Friday 8 October 2010

Oddments



Warning: this post contains graphic images of a revolting nature, and persons of a delicate disposition may faint away on seeing them. Have your smelling salts handy before proceeding. 

It's been quite a week, the first in the new era of Florence ownership. And having the Lovely Son home so soon after returning from Vietnam and Cambodia has brought all sorts of additional delights.

Coconut and cane sugar sweets. A green scarf.



A zillion photos, mostly fabulously, mouth-wateringly beautiful, except for this one, of the black ants and whole quail meal described so graphically in the text message that brought the phrase "Much rum afterwards for forgetting" into this family's oral tradition.

Sorry, but because of its utter vileness, I have to share it with you, hoping that you will be brave enough to click to enlarge, and inspect the lower section of the rim of the plate (unchopped winged ants) and the little quail head....


I have been introduced to Vietnamese-style coffee: a bottom layer of sweetened condensed milk, topped with strong filter coffee made with the tiniest little individual filter, to be stirred when you receive it:


And today, lunch (no ants) in Newcastle's only Vietnamese restaurant, where we had coffee again:


But best of all is to observe the growing love between the Lovely Son and Flossie, despite their team approach to the steady erosion of all house rules. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth on Monday when he returns to London.... But for now, there is mutual adoration:




And some opportunities for silent laughter at a silly dog's expense:


As well as a reminder to self to remove Flossie from the kitchen when roasting chicken:




One week on, the cats grow braver, and draw nearer - Lottie was a millimetre away from touching noses with Flossie today, until Floss tried to give her a friendly lick. Lottie withdrew her nose in a flash, with an expression of affront that clearly conveyed "Eeeeuw! Gross!" And that seems to me the essential difference between cats and dogs....


Hamish has moved downstairs, and spends some time behind the television; this is an improvement on his attic existence wearing his Arthur Scargill expression of outrage. No one has lost weight, and the cats' food dishes empty mysteriously overnight when Flossie is safely locked in, so I'm guessing that no one is really traumatised by the arrival of a large friendly black creature with a big wet tongue.


My pockets are full of dog biscuits and training treats, and the house is full of dog mats, beds and blankets. Life has changed. All we need now is a house on the edge of Exmoor....

13 comments:

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

Love the way everyone is adjusting!

Dragonfly Dreams said...

Love the smiles, love the coffee, love the way Flossie and your son are having so much fun, but I have to admit, that when I did enlarge the picture of the partridge meal...well, I WAS hungry...! :-)

Von said...

What fun!!Ants hey? Hmm like the chicken.

annie hoff said...

You'll get your house I'm sure, and Flossie looks floppy and lovely - and dribbly!

Lynda (Granny K) said...

So glad that you are enjoying having Flossie with you. It's clearly a mutual adoration thing with Lovely Son and Flossie. My lovely son Tim has a black lab, 12 months old called Millie, who could pass as a double for Flossie.
I hope you have got some pet insurance in place. In the summer Millie was accidentally hit in the mouth with a cricket bat and had a canine tooth broken. The vet said in such a young dog it was possible to have it capped at a special dog-dentist in Manchester, rather than remove the tooth. This was done successfully but cost £900. Petplan paid, i'm happy to say.

lovethosecupcakes said...

It's all falling into place for you. And I want a dog.

Rattling On said...

The drooly stalactites are known as 'Bunty's danglers' in this house!!
I like the way the quail dish is laid out on the bed of lettuce, so civilising.

rogern said...

i was going to ask if you knew about Little Saigon, but obviously you do :-) good isn't it?

Kate on Clinton said...

It took a second look to realize that Flossie was drooling while you were cooking the chicken! Lola drools if I rustle the cat treat bag.
So glad to hear everyone is continuing to adjust in their own ways.

Lesley said...

I hope the feline crew comes round soon as Flossie is GORGEOUS!! The most beautiful balck Lab I have ever seen. And clearly a supermodel as so photogenic. I'm in love.

This could be because I miss my girls so much while they're living at home and I've moved out.... They will be back with me on Tuesday night....

Long live a mixed household.

Lesley xx

Fran Hill said...

Oh yuk. I did enlarge the picture. Worst decision I've made all day. I think I will have a nice, plain meal tonight.

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

Of course I didn't click to enlarge . Duh !
I'm very jealous of your living near a Vietnamese restaurant , though . And such a splendid beach .
Love your photo of LS and a hero-worshipping Flossie !

Marcheline said...

Wow - that looks like some meal! It's truly amazing the differences in diet around the globe, and the willingness of people to eat truly horrific things in the pursuit of protein. 8-)

Gorgeous doggie! (Don't let her near that restaurant...)

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