Cold ~ in every way

One reason we love our cats  ~ Rossi with a sleeping SmallBoy...

Oh so thankful it is Friday...
I've got a cold, I feel cold, its cold outside and if my dear 'on the mend' Husband really thinks I am up for anything tonight, well we can just add 'that' cold to the list.  Had a giggle tho when looking up the meaning of cold using the online Free Dictionary found in a google search.  How many meanings of the word cold, the usage and what happened to No8? 

So ~ not the most productive of days. SmallBoy left pyjamas on the lounge-room floor, indicating he will still take opportunity to not do the morning things over getting some reading in before school.  He usually leaves the book beside the PJs.  I wasn't that responsive this morning, knowing I had back up in recovering Husband, plus he turned off the snooze and thus I slept.  Feel like I have been whacked about the head with something, oh and my throat.  

OK, you wont know unless I tell you, but that ^ ^ was from this morning.  It is now 7pm, I've slept again, still feel like I've been whacked but apparently thus is the course of this lurgy.  Should feel much the same, if not worse tomorrow before moving on the up.  I was supposed to go to hydrotherapy at midday - and part of me really still wanted to knowing it was not good for others using the facilities.  So I called and was asked kindly to keep the bug to myself (not Millie, she's better shared!) and catch up on Tuesday afternoon.  Lucky we will still be around at that time.  Won't be for Friday, but I think you are 'quarantined for a week' - I know it is two or more for gastro...

Now I am up - almost alert - definitely thinking a little clearer.  Daffodils have been put out in the rain for a soak and the weeding of the beds has started so we can plant them in.  By we, I mean Husband and the boys, and I really did want to do some of the weeding and planning today but with ambient below zero, rain and ice it just was not sensible.  Remember, trying out this change stuff!  *grins*  I did go out to see a beautiful, complete rainbow overhead and see the little roosters new set up.  They got out of their run, thankfully Skippy and the gerls had not been let out yet, so they just stayed there - plenty of room, food, shelter and water - we want the boys happy, for their final few days on the lovely green yard... 

Husband took control of tonight's dinner - for that I am truly grateful.  It is the little things that make the biggest difference.  He's got out some marinated chicken wings and niblets (ranch and satay), going to fry up some potato wedges and instead of our usual $20 F&C shop burgers, potato/pumpkin cakes (scallops) and dimmies, it only cost time.  Total (pre-paid) cost is under $10.  *smiles* He is a good husband, he does see a bigger picture and the wastefulness of 'things'.  I do love the way he supports my ideas, sees many things the same way - even if a little differently or is that me who sees things differently *smiles again*
I was looking at pages on FaceBook, some I have 'liked' or 'fan'd over time and there were a few I wanted to see how they were going. One is Yasminah's Gift of Hope where her mummy, Rebecca poses: 

A wife who loses a husband is called a widow. A husband who loses a wife is called a widower. A child who loses his parents is called an orphan.  But... there is no word for a parent who loses a child ~ that's how awful the loss is! Neugeboren

How true.  We try to refer to the lose through miscarriage as angels, or stars in heaven, but when your child's life ends before yours, what do you become?  Losing an adult child has the same outcome as having your toddler, teenager die before you - one becomes a . . . 

There is no word to describe it.

I hope I never am one either.

 A bit of budget, baking and butchering . . .  

Nothing like changing the subject.  Obviously we've had the success in saving our usual Friday take-away from our favourite fish n chippery, The Green Parrot. The grilled and fried fish is lovely, never had a bone from a suggested piece, we usually have burgers or steak sandwiches.  So that's $25 we would usually spend. If we have MudGuts here, add another $10 to the bill whereas it would only need another potato or 3 to cover him here tonight.  But he is not, so we had a wing-fest!!  *grins*    

When we do happen to make do with what we have and not use the take-away option for dinner, we transfer the amount we would have used from the eftpos and transfer it on to the VISA.  If we were going to spend it, best put it to better use than in the general  'no fees but crap all interest on your minimal balance' savings account.  So there is the budgeting tip ~ if you didn't spend what you 'usually do', put it on the credit card and not piffle it on 'something' just because you've got an extra $20 in the budget cash.

We are in a bit of a cash 'limbo' at the moment ~ Husband was paid all due in holidays which, sadly was only a week and a few days.  But he worked until the last day, had his RDOs paid and its got us in budget until the end of the month and a little bit.  All going well, we will have organised all the tax, entitlements and stuff to supplement the lack of continuous regular payment flows as MrCentrelink has advised a 14-28 work day time frame for whatever it is that needs to be done for Husband and what exactly he gets.  We will be 'sorting' through stuff in the meantime.  ~Mands Note 2 Self: Must give Debra some eggs - almost 4 dozen in the fridge, now getting 4-6 per day! 
This brings me to baking and making - because I really need to use some eggs.  Sadly, Husband is not a quiche, flan fan and the SmallBoy likes them hot, just not cold - or for lunch - or at school... *little pout*  Wait until September when so many 'new normals' come into play. It's good to have some immediate, short term and future goals, and a schedule to guide us...  As dinner tomorrow is chilli beef n beans pie, I might make a dessert and a lemon delicious is so on my 'wanting to be eaten' list. *drools*  I can get MudGuts to pick a half dozen on his way here tomorrow, and try out an old citrus cake recipe from Nan:

The Cake:
125g butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp grated lemon (orange or lime) zest
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
 

Beat sugar and butter together then add eggs and zest. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk and beat well. Pour into a 9" square tin or a 20cm round ring tin and bake at 180C for 45 minutes.

The Syrup:
1/4 cup lemon (orange or lime) juice
1/4 cup sugar

While baking, make a syrup of your citrus juice(s) and sugar by combining and mixing the two until the sugar dissolves over a very low heat. When the cake comes out of the oven, place on a serving plate and while cooling pour syrup over the cake. 

**dust icing sugar over the top after pouring the syrup and it should go a little cruchie on the top as the cake cools and the syrup soaks in

The Lemon Curd:
2-3 large lemons ~ rinds finely grated, all juice squeezed
50g butter ~ chopped into cubes
1 cup sugar
2 eggs ~ beaten

Put the zest and juice in the top of a double saucepan, or in a bowl over of a saucepan of simmering water. Add the butter and sugar. When the butter is melted and the sugar dissolved, stir in the beaten eggs.
Keep stirring for 10-15mins until the egg is completely blended in and the mixture thickens
Do not let the mixture boil - 'strings' of egg white set in

Serve a dollop on each slice of the warm sticky citrus syrup cake, maybe even add vanilla cream and/or ice cream.  Oh, the anticipation ~ mmm
Cool the rest and store in the fridge in a screw-top jar

I think that is going to be a great dessert.  I'm going to enlist the help of the SmallBoy in an attempt to not have screens on so much over the weekend.  It doesn't really interest him to spend his time playing computer games but if nothing else is happening...  So with his interest piqued by the Junior Masterchef series sneak preview videos, we might see if this can be one to add to the chocolate pudding.  You can never have too many desserts in your repertoire - the boys always seem to struggle with part of that.  I think too that boys are more often the ones in the kitchen. Everyone must start somewhere and we will start by finishing the sorting of the cupboards and end with eating the dessert we baked.  
It's been funny watching reality shows and seeing points where it looks a little 'staged' and knowing the director has seen something was not in shot and needs 'that bit' just quickly done again. *sighs* Missing my 'HOFO house-mates' and that time to really have for yourself, or myself as it is, because the everything of life slows down when you cant be in readily available contact with others, your days are planned and you only have you on your mind.  It might read as selfish (and if it does, you my dear friend really NEED to take some time out for yourself quick smart) only the thing is we all need an amount of self time.  

I think that is why the Americans dig their therapists - it really helps to have a little time to talk and analyse you, feel like you're affirming things are ok and any concerns are valid, maybe actionable even, all with a stranger.  Maybe we do need to 'pay' someone for our own time.  This could be done - even as a barter system, or group of acquaintances - not so much friends, with a chairperson type forum set up?  "Mr Jones, what seems to be the problem..."

Oh no - I've given myself something to think about!  And its past pumpkin o'clock, as usual.  I really do need to do something about this sleep routine again (and again, and no doubt again)...

Trying, always trying, very trying...  *grins*

 ♒   The Start of Something Wonderful   ♒ 

Oh it is hard not to count your chickens 

Before they've fully hatched

Or to see where you will end up 

Without a travel plan to match

Sometimes you see the things you want 

And get means to have it now

If Jack and Jill go up that hill 

You get there first somehow

Do you really need to visit France, 

When the Barossa Valley's here

Or ski Canadian mountain tops, 

With Falls Creek and Wanaka near

Somewhere here a profound message lies 

New changes from habits to grow

There's true knowledge in the madness 

Of this odd ~Meandering prose

-ஜ۩۞۩ஜ-♥ 

lΦϑє, ℐﻪ℧ჭɦʈeʁ & ʆίφђϮ