Musing

Just back from a visit to the dental hygienist. She says they're in good nick! I put it down to flossing and interdent brushes - and a few thou $'s work in the US a few years ago. They're not taking any routine appointments until March, only problems, cos the dentist is going private. We'll be getting a letter in January with the options. One prob is that there are 4.500 patients and he's only taking on 1800! Erk. However, the hygienist said she'll put in a good word for me cos she enjoys my stories when I go visit! Apparently the monthly sum will cover the cost of a couple of routine visits and hygiene visits and one pays for any additional work done ... at what price though? Hmmm? Crowns in the US were $300 ish each - probably the same in £s here! I'd better not eat any more banana toffee! After the last four years of being awoken early by the bottle bank collecting lorry, crashing 3 times as it emptied the brown, green and white banks, it suddenly occurred to me this morning that it ALL goes in the same truck, just one load on top of the other ... which renders pointless the 3 colours of the containers because they all get mixed up anyway!!!! Anyone thought about that? I've mailed or hand delivered all my cards now. Just got a couple of piccies to frame for gifts, which I'm looking forward to seeing finished. I think I'll be tempted to keep one for myself. I'll take a piccie when I've finished. Had a girls' night out at Sorrentos Italian restaurant last night. There was a table next to us with about 8 gals on it, all wearing puce-coloured pinnies. Not sure why the pinnies ... I know it's de rigeur for hen parties to dress alike as they trail around the pubs but the pinnies really did nothing for the gals and one of our party said "Are they staff?" Whoever they were, they were SOOOO noisy! Three of 'em even stood on the (not very substantial) chairs for some reason, it was a relief when they'd gone. Maybe I'm getting 'old'. However, I do think it's possible to enjoy oneself without marring other's enjoyment of their evening. The meals were large and we were glad we'd opted for no starter beyond garlic bread and enjoyed a liqueur/coffee afterwards. I had Strega. I'd been trying to remember the name of the liqueur and was delighted to find it on the wine list. I thought it was made from pine nuts - it has a disinfectant type smell - maybe a medicament type smell would be a better description! As the story goes, Giuseppe Alberti found monks from the town who made this liquor. He eventually coaxed the secret recipe from them and started to produce it as Alberti Medical Elixer. It did not sell. So he renamed it to Strega (witch's love potion). Strega is a delicate liquer with digestive qualities. It is made up of a number of herbs such as mint, fennel, and saffron (the world's most expensive spice) which gives it a bright yellow color. Only two people left in the world have this secret recipe. They better not drink too much of this and forget the recipe, because it is 80 proof . Finally sorted out the duty on my gift from Tora. Tor's had to email Customs and tell them it was a gift and give the value of producing it and I've had to send the wrappings from the parcel and maybe in a month's time I may get a refund if they can now agree it's a gift. Then I have to try to reclaim ParcelPost's handling fee. What a to-do!! Bless her, she knows me ... of course I opened the gift right away. Today I received a wrapped gift, which I know is a calendar, but I'll be good and open on Christmas day. There was a continental market in the town on Sunday. They operate every weekend, going around the country but at this time of year it's a daily market, moving from town to town. There was a Polish bread stall that ran out of bread by 1pm. It's baked in London and the lady gets up at 3am to go collect it. A cheese stall, run by Thierry, had customers in line all day long. One guy was selling bratwurst in rolls, charging £2 each. I bought a packet containing six sausages in Lidl for £1.49, which suspiciously like those on the market so the guy must have been making a fair profit on his sales. It was nice to have the opportunity to buy this foreign stuff but it wasn't exactly cheap! Some ethnic type clothing (well, Asia IS a continent) was well over priced. I had an acquaintance who went to Goa and came back with a case BULGING with goods and a cotton throw, cost her £1, which is charged at around £20 over here. The whole caseful, including silver jewellery only cost her about £20. Hmm, OK, plus the airfare! I've been printing off what will probably be the last few photographs that I'll be selling. In fact, season of goodwill, they were one or outstanding or requests from pleasant people so I just sent them gratis. I've been told I'm generous to a fault. Really though I was just glad to get them done and out of the way and off my mind. In fact one such, hand delivered today the lady insisted on paying for. I suppose generosity spawns generosity and kindness, kindness. I'd like to think so. Well, once I've framed these piccies I won't have any excuse left, apart from the Xmas festivities, not to start on the accounts ...........