Making progress. Good news: the hospital bed and all the other paraphernalia has gone back and, hurrah!, I’ve actually walked down the front path to the gate. It was my first venture outside since 18 September last year. Visiting nurse gave me a flu jab and the Covid one is due in a week. Physio exercises are going OK (if done first thing) so there’s life in the old dog yet although still need to come off the last painkillers and stop sleeping in the afternoons. There’s no doubt that I wouldn’t have got this far without all the support of the sous-chef and the rest of the team.
Perfect blind biscuits. Sue brought me Italian taralli fennel biscuits from Puglia and I’ve been researching the recipe. I’ll definitely need a hand when I try to poach rings of the savoury dough in simmering water and then transferring those soft, slippery circles on to the tray for baking. Worth a punt but I’m not sure they’ll be a weekly favourite!
Rodents. A mouse (or more) in the house is no fun when you can’t see their nibblings, their droppings or, after the pest controller’s ministrations, their dead bloated bodies. This is one of the scenarios from which I retreat with much rapidity. Thankfully, there’s a great professional sorting out the traps and bait, and others to (squeamishly) help me but I now need to tread with even more care!