No slush in the sandals this week, and of the mouse, more in a moment. Briefly then, the latest news from the kitchen-on-the-hill: Inside, the boilers continue to behave and all is cosy. Then, as if that wasn’t warming enough we had the pleasure of Herath and his family on Sunday; followed yesterday by Namtip, Noi and Aree.
Outside, it’s much colder; the fish pond and puddles glazed over, and the sandy paths all frozen solid underfoot. In the larder we have more bananas than you can shake a yellow stick at and are short of little else - although tonight is Burns night and there’s nae a haggis in sight. Instead, continuing the mousie theme, whilst pointing to our place in the heart of the weather and the weather in the heart that gives rise to it, here’s some snippets from one of his poems:
“Thou saw the fields laid bare an’ wast,
An weary Winter comin fast
An’ cozie here, beneath the blast,
Thou thought to dwell…
But Mousie, thou art no thy-lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o’ Mice and Men,
Gang aft agley,
An’ lae’e us nought but grief an’ pain,
For promised joy!
Still, thou art blest, compar’d wi’ me!
The present only toucheth thee:
But Och! I backward cast my e’e,
On prospects drear!
An’ forward, tho’ I canna see,
I guess an’ fear!”
In the larder however we’ll not be guessin’ an’ fearin’ for a while - we’re as blessed as the mouse. Whilst down at the stores, the vanity of foresight notwithstanding, we think the following may be helpful:
- Stamps (any value)
- Fire wood
- Danish oil
- Dust masks
- Lime scale remover for kettles
- Pritt stick
- Man-size tissues
Thank you too, but we have plenty of fruit and tootbrushes, salt and instant coffee, towels and eggs, soap and rice.
(mouse photograph courtesy of university of wisconsin board of regents)
