Some neighbors down the hill, one house across the street from the other, have little concrete animals decorating their garden walls. The other day I noticed that they've given some of the animals bright pink ribbons. There's a cat (above), and...
...a pig, next to a hedgehog that I suppose couldn't easily be decorated given that it has no neck!
I had a strange dream last night in which I bought a house in Jacksonville, Florida, sight unseen. I bought it on the phone with a Realtor and paid cash. Apparently I knew my stepsister had stayed there when it was an Air BnB, so I thought, "How bad could it be?" But then she started talking about what a dump it was, and I was filled with dread. I never actually saw the house in the dream but I began to realize it really could be a hellhole. I was so happy to wake up and realize I didn't own anything.
Obviously this is related to my desire to get back to Jacksonville to see my mom. I still haven't bought that ticket but I'm about to pull the trigger, I think. Fortunately I can visit without buying a house.
Dave made potato-and-leek soup for dinner last night, and it turned out very strange. It had a super-strong lemony taste, and we can't figure out why. He used chicken stock from the supermarket that didn't smell lemony (and was well within its expiration date, October 2023), and the cream, leeks and potatoes seemed perfectly normal too. He put thyme in it -- not lemon thyme, but normal thyme -- and butter. But it tastes like he squeezed about two whole lemons into it. We're mystified. I ate a bowl of it and didn't die, so whatever happened, it doesn't seem to have had any ill effects, but I'm not sure we're going to finish the rest.
We usually blame the dog if something untoward happens!! She squeezed a lemon into the soup when you weren't looking!
ReplyDeleteI’d be a bit concerned about that no-lemon lemon, potato and leek soup. How strange. I like the stone cat on its own. Sorry, but buying a house in Jacksonville right now does sound like a nightmare. Glad you can get back there without having to go to that extreme.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the lemon thyme was labelled Thyme by mistake. My supermarket often has labelling mistakes, especially with types of basil.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the soup triggered the bad dream? Weird flavor effect. I also wonder what triggered the pink bows. All these mysteries, woo-woo.
ReplyDeleteI think that the pink ribbons indicate support for breast cancer charities.
ReplyDeleteMaybe something extra-lemony was cooked in the pot before the soup and some of the essence lingered? Weird.
ReplyDeleteThat is weird about your soup. I've been having strange dreams on this side of the pond as well. I wake up in the middle of the night with a hundred questions. Usually the main one is 'why on earth....' Seems like you have a pretty good handle on that question thought.
ReplyDeleteSo many people are having strange, anxiety related dreams these days!
ReplyDeleteThe hedgehog looks jealous, I think.
ReplyDeleteI have no theories on the soup.
ReplyDeleteI've been having very obvious (to me) dreams as well. They absolutely pinpoint my fears.
Buying a house sight unseen would scare the bejesus out of me! I would classify that as a nightmare versus just a dream.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm wondering what would make soup taste lemony. I like the comment that perhaps the thyme was mislabeled and it really was lemon thyme. Mmm?
ReplyDeleteI like those little concrete animals.
I love lemon so I might find your soup delicious!
ReplyDeleteI wonder what that pink ribbon is all about.
ReplyDeleteYour dream sounds like something I might have dreamed recently. You see, I've been looking to buy a new car. This is a horrible time to buy a car. Dealerships don't even have any cars in their showrooms and can't tell you when one would arrive if you ordered it. The only way to get what I want quickly is to do it on line at places that deliver it to your door. That means buying sight unseen. So far, I haven't been able to bring myself to do that. Right now, I'm thinking I need to wait a while longer.
I can't imagine what caused that soup to taste of lemon. However, potato-leek soup sounds delicious. I might have to make some.
That sure is odd with that lemon taste. Maybe what Jennifer said, that something lemon-y had been in the pot before? Glad you didn't get sick!
ReplyDeleteThat strong a lemon taste is very odd. At least it's a pleasant flavor! My kids bought a house sight unseen but their realtor and John and I had been through it several times so it wasn't too weird.
ReplyDeleteThose ribbons reminded me of the Tax Time Pig (remember that from my blog - ha!).
ReplyDeleteHow very weird about the lemon taste!
It was the radioactivity .. just kiddin'?
ReplyDeleteI can't add anything the others haven't already covered! I might be inclined to skip the leftovers, as well.
ReplyDeleteI was pleased to see that other people decorate their inanimate animals with ribbons. we have a large pottery sheep on the draining board and I regularly change his ribbon around his neck with the seasons. There, you knew I was potty didn't you? lol
ReplyDeleteAs for the lemony soup I have no answers.
Briony
x
The cat has a lovely patina
ReplyDeleteThe pig less so
I've gone down several internet rabbit holes on the chemicals in lemons, potatoes, and leeks, looking for overlap, but unable to find anything. I'd check the thyme, as River mentioned. Also, not to promote anxiety, just knowledge, becoming sick from food doesn't always happen immediately. It can take up to two weeks depending on the cause, although most time frames are shorter: https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/symptoms.html
ReplyDeleteThe pink ribbons might have been a gender announcement for a baby born at that house. Around here, it's common to put out pink or blue balloons so neighbours will know right away which gender the new baby is without having to bother the exhausted parents! Or the ribbon might have just been available and someone had a whim :)
So cute looking at these two nice stone sculptures. Very cute.
ReplyDeleteClassic
ReplyDeleteHi everyone -- I just responded individually to all these comments and then lost my responses for a variety of complicated Google-related login reasons. ARGH! Suffice to say I appreciate your comments. River, I think you may be on to something with that thyme! I'll have to test it.
ReplyDeletePotato leek soup is one of my winter meals though I didn't make it last year. I can't imagine what caused the lemony flavor.
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