Someone who can be pedantic (or anal if you prefer) about things such as spelling, translation or grammar. Someone who is interested in things quirky, old and historic. When I do scan through the many entries, they reflect someone who must be older than me…. but it is me and today will only add to that impression.
I had some therapy last Sunday.
I escaped the chauffeuring and supervision of our seven year old; I was not too distant from the city but far enough away to hear only the noise of the countryside – wind and leaves; the only visitor to intrude on my solitude was a lone horse.
Having gathered nearly 3kg sloes, they continued and even still continue to have therapeutic value. They had to be washed, de-stalked and individually pierced with a cocktail-stick to allow the flavour to pass through the skin into
the liquid. Many will consider this a chore but there is something about touching natural grown foods. The phrase ‘with my own hands’ has not survived for so long for no reason.
Daily the mixture of sloes, gin and sugar will be shaken, not stirred. In a few weeks that will reduce to a weekly shaking. A friend mentioned a few years ago that he had a bottle of sloes on his desk at work and many colleagues when passing his desk would give it a shake – as much for the sloes as the benefit to the shaker.
Come Christmas and the New Year, the mixture will provide a different form of therapy.
I did purchase the gin and the sugar but there is a definitely a sense of food for free – the pedant may say it is only flavour for free.
There is no physical sign for today’s blog but a message nonetheless. To abuse some marketing saying – today, I introduce you to the sloe, the berry that keeps on giving.