ganching

Time 2020-12-08 01:04:20

Web Name: ganching

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I woke up from a very vivid dream about my ex-bossI made pastry and put it in the fridge to chillI caught a train into central London and was dismayed to see quite a few people on the tube not wearing masksI met London Sister and we wandered up and down Marylebone High Street without buying anythingI walked past Debenham s and felt a little sad that it is closing down and then remembered that I never actually go into itI went to Tate Britain and met TB and SF as we had arranged to see an exhibition there and I realised that I had never been to an exhibition in my life before of figurative art where all the paintings were of black people - I loved the exhibition.I featured in several people s photographs as we exited the gallery via the Millbank steps and mingled with the crowds who had just come to admire the installation on the front of the buildingI came home and took the pastry out of the fridge and it was closer to being frozen than chilled and it was impossible to roll it out so I had to break bits off, roll them out, and then patchwork the whole thing together in flan tinI made a broccoli and blue cheese quiche - it did not have a soggy bottom - beetroot and carrot salad, couscous, tomato and avocado and roasted asparagus and TB and SF ate all of itI fed my Christmas cakes with brandy and I received my first Christmas present of the year Here is a review from the FT courtesy of TB When I woke up this morning slightly too early the sky was just beginning to get light and in a few minutes it was washed in pink and red. When I moved into this flat I had no curtains in the bedroom for a few weeks and I was delighted when I realised that I would be able to see the sun rising from the comfort of my bed.Hard to believe that we are now so close to Christmas. It s very different for me this year as for the first time in about ten years I m spending Christmas in London. I m quite looking forward to being at home for an extended period of time without having to work. I am making a list of projects I d like to complete. None of them are arduous so there is a chance I might actually achieve some of my goals. I ve got the decluttering bug again and today I set the timer on my phone for ten minutes and then swept through my bookshelves looking for books to donate to the library. I found nine that I was happy to let go. I d been into the library earlier to return the Olivia Manning and noticed that there seemed to be a huge amount of junk in there. I believe my donations will have improved the offer somewhat. The library is curated by someone and they are ruthless in removing tattered copies of chick lit and other forms of dross.I went to the market with TB in the morning but as he was having a drama with his central heating and waiting for an engineer to arrive we didn t have coffee afterwards as we normally do in his flat. I came home by myself and had a home made flat white. I have no equipment whatsoever for the making of fancy coffees so I was quite pleased with the results.In the afternoon I went to Canary Wharf to do some shopping but it was horribly busy and I felt very uneasy using public transport. About 20% of people were not wearing face masks despite the notices everywhere advising people they would be liable to fines for not doing so.This morning I had my first ever flu vaccination and I have to say our local surgery was incredibly well managed. My appointment was at 10.42 and when I arrived there was a queue but I was whisked to the front of it and was in and out within minutes. I m sure they are using this as a dry run for when the Covid vaccination becomes available. I have had no side effects from the injection.So Christmas preparations. I managed to buy one or two small presents while out and I did some food shopping. I spent over 50 quid in the supermarket and I d guess about £15 of that was on sensible food and the rest was fripperies. I enjoyed it though. I also ordered a Christmas tree which is arriving next Saturday. I haven t had a real tree in this flat for a very long time. Of course I have no room for a Christmas tree but I m going to work around that. I might have to store some stuff in the communal hall for a few weeks and hope that the neighbours don t notice. (Does anyone know what this shrub is? Whatever it is I m sure it shouldn t be flowering at this time of year.) Today I d booked annual leave but despite this I ended up having to do some work in the morning. I was not very happy about this.Last week I booked a slot to visit the V A today. Museums and galleries are open again in London but you must pre-book. It was a miserable day, cold with mizzling rain. No snow though. I always like visiting the V A shop before Christmas as they have a really good selection of cards and decorations as well as it being a good place to buy presents.I got there early but they still allowed me to come in. It was strange to be in the museum when there were no overseas tourists or school groups around. Clearly the museum has decided to take advantage of the reduction in visitors to do lots of maintenance work and quite a few of the rooms were closed off. I walked down the long sculpture gallery and every piece of statutory was shrouded in thick plastic like some kind of weird installation. In another room I saw a cleaner delicately cleaning a statue with a feather duster.I wandered round aimlessly and decided I would look at just a few things. I was pleased to stumble upon the stained glass room and I stopped for five minutes in front a panel by Harry Clarke which is a bit sombre and not as colourful as the windows in the old convent in Dingle. I also looked at some paintings which I don t ever remember seeing before. My aimless wandering then took me to the Concealed Histories display which is about the provenance of some of the works in the Gilbert collection. In this case it refers specifically to works of art which were stolen from Jewish families and institutions during the war. I am always conscious in museums about the origins of many of the works especially the British Museum which one of my sisters refers to as the Evidence Room.I exited through the gift shop and did manage to buy a few bits and pieces although there was very little Christmas stuff on display.I headed toward the Kings Road which as always was thronged with elderly, posh people doing a little shopping in Waitrose, and hordes of children in rust coloured breeches - it s the uniform of a very expensive prep school - and women with dyed blond hair chatting to each other in the street. I went to Waterstone s and bought myself two books to read over the Christmas holidays. Overall it was a very enjoyable outing although I did notice that London doesn t look quite as Christmassy as it usually does at this time of year.Christmas Preparations Day 21 - I bought some cards in the V A and I wrapped four presents this evening. I also bought some cloves in Waitrose as one always needs a clove or two in the house around Christmas. Like lots of people I ve found it a bit hard to read in the Covid times. I have never not had a book on the go since I was about eight but I ve actually read less this year than I would do normally. In 2019 I read 36 books and this year I ve read 31 which considering how much time I ve spent at home is not very many and I am unlikely to exceed my 2019 total unless I read 6 books in the next 3 weeks. I ve actually read more books this year than I thought I had - I have only just counted them up - but I expect that I think I ve read less than I have because I have been doing a lot of re-reading.Yesterday morning Frances left a comment on Monday s post recommending The Balkan Trilogy by Olivia Manning. The night before I d walked past the telephone box library and noticed a copy of the very same book on the shelf and wondered whether I should take it. It is probably more than 30 years since I last read this and I can t remember whether I read it before or after the television series which starred Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh. I loved that TV series and I enjoyed the book. Last night I grabbed the copy out of the library even though it was a little bit grubby but when I got home and went through my bookshelves I found my original copy which was obviously published after the TV series had been made as Ken and Emma are on the cover. I shall be returning the grubby copy to the library. So thank you Frances for the recommendation and I shall be re-reading this early next year.It is not snowing in London as it is in other parts of the country but it certainly feels like winter has arrived. I went out for my nightly walk and I was glad I brought my gloves. Christmas Preparations Day 22 - I ordered some packing material online and I took delivery of a parcel. I also looked up some recipes and am mentally making a shopping list. Tomorrow I am off work so am hoping to cross some things off my Christmas to do list. MinusesIt is still only WednesdayI was so busy I hadn t time for a lunch breakBy 6 o clock I d only walked 3000 stepsI did no Christmas preparationsI am massively fed up with being at home all the timeI woke up too earlyPlusesI woke up early enough to catch a really beautiful sunriseI have booked tickets to go to the V A and Tate Britain at the weekendI was at home today when a rather large parcel was delivered and hopefully some more will be arriving tomorrowI am listening to a really interesting podcast - Broken about Jeffrey Epstein - which made going for a four mile walk, in the dark and rain after a really hard day at work, quite enjoyableMy working day flew past which is one advantage of being busyTomorrow is Thursday and as I m off on Friday the working week is practically over So that was November. A month which was almost entirely spent within a three mile radius of where I live. At the beginning of the month the trees were in their autumn glory but by yesterday the fallen leaves have turned to mush on the pavements. It was a pretty grey month with not enough crisp, bright days. In fact the weather was unseasonably mild so it is hard to believe it is actually winter now. Throughout the course of the month I saw Traybake and Soda Farl and on one exciting day I met one of my colleagues for a walk in the graveyard. In December I need to try a bit harder to see people.We are now counting down the days until Christmas so today is day 24. I got out my little Christmas tree lamp and tomorrow I am planning to order a Christmas tree. I still have a lot of shopping to do. As I ve mentioned before Mondays aren t quite as painful as they were in the pre-Covid days. Partly it s because the contrast between working days and non-working days aren t quite as extreme. Today was generally OK. Sometimes I wonder if my decision to leave in a few months is a mistake and then I read a really irritating email or go to a meeting with a competitive colleague and I know that I m doing the right thing.I was checking my archives and looked at what I did on this day last year. It was a Saturday and I wasn t feeling that well but I managed to go into central London in the afternoon and I visited three different bookshops. I d give anything to be able to go browsing in a bookshop. Technically I will be able to do this in a couple of days but most of the joy has been taken out of this kind of casual shopping, the type where you wander around aimlessly picking up whatever catches your eye and you don t have to worry about putting yourself or the staff in the store at risk.I am going to treat myself to some books for Christmas. The kinds of books that you can read on a dark afternoon while reclining on the sofa and nibbling on a mince pie. (I am currently reading The Great Hunger by Cecil Woodham-Smith which would not fall into this category!). There are a few Barbara Pym novels that I still haven t read and I m happy to accept recommendations.For lunch today I had beans on toast and I very much enjoyed it.I went for a three mile walk after work and I was struck by the number of homes that have lights draped over the shrubs and trees in their garden or festooned over their windows. I think it looks lovely although I doubt if I could persuade my neighbours to do the same thing to our house. Woke up at a respectable hourDid some houseworkWent for a short walk with Traybake to help him post a letterAssisted* TB make a temporary repair to our shed as the wind had blown part of the felting off Spent an hour raking leavesRead the gas meter which I have put off doing for the last two weeks despite receiving a number of slightly frantic messages from my energy companyGathered some foliage from the garden and attempted to make a Christmas wreathBaked sconesChatted on the phone with Kerry SisterHad something eggy on a tray for dinner *assisted - held the stepladder and handed TB some tacks while he crawled about on the roof of the shed simultaneously bashing tacks in while chatting to Mrs Cummings. I don t think she realised that I was also in the garden. I felt much more cheerful today.Early in the morning I did some housework, including cleaning the communal stairs, and throwing one or two things away.I went to the market by myself and timed it correctly. It doesn t open until ten and all the young people with small children get there really early. The queues at the food stalls are very long at this time. Around 12 the even younger people with hangovers arrive to buy artisanal hamburgers and the queues are even longer not helped by the need for social distancing. I got there at 11.30 and didn t have to queue at all to buy my vegetables. I had coffee with Traybake and then I came home and completed the Guardian crossword in record time. During the days of Covid I have got much better at solving cryptic crosswords and making scones. This is how I will remember this period.Late afternoon I went for a walk to Greenwich Park which was very busy considering it was almost dark and a bit cold. Normally at this time of year in the late afternoon the park would be almost empty but I guess people have to go somewhere. Next week I assume they will all be shopping on Saturday afternoon. I left the park and headed to the supermarket. TB had invited SF and me for dinner and I d promised to bring dessert. Usually I would bake something but I ran out of time so cheated and bought a passionfruit cheesecake.We had quite a nice evening planning what to eat at Christmas and wondering if we would be able to go to a concert on Christmas Eve and whether as atheists and/or marxists it would be appropriate to go to Westminster Cathedral to midnight mass. The latter seems unlikely as masses are rarely held at midnight any more and the Cathedral will probably still be closed. I was so bored today! Last Friday I had a trip to the supermarket to look forward to but as I went to Waitrose last night I didn t even have that as my start of the weekend treat. I m tired of being stuck in this small flat every day and tired of not having anything to look forward to. I know I m just having a blip and I ll probably feel OK by tomorrow but I am so fed up.It was foggy when I woke up and I decided I d go for a morning walk and perhaps take some moody photographs but by the time I went out the mist had almost completely dissipated and there was even a patch or two of blue in the sky. It soon clouded over but the mist didn t come back.I also did more Christmas shopping online which is proving to be potentially quite expensive as I keep seeing things I want to buy for myself.The good news is that Kerry Sister got out of hospital today and is back home. It will take her a few weeks to recover from the operation but she sounds like herself. I feel quite guilty that I m feeling sorry for myself when really I don t have much to complain about and am certainly not facing the challenges that many other people are. Thankfully tomorrow is another day. 1199 - 1200 Two BooksDonated to telephone box library 1198 - ShoesCharity bin 1197 - BookDonated to a book sale. 1195 - 1196 Two Pairs of ShoesDeposited in the charity bin at the end of the street. 1194 - Small glass dishCharity shop 1190 - 1193 4 BooksCharity shop. 1189 - Ireland's OwnI have had this since 2010. My mother had half filled in the crossword. Recycling bin. 1187-88 Two BooksPassed on to a friend. 1186 - Pink VestI got this in Uniqlo in SF. It was in the sale but very pink. Charity shop. 1183 - 1185 Three BooksCharity Shop 234 - Walking TrousersI ripped the knee out of my trousers when I tripped on Boxing Day. 228 -233 6 X BooksOne new and five second-hand 227 Jumper from ToastIt was in the sale and exactly what I was looking for. 226 - Small kitchen bin 215 - 225 Assorted Christmas Presents 215 - Wooden BoxI am easily influenced. 214 - Sink ProtectorMy new sink had a little rust mark on it!! Not good. 213 - Dish RackSuitable for a wooden worktop. 212 - A CoatI have spent two days deciding whether or not to buy this coat. Decision made and coat is now hanging in the hall cupboard. 207 -211 5 x Balls of WoolI am knitting some very small Christmas presents. 206 Winter Weight DuvetGiven to me by TB. Too heavy for him and just right for me. 205 - BookAnother lifestyle book about simplifying one's life. 203-204 IkeaFreezer BagsI love these. 202 - A very expensive blanketI justified this by making the decision not to buy a new winter coat. 200 - 201 Two Bottles of Essential OilsSee previous entry. 199 Epsom SaltsI am very suggestible. 198 ShirtI needed something new for a party and this was in the sale. 194 - 197 Selection of Books 193 Packet of plastic envelopesI bought these while on holiday but forgot to list them. 192 CoastersI bought four but counting as one item. 191 BookI bought this a couple of weeks ago but forgot to list it. 190 Pinafore I bought this online from Toast. 189 - JarsI am counting these as one item as they are so small. Jars for decanting toiletries into. 188 - One FitbitI have wanted one of these for ages. 186- 187 Two Bars SoapI bought myself a present 185 - Small SuitcaseCarry on luggage here I come. 183-184 Small paintbox and paper 182 - PrintI got another Peter Yates print. 179-181 Three Books 178 - Black DressIf you go shopping in the sales you end up making unplanned purchases to state the bleeding obvious. 177 - Pillow 176 - SkirtI needed a summer skirt for work or that's what I'm telling myself. 174-175 Two Small Glass Bottles/vasesVery cheap and one has some very realistic imitation flowers in. 173 - Denim shirt dressI bought this from Toast and it was far too expensive but I justified by telling myself it is a dress for all seasons. (I also bought a pair of PJs in the sale but as I threw away a pair they don't count) 172 - Tee ShirtThis was a freebie which I had to wear for a work event 171 - Small Rucksack 169-170 Two Books 167-168 Two sets of pastry cutters 166 - Pair of shortsI think I must have been having some kind of temporary insanity fit when I bought these. They were cheap and from M&S. 165 - Pair of Red ShoesThese remind me of the type of shoes my mother wore once she was over 70- ho-hum. 164 - Water Spray BottleI bought this rather than buying a new iron. 163 - Packet of Coloured PensI may be doing some colouring in. 160 - 162Three books. 158 - 159 Two TeeshirtsI bought these in TK Maxx and both are from the sports range. 155 - 157 3 Books 154 - Large Kitchen BookThis was given to me by the company from whom I'm going to buy a kitchen. 152 - 153 Two Small Succulents 150 -151 Two Bras 149 - Stripey T-ShirtI will get rid of two t-shirts to make up for this. 145 to 148 Shirts x 4OK this is not how a minimalist behaves but I have got rid of so many clothes I actually need to start buying stuff. All from Uniqlo. 144 - Hornsea Coffee PotCharity shop find although was not particularly cheap. 143 - BookI went to a book launch so I had to buy the book. 142 - Cashmere CardiganI bought this last month and forgot to list it. 140 - 141 Trousers and ShirtI bought a pair of quirky and v. cheap trousers from Uniqlo and a less cheap shirt also from Uniqlo. 139 - The Duhks CD 138 - Box of Candles It's hygge all the way here. 136 - 137 Two BooksI got quite a lot of tokens for my birthday so I bought the latest Marie Kondo and a novel. 129 - 134Assorted birthday presents 128 - New lampI have needed a new bedside lamp for ages. 127 - Plain Black TrousersSensible trousers for work. 126 - Pair of ShoesSensible (the only kind I every buy) shoes for work. 110 - 125 Assorted Christmas Presents 108 - 109 Two Storage JarsKilner jars are always useful. 107 - Large JugA present I gave to my mother that is now returned to me. 106 - Framed PhotoThis is a picture of me that hung on my mother's sitting room wall. 105 - Vintage Cake plateCake plate - some stuff from my mother's house which has been stored at my sister's flat. 102 -104100 tealights and two boxes of candles. 99 -101 Three Books 98 - A Pair of SlippersMy Christmas present to myself. 97 - Large Roll of Brown Paper Wrapping 96 - Rita Hosking CDThe first CD I have bought this year, 95 - New CurtainsI have had the previous curtains since1997. I stopped liking them in 1998 but have lived with them ever since. 94 - TelevisionMy television was 9 years old but the freeview box stopped working and I decided it was time to upgrade. 93 - PostcardsI have bought a lot of postcards this year. 92 - LeggingsI have joined a yoga class and realised that I had decluttered my old pair. 91 - Cashmere cardiganI have been planning to buy this for ages. Hello winter. 90 BookThis is the book by TNMA that I have been meaning to buy for ages. 88 PrintI bought this last month and forgot to list it. I am very pleased with this purchase. 87 Fridge MagnetPresent from Japan 86 - PerfumeL'Eau d'Issey from duty free. 85 Large pine conePicked up on the camino close to Santiago de Compostela 82 - 84 Portuguese Camino MomentosShell, credencial and compostela. 81 Grey CardiganI tried to buy a skirt while I was on holiday and ended up in H&M which is so cheap but did not sell skirts. 80 Sake CupGift from Japan 79 Small NotebookI really didn't need this but I want a new notebook for my camino journal. 78 Guidebook to Portuguese CaminoGetting excited now. 76-77 Two T-shirtsI have disposed of so many old t-shirts I needed to buy some new ones. 74 -75 Two PaintbrushesI bought these because I'm sure I've thrown away the old ones. 71 - 73 Three cardboard boxesI brought these home from work as I have to empty some cupboards while work is carried out in my kitchen. 67 - 70 Four glassesI bought these from the museum shop at Louisianna in Copenhagen. They were very cheap and lovely. 66 - Wooden DogSmall Tim dog from Bojesen. I so wanted this. 61 - 65 - Packet of Plastic FoldersI bought these from Hay. 60 - Selection of postcards 59 - Fridge MagnetVery tasteful. 58 - Tourist leaflets from CopenhagenI am counting this as one object and I don't care if that is cheating. 57 - BookI got a nicky french from the telephone box library. 56 - RaincoatMy raincoat is around 12 years old and very tatty. This one is very plain and hopefully will last I will not be buying another one for at least ten years. 55 - Book on RunningAs one of the authors is a long time blog friend I had to buy this. 54 - Foot CreamMy heels are in serious need of pampering. 53 - DressI bought a dress in the sale in Cos. I shouldn't have but I did. 52 - Papers From My Mother's HouseWhen I was in Ireland my sister gave me a little bundle of papers which my mother had kept - postcards I sent her and photos. 50-51 Two booksI am collecting virago books and there were two in the telephone box library this morning. I will need to make a deposit to make up for this. 49 - Chanel No.5 48 - Art Fund BookI was expecting a card but it came with this book. 47 - Pair of Stan Smith Original SneakersOK I admit it I'm weak. God knows how long this list would be if I wasn't trying to restrict the stuff I bring into the house. 45 - 46 Two White T-ShirtsEssential items of clothing which need replacing every year. I don't feel guilty about these. 43-44 Two Tops From UniqloI blame That's Not My Age and Belgian Waffle for reminding me about what good stuff you can get in Uniqlo. 41-42 Two Kilner JarsThey were cheap and there might be some jam making in the offing. 40 - BookOld, slightly damaged book. 39 - Poole SaucerI bought this along with a book for a pound. How could I say no? 38 - White Cotton TopThis is from Muji and reminds me of the kind of thing Mrs Watts, our PE teacher wore in the 1970s. 34-37 Four BooksI went a bit mad in the LRB bookshop. 33 - Small basketThis was very expensive but I believe it is a work of art. I used the money I earned doing the count. At least I will have one positive thing as a result of the election. 32 5 x PostcardsI couldn't resist buying 5 postcards at the Ravilious exhibition - counting this as one item. 28 - 31Four novels. I went a bit mad in Waterstones. I will have to donate some books to the telephone library this week. 25 - 27Stuff from walkthewalk - t-shirt, hat and bra. All a bit tacky but for a good cause. 23-24 Two BooksAnother copy of Time Out Book of Walks - my fourth copy so far? I also bought a book about walking which was a mistake as it involves very little reading but lots of fey nonsense. 22. Packet of AAA batteriesI didn't need to buy so many but they only came in packets of 12 and my television remote controller had stopped working and I didn't want to be restricted to watching only BBC2. 21. A Hand BrushI know I shouldn't have but I did. 20. A pair of shoesI also bought a pair of really expensive shoes in M&S. Pale blue loafers which are either a brilliant buy or a terrible mistake. I haven't decided yet which it is. 19. ShoesI have to go to a work event next week which involves a bit of dressing up so I had to buy some dressing up shoes. I bought a mega cheap pair from M&S. I resent having to do this. 18. Fridge MagnetThe only thing I bought in Istanbul. Fridge magnets are the only kitsch objects I now allow in my flat. 17 St Matthew's Passion ProgrammeGiven free at the concert at the Barbican. 16 Denim SkirtI did want to buy a denim but I hadn't planned to buy a mid calf tight one. Oh well. 15 A Pair Of TrousersI didn't really need these but I was in M&S and I tried them on and they were very flattering and well, what can I say? 14 DressI feel quite guilty about this and must dispose of 3 items of clothing to make up for it. Another very plain dress but, but it was so cheap and will be very good for work. 13 Charcoal filtersSee 12 12 - Mould CleanerRock and roll! I went mad in Lakeland. 11 - Packet Of Large Plastic EnvelopesI bought these to parcel up the items I am planning to sell on eBay. 10 - A packet of 100 tea lightsThis is one item. I don't care what you say. 7 - 9 Three small containers.What can I say? I went to Ikea and everyone knows if you try to leave without buying something they send you back to go round again. 2 - 6. Kenwood ChefI have wanted one of these for at least 20 years. I bought a second hand one which died after a few weeks. This was in a sale and was less than half price. I now have the problem of getting rid of the second hand one. I am counting this as five objects; bowl, mixer and attachments; spatula; spanner; recipe book; and blender. 1. Pot of ChrysanthemumsI thought these were better value than a bunch of flowers. They cost £3.50. 1 x Skein of grey tapestry wool (for darning purposes) 4 x 50g balls of 4ply wool assorted colours 1 x pot of earl grey tea 1 x slice coconut loaf cake 1 x 50g ball pink merino wool 1 x pot Chanel concealer 1 x pot of Earl Grey Tea 1 x slice coconut cake 1 x replaclement glass 3 cup cafetiere beaker 1 x slice coconut loaf cake 1 Earl Grey tea 3 x cotton dish cloths 1 pair of oven gloves - navy with white stripe 1 Dualit Hand Mixer 1 cup of earl grey tea 1 slice of spicy apple cake 3 pairs of tights 1 Bottle of Ecover Multipurpose Cleaner 1 can of easy iron spray 1 slice of coconut loaf cake 1 Pot of Earl Grey tea 1 x pedometer 1 Tub Cinnamon and Ginger Body Scrub 2 LR44 Batteries 1 x Toshiba Laptop 1 x cappucino I slice vanilla cheesecake 1 organic lemonade 1 camisole pj top I large tub of beeswax polish 1 blue wooden handled dish brush 1 Ecover Limescale Remover Ecover Laundry Liquid 1 Pair of pjs 1 camisole 1 pair of black leather gloves 1 cappuccino and I slice of coconut cake 1 pair grey knee length socks

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Irish woman exiled from north to south London.

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