'There will be moments ...'

Art - Vincent van Gogh - Allotment with Sunflower  1887

'Till the Sun Rises Again

There will be moments, days even,

when the sun doesn’t seem to rise in your sky

and the breath feels sucked right out of your lungs.

When food has no taste, the world has no joy

and everything seems like an effort too far.

Yes, my friend, there will be very painful moments in your life.

But you will get through them,

‘This too shall pass.’

Because life has a way of throwing you a rope,

just at the very moment when you thought,

you couldn’t swim another stroke.

All you have to do is grab it.

And one day, as is the way of this life,

the sun will suddenly beat down on your face again

and the air will feel fresher than it ever did.

And there will be laughter.

And love.

And joy.

So much joy.

And life will be sweet, like summer after a long winter.

A winter that was so dark each colour that appears,

feels like the first time you are seeing it.

This is when you must live, really live.

For, just as the bad times do not last forever,

neither do the good,

‘This too shall pass.’

But that is life.

So, embrace the joy when it comes and let fear slide away.

And when the dark times come around again,

and they will,

remember you have what you need to survive.

And you will survive my friend, you really will.

Keep the important people close,

focus on what truly matters

and you will find yourself dragged to safety,

each and every time the storms come.

And on those days,

when your sun is high in the sky

but you notice another facing bad weather,

you drop your raft and you go to them.

And if they won’t climb in with you, to safety,

you simply stay with them in the stormy water,

till the sun rises again.

And it will.

it always does.

Donna Ashworth

from To the Women

Thank you for all your kind words yesterday, you were my raft in a storm and I appreciate each and every one of you. We also really appreciate all our fellow dog walkers and our neighbours for their kind words.

The lovely folks across the road who own one of Mavis' little friends Ralfie, popped this card through the letterbox last night, after taking some goodies from the box of Mavis' things that we shared with everyone.

We are taking everything that is left and all of the dog beds, towels and blankets to the local dog rescue centre tomorrow.

It's been a tough week and I am glad that tomorrow is the first day of a new month. March here we come, lets hope for some sunnier and slightly warmer days in the weeks ahead.

Again, thank you so much for yesterday's comments. 💖

Sue xx

Goodbye My Gorgeous Girl

Yesterday we lost our gorgeous girl.

Mavis died at the vets at 10am and our hearts were broken.

She has had a poorly couple of weeks, with us working with the vets to keep her as comfortable as she possibly could be.  While her mind was bright, her body was slowly failing her.

She had a wonderful life with us, as most of you already know.  She played with the sheep in our paddock at our smallholding in Wales, especially the lambs who loved her to bits and waited at the gate for her to join them in games of chase, or 'run down the hill' on our twice daily walks around the field.

She was great with the chickens and regularly shared their titbits. 

It was just a good life for a Good Dog. 💖

Ginger has known for the last few days that his little partner in crime was poorly and has been her constant companion.  Today he is lost, but I think he realises what has happened.  To lose his second sister in the  space of seven months must be hard for an old boy.

Reunited. 🌹🌹

Sleep well girls.  💖💖

Mavis 

Rest in Peace my Gorgeous Girl.  🌹

With us from 31st December 2013 - 26th February 2025

Sue xx

Books ... and Their Additions

I'm currently reading this book, and really enjoying it actually.  I picked it up from the charity book table in Booths sometime last year and just popped it onto the cookbook shelf in the kitchen ... and promptly forgot all about it.

Now, the downside to having books as the colourful decorations in my small home instead of ornaments or knick-knacks, is that occasionally I become 'blind' to their existence as individuals.  They even occasionally get dusted instead of read, if of course I ever get around to dusting. 😄

 

Anyway after reading my way through another cookbook over the weekend, I decided this morning to carry on in the same vein and spotted this one, with it's glorious green coloured spine jumping out at me.  This is the page I am up to, and for the second time I have come across a lot of orange highlighting.  

Years ago this would have really bugged me, now I really love it and I mean really love it. 

It shows that someone before me went through this book seriously absorbing what the words say and perhaps relating it to something they either wanted to implement into their life, or maybe something that helped with studying or their research into food and nutrition.  It means that someone cared about the words.

It's like finding an old family recipe book with annotations in the margins for better additions to the recipe, or saying how much the family loved it, or perhaps didn't.  It brings the flat written words to life by showing that they touched on someone's life in some way.

Words are important. Books are important.  We are important.

Sue xx

Bargains ... and a Surprise Find

 

I was shopping for some chicken for Mavis and milk for Alan the other day, but I took the time to wander around Sainsbugs as I had time to spare, and it was raining hard outside and I had no desire to get soaked walking back to the car.

Anyway I spotted a few of my favourite things and all these were on offer, so I decided to have a little stock up.  

These tissues should do me well into hayfever season and perhaps even beyond.  The Linda McCartney 1/4lb burgers are the best meat-free burgers on the market in my opinion.  They satisfy that occasional urge for something not too vegetable-y, and with sliced onions piled on top, lots of tomato ketchup, a lettuce leaf and tucked into a nice big bun make for a delicious evening meal  No chips needed, they are filling!! 

I've not had the pies for a long time, so it will be a bit of an experiment to see if they are still as good as I remember them.  I do remember that a 'soggy bottom' was usually the only thing wrong with them, so I'll be heating a tray in the oven before they get put in there.  I mean, no-one wants a soggy bottom!!

The Quorn Smoky Ham-Free slices are what I occasionally use either on a salad sandwich or fried in a little olive oil they make a lovely 'bacon butty'.

Now while I didn't save the receipt to give you the exact prices, I did make a note on the photo that all together these should have cost me £26.40, but with the special offers with my Nectar card I spent only £16.80, so a £9.60 saving.

Definitely not to be sneezed at. 🤧

I've found all sorts of things whilst I have been sorting out at Mums, the other day looking through the last couple of photograph albums I came across photos of Mum and Dad's American holidays, including this particular one that I had never seen.

We have relatives in Chicago, Illinois and they went to stay with them for a while before journeying on to Las Vegas ... where they got married for the third time, a whole other story!!   Anyway when they came back they brought us all souvenirs from a White Sox game that they went to with the relatives.  So of course we had to pose for a photograph in Mum and Dad's garden on our next visit to them.

The boys were thrilled with their gifts, much more thrilled than perhaps Simon's expression on this particular photo would lead you to believe.  😄

Sue xx

Banana and Walnut Muffins

 

I had taken two eggs out of the fridge to come to room temperature ready for my breakfast last weekend, but then we ended up going to Booths for our breakfast and for some shopping at Aldi.

What to do with them?

Then I spotted my banana, it was to speckled for me to want to eat it as it was.  I'm a fussy so and so when it comes to the over sweetness of ripe bananas.  So I immediately thought of Banana and Walnut Muffins and sprung into action as soon as we got back.  It's one of those recipes that I don't have to think twice about as it's just so easy to remember, they are my favourite sort. 😀

Weigh the eggs, in the shell or out it doesn't matter the shell weighs virtually nothing.

Gather together all the other ingredients and weigh them into the bowl in the exact same weight.

SR Flour (or plain and a teaspoon of baking powder)

Butter or Spread

Sugar

and of course,

your banana ... which can be any weight.

A measure of some sort of vanilla essence, extract or paste and finally a handful of walnuts.

While your oven comes to temperature (about 180C fan, 200C degrees non-fan, gas mark 6, 400F) beat everything together, mashing the banana well and then crumbling in the walnuts at the end.

I put mine in muffin cases but you can also just spoon the mix into silicone cupcake trays if you have them.  The amount you get varies each time, due to the varying weight of eggs and bananas but it will be an average of 10-12.

Cook them for approximately 20 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. 

Enjoy with a nice cup of coffee.

Warm Banana and Walnut Muffins are the chefs perk.  😃

While the oven was on I baked a couple of bought half-baked baguettes to have for a packed lunch at Mum's

After sharing the rest of the muffins with Alan, I had two more for my breakfast the following morning, what a lovely treat.

I used the last of my white sugar to make these, which rather spookily weighed out exactly right!!👻

Sue xx

Leave Me Alone

 I don’t want to connect my coffee machine to the Wi-Fi network. I don’t want to share the file with OneDrive. I don’t want to download an app to check my car’s fluid levels. I don’t want to scan a QR code to view the restaurant menu. I don’t want to let Google know my location before showing me the search results.

I don’t want to include a Teams link on the calendar invite. I don’t want to pay 50 different monthly subscription fees for all my software. I don’t want to upgrade to TurboTax platinum plus audit protection. I don’t want to install the WebEx plugin to join the meeting.

I don’t want to text with your AI chatbot. I don’t want to download the Instagram app to look at your picture. I don’t want to type in my email address to view the content on your company’s website. I don’t want text messages with promo codes. I don’t want to leave your company a five-star Google review in exchange for the chance to win a £20 Starbucks gift card.

I don’t want to join your exclusive community in the metaverse. I don’t want AI to help me write my comments on LinkedIn. I don’t even want to be on LinkedIn in the first place.

I just want to pay for a product one time (and only one time), know that it’s going to work flawlessly, press 0 to speak to an operator if I need help, and otherwise be left alone and treated with some small measure of human dignity, if that’s not too much to ask anymore.

Author: Robert Sterling

I saw this on Facebook the other day, and oh gosh did it resonate with me.

Rather coincidentally, I had also saved this image from Facebook at the end of last week.

Yes, yes, yes!!

Just leave me alone all you advertisers, all the pop-ups, all the people that ask me to 'Like their page' just because I liked one thing they said, once in the past. It's sad when you have to stop 'Liking' and 'Loving' things just to be left in peace.

Leave me alone, I choose what I want to do, watch, buy, Like and Love. I choose the people I want to interact with ... and when I want to interact with them. I'm going back to my book, all that it asks of me is that I read it, relax and give it to someone else who will do the same after I have finished.

Sue xx

• Artist: Nick Gentry

Taking It To Another Level

Thanks for all the comments on yesterday's post, sorry but I didn't have time to answer them all individually.  It's been a bit chaotic here, we are still in the midst of organising the renovations on Mum's bungalow, finally closing our company down and all that that entails.  We have also been backwards and forwards to the vets with Mavis, and Alan has had extra diabetes monitoring appointments.

All in all we've had a busy start to this year, with my March calendar already filling up with dates that we are unavailable for anything extra.  Years ago I would have loved the busyness of it all, now I see it as something to plough our way through, with hopefully a quiet evening at the end of each busy day.

Whilst trying to keep on top of everything, we are also trying to build in things that are just for ourselves, so we went to see the new Bridget Jones film on Sunday night.  It was really good, a couple of hours of laughter, sadness and memories of the earlier films, but overall totally joyous. 

This morning after Alan's doctors appointment and my gentle walk around the park with Mavis, and then a vets visit, we decided to stop off at Booths for a cooked breakfast and an hour to ourselves to discuss the rest of the days business busyness.

I went one step further than my usual bringing home of all the little extras off our tray, by spotting some little packs of butter left on the table next to ours.  I swiftly gathered them up, just before the table was cleared and all the other remnants were swept into the bin.  So, five of the butter pats were rescue ones and the other one was the one that Alan didn't use on his toast.

And then I went even further, and I deposited my leftover scrambled eggs into a plastic bag.  Just a little something for Mavis to have for her tea ... she will love it, and it will make a nice change from her current diet of chicken and dog kibble.

It seems that I am on a mission this year to both jettison my excess and gather in that which we need if it will stop wastage.

Sue xx

The Same But Different

 

I had the M&S Melt in the Middle No Fishcakes for my tea the other night, they were much better than I remember them and definitely worth me trying them again.  I cooked a double portion of rice as I just knew that I would want to have the Garlic Kyivs the next day.

And I did.  It looks just the same doesn't it, but obviously is actually very different.

I really do prefer the Kyivs to the No Fishcakes though, so they will stay in my repertoire ... while I doubt the fishcakes will.  I only want to keep my absolute favourites of anything that could be classed as ultra processed.

With this in mind I decided that rather than stashing the remaining No Fishcake in the freezer I would have it for lunch yesterday.  This time however, it was served with a quick slaw made simply with a crated carrot and a couple of slices of finely chopped red onion.  I discovered this simple mix HERE.

 Delicious, and it made for a lovely light and tasty lunch.

I don't know if you spotted these on my last post, but I bought them from Aldi as they had been reduced.  It was only from 99p to 69p but it seemed like a bit of a bargain.  As soon as I saw them I thought that I could freeze them in portions of five and have them as little accompaniments to either a curry or a pot of hummus.

 Well either the machine that packed them was faulty, the person doing it was generous or the printing on the packaging was wrong as there were 25 little naan bites in the bag.  So now I have five bags in the freezer for future use.

And now that I've typed the word hummus I'm really fancying it for my lunch.  😄

Sue xx

It's Just a Shopping Frenzy!!

 

We were supposed to be visiting Mum on Thursday, but when we got there we found that the care home was in lockdown ... again!!  This time flu is doing the rounds with two of the residents already having been sent to hospital.  Mum is currently okay we were told, and we were able to hand in the things that we had taken for her.  Poor Mavis was very confused ... 'What no Granny, no special doggy treat'.  

So, rather than just getting straight back on the motorway we detoured to the local little M&S Food Shop as I had a couple of vouchers to use up.  Does anyone else find that vouchers for any decent amount of money burn a bit of whole in their pocket and just have to be used as soon as possible.  😄 

I had £9 as you can see from the top photo ... and I spent £9.05.

I'm happy.  😀

It might not be a 'challenge year' as such, but it's definitely the year that I make the best use of everything and collect as many 'freebies' as I possibly can.

Then Alan asked if I wanted to go with him to Aldi this morning, and I did.  Wine, Pringles and a few other bits that I sort of needed.

I knew I didn't actually need rice, but it had gone down in price and the shock of a price actually going down made me pick up a bag.

I really didn't need any rice!!

I knew I should have cracked on with my cupboard tidying, it's been a slow process as I just can't get in the mood to get everything out on the worktop all at once.  I've now sorted through all the rices and put them back in the lower cupboard with them all stacked in date to be used in order.

Oh well, that's another little section done.  😄

I asked Alan not to buy me any flowers for Valentine Day this year.  Every year for the past few years he has really splashed out on expensive flowers, and as awful as it seems I just hate the thought of all that money going on flowers that die just after a week ... and his taste is completely different to mine, so it's sad when I actually feel relief at stuffing them into the compost bin when they die.

There, now you know I'm an ungrateful wretch!!

This year he printed me out a card ... and a poster of some flowers.  Now in my book that is the most perfect example of Valentines Day thoughtfulness.  

We also went out for breakfast at our local fancy garden centre ... and I came away with some freebies.  To say thank you I have bought us tickets to see the new Bridget Jones film tomorrow night.  It's been a good couple of days.

I hope you have a good weekend. 💖

Sue xx

Just a Fun Thing for Valentines Day

 Remember back in the day when these sort of things used to do the rounds in Blogland and on Facebook. Well this popped up in my Facebook Memories the other day.

I added a couple of updates in brackets ... things change!!

A Couples Quiz

In honour of Valentine's Day, all couples: Make this your status and answer honestly!

Who's older? Alan by 1 year

Who was interested first? Me

Who's the tallest? Alan by 3 inches. (Alan by 6 inches)

More sarcastic? Me

Who makes the most mess? Alan

Who has more tattoos? Me

Who's the better singer? Alan

Hogs the remote? Me (now we have one each)

Better driver? Me in forward ... Alan in reverse

Spends the most? Alan for sure

Smarter? Alan

Most common sense? Me

Do you have any children together? No

Did you go to the same school? No

Who is the most sensitive? Equal

Where do you eat out most? Osbornes (now it's Booths)

Where is the furthest you have travelled together? Rome

Who has the worst temper? We're equal.

Who does the cooking? Both

Who is more social? Alan

Who is the neat freak? Alan (me)

Who is the most stubborn? Both

Who wakes up earlier? Me

Where was your first date? Lunch at The Ferry, Walney Island

Who has the bigger family? Very similar

Who does the laundry? Both

Who's better with the computers? Alan ... mostly

Who picks where you go to dinner? Me ... mostly

Who wears the pants in the relationship? Both of us ... we love our jeans

That was interesting for me to look back on for sure. 

Happy Valentines Day  🌹 

Sue xx

Eating Out v Eating At Home

 

We had to take some documents to our solicitors in Blackpool on Monday, all to do with the sale of our Welsh flat, which is at last going through nice and smoothly.  So while we were in the vicinity of our nearest Dobbies and we were both hungry we decided to stop for lunch.  Mavis loves it there too, which is always a deciding factor.

They had neither of the things we wanted so we had to change the order at the last minute and I ended up with a 'Fish Finger on Grain Bread' sandwich.  I don't know why, maybe it's something to do with all our local shops offering this on their menus but with 'Posh Fish Fingers', but somehow I expected more than I got.

It was nice enough and very edible, something a bit similar to the above photo but with brown bread and a big dollop of coleslaw added.  They were just cheap, skinny fish fingers slathered with lots of tartare sauce, possibly as I had asked for no butter on the bread.

But on the way home it got me thinking ... what could I buy along the same lines for the same price from the shops?  Now obviously when you are eating out you paying for the privilege, I totally understand and appreciate that, and the money for whatever you choose to consume is also covering overheads, property, wages, food and it's cooking costs etc etc.  You choose to do this if you can afford to eat away from home, and boy oh boy is its getting harder and harder to hand over the amount of cash needed to be able to eat out without the prices playing on my mind.

You just know what I did first thing this morning don't you ....

I 'shopped' on the Sainsbury's website for the things that would have been needed to make my fish finger sandwiches and all the garnishes that were on my plate.

It turns out that I would have the makings of another complete fish finger sandwich ...  PLUS leftovers of two fish fingers, three quarters of a loaf of bread, two thirds of a tub of coleslaw, most of a bottle of mayonnaise, two thirds of a red onion, most of a bag of mixed salad leaves AND a bonus packet of chocolate chip cookies all for the same price as my lunch.  😀

It gets you thinking doesn't it, well it sure gets me thinking!!

Luckily, while we were there we enjoyed our two free monthly coffees, well we paid 30p each to top them up to large-size  instead of the free regular sized that you get.

And I picked up the sachets that we had chosen to go with our lunches and that were actually unused.

Do you still enjoy eating out, is it as regular as maybe you used to do it or have you mostly stopped it now.  It's something we can and should all decide for ourselves isn't it.

Sue xx