Fire!

I have been asked for my receipe for meatballs in tomato sauce so here it is. This serves four as a main or six as a starter.

Finely chop half a large onion and crush 1 - 2 cloves of garlic. Fry slowly in about 1 tablespoon of good quality olive oil. Cook until soft but not brown. Skin and chop 6 - 8 pork sausages, cumberland are excellent for this receipe. Add to soften onions and add freshly ground black pepper. You can add a pinch of salt here if you wish but I don't use it. Cook for around seven minutes until sausage pieces are browned all over. While waiting put a large pan of slightly salted water on to boil, when water is boiling veigourously add 400 grams of pasta, I prefer fusilli, and cook for ten minutes. Add a standard sized can of chopped tomatos, a chicken stock cube and a quarter can, use the can the tomatoes were in, of water. Stir until meatballs a covered and stock cube has dissolved then simmer until pasta is ready. Serve with green salad or garlic bread or both. Enjoy!

Sitting watching the Thomas Crown Affair with Peter and Andrew last night my nose started twitching. "Can you smell burning?" After a lot of sniffing and exchanging of funny looks it was decided I was imagining things and we settled back down. Ten minutes later I voiced the opinion that not only could I still smell burning but it was getting stronger. With much sighing and grunting the film was paused while a quick search of the house took place. It was only when we stepped outside to check the cars and saw a whacking great fire engine, blue lights ablaze, at the end of the road that we realised the smell wasn't us but one of our neighbours. All the our other neighbours were out watching but we spotted the little huddle of people crying outside the gate and went back in. I do not get a kick out of watching someone else's misery.

In the cold light of day things turned out not to be as bad as we first thought, the family car had gone up in smoke but the home was relatively untouched.

Watched the British Grand Prix this afternoon and once again I'm left wondering why I bother putting myself through the angst each year, but just like the tennis I'll be on the settee rooting for the Brits again next year.

Managed a three way chat with my brother and sister this afternoon and have made preliminary plans to all meet up and take my mother out to lunch for her birthday. We've sort of agreed a date and both boys are keen to go so provided my health holds out it should be a good couple of days.

Talking of trips Peter is planning a little jaunt abroad just for the two of us. He is thinking Amsterdam as it is flat but to be honest I'd be grateful to go anywhere where we can just have some time out away from everything.  I've never been to the Netherlands so am quite looking forward to it.

Tomorrow I'm off to see the occupational health doctor to arrange my back to work plan. I have to admit I'm beginning to feel nervous about returning to work. I've been off for a very long time and I'm wondering how I'm going to fit back in. I hope I remember how to do things. Time enough to worry about that though, the first hurdle is agreeing what I can and cannot do. I'm sure it will all work out in the end but I'll be glad when I know exactly what they expect of me, hopefully not much, at least for a week or two.