Notes From Somerset

Newsletter

Hello and welcome to this week's newsletter, which actually covers two weeks of my life in Somerset. It is most definitely late, but as it almost didn’t happen at all, I’m calling it a win!

Military Helicopter Flight

We were extremely fortunate to be able to attend a Royal Navy Open Day last week and take a flight in a Merlin Mk4 Helicopter. It was absolutely amazing flying over Somerset, on a beautifully sunny day, and I hardly noticed that all the doors were wide open!

In our pre-flight briefing we were advised to take a sick bag on board with us, but I am pleased to report that this was not required. The pressure of the helicopter having to be stood down for cleaning was enough to make anyone hang on to their breakfast, I think.

Flower Show

Under great duress, I attended a local flower show this week. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love our garden, our kitchen garden especially. I’m just not a fan of spending hours looking at other people's flowers. However, my husband loves the garden and, most days, I love my husband, so I agreed to accompany him.

It is a large flower show, taking up around two-thirds of an entire park, which is around 18.5 acres in size, so I knew we were in for the long haul, not just a pop and have-a-look type of thing. I dressed in an appropriately long floral dress and the obligatory trainers, you have got to keep the aged feet comfortable at all costs. The show was far more than I had anticipated. There was an abundance of artisan stalls selling anything from wooden brushes to dog leads, food and drink outlets aplenty, but strangely, not that many flowers at all. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and think I may even be tempted to enter our runner beans and courgettes in next year's, homegrown competition!

We came away with allium bulbs, cheeses and a variety of luxury biscuits, which, to be fair, tasted no better than non-luxury biscuits I have had in the past. So tempted to mention cost here, but I’m trying to stop this bad habit!

BBQ!

This weekend saw us, again, embark on my food nemesis, the BBQ. For anyone who follows my ramblings avidly, you will know that I am not a fan of the BBQ. The work involved, the lack of left-overs as most end up in the bin due to the charcoaled level being too great to stand the re-heating!

Anyhoo, we had family visiting and this was their request and, as I pride myself on being the ‘hostess with the mostest’ we cracked on. I left my husband to the actual cooking of the meat whilst I focused on the side dishes. One of the dips I had a go at was whipped feta drizzled with honey. It was absolutely delicious, even if I do say so myself. It was based on the BBC Good Food recipe, but I did bastardise it somewhat.

The BBQ went well, no overcooking at all and it was certainly helped by my brainwave of making frozen margaritas. Trying to use up the tequila and triple sec I purchased to make Nigella’s margarita ice cream for dessert. I urge you to give it a go and, just to nudge you further, I have provided the recipe below. You're welcome and sorry!

‘125 ml fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons (30 ml) tequila

3 tablespoons (45 ml) cointreau or triple sec

150gm icing sugar

500 ml double dream

Pour lime juice, tequila and cointreau (or triple sec) into a bowl and stir until sugar has dissolved.

Add the cream and whip until thick and smooth (not stiff)

Spoon into an airtight container and freeze overnight’

Eat!

(Nigella Express, No-Churn Margarita Ice Cream - Nigella Express)

Passive Learning

I am trying, whenever possible, to continue my journey of enlightenment. So most days, whilst undertaking mundane tasks, you will find me with my AirPods, listening to new concepts and being reminded of how to grow and prevent stagnation. I find most things fascinating and immediately, want to put into practice whatever I am being told at any given moment. Which, unfortunately, only lasts until I move on to the next episode, when again I become fully focused on an alternative suggestion: I am a marketeer’s dream.

Slow living seems to be a recurring theme right now. Slowing down, being more mindful, getting out into nature, living more intentionally. Obviously, I am failing on the latter as I am definitely not making deliberate choices if I keep being swept along by every darned podcast I listen to!

If nothing else, all this newly obtained information should improve my contributions to the monthly quiz we attend. Well, I live in hope anyway.

The Magic of Music

For years now, I have, upon waking up, undertaken a 30-minute (indoor) run. Running my heart out, tunes blaring away in my ears, endeavouring to beat my personal best. It lifted my spirits and set me up for the day. I loved it. However, over the last few months my enthusiasm has started to wain. I was no longer enjoying it as much, it was taking me longer to achieve the same distance and, inevitably, I kept cutting my run short. I couldn’t understand what had happened. `Until I did!

I have replaced my usual play list with motivational content as mentioned above. I felt that my run provided a great opportunity to add an extra 30 minutes to my day. What a big mistake this has proven to be. I run faster, more enthusiastically and for longer when I am listening to Bonnie Tyler telling me she is holding out for a hero, than I do when I am listening to someone talk me through improving my fitness levels! It just doesn’t work. There is a time and a place for everything and running, for me, is not a time to listen to talk. I need music!

Music lowers cortisol, our stress hormone and releases dopamine, the feel-good chemical, and is pretty cheap to access. So, in a nutshell, music is good for us. Sing it loud!

Maverick The Dog

On a sad note, we had to say a very upsetting goodbye to Maverick, the German Shepard belonging to our son and his fiancée, this week. He was diagnosed with epilepsy earlier in the year and, despite taking daily medication, the episode he experienced this week was just too much for him. At only 3 years old, he had most definitely not experienced enough life, but his personality, as mad as a box of frogs, ensured he did get a lot out of the time he was here with us. RIP our Mav.

Not wanting to end on a sad note, I will leave you with a picture of my new oven gloves. Don’t say I do not provide you with a variety of content for the mind :-)

Until next time

Have a great week

Jayne xx