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What’s on your mind?
- Thread starter Gutwrench
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I miss physical papers. Right now I just read e-editions (replica paper) on my iPad Pro to save money. As soon as I get good offers from the WSJ or the local papers I will subscribe again to home delivery.
There's no shame in that, I would probably indulge myself in some of those projects if I had the money.
Nothing beats reading, enjoying, savouring, - the physical feel of - physical papers, for the good broadsheets, at any rate, especially with a coffee.
I love those old European style cafés, or coffee shops, often with a wonderful atmosphere, where you have physical space between the tables, seriously good coffee is served, and people read papers (and books, real books), and also chat to one another.
These are the sort of places where sitting (and reading) by yourself is taken as natural, as natural as meeting a friend for a coffee (though both pleasures are currently denied us on account of Covid).
I treat myself to the FT week-end edition every week-end - hard copy, my local store keeps it for me, and I collect it on either the Saturday or the Sunday, and settle into reading it with a mug of good coffee beside me.
The e-editions - while exceptionally convenient (especially when I am abroad for weeks, or months at a time) cannot equal the sheer physical pleasure of reading (and losing yourself in) a physical copy, or edition, of a good quality broadsheet.
The carer called by - unexectedly - with her elderly lady - who suffers from both early dementia and from diabetes - in tow.
While out on a walk in the bracing and bitter cold of a winter's icy day, the lady felt cold, and I suspect that her blood sugar may have plummeted, so this was classed as a sort of emergency stop.
Anyway, while guests are discouraged at the moment, I asked them in, and gave her hot tea and chocolate biscuits (Viscounts), which restored her to health and warmth, while the carer carefully wrapped her up before they ventured out to face the cold again.
The poor thing was so grateful; she thanked me warmly again and again, and kept smiling at me and attempting to enage me in conversations which disappeared - mid-sentence - into the mists of memory as words failed her. This brought back memories of my own, with my mother in the early stages of her dementia.
Then, she wondered whether she should pay me, then, she tried to pay me, and then, she wanted to hug me; these actions were gently discouraged.
Earlier, I had managed a brief, but brisk, walk.
While out on a walk in the bracing and bitter cold of a winter's icy day, the lady felt cold, and I suspect that her blood sugar may have plummeted, so this was classed as a sort of emergency stop.
Anyway, while guests are discouraged at the moment, I asked them in, and gave her hot tea and chocolate biscuits (Viscounts), which restored her to health and warmth, while the carer carefully wrapped her up before they ventured out to face the cold again.
The poor thing was so grateful; she thanked me warmly again and again, and kept smiling at me and attempting to enage me in conversations which disappeared - mid-sentence - into the mists of memory as words failed her. This brought back memories of my own, with my mother in the early stages of her dementia.
Then, she wondered whether she should pay me, then, she tried to pay me, and then, she wanted to hug me; these actions were gently discouraged.
Earlier, I had managed a brief, but brisk, walk.
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Good to know the career is still about. I haven't heard much about her for a while. Were you expecting your brother as the Viscounts are one of his favourite biscuits if my memory serves?
On my mind is work tomorrow. Working from home Monday then possibly ion the office later in the week. Not sure yet. See how things go.
The carer is fine, but restricting her movements.
I had purchased the Viscounts (I also made sure that I have Jaffa cakes, which he loves, as well) just in case he came for Christmas; as we know, he didn't travel, but, I was glad to have them, just in case someone needed them or wanted them.
Must make sure I buy another packet - they are very nice - and very welcome - with a tea, or coffee, this time of year.
Actually, the elderly lady took a few extra biscuits to put in her pocket, so that she would have something to nibble on her way home, if she had a craving for something sweet, the poor thing.
Jaffa cakes are another favourite of mine. Not had one in years.
Still I'm nearly at my goal weight. Lost another 8 oz this week. Okay not a big loss, but some weeks that's how it goes. Then maybe I can have the odd treat. Either that or I'll be away on business again and its back to hotel food!
Decent Brother loves Viscounts, Jaffa Cakes, and shortbread.
I'm pretty partial to those myself.
for years my morning routine has been to have coffee and read for awhile in local places that encourage it......COVID has put an end to it alas
Yup can't disagree with that logic. I should probably think about those things a little less and remind myself its half a chicken breast, rice and steamed broccoli in the oven. Yum!
Well, yesterday's fish stew - with hot & sour coconut milk sauce (homemade) - is being reheated, and I am preparing Indonesian fried rice to go with it.
Fried rice? Like egg fried rice?
Here I've sent some photos to my dad. Spoke to him yesterday and he sounds quite depressed. He's quite the social sort so I think all these days staying in with his miserable wife aren't helping. He said he was thinking of leaving her again, but he won't. Once he has had his vaccination I'll try and arrange to meet up with him as its been a few years since I've seen him.
Yes, egg fried rice.
Homemade.
Here is the recipe: I've prepared it before.
It is rather time consuming, and is the sort of recipe where you need to have everything to hand - chopped, diced, minced, whisked and lined up, otherwise, you run the risk of forgetting a step.
But, it is absolutely delicious.
A version of Nasi Goreng, actually it is an adaptation of Gordon Ramsay's Indonesian rice recipe.
Here it is:
Indonesian rice: First,"old rice" (yesterday's left over basmati - I deliberately made extra yestersay when preparing dinner). For this dish, you always use day old rice.
Finely diced onions and carrots (organic) sautéed, to which a cup of peas (from the freezer, but defrosted earlier) are added, and sautéed until soft; Chinese chives - finely chopped - are added to this - the lot seasoned with sea salt and black pepper.
Then, the spices are added: a grated thumb of galangal, and some grated ginger, and a finely diced chilli pepper plus a full head of minced garlic, all sautéed, and a little brown sugar. And finely chopped French onions.
Eggs (free range, organic, three or four) have already been whisked; then, they are added to the pan and scrambled briskly.
This is when the old rice is added, and fried, and sautéed (even toasted); at this point, I made a well in the rice, and added some sambal oelek paste, and some rendang paste into the well, - I tend to have a generous hand in such things - and fried them off, and then stirred the rice through them. Once that has been done, a dessertspoon (or two) of kecap manis, sweet Indonesian soy sauce, is added and fried off, and stirred and mixed through the rice.
The, it is ready to serve; yesterday's hot and sour fish stew (with cocount milk) shall be served with this.
Sounds delightful. About 70% of the ingredients Mrs AFB couldn't eat though, so that kind of rules it out for one for us to try at home, but thanks for sharing. Do enjoy.
Its wheat free pasta rather than rice tonight, so that will make a bit of a change. I've just cut up some cheddar to go on top of mine.
I think some films and documentaries have not been approved by the family and/or the company for various reasons, so Apple does not offer them. ??
Thank you for the wonderful sounding recipe. I had to Google what galangal and the different pastes were though. I’ve never heard of them and wonder if I can find them in Whole Foods or somewhere similar.
I, too, rather miss the physical newspapers being delivered to my door each day, but on the other hand, they did tend to pile up and have to be hauled out to the trash (in the old days) or recycling (when that became a "thing"). They did come in handy, though, for working on messy projects from time to time, to protect surfaces, the floor, whatever!
These days I read the Washington Post online each day and occasionally pop into the New York Times site as well, although I don't have a subscription to the latter. Recently the Post offered an even better deal than the original one with which I had signed up so I took advantage of that, saving a little money. A lot of people get their news from the television, but since I rarely watch it, that doesn't happen for me. In the old days, socializing with people also often brought my attention to new things happening, too, but that, too, has at least for the time being gone by the wayside for most of us.
SS, so glad to hear that the carer stopped in!! I imagine it was good to see her again, and that was really good that you were able to help with her elderly charge by having something hot to drink available and something to eat to get the blood sugar in better balance! The recipient of care sounds like a sweet lady, and I'm sure it is frustrating and sad for her family to see her slowly slipping away as the dementia takes stronger hold, just as it was for you and your brothers. That family is so blessed to have the carer looking after their mother and I'm sure that they have more than once said, "thank goodness for the carer and the woman who recommended her so highly to us!"
On my mind: doing the things I had meant to do yesterday but didn't manage to accomplish......
These days I read the Washington Post online each day and occasionally pop into the New York Times site as well, although I don't have a subscription to the latter. Recently the Post offered an even better deal than the original one with which I had signed up so I took advantage of that, saving a little money. A lot of people get their news from the television, but since I rarely watch it, that doesn't happen for me. In the old days, socializing with people also often brought my attention to new things happening, too, but that, too, has at least for the time being gone by the wayside for most of us.
SS, so glad to hear that the carer stopped in!! I imagine it was good to see her again, and that was really good that you were able to help with her elderly charge by having something hot to drink available and something to eat to get the blood sugar in better balance! The recipient of care sounds like a sweet lady, and I'm sure it is frustrating and sad for her family to see her slowly slipping away as the dementia takes stronger hold, just as it was for you and your brothers. That family is so blessed to have the carer looking after their mother and I'm sure that they have more than once said, "thank goodness for the carer and the woman who recommended her so highly to us!"
On my mind: doing the things I had meant to do yesterday but didn't manage to accomplish......
It was delicious.
I got most of the key Asian ingredients (sambal oelek, rendang paste, kecap manis) in an Asian store.
This as the first time I used galangal - for, other times, when I preapred this dish, I had used grated ginger.
However, for standard (Chinese style) egg fried rice, you don't need those pastes, - but will need soy sauce and possibly oyster sauce - for flavour - but it is still a good idea to use day old rice when preparing an egg fried rice dish.
I used to prepare an omelette, or scrambled eggs, first, separately, put them aside, and then - later - add them to the rice, when the rice ahd been added to the spices, but, now - having done both, I think that Ramsay's way is a lot better; he adds the whisked egg to the sautéed spieces (garlic, ginger/galangal, chili pepper) and then whisks it briskly with a whisk in the pan, after which he adds the cooked rice to it, when the eggs have been scrambled.
The carer retrieved one of her own spare coats (she still keeps stuff in "her room") which she carefully wrapped up around and put on her elderly charge (so that the elderly charge now wore two coats), before they left.
Yes, I think that the recipient of the care is a sweet lady, she was so grateful, and polite, and nice, and was desperate to try to communicate with me, and kept smiling at me, and tried to hug me to thank me, - wondering who I was and where she was, but delighted with the hot tea and chocolate biscuits - hugs were discouraged on account of Covid, the poor thing. That prompted memories: I remember my mother trying to pay people, or offering her jewellery, in gratitude when people had been kind to her.
And the carer told me that her charge sometimes asks for her own mother, who is, of course, decades and decades dead. I remember when my mother thought that I was her mother.
Dementia is a cruel disease. One that I hope I never have to deal with.
Heart-breakingly cruel, and very bitter-sweet, because, even towards the end, there are still (fleeting, but brief, heart-stopping), flashes of lucid insight and memory.