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A Pretty Celebration Cake.
This delicious cake is made using a simple meringue recipe. It is then divided between two flat cake tins. Baked in the usual meringue way, but upon completion, allowed to cool and then fill the centre with lemon curd, mixed together with equal parts of whipped cream, trim the meringue carefully and place in a large cake tin with a ‘loose’ bottom and freeze until needed. Then when you require the cake, defrost slowly, sprinkle with Icing sugar and decorate the top to suit your party occasion. A pretty cake that is particularly rich, so only small slices are required. It can be adjusted in size to suit your needs, by increasing the quantity of sugar and egg whites and the size of tins. A useful cake that can be made well in advance.
N.B Lemon Curd recipe is shown below.
My Clock – By Susie Hemingway
How peaceful in this pavilion
as the pendulum is free to swing,
I wish to guard these regulated movements
as you oscillate in free time.
I wish to savour your liberty of actions
your power of self-determination
I need to imprison and restrain this time,
to mend this clock of mine.
All Rights Reserved – June 2008
A Good Day.
It’s funny how some good days just get better as they go along and when you expect them least. Hamada has been doing so well lately, more than we could have dared to believe, only a few short weeks ago. Still sleeping a lot but noticeably better. Yesterday we made the trip to Lincoln County Hospital for his renal check-up, and for a change we had a really short wait for the consultant, which was a joy. After all his checks B.P, Urine, Weight, etc, we had the quickest time with the Doctor, I can ever remember. Kidneys are holding at the 15% reading, Createnin level is better, B.P within the normal range, and the best words of all “I don’t need to see you for eight weeks”! now how good is that? We do of course, have to attend the Heamatology Clinic as usual but how amazing it felt not to have to make that extra journey so often. We came out into the beautiful sunshine and felt on top of the world. We then had a nice walk, (well Hamada in his wheelchair) around Lincoln Town Centre, which is a very pretty place, full of young people from the University and the shops are great. We made a few purchases, the only advantage with a wheechair , I can see, is the ability to carry your parcels as well as the passenger. Having a nice lunch in an outside cafe, we so enjoyed our day. Simple pleasures but simply lovely.
My Music Joy.
You are never too old to learn to enjoy something new. Never dismiss something as not being for you, not your type of thing, not something you do! wear, read or eat. Never say that’s not for me. Never at any age, for such joy comes from trying lots of new and different things.
When I was sixty last year my eldest son very kindly brought me an Ipod Nano you know, the tiny headphones you see tucked in the ears of many young people, and runners alike. He was asked by some “what are you buying your Mum for this special birthday” and his friends were quite surprised at his choice of gift, saying that they “didn’t think this was quite the gift for a sixty year old” Well, being as astute as he is, and knowing his Mother’s taste well, my Son decided that this was just the right gift for me. I have always loved music, all of my life, from the very early days when, with my precious one shilling and sixpence, approx. 8p of today’s money, I would purchase in a high street Woolworth’s, a small Embassy record of my choice and sometimes the odd lipstick! I would then play the chosen record till it warped, on a very poor record player, that always got hot after just a few turns! Still my love of music never wavered. Not just ‘Pop’, just about everything – Jazz, Country, Opera, and the’ Blues’ – I was never far from away from music, dancing my way through life, and later with a little radio tuned into the London Music Stations and then in the seventies, my precious collection of cassettes, in my little Beetle Car with the said Son singing away in the back.
But now Oh! the joy of this Ipod, to be able to ‘download’ all my most favourite tunes from so many years, to be able to add hundreds of specially selected songs, that have meant so much to me. Reminding me of the places and times when I heard them first – to be able to hear just every single word clearly, every lovely note – and to be able to listen to all the latest music and keep up with some of the music my sons enjoy and now, so do I.
Most of my readers know my husband is fighting the most dreadful disease Multiple Myeloma see: http://www.susiehemingway.blogspot.com and he spends many hours resting. So no longer do I have to be concerned about disturbing him. When things are rough and some days they are, waiting for hours in hospital clinics, or dealing with something I would rather not be doing, out comes my trusty ‘Ipod’. It never lets me down with it’s clarity of sound and special memories. I revisit places and times and relive clearly the many nights spent dancing under the stars,when on our travels in the Middle East. Songs when the children were young and we would all sing together. If you can, please try one, don’t dismiss it as some modern gadget belonging only to the young and not really for you. Make your collection, take yourself back and recreate your special times through music .
Although I miss the phone ringing and door bell quite often! what great exercise it is, to be able to dance around each day and drift off to sleep at night listening to my favourite songs, attached to this very special gift indeed… thank you, lovely Man – Joy Oh! Joy.
And The Winds Do Blow
Unusually strange weather in our little Wolds Village today. The Sun is shining brightly but the wind is charging through, blowing sun umbrellas and summer – swings about. With potential gusts of 55-65 mph and isolated gusts of 70 mph it seems a strange June Day. Not one for gardening I feel.
A Pearl Anniversary Poem for Jen and Ian
A Pearl Of An Affair – by Susie Hemingway.
In reality a love affair
this finest one I’ll say it here
for as deep as in the Ocean find
this pearl of love, the rarest kind.
A strong consistent bonded jewel
a respected and enduring love,
and in standing close we honour them,
their kindness and their joy of life.
It really is a love affair
that’s lasted long all thirty years.
A recipe for all to see, this magic
is of Jen and Ee.
A classic timeless romance is here, from
clear blue eyes and gentle brown,
from hearts and friends who stood that day
on sunny steps in Acton town…
For we can see it clearly now
this magic of their precious vows.
this strength, this love, entwines their hearts
embracing all – to never part.
We love them so, for without them both
life would be, half the fun, we all agree,
so lets thank the fates that deemed this day
that brought this love, this oysters prized and
special gift, this endless love and gentle bliss.
So raise your glasses one and all!
For this is love a precious pearl…
All Rights Reserved June 2008
All Rights Reserved 20.06.2008
Hamada Makes The Evening Party.
After not going very far in the past few months, Hamada was well enough to go on Saturday to Jenny and Ian’s evening party at the Village Pub. He enjoyed a wonderful steak dinner, with salmon to start, and some very good cheese to finish. He was driven there, although it’s only a few minutes away, but managed to stay for most of the party after. It was so lovely to have him join us all once again, mind you he did sleep for most of the next day – but an improvement never-the-less. Well done Hamada.
A Great Weekend And A Confusing Phone Call !
We had a wonderful weekend at “Hemingway ” celebrating my sister and brother-in-laws Pearl Wedding Anniversary more about that on www.susiehemingway.com Hamada so enjoyed having all the family here and we had such fun with garden games and a great BBQ. We erected a large Marquee in the garden so that nothing would be spoilt, with our sometimes, rather odd weather. Jo sang for us and so did Manu which was just wonderful. Hamada ( who never smokes cigarettes) enjoyed a smoke of Apple and Mint sharing a’Shisha’ pipe with Jo, taking him back to Alexandria, Egypt. For a small while Hamada looked pain free and very relaxed. It was a joyous day and created such lovely memories for us all.
On Tuesday I received a telephone call from one of Hamada’s team at Lincoln Hospital, saying that the results of the last Bence Jones Test had at last been returned. This, contrary to the last reading, showed that the results were very good! It appears that the marker is again very faint indeed! We are not going to get too excited by this, our lives are up and down enough with all these tests and medical problems we face everyday as it is, although we really are tempted to do so. I am aware that this is a very difficult test to read at the lower end of the scales and that mistakes can be made at this level. Still with this reading now at 0.01 does that mean that Hamada could just be hanging on to his remission or not? (It’s only been eight months since Hamada’s Stem Cell Transplant)
Please all you very knowledgeable guys out there, I would be grateful to know what you think. We are not returning to the Haematology Clinic until July 3 when we will discuss this in full.
A Summer Celebration
Well the weather held for us last weekend, when all the family arrived for a long weekend to celebrate Jenny and Ian’s Pearl Wedding Anniversary. From the Friday it was fun and laughter all the way. We had put up a Marquee in the garden of “Hemingway” just in case the weather let us down and also to add to the fun. On Friday night we all ate in the evening at “Orchard End” fourteen of us enjoyed a wonderful curry with all the trimmings and delicious desserts cooked lovingly by Jenny, it was as wonderful as always. On Saturday we started our garden party with delicious jugs of Pimms, the sun shone and everyone was in a joyous mood as we ate copious pizza’s, garlic bread, and potatoe salad, all al fresco. Jo played his guitar and sang for us, Manu at eight years sang the James Blunt song ‘You’re Beautiful’ with Jo accompanying him, absolutely word perfect which brought tears to all our eyes and a very large cheer at the end .Well done Manu.
In the evening we all dressed up and went to Jenny and Ian’s for Champagne cocktails before a wonderful Steak Dinner at the village pub and a great party where the villagers join us for nibbles and drinks.
On Sunday we had a good BBQ at “Hemingway” expertly cooked by son Matt, enjoyed some more garden games, good music as we all celebrated together. The boys all went to the Village pub in the evening to round off their weekend.
It was a truly lovely weekend and I believe enjoyed by all. Creating some more good Memories.
Lovely Weather .
Hamada enjoying the sun.