Asparagus …

 

Asparagus … ex sparrow-grass til someone decided to posh its name up (earlier than the 1700s) … we're at that time of year again … a deliciousness of A for Asparagus …

German botanical
illustration

I revert to childhood seasons … without climate change apparent (I'm sure it was – but after the War we were just glad to have seasonal vegetables again), or technological developments: how many of those have there been?

Waiting to be cut ...

Shakespeare doesn't mention asparagus … so for him it wasn't the food of love – for me and many of us (as M&S had no bunches left yesterday!) … the desire to enjoy while we can – the timing is short … only 6 – 8 weeks … til Mid-Summer's Day or thereabouts.

I was looking for an asparagus poem and came across one by Marriott Edgar – one verse of which is:

It's 'sparagus stuff what the Toffs eat "

His friend said "It's a rum-looking plant,

Can I have the green ends for my rabbits?"

said Pa "Aye, cut off what you want.

Then found a couple of co-incidences … the literary one … Marriott Edgar is the half-brother of Edgar Wallace: strange, but true …

Asparagus wrapped with bacon ...

... while I always remember the blogger Jo of Jo on Food, Life and Slice of Chocolate … she sadly died in 2020 …

... she had blogged the full version of Edgar's poem in June 2012 … those were the early days – Alex and I were the only commenters – she'd mentioned I'd been to see a gold exhibition in London ...

So her blog has the whole Asparagus Poem … many of us will remember her … and I to this day will enjoy eating the spears! Jo joined the A – Z in 2012 … with some recipes …

All I can say to all the present A – Zers … well done and congratulations on finishing: it was a great idea back in 2011, when I first joined – the very first one was 2010 …

Here's Jo's link for the Edgar Marriott poem and to her blog …

I will be returning – j'espère!!

Congratulations A – Zers and happy Spring, with Summer head … let's hope for peace, without discord.

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Christmas cake … not!

 

My road is being dug up to put in new gas pipes … they had a practise run with the block opposite – ok I thought – that's it …

... but oh no! … hell and begone continues – even on Sundays … I think they're behind … but men at work with toys for boys are mighty noisy!

Do you remember this song sung by Bernard Cribbins in 1962 … The Hole in the Ground …

Don't dig there, dig it elsewhere.
You're digging it round and it ought to be square.
The shape of it's wrong, it's much too long,
And you can't put a hole where a hole don't belong.

I've mislaid the will to get things done … but a quick update … I had my hospital consultant 'meet up' … it looks like no op … just various other alternatives … ongoing into 2026.

Record Cover 1972

I just feel exhausted, disinclined to get up and go … so I move forward in my own time frame.  Also just to add to the fun and games ... my right knee is causing me problems, to compound it my left achilles has come out in sympathy ... 

I'm sure my mojo will return – the brain tells me it will … it just needs the body to be more willing or feel able to ...!

I came back today after a couple of meetings to find that said men were digging 'an 'ole' under the block of flats next to me … not the lot opposite: 'twas a big deep 'ole … !!!'

Oh – life is fun!!

Sorry – no cake going here … I can offer you lots of noise, lots of men in very dirty work-gear, lots of road mess, lots and lots of badly maintained road … lots of pretty squiggles on the road …

Oh that looks delicious! c/o BBC

... anyway Christmas is coming – the goose is getting fat … if bird flu doesn't get them first …

Oh dear – I can easily become a misery guts!!

I will get back in the mode …

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Procrastinate, Prevaricate … Pear-shaped brain …

 

Such is life – I'm getting off the bandwagon for a fortnight – for anyone who doesn't know that's two weeks + a bit!

Procrastinating, prevaricating doesn't do me any good ...and the pear-shaped brain is discovering more rabbit holes …

Who knew? - that The Rabbit Hole book will be published in October … I give up – it appeared on my radar today of all days … actually you'd think if I had radar I wouldn't be down so many rabbit holes … wouldn't you?

Far too many of these around ... 
books, articles etc

Lots going on and before the Autumn really comes along … I'm going to get a few things done and then I'll feel easier … and the brain won't be so pitted with half-explored books, sites of interest, articles to look into …

Hanging fruit waiting for me
to check out!

So I'm going to love you and leave you … we've a few sunny days left before Keats' season of mists and mellow fruitfulness sets in, followed by Blake's Winter of our discontent … then Rossetti's Spring will return … more rabbit holes!

Varieties of those low hanging fruits

I'm so grateful for our seasons … they provide interest sparking different thoughts appropriate to that time of year … from which we could learn so much …

Thankfully I haven't got as many as
shown here - but enough to keep me occupied

I'm eternally grateful to you all for following along … and yes I will set up a private group email to send out my posts to anyone who'd like to be on it … let me know – that'd be great: thank you … (reason being some of us lose our reasons for being sometimes with programmes cancelling our previously happy set up … )

I won't be far away … cheers for now …

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories