Thankful 2015 – Week 5

Posted on November 28, 2015 by nicdempsey

This week I’m back to a straight list.

  1. The NHS
  2. Ma, who is always great but has gone above and beyond in the last 5 weeks
  3. Ben, for taking me to the hospital
  4. Oli, who took one look at me on Saturday and said “You’ve only got one hand”
  5. Food to eat
  6. All the people who’ve called and been in touch over the last five weeks
  7. Books
  8. BBC iplayer and the BBC in general
  9. The Library
  10. Radio 4 and especially In Our Time
  11. Public Transport because I’m going no-where in the next couple of weeks without using a bus!
  12. The ability of the body (mine in particular) to heal.
  13. Central heating, it’s gotten chilly recently
  14. A job that I can be away from for 6 weeks
  15. Which leads directly on to unions because without them no sick pay
  16. Georgette  Heyer novels
  17. The ability to shower by myself
  18. Chocolate
  19. Gin and Tonic

I try as a general rule to be grateful for my life, it’s not perfect or charmed but I am luckier than a lot of people just because of where I was born and it’s important to remember that. This week in particular I’ve been contemplating how quickly but foot seems to be healing, it’s amazing given what it’s been through!

The ability to heal physically and mentally, is something I’m really grateful for this week. There was a time in the not too distant past when I really felt as though my life was cursed by a bad fairy and it was really difficult to take any joy from any aspect of my life. I got better though. I didn’t do it all by myself (and I’m thankful to the people who stuck with me when I was depressed) but the biggest piece of it, accepting that life was not terrible and I was not doomed, I did do by myself. I’m proud of that, of moving forward and through before I really understood or felt that it would get better.

So what I’m grateful for this week, is that we get better. We heal and we move on.

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Friday Links

Posted on November 27, 2015 by nicdempsey

Happy Friday! This week I have been mostly doing cross-stitch, so not as many links…

Woman and ISIS. This is a long read but worth it.

The mid-life crisis is real. Apparently, I’m at that ‘most unhappy’ age. I think I must have done this early, I was pretty miserable about 10 years ago and although my life is not anything like I thought it would be, I’m not unhappy with it.

What is healthy eating? Worth reading for looking at how we view food.

Modern (non)communication and how it’s changing our experiences.

 

 

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Slow Cooker Chicken and Peppers

Posted on November 26, 2015 by nicdempsey

So I’ve started to think about cooking again, a sure sign of recovery (I’ve also started to do the laundry too although ironing will have to be done sitting down if Ma goes on strike!). One of my favourite websites for food inspiration is Budget Bytes, the recipes are interesting and as the title suggests good for those on a budget, although lots of the pricing isn’t relevant for me and you do sometimes have to do some basic US to UK translation for some of the food and measures, the food is good.DSCF5024

Beth’s Slow Cooker Italian Chicken and Peppers was the ideal meal for me to start proper cooking with, mostly because it all goes in the slow cooker. However, I’ve not been doing my shopping since surgery, poor Mum has been doing it for me, we both knew that this would be the case, so when I got paid this at the end of October, I just transferred my food shopping money over to her. Which means that I don’t have any money (seriously, there 97p in my purse right now) to pop to the shops and pick up extra stuff that I might want, even if I could just walk down to the shops…

Which means that I adapted this recipe quite a bit. Firstly, I didn’t have any marinara sauce because as a general rule I don’t buy jarred sauces, what I did have was garlic, a tin of tomatoes and some tomato puree and some basil leaves (you can see where this is going can’t you?), I also never eat green bell peppers, they are unripe peppers and they give me indigestion, I used red, orange and yellow ones, finally the chicken in the freezer was a packet of mixed thighs and drumsticks which weighed about 1.5lbs, they weren’t boneless so less meat but it would have to do.DSCF5020 DSCF5022As per instructions, I intended to leave this on low for 8 hours, however, at 6 hours, it looked a bit watery (probably because of my tomato ‘sauce’, so I added another squirt of tomato puree and turned it up to high for the next hour or so.

I took out the meat, removed the skin and bones, shredded it and added it back to the sauce and peppers. It was ready to eat at that point but I decided that I wanted to eat this with dumplings. Suet dumplings to be precise. So 2oz of suet, 4oz of self raising flour, a sprinkle of dried oregano and 5 tablespoons of water. Mixed together, then made into dumplings and thrown in the slow cooker, about 30 minutes later, I had the perfect dinner for a rainy November evening.DSCF5023

 

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Want – Cookbooks

Posted on November 24, 2015 by nicdempsey

I’m told that I have a cookbook problem, apparently I have too many. My answer to this is yes I do, my cookbook shelves are too small for all of my cookbooks! This year I haven’t bought any cook books, I was on a buy no more than 12 books for me and cookbooks counted!

These are cookbooks I have considered buying this year.

Budget Bytes: Over 100 Easy, Delicious Recipes to Slash Your Grocery Bill in Half – Beth Moncel

I like the blog and if I read and use the recipes on the blog a lot, I like to get new ideas from the them and support the blogger by buying the book!

Thug Kitchen: Eat Like You Give a F**k

My eating style has changed so much over the last 10 years and I eat far more vegetarian meals than I ever thought possible, I am aware that my diet is over-reliant on eggs and cheese and so affordable vegan food is something I’d like to try more of.

Chia, Quinoa, Kale, Oh My! – Recipes for 40+ Delicious, Super-Nutritious, Superfoods Paperback – Cassie Johnston

I liked her first book and I like her recipes and see above about buying the books of bloggers I like.

Everyday Super Food – Jamie Oliver

I bought this book for my brother for his birthday and I liked what I saw but didn’t copy any of it down.

Simply Nigella: Feel Good Food – Nigella Lawson

I’m not sure about this one. I mostly love Nigella but I’ve been watching the accompanying TV programme and lots of the recipes are just so expensive, however, like all things they are adaptable and I always get lots of good ideas from her books..

30 Minute Vegetarian – Rose Elliot

I have a couple of Rose Elliot’s books and I find them so useful for expanding my cooking..

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Life Happened – Oli is Six

Posted on November 23, 2015 by nicdempsey

You would be forgiven for thinking that the Life Happened updates have been a little bit boring recently and you’d be right because I can’t walk much, don’t leave the house and don’t do much at all..

However this week, I put on clothes and went on Wednesday, to the library. We had to take a bus there and back, which made me feel like an old lady, given that pre osteotomy I used to walk into Ealing once a week… I also managed my first shower by myself and didn’t fall on my bum, so I rewarded myself with a gin and tonicIMG_3515This week was lovely because all of a sudden my foot got much better, it’s been looking better but this week it was much less stiff and much easier to walk. The really cool thing is that it has a warning system for when it’s had enough and I need to put it up, it turns red and then purple.IMG_3513 If that wasn’t enough excitement for one week, on Saturday, Ma and I went to Watford (in a car!) for Oli’s birthday party.  After wrangling 24, five and six year olds through bowling and dinner, Laura still managed a smile (she also has an 11 week old baby and makes it all look really easy too!)IMG_3519Nephew number two…well he slept through all of it and only woke up went it was time to go. No cuddles with Joe this time…

 

 

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Sunday Music

Posted on November 22, 2015 by nicdempsey

 

I was going to play this last week but it didn’t feel right but it is fabulous so from the CMA’s Chris Stapleton and Justin Timberlake…

Both songs are good, Chris Stapleton’s album is fantastic too…

 

 

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Thankful 2015 – Week 4

Posted on November 21, 2015 by nicdempsey

While I’ve been indoors with the recovering foot, Autumn happened. Leaves are off the trees and on the pavement, sunset is at just past 4pm and they are predicting sleet and snow showers for Saturday.

I’ve written a lot about how seasonally affected I am and how much I don’t like autumn but this autumn has been a lot easier than previously. That’s because I haven’t had to get up in the dark or do much of anything except recover from the osteotomy. I’ve always said that I’d like to hibernate from November through to Christmas and although it’s not practical to do so, I’m thankful to have had that just this once!IMG_2534

The last time I had any concentrated time off work was last Christmas, and the last 4 weeks have been good for my soul. I’m not actually recommending having a someone saw into and rearrange the bones in your foot as a way to get some time off, (really I’m not recommending that you do it – trust me on this!) but having to take the time off and not being able to do much has been good for me.

The combination of not being able to do much and being forced to rely on others (mostly my lovely mum) has given me time to think and rest and reflect. I’ve had some time to think about how I live and to see how I could change some of that for the better.IMG_3455

This week, my physical condition has improved in giant leaps and although I know that I’m not quite ready to take on work right this minute, I’m much more confident about going back in a couple of weeks and quite looking forward to it.

So this week, I’m thankful for the opportunity to rest and reset. I’m thankful for the opportunity to hibernate through a time of year I really don’t like and I’m thankful for the support I’ve received from my family, friends and colleagues.

 

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Friday Links

Posted on November 20, 2015 by nicdempsey

Happy Friday! So this weeks links can be divided into two categories, Paris (and Paris adjacent articles) and everything else. I’m going to start with Paris.

Actually I’m going to start with Beirut and Iraq…Did the media ignore Beirut or did the readers?

But unless the victims are either children or Christian, I have never really succeeded in getting readers to care about such bombings that happen outside of the Western world.

It’s a sure sign that I’m getting older when I find myself agreeing with Peter Hitchens. I’d like to think he’s changing not me. Really want to beat terror, then calm down and think.

What I discovered from interviewing ISIS fighters.

Terror can only succeed with our cooperation.

John Oliver has it about right.. ..and hopefully I will be eating a French freedom tower very soon..

Everything else.

Why we shouldn’t trust bankers. I think that’s about right.

When your friends are having babies and your not. Oh yeah. I had this moment at my brother’s 40th when my aunt was all “give me the baby, I’m his great aunt” and I thought “yes but you’ve had your babies and grandchildren and nieces and nephews, Oli and Joe are the closest I get to any of that”. Sometimes it’s difficult all ways round, I love my nephews but looking after them is not a treat for me because I’m childless, I don’t want those children, they have parents, I want my children and the realisation that that isn’t gonna happen is tough. Looking after the nephews and assorted other children is something I do because I can but it doesn’t fill the child shaped hole in me.

Mark Steele on the ridiculousness of focusing on how Jeremy Corbyn bows at the Cenotaph or kneels to the Queen

What happens when you live with your friends and when you don’t anymore. I’ve lived with two of my friends. Christelle and Sarah. There is an adjustment when you don’t live with them anymore but I think that depends on the friendship and that you need to both make time for it and be forgiving when either of you can’t make the time.

We betray the young and their futures by pricing them out of London. There’s another thing here too, what about the working class kids who grow up in London? If I move out of London, I lose my support system. If Ma didn’t live in Surbiton, how would I have dealt with the last three weeks of not being able to walk, who would have shopped for me? For working class kids, the support system of friends and family is pretty much all they have going for them, if we take away social housing and make private housing really unaffordable, what happens to them?

A different way of sleeping. I’ve always wondered about this and whether doing it would help with my sleep problem.

Fascinating. How burgers and fries are killing your microbiome

Hannah Betts lives as a Tudor for the day. I love that period of history but I really wouldn’t trade now for that or my other favourite period of history not even to meet Johnny Kincaid…

Finally and this is my favourite…

This came via Kate – The Sequel To The Philadelphia Story That Katharine Hepburn Deserves.

TRACY: And then he capped it all off with “You have a good mind, a pretty face, a disciplined body that does what you tell it. You have everything it takes to make a lovely woman except the one essential. An understanding heart. Without that, you might as well be made of bronze.”

MIKE: Is that actual dialogue from the movie?

TRACY: Fucking WORD FOR WORD, Mike. Ver-goddamn-batim.

DEXTER: Your dad told you that you had ‘a disciplined body’?

MIKE: Christing hell.

DEXTER: Tracy, I think I get it now. You don’t have to marry any of us.

MIKE: But you really should not have to live within a hundred miles of your father. If you ever need help finding, like, an anonymous apartment in the city, please let one of us know. We would be more than happy to help out. Platonically.

DEXTER: With no expectation of a relationship. Or anything. Just…if you need anything, you call us. Okay?

 

 

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Foot Update

Posted on November 18, 2015 by nicdempsey

It’s been three and a half weeks since the osteotomy and two weeks since I had the stitches out and it’s looking much better

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IMG_3442IMG_3485IMG_3492IMG_3506

The scar isn’t looking nearly as fearsome and, provided I’m wearing the boot, I’m more mobile and am able to get about a bit more, but I can’t really do a lot of standing, more than 30 minutes and the foot is swollen and purple and I have to put it up but on Monday Kathy and her eldest came to visit and I sat at the kitchen table with my foot down and it didn’t hurt.

It’s not sore enough that I need to take any painkillers and most of the pain when I’m not moving is from the akin osteotomy (which is the pie shaped piece of bone that was taken out of my big toe). If I put my foot on the floor and try to get out of bed without the boot (it happened once!) the pain is all over the toe and the side of my foot and that really, really hurts, swearing at the top of my voice hurts. Mostly the bottom of my foot by the first two toes feel bruised, it’s also warmer than the rest of my foot. Also if my feet are cold, my toe hurts.

The other thing is that both of my feet have been shedding skin, I’ve been moisturising them but I could scrape the skin off my feet which was gross. On Sunday, I very gently used the scholl exfoliator stuff that they don’t seem to make anymore, that got rid of the worst of it and now they feet like my feet!

I have an appointment at the hospital on 1 December (unless there’s a strike!) and I’m hoping then that I get some exercises to help unstiffen the big toe. I think that at that point they’ll also take an x-ray to see how the healing is progressing, and assuming that’s all ok, I’m back at work on 7 December.

I’m sure that I’m never going to have pretty feet but I am looking forward to functioning feet again!

 

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Keeping It Simple

Posted on November 17, 2015 by nicdempsey

Over the last three weeks, my food choices have been limited to other people cooking or by what I’ve been able to cook/prepare in the five minute chunks I’ve been able to stand before my foot basically tells me to get back to the sofa as soon as I can hop there.

It’s also changed because I’m not eating that much due to all that sofa time. I’m expending less energy and don’t want to eat as much. I usually eat at about 12pm and again around 6pm, I only really snack when Ma is here because getting up, putting the boot on and then getting me and a snack back to the sofa was too much hassle. This is no bad thing, I have a really bad habit of eating when I’m bored so this has been a small reset. Weight loss has been the last thing on my mind at all but contrary to expectations, I’ve lost some weight since the osteotomy, about 2kg, which is not bad given that I’ve been out of the house three times in the last three weeks!

Food has to be quick and  the less washing up involved the better, so with that in mind, this is what I’ve been eating.

SoupDSCF5005 I made a lot of soup before the operation and have lived off it, there’s still some in the freezer.

Hummus and vegetables. DSCF5011Quick and easy, chop veg, grab hummus from the fridge. Note that I didn’t make the hummus, sometimes buying is easier than making and that’s ok.

Jelly BabiesIMG_3465The great thing about this, was that it was totally limited to whether or not people brought them so although I could eat a packet in a day if I chose, that was all I could eat until someone brought more. (Thanks Ma and Christelle).However, Ma and I did decide that it needed to stop because I have no control around them! So it’s been about a week and a half since my last Jelly Baby fix!

Bread rollsDSCF5012Ma and I made a bunch of rolls (this recipe) these are so good and easy to make. They go well with soup too. One week, Ma roasted a chicken on Sunday and I lived on chicken sandwiches, carrots and peppers. This week it’s all about the egg sandwich (something like this but without plastic cheese and with ketchup because I am an animal!)

Roasted ChickpeasDSCF5008The world’s simplest snack, cooked chickpeas, olive oil, salt and smoked paprika, roasted for about 25 minutes. More protein than crisps and a good snack.

Chicken and Pumpkin Stew

Ok, I didn’t make this and it was so good I forgot to photograph it! Kathy brought it over on last week and we had it for lunch and did another dinner and it was really good. I have wonderful friends…and as soon as I can wrestle the recipe off Kathy and walk, I’ll share it here.

It’s not been more exciting than that but over the weekend my foot has improved dramatically and I can spend a bit more time in the kitchen so it might be time for a little bit more variety!

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