A GAS TIME !

About month ago our twenty-three year old gas cooker finally gave up the ghost and died. It was no real surprise to us for the grill stopped working last year. We were not too bothered at the time because the oven and the top burners were still working efficiently. 

Sooner or later we would need a new cooker so we visited various retailers to find a good replacement.

In the middle of January we made our choice.

I particularly told the shop to ensure that the cooker was fitted with burner jets suitable for LPG  bottled gas (Butane) which is used here in the countryside as there is no piped gas supply.

I was informed that all of their cookers ran on ‘country gas’ and we arranged the delivery date.

The New Gas COOKER

The new cooker arrived, the defunct cooker was taken away to be scrapped and all that remained was to make the connection to the gas bottle. I had done this a great many times in the past and it had not been an obstacle.  I intended to do the same again, to the chagrin of the retailer, who said I needed a gas fitter to obtain a certificate. 

I competently made the connection without any leaks. Next job was to  the plug cooker into the electricity supply for the oven illumination and the six igniters.

Then came the first test, igniting the rings.

There were long yellow tips to the flames and the same phenomena also occurred in the oven.

Very clearly there was a problem. The burner jets were for the piped natural gas which is supplied to cities and towns.

Next morning I rang my supplier and informed him of my discovery. 

As I listened to his utter nonsense he tried to blind me with suggestions such as having fitted a bottle of ‘dirty gas’ which I totally refuted. Finally I was informed that the cooker had a kit with alternative burner jets, so I agreed to engage a Gas Fitter to replace them. 

 TOP OFF

The fitter arrived and then the real fun started. I don’t think he had ever changed burner jets before or even remove the various cooker parts, such as the top and front access panels. I ended up working alongside him, sometimes advising him on how to do his job. 

FRONT PANEL - OFF

Re-assembly was even more humorous than taking it apart. We did achieve a sense of order eventually and used all of the screws that we had removed without having any left over. 

Then came the first test. Yes, the four top rings had blue coloured flames, as did the oven.

BACK PANEL - OFF

We then ignited the grill. Damn and blast! 

The igniter worked, we could see it sparking. The gas was coming through, we could smell it. But no ignition, we had a banjaxed grill.

I said “ Xxxk it !..... Disconnect the xxxxing thing! ........ The retailer can have it back.”

Our gas fitter was with us for three and half hours, a job that should only have taken an hour.

One week later (last week) a replacement stove arrived along with the Gas Fitter.

More fun ensued, a lot more fun this time. There were gas leaks at the connection and he was mystified. I explained that at the pipe connection union, where there was a fibre washer it had a tapered thread and that it did not need any PTFE tape. So he stripped off the tape and guess what ?  No leakage of gas - Heron was right. I did though ask him for a certificate of worthiness and it is my belief that I had earned it!

A MEDAL for ALL THE BOY'S IN GREEN

The Republic of Ireland football fans are to receive an award from the mayor of Paris for their "exemplary sportsmanship" during Euro 2016.
Anne Hidalgo said they will be given the Medal of the City of Paris.

She told the French sports newspaper L'Équipe they had distinguished themselves by the "atmosphere" they created at the tournament in France.

The medal - known as the Grand Vermeil - is regarded as Paris's most prestigious honour and has been awarded to a wide variety of cultural and political figures.
Ms Hidalgo has written to Irish President Michael D Higgins to tell him of the award, but it is not yet known when the ceremony to present the medal will take place.

I believe that the awarding of a medal to football fans for quality behaviour and good humour is unique and I am delighted for them. I can only imagine what kind of a party they are going to have after the presentation for the craic will be mighty!

Post Script

Northern Ireland’s fans also made a big impression on the French at Euro 2016 — and now Paris is going to say “merci”.

The city’s mayor Anne Hidalgo said she would be giving supporters from both sides of the border an honorary medal for their fantastic behaviour.

Further adding that “The supporters from Ireland and Northern Ireland distinguished themselves by their exemplary attitude, fair play and good mood”

20 - 20 VISION

Last week I had an appointment with an optician
one that was new to me. I changed because of the
serious errors that the last one made.

I chose red frames as they are perfect for my temperament and skin tone.
Mrs. H liked them because they made a statement.

These are for reading and very like my old glasses.

***

I love the new red glasses, what do you think?

A Double Celebration

Only our friends are aware of Lady H's annual double celebration and of the joy that warms her heart as soon as she sees the shops selling their Halloween Witchy wares.

Lady H on Hallowe'en at her scary best!

I used to believe that it was an insult to call a woman a witch. I have though since learnt

over the years, that there are some who are proud of the term and know well their Craft.

November the 1st Her Birthday

Lady H sits beneath her painting WISE WOMAN 

with a glass of her favourite tipple

namely Bailey's Irish Cream.

Oink, Oink !

Oh  dear !

I love little piggies

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/shortcuts/2015/sep/21/pigs-prime-minister-black-mirror-ashcroft-allegation-charlie-brooker#comments

 British Bacon.....

A ghost from the past comes back to haunt
the Pig Master-bater
the Eton/ Oxford
educated
Dead Animal  Lover

Bath Chaps: sometimes referred to simply as "chaps" this food is a pig meat speciality, originating in the British city of Bath, that is served as a snack or as an ingredient to be combined with other foods such as potatoes or eggs. Bath chaps, which are quite fatty, are made from the meat of either a pig's cheek. The meat is salt cured or pickled in brine, smoked, then boiled, and coated with golden-tan colored breadcrumbs. It is then ready to eat and is served as cold meat, tasting much like cooked ham.

Story for Ollie

Once upon a time in the middle of Ireland there was a great big field, an enormous field that touched the the sea on each side. 
Each of the seas were a different size, the one on the left was a little sea that touched England. The colour of this sea was bright blue and from a high flying plane a small boy was able to see boats going backwards and forwards between the two countries.

The sea on the other side was green with great big waves and nothing but wave after wave for miles and miles, though it was rumoured that after thousands of miles there was another country, but as none on this side have ever seen it - well perhaps it may not be there at all, at all!

A boy who is called Ollie was on the plane taking his Mummy & Daddy to Ireland for a holiday to see his Grandpa & Granny and  their dog Toby. It was to be a special treat for his parents as they had been ever so good to him for the past twelve months,by taking him out a weekends and running errands for him.
Ollie knew that they enjoyed going on planes for he knew that it was the quickest way of going to see Grandpa & Granny.

They flew directly to Dublin from Birmingham without having to stop on the Moon as many other planes had to when flying in from other places and planets.

Ollie had a special job to do once he got Ireland, for there was a man in the big field who owned a red tractor which was driving around and around in circles not knowing how to stop. Which is why Grandpa phoned up Ollie for his help.

It was a special help that only the two of them could do together. It involved sprinkling special dust in front of the tractor before it would stop.
Grandpa’s legs would not go fast enough to catch the tractor but he knew no one better or faster than young Ollie.

The man in the tractor was getting ever so hungry because he had been going in circles for weeks on end and had only managed to catch a few of the sandwiches that Grandpa threw at him every day. It being Ireland he wasn’t thirsty because it rained every other day and caught the rain water in a bucket and drank from it. With the remainder he was able to wash his face and clean his teeth.


Eventually Ollie’s Daddy managed to locate the car that took them to Granny & Grandpa’s very old cottage, that some people said was in the middle of nowhere; Ollie didn’t like that description very much because quite logically every where was in the middle of somewhere.
There are some very silly people about with the silliest of sayings, for as Grandpa had often said to Ollie "why even the fairies know where we live."

Granny too agreed with this sentiment for she like Grandpa was on very good terms with the Fairies. Granny was also friends with the old Wizard who lived beneath an Ash tree just along the road from them, in a large house that was bigger and older than where Granny & Grandpa lived.  
The Wizard’s house had stone stairs and low doorways. His customary greeting to the callers that he liked was ‘Mind your heads!’.
To those he didn’t like, no warning was given and when they banged their heads he would spin them around to point them in the other direction. And so they would find themselves back at home. Such was the strength of his Magic.

Granny had been to visit the Wizard to get from him the Special Dust that Ollie was to sprinkle in front of the tractors wheels to stop the engine.
There were of course careful instructions on how this was to be done, of what to carry the powder in, for it could not be anything made of metal nor could it be made of cloth. Only an earthenware bowl that had been washed in the moonlight, licked by Toby and blessed by the chief Fairy would do the job. And only Granny could carry the bowl while Ollie, using a spoon made of green holly, sprinkled the potent dust in front of the tractor wheels at noon.

Soon Ollie and Granny had done their jobs exactly to the Wizards' instructions. The tractor stopped and Grandpa helped the man down off the tractor and took him home in a wheel barrow for the poor man was totally exhausted.
He slept soundly in his bed for nine days waking only each morning as the cock crowed and then went back to sleep again. On the ninth day he awoke had his stir-about ( porridge) for breakfast and cycled on his bike to Granny & Grandpa’s cottage, where he found Ollie and gave him a big shiny red tractor all of his own.

The Tale of a Shirt

Mrs H told me that she was going to have a clear out of her clothes and other accessories to create more space on our shared rail. I was delighted to hear this as it would now be easier for me to retrieve the few clothes that were mine. 
I was looking forward to a quiet afternoon sitting on my own with a book. 
When I heard her good self sing out 
'What shirts are you going to dispose of ?' 
to which I retorted 
'You can sling the black ones if you like, for there's no profit in me wearing them anymore'

When her good-self came over from the UK to check both me and this country out, I took her on a mini tour of Ireland for a few days and just like now the weather was up, meaning sunny and warm. 
After a few days I had changed into wearing a pair of black trousers and a shirt to match. We stopped at a rural garage to fill the fuel tank before tackling the next stage of our journey. I gave the attendant a fifty pound note he strolled off to his shed and was gone a considerable time; such that I sneakily peered through his window to see what was causing the delay and saw him delving into drawers and putting together coins and notes.
When eventually he returned he took my hand turned it upwards and pressed the change into my palm and pushed my fingers over the whole amount and said 
'Have a nice day, Father' I felt a bit embarrassed at his innocence, gave him my thanks and without checking I pushed the change deep into my pocket.

Later on that day we were at the southern end of the Dingle peninsula, having found a B&B with a pub nearby.As we had ceased travelling for the day we thought that we deserved a drink.
Whilst sitting at the counter and waiting to be served I idly counted what money was in my pocket it came to twenty-five pounds more than what it should have been. 
Something very similar happened to us in Co. Clare when we stopped for lunch in a hotel and when I went pay the bill was halved, again I was wearing a black shirt & trousers.

However, since the fall in popularity of the church of Rome due to the despicable clerical abuse of children etc, one hardly ever sees a priest wearing any form of religious garb in the street and I have certainly stopped wearing black shirts.
My un-priestly days are over!

Those wise owls among you will have realised that my easy release of the black shirts did not stop there. For my presence was summoned and about another ten or more different coloured shirts came off the rail and went into the charity shop bag. I did though manage to rescue one that had never been worn.Why it was put into the disposable heap though - I shall never know. I might even wear it tomorrow when we go out for lunch
if I can remember which one it was :))

Variety the Spice of Life

Down to the Wood

I declare that it is now officially summer because we have had no rain for two days and as you can see my barber, Khalid, has me trimmed down to the wood.

The other evening after a very hectic and busy day I took a remedy to relax and chill myself out, it worked almost instantaneously; so much so that I asked Mrs H for a glass of chilled white wine and a Leonidas single dark chocolate, a CERISE EMBALLÉE which is :

A spicy marriage of cherry liquor and dark bitter chocolate. A whole morello cherry and cream liquor hides beneath a dark chocolate shell. Wrapped in dark red, this is a delectable mix of crunchiness and sweetness, enhanced by a cherry liquor taste.

The nearest shop is only 50kms away so it would not have taken her too long on her pushbike… 

- but no !

Instead of satisfying my dream I was brought a large mug of our own chilled spring water followed by a big bowl of semolina with a good dollop of strawberry jam, suffice to say it did the trick.

Homemade Tarka Dhal

This evening the good woman has surpassed her self by cooking for us Tarka Dhal accompanied by Naan Bread, it was absolutely deliciously spicy and hot, shortly it shall be followed by fresh peaches.

Tonights Dinner

A JOINT BIRTHDAY

My friend Ita and I share the same birthday and often have a joint celebration, I should stress that there are several years of difference between us, however that day is the 9th of January.

The niner's at play

OUR JOINT PARTY

Started at 3pm when our friends arrived some of whom where musicians and we partied away for 12 and half hours before falling into bed. It was a brilliant time of song music and dance; the nominated photographer slipped into the joviality and the consequence is that very few pics were taken.

Musicians in session

Charles on the harmonica, Seamus on the accordion

and Colm Mac Con Iommaire on the fiddle

Sean-nós dance is an older style of traditional 

solo Irish dance and is a casual dance form. 

A SECOND PARTY

Took place on the 12th January at 3pm for those who were unable to make the one on the 9th, this one was minus musicians and it focused mainly around a Storyteller who arrived and sat in the kitchen entertaining guests by the telling his tales for most of the night, similar to the first party this one went on till gone 4 in the morning!

I have gloriously celebrated my 70th birthday and am looking forward now to my 150th !

If I had any doubts this card sure told me

The grand collection of cards

A special gift from Lucy

representing Earth, Air, Fire & Water

her web site

http://crelegra.com

Ita and I wish to thank everyone who attended both parties, because we know that some of you travelled many miles from all over the isle of Ireland to be with us; our very special thanks and appreciation go to Mrs H whose organising ability astounded us ! 

A BIT OF BACKGROUND (about me)

A wonderful event took place in Birmingham City Children’s Hospital on January 9th 1943 at approximately 0520, the timing, place and date were unique for it marked the umpteenth rebirth of Me. Little did I realise at the time that a warm welcome heralded my arrival, for evidently several resounding blasts were heard in the locality.

These were caused by the Birmingham Blitz of heavy bombing by the then enemy (9 August 1940 - 23 April 1943). Overall, about 2,000 tons of bombs were dropped on Birmingham making it the fourth most heavily bombed city in the United Kingdom. Is it any wonder then that sound of a propeller driven plane flying at night has always awakened me?

Happier events though were around the corner when hostilities ceased and chocolate, biscuits and other goodies became available and better still, we departed from ‘Brum’ in 1946 to soft and sleepy Somerset.

A CONUNDRUM

Mystified

I spend time in contemplation studying various aspects of life. One aspect in particular has recently caught my attention and it is I think something that we all practice, in varying degrees. Although that phrase ‘varying degrees’  might not be the ideal, perhaps frequently would be better. How frequent is frequent? What about twice a day, once a day, every day, three times a week, twice a month? Perhaps once a month or once every two months - who is to decide?
I suppose that it actually comes down to need or desire. 
I told this to Mrs H and she asked if by desire did I mean pleasure?
Then she said that she didn’t actually believe that it was pleasurable each time. 
To which I retorted that it rarely seems anything but pleasurable to me.
Yes, I do think that the need to do so answers an inner desire in all most every case and in only a few rare cases do I feel that it comes from a negative source.
That to which I am referring can be practiced while alone, yet I mainly do it in the company of herself. Others that I know have absolutely no qualms about doing it in front of several people. I have to say though that I am not that brave.

If you would like to find out more about this particular aspect of my life you will need to visit
my other blog  wordsofaramblingmind.blogspot.com

February 14th !

A DREAM

A dream,

Is an early morning tide

Softly gentle waves caress

the slopes of a slumbering mind

As rolling pebbles call

memories ashore.

©MRL 1984

The 14th February a celebration for lovers - Valentines Day!

One can easily surmise that it is a day for youth, forgetting that the middle aged and the elderly also have love in their hearts and sweet memories that surface in dreams. For love and attraction belongs to us all!

Love Does

Love does

In flesh

Agitate

Parenthood's

of lust

Love does

in soul

Consummate

the spirit

Empirically

Love is

Oneness

In unity

Supreme

©MRL1983

There are many types of love, shared by couples and none can define that one is better than another. I don't want to get serious on this Happy Day so I will leave you with a bawdy smile!

The APPLE and the KNIFE

Question not

fresh russet fruit

For I, this blade

Would pierce

Your tender skin

Letting your juices

run to air

or even lie wet

upon the ground.

Profanities may assail

from the family tree

But what cares I

For am I

not a blade, sharp

well honed?

And you

A fruit

well spun

lying in the shade

for collection?

Come leap dear

We need no Vicar!

© 1982 MRL