Monthly Archives: August 2009

“Mraaaw!” indeed

Posted on August 26, 2009 | 12 Comments

“Mraaaw!” said Dolly, standing by the kitchen door.

“It’s not very nice out there this morning, Dolly,” I said.

“Mraaaw!”

“It’s the rag tag and bobtails of Hurricane Bill, all the way from North America.”

“Mraaaw!”

“Well, alright, then.  But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Mraaaw!”

I opened the door just in time to catch a good healthy rain-laden squall blowing up the catio and into the kitchen.

Dolly was horrified.  Then Dolly was cross.  Very cross.

She pulled back, all feline outrage, and gave me a final disgust-laden “Mraaaw!” before scuttling back into the hallway and then into the living room.

I’ll not attempt a translation of that last “Mraaaw!”  It certainly wasn’t lady-like and I don’t want to give the impression that Dolly knows language quite like that.

“Mraaaw!” indeed.

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Posted in weather, Dolly

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Rain is good

Posted on August 25, 2009 | 14 Comments

I got my vacuuming finished yesterday, and plan to dust all the way through the house today.  Then it can all go hang until next month.

Graham said:  ”I wish I was there to do it.”  ”I’ll send you the rail fare.  Just say the word.”

Today, it’s raining.  At times very heavy but never quite stopped altogether.  I said:  ”I’d hoped to cut the grass today.”  Graham said:  ”Excuses.  Excuses.”

Me, I’m inclined to leave my dusters where they are, fix myself a great mess of scrambled egg and toast, and sit watching the rain.

Rain is good.  You have to believe that rain is good.

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Posted in personal, weather

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Blasted carpets

Posted on August 24, 2009 | 5 Comments

After a really good night when I slept happily, Dolly down on the bottom corner of the bed, I brought a mug of steaming coffee here into my study and have spent much of the time since watching the sky.  At times there’s been a smear of greasy sunlight over to the south-east but mostly it’s been layer upon layer of cloud, like a truly accomplished water colourist working diligently in his sketchbook.

I can’t stay here much longer, though.  My coffee mug is empty, and Dolly is beginning to make “where’s my breakfast, then?” noises out in the kitchen.

And that pesky vacuum cleaner is still perched in the spare bedroom, waiting to be kicked into action.

There’s little to keep me here at my computer today.  My head is empty, and I cannot abide reading the news.

Perhaps, rather than turning to political affairs I am more suited to the contemplative approach to old age.  Somehow, a warm house, snug clothing, a comfortable bed and a luxurious chair along with a well-stocked food store are more important to me now than the pratings of politicians and commentators. And, when they tell me that the world is going to hell in a hand-basket, what do I do about it?

No, I shall spend my day considering the antics of the squirrels in the trees and the endless play of clouds in the sky.  And, intermittently, vacuuming the blasted carpets.

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Posted in Dolly, personal

Mmm. Cozy.

Posted on August 23, 2009 | 8 Comments

The end of summer is turning out to be a chill, wet affair here in my bit of Wales. Trees have begun to shed their leaves but they’re not laying all dry and crisp as autumn leaves ought to be.  Far from it, they’re huddling in small drifts, wet and forlorn, waiting to be trodden into a damp, sad mass.

It may be that there will be a turn over to a proper autumn when it finally arrives but I suspect we’ll be thoroughly tired of it all by then, and ready to tackle winter.

There is a beauty in it, a delight in the soft, drifting rain and the mists that cling to the hillsides.  Old Welsh guys out in Ceredigion are doubtless pulling out their wet weather coats and caps and settling down to it all.  And the sheep, sighing, group together in the lee of the hedges to form steamy, woolly masses.

I’m not ready for that, though, and would like a bit more summer sun yet.  Who knows, perhaps we’ll get a late blast of sunny days while it’s high enough in the sky to warm old bones.

I’m not overly hopeful for it, and have today gone through my winter underwear drawer, wondering if perhaps the judicious purchase of several new sets of long-johns might be called for.  Some people find ‘em less than attractive, and so did I, not so many years ago.  Hey ho.  I reckon it’s a sign you’re getting older when you look at a pair of long-johns and think:  ”Mmm. Cozy.”

House on the hill

House on the hill

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Posted in personal, weather

A mightily content tummy

Posted on August 22, 2009 | 16 Comments

Because I could only find a whole savoy cabbage I still had three quarters of the head left when it came to deciding on a vegetable to go with my Friday fish pie.

Normally I just have a rough-chopped tomato salad, and we’re at the height of the tomato season here, so that would have been a good choice.  But, I was determined to use up my cabbage.

The Internet failed me for once, seeming to offer very little that would be suitable as a fish accompaniment.  I searched my cupboard for a can of walnuts (walnut halves boiled with cabbage makes a wonderful side dish) to no avail.  So, the mother of invention mode switched in and I decided to try to reconstruct the cabbage patties my mother used to make.  Basically, boiled cabbage, mashed potato, a little sliced onion, and white pepper.  I particularly remember the white pepper.

When you get down to it there’s nothing to say about mixing the ingredients up and frying them in a very little oil until both sides are crispy-crunchy.  The only problem I had was with the mashed potato.  Not a scrap, and if I’m to make my small store of jacket potatoes last me through to Monday, not a spud in the cupboard.

Then I made a splendid, useful discovery.  Languishing in the freezer was a pack of McCain Oven Chips.  Eureka!  Chips are nothing more than mashed potato in another form.  So I took a small handful, set them on a saucer to thaw through and, when I had the other ingredients ready, I smashed them up, stirred ‘em in, and flattened the mix into two decent sized patties [think of a 'pattie' or 'patty' as a 'burger' if it helps].  No breadcrumbs ready, so I glazed them with egg and set them to fry gently while the (store-bought) fish pie heated up in the oven.

Delicious!  Followed up with two large ripe yellow plums and I was ready to sit down and watch the first episode of the new Tudors series with a comfortable and mightily content tummy.

Now there are only two quarters of that cabbage left.  I am pondering that one.

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Posted in cooking, personal

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