a tall white vase flecked with pink posies, that, I thought, has mum written all over it. So I bought it along with the other priceless goodies.
On the way home I remembered I needed a lettuce so into the Co-Op I popped. Jill was on the till and as she rang up my bits and pieces we shared a few ladies moments.
It was, I have to say, a very satisfying, quick and simple morning.
On the menu today:
Devilled Pork
Cajun Wedges
Creme Fraiche
and
the ever present corn!
The sun is still out there, his lengthy fingers sweeping the ice off my emerging daffs, Spring can't be far away.
Can it?
Friday, 1 January 2010
A Love Filled Day
Loved clearing up the dresser.
Loved dismantling the tree...I know, I know it's too early but I had to tart up the front room, and leaving the big tree in the corner would have been pointless.
So it had to go.
After humping the tree out into the hall I went in with the duster, dislodging all manner of muck and dust until the room was fairly clean and free of the vestiges of Christmas 2009. But then I had an idea. And ideas don't come any bigger than shifting furniture. So...I slipped a video in and got busy. Never ever have I been able to do anything furnituretively creative without slamming a vid in. Helps me to relax, today's choice was "Goodfellas". Anyway as Bobby De Niro sliced and shot I shoved the settee.
And by 4 p.m. I'd shifted a couple of lamps, replaced the pine coffee table with an old brown low rise cupboard, re-arranged the ceramic cats, cleared the mantelpiece of all but the everlasting Lillies, put an oak dining chair by the fire complete with a cushion or two and lifted the red rug from a vertical position to a horizontal position. Three old lamps were also dislodged, the standard lamp going from by the window to by the dresser and the sausage shaped ochre lamp which once rested by the sweetie bowl now sits by the kitchen kettle. My favourite lamp however, the cream marble type affair, remains on the bookcase.
Of course by the time I'd done all this I was feeling quite aged, so I slouched on the settee, opened the Thorntons chocs and drank a cup of coffee. Heaven.
Why did I do all this?
I thought that as I was alone today, and will probably be so late into the night, I'd make a start on tarting up the place. The front room wasn't the first to get the Glo Touch though, oh no, I'd already climbed on chairs in the kitchen doing things with pans, cup hooks and wires. And I have to say the new curtainless window looks much fresher with just hanging saucepans for decoration.
Did the bins aswell.
So Glo has been a busy old bean today, and not once have I been near the stove. Not cooked a blasted thing. Managed to do everything on:
Two slices of jammy toast, a big bowl of bran flakes and numerous pots of tea. Oh and the chocs. I have to say though, that as a terrible loneliness and a long dark night grips me, I could murder a Chinese.
But yippee it's the weekend soon and I might just pop to Potters for a few metres of Fablon.
It's great being creative.
I love it!
Loved dismantling the tree...I know, I know it's too early but I had to tart up the front room, and leaving the big tree in the corner would have been pointless.
So it had to go.
After humping the tree out into the hall I went in with the duster, dislodging all manner of muck and dust until the room was fairly clean and free of the vestiges of Christmas 2009. But then I had an idea. And ideas don't come any bigger than shifting furniture. So...I slipped a video in and got busy. Never ever have I been able to do anything furnituretively creative without slamming a vid in. Helps me to relax, today's choice was "Goodfellas". Anyway as Bobby De Niro sliced and shot I shoved the settee.
And by 4 p.m. I'd shifted a couple of lamps, replaced the pine coffee table with an old brown low rise cupboard, re-arranged the ceramic cats, cleared the mantelpiece of all but the everlasting Lillies, put an oak dining chair by the fire complete with a cushion or two and lifted the red rug from a vertical position to a horizontal position. Three old lamps were also dislodged, the standard lamp going from by the window to by the dresser and the sausage shaped ochre lamp which once rested by the sweetie bowl now sits by the kitchen kettle. My favourite lamp however, the cream marble type affair, remains on the bookcase.
Of course by the time I'd done all this I was feeling quite aged, so I slouched on the settee, opened the Thorntons chocs and drank a cup of coffee. Heaven.
Why did I do all this?
I thought that as I was alone today, and will probably be so late into the night, I'd make a start on tarting up the place. The front room wasn't the first to get the Glo Touch though, oh no, I'd already climbed on chairs in the kitchen doing things with pans, cup hooks and wires. And I have to say the new curtainless window looks much fresher with just hanging saucepans for decoration.
Did the bins aswell.
So Glo has been a busy old bean today, and not once have I been near the stove. Not cooked a blasted thing. Managed to do everything on:
Two slices of jammy toast, a big bowl of bran flakes and numerous pots of tea. Oh and the chocs. I have to say though, that as a terrible loneliness and a long dark night grips me, I could murder a Chinese.
But yippee it's the weekend soon and I might just pop to Potters for a few metres of Fablon.
It's great being creative.
I love it!
A Great First Post
A few late night funsters kept me awake last night yet as I laid there listening to their drink fuelled racket I felt only love...
Love for the cleaning I am putting off doing.
Love for the cats. Monty, Blackie and Ging.
Love for my pearl necklace and earrings. Might save for a ring. Depends on how much I need to spend on Alex. How far can I go on £15 worth of petrol?
Love for the old cockney sparras. Wouldn't be who I am today without their wisdom and perfectly aimed boots...
And then the morning came and with it more love...
Love for people. People like fellow bloggers whose inspiring words smack an innocent smile on my face quite early in the morning. Thanks Thruster.
Love for text messages. So kindly sent a minute before midnight when my phone was totally turned off. And a happy new year to you too!
Love for Radio 4. A warm thick blanket of brains whilst eating my Bran Flakes. Thanks guys.
Love for Film 4. Batman is on later. Will watch as I iron. Will listen as I chop.
Love for the snow kissed grass. Popped out early this morning to close the half-open garage door and stood for 10 seconds looking at how pretty ice is. Outside.
Love for tea. Nothing saves me more than a full pot.
Love for the afternoon. When an attempt will be made, by me, to re-establish a modicum of tidiness in the front room. God it's a state.
But now I've run out of love so it's back to moaning...
My belly folds are flapping.
Can't decide which bag to use.
The pelmet is falling down.
Spotted acres of mould by the door.
It's freezing in the kitchen, icicles are growing on the saucepans.
My right knee is giving me what-for and no mistake.
The Anti-Wrinkle cream is a liar.
I love you all xxx
Love for the cleaning I am putting off doing.
Love for the cats. Monty, Blackie and Ging.
Love for my pearl necklace and earrings. Might save for a ring. Depends on how much I need to spend on Alex. How far can I go on £15 worth of petrol?
Love for the old cockney sparras. Wouldn't be who I am today without their wisdom and perfectly aimed boots...
And then the morning came and with it more love...
Love for people. People like fellow bloggers whose inspiring words smack an innocent smile on my face quite early in the morning. Thanks Thruster.
Love for text messages. So kindly sent a minute before midnight when my phone was totally turned off. And a happy new year to you too!
Love for Radio 4. A warm thick blanket of brains whilst eating my Bran Flakes. Thanks guys.
Love for Film 4. Batman is on later. Will watch as I iron. Will listen as I chop.
Love for the snow kissed grass. Popped out early this morning to close the half-open garage door and stood for 10 seconds looking at how pretty ice is. Outside.
Love for tea. Nothing saves me more than a full pot.
Love for the afternoon. When an attempt will be made, by me, to re-establish a modicum of tidiness in the front room. God it's a state.
But now I've run out of love so it's back to moaning...
My belly folds are flapping.
Can't decide which bag to use.
The pelmet is falling down.
Spotted acres of mould by the door.
It's freezing in the kitchen, icicles are growing on the saucepans.
My right knee is giving me what-for and no mistake.
The Anti-Wrinkle cream is a liar.
I love you all xxx
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