cream of tartar

Having spent most of yesterday migraining it between bathroom and bed ( though mostly in bed, and squeezed between three purring Birmans and one surprisingly unratty Kitty ), I am not at my best today , though I drag myself out at nine when Alice will wait no longer for her morning constitutional ( though to be fair D did offer to go it alone , and having spotted me on the edge of the bed at five am swallowing pills he did do the early shifts too , the first yard duty then breakfast half an hour later , with brief spells back in bed ).

The waves are high and the snow is less today , and the wind has dropped . Altogether it is pleasanter , but I am easing my way back into Life as we know it .

I sit staring at my laptop , sipping ginger tea and thinking my thought as he revs up to his usual pace and plots his next Action .
The Shops .
What will we be eating tonight ? I try to calm my stomach and being the sensitive soul that he is , he backs off slightly and tries to ascertain what he needs to know without talking Pork and Chicken in quite such a stark way . I drag myself to the cookery books and with bad grace read out the ingredients we will need for an old Delia recipe .
He is off and I am left to my devices in the armchair for an hour with the Saturday magazines . Bliss .
After an hour , my mobile rings .
The tone is apologetic " Is cream of tartar the same as tartare sauce ? " he asks . " What does it look like ? "

I describe the baking section , the paper tubs etc reminding him that earlier in the week when I had added this to the memo board I had described how he would find it next to the bicarb of soda and the baking powder .....but I fear there has been a memory slippage.

I suggest he asks someone . He tells me he has tried this but will try someone else .

Ten minutes later , a triumphant text appears " Got it " .

It is the modern day equivalent of the dripping stag , freshly killed , or the fat boar , strung on two sticks and carried home at the end of a big day out . And will , as my sister texts my later , when we ponder the subject , be presented with a flourish .

It's no wonder I hate shopping so much . Except when I'm in the mood of course . Then its safer to go on my own . My lack of coherent method , tendency to hoy everything into the bags willy nilly , and occasional giving up the ghost half way round in a fit of ennui just drive him to distraction . To him shopping is a great challenge , something to be achieved in the shortest possible time . To me its just a mild bad dream , something I'm delighted to forget about whilst I flick through the clour supplements .

He's back . Better go and help with the unpacking .

Jess and Pearl

Kitty is back

Of all our cats , Kitty has found adapting to Alice the hardest . She probably has most direct contact with the dog , coming nose to nose through the baby gate at the top of the stairs and refusing steadfastly to back away when the dog bounces up and tries to break through to get at the cat's food supply and their lovely resting places on the beds and in particular on the hot water bed . But its the Birmans who have slowly but surely made their way back down at nights when we are all in and the dog is safely esconsed on the sofa usually flat on her back legs in the air cockroaching , and Kitty has kept out of the way unless to plod down occasionally to remind us we have missed her tea time or some such .

But today , this morning , maybe its the storm ( its snowing as I write ) , here she is , firmly established on D 's desk and ready for the next round of Desk Wars .

Oh Joy .

Big Old Fish

Big old fish on King Edwards Bay . very tricky for Alice to approach . Waves threatening to engulf her . Also the smell , and her nerves to take into account , plus her memories of the baby seal pup CatCalls: Seal pup on the beach , King Edward's Bay Tynemouth and how it snarled at her when she was trying to be friendly that day . Better approach this one a bit more carefully .....

Has it got teeth ?

Gettting Closer ..

Whoa , look at this , just like that pollock they fed me when I wasn't well .