We had the dreaded Japan audit this week, and came out with flying colours. Today we had a visit from one of the most senior people in our big company, and he was very happy with what he saw. The scary thing is that he was anticipating something totally different from the reality. However, that's one more convinced that we make good products and run a good show. That's a relief.
We had at least 30 US and Japanese visitors this week. They were all as surprised as we were to find ice, and even a bit of snow, here in Limerick. We got off very lightly compared to other parts of the country. Mind you, it is worth sticking to the main roads as any side roads are unexpectedly slippy. The road from Castleconnell to Lisnagry was very slippy this morning, in spite of the non-freezing temperatures.
My exciting purchase today was a new cover for my ironing board. I can now iron without getting the marks of the metal base stuck onto my blouses. I celebrated by doing some ironing so am feeling very smug about being ahead of where I normally am at this stage of the weekend.
Christmas is coming, apparently, and that means I'm supposed to have a stock of ice cream in the freezer. Today I've made chocolate chip ice cream and raspberry yoghurt ice cream. On the list for making are:
- melon brandy sorbet
- more raspberry yoghurt
- blueberry
- more chocolate based ice cream
Anyone who is going to be here for Christmas is welcome to put in an order for their favourite type if these aren't on the list.
Leavy has a new duvet bed that b bought for her today. She's spoilt!
Saturday 4 December 2010
Monday 29 November 2010
Would you believe
I received a letter in the post today with an Tanzanian stamp on it. Who do I know in Tanzania? How exciting, I thought. Well, would you believe but that it was from my "good friend" Charles Taylor (jnr), son of the former president of Liberia. He writes from a refugee camp in Tanzania and says his father is being held against his will by the UN for "alleged offences of war crimes". However, his father has confidence in my personality and thinks I can help with a business opportunity. All I have to do is to contact him by email. I won't give you his email address as I really have to claim this 30% of $177,000,000 for myself so that I can give up work and live the high life.
It's -2.8C here at the moment, but no snow yet. They have snow in the north and east of the country. It wasn't fun scraping ice off the car both on the way to work and on the way home. A few more days of this is promised.
It's -2.8C here at the moment, but no snow yet. They have snow in the north and east of the country. It wasn't fun scraping ice off the car both on the way to work and on the way home. A few more days of this is promised.
Sunday 28 November 2010
5 months of silence
I was looking at Sam's blog and noticed that mine is down at the bottom of the list of blogs he follows. I'm surprised he hasn't thrown me off by now as it seems that it's 5 months since I wrote here. The longer I leave it, the harder it seems to get to return, and yet I love reading other people's musings.
Winter has set in today, and we woke up to a light smattering of snow. This must be the earliest I've seen snow in this part of the country as we normally don't get any, and last year's was after Christmas. This time last year we were wading through water and our village was cut in half by floods.
We went on a long walk with some friends and dogs across the frosty fields earlier. It was lovely going "scrunch, scrunch" under-foot. We explored the ruined castle at Doonass and watched crazy kayakers who didn't seem to mind turning their kayaks upside down in the freezing water.
Now that our friends have gone away I decided to settle down to a lazy afternoon of watching the repeat of the "Late Late Toy Show", the annual extravaganza of toys that are shown off on the Late Late Show. I think, though, that something must have happened in the world outside our house (maybe something crazy like the country going bust) as it looks as if the TV schedule in the newspapers does not equal the schedule that is actually showing. I may have to watch it on iplayer instead as it just isn't done to miss it.
Meanwhile, the dogs are snoring after their long walk. Pippa has curled up in her little nest and is emitting very loud noises. Leavy is sitting on her leather chair that now only has 3 legs. If she stays still it won't fall down.
Now that I've procrastinated enough I'll find my sewing and make some progress on it. Au revoir.
Winter has set in today, and we woke up to a light smattering of snow. This must be the earliest I've seen snow in this part of the country as we normally don't get any, and last year's was after Christmas. This time last year we were wading through water and our village was cut in half by floods.
We went on a long walk with some friends and dogs across the frosty fields earlier. It was lovely going "scrunch, scrunch" under-foot. We explored the ruined castle at Doonass and watched crazy kayakers who didn't seem to mind turning their kayaks upside down in the freezing water.
Now that our friends have gone away I decided to settle down to a lazy afternoon of watching the repeat of the "Late Late Toy Show", the annual extravaganza of toys that are shown off on the Late Late Show. I think, though, that something must have happened in the world outside our house (maybe something crazy like the country going bust) as it looks as if the TV schedule in the newspapers does not equal the schedule that is actually showing. I may have to watch it on iplayer instead as it just isn't done to miss it.
Meanwhile, the dogs are snoring after their long walk. Pippa has curled up in her little nest and is emitting very loud noises. Leavy is sitting on her leather chair that now only has 3 legs. If she stays still it won't fall down.
Now that I've procrastinated enough I'll find my sewing and make some progress on it. Au revoir.
Wednesday 23 June 2010
No visit
The "state" visit is cancelled as my Aunt Elizabeth isn't well and needs minding, so our expected visitor has headed over to Essex. Unfortunately that means that the cleaning job Ian and Brian were going to do in advance of her arrival is kinda unlikely to happen. Of course they'll need to do it to be ready for Carolan and Andy visiting next weekend....
I've just been watching that long tennis match between Isner and Mahut. I don't understand how they can keep going for so long. I get exhausted just watching them! I think that what should happen is that the people in the next round should stand down in their favour so that they both get through. It seems it has so far been the longest ever tennis match in a major tournament.
The Queen is going to visit our President, it appears. How exciting!
I've just been watching that long tennis match between Isner and Mahut. I don't understand how they can keep going for so long. I get exhausted just watching them! I think that what should happen is that the people in the next round should stand down in their favour so that they both get through. It seems it has so far been the longest ever tennis match in a major tournament.
The Queen is going to visit our President, it appears. How exciting!
Wednesday 16 June 2010
The story of my life at this time of year
It's elderflower time of year. Ian and I picked loads of elderflowers so I have cordial and champagne in the making. It smells good! Here is my champagne recipe, courtesy of "selfsufficientish"
8 litres (2 gallons) water
1.25 kg (2.5 lbs/5 cups) sugar
8 large elderflower heads
4 Lemons
4 tablespoons mild white wine vinegar
Boil the water and pour over the sugar to dissolve it. Cool and add the elderflowers, juice of the two lemons, slices of the other two and the vinegar. Cover with a cloth and leave for a day. Strain with a fine sieve or muslin cloth, squeezing the flowers as you do to release more flavour. Store in screw top bottles.
It will be ready in about 10 days to a fortnight and should be drunk within a month. <-----This is the part I'm at. Do you think it will be ready in time for Carolan to taste?
Also, in the garden I have mange-tout, lots of types of salad leaves, garlic, scallions and various herbs. Coming along nicely are beetroot, red onions, peas, broad beans, sweet corn and raspberries. For some reason my runner beans are struggling with the running bit and aren't getting far off the ground.
8 litres (2 gallons) water
1.25 kg (2.5 lbs/5 cups) sugar
8 large elderflower heads
4 Lemons
4 tablespoons mild white wine vinegar
Boil the water and pour over the sugar to dissolve it. Cool and add the elderflowers, juice of the two lemons, slices of the other two and the vinegar. Cover with a cloth and leave for a day. Strain with a fine sieve or muslin cloth, squeezing the flowers as you do to release more flavour. Store in screw top bottles.
It will be ready in about 10 days to a fortnight and should be drunk within a month. <-----This is the part I'm at. Do you think it will be ready in time for Carolan to taste?
Also, in the garden I have mange-tout, lots of types of salad leaves, garlic, scallions and various herbs. Coming along nicely are beetroot, red onions, peas, broad beans, sweet corn and raspberries. For some reason my runner beans are struggling with the running bit and aren't getting far off the ground.
Saturday 12 June 2010
Leavy goes head on
Ian was throwing a ball for Leavy and Pippa over at the Castle Oaks field, and the little friendly dog from the nearby houses was joining in the play. Leavy has this habit of racing straight at people and dogs and stopping just before she reaches them. However, maybe his little friend also does this. Suffice it to say, they met head on. The little dog raced off home. Leavy looked stunned. Next thing, though, she was gone too.
Ian hadn't seen her race so didn't even know where to start to look for her, so he decided to head home to leave Pippa there before going off on a search.
The story has a good ending. Lo and behold, when he arrived home there was Leavy sitting waiting for him, looking very bemused. Is there any chance that she'll get sense as a result of the incident? The mind boggles at what would have happened if a car had happened to be passing when she raced across the road, as Leavy doesn't understand cars.
My aunt is wending her way down here the weekend after next. She is attending a wedding in Glin that is likely to be the talk of the town, so we are the staging point. She'll be here for 2 nights, and most of 3 days..... She has only been to our house once before. I don't think she is too fussy about housekeeping, but I'd better do a decent tidy before Carolan and Andy visit the following week. I know they're bound to notice everything!
I was afraid that my mange-tout plants were turning out to be sweet peas, but they now seem to be developing the correct shapes, with the bonus that there are flowers at the top of the plants so that the garden has a small bit of prettiness in it. At the moment the fare on offer from the garden includes loads of different kinds of salad leaves, and some spinach is ready for eating. Red onions are coming on well, and garlic will be ready for Carolan's visit. It is very pleasant and mild at the moment, taken with a salad. Tomatoes are beginning to show themselves in the greenhouse, but the plants are mainly growing like triffids. I have to breathe in when I walk into the greenhouse so that I don't knock something down.
Oh - and I planted some bedding plants in the shower base, locating it in front of the shed near my car. The colours on the flowers aren't very nice but at least it makes the shower base look as it if is meant to be there.
It's elderflower time, so the next few weeks will be spent making cordial. Unfortunately the local places I used for cutting the flowers last time have all been pruned back in the last year, and even the tree near the Meeting House has been cut, so I'll have to go further afield. The blossoms are coming along nicely, though are later than last year.
Off to the boat now, heading for Rossmore.
Ian hadn't seen her race so didn't even know where to start to look for her, so he decided to head home to leave Pippa there before going off on a search.
The story has a good ending. Lo and behold, when he arrived home there was Leavy sitting waiting for him, looking very bemused. Is there any chance that she'll get sense as a result of the incident? The mind boggles at what would have happened if a car had happened to be passing when she raced across the road, as Leavy doesn't understand cars.
My aunt is wending her way down here the weekend after next. She is attending a wedding in Glin that is likely to be the talk of the town, so we are the staging point. She'll be here for 2 nights, and most of 3 days..... She has only been to our house once before. I don't think she is too fussy about housekeeping, but I'd better do a decent tidy before Carolan and Andy visit the following week. I know they're bound to notice everything!
I was afraid that my mange-tout plants were turning out to be sweet peas, but they now seem to be developing the correct shapes, with the bonus that there are flowers at the top of the plants so that the garden has a small bit of prettiness in it. At the moment the fare on offer from the garden includes loads of different kinds of salad leaves, and some spinach is ready for eating. Red onions are coming on well, and garlic will be ready for Carolan's visit. It is very pleasant and mild at the moment, taken with a salad. Tomatoes are beginning to show themselves in the greenhouse, but the plants are mainly growing like triffids. I have to breathe in when I walk into the greenhouse so that I don't knock something down.
Oh - and I planted some bedding plants in the shower base, locating it in front of the shed near my car. The colours on the flowers aren't very nice but at least it makes the shower base look as it if is meant to be there.
It's elderflower time, so the next few weeks will be spent making cordial. Unfortunately the local places I used for cutting the flowers last time have all been pruned back in the last year, and even the tree near the Meeting House has been cut, so I'll have to go further afield. The blossoms are coming along nicely, though are later than last year.
Off to the boat now, heading for Rossmore.
Monday 17 May 2010
In shame
Carolan is putting me to shame with her artistic and creative blogs. I'm making progress, though, with my tapestry of a canal boat that she gave me for my birthday. Appropriately enough, I've been doing most of it while on our boat. I'll bring it on our holiday next week. It's great therapy.
Leavy is looking out the window with suspicion. She doesn't trust anyone any more. You should see how fuzzy her hair is from the wash she had earlier today. Leavy and hair-driers don't match so she ended up staying wet. Pippa was also washed and is sleeping off the exhaustion of it all.
Leavy is looking out the window with suspicion. She doesn't trust anyone any more. You should see how fuzzy her hair is from the wash she had earlier today. Leavy and hair-driers don't match so she ended up staying wet. Pippa was also washed and is sleeping off the exhaustion of it all.
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