Do you ever hear noises in the night?
I do.
Last night, on what was the hottest March night on record EVER in Melbourne, I awoke at 4am to a sort of scrunching, shuffling sound outside my window. I got up to have a look, peering gingerly from behind the blind, but I couldn’t see anything, which made my stomach hurt.
At the time I figured the noise was almost definitely coming from a walker a la The Walking Dead, possibly headed to our house because of my affinity with lost souls who want to eat other people. In truth, it was the plastic outer from a packet of potting mix flapping in the breeze. Under some circumstances potting mix is almost as scary as zombies, or so I’ve read.
Speaking of which, today I’ve been doing some reading, writing, as well as working on a crochet project and drinking a lot of tea. Re tea, some people said they were going to try yesterday’s ‘Boreham Two Cup Pour’ method, but I just did a one cup bag type thing today and then Cam made me some turmeric, lemon, ginger and honey tea which I have been sipping all afternoon. And I had a coffee too, but it wasn’t nice because Cam put it by the bed while I was dozily recovering from the zombie incident and by the time I drank it, it tasted cold and bitter. Murky. Quite the let down.
Just before, I popped out to get groceries: things for a simple risotto – porcini mushrooms and shallots and herbs. And also some hot cross buns, because fruity deliciousness. Plus some brie. I like brie a lot, you know?
What you might not know is how gruelling our pop-outs can be. This is no comfy zip. Uh-uh. Not only is our car not air-conditioned – because old and retro – the central locking is broken, the petrol cap has gone missing (replaced by a temporary one, never fear) and the springs in the seats are quite wonk. Plus – it’s got no radio – just a blank space where the stereo once was. This is due to someone removing its broken-ness and trying to repair it. Somehow the repair did not eventuate and now we are tuneless. Sigh. Just a mocking empty slot where the radio used to be…
It’s okay though, because we have a FIX. We now have a battery operated transistor radio perched helpfully on the dashboard. It’s got a brown leather case and silver knobs. We like to listen to Clare’s show (and also Raf) on it if we’re out and about, even if it does come out of the little speaker a titch scratchy. The only significant problem is the corners. When we drive around a corner the radio slides across the dashboard quite forcefully. Sometimes it ends up in my lap, which is bracing. Today, during Clare’s show, she almost flew out the passenger-side window. Whoops.
Thankfully she didn’t fly out the window (and onto the road to be possibly crushed by oncoming traffic), because we got to hear the excellent segment about people’s favourite biscuits. Lucky save. Phew.
For the record my favourite biscuit is a tie between homemade choc chip cookies or a lovely Butternut Snap. People in my house like other types – Monte Carlos, for instance, are popular, as are Tim Tams.
When I was little I used to love Orange Creams, but mostly I liked to split them in half and scrape the ‘cream’ off with my teeth. I’d hungrily gobble it down and (BAD GIRL) throw the biscuit away. But it’s okay… kids are like that and I turned out JUST FINE, amiright?!
How about you?
Do you
a) listen to the radio in your car? (If you have one) and
b) have a favourite biscuit, and if so, which?
Also
c) what are you having for dinner tonight? Is it risotto, like me?
d) do noises in the night have you thinking the worst?
Love to you. Thanks for reading and sticking with me.
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Of course things go bump in the night………am a very lucky girl as have radio,cd and Bluetooth, sounds a bit showoffie yeh?
As for bickies…mmmmm…..chic chips with minimum 40% chocolate chips and for the inner Nicole child
Honey jumbles????????????
Honey Jumbles are so pretty, aren’t they? And you are a bit fancy with your bluetooth, yesiree! x
Our radio gets stuck and you have to thump it to be able to tune it, and even then it doesn’t work particularly well, so occasionally we’ll get trapped on an unwanted station for some time. I love a gingernut snap for dunking in tea. We sometimes sleep in a bit of a shed, so we get a lot of creaks and groans as it cools, which can make me jump, and we’re always on the alert for rattish sounds when we’re there.
Your radio sounds like the long-lost cousin of our radio!!
If I’m alone, I have total radio silence in the car in the 3 minutes a day I use it (if not then JJJ). If I have my kids in the car, then they listen to those wretched stations like Fox or Kiiiiis or whatevs. I do listen to Clare sitting at my computer though, because obviously she’s ace.
Biscuits – chocolate chip cookies are THE BEST. And chocolate covered teddy bear biscuits dipped in a hot cup of tea. Ohhhh.
It’s so hard NOT to listen to Clare, right? Yep. I am hooked too!
I have just loved your recent posts Pip…although I haven’t managed to comment. Since you asked I love listening to those crazy young people on Triple J in the car because we cannot pick it up in our house and to listen online just uses too much data in our part of the world. So car time means Triple J time, hooray! As for biscuits if we are talking Arnotts, Shortbread Creams are my fave. Dinner was beef kebabs, steamed beans and BBQ ed giant mushrooms. Yes, noises in the night scare me, but now that I have children to protect I feel much braver! Love your work x
Radio is always on in the car. I choose JJJ, Tim likes AM talkback.
Favourite biscuits are either Anzacs of the chocolate wheaty biscuits from Michelle’s book. My big boys would much prefer store bought biscuits but I stopped buying them at the start of last year.
Dinner tonight was black bean quesadilla. I made the black bean recipe from the new lunch lady mag & they are so much nicer than my usual ones. I added brown rice, cheese, green tomato hot sauce & sour cream. It was SO good. I wish I’d made two.
And I ALWAYS think noises in the night are mice or rats. They are the scariest things to me & I lay there with my heart racing waiting for them to run all over me. Hasn’t happened yet but I know it will!!!
I really need to make those biscuits! And that’s a great tip re the Black Beans from Lunchlady – will put that on our dinner list for sure!!!
The radio on the dashboard and old, retro car sounds very American road movie to me. I like brie a lot too, a lot. 🙂
Brie is the best. Especially when it’s a bit melty! x
Hello Pip!
(a) I do have a radio in my car but I don’t really listen to it. I make myself mix cds because I like to sing along to my faves while driving.
(b) biscuits are excellent even though I find it difficult to have just one at a time. I actually quite like a milk arrowroot or “football” biscuit as I used to call them when i was little.
(c) My wonderful parents had me around for dinner tonight…delicious curry…which saved me from cooking something sad and pathetic.
(d) Unexpected night noises are scary. I take comfort in security screens and my guard cat!
Milk arrowroots are so simple, but so satisfying. I am a big fan of them too! x
Always listen to the radio when I’m alone, ABC local, when any of the kids are with me I listen to their music.
Biscuit hmmm choc chip maybe, home made of course although nothing beats a Tim Tam when I’m feeling blue.
With half if my family away tonight one had left over risotto from last night and the other one and myself had quiche and salad.
Everything has me thinking the worst, but mostly once I’m asleep I don’t hear anything, except the kids turning the WiFi back on, that always wakes me.
I love your blog Pip so thank you for continuing to share here.
Thanks for reading my blog!! Also… I love quiche. It’s so delicious and rich and satisfying. Y to the UM.
Your floor photo! I’m crocheting a simplified version of similar.
1. I listen to the talk program in the morning on the school run, local national broadcaster in RSA. I loved 96Five in Brisbane when we lived there ten (TEN! already) years ago.
2. I love my gran’s “soetkoekies”. Which is choc chip cookies without the choc. And maybe a bit less crumbly.
3. I don’t know yet. Maybe baked broccoli and cauliflower with some curry chicken something.
4. For sure. My cat suddenly jumping through the window onto the wooden floor.
Have a lovely day ;-D
Baked broccoli and cauliflower = DELISH!
I am going to look up those soetkoekies and find out more. Thank you for that tip!
I don’t have a radio in my car. Sometimes I play music off my iPhone – Siri, play Taylor Swift!
A favourite biscuit – hmmm I do love a Lemon Cream and a Butternut Snap. I try not to be biscuit-ist.
Dinner tonight? Well now I want mushroom risotto!
Noises in the night are part of the “charm” of my super old, weatherboard house. Creak, pop, shudder. Creek, shudder, groan. Poor house. When I first moved in it scared me a lot but I’m used to her creaks and groans now.
It’s ace to stick with you Pip. If your blog was a biscuit, it would be my most favourite one.
I have always wanted to be someone’s favourite biscuit! Achievement unlocked!