Halfway past it …

 

Tis life … time goes on … remembering those days … my house in Johannesburg had a pomegranate tree … under which friends and I'd sit ...

Clambering red rose ... 

...at that stage life was fun, as it is now – just different – the pomegranate symbolising romantic longings … heart tingling times … still does … but more comfortably …

In my semi-hibernating mode I remembered the poem by AA Milne …

By E H Shepard

Halfway down the stairs

Is a stair

Where I sit.
There isn't any
Other stair
Quite like
It.

I'm not at the bottom,
I'm not at the top;
So this is the stair
Where
I always
Stop.

Halfway up the stairs
Isn't up
And isn't down.
It isn't in the nursery,
It isn't in the town.

1924 - first edition

And all sorts of funny thoughts
Run round my head:
"It isn't really
Anywhere!
It's somewhere else
Instead!"

Tis where I am … thinking I'm in the sun with a pomegranate in my hand … living life, but slowly remembering those days … hankering after them perhaps … but no – life is still being enjoyed …

Pomegranate tree

Just peacefully living positively ... now the sun has started to appear again - that grey was getting to me ... 

I just hope you're all well, able to cope with life … take care …

The lusciousness of the love apple

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Light relief against the world at large ...

I won a tin of Le Gratin Dauphinois at one of our European Movement meetings … provided by another committee member, who (with his wife) often go over to Dieppe for the day … a change of country, some shopping and a French meal …

He often brings back some wonderful raffle prizes, mostly wine, but occasionally 'oddities' like this one …

… essentially it is thinly sliced raw potatoes with cream, cooked in a buttered dish rubbed with garlic, occasionally cheese can be added.

Tartiflette

I mentioned this to some friends, who said they'd had Tartiflette at Christmas, as their son is vegetarian … I hadn't heard of it … and so had to do a quick check …

Who'd have thought about taxing udders … I laughed when I read up on Tartiflette and the cheese usually associated with it … Reblochon …

Reblochon cheese

Both dishes come from the Haute-Savoie in the heart of the French Alps … holding its history to itself, including the culinary influences of the Alps …

I made my version of a mirepoix base, then over the top spread the Dauphinois … as I live easily, I added a boned rolled shoulder of lamb – one pot dish … I have to say it was delicious, over the days I ate it.

Mirepoix raw veggie mix

To get back to the reason for this post … the tax element … Reblochon is derived from the word “reblocher” … which when translated means to “pinch the cow's udder again”.

The landowners during the 14^th century would tax the mountain farmers according to the amount of milk their herds produced …

Tarentaise (type of cow living high in the Alps)

... crafty farmers decided … oh! ok – but we won't be taxed on it all … so they would not fully milk the cows until the landowners had measured the yield. 

Portrait of a Carthusian
(by Petrus Christus)

The milk that remains is much richer, and was traditionally used by the dairymaids to make their own cheese.

In the 16^th century the cheese also became known as devotional cheese … so the Carthusian monks would bless the farmers' homesteads in exchange for some cheese.

Nothing like a tax on cows' udders to improve one's blog posts … I feel certain that this type of tax no longer applies …

Gap, town in the Haute Savoie region
of south-eastern France

I'll try and keep things lighter for a while – as life is challenging enough for so many … here's to health and happiness in 2025 …

A little information, tucked away in this post, on the European Movement, which we still continue on - this is our 50th year in Eastbourne.  It is based on our 2023 programme.

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Jacqui Murray's Book Blast for her new book - Endangered Species ...

Jacqui of WordDreams is writing these amazing books on the early species of us … and has asked that we contribute various articles on aspects of their life … mine is:

Jacqui - smiling happily

How did they store water?

Essentially they wouldn't have wanted to store it … as they'd have known where to find sources:

... they couldn't live without water;

... by understanding the landscape;

... noting the seasonal swings;

... watching game and birds go to drink;

... they'd have noted the seasonal fruits and herbs ready to eat

... also they'd have realised there were water storing plants which are moisture rich in their flesh or roots …

Nara Melon

For instance the !nara melon (Acanthosicyos horridus) has tap roots penetrating down to water near the water table (not obvious in the landscape).

These ancient inhabitants would have lived in and around an area where there'd have been sufficient resources to support the group, only spreading out when numbers of their group became too many, or they met others and thus Neanderthals spread …

Bushmen drinking from
the bi bulb

They'd have been constantly learning … adding to each generations' brain power as the semi-nomadic peoples lived and learnt.

They'd have lived in caves … where possibly a permanent water supply might have been found … or near a spring line …

Rivers were (and still are) both permanent - or ephemeral – would have been located and noted …

A Bushman drinking from an ostrich egg

They'd have realised that Ostrich eggs could be used for storing/carrying water … these huge very nutritious eggs … would have been invaluable to indigenous groups … they'd learn to create sip-wells ... feeding water into an ostrich egg ... 

Rocky outcrop

There were no straight lines (despite those modern day tyre tracks!) to be followed, or corners cut … they had to find their way each day, otherwise they would not have been able to survive long.

Beef tripe - prepared for filling

When they wanted to travel beyond their normal range … they'd have taken cleaned out intestines and stomachs of animals to hold enough water in case of need … but they'd not require much – those early peoples were very resilient.

Book two of the trilogy
due out in April

Jacqui's email details ... all her wonderful contributors can be found here ...

Word Dreams Book Blast for Endangered Species 

I just congratulate Jacqui - her books are fascinating ... and I so enjoy them - it's great so many of us are promoting her second book in the trilogy ... 

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

17th year and counting, and remembering …

 

I'm a year behind Damyanti (Damyantiwrites .com) … she's just moved into her 18^th year – where she mentions that a blog anniversary is a strange thing ...

17th and onwards

... as they (blogs) sound so ancient … but as it's my birthday – that crumbling connotation can be applied – actually I'm really lucky as generally my health is in good nick …

Anemones - my mother's
favourite Cornish flowers

However this isn't really about me … I wanted to mention Lenny, whom many of us know, but who is now having a really difficult time … he had a bad fall … and now he just needs to get past this major problem in his life …

Lenny's logo over the years

Back in June 2011 – those youthful years! about 30 of us, at Sharon's instigation, were asked to write blog posts for Lenny – as he'd just gone back into hospital … since then in his short life he's been in and out …

I chose the Hippopotamus song, by Flanders and Swann, as an amusing, happy go-lucky offering … and we all went off humming Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud … the link to my post is below.

Hippos 'basking' ... 

Lenny was amazing – for some reason he took Mum and I under his youthful wing … and sent us presents and email notes – my mother waxed lyrical about him and his thoughtfulness. He's an amazing lad … I just feel for him now – so please wish him the best …

African tea lights ... 

Re today – another year – another St Hilary!! I'm off to lunch with the family, and with some friends who've spent time in Rhodesia (before it changed to be Zimbabwe) … so we'll have some happy African tales.

Wine and cheese ... I expect we'll 
be having a roast ... 

The accompanying images … send me off to remember days gone by … as the years tick along …

The weather in 1962/63

By golly the cold eventually reached us here in the south east … but of course for us ancients this brought back memories of the 1962/63 season .. which I wrote about in January 2013 – thankfully it looks like it's warming up a little in the next few days …

I'm hoping to get myself into a more youthful gear shortly! … ever hopeful … as my brother said – well we thought we'd do lunch today – no worries re working for us elderlies … yet there's grandchildren my friends are occupied with …

Hardwick (Mum's beloved) with his pals
from Lenny - Muddy Hippo and Zdena

My goddaughter and her twin – my brother's wife's niece – who has just had a baby met up in London at the weekend – great that they're in touch again … fun pics as goddaughter met her twin's (honorary goddaughter's) first baby …

Roses with South African
fynbos

If you don't comprehend this rather odd post – apologies … the brain has been remembering, but obviously gets addled at times!!

Thanks for visiting and in particular remembering Lenny - he's one special lad ... 

Lenny Lee fest of 2011 ... 

Cheers to you all - and happy New Year to each and everyone of us, and our families and friend - 

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Happy New Year ... 2025 here we come?!

 

HAPPY  NEW  YEAR

TO  YOU  ALL

LET'S HOPE THE WORLD MOVES TOWARDS

PEACE AND GIVES US ALL BREATHING SPACE,

without upsetting our apple carts of life.

Hi everyone … I've been having interesting techie headaches … probably me having the blanks, then the poor head being fed up with clearing the mess up …

Here's to us ... 

Next Monday will be a somewhat important post … for me, and updating you on another great blogging friend …

This week we have our first 2025 European Movement dinner – so I'm kept busy in that direction …

Heaven help me?!
I'm sure I didn't turn into this?!

I also have a talk to give on Magna Carta – which if I wasn't having techie challenges would be fine … but I really need to work something out – so I can finish it here and not have to go and ask for help …

That's it for now – I will need to catch up … sloth really has set in – let alone the wet weather (no snow here, so far) we've been having … a few chills ...

This is 'my Mummy' from about
40 years ago ... appropriate n'est pas?

Good luck to all with the weather we're having in various parts of the world …

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories