Greetings from foie gras land where it raineth. After the drought of a couple of years ago, we can't really complain about it though. Today has mostly been taken up with purchasing provisions.
Today it rained early but had stopped by 9.30. Just as well, as I forgot my umbrella when I went out.
For the first time in years I had a day out with a friend. We went on the bus into the city to see an exhibition of Impressionist paintings ( and others ), lunch, plus a museum, ending with tea and a shared slice of lemon drizzle cake and non-stop conversation. I’m now weary but really enjoyed it.
Stir fry tonight.
I'm only slightly embarrassed to say I've had a drink in two of the pubs pictured (the Deacon Brodie and the Greyfriars Bobby - and I knew before looking through the article that they would feature). Hic!
Not a bad day in West Lothian; I didn't bother going out at lunchtime as I was sufficiently busy to just stop for a bite of lunch (a smoked-salmon-and-cream-cheese sandwich brought from home). It was really quite nice once I was coming home.
Supper was pasta with prawns, smoked salmon (because there wasn't enough left to bother with), broccoli and green beans in a garlicky, creamy sauce.
I have had these 50+ years the Readers' Digest Cookery Year - a compendium of Anglo-French cuisine of the first half of the 20th C. To this I repair for recipes involving kidneys, which more modern cookbooks ignore. Tonight was a French classic of kidneys and sausages cooked in white wine and sherry and plate-licking good it was too. Washed down with a Puglian red.
I've had a pretty lazy day though we did stroll into town where we discovered our branch of Millets is closing so picked up some shoes which was what my husband was looking for, a couple of camping chairs which we've been meaning to buy for ages, a pair of trousers for me and a new back pack for him. The staff were very upset and my husband put his foot in it making jokes about how they are always claiming they are closing every time they have a sale.
There seemed to have been a useful quantity of rain overnight, it continued to fall until after our early shopping trip to Lidl and stopped as we headed home. There was some sun late morning, and the rest of the day remained dry.
The first blossoms opened on our little apple tree this morning, so gentle rain needed for a week or two, and no frosts.
I usually pan fry chicken livers with mushrooms, seasoned with my standard quick mix of garlic granules and pepper. Then just before the end I add cream for a few minutes.
Rainy this morning and pelting down these evening. I have spent the day marking, as is the custom, then out to a local church group to review Sunday’s sermon.
A gustery, blusty, noisy night in Arkland the Windy, but quieter today, with the default mix of Cloud and Sun Shine.
Tess Coe has been visited, mainly because of a desperate need for Crispy Roast Potatoes to go with today's LAMB CHOPS, but a few other Essentials were bought, including MARMITE. And BEER. And CHEESE (an English Camembert - very tasty).
Tess Coe is still a howling desert, totally devoid of Pilchards, and I suspect that even those other firms which have that elusive Fish on their websites are hoarding them for people who have deliveries at home.
No further Tasks are scheduled for today, as yesterday's Pilates DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) has set in...
Still, small things are pleasing. I recently broke almost the last of my Blue-and-White striped dinner plates (Staffordshire Chef-Ware or T & G Green), but today received an eBay purchase consisting of two plates. They were sold as used, but look virtually new, and have cheered me up no end.
I also bought recently one of those old-fashioned white and blue enamel dishes in which to put Soap, and this is another happy addition to the equipment of the Ark's galley...
Perfectly horrible day, strong winds blowing sheets of rain against the windows, filling the gutters with sodden blossom.
Virtuously cleaned the kitchen and scullery, progressed the current knit, engineered a ring-pull for the plug of the wash hand basin in place of broken chain. Afternoon will probably divide between knitting and napping. Gussied-up cauliflower cheese for dinner. Don't know how I stand the excitement.
Still no rain here. BBC keeps saying it’s raining here and it simply isn’t. Maybe they should look out of the window. It’s colder today, so no sitting in the garden as there was yesterday, but I’m still carting watering cans around.
I suspect that even those other firms which have that elusive Fish on their websites are hoarding them for people who have deliveries at home.
There were plenty on the shelves of our W++tr+s+ this morning, perhaps they can't be had East of the Severn?
So it would seem...Happy Welsh Fish, maybe, but not English...
A fine day here, though, with the trees and blossom looking very pretty. The green that appears in April/May always looks as though God had only just invented it IYSWIM.
Still no rain here. BBC keeps saying it’s raining here and it simply isn’t. Maybe they should look out of the window. It’s colder today, so no sitting in the garden as there was yesterday, but I’m still carting watering cans around.
Maybe we are hoarding your rain. It's been raining here off and on since yesterday. I'm quite pleased to see it, as I had used half of my water butt in the last few days.
We also had a blustrous night - a particularly strong gust of wind howled against the window, which startled me awake and it was hard to get back to sleep. Then there was some rain, which briefly became heavy when we were having breakfast but soon blew over and we're left with a bright day and a chilly breeze. Mr Nen and I went for a walk together - this is a rare occurrence as he walks much faster than I do (he is both fitter than I am and has longer legs) but I told him not to get impatient and he very nobly didn't . I love all the spring flowers and the blossom.
In other news, I'm doing a chicken casserole for tea (which is cooking nicely in the oven) with jacket potatoes and broccoli and then Mr Nen and I both have different zoom meetings this evening.
Cool and intermittently wet in West Lothian; one of my colleagues got drenched going up to the post office this afternoon. I didn't bother going out at lunchtime, as I didn't really need to, and by the time I was coming home it was almost dry. The blossom that was blossoming so prettily on the tree outside my window is mostly on the ground now though; it almost looked as if it had been snowing this morning.
Supper was smoked haddock fish-cakes, with lemon & garlic greens and some leftover potato salad.
Very windy here, I was worried about my hearing aids blowing off while crossing our river into town this evening. I then had to cross back again as I'd forgotten my phone and I need that to switch to the t-switch programme so I can hear everyone else at the council meeting I was going to.
I have discovered that our water butt has a leak, it is turning out to be an expensive month.
Today I visited both my son and my daughter, firstly to collect a duly signed and witnessed document, secondly to wish my daughter well before she flies alone to Boston tomorrow in readiness for running the marathon next Monday. She ordered a fillet steak for her ‘ last supper’ tonight.
Nothing in my diary for a week now other than various church services, but I have just updated my To Do list to prompt me into keeping busy.it includes watering, as the promised rain has scarcely happened.
The old bean seeds I had sown about 10 days ago have germinated well, but the cucumber seeds have failed, so off to the garden centre this morning to get new seed. They didn't have the variety I like, so had to make do with an unknown one. Mr RoS bought some carrot seeds, a fruit cake and some assorted broken chocolate biscuits.
Our route home takes us through an industrial estate, in one section of which is located a Sardinian delicatessen. As it was noon, we stopped and had a small bite of lunch, and bought a couple of items for the kitchen store cupboard. That's a pretty expensive pack of seeds!
Dinner tonight was one of our favourites, penne with brussels sprouts, bacon & feta. Probably the last time until the winter frosts, as Lidl yesterday had no sprouts.
They had no pilchards either. I just looked at Sainsbury's website, and they have none listed, so not even available for delivery!
Reminds one of the story of the teacher who asked the class why oil spills were a bad thing. One response: "My mum opened a tin of pilchards. It was full of oil and the fish were all dead".
Reminds one of the story of the teacher who asked the class why oil spills were a bad thing. One response: "My mum opened a tin of pilchards. It was full of oil and the fish were all dead".
That child wins the internet for today...brilliant!
Another mixture of Cloud and Sun Shine in Arkland the Pilchardless, but I did at least remember to buy a pack of anti-histamines when I went to the Co-Op earlier (my morning Task). My fascinating and exciting lifestyle led to the purchase, in addition, of (CORNED) BEEF, BREAD, Bleach (for the loo), Bin-liners, and BEER (no surprise there). I occasionally buy Stuff that doesn't begin with B.
This afternoon's Task will be to make another attempt to seal two very annoying leaks in the ceiling of the Ark - a quantity of sealant was applied to the places where this occurs (mere pinholes, really), but recent rainfall shows that the seal is not yet quite 100%. I'm using an eye-wateringly expensive Paint, which is part paint, part rubber solution, and which one pours onto the area affected, using a brush to spread it about. Very satisfying, in a kindergarten sort of way!
Today being the one dry day of the week, we went on an Expotition to Rodez. It has an interesting cathedral, but the main attraction of the region is FOOD. It would have been rude not to indulge. I had farçous (a sort of vegetable fritters), pork chop and boulangère potatoes, and French toast made from fouace (a local speciality similar to brioche).
Hot cross buns have just come out of the oven for tomorrow's breakfast and smell very yummy. Tomorrow afternoon we are going to the cinema to watch Moon the Panda, which I have succeeded in persuading Captain Pyjamas is a much nicer film than the Minecraft movie.
... we are going to the cinema to watch Moon the Panda ...
I suspect Sandemaniac will be along shortly with a witticism ...
After being intermittently Dreich and Very Wet, it's actually turned out to be quite a nice evening, although still Not Warm.
I had a busy, but reasonably rewarding day at work, and feel quite justified in looking forward to four days off.
I got my hair cut at lunchtime, and my nails repainted (a rather fetching turquoise, to go with my new top and sandals, which I hope the weather will permit the wearing of on Sunday) after work. After that I thought, stuff it - Chinese takeaway. I'm quite sure I asked for king prawns with cashew nuts (which is almost always what I order), but for some reason I got chicken with cashew nuts instead. It was quite nice; I don't think I'll be actually ordering it, but it was OK.
I'm being rather naughty and skiving off the Maundy Thursday service, and I haven't really any intentions of doing Good Friday either - does that make me a Bad Piglet?
I skived off Maundy Thursday too and intend to go to the walk of witness tomorrow rather than the actual church services. I have to be there Easter Sunday as I'm reading the bidding prayers.
My excuse for skiving (and also not going to my writing group's meeting tonight) was I was knackered after two plus hours delivering leaflets for the local elections. I was dying for a wee when the door opened at the house where I had just delivered a leaflet and an acquaintance said hello. She kindly let me use her loo, for which I was very grateful.
Our Place doesn't do anything on Maundy Thursday and, our Lent group being finished, I went to my customary Thursday evening contemplative prayer group and it felt like being back with My People .
Have just hauled home a couple of bags of shopping, including a Very Heavy Duck. This will be roasted - a la orange of course - on Sunday. Lamb tomorrow. Mussels tonight.
By 10.30 this morning I had washed the towels and hung them out, watered the garden and cleaned the loos. I then headed out for the Walk of Witness service which was nicely ecumenical. We were in the market square competing with the market, the local hospice's bouncy castle and various other things going on. Had chats with various people I know before buying a couple of plants from the big stall that is there on Fridays and heading home for lunch. Plants are now planted and I intend to do nothing much for the rest of the day.
I think they had one in Our Place's nearby High Street this morning. Fine weather, happily, though I always wonder what the busy shoppers think of it all...
Cloudy now in Arkland the Mild, where a spasm of Paint Ing has taken place. The area around the main hatch into the Ark's living quarters gets rather scruffy over the winter, because Coal Bags, so I've touched it up with some nice Red Oxide - the equivalent of My Old Mum painting her front doorstep with Red Tile Paint...
A very fine sunny day which I have profited from do the Wash Ing.
The panda film was a bit sappy but had the virtues of (a) beautiful photography and (b) being much less crap than the Minecraft movie (or at least so I suspect).
I confess I totally forgot about the Walk of Witness which usually happens in our town on the morning of Good Friday . I was up in town with a friend this morning and quite a few hatted-and-raincoated chilly-looking people walked past the windows of the coffee shop together at one point... even then the penny didn't drop. A number of shops on the high street were closed because of it being a bank holiday, and it's been overcast and showery.
We're going to a Good Friday evening reflection at Our Place this evening and to this end have eaten our main meal at lunchtime. A snack on toast when we get back later will be the order of the day.
For the first time in I can't remember how long, I didn't have to set the alarm clock last night, and took full advantage of having bugger-all to do today.
I did have an amble down to Tessie's though, and stocked up on this and that (they still don't seem to have any BUTTERIES ), but I got the ingredients for the pâté I'm going to take to my sister's on Sunday. I still haven't decided whether it'll be mushroom or smoked salmon or both (there are a few vegetarians in the family), and if I have the energy tomorrow, I'll make a couple of skinny French sticks to have with it.
Supper was scampi & chips, because Friday (and because, despite it being Good Friday, there wasn't a queue when I got there, so I decided I could afford a bit of a wait while they cooked it).
I had planned to go to the Service in the market square of my town but my knees and back weren’t up to standing, so I don’t know how ecumenical it was or not. ( The Vicar officially withdrew from ecumenical events a few years ago, but he is off sick, prior to taking ill health retirement. ) I just turned up for the reflective service in the Methodist Church which was excellent. They were also doing Tenebrae later, whilst the Anglican’s 2pm service was due to be led by the Bishop.
Tonight I have made three single size fish pies, two for the freezer. Too much washing up to do very often.
Last night we went to our fellowship group Easter social, with baked potatoes, pulled lamb and salads, followed by a quiz.
We got up early today to take Master Heavenly the Younger to his girlfriend’s parents’ house in Rugby, then went to Canon Ashby to look around the National Trust house and church. We ate there (ploughman’s for me with a nice cherry and almond cake to follow). We got back after 4pm so I had a potter in the garden with bird feeding and light weeding. Mr Heavenly is currently cooking chicken drumsticks to eat with leftover salad and some asparagus freshly picked from our garden.
We enjoyed the Good Friday reflection at Our Place this evening, and also enjoyed getting home, turning the heating on and having a supper of beans (for me) and spaghetti hoops (for Mr Nen) on toast in front of the TV. My favourite Friday evening viewing is "Gardeners' World" with Monty Don - I don't like gardening but I love a pretty garden and I love watching other people work . I particularly enjoy the "Jobs for the Weekend" section, which I watch in the sure and certain knowledge I won't be doing any of them.
It rained this evening which is a good thing. We had our usual pasta, pesto and a bottle of wine Friday dinner and then watched Babe, as we were discussing it while eating dinner and hadn't seen it since it first came out.
I did a foolish thing this morning.
Having been looking at the parking facilities at a local site on Google, I put in our old address, out of curiosity to see if it still shows Mr RoS walking up the road in his work clothes.
No, he wasn't there, (It had been there last time I looked, seven years after we moved away) and there had been some interesting changes in the street, so I was tempted to look at our old house.
Big mistake!
The house had been in need of some TLC, but being Grade 2 listed were wasn't much they could do to alter its appearance, - it does now look very smart. But Oh, what they have done to gardens!
The back garden was very large, and well stocked with herbaceous plants, climbers, shrubs, trees and a good sized veg plot. All, admittedly, somewhat neglected as I had been suffering with back trouble for a few years.
It's very tidy now.
Every growing thing has been removed. Now there is just hard landscaping and a large lawn - which may or may not be artificial. I can't believe that it is, but if they could get rid of all those lovely plants , who knows?
The front garden, at the time the Google pics were taken, was unfinished, but all planting had been got rid of, and a third of the lawn had been incorporated into the drive. An entire 40ft yew hedge of unknown vintage, but well over 50 yrs has been grubbed up from across the front boundary, and half of a set of old iron railings has gone. How on earth did they get that past planning?
I am devastated, not just by the destruction of all the lovely plants I had put in (especially the trees), but the loss of habitat. There's just nothing there for insects, birds or small animals any more, when it used to be teeming with wildlife.
Enough of this self indulgent weeping & wailing! Not really any of my business any more, and I really should have resisted the urge to take a peek - we haven't been back to visit our old haunts, in spite of invitations from the neighbours, and that was a good decision. I have heard one or two of the things they have changed inside the house and am very glad Google couldn't let me see inside!
Sorry for the rant!
Roseofsharon - I feel for you. That situation can be so upsetting. I grew up on a beautiful small farm with fields, an orchard, barns and stables. My mum cultivated a wonderful front garden. The whole place was compulsorily purchased and demolished to make way for an airport runway extension. Although I still live fairly close I can't even drive down our old road any more without real heartache for everything that was destroyed. It still hurts 40 years later!
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I beg your pardon?
For the first time in years I had a day out with a friend. We went on the bus into the city to see an exhibition of Impressionist paintings ( and others ), lunch, plus a museum, ending with tea and a shared slice of lemon drizzle cake and non-stop conversation. I’m now weary but really enjoyed it.
Stir fry tonight.
I'm only slightly embarrassed to say I've had a drink in two of the pubs pictured (the Deacon Brodie and the Greyfriars Bobby - and I knew before looking through the article that they would feature). Hic!
Not a bad day in West Lothian; I didn't bother going out at lunchtime as I was sufficiently busy to just stop for a bite of lunch (a smoked-salmon-and-cream-cheese sandwich brought from home). It was really quite nice once I was coming home.
Supper was pasta with prawns, smoked salmon (because there wasn't enough left to bother with), broccoli and green beans in a garlicky, creamy sauce.
That sounds jolly uncomfortable!
The first blossoms opened on our little apple tree this morning, so gentle rain needed for a week or two, and no frosts.
Rainy this morning and pelting down these evening. I have spent the day marking, as is the custom, then out to a local church group to review Sunday’s sermon.
Tess Coe has been visited, mainly because of a desperate need for Crispy Roast Potatoes to go with today's LAMB CHOPS, but a few other Essentials were bought, including MARMITE. And BEER. And CHEESE (an English Camembert - very tasty).
Tess Coe is still a howling desert, totally devoid of Pilchards, and I suspect that even those other firms which have that elusive Fish on their websites are hoarding them for people who have deliveries at home.
No further Tasks are scheduled for today, as yesterday's Pilates DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) has set in...
Still, small things are pleasing. I recently broke almost the last of my Blue-and-White striped dinner plates (Staffordshire Chef-Ware or T & G Green), but today received an eBay purchase consisting of two plates. They were sold as used, but look virtually new, and have cheered me up no end.
I also bought recently one of those old-fashioned white and blue enamel dishes in which to put Soap, and this is another happy addition to the equipment of the Ark's galley...
...I think I need to get out more.
Virtuously cleaned the kitchen and scullery, progressed the current knit, engineered a ring-pull for the plug of the wash hand basin in place of broken chain. Afternoon will probably divide between knitting and napping. Gussied-up cauliflower cheese for dinner. Don't know how I stand the excitement.
Ours too - I took a photo - https://photos.app.goo.gl/23fSNM5j4vHXUx1H7
So it would seem...Happy Welsh Fish, maybe, but not English...
A fine day here, though, with the trees and blossom looking very pretty. The green that appears in April/May always looks as though God had only just invented it IYSWIM.
That is just the *perfect* description!
Thanks! It's not an original thought, but I can't recall where I first came across it...
Maybe we are hoarding your rain. It's been raining here off and on since yesterday. I'm quite pleased to see it, as I had used half of my water butt in the last few days.
In other news, I'm doing a chicken casserole for tea (which is cooking nicely in the oven) with jacket potatoes and broccoli and then Mr Nen and I both have different zoom meetings this evening.
Supper was smoked haddock fish-cakes, with lemon & garlic greens and some leftover potato salad.
I have discovered that our water butt has a leak, it is turning out to be an expensive month.
Nothing in my diary for a week now other than various church services, but I have just updated my To Do list to prompt me into keeping busy.it includes watering, as the promised rain has scarcely happened.
Our route home takes us through an industrial estate, in one section of which is located a Sardinian delicatessen. As it was noon, we stopped and had a small bite of lunch, and bought a couple of items for the kitchen store cupboard. That's a pretty expensive pack of seeds!
Dinner tonight was one of our favourites, penne with brussels sprouts, bacon & feta. Probably the last time until the winter frosts, as Lidl yesterday had no sprouts.
They had no pilchards either. I just looked at Sainsbury's website, and they have none listed, so not even available for delivery!
I'm not sure I'd be very happy wedged into a tin with several colleagues.
Another mixture of Cloud and Sun Shine in Arkland the Pilchardless, but I did at least remember to buy a pack of anti-histamines when I went to the Co-Op earlier (my morning Task). My fascinating and exciting lifestyle led to the purchase, in addition, of (CORNED) BEEF, BREAD, Bleach (for the loo), Bin-liners, and BEER (no surprise there). I occasionally buy Stuff that doesn't begin with B.
This afternoon's Task will be to make another attempt to seal two very annoying leaks in the ceiling of the Ark - a quantity of sealant was applied to the places where this occurs (mere pinholes, really), but recent rainfall shows that the seal is not yet quite 100%. I'm using an eye-wateringly expensive Paint, which is part paint, part rubber solution, and which one pours onto the area affected, using a brush to spread it about. Very satisfying, in a kindergarten sort of way!
Hot cross buns have just come out of the oven for tomorrow's breakfast and smell very yummy. Tomorrow afternoon we are going to the cinema to watch Moon the Panda, which I have succeeded in persuading Captain Pyjamas is a much nicer film than the Minecraft movie.
After being intermittently Dreich and Very Wet, it's actually turned out to be quite a nice evening, although still Not Warm.
I had a busy, but reasonably rewarding day at work, and feel quite justified in looking forward to four days off.
I got my hair cut at lunchtime, and my nails repainted (a rather fetching turquoise, to go with my new top and sandals, which I hope the weather will permit the wearing of on Sunday) after work. After that I thought, stuff it - Chinese takeaway. I'm quite sure I asked for king prawns with cashew nuts (which is almost always what I order), but for some reason I got chicken with cashew nuts instead. It was quite nice; I don't think I'll be actually ordering it, but it was OK.
I'm being rather naughty and skiving off the Maundy Thursday service, and I haven't really any intentions of doing Good Friday either - does that make me a Bad Piglet?
[Lurch] You rang? [/Lurch]
My excuse for skiving (and also not going to my writing group's meeting tonight) was I was knackered after two plus hours delivering leaflets for the local elections. I was dying for a wee when the door opened at the house where I had just delivered a leaflet and an acquaintance said hello. She kindly let me use her loo, for which I was very grateful.
Cloudy now in Arkland the Mild, where a spasm of Paint Ing has taken place. The area around the main hatch into the Ark's living quarters gets rather scruffy over the winter, because Coal Bags, so I've touched it up with some nice Red Oxide - the equivalent of My Old Mum painting her front doorstep with Red Tile Paint...
The panda film was a bit sappy but had the virtues of (a) beautiful photography and (b) being much less crap than the Minecraft movie (or at least so I suspect).
We're going to a Good Friday evening reflection at Our Place this evening and to this end have eaten our main meal at lunchtime. A snack on toast when we get back later will be the order of the day.
I did have an amble down to Tessie's though, and stocked up on this and that (they still don't seem to have any BUTTERIES
Supper was scampi & chips, because Friday (and because, despite it being Good Friday, there wasn't a queue when I got there, so I decided I could afford a bit of a wait while they cooked it).
Tonight I have made three single size fish pies, two for the freezer. Too much washing up to do very often.
We got up early today to take Master Heavenly the Younger to his girlfriend’s parents’ house in Rugby, then went to Canon Ashby to look around the National Trust house and church. We ate there (ploughman’s for me with a nice cherry and almond cake to follow). We got back after 4pm so I had a potter in the garden with bird feeding and light weeding. Mr Heavenly is currently cooking chicken drumsticks to eat with leftover salad and some asparagus freshly picked from our garden.
Having been looking at the parking facilities at a local site on Google, I put in our old address, out of curiosity to see if it still shows Mr RoS walking up the road in his work clothes.
No, he wasn't there, (It had been there last time I looked, seven years after we moved away) and there had been some interesting changes in the street, so I was tempted to look at our old house.
Big mistake!
The house had been in need of some TLC, but being Grade 2 listed were wasn't much they could do to alter its appearance, - it does now look very smart. But Oh, what they have done to gardens!
The back garden was very large, and well stocked with herbaceous plants, climbers, shrubs, trees and a good sized veg plot. All, admittedly, somewhat neglected as I had been suffering with back trouble for a few years.
It's very tidy now.
Every growing thing has been removed. Now there is just hard landscaping and a large lawn - which may or may not be artificial. I can't believe that it is, but if they could get rid of all those lovely plants , who knows?
The front garden, at the time the Google pics were taken, was unfinished, but all planting had been got rid of, and a third of the lawn had been incorporated into the drive. An entire 40ft yew hedge of unknown vintage, but well over 50 yrs has been grubbed up from across the front boundary, and half of a set of old iron railings has gone. How on earth did they get that past planning?
I am devastated, not just by the destruction of all the lovely plants I had put in (especially the trees), but the loss of habitat. There's just nothing there for insects, birds or small animals any more, when it used to be teeming with wildlife.
Enough of this self indulgent weeping & wailing! Not really any of my business any more, and I really should have resisted the urge to take a peek - we haven't been back to visit our old haunts, in spite of invitations from the neighbours, and that was a good decision. I have heard one or two of the things they have changed inside the house and am very glad Google couldn't let me see inside!
Sorry for the rant!