Count Your Blessings

HAVING looked through yesteday's post two things struck me - there seem to be a lot of lunches, and there seem to be a lot of friends. And, since food and friendship are two of life's great pleasures, that leads in nicely to item number two on the 'Reorganising My Life List': Count Your Blessings.

It may not always seem like it, but really I am very lucky, and have lots to be grateful for.

• My wonderful mother, who is always there to support my brother and I, whatever we do, and wherever we are.


• My Daughters, who may occasionally fall out with me, but are a source of joy and pride. They cheer me up, tell me off, make me laugh - and hug me when I need it.


• My friends, who are all incredibly talented, witty, humourous and warm-hearted, and always spare the time to listen and help.


• Muggins, my marmalade moggy.


• My health (touch wood!). Poor eyesight, creaky knees and bad back may be annoying, but they're nothing to worry about.


• The weather. We Brits love moaning about it but honestly, things could be much, much worse - we don't get the extreme conditions or natural disasters that many other countries suffer.

That's just a few things to be going on with, as I have been to a local credit union meeting (I am their secretary) and didn't get back until late, so I am tired.

But before I take myself off to bed with a book (Younger Daughter has lent me her copy of Maggie O'Farrell's The Hand That First Held Mine) I shall think abou the good things that happened today. I had some lovely comments about yesterday's blog (some of them on Facebook), and after reading it a friend is sending me John O' Donohue's 'Divine Beauty'; The Man of the House fed Younger Daughter, himself and The Cat while I went to my meeting, and YD washed up; I've got lots of new followers on Twitter; it didn't rain, and I finally fit into my size 12 orange dress again!

Small pleasures perhaps, but important nevertheless, I feel.

My Family and Other Books!

TODAY I was a guest blogger on the Vulpes Libris site, writing about my family's bookish eccentricities, which was very exciting, and provoked huge respose - I was really touched by the number of people who visited the wonderful VP site (http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2011/03/14/a-bookish-family/) and left a comment. So, a big THANK YOU to everyone who took a look, and to the guys at Vulpes Libris for inviting me.

Anyway, since I was in writing mood, and since I can't review my current reading matter because I haven't finished it yet, I have been writing about writing ... but you will have to turn to my other blog... http://chriscross-thebooktrunk.blogspot.com/2011/03/i-am-guest-blogger.html

The Wrong Fridge

I MUST have the wrong fridge, the wrong food – or the wrong family.

Wondering why? Because, sadly, I fail to meet the standards set out in those wonderful cookery books that tell you how to feed a family of four for a week with a small chicken, some leftover vegetables and fresh herbs from the garden.

The cooks who write these volumes serve up beautifully prepared food to their loving family and friends, who sit around the table together, and eat what is put in front of them.

My own family’s dietary likes and dislikes make it difficult, if not impossible, to create a meal that everyone will eat.

The Man of the House is not a vegetable enthusiast. He eats potatoes and peas, but that’s about it. He won’t entertain the idea of eating a meal that contains no meat, and won’t touch anything with cooked onion in it – although he will happily chomp his way through a jar of pickled onions or a tub of coleslaw.

I, on the other hand don’t eat meat, fish, or meat and fish products. And I don’t like meat substitutes – if I choose not to eat meat, why would I want to consume something masquerading as meat?

The daughters, bless them eat most things and are quite happy to have meat or vegetarian dishes on a plate (or even to pile it high with both).

But they have their likes and dislikes, which don’t necessarily coincide with each other, or with the Man of the House, or me. I frequently find myself cooking four or five different types of vegetable to ensure everyone can eat what they like.

If they are dieting, I cannot dish up anything that is too fatty, too starchy, too sugary, too high in carbohydrates or too high on calories and, surprisingly, an awful lot of food falls into one of these categories.

Even worse, no two people ever seem to want to eat at the same time. They are either busy, out, working, relaxing – or just not hungry.

And if I try cooking up batches of food to last more than one meal they turn their noses up at ‘left-overs’.

In fact ‘left-overs’ may be my biggest failure.

Nigel Slater can conjure up delicious suppers from things like a chunky rind of Parmesan cheese, and Nigella Lawson whips up exotic bread and butter puddings with stale croissants and real custard.

My own fridge, alas, contains no such delicacies. The uneaten cheese mouldering away in a corner is in no fit state to be used, the limp lettuce leaves are fit only for the bin, and even the cat can’t be tempted to try the elderly bits of forgotten meat.

One of these days I will consider writing my own cook book, aimed at people like me, with recipes for things like pea risotto (without the peas), or half and half pasta bake (pasta and veg on one side, pasta and mince on the other).

I could include a special section on ways to serve limp lettuce, and a chapter on ‘instant’ food that can be dished up at a moment’s notice.

Meanwhile I shall read those glossy publications and dream….

Getting on with My Life

TODAY was the last day of my college course, which has left me feeling a little sad. For just over nine months my studies have given my days a shape and structure, to say nothing of getting my brain back into gear.

When I enrolled for an Office Skills course at my local college I was so nervous I almost abandoned it before I started.

At that point my self-esteem was at rock-bottom. No-one, it seemed, wanted a redundant, ageing, technophobic journalist.

Not only was I singularly ill-equipped for a change of career, but it was 30 years or more since I had been involved in any kind of formal learning process and I wasn't sure how I would cope with being back in the classroom.

I needn't have worried, however. The support from staff and other students was fantastic. I loved every minute of the course.  I enjoyed the challenge of learning something new, of seeking and recording information, and am immensely proud of myself for gaining qualifications in ITQ and Business Administration.

Much to my surprise, I discovered computers are not scary or difficult - they are fun and I really enjoy using them.

Once today's text processing exam was over I felt a sense of anti-climax but my spirits revived thanks to a lovely lunch with Romantic Novelist Phillipa Ashley (see her excellent blog and website at http://phillipa-ashley.com/).

And, as an added bonus, The Daughters presented me with flowers and a 'congratulations' card, which was really touching and thoughtful.

Now I feel as if I have finally drawn a line under redundancy and can get on with the rest of my life.

I'm hoping to use my new-found skills by doing some 'temping', I am considering taking another course, I can enjoy the company of my family, I have embroidery to do, books to read, family friends to meet, and the garden to finish.

And I can do all these things at my own pace, in my own time because I want to do them - not because I have to.