Blog for Friday 15th September 2023
Wow! It is Shelayne (our middle daughter) and Mike’s thirty third wedding anniversary today! “Yoh! Well done you two - we are so proud of you!”
I rolled out of bed at ten past four this morning after having lain there for a while thinking of what I had planned to do today. Shamara was watching my every twitch or quiver -signalling that her food was nearby!
I could cheerfully have wrung Shamara’s neck later as just as I was about to post my blog from yesterday onto our website, she pressed the off button on my laptop, and that started the whole long process of booting up after updating and cleaning blah-blah-blah fishpaste! Almost three quarters of an hour later … and much control with grinding of teeth I was able to upload my blog!
Earlier, I had forgotten to put the oven on to dry out the rusks, so I tiptoed down from my studio and ‘by feel’ put the oven on to make sure that the rusk were a crispy dry by the time we had our morning coffee alter. Great idea Gail Morgan, except I obviously put it on a lot higher than I thought I had! When I went down three hours later the rusks were beyond dry or crispy that were charcoal! Finito! Kaput! Not to be eaten!
That meant baking another batch today some time! Grrr! Another undiluted lesson in patience for the day.
I was lucky enough to have had all the ingredients to make another batch of rusks, so I set to work and have managed to make this batch without burning them this time round! R-e-a-l-l-y! WHAT was I thinking of in the wee hours of today. But I must admit that I set the oven in the dark hence the incorrect temperature results in charcoal rusks!
Moral of that sad story is do not set your oven in the dark, Gail!
By the time I had tidied the kitchen again, I went out to spend some time with the chooks and to let them have a walk about. Honestly! Raafie is such a competitive eater that he tried eating a celery stick, a cabbage rib, and some chicken feed! He is convinced if some species looks as if they are enjoying whatever they are eating, he will too! I have the photos to prove this!
Raafie chewing on a celery stick!
Raafie tasting chicken feed!
Raafie searching and eating a cabbage rib!
After being out with the chooks it was getting far too hot out there so I came back inside and organised some lunch for Paddy. Ken was having his siesta.
Suddenly, I looked up and there were two 4WD driving onto our front lawn (well grass that is desperately trying to survive!) and initially I had not a cooking clue who they were, but then recognized Jason and his sons. They often come to the farm to fish or camp and are pi here camping for the weekend.
Jason needed Ken to sign a few forms for him s a witness, and Jason brought us a bottle of red and one of white wine plus a kilo of beautiful large prawns. They will be our supper tonight! Garlic creamy prawns served with rice. Yessiree! Sounds good to me!
I have no idea why, but I felt rather tired today – maybe it is the heat, but probably just old age. I allowed myself time out to read for a while even though the kitchen was in disarray for most of the day, but … I will tidy it tomorrow. To take timeout to read seemed more important somehow today!
I made the creamy garlic sauce for the prawns and the three of us had a good meal of prawns and rice although none of us were that hungry – I think it was the heat today that has done that.
We were all soon in our respective beds and on our way to the Land of Nod.
What lesson did I learn today? It is okay to let things slip when you are tired, but sort them out when you are not.
What am I grateful for today? The gifts from Jason.
My saying for today is …
The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It’s what you’re made of. Not the circumstances.”
—Unknown