ESCHEW TERMINALOGICAL OBFUSTICATION.

Today we were visited by a nice lady from social services, she brought with her the forms we shall need to fill in in order to obtain a grant for a walk in shower for Pa and,we hope a stair lift. She is the latest in a long line of social workers who have arrived, spouted a load of jargon, left a multitude of forms to be filled in and then disappeared back in to the far recesses of her department never to be seen again.

The forms we were given today are horribly familiar as this will be the third time I have filled them in and sent them off, yet am in hope that this time things will be different.
To begin with this one arrived on time, others have been anything up to four hours late, she knew our names, on one occasion we spent an hour with a social worker who having confused us with another couple spent an hour attempting to persuade us to enter a nursing home. On discovering her error she became annoyed at having her time wasted, after a few trenchant remarks from me she departed in high dudgeon having not discussed our needs at all!

Today's visitor was very professional and she spoke in plain English in stead of the current Social Workers jargon ,unintelligible to a humble soul such as I. She did not need to interface with our landlord, she would telephone him. She did not use the words pro-active, what the hell does that mean? She refrained from the use of meaningless buzz-words and actually referred to our problems rather than our issues.

Not being a Social Worker and in the know a good deal of what they say usually causes much head scratching, the practice is nonsensical since these people are supposed to be communicators.............the trouble is no one seems to have mentioned the fact to them.

I regret to say the the nursing profession has recently succumbed to the curse of the buzz word. In the throws of extreme pain I was asked by a nurse in A&E if I had any recent interaction with the hospital. Through the fog of pain and pethidine I was puzzled for a moment, she asked me again and then asked my son the same question. In spite of the pain I came over all whimsical and said that I had recently collided with the lift doors on my way to Urology. Why for the love of reason could she not have asked me if I was receiving treatment for my kidney problems.

The answer is I suppose one of place, importance and /or belonging, these people feel the need to have their own language to describe things as a means of giving them importance, also it is a way of making things sound either better of more positive than they really are.
For example;Quantitative Easing, once upon a time this measure was referred to as devaluation. It involved the printing of money when there was not enough to go around. Devaluation does not sound positive, quantitative easing sounds better, even though it still involves the printing of money in order to keep things going . The difference is either one of perception of perhaps the hope the many people will not know what the hell quantitative easing actually means, a little of both, probably.

Most people have at some time been on the receiving end of one of those verbose epistles from one government office or another so you will know the sort of thing I mean. I once received a communication from the Inland Revenue so sprinkled with such phrases as rendered it unintelligible and I was obliged to fill in the part of the form asking for a translation in to English!

Enough of this frippery, The nice lady took our details, seemed very helpful and then asked me if I would care for a commode in the living room, I glanced around the small room , cursed with three doors and filled as it is with Pa,s leg braces, special shoes, his bed, his big comfy chair, his desk and his television and asked her where she suggested I put such an item. I pointed to the large window through which much can be seen from the garden path and then asked her how she imagined that either Pa or myself would be able to carry the contents of the blessed thing up the stairs to empty it down the loo when both of us were unable to carry things up and down the stairs due to our disabilities.
“I have to ask.”she said. “ In case you fall down the stairs,if we are not able to install a stair lift,its what we call covering our ass!” Now that piece of jargon I understood!

GETTING CHRISTMASSY

Today began slowly for me, a gentle wake up followed by toast and coffee in bed,a lovely way to start the day and I was very thankful for there treat as I was dreadfully tired after yesterday. Everyone tells me to take it slowly but it is difficult when there is so much to do and so little time.

Once my son was safely in bed I made Pa some breakfast and then finished decorating our Christmas tree. Under normal circumstances the tree goes up in mid November, and its absence in the window has cause a lot of comment. Today I received lots of calls for as everyone said seeing the tree was up they knew I must be feeling better,a sort of barometer I suppose. The last of the visitors came as I was about to begin cooking our meal so that made things a little later than usual on a working night.

Pa went in to town for me as I was feeling tired and I decided to do a little gentle parcel wrapping,nothing too strenuous you understand. Books for my son, some new togs for Pa, a beautiful fisherman’s sweater for my son, the usual sort of thing. We have never subscribed to the Christmas surprises thing, I feel that especially for children it can lead to feverish anticipation and bitter disappointment for the child. Presents cost a lot and so you may as well give the child what it really wants.

When my son was a child we began in late September with a short list of ideas, as we were not at all wealthy this was done with a catalogue of toys. We had such fun picking and choosing and it gave him time to make up his mind as to what he really wanted, it never failed once. Of course both his Grannies were scandalised that he chose his own gifts from the tender age of three, of course we never enlightened them as to why we chose to do things differently.

One Christmas when I was about six, a real Tom boy and determined to be either Robin Hood or Flash Gordon when I grew up I was given I beautiful, expensive dolls pram complete with dolly dressed by my Gran in hand knitted clothes. I had been hoping for a bow and arrows or a ray gun.... a sheriffs out fit complete with cowboy hat and badge ,my brother got those, he had wanted a soft bodied doll which he had seen on television. Boys did not play with dolls and girls did not tote guns. My brother and I dealt with our problems by swapping our gifts and my mother was none too pleased.

Ni ether of us was any the worse for our childhood oddities, indeed I can so nothing wrong in boys learning to be gentle and girls learning how to be tough!
I do usually manage a small surprise for each of the boys and they try to do the same e but since none of us are good at keeping secrets it often gets blurted out. The main thing is we have such fun, just as much as when our son was small.

The house is looking very Christmassy now although I have not completed the decorations. I am to short to hang garlands and streamers and may not climb at the moment so these will wait until next week when my son is at home. I still have my room to do and of course my son always decorates a small tree in his room using all the little wooden toys which dressed the tree when he was a child,it has become a tradition through which he has learned how to dress a tree beautifully.
Our little cat it ecstatic as she adores the Christmas tree which becomes her roost throughout the holiday period, you can imagine how cute she looks curled up amongst the parcels, real chocolate box stuff.

Pa came home wind blown , during the course of the afternoon the wind increased and the leaves in the lane blew about in eddies and even at time mini whirlwinds one of which whirled down the garden path. This was too much for the cat and she clamoured to come in as the leaves buffeted her about. Poor old puss!

I made some beef burgers for dinner with lots of caramelised onions and some fries and salad,I do not seem to be up to any major cookery at the moment but I do get stronger every day and I am sure that I shall manage all my Christmas cooking with no problems. I love it so much, it is wonderful to have such splendid ingredients to play with. The sweet cakes and puddings, the pork pies and sausage rolls to the turkey and the big roast ham, I cannot wait to get started, but this week I shall be sensible and rest as much as I can; to which end I am now off to bed, goodnight, God bless.

QUITE A SUPRISING DAY

I would have liked very much to stay in bed for another half hour this morning but as I had an early appointment with the doctor I climbed reluctantly out of bed , made coffee and dressed. It is quite a distance to the surgery but with the buggy it only takes about half an hour, all went well and I arrived in good time. Wonder of wonders the doctor was not running late, this must be the first time in the history of the practice, we are lucky to have a GP who talks to and more to the point listens to his patients so no one minds having to wait as a rule.

All went well although my blood pressure was rather high, we discussed my recent stay in hospital and the tests to come then my prescriptions were updated and I started for home.
I had left so early that neither of the boys were awake and I was glad to think that I should be home before any one noticed that I had gone. I planned to make omelettes for breakfast and the decorate the Christmas tree, alas how quickly my plans came to grief.

I had decided to drop off a loaf for my good friend at the garden centre, I was not aware that my recent illness was know to her but I soon discovered that every one knew. So many people stopped to ask how I was or for a hug that it was over an hour later that I finally headed for home. People were so very kind and so concerned and I had to work very hard not to cry,I was so very touched by all the good wishes. Even the manager came to see me and asked if there was anything he could do to help ,I was amazed.

Concerned that by now the boys would be awake and hungry I turned in the direction of home , I did not get far, again and again I was stopped by friends and acquaintance , some of them people I barely know all wanting to know if I was well. Almost home and I met another friend who asked me in ,I was obliged to decline so I asked her to drop in during the afternoon, it was noon before I opened my font door and\I was right, the boys were awake and they were famished!

Omelettes are quick to do so breakfast was on the table in double quick time and the dishes cleared away. Some thing a friend had said made me check my e mail , something I have not done for days, some how I could not face committee business and had decided to shelve such matter until I felt stronger. What I found were get well messages and again I was close to tears,every one was so kind and I should like to take this opportunity to thank every one who sent good wishes or enquired about me while I was unwell, with so much good will I would have to get better quickly.

I made a start of the Christmas tree but could not finish this lovely task in one go as I became suddenly very tired and my friend arrived just as I was making a pot of tea so we chatted away while demolishing the contents of the cookie jar. She is now a member of ISCAG and active in helping the cause along. She has so much energy and her input is exactly what I needed now, fortunately she is free at the moment , she is a Roady and as the festival and touring season is almost over for a couple of months she has offered to pitch in with the mountain of paperwork which our group has to deal with.

I appreciate her offer of help very much and knowing that she normally has a good long rest over the winter after the hectic touring of summer makes me even more grateful for her help.

Dinner was a mix of sausages served with jacket potatoes, cheese and salad, during the meal one of the boys from next door came to see how I was, he had seen the |Christmas tree and guessed that I must be up and about. I ink that we shall have more visitors tomorrow and on Wednesday some one I coming to see us about a grant for a walk in shower and a stair lift so the next few days will be busy.
I hope that I shall have time to catch up with my delayed Christmas preparations and I mean to do a little every day to make sure that things are perfect this year.

Right now though I am off to the bathroom before someone else bags it after which I shall watch television until my son is safely at work then its lights out for Twiggy and I and I hope a good nights sleep.

A PROUD DAY FOR ME

My son returned home from Dragon Meet loaded down with books as usual and
with some surprising and exciting news. He and his friends had really enjoyed themselves and the day had been a huge success, old friends were met ,new friends made and a great deal of fun was had at the charity auction in the evening.

My son had intended to order a new publication on line called Designers and Dragons, Pa and I were to buy it as a Christmas gift but seeing it on sale he decided to purchase it at the meet. One of his friends was browsing through this large volume which is as it were the Bible of all things D&D and was delighted to find my sons publication ODDITES received mention.
This a huge accolade and my modest boy thought his friend was joking, he was stunned and of course delighted to discover that it was true. This makes the purchase of the book doubly special as I am sure you will agree that it is quite something to discover ones own works mentioned in a work of reference such as this.

The auction too brought a surprise, my son had given a couple of signed copies of his latest book”3D6 In Order” to be auctioned off for charity. He was amazed when perhaps the greatest figure in the UK gaming world these days bid hard for and finally purchased one of his books, this is a terrific compliment and I think my son is still in shock. As I mentioned before my son is becoming quite well know in gaming circles and yet he was surprised at the interest shown in his work. Of course this is all good news and bodes well for the future, and with the commencement of his latest project in the New Year he is well on the way to achieving his goal.

As for me I am as you can tell very proud of my boy and make no apologies for the unashamed bragging. I am feeling stronger today and this morning I baked five loaves for our use and for a couple of friends who have not had any bread while I have been unwell. Our evening meal was a quick one, Griddled gammon steaks with maple syrup, eggs , hash browns and my special hot tomato sauce. I must admit that by the evening I am much more tired then is usual and will be glad to climb in to my bed.

Parcel wrapping has now begun in earnest and today I packed the last two parcels for the post and the got started on the wrapping my gifts for Pa and my son. I have never been so far behind in ,my Christmas preparations , usually by this time the tree is already up and the kitchen decorated, still it is now use to worry. There is much more to Christmas than trees and decorations. The house will be snug and cosy and we shall be together if the Gods are willingall the rest is icing on the cake, which thankfully I made some time ago.

I am grateful to be feeling better as my son returns to work tomorrow night and He will I hope be less worried about what is happening at home, while he is away.
The wind has risen during the day and now as I write the rattle of the last falling leaves being blown against my window punctuates the rushing sound of the wind in the old lime trees. From time to time the eaves creak loudly and the curtain moves a little in the draught. My cat has left her window seat and has curled up on my bed waiting for me to climb in she too is sleepy and contented after a good dinner.

The sound of the wind is soothing, not strong enough to cause alarm,it adds to the cosiness and the scent of a sandal night light drifts about the room. I love candlelight, don't you? Very soon I hope my cat and I wwill be fast asleep,good night,sleeep tight.

DINNER FOR TWO

Promptly at nine this morning the assembled company of dungeoneers departed in a people carrier to Dragon Meet. They began to arrive much earlier than expected and Pa and I were still in bed and my son not sufficiently dressed to receive visitors so a good deal of shuffling about on the landing took place as the company waited to be allowed in. Fortunately no one minded at all and as eveyone was in high spirits all went well.

I decided to have another half hour in bed while Pa did his ablutions then downstairs to a breakfast of boiled eggs and bread and butter which was lovely since the bread was freshly made yesterday. We took our time over the meal, a luxury we seldom have on a weekend and drank lots of tea as we chatted about old times.

I had set myself the task of baking cookies today as the jar are all empty and had been rummaging through the recipe books eventually deciding to make something up myself. I love ginger biscuits but usually the recipies are for the rock hard aptly named ginger nuts and that was not what I wanted at all . Half dipped chocolate gingers tend to melt and stick together without much provocation and so I came up with the following.

Double ginger chocolate chunk cookies

8oz butter
2oz caster sugar
2oz dark brown Mucsavado sugar
2 oz crystallised stem ginger cut into small pieces
4 oz dark chocolate bashed in to small chunks
8 0z plain flour
2 teaspoons of ground ginger
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Beat the butter and the sugars together until light and fluffy. Sieve together the flour and the spices and add to the mixture with the chocolate and the ginger pieces and mix thoroughly.

Roll in to walnut sized balls and place on a greased baking sheet then press down lightly with a wet fork. Bake in a pre heated oven set at 360oC and bake for twenty minutes. Remove from the oven and leave on the tray for a few minutes then finish the cooling on a wire rack.

These cookies are nice and chocolaty yet the chocolate does not easily melt , the small pieces of ginger give the cookies a kick. If you really love ginger add more ground ginger and more stem ginger.

While my son was on holiday recently Pa and I had a love,y meal of roasted salmon and as it is so easy and quick to I chose to cook it again tonight as it was just Pa and I for dinner. I boiled a few of our own pink fir apple potatoes to go with the dish and a selection of vegetables including baby corn ,mange tout and broccoli spears. A rich Hollandaise sauce completed the dish and we had sticky toffee pudding with fresh cream for afters for which I cheated and used the microwave!

All through the afternoon the garden was full of small birds visiting the feeders and Pa was filling them up with nuts,seeds and suet. The birds are so tame that they continue to feed even when we are close by and our tame robin will peck small bits of food from Pa's clothes with no fear at all. We have a young Jackdaw who has become very tame and will come when called. This morning a flock of long tailed tits blew in to the garden and raided the feeders, these birds are usually quite shy and are not often seen on garden feeders,the Nuthatches too have returned and are constant visitors recently, I think perhaps there will be a change in the weather soon,it will be much colder I think.

I seem to get tired very quickly at the moment and without having done very much work but while this is making life difficult I am too weary to mind very much the fact that I need to rest more often and by the time our early dinner was over and the table cleared I was glad to sink in to a hot bath and afterwards my bed. It is from this haven of cosiness that I am writing tonight with Miss Twiggy for company, she has found my hot water bottle and is disporting herself upon the warm patch near my feet.

I do not expect my son to arrive home until late so I may not see him until morning as I feel tired enough to sleep for a week, I have left the makings of coffee all ready for his return and I have no doubt that there will be quite a tale to be told in the morning, entertaining and funny as always. Sleep tight every one .

A DOING DAY

I was awake in time to make my son a cup of coffee this morning, a very small thank you for all the delicious hot drinks which he has delivered to my bed side these past days, the look on his face was good to see and I believe that he was more pleased about the fact that I felt well enough to get up and make the drink than he was for the drink itself.

After such a promising start I decided to test my strength a little and after a lovely breakfast made by my son I decided to bake some granary loaves, our favourite sort and perfect for today as we were to have a meal of cooked meats and cheeses for dinner tonight. I was obliged to do the kneading sitting down but other than that all went well and the loaves turned out perfectly.

While my son popped in to town Pa fed our garden friends and I tidied the kitchen a little and when my son returned we all had coffee together. You will I am certain recall my frequent literary outbursts upon the subject of delivery men and other such pests. Today the problem was solved when the boys clubbed together to buy a wireless intercom for the front door with two hand sets so that I shall never be far from a receiver. This will mean that I no longer have to worry about delivery men hammering on the door and waking my son during his week on nights. Now I shall be able to tell the blighter’s to wait quietly while I limp sedately down the stairs and in the case of door step sellers and other such horrors I need not go to the door at all but shall be able to deliver their dissmissalfrom a distance!

The new bedroom rug I ordered the day I left hospital has arrived, my old one has seen better days and being pale cream was beginning to look very tatty indeed. The new one is washable which on the face of it seems practical and the old one will be found a new home under the kitchen table to keep our feet warm during the winter months. The kitchen has a tiled floor which is great for keeping drinks cool in the summer but chilly on the old tootsies at meal times and during the protracted board games to which we and our friends are addicted. I imagine that by the end of winter it will be ready to recycle to the garden shed as insulation.
For some reason my son keeps on attempting to persuade me to keep the old rug in my room, I suspect he dislikes the new one,it is rather unusual ?

The Friday afternoon chores went with their customary swing and the amount of cursing, swearing and general moaning and muttering was up to the usual average. Once finish however and with the house clean and tidy we all agreed that it was worth the effort..............almost!

Tomorrow my son is having a well deserved break, he and some friends are attending the annual Dragon Meet at Olympia, the high spot of the year to aficionados of “The Sport”.It is a place to meet like minded individuals, and there are more of them than you might suppose, there are seminars ,stalls and auctions where,I am told large sums change hands and rare artefacts and Grimoire are traded. As the editor of a popular magazine my son is quite well known amongst devotees of the genre and is rapidly acquiring quite a following within the OD&D coterie. He is quite a celebrity these days, he even receives fan mail!

We were so happy during dinner, happy in each others company and very happy that things are returning to normal., the boys have had a rotten time while I have been ill and have been very good to me. Our Friday feast is always a merry meal and as there is no cooking involved I can relax and enjoy the fun. Tonight there was cold beef from yesterday, cold chicken , cold ham, a pork pie, pate' and toast and some fresh crayfish for me. There was Stilton cheese. Channel island Brie and Ossau Irate, my favourite cheese , crackers and of course fresh bread. All of this was accompanied by a large salad. Coleslaw, pickled onions, pickled walnuts, home made chutney and elderberry jelly. It occurs to me that I sound just like Mole in Wind In he Willows as he unpacks Ratty's picnic hamper.

The left overs from this feast will make suppers,lunches, and snacks for a few days and any remaining cheese usually ends up in an omelette or in a soufflé'. Well stuffed the boys kindly washed the dishes while I took I bath and as soon as I have posted this epistle I shall snuggle up in bed and wait for sleep to find me.

Tomorrow I have a date with an empty cookie tin and some very special people to bake for, they know who they are. Good night every one.

OUT AND ABOUT AGAIN

This morning for the first time I woke feeling properly rested and stronger than I have for days. With returning confidence I made so porridge for breakfast it seemed ages since I made breakfast for the boys. While waiting for the grocery delivery I prepared the vegetables for our dinner of pot roast beef, roast potatoes. Yorkshire puddings ,carrots parsnips, and mushy peas. This may sound complicated but really it is very easy and a good choice for return to proper cooking.

The groceries arrived on time and with a very helpful driver, my son packed away the goodies and cleaned out the refrigerator, he is very handy about the house these days. Pa fed the birds, quite a task as we have a great many feeders to fill.

I was rather tired after all that and so I had an hours rest before tackling the bathroom cleaning and although I did not manage to do my usual turn out if looked good and I was pleased with the result.

Dinner was a lovely meal the food was good and we were all so happy, the boys are touchingly glad to see me up and dressed for the first time in ages and I wanted so much to reassure them that all would be well. They have been so worried and have had a pretty thin time of things as far as meals are concerned.

I took a steaming hot bath while the boys washed up and then we watched and episode of “Come Dine With Me”. Thank the Gods for an almost normal day.

I know that I shall have to be careful and I shall be sensible and not get too tired but with luck I shall be well enough to give my boys the great Christmas they deserve. I have a couple of tests next week but other than that I hope to do some catching up on my Christmas preparations and decorate the tree. For now I am off to bed tired but very happy.

THE DAYS DRILL

Immediately after breakfast this morning my son went off to the Dentist to have a tooth filled,not the most pleasant way to begin the day but at least the appointment was a morning one . The filling was in a tricky spot and the dentist had much ado to get the drill into the correct position. There followed a scale and polish which is no ones favourite pass time but by twelve all was done and my boy was home soon after. He is very brave about dentists, I however quake at the thought!

Pa headed out to the shops for a few essentials and I lazed about in bed ,very tired today as I did not sleep at all well last night. It is sometimes almost a pleasure to lie awake during he night, especially when one is warm and comfortable and in no pain so I did not mind too much. My problem at the moment is that the more rest and sleep I get the more tired I seem to become and I want so much to be up and about again.

My mother telephoned today to tell me how poorly my brother is,he has a chest cold and is refusing to take time off work which worries my mother enormously, poor darling, I cheered her up by reminding her that it will soon be her birthday and she has some lovely gifts to open, how glad I am that I got them to the post before I became ill. I sent her some snug fleece pyjama and my son sent a wool cardigan with a fur collar, well she is eighty seven and so must be kept snug.

Pa was gone for ages and we almost got ready a search party by the time he returned. I hate having to spend him to the shops as he is always gone for hours even if he is only going to the village and he usually returns with the wrong items no matter how comprehensive the list, today we had no choice and the usual performance took place. I have a theory that he stay out so long so thank we are so glad so see him return safe and sound that we forget to scold him over the useless purchases. I once sent him to the village for three items of grocery, he returned with two bags full of shopping which included not one of the items we required.,

Our meal tonight is to be macaroni cheese ,in case my sons mouth is still sore with a side dish of garlic and tomato bread if he can manage it by then and perhaps a salad. I should be able to manage a cheese sauce without too much trouble and it will be nice to do a little cooking.

I am being sensible and doing as I am told, the idea of any return of the dreadful pain of last week I too awful to contemplate and this close too Christmas I have much more pleasant plans than lying about in bed or worse, in hospital. In the mean time it is lovely to be snug indoors with my boys and my little cat,my world has once again become very small indeed but this time I hope not for too long.

A HOLIDAY IN BED

After a great nights sleep I woke feeling much better and went down stairs for breakfast. My wise son decreed that I must not stay up top long and he was quite right, I am quickly tired and after breakfast I slept again for a couple of hours. My legs are very wobbly at the moment but I am sure that is because I have not eaten for days, now that I am things will improve quickly I hope.

The hospital have rushed through the date fro my MRI scan which will now be on the first of December instead of “some time next year.” This will in turn bring forward the treatment I need and for me this cannot happen soon enough, regular bouts of mind numbing pain and severe infections I can do without!

How do you like my new logo? My son thought it was about time I had a new one,I think it is rather smart.
There is to be a chicken casserole for dinner with lots of lovely winter vegetables and I am looking forward to trying some. My breakfast was two poached eggs on toast which I enjoyed very much and throughout the day cups of steaming hot coffee have arrived regularly at my bedside. I am having a real holiday in my snug bed.

During breakfast I received a beautiful card for my sons friends at work and I should like very much to thank them all for their kindness and for the lovely things they wrote, there were quite a few happy tears, Bless you all.

Throughout the day people have called, texted and telephoned I have been amazed , my son is issuing regular bulletins, I feel like the queen, and also very touched to know I have such kind friends.

I think I need another sleep now, Keep safe and warm everyone.

GLAD TO BE HOME

It is such a relief to be at home in my own bed and best of all in much less pain. I am being looked after nicely and hope to be pottering about very soon. My little cat was glad to see me and we had a cuddly reunion last night.
I seem to be very sleepy all the time but they tell me this will pass, I can not wait to get back to my pots and pans and hope to decorate our Christmas tree later this week.

To everyone who sent their good wishes thank you so much for your kindness it is wonderful to have so many people wishing me well and I am sure that I shall be myself again very soon.
Thanks also to my son for keeping the blog going in my absence, he has been wonderful during the pasty few days and Pa too has done all he could to help. I am so lucky.

Better News...

Well, Mum came home this afternoon feeling a bit better, and is now at home resting comfortably. Things seem to be improving, and hopefully all will be back to normal soon.

Son of Avie

UPDATE...

I'm sorry to report that Avie went into hospital early this afternoon after her condition worsened. She's stable and resting comfortably now, so fingers crossed all will be well soon.

Will keep you all informed.

Son of Avie

FINGERS CROSSED

I think I have been lucky this time,thanks to a sensible doctor, a good neighbour and my lovely boys. It's early days but with luck I shall be back on my feet soon, one thing however is certain now I shall be dealing with this problem for some time to come.

I must say I have every sympathy with Samuel Peypes the famous restoration diarist who like me suffered from “The Stone”. The poor man had his surgically removed, a procedure too awful to contemplate without anaesthetic. So great was his relief that each year for the remainder of his life he threw a party to celebrate his relief from “The Stone”.

In these time the usual treatment is Lythotripsy, the firing of sound waves in to the stone through the body while the patient lies in a shallow pool of water. I have to tell you that this treatment is very painful but in comparison with the pain caused by the movement of kidney stones it is a stroll in the park. My main problem is that I have damage to the kidneys already and the infections such as the one which flared up so quickly yesterday can be and eight year ago almost was fatal. The attacks are becoming more frequent but I hope to stay out of hospital with care and common sense.

I must be feeling better as I am beginning to fret about all the jobs I have been unable to do this week, that coupled with the tired faces of my boys will soon have me up and about I hope.
I shall cook them a special dinner as soon as I feel better, they really do deserve a treat. At this time of year I am usually busy preparing goodies for Christmas and I had meant to decorate the main tree this week, oh well It is no use worrying, all will be well I am sure.

There was an odd little incident last night and I confess that it has me baffled. In there middle of the night my Mobile Telephone signalled that someone had left a voice mail, newly awake and groggy in consequence I listened to the message which consisted of a gaggle of confused voices and loud sirens, ambulance perhaps or fire engine[ Still with the fog of sleep in my brain I called my son at work thinking that perhaps the building was on fire. I frightened the poor soul badly as he thought that he was being called because I had taken a turn for the worse. I still have no idea who the kind soul was who woke me which is perhaps as well.

Twiggy is still camped out in my room keeping me company and enduring with me the horrors of daytime television,if ever there was an incentive to get better quickly this must surely be it.

I observe that Sepp Blatter has put his foot in his mouth again,time for a change...probably.

TROUBLE AT AVIES

A combination of pain and the insistence of my family has resulted in my being confined to bed, so violent was the pain that I had little choice to begin with and a return of the pain last night I am convinced that the boys are right and so I am behaving my self and doing as I am told. It is hard to do this when I see how tired my son is and I know how Pa is struggling while having to manage by himself all day while my son is asleep.
One thing is certain , I must get back on my feet as soon as possible and if that means a few days in bed then so be it.

Of course things are getting difficult as I am unable to bake at the moment and that means
shop bought bread a foul substance disliked by us all and the cooking is being done by the boys between them and so is of a rudimentary nature. They do not complain bless them but I know how much they dislike pre prepared food.

Had this happened next week it would not have been quite so bad as my son will have a go at most things in the kitchen, as it is we must just soldier on as best we can. I have been on the verge of going in to hospital several times in the last couple of days but again with my son away all night it is not possible to leave Pa alone, it is a case of Murphy's Law as the last time this happened my son was on nights.

By lunch time today an infection had set in and now I really was in trouble as these infections can worsten rapidly and are very serious for me. In desparation I called my Doctor and asked for a prescription for anti biotics, I had little hope that he would do so but to my surprise he wrote it out at once but made me promise to call him tomorrow or go to hosplital if I became worse during the night. Thank heavens he was one of the Doctors who knows our siti-uation and understood about Pa .My kind neighbour picked it up for me and also made me some chicken soup, people like him are all too scarce in these times.

I hope now that the pain will not return and that by tomorrow I will at least be able to potter about a little and to be truthful I am not sure that I could withstand another bout of pain without stronger pain relief than I have at home.

Through out my time in bed my little cat has been with me almost the whole time,she knows instinctively when one of us is not well and is a good companion as she is so quiet. I have been curled up around a hot water bottle since Monday night and she has at times enjoyed the residual warmth through the bed covers.

Pa ordered fish and chips for dinner tonight and I managed to eat a little of the fish which was very nice and fresh. My poor boys are having a rotten week yet they are behaving like heroes helping where they can and keeping things ticking over and I am so very thankful for the way they have pulled together to look after me. I shall make it up to them once I am up and about again you wait and see.

STILL OUT OF ORDER...

I'm afraid that Mum is still too unwell to post on the blog tonight; she is feeling a little better, but is not yet up to getting up...and for once is actually listening to advice!

Hopefully things will improve soon. Fingers crossed.

SON OF AVIE

NORMAL SERVICE WILL BE RESUMED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

Sorry for a change from the normal routine; Mum went down yesterday with severe pains again, and she has been dismissed to her bed until she is feeling better. Hard as it is to force her to stop for five minutes!

Hopefully all will be back to normal soon.

Son of Avie

SETTLING DOWN TO WINTER

How short the days seem already, the low cloud and lack of sun mean that it is dark even earlier that usual. Along the lane the trees are almost bare of leaves now and the pavements are treacherous for the unwary, made slippery by wet leaves. The gilded autumn colours have bled into the grey mist leaving only echoes here and there of their short lived beauty. Winters monochrome palette now holds sway and the who has kept company with me all through the summer months now sings a much quieter song as he waits in et old damson tree for Pa to fill his special tray with meal worms.

The great bounty of this autumn is also over, the generous harvest of beech mast. Acorns and damsons. Cherry pits and hazel nuts have all been prized in their season and set aside for winter use by the birds, the animals and my self. We have made the most of the unexpected warmth to secure our winter stores are plentiful enough to last through the fiercest of winters.

Having spent over half of my life in remote places I have acquired the habit of stocking up in the winter time and by this time if the year every space in my kitchen is stuffed with extra flour, tinned beans and tomatoes,rice, pasta and just about every thing from candle sand paraffin to dried mushrooms and anchovies. My friends have always considered this squireling rather an eccentricity until the last couple of winters when many of them have applied to my stores for candles, sugar,or some other food item. Of course if the winter is mild is is always nice to have plenty of dry goods in the house as it cuts down the shopping bills at a time when we are spending so much more on fuel costs, it works for me.

The rooms have been made as cosy as possible with draught excluder and hitch curtains,some years ago when we were as poor as church mice I made winter curtains from old blankets bought at a jumble sale. I brushed then until the looked felted and then painted them red Indian style, As our house at the time was filled with weird old pots and bits of horse harness and such like they worked very well and were much admired.

I like to be cosy and in winter I use light to create the effect I want. Our fireplaces are not in use at the moment so to make the effect of a fire I scrunch up a string of red fairy lights and then put them in the grate with a deep layer of fir cones on the top. This gives the effect of glowing embers and really make a room seem snug. If you decide to try this please remember to turn them of if you go out or when you go to bed.

I have a trick of lighting richly coloured voile panels to make the light seem warmer, these can be purchased cheaply on the internet and for little cost they make a big effect on the cosiness of a room. When every thing has been done to make our home look and feel snug I begin to decorate for Christmas as in our house Christmas goes on for over a month, it may not suit every one but we love it so for us it all begins next week when my son is on his home week.

In the mean time there are cakes to bake and recipes to try , parcels to wrap and cards to write and the tree to decorate then, with candle light and incense the picture will be complete. Winter has its compensations, well at least this part of winter.

A HOMECOMMING

After what turned out to be a difficult journey my son is home from his week in Derbyshire.
He arrived a four in the after noon and you can imagine the welcome that he received, even Twiggy was on hand to see her boy come home.

We chatted away like anything and hugged and hugged for ages,it is great to have him home. We all had gifts for each other, Pa had a book about Derbyshire’s steam railways, I had a beautiful mug and coaster decorated with a robin, the coater can be used as a lid so it will be perfect when I am gardening as it will keep the bugs out of my tea.

It has seemed a very long day, but then quite a lot has happened, beginning with breakfast, rather later than planned as Pa was sleepy this morning and would not get up. I visited the garden centre for a breath of air before tackling the ironing, in among the masses of fancy goods there was a door stop in the shape of a mouse dressed ins sweater, I fell in love with it when I first saw it three weeks ago. Every time I have been to the garden centre I have visited the mouse, picked it up, stroked it's ears , looked at the price and reluctantly put it back on the stand.

A few days ago I received my Garden Centre Voucher and I was going to spend them of Christmas chocolates today but first I went to visit my mouse..........it had gone! I was really sad, there were hedgehogs, owls, cats, all sorts of animal door stops but of my mouse there was no sign. I realised that I had been a fool not to buy it and turned sadly away from the stand, some thing made me go back again and I moved a couple of large dachshund draught excluder s.....there peeping out at me was my mouse and this time I put it in my basket,I had not realised just how much I wanted the cute little thing. I seldom give way to such impulses,but today I could not resist any more.

It shall be a Christmas present to myself and a jolly useful one since we are fond of having the windows and doors open it will stop the inevitable slamming of my bedroom door, when my son is attempting to sleep, and besides it really is cute.

Dinner was a splendid meal and we have all my sons adventures to listen to while he ate his chicken pomodori and Pa and I tucked into oxtail stew served with mashed potato, carrot and parsnips followed by iced cream. My son loves to go off by himself and it does him good to get away from all the stress of work and the difficulties that Living with invalids can create and yet he is always so very glad to come home again to all the creature comforts and home cooking, life is always fun when he is around.

Tomorrow he returns to work poor darling, back to the sweat shop as 't were, at least he seems more relaxed at the moment and there is always Christmas to look forward to. For now we are a family again and each of us is stronger for it,next week can take care of itself. Goodnight all and I wish you as happy an evening as my own.

MOVING THINGS ALONG

Our Secretary and Bat Expert went to the clinic of one of our local councillors today and afterwards she telephoned me with some very surprising news. It seems that the present Elected Councillors are every bit as unhappy with the work being done by the contractors in the Borough as is our group.

It seems that they inherited them from the previous Councillors who gave them a very long contract and a carte blanch to do as they pleased. Quite apart from the dreadful damage that they are doing to the environment they are costing the Council Tax payers a fortune. We have been asked to make as much fuss as possible and, if you will pardon the expression, to shake their monkey tree as hard and as often as we can.

I shall be seeing the councillor for our ward soon to do a little more judicious stirring. We thought that we should have to convince the council to curtail their activities but it seems that they are in as much need of our help as we are of theirs! This could not have come at better time as we are shortly to open a blog site and Twitter site for the group and we shall be involving the local press in our campaign. I feel that even people who have no interest whatsoever in the wildlife of this area will be unhappy about the cost of the contractors activities and so we should not find it difficult to gain support for our plans.

After months of banging on doors, endless e mails and telephone calls things seem to be falling into place for us and none too soon as one of our members videoed a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in one of the threatened areas recently. I have not seen the footage myself but I have no reason to suppose that she would be mistaken as the difference in size between the lesser and the greater Spotted woodpecker is quite marked. Shot species is very rare indeed and we must move quickly to ensure its survival.

I must say that we are getting help from some unexpected quarters and the growth in pout=r membership can only help to spread the word more quickly. It seems likely that we shall form into several groups under an umbrella organisation. Some will deal with listed buildings and planning applications, some with local Parks and green spaces and some with the Allotments. We shall all support each others causes but it will make the fighting that we must undertake on a number of fronts easier to manage if everyone has a job to do in their area of special interest.

One or two of us will be active in all of the groups because of our specialist knowledge and this will keep the groups together and ensure that everyone’s views are heard.
Things are moving quickly now and I must say that our record of success so far has been remarkable considering our limitations. We are a force to be reckoned with and our numbers are growing daily. It is astonishing how many people want to join our fight, astonishing and heartening to those of us who have fought alone for so long. For the first time I really do feel that we have a chance of changing the way in which things are done in this community and that makes me very happy indeed.

Some thing else which cheers me is the thought of my sons home coming tomorrow, I cannot tell you haw much I have missed him, his cheerfulness and his jokes. I shall have his favourite meal ready for dinner and the biggest hug you can imagine. The fog which has shrouded the moors all week lifted today and he climbed the Tor in sunshine, to look over Kinder Scout and the Dales. I heartily recommend The Peak District to any one who loves to walk in wild places. Wynatts Pass .Burbage Ridge, and the lovely Manifold Valley are just a few of the spectacular places to visit. There is a stone circle at Arbour Low and of course The Grey Ladies, four mysterious stones in a wild and lonely place. There is Haddon Hall and Chatsworth house, Peveril Castle And more Caves than I can remember. If you like Pleasure Park there s Alton Towers and in Matlock Bath Gulliver’s Kingdom specially for the little ones and some of the most amazing caves plus a cable car which will take you from the town to the top of the Heights of Abraham.

Pa has been wonderful today helping me with the chores and larking about, there was a time when I thought we should b[never have times like this again and I am grateful for every day that he comes back to us. We shall have been together for forty years next June and I am planning some thing special to mark the occasion...more about that another time.

For now my son is coming home and I have Christmas to prepare for, more Christmas cakes to bake and decorations to put up, I love Christmas with all my heart, the sparkle, the fun, the pleasure of meeting old friends and making new ones. There is the joy of sharing with others the fruits of our harvest, the light and warmth of Festival. I may not be a Christian but I will not split hairs about who's festival it is , anything which makes people care about each other and share a common joy is fine with me. The birth of a child or a festival of light, either way it is a pledge for the future of all man kind and as such I embrace it happily.

HOUSE WORK BE DAMNED !

Having spent a large part of this week desperately attempting to get on with the house work I took and executive decision this morning to let the house work go hang! In the first place I overslept this morning and it was nine before I awoke to the customary sound of hammering on the front door and for once I just could not be asked to canter down the stairs to collect whatever it was! I made coffee for Pa and I and as I drank it there was more hammering on the door. The delivery man man said in an accusing tone “So, you are in then, I came earlier and got no reply, next doors out will you take this parcel for them!”
I bit back a rude reply, took the parcel and signed for it. It is bad enough to be disturbed by the delivery of ones own parcels, to be bounced out of bed for someone else’s sucks!

Here's another thing, where do these people get off hammering on the door of a house where all the curtains are drawn for a package that is not even for that address. They have a bloody cheek in my humble opinion! The parcel was a large one and a blessed nuisance it was sitting in the middle of the living room all morning.

After a breakfast of poached eggs on toast Pa went in to the village and I set about the days baking, beginning with a large batch of cookies the tins being empty.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE AND HAZELNUT COOKIES

8 oz butter
5oz caster sugar
1 egg yolk
grated rind of and orange
10 0z plain flour
pinch of salt
3 0z plain chocolate bashed in to chunks
3 oz fresh hazel nuts chopped and toasted
one and a half table spoons of caster sugar
one and a half teaspoons of cinnamon

Chop the hazel nuts and toast In a hot frying pan set oven to 375oC and bash the chocolate in to pieces.
Put the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl with the grated orange rind and beat well. Add the egg yolks and beat again until fluffy.

Sift in the flour and salt, add the chocolate and nuts and mix thoroughly.
Roll in to ball he size of a walnut , roll in the cinnamon sugar and place on a greased baking sheet then flatten a little with the fingers.

Bake for twelve – fifteen minutes. Leave to cool on the baking sheet for five minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool.

These cookies have a Christmas flavour and when you are cooking then the kitchen small amazing.

My son is still I Derbyshire and is still inside a cloud, I believe he had forgotten just how thick those hill fogs can be. It is perfectly possible to get lost on a road you know well, it happened to me several times and on one memorable occasion my father was lost all night wandering around the same ten acre field unable even to find the hedge . He is however having a great time visiting the many caves in the area, it is full of wonders. Just a couple of years ago a new cavern was discovered which is said to be the biggest in Europe, even now they do not know the full extent of its depth and length.

While I had the oven hot I started the twice baked soufflés which will make our meal this evening together with a sorrel and rocket salad and avocado with orange and
walnut dressing. Very simple and very tasty.

I have a new cookie recipe to try next week , this is part of my run yo to Christmas baking contest where the most popular cookies win the honour of being made for my sons Christmas Party at work and to fill our own tins and those of our friends. I confess to being a little nervous about the next batch so I shall not tell you what they are until they are done, fingers crossed!

Twiggy has spent the entire day in her new hiding place, Pa and I have now given up trying to find her, she is enjoying teasing us but the laugh will be on her when my son returns as I think it certain that her hide out is somewhere in his room.

Things got rather hectic this evening and so we decided to give the soufflé its second baking tomorrow and ordered a Chinese take away instead. I have decided to try an experiment. Most of the time I am happy to entertain visitors but now and again they can be bloody inconvenient. Working on the premise that estate agents tell you to bake bread and make fresh coffee when showing prospective buyers around your house aim trailing a way of discouraging unwelcome guests by releasing a nasty pong made from garlic fermented in water for a few days. The smell is diabolical and I hope it will do the trick, I known it sounds drastic but I am desperate for a couple of quiet days to crack on with some serious house work, I would not really do it of course...............or would I?

Of course I run the risk of becoming known as the woman with the smelly house but needs must when the devil drives and all that.

A CAT CALLED DIAMOND

Sleep eluded me last night, I listened to the news, I wandered around the top floor like a ghost,I made coffee and eventually I wrapped a pile of Christmas presents and made up one of the parcels for my family in the north. I was glad when it was time to make a coffee for Pa and to get on with the day.

Breakfast today was hot buttered crumpets and granary toast with some of the lovely honey I was given on Tuesday. I had lots to do today and as soon as Pa had set of to the Doctors I began the days chores, before long the fortnightly grocery delivery arrived and unpacking and putting away the things kept me busy for the next hour or so. I had the bathroom to clean and my room to do but first I made a coffee and went into the orchard with Twiggy.

We both realised at once that we had a visitor in the shape of a large Tom cat who we call Diamond, it is easy to see from his photograph how he came by his name. We have no idea as to the identity of his owner even though he has been visiting us for over three years. Twiggy is inclined to appear standoffish but she is very interested in him and today the two of them spent several hours companionably sitting in the orchard. Diamonds sat on the garden table and Twiggy in her tree house, occasionally they swapped places.

My plans to do house work came to nought as my telephone never stopped ringing until Pa returned at three. I made coffee and checked on the cats , Diamonds had managed to catch a rat and was munching happily, I shuddered at the crunching noise and hurried back inside.

After a frustrating afternoon I decided to have half an hour at the garden centre to spend my Gardening Club vouchers, unfortunately I was waylaid by another member of our group with news to report and it was well over half an hour before I managed to get to the garden centre. I whizzed round to pick up some suet for the birds but had no time to look at all the lovely and exciting decorations,chocolates and gifts so with a sigh I made my way to the check out and then headed for home.

The sunset this evening was spectacular and I would not have missed it for the world but by the time I arrived home it was time to prepare dinner, the house work would have to wait.
I put two salmon teak in a foil parcel with mange tout, broccoli and baby sweet corn, squeezed over the juice of an orange and added a little orange zest, salt, pepper and some fresh fennel and the cooked it in a hot oven for fifteen minutes. I serve this with boiled potatoes and parsley butter and very nice it was. By the time the dishes were done and the kitchen was tidied it was six forty five.
I hope to give my room a good dusting before I turn in for the night and I shall clean the bathroom tomorrow before I take Pa his morning coffee, I must finish this by tomorrow a I have some serious baking to do on Saturday and several more packages to get to the post.

On the bright side my son will be home on Sunday for which event I shall kill the fatted calf.
A special Christmas gift which Pa and ordered for him arrived today and very splendid it is. I wish I could tell you about it but although my son says he does not read my blog I prefer not to take a chance on spoiling the surprise.

I hope to get at least a little sleep tonight but should I not there is always the bathroom to clean............what a wild life I lead!

THE SEVENTH CIRCLE,

Being in need of a few comestibles and also a little fresh air I decided to nip off to Tesco soon after breakfast shot morning, thinking, fool that I am that as it was Wednesday and the children...bless their little hearts.... were back a school it would be less busy than usual.....hummm!

On arrival I noticed two things almost at once, first that my supposition that if might be quiet was totally unfounded ans secondly the unbelievably appalling stench which assaulted my nostrils as soon as I entered the building. It smelled as if either a cow had died in the building and was rapidly decomposing under one of the stands, or that the sewers were in a state of terminal disrepair....possibly both. I sniffed my way to the lift and headed for the kitchen ware department.

My God the smell in that lift beggared description,I am not a forensic scientist but I have to tell you that something in the vicinity was very definitely dead. One breath was enough and I resolved to hold my breath until I had escaped the lift. Gasping for air I arrived on the top floor only to discover that the smell was if anything worse there that it was in the lift.
As I reversed out of the lift I was just in time to see a young pregnant woman throw up by the underwear section. “It's the smell.” She explained apologetically , I was forced to concur, in spite of the Christmas decorations it was much more festering than festive!

I made my purchases and left as fast as I could, in the lift unfortunately and by now I felt rather sick myself. Down stairs I tried to finish my shopping as fast as possible but found that since my last visit every blessed item had been moved, add to that the fact that many of the aisles were blocked by large trolleys full of stock awaiting some one to put it on the shelves so my progress was painfully slow.

By this time the my olfactory organ had become used to the pong and I found it much less noticeable, new arrivals however were wandering around with their hands covering their noses and I saw one lady squirt perfume on to her hanky to sniff as she shopped.

The staff were not at all happy, there seemed to be some kind of inquisition going on and “The Brass” were very much in evidence wandering about with clip boards and getting in everyone’s way. Now I do not know how you would feel about it but I found it almost impossible to shop for food items while the ghastly whiff kept on wafting through the store I had intended to buy some tiger prawns but as I arrived at the stall two of the afore mentioned “Brass” were grilling the fishmonger about a bag of bad prawns returned by a customer....I purchased two salmon steaks instead and had a good sniff at them before paying at the check out!

A shopping trip which should have taken less than an hour took more than two hours and I left the place exhausted. Even the fume filled car park smelled wonderfully fresh after the whiffy interior and I left the premisses gladly. Only when I returned home did I notice that I had been overcharged on and item of clothing and I frankly do not blame the checkout girl for the mistake. She is only as good as the information programmed in to the till and as there were so many people sticking sale tickets on to items I assume that the computers have either not caught up with the taggers or that the taggers had made a mistake, either way I cannot be asked to go back and complain.

My son is having a wonderful time visiting the caves ,today he went down the Peak Cavern known locally a The Devils Ares not just because it looks like an arse but also because of the strange noises that it emits from time to time...I kid you not!

The cat Twiggy has found a new roost some where in the upstairs of the house, I say somewhere because search as we may neither Pa or myself can find the place. She spent the whole of last night in this mystery spot and although I could hear her bell tinkling from time to time I failed to locate her. During the afternoon she disappeared again and once again the sound of her bell did nothing to help us find her She is very good at camouflage but this is ridiculous.
I only hope that she does not chose to take her future captive rodents to this new roost or we shall be in trouble.

HUNTIN, SHOOTIN AND COOKIN !

Pa refused to get up this morning and I was obliged to read the riot act which eventually did the trick. Having got up myself at seven thirty I was understandably annoyed to be cooking Pa's breakfast and eleven and boy did I let him know it. I am desperately trying to catch up on the tasks left undone during that past few weeks and Pa's nonsense severely shortens my working day.

The bread was made and out of the oven cooling by the time the old boy was seated at the table to eat his pancakes before heading off for another hospital appointment and as he left on the buggy a glow of gratitude flooded my soul and I prepared to enjoy a couple of hours peace and quiet.

I had decide to make a batch of oatcakes today and have some with bacon fend eggs fr dinner, I actually made four dozen and was able to freeze some for two more meals . We like these oaty pancakes grilled with cheese for breakfast and I know that my son will be pleased that I made a big batch. This morning I was given a jar of honey from a friend with who keeps bees so while I was making the oatcakes I ate a couple smothered in the honey, a great treat for me.

I have noticed these past days that the rat population is once again on the increase, I put out the lights in the kitchen, loaded up my air rifle and set about thinning them out a little.
I know this sound dreadful but you see I refuse to use poison as some years ago one of our cats died through the accumulative effect of eating poisoned mice. We have kestrels , foxes and all ,manner of carrion eaters such as Jays here about and I cannot tolerate the thought that I might be harming them.

I find that If I shoot a few of the rats every couple of weeks they tend to stay away for a while. Today I shot five of the little blighter’s. Actually one of them was a massive great grandfather rat. The bodies do not lie about for long, they are taken almost at once by jays and magpies who recognising the sound of the gun have learned that when ever they hear that sound there is likely to be a good meal in store. I am a very good shot as indeed we all are, being a country girl I grew up with guns and was trained by my father who was a fine marksman. The rats do not suffer and I am sure that a quick clean kill is more humane that the slow death caused by poison.

Pa returned from hospital as I was clearing the kitchen and I strolled in to the garden with Twiggy to get a little fresh air, griddling four dozen oatcakes is a smoke business. Twiggy posed for me in her tree house and in spite of the dullness of the day I took some good shots of the garden. Much refreshed I set about tiding my sons room and stripping the bed ready for his return, He called this morning having slept and breakfasted well and was about to take the bus to Bakewell, a truly lovely little market town with a beautiful old bridge of the river and more ducks that I have ever seen in one place in ,y life. He is having a wonderful time and is being spoiled by his hostesses.

Darkness came early, indeed it never got properly light today, My little cat took up station in my windowsill as usual where she will remain until I climb in to bed which will I hope be soon.
Tomorrow I must do a little shopping and bake another fruit cake but for now a hot bath, a cup of hot chocolate and a warm bed await me.............paradise!

GINGER FRUIT CAKE, STEAK AND KIDNEY PUDDING AND STRANGE HAPPENINGS DURING THE NIGHT !

It always seems strange on the first morning of my sons holiday,there I an unnatural quiet about the house which gives the place a lonely feel even if there are others present. Pa had a hospital appointment and so I prepared a breakfast of poached eggs on toast and as soon as he left I got down to business.

The business of the day was the making of a real steak and kidney pudding, not the cheats version where the meat is cooked first and cooked for a short time, in this recipe the meat and onions go 9ntop the pudding raw and the whole thing cooks slowly for five hours. I find this so much better than faffing about first cooking the meat and then making the pudding, once the whole thing is in the steamer you can forget about it and get on with something else,

The something else today was a very special birthday cake for a friend whose birthday falls at around Christmas time. Since he detests mixed peel with a passion the cake I make for him is just a little different, it also makes a fantastic Christmas cake....if you like ginger.

Stuarts Birthday Cake
8 oz sultanas
8oz raisins
8 oz crystallised ginger, the chunky kind not the bitty one
8 oz glacé cherries
8 oz butter
8 oz soft brown sugar
1 tablespoon black treacle
juice and rind of 1 lemon
5 eggs
10 oz plain flour
2 oz ground almonds
2 oz flaked almonds
pinch of salt
salt, spices then mix in a separate bowl with the other dry ingredient1 teaspoon mixed spice
half a teaspoon of grated nutmeg
Pre heat oven to 36 350 oC at once and bake for an hour and a half0C
grease and double line an 8” cake tin then wrap a double layer of brown parcel paper around the outside of the tin and tie with string.
Cream the butter, sugar, lemon rind and black treacle together until pale and fluffy.
Sieve together the flour,salt, spices and mix with the other dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
Beat the eggs until frothy then add half to the butter and sugar mix with 4 tablespoons of the fruit and flour mixture and beat well.
Add the rest of the egg and the remaining dry ingredients and mix thoughtfully with a wooden spoon adding the sieved lemon juice a little at a time.

Pour the mixture in to the prepared cake tin and place in the oven. Reduce the heat to 350 oC at once and bake for an hour and a half. During the next half hour reduce the hear a little at a time until the temperature is set at 225oC. At this point if you feel the the cake is browning too quickly pop a pierce of silver foil over the top
Bake for a further two and a quarter to two and a half hours then remove from the oven and test by inserting a metal skewer, if it comes out sticky bake for a further fifteen minutes.

Leave the cake to cool in the tin. When cool wrap in greased proof paper then add a layer of foil store in a tin, leave for a month or so and then decorate any way you like.

Pa returned from his appointment and all was well for a change O we celebrated with coffee and cookies and during this time my son telephoned to say that he had reached his destination safely. There was,he told us a thick fog up in the hills around Castleton, the ladies had greeted him warmly and plied him with cups of tea. Not having slept last not he is very tired and so today he took a walk around the village ate a good dinner and then had an early night.

Those hills around Castleton are home to us and come rain wind ,snow or hail they are beautiful and we love them, \I envy him waking up tomorrow with a view of Mam Tor from one windrow and Peveril Castle from the other, lucky man.

The steak and kidney pudding was wonderful, it is a dish I seldom cook because my son dislikes it,also it can be difficult to make one small enough for two but I am sure I can find a home for the leftovers. I served the pudding with mashed swede,parsnip and carrot and we had iced cream for afters. Pa loves suet puddings of any sort bless him and it is nice to make a special dish just for him., he deserves a treat, he is so brave about all his troubles.

Some thing strange has been happening to me during the [past few nights which would be funny if I were not so very tired. I fall asleep then after a few minutes I wake suddenly and here is the strange thing aim actually talking out loud each time I wake. I seem to be answering questions but once I wake up I stop talking so there are only a few bits and pieces upon which I can base no conclusion.

Of course I could be going completely do-lally, on the other hand my mind could be attempting to work out some problem and The Gods know I have a few of those.
Perhaps some one is attempting to contact me, but who?And about what? All I know is that I need a good nights sleep, my eyes are red and sore and I feel as if I could sleep for a week.

My little cat has been out in the orchard for most of the morning, the afternoon was spent sleeping on my bedroom windowsill with her paws on the radiator and her tail end under a small lamp. There is on her dear little face a blissful expression which is lovely to see. She was a very small, very frightened and very very thin little cat when first we met and to see her so happy and secure, so sure of the place and her worth makes me very happy indeed.

On the whole this has been a good day, the only fly in the ointment is the fact that this afternoon the contractors began to fell some of the trees we have been fighting so desperately to save , I pray the we are in time to save the rest, it seems that they have decided to get their blow in first.

With my son safely tucked up in bed I Castleton and Pa well fed I shall take a hot bath and as soon as Pa can be persuaded to do the same I shall see him safe in bed and then with luck I can sleep, to paraphrase Elvis “A little less conversation and a bit more rest.”

PEACE AT LAST?

What bliss to wake on a Sunday morning knowing that one will not have to rush down the stairs to intercept the postman or to sign for a seemingly endless stream of parcels for all and sundry. After a worse week than usual of this problem and with the increasing difficulty in dealing with stairs I raised a ruckas. Since the deliveries are seldom for me I have insisted that the boys club together and purchase a wireless intercom so that where ever I am I can speak to the blasted delivery man and tell him to wait. This should prevent having to charge down the stairs at risk to life and limb and should also prevent the continuous hammering from delivery men impatient to be gone.

I have observed that delivery men fall in to two categories, firstly there are the ones who knock as if attempting to wake the dead, wait two seconds and then knock even louder repeating the process until the door is answered or the knocker falls off ! Then there are those who knock once and then bugger off, I do not know which is worse.

Due to Pa,s mobility problems which are worse that my own and the fact that my son sleeps during the day or has is computer turned up so loud that he would not hear the crack of doom it is I and I alone who bears the brunt of this continuous disturbance and it is to me that rueful remarks are made if a parcel has to be collected from the depot or the knocking has disturbed someone's slumbers. All this will cease when the new gadget arrives, I have been dropping hints for quite a time, yesterday I stopped hinting and insisted that something was done forthwith, and should it not trouble would follow......job done !

Pa and I had bacon eggs and mushrooms for breakfast and then I spent some time packing my sons travel bag and rucksack for his holiday. I was nonplussed by the fact that the none to large hold all was more that half full of books......my sons travelling library. This made the packing difficult and in the end I wondered why I had taken such pains to iron his things before packing them...I shan’t again.
Several broken fingernails latter I ,managed to Ge the zips to close, I said sever rude words to each one as I struggled to close them without damaging them.

After that delightful episode I decided to devote the rest of the afternoon to wrapping Christmas presents, that perennial task which always falls to me,as does the writing of the cards. I shall have been married for forty years next June and ins ll that time I swear upon my honour that Pa has not written a singe Christmas card, not one! It is as if the men folk still believe that Father Christmas does it all. Here is on magic fairy who has had enough, one of these days I shall say ”Humbug to the lot of them.”

Actually it was quite a pleasant afternoon, wrapping gifts in my cosy room while the cat chased the rolls of ribbon under the bed and got sticky tape stuck to her paws. She loves Christmas and spends most of it roosting under the Christmas tree occasionally patting one of the bright baubles with a soft velvety paw.

For dinner tonight I made my sons favourite chicken and bacon pie with butter puff pastry
and sweet potatoes. He will be going on his trip straight from work in the morning so tonight is the last time I shall see him until next Sunday afternoon, I do hope that Pa behaves this time but I am non too sanguine on that score.

The nights are becoming chilly and I am glad to snuggle down under my furry rug each nigh. The old Tawny Owl comes every night to sit in the lime tree at the bottom of the garden, he hoots and hoots, a lovely sound. He foxes are spending less time together at the moment but that will all change soon as the breeding season for foxes begins in a few weeks and there have already been a few skirmishes one on which destroyed a large bed of leeks, hey ho, I still love the foxes and would not part with their company for the best and finest leeks in the world.

Towards evening a loud banging on the front door had me hurrying to answer it before the noise woke my son, the banging continued until the moment I opened the door to a man with a package in his hand. “My God .” I exclaimed “You are not working on Sunday now.”
He asked me if this was 1a , and I asked him what number was on the door he had so recently been abusing, and he muttered that it was number 1 and what number did it say on the gate you came through , again he admitted that it had the legend number 1 scribed across it.
I asked him what could be deduced from those facts then pointed him two doors down.

I am not usually so rude to callers but the idea that my precious Sundays are to be disturbed by deliveries made my blood boil and besides Imam sure that my sarcasm was wasted entirely, deductive reasoning was not his strong suit to be sure.

BACK TO BAKING AND A NEW COOKIE RECIPE

The sense of relief that the much anticipated meeting was not only over but had gone better than I ever could have hoped stayed with me all night. I did not sleep much but with my mind running over all that had been said I was happy and more relaxed than I have been for weeks.
I must have fallen asleep at around four and when my son arrived with coffee I realised anew that today would be a normal blessedly ordinary day and my soul rejoiced.

Once my son was breakfasted and tucked up in bed I made breakfast for Pa and myself and then leaving the dishes I went out to buy a few items of fresh fruit and some more mozzarella cheese. In truth I just wanted to be out in the fresh air for a while to enjoy that last of the autumn colour, I have spent fat too much time indoors of late.

Clearing the breakfast dishes did not take long and the I set about the baking with a will. First the bread, granary today and in the shape of two baguettes, two 2lb split tin loaves a large bloomer and a small English cob topped with sunflower hearts. While the bread was baking I mixed up a large batch of cookies using a new recipe.

CRANBERRY AND CREAMED COCONUT COOKIES
4oz butter
2oz caster sugar
4 oz plain flour
2oz dried cranberries
1 oz creamed coconut
1 oz dried coconut

Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy then add the creamed coconut and beat for a minute more. Then add the dried coconut , the cranberries and the flour and mix thoroughly. Roll in to small balls and place on a greased baking sheet leaving room for the cookies to spread, press down lightly with a fork dipped in hot water. Bake for fifteen minutes at 360 oC. Remove from the oven and leave for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Today I made four time the amount shown above which made five dozen cookies. Using creamed coconut makes the cookies much nicer be care is needed as the creamed coconut contains fat and if too much is used along with the butter the cookies can become greasy and flat.

I enjoyed today more that I can tell, just to be doing normal things, pottering around the kitchen and chatting to Pa was a t=real treat after weeks of battles with the Estate and the local council. I know that soon I shall have to return to the fray but for a day or two I shall enjoy being quietly at home.

My son leaves for his holiday on Monday morning and as he will leave straight from work I shall not see him again when he leaves for work on Sunday not until the following Sunday evening and how I shall miss him. Yet I am glad for him to go, he needs peace and solitude every bit as much as I so who better than I to understand that need. He will be spoiled by the two lovely ladies who run the hotel where he stays and the peace of those wonderful homeland hills will sooth and calm my poor boy.

I received a surprise present today, a beautiful leather handbag from my son. It has lots of pockets and compartments to make organising things easier and it is so gorgeous I a=cannot believe my luck. I thought he meant it for a Christmas gift but He wanted me to have it today, which of course I was happy to do. It has been years since I had a new handbag and I never ever had one half as nice as this it really is stunning.

My little cat has been nervous all day because of all the strangers we had in the house yesterday. After they left we found her hiding under my bed and when eventually she plucked up courage top move she stood at the top of the stairs, lifted up her voice and howled like a banshee. Today she is careful to peep round the door before entering and when she does she scoots off upstairs pronto as if a wolfhound was after her, poor puss.

She will feast on cods roes tonight which I hope will take her mind off recent events.....we shall see.

OUR MEETING WITH MARY MCLEOD

What a day this has been, would I do it again?YES ! To begin with Pa was in one of his moods, of course I had expected as much but even so I had hoped. There was much shifting of furniture until at last the kitchen resembled a sort of auditorium and I hoped that there were enough chairs. Pa could not be asked to do anything useful but when ever my back was turned he would begin doing something to make the the place untidy and it was with difficulty that I refrained from hitting him on the head with a lump hammer and leaving him in the shed for the duration.
When at last I had five minutes to dress and tidy my hair a call came from Ms McLeod telling me that she would be with me in a few minutes..................it was ten past three.

I panicked, I made a few frantic telephone calls and then I poured myself a huge G&T, a really huge G&T which I drank at gulp and as I drained the glass people began to arrive.
I need not have worried every one arrived on time and by the time our \member arrived we were all introduced and seated and ready to begin.

We represented different interests but our chief concern was the same,the amount of building in the are and the way in which the green spaces within the conservation area are being managed. Ms McLeod was attentive and interested in everything that was said, in fact quite few new facts came to light because of the meeting of so many interested parties.

By the end of the meeting Ms McLeod agreed to take up our cause and was very helpful with advice. She mentioned that another meeting would be necessary and then left with a sheaf of documents containing every thing we had discussed.

The real magic happened after she had gone when everyone in the room agreed to join forces and fight together, I could have cried with joy and relief. These people are articulate intelligent and passionate about our cause sand if I had imagined a dream team I could not have done better. With the forming of a new group will go a new name, the web site and twitter site will soon go on line and we hall be contacting the press. The contacts I made on the London Assembly will also be useful, in other words here we go again.

The meeting went better than I could have hoped and to have a group with wider interests will be so much better, we need all the clout we can get. As they left the group all thanked me for giving them the opportunity to air their views, for myself their presence meant so very much to our small band as it showed that the whole community feels as we do and supports our endeavours, they are the ones who should be thanked for giving their time and coming out on such a foul night. I cannot thank our Member of Parliament enough for helping us fight our corner.
We did a little research and discovered that she is considered to be one of the most hard working of the new members and is well respected by her fellow MPs. Today she showed that she really does care about her constituents, this is not the first time that she has helped me since she came to office and her coming to talk to our group was the culmination of some months of correspondence,

So much has happened today so much of which was unexpected I feel dizzy and excited about the future. Most of all I an relieved that we now have enough strong minded eloquent people to fight on if I should be unable to do so for a time.

All the good people who came to the meeting care every bit as much about their mall worlds as I do about mine, together we have a better chance of saving it from the rich developers and the uncaring council contractors.
So now we go forward, now we fight on and we shall not stop until our small corner of the world is safe for the wild things which make it their home too and secure for the future so that their presence may be enjoyed by those who come after us.