“As pears that do not ripen, affirmation takes it’s place, when Autumn leaves turn to gold, my mind trenchant and keen; I conquer many fearsome things, subdue and overcome, and as the mists arrive, how precious days become” …
Extract taken from the poem “Seasons Pass” by Susie Hemingway.
All Rights Reserved
You are the sun when shades are pulled
You are the sparkling water that rushes
over shiny rocks in torrent stream,
You are the smoky moonlit shadows on quiet walls
You are the sweet smelling cotton of summer days,
Yours is the smile, adorned in radiant highlights
on a tired face,
Yours are the dark ‘bitter chocolate’ eyes
that twinkle indiscreetly !
Yours is the contented sigh that embellishes my room,
You are the blackberries that hang in myriad burgundy
array against my garden wall,
You are the saxophone in bluesy midnight tones
that stirs my heart,
You are the will and courage of every day
and I am the heart that never ceases to worry…
All Rights Reserved 2008
“You Are” – Now Selected For Publication in A New Poetry Book – The Gift Of Love
“A Partners Guilt” on http://www.susiehemingway.blogspot.com
Quick tasty supper for two, crack five medium eggs in a bowl with a little milk and a splash of water, salt and black pepper and whisk well
In a flat based frying or omelette pan put a little olive oil and a little crushed and chopped garlic, lightly sauté, then add a good handful of ready washed spinach and wilt gently. Turn in oil and then add the whisked eggs and cook until firm but do not overcook.
Serve with crusty bread with lashings of good English butter.
This Saturday we attended the village ‘Lincoln Red’ Roast Beef Dinner, held in the village hall. It was a great affair with every detail of fine dining attended to. Large plates of scrumptious roast beef served with horseradish and jacket potatoes, salads, some very palatable wines and the most wonderful display of desserts and with the very good company, it made an excellent evening.
There is nothing quite like a warming soup for lunch or supper now the days are getting colder. I’m all for saving time and money, so this soup ,which can be frozen in batches, allows you to save on fuel and your energy and gives you even more, of your ‘ five a day ‘ vegetables which must be a good thing. It’s also a great dinner party starter for a chilly night, served in smaller bowls.
With Vegetable soup it’s always so easy, as it allows you to cook in the pot whatever vegetables you have to hand. It never really matters what they are but I do always think you need an onion or two and a parsnip or turnip to give a good strong flavour but apart from that any other vegetables will do.
Suggested Ingredients 1 or 2 good sized Onions, 2-3 good sized carrots, 2 parsnips, 1 small turnip, 1 – 2 courgettes, 2 medium potatoes, 1 medium Aubergine , 1.5 litres of good chicken or beef stock, 1 cup of prepared cous cous, 1, tablespoon of basmati rice. 1 table spoon of mixed herbs , and 1 dessertspoon of cumin and if you like a clove or two of garlic.
Wash all vegetables well and in a large saucepan saute chopped peeled onions and the aubergine (leave skin on) in a little oil, until soft. Place all other vegetables, herbs, cumin and dry rice into the pan, cover with chicken or beef stock – either is nice, beef will give a richer stronger tasting soup, but both is good – bring up to the boil, then turn down to simmer for at least 1 hour 30 minutes but really for as long, on a gentle heat, as you can. Before serving add the prepared cous cous and then liquidize in a blender, a little at a time and return to a fresh saucepan to warm again. Adjust now with salt and black pepper.
Only one rule, the more vegetables, the more herbs and cumin, and of course the more stock. Don’t forget any not eaten! can be frozen.
Lovely with crunchy garlic croutons – little cubes of bread – mixed with a finely chopped glove of garlic and a little olive oil baked in oven for five to ten minutes.
Cooked with love and served in warmed bowls with a generous swirl of cream this soup is delicious,
Written in January and shown below.
How good it is to have the former Royal Marine Bruce Parry back for another great series. Often not one to watch, while having supper! but how very entertaining is “Amazon with Bruce Parry” showing on BBC2 at 9pm on Monday evening . This week as he treks along the route of the Amazon through parts of the remote Peruvian forest is quite sad in places. The disruption to the Achuar tribe is so badly threatened by the worlds oil companies showing the pollution they make to their very necessary water rivers spoiling this unique way of life. As always Parry was keen to integrate with the tribe and agreed to try ayahuasaca a hallucinogen that causes severe vomiting. It was painful viewing, but fearless Parry was not to be beaten. As always so educational and the scenery is just amazing. These are such great series and certainly not to be missed. There are four more episodes to go, catch it if you can.
As there are so many Apples on the trees right now and many windfalls as well, I thought it was time for my chutney making to begin, storing some jars away for the winter season. The following recipe has been devised by me and makes a very good delicious tasting chutney that is very simple to make and lasts well.
~Major Moursi’s Chutney ~
Garden Apples (as many as you can peel, well at least 8 large ones )windfalls are good for chutney if not too damaged and a great way to use them.
Ingredients: 4 -5 large onions – 4-5 cloves of garlic – 2 tablespoons of good honey, 2 tablespoons golden syrup – small cup of soft brown sugar – at least 250 grams of pitted prunes ( 500 grams would be better) – cup of sultanas – 3 good teaspoons of ‘Madras’ curry powder – 2 teaspoons of all spice – 1 good dessert spoon of Dijon mustard – good quality vinegar to cover.
Chop apples, onions and prunes to med size about 1″ ( not too tiny – not too big ) chop garlic. Place in a good solid saucepan . Add everything else and bring to gentle boil and stir. Then turn down to lowest heat and cook for at least 3 -4 hours stirring occasionally. When everything is soft and of a good dark rich colour, take from the heat and allow to cool.
When chutney is cool place in very clean sterilized jars pushing down to get rid of air spaces. Cover with greaseproof paper lid pushed closely on chutney to get rid of any air bubbles then seal with screw lid. Looks nice to cover with pretty cotton lids made from scraps of material.
Enjoy with any cold meats or chicken, curries or fabulous with cheese. This chutney last for ages and even better when cooked with love.
Yesterday we attended the downhill challenge which is an event for gravity racers. Just a stones throw to this beautiful little wolds village with the very long steep hill running through. Teams take place in various classes covering the downhill course of approximately 800 metres. Such fun with some novelty entries to some very slick ones indeed.
The weather was great and we marched up the hill to watch closely from behind the straw bales these wonderful ‘gravity racers’ come hurtling down the hill to their chosen music. A fantastic atmosphere ensued, as we clapped and cheered amid such excitement, as each entry tried to get the best time or at least improve on their own, before being towed up to the top of the hill to do it all over again.
With the many stalls and the prevailing smell of bacon butties, hamburgers, and sausage babs wafting through the late summer air, it was a really lovely way to spend a Sunday with family and friends.
Being a great fan of the group “Elbow” I was so delighted to see them win the Mercury Awards this week for their fabulous Album “Seldom Seen Kid” A group that has been together for almost eighteen years, so this prestigious award is really well deserved. I love the simply wonderful lyrics to all their songs which manage to take you on a private journey. The amazingly clever and oh! so romantic lyrics of “The Bones Of You” stirs my heart. Each track with it’s unique story, allows the listener to escape from reality for a while. Try listening to “The Loneliness Of A Tower Crane Driver ” which Guy Garvey sings with such great passion and heart wrenching pain.
Elbow seemed truly amazed that they had won this award but for me the pleasure from listening daily to their music, I felt it was not before time, to be really recognised as one of our great British groups . Long may they continue to produce music of this caliber.
Rather a lot of people have asked me ” how do you keep cheerful ” and ” what keeps you strong when faced with such a change to your life”
So what is it that gives some the strength to keep fighting and staying strong in the face of adversity? What enables some Carers to give their best and their continuous support day after day, when for most of us, burying our head in the sand or turning to run would feel so much better. Well yes, difficult questions to answer I think. I know how different it is for all Carers, and of the problems that affect us all and no two people are the same or will have the same approach when confronted with devastating changes, not only to their love one but very often to their own lives. For me after the initial shock and my goodness what a dreadful shock it was, I spent many nights thinking of how I would find the strength to deal and do my best with, the awful changes that would befall us. Having only just retired and with both of us looking forward to a more relaxing time, I had hoped for some new adventures, lots of dancing perhaps and certainly a lot more travelling. Time for swimming, time for walking together.
When Hamada in May 2006 was rushed to Lincoln Hospital and then on to Leicester Hospital with sudden onset kidney failure, found after a routine blood test, I was in severe shock as anyone might be. After his first night in Leicester I returned home alone and immediately went to my PC to look for the causes of sudden kidney failure. I remember writing on a scrap of paper the three things that matched closely Hamada’s condition, the second on my list being Multiple Myeloma. It was something at the time I knew very little about, I did know, it was not as yet a curable cancer. So when the next day, the Doctor with a rather grim face, came to tell us the results of the barrage of tests taken and the devastating news, I passed to him the small list that had been tucked in the palm of my hand asking ” is it one of these ” and in my mind thinking, don’t let it be the second one, but it was! I think from that very moment on I decided that for me, the only way to confront this crisis was face on, asking and learning as much as I could every step of the way, I was standing on the edge of a cliff with a strong wind blowing. I could dive and swim away, shut my mind or bury my head. I did not want this thing to be happening to us but it was. So I decided to turn to face that strong wind with as much force and as much knowledge about this illness, that I could manged to glean and from every source I could possibly find. Knowledge will give me power, if I could understand as much about this disease, as my small brain will allow, it would enable us to discuss and make good choices each time we needed to fight. Is it the right time for chemotherapy? should a stem cell transplant be an option? All these questions are asked daily by people with this very serious illness. I wondered, are these drugs the safest Hamada can receive? will they obtain the results required? I needed to learn fast, I needed to learn about the drugs that would damage further or take away the last remaining percentage of kidneys working. Oh yes! it happened, the young Doctor who prescribed by mistake, drugs for Hamada, that would have wiped out any remaining kidney function, had he taken them. After all the months of chemotherapy, all the money that had been spent getting him to and through a Stem Cell Transplant, had I not read, had I not intervened! With my newly learnt knowledge I was able to check what had been prescribed, query and shout loudly before any damage was done. For me gaining as much knowledge as I can, seems the only way to protect someone who is unwell and cannot do it for themselves. Many I know will think too much knowledge is a dangerous thing when dealing with medical matters, perhaps some are saying I bet she interferes too much. I do not believe this to be true and I really don’t care, for without this knowledge how can we make good judgements when given the very serious choices we are expected to make.
I keep cheerful because I am very lucky to have an amazing family and good friends who support me in so many different ways. Our children who bring light and joy every time they visit and the fun we all have together and their constant support in cheering Hamada on. My dear friends who never fail to phone, often picking just the time when I need cheering up a bit, when the day has been tough or I am tired because I have spent too long in Hospital waiting rooms, dreaming of all the other places I long to be. My dear Internet friends with their great messages and the American Cancer Network ACOR, a myeloma list-serve whose knowledge is just incredible and so often points sufferers of myeloma in the right direction.
How my heart goes out to those who struggle alone or may have families who do not understand, or, even worse do not care about the strains of day to day living or caring for those with Multiple Myeloma. How badly it affects me when I see elderly folk appearing both to be unwell, struggling to manage their hospital appointments and to understand their ‘chemo’ regimes or their routine medications, they need our help. Then again I know quite clearly that I need to find strength when waiting on ‘the edge of my cliff ‘ knowing my love one is in partial remission and wondering how long it will last this time, perhaps looking for changes and signs that might mean this precious time is over. Hoping that I will once again find ‘ the power within ‘ to go forward with knowledge gained, to continue to confront and fight, to obtain the best possible care for my love one, for as long as I too, remain well.
So to all of you that have asked these questions, I choose to turn always from the edge of the cliff and walk into the wind, I will put a smile on my face daily, with the knowledge I continue to learn, I will stand close to Hamada and help him to make good choices and I will face this ‘beast’ straight on.
It was with great delight that I watched this enchanting program on BBC1 on Sunday. The marvellous actress Joanna Lumley visited the Arctic Circle to view the mystic phenomenon of the Northern Lights. This had been her life long dream after reading of these wonders in her childhood story book. A tiny picture of the aurora borealis staying in her memory throughout her life and it was with a great passion that she embarked on this rather special journey hoping to see them. She started her journey in Trondheim, Norway, catching a northbound train towards the arctic circle and along the way Joanna meets some very interesting people in this fantastic wonderland. Joanna Lumley is a much loved and very beautiful British actress and with her wonderfully cultured voice, it simply made this delightful television viewing. It was such a very nice change from all the shouting and swearing of so many recent programs. How very alluring this journey was, how restful, delightful and visually breathtaking. Joanna charms all the very interesting people she meets along the way, looking simply wonderful in her array of stunning winter hats. A perfect program and I wont spoil the ending but just to say it’s well worth watching. I am sure it will be repeated again -do try to see it if you can.
Recently I started to cycle again. It is I might say a long time since I first learnt to ride and more than forty-five years since I last sat on a bike. My sister Jenny suggested that it might be a great way of getting some much needed exercise and a good way of exploring at close quarters, the lanes and fields that surround our homes. Oh! such fun and great excitement and with a pounding heart as I tucked my jeans into the bicycle clips so kindly lent by a friend we passed in the village, how kind as he took off his own clips to give to me “can’t have you getting caught in the chain on your first day dear” So off I ventured to this new delight in my sixty- first year!
The first day was a real success and returning home all in one piece I longed to cycle again. Now having been cycling for a few weeks the delights of this pursuit are astounding, to ride on a sunny day along the lanes and see the newly harvested fields of corn and wheat instead of whizzing by in my car. To smell the grass and earth, to see the different leaves and colours of our beautiful land. To look at closely again, the berry filled hedges, the different views as we stopped to admire this wonderful countryside, stretching our eyes as far as we can to see across these patchwork fields of green, browns and gold. To see the little cottages nestling in their valleys and the church steeples in the distance. To pass by the huge rusty red cows and to see the geese marching past. To breathe the wondrous air and feel the wind on your face and hair as you freewheel down the hills after the long slog up, is quite perfect. My sister and I wave to our friends as we pass them by and explore lanes as we have never seen them before. This pursuit has taken me back to my childhood and yes -I know what your thinking! – I have fallen off once, luckily on the edge of a field so the landing was soft and no damage done.
Everyday my confidence has grown, so now I feel proficient to ride without my first fear. What a lovely pastime to start again after all these years! how exhilarating this feeling of freedom and how I rejoice in it all, thank you for suggesting it dear Jenny, how I love this new adventure.
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