A blog every day
Keeps my brain at work
And the reader happy
A definition of a blog (merriam-webster.com):
“a website that contains online personal reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks, videos, and photographs provided by the writer”
Some of my haikus
have, so I have been told,
wrong numbers of syllables
Everyone, who eats them, can reccommend a place that serves the very best beef burgers. Naturally, most people have their own favourites. So, it would seem that there are many places that serve the ‘very best burgers’. I havetried a few of these highly reccommended places and have with one exception (Gourmet Burger Kitchen – a chain that originated in New Zealand) been disappointed. Most ‘very best burgers’ turn out to be ok (usually) but an anti-climax (mostly).
Now, I am going to seem very conceited. That is because I believe that I make the ‘very best burgers’ myself in our home, and so should you. My recipe is dead simple. I take minced beef with a lowish fat content (10% or less), add a pinch of salt and a small spoon of oil (sunflower or olive) and, after washing my hands, mush the three ingredients together before hand shaping patties of the sizes preferred by those who will eat them. Then, I cook them on a griddle. That’s all. No egg or breadcrumbs are added. Try this for yourself and you will no longer be wasting your money on overpriced, mediochre burgers.
A patty of minced beef
Mould-ed by hand
Enjoy burger perfection
Leave in good time
Why rush for that bus
Or risk missing an aeroplane.
Many churches in England contain cafés or have become cafés. The picture shows a converted church in central Cambridge. And here is a haiku:
Tea in a café
Gothic arch-es all around
Once it was a church
Many of us have great faith in reviews of artistic events such as film, theatre, and other performances. Can one trust professional critics and reviewers? Do their tastes match yours? If they do not and you follow their reccommendation, you must be prepared for an anti-climax.
A rave five star review
Great expectation
Sometimes disappointment
One foot then another
The world passes by
How I enjoy walking
You can walk almost anywhere except on water when it is not frozen. And, the joy of this form of physical activity is that no special equipment is needed.
During the first few decades of my life, I used to walk long distances routinely. I would never wait for a bus, but would walk from stop to stop until the bus and I met in the same place. Then, I might have boarded it unless I was close to my destination. Today, I am lazier, and will wait for the bus.
Walking (without staring at a mobile telephone) is a wonderful way of seeing new things. You might walk the same route repeatedly but if you keep your eyes and mind open, you are bound to spot things that you never noticed before.
In recent years, I have begun writing books, articles, and, now, blogs. I often find that leaving my work desk, switching off the PC, and then taking a walk is perfect for sorting out my ideas. As I walk along, thoughts circulate in my mind and these result in improvements in whatever I am writing.
Apart from any medical benefits, using Shank’s Pony (moving along with one’s own two feet – walking) gives me great pleasure.
With full plumage,
An exotic creature:
The proud peacock in the park
In the Kyoto Garden, Holland Park, London
Some years ago, we were visiting relatives in the city of Buffalo in New York State (USA). We had never met them before, which was a pity since they turned aout to be a quite delightful couple. Apart from that, they were very interesting and interested in everything. Unfortunately, one of them has passed away.
We were travelling around New York State in a rented car when we visited my relatives in Buffalo. One day, they suggested that we went for an outing. Being much younger than them, I decided that we should all travel in our rented car. They were very mysterious about our destination. They gave me directions and i followed them. About 50 miles east of Buffalo we arrived at a neatly laid out small ‘one horse town’ and parked next to a pizzeria.
My relatives ordered one pizza. It was large enough for each of the five of us in our party to eat to our satisfaction. Of all the many pizzas I have eaten so far, this was one of the best that I can remember. I cannot rember the name of the pizzeria, but the town’s name is WARSAW.
A ring of dough
A colourful topping
It’s Italian, it’s pizza
PS after lunch at Warsaw, we continued to the nearby Letchworth State Park, which well deserves its nickname ‘The Grand Canyon of the East’
A bird in the hand
Is worth two in a bush
So wise folks say sometimes
Kensington Gardens, London
yamey 