The Earthquake

At 1am I was shaken out of my sleep by a terrific noise,the bed,the window the wardrobe doors where all shaking for about 10 -15 seconds.It was scary I thought a bomb had gone off. I looked out but everything was the same, no damge or disturbance at all so I went back to sleep. It was on the BBC morning news A significant earthquake,the biggest in over a decade 5.2 on the ricter scale. The epicentre was Wragby in Lincolnshire to the east of Bolton and had been felt as far as Brighton and Wales. It was frightening. There was some structural damage in parts of Lincolnshire and only one man had been hurt but I reckon we were very lucky it was very powerful. The Seimologists do not link this to Global warming,but it makes me think, with all the extreme weather world wide and especially the rain last summer filling the underground cisterns/lakes with a great deal of rainwater, we could be in for another shock soon. To my amazement there were many this morning who had slept through it.
Went out to lunch yesterday, with twenty nine WI ladies. It was at the Local Community College Catering Section Grosvenor Resturant and we had an exceptional meal.

http://www.bolton-community-college.ac.uk/grosvenor.htm

The Strawberry Gateaux

There it was the object of my dream
A Strawberry gateaux filled with cream.
I tiptoed in oh it smelled so good
If I touched it, I knew there would be blood.

My sister had made it for Saturday tea
But I wanted it all just for me.
I took a taste, just a finger tip
It was wonderful so I took a deeper dip.

Oh glorious it was a dream come true.
If I took a piece who would have a clue
That it was me, who had cut the cake
That my sister had taken all day to make.

With the knife I sliced through the top.
It was so soft and fluffy that a blob I did drop.
It was all over the tablecloth my fingers and face,
I had strawberry gateaux all over the place.

I tried to clean up but it only got worse.
I could almost hear my sister`s curse
When she saw the mess that I had made
On the table that she had lovingly laid.

I felt her presence and turned to see
Her shock at seeing her cake and me.
She shook her head I saw in her eyes
A look that took me by surprise.

“So” she said smiling “you like my cake?"
By now my knees had begun to shake.
The smile it went as she cried,
"You moron you should be certified.”

She chased me round the dining room.
From somewhere she acquired a broom.
And hit me hard and it snapped in two
That was a blessing I can tell you.

Mother heard the row, came to investigate.
She could see the cake and what I had ate.
She was furious I was sent to bed,
Disgraced, apologetic, with a sore head.

Mum went out and bought a Chocolate cake
For my baby sister`s sake.
The tea went well, but I was banned.
At my sister`s firm command.

© ValCook 2008