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I made a trifle the other day and if I do say so my self, it was very nice! I haven't had trifle for years and it was as good as I remember.
We always used to have it around Christmas. It was one of those easy to make emergency desserts for when we had family round.
I didn't make it from scratch but I reckon I could next time.
There's still a bit left in the fridge so I'll be tucking in to some more later.
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
April Showers
It hasn't rained much this year, except for last weekend when I was out playing golf but as usual April seems to have been a pretty shitty month.
We don't really like April in my family. A lot of family members died in April including three of my four Grandparents. The fourth died the first week in May.
It's been 5 years since my Grandad on my Mum's side died. He was the one I was closest too and, if you believe most of the family, the one I take after most. His death hit me really hard, and still does sometimes. I was shocked by how much I missed him. It's true that you don't realise what you've got till it's gone.
He was in hospital for a few weeks before he died and my brother and I had been there every day, including many over night shifts so it wasn't completely unexpected but it was still a shock. I remember a few days before he died, the day before his 80th birthday, my Gran appeared in my dream. There were times when my Grandad asked where she was during his hospital stay, he'd forgotten that she'd died 11 years earlier. When I asked her what she wanted, she told me she had come for my Grandad. I don't really believe in all that hocus pocus but it was a strange all the same.
The night before he died, I went home, exhausted. I'd been there for almost two days straight and needed some rest. Later that night I got a phone call saying his body had started to shut down and it was only a matter of time. I was torn about whether to go back to the hospital, or wait until morning. Knowing there was nothing I could do, I decided to stay home and I remember lying in bed watching Finding Nemo for the first time through the barrage of tears.
The following morning I called the hospital and he was still hanging on so I left home to make my way there. During the 20 minute journey he finally passed away. I didn't feel guilty for not being there at that exact moment. I was there the last time he was awake and talking and we all got to say our goodbyes. My brother's wife was pregnant at the time due to give birth the following week and my Grandad told us to say hello to the new baby. He went on to list all the family by name and then he went to sleep.
We used to talk on the phone every weekend and discuss the football. He was a City fan, I'm a United fan so we used to tease each other whenever the others team didn't win but it was all good fun. When we first moved to Houston in 1996, before we had the internet, he used to send over the match reports from the newspaper. We'd still talk on the phone too but it touched me that he went to the trouble of sending over the match reports.
When he died, I was a little mischievous with the flowers my brother and I got for the funeral. Being a City fan we thought it appropriate, for this one time only, to get him some blue flowers. I think he would've appreciated that, and he probably would've allowed himself a wry smile when he saw that we'd stuck two red flowers in the middle, one each for me and my brother representing our United allegiance.
I remember the funeral well. It's funny how certain things stick in your mind, like how the smell of Lillis always reminds me of death. I only used to smell them in funeral homes so that's what I associated them with. At the service, someone had suggested that my brother and I do a reading in the church but I knew that I wouldn't be able to hold it together enough in front of everyone so I declined, but my brother went up and did the job. However, when the time for the reading came, the Priest read out both of our names and I got a few awkward glances when I refused to approach the altar. A couple of people mentioned it afterwards and I felt bad. That little misunderstanding just about ruined the whole day for me!
Seriously though, 5 years on, the pain gets easier, but I still find myself talking to him, mostly in my head so he doesn't reply, but he always was a man of few words.
It was around the time he was in hospital that there was a leak in my bathroom and my house flooded. The combination of those events led to me moving to Houston a year later.
My only regret is that he never got to meet my Wife. He used to casually ask me about my love life and when I was thinking about getting married, I remembered his endorsement to settling down. "It's not a bad life", he said in his usual understated manner. I think he would've approved.
We don't really like April in my family. A lot of family members died in April including three of my four Grandparents. The fourth died the first week in May.
It's been 5 years since my Grandad on my Mum's side died. He was the one I was closest too and, if you believe most of the family, the one I take after most. His death hit me really hard, and still does sometimes. I was shocked by how much I missed him. It's true that you don't realise what you've got till it's gone.
He was in hospital for a few weeks before he died and my brother and I had been there every day, including many over night shifts so it wasn't completely unexpected but it was still a shock. I remember a few days before he died, the day before his 80th birthday, my Gran appeared in my dream. There were times when my Grandad asked where she was during his hospital stay, he'd forgotten that she'd died 11 years earlier. When I asked her what she wanted, she told me she had come for my Grandad. I don't really believe in all that hocus pocus but it was a strange all the same.
The night before he died, I went home, exhausted. I'd been there for almost two days straight and needed some rest. Later that night I got a phone call saying his body had started to shut down and it was only a matter of time. I was torn about whether to go back to the hospital, or wait until morning. Knowing there was nothing I could do, I decided to stay home and I remember lying in bed watching Finding Nemo for the first time through the barrage of tears.
The following morning I called the hospital and he was still hanging on so I left home to make my way there. During the 20 minute journey he finally passed away. I didn't feel guilty for not being there at that exact moment. I was there the last time he was awake and talking and we all got to say our goodbyes. My brother's wife was pregnant at the time due to give birth the following week and my Grandad told us to say hello to the new baby. He went on to list all the family by name and then he went to sleep.
We used to talk on the phone every weekend and discuss the football. He was a City fan, I'm a United fan so we used to tease each other whenever the others team didn't win but it was all good fun. When we first moved to Houston in 1996, before we had the internet, he used to send over the match reports from the newspaper. We'd still talk on the phone too but it touched me that he went to the trouble of sending over the match reports.
When he died, I was a little mischievous with the flowers my brother and I got for the funeral. Being a City fan we thought it appropriate, for this one time only, to get him some blue flowers. I think he would've appreciated that, and he probably would've allowed himself a wry smile when he saw that we'd stuck two red flowers in the middle, one each for me and my brother representing our United allegiance.
I remember the funeral well. It's funny how certain things stick in your mind, like how the smell of Lillis always reminds me of death. I only used to smell them in funeral homes so that's what I associated them with. At the service, someone had suggested that my brother and I do a reading in the church but I knew that I wouldn't be able to hold it together enough in front of everyone so I declined, but my brother went up and did the job. However, when the time for the reading came, the Priest read out both of our names and I got a few awkward glances when I refused to approach the altar. A couple of people mentioned it afterwards and I felt bad. That little misunderstanding just about ruined the whole day for me!
Seriously though, 5 years on, the pain gets easier, but I still find myself talking to him, mostly in my head so he doesn't reply, but he always was a man of few words.
It was around the time he was in hospital that there was a leak in my bathroom and my house flooded. The combination of those events led to me moving to Houston a year later.
My only regret is that he never got to meet my Wife. He used to casually ask me about my love life and when I was thinking about getting married, I remembered his endorsement to settling down. "It's not a bad life", he said in his usual understated manner. I think he would've approved.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Snakes in the grass (and that's where they should stay)
Ok, so I've just discovered two halves of a dead snake in the spare room..
A gift from our young puppy, but strangely enough it got me thinking about England. The most interesting thing you'll find in your house back there is a big hairy, harmless, but still scary house spider.
I've lived in Houston for nearly four years now without returning home for a visit. I do miss it, but I have an amazing life here so it's usually just those odd moments when something random reminds you of the things you miss, although the spiders certainly aren't one of them!
I remember one time when I was living alone that one such spider had been cornered at the top of the stairs. I needed to get downstairs, which was the kind of narrow, steep staircase you usually find in 100 year old houses.
So there I was, stuck, not knowing how I was going to get down the stairs when I turned back to my bedroom to see what I could find to aid my escape. All I could come up with was a can of spray deodorant, and a vacuum cleaner. So getting to work, I used the deodorant was used to stun the wild animal, and then the vacuum cleaner was used to suck up the remains as my nemesis fell confused to the floor. A trick I learned watching Ghostbusters when I was a kid.
Anyway, back to my original point (not the dead snake). Life is so different now than back in England. I lived in Houston for three years between the ages of 18 and 21 and never really settled. I felt like I hadn't had the chance to 'live' in England. By that I mean being old enough to make my own decisions and live the way I wanted to. I compared absolutely everything in Houston to Manchester, and there was only ever going to be one winner there. Six years later I returned to Houston, wisened by the cold struggle I'd endured and looking forward to spending my days in the sunshine.
As I said, I haven't been back to visit since leaving in 2005. Not because I don't want to, but because I don't need to. I've planned to go back every year but something always comes up to change those plans.
I know a lot of people who have moved to Houston from all over the world and it tends to be the older ones who settle easiest. This surprises me as they have more memories back home, and seemingly have more to leave. The problem I think the younger ones have, the ones who have basically grown up here, is they have only romantic memories, not necessarily of their homeland, but of their childhood, the friends they had at school, playing out in the street, family members they don't see anymore (Grandparents who have died etc). They build up this image into something that can't possibly be matched. This is amplified whenever they have a bad day and think "well, I can always go back home", thinking they can leave all their problems behind and live happily ever after.
It's funny how you become much more patriotic for your home country when you live somewhere else. It's not that you really want to go back. You miss the good things you liked, while forgetting about the bad things you didn't. I know the standard of living I would have there, and there's no comparison to the standard of living I can have in Houston.
My six years back in England gave me the experiences I craved when I was younger. Experiences I wouldn't have had staying in Houston and I don't regret it at all. In fact, now that I'm settled in Houston with a good job, a nice house and a beautiful wife I feel I'm really seeing the benefits of that time served. I also think my kids (when they come) will benefit from my decision although it is important they learn about their English and Irish heritage.
Thanks for listening, and see you next time.
Andy
A gift from our young puppy, but strangely enough it got me thinking about England. The most interesting thing you'll find in your house back there is a big hairy, harmless, but still scary house spider.
I've lived in Houston for nearly four years now without returning home for a visit. I do miss it, but I have an amazing life here so it's usually just those odd moments when something random reminds you of the things you miss, although the spiders certainly aren't one of them!
I remember one time when I was living alone that one such spider had been cornered at the top of the stairs. I needed to get downstairs, which was the kind of narrow, steep staircase you usually find in 100 year old houses.
So there I was, stuck, not knowing how I was going to get down the stairs when I turned back to my bedroom to see what I could find to aid my escape. All I could come up with was a can of spray deodorant, and a vacuum cleaner. So getting to work, I used the deodorant was used to stun the wild animal, and then the vacuum cleaner was used to suck up the remains as my nemesis fell confused to the floor. A trick I learned watching Ghostbusters when I was a kid.
Anyway, back to my original point (not the dead snake). Life is so different now than back in England. I lived in Houston for three years between the ages of 18 and 21 and never really settled. I felt like I hadn't had the chance to 'live' in England. By that I mean being old enough to make my own decisions and live the way I wanted to. I compared absolutely everything in Houston to Manchester, and there was only ever going to be one winner there. Six years later I returned to Houston, wisened by the cold struggle I'd endured and looking forward to spending my days in the sunshine.
As I said, I haven't been back to visit since leaving in 2005. Not because I don't want to, but because I don't need to. I've planned to go back every year but something always comes up to change those plans.
I know a lot of people who have moved to Houston from all over the world and it tends to be the older ones who settle easiest. This surprises me as they have more memories back home, and seemingly have more to leave. The problem I think the younger ones have, the ones who have basically grown up here, is they have only romantic memories, not necessarily of their homeland, but of their childhood, the friends they had at school, playing out in the street, family members they don't see anymore (Grandparents who have died etc). They build up this image into something that can't possibly be matched. This is amplified whenever they have a bad day and think "well, I can always go back home", thinking they can leave all their problems behind and live happily ever after.
It's funny how you become much more patriotic for your home country when you live somewhere else. It's not that you really want to go back. You miss the good things you liked, while forgetting about the bad things you didn't. I know the standard of living I would have there, and there's no comparison to the standard of living I can have in Houston.
My six years back in England gave me the experiences I craved when I was younger. Experiences I wouldn't have had staying in Houston and I don't regret it at all. In fact, now that I'm settled in Houston with a good job, a nice house and a beautiful wife I feel I'm really seeing the benefits of that time served. I also think my kids (when they come) will benefit from my decision although it is important they learn about their English and Irish heritage.
Thanks for listening, and see you next time.
Andy
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