Oh the rain, the damp and humidity of "summer" 2016. It's almost unbelievable and yet it continues unabated, seemingly.
The garden is full of weeds, growing a mile a minute, the slugs and snails are everywhere amongst the damp greenery and one's precious blooms are drooping in despair.
I have bought several support frames for the peonies and poppies so they are looking much better now, thank goodness but smaller plants are disappearing beneath the grasses and, of course, if the rain keeps you indoors much of the time, the garden chores don't go away, they just stack up!
Him indoors celebrated a big birthday last weekend with a large family party, which was great fun. On the Saturday I was at Brighton for the big WI AGM which was very exciting with two brilliant speakers and a "last night of the Proms" style musical finale. All Ladies were up on their feet, singing lustily, cheering and madly flag-waving their Union Jacks. All terribly emotional and heart-warming. Can't wait for my next AGM visit but it may not be next year, in Liverpool, but another year perhaps!
I was at Chelsea Flower Show and invited onto the red carpet for the 5000 Poppies Campaign of Australia and organised by Lynn and Margaret - "Lest We Forget" - Chelsea was absolutely fabulous and I relished every minute, arriving nicely in good time at 10.50 when it was still morning-fresh and departing around 4pm.
Well as I finish writing, the sun has been out for a few hours and I could have ventured into the garden or even hung out washing. Instead we had tea and chat with friends and got in a few more comestibles to keep the 'fridge happy, and us too.
We are getting to grips with Slimming World and its foodie diet and we mean to succeed, somehow !!!
Toodle Loo...
Margaret xxx
Monday 20 June 2016
Monday 22 February 2016
February and Half-term week - Monday, 22nd February 2016 - Busy day reflections.....
Dear Reader,
The over-riding thought about February is that it's too depressing, cold and miserable to do anything other than hibernate and wait for the spring to happen. Well, I was thinking of this idea and, I have hidden away a little in that I've not ventured much outside to do any gardening as I did last year, when I dug a family vegetable plot, nearly killing myself !!!
So no gardening because the ground has been so wet. We've had warm, bright sunny days and a few very cold days and nights too. I've been extremely busy taking photos, writing, blogging and catching up with home stuff left undone from the end of last year, when vegetable gardening throughout the summer months took much more time out of my life than it ought to have been allowed to do. That's life I guess.
Photography has been good so far, taking good shots of flowers with china, etc. to create pretty pictures for greetings carts, gift tags and pictures to frame. This action has opened a whole new world of picture taking for lighting and cropping possibilities. So far, I've not been too bothered with lighting beyond the essential for most of my work was done outside, in the brighter months of the year, when natural light is in good supply. But, taking art photos indoors with a mixture of objects, colours and items, good lighting is paramount. Now most of my food photos are taken in my kitchen on a space just in front of the window with good indoor and outdoor lighting available. Light and shadows have become my watchword and I'm on the look out for both constantly. I've also learnt that evening kitchen photography is difficult, because of bad shadow play, so now I try very hard not to want to take evening photos. I have created another photo-spot in my sitting room, with a small table against a fairly light wall, with good early morning light access, which is improved by having all possible house lighting switched on. I thought I'd got it right but then realised I was still missing that other important aspect of lighting, timing. I should have realised the essentialness of timing, I mean, it's important for so many creative aspirations. So, winter light and timing are essential essentials to synchronise. Miss that lovely bright 8am light flooding into my sitting room and I'm finished for the day.
Here's my most favourite weekend shot ...
I've visited our local waste recycling centre and found it riveting, fascinating and inspirational. It's such a problem, waste that is, and how and what we do with it for all of us and our world today. Waste is everywhere and dealing with it efficiently and cleverly is something our Oxfordshire Ardley Energy Recovery Facility does brilliantly
....
And half-term family activities took us to Waddesdon Manor, the estate and house built by Baron Rothschild as a showcase for his fabulous collection of great art. The house was not open but the grounds were and alive with happy families some of whom, like us, were there for their orienteering courses, one of which we were bent on following. The grandchild in all of us delighted with our own grandchild who dashed ahead, finding clues, shrieking with pleasure and dashing back to urge our footsteps quicker and faster to keep in step with her. The brisk breeze tore our voices away from us and she was thrilled by the breeze whistling around her ears, matching her enthusiasm for the moment, the experience.....
During the week I also attended a history presentation on the Victorian Army and Women. It was fascinating. History - it love it!
Well that was quite a week for getting about.
I hope you're enjoying February
Bye for now
Margaret.xxx
The over-riding thought about February is that it's too depressing, cold and miserable to do anything other than hibernate and wait for the spring to happen. Well, I was thinking of this idea and, I have hidden away a little in that I've not ventured much outside to do any gardening as I did last year, when I dug a family vegetable plot, nearly killing myself !!!
So no gardening because the ground has been so wet. We've had warm, bright sunny days and a few very cold days and nights too. I've been extremely busy taking photos, writing, blogging and catching up with home stuff left undone from the end of last year, when vegetable gardening throughout the summer months took much more time out of my life than it ought to have been allowed to do. That's life I guess.
Photography has been good so far, taking good shots of flowers with china, etc. to create pretty pictures for greetings carts, gift tags and pictures to frame. This action has opened a whole new world of picture taking for lighting and cropping possibilities. So far, I've not been too bothered with lighting beyond the essential for most of my work was done outside, in the brighter months of the year, when natural light is in good supply. But, taking art photos indoors with a mixture of objects, colours and items, good lighting is paramount. Now most of my food photos are taken in my kitchen on a space just in front of the window with good indoor and outdoor lighting available. Light and shadows have become my watchword and I'm on the look out for both constantly. I've also learnt that evening kitchen photography is difficult, because of bad shadow play, so now I try very hard not to want to take evening photos. I have created another photo-spot in my sitting room, with a small table against a fairly light wall, with good early morning light access, which is improved by having all possible house lighting switched on. I thought I'd got it right but then realised I was still missing that other important aspect of lighting, timing. I should have realised the essentialness of timing, I mean, it's important for so many creative aspirations. So, winter light and timing are essential essentials to synchronise. Miss that lovely bright 8am light flooding into my sitting room and I'm finished for the day.
Here's my most favourite weekend shot ...
 |
| My Busy Hot Pinks |
I've visited our local waste recycling centre and found it riveting, fascinating and inspirational. It's such a problem, waste that is, and how and what we do with it for all of us and our world today. Waste is everywhere and dealing with it efficiently and cleverly is something our Oxfordshire Ardley Energy Recovery Facility does brilliantly
....
And half-term family activities took us to Waddesdon Manor, the estate and house built by Baron Rothschild as a showcase for his fabulous collection of great art. The house was not open but the grounds were and alive with happy families some of whom, like us, were there for their orienteering courses, one of which we were bent on following. The grandchild in all of us delighted with our own grandchild who dashed ahead, finding clues, shrieking with pleasure and dashing back to urge our footsteps quicker and faster to keep in step with her. The brisk breeze tore our voices away from us and she was thrilled by the breeze whistling around her ears, matching her enthusiasm for the moment, the experience.....
 |
| Waddesdon Manor in all its glory xxx |
Well that was quite a week for getting about.
I hope you're enjoying February
Bye for now
Margaret.xxx
Sunday 14 February 2016
Happy Valentine's Day - Sunday 14th February 2016 - Hearts and Flowers for Everyone xxx
Hi there dear Reader,
Here's my wish for you for this Valentine's Day, Sunday, 14th February 2016...
 |
| Hearts and Flowers for ever more xxx And heart-shaped Pancakes to eat wuth your loved ones xx |
And....a little dish of heart-shaped shortbread biscuits and iced hearts - for the love of Valentine's Day, for the love we all have for our families and friends, for that special love that is ours alone, for the things, and the places and for our world which we love - Happy Valentine's Day to you all x
Margaret xxx
Friday 12 February 2016
Pancake Day - Tuesday, 9th February - Thursday, 11th February 2016 for all kinds of pancakes to enjoy !
Ah ha, pancake day is here again and don't we all just love pancakes and eating them. Of course, its perfectly possible to eat them at any time of the year, for they make a good supper or tea time treat or whenever the fancy takes you....but, to eat them on this particular day, pancake day or Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday or even Mardi Gras is special because of the significance of the day, the season and the anniversary.
So this year I'm experimenting with traditional, buckwheat, gluten-free and oat flour pancakes. I've made heart-shaped pancakes too out of my oat flour ones, for the call of Valentine's Day this coming weekend. As I happened to own two heart-shaped metal "poaching rings" it was a very simple matter to whip up a batch of these. I was a little concerned the mixture might stick to the rings but no, not at all! Here's a picture for you to see for yourself...
So this year I'm experimenting with traditional, buckwheat, gluten-free and oat flour pancakes. I've made heart-shaped pancakes too out of my oat flour ones, for the call of Valentine's Day this coming weekend. As I happened to own two heart-shaped metal "poaching rings" it was a very simple matter to whip up a batch of these. I was a little concerned the mixture might stick to the rings but no, not at all! Here's a picture for you to see for yourself...
 |
| Oat flour heart-shaped pancakes |
I created my own oat flour from a bag of Sainsbury's Scottish Porridge oats which I tipped into my food blender and processed up to a fairly fine grain. I used two eggs and quite a good amount of milk plus a little melted butter and I was quite surprised at the amount of milk added. At first the mixture was really too thick but still usable but with more milk, the mixture became easier to handle, it spread more easily in the hot cooking oil, and was easier too to flip over or toss. I think the heart-shaped ones could have been thinner too but they were OK. I used tongs to lift away the ring and then turned over each "pancake" with a palette knife.
The recipe for the Buckwheat Pancakes came from Country Living Magazine online site which is easy to find and they cover many inviting subjects for you to engage with. Find Country Living on their site pages at -http://www.countryliving.co.uk/create
Their buckwheat pancake recipe included both chives and flat-leaved parsley which are added after the flour, eggs and milk have been whipped together, and then the mixture was left to swell in size and mature for about 40 minutes. The mixture is ladelled into your fry pan and hot oil and each one is cooked face-side down first and then flipped over. I think mine were a little too large so would suggest using perhaps half a ladle of mixture, particularly if you wish to eat them hot and buttered or with grated Parmesan cheese on top, but the larger size is really best for layering with your crisply fried bacon and fried eggs. Country Living's cooking suggestions added eggs poached in the traditioinal way, using a pan of hot water with lemon juice which you swirled to create a "hole" in which to slip your egg to poach. I have tried countless times to poach eggs this way but, unfortunately, have never been entirely successful. Idea - must keep trying!! The finished pancakes, eggs and bacon provided a good filling meal and, of course, buckwheat, a grass is not wheat and its plant relations are sorrel, knotweed and rhubard. The flour contains gluten but I must say I have suffered no side-effects from my pancake eating. As ever, I consume extra water when eating any flour product or use organic flour to prevent any problems which might arise.
Here are my Buckwheat pancakes .....
I then made pancakes with Dove Farm gluten-free flour...and here they are served rolled up and spread with my homemade Apple, Damson and Bullace Jam made last autumn.
And here are my traditional pancakes made with organic white flour and semi-skimmed regular milk....
delicious with lemon juice and sugar. Just finger-lickin' perfect!
I used Arla Lactofree Skimmed Milk for the oat flour, Buckwheat and gluten-free flour.
My thanks to Wikipedia and Dove Farm Flour for information on Buckwheat and to Country Living Magazine online site for their recipes and ideas.
Happy eating everybody !
Margaret xxx
Tuesday 2 February 2016
The Art of the Photograph - The Good Shot - Tuesday, 2nd February 2016
The aim is to take a good shot of any activity you see happening
or are involved with as recently when I was at the Boxing Day Dance Out for Sharp and
Blunt and a Mummers performance at Adderbury, on a bright cold day when my
enthusiasm for anticipated shots was high.
Hanging around for the action to begin, I snapped away at
chimney pots, buildings, corners, alleyways and crowed scenes, warming up for
the main activity and getting matters into focus.
Most of these early shots are not memorable but might be
useful for stock photos for future use, for blogging activity and scene
setting, and they will be noted down in my Stock Photo book. There’s no point in keeping stuff for future
use if you can’t find it in a hurry!
I define a good shot by its appeal to me when it’s first
viewed, for clarity of vision, composition and general interest and lack of
telegraph blunders i.e. poles, notices etc. intersecting the main view or
severed heads! I open with the automatic
viewer and just snap away until I’m at ease with my camera. Being at ease with myself when working is
something else indeed and my feelings will soar or flop at any stage of the
process. I become very self-conscious,
not daring to move from a spot, even if a shoulder is impairing my view, which
rather dams the shoot. Why this should
be is an annoying puzzle which I have to work with each and every time I’m out
with my camera. I believe it’s partly a
fear of being held accountable for my work but also a fear of visibility and of
annoying other watchers by blocking their vision. Let me explain. If you capture a “good” shot you should share
it with others, for any occasion, event or happening is a day to remember for
all sorts of reasons. Being visible
renders one memorable and accountable for the shots you’ve created, making it
imperative to take far more than needed to get those few “good” shots, ensuring
a successful job of work when you connect
to your computer to sort, keep, crop, re size or remove before you detail every collection in your record book. I keep a record of every photo-session with
detailed best shots and views. I try but
often fail to keep events separate so often an upload will include a variety of
events and notables which must be logged individually, for future reference. This is the boring but essential aspect of
any shoot, for what’s the use of any such material if you fail to utilise it
but, I would much prefer to be out there, taking more photographs
The good shot is, I imagine, all down to your own particular
ideals, hopes and aspirations and your camera skills, so the best regular
process to engage in, is the walk-photo-shoot outing. Venturing out with your camera, on a point and
click operation, until you get a feel for what your vision and skills can achieve
For, just like any other skill, the way
to improve and perfect, is to keep doing what you like doing, making sure you
engage with available written or video skills lessons along the way.
So just what is a good photo I hear myself persist, for I
need to clarify this question for myself and my reader! A good photo is one that shows to perfection the
visual content, of people, landscape, seascape or any ‘scape vision” you choose
to showcase. But, wait a minute,
sometimes that “good photo” is a gift, gloriously and unexpectedly made
accessible to your view finder and lens.
You snap away in a moment of extreme abstraction, totally unaware that
you’ve captured and created a gem shot which, not until you plug your camera
into your computer, is its presence discovered, waiting your attention and
tender care.
Finally, how do your achieve that good shot? The photo you know for certain your
camera-shy friend will love, the photo that’s going to look great on any
website, printed material, Face Book page and in your album? Indisputably, it’s down to organisation,
diligence, camera-care, practise, persistence plus an intelligent approach to
the where, what and how of the intended content of your next shoot experience. A
good working knowledge of how your equipment’s knobs, dials, lens and
projection work, plus an understanding of yourself and your capabilities, being at ease with yourself and
your surroundings, being sensible of the
day’s brief and matching your takes to
that brief. All of the above, plus without
doubt, that essential dollop of good luck!
I would add, I’m not technically blessed in my use of any piece
of equipment, my brain is simply not wired that way for some reason, but
persistence, enthusiasm and determination often eases the way forward. To my delight on this day, I found the
“continuous shot button” enabling a rapid almost-non-stop continuous action
shoot. It seems to produce a
“video-like” sequence
I’ve missed good shots simply by not being comfortable in my
surroundings, failing to see a vision
from all angles, missing that house view, failing to engage fully with the
moment. Thankfully, focused remembrance about
past failures prompts the hand holding the camera.
Here's one of my "good shots" from that day .....
Thursday 28 January 2016
Burns Night Supper wayhey! Tuesday, 26th January 2016 - Burns Night +1 - just for fun, hey!
I was too busy thinking of Australia and Australia Day to think of Burns Night so, this morning, finding a menu for a Burns Night supper, a nice easy supper, easy on the cost and easy to put together and easy on the eating, I simply couldn't resist the termptation to get cooking
The recipes were from the NFWI and are also available on line under their respective names. The dessert for the menu was called Raspberry Burns Night Dessert, a simpler version of the traditional Scottish Cranachan which has oats toasted with sugar, cooled, then added with whisky to the cream and fruit. Then you can layer the cream and raspberry crush or puree with the whisky oats, keeping some of the oats to decorate the dessert top with a few whole raspberries. I didn't have either oats and left out the whisky in the recipe I used, and it was just fine. Actually I don't like whisky so was pleased white wine was included but rather missed the oats which would have definitely made the dessert more substantial...and feed more guests!
The cock a leekie soup is a vegetable based soup with long grain rice and prunes. We had roast chicken left over from a previous meal wh ich I skinned and cut into pieces ready for adding to the veggies and chicken stock just 15 mins. before the vegs. were cooked. The rice is added fairly early on and the prunes go in with the chicken.
The mock haggis is a simple mixture of minced beef, suet, onion, seasonings and enough well-flavoured gravy to moisten well. It should also be made with cooked meat, giving the minced meat a darker colour and greater flavour. But it's perfectly ok using fresh meat but you must have really well-flavoured gravy. The original recipe stated steaming for two hours to cook the pudding which, years ago would have been acceptable but, in today's busy housewife's busy life and more streamlined kitchen, steaming a pudding for two hours is probably just not on. And like me, I guess many housewives and cooks are without the necessary steaming equipment. So I reached for my pressure cooker and its instructions. My Prestige cooker stipulated at least 1.1/2 pts boiling water + lemon juice to counteract discolouring, a greased bowl with ether two layers of greased greaseproof paper and string or a single sheet of foil. All puddings need steaming before being cooked and its down to mixture weight for timing, followed by a period of cooking. So the pudding is added to the pan with the lid added without the pressure weight; on a high heat allow the air to escape and when there's a fast escape of steam lower the temperature to give a gentle escape of steam and time. Inst ructions for the original pudding state a period of two hours and Prestige suggest a 1/3 of any own recipe for converting to pressure cooking. Therefore I deduced a 40 minute cooking time would be appropriate, then decided to steam for 30 minutes followed by a 10 minute cook time with the 5lb, weight in place. Well, it worked very well. The pudding was light, moist and very tasty and an excellent supper using a very easy recipe and basic ingredients.
We ate our mock haggis with mashed turnips and potatoes i.e. neeps and tatties both providing the traditional accompaniment to this Burns Night supper feast.
Here's a few photos for you...
Now it's Thursday and we've just microwaved a second Mock Haggis in just 15 mins. and it wasn't bad. Possibly the texture wasn't quite as light but, for a quick supper, provided you have the veggie timing spot on, the menu provides a easy mid-week supper.
Here's to the next celebratory menu for another easy feast...and happy family eating.
Daisy xxx
The recipes were from the NFWI and are also available on line under their respective names. The dessert for the menu was called Raspberry Burns Night Dessert, a simpler version of the traditional Scottish Cranachan which has oats toasted with sugar, cooled, then added with whisky to the cream and fruit. Then you can layer the cream and raspberry crush or puree with the whisky oats, keeping some of the oats to decorate the dessert top with a few whole raspberries. I didn't have either oats and left out the whisky in the recipe I used, and it was just fine. Actually I don't like whisky so was pleased white wine was included but rather missed the oats which would have definitely made the dessert more substantial...and feed more guests!
The cock a leekie soup is a vegetable based soup with long grain rice and prunes. We had roast chicken left over from a previous meal wh ich I skinned and cut into pieces ready for adding to the veggies and chicken stock just 15 mins. before the vegs. were cooked. The rice is added fairly early on and the prunes go in with the chicken.
The mock haggis is a simple mixture of minced beef, suet, onion, seasonings and enough well-flavoured gravy to moisten well. It should also be made with cooked meat, giving the minced meat a darker colour and greater flavour. But it's perfectly ok using fresh meat but you must have really well-flavoured gravy. The original recipe stated steaming for two hours to cook the pudding which, years ago would have been acceptable but, in today's busy housewife's busy life and more streamlined kitchen, steaming a pudding for two hours is probably just not on. And like me, I guess many housewives and cooks are without the necessary steaming equipment. So I reached for my pressure cooker and its instructions. My Prestige cooker stipulated at least 1.1/2 pts boiling water + lemon juice to counteract discolouring, a greased bowl with ether two layers of greased greaseproof paper and string or a single sheet of foil. All puddings need steaming before being cooked and its down to mixture weight for timing, followed by a period of cooking. So the pudding is added to the pan with the lid added without the pressure weight; on a high heat allow the air to escape and when there's a fast escape of steam lower the temperature to give a gentle escape of steam and time. Inst ructions for the original pudding state a period of two hours and Prestige suggest a 1/3 of any own recipe for converting to pressure cooking. Therefore I deduced a 40 minute cooking time would be appropriate, then decided to steam for 30 minutes followed by a 10 minute cook time with the 5lb, weight in place. Well, it worked very well. The pudding was light, moist and very tasty and an excellent supper using a very easy recipe and basic ingredients.
We ate our mock haggis with mashed turnips and potatoes i.e. neeps and tatties both providing the traditional accompaniment to this Burns Night supper feast.
Here's a few photos for you...
 |
| Mock Haggis, Tatties and Neeps |
 |
| The inner Haggis |
 |
| Cock a Leekie Soup |
 |
| Raspberry Burns Night Dessert with shortbread biscuits |
Now it's Thursday and we've just microwaved a second Mock Haggis in just 15 mins. and it wasn't bad. Possibly the texture wasn't quite as light but, for a quick supper, provided you have the veggie timing spot on, the menu provides a easy mid-week supper.
Here's to the next celebratory menu for another easy feast...and happy family eating.
Daisy xxx
Friday 22 January 2016
It's Almost Christmas - Tuesday, 22nd December 2015 - with just a few lose ends to tie up....& New Year Update 22nd January 2016
So off we went to Deddington's December Farmers' Market meeting last Saturday which was great fun. I sampled English wine from Chafor Wine Estate, delicious chocolate produced by The Chicken Shed, mouthwatering pastries from Paul of Cotswold Baking and super biscuits from Just Biscuits.
A bright morning became overcast and rather windy which failed to prevent eager shoppers from gathering in the heart of Deddington to make their regular purchases and extra buys for the Christmas festivities.
Chafor Wine Estate presented three different wines for sampling, a beautifully pink Rose and two splendid white wines.
Here are my photos of their stall.
The Market was lively and engaging as usual and I bought delicious chocolate from The Chicken Shed.....
A bright morning became overcast and rather windy which failed to prevent eager shoppers from gathering in the heart of Deddington to make their regular purchases and extra buys for the Christmas festivities.
Chafor Wine Estate presented three different wines for sampling, a beautifully pink Rose and two splendid white wines.
Here are my photos of their stall.
The Market was lively and engaging as usual and I bought delicious chocolate from The Chicken Shed.....
choosing their Glorious Chocolate with Mint and Camu Camu and their Vanilla chocolate for our Christmas at home treats.
I also chatted to the nice folk at Cotswold Catering and Just Biscuits. The Craft Fair in Deddington Church was buzzing with Christmas shoppers too and I stopped by Vicki Hibberd's Silver Jewellery, at Mary Canny Glass Designer, Virginia's Fair Trade stall and to Sue Merry for her very pretty cushions and pin boards. I absolutely adore having pin boards for all those little notices and cards you must keep in sight and Sue's boards are very desirable.
and beautiful terracotta pots made lovingly by A.R. Gill Pottery
We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas which seemed to last for much longer than usual and we hope you did too.
And now in January 2016 and tomorrow Deddington will host their first Farmers' Market of the year and we're going to see who's there and hopefully do a little shopping.
Maybe we'll see you there too!
Happy weekending folks....
Daisy xxx
Thursday 14 January 2016
Weather-wise Up, folks - Thursday, 14th January 2016 - it's getting colder out there !!!
Today it's been colder in our part of Oxfordshire after a really warm start to 2016.
I think it's been colder elsewhere in the UK and we've all had more rain with some Counties having a very great deal of rain, with flooding as well as really awful flooding which I have to say I simply cannot imagine how terrible that has been for you and yours and I sincerely hope all of you are well and well, coping, with the fall-out.
I've just looked at BBC Look North (Yorkshire) programme on my iPad and the folk there are still having a terrible time of things. At the PM's Question Time today Mr, Cameron was sending his deep sympathies to the people in the areas concerned. I do hope Mr. Cameron and his Government manage to do more than just send their sympathy to all areas affected by this year's terrible flooding.
BBC Midlands was warning of colder and icy weather conditions to come tonight and beyond to the weekend ahead, where its still wet after recent rainfall.
Of course, its winter time when we anticipate bad weather, expecting conditions to worsen after Christmas. Well, for some of us so far, its been a warmer start to the beginning of the year. Much warmer too in the lead up to Christmas which didn't help traders with their pre-Christmas sales.
Last autumn I took part in a Face Book featured quiz by somebody asking you to discover the weather in the year in which you were born. Well, I was born in 1946 which hosted the worst winter weather conditions of the century. Apparently, it began snowing on 23rd January and continued snowing until the end of February. Then of course, flooding from all that fallen snow and subsequent ice happened, bringing further misery to everyone. According to the online report of that year, the terrible weather conditions impacted very badly on rail travel and with most people travelling to work and elsewhere by train, life must have been really dreadful for everyone. I don't remember anything about the weather, of course, even though I was born early on in the year. And friends have told me of very hot summer weather too that year so obviously 1947 was a very difficult year for our weather.
Hey ho! Good wishes to everybody coping with dreadful weather this year. Let's hope Spring springs early this year!
My family in Australia have told of bad to peculiar weather there too. Perhaps its really time for all of us to become more savy about climate control measures, hey ?
Daisy xxx
I think it's been colder elsewhere in the UK and we've all had more rain with some Counties having a very great deal of rain, with flooding as well as really awful flooding which I have to say I simply cannot imagine how terrible that has been for you and yours and I sincerely hope all of you are well and well, coping, with the fall-out.
I've just looked at BBC Look North (Yorkshire) programme on my iPad and the folk there are still having a terrible time of things. At the PM's Question Time today Mr, Cameron was sending his deep sympathies to the people in the areas concerned. I do hope Mr. Cameron and his Government manage to do more than just send their sympathy to all areas affected by this year's terrible flooding.
BBC Midlands was warning of colder and icy weather conditions to come tonight and beyond to the weekend ahead, where its still wet after recent rainfall.
Of course, its winter time when we anticipate bad weather, expecting conditions to worsen after Christmas. Well, for some of us so far, its been a warmer start to the beginning of the year. Much warmer too in the lead up to Christmas which didn't help traders with their pre-Christmas sales.
Last autumn I took part in a Face Book featured quiz by somebody asking you to discover the weather in the year in which you were born. Well, I was born in 1946 which hosted the worst winter weather conditions of the century. Apparently, it began snowing on 23rd January and continued snowing until the end of February. Then of course, flooding from all that fallen snow and subsequent ice happened, bringing further misery to everyone. According to the online report of that year, the terrible weather conditions impacted very badly on rail travel and with most people travelling to work and elsewhere by train, life must have been really dreadful for everyone. I don't remember anything about the weather, of course, even though I was born early on in the year. And friends have told me of very hot summer weather too that year so obviously 1947 was a very difficult year for our weather.
Hey ho! Good wishes to everybody coping with dreadful weather this year. Let's hope Spring springs early this year!
My family in Australia have told of bad to peculiar weather there too. Perhaps its really time for all of us to become more savy about climate control measures, hey ?
Daisy xxx
Tuesday 12 January 2016
Joan Hammond Artist - Joan Hammond 1924 – 2006 Pastellist of International Renown - Tuesday 12th January 2016
Margaret Halstead shared her post.
I love this work xxx
Pineapple by Joan Hammond - Artist http://joan-hammond.co.uk/
"
Joan Hammond 1924 – 2006
Pastellist of International Renown
Pastellist of International Renown
Joan Hammond had been an artist since her childhood when she was encouraged by her elder brother, journalist and author Walter Robson. Her works are in private and public collections the world over. Her lifelong dedication to the production of work of outstanding merit and noted for her exceptional ability to capture the charm of childhood in a free and lively style.
She won a scholarship to the Hornsey School of Art, London, and took specialist courses at Brighton, and Canterbury Art Collages in the late 1930’s. Considered as a portrait painter of some note, she received commissions worldwide. She taught art and ran a successful gallery prior to settling in Wales, UK.
Exhibited in numerous galleries and stately homes, had work accepted by the Royal Institute and other prestigious venues throughout the UK.
Her home, at the foot of mountains of the Brecon Beacons National Park was within a landscape which inspired much of her later work. Watercolour, oil and acrylic paints alike, using techniques from light washes to heavy impasto, to fine brushwork or the palette knife all with equal freedom."
She won a scholarship to the Hornsey School of Art, London, and took specialist courses at Brighton, and Canterbury Art Collages in the late 1930’s. Considered as a portrait painter of some note, she received commissions worldwide. She taught art and ran a successful gallery prior to settling in Wales, UK.
Exhibited in numerous galleries and stately homes, had work accepted by the Royal Institute and other prestigious venues throughout the UK.
Her home, at the foot of mountains of the Brecon Beacons National Park was within a landscape which inspired much of her later work. Watercolour, oil and acrylic paints alike, using techniques from light washes to heavy impasto, to fine brushwork or the palette knife all with equal freedom."
I thought all my friends would like to have a link to Joan Hammonds work and details xxx
Wednesday 6 January 2016
New Year get Up and Go - Forward - Wednesday 6th January 2015 - A new Mini-blog for 2016
A new breakfast pot for a new year and I'm breakfasting on oats, water and frozen mixed berries!
My fave breakfast - homemade muesli with blueberries. I found English blueberries in Tesco stores last summer which was fine. No long-haul flight cost, no air miles and eating locally grown, well food locally-grown somewhere in England.
That's great I thought. But then, come the winter months, thoughts turn to other costs - you guessed it - Christmas - so I figured a bit of economising would be good right now. So buy frozen berries was the best thought I came up with back then. Off to find berries nicely frozen in small containers and it wasn't so very easy to find but, I persevered, coming home with blueberries, mixed berries and raspberries.
The blueberries went first. l found they were not like the fresh ones, of course, and the flavour was altered. Leaving berries to thaw then adding them to muesli and milk or oats and milk was not a good way forward.
Next experiment, put together equal amounts of porridge oats, water plus handful of frozen berries and leave to marinate, infuse,even hang about until the next breakfast hour, then add the tiniest half-spoonful of soft brown sugar and, hey presto, you have some worthy breakfast to get you going on another busy day of writing, blogging and step-counting while you walk the dog!
And here it is, all ready to go in a cute little Kilner jar from the china cupboard...
Success for my first mini-blog of 2016 - my way forward for busy days. I so often want and need to write but time runs away with me.
So here's to a brilliant new year work regime for me and my reader!
Daisy xxx
My fave breakfast - homemade muesli with blueberries. I found English blueberries in Tesco stores last summer which was fine. No long-haul flight cost, no air miles and eating locally grown, well food locally-grown somewhere in England.
That's great I thought. But then, come the winter months, thoughts turn to other costs - you guessed it - Christmas - so I figured a bit of economising would be good right now. So buy frozen berries was the best thought I came up with back then. Off to find berries nicely frozen in small containers and it wasn't so very easy to find but, I persevered, coming home with blueberries, mixed berries and raspberries.
The blueberries went first. l found they were not like the fresh ones, of course, and the flavour was altered. Leaving berries to thaw then adding them to muesli and milk or oats and milk was not a good way forward.
Next experiment, put together equal amounts of porridge oats, water plus handful of frozen berries and leave to marinate, infuse,even hang about until the next breakfast hour, then add the tiniest half-spoonful of soft brown sugar and, hey presto, you have some worthy breakfast to get you going on another busy day of writing, blogging and step-counting while you walk the dog!
And here it is, all ready to go in a cute little Kilner jar from the china cupboard...
Success for my first mini-blog of 2016 - my way forward for busy days. I so often want and need to write but time runs away with me.
So here's to a brilliant new year work regime for me and my reader!
Daisy xxx
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