Dad look what I have found for you, a receipe for ...

Bouillabaisse
Ingredients
900g (2lbs) mixed white fish fillets, fresh or defrosted, skinned and cubed (e.g. monkfish, huss, conger eel, red mullet, cod, haddock)170g (6oz) peeled prawns2 x 15ml spoon (2 tablespoons) olive oil1 large onion, sliced2 cloves garlic, crushed2 x 400g can chopped tomatoes600ml (1 pint) fish or vegetable stock1 large bayleafsalt and black pepper1-2 drops Tabasco sauce1 bouquet garnipinch of saffron strandsfresh chopped parsley, to garnish
Serves 4-6
Method
Heat the oil and sauté the onion and garlic until soft.
Stir in the tomatoes, stock, bayleaf, seasoning, Tabasco, bouquet garni and saffron. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.Add the cubes of firm fish e.g. monkfish, huss, conger eel and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Add the more delicate fish e.g. mullet, cod, haddock and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
Stir in the prawns and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni and the bayleaf.
Sprinkle with parsley and serve with French bread, a continental salad and garlic mayonnaise.

found on http://www.seafish.org/index.asp where there are lots more yummy fish receipts.

I've bin saving this for your return to the blog. So I hope you've found a good fishmonger/supermarket and the cookers up and running. Lots of love Cathy
posted by Cathy at 9/08/2006 10:20:00 AM

Thank you to all you wonderful bloggers

Guess what we found behind our wheelie bins. Yes you are right it was a box full of flowers, at least, that is what it said on the box, but when we opened the delivery from Marks and Spencer, we found a wonderfu selection of fresh fruits,from a large pineapple to grapes, oranges, pears, fresh figs, and all beautifully packed a la M&S . Thanks to all you bloggers for our settling in gift. Trouble is, we are still settling in! Today we went to John Lewis's in High Wycombe - a 100 mile round journey.
Steve was over here yesterday as he has been for the past couple of weeks, helping us where he can and encouraging us where possible. We have been trying to pack into our small bungalow, some very large pieces of furniture and we had decided to dispose of a large pine chest of drawers (the one in the top front bedroom at No 92) when Steve agreed to take it and we packed it into our Rover and delivered it to him in Hertord Street, at 9 o'clock this morning just as school was assemblingp After spending some time and money at Asda.'s big shop, we went into John Lewis to try to find some wall hanging furniture,but sadly without any luck, as all the furniture was wonderfully solid and could not hang on a wall without pulling it down. I think we will have to look closer to home, tomorrow. Thanks once again from us both as we munch our way though a basket of fruit. Love from us both, Dad and Mum
ps this is where we stayed in Seaview

he he he
I can do it too now
edmund dont get it
neithr do I and im the one wo did it!
thomas

Let's see if this works......

Greetings from sillypore..... glad that the move went relatively smoothly for you both, Hugh and Margaret. We hope that you're both settling in and finding things much easier. You're both in our thoughts constantly and the kids still talk about their visit to the island. Nic and I have been bogged down with work and other committments.....I think we'll probably could do with a nice relaxing holiday in December. We haven't made any plans but the words 'island', 'koh samui', 'beach', 'thai food', 'spa'....keeps popping up..hah.
Both Claire and Daniel are well. Claire's preparing ('not') for her final exams next week after which she has her long holidays for 10 weeks (!!!) until next year. Got to think of something to keep her occupied...maybe we'll ship her off to Kings Sutton / Spain / Wales / France / Oxford ...... any of you need child labor? (jk!!!) Daniel's enjoying school.....he's full of energy and sort of bubbles away. Well, this is just a short note to keep you up to date....and to test this bubble thingy....looks fun, only that we don't have many pictures to edit!
Will write soon.......again :)

romeo

hello y'all from Paris where I am working for a week.


here is my romeo in front of 'Juliet's house' in verona. (Just got my camera back from the nice man at the trattoria where we ate in august.)

I love the cartoons and it was great to see my ban ban telling me to get a life from the red sand.

Good to hear updates of the new house in Kings Sutton. The pub looks mighty fine and that is the most important thing!

I am staying at a friend's apartment in the eleventh - Oberkampf. I love it here. there are lots of trendy bars but also japanese, senegalese, moroccan, chinese - not a highlight of Provence and more like life as I knew it in peckham!

So, julian and I are making progress on the house. His brilliant mulling combined with my addiction to action NOW BABY NOW can really work sometimes and this week we ordered a nice local joiner to make us a kitchen cupboard supreme ( he has already invited to his house for dinner) and checked out tiles and ordered material for 2 more hemp floors and checked out hempwool insulation and terra cotta tiles. AND Julian has painted rather alot of paintings too. It's all go.

just come to the end of the third series of 6 feet under to which I have become utterly addicted. A friend is supposed to be posting the next and i'm already itching. See! I DO watch telly!


Thinking of you lots Hugh and Margaret and wishing you many many happy days in your new place.

Frooty Bathget

M&S online
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

Have ordered some fruit with a little note for G&G from us all so if any one asks...

I've done one too!

Cool... cat

How to comicalise your fambly(windows version)

(mac version)

cool!!!!!

hey hey hey unci steve!!!!!
how do you do that wierd cartoon thingy.
me wanna do dat 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thomas
LET'S GET STARTED LADS"

chinny chin chin

chinny chin chin
Originally uploaded by gem but it was clives idea!.

Today's doings

agenda
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

We're only here for the BEER

pub
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

Will and Gem and Clive and I went for Sunday lunch with G&G to The Butchers Arms in Kings Sutton, the local Hooky hostelry. I think Grandad's choice of profiterols wasn't up to expectation though. I suspect that a great big pile of them covered in chocolate sauce was what was in mind when the order went in instead of ONE on a bit of old cake! LOL
Excellent ales are on tap,with large portions of finest roasted beef and lamb, yorkshire pud, roast tatties and even marrow in peppery sauce, mmmmmm....
Mum made a good fist of the main course and even polished off a raspberry pavlova as well and was delighted that some else did all the washing up!
There are three little Dachshunds prowling around looking for tit bits, one of which is 20 yrs old and really could do with a lolly stick tied under him to help him over the step..aahh!

2 Baaah'd

2 Baaah'd
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

Thanks Jen for sending in some corrections to google calendar.
I've been trying out Comiclife

comic strip

comic strip
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

(this could be the start of something!)

Caption Competition

the ol' homestead

the ol' homestead
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

Mum and Dad went to see the nurse at Brackley medical centre today so Mum could get something done in the chiropedy dept (ooch) and Dad was told he must use his legs more. We talked about aqua-robics and taking little walks and building up. So perhaps getting out of the chair is a very good first step.

We now have lighting over the dining area in the lounge and a fixed line phone back-up in the bedroom in addition to the wireless one Dad now is happy to use. The new handset has a loud-speaker so Dad can hold it to away a bit and use it to hear with both ears rather than trying with one or the other.

google calendar

Ezappy's added a button to google calendar, which means that to access it you need a gmail/googlemail account so Dad Jules Pete Gem Will are in.
Keep up with family birthdays and reminders by signing up for nuffink. We can then add significant anniversaries reminders and keep up with family news.

Dad's back on line next Wednesday so some welcome back emails would be nice. The phone's a bit quiet.

from Auntie iJunes

:: Message to Hugh and Margret from June


I am sitting in Robert's lounge eating home made bread
toasted along with home made marmalade. Very tasty. I
have come over to collect Rebecca's birthday gift from me
which is an ipod docking station, which I know is one of
the things on her list. Robert was able to buy it for me.
Tomorrow she hopes to be able to go up and away in a
balloon from Leeds castle. Just hope that it won't be
windy, as for the last three weeks it's been cancelled.
Glad to know that you have settled in Arundel Close.
I hope it won't be long before I see you all again. Take care of each other. I was
pleased to see on the web site the photo that I took on
your birthday at Ryde. My fame as a photographer has
spread/

June

skippy been

skip
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

Only a midi skip this time but it's gone and we're on number 2!

Mum has had a big clothes chuck out as she is unlikely to be a size 14 again and Dad is making agreeable noises about having the second bedroom for a den with office and computer station plus some more storage for household essentials. We have the futon now in the lounge for anyone who needs to stay over plus seating, together with a sofa and Dad's lazee-boy chair. The other sofa is in the conservatory with Mum's upright armchair, and we fitted in some drawer units to put lamps on.

We've installed a new classy fireplace and hearth and downsized the dressing table in Mum's bedroom so there is room to get around the bed in safety.

Dad is so desperate to get back on-line that we've gone with BT option 3 which comes with an extra telephone line for internet calls, plus a voip telephone handset and a free wireless router which will be delivered next Wednesday so keep the encouraging phonecalls coming for another week!

Memories of the summer

Me again. Clive & I are watching Rick Stein's tv show about the culinary canal trip he took down through France. He has just been to visit the oyster ropes in Bouzigues and he as he sat there on a sunny restaurant terrace with glass of wine and huge oyster shaped bowl of clams & oysters - he delared that he had eaten oysters all around the world but his favourite of all are oysters from L'Etang de Thau. He explained that the metal oyster frames we could see are actually made from old railway tracks & the oysters are actually glued together on the rope. They are let to grow for a year and over 800 growers depend on them for their living. He mentioned Meze & Marseillan as there are plans to build along the coastline. Hopefully this won't happen as the environmental damage would harm the precious grade A status of the water which means that you can eat the shellfish raw. He is now in Sete on Bastille Day watching the water jousting and fireworks.

Dining Room Table

I agree with Dad about the table & chairs. There is no need anymore as I'm sure you would rather have the room rather than big table taking up precious space. Plus if you get rid of it you'll be taken out to eat more!!

Will, Clive & I are looking foward to seeing you both on Sunday.

G xx

Hello from Kate!

Nice to see pictures of you Grandma and Grandad, I can't wait to see your new house.
Going back to school is really good but getting up in the morning is not funny. Lots of love Kate xxxxxx

31

31
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

Souvenir from Meze, these house numbers were fixed up today.
Mum and Dad now have wardrobes and all their clothes hung up tidy and everything out of suitcases at last. The next big job is to choose what china goes and what stays.

Is there anyone who expects Mum to produce and serve a large family meal anymore? In which case if you agree with me, is there any need for a large dining table and eight chairs as we will be eating out from now on?

Keep the phone calls coming folks.

ay be yon?

ay be yon?
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

met up for
roast beef @ the rose and crown Charlton

towards kgs

towards kgs
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

It's like teletubby land

ooh wiill ...100%

wiill100%
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

(no camera tricks or adjusting in iphoto.. straight off my camera phone with plenty of light and heat)

Java java

G&G went out to a coffee morning today where there is a good showing of maybe 120 people including a couple of walking groups which end up at the village hall in time for refreshments. There's a 10 piece band in the village too which does tea dances in the afternoons not sure when and the doctor is next door in case of over excitement!

Skip arrived today and is now full of concrete dwarves and wotnot. Picked up a fireplace surround too and some more loft boards and took Dad along to pick up the new double oven with eye level grill, and a tv set top box and a new phone with hands free, wireless and 'king sut'on great big buttons.
We got chatting to a salesman in Comet who had 2 deaf aids in who explained to me the problems of being hard of hearing while trying to use a mobile or even a normal phone pressed up to one ear.

Anyway oven is installed and tv is on and phone charging up.

We're getting there. next to think about is clothes hanging space but we need a bit of a chuck out first in the little ol'lady land wardrobe department. Apparently Dad only needs the clothes he's got on so that's a big help! lol

progress

J's lounge down lighter lamps all working
maggot ridden bin sealed taken to dump emptied and cleansed

g plan coffee table nest to dump
cracked jesus and mary fixed and hung

to hang a clock in the kitchen drilled through ring main by mistake


BANG



fixed that!

4 earth leakage circuit breakers fitted to consumer unit

skip ordered Hurrah

fridge cleaned

garden things put away in shed

Mum finds her mobile! and charger

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Mmmm cake

Some snaps from Clive's birthday lunch last week. We went to Raymond Blanc's 'Le Petit Blanc' in Jericho, Oxford and a wonderful meal was topped off by a surprise chocolate birthday cake. Here's Ruby helping him out with the candles. Needless to say we left clean plates!

weeheee!!! look at that

ive just added this message!!!

And I've just added this message to say that this is Thomas and I teaching ourselves how to do the photo thing!

WELCOME TO YOUR NEW HOME!

Hugh and Margaret, I tried to call you several times from my hotel room to give you all my love for your move, but got a fax. You have been constantly in my thoughts these few days and I am really excited that you will have a new home close to public transport, easier to clean....and that we will all come and visit very soon. In fact I understand you already have my husband there helping you out....

Get Well Soon Edmund

Sorry to hear you have been unwell & very glad to hear you are feeling better. Lots of love.

Mum & Dad's new phone number.

I have emailed it to Julian Nic and Pete so let me know if it's not there.

Good Luck today!

I'm sorry not to have been their to help as I had intended. Edmund has had such a bad ear infection I have been out of my mind with worry and that dreadful feeling of helplessness that you get when you have to watch your children in pain unable to do anything to relieve it! But the good news is that he is on the mend and had a good nights sleep last night.

Etre Et Avoir

Hey Pete here is the film I was telling you about on holiday that I thought you would enjoy. The film is actually documentary following a teacher in his last year before he retires. The film follows twelve students between the ages of four and ten in a one room schoolhouse in a farming community. It's moving, funny & touching - we like it.

Grandma, Grandad & Dad returned home tonight worn out but content that they are all making progress. Past few days has involved shopping trips to Focus for bathroom fittings, garage door locksmith, carpet warehouses, stripping wall paper, buying a new oven and today they have all had a right a day of it up and down ladders painting walls. The removal van is expected at 9.30am tomorrow which should bring its own challenges as I understand there are low bridges, humpback bridges as well as a the slope up to their front door AND carpets to get down before the men arrive.

night night & good luck folks - you're doing great ,sleep well.

G xxx

And finally...its good night from us..

This was us last week in front of our little palace...oops, typo. I mean 'place'.

Wave to the nice man...

Happy belated birthday wishes from some time back!!

Busy busy busy!

Hey, what a week...and it's still going.

We've been back to school this week (say no more). Jess had a lovely birthday just before term started for her, but we haven't found time yet for a game of tennis with her new racquet. Thanks to all for your good wishes. Three days on and today was Amy's birthday and again, thanks for all the love you've all passed her way. Unfortunately post is a bit sporadic of late and we are still awaiting things that we know have yet to arrive. For the record she has a new bike (with stabilsers) which she dismounts to go round corners and go downhill! I ask ya, what's the point! She only likes to ride in a straight line up hill (or on the flat, I guess, if we can find any). I suggest Kingston Hill is still a few years off.

Tomorrow, Jan and I will have been married 18 years, which seems quite a long time. I can remember mum and dad's silver wedding and buying a silver plated sweets plate from Boswell's in Oxford with my paper round money! (or was it my Womble money?) Sad but true - I could only afford plate then and nothing has changed since! That was over 25 years ago! (Holds out cap...) Only got 7 more years to go ourselves before it's our turn, should we be so blessed.

We celebrated tonight by accident. The wine stock having been depleted during our lounge-lizard home balcony time, Jan opened the second last bottle to help flavour the birthday girl's Spaghetti Bolognaise, only later to realise that it was our bottle of expensive French wine from the degustacion in Villeveyrac - the one with the burnt marsh mallow aroma. Ah well, we had to drink it up after that. No laying down for that little baby (the wine, that is). Me and expensive wines, eh Dad?! So we will go out for a meal tomorrow at the restaurant round the corner to enjoy some 'mood-music time' while Jess plays mummy and cooks some pancakes. Hurrah!

card card

Thankyou to all the bloggers and especially Barbara (Rich) for all the kind messages of support to Hugh and Margaret during their current phase. I'm pleased to report that they went off to pick up the keys to the new place this morning and give it a once over with the 'dyson' and prepare for the arrival of all their wordly goods due on Tuesday. That should give us time to slap some paint on a wall or two tomorrow and Monday.


card card
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

the big 05!

Happy Birthday Amy!!!
Hope you have a lovely day, lucky you having your birthday on a Saturday.
Have some cake on us!!!!!!!!!
love from everyone here at Nythfa,
special thanks to Cathy the publisher and Thomas the editor.

Amy's 5th Birthday

Amy's eCard

Thanks everyone!

Thank you for my e-cards and birthday greetings! I had a great day out with the sisters at a 'sea-world' place near here. It feels so strange being 15! ha ha. Thanks again. Love Jess xxx

Dad look what I have found for you, a receipe for

Bouillabaisse

Ingredients

900g (2lbs) mixed white fish fillets, fresh or defrosted, skinned and cubed (e.g. monkfish, huss, conger eel, red mullet, cod, haddock)170g (6oz) peeled prawns2 x 15ml spoon (2 tablespoons) olive oil1 large onion, sliced2 cloves garlic, crushed2 x 400g can chopped tomatoes600ml (1 pint) fish or vegetable stock1 large bayleafsalt and black pepper1-2 drops Tabasco sauce1 bouquet garnipinch of saffron strandsfresh chopped parsley, to garnish
Serves 4-6
Method
Heat the oil and sauté the onion and garlic until soft.
Stir in the tomatoes, stock, bayleaf, seasoning, Tabasco, bouquet garni and saffron. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the cubes of firm fish e.g. monkfish, huss, conger eel and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Add the more delicate fish e.g. mullet, cod, haddock and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
Stir in the prawns and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni and the bayleaf.
Sprinkle with parsley and serve with French bread, a continental salad and garlic mayonnaise.

found on http://www.seafish.org/index.asp where there are lots more yummy fish receipts.

I've bin saving this for your return to the blog. So I hope you've found a good fishmonger/supermarket and the cookers up and running. Lots of love Cathy

Piccies

Birthday Wishes from G&G

homeworking
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

Happy Birthday from
Grandma and Grandad Jessica. They have been homeless for a week on an enforced holiday so the diary has been packed. This is me fiddling with Grandad's laptop putting his photos and music on and sorting out an egreeting LOL.

Jessica get your eCard

Happy Birthday to you, squashed tomatoes and stew, bread and butter in the gutter and the end of my shoe!
(Well at least it's not drawn on an old sheet dangling over a round-a-bout)

ladies shoes morny stanit ladies shoes morny stanit

I got a call today from Dad's movers/storage bloke Pete Stanbrook ..bit of a surprise..
"we've had a big job cancelled so we can do your Dad's move, load Monday drop off Tuesday if he wants..I can't get through to 'im at the b&b. Get 'im to ring me will yer?"
I'm onto it!
Previous arrangement was for next Thursday.
me"Hello Mum"(for it is she)
Mum"Hello Stephen is it? Hello dear we've been to see Auntie Peg" (90yrs+ Old Nana's remaining sis)"We're on our way to see Tina"(in hospital)
me"Oh good, I've had your movers Pete Stanbrook on the phone tell Dad"
Dad"Who is it?"
Mum"Oh dear Hugh It's Pete Stanbrook"
me "No it's me"
Dad(shouting)"We're driving! We're halfway up S***** Hill"
Mum "Oh no it's Stephen isn't it"
me "Yes tell him.."
Mum "yes dear"
me "tell Dad he's got to call Pete Stanbrook"
Mum "call Pete Stanbrook yes dear"
me "because they've had a cancellation"
Mum"cancellation yes"
Dad(shouting) "What?"
Mum "pull over Hugh" etc.. lol

So Mum and Dad complete on Kings Sutton tomorrow, (hurrah) booked to mainland 10am ferry Friday.
Stay at ours Friday night and pick up key Saturday.
Clive has a put-you-up which hopefully will do and we can have a lend of and a few chairs from the garden they can borrow and off to Banbury so that leaves a few days to give the place a vacuum and slap some paint on a couple of walls and the truck arrives Tuesday with all the stuff.

"Is there good access?" say's the man."It's a forty foot truck!"
me "Um well there's a bit of a slope up to the house, but you might need to back it up into the close."

So there we are.
H'are there (military pause 2,3) h'any questions?

Happy belated birthday greetings Clive

Have a lovely time on Saturday. love Cathy xxx
p.s. next time your cousin gets married can I come,Cx

Happy Birthday Jess

Lots of love from Gem Clive & Will - Have a lovely day.

Happy Birthday Jessica

I hope you had a lovely time last weekend(?) enjoying your Christmas card prize, I can't now remember what you were going to do, a science park? The brain cells are dying off fast, help! We all miss you very much and hope to see you soon. Have a lovely day, lots of love Cathyxxx

Clive's 30th Birthday

Happy Birthday for last Monday Darling! On the day itself I took Clive to a dedicated Sausage & Mash restaurant near Marble Arch for one of clive's favourite dinners - Bangers, mash & mushy peas with rather cheeky bottle of red. Clive had welsh trio of sausage which was lamb, haddock & chive and the third was a cheese & leek one! But you can get all sorts from smoked salmon to seafood and wildboar!

http://www.bangsausages.com/

We stayed with Mandy, John & Ruby for a couple of nights, venturing out to Camden Lock. For lunch we went to a belguim restarant that those who lived in London may remember 'Belgo Noord' & Belgo Centraal nr Covent Garden.

http://www.belgo-restaurants.com/

It was very good & Clive was happy as he had demi kilo of mussels and chips. On the Sunday we went to Clive's cousin Graeme & Leora's wedding . They married at the Liberal Synagogue on St Johns Wood Rd so we were right outside Lords and could hear the cheers from the match! They had their reception at London Zoo and we were all ferried about on restored red Routemasters. There was a Channel 4 news reporter there & a descendate (great grandson I think) of Theodore Roosevelt.

After all the exitement of being in London hanging in pretty Hampstead & Camden we found our way home yesterday. Photos to follow...

"It's not jesus..

...it's just some fella"



















web cam of happy artist having sold today's stock. J's got built in web cam and no makeup so looks like hannibal lector.. but he's still my bruvva!

Mum and Dad's purchase went through today and they complete as planned on Thursday.
Tomorrow they go to visit Auntie Tina who is in good spirits despite having to go into Hospital for a mastectomy today. She is in the Whittingham Ward at

St Mary's Hospital,
Parkhurst Road,
Newport,
Isle Of Wight,
PO30 5TG

Mum and Dad are making use of their extra week on the island and today went out with their Catenian buddies for lunch at Seaview.
Mum had mussels and finished them all (hurrah) and Dad had fish pie (and finished someone else's oysters? J said hah!) boom boom!
There were a few complaints about having a car full of stuff (suitcases) which paints a picture don't it (hep hem), and just for luck they got a phone call to say they'd left their Dyson at Hazelbank and do they want to come and get it? I told 'em they'd only need a feather duster at the new place. Dad was all for trying to squeeze the monsterous thing in somewhere. No doubt we've not seen the last of it I fear.
Hey ho.

Google Pictures

Dad's eMac, which he say's he misses terribly has loads of photos of us, so have had a try with it on Google Pictures and was able easily to upload the entire iphoto library in one go, so if you'd like a peek, CLICK HERE

Try Googletalk too. It's built for Windows bods, but Mac users can access via iChat and it's very impressive, especially if you can get hold of a web cam.

Strangely Apple have discontinued their iSight webcam but there are still some in the Apple shops when I popped in to Bluewater yesterday. I suppose it's because the new MBP's and iMacs have them built in.
I haven't spoken to Mum and Dad since Friday night as I reckon the mobile gets turned off or left in the car but the B and B seems nice so they're quite happy.
love to all so keep in touch.. some birthdays coming up in Alfaz? Any plans folks?
ps I've had a few comments about rebooking the Gite next year.