Rice, people say, is dangerous to eat as leftovers. Fortunately I had been eating it for years without being ill, so when I was told about it I already knew it was perfectly safe. All you have to do is cool it and store it in the fridge after cooking. That’s what you should do with everything, apart from the parts of a rocket. That’s because it’s not rocket science. (Add a couple of drum beats and a clash of cymbals after the punchline.) There is no advice on what to do when your kitchen is colder than the fridge, as mine often is in winter, but I’m pretty sure all options are safe at that temperature.

I’m going to look foolish if I’m suddenly seized by a bout of intestinal Armageddon (which could start in as little as 30 minutes according to the NHS website) but I will at least look thinner by the end of it, so it’s a risk I’m willing to take. Think of it as salmonella chic, rather than pale and haggard. It’s actually Bacillus Cereus rather than Salmonella but Salmonella fits better.  One of it’s side effects, according to an article I just read, is death. This is a bit strange, as I’ve never seen death listed as a side effect before. It’s usually considered to be quite serious.

Magpie in the snow

I’ve been away with the fairies this afternoon – starting with a search for the Sitwell family and continuing with Nancy Cunard and Edward Tennant, amongst others – a fine bunch of people to pass an afternoon with.

I always wonder why some people listed as war poets are on the memorial in Westminster Abbey and some aren’t. It seems unkind, after all they went through, to suggest the quality of the poetry might be the reason, particularly as some of the poets on the memorial wrote a few clunkers. I’m particularly thinking of Rupert Brooke, who is not a favourite of mine, but there are others. Here is a selection from Tennant, who is not on the memorial. He was quite clearly a brave and efficient soldier but I’m not convinced by the poetry.

Later, I slept whilst sitting at the computer and was wakened when my leg started to make a ringing sound. It was Julia ringing to tell tell me she was on her way home. She came home with hamburgers, which was nice. As a result we had soup for tea as I have to keep my calories down. It’s hard work losing weight when your wife is determined to feed you up.

Snowdrops at Ruddington

I thought I’d put some snow pictures in, as we move ever closer to the threatened February snow. We often have our worst winter weather in February so I’m not sure why snow in February is news. The December snow never arrived. Nor has the January snow, so far. I’ll be happy to avoid it in February too, as I’m happier to see it on TV than on the ground.