the roast chicken became a carcass that became chicken stock (i even tolerated celery for this purpose) that became pea risotto. it was yummy, but when it is repeated, it shall be in smaller amounts. you just cannot eat large amounts of pea risotto for a main course, but it would be terrific as a starter.
last year, we were blessed with a small but dedicated pod of students (the term 'pod' was used self-reflectively, so i feel able to use it with impunity here) who engaged in the community without much fuss on their part, nor lavish student-friendly events on ours. this year the pod has increased in size; mrs hope and i gate-crashed the student lunch and gorged on pizza and fizzy pop. we wait to see whether the numbers were swelled with migratory students or those seeking a home (and fast food).
mrs hope and i then drove to westonbirt arboretum, where the leaves are starting to turn. the website is worth checking out, even if only for the quote "Westonbirt's world-famous maples in Autumn are definitely among the top "100 things to see before you die"!" accompanied by the following picture:
hmm, i suppose you don't have to visit the website now, but the circle continues...
