Three Books and Removing Permanent Ink from Cotton

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READING

Our library has a special display of books called XPRESS READS. These are new or popular titles. They can be borrowed for seven days and cannot be renewed. Other loans are for 14 days and can be renewed unless requested by another member of the library.

I borrowed Fresh Water For Flowers from the XPRESS READS area and can see why it is so popular. It is a great read! Written by Valérie Perrin, it has been translated from French into over thirty languages and has won many awards. Perrin has been named as one of the ten best selling authors in France and this was the best selling book in Italy in 2020. It was translated for Europa Editions by Hildegarde Serle.

This is the story of a girl brought up in foster homes and her experiences. It recounts Violette’s life over many years, through young love, motherhood, work, her unfaithful husband and the friends she makes along the way. The story is also about the lives of many characters involved with the family. These personalities add strength to this story of of love and loss, hope and despair.

This is a story about hope and resilience. Despite being 482 pages long I read it in two days. Perrin herself writes that it starts out appealing to women  but then the women say to their husbands, ‘You must read this book.’ My husband says he’ll have a look at it, but has not committed to reading it.

The second book I read was A Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot. This is a very popular book online at the moment and was highly recommended to me. Generally, the comments say the story will stay with you for a long time. It is a wonderful story. Written by Marianne Cronin who is 30, it suffers from poor editing and *historical errors. The story is thought provoking and charming but I’m slow to adapt to snappy, poorly constructed sentences and I feel this diminishes the cleverness of this book. You must make up your own mind as it is a big hit in America.

*For instance, p81 during an event in 1940, Margot asks her grandmother “Do you have a tissue?’ Although tissues had been invented as a cold cream remover, they were unavailable during the war years and didn’t really become widely used until 1954 when they were advertised on  popular TV shows.

Thirdly, Small Pleasures written by Clare Chambers and also highly recommended to me. A gentle, beautifully written book about the monotonous life of a female journalist who investigates a claim of parthenogenesis. Chambers heard an interview on BBC Radio 4 about a geneticist, Dr Helen Spurway, who in 1955 observed that a species of fish was capable of spontaneously producing female progeny. This was partially replicated with a rabbit, so Dr Helen Spurway speculated about whether spontaneous parthenogenesis was provable in other mammals, specifically women. Was a virgin birth possible? This story is about a woman who claims her child was conceived without the involvement of a male.

REMOVING PERMANENT INK FROM COTTON

I uncapped a permanent ink pen and the ink had pooled in the cap. It bubbled and splattered on my favourite, thick, very old cotton tablecloth. I use it as a tablecloth as I really like the thick floral pattern which looks embossed on the fabric, but my Mother, who gave it to me, thinks it was a bedspread.

Soaked the stains in a borax paste, my usual whitening method, but that didn’t work. More searching online resulted in soaking the stains with hand sanitiser then washing the tablecloth in cold water. That didn’t work, either, nor did isopropyl alcohol topped off with dishwashing liquid both gently massaged in with an old toothbrush.

The final attempt to remove the stains involved a product bought from the supermarket. The stained area of the cloth was soaked in Dr Beckmann’s Colour Run Remover overnight, then washed and hung out in the sun to dry. Almost perfect! There is still a slight shadow where the biggest stain was but another soak will probably deal with that and certainly hanging in the sun has bleached it a little. My tablecloth is back, my permanent markers are secured in a (recycled) ziplock bag and I am very relieved.

Did you miss  World Lion Day on 10th August? Not sure what you give a lion for their special day, but all the things that come to mind are not socially acceptable.

August 12th is also World Elephant Day.

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What’s Wrong With Our Schools and Other Things This Week

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THE SCHOOL The Ups and Downs Of One Year In The Classroom

So what is wrong with our schools? I have just finished reading Brendan James Murray’s book, The School. I taught for forty one years, mostly in Primary Schools, but also Pre -Schools and High Schools. I have been retired for three years but still find myself reading articles about education all the time, and especially those about the current debate in Australia regarding teaching phonics. (Learning to read is a complex skill and each child is an individual and should be offered as many strategies as possible to become a competent reader.)

Murray was a High School teacher. He writes eloquently and with great compassion about the challenges facing teenagers and their teachers in the educational process. This is a work of non fiction storytelling. He amalgamates ten years of teaching into a fictional year, based on children, teachers and a school he knows well. He works at the school he attended as a student.

He also explains the ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank) ranking system currently used in Australia to determine the students’ ability, or their ‘rank’ compared against their peers. The ATAR score determines university acceptance. The score reflects the students’ performance relative to other students. So, if you have an ATAR of 86.4% you performed as well or better than 86.4% of other Year 12 (final year) students. Despite ivigilating/supervising ATAR exams at the end of each year, I’d never really considered just how each student was competing against every other student, nor how subject scores were scaled up or down to reflect the performance of students across the country.

There are great teachers, teachers who will become very good, burnt out teachers and teachers who should have left the profession. Funding for education is always insufficient for the best outcomes. The students in Murray’s book display every range of expected behaviours and abilities to learn, mixed in with some awful health issues.

What is most evident is students who are poorly parented will probably result in poor outcomes. The student who lives in a chaotic home, with unstable, poorly educated parents, has few routines, is not regularly fed or read to, will probably struggle, despite good funding and good teachers. The cycle of impoverished parenting needs to be addressed more consistently to break this cycle. Even brilliant, compassionate, highly motivated teachers, and there are many, cannot overcome the multitude of poor outcomes associated with poor parenting.

A thought provoking book, sometimes funny, sometimes sad and often informative, I would recommend it to anyone with children, involved in education  or in any way influencing programs designed to improve parenting skills.

GOOD INDIAN DAUGHTER How I Found Freedom in Being A Disappointment

Ruhi Lee came to Australia from India as a small child. Her parents migrated here believing Australia would offer them, as a family, better opportunities. In contrast to the previous book, Lee parents do offer a stable but harsh home environment. A clever student, Lee is expected to do as she’s told and to be the best. Physical punishments and cutting comments leave her questioning her value. She knows she is not behaving like a “good Indian daughter.”

Secrets, lies, failure, confrontations and a long term secret boyfriend cause conflict. Her parents crave conformity and she’s told to just shrug off violence, sexual abuse, verbal abuse and expectations which don’t resonate with her character. Appearance and family are everything .

When she learns she’s carrying a daughter she begins to really analyse her own upbringing, determined to do it differently. Sometimes shocking and sometimes funny, this story highlights the way many females are still treated within society.  The conflict of generational, personal and cultural divides can leave deep scars. The unrealistic expectations placed on Lee  will be familiar in many families, not just amongst Indian families.

When the expectations of parents clash with the plans of children, things can become splintered beyond repair. This story made me wonder, when should she just give up? Not every situation has a happy ending but Lee has surrounded  herself with a family and friendship group which is genuine and supportive. She and her husband will ensure their daughter will have a different childhood.

As usual, I borrowed both books from the library.

Books, Bookshelf, Library, Literature, Shelf, Bookstore

A DAY DOWN SOUTH

My Mother had melanoma surgery  12 days ago and has been staying with us since then. Today she was well enough to go back home.She has a dressing on her nose covering a graft, a long dressing on her hand and another site under her eye. Although her wounds are healing well, she’s been told to stay out of the garden for a few more weeks. She’ll find that very hard! I picked some lettuce for her and she was keen to “poke” about.

July 14th was Bastille Day in France. Did you celebrate? Macarons anyone?

Macarons on a Plate

 

 

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Making, Cooking, Eating, Reading

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MAKING

I have painted every day for the last two months, sometimes just quick works, sometimes intricate paintings and sometimes following Zoom sessions. During this time I become interested in painting blue and white china. I sorted all my blue paints and tested each to decide which were closest in colour to the blue on my many pieces of blue and white china.

I found making a reference sheet of test colours really useful and did something I should have done years ago: I drew up a grid and painted a rectangle showing the colour of every tube of paint I have and wrote their names, too.  I have no idea why I didn’t do this before, but it is very useful!

Then my son gave me a Moleskin Watercolour Album. It is gorgeous and the texture of the cold pressed cotton (25%) blend, acid free pages is very good. The next day I drew up and replicated the colour grid inside the front of the journal. Great reference, just needs some great paintings, now.

COOKING CABBAGE SOUP!

The greengrocer has a range of cabbages. I buy them all, the reds ones, the Savoy ones, the Chinese (wombok), the black and the common green drumhead ones. I had run out of ideas for preparing cabbage! I looked up “cabbage soup” online. A nostalgic moment. You see, the majority of recipes for cabbage soup are for the Cabbage Soup Diet!

When we lived overseas most foreigners lived in a compound. Christmas wasn’t celebrated there and there was no holiday except at the school. Most of the wives and children returned to their home countries for a few weeks to celebrate Christmas and have a holiday. This meant mass dieting for weeks before hand and the diet of choice was the Cabbage Soup Diet. I don’t think it was very successful but seeing so many entries for it online was nostalgic, not necessarily in a good way. Boiled cabbage smells bad.

Next time I’ll grind fresh spices instead of using powdered ones.

Under all that was a recipe from a site called Simply Good for Cabbage Soup, (here). The reviews were enthusiastic and there were lots of them, so I made Cabbage Soup. I had all the ingredients. It was easy, healthy and very good. I will make it again.

EATING AND COLD WEATHER

It’s the middle of winter in the Southern hemisphere. We have had more rain than I remember since I was a child. The dams and even the aquifers must be full by now. Wet and cold days seem to require carbohydrates, so I’m quick to oblige. When our son came down from Kalgoorlie for the weekend, we had bagels and paninis for lunch and a roast beef dinner with roasted vegetables and luscious gravy.

The next morning we had yum cha, delicious little bites with warming spicy dipping sauces. The yum cha restaurant is always crowded and noisy. There’s large round tables where big groups enjoy the food and company, smaller tables and then tables for four. The servers come past with trolleys you choose from or trays with specialties and you can order your favourites, too.

Small but diabolical chocolate muffins.

I’d made chocolate chip muffins. They have amazing powers to fight cold weather

My Mother has been staying, too, after some surgery for melanomas on her face and hand. She really feels the cold, so has an electric blanket on her bed and now, an electric throw. It was recommended to me by a friend and endorsed enthusiastically by another friend, so off I went to buy her one. The first two shops had sold out, but the third shop had one left. They had unpacked ten that morning and told me I was lucky to get the last one.

She thinks it’s very warm!

READING

I’m a fan of Irish writer Marion Keyes books. She is funny and sharply observant. She writes fiction and nonfiction. I always checked to see if she had for a new book available when we were traveling. Remember plane trips? When I finished the book I’d leave it in the hotel for someone else to enjoy.

Thoroughly enjoyed ” Making It Up As I Go Along”. Published in 2016 this is a collection of columns and articles she wrote for various newspapers, travel magazines and other magazines. We learn about her nail polish museum, her many trips overseas and Himself, her saint like husband plus her passion for rugby.

I borrowed this book from the library to balance out my other selections, serious garden tomes on treating pest invasions naturally, re-espaliering fruit trees ( mine has shot upwards, seeking sunlight as the neighbours’ trees have grown and block the sun) and small garden design requiring little water, except their idea of a small garden is big compared to mine. Interesting and informative, but very serious so some droll observations from Marion Keyes were very welcome.

How are you going with Plastic Free July?  Aldi has a set of four fruit and vegetable bags. Two are made of calico, two are woven cotton. Light, easy to wash and reusable. Four less plastic bags every week. You can use the paper bags intended for mushrooms if you forget to take reusable fruit and vegetable bags shopping.

 

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A Week of Verbs: Reading, Making, Buying and Painting

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READING

Really enjoy reading a good thriller and Kathy Reichs’s “The Bone Code” didn’t disappoint! She has written over twenty books in the Tempe Brennan series and they are all gripping, thrilling and a bit disturbing. A Forensic Anthropologist herself, her main protagonist works as a Forensic Anthropologist between Charlotte, North Carolina and Montreal, Québec, as does the author. Reichs is highly qualified and skilled at telling a great story. This book  was also full of information about DNA. I really enjoyed it.

Also enjoyed Lily Brett’s ” Old Seems To Be Other People”. She has written six novels, nine books of poetry and four essay collections. Brett was born in the Feldafing Displaced Persons Camp in Bavaria. The family then came to Australia. She later moved to London as a journalist, back to Melbourne and finally, to New York where she lives with her husband, Australian painter David Rankin.

The daughter of Holocaust survivors, her works often focus on what it means to be Jewish. She frequently writes about the survivors of the death camps and the impact of this on their children and grand children. It is a theme common to all she writes, including her new book, “Old Seems To Be Other People”. This collection of 32 essays on ageing is witty, thoughtful and quite informative about NYC. A multi award winning author, Brett’s unique thoughts on getting older was an easy, funny and enjoyable read.

I hesitated before picking up Nina George’s “The Little French Bistro” because of the plethora of books with “Paris” or “France” in the title, intended to tempt the reader to buy a book they might otherwise leave on the shelf! Both words promise something special, mystical and stylish. This book is all that and more. A lovely surprise, this is the story of Marianne, who escapes after 41 years in a loveless marriage and finds a new  life, new friends and  hope in Brittany. This is a whimsical story with a happy ending, just like a fairy tale. Thoroughly enjoyed it and really liked reminiscing about our own holiday on the same stretch of Brittany’s coast.

THE LITTLE FRENCH BISTRO
As usual, these books were borrowed from the library.

MAKING

What do you do with a loaf of brioche that is nothing short of disappointing?  De-core, peel and slice up three ageing apples and make an apple and brioche pudding! Layered buttered brioche and sliced apples with added currants in a casserole dish, poured over a jug of egg, sugar and milk custard. Sprinkled the top with nutmeg and weighted down the whole lot until the custard was absorbed. Cooked at 165º F for 45  minutes, delicious.

BUYING

I like all the pretty lacy, gathered, frothy nighties I see in shops and magazines, but I don’t want to wear them. I’m a fan of nighties that look like over grown T-shirts, prefer them without images or messages on the front and always look for 100% cotton. That’s the tricky bit! So I was really pleased when I found 100% cotton, patterned but fairly plain nighties and bought two for this winter. Unfortunately, they are not made in Australia but I’ll keep hoping and looking.

When I was a child my grandparents lived in a rambling old farmhouse along with my parents and brothers and myself. My Grandfather used a cologne called 4711. It was an eau de cologne so the scent disappeared quite quickly.  So, wisps of the scent but not overpowering and not long lasting, either. I hadn’t thought about it for years until I saw a comment online about 4711 Aqua Colonia Blood Orange & Basil eau de cologne.

I really like citrus smells. Not a big fan of candles and room sprays but I have both in various citrus scents. I cook a lot with lemon, lime and oranges. Also kumquat and grapefruit. So I set off to find 4711 Aqua Colonia Blood Orange & Basil eau de cologne. Loved it! Started off with 50ml as a test, liked it so much I next bought 170ml. I spray it generously and enjoy little whiffs of the fruity scents throughout the day. Invigorating and refreshing. And a bit nostalgic.

PAINTING

Discovering painting lessons and demonstrations on ZOOM has resulted in me painting almost every day. I continue with flowers, enjoying a more relaxed, less formal and much faster style of paining than the classical botanical paintings I’ve done for years.

I’ve also fiddled about with blue and white vases and bowls because I have a house full of them.

I am really enjoying quick paintings and this week will do a session on butterflies.

Did you know, in Australia, you can take all your skincare and cosmetic containers back to David Jones and Mecca for recycling? They’ll take all empty tubes, jars and bottles and empty or near empty makeup containers?  They will be recycled into pellets which can be used

 

 

 

 

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Flowers, Cavolo Nero, Painting and Reading

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CHANGE OF PLANS

I have been working on this blog well ahead of intended publication day as I was going to Canberra for two days and then Melbourne for three days. I’d done lots of research about the three exhibitions we’d booked tickets to see and had a list of other things I planned doing while I was in both Canberra and Melbourne. Then an outbreak of CV-19 changed our plans! Melbourne is in lockdown again. This must be very difficult for them. Anyway, I’m staying safely in Western Australia, at home and my son, who I was travelling East with is going to Darwin for four days instead. Bit sad about missing Botticelli  to Van Gogh in Canberra and She-Oak and Sunlight, Australian Impressionism plus French Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, in Melbourne.

FLOWERS

Do you like fresh flowers in the house? Me, too. Not surprising, really, as my Grandmother always had flowers on the table and my Mother has at least one vase of flowers on her table, too. I like to grow most of our cut flowers. It’s hard to find out where bought flowers come from but apparently most roses come from overseas. I enjoy gardening and these flowers are so freshly cut they last longer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The roses above are mostly from my Mother’s garden. The entire area around where we live has a terrible infestation of chili thrip* which is decimating the roses. The recommended treatments are making very little difference. It’s early to prune the bushes but I’m considering it to try and nurture healthy roses in spring. Any advice about successful treatments would be very welcome!

*Chilli thrip (Scirtothrips dorsalis) feed on roses, all citrus as well as a range of fruit and vegetable hosts. Originally from Asia, chilli thrip is gradually achieving global distribution.

CAVOLO NERO

Common in Italian cuisine, cavolo nero is a blackish cabbage, very similar to kale. I bought it because it looked so interesting. I combined a Maggie Beer recipe with some other general directions and made this BRAISED CAVOLO NERO, which we ate with squid and potatoes.

Rinse the cavolo nero leaves and dry them. I used a bunch to make dinner for two but it would feed four if you were serving other vegetables, too. It tastes better than it looks!

The ingredients are simple. Gather the washed cavolo nero, two cloves of garlic, a lemon ( usually, but I only had fresh limes so that’s what I used and they tasted very good) about five anchovies, because I like the salty, surprising taste when they break up amongst the vegetable. You also need  some olive oil for cooking and about half a cup of water.

Fold the cavolo nero leaf in half longways and slice out the stem. I kept the stems to make minestrone! Apparently that’s the typical thing to do in Italy. Then cut the leaves sideways into slices. Put the oil in a heavy based pan and when it’s hot add the garlic and anchovies. The anchovies disintegrate a bit during cooking. Add the leaves, squeeze on the citrus juice and stir them about. The leaves shrink quite a lot. After about five minutes add the water and let it cook until the water has evaporated.

Served with some flash fried squid, a potato and another squeeze of lime. Healthy and fast, although preparing the leaves is a bit of a faff.

I made a very traditional minestrone, including the stems from the cavolo nero this time, but I didn’t add the pasta when I was cooking it. As the soup lasts two of us about three days the pasta becomes mushy after the first day. So I cook a little fresh al dente pasta and put it into the minestrone just before I serve it each day.

PAINTING

I’ve discovered ZOOM painting sessions and have really enjoyed them.  I did an Amy Stewart session and painted four birds. This led to me painting a fairy wren, too.

Later I did a session with Marietta Cohen.  It began with a guided sketching and painting lesson of cherry blossom, based on a traditional Japanese painting “Fukurokuju Cherry Blossom” created by K Tsunoi, in 1921. Later I sourced the original piece of art and did a full sized painting.

Also did a couple of travel diary paintings on our time down south. I love seeing other peoples sketches and paintings from their trips and am working on doing the same thing. Needs more work!

For some years I have painted botanical paintings. I wanted to try more relaxed casual paintings of flowers. Just realised most of the flowers I’ve painted are pink!

READING

I’ve just read “The Only Street In Paris” written by Elaine Sciolino. First saw this author referred to a on a blog reviewing “Emily In Paris”, then she was mentioned in another review. So I bought the book and I’m so glad I did, too. Of course, I bought it through Book Depository, using the link on the blog side bar! The author, Elaine Sciolino is a contributing writer and former Paris bureau chief for the New York Times. She has lived in Paris with her husband and two daughters since 2002.

“The Only Street In Paris, Life on the Rue des Martyrs” refers to the street in Paris where Sciolino and her family live in an apartment. Published in 2016, this book is the result of detailed research. Located in the ninth arrondissement, Sciolino introduces us to a rich collection of characters in her street. We meet the green grocer, the butcher, the baker, the cheese man, the knife sharpener and even a repairer of antique barometers. There’s a Synagogue, and a famous old church in dire need of restoration, so devout Catholic Sciolino writes to the Pope for assistance. There’s no reply.

There’s cafes, restaurants, bars and night clubs. She writes about famous people who have lived in the street and about the history of the street going back centuries. The buildings in many cases are untouched by progress and many shelter unseen gardens behind their remaining courtyard doors.

The survival of traditional specialist shops in Paris is made possible by legislation protecting them from multi-national and chain stores moving into some of these streets.Sciolino’s acute observations and mulinational cast of shopkeepers, mixed with the history of the area, makes this a compelling read.

Hello WINTER in the Southern Hemisphere, hello SUMMER in the Northern Hemisphere!

 

 

 

 

 

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Using My Handmade Book, Eating and Reading

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USING MY HANDMADE BOOK

I made this book, or zine, during a recent workshop. I knew I wanted to use it to record some of the things I planned to do this year. First on my list was  a water colour course to learn how to do quick paintings of places we visit. I’d seen people with their papers, pens  and small paint boxes drawing and painting when we traveled and I wanted to do that, too.

These gorgeous mementos feature quickly completed views. In our course we started with tonal paintings, then coloured versions of the same image. Our next lesson was using washes with black silhouettes.

I’ve always glued maps, tickets and photos into my journals when we travel but really like these quick paintings. I have illustrated my notes with sketches but I’ll  create an outdoor paining kit and buy some water colour paper for our next trip and do some paintings. I’m looking for an A5 pad so I can paint then tear out the finished work and glue it into my every day journal.

Had some leftover papers of the right size and thickness and some embroidery thread so I made another book.

Used a template to mark the stitching holes. Poked them through using an awl.

Stitched the binding. The new book, for idle thoughts, is complete.

While I had scissors, glue and paper out on the table, I also made an insert for the card I’d painted for Mothers Day. Australians celebrate Mothers Day in May, so that’s  when I’ll give this card to my Mother. She grows many, many carnations and has a constant supply of cut flowers. I love the peppery scent.

FAST, FABULOUS FOOD

Last week I made a pot of Guava Jam using divine smelling guavas given to me. Although I halved the amount of sugar suggested in the recipes I read, the Guava Jam was still very sweet. I heated a few dessertspoons of the jam in a cup in the microwave for 30 seconds and then drizzled the warm jam onto ice cream. Instant fabulous, delicious dessert! We really enjoyed it.

And not so fast, but equally easy to eat, Pear Crumble. Pears are in season so I made a Pear Crumble hoping for cooler evenings. Hasn’t really happened yet, but the dessert was great. I added nutmeg to the crumble and we enjoyed the extra depth of flavour. Looks a lot like icecream and guava sauce, tastes very different. I’ll be making that again!

READING

I’ve written about Kit Kemp, co-owner of Firmdale Hotels, interior decorator and author, twice in the past few blogs, so I’ll just write briefly about her latest book I’ve been reading. Called “A Living Space” it is actually one of her earlier publications.

Kit Kemp: A Living Space by Kemp, Kit | Hardcover | 2012

Kemp focuses on you trusting your instinct and ignoring the rules! She combines antiques with newly made objects or recycled pieces, bespoke with readily available furniture and  very valuable artifacts with ephemera. She encourages her readers to look at texture, add some humour and surround yourself with comfort and colour. Live with what you really, really like around you.

Chapter headings include Bespoke And One Off’s, Antique With Modern, Compare And Contrast, Art And Collections and an amusing chapter called Dogs. Kemp champions emerging artist and crafters whose work sits comfortably with traditional furniture or family heirlooms.

Kemp often frames pieces of fabric or wallpaper which look interesting on the wall if you have any wall space to spare. I haven’t. Obviously, I enjoy her style of decorating, her combinations of affordable and valuable, her cheeky additions and the pages and pages of gorgeous photos.

A few weeks ago my husband read “The Man Who Wasn’t Maigret, A Portrait of Georges Simeon”. He is the author of the Chief Inspector Maigret series. This biography resulted in my husband getting fifteen Maigret books from the library. After he finished the first one he put it on my side of the bed and said, “You’ll enjoy this.” I’m on number nine, now and looking forward to the rest.

Some interesting facts about Georges Simeon:

1)  He wrote 193 novels under his own name and another 200 under a variety of pseudonyms.

2)  Maigret books sold over 500 million copies in 55 languages in Simeon’s lifetime. Only Jules Verne and Shakespeare have sold more.

3)  Almost all of his books took less than 2 weeks to write. He wrote without any revision.

4)  Simeon wrote two autobiographical novels, followed by a 1048 page autobiography and then a 21 volume memoir of his life. He frequently contradicted himself in them!

5)  Simeon desperately wanted to be seen as a serious writer, an intellectual and to be nominated to the French Academy. It never happened.

Simeon is a marvelous story teller. His writing style is simple and shows a deep understanding of human nature. He limits the actual vocabulary he uses in the Maigret series to about 2000 words. He is Flemish, not French and a few of his stories are set in Belgium, others in Holland but mostly set in Paris. As a travel starved Francophile, I have enjoyed meandering around Paris with Maigret although I wouldn’t like to see some of the things he finds. He is famous for investigating murders.

Between 1931 and 1972, Georges Simeon published seventy five Chief Inspector Maigret stories as well as another twenty eight short stories. Most of these have been republished by Penguin in the past six years. Great reading.

Yesterday was Earth Day. The enormous drop in pollution resulting from less flying, cruising and manufacturing  during the early days of CV-19 indicates we can make a change. And please try and reduce the use of single use plastics.

 

 

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Matryoshka Dolls, Tomatoes, Salsa Verde and Kit Kemp

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Free Group Of Russian Nesting Dolls Stock Image - 13608751

MATRYOSHKA DOLLS

Matryoshka Dolls, or Babushka Dolls, are wooden stacking dolls. Also known as Russian dolls, nesting dolls, Russian tea dolls or stacking dolls, they are a set of dolls of decreasing size placed one inside the other. They are called Matryoshka nesting dolls in Russia, where they originated.

Thought to be first made in 1890 the original designer is disputed but most often the first set of dolls is linked to wood worker Vasili Zvyozdochkin and toy painter Sergei Malyutin. Their popularity quickly spread across Europe  after the original set was displayed at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1900. The toy won a bronze medal and they became the “must have”toy!

No longer really considered toys, the Russian nesting dolls now made in the image of politicians, religious deities, a royal family, celebrities, even animals. Many are collectables. I like my traditional “matron” design with its links to fertility. This design portrays an old woman, a grandmother, generally associated with a headscarf tied under the chin. Probably because it was easier to say, my nesting dolls were called “Babushka Dolls” although this always reminds me of Kate Bush singing “Babooshka”, released in 1978.

Three Snowman Ceramic Figurines on White Surface

Like so many people, our travel plans for 2020 were cancelled. We were going on a cruise which included a few days in St Petersburg. Apart from a planned visit to the Hermitage,  I’d been looking forward to seeing the architecture. My other goal was to buy another Russian nesting doll. Instead I included my stacking doll with some Easter decorations. I’ve searched on the base and inside my dolls but cannot find where they were made.

The Russian nesting dolls can have five, six or seven dolls in each set. The smallest one is made first, then the others, getting bigger and bigger.

eating

TOMATOES

Tired of salads? Me too. Tomatoes still taste of sunshine so we keep eating them but needed some variety. These roasted tomatoes are so easy. I washed, dried and quartered some same sized tomatoes, taking care not to cut all the way through. I’d already drizzled olive oil in the glass baking dish. Used a teaspoon to put a little chopped garlic in the cut tomatoes, then sliced a leek and scattered it around them. Drizzled some more olive oil over the tomatoes. Added ground black pepper and sprinkled sea salt on them and roasted them  45 minutes at 190°C  F/Forced   ( 375ºF) . The hardest part is getting all the grit out of the leek.

Scattered some fresh basil on top. Delicious. Sweet and sticky and the flavours blended well. Light, easy end of summer food.

SALSA VERDE

Salsa verde is a green sauce. There’s so many recipes for it because the herbs you have available in abundance at the time will dictate your recipe. I like to add anchovies for depth of flavour but not all recipes do, and I add chopped, small gherkins, too. Originally this was based on a Jamie Oliver recipe but I have changed it to suit our tastes. The actual flavour can be different every time you make it depending on the ratio of herbs.

I used about four handfuls of basil, mint and common parsley, 1 tbspn chopped capers, 1 lge chopped gherkin, 6 anchovy fillets, 1 tbspn Dijon mustard, 20ml red wine vinegar and 60ml EVOO.

Pick over the herbs. It is easy to strip the mint and basil holding the top of the stem and running your fingers down, parsley takes longer. This part takes a while but the aroma of the herbs is lovely. Wash the leaves and leave to drain. Chopped the gherkin and capers if they’re large. I mash the anchovies with a fork in the jug later with the other ingredients.

Dice the herbs. Usually I chop them finely but this sauce is to go on turkey breast which is quite mild so I wanted a robust sauce. Mix everything together in a jug or serving bowl. Leave to amalgamate for an hour. Serve on meat, poultry, fish or stirred through salad leaves.

The basil is going to seed. As I picked it I stripped off the seeds and dropped them back in the soil for the next crop. I served this luscious sauce with turkey breast and oven roast sweet potato and Brussels sprouts. It was very good!

reading

One of the designers featured in the “British Designers At Home” book which I reviewed last week was Kit Kemp. Her own house was featured in the book and the vibrant designs led me to borrow her book “Design Thread” from the library.

Kit Kemp, with her husband Tim Kemp, is the founder and creative director of Firmdale Hotels.  They have a collection of eleven hotels in London and New York. She has won many awards for her work.  Her interiors are vibrant and witty. She’s known for mixing antiques with junk shop treasures, bespoke wallpaper with simple finishes. Her interiors are individual and personal.

Kemp discusses the aspects of each room featured and talks about the decisions she made which result in the final decor. Each room is different and items are individually selected. She also talks about her holiday house and the influences which decided how it was finished.

Kemp’s  style is bold, quirky and individual but also comfortable and welcoming. She cleverly mixes old and new, luxurious and the everyday plus classic and modern styles.  Gorgeous rooms and an inspiring book.

Did you know it probably takes an aluminum can 200-500 years to decompose? They are easily and cheaply recycled. In some countries they attract a small refund when you drop them off at a recycling point.

 

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Visiting the New W.A. Museum, A New Mattress and Ironing

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The new west australian museum/boola bardip*

*This Aboriginal name for the new Museum was researched and translated by the Nyoongar Language Centre and approved by senior Whadjuk Nyoongar Elders. It means “many stories.”

The new Museum, incorporating several old buildings, is part of the cultural precinct just over the railway line in Northbridge. It is an amalgamation of several existing buildings all incorporated with a new one.

Internally you move from area to area seamlessly with the occasional glimpse of the previous buildings, such as looking down onto the old museum to see the replica of the Elgin marbled cornice* ( now referred to as the Parthenon Frieze), a sweeping wooden staircase or a glimpse of a previous ornate roof line. It is very, very well done.

*The Elgin marbles/ Parthenon Frieze was in the old Art Gallery now incorporated in the new building. It can be viewed from a Juliet balcony within the museum. Approximately 80 metres long,  it is a copy of the Ionic Frieze from the Parthenon in Athens. The other copy of the frieze along with the original sculpture were taken to London by Lord Elgin from Athens. They are housed in the British Museum. Other casts of the frieze are in the University of Melbourne and the University of Sydney.

The Museum is arranged over the ground floor, the mezzanine, and three more floors. There were Museum staff available to assist. I think it would take two hours for an initial visit and then a return visit to study different exhibitions in detail.

Walked down to James Street from the Museum and found a really good dim sum restaurant before heading back to the cultural precinct and visiting the Art Gallery.

the new mattress

Last year our old mattress became too lumpy and uncomfortable to ignore any more. We went mattress hunting, a very awkward activity. WA had been in lock down due to CV-19 for some time and although finally we could go shopping,  we were still being extremely cautious.

We tried a few mattresses but rather half halfheartedly because lying on a bed in public is a bit weird anyway, and lying on one somebody else might have tried  during this time of caution was really uncomfortable.

Came home to do more research. The consumer comparison site recommended Mattresses in a Box. More reading and lots of reviews later we ordered one. The whole delivery thing was ghastly and took 21 days and so many phone calls.

Finally it arrived, and after it had sighed and wheezed its way to full thickness overnight, we started using it. Very firm. Reminded each other about reviews that said it takes a few days  or a month to get used to it. Added a latex topper, then a fat fluffy one, too, then admitted it was just too firm for comfort. We both had sore shoulders and hips and remembered the old lumpy mattress fondly, compared to the new one.

Woman's hand pressing on white mattress. Checking hardness and softness. Choice of the best type and quality. Point of view shot. Copy space. Empty place for text or logo. Top view. Close up. Woman's hand pressing on white mattress. Checking hardness and softness. Choice of the best type and quality. Point of view shot. Copy space. Empty place for text or logo. Top view. Close up. mattress shops stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images

Finally we spent last week trying mattresses. We ended up with two preferred brands and had to go from one shop immediately to the other to compare the two. Finally chose one. It cost a great deal more than the Mattress in a Box. It arrived a week after we bought it and it is very, very comfortable. We are happy!

The new very comfortable mattress.

ironing tea towels

Kristie Allsopp, an English interior designer and co-host of the long running ‘Location, Location, Location’ home finding program, recently announced on Twitter that she irons her tea towels. Hardly world changing information, but there was a flurry of shocked and outraged responses. Ironing tea towels, how could she?

Person in Gray Dress Shirt Holding White Book

This resulted in a quick poll: Do you iron your tea towels? Well, 67% of respondents said they do, and I was quite pleased because I, too, like an ironed tea towel! And pillow cases.

I have really reduced the amount of ironing I do since I retired but still like cottons and linens ironed. My husband wears cotton shirts every day and they must be ironed, too, but he wont iron his handkerchiefs!

This weeks ironed tea towels and hand towels.

So, ironing hasn’t exactly divided the masses, but I’d love to know if you iron your tea towels!

international womens day

I’ve just finished reading Stella Rimington’s autobiography ‘Open Secret, The Autobiography of the Former Director-General  of MI5’. Rather timely as we celebrate International Womens Day. Rimington was the first woman in the service to progress from Junior Assistant Officer in 1969 to Officer rank, previously a status held exclusively by males. Up to that point women could only be clerical workers.  Not only was she married but she has a child, too, and a second daughter later.

She continued to move up through the ranks and was appointed Director-General in 1996 after 27 years of service. Her story is one of many about women working harder, being called ‘dear’ and being overlooked for promotions, but also a story of tenacity, hard work and determination.Image with no description

As we celebrated International Womens Day on the 8th of March, I thought of Stella Rimington, who juggled full time work, two daughters and husband plus running a household. I think she  would be surprised and disappointed that, in 2021, so often women are still paid less than men for the same work, are less likely to be promoted to managerial positions and are generally more responsible for childcare and running their homes.

Stella Rimington struggled to find good childcare arrangements, initially didn’t have a washing machine and could only have three months maternity leave. As she points out, she had to be focused and able to compartmentalise the many parts of her life to survive. I think she feels her daughters sometimes missed out, a concern many working mothers will express. There seems no easy solution but greater flexibility is required to make fairer work arrangements for all employees.

International Womens’ Day celebrates the achievements of women and acknowledges the challenges of gender bias and inequality around the world.

 

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Two Weeks in Masks

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cv-19 in western australia

Last week we were in Lockdown in parts of Western Australia due a case of community transmitted CV-19 the week before, after 9 months of being Covid free in WA. We had to wear masks and have permits to leave the Metropolitan area. This followed a week of stricter Lockdown with limited contact and movement. No  other cases were diagnosed.

Luckily, all these restrictions ended on Saturday night at 12AM. Such a relief! Like so many people all over the world we found  wearing masks unpleasant. They were hot and uncomfortable and it was strange not seeing someone’s face, only their eyes. I did find the fabric masks cooler and more comfortable than the disposable paper ones.

Woman Looking At A Painting Of Mona Lisa Wearing Face Mask

We went south to pick up my Mother for a medical appointment back here in Perth. We  had to apply for and show a G2G, a Good to Go permit, at the Police Checkpoint to leave and return. She brought us a carrot she’d grown.

angels house, French Bistro, Fremantle

Salted Cod Brandade. This is a pâte or spread made of salted cod, olive oil, milk, potato and maybe lemon? Firm but easy to spread with a light, lovely flavour. My entree.

Then the CV-19 restrictions eased a little.  Our son was here for the weekend so we went to Angels House in Fremantle for lunch. We liked to eat at The Pearl, in Legian, Bali, a magical blend of beautifully presented food served under the night sky by charming Balinese staff. Angels House is run by the same French chef who ran The Pearl.

We  were pleased when we heard the chef at Pearl, Jeremy, was moving to Western Australia and opening Angels House, Pearl’s ‘little brother’. We ate here a few months ago and really enjoyed our lunch. We’re glad we managed to get a booking for last Saturday, too.

300gm Rib Eye with homemade croquettes. Delicious.

Pan seared ocean trout with salad. Although warned early on to leave room for dessert, I rashly also ordered the Chef’s Salad, tempted by the figs, radish and blue cheese.

Jeremy and his brother Anthony serve authentic French bistro food featuring local seasonal produce. The food is beautifully presented and the menu changes according to the seasons.

Profiteroles

The sleek interiors are complemented by tables out the front plus a garden area out the back, all in the middle of Fremantle.

Lemon Tart. No dessert for me, but I tasted both of these and they were just right!

St valentine’s day

We’re not ardent followers of Valentines Day and all the commercial rigmarole associated with the day, but I’ve traditionally made a heart shaped cake for the family. I used to borrow the cake tin from my Mother in law, then one day it became mine. This year’s cake was not fabulous! Well, the blueberry cake was good, but rushing to finish the job on a hot day meant I was not thrilled with the decoration. It tasted very nice, anyway.

We exchanged cards to celebrate the day, ate cake and felt relieved we could go out without masks.

Although the origins of St Valentine’s Day are contested, the ‘Hallmark Holiday’ began in 1913 and continues to be Hallmark’s second biggest selling card, after Christmas cards.

Close-up Photograph of Flowers

            HOPE YOU HAD A HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY

reading

A Year in the Life of the Yorkshire Shepherdess By Amanda Owen

Do you watch The Yorkshire Shepherdess series, “Our Yorkshire Farm?”  I found Amanda Owen, the shepherdess, her husband Colin, nine children and their way of life fascinating. I was delighted to get her first three books and have finished two and am well into the third.

Amanda Owen is a wonder mum, wife, farmer and householder. She Tweets and has an Instagram account despite being so busy and having a weak internet connection. Her other roles include maintaining a Shepherd’s Hut for paying guests and when the weather allows, preparing cream teas for the walkers wandering along the tracks through the farm. More recently they have added a house on an adjoining farm to their letting portfolio, after totally renovating it!

She writes about their life in the remote hills of Yorkshire, often isolated by snow in winter, without glamour but plenty of humour and pragmatism. The children, aged 2 to 18, all have roles to play. Owens and her husband Colin mainly farm sheep but also some cattle. They have horses and chickens and raise pigs for butchering for the family, working dogs and house dogs plus cats and a peacock.

Informative, inspiring and often droll, I am enjoying these books. Having grown up on farm with sheep, I have begun to tire of the lambing season stories, interspersed with cows and horses giving birth but found Owen’s own account of giving birth in front of the fire in the middle of the night rather beautiful. She didn’t want to disturb anyone! These books are great reads.

watching

The Dig Poster

This beautifully photographed film is an account of the discovery of the archaeological treasures that changed how we understood the Dark Ages. Sutton Hoo, the archaeological site, was dug just as World War 2 loomed on the horizon. A Suffolk landowner, Edith Pretty, engaged an archaeologist to explore the largest burial mound on her property. He discovered one of the oldest and most spectacular burial chambers ever found.

The treasures found in the burial chamber changed our understanding of the early chapters of English history. Instead being a rough and crude civilization, the burial chambers revealed the Dark Ages  to actually be cultured, complex and sophisticated.

The Dig is beautifully filmed.  It gently reveals the story and process of discovery and the resulting battles for the right to display the treasures. We really enjoyed this film.

The many treasures unearthed at Sutton Hoo are on display at the British Museum in London.

 

 

 

 

 

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A Week in Lock Down

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A case of community transmitted CV-19 was discovered on Sunday so parts of Western Australia are in Lock Down until this (Friday) evening. We have to wear masks if we go outside, we can do food shopping or visit doctors or make healthcare visits and we can exercise with one other person for an hour a day. It is very quiet and peaceful! I hope it only lasts five days. A long Lock Down would be very difficult.

When we had a much longer Lock Down period last year I found yoga sessions on Youtube, made all sorts of bread, found and watched a whole range of  TV series on demand  and walked and walked. I listed jobs to be done, things to be sorted, people to contact. Ticked things off my To Do list. Calm but satisfying days.

This year feels different. It is again very quiet, we walk the dog wearing our masks, I potter a little outside but we are experiencing blisteringly hot weather, so very little gardening this time. Is it because we assume it will end in a few days? No other cases have been diagnosed despite the huge number of places the infected person visited in the days before he was diagnosed.

Vaccine, Vaccination, Covid-19, Syringe, Inject

Worryingly, two of the vaccines, the Nova Vax and the Johnson and Johnson Vax are proving to be only 60% effective against the South African strain of the virus. The other two options are untested.

Painting whatever is available, in this case a hydrangea bloom and the next day, an olive branch.

No painting this week, so I have settled at the table and done a quick painting each day. I talk to my Mother who is also in Lock Down. We walk the dog, wearing our masks. We’re eating what we have in store, having done a rush shop just before Lock Down begun. I also read blogs written by people who have been experiencing these limitations for weeks and draw inspiration from their comments.

Person Wearing White Pants and White Socks Standing Beside Brown Broom

No yoga or Pilates, but so far no online exercise for me, either. No mahjong, no Fringe Festival sessions,  but some lovely long chats with friends online or on the phone. We’ve cleaned the house, which took us about five hours to do properly last year! Same this year. I think we are slow workers. It was also an opportunity to sort and put things away, or pack them up to leave the house!

Like so many people during Lock Down we have emptied, wiped then repacked some cupboards. We have a verge pick up this weekend, when our local council removes all our unwanted things from the verge and attempts to recycle them.

Not only are we experiencing Lock Down but also shocking bush fires. Eighty one homes on rural properties have been destroyed, livestock and enormous amounts of summer feed are gone. We are experiencing constant and awful winds which whip the fires along. So distressing.

Red and Orange Fire

Australia has a  150 strong air fleet to fight fire. They go where they are needed. There are 150 fixed wing or large helicopters in the fleet including the water bombers. Each carries water, fire retardant or firefighters, who can be winched into remote  where they are required. The fire is still out of control.

READING

Image without a caption

Spent a day reading Alex Michaelide’s The Silent Patient. A psychological thriller with so many twists and turns. This is a gripping book. Clever and fast moving with an unexpected ending. A great read. A film adaptation is on the way.

WATCHING

Photo BBCtv

A few years ago I read the book  ‘Love, Nina; Dispatches From Family Life’  by Nina Stibbe  so was interested when we saw it was available as a series on Netflix. Nina has left school and, at 20, left Leicester to be a Nanny to two boys in London. The series is based on her letters home to her sister, each signed ‘Love, Nina’. Her letters describe her trials and triumphs  working for a bohemian family. She can’t cook, she knows nothing about children and she’s often taken aback by the lifestyle she encounters. Sharply observed and laugh out loud funny, watch the series if you can! There’s five episodes in the current series and another series planned.

February is Ovarian Awareness Month, intended to highlight the symptoms of ovarian cancer and to raise money for support programs. Be informed  www.ovariancancer.net.au/

 

 

 

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