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Friday, 21 June 2019

TIME TO REFLECT BY FIONA CUMMINGS


Last night we went out with our friends. Hub was exhausted. It took him forty minutes to get from our train station to home it should take max fifteen minutes. There are far too many cars on our road. He had a long hard day so he wasn’t up for going out but next week the night we normally go out with our friends, he is away overnight with work. So, if we hadn’t of gone out last night it would be two weeks without seeing them and we cancelled last week so we went and I am so pleased we did.

 

We have been going to a lovely posh pub. It’s stunning inside. It has a stone floor a wood burner fire, tartan curtains with pine cones hanging from the curtain rails and lovely tables as if carved from a full tree trunk. The sofas are so comfortable and it has such a peaceful feel about the place. It’s in a very posh village where we certainly couldn’t afford to live. It’s for Doctors etc. and you can tell by the price of the place. For one large glass of wine that our friend had, would normally cost about £5 to £7, there it is a disgraceful £14.

No way it’s worth that. But they want to encourage people to visit there who think 14 shmorteen.

Whereas I think, 14? Get me out of here.

 

It’s pure greed. On principle I wouldn’t go. It doesn’t bother me as I have a soft drink and don’t have alcohol but for those who do? It is double the price for beer too. And you get your crisps in a dish rather than a bag and they charge just under £4 where as everywhere else it’s a pound.

 

So, last night we went to an old regular pub we have been to a few times before. Funny as Hub couldn’t remember it at all. Well, it was so lovely. Again, the sofas were so comfortable. Oh, I just let myself drift into a peaceful place and let go of all the stress I have had over the past couple of weeks and Hub did the same. It did us the world of good. He had a tough day at work I have had a really hard couple of weeks. You know when your body has just had enough and you get somewhere you will never forget? I remember when my Mum died. I didn’t eat right for five weeks. My whole body was really going through hell. I was still grieving over my darling Dad and I had not long gone blind with my baby at the time, it was a real challenge to survive. My friend asked me to her house for supper. I went, I ate and I will always remember the relief I felt that night. Well, last night was the same. And I am so grateful to our friends for allowing us to experience that.

 

It was such a lovely night. We are really good friends with them and we never run out of what to say for sure. The staff were so friendly and the clientele were really nice too. But then they left and the pub was ours. It was just like having friends around in our sitting room. A real homely feeling. Time to reflect. Time for us.

 

The pub also has rooms you can stay over. If I had our dogs, I would be so tempted. It was so lovely. Just to clime upstairs and go to bed. Gosh I so needed last night.

 

But our friend who hadn’t had a drink drove us home to our beautiful dogs who were very pleased to see us. It was three hours escapism. And today back to reality. I went out earlier with my Waggatail. She worked so well today. I was so proud of her and I didn’t come across any ignorant people who needed the university of Fifi…. Unlike the other day but mind you, God help anyone who came across me the other day…. I was ready to take on the world…. I was like, put me in the ring!

 

My love is working from home today but he did take time out to have lunch with me outside. So, twenty minutes and then back to his job. I spoke to some lovely friends I adore over messenger and soon I shall write to my most favourite person I email. Then I have a paper to finish and some housework and then the weekend can begin.

 

Reading today, 16% of the UK army are overweight. Gosh how? They have to do so much exercise.

Thing is, weight, not saying they are fat, it’s probably muscle.

 

I had a memory today of wonderful picnics when I was a child. I wouldn’t eat. The only way my Mum could get me to eat when I was tiny was to take me for a picnic. My poor parents would pack up a load of sandwiches a flask of coffee and put it in a basket with familiar orange plastic plates and matching cups. It would be thick snow outside. We would drive park up somewhere in the country crank up the heating in the car and eat. And boy, could I eat… give me that at home, no way.

 

Oh, such happy times. Cosy and a car full of love. I remember also going for picnics in Russia too. On the banks of the river Moscow, we would take bread cheese butter, boiled eggs and a BBQ. The smells of burning steaks was so lovely. It was a happy place. Full of laughter and kindness. It was there where I was at my happiest away from the cruel treatment that was imposed on me. But treatment that gave me more vision. For a while.

 

It was always sunny. So hot too. And the funniest part was no one cut the grass. We sat among long grasses. Really strange but as a young person I found it amusing. Again, a feeling of belonging even just for an hour, then back down to reality.

 

Even with my ex, we had some lovely times having picnics. Times I won’t forget. So, a picnic to me means the world. I love them and must make more of them this year. So far, we have managed to pack up one picnic and it was nice but it was after a hellish walk that almost killed me. Oh boy, it was a difficult challenging walk that day. We walked eight miles. Up hill all the way and my girl Friday have one speed. Fast. She doesn’t wait for fatso’s double her age. Haha. Love her though. I’m looking forward to this weekend spending time with her. And, it’s going to be nice weather for a change.

 

I haven’t tried this yet but I’m going to. It sounds delicious.

Mushroom cream and cashew soup

Serves four gluten free and vegan

Cashew cream

1 and a half cups of cashews soaked in boiling water

¾ cup of vegetable stock

3 cloves of garlic chopped

2 tbsp of olive oil

Salt and black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

1 onion diced

800g sliced mushrooms

 

Topping

300g sliced mushrooms

2 tbsp cashews

Small amount of chilli flakes

Juice of   half a lemon

 

Soak cashews for half an hour adding salt and pepper

Blend until creamy

Place pan with olive oil when it’s hot, place the onion, add garlic and mushrooms season again with salt and black pepper

Then add cashews with vegetable stock put lid on pan and simmer for 15 minutes. Then blend. Whilst that’s cooking, prepare a frying pan with oil cooking other mushrooms and add another clove of garlic. Cook for three minutes. Add the extra nuts until browned squeeze over lemon juice and add small amount of salt and pepper.

To serve pour soup add cashew cream that is left adding the topping and finish with a scatter of scallions/spring onions.

Sounds nice, I have tried to make mushroom soup before and it had no taste, but I may try this.

 

And finally

The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones. That is a Chinese proverb.

It’s not the way you move but it’s the direction in life  where you are travelling to. Fiona Cummings

No one can go back and make a new start but we can start again and make a brand-new ending.

Rejection is an opportunity for your selection. Bernard Branson

When you connect with the silence within you, that is when you can make sense of the disturbance around you. Stephen Richards

 

There is poverty all over the world. Some are in need of food where as most of us in the west, also experience poverty in a different way. Starving of love and company, kind words and a hug. Let’s all work to end poverty.

 

Take time out to find yourself. A place you are happy, where you feel your soul talking back at you. Enjoy the moment

© Fiona Cummings

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