This all seems very Autumnal and it's only June. I've been listening to Sandy Denny which always makes it seem Autumnal. It may be that I've just received the recent re-release of North Star Grassman and the Ravens, her first solo album or just a general feeling in the air. More of the album another time. However, there is a track on the album called The Optimist which features RT playing most instruments (including a rare outing on both bass and 12 string guitar). Interestingly, and through pure coincidence, Mrs Dave and I rather enjoyed a bottle of Aussie wine named - no prizes here - The Optimist Verdelho Chardonnay with our Sunday meal. This is not any form of synchronicity but, as I said, sheer coincidence.
It's a lovely wine with very fruity notes, hardly Autumnal but went superbly with the roast chicken. The real find of the meal, though was baked Sweet Potato. I may be slow in the uptake here, but I've never baked Sweet Potatotes before - a simple process but with quite amazing results. Third born was quite sad that I'd only cooked one each - a little victory there, then. He even ate Strawberries afterwards. Nearly 19, you see - adulthood beckons. Maybe there will be less aromas of Pizzas in the air chez moi. I never eat the damned things myself.
Although the weather has been a little, shall we say merde-y, recently, I managed to cook some rather fine lamb leg steaks on the Leeke barbecue on Saturday evening in between dodging the rain showers. Our local butcher uses meat from Bramfield Meats in Suffolk, a local farm co-operative. I always walk up on a Saturday morning to the butcher shop and get the weekend supply - although I also use the local fishmonger. To buy fish, that is.
Check out your local vendors if you don't already. Quality is all and stuff Tesco et al.
Anyway, I'm back in the land of the living. I've only got to post the last few scripts off to the exam board and send off my expenses and I'm done for another year. I must admit that this has been the most difficult year of marking so far. It may be that I've had more decent scripts than usual - I'm used to a lot of poor ones. It may be that the general feeling at school isn't great what with the Academy round the corner. Of course, it could also be increasing age before you write in. Still, it's over for now and I can get back to a "normal life" - whatever that is.
