WYSIWYG

What You See Is What You Get. This is a journal blog, an explore-blog, a bit of this and that blog. Sharing where the mood takes me. Perhaps it will take you too.

Menoffagainorrhoea; the Not-Menokakkuls

For those who may be travel-weary (I DID warn you this was going to take longer than the actual trip!), I have been breaking things up with the regular Saturday Sayings spot and replacing the regular menokakkuls with some lighter moments from the visit away.

Firstly, for all horses South of the equator, Happy Birthday!!! This young fellow was spotted trotting the close near Aitch's house. Learning to walk in harness...


























The timeline ought to have me reporting on Monday 25th June... but it was a total non-event. As was mentioned, the old bod was starting to feel the drag, and after returning from Long Melford on Sunday, I fell asleep in the chair, much to Aitch's mirth. Early bed, out like a light... and I never really woke up on Monday. I rose, had a cuppa and a banana, but was just a walking ache with eyes shut. I returned to bed, ostensibly to have an extra hour... I emerged at somewhere around 4pm and that also, none too brightly!


Thankfully, Aitch had been able to utilise the day for research and prep purposes towards June 30th event - more on that soon enough.

Monday being lost to us, and my physical stamina clearly compromised, the intended trip to Orfordness was, somewhat regretfully, postponed indefinitely. Much too exerting a trip that one. (Will still share some info, in due course - but it will be from a different perspective now.)  I was still out for the count that night and on Tuesday morning, although I was feeling somewhat restored by the blanked day, it was decided we'd return to Felixstowe and visit that fort... but as that is going to be a two or three-day post, let me skip that for now.

Instead, let's skip to the Wednesday 27th when Aitch was to - finally - collect her new car. The time was set early. Needless to say, it didn't go as smoothly as she'd hoped, but long story short, it was finalised by late morning and in we got to the Ford Ecosport SUV. Very smart! After a series of red cars, Aitch had to adjust to white. To celebrate, we drove out to the Suffolk Food Hall, where we enjoyed the view of the Orwell Bridge with a delicious cuppa under the trees. Aitch got bombed by a bird (good luck, I say) and the Fudge narrowly missed being 'blessed'!  That slightly hit and miss experience aside, it was a gorgeous setting and to have the weather to be able to sit out made it worthwhile.

Any fans of "Swallows and Amazons" around here? This is the area where Arthur Ransome was inspired. He lived just down the road from the hall, at Pin Mill. The prow of this ship, hauling out from Ipswich docks, is pretty much pointed at Pin Mill.






































We lingered for a while in the FABulush shop - I bought some sweet items to carry home to the Father as well as the Suffolk Magazine. The print version is lovely, but that online choice is also good.

Early home and some more rest - Wimbledon was on, (as well as World Cup Soccer), so we were happy.


Thursday, Aitch had to work. I was left in the kitchen to batch bake...

Why? This was my contribution to the preparations for the 30th. As it turned out, all the organisers had baked and the cakes and tea stall on the day was creaking under the weight! A fair bit was sold though. Of the 20 submitted, nine of my buns had been consumed - which was fine given the choice and variety on offer! What didn't go was divided up and went to freezers around the village. My cheesy scone bites were a bit of an afterthought - tasty though. I also made us a veggie quiche for our tea that day. Additionally, did my hand-washing, a practice run of packing for departure on July 1st (I knew there was more than came...), walked over to the church to place an item for Aitch and to take some images... although 'at home' it was actually a really busy day and the old bod knew about it that night again!

Friday the 29th was spent helping Aitch and crew with setup for the Saturday... but I get ahead...

Amazingly, I couldn't find the preferred yoghurt for these buns (a good quality, full-fat natural or flavoured variety which has 'flow' to it) - so I made them with Greek yoghurt. In retrospect, if using that again, I would 'let it down' a bit with some water, as the batter was much stiffer than usual and the finished product less spongy than am used to. That said, they had a good flavour and were actually more muffin-like than a bun or 'cake'.
...and isn't it always a challenge to bake in someone else's kitchen with an unfamiliar oven?!























16 comments:

  1. OMCs that is a brave lady harness training that ginormous horse. He was obviously very gentle.
    I know the Amish in the US often walk behind their horses in the fields too.
    I guess it is the angle of the photo but it sure does look like that ship is in shallow water

    The muffins look delicious.
    Hugs HiC

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  2. Gosh! The horse looks like Vidock or Violette! And Swallows and Amazons...I have NOT thought about those books in years! The summer between grades 5 and 6 were absolutely the worst of my life! We moved and I knew no one. Luckily there was a library at the end of the street and I worked my way through all 12 of the Swallows and Amazons books, 6 of the Mary Poppins books and then, by accident I found Martin Pippin in the Apple Orchard and an everlasting love of Eleanor Farjeon's books came out of that!
    What a wonderful stroll through the hallways of my mind. I shall now have to read some of these again...Thanks So much!
    BTW I could use one of your Cheese Bits right now. Its lunch and it was far to hot last night to prepare one for work today. Pretzels out of the vnding machine will have to do.
    Love Barb

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  3. Was doing really well honest, until I got to the foodables photos when....well...I'm afraid to say...I DROOLED all over the keyboard, oops
    Loves and licky kisses
    Princess Leah xxx

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  4. hi Yam - it's a lovely part of the world that I do not know at all well ... so good to see your storyline on it - love the info board re Ransome's coast. I'm not into cakes ... but those cheesey scones look good and I'm sure tasted pretty delicious. Just glad you had a happy time ... and weren't too incapacitated - take care - cheers Hilary

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  5. We were wondering if indeed that WAS Vidock!!! Handsome horse!!!

    Mom says the muffins look amazing to her, and she would love one or two with a good hot cuppa tea:)

    Woos - Lightning, Misty, and Timber

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  6. Oh that horse picture just delights me! I keep returning to it. Despite your weariness, it sounds like you had a good time. And I must say those cheese scones have my mouth watering. Yum.

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  7. I agree - the sizes of the horses caught my eye. That is a very very brave woman!

    The muffins are making my mouth water! I bet that they were fabulous.

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  8. I had the same thought like Marv... it must be a cousin or a relative of the big V... And I like arthur ransome... I always thought astrid lindgren copied his Missee Lee (one of my favorite books as I was a child) as she wrote pippi longstocking... there are too much similarities I think... like Gibber the monkey etc...

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    1. Hari OM
      Yes, it is the way with writing. One author will come up with a truly fresh way of telling a story, then an endless number of 'lookalikes' will follow suit because it is seen there is a market. JK Rowling's first (and some of second and third) Harry novels were definitely 'borrowing' from Terry Pratchett's Discworld themes and some of JR Tolkien's LOTR tales. She got better at it. In science fiction, it does not happen so much - but in science (and non-science) fantasy novels, there is hardly a difference between them. The sword and sorcery market is as strong and undiscerning as the romance market. This is what makes writing so hard for those of us trying - finding territory not yet travelled is becoming (as it is on our over-populated planet) a near-impossible task! Yxx

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  9. Hello, I like the photo of the woman walking behind the horse. The Cheese bites look yummy. Sounds like a nice trip!
    Happy August, enjoy your day and week ahead!

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  10. it is good to listen to your body when it says stop and sleep, and you did. I love the sleeping tweety bird. and that last photos is causing drool on my keyboard. and the laughter you gave me with the sentence about a challenge to bake in someone elses kitchen.. I can truthly say I have never baked in someone elses kitchen or even very much in my own. baking/cooking is not a thing I do unles forced to

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    1. Hari Om
      Truth be told, I don't practice enough either. Living alone, one simply doesn't bake - cuz it has to get eaten. When I have company over, or when am at dad's, then I bake. It's not enough to become a master of it though. Yxx

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  11. Oh can you come give my mom some cooking lessons
    her biscuits are like rocks.
    That horse is big, is it a cousin of the Percheron?
    Hope you are feeling 100% better now.
    ♥ Astro and Mitzie

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  12. Oh you made mom hungry there at the end

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  13. These are delightful! Both the food and the photos!
    I hear you about tired. The kids went from Tanzania => Ethiopia and are leaving for Paris in an hour! They left 12 hours ago!
    cheerio!

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  14. Is that a grey mare being trained by a lady with grey hair? Seems you were able to rally for the cause and do the baking. Not certain I could have done that. The food does look yummy. namaste, janice xx

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