Lily's blog

April 3, 2009

Dogs better watch out

Hey Barack and Charlie, instead of ye fighting over the J-cloth to do the cleaning, you should read today's Irish Times

'A German woman has divorced her husband because she was fed up with him cleaning all the time. German media reported the wife got through 15 years of marriage putting up with with his perchant for household chores, tidying up and rearranging the furniture. But she ran out of patience when he knocked down and rebuilt a wall at their home when it got dirty, the judge in the town of Sondershausen said.'

Where's the nearest pound?

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April 3, 2009

More rambles

1) The world is out to get me - I'm not paranoid!

John's friend good humouredly tells him his lunch is 'poncy'.

I make the boys lunches still! Please don't go there!

Also I keep telling myself that the lunches I make are so boring.

John says to friend why is the lunch poncy? He says look at the bread. John replies 'Bog standard brown loaf bought in X local shop'. He says look what's in it. (Baby spinach leaves, chicken, mayonaise, pesto). John concedes

Same friend eats John's (poncy) lunch and wants more ...

On a separate note a friend of ours gives out about Tommy writing too many blog posts as he 'has to' spend too much time reading them. I asked him had he read mine. He said yes but it was 'pretentious'. I was hurt.

See the world is really out to get me - poncy lunches, pretentious blog posts ...

2) Examples of why I'll miss John

I am very much a morning person.

This morning I woke up to hear the pump going (which pressurizes the water system in the house). This is highly unusual as everyone is normally zzzzzzzzzz

I lie there for a bit and it suddenly dawns on me that one of the boys must be in the shower, unusual me thinks. Fifteen minutes later I realise one of the boys is still in the shower (therefore must be using hot water to gently waken him up ... to gently ease himself into the day). Fail. Me thinks there will be no hot water left if I am last to shower by the time I have come back from walking the dogs!

Anyway said son turns out to be John who has to write an English essay before school. We have breakfast, then he writes essay. Later he throws essay to me and says 'Read that'. The title was 'Your perfect place'. He described how for most people this would be a nice quiet tranquil place. No for John his favourite place was the noisy, smelly small airport in Vancouver where he learned to fly. He went on to describe how much and why he loved this place.

My day hadn't yet started yet and I had got a lot of enjoyment.

I'll miss John

Still me thinks there may be a lot more hot water ...

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March 31, 2009

Intelligent enthusiasm

Before I go a mm further I did not write the following. I will quote it as I thought it was good but credit goes to small piece by Sonya Lennon in last Sunday's Tribune.

'Enthusiasm on its own can be a little bit pointless but when you have intelligent enthusiasm, it can drive success in all walks of life. What I'm saying that you need to have a positive attitude without the unfounded optimism - your optimism needs to be tempered and as a nation we need to stop focussing on where we are but how we can get out of it'

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March 30, 2009

I haz problem

I haz big problem as TT would say.

This is end March. John is leaving home in approximately five months time and I'm missing him already. He is just great fun to be around.

I failed at rearing angst-y teenagers.

Last week John did his Leaving Cert Oral Irish. Reminder John leaving soon.
Tomorrow John does his Spanish Oral. Reminder John leaving soon.
Easter John going to visit colleges. Reminder John leaving soon.

Okay. So do I want him to stay at home ... no but ...

John has so many plans for the summer. In truth i don't have five months left, just over two.

Better not waste a moment

Better keep making the cakes - Better ignore the stolen handfuls.

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March 29, 2009

Cooking

I like cooking. When Patrick comes home he has 2 favourite recipes which I have to make

1 Apple cake

I first tasted this cake in the coffee shop in Stephen Pierce pottery in Cork a few years ago. I asked re recipe and was told it was from the BBC website. (I hope they can rescue the Stephen Pierce pottery business which has had its troubles lately)

Here is the recipe

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/bathbramleyapplecake_66.shtml

I take lots of shortcuts in it. Not everyone likes cinnamon in the family so I leave it out. I mix flour, baking powder and sugar together. (This isn't recommended but I find it works fine). Next rub in butter. Next add in lots of apple in big chunks (about twice the amount in recipe). Add liquid, throw into tin, sprinkle brown sugar over top and into oven. Five minutes max

Another shortcut since I make this cake so much is to cut circles for the bottom of cake tin from a full roll of Parchment paper in one go so don't have to do it each time. I end up with 12 circles done as one job!

One night I got a phone call from Patrick from the states looking for the recipe for this cake as he was going to a party and wanted to make it. Next time I was talking with him, I asked him how he got on with the cake. He said great, he made eight of them. I asked him where did he get the cake tins. He told me he used saucepans and it worked perfectly!

2 Pea salad from the Avoca book

Tried to get this recipe online but failed. This is my adaptation of the recipe

Basically mix the following ingredients

Defrosted frozen peas (petit pois, the smaller peas)

Chopped red onion

Baby Spinach leaves

Chopped mint

Chopped cooked bacon

Feta cheese

Olive oil to which crushed garlic clove and lemon juice are added

This recipe is fool proof and really great.

I bought the Avoca Salads book with the earnest intention of trying a different recipe each day. This recipe is on page 1. I haven't really progressed beyond as everyone keeps looking for it.

Maybe 2010 will be the year of page 2, who knows!

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March 29, 2009

Reading

Just finished reading The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. Quoting from the book

'This stunning novel begins on a winter night in 1964, when a blizzard forces Dr. David Henry to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy, but the doctor immediately recognizes that his daughter has Down syndrome. For motives he tells himself are good, he makes a split-second decision that will haunt all their lives forever. He asks his nurse, Caroline, to take the baby away to an institution. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child as her own.' The book describes the path of life for all those whose lives were affected by the lie. Beautifully written. Really enjoyed it

Now reading The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry. This book is about an old woman in a Roscommon mental hospital where she was committed as a young woman. The hospital is about to be closed and her psychiatrist is tidying up his case notes. He is intrigued about the old woman's story and why she is here. Meanwhile the old lady recounts her life in a secret journal which she keeps locked away. I'm half way through it. I know from the cover that the psychiatrist finally discovers the circumstances of her arrival at the hospital, which leads to a shocking secret. Can't yet guess what this is. The book is set in Sligo. Having lived there for eight years, I recognise many of the places mentioned therein.

Heard Sebastian Barry being interviewed when he won the 2008 Costa Book Awards for this book. He had previously been shortlisted but didn't win the 2008 Man Booker prize. He said he finally got to deliver his previously written but until now unused acceptance speech.

Anyone with good reading recommendations, please let me know

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March 23, 2009

Various ramblings

One of the boys invited a friend to dinner tomorrow night. Inviting someone would normally mean food preparation, maybe a bit of tidying up but no. When I heard this person was coming, I decided I'd better do a post!

- - -

Our dogs have reached adolescence. They got their 'job' done. One became very sick, reacted to disinfectant vet used. Other fellow was fine. Anyway decided I would get really good at walking them. Up walking early in the morning and maybe again in the evening. Weather very agreeable for this new habit! Hour going forward will make the walking after work so much easier. We are all benefiting from the exercise.

When I walk with Denis, he always gives out to me for walking ahead of him.

Well maybe its a case of the dogs taking after their owners. Barack (so called because he is the first black Collison!) is always way ahead of the other fellow, Charlie. I have to regularly change around which dog is on which side for fear the arm on coming out of its socket on Barack's side!

- - -

In these times of recession, my advice to people is - only surround yourself with positive people. This doesn't mean people to which nothing bad happens. This doesn't mean people for whom the recession is not a daily reality. This just means people who can see the half-full glass in any situation.

First up is @TrustTommy. He is never in bad humour. He is a joy to be around. Not for him the angst-y teenager. He has too much to do to have time to get angst-y. His own blog posts though bear that out. I don't need to really mention him.

Second up is a friend of 30 years. (Just counted up how long we have been friends). She has known her share of sad events in the time I have known her. Her attitude and outlook have always been so positive. She truly knows how to enjoy life and living. Yet she is there at a moments notice to all of us.

I have other examples but you get my drift. I suggest spring cleaning your friends. Spend less time with those who can't see the glass half full. We all should develop the 'glasses' of which @TrustTommy spoke before

Comments [3]

March 9, 2009

Don't judge a book by its...

Last time I had booked to go to Budapest with Denis, I missed out on going because John got sick and I decided not to go, which I thought at the time was me just being cautious but turned out to be the correct decision. John ended up in hospital with (viral) meningitis. This time, flying out last Thursday, I also nearly didn't make it. D will begin to feel there is a jinx on me going to Budapest with him!

This time I was having problems with teethache (not toothache). Went to dentist previous Friday and he X rayed the 2 teeth that were causing problems but both looked okay so said take antibiotic and see which/what developed. I did but pain just didn't go away, though I was kinda getting used to it, despite taking painkillers. Met Patrick on Wednesday in Dublin and he saw me in pain and at 6 pm started looking for what you do in an emergency dental problem in Dublin. Found a dentist which opened until 7 pm. Went, dentist said probably a crack in back tooth leading to an infection, keep taking painkillers and antibiotics and come back in morning for 9.30 am and his colleague would sort it out. We were flying out to Budapest Thursday around 2 pm. Dental surgery was a very 'down at heel' sort of place, in not a great area but seemed to be efficient

I went to the dentist for my 9.30 appointment, arrived early because traffic was light. Dentist who arrived into work late (lots of apologising from staff saying not to worry, (I wasn't), she would be in - not a very auspicious start) took me quickly and worked on me until 11.45. She was 80% sure problem was not as her colleague had indicated - no crack in back tooth but that problem originated from dead front tooth. This was not inspiring great confidence in me. (Dentists differ, patients ... etc). I asked her what was the worst if her theory was wrong. She said I would have wasted €500 getting a root canal treatment done to a perfectly good tooth but tooth would look no different. I decided to go with her theory, (hadn't a lot of choice). She then drilled a hole at back of front tooth as effectively had to take out the contents of the tooth. She said having drilled the hole, no blood came out, no nerve so her theory was correct - tooth was dead and therefore her recommended treatment was correct.

I apologised to her for messing up her morning schedule. When I emerged at 11.45 there was an overflow of patients outside the waiting room. God knows how long some were waiting. I felt sorry that I had caused their delay also.

Moral of the dentist story - Don't judge book a by its cover. This dental surgery was not the sort of place I would choose in normal course of events, but they seemed to know what they were doing. Two days later all pain is now gone.

Normally I am very fussy about whom to go to e.g., which dentist etc, so continuing in my 'don't judge a book by the cover' theme, since hadn't a chance to get hair cut at home before leaving, walked in off the street to get it done in Budapest. This was a cut/colour job with the problem of language. The upshot of it was that I got the job done 1) as good as I would have at home, 2) much faster and 3) at 25% of cost it would have been at home. I loved the job the Hungarian lady did yet she didn't have a word of English.

So the new me is - no pre-judging!

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February 24, 2009

Random thoughts on Irish Blog Awards

Went to Irish Blog Awards on Saturday night. It was a really good night. What struck me as a very newcomer were the following:

The cross generational feel of the event. All age groups were present and really welcome. Blogging isn't the preserve of any age. I loved the mix of ages and how well everyone got on.

The community feel. Bloggers really belong to a community

What is the opposite to 'rip-off'? Go to the blog awards in Cork and you get a great night's entertainment - very professionally organised, cocktail reception, food before and after the event, beautiful venue and all for €10. Eddie Hobbs is also from Cork, any connection?

The event was fully booked out. The sheer number of people who chose to travel to Cork is testimony to how good an event it is

I have to admire Damien Mulley's vision in creating the awards. He has great leadership qualities.

While sitting at the event felt I must get back to blogging!

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February 9, 2009

More happiness

Well the '21st' came and went.

Celebrating happy times is great. The doom and gloom around certainly passed me by as I was so busy preparing for the 21st celebrations! It took a fair bit of effort but was well worth it to catch up with family/old friends, (old meaning length of knowing time, not really age, though age too creeping up on us all).

Tommy and I will have to come out of this happiness theme or we will bore everyone! Mind you the news out there needs a bit of balance.

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