Wednesday 20 February 2008

craft

Everything has gone very quiet, most of my friends departing for Malta on our sixth bridge holiday which sadly I shall miss this year. They have been such fun and well organised. On the day trips I always took an audio book, and if the ground was too rough, friends would find me a suitable seat in the sun and leave me . On returning would tell me what I had missed, or take me off to see something special. I always enjoyed the chatter, wine and food! Bridge was played after supper. I always travelled with my lamp and cards, and Don and his wife who arranged the tables always reserved me one near a plug. There used to be a few black looks from people I didn't know who thought it was favouritism!
much to our amusement. We were inclined to be a bit noisy and we were constantly being told to keep quiet. Luckily the more serious ones departed to play duplicate in another room where no sound was heard. What a relief for us!
There are still a few players left here, but mostly I have to amuse myself with the mad rug weaving. Watching TV or listing to radio 7 I failed to notice that three needles had no yarn threaded, and after about a foot of work I found one side was all frilly! Well thats something different, and am certainly not undoing it! Unsuspecting friends are presented with finished rugs. I do not ask what they do with them!

Sunday 17 February 2008

freezing day

As social life has calmed down I intended to write up the blog days ago, but a friend had given me a present af lavender oil to promote good sleep! It obviously did its job well as two mornings I slept until 10.00am! and it left my brain completely fogged up! I couldn't even make myself go shopping. They were such glorious days but freezing! In the end I walked to the hairdresser. The light was not good and I was seeing through a hazy snow storm. But I knew the route well. Over the first road-one way, a narrow path between the pub with its hanging baskets on one side and tables on the other side,past the lovely TA building, and so on, catching glimpes of landmarks, sometimes light catching a rail or white lines. Seeing a zigzag you know that there is a crossing at the end, also at the start of the crossing thepavement
is studded with little bumps which is useful. Pressing a button to cross the road, if it does not bleep you put a finger under the box and a large screw turns indicating that you can cross. This time I missed the salon and I realised by the smell of food that I had gone too far!

Tuesday 12 February 2008

party

I'm so delighted to find people are still reading my blog. It has been a bit thin on the ground because I have been organising a bridge party of two tables for my 81st birthday! It has taken a lot of thought. I prepared the tables two days before as we would eat off the two tables, then remove the cloths,change guests around, then serve coffee and play Chicargo so hopefully one did not get stuck with a bad run of cards or partners! The day before I bought a fresh cooked chicken and a half from Waitrose and pulling off the flesh marinaded it over night, in lemon juice then made a white sauce the quick way, throwing into the hot milk the butter roughly chopped then guessing the flour weight [which was too much!] used a whisk to beat it up, but made much too much, added nutmeg and green peppercorns. Day of the party added to the chicken chopped fresh pineapple from Marks, fried button mushrooms and the white sauce. Mashed potatoes, peeled the day before by a friend, and finished off by a grand daughter who came to help serve and clear away. Another made the most delicious lemon and pistachio roulardes! It all worked remarkably well especially as 3 guests rang later for the recepies! I stayed at the same table with my lighting arrangememts and of course the 'low vision' poker cards. It was great fun but I was exhausted! A whiskey [which has one of those bar pourers to stop me overdoing it] and in bed by 8 30 much to the delight of cat.

Tuesday 5 February 2008

Perks

One of the perks of living in London with a disability, is the taxi card. This is mostly reliable, and incredibly cheap, paying only £1.50 for a £11 fare. It is a boon to me as I live out in SW6 which is usually twenty minutes by bus from my favourite shopping areas. Another perk is at theatres where you can often get half price seats in front stalls for two. Exhibitions are mostly free for me and companion who I have taught to describe everything in detail ! I am also sort after for shopping in the congestion zone as I only have to telephone and register their car for the day.
In a supermarket the other day I was searching for an assistant, when I thought I spied one at the end of an isle bending over a box. I hurried along and bent down and spoke to her, but suddenly found a couple had stopped beside me rather concerned as I was actually talking to the box! The assistant long since gone.