Thursday, October 27th, 2011

We are going to town this morning.  We have made out a list and checked the order of errands, culminating in Charles' visit to the ophthamologist  for his second eye injection, which he assures me is nothing more than a faint little 'pinchy' feeling, and I take him at his word and hope it will do all the things that the doctor says it will in preserving his vision.

As I get ready to go my own vision is all too sharp.  I am paying somewhat more attention to my face than I usually do when I notice, to my horror, a new wrinkle amongst all the others that I try valiantly to ignore.  This one is across the bridge of my nose, and as I crinkle up my face to try to figure out how it arrived I see before me a real witch's face!!!!  Has Halloween come early and have I been bewitched?  Horrors!!!!  But no, I uncrinkle my face, and there are all the old familiar 'character' lines, and I resolve that I will try to stay as serene as possible so the new wrinkle won't get any deeper!

I read a query recently to the effect that if God wanted women to have wrinkles, why didn't he arrange for them to appear on just the soles of their feet.....I thought that was a good question, deserving of a good answer.....

On the way to the City Charles is driving and I am taking pictures, but on the way back the late afternoon sun lights the trees so that they are glowing and I am not clever enough to take pictures while I drive.  But I do nourish my love for autumn.....

We visit the garden shop where I buy some amaryllis to have for Christmas, and a few hyacinth's to make February brighter.  While there I take this picture of a lovely two toned tree

and a wagon of pretty fall pansies, which I resisted.

An endearing day (except for the new wrinkle) but now it is time to go and do bedtime chores and say goodnight.

October 27th, 2011 Here is a little Smilebox presentation of pictures we took when we went for a drive along the Similkameen the other afternoon. It takes about thirteen minutes so you probably need a cup of tea or coffee if you want to see what fall is like this year in the Valley, - not as many reds, but lots of gold and orange and some beautiful reflections in the river. Music is by Thelonious Monk.

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ABC Wednesday, October 27th, 2011

The letter this week is O

O stands for Jacques Offenbach who wrote this marvelous Galope Infernal taken from Act 2 Scene 2 of his operetta 'Orpheous in the Underworld',  first performed in 1858.

Offenbach used Greek mythology as a backdrop, the operetta being an irreverent parody and scathing satire on Gluck and his 'Orfeo ed Euridice'.

It culminates in this risque galop infernal that shocked some in the audience at the premiere!!!  It is famous outside classical circles as the music for the "Can-can.  BTW, Saint-Saens borrowed the Galop, slowed it to a crawl, and arranged it for the strings to represent the tortoise in 'The Carnival of the Animals'.

But this is Offenbach's day, so do enjoy this rendition by the FernsehBallett, and visit here at ABC Wednesday for more interpretations of the letter O, with thanks to Mrs. Nesbitt and her 'orferly' good helpers.

October 24th, 2011

Oxtail Soup

Today, as I waited to hear the results of #3 son's back surgery, I distracted myself by emptying and rearranging the freezer portion of the fridge, and while doing so came across a package of Oxtails.

Are Oxen a rare species, - certainly the cost of their tails is in the rarified atmosphere, somewhere close to the price of rubies!!!  But they do make delicious soup - the tails, that is.  I'm not sure of the whole oxen, - don't have a pot large enough!

The recipe I found online (why did I need an online recipe, - the one in the Purity Cook Book, circa 1920 is quite adequate)...nevertheless, the online recipe advised that one should cut the oxtail into one inch chunks.  That was beyond me, - the bony part wouldn't co-operate, - so I floured and seasoned the pieces as they came from the Supermarket, browned them in some drippings and thought about what a delicious supper this soup was going to make.

Some nice diced and sauted onion,  a couple of carrots and a stick of celery, a bay leaf, some thyme from the pot at the back door and a few sprigs of parsley tied up in a cheesecloth bag (what a time I had finding the cheesecloth after the big move...) a bit of beef broth and six cups of water, and I put it all on to simmer in my nice new red soup pot.  Oh yes, I diced up a lovely fresh tomato as well, as I couldn't find any tomato paste.

Then I went away and saw Charles off to town, turned on the DVD and watched a video of the garden, sighing occasionally at the view we exchanged for the convenience and pleasures of town life.

Three hours later what an appealing odour filled the house - who knew ox tails could smell so delicious.

Supper is all ready, beautiful and tantalizing, and Happy Hour is upon us.

We still wait to hear about Sid's surgery, which the surgeon didn't get to until this afternoon......