Saturday, December 20, 2008

In the web of Circe's daughters

Once upon a time, deep in the past millennium, Mrs. J - at that time Miss E. - and I, one day after our engament-party, in Miss E's R4 crossed the Channel to visit our dear friend J.
To cut a lovely and long story short: After a magic fortnight, J. presented me a dish-towel containing following prophesy:
It starts when
you sink
into her arms,
and it ends
with your arms
in the sink.
Don't know why, but at that time I did not take notice of that Miss E. was laughing a bit louder than me, and that there was a certain sparkling in her eyes.

End of the beforegoing.

Two weeks ago the former Miss E., now Mrs. J., and Miss J. kept me busy with washing up, as they were baking twelve different kinds of cookies all Saturday and Sunday.
And what shall I say? They knew to make me feel a very important person.
- Great, Sean, you are faster than any dishwasher.
- Popoye [not Popeye!!], would you like to taste a champagne-cookie?
- Without you, Sean / Popoye [not Popeye!!] baking would be really boring.

Well, it might have been tactic -
αἰεὶ δὲ μαλακοῖσι καὶ αἱμυλιοῖσι λογοῖσι θέλγει :) - but one thing is for sure: If Circe's daughters had done the washing-up, the result of the baking would have been exciting.

Just a tiny selection

Well, and last Saturday Mrs. J made three marvellous cakes / tortes (?) to spoil her Mum and the five ladies she had invited for Sunday afternoon. And again my arms ended in the sink.

20 hours later: 491 years happily sitting in one room, and how lovely to hear the girls chirping like birdies, enjoying to get served like Queens. And how flattering to hear them praising Mrs. J's art of baking. And how ... err ... polite none of the ladies would ask why their charming waiter had webs between his wizened fingers.


All this just to let you know that said webs have almost disappeared, and I am back again.


13 comments:

  1. Oh Sean, haven't you heard of rubber gloves? she asks laughingly.
    Are you sure they are not running a bakery there? What a wonderful collection of comestibles and washing a few dishes is the smallest part of the effort which took place there I am sure.
    What a lovely teaparty. I would have liked to have attended and added considerably to the year count but I'm afraid my chirping would have been limited to Danke, over and over.
    Even you are turning into a food blog! What with the potatoes and the cookies. Will there be recipes too?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Welcome back!
    The little note on the dish towel was quite funny and the tinny selection of cookies look fantastic! :)
    I myself been out and about all day long in the streets of NYC, with the family and am very very tired! It's nice to find a warm story. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mmmm...I'm coming to your place for tea and cake - heck forget the tea, I'll just have cake, and cookies and whatever else was made - it looks so good...
    Good to see you back Sir Sean.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh! could you save me a piece of one of those Tortes? Well just a cookie would do...

    If I was there I would help to dry the pots after all that washing up ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ozlem and I will throw a Christmas Party Friday Sean, you are invited, and I promise you, you don't have to do the dishes..))
    But I will outsource our little puppy, Sarah P. for one night to you..))
    Kindest
    hans

    ReplyDelete
  6. ah! and with soft flattering words, one can be charmed to do almost anything.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Having just arrived in from a wintry walk down on the coast, your spread of cakes is extremely tantalising (and that's only a tiny selection? The appetite boggles!). Well worth the washing up, I'd imagine...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dishpan hands? Poor Sean! They look delicious. Me? I am excused washing up. My eyestight is so bad that I never clean the crockery properly!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Sean I absolutely loved the poem.

    I think Mrs J should begin her own blogsite. I think she may present considerable competition to Welshcakes.:)

    The Festive season surely has begun at your home. Enjoy:)

    ReplyDelete
  10. jmb,
    are my eyes cheating me, or did you really write 'washing a few dishes ...'?
    Still, I won't complain.
    Food-blog? Recipes? Hm. Although, there might - I repeat: might once come a salsify-recipe.

    Nevin,
    imagining me shopping in New York I think I do rather prefer 'washing a few dishes'. :)
    Hope you did soon recover, and had a relaxing Sunday.

    Lady Janice,
    indeed, what your pictures and poems are for eyes, mind and soul, these cookies are for the palate. You ought to come soon, as there are not very many left ...

    CherryPie,
    a piece of Sacher with whipped cream? :)

    Hans,
    thanks for the invitation. Sarah P. and I will give a great team. :)

    Chris,
    ha, you found the moral in the story!

    D.E.,
    you should have dropped by. After a nice December walk, a mug of coffee / tea and such culinaries are ‘yer only man’.

    Jams,
    as without them I am also as sharp-eyed as a mole, I told the ladies that the cat had obviously hidden my glasses. Didn't help. They said they'd no doubt that with the experience from 33 years, I could do it even blindfold.

    Ardent,
    Thanks for the good wishes. Shall I send the tea-towel per express? Would be a lovely Christmas present for Mr. A., hm? - No own blogsite for Mrs. J., though! It would keep her from baking. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. i think i should be careful about this sink thing.

    ReplyDelete
  12. i think i should be careful about this sink thing.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Rather with the glasses, cups and plates, SH. :)

    ReplyDelete