Love The One You're With

Geez you guys......honestly. I've just had a quick squizz at all your Valentine's Day posts & really, how good are they! Here's my woeful effort, but it makes me happier than I can describe. MOTH took the morning off to finish all the tax stuff for the Accountant & decided to stay at home for the rest of the day to sand & paint......& sand & paint. And he's just wandered back from the garden with our first Tuberose of the year. The aroma drifting from that beauty even knocks out the fresh paint smell. Do you remember the story behind the Tuberose? If you need a refresher I've dug it out from the archives & it's here. I think I needed to grow a plait at the time for the flower to have its maximum effect. And hasn't that happened NOT!

And a big thanks to Chris at Locavore for springing MOTH from the Valentine's Day sin bin. A table for two at 7.30p.m. miraculously appeared this morning & he has redeemed himself big time. Anyhoo dear Hedgies, whatever you're doing today & whoever you're doing it with, I hope you are surrounded by lots of love. XXX's from The Hedge.

It's You

Dedicated to the one I love

P.S. Thanks for all the lovely feedback on Friday's post. The Chocolate Truffle Tart has got the nod for tonight's dinner.

Image: The Love Shop

It's My Turn

Chocolate Truffle Tart

MOTH took great pleasure last night in reminding me that it's my turn to do Valentine's Day dinner this year - oh joy. I asked him if he had any special culinary requests & was surprised when he said 'Chocolate Mills.....dark, rich, bitter chocolate.' As neither of us are great chocolate eaters, it seems that a year of the Biggest Loser diet regime has left him feeling deprived. Here's what I'm mulling over for the big splurge on Monday evening.

Chocolate Souffles

Chocolate Panna Cotta Layer Cake

Mexican Chocolate Pots de Creme

Alain Ducasse's Bitter Chocolate Tart

Rich Chocolate Mousse

Triple Chocolate Praline Tart

Bitter Chocolate Jellies with White Chocolate Creme Fraiche

Bumble Ginger Roulade

Chocolate-Coated Panforte Ice-Cream Balls

Chocolate Strawberry Layer Cake

I'm sort of leaning toward something well contained with little/no leftovers for him to pig out on for the rest of the week. So the bitter chocolate jellies or those yummy panforte icecream balls will probably get the Millie nod. It's the weekend, so go enjoy!

Images 1,2,6,9 Gourmet Image 3 Epicurious Images 4,5 Food and Wine Images 7,8,10 Gourmet Traveller Image 11 Sophisticated Gourmet

Wednesday's Wish List

Today I'm wishing for.......

a beautiful grey French commode to store my linens

this stunning English mahogany Bureau Bookcase c.1790 for my precious books

a giant English convex mirror with the original gilding c.1850 to touch up the war paint in

a simple Walnut side table to rest these 2 gorgeous lamps on

a big Fruitwood table to plonk all the extra Christmas food onto

a big beautiful Walnut Armoire c.1850 to hang my clothes in

this delightful carved wood unrestored Rocking Horse c.1900 to run my hands over & dream

a scrumptious complete boxed set of French Chemist Scales & Weights c.1820 to keep MOTH occupied for hours

this English mahogany serving table c.1810 to place my silver drinks tray on

a quirky French Pewter Supier c.1900 for fun

an adorable English George 111 leather-topped mahogany Library Table just because I've always wanted one

oh, those filigree details close-up - yum

French Glass Bon Bon Jars for some oh la la

and this beautiful vintage black lacquer chinoiserie desk to sit my laptop on & blog to my heart's content.

Images 1,4,5,6,8,10,13: Sally Beresford Images: 2,3,7,9,11,12,14: Ros Palmer

Known Unto God

Image Temple

"Should anything happen, Mummie, don't grieve for me because it is His will and That is always best. To the best of my knowledge I am pretty well prepared to go and face my God, but of course I have no particular wish to go yet. Somehow or other I feel firmly convinced I will survive and so I do not worry at all.
"Should this be my last letter, dearest, remember I will always be waiting and watching for you and praying also, darling Mother, for your spiritual welfare ... Oh, Mum! How I wish I could have one farewell kiss before going into battle."

Words from a letter written by Lt. Leo Corrigan to his mother in Sydney as he left for Gallipoli. He was killed 2 years later in action at the Battle of Passchendaele in Belgium on September 20,1917 aged 22. The following day, he & five other Australian boys were hastily buried in an unmarked roadside grave, their bodies were wrapped in blankets and tied with signal wire, their hands clasped in prayer. Back in Sydney his father received his war service medals & his mother his prayer book & rosary beads. As a devout Catholic, his mother Sarah had hoped Leo would become a priest after the War. In 1919, when his grieving mother wrote to authorities to request details of her son's final resting place, the reply was 'Place of Burial: Not Known'. Living to her 90's, she always longed for a photo of her son's grave & never recovered from her loss. 91 years on, Leo's grave still remains unknown.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

LEST WE FORGET

Happy Days

After the weekend, I've time this morning to enjoy breakfast in the garden & draw breath, before hurtling myself into a very busy week ahead. But before I do that I want to thank everyone who left a comment on Friday's post. Your response was overwhelming - your messages just beautiful, full of care & support & generously sharing similar experiences. At one point during the meal, I had such a strong feeling that you were all gathered around our table as well, just making sure everything was going perfectly!

Saturday night was a wonderful as I hoping it would be. While I know that our friendship won't be same as it once was, there were many moments during the evening where I felt so at one with my friend. Although not speaking too much about it, dear MOTH knew how I was feeling & he was a most wonderful host & amazing support. My friend & I have so much history & I'm so mindful that as a 'late arrival', MOTH has no connection with that time of my life, but he just went with the flow & enjoyed the company & experience. What a beautiful & loving man he is - how lucky I am! Where to next? Well, I'm not sure yet, but I have such a feeling of optimism & happiness for the future. I'm very mindful that it's still early days, so I'll be careful not to rush or force things. But I know that I've been given a unique opportunity to rekindle a very special friendship.

A Very Special Evening

Image Jan Baldwin

We have friends coming to dinner on Saturday night. Nothing out of the ordinary perhaps except for one very special reason. 26 years ago, my dearest friend ended our friendship when a business relationship between my then husband & her husband dissolved acrimoniously (living proof for never mixing business with friendship). We'd been bestie's since we were 17, long before we'd met our husbands. It literally broke my heart to lose her & I felt as though the brightest, most luminous light in my life had gone forever. The pain of that loss was deep & constant. Life went on & more children arrived to both families & brief, strained, formal communication occurred each time another baby was welcomed. Then my divorce & the loss of my darling mother followed in quick succession & I needed my friend's support desperately, but sadly she felt unable to reach out.

A few years later, out of that time of anguish & sadness came great joy in the form of the gorgeous MOTH. I sent my friend an invitation to our wedding, & much to my delight she & her husband accepted. Little was said on the night, but they were there sharing our happiness, so I rejoiced in their presence. I felt that a new beginning & a new partner may lead to the wounds being healed between us, but that didn't happen. The years have passed, all our children have grown into wonderful adults & other than Christmas & birthday cards exchanged each year, there's been no contact.

However a little over a year ago, a close mutual friend took matters into his own hands (bless him!) & invited us all to dinner. The boys got on very well, with much in common between them it was like MOTH & my friend's dear husband had known each other forever. The years seemed to just fall away & it was a lovely night. However, reflecting afterwards, I didn't feel things between us had really changed.

Then last month I received a birthday card from her. She wrote that she didn't just think of me on my special day but every day & how great it was to see each other again. I sat out in the garden that day reading her words over & over & the tears came. Tears for the many years we've lost, tears for the special moments celebrated without her, but also tears of hope for a future as friends again. Words aren't needed from either of us, just a gentle look & a loving embrace to happy days ahead.

They have accepted our invitation to dinner on Saturday & I have a feeling that for many reasons, it will be a very special evening.

My Valentine

I cannot exist without you - I am forgetful of every thing but seeing you again - my Life seems to stop there - I see no further.

You have absorb'd me. I have a sensation at the present moment as though I were dissolving... I have been astonished that Men could die Martyrs for religion - I have shudder'd at it - I shudder no more - I could be martyr'd for my Religion - Love is my religion - I could die for that - I could die for you.

My creed is Love and you are its only tenet - You have ravish'd me away by a Power I cannot resist.

John Keats