Nominations & Big Ups ( village social media)

Today’s blog feels very community and social media based....

Our Hattie has reached the final of a National Heroes competition !

See  https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/19022389.flintshire-woman-reaches-final-national-urban-jungles-heroes-competition/?ref=fbshr&fbclid=IwAR09fqMvlIoUkRjVIf6V2IOLYGResEjk-yeSW8qT_wDMw6xQR30DIMyJxG8

So the news shared our local paper! How lovely is that ? She sooo deserves to win

The villagers have been busy voting the pub The Crown one of the top businesses in Flintshire too, a business that is facing a bloody hard time due to the covid restrictions . The new landlady and hubby chef just reopened the pub to much adulation a short while ago, only to be forced to shut , days after the successful re launch, and both have battled hard to come up with a takeaway service to keep the wolves from the door. 

The takeaway menu is wonderful and eclectic  

Storm Christophè has caused some local flooding here. Pippa from the rectory  posted this photo on the wardens social media page yesterday and messages bounced around from village leaders ian and Helen’s home which is called y felin which means Mill in welsh . Their house lies down the valley from me and was the position of an old water mill. 

It is surrounded by water. 

Sandbags may need to be moved there in the morning ......watch this space...

The lane just around from my cottage

More social media news. I got a tag from liv Randa yesterday evening who finished and loved the book I bought for her

It was Little Women 

The family  Sent me a photo of happy baby sitting days ....well with old William doing the babysitting 

Liv and the book

Covid has increased community spirit here...as it has done globally 

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Peace

 Lady Gaga’s Golden dove of peace said it all

I shed a tear at Biden’s speech.......sanity.......sometimes there are days when you need to lend a hand and days when you have take a hand

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Exile

 Staring at 

The screen

Wanting something 

Else but tears

To fall

When

Will I return 

From mental

Exile

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Yesterday

 It’s so hard

To be present 

When all

You can do

Is replay

Yesterday 

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Repertoire

It wasn't so when I was working but nowadays I prepare 99% of our meals. Even though my son Ian has written four bestselling cookbooks with his Bosh! colleague Henry, I myself hardly ever look at a recipe book. I just go with what I know and my culinary instincts.

It occurred to me this morning as I lay in bed like a lazy sealion upon some remote shore that when it comes to main evening meals I have developed a repertoire. The wheel keeps turning and old favourites reappear. These are the eleven staples in that repertoire:-

♦ Sunday roast with Yorkshire puddings - might be chicken, pork, beef or rarely - lamb. Vegetable accompaniments will vary.

♦  Spaghetti bolognese with fried mushrooms and parmesan.

♦ Oven broiled salmon with fresh pasta in a pesto sauce, broccoli,  roasted tomatoes and lemon wedges.

♦  Chicken thigh fillets in Sicilian tomato sauce with mushrooms, peppers and grated cheese served with farfalle and tender-stem broccoli

♦  Beef stew with swede, green lentils and dumplings

♦  Chicken stir fry in a satay or black bean sauce with noodles

♦ Rump or sirloin steak with fried onions, mushrooms and green beans plus baked potatoes

♦  Chicken curry with basmati rice, peshwari nan breads and mango chutney

♦  Cauliflower cheese with gammon, pineapple and roasted potatoes

♦  Slow-cooked mince with gravy, mashed potatoes and garden peas

♦  Tossed summer salad with quiche and fried rice

Occasionally I will try other things - often influenced by what I encounter at the supermarket but essentially these are the meals I make. And that reminds me...

I love Greek cuisine and it is about time I got round to baking stuffed peppers. It's something I have thought about doing before but have never got round to. On the isles of Greece I have also enjoyed stuffed tomatoes but that requires those massive beefsteak tomatoes that you rarely see in English supermarkets so I think I will just stick to peppers in the first instance. Watch this space.

By the way, please pick a favourite staple or two from your own meal repertoire and put in the comments below.

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Let’s move on

 Whatever your politics, the President of the United States must be articulate and calm and possess a sense of humour. Biden and Kamala Harris seem to have have those traits.

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