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Old Fashioned Summer Choice.

Prawn Salad

Such a simple Summer choice. Prawns with Marie Rose Dressing*  Green Salad  with a simple French Dressing and Summer Jersey Royal Potatoes . With a nice glass of chilled Sancerre what could be nicer.

*Marie Rose Sauce for Prawns. Hellmans Mayonnaise, Tomato Paste and a little Cayenne Pepper, very little Salt all blended well with the  Prawns.

“A Village Affair”

I’m sure the sky appeared bluer that day
tents and stalls were assembled by dawn,
a bustle took over the village
and in their own unique way
all manner of games, raffles and prizes
appeared for this, the  Annual Village  Fete.

 

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“Teeny tots with sparkling eyes
As all around delights they spy
Laughing faces full of joy
Gleeful girls and skipping boys
Little children with winning toys
Raffles and tombola stand
Bouncy castles and a splendid band!
Sunlight streams through covering trees
A Village Affair for you and me
Jars of jams and chutney to buy
Balls to throw and win a prize
Just to be in summer glow
And watch this Village come and go
Fifty pence will bring a chance
To win the lotto in a glance
Pretty dresses, summer hats,
Throw the balls and make a crash!

 

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Time to sit for cup of tea
Cakes to choose, now let’s see?
Strawberries and cream on scrumptious scones
No coffee walnut will be the one!
Nothing less that I can see
A Village Affair for you and me…”

 

All Rights Reserved 2010

So Many Days Are Important.

It’s been a good week so far, one of those special weeks that  conjures up so much that is English. The start of  Wimbledon with fabulous tennis and new records being broken, the epic saga that culminated in the longest ever match and the most aces served in beautiful sunny weather with high temperatures, so perfect with the abundant strawberries and cream being served  and a real battle for the contestants and their ten hours of tennis!  The special visit of our dear Queen to Wimbledon, for the first time in thirty three years.  She looked marvellous in turquoise blue and matching Edwardian style hat, just incredible at eighty four years ! God Bless you Ma’am.

More fun with England redeeming themselves at football in South Africa with a win at last! Hamada enjoying every match he can manage to watch between his long periods of sleep. Perhaps I will keep my flag  flying at  “Hemingway” a little longer!

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Days are so precious and making them special  is a constant joy, little  things that make someone who is very poorly enjoy these days is so important. The Family all came-up for the weekend with Sunday being Fathers day. “Hemingway” was filled with laughter and chatter, just as it should be and just as we like it. We enjoyed good meals together, watched more football and enjoyed a game or two of Scrabble. We finished our lovely weekend with a good Roast Beef Lunch at the Village Pub. Hamada enjoyed all this too.

Now back to reality today with a consultation at Lincoln  to see whether Hamada is well enough to start Revlimid another Chemotherapy drug,  after the disappointing  three month course of Velcade which did nothing to reduce the Myeloma load in his blood M-Spike (PP) now at 14!   I pray that he is well enough to continue to try.

So many days are important not just the ones that are life changing or life saving but all the ones in between.  These wonderful warm sunny days of June, yes every single one…

The Garden Swing.

 

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We swing together you and I
in that old shaded place we love,
peaceful sweet smelling garden air
that gentle breeze that tickles hair,
the yellow Iris in our view,
Oh how I love to be with you!
Tranquil sounds of garden spirits
the chirping of the evensong thrush
lavender blue scent comes through,
we swing together like children do.

 

This quiet spot where we can dream
these special hours away,
amid the slowing of day ending
we talk of yesterday,

 

no more is needed for you and I
we know that time is short
and so we talk and dream and think
of what this life has brought.

 

We dream together
                                              you and I,
                                                                     on this old garden swing.

 

 

Photo: from “Hemingway”
All Rights Reserved.

Three Favourite Love Quotations For You:

“Love seeketh not itself to please,
Nor for itself hath any care,
But for another gives its ease,
And builds a Heaven in Hell’s despair.”

WILLIAM BLAKE (1757-1827)

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“Age does not protect you from love
But love to some extent protects you from age”

JEANNE MOREAU b 1929

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“Life’s short and we never have enough time
for the hearts of those who travel the way with us.
O,be swift to love! Make haste to be kind.”

HENRI-FREDERICK AMIEL (1821-1881)

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Tears At Another Table.

May days 2010 001 

 

It was an eternal wait that day
a long perpetual tedious episode
an abuse on the senses,
the faces filling the clinic suite
sitting too close together at tables that encumbered,
all appearing the same, all resigned to their fate;
all stricken with disbelief.
I watched…

 

Can you put aside like dead flowers a mind that is full of fear?
Can you not feel the pain of those set faces that await
the ‘clarion call’ for  news no one wishes to hear?
Can you relentlessly show that crumbling smile?
Can you quieten the beating of your own heart?

 

I watched the woman sitting opposite me, a reflection of myself,
sitting beside her Man, worry etching her face,
quietly waiting the prophecy that could change their lives,
was she to receive news that would set her Man free?
Set them both free!

 

I watched…I watched…

 

I watched this fragile life snap and break,
I  watched those tears at another table…

 

 

All Rights Reserved  @ Susie Hemingway 2010

 

* NB After being on  Chemotherapy – Velcade  + Dexamethasone (80mg weekly) since February 22 2010 Hamada’s Para-Protein (M-Spike) has only dropped to 15  He is to have a little break and then start Revlimid.

A Quick Tasty Lunch(2) Stuffed Aubergine Susie Style.

Stuffed Aubergines - May 2010 015

Wash and cut two aubergines length-wise and place in oven-proof dish face down and sprinkle with a little olive oil, and cooked in oven for twenty minutes. Meanwhile dice one medium onion and cook in saucepan with two cloves of garlic until nice and soft and transparent add some mince beef as much as the size of the aubergines will allow. Fry off and then add some tomato concentrate a generous tablespoon will do it, a good amount of basil, a desert spoon of cumin, a little salt and a generous amount of black pepper.  Now you can at this point add some cooked rice or as I do on occasions, some cooked pasta to the meat mixture. Check your cooked Aubergines in the oven and when a fork will pierce easily, bring from the oven and scoop out the insides carefully as not to damage the skins including the little seeds as well, they are very good for you. Add this pulp to the meat mixture and blend well together, then transfer the mixture back into the skins. Top with the Cheese of choice I like strong cheddar or Lincolnshire’s Poachers cheese or of course Parmesan. Place back in the oven for 5 minutes and serve with love.

Simple Summer Lunches.

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Olive Oil  Roasted Chicken with new Jersey Royal Potatoes and Beefsteak Tomatoes, a little Basil, some good Mayo, and a Fresh Green Salad, just as simple as that!

Or how about a very tasty often forgotten Caesar Salad, with good green leaves, I like rocket  which is so great with  left over cooked chicken. Add  nicely baked multi-seeded wholemeal bread croutons, popped in the  oven with a sprinkling of  olive oil and baked until perfectly crunchy. Add some finely cut onions and chopped tomatoes and with a good Caesar dressing dribbled over the top, you can buy such good ones these days, hardly worth making and then with a generous amount  of finely sliced parmesan cheese, this salad is quite perfect, served with a nice cold white wine for a summer  meal what could be better?Tasty Caeser Salad June 1st 2010 006

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Beetroot, onion, celery, nuts and slices of Parmesan cheese with garlic olive oil croutons – delicious lunch for a hot summer day.

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