My friend Tessa and I were having an on-line discussion about cake, as you do. She had just finished the mammoth task of baking (and was partway through the delicious task of eating) a Ten Layer Russian Burnt Honey Cake, with frosted layers of condensed milk and whipped cream topped with burnt caramel crumbs. ForContinue reading “CAKEs”
Category Archives: thoughts
indulgence
Do we write blogs for ourselves or our readers? Are blogs a way of legitimising thoughts in full view of the world while kidding ourselves we’re Very Private People, or are we secret divas playing to an audience, giving readers what we think they want? Previously I had a business blog. It was a greatContinue reading “indulgence”
stubborn
I’ve always thought of stubbornness as a fault. An annoying, narrow-minded short-sighted fault. Stains and screws that won’t come out are stubborn, stubbornness is the strength of the weak and the dictionary defines stubborn as grim and implacable. (N.B we exclude donkeys and mules from any of these definitions because they have their own agenda).Continue reading “stubborn”
Four in the Morning
It is a fitful sleep that I’m relieved to be out of. I wiggle my fingers and feel my hands, reassured that they’re still attached to my arms and not performing a solo tap-dance routine, on stage at The London Palladium. Where does all this random stuff come from? I wonder if dreams are reallyContinue reading “Four in the Morning”
Down or Out
Q. How do you pull yourself out of a hole? A. You’ve fallen down a hole so deep, you’re standing at rock bottom. That’s assuming of course, that you are still standing. You tried to climb out, but scaling the sides seems impossible from such a low standpoint, and each superhuman effort barely makes aContinue reading “Down or Out”
perspective
What I call honesty, you feel is tactless. What you call caring I say is control. And one woman’s fabulous-dahling taupe is another woman’s plain old mushroom. Where do we find common ground, why can’t we agree, and what is the answer? Each week during construction, I read my blog post out loud to Mark.Continue reading “perspective”
Blockage
All cancer treatments have side effects, and my current meds are no exception; I try to think of it as a yin-yang thing. This time round I get to keep my hair, but I have debilitating muscle fatigue, inflammation of the blood vessels. . .and constipation. You do not often see Writing and Constipation mentionedContinue reading “Blockage”
the last word
You know me well enough to excuse my warped sense of humour; if there was a support group for Poor Humour Addicts, I’d be the leading light. “My name is Elaine and I find the darkest things funny.” Alas, it’s a familial trait so I’m both helpless and blameless. My maternal family had genetic cancersContinue reading “the last word”
Selling the Dream
I am a consummate saleswoman, it’s what I do. I expect it’s another genetic trait I’ve inherited, like curly hair and cancer. I could make a healthy living selling assisted dying packages (payment up front of course) on a commission-only basis, and believe my spiel sufficiently to buy a package for myself. I might evenContinue reading “Selling the Dream”
Fear of Fear
We all arrive at fear with real and imaginary experiences that are as unique to us as our DNA. Unlike any other marathon, fear has no common starting-place, no midway point of motivation, and no perceivable end, but if we can gain succour from refreshments offered along the way, we can survive. If we canContinue reading “Fear of Fear”
a horse, a husband, and cancer 