England v. San Marino

I hadn't forgotten.



Go get 'em lads

:)

Well Done Mother

Me

Me

Because if you hadn't wanted to stroll along the High Street for four hours I'd have never gone into the Royals shopping centre and from there into TK Maxx where I found a Gharani Strok leather carpetbag reduced from £95 to £34. It's not often, in fact it's never been known for me to dish out big dosh for anything much except maybe lamb chops. But this astonishingly bold big and beautiful bag had me whimpering. I had to have it.

So yes mother and my good self had a major girl's outing this morning mum even accepting the offer of a nice cup of tea and hot sausage roll in Greggs. Loaded with shopping bags we downed our tea whilst chatting about our buys.....
Mum plumping for chocolate mints, crime novels and flesh coloured tights. I went a bit potty buying not only the aforementioned suitcase, oops I mean bag, (it is rather large) but also another bag in Primark :( Then into Boots for make-up then into Poundland for a dozen black curlers. Yes curlers. As I'm on the verge of complete collapse (too many late nights and not enough fibre) I decided that my funny growing out kinda hairstyle needed a little something else, a small lift, a little oompa lumpa. So I invested in a bag of black spongy rollers.

I'll do the deed tonight, wash hair, towel dry, then mousse up and wind strands of silver hair around blackest sponge......... then pick up Mr H from the station.......

Monday...Daft.....updated

.........Walking in the rain with mother, jar of Malt Extract and giant fry pan (big enough to hold cat) I love it. So much fun in the charity shops with mum asking for non-existent gloves and me buying the ugliest faux ostrich handbag. Still, we had a laugh:)

Then local mini Sainsburys for washing powder and custard tarts. My protestations regarding the tarts fell on old deaf ears, she much preferring shop bought fancies to my fruity tea bread and choco/vanilla marbled ring. Silly old girl.

The Malt Extract will be used in the baking of little loaves containing sultanas and other yummies, can't wait to play with it. Apparently it's used as a food supplement too for people who, like mother, are off their food and on their last legs.

Being 'cooked' today are two Sainsburys beef puddings which'll be steamed for an eternity and served with tatties and sprouts. Mr H, bless him, won't be included in the sharing of this mum ordered feast on account of him working the dark late shift.
And so bearing that in mind I'll dose myself up on coffee in order to stay perky for the deep long drive to the station (2 miles) as the clock strikes midnight.

I have a million things to do this afternoon ( phone calls regarding blood letting, ironing, fixing clothes horse, general household mismanagement and watching Tories on the telly......so.... I'd better crack on


Recipe book of tea time delicacies. All I need now is a small fireside table and doilies:)
Also bought this morning a pair of deliciously soft salmon pink leather gloves.

 

...........Large milk bread proving on windowsill.
Wonder what the resident pigeons think. It's so sweet seeing their smooth heads bop up and down as I take out my frustrations on a pound and half of bread dough.
Talking of frustration...yesterday had me pulling up a chair so I could sit by mum's side, thought I needed to be closer to her. Sitting half way across the room kind of leaves too much aching space between myself and the woman I love. And all that love welled up yesterday because not only does she look more unwell but she's talking oddly too. I can't go into what she said suffice to say her words had me running to the kettle and pigeons for comfort.
Bed time was disastrous.

.......Painful love or not I rose this morning and proceeded to bake but not before more heartbreak from mum. She's so fed up with not being able to walk unaided, wash herself, get dressed, of hitting her head on chairs and walls and generally feeling like the life she once had is unravelling like a ball of wool falling down a hillside on a dark and windy night. My words not hers. She just says 'bastard'.


........And for tea tonight I'm cooking Lamb Chops with Honey and Apple sauce served with carrots and pasta spirals. Also being made....a Chocolate and Vanilla Marble Cake with chocolate dribble to faint over whilst watching The X Factor.

....Lunch will probably be beans.

:)

..............Took mum shopping today.

..........And as we trundled along passing shops, madly parked cars and people I scooped myself up and away from the street and its hardness.
And, for a few minutes, I was not in Spa Road but in another place.
In this other place the weather wasn't volatile, instead it sleepily shrouded me in its late summer warmth.
Where I stood wasn't bricked or kerbed or clattering with transport, where I stood the ground undulated. Its firm warm earth studded with heads of wild nameless flowers, laced and patchworked with grasses of cat eye and apple green. I stood unsteady, lovingly, looking around wondering if one false step would see me tumbling down to the circle of blue which called itself a lake. As I teetered I never made a sound not even the noise of breathing would be heard. A sudden victory of birds taking off shuddered me from this reverie and licking up the scent of this meadow I threw myself down........

A few thoughts

........Mum's been a diamond today. Behaving impeccably when nursie suggested yet another drug change. Must be all the fine food and books she's been devouring lately. Crime novels and ham rolls seemingly ideal partners.

.........The nice Sainsbury's delivery man (bespectacled over 60 smelling of soap) delivered 99% of my online order, the only upset being the non availability of dried Marjoram. All the other essentials though were brought to the door on time...nay...a smidgen ahead of the arranged time. Still, at least I was dressed. And very nicely too I may add. I resisted the warm urge to banter with the bearded giant suffice to say his short visit was without laughter.

............The bells from Mother warning of imminent arrival of aforementioned nurse Margie, big lady with breasts like ill-set blancmanges, her rapid attention to mum's blood pressure, blood sugar level and bed sores was admirable. She was gorn within ten minutes. And that's what mum and me good aching self prefer. She's not a talker is Marge.

......Major clean up of dusty furniture in drawing room aka front room, I do not and never have said 'lounge' as 'lounge' is something in airports. And the only flying that goes on in the bungalow is me dashing from one room to the other to appease and please mother. Her requests, bless her, are endless. Especially for pink drinks and ladies intimate apparel. Recently I was under her bed looking for a book when suddenly stuck right in my face was a pair of tights she'd lost a month or so ago.


..........Talking of beds. I'll be doing hers later.


.......Food. I have another loaf proving. Only this time I've enriched the dough with a little milk. Should be interesting, so I can't wait till later this afternoon when I whip it from the oven inspecting every inch.

...Also going in the oven is a beef casserole. Picked  up a Swede yesterday so half of that will be used. The other half in some Cornish type Pasties later in the week, probably Friday.
If I have time I'll make a lemon pudding.

........Harking back......Yesterday I watched Ed Miliband's impressive speech. The boy is out of the shadows methinks. A breathtaking without notes Blairish in style onslaught about all what's wrong in Cameron's Britain and how beautiful life will be in a One Nation Britain with dear leader Milipede at the helm. I loved it.

..........My knees are better.


............Talking of better. Mr Hairy Suit took Mother and I in his modern car all the way to the hospital and back again with a quick lovely detour to Rochford market where the suave fit Hairy pounced on a decent miltary style looking jacket in the RSPCA charity shop. Suits him. Takes years orf him too. I on the other hand bought a large black hat and red cape. Oh my giddy aunt I love them. What else? Oh lots of plums. Back to Hairy....I think he enjoyed his foray into the unquestionably murky underbelly of couture.

......As mum split her solitary Weetabix this morning she said I looked lovely.


............Last weekend's X Factor drove me potty. I found the incessant sobbing of every wannabee tiring and boring. If it carries on like this The X Factor will live no more. It is formulaic to the point of embarrassment.

.......Now I must fly. I hear bells................

Updated

The Labour Party Conference amidst a day of cooking and loving.
I'm in my element.

More later....


It is now later...
Made large white loaf, another Yorkshire Teabread (better than previous one) a rich dark bolognaise sauce for tomorrow's lasagne (bechamel coming later). So plenty of cooking done this morning. After a little sit down and light munchies I'll make tonight's Fisherman's Pie.
Smoked haddock and canned tuna in white sauce topped with layer of sliced tomatoes and covered in creamed potatoes. Usually serve peas with this gorgeous pie and tonight barring madcap ideas will again serve peas.
Pudding will be something light and fuss free, probably remainder of yesterday's crumble.
I'm leaning heavily though towards a chocolate puddle.
I love cooking, as you can clearly see, but sometimes my meticulousness for doing things right...in other words doing it myself... sometime gives me the pip. Why I can't open a packet or raid the freezer occasionally like wiser housewives beats me.
Ok self deprecating rant over.
So before fish pie and choc pud... leg stretch, ham roll and horror flick.