Friday, July 24, 2015

Cricket-eating, sand-sculpting and ice cream

With Uncle still in hospital life this week has had to include factoring in visits. On Monday there was a rumour that he was being moved to Singleton - much closer to us - but it came to naught. Visiting him though has become like a game of Find the Patient, as he's changed location 3 times in 3 days. Where he'll be today is anybody's guess.

Around that life has gone on as normal. Except for one thing: for the first time for as long as I can remember I didn't make a cake for Zac's because I didn't have time. Fortunately a good angel left some cakes on the doorstep. (Honestly, anyone could poison us as we eat anything that's left on our doorstep.)

It was my turn to lead bible study in Zac's on Tuesday night. A child fully committed to being a Terrible Two looked like making the study impossible until the wonderful Golly offered to take him for a walk. A new visitor asked if he was allowed to express his views. I told him, 'Yes, of course, everyone can as long as we all respect each other and don't talk over each other.' Unfortunately he didn't catch what I said as he was too busy talking over me. After a bit of this, the equally wonderful Andre suggested the two of them could go outside for a chat, and we all breathed again and enjoyed an interesting study with lots of contributions and comments. (And at the end the young man came back in and was grateful for a tent, blanket and food as he was sleeping rough.)

Afterwards one of the young women present said, 'I always enjoy it when you lead as you're so relaxed and it's calm.'
I looked behind me to see who she was talking to.

Wednesday I took two grandchildren along to Sculpture by the Sea, a free workshop on the beach. I was in my element - and did most of the work - but GrandDaughter1 enjoyed it. GrandSon2 soon got bored but the whirly ice cream with flake, rainbow sprinkles and chocolate sauce made it worthwhile.

We made a fish, turtle and starfish. The artists leading it were encouraging us to be biologically accurate, adding a tail to the turtle and checking we had the right number of legs on the starfish. I'm not sure how anatomically correct they were in their sculpture of a dragon though.
Thursday and it was women's bible study at Zac's. Did I mention that we had a barbecue on the beach last week?

Oh, nearly forgot, last weekend we went to the Gower Chilli Festival again ... and I ate some crickets.

I blame this very persuasive man. He described them as being like savoury sugar puffs. As long as I didn't look at them I could do it but they weren't particularly delicious. As 'they' say insects will be the food of the future I hope they devise more interesting ways of serving them. Maybe coated in some of the Bourbon, bacon and maple syrup chilli jam he was also selling.

I'm sure more than that happened this week but I don't remember ...



4 comments:

nick said...

Insects won't be the food of the future for us vegetarians! But I read that there's a type of seaweed that tastes much like bacon, so maybe I can live on seaweed instead.

Jay, Sparking Synapse said...

It sounds as if your Bible study group is a really good one, with some wonderful people leading the way by example. And I'm sure you ARE really relaxed and calm, at least on the outside!

Crickets .. hmm. I know I should try cooked insects but somehow the thought isn't particularly appealing. Did you know, by the way, that the UK has naturally pink crickets? A lot have been seen this year. It's something to do with a certain grass which contains a pink pigment and which the crickets eat - like flamingoes and shrimp!

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

Oh , I'd rather eat earthworms au naturel than that jam !

I think that you sound like the perfect Bible study group leader , bringing out the best in people and involving everyone .

Liz Hinds said...

Nick, lavabread, sort of stewed seaweed, is a Welsh tradition but one that I hate! It's eaten with bacon by custom.

Pink crickets, Jay? I shall have to look out for them. So does the grass have a pinkish tinge to it I wonder.

The jam is yummy, Sonata! And I don't think I could manage to eat an earthworm!