This adjective was applied to me by a writer friend I was at first a little taken aback and then when I looked up the meaning I thought…Maybe she is correct…haha

Wednesday 19th June is National Martini Day...I don’t mind if I do…Garnished with a few coffee beans it is dressed to impress…and if you drink too many it can have a kick like a mule…

Created in ‘80s Soho, London, by cocktail legend Dick Bradsell, the story goes that a delightful young lady entered his bar and asked Dick to make her a drink that “wakes me up and then ***** me up”. Thus, a legend was born, fueling office parties and Hen Parties the nation over.

It is a rich indulgent mix of vodka, Kahlua and espresso that will keep you awake and have you giggling depending of course how many you have…But very moreish it is…

Time for a story…

Willow The Wisp by Carol Ann Taylor…

Sitting,  flicking through FB my way of keeping in touch with family and friends from afar. I clicked like, I commented.  Suddenly like a blast from the past, a face appeared: my heart skipped a beat and a tear, unbidden trickled down my face. The outlines were blurred but still …. I felt that familiar stirring from within and I started to shake from the tips of my fingers to my toes.

My thoughts turned to him. The only person who had the power to make my bones turn to jelly.

I suppose the unexpected encounter…just a picture … my guard had dropped or just perhaps my need for someone. If I allowed my thoughts and myself to turn to him then I had to attempt to find some modicum of com­mon ground in the relationship aside from raw, physical sex.

Was that possible?

He was like Willow the Wisp invading my very being, catching me unawares.

My first love and my last. “A bit dramatic” I hear myself saying.

The End.

Udon Thani( Thailand) is the host city for the FIVB Beach Volleyball Under 21’s…This week…

Which is where we have spent whiling away a few hours it has been hot but enjoyable but now everyone has gone swimming and I opted to come home and relax…

On the 19th June 1960, Loretta Lynn recorded ” I’m a honky Tonk Girl”

After having a little bop it’s time for another story…

The Junk Shop by Carol Ann Taylor…

Off we set our little group of scribes, another day, another adventure devised to get our creative juices going, some of us decided we would go in the tuk-tuk, one brave soul had a dream to fulfil and stood holding tightly to the back of the tuk-tuk like we watched the local’s doing and the remainder of our intrepid little band of writers elected to walk.

“Rather you than me in this heat, I thought.

We set off down the hill, around the corner and within minutes pulled up outside a virtual Aladdin’s Cave. Yippee!  Who knows what goodies and treasures lurk within?

The little wizened Thai man sitting somewhere in the middle like a jewel in a crown looked somewhat amused at all these farangs who were coming from all directions.

Wandering along those dusty aisles looking for that special find, so much to see, suddenly, clumsy klutz that I am, I tripped and went flying through the gap that had suddenly appeared before me. Landing on my butt the freezing wet, cold hit me!

Looking around all I could see was snow. Snow!  Must have hit my head I thought. I know I was sweating buckets and wished I was cooler. But this?

Standing, gingerly I looked around in amazement, all I could see was white, white and more white.

I must be dreaming.

But no, here I was, standing in the snow in my flip flops.

Noticing a beautiful bush laden with red flowers, I bent to smell them, the perfume wafting upwards invaded my senses, and it conjured up pictures of pine trees and Christmas.  Plucking one of the flowers I straightened up.

This was eerie, so silent, no sounds, just quiet. Shivering, my arms and legs blue, with goose-bumps. I wrapped my arms around me tightly for some warmth. My short skirt and flimsy top was no barrier against the cold.

“Hello?” I said my voice trembling from the cold but tinged with fear. I was getting scared.  “Hello, anyone,  is anyone there?” The only thing I could hear was my voice echoing in the stillness. I began to panic, my throat contracting, my lips were dry.  The blackness engulfed me.

“Carol, Carol are you ok?” Someone was slapping the side of my face. I opened my eyes to see Anne looking down at me, with a worried expression on her face. I gingerly moved my legs, my arms; everything seemed to be in working order. I was back! Anne and Jason helped me to my feet and walked me slowly to the waiting tuk-tuk. I must have been dreaming. Feeling something in my hand I slowly opened it and my eyes widened.

Nestled in the palm of my hand was a beautiful red flower.

Do you Know???

Which of the following is a traditional gift to give on a 19th wedding anniversary?  ANSWER …Aquamarine…Names after seawater it has a lovely sparkly blue hue.

Fire Cider…

Indigenous healers have been brewing herbal vinegar for millennia. In fact, humans began making vinegar as long as 10,000 years ago, using it in food and drinks, for food preservation, and for many medicinal and antiseptic purposes.

Back to the modern incarnation called fire cider. The traditional tonic made with healthful herbs stewed in apple cider vinegar is remarkably easy to make.

To a quart of Organic cider vinegar …

• Add one-third cup each of grated horseradish and ginger roots
• Two tablespoons dried, powdered turmeric
• Half a dozen cloves of minced garlic
• A small chopped onion
• Two dried, seeded hot peppers (or, use cayenne pepper)
• One large lemon, sliced rind and all (optional)
• A small handful of dried oregano, rosemary, sage, and parsley (optional)
• A cinnamon stick, a few allspice berries, and a few whole cloves (optional)

Make sure the vinegar covers the herbs, seal tightly and if you are using a metal lid then screw the lid over a piece of cooking parchment to stop the vinegar from corroding the lid…

Leave the mixture for a few weeks and then strain…This recipe is my old nans passed down from my mum…she used to give to me at the first sign of a cough or sore throat but added some vinegar to sweeten it…I am sure the thought of it scared my colds away,,, haha…

That’s it for this week so if you have a sore throat from singing along to Honky Tonk girl while sipping Martine espressos then Fire Cider should do it …failing that a Hangtown Fry…  will most certainly do the trick…Thank you for reading xxx

About Carol Taylor:

Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and wellbeing.

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!

More and more of my blogging friends have joined me on MeWe…A social media site which is fairly new and which promises much without the restrictions some other social media sites are choosing to impose on many of us…Join me if you will on  mewe.com/i/caroltaylor3 

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Phuket-Island-Writers-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B00RU5IYNS

Connect to Carol

Blog: https://carolcooks2.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealCarolT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.taylor.1422

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caroltaylor56/pins/

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a creative week ahead xx