This, Dear Readers, is an art for which, you have to be prepared to be flexible. For you have no idea what is out there to be gathered when you go out hunting But first.. you have to go out.. there.. and we woke up late today, for which hours later, she was very glad.
But it put a stop to the idea of her making and baking that orange cake. Instead, she dived into the chilly-white larder and came out with the second half of a chocolate salami, the lack of chilli had not prevented the first half from being eaten, so it would act as a splendid fuel for three Goaty troops who have been battling it out at Borough Market.
So after gathering stuff together, she replendished my yumyum and water dishes, gave me a kiss on Beaky and left the flat.. sigh.. LBC 97.3 ain't the same as having my mum at home but I settled down and waited for her to come home.
She did, eventually, when it was dark but she had lots to tell about her day of being 'out there'!
She went via the underground, catching the Jubilee Line to London Bridge where Borough Market is situated. Entering the market, she found two troopers busy flogging cheese. One trooper was absent but returned almost immediately drinking something that looked delicious, it was a proper, vanilla, milkshake.
It was greatly admired by the visitor and other troops and one of them went off immediately to gather vanilla and chocolate versions. Oooh, the chocolate one which mama had was perfection! What most excellent chocolate had been used, dark and rich, it had been properly mixed.. yes, it was truly slurpy.
She produced her salami which had been tied up in silver foil to look like a cracker, with scrunched up ends and with scarlet ribbon.. our ribbon.. which says in silver "With love from ... & GeeGee" and said "this is for you all, from GeeGee and me, we wish you all a happy and snow-free Christmas".
But they thought that it should be quality tested before she left, she opened it up and cut off slices. And learnt that Rosie, Joe's fiancee, can't digest nuts and, so very wisely, she doesn't eat them at all. Thank goodness she hadn't made the orange cake! For she might have forgotten to mention that it wasn't a flour cake but made with ground almond.. gulp!
And then.. the big surprise of the day kicked in! For there.. was the missing chilli! Wow.. who knew that chilli needed several days in order to work its' way through to do battle with chocolate and to come through winning.. she didn't!
Some delicious gifts were put into her plaited basket.. curd for me, two packets of biscuits from the island of Stornaway, a couple of packets of that stunning cheese called Winterdale Shaw that she raved about last week. And a jar of beetroot and horseradish.. WHICH elf knew that she considers this to be one Gods' best culinary marriages?
It approached time to pack up.. she's of absolutely no help doing this, so everyone was kissed good-bye and wished happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year and she left Borough.. fully intending to come home.
Back to London Bridge and onto a tube she got, getting off at Green Park and she, for a reason still unknown to her, walked up to catch a bus and who should be standing there at the top.. grinning from ear to ear and saying " I cannot believe who I'm looking at, how are you?"
And, there, was her first boss when she joined Revlon International. Just think, if she'd continued home by changing on to the Piccadilly Line she'd have missed meeting Shirley, whom she'd last seen in Bermuda in 1981.
"What are you doing here?", asked my mama.. "aah", said Shirl-the-Twirl, "I'm in search of things to eat as I wasn't supposed to be here, but fate has a way of changing plans, YOU know that only too well, my darling girl, let's go in search of a bit of grub and to play catch-up".
They decided to stay away from the West End which would have been manic and headed for Fulham where it would still be open for business but without the crowds. Now, she is not mad about Tesco's or any of other jumbo supermarkets but the big Tesco on Cromwell Road have been clever enough to create a pleasant place to drink good coffee and eat a pastry or two.
And so these two old friends sat and chewed the fat and talked and talked about who and what and why.. until she realised the time and said 'I think we've got to get going, otherwise they'll close and we won't have any food!"
And then two grown-up women played 'Hunt for two days food', first of all, my mama scooped up all the samphire in one swoop, Shirley pillaged for vegetables saying she only needed enough for three people for two meals and fruit. They noticed a bit of strange activity going on around the fish counter and realised they were sluicing down the ice and the fresh fish was being bagged up!
Like locusts, these two women pounced on the fishmonger as he took up a couple of beautiful trout and a fat piece of smoked salmon from the ice, my mum said "just what I'd love with beetroot and horseradish relish with buttery samphire" as she waited for him to price and bag up these lovely treats and a fat tuna together with another piece of smoked salmon whooshed its' way into Shirley's basket.
Cheese, of course, she had a'plenty, but they went off and found some which passed from a smiley cheese man to Miz Shirley, along with fruits and fresh coffee.
Then it was time to pay and leave with their gathered goodies. Their bills were a joke! These foods had, literally, been given away by these clever merchants and wisely too. For fish IS better cooked when fresh and these fish are bright and shiny eyed.
They walked to catch a 74 bus back up to Knightsbridge, for her to come home and for Shirley to collect her car and to find her daughter. They got off together at Brompton Square and crossed the road together.
They stood and smiled at each other, how lovely, how very lovely it had been to spend time with an old friend without a husband / lover / child / parrot / etc, etc. They gave each other a hug and wished each other "Vayo con Dios and happy Christmas and New Years" and she walked home. What a nice thing to have happened.
We had smoked salmon with beetroot and horseradish relish with buttery lightly boiled samphire on a bed of rocket for supper, an advantage about being just the two of us, is she knows I'll eat anything she gives me and she, well, she's a hunter and a gatherer and she gathered some slurpy things today.
The sky was blue, there hadn't been a cloud was in sight, what a perfectly brilliant day it had been and guess what, it's the 24th of December and not only is it Christmas Eve but, we have passed the shortest day of the year on the 21st and our days will be getting longer.. and brighter.
Happy Christmas Eve everyone.. Happy Christmas to you all.
GeeGee Parrot & Her.
December 24th, 2015.
But it put a stop to the idea of her making and baking that orange cake. Instead, she dived into the chilly-white larder and came out with the second half of a chocolate salami, the lack of chilli had not prevented the first half from being eaten, so it would act as a splendid fuel for three Goaty troops who have been battling it out at Borough Market.
So after gathering stuff together, she replendished my yumyum and water dishes, gave me a kiss on Beaky and left the flat.. sigh.. LBC 97.3 ain't the same as having my mum at home but I settled down and waited for her to come home.
She did, eventually, when it was dark but she had lots to tell about her day of being 'out there'!
She went via the underground, catching the Jubilee Line to London Bridge where Borough Market is situated. Entering the market, she found two troopers busy flogging cheese. One trooper was absent but returned almost immediately drinking something that looked delicious, it was a proper, vanilla, milkshake.
It was greatly admired by the visitor and other troops and one of them went off immediately to gather vanilla and chocolate versions. Oooh, the chocolate one which mama had was perfection! What most excellent chocolate had been used, dark and rich, it had been properly mixed.. yes, it was truly slurpy.
She produced her salami which had been tied up in silver foil to look like a cracker, with scrunched up ends and with scarlet ribbon.. our ribbon.. which says in silver "With love from ... & GeeGee" and said "this is for you all, from GeeGee and me, we wish you all a happy and snow-free Christmas".
But they thought that it should be quality tested before she left, she opened it up and cut off slices. And learnt that Rosie, Joe's fiancee, can't digest nuts and, so very wisely, she doesn't eat them at all. Thank goodness she hadn't made the orange cake! For she might have forgotten to mention that it wasn't a flour cake but made with ground almond.. gulp!
And then.. the big surprise of the day kicked in! For there.. was the missing chilli! Wow.. who knew that chilli needed several days in order to work its' way through to do battle with chocolate and to come through winning.. she didn't!
Some delicious gifts were put into her plaited basket.. curd for me, two packets of biscuits from the island of Stornaway, a couple of packets of that stunning cheese called Winterdale Shaw that she raved about last week. And a jar of beetroot and horseradish.. WHICH elf knew that she considers this to be one Gods' best culinary marriages?
It approached time to pack up.. she's of absolutely no help doing this, so everyone was kissed good-bye and wished happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year and she left Borough.. fully intending to come home.
Back to London Bridge and onto a tube she got, getting off at Green Park and she, for a reason still unknown to her, walked up to catch a bus and who should be standing there at the top.. grinning from ear to ear and saying " I cannot believe who I'm looking at, how are you?"
And, there, was her first boss when she joined Revlon International. Just think, if she'd continued home by changing on to the Piccadilly Line she'd have missed meeting Shirley, whom she'd last seen in Bermuda in 1981.
"What are you doing here?", asked my mama.. "aah", said Shirl-the-Twirl, "I'm in search of things to eat as I wasn't supposed to be here, but fate has a way of changing plans, YOU know that only too well, my darling girl, let's go in search of a bit of grub and to play catch-up".
They decided to stay away from the West End which would have been manic and headed for Fulham where it would still be open for business but without the crowds. Now, she is not mad about Tesco's or any of other jumbo supermarkets but the big Tesco on Cromwell Road have been clever enough to create a pleasant place to drink good coffee and eat a pastry or two.
And so these two old friends sat and chewed the fat and talked and talked about who and what and why.. until she realised the time and said 'I think we've got to get going, otherwise they'll close and we won't have any food!"
And then two grown-up women played 'Hunt for two days food', first of all, my mama scooped up all the samphire in one swoop, Shirley pillaged for vegetables saying she only needed enough for three people for two meals and fruit. They noticed a bit of strange activity going on around the fish counter and realised they were sluicing down the ice and the fresh fish was being bagged up!
Like locusts, these two women pounced on the fishmonger as he took up a couple of beautiful trout and a fat piece of smoked salmon from the ice, my mum said "just what I'd love with beetroot and horseradish relish with buttery samphire" as she waited for him to price and bag up these lovely treats and a fat tuna together with another piece of smoked salmon whooshed its' way into Shirley's basket.
Cheese, of course, she had a'plenty, but they went off and found some which passed from a smiley cheese man to Miz Shirley, along with fruits and fresh coffee.
Then it was time to pay and leave with their gathered goodies. Their bills were a joke! These foods had, literally, been given away by these clever merchants and wisely too. For fish IS better cooked when fresh and these fish are bright and shiny eyed.
They walked to catch a 74 bus back up to Knightsbridge, for her to come home and for Shirley to collect her car and to find her daughter. They got off together at Brompton Square and crossed the road together.
They stood and smiled at each other, how lovely, how very lovely it had been to spend time with an old friend without a husband / lover / child / parrot / etc, etc. They gave each other a hug and wished each other "Vayo con Dios and happy Christmas and New Years" and she walked home. What a nice thing to have happened.
We had smoked salmon with beetroot and horseradish relish with buttery lightly boiled samphire on a bed of rocket for supper, an advantage about being just the two of us, is she knows I'll eat anything she gives me and she, well, she's a hunter and a gatherer and she gathered some slurpy things today.
The sky was blue, there hadn't been a cloud was in sight, what a perfectly brilliant day it had been and guess what, it's the 24th of December and not only is it Christmas Eve but, we have passed the shortest day of the year on the 21st and our days will be getting longer.. and brighter.
Happy Christmas Eve everyone.. Happy Christmas to you all.
GeeGee Parrot & Her.
December 24th, 2015.
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