Category: Family

Family Lunch – 9 April 2023

Posted on by Zogman

Lots of things going on today, because Neil and Hazy were joining us for Sunday lunch.

Jamie and Simonne were organising the food, of course after Simonne returned from church, and today it was going to be Roast Leg of Lamb for the carnivores and Seabass from Aldeburgh for Scamp, the solitary pescatarian.

I did my best to keep out of the way while this was going on and went for a walk along the fields behind the church. Since this was Easter Sunday, I decided to walk through the village cemetery and on to the path from there, lest I might be drawn into the church by an overenthusiastic clergyman. I walked down to, but didn’t cross, the bridge over the stream (English don’t have ‘burns’ they have ‘streams’). Instead, I turned right and walked along the edge of the field where corn was just starting to sprout. I did eventually come to another bridge across the stream and crossed over there. I walked on for a fair stretch, but decided that I’d better not walk too far and risk not being there when N&H arrived. This time I walked up past the church and out by the main gate. I’d been taking photos all the way along, trying to get a good view of the church, but it didn’t work because it was shielded by the trees that grow all round it. I got some photos of wild flowers as I walked back to the house.

It was another beautiful day with clear blue skies, although the wind was cold. I sat on an old wooden lichen covered seat at the gable of the house and in the lee of the wind. It was so quiet. Not in the sense of no sound, because there were rooks in the big conifers cawing away loudly and there were smaller birds calling from the bushes, there were bees and ladybirds and maybe a hoverfly or two, but there was almost no mechanical noise. A very few cars. No aircraft and no people making noise. Peaceful rather than quiet, perhaps.

I shot off a few more images of the garden, but my favourite, and PoD was a little Celandine growing out of a crack in the paving stones of the patio.

Neil and Hazy arrived right on time, as I’d expect from Neil. Jamie and Scamp gave them a conducted tour of the house and the garden then we had lunch. There was much discussion between Jamie and Simonne as to whether the lamb was overcooked or not. I thought it was just right. Any less and it would probably have been oily, and it wasn’t that, nor was it too dry. A ‘Goldilocks’ lamb. It was served with Hasselback Potatoes and Asparagus. Hazy had provided the dessert which was Gü puddings. Quite delicious. We also had wine recommended by Simonne’s uncle Yves, a Côtes du Rhône and very nice it was too.

All too soon it was time for the Epsom folk to hit the road again, but it was great having them and getting to talk face to face with everyone again. We must do it again some time soon.

We watched another two episodes of the strange South African film. Leaving the final episode for tomorrow.

It had been a long day and it looks like it may be wet tomorrow morning at least. Maybe a lazy day.

 

 

Happy Birthday to Me – 8 April 2023

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Out for a walk with the prospect of a posh dinner in the evening.

Jamie, Simonne and Vixen went to Run Free in the morning, but we stayed at home and lazed about.

After lunch, Jamie drove us all to Levington on the River Orwell for a walk. We walked from The Ship Inn down through the dried reed beds to the river. From there, Simonne suggested we walk west along the banks of the river. We walked for about a mile to Nacton Shores then turned north for a few hundred yards, then north east through woods until we reached a road. We followed the road back to the pub at Levington where we had a refreshing drink before being driven back to the house.

Back at the house it was time to get ready for dinner. We were booked at the Brewers in Rattlesden for 6pm. First thoughts were that it was just a noisy pub with ideas above its station. How wrong can you be?!

Starter:

Seatrout tartare for Scamp
Lobster risotto for Simonne
Lamb + black pudding for Jamie and me

Main:

Scallops for Scamp
Beef fillet with kale for Simonne and Jamie
Pork belly with black haggis for me

Dessert:

Treacle tart for me
Date pudding for all the rest

All washed down with a variety of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, from zero alcohol beer to a porn star martini.

On the drive home through the gloaming along the misted narrow lanes that populate this countryside, we passed a statuesque looking deer that watched us, fearlessly, not 50 metres away in a borderless field. Countless pheasants risked life and limb by darting out in front of the car, but Jamie saw us safely back to the house without turning a hair.

A rum and coke each finished off our day while we watched a strange South African series with far too much swearing (and not ‘good’ swearing either) and a dialog that switched constantly from Afrikaans (with subtitles) to English. If you’re looking for it, don’t. It’s called Unseen. Might have been better all in one language and using actors who can act.

Tomorrow the weather fairies say it’s going to rain.

A day in the Toon – 30 March 2023

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Meeting my brother for a walk, some photos, a spot of lunch and a blether.

His choice was Glasgow and my choice was Glasgow too today. However, his idea was a walk round what we could call the City Centre, while I wanted to head out to the west in search of interesting architecture. We combined the two with a walk round the city centre photographing interesting architecture. First though we had the traditional coffee in Nero and caught up on what was happening in both families.

With the updates done we headed off down Buchanan Street to get some photos of the subway entrance on Buchanan Street itself. It has a lovely green glass cover over the entrance, although you don’t really see the green tinge unless the sun is shining like it was today. From there we ignored all the retail opportunities on either side and Alex took some shots of the other, completely different, entrance to St Enoch’s subway station. It’s a futuristic domed glass cover, not at all like Buchanan Street’s green glass box.

Two in the bag for Alex. Next we walked east along Argyle Street which used to be a fashionable street for clothes, but is now a bit down at heel with more and more shops with closed signs on the windows and doors. A sign of the times perhaps. We were looking for cranes. Big, gigantic tower cranes. They were right at the end of Argyle Street. I could see what I wanted to photograph, but if I stood on one side, signs and traffic lights were obstructing my view and if I stood on the other side it was the old sandstone buildings that were in my way. The only way to solve it was to wait until the green man appeared and stand halfway across the road. Bingo, three shots taken before the lights changed! Of course, we both took a lot more than that, but they were only fillers. The ones from the middle of the road were the money shots.

We walked round and had a cursory glance at Merchant City Cameras which will forever be Quiggs. It’s not been the same since Mr Quigg’s son sold the shop. I think the present owners are struggling to keep it afloat. Not surprising as it’s only enthusiasts who are buying cameras when mobile phones do such a good job of capturing the moment.

We walked back to Miller Street to Paesano. The real reason Alex wanted to come to Glasgow. Best pizzas in town. Only bettered occasionally by the West End shop of the same name. We must try that one the next time we’re out west.

Next target was the GOMA in Queen Street. That’s where today’s PoD came from. I just liked the relaxed way that bloke was sitting there.

Our final jaunt was down the Clyde Walkway to admire the graffiti. I also grabbed some shots of the mirror glass frontage of the Archdiocese of Glasgow building which stands next to the much older St Andrew’s Cathedral.

From there it was the long plod up to Buchanan Street bus station, a quick hug and then off home on our respective buses.

Back home Scamp had retained the last of the Just Soup and that became dinner. We had a first run through of the new Quickstep routine and, as Scamp had told me, it wasn’t nearly as fearsome as I’d imagined. Another practise tomorrow if all goes well and we should be fit for Saturday.

No great plans for tomorrow, although Scamp fancies going to her FitSteps class. Having just completed over 16,500 steps today, I’ll pass on that class.

Coffee with John – 28 March 2023

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Scamp was out for coffee with Isobel. I went over to John’s for coffee too.

Scamp was intending to meet Isobel for coffee at their usual haunt that is the Costa near TJ Hughes. Isobel caused confusion by phoning me to ask where Scamp was. When I told her, she should be at Costa by then. That’s when I got worried. Was the car giving trouble? Had she broken down somewhere? I phoned her and she replied that she was in Costa as agreed, but couldn’t see Isobel. Another call to Isobel cleared things up. She was at the other Costa (we’ve got two Costas in the Antonine Centre! Lucky us) at the other end of the centre. Long story short, they met up at the Costa near Tesco. Phew!

When she returned I had a quick cup of coffee and a cold meat sandwich then headed off to see John and hand over two parcels for Marion. We had a coffee and discussed the way the world was going wrong and how we’d have put it right if they’d only asked. It had been raining when I left the house and the clouds were getting lower. In Hamilton the skies were noticeable lighter and the clouds higher, plus it wasn’t raining. You see, that’s what happens when you live in South Lanarkshire. You pay a bit more council tax, but you get better weather. As if to prove this hypothesis, when I was driving home later, the rain started again just as I was leaving the boundaries of Hamilton. It continued to rain for the rest of the day and may be raining now. I rest my case Your Honour!

My camera hadn’t been out of the bag all day, but I still needed a photo for PoD. I turned to flowers, as I usually do in such times, and today’s PoD is a bunch of yellow Alstroemeria with some Sweet William and a bunch of Stocks as supporting actors. All shot on the tabletop with the A7iii + LensBaby Sweet 50 lens to blur out the edges.

Scamp’s turn to make dinner and it was a chicken stir-fry and although it was a bit dry it’s taste made up for that.

No plans for tomorrow. We’ll see what happens, but it might involve a Quickstep practise.

 

Frogs are back – 16 March 2023

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A fairly early rise for breakfast and see Jackie safely on her way back to Skye.

We got a bit edgy waiting for the taxi and the blue car was ready to drive her to Glasgow if it was needed, but just at 9.15am the car arrived and with her cases in the boot, off she went. It was really good to see you, Jackie even if it was only for a few days.

Once we’d had breakfast, Scamp phoned June to give her a share of our beautiful cake and to just have a good blether. While she was off drinking coffee and talking, I’d intended to do some painting, watercolour painting that is, not “two coats of Crown gloss”. No, I’m not into that at all! As it turned out I didn’t manage to get brush to paper, because instead I rebuilt my old Mac Book Pro. I had planned to cannibalise the SSD drive that was in it, but now I think it would be better keeping it as it is. That took me ages more than I thought it would, because the screws that are used to fix the SSD into the MBP are not normal cross-heads, but three slot screws and that meant I had to search for the three bladed screwdriver. With the drive back in place I needed a tiny cross-head screwdriver to fit those. The poor MBP has been disassembled and reassembled so many times since 2009 that more than half of the screws are now lost.

When Scamp came home, we had a late lunch. After that I drove to Tesco to buy some extra ‘messages’. I came home via St Mo’s and parked there for what is maybe the second time since we landed in Cumbersheugh. As I was walking across the boardwalk in the rain, I spotted a ripple in the water, and then another and yes, it was frogs. I only counted four of them, but they had been busy. Great rafts of frogspawn stretched across the pond. After the council dug up and cleared part of the smaller pond, I though the frogs might not return to lay their egg, but they have, or at least four of them have. It’s a start.

Unfortunately I didn’t have the best lens on for photographing frogs, but it was ideal for wide angle views of the burn and waterways that had been created by the rain that’s been heavy and continuous for most of the week. One of those burns had made a tiny little waterfall by the side of the path and that became PoD.

We watched The Apprentice tonight when five became two. I didn’t totally agree with the two who were chosen, but I am beginning to lose faith with this show. How can anyone who has gone through what must be a rigorous pre-show selection process produce a business plan riddled with the number of holes that those five had. It makes me wonder how many of the participants are actually business people and how many are actors.

So, Jackie sent a text to say that she had got home safely and had enjoyed spending all that money all that time with us. I hope you remembered the address to let you read the blog JG! Tomorrow Scamp is intending going to FitSteps and I might just start that painting.

Snow – 14 March 2023

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We woke to an unusual brightness. The snow that arrived during the night was reflecting the sunshine.

After breakfast, Scamp and Jackie were going to investigate the ‘new’ shops. While they were out I took the A7 and a couple of lenses over to St Mo’s to get some snowy pictures. But there was almost no snow. Whether that was to do with an over energetic sun or maybe the tall trees over there were sheltering it from the worst of the snow, I couldn’t tell. As usual, I worked with what I had and today’s PoD became a strange flower that I haven’t managed to ID. It flowers late into the autumn with fluffy looking pink flower. The stem and leaves look a bit like brambles, but the flowers are very different. Google images thinks it’s a carnation and I can see why. I had to cut my photo wanderings early because the snow came on again while I was out and I headed home.

I was home before the two ladies and made myself some coffee. We all had a light lunch after that and it was almost time for Scamp and I to get dressed for Bobby Flavell’s funeral. It seemed to have been agreed that the cars would leave from the house, so we all waited until the hearse and the family car moved off before we followed on behind. Quite a long service at Daldowie led by a Humanist speaker. He covered a long life well lived. Who knew that that wee quiet man was once a drummer for Linda Ronstadt on an American tour? But it was the wee quiet man who cut folk’s grass for them and who brought the empty bins back that we will miss, not the drummer.

After we returned, we changed into different clothes to go for a belated anniversary dinner arranged by Jackie and June at the Red Deer. Taxi to the restaurant whose boiler wasn’t working, so we had to make do with the wood burning fire and blower heaters. June and Ian were already there and there was a surprise for us. A brilliant anniversary cake with Scamp and I as ballroom dancers. Oh, if only I was as elegant as the man who was dancing on that cake! Having said that, he did look very like me! Both the sisters and Shona had a hand in the creation of this cake. Thank you all for such a clever idea.

For a starter, June had Duo of Pâté and the rest of us shared Stone-Baked Flatbread with garlic butter. For a main, Scamp had Fish & Chips, Jackie and I had Gammon Steak, June and Ian had Beef & Chianti Casserole. We all had a glass or two from a bottle of Prosecco and Ian and I had a beer each while the ladies scoffed a bottle of white wine.

The only fly in the ointment was that the taxi taking us home was almost half an hour late. June and Ian went home with it after we had been dropped off at the house. More drink was taken and we set the world to rights after a long, busy day.

A few plans for tomorrow, but they are all weather-dependent.

A less hectic day – 13 March 2023

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With a carton of milk waiting on the step for us when we woke.

Our first milk delivery in who knows how many years. A 2 litre carton of semi skimmed.

Hazy phoned in the morning and we had a good half hour blether about what was happening in Epsom and here. She also told me about a TV adaptation of Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman. I must look for that.

We went for the messages in the morning. Off to Tesco in the rain that followed us everywhere we went today. Came home with three big bags of essentials and by the time we’d put it all away, it was time for lunch. Sandwiches today, filled with Dairylea and Tomatoes for Scamp and Corned Beef for me. My what an exciting life we lead. While Jamie and Sim go to the beach, we get a shopping trip to Tesco.

I had decided not to take a camera for a walk in the rain, at least, not a long walk. Instead I cut a hole in a plastic bag, just big enough to poke a lens through and did some photography in the garden in the rain. The PoD turned out to be a Lupin leaf with a few water drops sitting on it. You can see how the shape of the leaf tends to hold some of the rainwater and channel it down to the roots, rather than allowing it to drip off the ends of the leaves, although some generally does that too.

Scamp was monitoring her sister’s progress down from Skye to Glasgow and we picked her up at the Concert Hall and drove home.

Lots to talk about and lots of question from both sisters as they caught up with what was happening in both families. I tried to keep out of it most of the time and made dinner which was Pasta Amatriciana, pasta with tomatoes, basil and bacon, with a pinch or two of chilli flakes.

Later in the evening I changed my role to Barman and we all had a Gin ’n’ Tonic. Still more blethering from both sisters.

Hoping for a good day tomorrow for a send off for Bobby Flavell.

 

 

Oh No! It’s Snow! – 8 March 2023

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Just a scraping at around 9pm tonight, but it was real fluffy snowflakes that were falling for a while.

You’d never have guessed this morning that we’d have snow tonight. That is if you hadn’t looked at the thermometer. It was -3ºc this morning when we woke and the sun was shining brightly from a clear blue sky. Unfortunately, we had both looked at that thermometer and decided to take it easy for a while. There were puzzles to be done and books to be read. I for one was happy to struggle through them, rather than face the cold world outside.

We watched some tree surgeons performing fairly invasive surgery on some trees across the road and wondered when they’d get round to the poor Ash tree outside our window. It’s been failing for a while now, but it’s been there for longer than we’ve been in Cumbersheugh. I remember the three girls who stayed round the corner swinging on its branches when they were wee. They were wild!

Lunch was Scamp’s ‘Just Soup’ and it was fine. Scamp made her usual deprecating noises about the carrots being too tough and I did comment that it might need a bit of salt, but as a lunch it was fine with a slice of bread.

After lunch Scamp was charging round mopping floors, hoovering carpets and moving furniture around while I eventually dragged myself out to St Mo’s to get some photos. There weren’t a lot of interesting shots today. That’s been the way of things lately. I’m finding it hard to generate some interest in things photographic and I’m getting the impression that Alex is finding that too. PoD went to a row of Salmonberry flowers I spotted by the outfall of the pond. I think they may be last year’s blooms, because this years are still in the pods.

Dinner was a main of soup with rice pudding to follow. I think there will be just enough soup for tomorrow’s lunch.

Today was Jamie and Simonne’s anniversary. Congratulations to them both. Nine years ago we were at the wedding in Trinidad. That was a wonderful wedding, as all our family weddings have been.

Tonight we had snow. The weather warnings have been out all week and finally we got our first taste of the white stuff for a while. Not much, but a warning that winter isn’t gone yet.

Tomorrow, if the roads are clear, we’re hoping to go Tea Dancing.

Officially Spring – 1 March 2023

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We drove up to Costa at the town centre this morning for coffee with Isobel on the first day of metrological spring.

Unfortunately, half the weans in the town were also there roaring and shouting, crying and screaming and generally being obnoxious. For the second day this week, all the schools in Scotland were closed while their teachers were out protesting. The noise made this the most uncomfortable couple of hours I’ve had although the coffee was good for a change. I just feel sorry for the folk who have to work in that place with that noise all day.

Isobel gave Scamp a bunch of roses, and gave me a bottle of wine as anniversary presents. Then she explained the tortuous details of her side of the family tree while Scamp made notes to send to her cousin in Australia. I’ve never really been interested in genealogy, and seeing the complexity of this family’s family tree ensured that I won’t be delving into ours any time soon. We dropped Isobel off at her house afterwards and did some shopping in Tesco on our way home.

My daily walk in St Mo’s brought a hibernating or perhaps a just hatched sixteen spot orange ladybird as PoD. I now know where at least around ten of these insects can be found. All orange and all with sixteen spots. I did take a couple of photos of some clumps of Cladonia lichen too, but the ladybird was the winner.

Scamp made leek & potato soup for a starter and she had cauliflower, broccoli and potatoes for her main course. I had soup and then steak and kidney stew with potatoes and the left over cauliflower and broccoli. The Instant Pot heated the stew using the slow cooker function. Useful tool.

Watched Landscape Artist of the Year and we both disagreed with the judges decision. Of the three finalists, the winner would have been in last place if they’d asked me to judge.

Tomorrow Scamp would like to go out somewhere different. I’ll sleep with my thinking cap on tonight.

Bobby Flavell – 24 February 2023

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We found out today that Bobby Flavell, one of our long term neighbours had died suddenly on Tuesday. Such a sad thing to happen to a true gentleman.

It was a dull day. Like Tenerife, but without the heat. I walked over to St Mo’s and got one dull shot that became PoD.

The day after you return from holiday is always dull, but losing an old friend makes it feel worse.

We did have one bright spot in the day that lifted our spirits. That was the delivery of a tall, square parcel. Inside was a wooden crate made from thin laths of wood. Inside that was a bundle of wood shavings that protected a rose plant. A Golden Wedding rose. Of course it had come from Hazel, Jamie, Neil and Simonne. A lovely present to get on a dull day. Thank you all.

Tomorrow we’re going dancing.