Val's Cafe

frogmorton

Nothing as much fun as jumping in puddle Carol 😀bless them. Children look so sweet with their hoods up. I wonder why l don't😂

So long as her tests are ok 🤞 and fingers crossed for you with your ears too. Chances are a good syringe will do the job I really hope so. Yes of course Mr T helped he wanted you to read with him! 🙄

You are doing well getting to Wetherspoons as well as having your coffees out, but you need that don't you being a 'people person' and Mr T being not so chatty. Paul is annoying me at the moment - comes in from work telly goes on and he's on his phone looking at sport and cars🙄 I suppose it's better far better than some people's husbands. I created a monster when I made him have a smart phone instead of his old Nokia bricks😁

Yes we should all wear our masks I just don't get it. They've done tests and masks do not reduce our oxygen sats. I got a 'choir' one which sticks out a bit like a duck's bill gives me more room to breathe, but you and I both have lung conditions don't we?

Paul fixed a broken light switch for Lucy and she loved seeing him as she has a proper cold and was feeling miserable. I am worried about her up there in Glasgow with all those kids with COVID at the University.

Hi Barbara I am hoping the girls get their keys today!!!!!!!!!! Then we can go and peep! They can take their time moving in then so as to not upset Rosie. Sleek is planning to visit her whenever anything stressful is happening.

I agree any day with your girls there is a good day ((()))

Your brother has done really well Barbara we didn't expect him to see last Christmas and look he's already on his way to another 🤞🌈

Hi Joan I hope you and Sue are well. The sun is out here although i don't expect for very long 🙄Hoping that Charley gets the keys today fingers crossed. ((()))

Hi Kath

How did you know? I mean really how did you know I have been desperate for some vegan bread and butter pudding!!! It looks amazing! Thank you.

It really is great that Anita did so well and is back at work. As her sister i am sure you are also glad she did not have to go through what you did with all your tortuous treatment ((()))

Loved the Blake poem thank you very much. Made me smile - as did the bed of flowers smiling!

I do think you probably do a better job with the poem search to be fair. If they were half decent it would have been worth the notifications. I know what you mean about them waking you up. They distrurbed me when I was going off to sleep. Once asleep I didn't hear a thing. Only pain and the need for the loo distrurbs my limited sleep.

Right everyone what shall we have today for breakfast?

I know!

dachshund

Good morning everyone

Kath ((())) you find good poems thank you. Love to Chris ((())) Anita's done well ((()) love to Val ((())) and your Dad ((()))

Barbara ((())) yes it is colder now I have my thermals. Love to Mr B ((())) and your Son (((())) and brother ((())) yes he has done well good love to his girlfriend (((()))

Carol (((())) your photos are lovely. Love to Mr T (((()))

love to Toni (((())) Paul (((())) Lucy ((()) Charley ((())) and her girlfriend (((())) Tia (((())) Kari (((())) and Pom (((()))

. Bill (((())) Chris (((())) Mig ((()))

Kitty

Daily Poem

If You Forget Me

By: Pablo Neruda

I want you to know

one thing.

You know how this is:

if I look

at the crystal moon, at the red branch

of the slow autumn at my window,

if I touch

near the fire

the impalpable ash

or the wrinkled body of the log,

everything carries me to you,

as if everything that exists,

aromas, light, metals,

were little boats

that sail

toward those isles of yours that wait for me.

Well, now,

if little by little you stop loving me

I shall stop loving you little by little.

If suddenly

you forget me

do not look for me,

for I shall already have forgotten you.

If you think it long and mad,

the wind of banners

that passes through my life,

and you decide

to leave me at the shore

of the heart where I have roots,

remember

that on that day,

at that hour,

I shall lift my arms

and my roots will set off

to seek another land.

But

if each day,

each hour,

you feel that you are destined for me

with implacable sweetness,

if each day a flower

climbs up to your lips to seek me,

ah my love, ah my own,

in me all that fire is repeated,

in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten,

my love feeds on your love, beloved,

and as long as you live it will be in your arms

without leaving mine.

Pablo Neruda

I feel awful. After all the rain yesterday, today is bin day. the bin men brought the wrong bin back from the car park so we had to fetch it ourselves. So now I'm in even more pain. 😪 😥

I hope all are OK.

Lentil Curry

SERVES: 4

Ingredients:

160g or 5 ½ oz red lentils

1 litre vegetable or chicken stock (try adding a little coconut milk for a richer curry)

2 cloves garlic crushed

1 onion chopped (optional – you can leave it out for a no-chop meal)

1 tsp ground ginger

2tsp turmeric

2tsp garam masala or mild curry powder

1 tablespoon rapeseed oil (or other flavourless oil)

Recipe Summary

From time to time, it is good to replace meats with lentils or beans. From a nutrition view point, lentils are packed full of nutrients. They are particularly rich in protein, dietary fibre, folate and iron. A lot of people tend to believe that lentils or other legumes are difficult to prepare. In fact since they don’t require a lengthy soaking time like other beans, meals are done in a jiffy.

The preparation time for this recipe is completed in less than an hour!

Method:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and gently fry until softened. Stir in the ground spices and cook for another minute.

Tip the lentils into the pan and then cover with the stock. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes. The lentils should be broken down and you should have a thick curry.

Serve with rice, spinach and plenty of low fat yoghurt.

barbara12

Afternoon all..its just started to pour down after a lovely morning ..the girls are here till Sunday.. GD loves them coming for breakfast.. xx..they go running first but got lost this morning..so did a bit more..hahaha

Carol how lovely seeing Lillie in her wellingtons spashing away...:):)

I hope the oil works on your ears..and when you have them done you can hear every word ..men are mostly the same ithink ......mine hogs the remote ..I like weatherspoons ..especially there breakfast and free top ups..xx

Kath a really strange poem but makes sense at the end..the rain does make you feel down and can effect the joints..

Thankyou for the lentil curry....you do find some good recipes xx

Joan its certainly coming in thermals weather.. saying that I think I am still having hot flushes..love to all of you...xx

Toni today is the day....for the girls getting the key...😁😁😁like i said to Carol I think most men are the same ...but like you say they could be worse....its made our year having the girls here..she was 16 last time she had her Birthday with us..23 now..Guess what her dad is showing her how he makes his veggie lasagne ..its delicious...

Right I will make a move

Love to everyone

Xxxxxxxx

barbara12

Ooh thought I would try my phone smilies and they work now..brilliant thankyou mods xxx😁😁👍👍💕

frogmorton

The girls have the KEYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They are in and so very happy. I managed to get over and have a peep. It's just perfect for them Went back again when Paul go in from work. when everything is in they will bring Rosie to her new home. She is going to love it there are cat flaps already for her 😺

Hi Joan I hope you are ok and Sue today. As you can see it's all go here! Charley and her GF are so happy so I am too!

Kath what a delightful poem that was. Good choice I loved it. I did wonder whether the writer was in a different country to the person she loves. Maybe even a refugee??

I am so sorry you had to overdo it yesterday that's not good at all ((()))🌈 I hope today will be a better day for you.

LOVE lentil curry thank you very much Kari and I will have some of that! 😘

Barbara so the girls got lost!! That is funny your GD used to live with you! I expect she didn't run in those days🙄 Dad is showing off with his veggie lasagne is he? I bet it was YUM!

How lovely to have her birthday with you after so long. her Finacee has her birthday too soon? It will definitely have made your year! How lovely 🙂🙂🙂

Oh yes all men have similar traits maybe us women do too🤔 mine are all perfect traits of course😁🤥

My girls did indeed get the keys (see above) it was a lovely day

Naughty breakfast today! a well known fast food eatery - take your pick

dachshund

Good morning everyone

I went to the Dr's this morning I have a pain in my left hand she gave me a cortisone injection I'm left handed.

Kath (((())) I hope all is has well as it can be sorry a bout your bin they don't look for numbers just take them back anywhere. Love to Anita ((())) val (((())) and Chris (((())) and your Dad (((()))

Barbara ((())) its nice you have your grandchildren there ((())) love to your son ((())) and your brother ((())) and his girlfriend ((()))

Toni ((())) that's good Charley ((())) and her girlfriend ((())) have the keys . Love to Paul ((()) Lucy ((())) Tia (((())) Kari ((())) Pom ((()))

love to Bill (((())) Carol ((())) Chris ((())Mig (((()))

Kitty

Daily Poem

Threnody (Fragments)

By: Ralph Waldo Emerson

The south-wind brings

Life, sunshine, and desire,

And on every mount and meadow

Breathes aromatic fire,

But over the dead he has no power,

The lost, the lost he cannot restore,

And, looking over the hills, I mourn

The darling who shall not return.

I see my empty house,

I see my trees repair their boughs,

And he, —the wondrous child,

Whose silver warble wild

Outvalued every pulsing sound

Within the air’s cerulean round,

The hyacinthine boy, for whom

Morn well might break, and April bloom,

The gracious boy, who did adorn

The world whereinto he was born,

And by his countenance repay

The favor of the loving Day,

Has disappeared from the Day’s eye;

Far and wide she cannot find him,

My hopes pursue, they cannot bind him.

Returned this day the south-wind searches

And finds young pines and budding birches,

But finds not the budding man;

Nature who lost him, cannot remake him;

Fate let him fall, Fate can’t retake him;

Nature, Fate, men, him seek in vain.

About Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century.

Toni, I'm so pleased the girls have their keys. I'd hug myself with excitement for them, but I can't stretch my arms that far. 🙄 Sadly, today won't be a better day. We ordered stuff from Amazon to be delivered Saturday - bearing in mind today is Tesco day. Would you believe one item arrived this morning and the second is due between 11.15 -2.15 today. As yet the third item isn't coming until tomorrow but that might change! 😏

Barbara, fancy your girls getting lost. I hope they weren't lost for long. I glad that Niamh enjoys them being there for breakfast.

Where is Joan? I hope she and Sue are OK.

 BBQ 'Meat' Loaf

Serves 6, cooks in 90 mins, difficulty 5/10.

Ingredients 

• 150g (1½ cups) sweet potato, cubed
• 250g (9oz) portobello mushrooms
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red (bell) pepper, diced
• 2 tsp dried sage
• 2 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 125g (1 cup) walnuts, finely chopped
• 50g (1 cup) panko breadcrumbs
• 1 x 400-g (14-oz) can chickpeas
• (garbanzos), drained
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Sea salt and black pepper

For the BBQ glaze

• 230g (1 cup) tomato ketchup
• 3 tsp English mustard
• 5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
• 3 tbsp coconut sugar
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp allspice
• to garnish
• Handful of fresh sage, sautéed
• Fresh cherry tomatoes, halved

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a medium-sized loaf tin with greaseproof paper. Steam the sweet potato until the flesh is soft. Add the mushrooms to a blender and blitz until they are finely chopped.
2. Place a large non-stick saucepan over a medium heat. Add the oil and, when hot, add the mushrooms. Sauté them for around 5 minutes so that you get rid of some of the water inside them and get them nicely golden.
3. Next add the onion, garlic and red (bell) pepper to the pan, plus the herbs, spices and a pinch each of sea salt and black pepper. Sauté the mixture for a further 5 minutes, stirring often.
4. When you’ve got a nice colour on everything, add the sweet potato. Sauté the mix for a few more minutes before adding the breadcrumbs, chopped walnuts, chickpeas (garbanzos) and lemon zest. Stir until all the ingredients are well combined. Turn the heat off, then use a potato masher to lightly mash the mix, breaking down any large chunks of sweet potato and the chickpeas. Spoon the mixture into your lined loaf tin, compacting it in as much as you can. Place the ‘meat’ loaf on the bottom shelf of your oven and let it roast for 40 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, make that lovely BBQ glaze. Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan with a pinch each of salt and pepper and mix well. Place over a low heat and allow it to bubble away for around 10 minutes. Stir every now and then. Once your glaze has thickened, turn off the heat and set aside until the ‘meat’ loaf is cooked.
6. Once your ‘meat’ loaf has been in the oven for 40 minutes, take that baby out. Let it stand for around 10 minutes before placing a flat baking sheet on top. Carefully, while holding the tray in place with one hand and the loaf tin with the other, turn the tray upside down so that the ‘meat’ loaf comes out.
7. Lift off the loaf tin and peel off any greaseproof paper that has stuck. Pour lashings of the BBQ glaze over the ‘meat’ loaf, then place the tray back into the oven for a further 10 minutes so that the glaze caramelizes over the loaf. Serve immediately, topped with cherry tomatoes and sautéed sage leaves.

If you have a nut allergy, use pumpkin seeds in place of the walnuts.

barbara12

Evening all..we are in lockdown from midnight😪not sure if our eldest GD will get back to London

Toni that is brilliant news for the girls..bet they can't quite believe it..bless..x

They have built a new bypass and road since our gd lived here..so off they went and there phone sent them the wrong way..so they say..😅xx

Joan i hope the injections works on your hand ...I wear hand and wrist straps they are very comfy ...love to all of you xx

Kath another good poem thank you.

I know its to do with fate but I got lost..😅can't you tell u am lovely using my smilies..ooh its not good when orders come in dribs and drabs..

The meat loaf looks good.. for a second it looked like Christmas cake...xx

Better go we are having a curry..our eldest son is making it...don't know were he learned to cook..🤔

Love to everyone

Xxxxxx

frogmorton

Morning everyone 🙂

Joan I very much hope your hand feels much better after the cortisone injection my fingers are crossed 🤞for you.

Thank you the girls are so happy in their forever home xx((()))

Kath loved the poem. Sad though a son who didn't really get the chance to grow up l think. The lovely gentle south wind who can go everywhere cant go to where he is...🙁

Thank you for the virtual hug - I can't tell you how happy the girls are! Rosie will move in today. Sleek has been looking after her while they have been getting everything ready for her. She has an enormous new cat tree there waiting for her 🐱🐱🐱

Parcels🙄 honestly I think all 3 items ought to arrive in the same box really better for the environment and you! Hope Tesco order is on time and all items are present .

Loved the meat loaf. Always did love one. Thanks I shall take some for myself and Kari too if I may🙂💕

Barbara the girls will sadly be allowed back to work on Sunday 🙄🙁 would have been nice if they had to stay with you😁😁

Ah so anew road confused them then? Too reliant on their phones kids!

My girls are over the moon. I was just saying to Kath Rosie moves in today. She is going to be so happy there. All that space a new cat tree and a cat flap already in place 🐱

Hasn't it been windy?! I hope it settles down soon I don't like it at all. Nor does Sleek no fly zone out there 🙁🙁🙁

Take care everyone

https://images.app.goo.gl/fiZr8Ea4LnKvYRs3A

dachshund

Good morning everyone

Kath ((())) I'm sorry your having problem with your orders I hope you don't have to pay more. love to Chris ((())) Anita ((())) and Val ((())) and your Dad ((()))

Barbara (((())) I'm sorry you are in lockdown how long is it for. love to Mr B ((())) and your son ((())) and brother ((())) and his girlfriend (((()))

Toni ((())) Charley ((())) and her girlfriend ((())) must be so excited good luck to them they have been through a lot.

love to Paul ((())) Lucy ((()) Tia ((())) Kari ((())) and Pom (((()))

thank you for thinking about my hand it's a bit painful if I do to much

love to Bill (((())) Chris ((())) Mig ((()))Carol ((()))

Kitty

daily poem

September Tomatoes

BY KARINA BOROWICZ

The whiskey stink of rot has settled

in the garden, and a burst of fruit flies rises

when I touch the dying tomato plants.

Still, the claws of tiny yellow blossoms

flail in the air as I pull the vines up by the roots

and toss them in the compost.

It feels cruel. Something in me isn’t ready

to let go of summer so easily. To destroy

what I’ve carefully cultivated all these months.

Those pale flowers might still have time to fruit.

My great-grandmother sang with the girls of her village

as they pulled the flax. Songs so old

and so tied to the season that the very sound

seemed to turn the weather.

Well, what a day we had yesterday. All our Amazon orders that should have been delivered today - Saturday. Came yesterday. We were so tired and achy. But I managed to book a Tesco slot.

Joan. Steroid jabs can be really useful, but sometimes they don't last for long. I rang dad this morning. He's brought a new blade for his lawn mower, he says his grass needs cutting - AGAIN. 😏

Barbara, oh dear, in Lockdown again. I hope your GD gets back to London safely. I'm afraid Covid is proving to be a hard nut to crack. Panic buying is emptying the supermarket shelves again. One of our Amazon orders was 4 packs of 12 Cusheen toilet rolls. S0 48 altogether. So we aren''t depleting supermarket stocks, they come direct from the company. Another was incontinence pads, packs of 46. My dad gets his pads from the NHS - free. A 3 months supply.

Toni, Sleek popped through the secret gate to give me some more medication. She brought 2 bush babies with her to give me a back massage - they are so good at it. While she was here, she waxed lyrical about Rosie's new home.

Vegan Quiche with Vegetables

Hearty vegan quiche, made by baking up a creamy tofu chickpea filling with seasoned mixed vegetables in a flaky vegan pie crust.

 Course Breakfast

 Cuisine American, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, refined sugar-free, vegan, vegetarian

 Keyword eggless quiche, vegan frittata, vegan quiche

 Prep Time 15 minutes

 Cook Time 55 minutes

 Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

 Total Yield 6 servings

 Calories Per Serving 337 kcal

 

Ingredients

For the tofu-chickpea quiche base:

• 1 lb firm tofu (16 oz.)
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp cornstarch or tapioca starch
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp prepared mustard
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp chickpea flour

For the vegetable mixture:

• 1 and 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bunch scallions or green onions white and light green parts, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes quartered
• 2 tbsp dry white wine (optional)
• 10 oz asparagus woody ends removed, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 4 oz fresh baby spinach
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
• salt to taste

For assembling the vegan quiche:

• 1 pie crust of choice
• 6-8 asparagus spears (optional, for bedazzling the quiche)
• 1/4 cup thinly-sliced cherry tomatoes (optional)

Instructions

1. Par-bake your pie crust in a pie dish, according to the recipe or package instructions. Afterward, set the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Open the tofu, drain any excess liquid, and either press it in a tofu press, or wrap it in a clean towel and stack something heavy on top of it.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetable mixture. Warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent and softened, about 2-4 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes to the pan, as well as the white wine, if using. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes have somewhat thickened and lost their excess liquid. Add the asparagus to the pan, and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, about 3 more minutes.
5. Stir in the spinach and cook until fully wilted. Season to taste with salt, and stir in the chopped chives. Remove from the heat and set aside.
6. In a food processor, combine all of the filling ingredients (including the pressed tofu) EXCEPT for the chickpea flour, blending until smooth. Season to taste with plenty of salt and pepper. Add the chickpea flour and blend to combine.
7. Add the tofu mixture to a mixing bowl, and gently stir in the vegetable mixture. Transfer the mixture into the to par-baked pie crust, and smooth it out evenly. If desired, top with asparagus spears and sliced tomatoes.
8. Bake uncovered for approximately 45 minutes, or until golden brown on the surface, slightly puffed up, and firm. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving warm.

barbara12

Evening all..our last day with our GD and fiance ..yes lockdown we are hoping there coach will be leaving Manchester tomorrow.. to be honest I am hoping it doesn't...😢😢.we will miss her..

Tonight I am so pleased for the girls I hope they will be very happy in there new home.. and Rosie with her new tree and catflap 😁😁xx

Joan I am not sure what is going on places seem to be open for now ..but its says Wigan us in lockdown..we are 6 miles off but come under it..I hope its safe were you are..take care..xx

Kath I like that poem.. and was thinking the same when pulling the lovely plants out..so sad...

Glad you at least got your order..all our delivery slots have gone again ...but we do have people that can shop for us thank goodness

Thank you for the quiche recipe I have never made one xx

Love to everyone I hope Chris is making a good recovery

Xxxxxx

applerose

Evening everyone. Had to go to the hospital yesterday supposedly for my pre-med but they only did the measurements for my eyes and said they'll phone to do the pre-med. I had a 20 minute walk to the bus stop, an hour on the first bus and 20 minutes on the second. As the first one is every hour, I got there 50 minutes early so had to sit outside till it was time for my appointment as I thought the cafe was closed but it wasn't. I was only inside the hospital for 20 minutes. 5 1/2 hours away from home for a 10 minute appointment. Back on Monday just before lunch for a covid test but my son is taking me. Should only take 5 minutes. Then total isolation till Wednesday.

I'm a little bit worried as 4 wards in the hospital have had positive covid patients who were already there and we are on the extended help list now getting extra tests and help. Despite this, our High Street restaurants are doing a special offer on meals, like the eat out to help out.

My son has just been diagnosed with fibromyalgia after quite a few years of back and forwards to his gp with pain and brain fog.

frogmorton

Joan thank you you're right the girls lost a few houses before they got the right one! How is your hand? ((()))

Kath Sleek said 'Arnty Kaff is tired Mummy' she made sure you have plenty of jammie Dodgers in too before she left🌈 🌈🌈 what a day you had. Kari gets our loo rolls from who gives a c**p they come in boxes of 48 anyway. Like you avoiding the supermarket supplies.

Oh yes Sleek loves Rosie's new house they are going to have a mouse....er house warming as soon as Rosie's Mummies are at work 😮😮😮

Dad is right the grass is still growing!

Thank you for the quiche it looks fabulous I love and miss quiche very much.

(((())))

Barbara I am sorry the girls have to go back to work.🙁 one day maybe they will move nearer🤞

But wasn't it lovely having them? Such a special time.

You stay safe with your extra restrictions for now and keep trying for a supermarket slot (((()(

Christine what a palaver for so little. Good job your son will take you back for your covid test at least.

It's up to them to keep you safe in hospital you desperately need your operation ((()))

I expect your son is glad of a diagnosis if he has been suffering for a long while bless him.

Love to Chris and Carol and mig

frogmorton

Hah!

That's a big breakfast!

Mike1

Having been awake all night I was not hungry ......until I saw that photo, now I think I could demolish the lot (with the exception of the black pudding). What a shame there are no breakfast delivery services in the far West of Cornwall! Come to think of it there are only 2 take away delivery services near me anyway and neither are worth it!

dachshund

Good morning everyone

Kath ((())) yes our brass is still growing love to your Dad ((())) I have had a few cortisone injections some work

love to Anita ((())) and Val ((())) and Chris ((()))

Barbara ((())) thank you for asking about my hand it's painful if I do to much. I know you would like your granddaughter to stay ((())) love to them ((())) and Mr B ((())) and your son ((())) and your brother ((())) and his girlfriend ((()))

Christine good luck at the hospital ((()) how long will you be in for.

Toni ((())) is Charley ((())) and her girlfriend ((())) living near by you love to Paul ((()) Lucy ((()))) Tia ((()))

Kari ((()) Pom ((())))

Mike ((())) uncle to see you

Love to Bill ((())) Chris ((()) Mig ((())) Carol ((()))

Kitty

Daily Poem

The Teller of Tales

Gabriela Mistral

    When I’m walking, everything

on earth gets up

and stops me and whispers to me,

and what they tell me is their story.

And the people walking

on the road leave me their stories,

I pick them up where they fell

in cocoons of silken thread.

    Stories run through my body

or sit purring in my lap.

So many they take my breath away,

buzzing, boiling, humming.

Uncalled they come to me,

and told, they still won’t leave me.

    The ones that come down through the trees

weave and unweave themselves,

and knit me up and wind me round

until the sea drives them away.

    But the sea that’s always telling stories,

the wearier I am the more it tells me...

    The people who cut trees,

the people who break stones,

want stories before they go to sleep.

    Women looking for children

who got lost and don’t come home,

women who think they’re alive

and don’t know they’re dead,

every night they ask for stories,

and I return tale for tale.

    In the middle of the road, I stand

between rivers that won’t let me go,

and the circle keeps closing

and I’m caught in the wheel.

The riverside people tell me

of the drowned woman sunk in grasses

and her gaze tells her story,

and I graft the tales into my open hands.

    To the thumb come stories of animals,

to the index fingers, stories of my dead.

There are so many tales of children

they swarm on my palms like ants.

    When my arms held

the one I had, the stories

all ran as a blood-gift

in my arms, all through the night.

Now, turned to the East,

I’m giving them away because I forget them.

    Old folks want them to be lies.

Children want them to be true.

All of them want to hear my own story,

which, on my living tongue, is dead.

    I’m seeking someone who remembers it

leaf by leaf, thread by thread.

I lend her my breath, I give her my legs,

so that hearing it may waken it for me.

Joan, I really hope the injection works. I've had quite a few myself, hand, hips, knee and shoulder. Most worked thank goodness.

Barbara, I hope you get your shopping somehow.

Toni, I've helped myself to some crispy bacon and a couple of fried eggs with some mushrooms of course. Lovely thanks. Who gives a c**p, now theres a website I must visit. 😏

Christine, I'm sorry to hear your son has Fibro. At least now he has been diagnosed, let's hope the treatment he gets works. All the best for your surgery.

Cheesy Stuffed Mushrooms

SERVES: 2

Ingredients:

4 large portobello mushrooms (or other large, flat kind)

6 tablespoons cottage cheese

4 tablespoons brown bread crumbs

1 tablespoon grated cheese (any will do)

1 tsp mustard (any type)

1 clove crushed garlic (optional)

Olive oil spray

Recipe Summary

Cheese, a vast majority of the UK population loves cheese. However in this recipe, we are using cottage cheese. Some might think cottage cheese is bland and boring, you might need to rethink. It is high in protein, a good source of calcium and Vitamin B12. This soft cheese is high in a type of protein called casein. This protein is slowly digest by the body and has been shown to to keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Nowadays the use of portobello mushrooms are used in various recipes. Little did you know that the term ‘portobello’ is from a clever marketing campaign in the 80’s. Mushrooms are a good source of B vitamins, including riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid, which help to provide energy by breaking down proteins, fats and carbohydrates. B vitamins also play an important role in the nervous system.

Overall a relatively fast meal with minimal processing. A useful recipe if you fancy a high protein meal.

Method:

Wipe the mushrooms clean and place on a foil lined baking sheet. In a bowl, mix together the cottage cheese, mustard, garlic (if using) and season well with black pepper. Take this mixture and spoon around the stems of the mushrooms until they are well filled. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the stuffed mushrooms and spritz with olive oil spray. Top with the grated cheese.

Bake for 20-30 mins at 180C/375F until the mushrooms are tender and the filling golden and gooey.

barbara12

Evening all

Hello Mike..Toni makes me hungry with her breakfast.. but goodness that was mega..we don't have any good takeaways nearby..but now we are in lockdown some restaurants are doing them...😁

Joan hands can be so painful..my thumb pain can be far worse than my hips ..you.have a look for the wrist and thumb straps.hope the injection works for you xx

Toni that certainly was some breakfast...but Mike ate most of it..😅.. the girls keep talking about moving up here.. trouble is they will have to learn to drive.. we don't have all the cabs and buses they have ..they are back home now..just had a text ...🙂xx

Christine what a journey for ten minutes.. you must be tired after all that..yes I'm afraid covid is taking of again ...hopefully they will get it under control..then you will be safe having your op xx

Kath another really strange but good poem..I had to read it twice..and still not sure about it..so clever..I will have to try harder getting a shopping slot..but we do have our sons so we won't starve..xx

Niamh has been today fir an hour..it was lovely to see her..she is part of our bubble..I think...its so confusing 🤔

Love to everyone

Xxxxxxxx

frogmorton

Mike I am so glad you enjoyed the breakfast! It was the biggest I could find! Hah! Shame there isnt much takeaway food available for you. We are lucky here we have a fair bit and lots of good people in the village happy to collect it for each other.

Kath great poem! Almost spooky....😮 really clever I thought. What a weaver if words really made it easy to imagine and feel for each person she listed.

The breakfast was a bit mad wasn't it? But nice of course I had the vegan option 🙂

Would love the mushrooms but not the cottage cheese.....most of your food is very kindly veg/vegan so I will adapt. Thank you 🥰

Barbara I'm so sorry the girls have had to go home but glad they arrived safely. They would have to learn to drive or maybe get jobs within walking distance...in a home like Charley and Annie maybe? Annie doesn't drive.

Bless Niamh I bet her visit really helped you yesterday fill the hole left. She was always in your bubble and anyway it's for contact between her and her Dad.

No idea what any of these restrictions mean all too confusing for my small brain. Bless us all!

I understand the real lockdown but not what's happening now🙄

Hi Joan. I hope you and Sue are ok and the doggie too. Dachs are becoming more popular. I hope doesn't hurt your hand to hold their leads🙁 ((()))

Love to Chris, Christine and Mig

frogmorton

dachshund

Good morning everyone

Kath ((())) thank you I've had one in my ankle as well. I hope you are getting your shopping alright. Love to Chris ((())) Anita ((())) Val ((())) and your dad (((())))

Barbara ((())) how long are you in lockdown for. My fingers don't hurt thank you. Love to Mr B (((()))) your son ((())) and your brother ((())) and his girlfriend ((()))

Toni ((())) thank you I only walk Lexi she's 10 now she does not pull. Love to Paul ((())) Lucy (((())) Charley ((())) and her girlfriend ((()))Tia ((())) Kari ((())) Pom ((())) how is Pom.

love to Bill ((())) Chris ((()) Mig ((())) Carol ((())) Christine ((()))

barbara12

Morning all..yes its really me😅

Joan this cold weather doesn't help our joints.. apparently its the coldest days recorded for September its been lovely up to now...its our flu jab tomorrow.. hope yours is soon xx

Toni thank you for the crumpets..

Yes It was lovely to see Niamh..she is saving up for a pass for a game she plays..its only £8 she says.. so we are teaching her the value of money..polishing £2...hoovering 2..and so on..cheap labour..😅she really enjoys doing it though..

How are the girls settling in.. they will want to put put there mark on it...heee I am excited for them 😁do you like my smilies...

And guess what my flooring has just been delivered....

Right better go and get my porridge and then a crumpet

Love to everyone

Xxxxxx

Kitty

Sorry, lost my post so I'm not bothering. Keep well. 💕