Goldie is miserable today. He is having difficulty walking and is going around panting. He needs to go to a vet, but of course there is no vet open until Monday. b brought all the dogs with him to Enniskillen yesterday, to the opening of the Waterways Ireland new offices. The car journey didn't help, I'd imagine, but he hasn't been in great form for the last couple of weeks.
It's been a really blustery day, with heavy rain showers, so none of us have ventured far outside.
I took an afternoon off work last Tuesday to spread the manure we had acquired over my raspberries. B and I worked hard at it as it had been delivered in a large trailer that had to be returned to its owner. We've either managed to kill the raspberries with the quantity we put on, or we'll have a bumper crop next autumn.
More depressing news has come out on the jobs front. Not content with the loss of 1,900 jobs in Dell and the various announcements from firms supplying them that they are to let go at least as many again, Kostal has now announced that they need 300 volunteers for redundancy. They manufacture components for the luxury end of the car industry, an industry that is a bit dicey at the moment. Anglo-Irish bank has been nationalised - a crazy move, bailing out developers and other friends of the current government. The world has gone mad!
Saturday 17 January 2009
Sunday 4 January 2009
Ice cream and sorbet
My ice cream maker has been churning out about one ice cream or sorbet type per day, but I will probably put it away for a while after today. My favourites so far are the champagne sorbet we made on Christmas day, and the melon sorbet (secret ingredient was brandy) I made a couple of days ago. I've also made chocolate ice cream, fruit salad ice cream (with the remains of my fresh fruit salad juices), strawberry ice cream (delicious!), caramel (unsuccessful and had to be thrown out), and kiwi sorbet. I think that's the lot. Today I will make ice cream with pecan nuts. If I could find marscapone in a shop I'd try using it as it would be an interesting substitute for cream. I should also try making it with yoghurt. Hmm, maybe I need to keep the equipment out on the counter for a bit longer...
Yesterday I attended 2 funerals. They were so different, with one having about 1,000 people there, and the other only a couple of dozen people. That is perhaps the right way, as the bigger was for a 16 year old who had died with 2 others in a car accident near Nenagh. The other was for someone who had reached a good age.
Today is the last day of my holidays. Routine starts again tomorrow, with the alarm already set for 7am. It's so cold out that the holiday hasn't been conducive to getting up and doing things around the house, though that isn't really logical as it would get my circulation going. However, as a result I've done lots of reading, and played far too much of shooting bubbles. I am definitely rested, so the return to work is much easier. Given a choice of times to take off work I would go for the summer, but I also think that a break is needed in the winter just so that we can see the light every now and again.
Safe driving to those returning to London today. It looks cold on the weather map.
Yesterday I attended 2 funerals. They were so different, with one having about 1,000 people there, and the other only a couple of dozen people. That is perhaps the right way, as the bigger was for a 16 year old who had died with 2 others in a car accident near Nenagh. The other was for someone who had reached a good age.
Today is the last day of my holidays. Routine starts again tomorrow, with the alarm already set for 7am. It's so cold out that the holiday hasn't been conducive to getting up and doing things around the house, though that isn't really logical as it would get my circulation going. However, as a result I've done lots of reading, and played far too much of shooting bubbles. I am definitely rested, so the return to work is much easier. Given a choice of times to take off work I would go for the summer, but I also think that a break is needed in the winter just so that we can see the light every now and again.
Safe driving to those returning to London today. It looks cold on the weather map.
Wednesday 31 December 2008
Lazy days
b responded to the dogs' barking this morning and this meant that I didn't go downstairs until after 10am. This is unheard of! I'm reading a very good book called "The Northern Clemency", and I was immersed in it once b had brought up a cup of coffee to me. The book was shortlisted for the 2008 Booker prize. I've gradually worked my way through all of the shortlist, with only one left to read after this, and I've enjoyed them all. There is something of substance in them all, though it is hard to describe why they should appeal beyond other novels or writers.
The last few days have been very lazy. Monday and Tuesday were a bit depressing. I had to force myself to do things I had on my list. Today, however, I seem to have a bit more energy. It is also slightly warmer outside, which helps when one of the things I wanted to do was to prune all the raspberry canes.
I had my first failure in the ice cream making stakes today. I tried to make caramel ice cream, but it turned out to be disgusting. I think the cream curdled as I was adding it to the caramelised sugar, and may be sour, but I may also have burnt the sugar too much. Anyway, I ended up throwing it out. I should have used all the cream sooner. I've been trying to make one kind of ice cream each day, to try different flavours. Yesterday's was pear.
There looks as if there may be good news on the Dell front. Nicky Hartery, who managed Dell until a few months ago, seems to be putting together a package designed to buy the plant and continue running it as a going concern. Let's hope this works, as Limerick will have a bleak year ahead if it doesn't.
Happy new year to everyone.
The last few days have been very lazy. Monday and Tuesday were a bit depressing. I had to force myself to do things I had on my list. Today, however, I seem to have a bit more energy. It is also slightly warmer outside, which helps when one of the things I wanted to do was to prune all the raspberry canes.
I had my first failure in the ice cream making stakes today. I tried to make caramel ice cream, but it turned out to be disgusting. I think the cream curdled as I was adding it to the caramelised sugar, and may be sour, but I may also have burnt the sugar too much. Anyway, I ended up throwing it out. I should have used all the cream sooner. I've been trying to make one kind of ice cream each day, to try different flavours. Yesterday's was pear.
There looks as if there may be good news on the Dell front. Nicky Hartery, who managed Dell until a few months ago, seems to be putting together a package designed to buy the plant and continue running it as a going concern. Let's hope this works, as Limerick will have a bleak year ahead if it doesn't.
Happy new year to everyone.
Wednesday 24 December 2008
Sunday 21 December 2008
Nearly there
Well, the weekend is over and I don't have to go to work tomorrow. What joy!
The dogs think they are in heaven as they are getting lots of attention from Ian. He actually strokes them where they like to be stroked, and sits on the couch with them while they spread themselves over him. This hasn't happened to them since he left to go to UWE.
Tony and Isolde spent the weekend here so it has been busy enough. We've eaten well, and consumed alcohol in a slightly larger quantity than normal. I dressed the Christmas tree (it's quite small!) and had some decorations left over to make some of the rest of the room a bit festive with tinsel and baubles.
Tomorrow I intend to go into town to do some shopping, and will visit Dunnes to see whether they need help packing bags in aid of Adapt House. They may be OK, which gets me off the hook.
Ian and I have just watched Ian's new Dara O'Briain DVD. Dara really knows how to get the best out of an audience.
Ian tells me he was in the front row of a Colin Murphy show recently and had questions fired at him - he seems to have been able to bamboozle Colin with his answers.
Pippa is making jealous growls at Leavy as Leavy is very comfortable on Ian's knee and Pippa wants it all for herself. Leavy is cool about it, though.
The dogs think they are in heaven as they are getting lots of attention from Ian. He actually strokes them where they like to be stroked, and sits on the couch with them while they spread themselves over him. This hasn't happened to them since he left to go to UWE.
Tony and Isolde spent the weekend here so it has been busy enough. We've eaten well, and consumed alcohol in a slightly larger quantity than normal. I dressed the Christmas tree (it's quite small!) and had some decorations left over to make some of the rest of the room a bit festive with tinsel and baubles.
Tomorrow I intend to go into town to do some shopping, and will visit Dunnes to see whether they need help packing bags in aid of Adapt House. They may be OK, which gets me off the hook.
Ian and I have just watched Ian's new Dara O'Briain DVD. Dara really knows how to get the best out of an audience.
Ian tells me he was in the front row of a Colin Murphy show recently and had questions fired at him - he seems to have been able to bamboozle Colin with his answers.
Pippa is making jealous growls at Leavy as Leavy is very comfortable on Ian's knee and Pippa wants it all for herself. Leavy is cool about it, though.
Tuesday 16 December 2008
It's our new engine
See - this is what will power Knocknagow in the future. It's very small, but I'm assured it will work. We'll have so much space in the engine room, particularly now that we have taken out the huge diesel tanks, that we will be able to put extra beds in there (...or something...)
The capital
I'm just back from a couple of days in the big smoke. On the way up on Sunday I drove through snow, and I think there has been just about every kind of weather since then.
I visited Dundrum shopping centre twice. It is a tiring place, and I didn't find much there. However, I did find a Little Red Riding Hood coat at half price. I've been looking for something to replace my frayed grey short coat, and this red one was just sitting on the rail waiting for me to buy it.
Only 3 more working days until Christmas holidays.....
I visited Dundrum shopping centre twice. It is a tiring place, and I didn't find much there. However, I did find a Little Red Riding Hood coat at half price. I've been looking for something to replace my frayed grey short coat, and this red one was just sitting on the rail waiting for me to buy it.
Only 3 more working days until Christmas holidays.....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)