Horrid Doris, otherwise known as our most recent storm, caused a tragic death and mayhem all over the UK this last week. When she blew off to be beastly to Eastern Europe, we had a few hours of bright blue sky, it was chilly-billy but bright as old Mr. Sun turned his torch on for a few hours.
On Friday she had to go and find some things in Hammersmith, so having taken a big pile of books back to the library and chosen two by Belinda Bauer, an author she has never read before, she left the library and walked around the corner into Chelsea Manor Street 'to see a man about a dog'.
Having met the man and seen what he had to offer, she thanked him, they arranged a date and time, she then crossed The King's Road and caught a 211 bus on Sydney Street, opened one of the books called 'The Shut Eye', published in 2015 and the bus trundled off all the way over to Hammersmith.
Leggings, leotard, sweat shirt, t.shirt, socks and shoes.. yes, you've got it.. gym clothes! She has her induction on Monday with Keith, the gym manager whom she went to see on Friday. Talk about a nice space!
Studio 2, where the Pilates and Yoga classes are held and the equipment studio are both huge rooms with a ceiling mostly made out of panels of glass, yes, a glass ceiling! Natural light was flooding into these two areas, much nicer than exercising in an area only lit by artifical light. Keith explained that both rooms had originally, a long time ago, been swimming pools and that the glass ceilings were opened in the summer to allow proper 'fresh' air in.
The huge pool will shortly be closing for a total refurbishment but that's ok, she's not so interested in the swimming pool bit as much as the classes and using the equipment. And so close! Yippee,library and gym in the same building, just different entrances and, as she is ancient, the monthly fee is amazingly good value but still gives her access to all the facilities.
She reckons that by using the gym three days a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday and going some other days to the allotment that she'll get her strength back up, I, of course, cannot go to the gym but I'll go to the allotments when the weather is better..
After shopping for food yesterday afternoon, she walked the length of the North End Road market hoping to see a friend and eureeka, all of a sudden, there she was!
Our very dearest Karen. The person who recommended her dentist to mum and who, for many years, ran one of the best stalls on the street. She's been away helping her son in Crewkerne, Somerset (where Constance had lived) and only came back on Friday.
Such squeaks of happiness as they saw each other.. "what you doing." they asked each other and it transpired that yesterday was Karen's last day because she's gone back to nursing and is starting at Charing Cross Hospital on Monday.
Telephone numbers were exchanged and then she asked after me.. naturally.. mum told her about my 'mohair vest', that made Karen coke with laughter! "Oh, I must go back and catch up on the blog, it's been at least nine months since we last chatted, Jasmine's baby (Karen's grand-daughter) is now ten months old and they've got a cute flat in Hammersmith." They hugged and gave each other a kiss.
"Grr, I thought Doris had blown off, what's with this evil wind and rain, she must have had a sneaky brother coming along behind her", she thought to herself, for the weather was deteriorating by the minute, with a bitter wind and icy rain falling as she walked up to the Broadway to catch a bus. Grrr.. Chelsea were playing at home! Buses on diversion, she should have caught the 74 on Lillie Road but then she'd have missed seeing Karen.
Thank goodness for the book in her basket and the kilo mesh bag of Shetland Mussels from her fishmonger!
We had them for supper last night when she finally got home. She did them in a very simple way, she took a BIG pan with a close fitting lid, put in about an inch of water and added : lots of fresh black pepper, a bay leaf, a celery stalk, a clove of crushed garlic and some sea salt.
Turned the heat to high, put on the lid and when the water had boiled for about a minute and was beginning to smell delicious, she put the cleaned mussels in, the lid back on, turned down the heat a bit and gave the pan a good shake every few seconds so that all the mussels were hit by the steam. They only took about four minutes, she then turned them into a huge bowl.
I am now crazy-daisy about mussels! Surprised? So was I, she offered me one and as it smelt truly delicious I took a little bite and was instantly hooked! There was only one in the whole kilo bag that was dead. A kilo of Shetland Mussels picked the day before, February 24th, and the cost? £4.00! We have some marinating in a vinagrette sauce which we will have sometime today, what a lovely treat.
Especially as the weather is so grim and the temperature has plummeted again. So much so that she's put the heat pad back into the bed to warm it up. But it's still Winter and we know only too well how bitterly cold and frosty March and April can be. And let's not forget this astonishing fact, that out on the allotments, our last Frost Date is June 9th!
Chirp.. I wonder what's she's got for our lunch? Now that is a happy thought as is the ray of sunlight that I spy with my little eye!
GeeGee Parrot.
February 26th, 2017.
On Friday she had to go and find some things in Hammersmith, so having taken a big pile of books back to the library and chosen two by Belinda Bauer, an author she has never read before, she left the library and walked around the corner into Chelsea Manor Street 'to see a man about a dog'.
Having met the man and seen what he had to offer, she thanked him, they arranged a date and time, she then crossed The King's Road and caught a 211 bus on Sydney Street, opened one of the books called 'The Shut Eye', published in 2015 and the bus trundled off all the way over to Hammersmith.
Leggings, leotard, sweat shirt, t.shirt, socks and shoes.. yes, you've got it.. gym clothes! She has her induction on Monday with Keith, the gym manager whom she went to see on Friday. Talk about a nice space!
Studio 2, where the Pilates and Yoga classes are held and the equipment studio are both huge rooms with a ceiling mostly made out of panels of glass, yes, a glass ceiling! Natural light was flooding into these two areas, much nicer than exercising in an area only lit by artifical light. Keith explained that both rooms had originally, a long time ago, been swimming pools and that the glass ceilings were opened in the summer to allow proper 'fresh' air in.
The huge pool will shortly be closing for a total refurbishment but that's ok, she's not so interested in the swimming pool bit as much as the classes and using the equipment. And so close! Yippee,library and gym in the same building, just different entrances and, as she is ancient, the monthly fee is amazingly good value but still gives her access to all the facilities.
She reckons that by using the gym three days a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday and going some other days to the allotment that she'll get her strength back up, I, of course, cannot go to the gym but I'll go to the allotments when the weather is better..
After shopping for food yesterday afternoon, she walked the length of the North End Road market hoping to see a friend and eureeka, all of a sudden, there she was!
Our very dearest Karen. The person who recommended her dentist to mum and who, for many years, ran one of the best stalls on the street. She's been away helping her son in Crewkerne, Somerset (where Constance had lived) and only came back on Friday.
Such squeaks of happiness as they saw each other.. "what you doing." they asked each other and it transpired that yesterday was Karen's last day because she's gone back to nursing and is starting at Charing Cross Hospital on Monday.
Telephone numbers were exchanged and then she asked after me.. naturally.. mum told her about my 'mohair vest', that made Karen coke with laughter! "Oh, I must go back and catch up on the blog, it's been at least nine months since we last chatted, Jasmine's baby (Karen's grand-daughter) is now ten months old and they've got a cute flat in Hammersmith." They hugged and gave each other a kiss.
"Grr, I thought Doris had blown off, what's with this evil wind and rain, she must have had a sneaky brother coming along behind her", she thought to herself, for the weather was deteriorating by the minute, with a bitter wind and icy rain falling as she walked up to the Broadway to catch a bus. Grrr.. Chelsea were playing at home! Buses on diversion, she should have caught the 74 on Lillie Road but then she'd have missed seeing Karen.
Thank goodness for the book in her basket and the kilo mesh bag of Shetland Mussels from her fishmonger!
We had them for supper last night when she finally got home. She did them in a very simple way, she took a BIG pan with a close fitting lid, put in about an inch of water and added : lots of fresh black pepper, a bay leaf, a celery stalk, a clove of crushed garlic and some sea salt.
Turned the heat to high, put on the lid and when the water had boiled for about a minute and was beginning to smell delicious, she put the cleaned mussels in, the lid back on, turned down the heat a bit and gave the pan a good shake every few seconds so that all the mussels were hit by the steam. They only took about four minutes, she then turned them into a huge bowl.
I am now crazy-daisy about mussels! Surprised? So was I, she offered me one and as it smelt truly delicious I took a little bite and was instantly hooked! There was only one in the whole kilo bag that was dead. A kilo of Shetland Mussels picked the day before, February 24th, and the cost? £4.00! We have some marinating in a vinagrette sauce which we will have sometime today, what a lovely treat.
Especially as the weather is so grim and the temperature has plummeted again. So much so that she's put the heat pad back into the bed to warm it up. But it's still Winter and we know only too well how bitterly cold and frosty March and April can be. And let's not forget this astonishing fact, that out on the allotments, our last Frost Date is June 9th!
Chirp.. I wonder what's she's got for our lunch? Now that is a happy thought as is the ray of sunlight that I spy with my little eye!
GeeGee Parrot.
February 26th, 2017.
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