Everything I learned in life

Saturday 1.54pm

Went to see an fun film this morning with Nicola and our youngest – Kung Fu Panda. It had a message of course as these films do. Be yourself, accept yourself even, and work with what you have to become the best you can be. In the words of children’s cartoons “fulfill your destiny.”
Thirty years ago I finished School. And in that twelve years of schooling was I shown how to be myself ? did they work with whatever talents I had to bring out my best ? No. There were good teachers of course but I don’t think modern schooling allows them to teach. I like to cook but I did not learn that at school. I also enjoy writing but again did not learn that at school either. I used to make things out of cardboard and in that I would use my knowledge of geometry, and that I did learn at school.
All that school does is provide the tools for a modern life, but what you do with them is left up to you. And if their learning style does not work for you then all you are left with is the most basic lesson - how to do what you are told and how to get up in the mornings so that you can hold down a job for the rest of your life, paying taxes to support the very thing that let you down in the first place.
I am lucky that I was able to fit in and learn stuff. But without any guidance, finding and accepting myself has been a long and lonely journey.


There must be a better way.


Perhaps here is a place to start http://www.ted.com/

Today’s Daisy

Sunday 7.01pm

Today’s Daisy

Today’s daisy looks like an Indian woodcarving on a piece of furniture or a woodblock. But it is actually on the bottom of a mangosteen. Isn’t it great when you can go into a supermarket and find something you have never heard of before (neither had the checkout girl).

Mind you at $23.99 a kilo I could afford . . . . one.

Looks strangely grub like inside and tastes a bit like a lychee, by the way.

I’ll probably buy another one.



Life is never dull when you have a Mangosteen



With apologies to Nicola for stealing her theme :-)

Pumpkin and Cashew nut Soup

Thursday 7.40pm

There is a chill in the air telling me that although I cannot see it on this bright fresh day, winter is still here. Time for another creamy, comforting soup once again making good use of the warming fragrance of black pepper.

- An onion and a clove of garlic are set to cook slowly in some olive oil.
- About two ounces of roasted cashew nut are put into a small ziplock bag and bashed with a rolling pin to a lumpy flour. I used my youngest for this as it is the school holidays and he was looking bored. (he did the bashing that is, I didn’t use him as the rolling pin)
- Pop the nuts into a small amount of stock and left to soak.
- Meanwhile I have peeled a three or four inch piece of pumpkin and chopped it into chunks.
- Now the last time I made soup I burnt the onions when I added the pumpkin and upped the heat, so this time I scooped out the onions, put the pumpkin in, stirred it around a bit until blackened at the edges.
- The onions go back in along with a pint and a quarter of vegetable stock and the heat turned down to a simmer.
- Twenty minutes later all is cooked.
- Into the liquidiser go the cashews and their stock to whizz them a bit finer then the soup is added and blended together.
- Back into the cleaned saucepan it all goes with a little bit of salt and lots of black pepper to warm through.

This will be my lunch tomorrow at work, a small quiet oasis in what will probably be a hectic day.