Rhubarb cheese and tipsy tarts

 I went for tea with friends, but, finding the road blocked and diverted, I took a very long tour down "country roads".  I have a colleague whose Spotify feed locked out on the classic John Denver hit below.  He says he likes John Denver - (how times have changed - no one his age would have admitted that the first time round!) but he is useless to work out to!

Almost heaven, West Virginia
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, growin' like a breeze

Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain mama
Take me home, country roads

All my memories gather 'round her
Miner's lady, stranger to blue water
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky
Misty taste of moonshine, teardrop in my eye

Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain mama
Take me home, country roads

I hear her voice in the mornin' hour, she calls me
The radio reminds me of my home far away
Drivin' down the road, I get a feelin'
That I should've been home… 

so, after a couple of false starts, reverses, large puddles and tractors I found myself singing what I could remember of this song.  Which was not a lot really.  

I've been listening/watching the "Living in Love and Faith" video clips (this is a church of England course on the varieties of different modern relationships and how we listen to each others' viewpoints) St Marks is doing this in June so I thought I could watch the clips while washing up.  Each seems to start with your own "superpower" or what you are good at/known for.  This evening, having dropped a whole carton of extra thick double cream which landed without spill, and with the lid tI he correct way up, I reckon my super power is obvious.

Everyone at work seems to be yawning.  I know that I am also tired, as I have provoked hilarity at work and with friends, by unfiltered comments - my colleague has a young son with "growing pains" - I tell him I had those, I sympathise.  He looks at me and laughs.  You can see why.   Later, after the cream incident, I'm told; "you don't have to put the cream away" How to confuse a tired brain.  They meant, I think, you are welcome, you are a friend and a guest. Me, I just like having "fridge rights" When I go to my friend in Gloucester I always raid the fridge - and do the washing up.  I do that at my parents, only it is more like do the washing up and tidy the fridge, and at work,where it is "put on the dishwasher and throw away the mouldy food"

It's a form of love I think.  

And the title: an amazing pudding and a taster of a special cheese.

 

Urbanity

 I've just had a quick shop before work, buying cherry tomatoes and crisps, picnic fodder for a couple walking days with my friend Sandy from Gloucester.  To say I am looking forward to it is a bland understatement!  My first "holiday" (at home) with actual company for a while.

Last year I was wearing shorts, definitely. Today I am wearing a work jumper and a hoodie and my hands are cold.  I look ruefully at the walking shorts and think no for tomorrow! I will need to pack rain kit for sure.

I was surprised one morning last week to see a grey squirrel running down the middle of my extremely narrow road - there are no trees, unless you count the ones in Heavitree park and a couple of weedy specimens by Tesco. This one looked out of place. Squirrel was risking life and limb due to the road's aggressive cats. That quirky appearance made my day- the usual fare of the road is sparrows, crows, seagulls and the aforementioned cats.

Today's delight was of a different order - a thin, red brown delight - an urban fox with a beautiful tail:

https://www.bbcwildlife.org.uk/urban-fox 

He streaked out across the road in front of me and disappeared between parked cars, obviously enough food to sustain him or indeed her.  I really apreciate seeing wildlife and it has made my day and given me reason to blog - another chance to practise something a bit creative before a day of booking hotels, arguing about the price of hire cars and trying to be patient!!

 I once saw a sparrowhawk sitting on my backyard wall and this has been a similar delight - something really unexpectedly wild in a very cramped urban setting.

Through a glass darkly?

 Then we shall see face to face?

Have I lost the plot?  Probably.  This famous quote from the bible book of Corinthians was read in "prayer for the day" yesterday morning - which means I had a fairly early breakfast or was still in bed maybe!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000vq6w  It was an interesting interlude to a morning and Fiona Stewart who was presenting, mentioned losing herselfj in Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel's brilliant Tudor study of Thomas Cromwell.  There is a link here - the third volume is the "Mirror and the light" It's just arrived with me now - a well used birthday online voucher!  Can't wait to start it!

Other things this week link to this oh so Transparent a theme - final snagging to my beautiful and very transparent new double glazing, It has only taken me 23 years to replace the windows!!  It is somewhat inevitable that the seagulls have now crapped all down the new back door and one of the kitchen windows.  Out I went, with soapy water - I kn'ow I will get used to it, but currently they are just too new to leave besmirched. The seagulls also dig moss out of all our gutters and trash the rubbish bags.  Wish someone could cull a few of them. I cannot believe how quiet it is with windows that fit, and how the curtains don't stir in the gap above the ill fitting front room window now it is a snug fitting double glazed unit.  As you can tell, I am very pleased.

It's a good job I could work at home, as two days ago I picked up a stone chip in my windscreen, which has widened to a crack.  Right across my sight line.  Too unnerving to risk going up the motorway.  I have booked it in with Autoglass but, narrow roads like mine mean I have to take it to the depot.  That is a whole weeks' wait but mercifully I have time off walking with a friend next week.  I will bribe her with coffee and bacon sarnies so that she drives.  That is my kind of currency..