The Temperance Society was a big thing back in the day. Some of the motivation for was the common good, but another big bit was making sure people got to and stayed at work, sober. There was a temperance society hotel at the top of Castle Hill - it's now apartments.

Ich wünsche euch allen einen gemütlichen Abend!

This little gem lifted my spirits while I cooked an ordinary-looking dinner tonight.

So rare is this group that they are not listed on Spotify! Therefore, I encourage you to open Spotify and search for 'Austrian Alpine Folk Music' and prepare to be full of warm and tinkly Gemütlichkeit! Griaß eich =]

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Brunch today. Luscious tomato and avocado with a drizzle of house dressing. But I hardly tasted it, thinking of the plight of Greenland and Northern Europe, and even NATO. With 'friends' like Trump, who needs enemies?

Stewed apples and custard.

Standing to cook yesterday was almost beyond me. Yoga without paying attention to old injuries can be dangerous.

Wrought iron gates at Central.

Today is the centenary of the birth of the beloved English comedian, Eric Morecambe. He brought sunshine into so many lives.

His statue is on Morecambe Promenade.

So, into a sterile jar. That's four serves of lunchtime soup, or sauce I can mix with pasta for tea.

If you decide to install this lampshade from Ikea, make sure you buy the Havdsjup fitting kit, or be prepared to improvise with rewiring and cutting up bits of Tupperware to make it hang properly.

I'm not sure I like this bulb or its position, but it will have to do for today: I need a cup of tea and a walk.

I didn't know this before.

This little bag was made in Guatemala.

Ashton memorial

In pressure cooking mode, pressure builds up and this red telltale becomes visible, locking the lid in place until the pressure is released.

I felt we needed a change in tactics and gameplay so i managed to buy this for our team. Only on sale in Spain but popped up in a charity shop in Lancaster. Goooooooooaaaaaaallllllll! 😄

The Fitzroy glass predicts cloudy skies. A safe bet at this time of year 👍

📷 Google Pixel 8 Pro - Throwback to November 2023, Windermere, Lake District, Cumbria, England, UK - (50MP)

#android #androidography #fotodroids #galaxynexus #snapseed #blackandwhite #lake #zurich #Switzerland #sailboat

Uploaded from Streamzoo

Preston town hall. Side door. I'm not convinced that these signs will encourage people to engage with the democratic process. There's also a sign pointing to the information desk inside. Clearly, messaging is not clear!

Quiet cloudy morning, and on a gray day, these lilies were a fun POP of color on my walk around the block.

Straight out of the camera from the Xiaomi 13 Ultra.

Couldn't face working today

Torn crust and excessive crumbs mean my bread knife is blunt. A diamond coated rat tail file is more expensive than a new knife. When I was a child a man with a handcart used to come along our street each month and sharpen knives and tools for a few pennies. Where did such tradesmen go?

Crumpler is an Australian brand of bags that protect cameras, computers and even Olympians (well, their gear!) worldwide. I've used them for years. Each bag has an interesting model name.

My revived MacBook has just acquired this Crumpler sleeve, which is made from the same material as my old diving suit. Just the thing for today; it's raining again.

Looks horrendous but tasted better than it looks.

Roasted mushrooms on some toast that was drizzled with Worcestershire sauce. A simple and satisfying breakfast.

Climbing hydrangea detail

Thank you all for your kind wishes - I am recovering. But getting out to take pictures hasn't really been on the cards today.

This morning I received my new freezer. I don't think my landlord would like me taking a chainsaw to the counter, so I opted for this little freezer instead. At last, I can freeze some of my cooking to be used later. It should cost about GBP 1 per week to run, which is not so bad.

My neighbor returned from Helsinki and brought me a delightful fridge magnet, which decorates the fridge door.

Learning a language helps to maintain cognitive function and will allow me to order a cortado correctly.

I'm also getting value from the Council Tax I pay!

And one day maybe I can read Pablo Neruda in the original language.

When I am not sure which wine to buy, my system is to look for a favorite bird or animal on the label. With a kangaroo on the label, this is guaranteed to be fair dinkum!

I like music when I work.

Here is Bach's Weinachts Oratorium performed by RIAS Kammerchor and the Akademie fuer Alte Music Berlin conducted by Rene Jacobs.

This recording has mixed reviews but for me it is the benchmark. Jacobs doesn't just inhabit this music, he channels it.

The pickled garlic remained firm despite pickling. It sliced as finely as you might want.

Letting the brine cool a bit seems to have avoided any cloves going blue or green.

Ready made puff pastry, with a dollop of bramley apple sauce in the middle. Brushed with a little milk and dusted with ground cinnamon. Baked in the air fryer for 10 minutes.

Served with Greek yogurt and flaked almonds.

A simple dessert after a simple salad.

I think more will follow in due course.

Breakfast coffee and my Herdy mug. I adore Herdwick sheep for their hardiness and sense of mischief.

It's 'Light up Lancaster' again; an annual festival where light installations are displayed and often projected onto buildings.

Now the ambulance station, this former school for the poor was opened 2 years before England's first Education Act that mandated basic education for all children. This school was provided by the anglican church.

Churches have always been associated with education. I was educated by Jesuits and will always be grateful to them even though i hated school.

or your medicine will become your food.

So said Hippocrates (maybe). I tend to agree.

Enough of lolling around feeling crook - time to make something nourishing; so here it is.

In the slow cooker:

Cooking bacon - choline (brain function, memory) and more

Mushrooms - protect the gut, brain, immune system ...

Red potatoes (sliced) - potassium (heart), B6 (stress), C, fiber ...

Onions - lower cholestorol, antioxidants, C, K, Allicin ...

Tomato pulp - all of the above, eye health, prostate health, heart ...

Apple - all the above, more quercetin (brain health)

Lemon - all above, and help reduce the chance of kidney stones

Brussels sprouts - all the above, and folate (red cell health)

Garlic - joint health, anti viral, anti bacterial, anti inflammatory

Bell pepper - all the above, lutein (eye health), A, C

Salt and pepper - a bit improves taste, improves immune system, metabolism, and heaps more beside

Vegetable stock - vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory, all of the above

Ginger - pain relief, heart health, digestion, insulin regulation ...

I'm putting this on at the low setting overnight. It took longer to write this than do the prep. Hopefully it will taste half decent!

Ash Virgin Women's High Tops.

Nappa leather that is so soft - too bad they are too narrow, and too small, or I would have certainly bought them!

Rumi is a constant guide and inspiration.

Pigeons were used as messengers to report the flood state of the River Nile in the time of Rameses II. These lovely birds are just coming to say hello - and maybe scarf a few crumbs from my lunch.

A passerby commented that if I gave them anything they would be my friends for life. And so they are =]

These flowers just go on and give joy each time I see them.

I have met some people like that along the way.

youtu.be/_Fm10whccto?si=dtT8d_FHPdizhLbX

A local artist was commissioned to design some interesting finials for bollards around town. This is one of them.

I accidentally double chillied this rich soup. Added plain yogurt to quieten things down and grated some pistachios to add contrast and color.

No elephants were harmed in the making of this soup.

And this is how I'm feeling about it now:

youtu.be/9VQdVA2hjsA?si=ZSltGrfKRNNFTJYJ

A word that's almost disappeared, along with pantry.

Using a pumice block to de-pill cloth looks like a good plan.

Clematis montana.

I really like yellow.