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

Tail Fin Heroes …

 

We had a prompt recently … 'our first flight' – well it introduced a range of memories for the eight of us … trips to the States to meet up with relatives who'd left the Welsh valleys, others who'd gone south to Africa with their families, an English-American who'd lived in Sri Lanks, or holidays into Europe …

Showing a car being boarded at Lydd

... then me (of course) … I'd remembered we'd taken in the mid 1960s, our car over the Channel from Lydd airport, on the Kent coast ...

... so my mother could drive the three of us down to Italy, where my father would fly out and join us.

The leaning tower was one
of our stop overs

Now to tail fins – as the company that flew out of Lydd turned out to be Silver City Airways … interesting company … one of the first commercial flights from London Airport (as it was known) was to Sydney … via – guess where – yes … Johannesburg – crumbs – I'm so pleased I didn't have to travel that way.

Panorama view of Lake Como - another stop over

So this was why I was off down various rabbit holes, we lived near Heathrow for the first 20 years or so of my life ...

Using both the USA and UK flags as their logo

... I really had better get back to 'tail fins' … my first flight to the States for a friend's wedding was on one of Freddie Laker's Skytrains …

It certainly shows Freddie ... 

To my amazement in 2017 – oh yes 50+ years of air transportation … when tail fins popped up … would you put Freddie Laker, Queen's frontman Freddie Mercury, children's author Roald Dahl, pioneering pilot Amy Johnson and our 1966 football's winning team captain Bobby Moore …

Map of Lake Como ... I've no idea where
we stayed, but my mother, father and I 
did learn to play Bezique here

... well believe it or not Norwegian Air International has placed these images on five of their tailfins … strange bedfellows I thought – and I'm sure you do too? Little things amuse me …

Normal service will be resumed shortly …

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Pancakes ...

Today is pancake day … originally called Shrove Tuesday … I was thinking back to my childhood when our mother would cook us pancakes … guzzling children were happy kids!

Pancakes with sugar and lemon

… those were the days when for us … it was sprinkling sugar over the pancake, then a few drops of lemon juice … simple, but plain …

I've learnt that I enjoy simple food … as we used to have it when I was growing up – yet I'm the one with cookbooks for Africa and who always used to enjoy experimenting with new recipes … from said books – along with some of my mother's …

I still enjoy reading foodie books … and have a few here that I will post about …

The heart of our childhood home was the Aga – the cast iron, two door, creamy primrose coloured Aga … we cooked with it, we hugged around it, we warmed our hands on it, we dried our clothes around it, we kept the winter chills away …

Olney town sign

I have never tossed, nor raced, with a frying pan in hand to the local church, pancake still frying … dressed in a kitchen apron and headscarf (particularly that bit!) - but the Pancake Race is an annual happening – since 1445 – in Olney, Buckinghamshire.  (nearly 600 years)

Bet it makes a wonderful day in Olney for the kids … especially this year – as it's half-term …

Sign for the 2009 race in Olney

... perhaps not so wonderful for the grown-ups ...'shrove' comes from 'shrive': meaning to confess your sins and being absolved by a priest … thankfully today we can, I hope, just sort out our own misdemeanours?!

Happy pancake day wherever you might be …

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

16th year and counting …

This yearly count strikes me as extraordinary - not something I thought would last 15 full years and now about to go beyond …

Happy Birthday to me!

I was really lucky at Christmas a great friend, from South African days who now lives north of London, brought her daughter - my goddaughter - down for a couple of days ... which really enlivened my life, as I was nursing a cold, and things go quietish at that time of year.  

I'm afraid we had too much champagne with lots of chats - and picnicked here ... ie a real mix of sort of antipasto goodies - gave us a chance to be just us.  Nothing like a great friend to appear with a backpack full (perhaps not quite full!) of champers ...

1915 ad ... definitely
not me!!

I've had a funny year … and can't say I feel brilliant now – so hope to find out what's going on – I don't feel ill – just 'off' …

Not much change – still organising the European Movement dinners – just had one this past week … and another important one we're already planning for February ...

New play about the Blue
Stockings society 

… and I've a history talk to give on the Blue Stockings Society (1750s – 1790s) … 

… but my energy is sapped – and I'm just posting this to at least start blogging in 2024 – it/I might be slow for a few weeks yet …

Map of Rainforest at Victoria Falls -
'my Africa' ... 

Thank you for visiting and cheering me on … another year, another year … without much change – I'd love the world's life to be more positive … so here's to us all being kind to one another, and thoughtful about others …

Antipasto platter - we had lots
of goodies (various!)

PS - I will get around to your blogs soon as I can ... but ... 

Blogging friends I give up … lots going on!! Cheers …

Blue Stockings - play by Jessica Swale - details can be found here ... 

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Dinner and Food Wrap-up …

 

Well that's that … one major week in the life of a daughter (now blogger) … cow invasion, cocktails for 80, dinner for 30 …

Platter of cheeses to finish off a meal

… definitely some guests – my father's younger sister: her husband was the uncle I spent time with, she'd asked me to look after him … all happening in the first 12 years of this millennium … when my mother was also in her last months – easing their ways onwards …

I'm sure we'd have finished with port or brandy … a platter of 1960s cheeses – cheddar, Stilton, camembert … about the only French cheese readily available …

My father had given up smoking (never cigars),
but some friends still did ... 

I'm sure everyone rallied round to help us clear up – I cannot remember that part … and no doubt left overs were Sunday lunch.

The denouement happened early the next week … I'd applied to become a chalet girl – ie work at a ski lodge …

Look to You tube to learn
'how to Make Hospital 
Corners'  ( no link here)

… I think I could cook, organise, plan, clean – but not do hospital corners on beds (but easy to learn n'est pas?) etc …

… so the interview comes around – I'd gone to London – no zoom in the 1960s … I can't remember much except the one question – which I answered truthfully … how would I make pastry … well I said I'd buy it …

Mayerhofen, Austria

Pastry wasn't something we'd had much of at home … as we were away at school – no suppers/evening meals needed – so I'd no idea about it …

… well that solved that - the interview: failed – I was not accepted as a chalet girl … on t'other hand looking forward – I wouldn't be here now … so a fork in life's road led me here …

Autumn in Tennessee -
here it is bucketing with rain

Back to normal: eclectic posts … as per my whim … take care and here's to a happy Autumn or Fall …

To finish off background to my ability to cook … my mother was a very good cook – I'd learnt at home … after school I had a short stint with a French lady, I guess a post WW2 refugee, who gave classes for 8 – teaching us how to cook all the basics – I still have her recipes … we rotated cooking, preparing, cleaning, washing up, time watching etc … it was an invaluable start to life in the kitchen – not to say I became a housewife as such …

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

New Home celebration … 'mains' … 3/4

 

Now we've had desserts c/o WEP (my last post) we backtrack to the mains …

Fillet of Beef waiting to be cooked

I'd decided to offer fillet of beef, with new potatoes, a medley of vegetables, green beans and anchovy bread … but frankly to my surprise I can't remember …

I was, now looking back, very confident that I could prepare all the dishes … brash = today's description.

We had a similar cream Aga

I know I cooked the beef fillets – because they caused me a minor blip … but the rest – I'm really not sure about … and back in those days we didn't have global vegetables and fruits available …

I'd grown up using an Aga … and though I'd moved onto a refurbished gas oven in my London flat – bought from a friend, who had had it converted to North Sea Gas – when I left for South Africa … it was again sold on to some friends for their flat … recycling at its best.

In the house my father had bought, there was no gas, we had an electric oven … another adjustment required by the 'cook' (me!).

Anchovy or herby bread ... I still can't fathom why 
each slice isn't cut through ... I always do mine
wrapped in foil, opened up for the last few minutes

The beef fillet would be served at room temperature – being sensible I'd realised I wouldn't need to have hot food on the go … as serving 30 would be hard enough …

The instructions said roast the fillet at 400 degF, or gas Mark 7 for about 35 minutes and then leave to cool. Absolutely fine – simple … wouldn't take long and all would be well …

Green bean salad

When I opened the oven on the three fillets I was cooking to serve the guests … it dawned on me – that they were not remotely ready. So being the brash confident me of 20 or so … I shut the door and let them continue cooking …

After over an hour – I determined they 'had to be cooked' … and so on I went …

One sliced fillet of beef being 'aspic(k)ed

The fillets were sliced, laid out 'prettily' on serving dishes before being coated with three layers of aspic jelly and left to set.

The back door to the house – it was probably the local Victorian rector's home, as it was next to the church – had an entry passage – off which were a few small store rooms …

New potato salad

Useful for Victorian pickles, jams, storing fruit and vegetables … which we didn't need to use – but they were brilliant for storing the goodies/clutter for the dinner … including leaving the aspic(k)ed beef to set …

Made my life easier certainly … eventually we were ready to back track to the dessert as posted for the recent WEP prompt …

Courgette salad

One last wrap up post to follow next week …

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Write … Edit … Publish … Bloghop /IWSG hop: Like Water for Chocolate … 2/4

 

Finger licking as kids … she remembered back – they'd lick each others' chocolatey fingers … then together entwined off to the sink for a wash … those were the days, occasionally repeated – sticky fingers …

This magical mythical, moving
story of love, sacrifice and
simmering sensuality ...

She was always in the kitchen – he often watched her … her favourites were a Gateau Diane, decorated with chocolate caraque; also chocolate truffles … the mixture rolled out, leaving the little globules to set, before sensually rolling in dark chocolate powder.

Life moves along … yet here they were again – so near, yet so far … not yet touching – but that yearning was there … she could see his – and felt sure he felt hers as his fingers often gently touched her.

Chocolate Caraque being made - always
chocolatey fingers ... 

Her memories came flooding back – she never forgot, could never forget … that pitter-patter of her heart, she couldn't control her emotions – now those erotic times and fantasies were once again at the forefront of her senses …

Ignition for their hearts

... matches on the chocolate cake set off the sparkling little bursts of intensity – so challenging to keep hidden – yet she thought he too felt similarly … another brush of the fingers across her palm … oh! that magic awaiting its future …

For now they couldn't talk … but silent times brought all the other senses to the fore … she was always aware he was there, while his eyes saw her …

Gateau Diane - chocolate caraque on a 
dessert of meringue and chocolate ganache

… some chocolate concoction was needed – it would keep her hands busy … her mind not so much … the kitchen and her grandchild opened that door … what to make …

Child and 'la Dona' had gathered the ingredients … dark chocolate for the caraque, cocoa powder for the truffles … the meringue dessert had been made, it was awaiting its decoration … the truffles also were ready for their final roll …

Cocoa powder ... 

… oh! oh! … pitter-patter in her chest … her heart was pumping, thumping, trembling …

Close up of Caraque ... tasty, flaky shavings 

Memories – the caraque reminding her of how often his fingers touched her palm, now a little rougher … but then: more to taste, to touch, to feel … just more …  

... her nervous activity needed to hide her emotions – she just knew they had to be together … too much water under the bridge from those early days – the sensual chocolate would come to the fore ...

She'd find it nigh impossible waiting for another deep lingering kiss – or truffled hands rolled in cocoa powder – all to be slowly, deliciously, silently enjoyed – as they sank into each other, as she remembered from days gone by …

Tag line:

Like Water, Like Chocolate … both life long intimate companions …

PS - If you haven't read 'Like Water for Chocolate' by Laura Esquivel - I highly recommend it!

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories