I love orchids. I have the perfect windowsill for them in the cottage and they are incredibly happy there. I have a gorgeous snow white one and a deep purple velvet one. My snow white orchid has just finished blooming. We had big snowflake colored blooms all through Christmas.
Mr. Michie gave me another orchid for Valentine’s Day. It is a sunny yellow with a sprinkle and speckle of deep aubergine inside. It is definitely the sunshine on my windowsill with all the rainy days we have been having.
Even the floor is beautiful!
Mr. Michie was coming in to London to meet me for a date last night after a very long week of work. While I was awaiting his arrival, I did one of my favorite things: the Late Shift at the National Portrait Gallery. They had a drawing class, a choir singing Bach, and many other happenings hidden in different gallery spaces.
It is always a mini adventure. I normally put my headphones on and go visit a few of my favorite pieces, although without fail I always discover something new, a painting or bust I hadn’t paid attention to before. I came across a mini Vivien Leigh exhibition in the downstairs gallery. What a stunning woman! One photograph that caught my eye was this one:
by Madame Yevonde, colour dye transfer print, 1936
This image doesn’t even begin to do this print justice. It is a color dye transfer print, which was a process used by Technicolor. The red was so very vibrant, but not garish, it was almost surreal.
The building is just buzzing with energy it is such a great place to be and an interesting way to spend your Friday night.
Now, everyone has their pizza joint. I have a few of my own, one of my absolute favorites is a little place in Clemson, S.C. called Peppino’s. It is a fantastic joint for a good slice of pie and a cold pitcher of beer.
Peppino’s makes a New York style pizza, which is vastly different from the deep dish Chicago style pizza. However, I think they both have their own merits. And as they say, “when in Rome..” or in our case, “when in Chicago…” you do as the locals do.
Little Angelo’s restaurant in Rosemont was recommended to us by a staff member at the hotel and boy were we happy that he did that! This was one of the best pizza’s I/we have ever eaten. We went traditional, got a deep dish with half cheese and half sausage (they make their own)! It was HEAVENLY! Mr. Michie was very, very happy as he is actually “Abe Froman, the Sausage King of Chicago!” (Only a true Ferris Bueller fan will know what I’m talking about here, but seriously, I think he could eat sausage every day!)
Look at the size of that pizza! And that was just a small!
Now, I am sure that there are many Chicagoans who will agree with me and many who will be screaming because there is a better pie in their neighbourhood, but let me tell you this was fantastic!
It was worth getting snowed in, just for a slice of this pizza! It’s the simple things in life, that is what you have to find the joys in.
Last night Mr. Michie met me after work, I had been doing a little bit of Christmas shopping. It was dark and the Christmas lights were lit everywhere you looked, it was just magical!
We went to one of our favorite places: Wahaca! It was WONDERFUL!
For dessert we got churros and I had a shot of Mexican hot chocolate, while Mr. Michie got a coffee. It was the perfect ending to a perfect date!
Well, yesterday I wrote about Batgirl and after reading it, Mr. Michie decided to regale me with corny Batman quotes he had found. I thought I would share a few with you. You just gotta love it!
P.S. My dad sat next to Adam West on a plane one time, he said that he was just the nicest gentleman. I think I would have passed out if I had sat next to him, what a TV legend!
Christmas has come to the coffee shops and after a quick grocery store run this morning, Mr. Michie got me a gingerbread latte at Costa. It even came with a little gingerbread man cookie and was just delicious!
It was one of those days today. I didn’t feel so great last night because my sinuses have been bothering me and ended up getting sick. Mr. Michie made me a cup of tea and we just sat on the couch in silence, like zombies after our long day, holding hands and listening to music. We finally went to bed not long before midnight, but I got woken up at 3:21am to be exact by a huge downpour that didn’t let up for quite awhile. I didn’t mind, it was nice to just listen to the rain and Mr. Michie breath and watch the patterns that were reflected onto the ceiling.
This morning, I got up even earlier than normal and rushed to get ready so I could get a broccoli and cheese soup started in our crockpot, Mr. Michie helped me with measuring out the ingredients and I left with high hopes. I even ran to the grocery store on my lunch break to get some nice crusty bread to go with dinner. It was a recipe I had found online and it had gotten really rave reviews, well, I wish I could tell that lady where she could stick her crockpot because that soup was nowhere near the picture.
Yes, yes, I know I was deceived by a picture, what a fool. I think she opened up a can of cream of broccoli soup and took a picture of that, because there was nothing creamy about this soup! I was at work late and had to fight with people to get on the tube and the train, something I despise doing, but I had a loaf of crusty bread and I was going home to finish off the soup before Mr. Michie got in and light our candles and turn on some music, so he had a nice atmosphere to come home too.
Well, I opened the door and our house smelled like a boy’s locker room, with really really stinky socks. That soup was so watery, it wouldn’t have even been served to Oliver Twist. I hate days like this, days where you were planning on something and then it just didn’t work out like you had expected. I know that is life, but after a very, very long day I just wanted coming home to be simple. Oh, well! That is one crockpot meal I won’t make again. Our first bad one! So, we ordered Chinese food. C’est la vie!
Here’s to tomorrow, for it is Wednesday and we are almost at the weekend!
Last weekend we went to the market and came home with bags of apples. I peeled, watching the skin tendril down from the delicate pinky white flesh of the apples, while Mr. Michie sliced them up.
Together we made our first batch of apple butter of the season and it is delicious! The house smelled of Christmas. A sweet tangy cinnamon scent filled the air, while it slowly simmered down. We have spent this past week, gobbling up our first jar. We have had it smeared over toast, biscuits, sandwiches and last night I had some mashed into a baked sweet potato! MMM!
So, our first batch is ready and jarred up for us to feast on and to give as Christmas presents.
Last night, I sat on the couch, thumbing through my October issue of Martha Stewart, while Mr. Michie graded papers. All of the sudden there was a resounding rumble of thunder and the heavens opened.
Mr. Michie went to grab the matches, so we could light a few candles in case the power went out and I opened the door to peer outside.
Mr. Michie came up behind me and asked me, “If the rain was dancing? I love it when it dances on the pavement!”. I love him even more for saying that! And, indeed it was dancing. The air had turned icy and clean smelling and the rain was dancing by the glow of the street lamps.
Last Friday, Mr. Michie came into London to meet me after work. I had planned a mini date. The great thing about living in London is all of the magic that is on your doorstop. For one, the plethora of museums. I have my favorites, I will admit!
My feet decided to take me to the National Portrait Gallery on Friday. It was a Late Shift evening so there was a lot going on, the bar was open, there were lectures, a harp player upstairs and a very eclectic crowd. There is something special about being in a museum in the evening, it comes alive in a different way.
I wanted to see the Jonathan Yeo portraits and once I saw them, I knew that Mr. Michie would like them as well.
I loved the unfinished pieces. I loved that you could clearly see where he had graphed out his canvases. Some of the faces were almost unreal looking, there was a photographic quality to them.
After a snoop around we picked up some cheeseburgers at Five Guys. We sat in one of our favorite spots, ate too many french fries and drank too much vanilla coke, and talked and talked. It was a lovely date!