Monday 14 March 2016

Memorandum Monday

"You need to make a list," she said. "If you are planning on learning something new, or doing something for the first time, every weekend, all year, and writing about it at the beginning of the week, you should make a list. A sort of bucket list for Mondays. A Mucket. If you'd been thinking ahead, see, you could have checked on your list for an appropriate activity for this week: a St. Patrick's Day activity."

She had a point. But, with no list I could only turn to my googler


Within about three seconds I'd learned something I've spent my whole life not knowing. St Patrick is not only the patron saint of Ireland; but also of Nigeria. I would have been born in Nigeria, where my parents were teaching, if they hadn't at the last minute decided to come home and make family life here instead. And in all that time since, in the Yoruba words my dad and I used together when I was little, in the souvenirs which decorated our home and in the stories we heard, in none of that had I ever discovered that we shared a patron saint. 

So I'd already learned something I didn't know before. But something new to do? When in doubt, fall back on a new food, we thought; and having already adopted Guinness crisps as a part of our staple diet a couple of years ago, we had no other choice. We headed to the seaside and bought a tub of local Bailey's Cream ice cream. We rushed it home to the girl with the heavy homework duty: little bit runny, it was, as you can see, but then that's when the flavour comes through. 

"Mmm.." she said. "When you make that list, how about you just write try one new icecream every week all year. Wouldn't that work?"

It might. But then if I hadn't arrived at the icecream through a roundabout route, I would never have remembered about the scrapbook. always the scrapbook. which I made when I was growing up:


There's a lot of cutting and sticking in this book. In fact, if I could work out what I used to stick, I'd quite like to try some of it again today. I wonder...

Did you try anything for the first time this weekend? Learn something new you didn't know before? We'd love it if you shared! Last week

 Deb, Barbara, Helena, Eileen, Miriam, Mitra, Mary-Lou, Susanne, Maggie, Melissa, Jane, Cheri, Sheena, Fiona

all posted about their revelations. Go on, give 'em a wave! And go see what they found out: you never know how useful it could turn out to be. Have a good week.

25 comments:

Lizzy Hill said...

Sounds like an interesting & yummy exploration. I'd go with the ice cream idea! And gee whizz! Always a scrapper, eh? I used to have books of house plans, designs & interiors....

Jo said...

Ice cream is definitely better when it's started melting, I really fancy some now! Looks like a good weekend for learning.

Ruth said...

I do think that TNSSO is very wise ... you can keep your Bailey's ice cream, but I'd happily accompany you to the seaside.

Beverly said...

I am quite sure she would be thrilled if it was a new ice cream each week lol That was indeed a great adhesive. Love the connection you made this week. We're back from Hawaii and I may have done overload on my post about what I learned but I barely scrapped the top ;)

helena said...

I could do a new ice cream every week I'm sure. And I learnt something new about Nigeria. We could have been continental neighbours - my parents were in Malawi until I was 3. Hope Little E is on the mend and have a great week

debs14 said...

A year of new ice creams - that sounds like a brilliant idea! And they definitely have to be just slightly melting so you don't get 'brain freeze'.
How's that young rascal Little E? Is he home now and showing off his scars?

Maggie said...

Now that ice cream sounds delicious. Actually I tried salt caramel ice cream for the first time this weekend and that was delicious. Also my daughter 's friend from Dublin brought us some Baileys chocolates. Unfortunately by the time I decided to have one there was only one left! Been wondering 52 varieties of ice cream one for each week. I challenge your daughter to name them!

Jane said...

sounds like a good idea to me.

Cheri said...

The ice cream definitely sounds scrumptious and a challenge I would love to undertake were it not for the whole getting fit thing. Bummer. Have a fantastic week Sian!

alexandra s.m. said...

Greta post Sian!
Love the pictures and your prose.
I did not know about St Pat and Nigeria.
I would love to have a peek at the inside of your scrapbook ;)
I cannot think of anything new for me but I did make two loaves of Irish Soda Bread yesterday and since I only make them for St Patrick'sday I always forget the recipe! And then I realize it is indeed the easiest bread to make ;)
Have you ever made a pair of socks in honor of Nigeria and St Pat?
xx

Karen said...

Tracy is a St. Patrick's Day baby, but I didn't know anything about St. Patrick and Nigeria. Bailey's Cream ice cream? Totally would love that! Have a great week!

Patio Postcards said...

What glorious connections you made this weekend. St Patrick sounds like he could have been quite a traveler in his time. I wonder why Nigeria has him as their patron saint. Irish Creme ice cream - oh I would very much like to have some, but I will have to say no, it will not like me. I cannot disagree to the idea of a list, but then again, spontaneity is such a gift of which I am trying to develop.

Alison said...

I am all for the ice cream -a -week idea...may try to fit that in next weekend! I do think your girl might be right about this list!
xx

alexa said...

The seaside AND ice cream? What a treat :). And I didn't know about St. Patrick either ... Lovely post.

Ladkyis said...

I'm back, and feeling better and learning all sorts of things. Bailey's Icecream? yeuk. I am, to quote my daughter when aged six, lur jick to alcohol so that would hold no joy for me

Eileen T said...

An ice cream a week - go for it!

Mardi said...

I need a list or 'mucket' badly... I have been flying by the seat of my pants.. sometimes the things I've learned are more of a practical nature rather than interesting.
Do LOVE the sound of that ice-cream so much! yuummmm!

Julie Kirk said...

OK then you + me ... let's bring scrappy scrapbooking back! My blog post today had Jose scrapbooks I see in an art gallery the other week and I *almost* wrote about how I thought that that's exactly what I should try again - just the cutting and sticking bits and bobs type book I used to have when I was young.

Have a lovely week ahead. X

KraftyKaren said...

Trying a different icecream each week sounds great!! Now if only we had a good icecream parlor near us.

I'm a bit late to the party this week but have now given you a wave back.

Have a great week x

Becky said...

Well I'm with you in trying a different ice cream each week - sounds like a grand idea!

Missus Wookie said...

Great photo. We bought an ice cream maker on the basis that we could have fun trying new recipes. There were some very full weekends on occasion.

Hope the homework is finished and you have a good weekend this weekend :)

Susanne said...

Oh nice to learn a little something else about your life before. We managed to include ice cream (or other creamy confections) into our spring break a couple of times this week. Of course, that's not the only reason I like having college girl around, but it is on the list! ;-)

Mitralee said...

This is my second time reading this. The first time the brain shut down and I had to close the blog post because my brain exploded. Why don't we have Bailey's Cream ice cream? I mean of all the things I suddenly didn't even know I wanted. I might have stomped my foot even. A week later I am over it, well mostly. It's probably amazing. Don't tell me. Please. ;-)

Melissa said...

Learning & doing something new on the weekend - so FUN! I've got lots of new things to share as we've just returned from a long road trip . . . but first I must get all those photos on the computer & finish the mound of laundry!

Anonymous said...

What an interesting little fact you found and told us a little bit more about you while telling us about it.

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