Yesterday saw a visit from my younger brother (not much younger, he still has a bit to go to catch up.) It is always so good to see him and to catch up with all his family news. He and my sister-in-law have three “children” spread quite widely apart in distance and so they both spend quite a lot of their time travelling hither and thither to see them all and to help out when they can. His grandchildren (2 boys and a girl) will be aged 8, 4 and 3 months, the former two at their birthdays.
It is amazing how the time flies and how quickly they grow.
My brother is someone whom I love and admire; additionally he is sometimes used as our family’s unofficial unpaid IFA. His advice is always very thoughtful and sage.
When he visits we always have tea and “biccies”, but this time in his honour I made rice krispie cakes and Aunt Lily’s chocolate balls. When I looked at the recipes for chocolate balls which are all on one page, I noticed that my sister’s chocolate balls made with a different recipe entirely had cherries, so I thought that cherries could indeed be added to Aunt Lily’s recipe. They did well using half a glace cherry but I think the recipe could even stand a whole cherry per ball. I shall make a note of this in my recipe blog.
Now Aunt Lily was born in 1895, but she was not typical of her era. She went to Edinburgh University and graduated with an M.A. at a time when it was rare for women to go to University. Computers were not really around by the time she died, but I bet she would have embraced them to keep in touch with family and to pass on some of her knowledge which is now largely lost.
It is such a pity that the young do not always appreciate the wisdom and knowledge of their elders until it is too late.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Saturday, 11 October 2008
Friday, 23 May 2008
Family Visit
Today I went to visit brother and sister-in-law. They put on a super lunch and I could hardly get to eat it for responding to questions :-). They are a lovely couple and spend so much time visiting their children and grandchildren. My brother always likes to know how all my clan are doing too.
I returned my borrowed books plus videos for their younger grandchildren - the older one is long past that - and have taken away 3, one to pass on to tbsitw, then on to charity and the other two for me to read and return.
It was such a good visit. I love them dearly.
On the way home, I did a quick pop in to a big supermarket at the shopping mall and picked up a couple of bottles of Noillly Prat.
Traffic on the way home wasn't nearly as bad as I might have feared (the rush hour builds up early on a Friday) and I got home safe.
I returned my borrowed books plus videos for their younger grandchildren - the older one is long past that - and have taken away 3, one to pass on to tbsitw, then on to charity and the other two for me to read and return.
It was such a good visit. I love them dearly.
On the way home, I did a quick pop in to a big supermarket at the shopping mall and picked up a couple of bottles of Noillly Prat.
Traffic on the way home wasn't nearly as bad as I might have feared (the rush hour builds up early on a Friday) and I got home safe.
Monday, 31 March 2008
The Wonders Of Modern Technology
Yesterday, after having disgraced myself over forgetting the hour change and sleeping in for Church, I went to the farm shop quite near by and got quite a haul of fruit and vegetables, then drove on to visit daughter for a delicious lunch of crispy baguette with a choice of crisp lettuce, tomatoes, brie and assorted continental cold meats. For me, the brie won hand down. It was good to see the grandchildren – her younger son was eleven and had some friends round, with an outside entertainment laid on for after I left.
Centre of attraction for the boys was a new Wii game. I can see how they have become much more sophisticated than the old Nintendo, but they leave me cold, perhaps to some extent because of the sounds, which is just noise to me!
While the boys were having lunch, daughter and I were settling in for a good blether while she did the ironing when her partner (M) came through and sat down to play with the wii.
Boys and their toys.
We managed to dissuade him and carried on.
He then came back full of enthusiasm for his new toy – a camera, and went on to take my photograph and then showed how you could get distortions to my picture. He wanted to send me pictures to my mobile, but I had to tell him that my battery was nearly flat.
Daughter then produced a charger, which fitted, so we put my phone on charge.
Later it was time for me to go home, leaving them to take all the boys for a meal and some activity (can’t remember what it was).
Then I drove home.
Shortly after getting there, my phone rang, and it was daughter.
Ah, you’re ahead of me here.
Yes, I had left my phone there!
M, bless his heart, brought it for me, and had to dash back in very short order.
Centre of attraction for the boys was a new Wii game. I can see how they have become much more sophisticated than the old Nintendo, but they leave me cold, perhaps to some extent because of the sounds, which is just noise to me!
While the boys were having lunch, daughter and I were settling in for a good blether while she did the ironing when her partner (M) came through and sat down to play with the wii.
Boys and their toys.
We managed to dissuade him and carried on.
He then came back full of enthusiasm for his new toy – a camera, and went on to take my photograph and then showed how you could get distortions to my picture. He wanted to send me pictures to my mobile, but I had to tell him that my battery was nearly flat.
Daughter then produced a charger, which fitted, so we put my phone on charge.
Later it was time for me to go home, leaving them to take all the boys for a meal and some activity (can’t remember what it was).
Then I drove home.
Shortly after getting there, my phone rang, and it was daughter.
Ah, you’re ahead of me here.
Yes, I had left my phone there!
M, bless his heart, brought it for me, and had to dash back in very short order.
Sunday, 27 January 2008
A Cook-in (of a sort)
I am hoping that elder son will be visiting tomorrow, but the nature of his job means that he may have to cancel at the last minute.
However, in preparation, I have made my chicken liver pate cordon bleu and in the fridge are:
Melon and parma ham as starter,
Pate (see above), Port Salut, organic cheddar, and a brie that looks as though it is ready to glide gracefully off the table, on to the carpet, then out through the french windows.
These will be served with a choice of breads (one of which is in the breadmaker even as I type this), and oatcakes.
There is an accompaniment of a choice of beers.
To finish, strawberries and locally produced home made ice cream.
If he can't come, guess who is going to feast royally!
However, in preparation, I have made my chicken liver pate cordon bleu and in the fridge are:
Melon and parma ham as starter,
Pate (see above), Port Salut, organic cheddar, and a brie that looks as though it is ready to glide gracefully off the table, on to the carpet, then out through the french windows.
These will be served with a choice of breads (one of which is in the breadmaker even as I type this), and oatcakes.
There is an accompaniment of a choice of beers.
To finish, strawberries and locally produced home made ice cream.
If he can't come, guess who is going to feast royally!
Thursday, 8 November 2007
Visit to Daughter
Yesterday I went to visit daughter. It was a beautiful day, quite mild with the sun shining and blue skies once again. I’m not complaining, but why could we not have had some weather like this during the summer? I particularly appreciated the weather as I had become convinced that daughter did a rain dance for every one of my visits!
The drive was through some lovely scenery with the trees in all their autumn glory. There was one hillside which came into view before me filled with wind mills. I know these wind farms have caused a lot of controversy, but I find them to be strangely beautiful,
With autumn, it would appear that the breeding season for the dreaded cones has come to an end. However the traffic lights continue to spring up, armed and dangerous, causing mayhem and chaos wherever they arise.
Of course, with the sunny weather comes the plague of tractors leading a stately “royal and ancient”* queue.
It was a grand visit, with lunch being served for the two of us, daughter’s partner and younger son home from school for his lunch break. It was an interesting recipe from a newspaper which she had never tried. She is an inventive cook, and I cannot remember enough to give you the recipe, although it was basically a chicken and mushroom noodle soup with leftover lamb substituted for the chicken. And very good it was too!
We both enjoyed the opportunity for a good chat as she did her ironing. My policy of ironing only handkerchiefs would not work for her with 3 men needing ironed clothes, 2 for school and the other for work.
* In my family a queue was a fairly short queue, and so on progressing to a royal and ancient one when it became very long.
You have to be very careful not to gloat when you drive past one coming in the other direction, as you can be sure that your turn is coming very soon!
The drive was through some lovely scenery with the trees in all their autumn glory. There was one hillside which came into view before me filled with wind mills. I know these wind farms have caused a lot of controversy, but I find them to be strangely beautiful,
With autumn, it would appear that the breeding season for the dreaded cones has come to an end. However the traffic lights continue to spring up, armed and dangerous, causing mayhem and chaos wherever they arise.
Of course, with the sunny weather comes the plague of tractors leading a stately “royal and ancient”* queue.
It was a grand visit, with lunch being served for the two of us, daughter’s partner and younger son home from school for his lunch break. It was an interesting recipe from a newspaper which she had never tried. She is an inventive cook, and I cannot remember enough to give you the recipe, although it was basically a chicken and mushroom noodle soup with leftover lamb substituted for the chicken. And very good it was too!
We both enjoyed the opportunity for a good chat as she did her ironing. My policy of ironing only handkerchiefs would not work for her with 3 men needing ironed clothes, 2 for school and the other for work.
* In my family a queue was a fairly short queue, and so on progressing to a royal and ancient one when it became very long.
You have to be very careful not to gloat when you drive past one coming in the other direction, as you can be sure that your turn is coming very soon!
Friday, 5 October 2007
A Centenary
This is my 100th post since the inception of this blog in June. I never thought way back then that it would still be going strong.
I have made new friends in the blogosphere, friends whom I would never otherwise have met. Many of the comments have been so supportive, particularly when I was unwell.
It has also enabled elder son (who reads me every day) to keep a close check on me and to worry – and take action such as a phone call - when a day or so goes past without a post.
Not only am I getting better, but now I am actively looking forward to my next break, which is a long weekend with younger son and daughter in law; flights booked, car parking booked, wheelchairs for airports booked, son and daughter-in-law reminded of the dread arrival (;-). Memo to remember passport, clean knickers, medicines and toothbrush as anything else can be purchased or done without!
While I felt ill last week, I suddenly felt as though I were getting old, then I looked at the huge pile of unread books, and said to myself I have to keep going until that lot is finished (and there will be more to follow as favourite authors (next one Iain M Banks “Matter”) publish new books, and new authors to discover.
There is also family, as I love my “children” and I want to watch my grandchildren grow up. (Have I put things into the wrong order here?) Ooops!
So, while old age can certainly be a bitch, I have no intention of “going gently into that good night”. There is much too much fun to be had in living.
I have made new friends in the blogosphere, friends whom I would never otherwise have met. Many of the comments have been so supportive, particularly when I was unwell.
It has also enabled elder son (who reads me every day) to keep a close check on me and to worry – and take action such as a phone call - when a day or so goes past without a post.
Not only am I getting better, but now I am actively looking forward to my next break, which is a long weekend with younger son and daughter in law; flights booked, car parking booked, wheelchairs for airports booked, son and daughter-in-law reminded of the dread arrival (;-). Memo to remember passport, clean knickers, medicines and toothbrush as anything else can be purchased or done without!
While I felt ill last week, I suddenly felt as though I were getting old, then I looked at the huge pile of unread books, and said to myself I have to keep going until that lot is finished (and there will be more to follow as favourite authors (next one Iain M Banks “Matter”) publish new books, and new authors to discover.
There is also family, as I love my “children” and I want to watch my grandchildren grow up. (Have I put things into the wrong order here?) Ooops!
So, while old age can certainly be a bitch, I have no intention of “going gently into that good night”. There is much too much fun to be had in living.
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