Short and Sweet

Unexpected

Surprised into joy,

By birdsong in the city,

I think of you,

And smile.

The Second Coming of Cathy

I have been missing, if not missed, from blogdom. There are many reasons mostly to do with having too much to do and not having the energy to do it. However, as I decided when I started this blog, I am not going to let life's myriad problems suck the joy out of me ever again. Those of you who have read my poetry stop laughing please.

I have a new hobby. I am learning to paint and whilst I don't expect my efforts to be hanging in any galleries next to The Masters I am enjoying it .I've posted a couple of my daubs, they are both unfinished but knowing that you are kindly souls I thought it worth risking your ridicule just to let you see how easy it is. I've only had 3 lessons so I hope to be able to improve on my current efforts.

PEPPERS

GREEN TEA

Prisoner of Pain

The future’s looking far too bright
Frozen in its intense light
There’s far too much to gain
You’re a prisoner of pain.

You hang on to what you know
Just maintain the status quo
And it may sound insane
But you’re a prisoner of pain

Circumstantial incarceration.
Is your excuse for avoiding action.
There are things you have to do
You know “They all depend on you”
And it’s a crying shame
But you’re a prisoner of pain

A bird in a not so gilded cage
Smiling to suppress your rage
You want to make the change
But you’re a prisoner of pain

Shackled by your fear
You’ve shed so many tears
And there’s no one left to blame
But you’re a prisoner of pain

I could offer you some good advice
I could tell you how to live your life
But I can’t escape my chains
And I’m a prisoner of pain

.

This poem was inspired by a comment

made on Flutter's blog by Krista.

"Why does pain feel safe?"

Recipe of the Day 2

Lazy Bitch's Oatmeal Cookies

Before I begin I would just like to point out that it has been well over a year since

my last recipe . But Lazy Bitch is as Lazy Bitch does, which isn't much.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter, softened (I‘m not in a softening mood. There’s a bottle of olive oil right next to my elbow, I’ll chuck some of that in.)

1 cup white sugar (which cup? Sod it a mound is more my style.)


1 cup packed brown sugar (oops! not got any. Oh well treacle’s brown… just thank your lucky stars that’s the first thing that came to mind.)

2 eggs ( ok )

1 teaspoon vanilla extract ( extract this)

2 cups all-purpose flour ( damn cups again! So, a bigger mound)

1 teaspoon baking soda ( yup, use by 2007! Surely this doesn’t go off, does it?)

1 teaspoon salt (that’s a small mound in the middle of my hand)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (Oh my God! well too late now, so how much fell out of the jar?)

3 cups quick cooking oats (The kids are going to eat this Alpen if it’s the last thing they do!)

raisins or nuts - optional. (That’s handy I wasn’t planning to pick them out of the cereal )

Right now it’s all in the bowl let’s mix it up.

DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium bowl, cream together white sugar, butter, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, and then stir in vanilla.
2. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats. If you are using nuts or raisins, mix into dough, combining well .
(OOPS!! Too late now, what’s done is done… I wonder if it’s supposed to look like a giant chicken’s bowel movement.)

Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour. (How am I going to fit it in the fridge? Let’s check some sell by dates…. Ham 4th Jan…that can go. Ouch! Was that a brick that just fell on my head? No, it was forgotten bread rolls… a bit beyond toasting, Breadcrumbs? Sod it. This margarine tub’s nearly empty; I can grease the baking tray with what’s left. There, now I can fit the cookie gloop in the fridge).

3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, Grease cookie sheets. Roll the dough into balls, and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. ( BALLS! Aren’t cookies like biscuits? Shouldn’t they be flat? And what’s this two inch shit?)

4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
( 10 mins isn’t long enough, my finger went right through that one)

Makes approx. 36-60 cookies, depending on how large or small you make them.
( 20 if you follow my recipe and make balls the size of, well “balls” .which means they won’t all be the same size. )

They taste really good, I’m quite surprised.

Now we just have to wait and see if I‘ve poisoned anyone).

Original recipe

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Hope Springs Eternal

An aging woman's last vestige of beauty is her hair.

Through 13 years of battling cancer Elevtheria was adamnant, she would not undergo any therapy which caused hair loss. When the doctor's found cancer in her liver a few months ago she was faced with a stark choice - baldness and hope or certain death in the near future.

My children helped her to make the decision, "Gran what is more important, you having hair or us having you?"

4 months on we awaited test results to see how effective the therapy was being.....

... Lung cancer GONE! Liver cancer reduced in size. We are continuing therapy and maybe we will beat this thing yet.

Ladies... BALD IS BEAUTIFUL.