Monday, July 25, 2016

A momentous weekend

This has been a momentous weekend for each of my children - and thus for me.

Daughter took part in the 5K Run for Life in Exeter in memory of her friend, a mum of two young children, who died last year. It was Daughter's first entry into the world of event running since taking up running less than a year ago so it was a challenge for her and one she successfully completed - when she finally realised the siren meant the race had begun - in spite of all her last minute panicking and stressing.

Elder Son and his family are staying with us for a few days, partly so he could enter the Gower Chilli Festival Cook-out, which this year included a barbecue competition for the first time as well. So he's spent most of the weekend in a field in Gower sweating over a hot smoker. (He couldn't get his barbecue apart so had to do all his cooking on his smoker that we'd already brought back from Surrey with us on our last trip there.)

He came 9th out of 12 entrants for the chilli and 3rd for the barbecue (out of three!) so although a little disappointed with the chilli result he's learned a great deal from the competition and the other contestants many of whom were old hands who've won a variety of competitions before.

Being completely unbiased view Husband and I thought his chilli was the best. One of the judges said it tasted and smelled burned - a complete nonsense! It was smoky but not in the least burned and I am very sensitive to anything that has a burned flavour. Ah well, just another person to add to my 'one day I'm going to slap them' list.

For the barbecue challenge entrants had to cook ribs and a chicken and another item of choice. The judges declared Son's chicken to be the best but his ribs let him down. Also the judges - I don't know where they get them from honestly - kept saying everything was too smokey. For his freestyle he did short ribs beef, which looked black but were delicious and perfectly cooked (I thought).

Presentation might have let him down a tad ...

And the winning entry ...

Meanwhile Younger Son left the Perhentian Islands, Malaysia, this weekend for the last time (possibly). With his data collected for his PhD research he is flying back to Italy to be with Nuora and wait for the birth of their first child in late August. 

It's been a long six month separation for them and an even longer and sometimes very hard three years of Blue Temple Conservation

I am incredibly proud of my three children not for what they have or haven't achieved but for who they are. And I love them heaps.

6 comments:

MaryB said...

Incredible weekend! You deserve to be proud. And the BBQ looks delicious (and this from a Southern girl), so phooey on the judges.

Liz Hinds said...

Precisely, Mary!

Furtheron said...

Your kids do you proud Liz. Watching my son battling to get his PhD finished is hard especially as I can't even proof read out as I understand nothing of what he's written.

Liz Hinds said...

Thanks, Graham. I can add or take away commas to YS's writings but commenting on the content or whether it makes sense is another matter!

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

You're quite right to be proud of them ! And of yourself for being their Mum .

Katney said...

Lots of fun in the Hinds family. Another grandchild. Hmmm.