2paw

The Naughtiest Girl is a Rain Monitor

I was an Enid Blyton fan when small. I loved Noddy, and all the Famous Five, not so much the Secret Seven or the 'magic' stories but I so wanted to attend Malory Towers or St Clare's. I wanted those Midnight Feasts and to be in a 'form'. I also liked the Naughtiest Girl books, and though I don't think I am naughty, I am definitely a Rain Monitor!!! Once the instruction sheet arrives, I will be recording the rainfall, along with about 10 or so other north Apple Islanders for the ABC. I am beyond excited. I even went to pick up my rain gauge, but they had no sheets to fill in or give instructions so I couldn't start. We had a deluge of a downpour last night but in the interests of statistical honesty I reckon it is better to have no data, rather than erroneous data from a poorly placed rain monitoring gauge. Harki and Peri were assisting with the photographing when two little white fluffy dogs walked past.

The Labradors are friendly and Harki went and sniffed them at the gate whereupon the TLWFDs went barking mad. Harki put her hackles up, but she didn't bark or growl. She came to tell me what had happened instead. Peri on the other hand lived up to her name. Peri Naughtiest girl that she is, was inside the second gate, and when she realised she had missed out on something she leaped over the lowest part of the old wall and took off up the footpath after TLWFDs. I walked up the street after her and, wonder of wonders, she ran back to me via someone's garage, and then I used my scarf as a lead. Look at the wickedness inherent in The Labrador: the glint of naughtiness in her eyes and her laughing expression. She's a rascal, but a year or so ago she wouldn't have come back at all. Harki's goodness must be rubbing off.

Yesterday it was the 25th Anniversary of the Gordon-Below-Franklin Dam being finally blocked. I remember hearing it on the radio in the staffroom. It was a great day and a great decision. Though it split the state all those years ago, today people agree with and support the High Court, except for a few stick in the muds. It was the making of the Wilderness Society and the Green party here, and I can only hope that in 25 years or so we can celebrate the quashing of the proposed pulp mill. The spirit of those days runs strong.......

A while ago Vinny sent some Dalek biscuit cutters to me, and I sent her some Possum wool. It was a great swap and I was able to use the cutter's outline to make a template for embroidery. I made MrsDrWho a little quilt inspired by the Lolcat picture of a Dalek chasing a cat!!!

MrsDrWho and I finally made it to the pictures to see Prince Caspian. It is the second book in what I consider to be the correct Narnia reading order. The film was excellent: darker and for an older audience than the first film. It went for almost 2 1/2 hours and I didn't need to look at the time once. The acting was wonderful, the costumes and CGI fantastic and I was frightened in a fair bit of it. I had to watch through my fingers and slump down in my seat. It would certanly fulfil my childhood fantasies to be running about in the lovely dresses and firing arrows and saving the world!!!

The Get Smart movie has arrived, but I am not going to see it. No-one can be Max and 99 like Don Adams and Barbara Feldon. I shall consider buying the DVDs instead. And soon the X-Files movie will be here!! That is very exciting news though I have only seen the poster. I have seen the new 007 movie trailer. The name is a bit naff, Quantum of Solace, but I like what they've done with the 0 and the 0 and the 7.

I promised the One Pot chicken casserole recipe but after watching the absolutely fantabulous Library episodes of Doctor Who last night I left the book behind.  I can remember the recipe, it's pretty adaptable and you can add or substitute the vegetables as you see fit!!

One Pot Chicken Casserole

• 750g chicken thigh meat, cut into big cubes
• olive oil for frying
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 potatoes, waxy is best
• 3 carrots
• 4 stalks of celery, chopped
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• 2 zucchini, sliced
• large handful of beans
• 300 ml cream
• 1 or 2 tablespoons of wholegrain mustard
• salt and pepper
• parsley, chopped

The potatoes and carrots need to be cut into chunks,. I used chat potatoes which are smaller and cut them in half, but I would probably cut a normal potato into quarters.

Heat the oil in a large pan and then fry the chicken in batches until it is well browned. Remove from the pan and add the onion and the potato, carrot and celery. After 5 minutes, add the chicken and the stock, put a lid on the pan and bring to the boil.  Turn down to a simmer and cook for about an hour, stirring and checking it 2 or 3 times.

Mix the cream and the mustard and add along with the beans and zucchin. Cook for a further 20-30 minutes uncovered: the sauce should thicken slightly and the vegetables should all be cooked through. Finally season with salt and pepper and mix in some parsley. Serve with rice or pasta. I added some mushrooms and garlic to the casserole. It freezes very well.

 

Smoke me a (WW)KIPper, I'll be back for breakfast!

WWKIP Day was ace, not Ace Rimmer, but ace!! There were more than twelve knitters but very few Real People seemed interested. I don't mind that. I like knitting, I don't need to proselytise, and I'm happy to follow my own knitting destiny. Here are some of the feet of the KIPpers. I'm not there, neither is Magdalene or MrsDrWho. Not sure if I have missed anyone else. It was deathly cold to start with and I was scarved, mittened and cardiganed but the Sun soon warmed us all. It was a very happy knitting outing and we all enjoyed ourselves immensely!!

Speaking of cold, it was zero degrees yesterday when we went for our walk at 8-28am. Did this give Peri pause? No, of course it did not. She raced about in the frost and then dove, not once but twice, into the little creek. Then she ran about like a mad thing!!! Harki is much more sensible and didn't want to have cold water shaken on her. She looked at me in askance, hoping that I wasn't expecting her to swim!!

It seems that some children and youths were still on holidays today, and they spent quite a lot of the day yahooing up and down the street. Harki was very cross. They banged the railing on the footpath and shouted. They weren't technically doing anything wrong, but they disturbed the house. Harki kept having to go out onto the veradah and once she was very cross and barked and all her hackles were raised up. What a brave girl she is!!!

There has been knitting: I made Unravelled's Time Thief Watch Cap in Vintage Hues. I call it The Howard Hues Hat, it certainly feels like a million dollars when you wear it. It's so lovely and warm that I decided I need a hat too, but I definitely don't suit a beanie. MrsDrWho, who suits all hats, says that when I wear a beanie you see the outline of my head. This is not a good thing. Usually I have wavy sticky-outy hair, and so I look funny with no hair and a fitted hat. In her venerable opionion I need a sticky-outy hat that mirrors my hair. Any suggestions???

Give a woman a hat and she has, well, a hat. Teach her to knit and before you know it she is saying that she's buying some Vintage Hues of her own and making herself a hat. I had to stop MrsDrWho right there and say I had already bought some extra and I was doing secret beanie knitting. Not so secret anymore, but there is other secret knitting, with a bazillion ends yet to be sewn in!!!!! My aunt loved the SwallowTail Shawl I knitted for her and now my mum would like a small shawl as well. I had another search and I think I will make the small version of Laminaria from Knitty.com.

This morning I had to read The People of the Book, by Geraldine Brooks. I stayed in bed till almost 10-30am or when The Labradors were so hungry that they sat on me and the book. It was a quick read, and since it has just won a prize I reckoned that other people would want to borrow it soon.

I have neglected my comment replying, I will catch up over the next day or so. I have also neglected to take a casserole photo. I'll do that too. Meanwhile, I have managed to take a picture of the inside of the little Star Wars trinkets for StarWarsBoy!!! Got to get my priorities right. They are so cute: inside each is a tiny figure in a tiny setting reflecting the outer head. So cool!! I have arranged them in the same configuration as they were in the last post. Darth Vader keeps collapsing, as you do when you are an evil doer!!

I'm  nearly at the end of North by Northwest. Cary Grant is ubercool, though a bit old at 55 to play the youngish romantic lead. He almost has Harry High Pants happening and Eva Marie Saint just can't play 26 at 35. The film is still great and keeps me on the edge of my seat. The dialogue is quite risque, and it's not just me thinking that!! I can't believe it is almost 50 years old.

So next time: recipe for a casserole and maybe even another hat!!!

It's TypePad, Bad, Leroy Brown, Baddest Man in the Whole Damn Town

So I sat at my computer two nights ago, yesterday and this morning trying to upload my post and pictures. I keep getting error messages. Typepad had updated their Compose page which means that something that worked perfectly well before, now had a bazillion bugs for me and won't work properly. I tried to ask for Help, but they're not playing (they might be now): They're from Typepad and they're not here to help and there's not a cheque in the mail!!! The BlackSpot of Doomlight is also enhancing their system which means it takes at least twice as long to transact a purchase. I know I have to move with the times but I  wish times would slow, ever so slightly.

Here's a helpful tip: Don't spill a whole cup of tea into your shoe while you are wearing said shoe. Just saying, it's not a worthwhile experience.

After such a long time I am finally feeling better and back to the real world, though I seem to have passed on my cold to other people!!! I think I have pretty much managed to reply to all my very kind comments but I still have so many posts from other people to catch up on. The weather has been wonderfully warm and sunny and even rainy. Harki and Peri love the temperate climes. It is the perfect weather for walking in the morning, lying in the Sun in the afternoon and then snuggling up on the couch in the evening. At home they have been paying long games of Tug-of-War and generally running about a lot in and out, up and down. Finally they are so exhausted they go straight to sleep and Harki snores!!! Peri sleeps on the ottoman, on which she barely fits, but is determined to do so. She takes her Trophy of The Games with her.

Last Saturday we has our second Ravelry Outing. Some knitters dressed for Winter but it was actually so warm they sweltered. Such fun was had and I met some blogging friends in real life: Hi SlimSuzi!! I have been knitting my Diamonds in the Stream socks, in fact I have finished one and started the other. I also knitted a One Row Pattern scarf in some gorgeous green handspun alpaca. It is perfect and I have worn it a lot. I sat on the couch and watched Dexter while I knitted. Dexter is weirdly good, but might be too confronting for those of a delicate nature, of which I am obviously not!! I also, shock/horror, cut off the GiTNEB's buttonband and reknitted it with my favourite buttonholes and I also made it just a tad wider. Now my happiness is complete!!!

In political news, Big Red has resigned and we have a new Fearless Leader . I am not sure about him yet, though he has decided not to fund Gunn's Boogelly Pulp MIll PipeLine. The ANZ has also decided not to fund The Mill itself. Well done ANZ!!!

MrsDrWho and I have pushed our cinematic viewing experience boundary by going to the pictures twice in a fortnight!!! We saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I went along not expecting very much and so I was pleasantly surprised to find myself having a good time. It is no Citizen Kane, or even Citizen Indiana, but it is a good finale to the series. There's humour, adventure, scary bits, snappy dialogue, some fantastic chase sequences and great 'in' jokes for those in the know. I reckon I liked Iron Man better. We have some more films to see: The Chronicles of Narnia-Prince Caspian, The X-Files 2 and another one, maybe The Dark Knight?? I have only seen the first Batman movie, and to be frank, I liked the camp TV series best. I also have to confess I have never seen The Princess Bride. According to MrsDrWho this makes me a Film Barbarian!!!

Thank you to Inkberryblue who's awarded me this. I don't ever think my life is really interesting, I just potter along, but I am glad my wittering on is able to amuse and entertain others!!!

I love Amy Johnson. Amy Johnson is delicious, and no, I haven't suddenly turned cannibal, Amy Johnson is a delicious slice from The Olden Days. You never see a recipe for Amy Johnson anymore, or even the slice itself. I baked Amy Johnson for MrsDrWho, and one bite was enough to bring childhood memories flooding back. My nan would always cook Amy Johnson slice (going for the World's Record in Amy Johnson mentions here!!) for us. It is not too rich, so you can eat quite a few pieces if you want to. And it is one of the things I do want!!! Here's the recipe. It has a few parts and steps, but it is quite easy and definitely worth the effort!!!

Amy Johnson Slice

Pastry Base

• 1 cup of self raising flour
• 2 tbspn butter
• a little milk

• about a cup of dark jam: raspberry, blackberry, whatever
• 1 or 2 cups of currants

Cake Layer

• 135g butter
• 135g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 tbspn milk
• 1 tspn vanilla extract
• 225g self raising flour

Icing

• juice of a lemon
• 500g icing sugar
• a little hot water

Preheat the oven to 180*C and grease and line a lamington tray ( or any tray approximately 30 x 25 x 3 cm) with baking paper.

To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour and then mix in enough milk to make a dough, not too sticky. Knead lightly and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Then roll out on a floured surface until quite thin and cover the base of the tray. Thin is good, I even had a little dough left over. You can cut and paste to fit, it is the base after all!!

Spread the jam evenly over the base and then scatter the currants generously over the jam in a Nigella kind of way.

Next, the cake layer. Cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs one at a time, and the vanilla, and then fold in the flour and milk. You may need to add a little extra milk to make the mixture easier to spread. I used the back of a big Ruth-like spoon dipped into a cup of boiling water to spread it evenly. It works really well.

Bake for 35-45 minutes..You will know it is cooked when the top springs back and is golden brown. It will also come away from the side of the tin. Make the icing and spread over the cooled slice and then cut into small pieces. It makes a lot. Then eat it. Yum!!!

And The Company Jumps, When We Play Ravelry

There was no Boogie-Woogie on Saturday, not even any Rum and CocaCola, but the company was delightful. The Northern Apple Islanders had a Ravelry meet up at Blue. We were all so excited, well I was so excited that Kate who'd ratherbeknitting* had left by the time I took the picture!! So the Ravellers are, from the left: MrsDrWho, Shrekgirl63*, AmandaJ, Magdalena* , Katt and Sharon. [* Ravelry Link] We were all so excited that we plan to meet again in three weeks for some more Ravelry!! Amanda made me a giant brooch, well actually it's Cuzmo [whom I want to call Cuzco] a Knitted Babe, and he matches my new Cardigan. He is lovely and came with a wonderful letter warning of the ill effects of Labradors on a Knitted babe!! Here he is, pinned safely to the corkboard above my computer, like a green guardian angel. Amanda was right: Harki and Peri did want him. They wanted him a lot!!! Thank you Amanda, and rest assured while he has a holey head, at least he's not holey all over!!

I started some new socks at the meet up, but I unravelled them after the gusset decreases because my high instep refused to fit. I have started them three times, and the third time's the charm: Diamonds in the Stream. [I sing along to Dolly and Kenny in my mind] The wool is from the Wonderful Katie at Live2Knit and it's Rita dyed in the 2paw colour!! I wanted to highlight the colours and so I needed an expanse of stocking stitch, but I still wanted a pattern. I have ladders through my purls. I don't have ladders through my knits. I hope they block out. This wool is so nice to knit with, it's delicious. I'm using 2.25mm and 72 stitches and doing my usual sock thing.

MrsDrWho and I went to the pictures to see Iron Man on Friday night. Excellent film!! Well we thought so, and so did the rest of the cinema-goers who were geeky boys. I think we may have been the only females there. I'm up for comic genre films, happy to give them a go, and I need to see this again. Two hours and twelve minutes and I didn't want to check the time once. Lots of nice Robert Downey Jr muscled arms and a plot that didn't let up for a second. Stay till after the credits. We did, and so did five other males. Does no-one else check out the Internet before they go to the pictures to see if it's worth sitting through the credits???

I have been buying myself some Fat Quarters as they take my fancy. I am going to do some sewing (See Katt and Sharon!!) and not all for me, obviously, as they are not all green!! I am attached to them though.

After our walk this morning we were quite late, it was almost time for Elevenses when we came home. I bought some yummy French Earl Grey tea from Tonic, good sourdough rye from the bakery and some Chilli Salami from the deli at the trendy shop at the corner. My teapot has lost it's little knob and I was at a bit of a loss and then I did some Girls' Carpentry and found a nice green wooden bead and Voila, it's fixed!!!I didn't eat and drink at the same sitting, the one would have destroyed the taste of the other, but Harki and Peri really wanted some salami. I offered them bread. See what happened. The slight shaking is when I laughed!! We do 'Sit and Wait' but this time they were taking it way too seriously......

Now my blog is sidey-waysie, Toni doesn't like it. I'm not sure, I put all the 'business things' at the right and the reading at the left. I'm not sure I don't want to have it symmetrical again. It is ever so slightly weird.......

When You Wish Apron A Star!!!

I borrowed Lotta Jansdotter's book from The Library, and I have made an apron. I am wearing it now. I have barely had it off since yesterday: everyone can thank their lucky stars I didn't wear it to bed as well. It's that good!!! I was originally going to make one for MrsDrWho, but wouldn't you know it, all my fabric is green!!! If you already sew, you can whip this up in just over an hour. It was very quick and easy. I had to make the waist ties longer otherwise I would have expired from constriction!!! I may still add a pocket. Maybe. I hate making ties, with the whole turning them right side out thing, so I always do it my way: I'll take some pictures to show next time.

Last night MrsDrWho and I watched The Ark of Truth, the first Stargate Movie. Wow!! I had assiduously avoided all spoilers and information, and I was thoroughly surprised, amused, frightened, sad and happy. I really enjoyed it. I squealed and hid my eyes and laughed out loud, at various different times I hasten to add, not all at once like a crazed person. It was one of the best sequel movies I have ever seen and now I am impatiently awaiting the next one: Stargate: Continuum.

I joined The Ravelry Wee Small Sock Swap and I received my sock from the lovely Kim yesterday!!! She specially found some green wool and a tiny sheep stitch marker. It is very remiss of me not to have shown my lovely Ravelry Bag Swap either, from the excellent blogless LoopyLouey!! It is green, beaded, lined with green and has a detachable brooch!! Too many extra good things to mention individually, but click to embiggen and play I Spy with the pictures!!! First things to spy? Harki and Peri!!

There are also a lot of books to spy. I snapped up a bargain Nicky Epstein at the Crazy Day sale last Saturday. I don't know what I will ever use it for, but how could I pass it up??? The GardyGardeners gave me some old cook books, which I am reading in bed!! Then last night MrsDrWho lent me some very old books, some older than me, to read.. there's a Biggles, The Secret Garden and a ballet book!!

There has been no knitting, I had a woozy head and a day in bed on Wednesday, but was up and about yesterday and we have been for a brisk walk in the bush today. The weather is dulling up (I know dulling is not correct word usage, but it is exactly what is happening) and rain is forecast soon. Hooray. I am still managing not to kill my lemon tree and I think this is due mainly to the rain we have been having. I will have to have a closer investigation next time I go through The Forbidden Zone to see if it is actually growing. I'm off to wash some more fabric, I'm thinking of making a new bag, and after 3pm I'm having afternoon tea at the trendy cafe on the corner with The MadCages. Oh, and here's a picture of Peri on the left and Harki on the right, wagging their tails furiously as I am taking photos outside. They were hoping for a treat as it was time for Elevenses. Sadly, no luck there!!!!

Et YouTube Brute???

Something Very Exciting has happened at MrsDrWho's house: well, exciting for her, apparently not so exciting for Cleo!! She is one cat away from being that scary woman with all the cats!!! It has been all go over there. Here, not so much. I am very glad to know there are people on holidays enjoying the hot weather, because then it isn't wasted. We are too hot, and lie for hours in front of the cool air and waft ice about everywhere. The heat is not conducive to much knitting or even sewing. Do you know how much heat the light on the sewing machine makes?? Enough to fry eggs I think!!! Actually, as it has rarely been below 30*C since Christmas, let's take it as read from here on in that it is very hot, and we don't like it!!! Saves a lot of typing in future posts.

Of course The Labradors have been in the paddle pool, keeping cool. I try to feed them ice, but they don't like it. MrsDrWho's god-daughter suggested I freeze a treat in a container of water and then they would lick or chew their icy way into it. I just remembered now, so I will have to do that. Harki is looking particularly cute!! Peri doesn't like to be in the paddle pool very much if Harki is already there, I think it is a respect thing.

I have made a collage of a few of the lovely presents from Christmas. I am very spoiled!!! As spoiled as The Labradors. I still have to post my own cards etc.  I was a bad Christmas person last year. In the picture I have:

• 2 Dalek clocks, one glows in the dark and the other speaks, which drives Harki and Peri BeserkersBonkers!!,
• a box of tea for emergencies when I am too tired to make a pot
• Frank, I love Frank's singing
• Bubbles to drink whilst listening to Frank
• 2 lots of delicious Aussie sock wool
• a lemon tree (oh oh oh)
• and a salad salad bowl

And I have taken photos with my new camera. I love, love, love it. Thank you!!! For a start, the batteries don't fall out all the time!! It has an inny/outy zoom and a big view screen and it should do macro a little bit as well. Of course I can't drive it yet, but I had a try at making a video while I was walking The Labradors today: it will make a little video with sound!! This then, is what I have spent all afternoon doing, uploading it and then trying to make it appear here. It is amply evident that I am no Zeffirelli, I wouldn't even get a gig on the next Blair Witch film, in fact I am renowned for my inability to master(mistress??) any form of camera, but here we go: The Labradors going for a walk in the bush at the Hydro dam, with cicadas in the background. Do not adjust your sets. Every time I play this, and Yes, I have played it a lot, The Labradors come running when I whistle. Faithful hounds!!! You can hear them panting above the sound of the insects!!!

I think bloggers everywhere should be afraid, really afraid, if this works. There could be more......

Now all I need is a Bex and a good lie down in a cool room. I have just about finished looking at all my Bloglines posts and is that a weight off my mind??? Everyone has been so busy and made so many wonderful things it makes me wish it was October again so I could start making Christmas things. In Australia we have already had our first Hot Cross Buns of the year, they were in the 2007-8 New Year Grocery catalogues. Easter is early, in the sixth week of school, so I expect they have to be really really ready.

Can't think of anything else to say really, I am a Terry Pratchett Troll. I have done a tiny bit of knitting in the early morning when it is coolest. Looking forward to National Treasure 2. I know it is a B-Film,  but it is Summer holiday fare!!! Going out to lunch with friends over the next few weeks. Oh and I am making MrsDrWho TARDIS socks, I just have to ask Daphne to dye some wool TARDIS Blue for me!! A cup of tea now I think: Bottoms up!! (Excuse The Labradors!!!)

The Neckst Best Thing

Everyone relax, there is not a whiff of Madonna, or Rupert, or even Benjamin Bratt. (What was he thinking?? He should have stayed with L&O)  Happily my neck has the All Clear. I still have to see a Surgeon about taking The Lump out,  but apart from its inherent annoying lumpiness, it is OK to have it benignly sitting there for a while. Hoo-ray. I am happy to be able to stop worrying about it. No doubt some other worry will leap in to fill the Worry Vacuum. It is very strange, that even though I tell myself not to worry and I appear not to worry, I have Inside Worries, like The Inside Thinks in The Chrysalids. It was nice to walk out of the Consulting Room with a cheerful smile though. The power of Pollyanna I think!!!

And so this is Christmas. The Labradors have received the most wonderful presents, and are extremely spoiled. They are very happy, very lucky Labradors. Harki loves her squeaky toys and Peri, well, Peri is happy to play with the packaging. There's always a child like that. Friends are very kind to The Labradors and I appreciate that they understand The Labradors are not pets, but Animal Companions!!! They have other things to be photographed, but to be going on with, these: oh and Dog Muesli bars that have been put away safely somewhere and I can't find them now!!! 

I don't know what people use their Crisp and Confectionery bags for: pencil cases, little zippy bags, a going out clutch bag??? I have made MrsDrWho a Twistie Tote. I don't think it's up to much load-wise, but I added a band of material at the top and stitched the handles to that to try to make it a little stronger.  I also made Cleo a Christmas stocking,  Christmas Owls and some ornaments. There have been lots of presents for me too, I am ever so lucky too. No pictures now, but some next year!!!! I can say that in all honesty, knowing I won't be posting again till 2008.

I haven't been knitting at all. It has been far too hot. I want to knit the felted scarf from YARN 8 with the bobbles on the end, but it is Mohair and even farther too hot!!! Today I went to the pictures with MrsDrWho and The Niece. We saw Enchanted and I can Highly Recommend it to anyone who has ever seen Snow White, Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty or any Princess films really. It was great for children but most amusing for adults too. Well worth seeing.

Not much else to tell really. I had a scrumptious Christmas lunch with all the trimmings courtesy of Someone Else's Mum and Dad. I saw my Mum, sister and niece too, on Christmas Eve Day. I have not managed to post a single card as yet, but I have given cards to actual real people I have met up till now. The Boxing Day Test is won, over half the Sydney to Hobart yachts are home and New Year's Eve is almost upon us. All in all it has been the Best of Years and the Worst of Years, but I am always glad to just see another year in. The Labradors, Peri on the left and then Harki on the right, are happy too.  They thank you for all your Festive wishes and hope that everyone has a wonderful New Year.

I only have 894 Blog Posts to catch up on..... that's a reading task of Sisyphusian proportions!!! Be afraid, be very afraid. I could be commenting on your blog soon..............

Nothing I Can Say, Total Eclipse of the Moon....

OK, everyone has been to more concerts than I have books!! I recognise some names,  others I have no idea: Big Pig (Men in Aprons, or possibly women??): Neil Diamond, Prince, Kylie, Osibisa, Jimmy Barnes, Johnny Farnham, Screaming Jets and Icehouse. What a diverse list. I holding out for concerts with Frank, Bing, Peggy, Doris, Dean, Nat, Perry etc. Not knowing who these people are makes you Young. Very Young!!!! I expect I will need a Go Bag: a Go to the Concert bag. I don't know what they will let me take in. I will definitely need a cushion, a drink, headache tablets (just in case) rain repelling wear, nibbles.... oh and maybe a hat.

I have started two new knitting projects, so I won't be needing anyone to send me any of theirs, thank you very much!!! I started The Burt Ward socks on Saturday. Some variegated 4 ply Lana Grossa I think, on 2.75mm needles. I am just doing my favourite K2,P2 rib. The socks are for my sister and Burt Ward may help with the name guessing!! A few years ago a telegraph pole sized log rolled on her foot and crushed her ankle quite a lot, so I am making the socks stretchy and easy to get on and off. I think a lace pattern or cables could be constricting, and I am using larger needles too. I'm making my mum a beanie in pale blue Country Silk. She wants it to be reversible, don't ask why, I have no idea, so I'm knitting the One Row scarf pattern again. I have also succumbed to a sale and bought some A-Maizing in the Keepsake colour to make the Shaped Lace Tee from Knitting Lingerie Style. It was half price. What's a girl to do????

Semi-final: One of the two competitions of the next to the last round in an elimination tournament. I'm just saying because Idol has as many semi-finals as they like. Willy-nilly. Laissez-faire. I am collecting Idol for MrsDrWho's sister and so I am forced to pay a tiny bit of attention. As little as possible really, but I have noticed there is a week of semi-finals. It is just wrong, wrong on so many levels!!

Harki and Peri have been very happy. Harki has been eating yoghurt, just like Sam, but hers is vanilla bean yoghurt from King Island. My fault as I left it out of the fridge. Harki can usually lick off all the yoghurt from her muzzle or (look away now if you're squeamish) Peri helps!!! Peri has been making nests in the bed again. It isn't a terribly good photo, but then I'm no Ansel Adams. Look how cute she is, all startled and sleepy!!!I noticed that the wattle has started to flower. All of a sudden it is everywhere, and so are the Spring flowers: right outside the back gate. Tonight we are having a Total Eclipse of the Moon for an hour starting at 6-50pm. The Planetarium just down the road will be doing whatever a Planetarium does at a fever pitch pace. I hope The Labradors don't howl, like lunatics!!

This afternoon I watched The Thirty-Nine Steps, the original with Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll from 1935, directed by Hitchcock. I borrowed it from the Library yesterday. It is very good, though quite different from the book. There are 4 Hannay books in this series so I am borrowing them all. On Saturday I watched just the last 20 minutes of You Have (You've Got) Mail and Noel Streatfeild's Ballet Shoes is mentioned. After I had dried my happy tears at the film's end I wiki-ed Ballet Shoes, only to find it is being made into a series. Look who's in it!! Wow!! I loved my Ballet Shoes book to death, literally. It fell apart. Now I am reading all the 'Shoes' books!!!

Finally, a recipe. I was inspired by the 'real' custard feature in this month's Delicious magazine. I don't have the inclination to make a proper custard, or bake pastry at the moment, so here is my recipe for

Cherry Custard Tarts

• pastry cases, 8 medium vol au vents or one large case
• 250ml milk
• 300ml pouring cream
• 2 tablespoons of custard powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla , I used my new vanilla bean paste!!!
• 2 - 3 teaspoons of powdered gelatine
• 1 large jar of Morello cherries, drained, and the juice saved OR if you live where I do, 2 tins of pitted black cherries in syrup, drained and the syrup saved
• 2 tablespoons of cornflour
• extra sugar if you like

*Make up 500ml of custard as directed on your packet of custard powder, but substitute cream for the milk as per the recipe. When it is cooked, whisk in the extra vanilla and sprinkle over the gelatine, whisking thoroughly again. Pour through a fine sieve into a jug and then set aside. Nigella-like, tumble the cherries evenly into the pastry case(s) and then pour over the custard. Refrigerate for about 2 hours. To make the cherry sauce, bring the reserved juice or syrup to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes or so till it reduces a little. Mix the cornflour with a little water, remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour the cornflour mixture into the juice, stirring all the time. You may want to add extra sugar to taste. Bring back to the boil and then simmer for a minute or two, Cool and refrigerate. Then serve and eat. I think you could use pretty much any fruit, tinned or preserved, that you fancy!!! Thank you MrsDrWho for the photographs of the tarts.

Welcome Back, Potter!!!

Nooooooooo!! The computer and Typepad ate my post!! Oh no. I hate that.

It went something like this:

"Your dreams were your ticket out..." I picture Harry as the bright and determined in the face of evil Mr Kotter, Hermione as the reliable and sensible Julie and maybe Ron as Arnold Horshack. Mr Woodman?? You-know-who!! Harry Potter VII is done and dusted, thanks MrsDrWho, and I am very satisfied with the ending and the epilogue, though we have been supposing what may have happened in the intervening years!!

Knittingly, my bicycle has hit a Labrador or two and so there are no socks to be seen, and no other knitting either. Here is a picture of me wearing the Haute Tricot, I have tried to dress in a similar way to the model in the pattern book. I think the strange Alien lump in the middle of the rib is the button of my jeans, that, or a very strange and unnatural fat deposit. Because the weather has been unseasonally balmy, 15*C the other day, it has been too warm to properly enjoy the cosy delights of The HT. Here I am wishing for cooler weather!!!

Harki has mild FlippyFloppy Ear and is slightly pink all over. She went to the Hospital and Dr Tim gave her an injection and some ear ointment. Peri stayed at home with a bone and sulked and cried. I have had the Lurgy that has been floating about and so I have spent some time in bed. The Labradors spent about 18 hours straight asleep, looking after me. How very Lassie or Skippy of them!!! They missed their Monday walk, but made up for it today. They ran through all the muddy puddles, leaving footprints that will be discovered millions of years from now as fossils, and of course they jumped in the creek.

MrsDrWho has a near cat-astrophe at her house with Naughty But Clever Cleo. My heart was in my mouth several times, but everything should be apples now!!!

I had one of those people-are-really-OK moments on my way to the Hospital with Harki this afternoon. The Fire Engine was rushing up the main road and every single car slowed, pulled over or stopped, even though their light was green, to let the 2 engines speed past. I could tell we were all thinking "That could be my family or friends they're off to rescue" and to a person, with  great community spirit, we all gave way. Aussies are like that: when the chips are down we generally come through.

Unless the AFP are copying from your interview transcript to your charge sheet.....

Oh and there has been a little bit of good news healthwise. My numbers are up a tiny bit all by themselves, so we are being quietly and secretly a bit happy!! I am also quite possible participating in a new drug trial and so The Labradors will be having a Girls' Own Enid Blyton Adventure at The Dog Park. Dr Tim and The Madcages have both recommended the same place and Dr Tim's Hospital is the Vet they use so I feel quite happy. I reckon they will be better having a GOA together rather than being at home, and pining. Harki has been known to pine and, shock-horror- not eat!! Peri eyeing off her food will be a guaranteed inducement to eat!! I will have to fly on the aeroplane to the mainland. It will be a big Adventure for me too!!!

OK, that's the best I can do to remember what I wrote. The original was far more polished, displayed rapier-like wit and could possibly have won the Booker Prize for Blogging, if there was one!!!

I have just remembered the missing part: The Delicious Magazine invited me to renew my subscription early and receive a free cook book. When I rang, they had run out of books and that being the last in a medium line of straws I contacted them to un-renew my subscription. I have to say that they read my email, and acted upon it. They found me a copy of the cook book and declared that 3 bonus months would be added to my subscription. I must compliment them on their quick and very appropriate action: they lured back a loyal and previously happy customer. Thank you Delicious Magazine, the recipes are excellent and now I can say the customer service is too!!!

I'm Gonna Wash Those Dogs Right Outta My Hair....

The Labradors, according to my mother, have 'Dog Germs' and ergo my entire house is infected with squirmy evil dog bacteria. Consequently when my mum and aunt come to visit, as they have this week, they don't stay with me but in a dog germ free environment. My mother did deign to pat them, but Mr Monk-like, she whipped out her Wet Ones and wiped those devilish germs right off!! We rode in her new car, played Scrabble (I won!!) ate out a lot and generally did unexciting and quite mundane things, but my mum is happy to see me and I her!!! I sewed her Five Furry cushions. They were originally going to be two small and one large cushion stuffed with filling. They transformed into five cushions, with piping, a zip in the back and all made from fake fur. (I should not complain, as they are green, but the tiny fibres get up my nose literally, and the carpet is covered in a bazillion green furry bits) They 'wended' their weary way to the other end of the island this afternoon. We are all recovering. I am off to bed very soon!!!

I have thus ended my rest days from the Tour de France and I am about to hop on the bicycle again, avoiding all Labradors, and I aim to complete the three pairs of socks languishing still:

1. Greenery Snicket - the upside down Baudelaires,
2. The Turing socks which only need a Toe and
3. The Sinatra socks which need about 20 more rows and a toe.

So from tomorrow, I'm back in the race!!!!

I have spotted the First Sign of Christmas for 2007: material at The Black Spot of Doomlight (TM) Can you believe it??? Only 5 months till Christmas.

I bought a dress. It has a dark blue background and then dark green leaves. It was $9-95 instead of $60. I wore it for an hour last night a la Trinny, with my jeans still on!!!

The weather has been very cold, -2*C overnight and the puddles on our walk were well and truly frozen. The puddle in the picture is about a metre across and the ice is quite thick. The Labradors love to run on the icy grass. They love the feel of the blades crunching under their paddypaws and the also love the chilling cold water of the creek.

MrsDrWho, Wee Jock's mum and I have been along to see Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix. It was fantastic. We judge films by how often we feel the need to look at our watches or wonder when the film will be over: no looking or wondering!! It is not a film for children and it is dark and angsty but that's not to say it isn't funny or clever. It is!! At over 2 hours that's a wondrous feat!!! The last Harry Potter book is out tomorrow. I reckon Harry goes to the Hallows,they are deadly and he dies!!!! (Not really!!)

That's it, apart from the 497 Bloglines posts I have to read. Honestly, I don't turn on my computer, more or less, for 3 days and look what happens. Actually I have no idea what happens, so please be patient with me!! Everyone has been extraspecially kind with their compliments about Haute Tricot and I thank you very much!! I will ask MrsDrWho to take a picture this weekend.

Next time I hope to have some socks completed and maybe some sewing too!!!! I expect there will be a recipe for something French as well.....