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Catherine's Kitchen

Catherine Manning

I APOLOGIZE for neglecting the column, but that's the way the cookie crumbles, sometimes!

I was hoping that the older I got the easier life would be, but it doesn't seem to be working that way, as I appear to be getting busier now than I was five years ago, or even one year ago.

The biggest shock to the system was my 60th birthday was on September 24th and having ignored all the ones that went before, the children insisted that I celebrate this one. I'm not quite sure why, except that maybe I should be happy that I've got here, as many haven't!

Actually it was really nice and after procrastinating (as usual) about what should be done, as the girls didn't want to have a party here because they reckoned that I would do most of the work, we did end up having a lunch here and I did quite a bit of the work! It was a lovely day, the rain held up but we had a tent just in case, which also helped from the sun.

I dealt with the meat (pork, chicken and pepperpot) and got the rest catered; the service took a lot off my mind. It's the first time that I've actually got out of my kitchen and left others in it without interfering too much!

The first guests came at 11am while I was having a shower and the last left after dark at about 6.30pm. But a good time was had by all of the 80 that came. I said 'no presents' but seems they all had other ideas and apart from individual presents, everyone got together and gave me a beautiful amethyst ring and bracelet to match my amethyst pendant and earrings. I wear them all the time now. I also sneaked out with Fleur and bought an emerald bracelet duty-free to match a ring that I had!! It's difficult to wear them all at once, but I try! Guess I'm making up for the 'lacking years'!

After that, Nat had a yoga seminar in Miami and Gerry was going with her, so Fleur and I decided to go as well for a quick 'shop till you drop' four days. They were staying at the conference hotel, which was the Ocean Point Resort on Miami Beach so we got booked in there as well. Yes, well, say no more, I could have lived there quite easily.

We managed to make a big dent in Aventura Mall and Sawgrass. I left Barbados with one piece of hand luggage with a change of clothes and arrived back with four large pieces of luggage packed to capacity. I had no problems, either at MIA or arriving back in Barbados and I say this as I had heard all sorts of horror stories since 9/11. Maybe I just looked honest? This might sound strange, but Barbados is not cheap with all our taxes, so we run to Miami to shop and get away with what we can as much as we can!

Now I'm back to normal or trying to be, and wondering why I'm still working my butt off which is hindering me otherwise, on projects such as this column, which I have missed now for three months.

However, I'm trying to get back online, so forgive me and next month I'll hopefully be back to normal, with recipes!

Cath