The long lost Leek. (for Seniors)

The long lost Leek for potato-bake

There comes a time that a lost leek is the only way out for seeking relief from life’s unrelenting savagery. I mean our Minister for Immigration has stated that, “some refugees have resorted to self-immolation in order to get a foothold in Australia.” http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/asylum-seekers-have-selfimmolated-to-get-to-australia-peter-dutton-20160811-gqq48f.html

The release by The Guardian newspaper of several thousands of complaints about the conditions of refugees on Manus and Nauru seems to have caught the attention overseas but hardly made the media here in Australia. Children are right now being sexually assaulted, as are the adults.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/series/nauru-files

What a fate. My parents came here for the children’s future. I can still hear my dad saying that to his own family of brothers and sisters before our departure from Holland. He might have had some trepidation. His own family thought it a somewhat dangerous and foolish choice. Has it turned out to be a mistake? I am ashamed of my adopted country now. I even took on the Australian Nationality. I remember the ceremony at Sydney’s town-hall with getting a cup-o-tea and an Arnott’s biscuit from the Salvos, together with my Australian Nationality Certificate.

Australia has stopped dog racing as being cruel but seems unwilling to give the same consideration to refugees warehoused on Nauru and Manus.

The potato bake is one way of coping. I rummaged around the bottom of the fridge and found a long-lost leek and some lonely and somewhat wrinkled carrots. A potato-bake sprung to mind. I sautéed some onions and mixed that with fried bacon after which I mixed in about 250grams of frozen spinach. Get real spinach NOT silver-beet. In an olive-oiled baking dish I put layers of thinly sliced potato interspersed with the sliced long lost leek and cut thinly the lonely carrots. Spoon over this some of the bacon-spinach-onion mixture followed by grated Parmesan cheese. Of course, oregano is obligatory as well.

The leek had actually started to grow inside the fridge with the inner rings bravely sprouting forward bypassing the outer rings. I used four freshly bought potatoes. This whole lot is now given a baptism of three cupful of milk and sour cream. with the leek, spinach, onion and carrots layered with a final dosage of cheese on top is put in a pre-heated oven at about 200c for fifteen minutes. This gives it an irresistible crust. Turn oven down to 150C for about one hour.

One can forgive or at least momentarily forget all the problems by eating this lovely but modest dish. I do hope some of you will get respite. (Try and not think of our Migration Minister, Dutton, when slicing the leek)

Horse and Carriage

2010 by gerard oosterman

Some experts reckon that people’s genes and hormones determine more than anything else what kind of life they are destined to live. Upbringing and parenting is a mere bus stop on the way to maturity and a wise old age.

We all know that relationships are as important as well as jobs, wealth and health. Sadly for many, relationships can often become the banana skin on the doorstep of a smooth entry to maturity and old age. The statistics and thousands of Family court enforced Orders testify that love have many a rough edge. In fact, it could be a sobering experience and perhaps educational as well, for intending relationship contenders to spend a day in a Divorce Court especially the Family Court. Just don’t do what I did, in the lift to the eight’s floor, and hum, “Love and Marriage is like a horse and carriage, etc”. I was lucky to get out alive. A security guard was in the lift.

 If fridges, cars or TV’s had failure rates approaching even a fraction of relationship breakdowns there would be a thorough investigation by Consumer Affairs. Choice Magazine would come out with dire warnings with lots of arrows and downwards pointing graphs and 1800 preventative phone help lines for those that have been conned into a relationship. MP’s would line up with legislation proposing to ban any relationships, but perhaps excluding friendly pets… Those that organize weddings with lavish exhibitions costing tens of thousands of dollars would be chased out of Australia. In fact there would be a law against it and anyone who as much as looked as if having a relationship would be hauled into the paddy wagon.

This is why it is the more so puzzling that even in old age people don’t seemed to have learnt a lesson. There is a very good publication out, far exceeding the newsworthiness of the Sydney Morning Herald or The Australian which is called “The Senior.” It is a revolution in honest reportage and I recommend it with gusto.  If ever there is proof that people, despite all the previously suffered discombobulating relationships, despite all the battles fought with partners, the relentless hounding through courts seeking compliance of Orders and percentages, they can never get enough of it.

 Here a sample of the length that some will go to in order to hitch up with some new partner. From “The Senior.”

LOOKING FOR ME?
Gent finally divorced for 15 months. Very young for 89, honest, considerate, GSOH, 69kgs, 168cm, ND, NS, NG. No vices & no ties, just a small fish tank with guppies. Like animals, the outdoors & home life, the garden, healthy food & living, car trips, music, dancing, tennis, current affairs & business news, reading, conversations. I WLTM a compatible lady, around 50s & 60s, active, slim-med., some similar interests, including oral (dentures); for friendship with VTPR. Love to hear from you. Let’s enjoy life!

There we have it.  At 89 and still the unstoppable search for yet another partner, no matter what.

Of course, there are also the untold millions for whom it was ‘bingo’ first time around and while the above points out the negatives for the unwary or the ill prepared, there are just as many whom have sailed through life with just a single partner. The perfect loving relationship was found the first time they laid eyes on each other across the vast ocean of available humanity of people keen to hop-a-long with someone else. Volumes, whole libraries have been written about what makes certain people find lifelong love while others plod along from breakup to endless breakups and Court after Court without ever finding what they so keenly seek.

 Some experts give answers about unreal expectations that many seem to hold. Endless love without a hint of a hitch or slackening of sex… A dreamy tear stained reality as so often portrayed in those American TV series where no one ages and huge houses are filled with impossible bunches of flowers with lovers straining at each other within the acreages of beige coloured boudoirs with a never ending and reckless abandonment into the arms of total perfection, year in year out. Who knows?

Perhaps it is more of a case of A Horse and Carrots.