Autumn Cottage Diarist

It's That Time of The Year Again

Spring cleaning! Or, in my case, spring de-cluttering. Again. The story of my life.
Yesterday I tackled the linen cupboard in the bathroom, in which bedding, towels, tablecloths and patchwork quilts seem to breed over the winter. (Actually, the extra items mostly came from mother in law last year, when she moved into sheltered accommodation).
Here is just one of the piles that are being sorted – either to the local charity shop or offered to the Newbury Freecycle group (for animal bedding or fabric projects). But there are some items that will be going into a different box – the one marked “Memories”.

Though my sons are now 23 and nearly 21 years old, these were the duvet covers and pillowcases that dressed their beds when they were very little boys. “The little man with the black hat” is the logo of the world famous Hamley’s toy store in London and the teddy bear is – well, just a teddy bear. Perhaps they will fit a grandchild’s bed one day – who knows? (Hint, hint!)
More spring cleaning going on in the garden yesterday – I was at work down by the pond, cutting back and clearing. Here is the “Springtime” statue by the pond, surrounded by – well, springtime, in the dancing form of those lovely daffodils. Pretty, eh?

And something not so pretty. In case you get the idea that all is picture postcard perfect here at Autumn Cottage, take a look at the front cottage garden right now. Disgraceful, eh?

I’m almost too ashamed to post this picture – but I thought I would show you what happens when there is only one pair of hands to beat several separate gardens into submission – sometimes, they refuse to submit! The old well has been pretty nearly demolished by ivy and golden hop (it was rotting anyway, and needed rebuilding – it needs it a lot more now!) – and the rest of the garden is fighting a losing battle against bramble. All I can hope for is that some of the fairies and nymphs who quite definitely live in the woodland opposite will take pity on me and come dig my front garden someday (some night?) soon. Otherwise – the Day of the Triffids is only a matter of time!
To say goodnight on a more cheery note – here are “The Three Mousketeers” saying Good Morning as they do every day. Actually, Lily is saying “Where’s our breakfast?” – Pippin thinks he has already spotted it on the floor, (it was actually a fly) and Lissie is doing her usual “cold shoulder to the pesky interlopers” routine. It’s all an act – they love each other really. Honest. They really do!

A First Time for Everything!

I’ve taken to buying prepared sushi for myself at the local supermarket, as a quick lunch when I return home after shopping. But I was recently watching an episode of Spendaholics on TV - “how to lead a champagne lifestyle on a lemonade budget.”, a series in which people with enormous debts are given a lifestyle makeover to help them get their lives – and spending - back on track. The “star” of this episode was overspending partially due to her addiction to expensive sushi, so I thought I would follow their advice and try making my own.

I’ve had the ingredients lurking in the cupboard for a couple of months now, but last night I thought I would have a go. It was very simple, but it does seem to be important to have the right “bits and pieces” before you begin. Proper Sushi rice, which is very starchy – and therefore very sticky – rice vinegar, sheets of Nori (seaweed) and a rolling mat. (It would probably be possible to roll them without a mat, but why make life difficult?)
I followed the instructions on the packet of rice – half a bag, with 330ml of water, simmered for 10 minutes, and then left, off the heat, to steam, with the saucepan lid on.
Meanwhile, I made the rice dressing by mixing a tbs of rice vinegar with a teaspoon of sugar and one of salt (I may add more of both of those next time) – and when the rice had cooled, I stirred the dressing into it.
Then I laid one sheet of nori onto the rolling mat, spread rice on top, then lined up the fillings about 1/3 of the way along the rice (don’t worry if you want to try this – all the instructions are on all the packets). I used sliced king prawns, and sliced red peppers, carrot and celery. I will add cucumber and perhaps palm hearts next time, for a variation in texture.
Using the mat, I rolled them up like a swiss roll cake – and dampened the edge of the nori at the other end to seal it. I sliced them into five or six pieces, and there they were – Bob’s your Uncle – Sushi!
The slices from the ends of the rolls are a bit scruffy – but who cares, they tasted the same, eaten with soy sauce for dipping and grated ginger (again available in jars in the “World Foods” section of the supermarket). I estimate that I made roughly six times the amount I would buy from the shop for the same cost. A pretty good saving, I reckon!

If I was making them for others, I’d take more trouble, but for a first effort, after sampling, I can definitely declare them Not Bad At All - what do you think? Any suggestions for fillings and better methods would be very gladly received!

 

 

Peeling Back the Layers

Watched another fascinating programme last night on the UK Channel 4
"On demand" player on the net, this time about "The Secrets of the 12
Apostles", in which Dr Robert Beckford travelled all over Europe and to India
in search of more information about how, exactly, the early Christian
church was first propagated.

What has caught my interest for the last 15 months, (since I have been a student in the Department of Theology & Religious Studies at Winchester, and touched by the learning of such feminist liberation theologians as Lisa Isherwood and Liz Stuart) caught my interest in this programme - the place of women in the early church, their influence in the propagation of the story of the new
religion of Christianity, and their marginalisation by the patriarchal power
structures that gained ascendency in the Church - until now!
One new organisation which intrigues me is the Phoebe Institute,
named after the deaconess Phoebe, known to the Apostle Paul. The
founder, Rev Evelyn Wiseman, reminds me a lot of some of my Tutors, and
I reckon that a week on one of the Phoebe courses would be a most
fascinating time.

I don't feel that I am any more - or less - "religious" than I was before I
started the course at Winchester - but what I do feel is that I am a great
deal better informed - and a good deal more aware of just how much has
been hidden, or fallen by the wayside, of what started out as a very
different story of Christianity. In my nosey-parker way, I want to know
MORE - and satisfyingly, the more is out there and available for just a
small amount of seeking.

Another facet of this story, which entices me more than most is the art
history aspects of religion, which has been addressed - with respect to
Christianity - in another three part series  "Art of Eternity"
made by Andrew Graham-Dixon, which covers Christian art up to about the 14th century, and has been repeated on TV here over the last few weeks.
I have been attracted to Byzantine art ever since watching John Romer's
"Byzantium" a few years ago, and then, of course, visiting Venice and
being entranced by the mosaics in the Basilica of St Mark  and on Murano
and Torcello. Graham- Dixon's series supplements and extends the story,
and now I am just itching to visit Sienna, Ravenna and Assisi.

So much to learn - so little time!

Mosaics in the Basilica of San Marco, Venice

Every Day We (Can) Begin Again

Daffodils breaking out under the old apple tree in the sharp acid light of early spring

I love this saying, attributed to St Benedict...so forgiving, so understanding of human frailty, of the desire to get it right when we wake up – and the knowledge that we have just not achieved what we hoped for by the end of the day. But rather than beating ourselves up about it, we can follow Benedict’s exhortation to “begin again” the next day... 

Or in my case, several weeks, which have once again slipped by since I wrote anything here. Oh, I have several drafts about the things that I have done in the interim – the fascinating day symposium held at the university of Winchester in preparation for the Good Friday performance, though the city, of “The Passion”, the reading, reading, reading for the core module of my university course, the attempts to get motivated to start to knock that herb and veg garden into shape, the revelations leading to explorations that I have encountered as a result of meeting and being taught by feminist theologians, who have brought a whole other world of knowledge that I had been unaware of before my eyes and mind. 

All exciting and engaging stuff – but stuff that has taken me on a different path to the blogging topics that I have pursued up until now. The weather (always a good escape route for a Brit!) has also been unpredictable, and very cold recently (snow on Easter Day) so I have not been “out and about” for several weeks now. 

But here I am – and this day I “begin again” to document some events at Autumn Cottage and the ramifications in the journey of this midlife lady. For those of you who have read in the past, thank you for faithfully looking in here again. To those of you who have been kind enough to leave comments, please accept an apology if I have not replied, which is wholly my own disorganised fault – I hope it will not deter you from writing again. And to those of you who are straying past and peeking in at this Autumn Cottage Diary for the first time, welcome – I am an intermittent and haphazard poster – but I am delighted that you are here, please call in again (That goes for everyone!)

The archway into the herb garden, waiting for a rose to grow over it