Saturday 11 October 2014

Typing, baking, rats


A little post waiting to be opened.  Yesterday was the day, the biggest boy's eleventh birthday.  We bought him a stamp album with some bird stamps and a typewriter.  All things that he'd asked for.  He was thrilled.  I'm always happy when the boys are grateful for their gifts, when their friends have i-pads and Kindles and smart phones and all sorts of everything.  No doubt the time for a laptop is not far away, but we're not quite there yet.



I found the rose being blown about madly in the garden and rescued it to be enjoyed inside.  Hasn't the weather been wild and autumnal?  Not much outsideyness this week.  The lighthouse belongs to the middle boy.  He saved all of his pennies for ages, and bought it at Lizard in Cornwall in the summer.  He spent ages deciding to buy one and then choosing the right one.  He's a lot like me, even the simplest decisions (what do you want in your sandwich?) have to be carefully considered for ages.  Anyway, I'm glad he chose something that he can keep for a long time, rather than a bit of plastic.  It's made of a type of serpentine rock, which I think is unique to that area.

I've been in the kitchen more this week.  A reaction to all of that wind and rain.  I made these with coconut, cashews and dates.  I decided they were a health food and it is therefore acceptable to eat them two at a time.


The biggest boy requested a chocolate tart for his birthday tea.


I forgot that the pastry shell was in the oven for a while, but it was still okay.  And no soggy bottom.  I made little jam tarts with the leftover pastry and filled them with the windfall jelly.



There was a dead rat at school yesterday at pick-up time.  The corner of the playground was ineffectively screened off with six traffic cones.  The littlest boy told me I didn't want to know what was there.  I said I did.  He said I really didn't.  I said I really did.  He told me with quite a lot of relish that it was a dead rat.  We tiptoed into the danger zone to check it out, along with several other breathless small boys.  It was.  Under a bush at the edge of the playground.  He was a bit thrilled that flies were starting to gather.  I was a bit mystified that someone had gone to the effort of finding traffic cones and setting them out instead of just popping the rat into a bag and into a bin.

There's been something furry behind the shed at the allotment.  I might have mentioned it before.  He shot out when I was rearranging the stuff there and dodged into the compost heap.  He was a bit big to be a mouse.  I like to think of him as a passing water vole.

Wishing you all a fab weekend.  The sun is shining here, the homework out and no-one has been reduced to tears yet.  It's looking good.

33 comments:

  1. When I saw that 'melted chocolate' over the recipe book page I feared the worst.... x

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  2. Happy birthday to the biggest boy. It's interesting to see what presents he wanted, and got. Lizard serpentine is indeed unique. The chocolate bars and tart look delicious.
    How strange to leave a dead rat like that, as you say it should have been bagged and binned. I think that your allotment water vole is wishful thinking.
    Have yourselves a good weekend. Flighty xx

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  3. Children do seem to be fascinated by dead animals. My class always seemed to home in on them when we were out and about, That was pre high-vis jacket and an accompaniment of a posse of adults. Back when I just stuck my head round the headteacher's office door and said "We're gopng for a walk."

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  4. Your chocolate tart reminds me of my mom's chocolate pie.. nummies. You're such a good mom! Lucky chaps your boys are. We went on quite an adventure yesterday.. will post about it tomorrow. *H*A*P*P*Y* * *B*I*R*T*H*D*A*Y*!*!*!* to your boy!
    ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  5. It's almost like they thought the rat was hazardous material. Black Death, anyone? I hope your biggest has a wonderful birthday. A typewriter is an excellent gift. I would have liked to hold off on the laptop around here but my husband thought it was a good idea to start with that already. I would have preferred to stick with a typewriter, but he does still use that too. I hope you're having a good weekend.

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  6. Love the presents - in fact think my daughter would be happy with those too. She has some stamps and has said she would like a typewriter. The lighthouse is great, if he saved his money for such a considered purchase it is clearly something he will treasure for years. Hope eldest had a great birthday
    Caz xx

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  7. Hi CJ , I knew where that lighthouse came from as soon as I saw it. We loved the Lizard and Lizard point was much nicer than the over commercialised Lands End I thought.
    Your chocolate tart look yummy.
    Happy belated birthday wishes to your eldest.
    Jacquie x

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  8. happy birthday wishes to biggest boy, the typewriter is a great gift x hope the creature at the allotment isn't too scary.... maybe it's a gruffalo.

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  9. Happy Birthday to him! CJ the chocolate tart looks lush. And I love the lighthouse too. It's a bit wild and woolly here. My Dahlias have flattened. Actually the whole garden is a disgrace!
    Leanne x

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  10. Sounds like your eldest boy had a wonderful birthday with all that he wished for. Very wise not to introduce laptops too early on, it's right up there with giving them their own tv, playstation, etc. I know from experience. When I replaced my iMac with a laptop (I liked the idea of being able to tidy it away into a drawer), the laptop became my son's favourite new toy, with homework the excuse for handing it over and facebook the motivation. It's a slippery slope. Have a lovely week, CJ. Caro x PS Totally agree re rat/cone scenario - perhaps the caretaker couldn't find any marigolds? ;)

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    1. Gloves, not flowers! Although a floral tribute at the death scene would have been nice! Lol!

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  11. Happy belated birthday to the biggest boy, and what a snazzy typewriter, nothing like the little portable model I had for a birthday when I was around his age. The tart looks delicious and so do those coconut slices, I wouldn't be able to resist two at a time either.

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  12. Happy birthday to your biggest boy.... that chocolate tart looks divine.. Mmmmmmm :o) x

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  13. Boys would be thrilled with a dead rat, I applaud you for not going all squeamish on him.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  14. Happy Birthday to your son!! I love the presents that he chose, a typewriter is a wonderful thing! The tale (!) about the dead rat is amazing, as you say, why find the cones instead of just moving it and putting it in the bin!! xx

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  15. what yummy things - chocolate tart, jammy tarts. and i love the tesco flour bag - what gorgeously retro packaging!
    how funny about the rat. yes, why didn't they just dispose of it?!

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  16. Impressive looking chocolate tart.

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  17. Hi CJ, a very happy birthday to your biggest boy. All your baking looks delicious and a typewriter, how wonderful, I haven't seen one for a while - I used to love my IBM golf ball at work, but we're talking late 1970s, so I should imagine very few people would know what that is! Your 'something furry behind the shed' made me smile a bit as it reminded me of Stella Gibbons' Cold Comfort Farm where Aunt Ada was constantly telling of 'something nasty in the wood shed' - I do hope it's a passing water vole. The traffic coning of the dead rat was probably down to some strange health and safety directive designed to baffle everyone. Have a great week.
    Jane x

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  18. Hope your boy had a good birthday - I suspect he did, what with that chocolate tart and a typewriter. I LOVE typewriters. There are a few here in my 'office', both decorative but it would be great to dust them off and buy some ribbon...
    That 'healthy' bake looks good. As does the blog it came from (bookmarked, thank you).
    When I worked at he university there were rats all over the place. Once I was running an errand between buildings and there was a big fat dead one in the path which someone had rather disgustingly stamped on. Its insides were - I kid you not - fluorescent yellow. It was one of those can't-help-staring moments...
    Sorry.
    S x

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    1. It must be a thing about universities - to have a rat 'problem'. There's rat traps all over the place if you know what you're looking for.

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  19. Hehe boys and dead things, they never seem to grow out of it! The chocolate tart looks amazing, I think my tummy just rumbled! Hope your son had a great bday :)

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  20. Happy birthday to your eldest boy - typewriters and stamps, how wonderful. And chocolate tart..you're raising them well CJ! Those "health" bars sound amazing, thank you for the link. I will be making those. :-) xx

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  21. That chocolate tart looks delicious! I'm sure he was very happy with his choice:) I love that your children appreciate the gifts they receive. I love that he wanted a typewriter. I agree with you that the time will come soon enough when he'll want an iPad or something, but it's wonderful that he appreciates these things now. I think all kids should have to experience the way we used to do things:) Hope you're having a wonderful start to your week, CJ!

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  22. Happy birthday to your son, isn't it lovely to see a child appreciate gifts. I think this is so important, more now than ever with this challenging and impressionable world we live in. It's our sons birthday today, and yes, he's at THAT age and got a laptop. And very grateful he was for it too.

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  23. All these sweets look so delicious! And how wonderful that your boys can find entertainment and joy in things other than iPads and the like. I hope my daughter is the same!

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  24. Happy birthday to your little man, and how great to actually find a typewriter (a quest of mine). You'll have to let him know of the typewriter artist who makes pictures out of typing and moving the carriage return. Your bakes look delicious, no chance of a soggy bottom (I'm already missing the bake off). Take care. xx

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  25. Belated happy birthday to your eldest boy. I remember getting a type writer for my birthday one year, his looks much nicer! Your cooking looks so good! I love the story of the rat! Sarah x

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  26. Mmmmmmm chocolate tart! It looks delicious. Belated Birthday Greetings to your son, I like his birthday requests.

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  27. Those jelly tarts look so good, good thing you Remembered the shells in time! Happy birthday to your little guy :)

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  28. October birthdays are the best, but I would say that, I've just had mine. No chocolate tart here though ... it's somehow not the same when you have to make it yourself. But my biggest 'boy', who is far older than I care to admit - I was a child bride I tell you - made pizza dough, and brought it over from his place for a pizza, ice cream and sparklers party. Such fun.

    We once lived in a house that backed onto a canal and a huge water rat or two in the garden was a common sight at dusk. I will never buy a house near water again, unless the water's the sea.

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  29. Belated Happy Birthday to your eldest - what a brilliant Birthday present, and a yummy chocolate tart too!
    All your autumn baking looks delicious, and back to warming and filling foods is one of the upsides of the end of summer!
    As you say, why they didnt just remove the offending rat straight away rather than coning it off is a mystery, but one probably to do with health and safety as my good friend Jane suggests!
    Gill xx

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  30. Happy Birthday to your eldest. You always celebrate together in such a wonderful way. It's always so sweet and special. I want to make jam tarts now! The story of the little and the rat is pretty charming. However, I'm with you, why not shovel and bag it instead of coning it?

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  31. Goodness! That chocolate tart looks amazing!! And those health bars...yum! I would love a typewriter for my birthday too!

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