Sunday Morning

My children are asleep upstairs

My husband is reading the paper

My dog is lying in a pool of sunlight

The table is set for breakfast

We have all day to do whatever we want

It is that Sunday morning feeling

I wish I could bottle it.

A Little Light Shopping

It is a busy time of year..birthdays, lots of birthdays and then Christmas. Now MasterM has been invited to a Very Smart Bar Mitzvah. You can imagine how grateful I was when the PFM catalogue fell onto the doormat. After I had rescued it from Poppy I realised that it was the answer to my prayers.

There are gifts for Countrymen
(look away now, GMS)

And for those
who spend long hours writing sermons

MrM can keep trim in the office
(although I hope he keeps his shirt on)

This is perfect for Godsons
who have moved on from Games Workshop

And what about this for friends on their Gap Year?
(I'm not sure what it means by 'unwelcome company')

MasterM has always aspired to a tattoo -
this seems like a safer option
but it might give the Headmaster a fright...

I can keep this in the cupboard
for unexpected invitations to Fancy Dress Parties
(and if anyone knows why it is labelled Risque
please email me)

And finally, these,
for all the men in my life.

Although I have wasted a little time this morning
wondering how on earth they measured
80% effectiveness...

MasterM, Chef.

Family Food

Courgette and Brie Soup

Take 2 potatoes

And 4 courgettes

and chop.

Add 700ml of water

and 2 stock cubes

and bring to the boil.

Cut the rind off the brie,

And chop into small pieces.

When the potatoes are soft

Add the brie to the soup

and liquidize.

Add parsley

And serve in warm bowls.

Dear Blogistas,
MasterM has started cooking
and so there will be occasional recipes in the files.
They are not intended as high cuisine
but a record of favourite foods.
I beg your tolerance.

Beyond the Fence

I saw a deer in the woods,

folded in shadow.

It turned to me...

then ran.

Light as thistledown.

The Secret Language of Ties

MrM has an extensive collection of ties.

He chooses simple lines and colours

But I prefer complex paisley patterns.

Stripes tell stories of previous lives

and sometimes, so do pictures.

This is a club tie

but if I told you which club

I would have to kill you immediately.

My Mother and the Rabbit

MissM reported the following conversation to me

Grandma "Shall we go and feed Lucy the Rabbit?"

MissM "Lucy??..Oh No!...Did Gus die?

Grandma "Gus??"

MissM "The lovely orange rabbit with the big floppy ears"

Grandma "Oh...You mean Lucy"

MissM "He used to be called Gus..."

Grandma "Well, your little cousin wanted him to be called Lucy..."

MissM "How can he be called Lucy if he's a him?"

Grandma "He can be a she... or whatever you want him to be..."

Now, I am all for a positive attitude to gender

and I always resist stereotyping

but I am at all not sure about this.

Is it empowering?

In order to protect his/her privacy

the picture is not Gus/Lucy

I Love Blogland!

It has been a long day.

I tune into Blogland and what do I find?

Somebody eating ants...

Much parading in Tuvalu...

A plan to explore Space...

And a new puppy

Thanks so much for these great posts!

Freshers' Week

Today at 10am

220 students will sit in the Lecture Theatre

for the first time.

We will tell them about timetables and seminar groups;

about assessment, consultation and plagiarism.

We will advise them to manage their time and eat fruit.

We will tell them that we are there to help them.

For just a few it will be overwhelming,

away from home for the first time,

it will be the beginning of the end.

But for the others it will be

just the beginning.

Carters Famous Steam Fair

Let's go to the Fair! Let's go to the Fair!

What shall we do first?

Make sure that you pick the Galloper

with the prettiest name.

When you were little you loved this car...

But that was before you discovered the Dodgems!

Will this be the year that we win our fortune?

Or hit the bell!

Who wants a go on the Shooting Gallery

before we go home?

Breathe deeply and smell the steam

And the hot candy floss

It will be another winter and another summer

before Carters is back in town.

Possessions

I grew up in Cornwall which was then, and is now, a place of great artistic energy. My mother collected pottery - jugs, bowls, pots and mugs - made by the pupils of Bernard Leach. They were wonderful, strong, utilitarian objects in deep earthy colours and warm glazes.

Very few of them survived the rough and tumble of our family life because pottery is more vulnerable than china.


I do not have many pieces of pottery but I think it is fitting that this, my salt pot, is a link to that past. I have had it all my married life and every pot of potatoes, pasta or rice has been seasoned with salt from the little spoon.


I love the simple shape and shades of colour. It fits into the curve of my hand. The handle of the little spoon has the patina of use. It is too big for the pot and so the lid is permanently at an angle. It sits on a shelf in my kitchen, a constant companion to my cooking.

Books, Books, Books

Breadbox invited me to write about reading.
My immediate response was

"No! That is TOO much typing"

But then I realised that blogs cannot survive on pictures of pansies

There needs to be some content

So here it is:

Question 1

What do I read?

I am a haphazard and slow reader.
I read for pleasure and not for self-improvement.
I love audio books.

MissM is the intellectual in our family.

Question 2

How many books do I have?

Too many.

This is a picture of the books
I have just removed
from MrM's bedside table.

Question 3

What are you reading at the moment?

The Convenient Marriage

by Georgette Heyer

Which is mainly written in Capital Letters

and is having an Alarming Effect on my vocabulary.

Note to Self:

It is Vital that I do not start referring to MrM as Sir

it would be Very Bad for His Ego.

Question 4

What is the last book that you bought?

36 Murders and 2 Immoral Earnings

by Ludovic Kennedy

but it was for MasterM

so it doesn't count.

so here is a bonus question

What is the last book that you borrowed?

The Poisonwood Bible

by Barbara Kingsolver

And yes, Thomas, I promise I will remember

to bring it back next time we visit.

Question 5

List 5 books that have influenced you.

This is impossible.

But here are 5 books that have influenced me

Mr William Shakespeare's Plays
illustrated by Marcia Williams
which MissM knows off by heart.
Badger's Parting Gifts
by Susan Varley
which deals with bereavement.
The Treasure Hunters
by Enid Blyton
which was the first book that my children read by themselves.
A Traveller in Time
by Alison Uttley
which I read and reread as a child.
Dean's Gift Book of Fairy Tales
given to me by a very dear friend.

And before I go and lie down
and rest my weary hand
if any of you would like to do this interview too
do let me know.