My Pocket

magnolia

Another of the magnolias have unfolded its petals. In the morning it was a tight bud the size of both my fists. I could smell its faint scent from several steps away. By lunchtime as I came out the door of the school I knew it had opened to bloom as I could smell it already meters away. I love the silky feel of its heavy head in my hands, dipping my nose in and breathing in the perfume. It will be gone by Thursday I should think. But what does a flower know about Thursday, there is sunshine to bask in and bees to see.

I know about Thursday, because by Saturday I have to hand in this blasted essay. Sorry about the language, but writing essays are one of my least favourite pastimes. Like pulling teeth. So, let's talk no more about it. When I am finished do you know what I will do? Finish this:

Can't show or say anymore about it for the moment as it is a gift for one of my old friends in Sweden who has had a baby. I liked her so much in school I don't know why I didn't keep in touch. I just don't generally. Don't expect people would want to stay in touch with me. But in this case, she is so worth it and I am so terribly late with replying to the lovely letter she sent me that no excuses will do. I want to make her this in any case. And perhaps she will even still talk to me?

field of blue

We passed a blue field on our walk yesterday. Honest!

See?

Borage in English : Gurkört in Swedish.

Buckwheat Pancakes

Wheat-free and Dairy-free Buckwheat Pancakes

This recipe is an adaptation from Orgran's ready-made mix for Buckwheat pancakes, which is excellent, but it is reasonably easy to get hold of the ingredients so nowadays we buy the flours ourselves. If you can't find tapioca flour I expect the pancakes would turn out fine without it if you just add more corn flour. Soya flour would work very well too. The pancakes are american style ones, they rise in the pan and come out nice and fluffy, but if you want thinner pancakes omit the baking powder and thin out the batter with more liquid. I've had mine with blueberries, D has his with honey and squeezes of lemon juice! Enjoy!

Ingredients

500 ml (2 cups) Buckwheat flour
200 ml (1 cup) Corn flour
100 ml (1/2 cup) Tapioca flour
2 tsps Baking powder

240 ml (1 cup) Cold water
90 ml (1/3 cup) Rice/Soya/other non-dairy milk
3 Eggs (lightly beaten)

Mix dry ingredients together and add water, milk and eggs. Stir into a batter, adding more liquid if you want thinner pancakes. Grease the pan with vegetable margarine and heat to medium heat. Pour batter to cover the base of the pan and fry until edges have cooked. Then turn and fry other side until pancake is golden brown and cooked through.

s u p p e r

My project for the moment: Supper. That meal has been in need of some improvement for a while but lately we've managed quite well! Roasted peppers, aubergine, baked potatoes, tomatoes, bean burgers, butternut squash soup, fresh green beans, asparagus and risotto rice. Getting some essentials like an oven and a dining table obviosly helped, but cooking and eating together is what does it for me. If I know I'm cooking for somebody else as well as myself then I usually have no problem finding inspiration. I know I'll need a plan B for inspiration on my own at some point, but for now I'm just establishing the habit of cooking something proper.

My cooking is very simple, by necessity. I'm a freak food-wise, my body doesn't tolerate most vegetarian staples. No wheat, dairy, lentils, chick-peas, soya beans, soya, peas and some other pulses, peanuts, hazelnuts, brazil nuts and some other nuts, rye, spelt, yeast, sugar, fruit or anything remotely sweet. If I stick with this limited diet however, I feel good - like most people. It requires planning and thought put into it, but it's nothing more than a very simple diet really - vegetables, beans, grains and some fish.

Next project is lunch. Lunch is not as bad as supper as I eat lunch at the school, but because I'm mostly allergic to the cooked lunch there I've been eating salads for years now. This is for various reasons not the best thing for me to do, so my plan is when I've established a good supper preparing pattern I'll keep some for the following day's lunch. Persuade them to give me a little space by the hobs in the school kitchen to heat up my meal.

Sorry about this rather boring post! It's important to me though, part of some changes going on in my life. Life becomes so poor if your diet is bland and limited and for me that has unfortunately been the case. I'll try to post some nice photos of what I'm eating as I go along anyway, more pics - less ranting, promise! I've got an excellent vegetarian cook book finally and I found a bright red notebook (paperblanks - love them!) for writing down recipes.

My plan is to have a list of options for recipes for each day of any given month. I'll have to see if it works and that soon probably as we're running out of bright ideas in the evenings really. Tonight? Buckwheat pancakes methinks...

I'll Watch Over You

hold this heart when I go
sing my song when I go
sing it loud when I go
sing it proud when I go
some people are learning to die and some people are yearning to fly
but I know they'd all be yearning to fly
when my, when my, when my soul
takes leave of this world
when I leave this flesh and these bones
oh I swear to you that you won't have to go alone

the first time my heart collided with yours
I know I felt the ocean tickle the Earth's sandy shores
but changes come and we all know that we can't, we can't stop them
but I hold these memories and I will never drop them
and I'll watch over you
I'll watch over you
oh my care will cover you just like the moon can do
I'll watch over you
I'll watch over you
oh my care will cover you just like the moon can do

oh the thought of death has yet to make me afraid
'cause I will march right off of this world into the next
like it's a grand parade
but if you feel lonely just like you want to run and hide
then I'll wrap my wings around you and give you strength
and I won't leave your side
and I'll watch over you
I'll watch over you
oh, my care will cover you just like the moon'll do
I'll watch over you
I'll watch over you
you know I'd love to get to heaven
you know I'd love to see the view
but first I think I'll stay and watch over you
oh, I'll watch over you
I'll watch over you

Brett Dennen, When I Go

I love this song. It might sound depressing just reading it but the singing and music is really upbeat and it makes me smile each time he sings 'like - it's - a - grand - parade'. To me it's about living while you're still alive and loving the people around you. I love you all and wish you vivid, meaningful and complete moments of living.

mischievous hair...

...mischievous smile.

Sunday and not much to say. Studying mainly. Learning acupuncture points of the head! Thought I'd take another self portrait shot as I haven't done in ages. They still never turn out very well, but I keep trying. My hair has grown! Golly, it's quick. It does as it pleases as well. Hope you're having a peaceful or productive Sunday, as you like! Be well.

evening (de)light

to Overview Place and Back

walk - breeze - warm - sunshine - clouds - deep blue - swifts - damsons - hazelnuts - beech leaves - smoke wafting from a fire - smell good memories - small path - dappled light - blackberry blossoms - skylark - mud on path - peaceful woods - ivy - lone oak - narrow hedgerow path - opening up - fields beyond and beyond - clouds moving quickly - poppies - pigeons on telephone wire - downward curve of path - barley field - cross the road - horses - swifts swooping - bluebell wood - shady trunks - road again - walking - breeze - warm - sunshine

The Rain

All night the sound had
come back again,
and again falls
this quiet, persistent rain.

What am I to myself
that must be remembered,
insisted upon
so often? Is it

that never the ease,
even the hardness,
of rain falling
will have for me

something other than this,
something not so insistent –
am I to be locked in this
final uneasiness.

Love, if you love me,
lie next to me.
Be for me, like rain,
the getting out

of the tiredness, the fatuousness,
the semi-lust of intentional indifference.
Be wet
with a decent happiness.

Robert Creeley

sniffles and magic

Sniffly today and not much to say.

Feels like a day to cuddle up with a good book or sit in front of an inspiring film! Hope you are!

Oh, listen to The Books if you can - they've got some interesting music, like None but Shining Hours or Twelve Fold Chain. And Tunng I like too - Woodcat, The Wind-up Bird or Song of the Sea. Well, now that I'm at it, I will just recommend one more: The Album Leaf : Streamside, Story Board (recorded I don't know where, with cars passing outside the window - ha! Delightful!) and Twenty Two Fourteen, but lots of them are lovely. The quirky, instrumental and especially magical vibes of all these groups delight me, try them!

I like magical... See you!