Daily Archives: 17/04/2016

Colour Your World: Unmellow Yellow

Posted in challenge, Colour Your World by

Michaelmas daisy

I wish I knew the name of this daisy. They are perreniels and grow very tall, almost 2 meters. they begin growing during the Summer and flower late September-October, one of the last flowers in the garden during the year. A collegue gave them to me and they are a wonderful show in the garden.

Dinner is served, Ossobucco and bramata

Bramata with osso buco, cooked by me. To explain, bramata is a more coarse grained corn meal than polenta and osso bucco is shin of veal, chopped in broad slices through the bone, cooked with chopped vegetables and herbs. Not so unmellow as it sounds, and one of our favourites.

Colour Your World: Unmellow Yellow

Daily Prompt: Breath

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Uebungspuppe masken
It was all part of a getting-to-know people programme when you move into a new village. You do not know anyone, feel alone and would like to make contact. Of course thre are lots of things you can participate in. going to church would be a good idea, you would meet half the village according to which church you visited. If you want to meet all of the village, you would have to go to both churches, so she decided not to visit a church. She could not make up her mind which church would be her thing, and anyhow she preferred to lay in bed on Sunday mornings.

“What do you think Joe, are you going to join any village groups.?”

“No, not really, altough I was thinking of looking in at the bar on the corner this evening, to meet a few guys. I think there is a wine tasting session. I suppose you have to start somewhere. Do you want to come as well?”

She noticed that the “as well” part was said with reluctancy, so declined and she did not like wine in any case: just sitting and sipping was not her thing. It was not Joe’s thing either really, but cooking for men was not for Joe, he preferred to eat what the women cooked. The gymnastic group was also a no-no. A walk in the fresh air now and again was all the gymnastics they needed. It was then she saw it. Learn to apply the breath of life. First aid course for CPR. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation courses offered in the village hall. Come along and join in, learn how to help someone to breathe again after an accident. Yes, that’s it, she had a vision of being the white knight to the rescue. The next evening she arrived at the village hall. She was not alone and there were many budding live savers thinking the same as she did “do not ask what your village can do for you, ask what you can do for your village”. 

“Each of you take a mask from the crate” the lady in charge said. She found this would be fun, they would all remain anonymous if they wore a mask. Soon everyone started to laugh when they notice the problems she was have wearing the mask. She found it a stupid idea in any case, as the mask really smelt of some sort of disinfection liquid.

“No, it is not for you” said the lady in charge, “it is for Fred, your dummy” and she pointed to the figure laying on the floor. There were many  dummies coplete with arms and legs and lying their back. “Place the mask on his face like this” she demonstrated how to do it. Yes, she now felt quite stupid, the mask was for Fred.

07.01.2010 Was Nun“Good. Fred is not breathing, he is unconscious and needs you to revive him. Each one of you has your own Fred.”.

“This was better than the TV programe” she thought, “I am now part of the action”. She then knelt on the floor next to Fred and followed the instructions.”No not like that, you have to lift his t-shirt for the pressing action to reanimate Fred’s lungs” were the instructions from the lady in charge. She was not used to undressing strange figures, although she did not mind giving Joe a hand now and again, but this was all in the name of the village rescue force. The next part of the job was to kneel next to Fred on the floor and hold his nose closed, whilst giving two good strong breathes into his mouth. She felt stupid and hoped that Fred did not mind that she had eaten garlic bread with the evening meal. Fred said nothing, he took it all in his stride/mouth and she noticed his chest rising and falling. It’s alive.

“And now give Fred 15 pushes on his breast cage like this” and the lady demonstrated how to do it. She had givien her all with the two full breathes into Fred’s mouth and now she felt quite giddy and that mask really did have an antiseptic taste about it, but not wanting to look stupid she joined in. Her back began to ache squatting on the floor next to a dummy and she was glad when she could stop, but no stopping. It was again the two breathes of life. After half an hour of this exercise, she began to feel giddy. Suddenly everything went black and she collapsed on top of Fred.

The lady in charge immediately began to revive her with the necessary first aid applications.

When she arrive home, Joe was sitting in his favourite chair watching the TV. He said he was not feeling so well, as the wine was a bad wine they had to taste, and he would have an early night. She was glad, she was also still shaky on her feet. They both decided that doing things for the village was not the solution for finding friends. They decided that taking walks in the fresh country air and visiting the local restaurant was all the social life they needed.

They once took a walk and there was a group practicing first aid that they passed on the way. She decided to walk on and leave it to the experts.

Daily Prompt: Breath

Good Morning

Posted in Blogs, Good Morning by

glasses
My sleep phase was finishing and I realised that the bedroom was no longer so dark. I cast a look at the time on my mobile phone next to the bed and found I could allow myself to rest awhile beneath the duvet. Sunday morning is not a morning where you feel like taking a walk before breakfast or doing Tai Chi movements in the garden. I must admit, I would not do that on other days of the week either.

I attached my mobile to the electric cable. I discovered if I do that at the right time, when I eventually reach the breakfast table it is fully powered for the day. Whilst relaxing in bed I grabbed my iPad, which is also next to the bed, to see what had happened during the night in my cyberworld.

I used to have a lamp next to the bed, but I realised who needs a lamp, when you have so many electronic online assistants. My lamp no longer exists, although this morning I realised it also has its purpose. I had completed my daily early morning gymnastic with the iPhone and iPad and laid them to rest on the bedside table. I removed my glasses (which are also kept on the bedside table) but through a slip of the hand they did not arrive on the bedside table, but somewhere down below, I heard their plastic clink as they landed. I felt around on the ground, but they decided to become elusive. I switched on the iPad for some extra light, but as could not find my glasses, everything was blurred.

I made a drastic descision and reached out for my second pair of glasses, which are also on the bedside table. This was to no avail. After a lengthy search of the floor next to the bed, my fallen glasses were nowhere. I then made an advanced search, meaning walking to the bathroom which ajoins our bedroom, and switch the real light on. I would add I do not like bright lights early in the morning. I continued my search but the original fallen glasses were no-where to be seen. I then had the brilliant idea of looking beneath the bed. It was now approaching 7.30 a.m., almost time for the alarm. I always have an alarm. I do not really need it, it is just a remainder of the working days.

I was now feeling quite worn out with all this morning gymnastic. My spectacles had disappeared, were nowhere and then I had a bright idea. I searched beneath the bed and there they were. They had fallen between those wooden pieces that we all have beneath the mattress. It was now more than Tai Chi, more like yoga with all the complicated twists and turns, but I reached out and with my finger tips manage to pick up my glasses.

In the meanwhile my alarm had gone off, and I really found no point in returning to my comfortable bed. Mr. Swiss was quite astonished to see me so early on Sunday morning and I was also astonished to be so early in the kitchen for my breakfast, computer and tea making session.

And now to prepare dinner. I know it is early, but I am doing one of those slow cooking roast pork dinners accompanied with cooked red cabbatge and potato and I like to get it started straight away, then I can forget about it until lunch time. Yes, life is full of stress.