Daily Archives: 14/02/2017

Daily Prompt: No Expectations, no disappointments

Posted in daily prompt by

Amaryllis

I was not really expecting a second flower on my amaryllis. The first flower went to the happy dead flower hunting grounds at the end of January and gave us a great show until then. It must be about 10 years since I had an amaryllis, so should have know they usually hide two flowers in their bulbs. After the first flower died, I noticed a few leaves at the base of the stalk, and something else. Did I dare to believe it, but yes, it was a second bud.

I have now kept my eye on the development and it grew and grew, to the extent that it was taller than the first flower. I still have the dead remains of the first flower which has also now developed mega seed pods at the base of the flower. Some might say remove them, as they take the strength from the growing flower, but I like nature to take its own course, and am now waiting for the second flower to open.

I might even take a chance of keeping it healthy during Summr, when it will probably only produce leaves, and give it the opportunity to make new flowers for next year again. Yes amaryllis, I have great expectations of your development, so do not disappoint.

Valentines Arrangement

On the other hand, today is Valemtine’s day, so anything could happen, but I hope it does not. It is a day like any other day. for both me and Mr. Swiss. What is the big fuss. I noticed the shops full of bunches of expensive flower arrangements, and even heart shaped things to eat. For lunch I could have cooked a heart for a change. My mum would  cook a lamb’s heart  now and again for dinner when I was a kid. It seemed to be a speciality of the cockney East End of London. What mum’s mum cooked, was always something to repeat through the generations. I quite liked it, she would stuff the heart chambers with onions. I think if I served Mr. Swiss a sheep’s heart, or any other sort of heart for dinner today, it would not be a success, although I asked him. He said his mother cooked calf’s heart (he originated in a butcher’s family) and quite liked it. Anything from calf today wold be classified as expensive, but in the good old days you could not be choosy, if it was cheap it did the job. Mum could not cook, but now and again she produced something completely different  and anything from lamb was on the cheaper side.

Mr. Swiss did say he would have fetched some chocolates today, but he had to go to the dentist for a complicated attack and was not sure how it would turn out. After more than an hour in the dentist chair, he survived and it was more or less a successful dental operation, even without an injection to deaden the pain. Teeth problems are also a negative side of becoming a golden oldie, but everything is possible. I was not disappointed without receiving choolates, I was glad that everything went well.

And now the sun is shining and I will venture to the great outdoors for a walk with the camera. In the meanwhile Mr. Swiss has cleaned the kitchen – my valentine’s gift.

Daily Prompt: No Expectations, no disappointments

Good Morning

Posted in Uncategorized by

Heart Potato

Ok, today is Valentine’s day, so thought I should so something to show I do have a heart. Not every day you find a heart shaped potato – this was a few years ago. And that’s that. Mr. Swiss has a dental visit to make today and I am cleaning the bathroom – what is so special? At the age of 70 you reach the conclusion that it is Valantine’s day every day, and you have flowers at home, so why spend money buying more. If you really want a nice flower arrangement, then wait a couple of days after the great day. Our flower shops are selling all the romantic arrangements at half price. If you really want to give me something, then something for the camera or the computer, but Mr. Swiss also has a few wishes, so everyone buys their own – yes we are the essence of romance.

Morning computer

This is the beginning of my romantic day at home. The computer is ready to go, the breakfast slice of bread and jam is prepared, so what could possiby go wrong. In the meanwhile I have eaten breakfast with a cup of tea and have done the usual computer inspection tour. When my blog is finished I will move onto my various cleaning sessions in the appartment and will finalise the performance with preparing dinner. I hope by then Mr. Swiss has survived his dental visit and everything goes well.

Othewise there will be no candlelight dinners. Weather and time permitting I might take a camera walk this afternoon. I have no special plans otherwise.

I have now finished my books by Ben Aaronivitch, Foxglove Summer, No. 5 in the Peter Grant series, one of the police specialists for supernatural matters. It was quite good, always something completely different – this time with evil unicorns, changelings and a fairy queen that was not really so fairylike.

What to read now? It is interesting, but we also have Swiss writers, one of which is Friedrich Glauser, who actually passed away in 1938. Her wrote a series of books with the central police inspector figure Suder from Bern and I am now reading “Matto regiert” in German, although I believe there is also an english translation. He is more an insider writer for german speaking countries and his Wachtmeister Studer books have been filmed. I have never read one of his books, and I must say I am enjoying it. The story is based in a metal asylum where a patient breaks out and the director of th asylum disappears. I must say Glauser writes very clearly and I have no problem following the story. Glauser himself spent many years in and out of mental asylums, he was a morphine addict, but I must say a very good writer.

I understand the german in the book very well, he writes clearly and it is good reading. Now and again he mixes some Swiss German into his words and I wonder how the German speaking manage with our dialect. I have no problem, but speak it myself daily.

If you ever find a book by Glauser in english I would recommend it. Although written in the 1930’s that do not have an old fashioned way with them. Naturally the way an asylum was run in the thirties is completely different to the modern methods of today, but it gives a good insight into their way of thinking (just this book – there are others on other themes, which I wil probably also read with time). I have become a Friedrich Glauser fan in the meanbwhile.

And now I must go, there is another life out there besides computers and blogs, so they tell me. I suppose I should make an effort to discover it.

See you later. 🙂