Welcome back, Sarasa, happy birthday and congratulations on the anniversary!
It's another lovely day here (15° and sunny). We arrived a bit earlier than usual, and the early service wasn't finished yet, so we had a nice little stroll across the green towards the river (which is mercifully much further away than it was this time last week) and back round the outside of the Cathedral, passing the time of day with the squirrels as we went.
Backing up somewhat - @Thomasina - that sounds like a magnificent choice of music. And lots of love to you from an internet random.
Today, ladies and gentleman, I have so far not had a migraine. This has led to joy unbounded, and I was able to gallivant to that London to meet one of my very bestest friends. We pootled to the Cartoon museum, which I’ve never been to before - an excellent way to pass a couple of hours. Also came across a march of pagans (no, really) - actually they marched past the café I was in at lunchtime, and we then bumped into some of them outside a pub later. Stopped to say hello to one fellow sporting magnificent green face paint and horns. And holding a pint of lager. He introduced himself but I’ve forgotten his name now. I really want it to have been Steve, because that’s just a great name for a pagan.
The only pagan I know in RL is called Cynthia. She gives talks about visiting Palestine, particularly to church groups.
Curiosity, this may be a stupid idea, but would a parasol/umbrella help? Not if you need both hands obviously, but maybe at the bus stop? I'm definitely in favour of a return to parasols in general. My Mauritian aunts sometimes use them if they're 'about town' on particularly sunny days.
Curiosity, this may be a stupid idea, but would a parasol/umbrella help? Not if you need both hands obviously, but maybe at the bus stop? I'm definitely in favour of a return to parasols in general. My Mauritian aunts sometimes use them if they're 'about town' on particularly sunny days.
Here in the land of almost constant sun (i.e., Arizona) it is quite common to see people carry umbrellas for sun protection.
I have thought of parasols, but commuting on tubes and trains, when I shouldn't be near windows*, and there's not really a choice, a parasol would not be popular with the other passengers. And the things I'm not doing, like Guide Camps and Folk Festivals, a parasol wouldn't be practical either. I have some sunhats that are pretty all enveloping, but I still burn on sunny days without the additional sunblock.
* I may be commuting on London Underground but there's only a tiny underground section on any of my usual journeys.
CK, I hope your sunburn soon calms down - it's not nice at all.
Piglet, I didn't realise fiddleheads are edible - what do they taste like? Is it all types of fern or just certain ones? Maybe I could try them at the allotment.
Congrats Sarasa on both anniversary and birthday - Italy is a lovely way to celebrate.
I'm still hobbling but I think I've pretty much organised myself so I can manage, with the knowledge that friends are close by to help if I need. The walking frames are a wonderful gadget, much safer than crutches. I spent today working out how to fit a downstairs cloakroom- a bit late for now, but at least I know what would be useful.
Good to hear things are on the mend Daisydaisy. I think downstairs cloakrooms are really useful. I don't think I'd want to move anywhere without one.
Today I'm working through a list of things to do, catching up with various emails etc after our holiday. Why is it this sort of stuff makes me want to drink endless cups of tea?
You know what they say about mad dogs and Englishmen? Well, last week I signed up to do a walking marathon on the summer solstice (it's a charity thing). Did a warm-up walk on Saturday, covering about 30km. Legs aren't quite sore, just overly solid compared to what I'm used to. Any suggestions from the ships walkers as to how this might be ameliorated? It feels like I could go into cramp at any given moment.
... Piglet, I didn't realise fiddleheads are edible - what do they taste like? Is it all types of fern or just certain ones?
Fiddleheads are delicious - it's difficult to describe their taste. The texture if you eat them either pickled or lightly stir-fried is similar to a nicely crunchy French bean or asparagus, and they make a delicious cream soup, vaguely reminiscent of lettuce or watercress.
According to the Wiki article, the sort we get here are ostrich ferns. They're only in season for a few weeks each spring, and the floods have made this year's crop even smaller than usual. However, a little goes quite a long way, and I'm off in a few minutes to turn some of them into SOUP for tomorrow's lunch.
I have thought of parasols, but commuting on tubes and trains, when I shouldn't be near windows*, and there's not really a choice, a parasol would not be popular with the other passengers. And the things I'm not doing, like Guide Camps and Folk Festivals, a parasol wouldn't be practical either. I have some sunhats that are pretty all enveloping, but I still burn on sunny days without the additional sunblock.
* I may be commuting on London Underground but there's only a tiny underground section on any of my usual journeys.
I thought it might be a bit of a long shot. A parasol would be more help prodding commuters out of the way than saving you from sunny trains
I have thought of parasols, but commuting on tubes and trains, when I shouldn't be near windows*, and there's not really a choice, a parasol would not be popular with the other passengers. And the things I'm not doing, like Guide Camps and Folk Festivals, a parasol wouldn't be practical either. I have some sunhats that are pretty all enveloping, but I still burn on sunny days without the additional sunblock.
* I may be commuting on London Underground but there's only a tiny underground section on any of my usual journeys.
Fiddleheads do sound interesting to eat. I am not sure it's a solution to the problem with bracken though.
I have seriously thought of a burqa, but I'm pretty certain that would be interpreted as cultural appropriation. My daughter knew of someone locally to her from the Muslim community who was acid attacked and wore a burqa for the next year to recover - not being something she did normally. When the year was up, she stopped wearing the burqa and went back to a hijab, to much discussion.
The year with sun block and covering up from the sun is the burns unit recommendation. There are two issues, sunburn and further damaging the skin and areas burnt - which can lead to permanent pigmentation changes. I have been convinced that the sunblock is necessary by burning outside on a misty, murky March day, even wearing a hat and scarf, and burning inside talking to someone in an office for 15 minutes, standing too near a window, on a not particularly bright April day.
To be honest, I suspect that by October or November with the sun lower in the sky, duller weather and healed enough skin, it will allow me to dispense with the sunblock and just cover up outside, which I'll probably be happier doing in colder weather. But November feels a long way away currently.
CK I was badly burned around ankles by boiling oil. Fortunately it was summer and I wore dresses with long, ankle length skirts, all floaty. Even a hot day may made legs looked sunburnt for many months. IANAD but vitamin E cream helped keep skin supple. You have so many measure already in place that I can’t suggest more. Best wishes for recovery and when they say a year, it may well take a year.
Legs aren't quite sore, just overly solid compared to what I'm used to. Any suggestions from the ships walkers as to how this might be ameliorated? It feels like I could go into cramp at any given moment.
There were a list of creams to use 4 times a day, including vitamin E cream, Nivea and cocoa butter. I'm using cocoa butter with vitamin E as something I'm not allergic to and is reasonably cheap. And I know what you mean about sunburn. I looked as if I had an amazing tan for ages. It's beginning to calm down on my face, but not so much on my chest
A colleague brought doughnuts in to work yesterday - jam ones and custard ones. One in each hand was a balanced diet, yes? Also, as someone pointed out to me, the jam probably counts as one of your five a day.
@Sipech I usually find that the overly solid feeling eases up over a few days and with a bit of stretching. Those warm.up and cool down stretches recommended before exercise are supposed to help at the time. Or a bath with Epsom salts or lavender and oatmeal (bag of lavender and oatmeal over the taps and run the water through it).
A colleague brought doughnuts in to work yesterday - jam ones and custard ones. One in each hand was a balanced diet, yes? Also, as someone pointed out to me, the jam probably counts as one of your five a day.
... which reminds me that I haven't seen any apple doughnuts for ages. They used to be my favourite type
A colleague brought doughnuts in to work yesterday - jam ones and custard ones. One in each hand was a balanced diet, yes? Also, as someone pointed out to me, the jam probably counts as one of your five a day.
Of course it counts- and don't forget custard is made with milk so therefore has calcium in it
I've had quite an interesting day: the Cathedral branch of the Anglican Church Women (of which I'm not a member - I don't feel quite old enough yet) had a meeting at the old people's residence round the corner from the Cathedral and asked me to give them a little talk about what it was like growing up in Orkney. I've never done anything like that before, but it was quite fun - they laughed in the right places, and as they were having a bit of a hymn-sing afterwards, D. was there to play the piano, and helped by holding up appropriate pictures and adding the odd witty aside.
I don't think I'll be making a career out of it, but it wasn't as scary as I might have thought.
Yay, KS2 SATS week is over for me and the students I work with. GCSEs start next week.
And in other news, my landlord's solicitor has been organising my witness statement of aggressive behaviour by my next door neighbour for eviction proceedings. Bye bye next door neighbour. I suspect they've worked out that moving me to keep me safe will not keep my successor safe.
I've just spent 20 minutes hypnotised by the hawthorn tree in the back garden. The blossom has all come out at once and is hanging just outside the landing window. It's full of birds and insects and it's fascinating. It's officially time to 'cast a clout'.
Oh that sounds lovely. I have planted out some beans today. I’ve seen two pairs of randy little blue butterflies flitting about too. Spring is wonderful (for those of us not suffering in the heat and sunshine).
I've been a moderately busy piglet today - D's recital (which included Renaissance dances by Susato and Praetorius; a suite by a Canadian composer written in memory of his cat; and Bach's Great G minor Fantasia and Fugue) was followed by a spot of minor grocery shopping, then bread-making and I'm now in the middle of making a potato curry for tomorrow's lunch.
Oh yes - and I seem to have agreed to read a prayer in Norwegian* at the joint service we're having on Sunday for Whitsun.
* The Dean e-mailed me to say they were planning prayers in other languages - presumably to simulate the talking in tongues thing - but the person who was going to read in Czech had backed out and would I do one in a "native tongue" - he suggested Gaelic - and sent the English version of what he wanted.
I explained that Gaelic isn't spoken in Orkney, but said I'd see what Google Translate could come up with in Norwegian, and I've been practising ...
D. and I went to beginners' Norwegian classes about 35 years ago, and he was much better at it than I was, but I'm assuming I was asked because of my exotic ethnicity ...
Baby en rouge has now been moved to another hospital closer to home. He was a bit under the weather last week after being given a shed load of vaccinations but he's perking up again now. As of today they're going to have another go at weening him off oxygen (didn't really work last time and then he was too tired after the vaccinations). He drinks small amounts but isn't all that interested for now - after all what's the point of making the effort to suck when you can do nothing and the milk arrives in your stomach all by itself through a tube? I may have to have a word with him about how you don't get anything without working for it in life
Last night we invited round the parents of the other little boy who was in the same room as baby en rouge at the old hospital. They live between Mali and Canada. His Mum was travelling between the two with a transit through Paris when her waters broke on the way. Consequently she was hospitalised here and spent several weeks completely on her own before giving birth at 25 weeks, same as me. Her husband's now come over from Canada and along with all the rest of the worry they're having to figure out how to pay for it. I think they must be the most courageous people I've ever met. (Little C is a fighter and he's doing very well.)
So glad Baby en rouge is closer to you, and what a time Little C's parents must be having. <votive>
I've been blessed by a string of visitors, a few each day, each offering to do something for me (usually shopping, which I've now done online to stock up) so I'm trying to be less independent and keep the odd thing I shouldn't really do (redecorate might be pushing it though!). However, I'm finding I need to be careful who does what because the flip side of that is when something gets put away out of reach or somewhere other than where I put it. Or a window or door is unlocked but not relocked. An interesting twist is if the visitor doesn't approve of something that I use to cope and puts it way out of reach, such as the trolley that I use to take my meal to the table - the alternative is eating the kitchen standing up which I should be avoiding.
I didn't realise that Norwegian is spoken in Orkney, but that makes sense. When I first visited Norway 10 years ago I tried to learn some basics but thankfully most people (including my Godmother & her husband who I visited in their Oslo home) spoke enough English for me to mange, which I was most grateful for, although sometimes it was after they'd spoken to me in Norwegian first and I just looked blank!
It's not spoken in Orkney as such, but there is a twinning thing with the Norwegian county of Hordaland (the area round Bergen), and there was a parade in Kirkwall last Thursday to mark Norwegian Constitution Day.
Orkney belonged to Norway until 1468 when it was given to Scotland as part of a royal bridal dowry. There was a "language" - possibly more likely a dialect - called Orkney Norn, which was spoken until a couple of hundred years ago in parts of the islands. The place-names (and many personal names) in Orkney all have Norse roots.
I’ve seen two pairs of randy little blue butterflies flitting about too. Spring is wonderful (for those of us not suffering in the heat and sunshine).
Blue butterflies are my favourites. I've seen a few as well.
My hay fever has kicked in. I've been in denial but yesterday there was no way I could ignore it. In with the antihistamines, nasal spray and eye drops. That's me now until September.
As it turned out, I didn't have to read the prayer after all - the Czech speaker turned up. I can't say I was disappointed - relieved would be a better term!
The service went off really rather well, except for the sermon being a bit on the long side - it was given by the Cathedral's Director of Formation*, who's a lovely bloke, but possibly not very experienced in the art of oratory. Afterwards we had a communal lunch** of baked potatoes (D's idea), which was very jolly.
After yesterday's lunch, we were persuaded to take home some left-over baked potatoes, which I'm currently turning into a potato, bacon and corn chowder, while enjoying yet another spectacular sunset over the river.
Coming from Orkney, I have very high standards in sunsets, but the one we had last night and tonight's are right up there.
Indeed not - I was brought up in a Baptist church whose congregation had some of the best cooks I know, and church bun-fights were an embarrassment of riches!
I've been in Domestic Goddess Piglet mode today: I've made a batch of loaves, cooked (and eaten) lunch (The Sausage Thing) and am now waiting for laundry to dry.
Just as well I wasn't relying on outdoor drying - just before lunch, the sky became very dark and lowering, and we took a quick run up the road to photograph it. Five minutes later, just after we'd got back to the house, there was a rumble of thunder, and an almighty rain-storm, with powerful gusts of wind, started up. Because it had been quite warm (19°), I had the window of the storm-door open - it's a vertical window behind an insect screen - and I suddenly realised the rain was coming in, and of course the little clip thingies that hold it open didn't want to co-operate ...
It doesn't look too bad out there now, but the temperature's plummeted to 8°, which is quite a drop in four hours!
I’m back from a very pleasant week in Heidelberg visiting my son. My German is coming on. I’ve been practicing in shops and enjoy it when the shopkeepers correct my grammar.
I’d describe today as cool, breezy and sunny. Quite good drying weather.
We have three big dogs as my friend’s dog is staying with us - so I will be vacuuming three times a day for the duration!
I’ve only got 9lbs to go to my target weight but the Rotwein and Weißbier did some damage, so back on it today. I have just enjoyed a tasty breakfast of quark, blueberries and apples with a lemon and ginger tea.
Comments
It's another lovely day here (15° and sunny). We arrived a bit earlier than usual, and the early service wasn't finished yet, so we had a nice little stroll across the green towards the river (which is mercifully much further away than it was this time last week) and back round the outside of the Cathedral, passing the time of day with the squirrels as we went.
This really is a very pretty place to live!
Today, ladies and gentleman, I have so far not had a migraine. This has led to joy unbounded, and I was able to gallivant to that London to meet one of my very bestest friends. We pootled to the Cartoon museum, which I’ve never been to before - an excellent way to pass a couple of hours. Also came across a march of pagans (no, really) - actually they marched past the café I was in at lunchtime, and we then bumped into some of them outside a pub later. Stopped to say hello to one fellow sporting magnificent green face paint and horns. And holding a pint of lager. He introduced himself but I’ve forgotten his name now. I really want it to have been Steve, because that’s just a great name for a pagan.
Curiosity, this may be a stupid idea, but would a parasol/umbrella help? Not if you need both hands obviously, but maybe at the bus stop? I'm definitely in favour of a return to parasols in general. My Mauritian aunts sometimes use them if they're 'about town' on particularly sunny days.
Here in the land of almost constant sun (i.e., Arizona) it is quite common to see people carry umbrellas for sun protection.
* I may be commuting on London Underground but there's only a tiny underground section on any of my usual journeys.
Piglet, I didn't realise fiddleheads are edible - what do they taste like? Is it all types of fern or just certain ones? Maybe I could try them at the allotment.
Congrats Sarasa on both anniversary and birthday - Italy is a lovely way to celebrate.
I'm still hobbling but I think I've pretty much organised myself so I can manage, with the knowledge that friends are close by to help if I need. The walking frames are a wonderful gadget, much safer than crutches. I spent today working out how to fit a downstairs cloakroom- a bit late for now, but at least I know what would be useful.
Today I'm working through a list of things to do, catching up with various emails etc after our holiday. Why is it this sort of stuff makes me want to drink endless cups of tea?
According to the Wiki article, the sort we get here are ostrich ferns. They're only in season for a few weeks each spring, and the floods have made this year's crop even smaller than usual. However, a little goes quite a long way, and I'm off in a few minutes to turn some of them into SOUP for tomorrow's lunch.
I thought it might be a bit of a long shot. A parasol would be more help prodding commuters out of the way than saving you from sunny trains
Maybe a burqa???
Fiddleheads do sound interesting to eat. I am not sure it's a solution to the problem with bracken though.
I have seriously thought of a burqa, but I'm pretty certain that would be interpreted as cultural appropriation. My daughter knew of someone locally to her from the Muslim community who was acid attacked and wore a burqa for the next year to recover - not being something she did normally. When the year was up, she stopped wearing the burqa and went back to a hijab, to much discussion.
The year with sun block and covering up from the sun is the burns unit recommendation. There are two issues, sunburn and further damaging the skin and areas burnt - which can lead to permanent pigmentation changes. I have been convinced that the sunblock is necessary by burning outside on a misty, murky March day, even wearing a hat and scarf, and burning inside talking to someone in an office for 15 minutes, standing too near a window, on a not particularly bright April day.
To be honest, I suspect that by October or November with the sun lower in the sky, duller weather and healed enough skin, it will allow me to dispense with the sunblock and just cover up outside, which I'll probably be happier doing in colder weather. But November feels a long way away currently.
Magnesium spray might help.
Jengie
I googled and what popped up were some horrid spiders, i did assume that they write not the ingredients in the soup ...
... which reminds me that I haven't seen any apple doughnuts for ages. They used to be my favourite type
Of course it counts- and don't forget custard is made with milk so therefore has calcium in it
I don't think I'll be making a career out of it, but it wasn't as scary as I might have thought.
It works for Mrs Sioni and I. We can get TW flavoured with Elderflower which helps those who would rather I drink their share of GIN..
And in other news, my landlord's solicitor has been organising my witness statement of aggressive behaviour by my next door neighbour for eviction proceedings. Bye bye next door neighbour. I suspect they've worked out that moving me to keep me safe will not keep my successor safe.
Piglet, the talk sounds interesting - I wish I'd heard it.
I'll get me Coat and At.
IJ
Eeek! Hie thee back to the buffet car and get thee a stale cheese sandwich!
I (just) managed to resist opening my spiel with Unaccustomed as I am ...
I've been a moderately busy piglet today - D's recital (which included Renaissance dances by Susato and Praetorius; a suite by a Canadian composer written in memory of his cat; and Bach's Great G minor Fantasia and Fugue) was followed by a spot of minor grocery shopping, then bread-making and I'm now in the middle of making a potato curry for tomorrow's lunch.
Oh yes - and I seem to have agreed to read a prayer in Norwegian* at the joint service we're having on Sunday for Whitsun.
* The Dean e-mailed me to say they were planning prayers in other languages - presumably to simulate the talking in tongues thing - but the person who was going to read in Czech had backed out and would I do one in a "native tongue" - he suggested Gaelic - and sent the English version of what he wanted.
I explained that Gaelic isn't spoken in Orkney, but said I'd see what Google Translate could come up with in Norwegian, and I've been practising ...
D. and I went to beginners' Norwegian classes about 35 years ago, and he was much better at it than I was, but I'm assuming I was asked because of my exotic ethnicity ...
Last night we invited round the parents of the other little boy who was in the same room as baby en rouge at the old hospital. They live between Mali and Canada. His Mum was travelling between the two with a transit through Paris when her waters broke on the way. Consequently she was hospitalised here and spent several weeks completely on her own before giving birth at 25 weeks, same as me. Her husband's now come over from Canada and along with all the rest of the worry they're having to figure out how to pay for it. I think they must be the most courageous people I've ever met. (Little C is a fighter and he's doing very well.)
Good to hear bebe en rouge is doing well - <votive> too for little C and his parents.
IJ
I've been blessed by a string of visitors, a few each day, each offering to do something for me (usually shopping, which I've now done online to stock up) so I'm trying to be less independent and keep the odd thing I shouldn't really do (redecorate might be pushing it though!). However, I'm finding I need to be careful who does what because the flip side of that is when something gets put away out of reach or somewhere other than where I put it. Or a window or door is unlocked but not relocked. An interesting twist is if the visitor doesn't approve of something that I use to cope and puts it way out of reach, such as the trolley that I use to take my meal to the table - the alternative is eating the kitchen standing up which I should be avoiding.
I didn't realise that Norwegian is spoken in Orkney, but that makes sense. When I first visited Norway 10 years ago I tried to learn some basics but thankfully most people (including my Godmother & her husband who I visited in their Oslo home) spoke enough English for me to mange, which I was most grateful for, although sometimes it was after they'd spoken to me in Norwegian first and I just looked blank!
Orkney belonged to Norway until 1468 when it was given to Scotland as part of a royal bridal dowry. There was a "language" - possibly more likely a dialect - called Orkney Norn, which was spoken until a couple of hundred years ago in parts of the islands. The place-names (and many personal names) in Orkney all have Norse roots.
Sorry, I'll get my Helly Hansen jacket...
Blue butterflies are my favourites. I've seen a few as well.
My hay fever has kicked in. I've been in denial but yesterday there was no way I could ignore it. In with the antihistamines, nasal spray and eye drops. That's me now until September.
As it turned out, I didn't have to read the prayer after all - the Czech speaker turned up. I can't say I was disappointed - relieved would be a better term!
The service went off really rather well, except for the sermon being a bit on the long side - it was given by the Cathedral's Director of Formation*, who's a lovely bloke, but possibly not very experienced in the art of oratory. Afterwards we had a communal lunch** of baked potatoes (D's idea), which was very jolly.
* no - I'm not sure either ...
** We're Anglicans - we eat.
Coming from Orkney, I have very high standards in sunsets, but the one we had last night and tonight's are right up there.
Just as well I wasn't relying on outdoor drying - just before lunch, the sky became very dark and lowering, and we took a quick run up the road to photograph it. Five minutes later, just after we'd got back to the house, there was a rumble of thunder, and an almighty rain-storm, with powerful gusts of wind, started up. Because it had been quite warm (19°), I had the window of the storm-door open - it's a vertical window behind an insect screen - and I suddenly realised the rain was coming in, and of course the little clip thingies that hold it open didn't want to co-operate ...
It doesn't look too bad out there now, but the temperature's plummeted to 8°, which is quite a drop in four hours!
I’d describe today as cool, breezy and sunny. Quite good drying weather.
We have three big dogs as my friend’s dog is staying with us - so I will be vacuuming three times a day for the duration!
I’ve only got 9lbs to go to my target weight but the Rotwein and Weißbier did some damage, so back on it today. I have just enjoyed a tasty breakfast of quark, blueberries and apples with a lemon and ginger tea.
(Red wine and wheat beer)