Trifle

Posted on October 22, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Blancmange, Cream, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2100, Family, Food, Fruit, Jelly, Memories, recipes, TrifleLeave a comment

What food would you say is your specialty?

My trifle is based on my mother’s and her mother’s recipe.

It consists of a fruit and jelly bottom layer with a touch of sherry or port.

Middle layer? Blancmange (not custard). Either the same flavour as the jelly or something different like chocolate.

Top layer, a decent amount of whipped double cream, with possibly cherries, strawberries or raspberries on top or grated chocolate.

You can’t really go wrong with that X. Usually I make it at Christmas or for birthdays.

Copper sky

Posted on October 22, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged beautiful colour, Camera, Colours, Comet, Copper, Driving, golden, Red, spectacular, SunsetLeave a comment

The clouds shone like copper tonight, not red or gold. This is the closest I can get to the colour like in this photo. I’m still looking out for a view of the comet that’s in the evening sky after sunset when it’s clear, but I haven’t spotted it yet.

I wish I could have taken a photo of the actual sunset but I was driving and my camera was in the handbag on the back seat and I couldn’t find anywhere to stop. I will try and look again tomorrow

Clocks going back

Posted on October 22, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged changing the time, Clock, Darkness, extra hour in bed, falls back, Night, Poem, Poetry, TimeLeave a comment

Time flies forward

Slides past

But falls back

Next weekend.

An extra hour

But darker earlier

The light fades

Time seems to slow

Nights distances lengthen

I hate it.

Bring back the sun

Or leave the clock alone!

Forgot to add a title I’m so tired!

Posted on October 21, 2024October 21, 2024 Posted in Fine Art, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Art, Craft fair, Exhausted?, falling asleep, Life, Miniatures, Painting, Sleep, Time, Tired2 Comments

Paintings from the weekend. The central painting was done previously but the rest, smaller ones, were painted over the previous three days. I was happy with the outcome. Unfortunately I only sold one, my excuse? Gale force winds and heavy rain made for a grim morning. Thankfully it improved in the afternoon. But we only had a few customers.

Today? It’s caught up with me! I’m shattered, tired, absolutely knackered. Just fell asleep typing this!

Met a cat

Posted on October 20, 2024 Posted in Cat, Memories, UncategorizedTagged art sale, Cat, Etruria Industrial museum, ginger cat, Stoke-on trent, WarehouseLeave a comment

A cat moved into the warehouse where we held out art and craft show. It has a home in a local housing estate but I guess because the warehouse is heated it’s found a place to visit. The main problem is there is a ladder up to the loft space and on Saturday it climbed up and went to sleep!

There was a panic because they couldn’t lock up the building until it was found. Luckily someone bought some cat treats so it came down!

More frustrated

Posted on October 17, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2094, limited strength, Nap, procrastinating, Prompt, Tired, unproductive2 Comments

Do lazy days make you feel rested or unproductive?

Some days I need to rest. I will have tried to be active on the previous day and then it catches up with me. Often I end up playing a game on my phone, or staring into space, thinking about what I want to do, but my energy is too low to do anything. And sometimes I just have to have a nap. That’s when I get brain fog and feel disinclined to do anything.

Moving things around frustrates me. My arms are weaker than they used to be so moving heavy objects, or even emptying the bin? That can be difficult.

So I guess the answer is unproductive, but in a bad way. I procrastinate and just start to worry about it. Maybe I need more help. But I hate to ask.

Old celtic cat drawing

Posted on October 16, 2024 Posted in Cat, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Art, Cat, Celtic cat, Drawing, faded, Filters, Fun, Image, Inks, Knotwork, Sun, SunlightLeave a comment

I drew this in the 1980s I have it on the stairs and it’s badly faded. I might use filters to try and restore how it looks? It’s sad when you have created something but the sun destroys it over time. I don’t know if you can buy ink that is resistant to sunlight? Maybe?

Putting the heating on.

Posted on October 14, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Central heating, Cold, Cooking, Cool, Heating, Life, managing, oil heater, radiators, Time2 Comments

I’m limiting how long I have the heating on each day. I have a timer on my central heating that can be set to quarter hour intervals. I have set it to one hour in the morning, one in the evening and about half an hour at two other times. That way I can get the temperature up slightly for washing up and bathing while I wear warm clothes to stave off the cold.

My oven no longer works and I only use the hob on the top plus a microwave and an air fryer. So I can heat up food, and I have an oil filled heater near me if I’m getting really cold.

Why? My income is too low to pay out as much as when hubby was here. He had a seperate income. But just because I’m a bit cool doesn’t mean I’m uncomfortable. I can cope. Things will change. I will try and manage. I just hope for a warm winter! Not a good idea as the globe warms, but at least my carbon footprint is quite small!

Cat in a box

Posted on October 14, 2024 Posted in Cat, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Black and white cat, Box, Cat, Catnip, Poem, Poetry, Sleeping, Tea, Tuxedo cat2 Comments

Sitting pretty,

Cat in a box

Just had his tea

Now he can sleep

I’ll let him rest

And get the best

Afternoon kip,

With some of the catnip!

Lady in the Van

Posted on October 13, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Alan Bennett, dame Maggie Smith, her story, Life, memoir, The Lady in the van, Time2 Comments

I’m watching the film, The lady in the van starring Maggie Smith who died recently. She was famous for her portrayal of the elderly homeless woman called Miss Shepherd who camped out for years in her van on the driveway of Alan Bennetts house.

It’s very surreal seeing her dressed in a “bag lady” costume as she was well known for her roles in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Harry Potter and Downton Abbey. As the film progresses we learn more about the lady’s history and how she got into the predicament she was in.

I won’t give too much detail incase you want to watch it.

Mallaband-Brown

Category: Memories

Trifle

Copper sky

Clocks going back

Forgot to add a title I’m so tired!

Met a cat

More frustrated

Old celtic cat drawing

Putting the heating on.

Cat in a box

Lady in the Van