Friday 15 January 2016

It is the custom in these parts


Should your front door be unlocked (rather unlikely) and it were to open as you sat quietly reading, eating supper or whatever, allowing several family members to walk in, unannounced, you may be somewhat taken aback. Imagine the scene then when they remove coats, shoes and hats, move to the table and settle themselves. Put down your book, computer, turn off the tv, and put the kettle on. Then get the bread, latest cooked dish, cake, beer, vodka…whatever you can find and offer it all. Everything will be eaten and drunk. That’s what happens here. The fact that we have not yet installed the electric gates and our door remains unlocked will make no difference. They will ring, we will open.
It appears, amongst our family here, there is no such thing as loneliness.  I say it appears as my language is not good enough to pick up all the gossip, but as my particular generation grows older I can be assured of the close company of a good handful of contemporary family members. So for all the shock of this unwarranted intrusion to me, a true Brit in so many ways, despite being 100% central European in blood, the fact is these visitors have chosen to spend the evening with us, in our house. I am very flattered.
So I keep up the baking, the soups, the bottling, waiting for the next invasion. Just to be ready.
 
Rear centre, Stefan. To his right, brother Zbysiek. Next to him, wife Anita. Opposite her is Anna, Zbysiek and Stefan’s sister, who sits next to her son in law, Mariusz, and lastly, his son Maciej.


Bread
For a long time I have been baking the family bread, but it wasn’t especially good. The taste was pretty bland, despite the addition of all sorts of seeds etc., though it looked ok and had some sort of a crust.  I thought, now I have more time lets take this to the next level and put in some effort. So I did a bit of research and bought myself a smart book. This bread is made with a sourdough starter.  Making the starter is fun, spread over 4 days of feeding and stirring. Then it can be used to start the next bake in all sorts of recipes that need yeast. But this is natural yeast produced with flour and water, only. As the starter matures all sorts of chemical reactions happen. The flavour intensifies and the bread as a result is a far more interesting product. 






Sunday 10 January 2016

A warm Poland and layout nightmares


The blogs have been and will be far less frequent as there is no time!  It does take quite a while to do a decent blog, and I don’t think I can afford it. So they will be brief.  But I have to apologise for the nightmare layout. On this program I just cannot do it and rather than go nuts I am cutting my losses and calling, enough!
The Christmas party at the swimming pool where Henry goes every day, rain or shine was a great success. 
Jean, one of our swimmers.
Henry and Stefan at the party        

Back   We are back in Poland, happily. Less than 24 hours had passed when the Carers called to tell me mother was on her way to the hospital: severe weakness, not eating etc.  I heard nothing more and finally caught up with dad in the evening. He had been with her at the hospital, of course. She was suffering dehydration and the hospital was sorting her out. He sounded his usual very chirpy self.  This has happened before and he wasn’t worried.
Now, 4 days later, they are planning to send her home, she is VERY bright, he says, and all is well.
But this episode highlights the situation. We are happy here and carry on our lives, but I can’t be far from the phone. And we need to be prepared to return at very short notice.  Ah well, that’s the way it is.
Reading
I have been studying a fair bit. I can now read Polish much better, which is great. Stories for adolescents work and whatever easy stuff I can find.  I am also reading  (in English!) The Heart of Europe, Norman Davies, a much esteemed authority on Poland.  Here he has taken her history and worked backwards, from about 2000. Learning in more detail what this poor country has been through, time and time again, in her struggle to survive and maintain her identity, makes appalling reading. But he manages to paint a hopeful, positive picture.
Charity event
At this time of year, every year, the whole of Poland dip into their purses to contribute to an enormous Charity event. In our town a concert and auction raised their bit.
The choir sings folk songs, with a lovely picture in the foreground that was later auctioned.

Very good young singers

The girl was fabulous

































The weather, like everywhere, is weird. Too warm.  Stefan is doing what he can on the house, it is looking and working better all the time.