Cheerful Amaryllis

Photo Copyright: Maggie May

Last December, Mr and Mrs Bluelights (my brother and sister in law) bought Harry and me an Amaryllis bulb that was already planted up, for our Wedding Anniversary. After a slow start and having to move it into a warmer place, I am really pleased that the flower head has now almost fully opened out and to my delight, another bud is emerging from the earth too that will give us a second show once the first flower is over. The flowers help to liven up these dull days. In fact, there has been a very sharp change in our weather and it exceptionally cold at the moment, which will not be good for either flora or fauna to suddenly have to face this severe weather after Spring seemed to have encouraged buds to open and birds to look at nesting possibilities.

I have been extremely busy lately as our son, Sam, has started a new job on a few weeks trial and as it is full time, on the three or four days that Sandy works, the children are dropped off for breakfast at our house and then they walk to the local school by themselves. Then shortly after 3.30, they call back here and wait until Sam picks them up after his work. I won't say too much about this job until we are sure that he is offered it permanently but we are all hoping that he does get the position because they really need the money and it would help them with all the planned alterations to their house that are in the pipeline but being held up through lack of funds. The downside is that he doesn't get school holidays so this might represent a bit of a problem! I think we are too boring and not fit enough to cope with them full time. We shall have to see what happens.

Most schools in Bristol had their half term last week but the school and college that my grandsons go to on the east coast had theirs this week and so my daughter was able to come for a few days with them. I expect that I have mentioned that my sixteen year old grandson, Rick is on the autistic spectrum and has good intellectual skills but very under developed social skills. He is not getting on well in college and I most of the time doesn't get there and he likes to spend most of his time on his computer or in bed. (I know that many teenagers who are not autistic like to do this too!) It is causing us all, especially my daughter, who is trying to cope with bringing them up alone and also running her child care business too, much worry. Rick is waiting to be seen by various organisations but I don't think there is much help that is available. It seems that they are all going through unchartered waters and being in a position where he is classed as not really a child and yet not really adult, either. Lets hope that their needs will be met and that Rick's not experiencing bullying or anything like that.

On a happier note, I was thrilled to received a cook book for vegetarian slow cooking from my blog friend,  Denise Nesbitt following one of my posts about buying and trying out a Crock Pot. I must say that some of the recipes appear to be delicious and I am seriously thinking of going completely vegetarian after all this horse meat scandal. Don't get me wrong, it is perfectly alright to eat horse meat if one chooses to, but completely wrong to slip it into products and charge high prices and disguise it as something else. That definitely is fraud.

I have been experimenting with fennel in casseroles and think it has a delicious taste. Does anyone else like fennel?