WAKE UP AND SMELL THE ROSES....

 

 

Acrylic painting done by me a few years ago

 

 Both pics taken years ago when my mates were allowed outside for a brief moment or two.  They no longer go outside.

There are no roses hereabouts to smell. Instead, this morning, when I woke up, like every other morning, I woke to the sound of my male furry mate demanding I wake up!  Obeying his determined command, without further options, I woke.  And then his sister, my other furry mate woke, which meant the three of us were awake! 

I woke this morning, not only to my male furry, four-legged mate’s constant miaowing and his paw poking at my face, but also to the melodious sounds of birds singing in perfect harmony.  Through the trees the sun, in all its morning glory, sparkled like diamonds. There was no scent of roses, though.

As with the previous 70 odd mornings over the years, (and there have been quite a few “odd” ones, I can assure you...the count will be 77 very soon!) seeing I was awake, I couldn’t drag out the inevitable any longer.  From my/our bed I climbed, grumbling under my breath...and above it.  Following a joyful yippee, or three, from my two furry buddies... not from me...once I rose to greet the day, I headed to the kitchen for my daily juicing of oranges...for me, not for them.

Faster than Usain Bolt, my two CEOs beat me to the kitchen, not for juice, but for their breakfast. Do they honestly believe I’d not give them breakfast?

As always, by their speed of light pace, one would swear they’d not had a feed in a week.   They are of the misguided belief that every time I go to the kitchen my doing so means it is feed time for them.

Both have me wrapped around their furry clawed paws.  Little resistance is given by me.  What’s the point?  After 19 years, both have me well-trained.  I succumbed, and waved the flag of surrender many years ago. 

By the way...another thing...it’s okay for them to have a catnap.  What can I have?  I’m not a grandmother, so I can’t have a nana-nap!

Returning to this morning...duly woken, once I rose, I wondered what I would do for the rest of the day.  There were no roses offering up their scent to my nose...and then, I remembered the headline of a newspaper article I’d read a couple of days earlier.  It said:  “Take a Bath...for your mental health”.   So that is what I did.  However, to my surprise and dismay, I got arrested for stealing.   Never again will I be in a hurry to follow instructions of newspaper articles.  

By the skin of my teeth I escaped a harsher penalty than the one handed out to me.  Hang on! I didn’t know teeth had skin!  I’ve always of the belief teeth have enamel.  Apparently, one is never too old to learn something new.

The current, popular phase...the over-use by some within our society of the word “woke” annoys the hell out of me.

 “Woke”, not “Grease” seemingly is the “word”.  I think it’s time many woke up to themselves...paused, and grabbed a few moments to smell the roses, whether there are some or not.  It’s time to take a temporary (or permanent) respite to have a look around...to stop blindly “following invisible, faceless ‘trendsetters”.   All of a sudden, without prior warning, the word “woke”, in its present connotation, began being tossed about willy-nilly by every Willy and nearly every Nilly...but not by me, silly! 

After I woke this morning it wasn’t roses I could smell, but the singeing of raisin bread in my toaster!       

 

Gluten-Dairy Free Raisin Bread: Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, whisk 2c gluten-free plain flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1-1/2tsp baking powder, 1/2tsp baking soda and 1/4tsp salt. In another bowl, whisk 2 large eggs, 1c coconut milk, ½ canola oil and 1tsp vanilla until blended. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Toss 1c raisins with 1tbs gluten-free flour; fold into batter. Transfer half of the batter into greased 9x5-inch loaf pan. Combine 2tsp cinnamon and 1-1/2tbs sugar; sprinkle half over batter. Repeat layers; cut through batter with knife to swirl.  Bake, 45-50mins. Cool in pan, 10 mins before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Currant-Raisin Bread: Sift 7-1/4 bread flour and1tsp cinnamon into large bowl. Make a well in centre of the flour. Add 4 packets active dry yeast and 2tsp white sugar to the well; pour in 1/4 cup lukewarm water. Let stand until yeast begins to foam, about 5 mins. Stir 3/4c lukewarm water, 1c room temp milk, 2 eggs, and 1tsp salt into flour mixture until dough comes together. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Add currant mixture; knead until evenly incorporated and dough is smooth and elastic, about 5mins. Transfer to a bowl; cover with a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, 45mins to 1 hour. Grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans lightly with butter. Flatten dough gently and shape into 2 loaves. Place 1 loaf in each pan; cover with a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm place until puffy, about 45mins. Preheat oven 175C.  Bake loaves until firm and dark brown, about 45mins. Invert onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing, about 1 hour.     PS....add a broken up cashews to the ingredients, if you desire.