
We have no time to stand and stare?— (W. H. Davies, ‘Leisure’)
And yet sometimes when life is hurtling along and then you hit a sudden moment of calm and stop, it’s actually quite disconcerting. So, a couple of oddly empty days at home with just the cold, a heap of work and a doglet for company and I’m looking forward to rest of the week which has a few more interesting events lined up… starting tomorrow, with a Lebanese/Arabic-themed food evening.
My contribution to this is supposed to be in the shape of Turkish Delight – something I have never successfully mastered. However, with marshmallows, sugar glass, fudge, chocolate and a few other sweet concoctions under my belt these days I felt ready to try again. Plus, I have been dying to find an excuse to buy rose water from Waitrose! My first attempt this afternoon was more successful than the last but I halved the recipe – partly through lack of sugar, and partly thinking that if the first attempt went wrong I wouldn’t waste much. Ironically, the fact that I used such a small quantity of ingredients meant that it burned slightly as it cooked (and you’re not supposed to stir it either, so I couldn’t avoid this) and the result doesn’t look very appealing. So I’m waiting until post-supermarket-shop later when I can try again, this time with a larger quantity.

A few other snippets from being at home includes the lovely food cooked by my mother, which always looks so appetisingly presented. Pan Haggety and poached egg, one of my favourite comforting combinations.
Another nice thing about being home is being reunited with the creative spirit which seems to creep into every part of our lives here. I’ve been wanting to share this picture for ages – my brother constructed this fantastic two-string double bass out of an old wooden box, a piece of moulding and some strimmer wire…
So for now Truffle and me are waiting for something interesting to happen. It’s good to have some time to get essays, reading and homework done. But it’s just not quite the same as having fun.

♪ ♫ ♪ Wilco – Please be patient with me ♪ ♫ ♪
♪ ♫ ♪ Citizen Cope – Sideways ♪ ♫ ♪
2 Comments
Stuart Dingle
No time to turn at beuty's glance,and which her feet, how they can dance.No time to wait 'till her mouth can, enrich the smile, her eyes began.a beautiful poem indeed.There's a fantastic life drawing group in Edinburgh that hangs out in a jaz bar, called 'doctor sketchy' quite adorably. I've nbever had much luck with sketching or painting I have to say, I think I might have to start up and see if I can produce something reasonable, I live near too many red kites to do otherwise.See you soon,SX
Charlie
Oh wow ! I'm so jealous, just of the jazz bar bit to start with…I miss drawing! After Christmas I think this blog may slightly change orientation from food to drawing more. Or perhaps I'll just draw my food. So… trying to think of an excuse to go to edinburgh!When are you coming down to our neck of the woods then?x