1 It’s Chinese New Year 新年快乐 / 新年快樂 Happy New Year to you all.
Year of the Goat/Sheep
2 It was wonderful to be back singing again with The Suitcase Singers. Thank you for the Days! This sign was in the car park just outside the Zed Shed.
Fish and Fishing
2 To celebrate we have cooked a fabulous meal requiring many delicious spices among them Star Anise which is both pretty and very tasty.
Star Anise
Our dinner was Chinese Braised pork with Plums served with pak Choi and Jasmine Rice.
Our dinner
1 “Woke up this morning feeling fine!” after a poorly week. Cue the music. I saw the lovely Herman’s Hermits in a tiny venue in 1963!
Thanks to Lynne for this one
2 I’ve spent a great deal of time this last week lollygagging and I’d hate you to think that I’m bloviating in this post or that I am dealing in skullduggery in an attempt to bumfuzzle you but I just want to tell you what pleasure I have had indulging my logophilia this week! Be certain, my very beautiful friends, that I do not intend to honeyfuggle you; just to share with you the delights of AWAD, A Word A Day, where a word is sent to subscribers’ inboxes every day. Click here to subscribe. It’s free!
3 It’s Chinese New Year today so Happy New Year of the Horse to all my lovely readers. Click here for twelve songs about horses starting with The Rolling Stones ‘Wild Horses’. Here, too, are some photos of horses, just for your pleasure!
Lollygagging – spending time lazily
Bloviate – to speak pompously
Skullduggery – trickery
Bumfuzzle – to confuse
Honeyfuggle – to deceive by flattery
1 There was a brilliant programme on BBC TV last night, Inside the Animal Mind, with Chris Packham investigating how animals think. Catch it if you can on BBC iPlayer. This photo sums up the happiness of dogs!
Enjoy life!
2 A friend sent me this video today. Find time to watch it if you can – it is a very heartwarming film of an animal whisperer calming a very unhappy panther.
3 The postman delivered a soaking wet and falling-apart parcel for me today and was relieved when I wasn’t cross. Not a bit! I was delighted that the Fortune Cookies I had ordered for Chinese New Year had arrived safely!
Fortune Cookies
1 A whole bunch of crocuses have suddenly opened despite the stormy weather.
Crocuses heralding Spring
2 This blackbird visits the feeder many times a day and often looks at me like this.
Blackbird at the feeder
3 Happy New Year to my Chinese readers! We always have a Chinese meal to celebrate, often with friends but tonight just the two of us so instead of a banquet, it was a simple Vegetable and Cashew stir-fry. The lovely Mr S inherited these beautiful and very delicate rice bowls from an Aunt and we love to use them. Over the years we have become quite proficient with chopsticks.
A rainbow of vegetables for the stir-fry
Beautiful rice bowl, spoon and chopsticks
Vegetable Stir-fry with Cashew nuts
The table laid for Chinese New Year 2010
For those who asked, yesterday’s concert was brilliant! The audience were kind, we had fun and we raised £600 for The Poly.
Commentator Award
