Cunard Cruisers - How are things where you are ?

[alc13]

On 11/10/2023 at 9:39 AM, techteach said:

@NE John I have to get out the kitchen aide and grinder today to make the cranberry relish for Thanksgiving. You grind cranberry’s with onion and add horseradish and sour cream. It is frozen until just ready to serve. No one has touched regular cranberry sauce or jelly since I started making it a few years ago. I think the recipe is on line as Mama Sternbergs.

I can't quite get past that color!  As it happens, though, my favorite is Susan Stamberg's other famous recipe (which she attributes to Madhur Jaffrey).  Cranberries, garlic, ginger, red pepper, a bit of vinegar to offset the sugar.  Really good!

[D&N]

Photo from a bit over a day before their Mum returned from Scotland, they had realised that this was the best heat source in the house.

 

Coco-Canel has been a bit puzzled by this woman who turned up on Friday night and goes about as if she owns the place. She wonders why Ursel is so happy to go to her to get petted. Next week she'll realise that her Mum spends hours and hours on a weekday afternoon sitting reading her Kobo. and that her lap is ideal for sleeping on.

 

[D&N]

We had booked Geppetto in Nice tonight. I knew the trains weren't running due to points replacement in the next town's station. I knew the buses were on a reduced holiday service for Armistice Day and the weekend night service wouldn't be on to get home, but hey what's Uber for? Despite my 40+ years in the transport industry I forgot that SNCF never put on replacement buses here and the holiday bus service would be full of train passengers. We waited 40 minutes with buses showing "Complet" passing us and decided to give up. We cancelled and rebooked for next Saturday.

Luckily there's always a bottle of Cremant in the fridge and home made pizza in the freezer.

 

And the girls were happy to have our company. Coco even purred when her Mum petted her a few minutes ago.

 

[NE John]

1 hour ago, D&N said:

Photo from a bit over a day before their Mum returned from Scotland, they had realised that this was the best heat source in the house.

 

Coco-Canel has been a bit puzzled by this woman who turned up on Friday night and goes about as if she owns the place. She wonders why Ursel is so happy to go to her to get petted. Next week she'll realise that her Mum spends hours and hours on a weekday afternoon sitting reading her Kobo. and that her lap is ideal for sleeping on.

 

 

1 hour ago, D&N said:

Photo from a bit over a day before their Mum returned from Scotland, they had realised that this was the best heat source in the house.

 

Coco-Canel has been a bit puzzled by this woman who turned up on Friday night and goes about as if she owns the place. She wonders why Ursel is so happy to go to her to get petted. Next week she'll realise that her Mum spends hours and hours on a weekday afternoon sitting reading her Kobo. and that her lap is ideal for sleeping on.

 

Cat yin and yang. 

[DaisyUK]

Beautiful cats. Love that photo of them cuddled up together.

[MrsPeel55]

gorgeous photos both!!! 

so great that they both are getting on well and I can imagine how happy Coco-Canel has to be with her new family ❤️ You guys look so happy, what a beautiful way to start my day 🙂

 

[DaisyUK]

I was just browsing through these threads, which I haven't noticed previously and was surprised that there is no mention of Strictly. Is anyone watching it? Or perhaps it's considered to be a bit beneath those who do ballroom dancing and of no interest to those who don't? We love it, and look forward to our Strictly Saturday evenings as the evenings draw in.

[Host Hattie]

I'm watching Strictly but usually on catch up on Sundays so I can fast forward through all the padding and just watch the dancing.

[alc13]

I'm now watching the Beckham documentary.  Very fun.  We just finished season 3 of Lupin, still good, although Seasons 1 and 2 were better.  And the new Great British Bake-off/Baking Show is showing here now, and we wouldn't miss that.  I don't think any of the bakers are really stellar, but they've all had their moments, and as usual, they're all immensely likable.

[D&N]

We normally watch Strictly live or on catch up if we've been out. We like to see couples perform dance steps that are actually recognisable to folk that take/have taken dance lessons. That means we rarely agree with judges scores, which seem to overmark showiness with little real content.

We have no interest in the suspense of the results show. We still watch it but almost always know in advance who are in the bottom two and who has been eliminated.

The Blackpool result should almost be available in real time as being an outside broadcast, the BBC send a satellite feed back to the studio. There are folk with sophisticated receivers who can pick that feed up and report it to a spoiler thread on Digital Spy.

[Host Hattie]

We're in Pembrokeshire for the weekend and had a lovely lunch out yesterday. The "road" to the pub is fun and not to be attempted at high tide !

 

[Lanky Lad]

I applied for tickets to watch Strictly being recorded in Blackpool next weekend. Sadly I wasn't lucky enough to get any. 

 

Today, I went to the Remembrance service in Oswaldtwisle where my Grandfather's name is on the list of those who died in WWII. A bit cold and wet but still a good service.  

[NE John]

3 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

Pembrokeshire for the weekend

I can’t wait for another road trip to Wales! Now that I’m an American who mastered Welsh after driving in Cardiff during the day of a Harry Styles concert…

[Host Hattie]

8 minutes ago, NE John said:

I can’t wait for another road trip to Wales! Now that I’m an American who mastered Welsh after driving in Cardiff during the day of a Harry Styles concert…

A trip to Pembrokeshire will be easy after that! Just keep heading West

[Kynance]

I’ve never watched Strictly - but I am enjoying the latest series of Shetland, though the glitz and glamour levels are not the same! 

I”m also enjoying Masterchef the Professionals - mainly for twinkly-eyed Marcus Wareing, who is definitely on my fantasy dinner party guest list…

… as is David Tennant, retuning shortly to Dr Who, which I am very excited about. Hands-down the best doctor of the modern era.  (Tom Baker was my favourite childhood time lord.). 

I also really like the reboot of All Creatures Great & Small - very pleased to see that Oscar the cat has been introduced as a new character in the most recent series. 🐈 

[MrsPeel55]

1 hour ago, Kynance said:

I’ve never watched Strictly - but I am enjoying the latest series of Shetland, though the glitz and glamour levels are not the same! 

I”m also enjoying Masterchef the Professionals - mainly for twinkly-eyed Marcus Wareing, who is definitely on my fantasy dinner party guest list…

… as is David Tennant, retuning shortly to Dr Who, which I am very excited about. Hands-down the best doctor of the modern era.  (Tom Baker was my favourite childhood time lord.). 

I also really like the reboot of All Creatures Great & Small - very pleased to see that Oscar the cat has been introduced as a new character in the most recent series. 🐈 

 

Agree 100% on David Tenant best Doctor, looking forward to watching again, we stopped after a few episodes with Peter Capaldi, we thought maybe we may grow to like him as was the case with Mat Smith... but nope, didn't watch it anymore.

Also LOVING the new version of All Creatures Great & Small.... I don't usually like new versions, but this one is delightful....   ❤️ 

 

Something that really gets me in screen (right now fresh in memory as the adverts for A Haunting ion Venice is everywhere) is Keneth Branagh insisting on playing Poirot,  David Suchet was exactly what I imagine Poirot to be since I started reading the books when I was in my teens....can't remember what year we started watching the series, we never get tired of watching and re-watching,  

When this last Murder in the Orient Express (K Branagh) came into cinemas, we didn't go or I would have cried for the wasted money, it released soon after in Sky Cinema which we have included in our subscription...we started watching.... couldn't get pass the first 20 minutes...shame as the rest of the cast had many of our favourites 😞

[TowandaUK]

Have to agree about All Creatures Great and Small. A delightful series, such a change from the numerous dramas that abound that are full of violence, aggression and upsets. Having said that the recent series of Time has been excellent - thought provoking, well acted, and a revelation. 

[ronpes]

I am not a fan of strictly. To be honest, the presenters and judges put me off. Thats is not to take anything away from the beauty and grace of the dancers.

 

When we were on the QM2 in July, we watched a demo from a professional ballroom dance couple and we were completely blown away by their grace and poise. It was if they were litterly floating across the floor. Amazing to watch.

 

We have just finished watching "All the light we cannot see". It is a beautiful story with incredibly acting. We have also watched both series of "Time" which was not easy viewing but extremely well acted. 

[techteach]

@ronpes If you liked “All the light…” be sure to read the book. As is usual, it is much better than the movie.

[ronpes]

48 minutes ago, techteach said:

@ronpes If you liked “All the light…” be sure to read the book. As is usual, it is much better than the movie.

Thank you. I have already downloaded it onto my kindle and its next on the list!

[TowandaUK]

Thanks to @ronpes and @techteach for the recommendations. I usually prefer to read a book before seeing a film so the book is now winging its way from Amazon. It’s also in my Netflix wish list. Love a recommendation - there’s nothing worse than spending time to read a few chapters before discovering it’s not worth continuing. 

[exlondoner]

1 hour ago, techteach said:

@ronpes If you liked “All the light…” be sure to read the book. As is usual, it is much better than the movie.

I’ve been thinking about this at length, and it is probably normally right, but I would mention The Lady Vanishes and The Third Man as films that are better than the book, and In a Lonely Place, but the story there is radically changed.

[alc13]

This is a lowbrow-ish take on the books vs movies discussion, but any John Grisham book is better as a movie.  In general, though, I agree that the book is usually better.

 

The Lady Vanishes and The Third Man are indeed wonderful movies. 

[MrsPeel55]

In general, if I read the book and loved it, 90% of the time I rather not watch the movie, but agree on the fact that some films based in books can be done wonderfully.

 

I LOVED The girl in the train book, my daughter gave it for my birthday the year it had just released.

When they decided to do the film but moved it to New York City, as much as my love for New York is as great as my love for London, I decided not to watch the movie, there are certain things in the book that had worked in my mind perfectly located in London.

 

Then there is The Woman in the Window. I read it voraciously, loved every minute, then when the film was advertised...Amy Adams does not fit the picture I had in mind and I think they changed the plot slightly, my daughter watched it and didn't like it much.

 

Another reference to Cunard on TV/streaming : The Gilded Age latest episode shown in the UK this week has Carrie Coon talking about Cunard. 🙂

[techteach]

@MrsPeel55 Sitting here now hand quilting and watching The Gilded Age and my head popped up at the references to Cunard.