Sung with the choir I belong to at our local Covid 19 service of reflection. It was held in the open air, at the peace pagoda as featured in my avatar. The sun shone and the service was emotional. Our singing went well too.
That does sound good @Tree Bee. I’m quite a fan of civic services, we seem to have quite a few each year here. As far as I know nothings has been planned to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the start of the Covid pandemic, maybe because our parish church is closed at present for repairs.
I hope you are enjoying a glass or two of wine after the invasion of the space children @la vie en rouge. I'm sure they all had an amazing time.
Dinner tonight was pasta with the pesto that my husband made on a foraging day yesterday, mainly three cornered leek and wild garlic.
I thought the space helmets made by @la vie en rouge were reminiscent of sci-fi films of the 50s and 60s, before everything became so technically complicated IYSWIM.
That BTW is intended as a compliment...
Somewhat less Sun-Shiny today in Arkland the Grey, though very mild. It will be cooler for the rest of the week, as a reminder that the year is still young.
Tess Coe has been visited, because Monday. I find that the traffic leading into Tess Coe Town is much lighter around midday on Mondays than it is on some other days, so this is now a Regular Expotition.
A light Lunch has been eaten - SALMON FILLETS n'FRIES - and Supper will be the Polish/Ukrainian dumplings, with crispy Onions, and washed down with Polish BEER.
I'm trying to imagine what a three-cornered leek is, and also trying to suppress my envy of you having wild garlic!
It was a tad cooler here today - the warmth of the weekend must have migrated southwards to Arkland - but still dry and not unpleasant. Quite a busy day for a Monday, but none the worse for that.
There's a STEAK marinating in red wine and sundry other flavouring agents, and I shall shortly pootle through to the kitchen to cook it, along with some SPUDS, mushrooms and veggies.
I haven't a clue what a three cornered leek is either. Apparently wild garlic doesn't grow well round here either, they had to import the stuff they used from Taunton, which rather puts the kybosh on the foraging idea.
A busy morning, Pilates followed by badminton. We didn't have our usual instructor and I can't work out if my achy legs are due to her exercises, the badminton, or the walk to and from the leisure centre. The weather was chilly and foggy this morning, and the cemetery on the way back looked amazing with the daffodils being the only colour among the misty grey. This afternoon I made a start on sorting out my knitting stash and this evening husband and I made a katsu curry. He's just off to his photographic club and I intend to spend the evening doing not very much.
We sometimes buy 3 cornered leeks from the veg company, they are like small garlicky spring onions but with flowers at the end which look like snowdrops. I’ve just checked but, alas, they don’t have any in.
I have a venison shank in the oven braising but it was put in a rather late so probably won’t be ready for the next half hour.
Today I was asked if I buy food. As in, food to eat. Do I go to a shop, buy food and return home with it?
Apparently there's some internet theory that if you've never seen your neighbours going into their house carrying a bag of shopping, it's a give-away that they are not real, but are simulations.
I said that I both bought AND ate food, and am a real person, but then I would say that, wouldn't I?
So, now I wonder, is @Piglet really going to Tessies? Did @Bishops Finger really go to Tess Coe, because Monday?
Three cornered leek is a rampant weed in my garden. It, and Spanish bluebells are the bane of our lives, the bulbs go so deep into the ground that it is virtually impossible to dig them up without damaging the roots of the plants around them.
Called three cornered leeks because the stems and leaves have a triangular cross-section. The flowers are pretty but the whole plant smells and tastes very oniony.
I've not noticed them pushing up between our flagstones yet, so not surprised that Heavenyannie's supplier hasn't any. They won't be long once the returning cold spell is over and milder weather sets in.
The rather dull morning turned into a warm afternoon and my son wore just T shirt and jeans to tackle the ivy in my garden.
Choral society tonight, the aforementioned Herbert Howells’ Hymnus Paradisi, which is getting closer to being accurate. Just two more rehearsals before the concert. Probably the hardest piece we have ever sung.
Same here in Arkland the Cool - the wind has veered northerly, so it's distinctly chillier today.
After Pilates (not too gruelling) I made my way to a favourite eatery, and partook of BRUNCH - a full breakfast, accompanied by a glass of WINE - feeling in need of protein and carbohydrates.
The place is run by several ladies from Sicily, and also offers some tempting Sicilian cakes and pastries. I forswore them today, though, because Lent.
(I've just realised that my post was ambiguous. Was it the pastries I forswore, or the Sicilian ladies? ).
I've been out for lunch and caught up with my usual Tuesday afternoon friends afterwards... it being the afternoon, and a Tuesday... and will be starting to cook tea soon as Mr Nen is out for the evening. This means sole control of the TV remote for me and Early Tea is Very Lazy Curry: leftover chicken from Sunday's roast, a jar of korma sauce, naan bread (two minutes under the grill) and easy rice - two minutes in the popty ping.
(I've just realised that my post was ambiguous. Was it the pastries I forswore, or the Sicilian ladies? ).
I've been out for lunch and caught up with my usual Tuesday afternoon friends afterwards... it being the afternoon, and a Tuesday... and will be starting to cook tea soon as Mr Nen is out for the evening. This means sole control of the TV remote for me and Early Tea is Very Lazy Curry: leftover chicken from Sunday's roast, a jar of korma sauce, naan bread (two minutes under the grill) and easy rice - two minutes in the popty ping.
There's something sort of cute about "popty ping" though!
The sun was splitting the rocks (and my eyeballs) as I was coming home from work, and now that it's beginning to sink behind the buildings across from my window, the few clouds have taken on a rather fetching pink hue. It's still quite cool, but it's only early March.
Being as I am a piglet of very little brain, my plan for a BAKED POTATO with CHEESE for supper was foiled by the fact that none of the CHEESE I have in stock at the moment is the right sort (I like them with plain grated Cheddar).
However, I am also quite a resourceful piglet, so I've defrosted a packet of prawns, which will shortly be introduced to a couple of splats of M&S seafood sauce, which will fit the bill quite nicely.
The Loon is home for two nights. We had co-ordinated out 6 monthly dental check-ups for today; he got a clean bill of health, but an X-ray showed that I will need a filling. Personally, I think that if a dentist can't see a problem with the naked eye, there should be no reason to go searching for something to drill by using a X-ray machine. But I wasn't going to ague with someone wielding sharp pointy things in my mouth.
On our drive to the dentist we passed the huge new mural of Denis Law on the side of a block of flats. I think @Telford would like it.
After the dentist we had coffee and a fine piece in Waterstones, then we had a spending spree in the Oxfam bookshop.
We went to my cousins for lunch and a very pleasant catch up, and then home.
A hurried morning of going for a walk and putting the shopping away before an EDI seminar at 10am. This was on the university accessibility and diversity plan (Trump would love this!). As one of our key objectives is addressing the poor completion rates of students with mental health challenges (the subject of my doctorate thesis), I took the opportunity to continue my lobbying campaign to change the university’s language around student mental health. This is my goal before I retire - that they change the negative ‘mental health difficulty’ to the more positive ‘mental health challenges’ or similar on the student support resources. It may seem a small thing, though apparently difficult to achieve, but it matters if we want to reduce stigma. My campaign is now in its fourth year but I have at least another 6 to go before my retirement and I know they will give in eventually.
Then a long afternoon of marking essays on social inequalities. Mr Heavenly is out gallivanting so I might copy BF and have bacon and eggs and a glass of wine.
“Popty ping” seems to have become common usage since that candidate on The Apprentice called his range of microwaveable meals “popty ping”, although Darllenwr’s cousin in Bethesda in North Wales reckoned that was a general name for a microwave! It’s splendidly onomatopoeiaic - it’s an oven (Popty). which goes “ping “.
In completely unrelated news, I'm inordinately chuffed that the present organist of Belfast Cathedral messaged me to ask if I could send him a copy of David's responses (which he wrote for the choir of a parish church in East Belfast), as he's keen on doing some of the music by his predecessors!
Luckily I printed off a copy before leaving Fredericton. ❤️
A pretty lazy day here. I did nip to the corner shop (aka Waitrose) for some bits and pieces and went to the town to the south with my husband this afternoon. He had to pick up some bits and pieces for a friend and on the way back we went to an outlet shop to look at kitchenware.
I first heard popty ping from my son who went to university in North Wales. He can still count to one to ten in Welsh as the lift in the science building gave out the floor numbers in that language.
Spent a couple of face-achingly cold hours in the garden, gathering up the debris from the felling of the uprooting elder tree. Took 6 sacks to the brown bin.
Dinner was not to any recipe, but a combo of prawns, shiitake, spring onion, finger chillies, lemongrass and coconut milk -and very nice too.
Trying to get three quotes for the job of repairing the steps to my front door which are cracked or crumbling, my third attempt was to ask a friend of my son’s, who came this morning. His price is £260 as against £850 from a local company. He will replace rather than re-use existing materials too. The second company did not turn up.
This afternoon I managed a short walk round the block whilst the sun was shining, but it was very cold so I decided that was enough.
I also need to replace fascias and soffits. That won’t be cheap. My walk showed that all similar houses have replaced theirs, so it is a job that is overdue. I don’t think I can face going down the three quotes route. I shall stick with a firm I have used before.
There's a lot to be said for staying with a firm you trust, and who you know will do a good job. Yes, you might be able to get whatever-it-is done more cheaply, but O! the hassle it sometimes involves...
We went with a big national firm for our fascias and their quote was huge. I left Mr Heavenly in the lounge with the agent for several hours to haggle and he got the quote down to about a third of the original. I wish they would give honest quotes in the first place. I’d much prefer to pay slightly more to a good local workman than have that sort of experience.
How do you defrost your prawns @Piglet ? I'm always wary of them as I was ill on them once so when I (very rarely) do use them I tend to overcook and they end up like rubber.
A dull cold day here. I am gearing up for a trip to town with my diary - I have various appointments to make that I've been putting off (optician, dentist, hair cut) so once I've made those I plan to reward myself with a coffee and some time with my book in the café. I am not making much progress with my current real life book club book (Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano) as at home there are lots of other books I'd much rather read. Past experience has shown the only way to overcome this is to go out, or on a bus journey, or away, taking only that book with me so that it's all I have to read.
“Popty ping” seems to have become common usage since that candidate on The Apprentice called his range of microwaveable meals “popty ping”, although Darllenwr’s cousin in Bethesda in North Wales reckoned that was a general name for a microwave! It’s splendidly onomatopoeiaic - it’s an oven (Popty). which goes “ping “.
Siaradwyr mam-iaith (first language speakers) in my experience are divided between those who say it's a commonplace word and those who say it's complete invention and no-one says it. Personally I'm not keen, but then I dislike a lot of English words too - hubby, cuppa, tummy, yummy...
I always thought it was poppity ping and that it was something made up by a native Welsh speaker to tease the English.
Popty is a real word - pobi (bake) + ty (house), originally a bakehouse but extended to mean oven.
Popty ping - a pinging oven - probably started as a joke or kiddy slang.
I've also seen Meicroweif and other horrors - Meicroweif is just English Microwave as spoken in a Welsh accent using Welsh spelling rules. This happens a lot - I've also seen Ffeisbwc (work it out) for Gweplyfr.
I went to the Leisure Centre for the second of three visits I've booked for this week for a dance exercise class. I then headed to the cafe next door to meet some friends for a chat which was very pleasant. This afternoon is dedicated to laziness ahead of a council meeting tonight.
Ffeisbwc - yes. But Gweplyfr? Can't work that out.
Is it perhaps simply *proper* Welsh for Facebook?
ION, a day of Sun Shine, Showers, and Cloudiness, in Arkland the Cool. In fact, when I set out for Tess Coe at about 115pm, the light Rain actually turned to Sn*w for a few minutes.
There are LAMB CHOPS for tea. Shall I put Mint on them, or Garlic? O! such a difficult decision...
My son worked wonders in two hours in the garden again before the rain came down. The green bin is full and he filled his car to take the rest of the debris to the tip.
Very heavy showers, including hail, on and off this afternoon, but fortunately it was dry when I walked to and from my new Scrabble group. It seemed to go well, mainly as everyone is very co-operative and there to enjoy themselves without nit-picking, though I have been warned of one lady who couldn’t come today who sounds a bit Troublesome.
Quick turnaround before choral society, so I was glad of a HM fish pie from the freezer.
They were already cooked, so presumably not "dangerous". I gave them bursts of a couple of minutes at a time on "defrost" in the popty ping meicrodon until they were unfrosty and just beginning to be warm, then put them into the fridge to cool them down again. They worked fine, and I've had no ill-effects. If I'm organised enough to know that I'll be cooking with prawns I'll take them out in the morning and leave them in the kitchen to defrost, which isn't usually too warm (certainly not at this time of year).
I had a stupidly busy day at work; L just kept coming with loads of (admittedly mostly very short) voice files, but one in particular was very faffsome, and by the end I was definitely running out of f**ks to give! Things should calm down a bit tomorrow though; J's away to France for the weekend to see Scotland either getting stuffed (which would be sad) or winning (which would be nice) but would mean England win the tournament (which would also be sad). I suspect it'll be the former, as France seem to be a bit unstoppable at the moment. I wonder what happens if it's a draw?
I had a little foray to Tessie's at lunchtime, and espied a ready-slow-cooked LAMB SHANK in gravy which just needed 40 minutes in the oven, and it made a very nice supper with a few spuds and some peas.
It’s possibly Gweplyfr to sound more like “We-lyfr” (Web-book)? Just a thought. DuoLingo is teaching me a whole lot of modern Welsh words that probably didn’t even exist when I learnt it at school.
Comments
I see wine in our future.
It was a bit hesitant, but it'll get better.
Supper was cacio e pepe, because it's quick.
I hope you are enjoying a glass or two of wine after the invasion of the space children @la vie en rouge. I'm sure they all had an amazing time.
Dinner tonight was pasta with the pesto that my husband made on a foraging day yesterday, mainly three cornered leek and wild garlic.
That BTW is intended as a compliment...
Somewhat less Sun-Shiny today in Arkland the Grey, though very mild. It will be cooler for the rest of the week, as a reminder that the year is still young.
Tess Coe has been visited, because Monday. I find that the traffic leading into Tess Coe Town is much lighter around midday on Mondays than it is on some other days, so this is now a Regular Expotition.
A light Lunch has been eaten - SALMON FILLETS n'FRIES - and Supper will be the Polish/Ukrainian dumplings, with crispy Onions, and washed down with Polish BEER.
Restage now, as tomorrow is Pilates Day...
It was a tad cooler here today - the warmth of the weekend must have migrated southwards to Arkland - but still dry and not unpleasant. Quite a busy day for a Monday, but none the worse for that.
There's a STEAK marinating in red wine and sundry other flavouring agents, and I shall shortly pootle through to the kitchen to cook it, along with some SPUDS, mushrooms and veggies.
Obviously, there's WINE left to drink with it ...
A busy morning, Pilates followed by badminton. We didn't have our usual instructor and I can't work out if my achy legs are due to her exercises, the badminton, or the walk to and from the leisure centre. The weather was chilly and foggy this morning, and the cemetery on the way back looked amazing with the daffodils being the only colour among the misty grey. This afternoon I made a start on sorting out my knitting stash and this evening husband and I made a katsu curry. He's just off to his photographic club and I intend to spend the evening doing not very much.
I have a venison shank in the oven braising but it was put in a rather late so probably won’t be ready for the next half hour.
Apparently there's some internet theory that if you've never seen your neighbours going into their house carrying a bag of shopping, it's a give-away that they are not real, but are simulations.
I said that I both bought AND ate food, and am a real person, but then I would say that, wouldn't I?
So, now I wonder, is @Piglet really going to Tessies? Did @Bishops Finger really go to Tess Coe, because Monday?
Or are they just saying that?
Actually, yes, I did go to Tess Coe, and I did buy some food - you can ask my Neighbour F, because he carried the bags on board the Ark for me...
I can't speak for @Piglet, of course.
Curling up in bed with my book is the next job on my list.
Called three cornered leeks because the stems and leaves have a triangular cross-section. The flowers are pretty but the whole plant smells and tastes very oniony.
I've not noticed them pushing up between our flagstones yet, so not surprised that Heavenyannie's supplier hasn't any. They won't be long once the returning cold spell is over and milder weather sets in.
Choral society tonight, the aforementioned Herbert Howells’ Hymnus Paradisi, which is getting closer to being accurate. Just two more rehearsals before the concert. Probably the hardest piece we have ever sung.
I can.
After Pilates (not too gruelling) I made my way to a favourite eatery, and partook of BRUNCH - a full breakfast, accompanied by a glass of WINE - feeling in need of protein and carbohydrates.
The place is run by several ladies from Sicily, and also offers some tempting Sicilian cakes and pastries. I forswore them today, though, because Lent.
(I've just realised that my post was ambiguous. Was it the pastries I forswore, or the Sicilian ladies?
I've been out for lunch and caught up with my usual Tuesday afternoon friends afterwards... it being the afternoon, and a Tuesday... and will be starting to cook tea soon as Mr Nen is out for the evening. This means sole control of the TV remote for me and Early Tea is Very Lazy Curry: leftover chicken from Sunday's roast, a jar of korma sauce, naan bread (two minutes under the grill) and easy rice - two minutes in the popty ping.
Personally, I have forsworn abstinence.
*Meicrodon
The sun was splitting the rocks (and my eyeballs) as I was coming home from work, and now that it's beginning to sink behind the buildings across from my window, the few clouds have taken on a rather fetching pink hue. It's still quite cool, but it's only early March.
Being as I am a piglet of very little brain, my plan for a BAKED POTATO with CHEESE for supper was foiled by the fact that none of the CHEESE I have in stock at the moment is the right sort (I like them with plain grated Cheddar).
However, I am also quite a resourceful piglet, so I've defrosted a packet of prawns, which will shortly be introduced to a couple of splats of M&S seafood sauce, which will fit the bill quite nicely.
On our drive to the dentist we passed the huge new mural of Denis Law on the side of a block of flats. I think @Telford would like it.
After the dentist we had coffee and a fine piece in Waterstones, then we had a spending spree in the Oxfam bookshop.
We went to my cousins for lunch and a very pleasant catch up, and then home.
Then a long afternoon of marking essays on social inequalities. Mr Heavenly is out gallivanting so I might copy BF and have bacon and eggs and a glass of wine.
Luckily I printed off a copy before leaving Fredericton. ❤️
I first heard popty ping from my son who went to university in North Wales. He can still count to one to ten in Welsh as the lift in the science building gave out the floor numbers in that language.
Dinner was not to any recipe, but a combo of prawns, shiitake, spring onion, finger chillies, lemongrass and coconut milk -and very nice too.
This afternoon I managed a short walk round the block whilst the sun was shining, but it was very cold so I decided that was enough.
I also need to replace fascias and soffits. That won’t be cheap. My walk showed that all similar houses have replaced theirs, so it is a job that is overdue. I don’t think I can face going down the three quotes route. I shall stick with a firm I have used before.
A dull cold day here. I am gearing up for a trip to town with my diary - I have various appointments to make that I've been putting off (optician, dentist, hair cut) so once I've made those I plan to reward myself with a coffee and some time with my book in the café. I am not making much progress with my current real life book club book (Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano) as at home there are lots of other books I'd much rather read. Past experience has shown the only way to overcome this is to go out, or on a bus journey, or away, taking only that book with me so that it's all I have to read.
Siaradwyr mam-iaith (first language speakers) in my experience are divided between those who say it's a commonplace word and those who say it's complete invention and no-one says it. Personally I'm not keen, but then I dislike a lot of English words too - hubby, cuppa, tummy, yummy...
Popty is a real word - pobi (bake) + ty (house), originally a bakehouse but extended to mean oven.
Popty ping - a pinging oven - probably started as a joke or kiddy slang.
I've also seen Meicroweif and other horrors - Meicroweif is just English Microwave as spoken in a Welsh accent using Welsh spelling rules. This happens a lot - I've also seen Ffeisbwc (work it out) for Gweplyfr.
Is it perhaps simply *proper* Welsh for Facebook?
ION, a day of Sun Shine, Showers, and Cloudiness, in Arkland the Cool. In fact, when I set out for Tess Coe at about 115pm, the light Rain actually turned to Sn*w
There are LAMB CHOPS for tea. Shall I put Mint on them, or Garlic? O! such a difficult decision...
I'll add it to the list for my next trip to Tess Coe, or the Co-Op.
Yes. Gwep is an old word for Face - I'm not sure why it isn't Wyneb, the more modern common word.
Very heavy showers, including hail, on and off this afternoon, but fortunately it was dry when I walked to and from my new Scrabble group. It seemed to go well, mainly as everyone is very co-operative and there to enjoy themselves without nit-picking, though I have been warned of one lady who couldn’t come today who sounds a bit Troublesome.
Quick turnaround before choral society, so I was glad of a HM fish pie from the freezer.
I had a stupidly busy day at work; L just kept coming with loads of (admittedly mostly very short) voice files, but one in particular was very faffsome, and by the end I was definitely running out of f**ks to give! Things should calm down a bit tomorrow though; J's away to France for the weekend to see Scotland either getting stuffed (which would be sad) or winning (which would be nice) but would mean England win the tournament (which would also be sad). I suspect it'll be the former, as France seem to be a bit unstoppable at the moment. I wonder what happens if it's a draw?
I had a little foray to Tessie's at lunchtime, and espied a ready-slow-cooked LAMB SHANK in gravy which just needed 40 minutes in the oven, and it made a very nice supper with a few spuds and some peas.