v cold

nads still intact

What can you write that is new about the cold. The frozen winter. Poets eloquent have already said it all. I think my fave is the Darkling Thrush. Thomas Hardy. Most of his novels were morbid and I suppose the poem is too although I think that he puts it across in a way that rolls off the tongue that is really what poetry is all about. It’s about how the words fit together. That doesn’t necessarily mean how they rhyme or how they stick to a meter. It’s about the interplay of one word with the others around it.

Anyway you may have gathered that it is another cold morning. It must be so because tomorrow the Lincoln Christmas Market starts and it is usually cold for that. One year it was so cold it was buried under a blanket of snow and had to be cancelled.

The reason it is cold during the market is two fold. Firstly they sell more gluhwein that way. Secondly it is nature’s way of killing off a few old people stood in bus queues waiting for their coach to come and pick them up. The wind slices viciously through those queues and those without the armoury to parry it’s lethal advances are hewn. They crumple unceremoniously like sacks of potatoes dumped onto the pavement. By the time the ambulance, stationed not so far away in anticipation of this very occurrence, has arrived their living souls have moved on.

After that joyous passage let us move on. The Christmas present purchasing is making its annual onslaught on the credit card and we have a delivery or two planned for today. I am also under instructions to be on hand at exactly 10am to buy Adele tickets for Hannah. They go onsale to “members” at that time. It’s a huge responsibility. Wouldn’t mind going myself but you can only buy four and that’s how many she wants. Friends before family. I guess if all of her mates were also successful in buying four there might be a few going spare.

Ordered a couple of loads of logs yesterday. Being delivered tomorrow morning. Just in time for our party at the weekend. Got the details off the husband of the woman who runs the fancy dress outfitters in Waddington. Needed some period authenticity for next week’s party in town. Logs were £135 for two builders bags worth. Mixed hardwood. Should see us beyond Christmas. Fancy dress was £23 for a tailcoat, waistcoat, pocket watch and cufflinks. I’ll use my own shirt and kecks.

Also may have partially sussed why my bread isn’t rising as much as I’d expect. I think i’m using too large a tin. Will try it in a smaller tin next time or make more dough. I’m using 500g of flour and 300ml of water. On that basis I’d expect a large 800g loaf but perhaps it doesn’t work that way. I’ll weigh the loaf the next time. Later…

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