Ever wondered where the 'slush fund' came from?

Common sayings with their origins from the sea:

To Know the Ropes
In the old days, there were miles and miles of cordage in the rigging of a square rigged ship. The only way of keeping track of these lines and to know the function of them, was to know where they were located. It took an experienced seaman to know the ropes.

Gone By the Board
Anything seen to have gone overboard or spotted floating past the ship (by the board) was considered lost at sea.

Start Over with a Clean Slate
A slate tablet was kept near the helm on which the watch keeper would record the speeds, distances, headings and tacks during the watch. If there were no problems during the watch, the slate would be wiped clean so that the new watch could start over with a clean slate.

Slush Fund
A slushy slurry of fat was obtained by boiling or scraping the empty salted meat storage barrels. This stuff called "slush" was often sold ashore by the ship's cook for the benefit of himself or the crew. The money so derived became known as a slush fund.

Looking to create a strong marriage? Here's some good advice

Courtship brief but marriage lifelong

William Phillips says he was not quick enough to get away from his future wife, Peggy, when they met for the first time in 1946.

Mr and Mrs Phillips celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary last weekend with more than 80 friends and family members at their Milford home.

Now 85, Mrs Phillips fondly remembers meeting her 90-year-old husband, William, shortly after the end of World War II.

"I was nursing in New Plymouth at the time and my husband-to-be came back from the war and was seconded there to complete his training as an air-traffic controller."

She said their courtship was brief but unforgettable.

"I remember he was a mischievous thing who certainly caught my eye back then.

"We had our ups and downs at the start but it didn't take us long to make our minds up," said Mrs Phillips.

Mr Phillips interrupts: "I couldn't run away from her fast enough at the time and look what happened."

The couple married in Mrs Phillips' hometown of Blenheim on July 17, 1946.

"It's been wonderful and he told me today that he would marry me again," said Mrs Phillips.

Shortly after their wedding the couple moved to Milford which Mrs Phillips said was then a "lovely and unsophisticated place which was on the way up" on the North Shore.

They raised their family there and have lived there ever since. "We have three girls and a boy," said Mrs Phillips proudly.

She said being actively involved in the North Shore community had been a highlight for both of them.

She served as deputy mayor on the Takapuna Council for nine years and was involved with Plunket and numerous boards in the area for decades while Mr Phillips continued his work as an air-traffic controller.

Mrs Phillips' commitment to housing for the elderly and pensioners living on the North Shore has been recognised with a residential village for senior citizens in Takapuna named in her honour.

She believes part of the success of her relationship with William was more about giving than receiving. Mrs Phillips says she gets cross at people who think only about what is in it for themselves.

"My parents set a good example for me. My mother used to help in the cowshed, work around home and then she would get a bus into town to help in the soup kitchen," she said.

"A lot of people these days are only thinking about themselves but I don't think this can work in a marriage - it makes me angry.

"We did things within our community and helped people all our lives. I get cross when people think only about what's in it for themselves."

She believes she is from a time when a long-lasting marriage was considered as necessary as being educated and having a lifelong job.

"People these days would be lucky to last six years in a marriage let alone 60," said Mrs Phillips.

"Kids these days are all about taking things now and are only interested in what they can get for themselves.

"But I can remember some women who were engaged to their husbands during the war and had to wait for years for them to return."

~NZ Herald

Fascinating Food Facts

* You can walk on custard. Custard is a non-Newtonian fluid. When thickened with starch, custard's physical properties change from those of liquid to those of a solid depending on the amount of pressure applied to it, so much so that a person is able to walk across a swimming pool full of custard.

* "Aioli (garlic mayonnaise) epitomises the heat, the power, and the joy of the Provençal sun, but it has another virtue - it drives away flies."
Frédéric Mistral








Care of the BBC Food newsletter.

Three quick CD Reviews

It was my birthday recently, and as a result my music collection has grown a little.

"Home" by The Corrs

I was initially a little disappointed as I started to listen to this album. On the first few songs Andrea's voice just wasn't that charming - I think perhaps they are set too low for her. However, from about track 5 onwards everything is as you'd expect. Lovely songs, great arrangements and that knack that the Corrs have for making the traditional relevant. Perservere with this one and you'll be rewarded.





"Unexpected Songs" by Julian Lloyd Webber

This CD is just divine. Lloyd Webber has picked a large variety of songs to play with simple accompaniment. Each is different, but all are sublime. It is gentle, soothing, yet inspiring music. Uplifting and calming at the same time. If you have even an inkling towards liking classical music, you should buy this album.





"The Essential Doris Day"

I wouldn't have thought it possible, but I think I am beginning to like Doris Day almost as much as Ella Fitzgerald. They're quite different in style, but probably equal in charm. Doris is just so easy to listen to, so upbeat and cheery - she just makes you smile.

This collection is a good mix of pop and jazz, swing and blues... and is impossible not to like. I can also recommend her "16 Most Requested".



(Never say I don't have eclectic tastes)

If at first…

A few weeks ago I received the first rejection of my novel from a publisher. Although I had constantly told myself 'it will probably get rejected', nothing could prepare me for the moment I first found out. Sitting at my desk at work, putting on a happy face for mcolleagueses, I felt like someone had kicked me in the stomach. It was just a form letter - we are too busy to comment, we only publish a few titles a year so why we recommend you try these other publishers...

So, moving on. Today my second submission is in the post. Stripping my synopsis down to the 500 words they requested was a struggle (it's still not 500 words, but it's less than a page!). They also only requested a partial rather than the whole thing, so the stakes are lower. Having experienced the first rejection a second one won't surprise me. Have to keep plugging on though, just in case.

Runaway otter home safe at last

Fugitive otter Jin has been captured on Motutapu Island in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf.

A Department of Conservation spokesman said the short-clawed Asiatic otter, which escaped from Auckland Zoo on June 13, had been recovered safely in a trap.

The otter had earlier been sighted at Devonport, and Rangitoto Island.

The otter was being returned to the zoo today.

Zoo spokeswoman Jane Healy said the otter was spotted by a yachtie yesterday as he sailed past Rangitoto Island.

Traps had already been laid in Islington Bay on Rangitoto and extra food was put out after the sighting yesterday, she said.

Department of Conservation staff found the otter in one of the traps today.

Ms Healy said the otter would have been in the trap overnight.

She was being brought back to the zoo for a check by a veterinarian.

"She is in pretty good shape. But obviously she will be a little worse for the wear for being out there but she is in pretty good shape."

Jin and two other otters escaped from a new compound in the middle of last month. The other otters were caught but Jin was believed to have swum down a creek and into Auckland's Waitemata Harbour.

She crossed the harbour and made her way to Devonport, around North Head and up to Cheltenham Beach.

She crossed the busy shipping channel to Rangitoto Island where she was spotted late last month but then swam back and was seen at Narrowneck on the Takapuna side of the gulf.

She swam back to Rangitoto where traps had been laid before she was caught overnight.

Zoo staff were worried about her because she had been bred in captivity, and being out in the wild was a new experience.

However, they said she seemed to be getting good food.

- HERALD STAFF, NZPA

The beauty of Nelson

I've been away quite a bit lately, and consequently quiet on this blog. So I thought I better post some evidence of my travels. Here you go.