Mollycoddling.

Not my words but words which resonate with how I try to parent. I have tried so far to raise a young man who is not risk averse and who is learning [sometimes the hard way granted, exam results being one example, this week] to take responsibilities for his actions.


A young man went to seek an important position at a large printing company. He passed the initial 
interview and was going to meet the director for the final interview. The director saw his resume, it was excellent. And asked, '
- Have you received a scholarship for school?' The boy replied, " No '.
-' It was your father who paid for your studies? '
-' Yes.'- He replied.
-' Where does your father work? '

-' My father is a Blacksmith'The Director asked the young man to show him his hands.The young man showed a pair of hands soft and perfect.-' Have you ever helped your parents at their job? '-' Never, my parents always wanted me to study and read more books. Besides, he can do the job better than me.The director said:-' I have got a request: When you go home today, go and wash the hands of your father and then come see me tomorrow morning.'
The young man felt his chance to get the job was high.When he returned to his house he asked his father if he would allow him to wash their hands.His father felt strange, happy, but with mixed feelings and showed their hands to his son. The young man washed his hands, little by little. It was the first time that he noticed his father's hands were wrinkled and they had so many scars. Some bruises were so painful that his skin shuddered when he touched them.This was the first time that the young man recognized what it meant for this pair of hands to work every day to be able to pay for his study. The bruises on the hands were the price that he payed for their education, his school activities and his future.After cleaning his father's hands the young man stood in silence and began to tidy and clean up the workshop. That night, father and son talked for a long time.
The next morning, the young man went to the office of the director.The Director noticed the tears in the eyes of the young man when He asked him: -' Can you tell me what you did and what you learned yesterday at your house?'The boy replied: -' I washed my father's hands and when I finished I stayed and cleaned his workshop '-' Now I know what it is to appreciate and recognize that without my parents , I would not be who I am today . By helping my father I now realize how difficult and hard it is to do something on my own. I have come to appreciate the importance and the value in helping the family.
The director said, "This is what I look for in my people. I want to hire someone who can appreciate the help of others , a person who knows the hardship of others to do things, and a person who does not put money as his only goal in life". ' You are hired '.
A child that has been coddled, Protected and usually given him what he wants, develops a mentality of " I have the right ' and will always put himself first, ignoring the efforts of their parents. If we are this type of protective parent are we really showing love or are we destroying our children?You can give your child a big house , good food , computer classes , watch on a big screen TV . But when you're washing the floor or painting a wall , please let him experience that too.After eating have them wash the dishes with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you have no money to hire someone to do this it's because you want to love them the right way . No matter how rich you are, you want them to understand. One day your hair will have gray hair, like the father of this young man.The most important thing is that your child learns to appreciate the effort and to experience the difficulties and learn the ability to work with others to get things done.

Arilx

A Quaint English Custom.

I have recently finished reading "The English Year" by Steve Roud which gives a month by month account different folk customs. Some entries are historical, others current, newly established or revivals. One thing that crops up regularly is fairs- although many no longer happen, the charters which set them up date back hundreds of years. The good thing though is the concept of a fair or whatever name it goes under in your part of the world is still very much of our summers.

Scarred by my years of organising the PTA summer fair [I jest] I have to say I am not noted for my regular attendance at this type of event these days but I did find myself at the Oakwood Hill Flower Show last weekend. Not just flowers- a fair by any other name. Terrier racing, face painting, dog show, tent full of home made produce, cakes, local bands. The sun shone and I thoroughly enjoyed a few hours just pottering [oh and I found a charity book stall with each tome priced at 50p so was happy as a pig in muck.] A few shots which sum up the day really.

Rescue owls- the owners put them up in the tree to perch where it was cooler for them.

A might fine display of vintage cars. How marvellous would it be to toot your horn with your foot.

Heavens above what is that woman doing with that stick?! I can assure you that no damage was done!

The only thing I would say is that the whole affair is rather gentrified [but then we were in Surrey].I think they could take their lead from Egremont Crab Apple Fair and throw in a spot of wrestling, gurning, a pipe smoking competition or the greasy pole to liven it up a tad. I think they might be missing a trick there!

Arilx

One does so love a bargain....

Now there's yellow stickered and reduced....then there's the occasional West Sussex variation which moves the goalposts.....

So this morning as usual I was nosing around the end of lines in the supermarket. Always worth a quick gander as sometimes it comes up trumps.

This one was a new one on me though- I thought it would have been ungenerous not to share my good fortune so I kindly left all the boxes behind for someone else to discover. Each to their own.....

The GBT purse has already hit the sloe gin, such is her state of shock....I did offer her one of my Sainsbury's basics teabags [classy bird moi!] but she sniffily informed me a cuppa would never see her make a full recovery. Apparently she needs her wits about her at all times so that she remains vigilant and can guard against my "unwanton spending". Charming!

Arilx

Running Out Of Steam.

"I take my only exercise acting as pallbearer at the funerals of my friends who exercise."

Mark Twain

I meanwhile have managed to get back up to slogging for three miles. Quite pleased really. Apologies for the short post today but am suffering brain drain today!

Arilx

Courgette Regret.

No regrets here at GBT I can assure you just lots of convos with various people starting with "What do you do with all your courgettes so you don't waste them?"

Various tips have been forthcoming.

One chum cuts them into ribbons with her potato peeler and cooks them like spaghetti.

Make them part of a ratouille mix. Cro Magnon over at Magnon's Meanderings preserves the mix in jars.

Another suggestion from a local Transition member suggested making the HFW pasta sauce link here http://jonoandjules.com/2014/08/07/courgette-pasta-sauce/  Mr GBT has made a batch which we've frozen at the pre cream/cheese stage. We'll be trying it out with the cream and cheese added in later on in the week. My only observation was that it took longer to cook than the recipe said.

Despite the dratted thing breaking [batter cakes do not take kindly to my manhandling] the courgette tea bread was very moist and delicious. Lots of recipes out there on the net to try. Have previously done a chocolate and courgette cake- an experience never to be repeated!

In the past I've made courgette chutney using this recipe [I cannot for the life of me remember from whence it came I'm afraid as it's just scribbled down in a notebook]. It's a good 'un but I know we've still got some left so no more for us this year.

Spiced Indian Courgette Chutney

1kg courgettes

2 tbsp salt

2 medium onions

4-5 large garlic cloves

1 red chilli

25g root ginger

100ml oil

2tbsp black mustard seeds

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp ground cumin

1tbsp turmeric

300ml cider vinegar

225g demerara sugar

Chop the courgette into small pieces. Sprinkle over the salt and leave in a colander over a bowl for two hours. Rinse very well and dry in a clean teatowel. Peel onion, garlic, ginger and deseeded chilli. Blitz into a paste. Heat oil. Fry mustard and coriander seeds for 3-4 mins. Add cumin and turmeric and keep shaking the pan to stop the spices burning. Add the onion paste and cook 4-5 mins. Add courgettes, vinegar and sugar. Cook on a simmer for 45 mins then put into sterilised jars.

Finally this has more ideas than you can shake a stick at http://www.yummly.com/recipes?q=zucchini&prm-v1&utm_medium=email&utm_source=seasonal&utm_campaign=Zeal_for_Zucchini

Arilx

Wilde Wit.

Tonight I am off to a talk about the great man himself  with W so to get me in the mood here is a small selection of Mr Wilde's quotes for your delectation.

"A good friend will always stab you in the front".

"The old believe everything, the middle-aged suspect everything, the young know everything."

"The only thing to do with good advice is pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself."

"Some cause happiness wherever they go. Others whenever they go."

"Work is the curse of the drinking classes."

Arilx

Chuggy Pig

Chuggy pig may not be a name familiar to you for 'tis these of which I speak [although granted not this huge prehistoric fossil but it was the only piccie I had that was appropriate]

The 'umble woodlouse. Let's face it anything lumbered with "louse" is never going to get off to a great start is it. I much prefer some of the other names I've come across and yes there are many! How about Bibble-Bug, Coffin Cutter and St Anthony's Buttons for starters. Anything that can roll itself into a ball [thinking of armadillos and hedgehogs here] gets my vote.

It's one of those creatures which is very familiar and doesn't catch your eye so I'm on a mission to rectify that. For starters they're useful to us wasteful humans as they eat our detritus and turn it back into black gold. They are apparently crustaceans and related to the likes of crabs but unlike their marine relatives they prefer to remain on terra firma. Furthermore there are 5 species in the UK [common striped, pill, rough, pigmy and shiny] but it's only the pill one that rolls up- the others have other means of escape ie runner, roller, clinger and creeper.

These days we tend to ignore them but once upon a time you might have hung a black silk bag containing live ones around your little darling's neck to ease teething pains or you yourself may have crunched your way through dried ones to ease stomach pains- the likely explanation is that they contain a lot of calcium so it may have eased neutralised the acids. Personally I think I'll stick with Rennies!

Arilx