Sunday 26 March 2023

Anything worm

 







Lovely to feel a bit of spring in the air is it not? On Sunday evening after the clocks sprang forward, the dog walk in daylight was absolutely blissful. Suburbia was so quiet except for birdsong, everywhere. And me yelling at the dog not to eat random stuff that he finds on the pavement.

I emptied the liquid out of the bottom of the wormery the other day. It's excellent for feeding plants, but very stinky, although in a good organic sort of a way. A bit like pig manure for example. All marvellous and natural, but a bit on the pungent side. The dog thinks it is all utterly delicious. He found a tub of worm liquid with an ill-fitting lid and drank a load down. Sigh.

In fact, he likes anything worm. He often finds one on the grass and rolls on it. A bit like other dogs and things left behind by foxes. Bert doesn't do that. He has other plans for that. Then he eats the worm. I think he views them as tasty little bits of ready-to-eat meat. Like teenage boys and Fridge Raiders. Vaguely edible, although not really advisable and of relatively unknown origin. (I don't buy Fridge Raiders, for the record. Hopefully you knew that. In fact, my fridge is generally of very great disappointment to the family. Full of aubergine and kefir and kimchi, which is all viewed with a huge amount of suspicion.)

Did I tell you that I nearly superglued all of my fingers together? I am a great one for mending stuff and much of what I own is held together in various way. I was repairing my watch strap and I couldn't open the superglue. I stabbed at it and without my realising it opened and went all over my hand. By the time I noticed, I was very nearly glued solidly to both the watch strap and my own fingers. It was a very close thing. I remember when superglue was first invented, people were always gluing themselves to stuff. Now most people seem to have got the hang of it.

Apologies if I have told you that tale before. I don't have much actual news. A couple of weeks ago, two loose Alsations ran up our road. The dog was watching in the window and went absolutely beserk at the post-apocalyptic horror of it. He doesn't do well with Alsations. And they were big, and in a pack of two and completely free and alone. They trotted into the front garden of the house over the road and set off their Tibetan terriers just for the hell of it, then on they went. It was all so fast that by the time I had my shoes on and was out the door, they had vanished. I think the police rounded them up later on.

Anyway, I told the biggest boy when he rang. And then a week or two later, I told him again, in a breathless and excited sort of way. He politely told me that I had in fact already mentioned that. I was a bit deflated as that was literally all of my news. 

I have given up sugar for Lent. I always feel better for it. And also salty snacks. Oh how I love a salty snack. I have found a brilliant sugar-free flapjack recipe though. I am still having a tiny bit of dried fruit, so I am allowing myself that. 

Recipe here if you are interested. I put the soaked dates in the food processor with most of the oats and blitz them that way and it works really nicely. And I put vanilla extract in instead of cinnamon. And I don't cook them for too long. And I don't use the dried apple, but a bit of dried apricot. And sometimes some nuts. It's absolutely scrumptious. I have been looking for a good low sugar flapjack recipe for so long. 

On the 30th I believe it is my blogaversary. Ten years of blogging! That has seen the urchins through from 9, 7 and 4 to 19, 17 and 14. Oh my. And it is also the dog's birthday. Six! I am getting him a new dog bed. And if he finds a worm, maybe I won't yell. Hope all is well at your end. xx


17 comments:

  1. CJ, your life seems so calm and peaceful most of the time. Remember the illustrator Tasha Tudor? She decided to live like it was 1830, permanently. What about you? What time period would you prefer?

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  2. Laughing about darling Bertie eating the worm liquid! Also about you excitedly recounting the same tale to your son - I'm guilty of that at times and always vow to get out more as a result. Your flapjack recipe sounds divine. I've got Covid at the moment and don't fancy eating much but I'll give it a go when I'm well again. Happy Blogaversary for the 30th - maybe you could break your own rule and celebrate with a salty snack?! I'm glad that your fingers are still mobile! xx

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    1. Sorry you've got Covid, hope you are all better very soon, CJ xx

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  3. Oh Bertie! Dogs just have different tastebuds from ours. Jack went berserk this morning at 6 am because of foxes parading up and down the road. I think he would lose it completely if instead there were two Alsatians. Quite scary dogs I find but I grew up in a little village where there were lots of them, trained as guard dogs for a nearby power plant. Happy Blog Birthday! We must have started about the same time. Isn't it astonishing that were still going strong? I had to look up what fridge raiders were. Kefif sounds so much better. Do you make your own? Have a wonderful week xx

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    1. Yes, I do make my own kefir. Very easy, it pretty much makes itself, I can highly recommend if you haven't tried it. And yes, ten years of blogging, hard to believe. CJ xx

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  4. The stinkier the better is a dogs motto I guess. As a child we had a Jack Russell that used to disappear over the fields and then come back totally covered in unmentionable goo. My mother wasn’t pleased. Scary about the Alsatians. It’s the sort of story I would repeat. I’ve reached the age now when my family tell me I’m getting senile when I repeat myself!
    That extra hour of light in the evening makes all the difference. Enjoy your dog walks :) B x

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  5. A most enjoyable post that has me smiling at the antics the dog and yourself.
    Happy blog anniversary, and well done on ten years. I've always looked forward to reading your posts, looking at the pictures and commenting.

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  6. Hello there! Happy Blog Anniversary!!! Ten years is about as long as I have been here. Time flies, and children grow. I am happy to have met you here in this little bloggy world!

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  7. I think if I got anywhere near superglue I would do the same, it still terrifies me and yes I do remember those stories of folks glueing themselves to things when it first came out. The flapjack recipe looks delicious, I make a refined sugar free one with honey, butter, dates and coconut. Happy blog anniversary, I think I missed my ten year anniversary last year am not sure though......

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  8. We’re managing later walks too. Ruby would have created over the dogs but only from the safety of the house window. Glad you avoided the indignity of a visit to A&E with fused fingers

    I must be missing out as I’ve never heard of Fridge Raiders.

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    1. Not sure why my comment was anonymous - Sue Garrett

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  9. What gorgeous, pink flowers in the first photo! Happy 10th blog anniversary! I think my daughter was two years old when I started my blog and she just turned fourteen! So hard to believe.

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  10. Congratulations on your ten years, I may not always leave a comment but I am still enjoying your blog after all these years and thank you for it.

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  11. Congratulations on ten years. A lovely post as always that has me smiling. Struth, who knew about dogs and worm eating!xcc

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  12. Love a good catch up over here. Spring is definitely in the air. More gardening soon. Jo x

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  13. Dogs are funny and gross in equal measure. My Golden Retriever eats anything outside, he's stopped grabbing rubbish on walks, except if we sit down eg on a bench. Then he'll happily munch on cigarette butts. Things in the garden are an open invitation, from sticks to bird poo, yuk! Happy Blog Anniversary, have a good weekend. Cathy x

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