Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Gone chilly again - 6C - National Trust Evening

I couldn't resist sharing this James Turrell work. It was published in my ArtDaily online newspaper so I guess if they've used it it's OK for me to.

It is in one of the new museum/art galleries but together with Bungus we were fortunate enough to see his work at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. His medium is 'light' and in the Deer Shelter at YSP the inside of the small building consists of plain walls and a hole in the roof. Luckily when we were there we had a clear sunny day and I blogged a picture at the time.

For Bungus's benefit I am publishing a LINK to my Google Homepage which should convey the general idea. I realise one doesn't spend that much time looking at a Homepage but I find it handy as a source of things I like. But I'm quite willing to let him continue watching the insects. And I don't really classify Branston as a pickle although I know it is. It's those chewy indigestible things which taste of little but vinegar that I object to.

We are both fans of the cheese & lettuce sandwich and will certainly give the addition of marmite a try. The 3 instead of the 2 on the Queen Mary webcam caption is fully accepted. Didn't read it carefully enough. But they are now at sea again bound for Bonaire. And I missed them leaving port and the view is just water again. Research is necessary to find out their ETA at Bonaire so I don't miss the docking process again. It's cheaper than going on a cruise though 'innit?

Picture 2 is only published because I mentioned how good Y is with bulbs. Although they are going-off now, last year these hyacinths were in a bowl indoors but after they've gone to sleep Y always finds somewhere to plant them and they always wake up next spring,triumphantly.

The blog today will necessarily be short because I have lots of things which need doing. I need to ring Roy and work things out for our jaunt tomorrow; pictures to deal with; e-mails crying out for an answer.

Then we must have a sandwich and a pot of tea and leave no later than 6.15pm because it is the National Trust (Mansfield Chapter) AGM and Y will have to be prominent.

Sandwichwise we've decided on Cheese & Tomato, unashamedly on Tiger Bread and a large pot of rich orange-coloured tea, brewed 4 minutes minimum. Apparently Cheese and Tomato used to be everyone's second favourite sandwich. But things are more exotic these days n'est ce pas ?

Some readers should avert their eyes at this point because a Smiley follows.

Don't know if Anon 1's children have experienced a dad-type barbeque yet?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Anon 1 - Oh yes, we've certainly had day-type BBQ's! I have to be honest here as I suspect I may have misled you, my 'children' are really children no longer, but aged nearly 19 and nearly 22. Howevever they are still very much children at heart and love anything 'girlie', Smileys certainly fit the bill and your new ones are now being used in their blogs (I can imagine Bungus cringing now and I don't even know him!)
I missed the QM2 leaving as well, oh well, I note that the sea looks a sightly different shade of blue to your pic from the other day.
I also misread the date caption, an easy thing to do I find, you don't concentrate and your brain fools you into making mistakes.

What is Tiger Bread? I haven't come across that before. Is it a brand or a type?

Anonymous said...

Anon 1 - Sorry can't spell, obviously the above should have said 'dad-type'!

I can't find an ETA for Bonaire, probably not searching expertly enough, however I did find that the QM2 leaves New York at 5pm on 10 April for a 'Taste the Caribbean' cruise, perhaps this is a convenient time for you watch the webcam? Not docking I know but probably interesting nontheless...

Anonymous said...

I think the James Turrell example works as an abstract picture. To me it looks like part of ‘one of the new museum/art galleries’ (perm any one from twenty?) which it is in! (That is not intended to sound derogatory).
But it does not tell me very much about JT’s work which I suspect needs to be experienced live to be appreciated, as anyone reading the (accurate) deer shelter description will no doubt understand!

I can see the interest of the Google Homepage but it is too big and complex for me. It would occupy my whole day as I have to read every word of everything.
I just don’t understand how ‘one doesn't spend that much time looking at a Homepage’.
So, I’ll stick to my Radio Nottingham Homepage which tells me about local matters and has some interesting links to ‘arty farty’ matters.

Now we are getting down to it on the pickle issue.
I very much dislike the vinegary things you mention; ie, red cabbage, non-sweet pickled onions, mixed pickles, and even piccalilli as a general rule (although it does go rather well with corned beef hash). What I like most is two year old home made chutney (and, although there are many good ones I have yet to find one to beat my mother’s/grandmother’s original apple recipe) which have a sweetness and fruitiness usually in excess of Branston (which, splendid though it is, has an equal in Netto’s own similar but much cheaper brand). One proviso: chutneys do need to mature (for at least 6 months and they are certainly still good at 5 years old) to lose the initial vinegariness.
And there are also SOME ‘pickles’ which do not have that hated vinegariness. After 6 months, Delia’s Pickled Pears are delicious (especially with a leek, ham and potato bake) and last year I made some pickled gooseberries which are superb with smioked mackerel (enough to make me invest this year in another gooseberry bush).
I insist on you trying a jar of my (mother’s/grandmother’s) apple chutney recipe (esp good with bacon and eggs) and (next year) a small jar of the gooseberries.
Oh, Branston’s good, but not THAT good.

Yesterday I came across a small jar of 50 year old pieces of a variety of N African insects (scorpion, mantis, locust(?), various flies) which I intend to decant and photograph. Watch this space!
The ones I preserved in white spirit (a sort of scorpion pickle, I suppose) eventually dissolved into a glutinous amorphous jelly which my Sandra insisted should be disposed of in spite of its obvious scientific value.

I am sorry I cannot get this lettuce fixation. As an aid to a good night’s sleep there is nothing wrong with the occasional lettuce and salad cream sandwich; but with CHEESE!! Uugh!!! And lettuce on a plate is good for leaving where it is. It does not even have the value of being useful when you’re hungry.
That is just my opinion of course (albeit shared by 97% of men as evidenced by a recent survey).

There was no ‘3 instead of the 2’ (on the Queen Mary webcam caption). I think you just make it up as you go along in order to confuse your readers. That is not the way to keep us ‘on board’ (a pun, get it?).
‘It's cheaper than going on a cruise though 'innit?’
Yes, and far preferable if you are on a diet (although the ‘mal-de-mer’ could be a useful slimming aid).

For Anon 1: Tiger Bread is a cheap(ish) soft white bloomer-style loaf sold by several supermarkets. It has stripes on it which appeal to the children at whom it is aimed. It is acceptable in an emergency (like lettuce) but about as appealing to grown-up as those little jumping bananas and cows hurdling fences (which have the additional irritation of being compulsive viewing).
And I have never been able to abide tomatoes in a sandwich; all right for the ‘pobs’ brigade. (for any southerners, ‘pobs’ is the colloquialism for the coalminers’ version of bread & milk – viz, bread soaked in tea).

You need to tell us that ’a Smiley follows’? I KNOW; I’ve WATCHED it.
SEVEN times..

Anonymous said...

Anon 1 - Thank you Bungus for the explanation re Tiger bread - certainly not something I shall look out for then - wholemeal bread everytime for me, along with wholemeal pittas and wholemeal pasta.
Tomatoes in a sandwich are fine as long as you eat them straight away, otherwise you end up with a soggy, unappetising mess!

I was hoping you might have found out when the QM2 next docks, it certainly would be interesting to watch.

Right, off to eat a red salmon and cucumber sandwich, lettuce (sorry), tomatoes and seedless grapes...