under another sun

A slow Saturday morning. I sprang up fairly early to feed the pesky cats, and took back up bacon and egg sandwiches and cups of tea. Sat in bed talking for hours. Eventually we got up and tidied the house and cooked as we had invited Sarah and Dan over and Lorraine decided to unleash individual chicken leek and tarragon pies which take some prepping. Sarah works with Lorraine, and is an excellent person all round. I like Dan too, who I've chatted two a few times too. He used to work in the police, but having retired from that has done other jobs, like work as a postie. I asked him which of the cop dramas seemed most realistic, and he said none of them. Lovely to spend an evening with Sarah, who I have known for years, without ever having actually hung out with over a few glasses of wine and excellent pies. A cheery night, and one to repeat I hope. 

Kippers for breakfast this morning. Sam absent, however, having managed to stay up all night reading in the kitchen coupled with alphabetising all the cookery books on the shelves. Lorraine busy preparing the contents of a chicken, tarragon, and leek pie, cooked in white wine and stock. Delicious. Tobs and I spent a happy afternoon, we walked up to the Hillfort and around threading through bits of woods and so on, and stopping off at last in the cafe in Blaker's park where we shared another flapjack and had some coffee and talked for hours about everything that mattered. It is just really good to spend time with him. Just as we were drinking my coffee I noticed I had an email with another query about an invoice, so I had to pop home and sort this, which didn't take long. Cups of tea and toasties later. Lorraine came home after having popped in to see Dawn, whose birthday it is today. She then proceeded to make what would turn out to be divine individual pies, while I peeled spu...

Lorraine and I on our own all day, and Lorraine's arm hurting and she was feeling a bit antsy with the cast and so on. It will force her to rest however. Dawn came by with a bunch of flowers in the evening. Having had a nasty fall off the side of a mountain onto her wrist, she was full of sympathy. For me it meant helping L on with clothes, and doing all the jobs that require two hands. I rolled pastry, under Lorraine's supervision, and we made a really nice turkey and leek pie and many sausage rolls. A peaceful day, and evening spent on the gold sofa.

So today was our wedding anniversary. Getting married to Lorraine clearly the best thing I've done.  I took my snoozing lovely a cup of tea and a card, and then melted away somewhat regretfully into the mizzley morning. Journey to Victoria fine, despite leaving a little later. The circle line doomed at Victoria, however, so after failing to find another way to the office I had to get a taxi. I was late, but luckily there had been a fire drill, and staff were outside on the street, so I cleverly blended in with them and nobody was any the wiser. Work okay. I have realised that the way they want me to write for this project is in the tone of completely soulless corporate guff. Now I have understood this, the job should be fairly straightforward. The chief pain of it, will be as we get nearer the event, I will be called on at all hours to update copy and help with presentations and so on, which I think I can cope with. Home, at last, and Lorraine had prepared us a romantic three c...

Lorraine and I had another much needed slow start. Another bad night's sleep for Lorraine. Maureen and Pat up  early, when we eventually got up L and I had a porridge breakfast, which Claudia balked at, preferring chocolate. After much to-ing and fro-ing Claudia off on another shopping expedition in town, while Lorraine, Pat, Maureen and myself out of town to an Argos and a Next, to buy a laundry basket, and a rail for having towels on, not to mention some leeks. I also bought two shirts in a sale. Home again, and I repaired to my study, and caught up with a some of the things I should have been doing in the last few weeks. Thinking about the reading we have in London on the first working Wednesday of the year.  I love my new study. And the speakers Lorraine bought me for Christmas sound beautiful. The day interspersed, naturally, with some grappling with toilet seats, and a spot of violent hammering, and Lorraine also hung hooks on several doors before cooked a marvello...

Another stress peak : L and I discussing the wedding this morning wondered if we had paid the balance to the pavilion for the ceremony. We discovered we hadn't and the deadline for such matters had passed. Nobody on the phone, so we went down to the Pavilion itself. Very nice people there one of whom looked on their computer system for us, only to find that there were other people booked in our slot. Lorraine looking as if she was going to cry at people quite a lot. I began mentally composing the email to explain there was a change of plan, and we would actually be getting married in a car park somewhere on a different day. However, after twenty minutes or so it turned this was a system glitch and everything should be fine and be confirmed on Monday morning. Went to the Cricketers for a sit down, and a soft drink to gather ourselves and then off to the jewellers to collect our rings. Mine was a little tight still but loosening it was a matter of seconds. Lorraine's wedding ...

And Lo! In the small hours I had the unbounded joy of a reasonably normal wee. The antibiotic cavalry had arrived in the nick of time to, um, major relief. In the morning I unpacked the manbag I'd prepared for hospital and as the day progressed things slowly but steadily improved. The thing about recovering is the joy simple things give you. Lorraine and I gingerly walked in the park, which was like being freed from prison. We also went to Sainsbury's to buy the fixings for the pies that were forming in Lorraine's mind: a goat's cheese, spinach and potato tart, then a chicken, ham, leek and tarragon pie. This was a communal effort with Betty being sous chef, and me reading the recipes out. The result was without a doubt the finest chicken and ham pie I've ever eaten. Also chatted with First Matie for the first time in ages, who had what sounds like the happiest Christmas for years being with her niece, brand new nephew, sister new brother in law and his family. ...

A variety of pies After treating my home like a hotel all week started cleaning up this morning. Amazing how much stuff needs to be done after five days. Decided to make my missions today small and accomplishable. For example, I decided to make a pie. I've not made one for ages. Off into Brighton to get a rolling pin, and a pie tin. Ages since I made pastry. I made a "layer pie", which Mum used to make for us when we were kids. It's a pie (concentrate now) with onion and whisked eggs layered in with pork luncheon meat -- and is curiously tasty. Put in a few tiny bits of chili too to make the eggs slightly huevos rancheros style. Had some this afternoon and it was surprisingly good. It is one of those pies which is better cold. In the evening went up to see Anna and Anton. Anna out to a mother and baby market event she'd organised for the charity. We sat about while Anton did things in his kitchen domain, and I spooned more food into Oskar. Anton making pizza pies...