Sunday, February 08, 2009

Derek for Lunch - 35F - No wind

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A panorama of dawn and even though it looks quite colourful I was about 30 seconds too late and some vividness had gone. Now I've got used to them, panoramas are a doddle in PS Elements 7. I think I shall abandon the Serif programme because it isn't as good.

Sorry to report my legs/back are not good and I can't get comfortable at all. Even so, I enjoyed cooking lunch for neighbour Derek. The meal was pork chop, stuffing, roast potatoes (King Edwards) yorkshire puddings, carrots and brussels. I was very pleased with everything, especially the roast potatoes which had crisp golden brown outers and fluffy inners. I couldn't eat my last one so Derek had it - now there's a sincere compliment to the chef. For pudding Y did cherry pancakes with ice-cream and the whole occasion was most pleasant. Derek and Betty are great neighbours and Derek does lots for us (cutting hedges and disposing of the clippings, dustbins up/down, daily security checks when we are away) and that sort of thing. So we feel that cooking him proper meals while Betty is in Hospital is some recompense. He reports that the food in The City Hospital is pretty awful.

Had a nice chat with David this morning and found out the Long Eaton news. They all seem OK but he still gets tired and done for. He had taken everybody sledging at Wollaton Hall where there is a smashing slope but he found the walking back up the hill with sledges exhausting and he had to pace himself. But David has got bottle and will keep attacking !

Had some interchange with Rob about 'pinhole photography' and I intend to have a go. Back to the birth of photography, and before in fact, via the camera obscura. David Hockney has long been convinced that Canaletto, amongst others, was a keen user. Yet another new project for me - How exciting ! And a cheap one for a change because you don't have to buy any lenses, just have a pinhole drilled in one's camera's body-cap.

The tulip on the right isn't an example. It is just a very conventional snap, even if close-up.

This evening we plan to watch Christianity: A History which is now reaching The Reformation. The presenter is Ann Widdicombe who, even if one disagrees with her politics always seems a straight-talking sort of gal.

My responses to your previous comments

Yvonne ..... I'm sure I did ramble on too long and you, and Jill, are no doubt right about 'rabbited' also. I was unduly influence by the risk of 'rab- bited' and the fear that I might have been got at by a Rabbi.

Jill ...... 'Inhabited' was the clincher I think. The shards of those speciality glasses, Pyrex, Thermos, etc., seem particularly good at flying great distances and lodging in peculiar places.

Glad your Peter Jones jaunt finally came to pass. I know how much you enjoy them.

Your Grandad sounds great ! Vivid imaginations are excellent child pleasers.

David .... Fancy you remembering about the newsagent ringing when I'd been on nights and you were late for your paper-round. I hope I wasn't too angry.

Bob ...... I'm glad I managed to describe the thermos-smashing sufficiently well for your to get a mental picture.

The 'cartoon' fully deserved my praise.

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Quotation time .....I may have published this before, but it deserves another airing.

"The problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts."

Bertrand Russell

Sleep tight - Catch you tomorrow

The oldie train must be due for another showing too



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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bungus beams at your ‘headline’ which indicates that the lunch had no unfortunate after effects (although ‘35F – no wind’ might be considered cryptically confusing).

Dawn panorama very effective

I’m surprised nobody mentions ‘Dancing on Ice’, which I jhave just been watching.
To me it has the few better elements of strictly ballroom plus added skill, speed and excitement (and, in Todd ‘Tucker’ Carty, a worthy rival to John Sergeant – almost Chaplinesque with a touch of Loony Tunes).

Anonymous said...

Wonders will never cease!. I have had a response from the BBC following my request about the "water-splash" at the beginning of the Antiques Roadshow.

Lacock Village in Wiltshire is where the 'water-splash' was filmed.
Kind regards,
Dan Baskerville

Obviously they had to have the hounds out to find the place.

Hope this keeps everybody happy.

Anonymous said...

Another dawn panorama, hope it stayed that way for you. We did have some sun yesterday, but it has rained hard today ever since I got up.

I have recorded the prog. on Christianity, I watched 'The Devil wore Prada' which was entertaining, if light, and Meryl Streep was terrific.

Your Sunday lunch menu suits me fine, as long as I could have some apple sauce? Very glad you find cooking therapeutic, mine (as you guessed) is knitting, R's would be country music, am wondering wat Y's would be? Reading about the Tudors? I think we are the lucky ones, who know what works for us. I was thinking about other people, one friend would say gardening, another listening to opera.

The children here used to fight over the last roast potato - I now use goose fat., used to use lard. What do you use?

Pin-hole photos and Canaletto - I remember a tv prog. all about this, some years ago. It may have been presented by Robert Hughes, who did a series on art, I think David Hockney was in it too.

Unknown said...

Isn't Lacock where Fox Talbot made the first photographic negative - of a window I think.

You're right, Jill, My relaxation would be reading about the Tudors - just finished a super one: 'The Other Queen' by Philippa Gregory - a Christmas present from John and his family.

Anonymous said...

Thanks JBW Looks like a club trip to Wiltshire is called for. I've just had a look on the O.S. map via multi-map and can't see any sign of a Stream with a Ford in Lacock. We need to explore and visit the Fox Tolbot mueseum. One for the pinhole brigade? Its long way for WOW.