The Goldfinches have been loyal visitors. There's quite a large colony, if 6 to 8 qualifies as a 'colony' and obviously they nest nearby.Further down the trellis and in the trees behind we are visited by Long-tailed Tits (rather reclusive and I haven't managed a snap, yet !) also I've seen lots of Great Tits and at least two Crested Tits.
The Bullfinches still visit and the Starling-proof feeder actually works. The tits and other small breeds are now quite accustomed to it and climb in without any trouble. The Starlings
have admitted defeat and seldom go there.Karen came this morning and was her usual breezy self and Y went down to Nottingham on the bus, for an outing and a break which she thoroughly enjoyed (and deserved). John came to see me this afternoon and Y had returned before he left. It was good to hear an update on family news. Having photo-printing problems he was very complimentary about some of mine, on the hall wall, and was very interested in Picasa 2 and I was able to demonstrate how straightforward it is.
Picture 2 is a close-up of the large rambling shrub rose which Jill thought might be Albertine. It fits the 'thorny, lovely perfume, pink' description and now you can see some detail you will probably know for sure. When it is not fully open the flowers have a shiny green centre, like a bud within a bud, but that vanishes as each bloom opens.My day has been much the same. The sickness has passed and Y did a vegetarian quiche and salad for tea and so far I've kept it down. I still can't stay up for long without discomfort. Maybe I shall have to live my life from my bed.
Picture 3 is some of my get-well cards and people have been so nice and said such nice encouraging things.
Comments..... David .....Oh, what super 'head-scratchers' the special family words are ! They all sound great fun but so far I can only guess 'primula in a tube' and 'sheep which dash about'. I can't even approach a score of 4. Maybe I shall fare better after I have slept on them.
Just read Bungus's incoming comment. But I won't cheat. Looking forward to the exposé.
Bungus ..... Your 'mother and child' is truly beautiful. Congratulations ! Lovely stuff in your comment at the end about your ancestors. Particularly 'Tom Martyr' !
And well done with Davids constructed 'words'.
Glad you enjoyed the Matt cartoon, and point taken about women-bishops. But surely it is only men who are stupid enough to indulge in 'rutting'.
Thanks for the borage tips. I think I drew the potato point to your attention. It's the ethyl alcohol content that melts the frost on your windscreen if you rub it with a cut potato.
Which brings me to ...............
Jill ..... and today's Matt cartoon. It is good, but I don't like to 'raid' him too often.
I'm with you 100% about the food at the G8 summit. Gordon Brown has a singular gift for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. The 'nanny state' gone right OTTP. Prime Ministers should have weightier concerns than telling people what to do with their left-overs. In any case most ordinary people know much more than he does about supermarket shopping and feeding a family.
Your lunch at Fi's pub sounds splendid. Y is also keen on Summer Pudding but with lashings of custard rather than cream. By the way, a problem we have encountered eating outside in pub gardens is people smoking ! Strange isn't it?
And ...making shep. pie with cut-up lamb...... is preferable to using a whole lamb. That would be reminiscent of Desperate Dan's Cow Pie.
anonymousrob ..... Your comment just arrived and thanks.
I think you win 'the cup' (claret ?) in David's words competition. Your suggestions are first rate and completely outclass my feeble brain. Also I prefer yours to Bungus's, even where similar. Jill was probably wise to keep out of it even though she would have scored well.
All we need now are the solutions.
And keep going with the haikus. What's a syllable between friends ?
.................................................................
Quotation time .....
"A Hospital is no place to be sick"
Samuel Goldwyn
Isn't he just right ? It seemed to me that you can cope with Hospital reasonably well when you are getting better. But by then, being at home is much preferable. I know Bungus enjoyed the 'barrack room' aspect, but I didn't and don't. Privacy plus newspaper, laptop, radio, view, and Y, suits me much better.
Primula cheese spread is completely correct and of course makes perfect sense ( to us anyway!). Keep going with the others! Hope you are continuing to improve. See you soon
ReplyDeleteI am impressed by your various birds. I’ve had niger seed out for ages now but not a sign of a goldfinch. Not even many bluetits and not the usual coal tits. I think there must be a thrush somewhere because I find snail shells, but he keeps out of sight. But the wren still appears briefly.
ReplyDeleteI have a vague memory, possibly false, of another great artist or composer or author who worked and held court in his bed. He wasn’t an ancestor of mine.
I may have done well with David’s words but apparently without getting any of them right! I agree that Rob made a much better job of it.
You are historically right about the rutting, of course, but I wouldn’t be too sure in these modern times when women get seven pints down them (and that’s just the vicars). Otherwise, I was getting ahead of myself.
I do feel that G8 got it all wrong having a 12 course banquet after criticising other people’s habits. And what about the BBC executive who got a 27% salary increase plus bonus, which still compared badly with her opposite number in ITV (bonus 1.5M).
Having made a study of the contents of other people’s trolleys, however, I think only (some) older people shop and eat economically and healthily – and older doesn’t include Sandra so far as economical goes (but all our left overs do go to the chickens).
Radio Nottm sometimes features a splendid 84 year old man, living alone, who draws up a menu for the week and sticks to it (a fry up on Sunday, chilli on Monday, jacket potato and cheese today). He also has a fresh tea bag for each of 3 cups of tea and then employs the 3 used bags to make his fourth (I make each one do 2 cups although I prefer to mash a potful, using leaf tea, which lasts several hours).
I’m with Jill on the cream for Summer Pudding. Custard is a sort of vandalism, like having anything other than milk and sugar with an Apple Dumpling (ie, like a Steak & Kidney pud but with apples, not meat).
I also do not like sugar on fruit pies before they are baked; I like to add my own at table.
Although I don’t like lamb, I have no quarrel in principle with using a whole one … but I do think that, like a pineapple, it needs to be peeled.
I am happy enough on my own at home, where I can go up and down stairs, make a cup of tea, watch the birds etc. But in hospital I cannot settle to read, do a crossword or the like, and prefer to watch and listen to (most) others. It is a bit like the army because there is a variety of folk from different backgrounds and, provided one is not feeling ill, it can be very entertaining and illuminating.
Rob:
Do you remember the Reds under the Bed. I’ve never tried that. Some whites are all right but most of them are … not.
Mind you, I hate paying more than £3 a bottle (£2 a year ago).
I think you are right about the Real v Eintracht score. Whatever, it was an amazing match (otherwise I would not have remebered it.
I was never a fan of McEnroe as a player (I found his petulance intensely annoying) but he is now a great pundit and a likeable personality. I liked Connors because he always seemed to have to try so hard. I never cared for Hoad, who struck me as just a big server. Rosewall was great, as was Laver. I never saw much in Evert; Goolagong I liked … and Gussie Moran of course.
You can’t possibly be here unless you are hiding in a cupboard somewhere.
I don’t like my omelettes undercooked but I have never seen or eaten a decent, not overcooked one in a restaurant in this country. Latteria Triestina on the Sciara Istiklal, Tripoli, in the late 1950’s did excellent ones and the best I have ever had was in a small roadside café in rural France where the proprietess knocked up a huge one, between 8 of us on the way to Le Mans, that was absolutely superb.
Yesterday’s quote was very apt, and I liked today’s Goldwynism too.
Chic Murray:
‘I got on a bus and went upstairs. The conductor came along asking for my fare.
I said, "A single to the West End".
He said, "We don't go to the West End".
I said, “You've got West End on the front of the bus".
He said, "We've got Persil on the back of the bus but we don't take in washing".’
Glad you are on the road to recovery.
ReplyDeleteMike and I have just returned via The Peacock from visiting our derelict cottage with his front room in it. Little has change since we last went about two years ago.
Despite the weather forcast of rain all morning its now 15:00 hour and bone dry!
Tommy Copper: My wife likes wrestling on the television.
I don't know why she keeps falling off.
Last time I was in hospital My bed was between an Irishman and a very well educated WestIndian It was rather like being in the forces as noneof us were really ill just waiting for angiograms The macine had broken down and it was a bank holiday, so they could not get it repaired. At great cost to the NHS at least ten people were kept in hospital for an extra three or four nights. Anyway much micky taking etc went on. The paddy and myself against the West Indian. However when we (me and the paddy) had had our angiagrams and had to lie still pressing on the pad over the wound for about an hour The West Indian got his own back by getting a chair and sitting between our beds telling an endless stream of jokes. (All to rude to repeat here) One of the better days in hospital.
No, it is not an Albertine, the A. is more of a shell pink and not nearly so many petals. If and when it flowers, will send a picture! The two Golden Anniversary roses we had given us in March have each flowered, which I thought was good going, seeing they appeared to be just a bundle of twigs initially.
ReplyDeleteWe had a family of wrens in the garden today, like little mice, running up and down the branches. I knew they were around, heard them. but not seen before.
I used to like the old Nightingale wards, 12 or 14 beds, nurses' station in the middle, as you say, Bungus, all life is there. I am quite happy to be in a ward with other women, but not men. I could never settle to a book or crossword either. I used to do a lot of knitting though.
It has been raining here I think since I went to bed last night - huge puddles everywhere. Such a shame for people on holiday. I know someone gone to Buckingham Palace Garden Party today, new outfit, new hat, she was so looking forward to it. Don't expect the Queen will ask her in,
though.
Anybody see that 'Bonekickers' last night - such a load of old twaddle, esp. the climax. I was expecting more, seeing that the people behind it were the same team as did 'Life on Mars'. It got a very poor review in the D.Telegraph today. Enjoyed the Culture Show though.