5 OS Pleasures in your Day Today part 2

BlimusOreilly

Huge hugs to Frith (((())))

1) Bitterly cold but a fabulous winter solstice sun.
2) Seeing a barn owl flying back to its barn with a mouse this morning. Set me up in a good mood for the day (my favourite bird).
3) Trip to the library. Some good library books and a fantastic haul of sale books. 20p - 40p each.
4) Made some strange jacket potato and stilton cheese soup. But it tasted okay.
5) A big bubbly bath with DS2.

mhagster

morning all, it's a beautiful Wednesday morning here and the sun (who has been absent for a few days) is out & it looks pretty. Our house sits up high and we have a beautiful panoramic view of trees & hills in the distance. At the moment a purple tree is in bloom, I need to find out what it's called as I'd love one! Purple is my favourite colour and these trees are covered in the most beautiful purple flowers and from a distance just look like purple trees!

Yesterdays pleasures:
1. Lazy -ish start to day, it s nice not to be frantically rushing about checking everyones got lunches & teeth brushed & sun cream on etc for school, so we are all quite chilled & just getting up whenever!

2.My daughters & I did some baking together which is always nice. I made a swiss roll using a method I'd never used before. We had,had a shop bought one the night before and it was ghastly & I thought I can do better than that, so I did! However, eggs were mixed & sugar added over a pan of hot water,then flour, then melted butter. Is this usual? It tasted lovely & I spread home made strawberry jam on it & we had it for lunch.

3.I later made tablet & it turned out perfectly (it doesn't always but I don't know why!) so this is being made into gifts for a neighbour & a colleague of OH. ....with a wee bit left for us! My son kept asking ,hopefully, if he could have a bit.....NO! But he might get a bit today!

4.We got a new car,all singing, all dancing but it's huge and I can hardly see past the wipers let alone the bonnet so not sure if I'll be driving it! I have not driven since I left Scotland, where I drove everyday.......jumped in the car & off I went, so the longer I leave it the harder it gets to want to drive on very busy roads!

5. So we went on a wee 'run' in the car & popped into supermarket, I got some beautiful orchid flowers that were massively reduced to about £1.50. I always had an orchid plant back home, I think they are so pretty & delicate looking but last for ages. So these are now in a vase on my dining table looking pretty (& purple!). Flowers here (along with everything else!) are very expensive & I usually can't bring myself to pay there prices, however past couple of weeks I've managed to get reduced ones. I always had flowers in the house back home and miss not having them here but will not pay the silly prices asked! So pretty ,purple orchid was indeed a pleasure!

A not so pleasure was DD1 vomiting from late afternoon, we've all had a bit of an upset tummy since weekend, so it was her turn last night.We hoped to go on train into city today but will have to wait & see how she is feeling.
Anyway, enjoy the rest of your evening, sleep well & stay warm!
Mhags

marmiterulesok

I still haven't managed to catch up with the last few days,but here are my five pleasures for today (day off).I've have a good day.

1 Have found some 'festive' music to keep me happy.It's a recording of the 1987 Vienna New Year's Concert with von Karajan.A wonderful recording,all the waltzes are divine.I've been listening to it a lot today.All the Christmas songs just set my teeth on edge this year.

2 I found my hammer in the cellar.I'd mislaid it for a few weeks and thought I would have to buy another one.

3 All the clothes washed,dried,ironed and put away.

4 Found time to go for a run.Two miles,better than nothing.

5 Managed to see a friend briefly,so was able to give her her present.With shiftwork,it's not always easy to arrange to see friends.

Sending a hug to those who are poorly/stressed out.Night x

adelight

1. heading for home
2. being on the way home
3. getting home
4. being at home
5. can you tell i'm happy i'm home?

Ladyhawk

Evening all,

Hope you are all well.

Mhags - could those purple trees be jacarandas? I know it is a little late in the season for them but it's just a suggestion.

1) Christmas lunch at work which was really yummy. It was good for us all to sit down together for a change as we are normally charging about don't get a chance for a decent lunch.

2) Ampersand - I am making your candied orange sticks... and OMG!!! They are absolutely divine! They are a tad fiddly but so worth it! I am making them to put into my DB's Christmas hamper... though it will be touch and go whether any will make it!

3) Also made some sugared pecans which are equally gorgeous!! I will make some more tomorrow. I have done the pastry for my mince pies so they are ready to make tomorrow.

4) Everyone liked the ginger bread christmas trees I made. Even our Logisitics Director who NEVER eats came over to ask if he could have one.

5) I made an orange pomander this evening which smells gorgeous.

6) One of my suppliers popped in to wish me merry Christmas. He also bought me a lovely large fruit basket and a bottle of champagne (he knows me well!!) Sadly I had to hand the fruit basket in to the departmental raffle... but I sneakily kept the champagne (don't tell anyone!!)

7) Running late for work this morning turned out to be a bit of a blessing as I was pottering about when the cat started trying to throw up. I managed to throw him into the (empty) bath tub before it all came out which saved me from being even later!

Night night everyone... stay warm and safe.

L

mhagster

Ladyhawk Thank you, have just googled jacarandas & that is what they are ,they are beautiful!

Frith

Thank you for all the good wishes. :-)

mhagster - what is tablet?

Here are my 5 for today (still 45 minutes left!)

1) Got the car out of the snow! Been unable to move in since the school run on Friday afternoon.

2) Went to Sainsburys (very low on supplies). Of course, everyone else had been stuck in and had rushed to Sainsburys too as we had heard about the next lot of snow coming (snowing again this evening). It was PACKED. It took an hour to get the shopping and an hour to get through the tills. Luckily everyone was being very patient and would pass you things (you couldn't get to the shelves because there were so many people to get through). It was funny watching people waiting in the queues because they started going through their shopping and eating stuff - the man in front of me had a tangerine!

3) Took my sons sledging.

4) The power went off AGAIN. It was off 3 hours on Saturday, 2 hours yesterday and 4 hours this evening. Once again it went off between 5 and half past, a most inconvenient time. We are 5 miles from the nearest street light so it really is dark. Luckily I had put some baked potatoes in the oven before we went out sledging so we had those with tuna, mayo, cheese etc. I think it was a pleasure that we have got coping in the pitch dark down to a fine art. Got the primus for a cup of tea for MrN then took the rest of the hot water to other neighbour. Stoked up the stove, got the candles lit then went upstairs to play murder in the dark with sons.

5) Power back on again after 9pm so I have caught up with the washing/washing up and hoovering in a rush and had a nice bath.

Broomstick

I absolutely refuse to think about my slightly sore throat, sneezes, shivery insides, aching body and the fact that I couldn't face supper and went to bed and slept for three hours early evening. There is a battle of wills going on with any bugs that are lurking. I absolutely have not got the start of flu.

My five for Tuesday:

1. The brilliant veggiebox drivers arrived in their van complete with snow chains to deliver my more-than-veggies Christmas order. I've treated us to some smoked salmon, a cheese selection and elderflower cordial in addition to the usual veggies. Yum.

2. DS2's present for DS1 arrived from Amazon today (phew). I am so impressed with all the delivery people working like crazy to get the backlog of parcels and post delivered.

3. I walked into town again late afternoon and bought a very pretty card for my neice's birthday early in the New Year. I spent ages choosing.

4. While I was asleep my DSs got the Christmas tree put up and decorated so it's twinkling in the corner of the room right now.

5. Found remnants of ribbon in the decorations box that I'd picked up early in the year so have made an OTT bow to add to the wreath on the front door.

Hugs to all. Sleep well.

B x

ampersand

In no particular order - just sprung thoughts as I play catch-up:

mh - et oui, I thougt 'jacaranda' and I see another great mind thinks alike.

ladyhawk - et OUI encore for the divines that are those candied choc orange sticks, despite fiddly and rather strung-out processes.
As I've ended up with 3 overflowing cooling racks of peels, the one by one choc-dipping became ridiculous. I've ended up just sitting large Mason Cash bowl on radiator, for melting choc, let handfuls at a time of peels immerse, then pull them out onto foil. There was general amusement today as favoured i.e. every, customer roadtested these and there were imaginitive Namings of Shapes. But it's credit to Pam the Jam via HFW though - it's her recipe that came through in the River Cottage newsletter the other day. Everyone can subscribe - well worthwhile.

Frith and grateful - your Under Milkwood words bring memories for me, too, various. One is my bringing students in the Fac. de Nantes to DT and his works, doing this as a reading. It was wonderful to see their awakening, then revelling in the glory of his mind and vision and playfulness and the universality and joy of gustatory language.

1. I'm not long awake, having rtn'd from last Charity Showroom day b4crimbo, attired self for night almost at once, after salad and left-over Potage Flamande and that was that...till now. Many regulars came by with greetings, cards and special effort to see us today - there was a loving and lovely atmosphere. I'm away now for a month.
2. An instant new 2nd pleasure - just heard on midnight news R4, re:Zara and Mike T's engagement, the usual rundown on their lives to date. Of Zara's tongue stud[teenage symptomatic, as I recall],HRH mummy Anne apparently called it 'Zara's speech impediment', which is a chuckle from me at this drollery from She. Princess Anne is good value - is she still happy with the Commander? Hope so.
3.On waking, popped to living room to switch off tv, which I hadn't watched as I didn't get round to sitting down...therefore, by serendipitous chance I have just caught the terrific programme Imagine: Ray Davies[Kinks]....lovely stuff and a very special sort of mould-breaker, then as now, deeply thoughtful and substantial. Just great.
4. Car loading slow and arduous this morning, but on last trip back in house, saw phone winking. F. has left different phone no and msg - not caught her yet, 'hectic' and 'everything so up in the air' being two phrases. I'm hoping that this at least means adjournment for FULL investigation of exOH. We worked on this and some spurious grounds for care and control that he was pressing...Frith, given that F wants rtn to Wales a.s.a.p., this added to my feeling of caring.
5. I, too, wish to know about tablet mh -I think I know, but I'd not thought about making it. I have cheated and bought ready-shelled peanuts from Graves en route back this evening - on offer - to attempt my peanut butter. I have erred buying them in shell from Mr T. They take much longer to open than I remember, then to roast and remove skins before blitzing....no. So, those I have will be treats for squirrels or Forêt des Singes visit. Or the one in Staffordshire if A wishes an English moment.
6. All of my Mr T redeemed vouchers were in postbox tonight. Brief glance becomes quiet growing-in-mind pleasure to linger over, anticipate, nearly £1000 worth. I see I've taken 2 day tickets for Futuroscope - maybe next month. On verra. As we all do know, points are v. much scarcer and worth less from now on, but the gainful hunt will be all the sweeter.
7. 'Sailing By' midnight news and Shipping forecast music just passed - always calming, secure feeling, and I feel good that it's not too, too late after all.
8. Hearing many trailers of Definite Want things I'll be missing on radio and tv in next month, knowing they'll be[mostly]there on i-player - a treat to anticipate.
9. There may be a new young poster/mser shortly - a volunteer who came and asked me how to make pastry today. He's been appreciative of my foodie offerings this last fortnight, since he's been involved with us at OD and has great potential - an attractive and interesting young man, 16. Having heard and passionately agreed with much of what Ray Davies said earlier, I feel increasingly for this school-leaver generation of UK youngsters....'a new Dickensian age -bringing back the workhouses.'
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caterina - glad you caught the prog. I've just dived back to insert this, gleaned from a Travel Zoo em:
http://www.travelzoo.com/uk/local-deals/deal/356
Yes, expensive still, but you will know whether or not this place merits it - extra-special treat maybe?

Sparrer, you are usually along around now - cup of something? I'm just going to put kettle on for lapsang, a slice of tealoaf, a read, a listen etc.

Blessed good nights, quiet minds and peaceful hearts to all.

sparrer

Just dropping by to accept a bedtime cuppa from ampersand before I, as my location says, go up the little wooden hill to Bedfordshire.

Having no end of probs with the keyboard, keys coming loose, having to bash to type, it's driving me mad so I'll wish all the poorlies well again now and everyone a good night with sweet dreams.

In the morning I'll be super techie and I WILL repair this thing!!

S x