Last year during the peak of the pandemic with lockdowns and restrictions in most places the world started baking. Oddly I didn't. I did quite a few things during the various lockdowns, including developing an obsession with all things barbecue, as well as doing quite a bit of "grow your own" gardening. But no baking. One of the things I wanted to do was to get a bread … [Read more...] about Making Bread With a Bread Machine
Helmets Make Sense
This advert from the Danish road safety authority is masterful. Unlike the doom and gloom ads we get this one uses humour and is also just plain excellent: Very nicely done! … [Read more...] about Helmets Make Sense
Castles, so Many Castles
This year's July break is being spent in County Galway, close to Mayo. The cottage I rented via AirBnB is surrounded by fields and most of our neighbours are of the wooly variety. While I have spent a lot of time in County Clare since I was very young I've never really spent time in this part of the country so there's plenty of things to see that are new to me. One … [Read more...] about Castles, so Many Castles
Growing my own Vegetables & Fruit is Wonderful
Growing up in West Clare in the 1970s my grandparents had a fairly big back garden. However they didn't grow much variety of vegetables. I remember them growing potatoes, carrots and rhubarb. They might have grown a couple of other vegetables, but I don't have clear memories of them. As a teenager we used to pick fruit from orchards nearby and my mother used to make all sorts … [Read more...] about Growing my own Vegetables & Fruit is Wonderful
Sound of Silence
Simon and Garfunkel's Sound of Silence is one of those songs that has been covered so many times over the years. There's nothing wrong with a cover version, but most of them don't really stand out. There are exceptions. Disturbed's rendition of "Sound of Silence" is exceptional. The vocal range of lead singer David Draiman is truly impressive and this version of the … [Read more...] about Sound of Silence