Good morning Mick and all GN's on a bright, sunny still morning in North Yorkshire, but looks chilly.
Not even dressed yet, been awake for hours, but wish there were oiling spots on body as absolutely creaking and grinding today!! Poor night, but of course thinking about today, going to the hospital. Good job it is later morning as with a bit of luck and some painkillers I will have improved by the time the driver comes. Well just hoping he comes, as not heard from him to say he is coming. So just have fingers crossed he turns up - well actually not crossed fingers too painful!!
A shame it is on pancake day. Havent made any up but might do when I get back. I have a special pancake pan which has travelled the world with me and cooked I dont know how many pancakes over the years.
When we first moved to Portugal and people had been very kind and invited us to meals etc whilst we were still in the hotel. I wanted to thank them , but it was going to take a long time as there were lots of people involved. We went down to the Algarve for a weekend and there were the lovely oranges and lemons on the trees and you could literally pick them off and they were so juicy. That gave me an idea and so I gave a pancake party for everyone. My kitchen there had two doors, so I had the big table in the lounge covered with all the fillings, savoury and sweet; so had a spiced beef and another curry something as some of the savoury with some salad side dishes. The lemons and oranges were of course the centrepiece and I cut them in half and put them in a cut glass bowl . Then lots of other sweet fillings including stewed apple with a touch of cinnamon in but one of the favourites was a more adult version of mashed bananas, where the addition of a little rum was popular! But that is a filling that has to be put on very last minute and immediately eaten as it is so sloppy. I had made up 3lbs of batter and all the plates and cutlery etc were at the ready. Then I was ensconced in the kitchen and everyone came in one door, watched me toss their pancake and made a wish and then moved out to chose their fillings and the next one would come in etc.
It was a great success and as many of them were musicians and singers we had the windows open onto the balcony and someone was playing guitar etc. We used up all the batter and they even sent out at 2am to get more milk and we made a few more. I was quite exhausted by the end but still happy that it all went well. Ah now just me to have one if I can be bothered to make one!!
We did have one complaint! At midnight I said that we should shut the windows and come inside not to disturb the neighbours. The next day she asked my why I had shut the doors as she was enjoying the music!! Wonder how many pancakes I have made over the years?? They have to be beautifully thin crepes and sizzlingly hot. Ah well success to all you pancake makers today.
Well the sun is looking a bit brighter and hopefully with the aid of the shower and painkillers I will be creaking a bit less by the time I need to leave. I had planned last night to do quite a bit of sorting out this morning to keep my mind off the appointment, but I think it is going to take me all my time to just be ready and the basic tidying of kitchen and washed up before I go. I do try to leave a tidy kitchen as usually quite weary when I get back and so need to be able to dump shopping or whatever, make a much needed coffee and collapse in a heap!!
Bellasnana well done for finally getting the passport sorted. You have been having a tough time lately, hope you can now put your feet up and have a bit of a break at some time.
grandMattie, good to hear of a little improvement and hope it continues. fingers crossed for more good news from the eye hospital.
Mike enjoy your trip and hope the beer festival provides you with something worth drinking, and of course you are on the bus so no problems with drink and drive unless you have to take care getting on and off the bus.
Karmalady, well done for giving them all the tools. I am sure that now you have felt able to pass them on you will be feeling happy to know what good use they will make of them and you will know that your good deed is passing on even more to enable more things being done for others. I enjoy reading about your gardening things. Miss my garden and the actual gardening but follow your doings with interest.
FGT love the idea of ladies who wine, but I also thought of it as ladies who whine too!! It sounds a good title for a group I go to , where we get together and listen to problems of transport round the town and in the wider area. We get together and then meet up with the bus people and the council to try and sort things out for the better. So I think I need to take a bottle the next time and suggest we rename ourselves as the LWW!!
Blimey folks the time is rushing by and it has been good to sit here and calm down a bit, so once more unto the breach dear friends and hope for things to go well today. I shall defintely be awarding myself a large coffee if not something more when I get back. oh just seen a bit of fun, a pigeon was wandering along the branches of the tree , no doubt wishing there were leaves on it to think of nesting, when the squirrel took umbrage and ran along the fence and then up the tree towards the bird, who flew higher up the tree leaving the squirrel victorious on the lower branches, and it has run along and back a few times so is obviously staking his claim.
Well hope you are all able to stake a claim to as good a day as you can have and may your pancakes toss well and land flat!!
