Sunday, November 26, 2006

Still Deaf - Kitchen Morning - Culture Show

Still very deaf and I mentioned it to Tracy when she rang. One of her friends had a similar problem and speaks very highly of Hopi Ear Candle treatment. A good practitioner would do the job at once rather than these weeks of delay while one squirts olive-oil in to soften the wax. The Nottingham Alternative Health Centre on Mansfield Road has a good reputation apparently and I intend to ring first thing in the morning. After my blood-test of course! Googling revealed much of interest. Not least the connection with the Hopi native-american tribe. And, as everyone knows, they could hear the Cavalry 10 miles away by listening to the ground !! I'll settle for being able to hear the telly 6' away.

Picture 1 is nothing at all to do with ear-wax. I had a 'happy' in the kitchen this morning. Leek & Potato Soup which, for no good reason that I can recall, appears in my personal recipe-book under P for Potato & Leek soup. Anyway I know where it is. The recipe is identical for Vichyssoise, which is only cold Leek & Potato - but sounds more posh. As you will see I had to rely on dried herbs because my fresh ones have finished. Except for indestructible rosemary, sage, and window-sill basil. After the soup I cooked sirloin-steak, sauté potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, brussells, and grilled tomatoes and courgettes. Looked a treat but some of the potatoes could have done with another 5 mins. For pudding we had a mandarin orange flan which Y made yesterday, with a gelatin glaze which had soaked into the sponge. Apparently it shouldn't have done that - but in fact made it more delicious. We resisted the cream. Boo Hoo!

This afternoon we watched our recording of the Culture Show and wished we hadn't bothered putting a tape in. For our taste, it was rubbish. Alastair the Art Man was missing, as was the Architecture chap and the charming black girl whose name always reminds me of Sanyo, and is such a good interviewer. Frank Kermode prattled on endlessly about horror-films, which as a genre, we both abhor. And I thought the interview with Emma Thompson would be good, but it was boooooring!

The last picture is an 'unphotoshopped' of our Ballerina rose. All I've done is 'crop' to the picture shown. The blacked-out background is a natural result of afterdark photography using the normal inbuilt flash.

I spoke to David this morning and all is well at Long Eaton. Helen seems to have recovered from her flu-ey symptoms and Sky and Brooke are OK. David has a busy week because they are being Ofsted-ed. I guess he will be glad when it's over. A charming London story. 4yr old grand-daughter was invited to the birthday party of a 4yr old boy, with whom she is in love. When asked if she had sat by him at the party she said "I wasn't fast enough".

Jill has taken on-board Bob's 'comments' tip, about preparing in Word, then pasting it in. And David also thinks it is a brainwave. I really value the 'comments' input because they add so much. Exchanged e-mails with Ray who seems to be more-or-less recovered from his pheasant-poisoning ! But busy nevertheless.

Catch you tomorrow.......................

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I had a friend who swore by the Hopi Candle method - good luck with it tomorrow, I do hope you get it sorted immediately.

Don't you cook a lot of vegetables, we had runner beans, cauliflower, carrots (and roast potatoes) with the chicken today, and I found it hard getting everything cooked exactly how we like it at the same moment. I don't think I could have managed two or three more - have you got one of those cooking ranges with 6 rings/hobs?

Anonymous said...

I actually bought a pair of Hopi Ear-Candles, via Google, when I was last blocked but they are still packaged as I ended up being syringed instead (after just 2 days of oiling). The problem to using the candles, and Karen might help you here, is that to work their magic you need a Paul Daniels style lovely assistant to stand by your side without moving a muscle for 40 minutes or so. Sandra’s Newark witch doctor is a practitioner – he must be pretty well qualified because she is going for a bloodletting session next week (fresh leeches for every patient).
Meanwhile, I recommend subtitles on the telly, which I use all the time.


Nice picture of leek & potato soup (or potato & leek). I am only surprised that it is not bright red!
We passed your house twice today (could not arrange to call in, even if it would have been convenient to you, because Sandra does not like driving in the dark) on our way to and from The Rocking Horse Bistro at Durban House for Sunday lunch and Xmas present exchange with Sandra’s sister and her husband. Very good value and, apart from somewhat unimaginative veg, very good quality too – smoked mackerel pate, roast beef from carvery, Bakewell tart, a very decent house red, coffees, all home cooked/prepared and all for £15 a head although Sandra may have earned us a discount (but the December Xmas meals are also very reasonably priced: lunch £10.50 for 3 courses + coffee; dinner £14.50 for 3 courses + coffee + mince pie + punch; Xmas Day lunch £34.50 for 4 courses + coffee + mince pie + punch. I’ll scan and email).

I watched the Culture Show last night. All I recall is Mark? (not Frank?) Kermode talking about the ‘must-see’ film of the year which I am prepared to accept is technically brilliant but without any great appeal. When it comes on terrestrial I shall tape it and either watch or fast forward it. I think perhaps I quite enjoyed Emma Thompson without remembering why!

I did enjoy your ‘I wasn't fast enough’ story. It reminded me of our granddaughter when a similar age (now 11), in the Nativity Play. When it finished, Sandra said, “Oh Jessica, you were a star!” “No I wasn’t,” said Jessica, “I was an angel.”

I’m pleased to hear that Ray has recovered. I had a pheasant and hare casserole for tea yesterday, with mash and roast roots; delicious.

Word verification no better.

Anonymous said...

http://yarnstorm.blogs.com/knitblog/ - have a quick look at this photo (Bungus needs sun glasses) - it's a maple tree that looks as if it is back-lit or something.

Anonymous said...

PS

1) I forgot to mention that when I emerged into the open air after having had my ears blown out at my army medical, I could hear cats walking down the street and the sound of the breeze in the trees was frightening.

2) ‘Germans Overwhelmed by Killer Whales’ should have read ‘Germans Overwhelmed by GIANT Killer Whales’
('Giant-killers, Wales', geditt?)