Fruit and Meat.

Fruit and meat combined has never been a favourite in mine. I never did get the idea of pork with apple. That said my roast pears with goose at Christmas was a success. Those in North Africa and the Middle East have favoured the fruit and meat combination for centuries. Not much pork there though. I steered somewhat clear of those food cultures for years for that very reason. Yet as I get older-I will be 44 in August-my tastes are changing. So as an experiment I'm doing a lamb shank tagine with dates and almonds. I never liked nuts either but I can tolerate them now. I will let you know how it all comes out.

It has been something of cultured afternoon. Prior to putting the tagine on I began listening to Palestrina for the first time ages. It was a TV programme on Allegri's Miserere last night that prompted this venture back into the Renaissance although of course Palestrina is very early for that era. Good programme. I think I will keep the TV off until I get back from the pub this evening-always good to rest my eyes.

I set about the application form for that job this afternoon. I have done all the easy bits although having a drop down menu it struggled with my MA (Cantab) qualification. Yes I have an MA courtesy of the curious Cambridge system-my BA became and MA 4 years after I graduated. Graduation. So long ago. I had my first panic attack during my graduation lunch. Within 6 weeks of that so called triumph I had been locked up in an old Victorian asylum. Funny how the world goes. I doubt I will even get an interview for the job-can't get past that old problem of not having a porfessional qualification. Fortunately my current university and Cambridge saw fit to look beyond that. Who knows where I would be now without that stroke of good fortune.

And so to another Sunday. Opera of course. But no roast dinner-just bought some chicken thighs as I'm off to Kent on Thursday and I don't want cooked food hanging around when I'm away. I will be seeing dad but am really going for a funeral. Such is my life. Take care.

I Heard a Voice.