I got up early as it was the first day of term and I had to be around to help. However, our youngest decided to not try going back to Archbishop Holgate's, and will therefore start a two week trial at the Steiner School next Monday.
However, as we had not had a reply from the Head, I wrote a letter to him asking him if he'd had it, and if so, he had anything to say about the issues. I hand delivered this. Later, we got a phone call saying they hadn't received the first letter. Gill rang the LEA, and they had been sent a Fax of it, so there are obviously major communication breakdowns at that school. We'll be invited to an interview there next week, apparently. I am very angry with the way our children have been treated, and I'm not going to back down and accept that it was all a big mistake. I believe that the school are denying that they have a problem with bullying as if they admitted to it, they'd be obliged to do something about it. And that's tough, in a culture which likes bullying behaviour and condones the belittling of people.
So both boys were at home and working, reading, and had a quiet and sedentary day.
I went on the HMRC website and submitted my tax returns. It took a couple of hours, but ended up with a calculation with them owing me 25 pence. My earnings have gone right down, so this is the first year I've not had to pay tax for well over a decade.
Got a booking for a Charity Cabaret for mainly retired and elderly folks in February, in Fulford. Should be interesting... I'll adapt my Woodlands MS Respite Care Centre show for them!
I made soup for tea... pumpkin and parsnip, as suggested by my dear mother who left a comment on yesterday's post. I was considering soup but was also considering a nutloaf. Nutloaf tomorrow... will contain some soup!
At about 6.30, I set off walking into town with our eldest son, to attend the Cafe Scientifique at City Screen. The talk was by Tim Clarke, from the Department of Electronics at the University of York, and was called 'Control: A Fundamental For Life and Living'. He's a control engineer, and gave lots of interesting examples of different sorts of controls... from genetic controls with genes being switched on and off, biological controls in homeostasis, keeping our body temperature constant, and biochemical controls, such as insulin and it's role in the management of blood sugar. It was quite an unusual talk, very wide ranging, from inverted pendulums to flocks of birds through to robots. For instance, check out this video of the Big Dog Robot. Really amazing. At one stage, Tim wanted a volunteer from the audience to demonstrate something, and as there were no other volunteers, I put my hand up. What he wanted me to do was to balance a stick on my hand... he couldn't have chosen a better person to use, as I was able to not only do it but describe what I was doing.
So, a good talk, I'm not sure I learned a lot of new stuff, but it was good to learn the meme of 'control' and put all these various things into it. Enjoyed the walk home and the discussions with my son.
My Feedjit widget tells me that over the past couple of days I've had a visitor on here from Buckingham (maybe, it's not always accurate!) who's been poring over this blog, viewing all sorts of links and spending more time than most do here! Makes me curious! So hello Person from Buckingham, on Internet Explorer 8.0 and using Windows Vista! Glad you're exploring! Do say hello!
Showing posts with label pumpkin soup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pumpkin soup. Show all posts
A reasonable day, certainly the first part was. Our young visitor went to see one of his other York friends and our two played reasonably happily on the computer all day.
I spent the morning inside but just before lunchtime did a short stint in the garden, coming in at 1pm for lunch. I was just sorting out some potato sacks which were not worth keeping for re-use, and was taking out the nylon thread which I'd rather not put on the stove (nylon is a type of plastic) and there was a knock on the door.
I'd had a message yesterday from the wife of an old friend saying they were passing through York today, and might pop in. I replied saying great, what time, and if they could ring me first and warn me that they were on their way, I would be ready for them.
But they arrived unexpectedly and yes my hands were covered in slimy potato sack. But it was good to see them; I've known Glenn since I was 18 at Nene College, and Joanne is his wife and has recently booked me to do a Fiddlesticks appearance at her school where she is head of science. So, despite composty hands, it was lovely to see them. I cleaned myself up and made hot drinks and for over an hour and a half we chatted, covering a lot of ground.
They left after half two and I had my lunch. At 3pm our guest came back and there was a lot of excitement before it was time for him to be taken back to the station to get his 5.30 train back to Leamington Spa.
I did some stacking... logs I cut yesterday got stacked on pallets down the garden where they will dry for a year or two before being transferred to the stacking area outside the front door for a final drying, under cover, before converting into heat.
I had spotted that my prize-winning pumpkin which has sat on a kitchen work surface since harvesting (with a brief trip to Pumpkin Day at St Nicks, where its large size won me a 'Worm Cafe') had just started to go mouldy near the stem. So I gave it a wash and chopped it up, taking the seeds out to dry them (and to eventually remove the succulent kernel for eating), and made a soup on the woodstove with about a third of it. Fortunately only a very small amount of pumpkin was rotten, and I now have lots of onion/pumpkin and red pepper soup, and 2/3 of a big pumpkin left to do something with.
Our youngest didn't go to town, and luckily his friend from up the road rang and came round, and they spent time together playing computer games. I went out, leaving the soup cooking and kids playing, and visited Ros up the road who has some sticks and branches to dispose of. I offered to take my shredder up to her house in the next couple of weeks to render the pile into a useful material... shredded stuff for her, fuel for me.
Gill and our eldest came back and we served tea. My soup wasn't very well received. Gill thinks she can improve it for tomorrow. I liked it. I had a mushroom toastie with it.
The evening after this was best forgotten. I washed up and kept myself out of the way as much as possible. When I was needed, I tried to achieve the right mix of setting a good example as a role model whilst being a 'normal' parent/father and ensuring that boundaries are observed and that other family members are protected from violence, the right mix of hands-on involvement and rising above the provocation and threats. Life is tough at the moment.
I spent the morning inside but just before lunchtime did a short stint in the garden, coming in at 1pm for lunch. I was just sorting out some potato sacks which were not worth keeping for re-use, and was taking out the nylon thread which I'd rather not put on the stove (nylon is a type of plastic) and there was a knock on the door.
I'd had a message yesterday from the wife of an old friend saying they were passing through York today, and might pop in. I replied saying great, what time, and if they could ring me first and warn me that they were on their way, I would be ready for them.
But they arrived unexpectedly and yes my hands were covered in slimy potato sack. But it was good to see them; I've known Glenn since I was 18 at Nene College, and Joanne is his wife and has recently booked me to do a Fiddlesticks appearance at her school where she is head of science. So, despite composty hands, it was lovely to see them. I cleaned myself up and made hot drinks and for over an hour and a half we chatted, covering a lot of ground.
They left after half two and I had my lunch. At 3pm our guest came back and there was a lot of excitement before it was time for him to be taken back to the station to get his 5.30 train back to Leamington Spa.
I did some stacking... logs I cut yesterday got stacked on pallets down the garden where they will dry for a year or two before being transferred to the stacking area outside the front door for a final drying, under cover, before converting into heat.
I had spotted that my prize-winning pumpkin which has sat on a kitchen work surface since harvesting (with a brief trip to Pumpkin Day at St Nicks, where its large size won me a 'Worm Cafe') had just started to go mouldy near the stem. So I gave it a wash and chopped it up, taking the seeds out to dry them (and to eventually remove the succulent kernel for eating), and made a soup on the woodstove with about a third of it. Fortunately only a very small amount of pumpkin was rotten, and I now have lots of onion/pumpkin and red pepper soup, and 2/3 of a big pumpkin left to do something with.
Our youngest didn't go to town, and luckily his friend from up the road rang and came round, and they spent time together playing computer games. I went out, leaving the soup cooking and kids playing, and visited Ros up the road who has some sticks and branches to dispose of. I offered to take my shredder up to her house in the next couple of weeks to render the pile into a useful material... shredded stuff for her, fuel for me.
Gill and our eldest came back and we served tea. My soup wasn't very well received. Gill thinks she can improve it for tomorrow. I liked it. I had a mushroom toastie with it.
The evening after this was best forgotten. I washed up and kept myself out of the way as much as possible. When I was needed, I tried to achieve the right mix of setting a good example as a role model whilst being a 'normal' parent/father and ensuring that boundaries are observed and that other family members are protected from violence, the right mix of hands-on involvement and rising above the provocation and threats. Life is tough at the moment.
Quite an early start as although my work in Leeds starts at midday, the train times mean I had to leave on the 10.11 train. And before this, I had to deliver the pumpkin soup to St Nicks.
So, I was up before 8 and had a shower and hair wash, Gill made my sandwiches and ironed my costume, I breakfasted and packed, loaded the bike. Gill was worried about my taking the preserving pan of soup on my bike, but it was quite easy and I got it to St Nicks un-spilled and with the loose-fitting lid still on. Catherine, our head Rotter, was pleased to see this.
Then onto the station and got my day return to Cross Gates. Once there, it was a 15 minute walk up a hill to the Church hall where Swiis Foster Care were having a half-term fun day, with about 20 children and the same number of adults invited. I arrived an hour early, as the next train of the day would have meant me getting there only minutes before being due to start, so I got the earlier train and had an hour to wait. However, there was an aerobics class going on so I sat quietly at the back and half-read, half watched this... I've never seen anything like it!
They finished at 11.30 and I got set up, got changed and the guests and organisers started to arrive. One of the staff, Gael, is a friend of mine from the Northern Green Gathering, and it was lovely to see her again. I was glad to be in costume to welcome the children, and I played throw/catch with my juggling balls, although one got lost. At 12.15 I started my show, and they were obviously completely un-used to live interactive entertainment. But quite soon I had nearly all of the children and a couple of the adults up and doing things, and the show lasted just over an hour.
As usual, whilst they were eating, I inflated a unicycle-wheel full of modelling balloons and then got everybody, including all the adults, having an attempt at making balloon animals. Lots of fun, finishing just before 3pm.
Got changed, got paid, got back to Cross Gates where I finished my NewScientist and was back in York for 4.20. Home via Country Fresh, where Martin had got me God knows how much unsold stock... I was only able to take two boxes of it on my pannier rack as my trailer was full of unicycles and juggling equipment.
I had a quick tea as soon as I got back, the boys were finishing theirs prior to going out to the St Nicks Pumpkin evening. I took my big pumpkin down, to enter it into the giant pumpkin competition, despite it being not much bigger than a human head. I decided to go via Country Fresh and picked up two sacks full of compostables and a big tray of grapes in punnets, each punnet having some mouldy grapes in, but, crucially, some good ones too! I left them in the punnets... and went to St Nicks and arrived at the same time as Gill and the boys who had walked down.
The pumpkin evening was very well attended, with quite a few folks I knew, including Jeremy Piercy, Jim and family, and Robin, to name but a few. My boys both carved a pumpkin, I had mine weighed and it was 24 lbs, and the biggest of three entrants! It looked like my medium pumpkin was the winner of the Giant Pumpkin Competition! Unfortunately, when the judge of the pumpkin carving arrived, Anneliese, and she chose her first, second and third from three age categories, neither of my boys won anything... but I won a new model of wormery called a Worm Cafe, see this (silent) video about how to use it! I was amazed.. I really hadn't thought I'd win. And it's worth close on £100! I balanced it precariously on top of the sacks of compostables and walked home with my family.
A quiet evening, slicing apples and sorting and blanching grapes. More raisins in a few days!
So, I was up before 8 and had a shower and hair wash, Gill made my sandwiches and ironed my costume, I breakfasted and packed, loaded the bike. Gill was worried about my taking the preserving pan of soup on my bike, but it was quite easy and I got it to St Nicks un-spilled and with the loose-fitting lid still on. Catherine, our head Rotter, was pleased to see this.
Then onto the station and got my day return to Cross Gates. Once there, it was a 15 minute walk up a hill to the Church hall where Swiis Foster Care were having a half-term fun day, with about 20 children and the same number of adults invited. I arrived an hour early, as the next train of the day would have meant me getting there only minutes before being due to start, so I got the earlier train and had an hour to wait. However, there was an aerobics class going on so I sat quietly at the back and half-read, half watched this... I've never seen anything like it!
They finished at 11.30 and I got set up, got changed and the guests and organisers started to arrive. One of the staff, Gael, is a friend of mine from the Northern Green Gathering, and it was lovely to see her again. I was glad to be in costume to welcome the children, and I played throw/catch with my juggling balls, although one got lost. At 12.15 I started my show, and they were obviously completely un-used to live interactive entertainment. But quite soon I had nearly all of the children and a couple of the adults up and doing things, and the show lasted just over an hour.
As usual, whilst they were eating, I inflated a unicycle-wheel full of modelling balloons and then got everybody, including all the adults, having an attempt at making balloon animals. Lots of fun, finishing just before 3pm.
Got changed, got paid, got back to Cross Gates where I finished my NewScientist and was back in York for 4.20. Home via Country Fresh, where Martin had got me God knows how much unsold stock... I was only able to take two boxes of it on my pannier rack as my trailer was full of unicycles and juggling equipment.
I had a quick tea as soon as I got back, the boys were finishing theirs prior to going out to the St Nicks Pumpkin evening. I took my big pumpkin down, to enter it into the giant pumpkin competition, despite it being not much bigger than a human head. I decided to go via Country Fresh and picked up two sacks full of compostables and a big tray of grapes in punnets, each punnet having some mouldy grapes in, but, crucially, some good ones too! I left them in the punnets... and went to St Nicks and arrived at the same time as Gill and the boys who had walked down.
The pumpkin evening was very well attended, with quite a few folks I knew, including Jeremy Piercy, Jim and family, and Robin, to name but a few. My boys both carved a pumpkin, I had mine weighed and it was 24 lbs, and the biggest of three entrants! It looked like my medium pumpkin was the winner of the Giant Pumpkin Competition! Unfortunately, when the judge of the pumpkin carving arrived, Anneliese, and she chose her first, second and third from three age categories, neither of my boys won anything... but I won a new model of wormery called a Worm Cafe, see this (silent) video about how to use it! I was amazed.. I really hadn't thought I'd win. And it's worth close on £100! I balanced it precariously on top of the sacks of compostables and walked home with my family.
A quiet evening, slicing apples and sorting and blanching grapes. More raisins in a few days!
A day filled with cooking. I lit the stove and started preparing the pumpkin soup that I'll take to St Nicks on Wednesday morning and help eat during the evening's event. I decided to use the preserving pan as this holds between 30 and 40 bowls full, and our next biggest pan (a 'Le Creuset' casserole) only holds about 8 bowls worth.
So, I fried some onion, leek and spring onion, and then added a large carrot and a couple of potatoes before lots of sliced pumpkin and covering with a kettle full of water. I set this to simmer on the stove, I'll add herbs, spices and bouillon later.
Straight after lunch I took the boys on their bikes down to Country Fresh as they wanted to choose a pumpkin each for the carving competition on Wednesday. It was good to see Shirley back, as she's been away for some while. I picked up two sacks of stuff for composting but lots of these items were apples, which I'll try to make space to dry.
I got home in time to go straight out again to the Monkgate health Centre where I had an asthma check and flu jab. I've had asthma since I was a child but no-one would know as I take a tiny dose of preventative every night. However, in my late teens I ended up in hospital twice with severe symptoms, and on one occasion I came close to dying and if the ambulance hadn't have come and scraped me up off my neighbour's doorstep, I might have done. This was when I lived in an unheated house with mould on the walls, no phone, and the day after a Hawkwind concert where it is just possible I might have inhaled some toxic substances! However, even with my much cleaner-living lifestyle, I could still get a bad chest infection if I got influenza.
I popped in to Sainsburys on the way home and then cycled back with some nice bread, some cheap tomato puree and a good selection of breakfast cereals.
Before I got home I stopped off at Freshways and Raj had a lot of 'freegan' goodies for me. I was able to share the chili sauce with my friend Simon and his son (who proudly tells anybody who will listen that he's growing the hottest chilis commercially available). I don't know many 10 year olds who are chili connoisseurs!
So, my next job was to cook some tea. I did a tomato based sauce with sliced baby tromboncino squash (good picture here) and pasties, potato and salad.
After tea I continued to add to the pumpkin soup, so we have a rather hot house tonight. I'll finish it tomorrow and put it in the fridge overnight before taking it in to St Nicks on Wednesday before my work in Leeds, as I'll get back with not much time to spare before the 5.30pm start of the pumpkin event.
A warm evening.
So, I fried some onion, leek and spring onion, and then added a large carrot and a couple of potatoes before lots of sliced pumpkin and covering with a kettle full of water. I set this to simmer on the stove, I'll add herbs, spices and bouillon later.
Straight after lunch I took the boys on their bikes down to Country Fresh as they wanted to choose a pumpkin each for the carving competition on Wednesday. It was good to see Shirley back, as she's been away for some while. I picked up two sacks of stuff for composting but lots of these items were apples, which I'll try to make space to dry.
I got home in time to go straight out again to the Monkgate health Centre where I had an asthma check and flu jab. I've had asthma since I was a child but no-one would know as I take a tiny dose of preventative every night. However, in my late teens I ended up in hospital twice with severe symptoms, and on one occasion I came close to dying and if the ambulance hadn't have come and scraped me up off my neighbour's doorstep, I might have done. This was when I lived in an unheated house with mould on the walls, no phone, and the day after a Hawkwind concert where it is just possible I might have inhaled some toxic substances! However, even with my much cleaner-living lifestyle, I could still get a bad chest infection if I got influenza.
I popped in to Sainsburys on the way home and then cycled back with some nice bread, some cheap tomato puree and a good selection of breakfast cereals.
Before I got home I stopped off at Freshways and Raj had a lot of 'freegan' goodies for me. I was able to share the chili sauce with my friend Simon and his son (who proudly tells anybody who will listen that he's growing the hottest chilis commercially available). I don't know many 10 year olds who are chili connoisseurs!
So, my next job was to cook some tea. I did a tomato based sauce with sliced baby tromboncino squash (good picture here) and pasties, potato and salad.
After tea I continued to add to the pumpkin soup, so we have a rather hot house tonight. I'll finish it tomorrow and put it in the fridge overnight before taking it in to St Nicks on Wednesday before my work in Leeds, as I'll get back with not much time to spare before the 5.30pm start of the pumpkin event.
A warm evening.
