I have had a baking fit! Lemon drizzle – very lemony!, cheese bread sticks, cheddar, egg, basil, mustard, sun dried tomatoes, garlic, rosemary and toped off with parmesan, then a 2 ciabatta loaves.
ILL
Is this what I have? Labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis? It seems more plausible than meunière disease which the doctor diagnosed in seconds! There is the feeling of nausea. I had a shower and put washing on, did Worldle Trinidad and Tobago at second attempt! So I sent text to shop telling them I was ill, then went back to bed. after 4/5 hours I felt well enough to get up and get my paper! Put the washing out, water the tomatoes and hanging baskets, I have eaten some grapes and olives (whoops – Labyrinthitis says to avoid – oh well! Still feeling a bit off but am up and about – I will not sleep tonight otherwise.
So the news. Trump turns his attention seeking and bullying efforts to Brazil. A 50% tariff and tells them to halt the trial of the last President (also a right wing bastard), Quite why he believes he has the right to dictate orders on a peaceful sovereign state is unknown – other than his egoistic gutter mind. Macron and Starmer are talking about the small migrant boats. What ever they agree will be slammed by the RWPress who seem to have forgotten all about the Tories ineptitude regarding, well everything!
READING
An admission – or rather an acknowledgement of facts. I love chiclit fiction! I wish I had discovered it earlier. Stories about relationships, bakeries and other independent shops. Are they smutty? Occasionally! But a happy ending and the exploration of relationships is excellent. OK it is not high culture but can be riveting. A London bookshop has just opened selling nothing but romantic novels.
PRUNING
I have no idea what I am doing in the garden – so I have decided to cut back the apple tree which looks like it may be bigger than the house. I will easily fill the wheelie bin! I think I will add this address to my post that i will put in the papers. Basically I do not give a fuck if everyone knows it was me – only the daft will not work it out!
ME
OK I am sitting in the garden looking at all the jobs I ought to do -deadhead a rose bush, clean the patio, sort out the brambles (although that can wait for a month to see if the blackberries are lush or not!), and then the apple tree – lots of new shoots, should I cut them back? And then sticking stickers on the apples for the sparkles – peel them off and they have apples with their initials on! I was thrilled to see a bright red moth, which I think was a cinnabar moth as I saw a couple of cinnabar caterpillars on some ragwort. Also I have never planted evening primrose but am pleased to see it back again – a goldfinch spent several mornings last winter harvesting the seeds. And the chickory is back, growing out of the driveway. Is my garden a mess? Most – I would go for 96% would say so, but the mown laawns are like deserts up and down the street, I have even seen the application of chemicals – but they do not sit on their lawns or play on them, or even camp on them. Green wastelands.
This is a Pretty Woman Lily – smells gorgeous and is by my patio door, so I have to go in and out as much as possible. I think I will put some outside in the garden next year rather than a pot.
https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/feast is well worth a look today!
DRESS
An interesting discussion this morning – a friend mentioned that he and his boyfriend has been shocked to see so many young girls wearing very little at 2am in Bristol. His comment was ‘what were they thinking being dressed like that’ and secondly that they were ‘asking for trouble’. On the first point I countered that they were not dressing provocatively (in many cases) but were just reacting to societies demands and social media and peer pressure. On the second point – men/boys should have more respect and control. I am sure there is an element of being commented on positively and even hoping for a snog/cuddle at the end of the evening. But not sexual assault. There is also a time and a place – a bikini on a beach and a miniskirt in a night club are ok, but walking home at 2am is, whilst not asking for trouble, foolish. Our society, social media and pornography have a lot to answer for..
So I think my friend was right and wrong. Thus an excellent discussion. This is where debating societies and competitions get it wrong. It is not about winning but becoming aware of the nuances involved
SEA TEMPERATURES
This is phenomenal.
Sea surface temperatures are >5C above average to the west of the UK and around Iceland. It’s the strongest area of anomalous warmth on the planet at the moment.
It’s the warmest in recorded history for northwest Europe. More details from the BBC follow on next page. Warmer seas cause expansion and thus coastal flooding. Todays Guardian also has a report on octopus catches booming from 200kg this time last year to 36.000kg last Thursday. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/may/26/the-seabed-is-full-of-them-english-fishers-enjoy-surprise-octopus-boom.
WTF
This is a rewrite from yesterdays Guardian ‘Pass Notes’. Written as Tesco executives.
Down the pub with some mates talking about what to get Dave and Lindsay for their wedding. “I bet he is shitting himself, and she is in a right sweat organising everything – ‘he is useless unless it involves kicking a round ball about’. Light bulb moment! “We know they have a massive mortgage and her being pregnant means a lack of the readies”. “Why not get them a practical box – we could start with a five pack of toilet paper and shower gel”. The others add their ideas. 2 tubes of toothpaste (one each; bin bags for his kit; conditioner (come on guys, girls have long hair and care about it!); kitchen rolls for the mess he makes and some hand wash for her after retrieving his undies from under the bed! Cool – I will price it up and add an extra £10 as it is for a wedding – maybe add a bow or something, and gift wrap! £63 sounds reasonable for such a useful wedding gift! Oh and “A toast to love package’ we could do a series from champers, to prosciutto and a bargain one for the pregnant or nutters – £39 for 6 packets of biscuits and some tea!
I am not kidding – these things are on offer at Tesco, although a search of their website was fruitless! But then I found this! https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-14727001/Tesco-launches-wedding-gift-registry-couples-ditch-fine-china-toilet-roll-bin-bags.html
STRAWBERRY JAM
Only the finest strawberries and organic Spanish lemon juice with jam sugar. Perfect.
ELECTIONS
So tomorrow many places will vote – the polls predict loses for Labour and Conservatives whilst Reform are winners. Presumably Labour polls have sussed this out already. What will their responce be? Please God do not let the Labour right wing shift it further to the right. There is more at stake here with the UK under economic attack from Trump, misleading naratives regarding migrants and the EU. Positive statements are needed, not appeasement.
Also of great interest will be the demographics of those who vote. Are the younger ones turned off completely by politics? Will the grey parade triumph with facist tendencies? Will the non-white section vote at all? Will there be a geographical split? It seems that the Conservatives may take a bigger hammering than Labour with Reform leaching their gammons!
Up early today, greenhouse opened to the warm weather and watered, hanging baskets watered – rosemary transplanted out although whether they survive is doubtful as I could not get into the soil so topped up with grow bag stuff! Strawberries hulled for the next round of jamjam making, washing done and out. Tried to go to Post Office again – but fucking shut again! it has a 4 day week yet serves approx 10 thousand people!
Should I celebrate Carney’s win in Canada – I suppose it is better than the Conservative, but …. Interesting geography again! Prairie states with oil were conservative whilst urban areas mainly Liberal (centre right). Quebec Indepence low, as were the socialists and Greens.