Snowballs and a King and Queen

Baking With Granny

I was watching a film clip from the war regarding the lack of food, and they pointed out that in the film you never saw a fat person.  Of course many were in the services, and others had not been eating that well from well before the war.  Today however, you rarely see a man without his belly filling his shirt.  Don't look at me like that.

Kids we see are mostly thin, school checks on their lunch habits helps here, and careful mums and the 'cost of living' has helped keep some slim.  Adults on the other hand are fat!  Several reasons for this, one is wealth.  I spite of everything most people have enough, and enough to eat more than they require, thus getting fat.  The word 'obese' is used today to avoid giving pain to fat people, I will use 'fat' as that is what causes the bulges everywhere.  Wealth, greed, poor choices of foodstuffs, and carelessness are the main causes in my view.  

Those who are poor however, may put on weight by eating badly by indulging potatoes, chips, bread, and in my case bread and sugar as it was cheap and filling.  That was about 1980, I reached 13 stone then, and considered myself fat!  Today, having lost two pounds, I am under 15 and a half.

The trick is the 'balanced diet,' this I work on, but very slowly this time.  

The snowballs in the picture, a recipe is on that site, like the 'fly cemeteries, and wee brown round things I never knew the name off, are reminiscent of the buns we found in bakers shops in my youth.  The bakers shops of Edinburgh are one reason we were healthier in the past in comparison to today.   

In any supermarket mum will buy stiff for the kids.  These biscuits, cakes etc, are all mass produced, full of add-ons, and the explanation means nothing, and all have an effect on kids, along with the chemical sweeteners in the drinks they choose.  

My mum used to bake cakes, not fancy, but using her own flour etc.  These were similar to the cakes and buns bought in local bakers, as the baker also used similar material, devoid of chemical add-ons and fed us happily without offering a long term problem.  Most mums did similar.  They were healthier than those found in fancy bakers today, although I am sure small bakers still produce their own bread, cakes and buns in similar fashion, but the costs keep going up and trendies demand fancy, not basic stuff thee days.

Basic feeding produces healthier kids, maybe more granny's are required to cook...?

Yahoo

The King arrived in Edinburgh to receive his coronation again.  In a vain attempt to pretend Scotland matters, other than as a storehouse for England's requirements, he arrived with full pomp at St Giles Kirk and was presented with the sword, mace, and crown of Scotland.  This he did not place on his head, I wonder why?  A short service, directed by Charlie himself, with all the required high heid yins in place, and a number of hanger-ons who will boast of this for many a day,  a parade of military personnel, a lack of violent or offensive protestors, Andrew was not present, and a handful of professional republicans, mostly from the west coast, and the party retreated to Holyrood House and dinner.

I watched this for the historical interest and because it is an event, and we all like to see an event.  There is a need for some pomp at such times, though the truth is the royals are not as popular in Scotland as in imperialist England.  Slightly left of centre Scotland does not like to bow the knee to those who get above themselves.  This does not means the couple are disliked, and who actually knows what they are like?  But it shows Scots want more input into the choice of king.  I suspect dim Willie will not be popular in any way whatsoever, and his publicity seeking wife will be told to cut costs or scram.

I fear she will end up like his mum, playing with the Tabliod's and suffering because of them. 

The usual voices spoke in the Kirk, but what the moderator of the Church of Scotland was talking about I could not understand.  I expected her to mention the cross, the saviour, and what his will really is, but she blethered in an American accent for a while and the royal four looked somewhat bemused. I was disappointed with her.  

Another event over, another block on the business life of Edinburgh, another excuse for pontificating in the English owned and controlled media.  All very tiring isn't it?

King of Scots

 

There was a time when I could take a picture of the moon and, with a few strokes on 'Photo' make it legible. This is a talent I have lost. I need to fix something in the camera but my ailing mind canny mind what to do.  First world problems.  

A further problem is waking up early, wondering what Sunday will bring, and two hours later realising it is Monday.  Then I make out a list of things to do, do some, and spend the rest of the afternoon ignoring the list while watching the King in Edinburgh. 

 

 

How lovely to see the Crown of Scotland, designed by James V. a couple of years before his demise.  Note the lack of stolen diamonds upon it!  James was the last Monarch to die in Scotland until Liz.  This shows how often they returned here!

Charles will become a 'King of Scots.'  Note, he does not become 'King of Scotland.'

He does not own the land as the King of England does.  Scots are far more democratic than their neighbours.  If the King fails then he is democratically removed, usually with a sword.    

How boring is the BBC coverage?  Huw Edwards pratling on, put in his place by a Scottish historian regarding invasions and he quickly changed the subject BBC style.  I wanted to see pictures, not gabbing people so made use of the Live TV on the 'Mail Online.'  This, thanks to the internet wonders, was only camera shots, with no commentator.  How lovely!  Also, it was a few minutes ahead of the BBC by the same internet wonders.  I must say, asking a 73 year old King to walk slowly up the Royal Mile was dangerous.  This could have led to another funeral!  That is a steep slope and a slow walk, not one for me.  I spent much time looking for my family, who may have been there, and wondering about the crowds gathered on the High Street.  

The wall to wall coverage must die down now.  A trip to northern Ireland, and then Wales, before the end of the week.  Charlie must be fit to keep going.

 

 

Friday, End of Week Rummage.

Another week of joy and happiness is over. The early weeding this week, the Tesco and Sainsbury shopping all wore me out, not helped by having to hoover, change bed, laundry, and cook also all week.  Al these girl jobs and only I to do them.  It is so wearing...

So I spent time looking through old, very old, pictures you may have seen before.  Some were taken on the old Minolta B.D. that's Before Digital.  Playing around with them can be beneficial to them, but not always.  This one of St Giles Kirk must have been taken from Calton Hill, two or three others were, and I actually like it.  Calton Hill has been a playground for Edinburgh folk for many a day, and today it continues the dubious honour of having many a strange occurrence occur there.  This did not happen on the day I ventured up the hill, too cold that day.  Kings of old allowed sport, archery and such like, the people preferred open-air theatre and debauchery.  The imitation Parthenon still stands, well around ten pillars at least.  This is the 'National Monument' designed to commemorate the Scottish servicemen who died during the Napoleonic Wars.  It ran out of money in 1829 and work has as yet not restarted.     

Advocates Close in the high Street is a favourite place to picture.  Work has meant such a pic may no longer be possible, however, this is one of a great many closes that go from the 'Royal Mile' down the High Street to Holyrood.  Old Edinburgh being built on a thin stretch of land the buildings tended to rise up higher and higher, ten stories not being unusual.  We can see the slope away to the north from this angle.  The memorial to Sir Walter Scott stands in the distance.  Scott invented the modern 'traditional Scot.'  Tartan and romantic Highlanders and all the half truths and lies that accompany his determined effort to make Scotland well known, but part of Greater England!  He sold us out and still did not make enough money from his books to pay his debts.  Advocates Close was named for the Lord Advocate, James Stewart, a fine residence in his day, later a slum and now renovated, and expensive I bet.

  
Abraham Lincoln stands atop this memorial to the Scottish American Soldiers who fought in the US Civil War.  Erected in 1893 with several of these men buried underneath or nearby, it shows Lincoln at the top, a freed Black slave with a book, revealing he is now educated at the base.  It is the only such memorial outside of the US. 

 
How did I climb hills?  This was taken ten years ago when my mother died.  One day my brother drove us around to get a feel for the place as it had become.  We stopped here, Salisbury Crags to the right, castle and all in front.  A popular view for those with expensive cameras!

Edinburgh Zoo is famous for the Penguin enclosure.  I took this 'Rockhopper Penguin' pic at the time they were renovating the place.  I can assure you penguins smell a great deal when up close.  One of my nieces did a year at the zoo when 16, this included 6 weeks with penguins.  As she got on the bus going home the drivers would say "You, upstairs!"  No-one sat near her.