napple notes

Not Quite Treading The Boards

2012-01-27T22:52:00.005Z

"Come with me?"
"I'm no actor! I can't do that."
"Let's go and see what it's all about, please? You might enjoy it..."

The Festival Theatre had plans for a peripatetic production which would need some 200 people, mostly extras, amongst whom a few would have to sing folk songs and do country dances.
For my singing buddy, the very word 'theatre' sent her blood racing, and I had to admit the mention of folk music had got me interested....

So one early summer evening found us in a large marquee with a crowd of oddly assorted people lured by that same word. We learned that several well known playwrights had each been asked to write one scene of a play, based on true historical events around Chichester.

The extras would be responsible for their own seventeenth century style costumes, and the directors needed about 50 or so people to learn a country dance, and a smaller group to sing a mix of hymns and folk songs. They showed us patterns for the type of clothes we'd need, and I was hooked!

Before I knew it, I'd 'volunteered' for both the singing and dancing, and couldn't wait to start on our costumes...We had to invent characters for ourselves, too, for we were told it would help us to be 'believable' to the audience. Thus let me introduce...

"My Lady Anne, sister of the Bishop, and her maidservant, Prudence."

No prizes for guessing who I played!

Sepia Saturday's prompt has stirred up more memories. To be continued...

WARNING! between 11 p.m. last night and 6.46 a.m. this morning, I have a total of eight 'Anonymous' comment emails showing in my in box for this post. If you are trying to leave me a comment, I suggest you use your own blogname, then I might read it! At the moment, every anonymous comment will go straight to my junk folder. If you are a spammer- go away!

Stage Struck

2012-01-26T18:00:00.004Z

Or rather, back stage struck! For a couple of years, between 1986-88, I was heavily into costume making for various theatrical productions, one at Chichester Festival theatre, in which I took part, and the rest for Bosham Players' open air productions at West Dean.

I was given a budget of £200 to clothe the caste for As You Like It - almost everyone with several changes of costume to boot. The director chose to set it in the Edwardian era, so it was no mean task.

The Women's Institute in Chichester had a wonderful costume 'warehouse' at the time, and hired out articles for amateur theatricals, but I did design and sew many myself for this particular play.
My children and one of their friends spent an afternoon modelling some of the outfits for me, like so:-

And the most beautiful garment I hired was this vintage, crochet jacket which my daughter is wearing in this next photograph, together with a skirt and top made from our old, satin, bedroom curtains!

I seem to remember there were complimentary noises made about the entire production, which made all the hard work worth while, of course.

'Theatre' was the choice of subject at Sepia Saturday this week. And there's more theatricals HERE.

Sorry, Not Sepia!

2012-01-20T21:41:00.002Z

But, here's a black and white version instead. It's Christmas 1968, and my small niece, in her dressing gown and sleep suit, is getting my Mum (her Granny) to sort out her doll and pram for her. Still in its box at the front of the picture is one of those 'magic' feeding bottles which appear to empty as the 'baby' gets fed. I imagine the photo was taken by my brother in the morning, for there's a carpet sweeper in evidence, and Mum is wearing a nylon overall that I'm sure would have been discarded if it had been later in the day.
Before I started looking through my collection for Sepia Saturday's request for doll related pictures, I didn't think I'd be able to find any, so thanks again to my Bro for supplying me with this one!

Discovery!

2012-01-16T09:38:00.000Z

N.B. If you choose 'Full Page' option for how you would like your comment box to be displayed, it seems that the annoying 'Reply' buttons disappear from your Blogpage...

I Saw...

2012-01-15T09:27:00.003Z

And so did everybody else this week, that Blogger has decided to add reply buttons for comments, willy-nilly. For some time, there has been an option given for this in the design features, but now our choice is removed.

It has long been my practice to have comment notifications sent to my email inbox, from where I've replied to those Blogpals who allow their email address to be shown, and who have thus become buddies as a result of our 'behind the scenes' communications.

I've experimented on my previous post, with replying 'on blog' as opposed to 'in email', but have decided to revert to my former way of communicating, mostly because using a reply button results in yards and yards of scrolling down the page to find the comment box!

I've decided to link this to Susannah's 'I Saw Sunday' as we've all experienced the same phenomenon this week, but maybe not with the same reaction...Can't wait to see!

No Hats - Yet!

2012-01-14T12:06:00.001Z

Sepia Saturday featured a hat extravaganza photo this week, which set me thinking of 'costumes'. My latest acquisitions, shown here, are heading for one, if not several, changes of costume before they are much older!

They were a totally unplanned purchase, which you can put down to my having reached my second childhood, I guess. Thanks to January Sales, they were almost half their original price, and I shall secrete then away (eventually) until smallest granddaughter has grown to the same size as them - which could take a few years!

But in the meantime, I intend to enjoy myself to the full, by making/acquiring/collecting alternative costumes for the Sam and Sally dolls I'd have loved to own when I was young.

The clothes they have now are trendy to look at, but poorly designed. The hoods are too small to pull up over their heads, and the Velcro fastenings at the back stick like glue to the doll's soft bodies when you undress or dress them. And why give dolls clothes that are difficult to take off and put on?

I was horrified, too, by the wire and plastic restrainers that held each doll in their box. Neck, torso, arms and legs were shackled with lethal looking bonds, that took me, an adult, a fair amount of effort to remove. No child could have coped. So, in the interest of preserving the original boxes to store the 'twins' safely, I have replaced plastic with good old fashioned string, which I can untie whenever I want to try on a new outfit for either of them! I shall have a lot of fun with these two, before they get handed over for good...

'Ready to take you on and on'

2012-01-11T04:59:00.002Z

It's the early hours of the morning, and the clock face shows you the time I took the shot. On a ribbon attached to the tiny HMS, red nosed blob sailor you see on top of this Ikea cabinet, are printed the words you see in my title.
I suddenly thought how appropriate a phrase it was for all intrepid Bloggers everywhere...

But why am I taking pictures and writing posts at this godforsaken hour? A tickle cough, stuffy nose and voice box which emits sounds like a foghorn, has been plaguing me for the past two weeks, and the hours between three and five are when it plagues me most.

The germs have got into a routine of driving me downstairs at silly o'clock for a steam inhalation, a hot honey and lemon drink, and an interminable wait for the coughing to subside. So what's an old lady to do but BLOG IT, before going back to bed for stage two of a long night...

And For My Next Trick....

2012-01-09T21:19:00.000Z

Here are the squares I mentioned in my previous post. They sat and taunted me until I put them together, as a lap rug for one of my erstwhile singing pals. She is inordinately fond of all things black, so I chose the border to complement her addiction - and my bright colours- in the hope it would give a stained glass window effect.

My shaggy carpet did it no favours, when I tried to lay the crochet down on top with no wrinkles, but it gives you the idea of the colours, and the fact that each square manages to be different, despite a limited range of yarn shades. Now I shall sit back and wait for your verdict! LOL

A Good Yarn?

2012-01-05T15:06:00.001Z

Is worth its weight in gold...especially if it's this kind of yarn!

The urge to crochet comes upon me with a vengeance at times, to the exclusion of all else, and my pre-Christmas snowflakes whetted my appetite.

I knew I wanted to make a Napple Blanket for my newest grandchild, and, relatively quickly, I'd produced fifteen, eight inch squares to kick start the project. BUT...the sixteenth put a stop to everything. It was made up of the yarns in this photo, and once I saw the colour combination, that was it. Back to the drawing board, in a manner of speaking, to produce a further set of twenty squares, all the same. Tedious to do, but worth it once I finished this at midnight, last night!

The downside of this escapade, is that I now have fifteen, brightly coloured squares tucked in a plastic bag, all clamouring at me to get stuck in, and make another throw. If I obey the summons, I could be away from Blogland for quite some time...

It's Here!

2012-01-01T07:38:00.000Z

One
One
Two Oh One Two !

I wish the best to you...
and you...
and you and you
and us and them -
it's "Happy New Year" time again!

Angel or Fairy?

2011-12-19T12:36:00.001Z

I've been saving this up for Christmas week, but I leave you to choose the correct word for this vision in pink!

You can see my great niece chose her ensemble with great care, as is her wont, and you will understand the seriousness of the occasion if you pop over here to read the back story of the doll and scissors... But perhaps I should give you a clue...

I can see her as a doyen of the fashion scene for years to come - if she isn't too busy writing books...Go for it, girl!

I'm going to link this to I saw Sunday and Monday Toads, simple because this little madam is a poem in her own right.

Two Times Fifty Five Is Twice As Nice

2011-12-16T08:04:00.004Z

Having been talking about cards and Round Robins, I shall continue with a Bah Humbug slant on the Festive Season, especially for Mr Know-it-all's Friday 55 challenge. Except that I have written two co-joined 55's, hence my post title!

Decorations, trees and cards

greet us on every hand.

I think it’s time we all rebelled

and let sense take a stand.

In olden days, a card was made

by one, to give another.

A special thing, a work of love

to give a dad or mother,

sibling, friend or relative

or possibly a lover.

Now cards are often ‘tit-for-tat’

dispatched with little thought,

‘cept moaning about postage

which costs more than it aught!

And presents? Well, a nightmare!

for costs get out of hand;

children want the ‘latest thing’

to hit the adverts stand.

Here’s to a different Christmas,

where love, not money rules.

Do Have A Happy Yule!

Epistles

2011-12-14T18:12:00.001Z

At this time of year, many of the Christmas cards being trundled around the world, contain, inside their glitter sprinkled fold, an epistle. For what better name is there to describe the annual letter which regales us with the sender's highs and lows since this time last year?

Don't get me wrong, a real letter with a card enclosed, is welcome at any time, for the letter is the main attraction, and the card and additional extra. But once the letter takes second place to the card - it's time to beware. I'm sure you'll know the kind I mean - more like a mail shot than a letter written to an individual! Informative, maybe, but soulless...

However, the Wednesday challenge on Imaginary Garden today is to write an epistle. They ask us to choose a character or characters from literary history: a fictional character or the person of a poet, author or artist, and to write a poem in letter form (or a letter in poem form), either to, or from the character of your choice.

The Jinksy sense of humour took over at this point! LOL ♥

Not What It Looks Like

2011-12-06T15:09:00.000Z

Not a night sky, not a pseudo Christmas tree with candles, not a Jinksy graphic - merely a collection of crochet snowflakes I took to my classmates this morning, to thank them for the fun we've had this term at our creative writing class. I let them cho0se one each.

And over on Fridge Soup, I offered to send one or two to the Blogger who left the cleverest, or funniest caption for the snowman cartoon I'd found on Google. As ever, you have to be in it to win it, so why not put your thinking caps on? See if you can captivate me with your offering, and I promise to post you a non-melting, everlasting snow flake to say thanks!

Cream Anyone?

2011-12-03T08:30:00.010Z


cookalmostanything.blogspot.com

Stephen Hayes asked for a recipe for Clotted Cream to go with the scones I showed in the previous post. So here's one that I'm sure will work, as I once watched, and sampled, cream being made in the same way.

Cornish Clotted Cream Recipe:

To make this you need full cream jersey or a similar milk. The quantity can vary to suit the size basin one uses, with a minimum of 1 litre or 2 pints to make it worthwhile. Pour milk into a basin and leave in a cool place (not freezer) for at least 8 hours until the cream has risen to the top. Then put the basin carefully over a saucepan of boiling water - not letting any water get into the milk. A pudding basin will rest on the rim of the right sized saucepan. Let the water simmer on a slow boil until the cream begins to show a raised ring around the edge and the surface begins to bubble. When sufficiently cooked in about 3/4 - 1 hour take off heat - lift basin carefully and place in a cool place. Skim cream gently off the surface into a dish and enjoy it!

This cream recipe was found here and I've added a recap photo of the scones that rhyme with 'gone ' as Doctor FTSE so kindly explained with this verse:-

"I asked the maid in friendly tone
to order me a buttered scone.
The foolish girl has been and gone
and ordered me a buttered scone."

I'll email the scone recipe to anyone who asks...and that's still 'scone' as per 'gone', if you're wondering...

And for some glorious sights that were to be found outdoors this week, I suggest you pop HERE for a Susannah's eye view of her world!

Done To a 'T' (for tea)

2011-12-01T21:03:00.002Z

This afternoon I suddenly got the urge to make some scones to go with my afternoon cuppa. They are the first ones I've made for years, literally, and I wondered whether I'd have lost the touch!

I think they could have done with a smidgen more kneading, as in retrospect the tops appear a little rougher than usual, but the taste and inner texture were exactly right. From start to finish they took about twenty five minutes - and that can't be bad!

The aerial view doesn't do justice to the luscious depth of these quick-fix scones. By dividing the dough in this way, rather than cutting into rounds, there are no oddments to reshape, as these 'seconds' tend to end up tougher, because of the extra handling.

Every portion is ready to go into the oven at once.

All that's missing is some jam and cream and seven Blogpals to join me in eating them!

I'll email the recipe to anyone who asks...

Ever Hopeful

2011-11-28T21:05:00.001Z

My garden comes to kiss my feet, when it thinks I am going to set it to rights! LOL

Imaginary Garden with real toads called us to its aid, this Open Link Monday. You can tell my garden is begging me to work in it, too!

Should This Go On Fridge Soup?!

2011-11-26T13:14:00.017Z

Maybe as the one that got away? Hehehe! This post is coming hot off the presses- or even, hot off my gas stove. How many of you have never been faced with a similar ghostly image on the bottom of a saucepan which has burnt dry, but whose contents have not gone beyond the edible point? If you can honestly say 'No' to my question, I salute you.

However, here's how today's picture post came about...

I diced six ounces of vegetables - marrow, leek, onion and tomato, to be precise - covered them in water and popped in a 1/4 of a stock cube, before setting my ringer for a time when I judged the veg would be cooked, and I would be able to adjust flavour/seasoning etc before consuming my lunchtime soup du jour.

However, before the ringer alerted my ears, my nose alerted my brain. All was not well. I hurried towards the kitchen. With a muttered "Oh, No!", my hand reached for the steam-emitting saucepan lid even as the ringer rang...

With great presence of mind, I scooped the vegetables (which now resembled pulpy ratatouille) into a dish (after I'd tasted a sample to make sure they had no lingering burnt twang) only to discover this wonderful image on the base of my pan. With hot saucepan in the sink, instead of turning the tap on it, I dashed for my camera to record its beauty! LOL

Perhaps I should think about writing a 'How NOT To Cook Book'...

Due to the amazing colours I achieved, I'm going to link this to Sepia Saturday! Hehehe! And now, to I Saw Sunday, as well...
To make the most from the least , I've just written a Sunday160 for Monkey Man, as he chose cooking for his subject today, too, but of the successful variety!

Cooking is an ancient art with plenty of scope for accidental mistakes. The saving grace is laughter. Its spice can rescue any recipe with the magic of humour!

Still Our Dad

2011-11-19T18:03:00.005Z

Only much younger! Following on from last week's Sepia Saturday, where, in a comment, Nancy asked for more of a background story, I've found something I wrote shortly before I started blogging, and give it here now, with apologies for its great length! I called it Nautical Notes.

My Dad was in the Royal Navy for 22 years, so I think the sea was in my blood from birth. He was born in Birmingham, and because he was a very gifted artist, he wanted to go to art college, but his Mum said 'No', so into the Navy he went, at the tender age of 16…

I remember the lovely, tarry smell of his naval uniforms, but I didn't like the attendant cigarette and smoke smell. Sailors used to get cheap cigarettes, and he used to have one hanging out of the corner of his mouth nearly all day long, when I was little, with resultant hacking cough first thing in the morning, that I listened to in horror whenever he was home.

For years after the war, the annual trip round the Dockyard during Navy Days was a regular family outing, until one year, when there was a submarine in dock that was open to the public. We queued up for ages for the privilege of getting escorted on a tour through this amazing vessel. I remember it being somewhat claustrophobic because of the limited space inside, but my Bro was even more affected than me, and caused a great commotion when he got panic-stricken and Mum insisted on getting him off, or out, rather, half way through the trip. It caused havoc with the one way flow of traffic the submariners had so carefully planned. You try going up against a crowd of moving people in the confines of a submarine's tiny passageways!

We used to enjoy the Searchlight Tattoos at the Marine Barracks in Eastney, though, as well as demonstrations of the Gun Run on Whale Island. Several teams from local barracks would compete against one another, with the victors going on to compete at the Royal Tournament in London.

Dad actually used to be a member of a Field Gun Crew, and I still have a medal awarded to him the year his team won. Over a measured distance, sailors have to race with a huge gun mounted in a gun carriage, dismantle it and take it across a 'chasm' with the help of slings and pulleys, then reassemble the whole thing and race on the outer side of the course, dragging everything back to the start, when the gun has to be fired to prove it still works. Very exciting to watch, and quite dangerous to take part in. Other nautical sports, like tug of war and rowing, were also activities he enjoyed as respites from the more arduous duties of the engine room, where he was a Chief Stoker PO.

He served on destroyers or minesweepers in the war, and when the ship had to stop engines to keep silent, whenever there was a threat of hovering submarines, if he was off duty, he'd sit and draw, and I still have some amazing sketches he did under those trying conditions.
Apparently, he used to be the wardroom barber, too, and I can still feel the pinch of his clippers running up the back of my neck to trim wispy bits of hair when I was about eleven, and had suffered a disastrous hair cut at Treloggan's, a hair dressers in one of the side roads off North End.

Sometimes the men in the mess took turns with the cooking, and 'Brum', as he was known, was always welcomed, when it was his turn, as he was a great cook. His suety-duff or spotted dick became the stuff of legends. He did try to join the Navy as a cook, but they didn't need any more at the time he enrolled, so he ended up in the engine room.

He must have retained a lingering soft spot for enormous engines, for he always took me to see the engine rooms of the Isle of Wight or Gosport ferries whenever we travelled on them. Best of all, many years later, was the trip on the old paddle steamer, The Waverley. I peered at its gleaming pistons and breathed in the hot, oily fumes, and remembered childhood.

N.B. Dad never went to sea in a submarine!! Some comment(at)ors seem to have got the wrong end of the stick!

Our Dad

2011-11-12T08:55:00.001Z

I'm still finding gems among the pictures my brother took way back when. Many of them need painstaking touching up, due to various hazzards of travelling to the other side of the world at some point in their existence. So when I found this portrait today, I sorted its annoying, white dots and now here's Dad, unspotted! It's a wonderful character study, and I couldn't resist offering it up for Sepia Saturday, without more ado, as the 'hundreds' (?) of tiny blemishes I removed make it a fitting tribute to their 100th post!

Smiles

2011-11-08T21:14:00.003Z

Thanks to an email from the lovely Marian this evening, I discovered this happy clip, just in time for the Wednesday mid-point-doldrums of this rather grey-gloom week. Enjoy!

Late Edition Extra ! Now it's Sunday, I had to have another look/listen to this, as I suddenly realised it should go well on Susannah's I Saw Sunday, as a tongue in cheek addition to the day! LOL Sorry, folks...

Another Number Seven Today

2011-11-07T08:37:00.001Z

Over on Alias Jinksy, yesterday's post brought into focus the number seven, so it seems fitting this Monday morning, the seventh of November, to carry on the same train of thought. It is a significant date for me, for I married my Mr Smith on that day in 1964.

As is the way with many things in life, it didn't exactly turn out the way we imagined, and it ended in divorce, but not until after twenty seven and a half years - we didn't give up lightly! From this point, until his death in 2000, we were better friends, if you can understand that?

This morning, while reading a poem by Lawrence Durrell entitled 'Bitter Lemons', four lines in particular set me thinking. The major factor which ended our marriage, was lack of communication, and, as often happens when you least expect it, my muse prodded me to write a poem on the subject, which I share with you now.

Non-Communication

Your silence echoes in my head,
circles round the words, like lead
encircling stained glass shapes
of thoughts unspoken. What makes
depression's dark descend,
brings conversations to an end
in anger's fizzing, flurried flame
that douses my soul, damns my name?

Better leave the rest unsaid
keep its calms like tears unshed
where the moon's cool fevers burn
in an island of bitter lemons.

These last four lines, although shuffled, are credited to Lawrence Durrell, with my thanks, and may be found in their right order in 'Bitter Lemons.' Sorry I can't find the poem on the internet, to give you a link...

Late Edition, Friday... Doctor FTSE has kindly written it out as a comment, which I now copy for you here.

"In an island of bitter lemons
where the moon's cool fevers burn
from the dark globes of the fruit,
and the dry grass underfoot
tortures memory and revises
habits half a lifetime dead.
Better leave the rest unsaid.
Beauty. Darkness. Vehemence -
Let the old sea-nurses keep
their memorials of sleep
and the Greek sea's curly head
keeps its calms like tears unshed,
keeps its calms like tears unshed."

Poppies In Winter?

2011-11-06T16:48:00.000Z

They will be blooming in advance of Remembrance Sunday next week, though I've only seen ones on television so far this year. November has many associations with death - think of Halloween and the Day of The Dead, as All Saint's Day is known in some countries.

So it is no surprise to see that Tess at Magpie Tales has chosen a photograph of a tombstone for her prompt today, nor will it be a surprise that I've chosen to play with its colours before writing the following tanka, in suitably lugubrious vein. Even a Jinksy clown has serious moments.

And we remember
at the dying of the year
those dead in battles
long since past, in far off lands -
but closer to home, this day.

Kissin' Cousins

2011-11-04T19:34:00.005Z


Thanks to my brother for this picture!

Okay, even the best photographer has an off day! I forgive my Bro for cutting off our children's feet in this one, taken aboard a Hoseason's cabin cruiser on the Norfolk Broads in 1973.

The girls look happy, but it seems my son was not quite as cheerful. It could be because his yellow life jacket was slightly different from those of the girls, and it had been a struggle to get it over his ears. It had turned them bright red in the process, and caused a few tears.

I'm glad to say they soon recovered their normal colour, and remain firmly attached to his head to this very day.

Once again, it's a colourful offering from me for Sepia Saturday this week.

Clock This!

2011-10-30T19:04:00.001Z

It's an appropriate title in more ways than one on this day when the clocks get turned back by an hour.

Instead of half six this morning, I was up and about when the clock faces were telling me it was five thirty.

Now here's a less than perfect snap, taken at 5.30 this afternoon, and what happened to the twelve hours in between?! Not a lot, as a good portion of it was taken up by my sneezing and blowing my nose, accompanied by sporadic swallowing of mugs of hot, fruit tea to ease the tickle of my tonsils.

This week's creative writing class came with a free gift of a cold, I think, as the tutor complained of feeling one degree under as we clustered round the tables, wielding our latest magnu(s)m* opus. Or opusses, or opi...What is the Latin plural? Tell me somebody, do. * thanks RWP.

Anyhow, several of the time pieces scattered about the house are clever enough to adjust themselves. But not this one. It came as a free gift with some catalogue purchase, years ago. It sits atop a wooden, six drawer storage unit, full of Useful Things, which live beside my computer. It objected to my disturbing it, as usual; I have got used to its complaints.

After adjusting the hands, I popped its plastic dome back on, but could tell it wasn't happy, as the second hand went on a go slow, before shuddering to a grinding halt.

"New battery needed!", says I, hopefully but unconvinced. Then I noticed the short hand had no control at all - it fell from the fifteen to the twenty five mark in a flurry of movement. So what did Jinksy do? Why, unpicked as much of it as possible, and reassembled it in reverse order. End result? Success! Its happy quartz tick is tocking merrily, and its 'arms' have now found enough strength to keep its hands under control!

I think this will have to link to Susannah's 'I Saw Sunday', don't you?

Exodus?

2011-10-28T19:00:00.002+01:00

Today, I wanted to drop a coat into the cleaners, but was told they were not taking any more incoming goods, in readiness for the whole business to be shipped right across to the other side of Havant, close to the enormous, revamped Tesco supermarket.

Havant itself is a dying town. Every time I wander around, there seems to be another shop that’s closed, its windows plastered with glossy photographs of what a shop could look like, if there was one still there! It makes the place appear attractive by disguising the empty premises, but it makes shopping a bit of a nightmare.

Everything is being geared to the needs of car owners. Little old ladies like me have to like it or lump it – or perhaps that should read ‘learn to yomp it’, for I can see hiking boots becoming compulsory footwear for shopping…Unless you want to go to Tesco's, when you can take one of these...

...which happens to fit with today's Sepia Saturday subject!

Productive Procrastination?

2011-10-23T18:37:00.000+01:00

I guess by now, nobody is ever surprised at what peculiar subjects I choose to blog about from time to time. Here's one such. Having begun tipping out the cupboard under my stairs on Friday with a view to a massive recyle-or-bin-it project this weekend, I'm now going to confess. A large portion of my Saturday was involved in - ready for this? Shortening a scarf. There... if you were in doubt as to my sanity, this is probably a clincher in the thumbs down department.

This crochet creation I manufactured a year or two back had s t r e t c h e d to an unprecedented length - enough to be a danger to life and limb if it unwound itself to hang down on either side of my neck, instead of remaining neatly wrapped around it.

So, despite having a hall floor dotted with heaps of 'stuff', I decided action was needed. I laboriously unknotted the hand tied fringe, carefully sliced about eight inches worth of stitchery from the remaining length and re-attached the now wonky looking tassels. Anything, in fact, to avoid dealing with the 'stuff'.

Today, I have not only avoided it again by constructing this blogpost, but for good measure, have also opted out of ironing, cooking and cutting my hair... Wonder what else I will manage to ignore before bedtime? Procrastination is an art I believe I have perfected...

I've decided to belatedly link this to Susannah's I saw Sunday, for it will certainly make all the other contributors think themselves so industrious, by comparison! Well done, Blog Pals!

Well, Well, Well!

2011-10-20T21:30:00.005+01:00

Some of you may remember my earlier post about a free newspaper that lost the fight with my letterbox a couple of weeks back? The saga continued last Thursday, for I caught the paperboy in the act of cramming the next edition through.

I quickly opened the door, and called to him "Cooee! Can I have a word please?" as I beckoned him back to my pathway. Calmly, and pleasantly, in the circumstances, I gave a swift demonstration of how his life would be easier if he followed my simple method of folding the paper widthwise to make a short, stiff bundle , easy to push through the toughest letterbox flap.

He was a fairly good looking youngster - but spoilt by the scowl on his face, and his grumpy "So what?"attitude. "It's only a free paper, what does it matter?"

"True, but you are getting paid to deliver it, and the people who advertise in it are paying for those ads. Besides, you'll find it far more satisfying if you always try to do your best, no matter how ordinary you think the task is that you're given." He went off muttering.

But this evening, this picture shows he may have been listening despite himself. Of course, I shall have to look out next Thursday, to see if it is the same lad - I hope it will be...Then I can thank him.

Old And Battle Scarred?

2011-10-15T09:18:00.001+01:00

I'm talking about the photo, although probably I would now fit into that category, if I'm honest. However, this is another of my Bro's 'Candid Camera' shots which has survived the rigours of its trip to New Zealand, and its immersion in his flooded basement at some point. It's badly discoloured and spotted, but I've gently touched up the faces, so that my daughter and I don't look as though we have some kind of white measles.

I was searching for a suitable picture for Sepia Saturday this morning, and happened upon this relic before looking at the subject they'd chosen. Imagine my surprise when I discovered I'd actually chosen a compatible theme - sort of. 'Wars, cooking, chairs or fires', were the subjects on offer.

Fires I can discount totally - the one in Mum and Dad's sitting room would be behind you, as you look at the screen! But how's this for the rest?

I was born in the war.
There's a high chair and a piano stool in view.
What looks like remains of a Christmas Pudding sit on a dish in the foreground, in the shambolic aftermath of some large family gathering.

The cards and presents on the top of the piano suggest the Festive Season.The year has to have been 1968, when daughter was just one year old (bless!) and still tiny enough to wear a matinée jacket she'd had since birth!

On the tray of the highchair, that striped, fluffy thing was Wol, without whom we never went anywhere. He was made from strips of sheepskin glued onto a roll of corrugated cardboard, and had a dear little owl face with two large beady glass eyes and a cheeky expression, if only you could have seen it in this photo.

You will understand the colours are totally false when I tell you, at that age, daughter's hair was the brightest of bright copper - like a new penny- while mine was never more than mouse...

Tall Story Time

2011-10-12T20:18:00.004+01:00

She peered out towards the clothesline, where the washing hung limp and soggy above the lawn. "Blast! Those clothes will take ages to dry - not a breath of wind, and the sun’s got no real warmth, this time of year.”

There were multi-coloured post-it notes stuck round the frame, and they fluttered in the draft coming through her kitchen window with more enthusiasm than the clothes on the line. But as she stood muttering to herself, shimmering golden shapes suddenly bloomed in the middle of the garden.

“Good lord! Is that several skinny men playing ring-a-roses, or one fellow rushing round so fast he blurs and looks like a group?" She rubbed her eyes, and squinted to see better. Yes – at least three! “Whheeew! Angels or Aliens?” The words squeaked out in a breathy whisper from a voice she didn’t recognise as her own. The hairs on her arms and neck felt as though they were on the move, and the word ‘horripilation’ that had been in last week’s crossword, flashed into her mind. “Even my bloody goose bumps are so scared, they’re huddling, and my heart rate must be off the scale.”

Despite this initial panic, the longer she watched the light beings, the calmer she felt, for there was no sense of threat about them. In fact, she began to see beauty in their twisting and turning, and almost before she realised, she was stepping out of the back door and moving on hesitant feet towards them. Telling herself “Come on girl you can do this!” she determined to somehow make ‘them’ or ‘it’ understand she meant no harm, hoping to goodness, they’d feel the same.

Her “Hello!” was as much a thought form as a spoken word, but it seemed to have the desired effect. Their whirling slowed, and two fine gold strands stretched towards her hands, while a third touched her forehead, making her feel light headed for a moment, before she became aware of rippling musical tones which cascaded over her skin as though they were living creatures. “Come, join us!”they seemed to say, and her body responded to their music, until she too was part of the graceful ballet being danced on her lawn in the sunshine. She felt as though lemonade bubbles had replaced her blood, making her fizz and sparkle from the soles of her feet to the top of her head – and beyond. All sense of time had disappeared.

Eventually the bubbles settled, the dancing slowed, the music faded and the golden entity of which she’d been a part lifted itself skywards, leaving her standing on her lawn, somewhat bemused. The world had returned to normal, and the day had moved on. The sunlight no longer touched the washing.

Already she was thinking she'd imagined the whole thing.“How could I have wasted so much time daydreaming? Now I’ve got all that damn, damp washing to manhandle indoors and drape around the kitchen.”

But as she lifted her hands to remove her red skirt and her husband’s green shirt from the line, she felt a slight tingling in her fingertips, as they touched not only dry, but perfectly smooth, uncreased clothes, ready to wear… She looked up at the sky, and said ‘Thank you!”

This is my post for the In Tandem #14 prompt.

How could I resist?

2011-10-10T08:47:00.000+01:00

What? A poetic form called a 'Mirrored Oddquain', which Imaginary Garden brought to my attention. Although it was posted Sunday, I only got to see it this morning, which kind of gave me the subject for my attempt at writing one. Apparently it needs 32 syllables all told, in the sequence 1/3/5/7/1 1/7/5/3/1, so here goes.

On
a Monday,
the week is coloured
according to the weekend
past.

Then
the next Sunday, we can paint
over the picture,
make it all
new.

Sleepy Time Gal?

2011-10-09T14:09:00.000+01:00

A nightmare dilemma - duvets are too hot, or too cold. Betwixt-and-between bedcovers need adaptability to cope with the see-saw temperatures of an Autumn night.

160 characters for Monkey Man, brought to mind by my trials and tribulations with finding a comfortable temperature for sleeping - should I be lucky enough to sleep, of course! Hehehe!

Origami Freebie?

2011-10-07T13:08:00.005+01:00

I thought I'd share my morning correspondence with you all today...

Hello, Havant Office Person of The News! I don’t doubt you are the wrong person to contact, but maybe you can help point me to the right one?*smiles*

I have attached a picture of a sad copy of this week’s Journal which appears to have lost the fight with my letterbox. I imagine within the past month, that the delivery person has changed, for until recently, copies came through as newspapers normally do – unscathed! However, each of the last three have declined in appearance, with this latest one resembling a beginners attempt at Origami.

I’ve telephoned three different departments in the News Centre, and was told by the third operator I needed to speak with Mr X (obviously I've not used his name here), but they did not give me a direct dial number, merely attempted a transfer call which lost me down a big black BT hole.
As email options were equally unhelpful for my quest, you have drawn the short straw, as your department’s magic word Havant sprang from my screen, and I’ve been living in that happy place since 1964.

I’ve had several phone calls in the past, from somebody wanting to know whether I’ve received my latest copy of said Journal, but it’s proving far more difficult for me to instigate contact myself. So I’m floating off this email in the hope that you might prove to be my lucky angel! Hehehe! I’m sure all the advertisers who use the Journal, would like to know their ads are legible and uncorrugated when they arrive at their destination.

Regards,
from a slightly crumpled person, otherwise known as Penny.

One Of Napple's Notions

2011-10-05T10:56:00.002+01:00

Indulge me people. Some days are made for waffling, at least in my world. For the past thirteen weeks over on In Tandem I've been brightening blogland with a selection of original artworks from varying contributors (as well as myself) and several kind hearted folks have used them to spark their imaginations and have produced stories or poems as a result.

But when I'd posted this illustration, it gave me the urge to 'do a Napple' - i.e.waffle about it. I'm still getting to grips with the Bamboo tablet and pen I keep mentioning, and it's great fun to start with a doodle and see where it takes me.

Covering a large area with green-blue swirls, they reminded me of a stormy sky. Then I had a picture in my mind of those stray sunbeams that poke their sunny faces through small holes in cloud formations. But how difficult were they to reproduce?!

No chance of ever getting them to look 'real', so my mind jumped to cartoon-type representation, instead, and ended up introducing an equally fictitious city scape in the foreground.

This is the introspective side of Napple-Jinksy, who can disappear for hours at a time in some kind of limbo land of the mind. She usually emerge once she's reached a point where the image on the screen says 'Stop!' and I come back to being me in the here and now world.

So how do you decide what to post on your blog? What gives you the push to push the keys? Are you a closet poet or painter who doesn't have enough computer know how to add your own designs to your posts? Are you into 3D crafts, but not digital photography, so your handiwork goes unseen? My curiosity knows no bounds...

It's The Little Things...

2011-10-02T08:42:00.006+01:00

That make life special, but they're not always obvious...

I took several photos during the week, meaning to use them for I Saw Sunday, but apart from this one picture, the rest of the post will be about something else entirely.

Some of you may remember my anecdote about Kevin Butler? I was expecting him to arrive Monday afternoon for a Tarot reading. The kitchen table was spread with my green paisley patterned, Indian cotton cloth, the box of cards was at the ready, and the house spic and span, as befits welcoming a stranger for the first time.

He was a 'No show!'. Ho Hum... However, I gave him the benefit of the doubt in case he may have thought I'd meant the following week, and decided to play a waiting game. So I can't say I was truly surprised when a knock on my front door yesterday announced the arrival of none other than an apologetic Mr B. He'd lost the scrap of paper with my phone number, but had remembered the road name and house number, and had spent a hot afternoon traipsing around the illogical house numbering system of my convoluted 'Square' (which is anything but).

There were no cards read, though in a manner of speaking he laid his on the table (!) as for the next two and a half hours he regaled me with anecdotes of his lifetime's experiences with precognitive dreaming, and other incidences of ESP. All I did was fortify the inner man with two cups of tea, tuna, tomato and mayonnaise sandwiches followed by a banana and a choc ice. But I think he'll be back for a reading another day...

A Fifty Five For Friday

2011-09-30T14:37:00.005+01:00

photo thanks to metro.co.uk

Indian summer
arrives this week, with blue skies,
warmth and October.

Nobody complains
after days of cloud and rain
in earlier months.

Nature has played tricks,
kept us guessing every day.
Which clothes do we wear:

bare arms or long sleeves:
jackets or mackintoshes?
Hello umbrella!

The easy answer.
All eventualities
covered, do you see?

Five haiku in 55 words. Thanks again to Mr Knowitall for his flash 55 fixation!

Unexpected Prezzie

2011-09-28T12:28:00.000+01:00

I'll let you into a secret. I'm not into the latest all singing, all dancing mobile phones. For years I was content with a tiny Panasonic one - the smallest I could find that was capable of making or receiving calls and texts. And that was fine.

But eventually the characters on the screen didn't always appear as they should, and were so tiny anyway, that glasses became a necessity for me to read them.

While I was looking for a replacement, No.1 son offered me an old, spare one of his, and as well as giving me a choice of font size, which mine didn't, it had a camera inbuilt. Only a 2 megapixel one, but enough to give me this happy, odd angled photo of small granddaughter, which I discovered when I downloaded shots from it this morning.

The metal bars are the struts of the foldaway tables the girls use, and I like the way the pink clad arms give more angles in this completely unexpected, un-posed moment in time. The blue fingernails add the finishing touch!

Feathered Friends

2011-09-27T10:33:00.002+01:00

As soon as I saw this week's picture over at Magpie Tales, my attention was caught by that dejected looking black bird of indiscriminate species. It made me think immediately of one of my favourite songs - no, not the twenty four in Sing A Song Of Sixpence, but the single insomniac one made famous by the Beatles. It had to have been an insomniac, else why was it singing in the dead of night? Anyhow, I'm glad it did, as this was the result.

This version is rather long winded, but if you move the tracker along manually, you can still arrive at the bird singing its heart out at the end, without feeling like the needle must have got stuck in a record groove along the way...

(I rather liked the choir singing the nursery rhyme, so I added a link for that, too.)

Seen And Heard Scenario With No Pictures

2011-09-25T09:34:00.004+01:00

Methinks I feel an attack of verbal diarhoea in the offing. I Saw Sunday can affect me that way... One sunny afternoon this week, after trundling my trolley stuffed with duvet to the cleaners (with no car, this is my best mode of taking it anywhere) I park myself on a handy park bench (!) while I carefully store the ticket I'll need to collect my duvet next week.

That done, I am in no rush to move from my sun drenched spot on the busy corner where main road, park and shops meet. Traffic lights flank the nearby crossing, and the bleeping 'safe to cross now' noise punctuates the day, as groups of people spill onto the pavement in front of me.

A crocodile of nursery school children straggles by, about twenty to thirty tiny tots in the charge of four uniformed carers, whose bright red T-shirts and black trousers make them stand out against the green grass of the park. They bring the line to a halt as they bend low to issue instructions before they unclip the two smallest children's reins, and send the whole group running, or in some cases, toddling unsteadily, towards the playground at the far side of the park. (And I have found a picture!)

Havant Playpark photo thanks to Google Images

" Do you mind if I sit here?" A man's voice breaks in on my reverie. What could I say but " Of course not, be my guest!" And as is the way of these things, before I know it he is regaling me with part of his life story. In next to no time, and entirely unsolicited, I learn he had been on dialysis, but five years ago had a kidney transplant....and so he carries on talking.

He was born in Southampton, but has lived in the Havant area all his life. Now he has a basement flat near Hayling seafront, and he tells me "Some days are better than others." About this point, he suddenly holds out his hand and says "Let me introduce myself. I'm Kevin Butler"and too surprised not to, I shake it and say "Hello", but realise now I didn't give him my name in return. His grip is firm, and his hand and nails clean. He is a natural platinum blond with thick, pale eyebrows and eyelashes that stand out against his skin tone. I remember a teacher at school who was a true Albino, and I'm reminded of her colourless hair, but his is definitely the palest of yellows. He has an air of detachment about him, of not quite being part of life, although he greets by name many of the people walking past us.

Out of the blue, he asks "Are you a spiritual person?" and the conversation takes a different, unexpected turn as he tells of his friend Jenny and her interest in astrology and tarot. The rather surprising outcome of this chance encounter, is that one afternoon this week he'll be coming to me to do a tarot reading for him....

The Eyes Have It

2011-09-23T19:29:00.001+01:00

Okay, here you see a sepia picture. It may need a little explanation, so here goes.

My beautiful eucalyptus tree which grew to ginormous proportions and had to be cut down, continues to delight me in different ways.

It has started sprouting various types of fungus, grey, green, brown, orange - all rather beautiful. But once I'd taken a straightforward set of photos yesterday morning, I had one of those 'What if?' moments once I'd transferred them to the computer screen.

And by simply clicking the 'negative' option in my Arcsoft Photo Studio 6, look what a beautiful image it produced.
Surely those are alien space ships flying towards us in the centre of the picture?

So, Sepia Saturday, here's one for you, and one for me! Hehehe! Thanks again, Alan and Kat.

And if you click on the picture you'll see it in all its full glory!.

The Slow Brigade

2011-09-22T11:47:00.001+01:00

Some time back, around the inner sides of an ornamental planter, I discovered this collection of empty snail shells. I imagine they were victims of the harsh weather we had at the start of the year, but I couldn't resist gathering them, for I immediately had visions of a future blog post.

So they sat in a small cardboard container in a corner near my kitchen sink, going nowhere fast; literally dead slow stop. What else would you expect from snail houses? "For Sale" signs and prospective buyers? I don't think so. They look a little fuzzy, as I opted for natural daylight rather than flash for this photo and its a dull day. But they have a certain charm about them, wouldn't you agree? However, I can foresee a problem now. After babysitting them for weeks and weeks, waiting for the urge to get snapping, how am I going to be able to throw them away?

Mercurial Thoughts?

2011-09-20T10:26:00.002+01:00

Which Blogger hasn't had a few of those in their time?
Joking aside, Tess at Magpie Tales had snakes close to her heart this week, as you might say, when she published a picture of The Snake Charmer, Henri Rousseau, 1907 as a prompt.

Rather than my rushing to write a poem, I decided to take a photo of one of my favourite pieces of jewellery. For many weeks I ogled this pendant in a local shop window, and kept hoping it would still be there after I'd managed to earn the £16 it cost - a sum far too great for me to take it out of the housekeeping! It was, and I've been the proud owner of it ever since.

I'd find it hard to explain its attraction for me, but Wikipedia goes a long way to do so in the following article - especially the sentence I've highlighted in red!

The caduceus ( /kəˈdjuːsiːəs/ or /kəˈdjuːʃəs/; from Greek κηρύκειον kērukeion "herald's staff"^[2] ) is the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology. The same staff was also borne by heralds in general, for example by Iris, the messenger of Hera. It is a short staff entwined by two serpents, sometimes surmounted by wings. In Roman iconography it was often depicted being carried in the left hand of Mercury, the messenger of the gods, guide of the dead and protector of merchants, shepherds, gamblers, liars and thieves.^[3]
As a symbolic object it represents Hermes (or the Roman Mercury), and by extension trades, occupations or undertakings associated with the god. In later Antiquity the caduceus provided the basis for the astrological symbol representing the planet Mercury. Thus, through its use in astrology and alchemy, it has come to denote the elemental metal of the same name.
By extension of its association with Mercury/Hermes, the caduceus is also a recognized symbol of commerce and negotiation, two realms in which balanced exchange and reciprocity are recognized as ideals.^[4]^[5] This association is ancient, and consistent from the Classical period to modern times.^[6] The caduceus is also used as a symbol representing printing, again by extension of the attributes of Mercury (in this case associated with writing and eloquence).
The caduceus is sometimes mistakenly used as a symbol of medicine and/or medical practice, especially in North America, because of widespread confusion with the traditional medical symbol, the rod of Asclepius, which has only a single snake and no wings.

Blast From The Past

2011-09-17T07:00:00.001+01:00

Thanks to my Bro again, for supplying me with yet another picture to use for Sepia Saturday in colour! The year was 1976, and Mum and Dad had gone out to New Zealand for a visit. Wouldn't mind a water feature like that outside my door, would you?

Walkies!

2011-09-16T13:54:00.004+01:00

Sometimes things take a while to come together. Last Friday, over at Imaginary Garden, Laurie issued a challenge.. In one minute, write a poem with a maximum of eight lines and include the word "Allegro". I guess this got programmed into my Jinksy computerbrain, for today, exactly one week later, I did it! And now, I'm making a meal of it and turning it into a Napple Notes post medly. Enjoy!

and now for my poem:-

"Allegro non troppo "
I say to the dog
who gambols before me
and turns 'walk' to 'slog'.
We route march the pavements
before yomping home -
I wish the darn dog
would go walkies alone.

Time To Leave?

2011-09-14T09:31:00.003+01:00

With the week starting on a sad note of disasters, my doodling caught the same idea, to a degree. By playing with a few random brick coloured blocks, my imagination took flight and this image was the result. I know it is a crude representation, but I was searching for a 'feel', not a lifelike image, and I decided to use it for In Tandem to see how other writers might view the prompt. I've written a shadorma as my own contribution..

Acrid winds
blew their dust cloud storms
through dying
city streets.
Dejected evacuees
shuffled slowly by.

Panorama...

2011-09-12T21:43:00.002+01:00

...Not in the usual sense of the word, but as the name of a television program I watched this evening. It featured some of the Tsunami survivors telling miraculous tales of how the waters enveloped them, but let them live, and gave them back to a completely changed world...Everyone knows of the tragedy, but because those stories are fresh in my mind I decided to write this short post now, and include a suitably watery graphic which I created a while ago.

Remember, in your prayers tonight, those who died and those who continue to live without them.

Bargain!

2011-09-11T07:11:00.001+01:00

That has to be a good thing to spot in any week, don't you agree? So for I Saw Sunday, here is one of mine. The pashmina was a gift and the darker blue fabric I've laid it on is my bargain - a pair of culottes which look like a gently gathered long skirt when you can see all of them. And here comes the fun part...
I ordered them online, and was delighted with the colour co-ordination when I opened the parcel which arrived yesterday. I rushed to try them on- perfect! Except...They were so long, they not only covered my feet, but stretched out a good few inches on the floor in front of my toes, like a pair of all-in-one flippers. Hehehe!
If I could have reached my camera, I'd have taken a picture for you, but by walking across the room to pick it up, I might have broken my neck! Hehehe again. The sight was too funny, I tell you!.
Of course, with a little nifty stitchery, they will eventually be fine, but I do believe I found the reason why they were reduced to a silly price...There can't be too many seven foot tall ladies around whose legs might be the right length to wear them without alteration!

And just for Monkey Man, I've summed up the whole thing in a mere 160 characters!

It seems a bargain can leave you with more than you bargained for. This rumination certainly has a kind of poetic justice to it, would you not agree my friend?

Second Childhood?

2011-09-08T07:52:00.002+01:00

With the relegation of Panda the Relic to a dark but safe corner of my universe, I was left with a black hole which had to be filled with something. One by one, these little creatures arrived, and, as a rule, sit scattered around my home to afford finger fodder for inquisitive, visiting tiny tots - or big ones, if they have a penchant for bears...
With damp and dismal weather prevailing, what better excuse do I need to bring them all together for a Teddy Bears' picnic, minus food, to brighten the day? Care to join us?

Wet,Wet,Wet...

2011-09-06T12:46:00.000+01:00

So to bring in the Green Wheelie Bin today, I needed to put on my Red Wellie Shoes - don't you just love the colour?

And while I had a camera in my hand, I took a picture of this sad relic of a lifetime of loving. Meet Panda, the one my cousin Peggy gave me for my first birthday. I think maybe the years have been kinder to me, than to him... No eyes, no ears and his plush is long gone, but he still has a place in my heart.

Silent Plea

2011-09-04T16:25:00.001+01:00

This week, I've spent quite a lot of time peering at photos on my computer, some to share with a friend who came to lunch, some to crop, some to drop! For I Saw Sunday, this cropped one called out to me to share, rather than drop.
It could never be called a thing of beauty, but each time I've looked at it, I've been fascinated by the thick black snake of that coiled cycle lock, and the the pained expression on its 'face'. Doesn't it for all the world look as though it's crying out for help? A silent plea, but one which will not let me rest until I have acknowledged it by posting its dying words...
Sometimes people who need help can only ask for it silently, too...

Ready, Steady, Go?

2011-09-02T19:13:00.001+01:00

I found this little collection of photos today, and for once, they will tie in well with the subject on Sepia Saturday - a little girl. For these were taken by my Bro in 1968, probably in June, and are of my daughter who crawled when she was six months old...

And you can see how pleased she was!

She certainly had the urge to get up and go. She walked at eleven months, and has been getting up and going ever since - only these days, that's all over the world!

Bad Hair Day?

2011-08-31T07:31:00.001+01:00

Seems to happen to plants, as well as humans... When I saw this collection of seed heads (?) in somebody's front garden I couldn't but feel sorry for the one at the top, who seemed to be hanging its straight-haired head in shame...

Brush Up Your Smile!

2011-08-27T07:57:00.004+01:00

For Sepia Saturday! I do believe I missed this one out when I posted a series of my Dad's drawings a while back. Anyhow, even if I didn't, and you've seen it before, I'm sure the smile will be just as welcome. And look at that brush! How apt, since my recent escapade into the painterly world of pictures - even though mine are created with a pen, not a brush.
(Some of them can be seen HERE, on In Tandem, if you're curious, as I've been posting one or two each week as prompts for Blogpal's writerly muses!)
Now remember - keep smiling!

Late Edition Extra - or something...
It's six o'clock Sunday morning now, and here I am, wondering about an I Saw Sunday post, and thinking how Happy's smile has no sell by date attached. He is as chipper today, as he was yesterday, as indeed, he was in 1939.
At this point, I decided he'd make an ideal subject for Susannah's ISS, too. The more he can paint a smile on people's faces the better. So I hope he can add one to yours for a moment, regardless as to how the rest of your day is unfolding. A smile always makes a day better...

For The Curious

2011-08-26T07:37:00.002+01:00

This is a YadaYadaYada currently available from John Lewis. Now you know.

After you've listened (for the umpty-ninth time in one afternoon) to the piercing "Beep!"of the button which sets it recording , you may wish you had remained oblivious to its existence...
Your children, or their children, however, will love it.

Silhouette

2011-08-24T08:10:00.000+01:00

Thanks for all the kind wishes on the previous post - itchy fingers all better now!

For a quick post this morning, before the busy part of the day begins, I thought it only fair I let you see the third member of the group that visited on Friday... Mum-to-the-girls and my No.1 Girl, looking very tanned after her recent holiday.

We are a right pair of numpties, when it comes to presents. Since March, daughter has had a (breakable) Mother's Day gift for me, which kept getting forgotten on previous visits, and wasn't the sort she could sensibly send through the mail.

I, on the other hand, had recently bought a collection of 'caravan gifts' which I thought I might stow away for her family's Christmas Stocking. When I realised their caravan would be in use this week, I thought "Hang it all! Why wait for Christmas?"

So we happily exchanged late/early presents on the spot! I got the best deal, for mine was a pretty, hand crafted, glass coaster all the way from Spain.

They on the other hand, had a lightweight bat-and-ball game, a 'Yaddda-yadda-yadda' device which alters the pitch of one's recorded voice, and two enamel mugs with the inscription 'Keep calm and carry on.' What else would they need on a wet day in a caravan? Hehehe!

Postman's Knock

2011-08-23T10:12:00.001+01:00

When I ordered a new kitchen bin yesterday from an office supplies website, I thought it strange - but not half as strange as the HUGE boxes delivered to my door a few minutes ago. Look at them!

And look what touching the cardboard did to my hand... The right one is just as red an itchy, but it had to hold the camera.
Silly me for not remembering how corrugated cardboard brings me out in a rash...
But what a magnificent yellow bin I now have!

Full Colour

2011-08-20T07:21:00.001+01:00

Full colour Sepia Saturday from me again, and the only link to their tree theme is my Family Tree!
One day, this shot will be a reminder of our technological age. Granddaughters and their Ma came for a visit yesterday complete with mobile phones, an iPod Touch, and a WiFi lap top and cable for loading their holiday snaps of Gibraltar.

As if that wasn't enough, daughter returned from Tesco's with yet another phone- the white one in the picture. It has GPS, which means eldest grandchild will be easy to pin point at all times come September, when she starts 'big school' and will be taking a train journey back and forth each day. You can't be too careful when youngsters start out on their own...

The girls always come armed with a selection of paraphernalia - toys or games either to show me, or to play with, and suddenly my living room shrinks - or seems to - as they fill chairs and floor with bags, boxes, bits and bobs. No travelling light for them!
The picture is a little blurred, as they were twisting gently from side to side on my whirly chair while I was trying to snap them.

But I did manage to catch the the younger one up close and personal, a little later, and thought her cheeky little face might brighten your day, as it did mine.. Thank goodness for more technological wizardry with digital cameras and computers, eh?

OK, Now Roll Up, Blogpals!

2011-08-18T08:22:00.000+01:00

Here I am, spelling it all out for you in words of one syllable, HELP ME!

Before a team of white coated gentlemen or uniformed fire fighters start breaking my door down to come to my rescue, I'll explain. I've given birth to a brand new blog, and am asking for creative types to come and Oo! and Ah! over its cradle, in the hope that what they find there will inspire them to birth their own poem or piece of prose to welcome it to Blogland.
The easy way to get to it, is by clicking on the square in my side bar which looks like this.

You may think this is stating the obvious, but I learned long ago, that many Blogpals, especially those new to the vagueries of Blogger, have yet to get to grips with the concept of "If in doubt, click on it, and see where you end up."

Old hands at the Bloggame will need no such advice, I'm sure. In which case I may content myself with imploring them to help spread the word, so that my Tandem gets some other strong legs to help it travel the highways and byways of our wonderful Blogland World, i.e.join in and play, O ye writers! I need you!

Life's A Beach!

2011-08-17T16:26:00.002+01:00

Some people build castles way up in the air.
but a castle of sand is enough for this pair.
Close to the sea edge, the waves will surround
and devour its ramparts too soon, I'll be bound,
for the girls to complete it. That's part of the fun -
it will give them a reason to make a new one!

This is my In Tandem offering for Margaret Bednar's painting this week, and it's also linked to The Poetry Pantry.

Painting The Town?

2011-08-15T08:46:00.002+01:00

"You can always tell a tradesman
by the way he keeps his tools."
said our art school teacher.
"It's one of the golden rules.

Buy brushes of the very best -
and they will serve you well,
if you clean them after use."
Who didn't listen? You can tell!

Thanks for your painterly Magpie Tales prompt, Tess, which reminded me of this very handy tip that I've always tried to follow!

The Best Of Days

2011-08-14T13:48:00.001+01:00

Yesterday I saw my new granddaughter for the first time, and got my first Napple cuddle!

What better offering could there be for Susannah's I saw Sunday - and a bit of a late offering for Alan and Kat's Sepia Saturday ? In colour!! lol

More Mayhem

2011-08-11T14:55:00.002+01:00

In a week when chaos seems to have struck the money markets of the world, England has added riots to the overall madness. It makes me wonder what has happened to common sense? Who are these deluded beings who think burning shops and pillaging like pirates can add anything positive to their lives, or the lives of those around them?

When I began making marks on the screen which produced the image below, I was thinking about how the Earth would look if a giant machine carved it into thin layers, the way one of my sharp kitchen knives might slice through an onion.

I've watched enough archeological digs on Time Team's TV programmes, to know that humankind leaves traces in the earth which tell the stories of multiple lives lived on one spot, every bit as much as a rock's striations mark the many ages of our ancient planet. Somehow, thinking like this puts the world crisis into perspective. All things change in their own good time...

Energies within our layered planet build
their calendar in sculpted, bedrock folds.
In slow progression, land mass shell-plates
move, until a force - which levels all
over time - unleashes mayhem in motion.

Earth, Fire, Wind and Water join
in unholy alliance and Nature trembles beneath
their wrath. Peace is banished. Quakes create
tsunamis. Land, slips. Red molten rock flows
from volcanic dragons breathing fire
to demonstrate dominion over Man,
a feeble being in comparison.

Where then lies Man’s greatness? Could it be
that mind and heart will balance out the scales,
should he be weighed against this universe?

This is my In Tandem offering this week....

Mercury Retrograde

2011-08-07T14:20:00.003+01:00

And communications tend to go haywire at such times...Maybe that's why I couldn't get Dr Who on the line here this week!

This is my offering for Susannah's I Saw Sunday.

Oh, What A Grey Day!

2011-08-05T11:31:00.000+01:00

But it was only for a few moments - soon blue patches began to appear...

Waterworld

2011-08-03T16:48:00.002+01:00

Starfish sky
holds luminous life,
populates
deep ocean
where dark devours all light
but creates new rules.

See HERE for the prompt's Linky List if you'd like to join in...

Nothing Special

2011-08-02T22:47:00.002+01:00

Or is it? A garden hose I can no longer use, as it won't fit any of my taps now; every so often, I think I've found an adapter that will work, and it comes out of the cupboard, only to go back in when it still won't connect...

But how delightful does it look, coiled on the remains of my Eucalyptus tree? I think it deserves its five minutes of fame, despite lack of function

On The Up

2011-08-01T09:09:00.003+01:00

And here you must realise, I'm talking purely temperatures. We have 29° to 30° forecast over the next few days, and while many of our American cousins have been sweltering among far worse, in dear old England, these are enough to send us in a flat spin at the thought.

Owners of posh cars are about the only people who have come to expect air conditioning as a given. The rest of us sweat and look forward to the next drizzly day, which to be fair, is mostly just around the corner.
So while the morning is still pleasantly cool, I thought it about time I did a waffly, Napple post with no 'prompt' nudge needed from anybody else. In fact, Blogland occasionally feels so devoid of free thinkers, that I despair.

Okay, so I'm guilty too, for indulging in a Mr Linky widget, but in my defence, I do try to use pictures which will leave interpretation wide open, and I've not been disappointed with the tangents peoples' minds have followed as a result.

But enough of that. Here's the tangent my mind went off at yesterday, as I was getting my lunch ready... However, it didn't stop there, because then I got the "What if?"urge that so often leads me astray from those things I should be doing. And I ended up with this... and this... and this...
Do click on the pictures to see their full glory...

No Flies On Me?

2011-07-31T09:16:00.000+01:00

Back To The Wedding

2011-07-30T08:30:00.000+01:00

A follow on from last week's Sepia Saturday picture, because this one shows the bride and groom, plus the youngest bridesmaid who was missing in the previous picture...

The Old Order Changeth

2011-07-27T09:03:00.006+01:00

digital sketch by jinksy

Lines like soft charcoal
appear on my computer.
A plastic pen cries.
It will never feel paper,
only electric signals.

This was my first attempt to sketch using my WACOM Bamboo Pen & Touch tablet. It was a surreal experience, hence my rather strange poetic offering to accompany my In Tandem offering this week. And now for the other picture...Hop over by clicking the link and you'll find a Mr Linky so you can join in too...

“At last! I can have a peep at her art project!”
Jessie had been so keen to answer the front door she’d left the studio one ajar. It was the perfect chance for Sara to satisfy her curiosity.
“Bother- the easel is facing the wrong way – now I’ll have to mind the creaky floorboard, or she’ll know I’m in here.”
As the younger sister, Sara was often dubbed ‘Nuisance’ or even ‘Nosey parker!’ when she asked for a preview. But now was the perfect time to steal one. She almost tip-toed round the room, till she stood looking at the charcoal drawing of a dark haired lad, who stared back at her from the stretched paper on the board.
“I wonder who that is? Bet she won’t tell me…” Hardly had the thoughts entered her mind, than she heard footsteps coming upstairs – two sets of footsteps! Then Jessie walked in the door, followed closely by one who could only be the boy in the sketch…

Hat's Off!

2011-07-26T11:50:00.004+01:00

To Trellissimo! he transformed a Cycle advert into a whimsical apparition in shades of dusky grey-blue-green.

Having never learned to ride a bike, I quickly dispensed with this accessory - well, not quickly - it took quite a long time to paint it out, but now I can concentrate on starry thoughts instead...

Two hundred million or more years

your light's been streaming forth,

much brighter than the other stars...

you surely know your worth?

Across the dancing ocean waves

you've guided seafaring ships

of Polynesian sailors

with praises on their lips

for your luminous, bright beauty...

while to those along the Nile

you were forerunner of flooding

which made the land fertile.

The long hot days of summer

starved all plants and made them wilt

till the river covered all the land

with its annual cloak of silt...

n.b. The original poster was featured by Tess, on Magpie Tales.

How Napple Got Her Name

2011-07-24T20:10:00.002+01:00

Adam and Eve bit that infamous apple
when temptation entered the scene...
Many years later, I turned into a 'Napple'...
how ever could this have been?

A plain 'Granny Smith' was how I began
to be called as my family grew,
and my number one girl first made me a 'Gran!'
Once Baby talked, what did she do?

'Granny Smith' had became 'Granny Apple'
but by Baby the words got condensed,
and Lo, and behold! I was "Napple"
and rather than being incensed

I welcomed the name, joined in the game
and Napple I've been ever since!

Blame all this on the Poetry Jam prompt word 'Temptation'.
And do go and see where an apple lands when it doesn't fall close to the tree!

Poetics: On Your Feet

2011-07-23T20:26:00.004+01:00

Shine (sculpture) by Willie Cole

Second Hand Shoes

I stand outside the Oxfam shop
in front of rows of shoes.
I wonder, would I stand in yours,
if I had to choose?

Some tiny shoes aren’t very scuffed
because young feet outgrew them,
while those were such a comfy pair
their owner's half worn through them.

Not so these, they must have hurt;
they’re scarcely used - no speck of dirt –
and those with heels so high and thin
were never made for walking in?!

There are shoes quite narrow
and shoes like boats
with bulges made by bunions;
there are football boots that boys in specs
might tie with laces and string round their necks,
like the men who sell the onions.

See, those are the fashion of years gone by,
discarded on a whim.
Although they’re almost good as new,
it’s plain that they would never do,
for one must ‘keep up with the Jones’s.’

So all of these shoes, where invisible feet
have imprinted their character, careless or neat,
hold their stories to tell, if we listen and look,
just as clearly as if they appeared in a book.
And what would the story of our shoes be
if they, too, stood in line for the whole world to see?

Thanks go to Brian Miller (Waystation One or dVerse poets pub) for this prompt.
But now, I'm going to link this to I Saw Sunday, too, because the sight of those black shoes heaped into a gorilla face, underlined once again that things are not necessarily what they seem. Even the most commonplace objects can make us think again when viewed in a new light... Which is good point to ponder on any day of the week.

Not Quite Haloes!

2011-07-23T05:19:00.001+01:00

This old snapshot follows the train of thought I was on in last week's Sepia Saturday for it was taken on the occasion of the same cousin's wedding.

As you can see, it was a chilly, grey and damp day, and the only warm parts of us were the hands tucked into those pretty and unusual muffs. My little Bro (!) in the front there, was quivering like a leaf, it was so cold, but he manfully stood to attention, nevertheless.

I decided not to crop the photo, despite the fact that I have a tree growing out of my head, behind my halo, for the drizzly mist and dated cars add their own charm... so does the Maid of Honour, who will remain for ever chatting away to the unseen photographer, who would have been yet another family member, aunt or cousin.

The dresses were 'shot silk' - (taffeta!) - pale blue with pink overtones, and tiny pink silk rosebuds were stitched on the muffs and headbands. Bro's pageboy pants were pale blue wool, and every item had been made by my cousin's nifty stitchery - I mean the unseen bride, of course. What a girl!

This week's Sepia Saturday prompt may be found HERE, thanks to Alan and Kat.

And here, thanks to Blogpal Hilary of The Smitten Image, is the edited version. Isn't she a star?!

A Stitch In Time

2011-07-21T19:24:00.006+01:00

Embroidery makes her eyes ache.
Sewing the silken threads in line
with the picture inside her mind
allows no room for a mistake.
Her strength of will bows to her skill
as she struggles to stay awake
until her mantel clock strikes nine,
leaving her heart, not eyes, to ache.

Poets United took Night Time for their Thursday Think Tank prompt. I was thinking of the days before electricity, when women stitched away by candle light, when I wrote these lines this morning- before I read their prompt! Fortuitous, or what?
Oh, and it fits my own In Tandem, too!

Where The Bee Sucks

2011-07-18T09:24:00.003+01:00

That phrase has always sounded funny to me, but you can see why it sprang to mind once I saw what my shutter captured after yesterday's honeysuckle shot - a bee with his nose in the trough! I had no idea he would be in focus, the rate he was buzzing around that lavender bush by my knees. More thanks to Canon's A800 - but what a shame the little ladybird is only a fuzzy blot on the landscape...I had noticed it earlier, but when concentrating on the darting, buzzing monster, it faded into obscurity.

The Universe's lessons are everywhere. This one reminded me how easily we ignore, or push things into the background of our lives, when really they deserve to have their turn at being in sharp focus for a while, too. How easy it is to take people and things for granted...

At Last!

2011-07-17T13:25:00.004+01:00

Years ago, I planted this honeysuckle in the hope that one day it would reward me with its beauty. For several summers it remained a green and sparsely creeping thing, climbing anywhere but over the metal obelisk I installed.
Last year I noticed one or two blossoms, but now it has truly understood its potential!. I zoomed in on one of its many flower heads as a test for my new, simple little Canon A800. Which passed with flying colours, I think you'll agree...

Seems as though this plant is a great reminder to us all, never to stop striving to reach our full potential, however long it may take. Plus it rewarded my eternal hope and faith that one day it would blossom just as I'd imagined! ♥

Susannah's I saw Sunday will no doubt have more delights to brighten this wet day.

Trick Cyclist?

2011-07-16T09:21:00.000+01:00

I've always loved this picture of one of my cousins. It was taken in my Gran's back garden - probably by an aunt of ours. That's my 'trike' she's endeavouring to ride, and I can still feel the curve of the bell push under my thumb, and hear its tinny 'tring-tring'.

I learned yesterday that, at 83, she has been diagnosed with lymphoma, and it seems there may be secondary tumours. But when I talk to her on the phone, she still manages to retain her girlish sense of fun. I think that deserves a special Sepia Saturday tribute...

Monkey Business?

2011-07-15T14:26:00.002+01:00

At the bottom of a box of strawberries that were delivered a few days back as part of my grocery order, this slightly squashy creature eventually came to light. As soon as I looked him in the eye, I could tell he was really a big ape dressed up in a strawberry suit...

Have you got any odd fruit or veg 'animals', with pictures to prove it?

(I think these two pictures came from the same family album.!)

Curtain Up?

2011-07-14T08:11:00.001+01:00

The beauty of our play will come in part from skies
which learn to change their dress in faster time
than an audience will take to spot a scene shift.

A newly painted backdrop prompts an end
to the actor's tale. He speaks his lines,
and, as leading man, holds centre stage
in Nature’s sunny theatre in the round.

Yet in the gallery the soft applause
of raindrops grows in volume, while the wind
standing ready in the wings, awaits its cue.

The rainstorm curtains held by tasselled loops
slowly draw their veil across the day, and the company
retires to rehearse the second act…

This is me - In Tandem mode - if you'd like to write something to go with this picture too, click on the link in this sentence, and join us!

Stick Men

2011-07-11T15:08:00.006+01:00

Having spent a good portion of the morning exploring textures and paint options on the drop down lists available with my latest 'toy', (click on the word and you can see what the toy is) I plump for 'paper' and 'water colour'. When I click on these, I have absolutely no idea what will happen on the screen, for into the mix come more list options.

I have to choose amounts for 'thinners', 'loading, 'pressure'. These are from dome shaped symbols whose inner ring slides back and forth, for 'more' or 'less' of the 100% they offer. The permutations are virtually endless.

The first random strokes across the print area look to me like sand dunes. I go with this idea and add a sky which I hope with have the luminous quality found near bodies of water. I add a pool in the foreground, and some fronds of dry grasses and a dessicated shrub. The horizon line is bare, and I want a silhouette figure to give scale to the whole thing. This is a real challenge for my ability to control the 'pen' ( AKA brush, as far as ArtRage is concerned.)

A few lucky strokes, and there they are, the Stick Men, who look as though they were meant to be...

Bean Thinking

2011-07-09T10:00:00.003+01:00

Flat, stringless Helda beans; been in the fridge long enough to lose their first crispness which would slide effortlessly through the slicer. Now, when I snip the tip and try to push the flat, cut edge through the metal blades, the bean buckles, sticks as the first white seed clogs the cutters, and I have to resort to a knife.

The pale skins are cool beneath my fingers, which soon find their own rhythm – slice into three lengths, cut each section into four thin strips, place in container. Pick up next bean, slice into three lengths, cut each section into four thin strips… and so on…

The resulting heap of green slivers is uniform, and will cook through evenly, all at the same speed. The bonus? They will look appetizing when served up onto a dinner plate, instead of a tangled mess.

Next, I create crisp, carrot batons, rich, glowing red-orange, with slightly paler hearts. They lie alongside the beans in my steamer, and round chunks of leeks and oddly shaped, tiny new potatoes scattered around the edges make a composition any artist would be pleased to capture on canvas.

The whole operation takes exactly the right amount of time for the water in the lidded base of the steamer to boil. I lift the lid and steam clouds my spectacles as I place the many holed steamer section, with its vegetable still life content, onto the pan and replace the lid.

The only difference about these simple actions, is that this time, I decide to translate them into written words. I realise, although to me the commonplace preparation of vegetables is scarcely remarkable, to many other people it would be anything but…And I begin to place myself in the shoes of someone with disabilities which would turn the whole thing into a mammoth undertaking.

I’ve known friends and relations with arthritis in their finger joints, so bad, their whole hands became misshapen, and gripping tools or knives varied between the painful, and the impossible. This is only the tip of an iceberg, when I begin to add amputees, stroke victims and those with birth defects to my list of beings who will never be able to copy my actions unthinkingly. All this is apart from the millions of people around the globe who have no chance of cooking anything. There is no food, no water, no utensils, no kitchen... and no hope.

And these thoughts happened because I made a conscious decision to be more aware of my actions, instead of performing them while my mind was miles away, doing less boring things instead...

I thought this might be a good post to link to Susannah's I Saw Sunday, even though I posted it Saturday! LOL Blogland days tend to be different, anyway...

Decisions?

2011-07-07T09:13:00.002+01:00

For the most part, I hate making them. Procrastination looms. So when it came to choosing which of my own graphic prompts to follow at Two In Tandem , you can see why I've taken the easy way out and written something to go with each of them. I understand this is akin to playing games with myself, but I haven't worked out another way of joining in that Mr Linky's List...
Here's number one:-

A sudden shutter clicks and doorways open.
Sunlight lays its hands upon my head
and energy cascades about my being.
It brings a scene shift on the stage of life
and I, as actor, need a different script
to follow. Playwright, do you heed my words?
The backdrop changes daily. I have learned
that standing in the wings is not enough.
It's time to enter right and play my part.

And here's the second:-

Swooping low among the forest treetops
a raptor starts his routine, lethal quest,

his widespread wingtips brushing close to branches

where dappled shadows shake, then still, suppressed.

Upon the ground warm blooded rabbits scurry;
they sense the menace hovering overhead.
The bird, aware of each erratic movement,
plummets...and one leveret lies dead.

Back on the nest, his mate sits, incubating.
Her downy warmth enfolds a clutch of eggs
with fragile shells as smooth as river pebbles,
against her taloned feet and feathered legs.

As birds of prey they both are well trained killers,
but parental instincts see them prove their worth,
for slavishly they'll tend their newborn offspring,
until they too may rule the skies of Earth.

Seeing Is Believing?

2011-07-03T11:07:00.001+01:00

Wandering around my tiny garden with a camera in hand this morning, I took some random shots of a green plastic bag full of yesterday's cuttings and weeds...But the wonderful monster at the top of this image only came to my attention when I'd downloaded the images. Hope you can see (and enjoy) him too!
I thought he'd be ideal as my I Saw Sunday offering! Hehehe!

Here Be Dragons!

2011-06-30T01:10:00.006+01:00

Thoughts glitter,
dance across the mind,
leaving trails
like comets
to mark the passage of flight
from obscurity to light.

And here's a late edition here for Thursday Think Tank, which had 'Freedom' as its subject. Blogger effectively stopped me from doing anything for most of yesterday, and writing became a problem. You will maybe see the connection with my first part of this two layer post...

Freedom: a mind set,
rather than a concrete fact.
Thoughts roam where they will.

Build no walls,
and create no barriers
within mind.
Let it go,
exploring where it chooses
in search of new horizons.

All doors will open
as the key of wisdom turns,
unlocking secrets.

If you click on the Two in Tandem logo in the side bar, eventually, with luck, you'll be able to see other people's ideas of what my glittery graphic suggested to them!

Missed It!

2011-06-27T10:10:00.000+01:00

"What?" I hear you cry...
Answer: Posting a little snippet from the last week, to share on I Saw Sunday...
So here's one on Monday instead, better late than never.

For several weeks now, I've been eyeing up a four foot six 'weed' in my garden, that had materialised alongside my whirlygig line, but as it added a splash of colour with its pretty array of yellow flowerheads, I left it in peace.

And for the past few days two goldfinches have been saying "Thank you", by coming to feast on its seeds. I had to resort to Google for this image from The Guardian, as there was no chance of my catching my own visitors unawares.

I shan't be digging up the 'weed', but will leave it to flourish and possibly produce progeny in the future, in the hope it will encourage these delightful little birds to draw an 'X marks the spot' on their Good Food Guide Map.

Cryptic?

2011-06-25T11:03:00.000+01:00

Winchester Cathedral - Flooded crypt with statue.

As I wandered through some of my photo files I found this hauntingly beautiful picture that my No. 1 Son took a year or two back, after melting snow had caused an unusual problem. It speaks for itself.

See more photographic delights on Sepia Saturday, thanks to Alan and Kat.

There's A First Time For Everthing

2011-06-23T01:05:00.000+01:00

And here's my number one attempt at a recognisable painting, using the Bamboo Tablet and Pen I mentioned a while back. I'm beginning to understand some of its capabilities, but I can tell, there's still a long way to go!

Over on Alias Jinksy today is another example of how imaginary 'brushstrokes' can be made to look 'real' by computer wizardry. If you are one of those people who gets the urge to write when confronted by a collection of colours, please feel free to copy the graphic onto your blog, and join in.

You'll find a Linky List so you can add your name and blogpost URL once you've put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard. Linky will make it easy for nosey parkers to visit and see what you've done later in the week! Hehehe!

I Am Duly Reprimanded!

2011-06-18T13:10:00.002+01:00

By my Little Bro - who is in no way little, only younger. Hark at him chuckle about that... Ya, Boo, Sucks. He wants to know why I haven't posted here for a week?! Cheek! I keep telling him, he could always do one for me...

But now it's Saturday, and I have a moment to make up for my lack of napple notes, here's an update. I've just got back home after a rain soaked trip to my local Post Office. I suppose I should be thankful I have one...

However, that was the only boring part. On the way home, I called into Wordsouth to drip dry for a bit, while I drank a cup of their green tea with orange and lotus flower. It's where I attend various writing classes and events, and as it serves as a tiny café, it was an ideal place to drop in. I spent a happy hour or so in the company of its owner, plus two literary gentlemen who were discussing Kipling's 'Rewards and Fairies'.

One of them said there was a secret message in the book, if you could find the key to unlock it... I can't wait to get a copy and start looking. Who knows what I may find?

What better excuse could I have for linking this

old illustration of the Cottingley Fairies to Sepia Saturday?

Thanks, Alan and Kat for thinking up the blog.... You are obviously both good fairies!.

P.S. Click on the link words above and WIKI will tell you more about the Cottingley Fairies...

I've Had An Attack Of The Borrowers!

2011-06-10T08:31:00.027+01:00

If you've never read the book by Mary Norton, you'll wonder what on Earth I'm talking about... But if you have, you'll understand how puzzled I am that my Borrowers have purloined the tiny, USB cable that allows me to load my camera's photo's onto my computer.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that Arrietty or Pod have decided to become Bloggers, and set themselves up with a micro computer that needed my USB, which since Monday, has totally disappeared from the Aladdin's Cave I laughingly call My Desk.

Until a hastily purchased replacement arrives, Napple Notes are liable to remain unillustrated... Unless I pinch yet another picture from my long suffering Bro's collection? What a good idea! No sooner said than done. Thanks, Bro! This was taken during a boating holiday on the Norfolk Broads in 1973... Happy Days!

And it's the perfect opportunity to link another non-sepia photo to Sepia Saturday as well. Thanks Alan and Kat!

Nunc

2011-06-05T10:37:00.016+01:00

Aromas link arms: tanned leather with fish glue, wood shavings with sawdust: turpentine with oil paints. Immediately memory takes me back to my Uncle Fred’s shed, with its open sliding door emitting exciting smells that drew me in as though I had a rope tied to a ring in my nose like a prize bull being lead round a show ring.

His littered work benches, along with metal lasts and vices of varying sizes, held mysterious boxes, tins, jars, bottles and canisters, from which he would extract some item he needed for the next stage of whichever project he was working on.

He had at some time made a square-topped wooden stool, which he used to let me perch on, as a child, so keeping me at a safe distance from his lathe, or sharp knives, while still letting me part-share in his creative processes.

His large hands with their thick, square topped fingers, could work with the utmost delicacy as they shaped the new leather sole to the well-worn footwear of friends or family for whom he played cobbler. I would watch every stage avidly, and marvel at the final polishing of the edges on his noisy, whirring machine.

One push of the starter button, and the lathe grumbled into life. As he used the various discs of the sander, polisher or brush, the pitch of the motor sang its own switch-back song, loud enough to drown out any childish questions I might ask.

Nunc, as I called him, almost always had a cigarette between his lips, which waggled up and down as he talked and sent wreaths of smoke swirling around his head. It made him screw his eyes up, and the action folded the skin of his face into wrinkles.

Now I think about it, I don’t remember him inhaling, as most hardened smokers do. He seemed to use the cigarette more as an adult dummy, a comforting presence between his lips while his hands were busy. Perhaps at heart, he remained nothing but a big kid, playing in his own particular play house. But I am eternally grateful that he used to let me in on some of his games, too…

I was reminded of Nunc today because of this photo on the right by Rob Hanson, to whom I say 'Thanks for the memory!""

And on the left, is my Uncle Fred, dressed for company!
Now, I think I shall I shall put this in as a late entry for Sepia Saturday.

Milk Maid Monday?

2011-05-30T13:48:00.000+01:00

I was intrigued to discover recently, that milk can be bought in bags, delivered by my milkman, same as bottles. So I decided this morning to take a photo of this strange phenomenon. The plastic jug is totally recyclable - though not too sure about the milk bag- can't take it out to read the small print, now I've put it in place.

Thing is, it was the wonderfully clean, drip-less-pouring-out ability of this cunning contraption that made me want to praise it to the skies today. Let's face it, milk cartons can be a disaster, and even glass milk bottles often let a wayward trickle ooze down their curvaceous sides.

But not this. It pours as clean a whistle, and there's a cap to close at once before placing the jug back in the fridge door. What a joy to find an article that exactly does the job it was intended to do!

More Togetherness

2011-05-26T08:40:00.001+01:00

It being Thursday, over on my Alias Jinksy blog, there is another combined poem-and-pic from Elizabeth and I, but deep in Blogland other things are stirring!

So I decided to have another, triple combination for today on Napple Notes, for Juliet and Susannah have both written words which fit a picture I posted way back... Hope you enjoy the mélange. Juliet , alias Crafty Green Poet, wrote:-

Trees
glow purple with dusk -
an owl hoots.

And Susannah's poem that I asked to be allowed to copy from her blog 'Out Of My Ocean', has a similar evening overtone. Blogger won't let me link straight to it, but you can get there via the side bar link on her 'Panopticulated' blog.

A Page Turned...

The orange day slips back into the purple night
and all is as it was before,
but not me.

The passing of the hours, the changing hues
have altered something,
I have changed.

Though all appears to be the same
when viewed from the surface,
it is not.

My Niece Is No NIt

2011-05-20T09:46:00.000+01:00

But she is a knitter, and a creative one at that, as you will see from this delightful photo of her latest handiwork.

And here's what she had to say about them:-

"I finished me some funky socks. Why yes, I stood on a chair to give them a pink background too. But I didn't bother matching the stripes 'cos I like them wonky like this."

When I tell you she is the Mum of the budding young artist in my previous post, you will see the apple didn't fall far from the tree!

And once again, it gives me a perfect excuse for brightening the Sepia Saturday scene with a picture which deserves to go down in history for future generations. The fact that it's as far from sepia as it's possible to get, only goes to prove that the rebellious spirit is a family trait in which I am proud to admit I share. I'd class it as just another unorthodox Utopian urge.

Out Of The Mouths Of Babes

2011-05-15T13:04:00.001+01:00

I simply had to share these words of wisdom, spoken by my five year old great niece. I plead for the understanding of her mother, whose photo and words I have purloined, and I quote "At one point she thought about putting water over it, and told me "Artists have good ideas, silly ideas and great ideas. I'm going to do it.".

Could anything be cuter?

Black Friday?

2011-05-14T13:19:00.002+01:00

Well, Thursday wasn't too good either, at least in Blogland, was it folks? Blogger throwing a wobbly messed with our heads as well as out blogposts!

Now here we are, back to another Sepia Saturday and I'm messing with your eyes, as this photo was in reality a white lily. But how regal does it look in these sombre purple shades?

Along with the WACOM Bamboo Pen & Touch Tablet I rashly bought this week, came various downloads. Included in the price were things like ArtRage Studio Pro and Adobe Photoshop Elements 8, not to mention the actual delights of the tablet and pen itself, which let me draw freehand images for the computer screen.

I will need to practice lots, before I start sharing those first efforts, but it's plain that the potential is enormous. So is the learning curve. Enormous, I mean.

Suddenly having to use full movement of my arm to position a cursor on the screen feels totally alien, after years of only moving wrist and fingers to click a mouse. But I begin to see how my first faltering steps in Blogland, which began with a plethora of words but no pictures, and my sudden urge to include all kinds of illustrations, is akin to Radio evolving into Television. I hasten to add, I have no secret wish to begin making movies, though. At least, not that I know of...yet...

Picture Me?

2011-05-10T11:30:00.002+01:00

No, don't strain your heads trying to imagine a jinksy look alike! Think more "Picture by ...???, words by...???" Collaboration is the name of the game, and today over here you can see where this idea is leading, as Elizabeth Crawford has supplied a picture, and jinksy has written a poem.

The comments people left after my imaginary Sepia Scene on Sunday, show that imagination is alive an well amongst you all - especially people like Maggie, who saw a dog in the sky, or Little Nell (a porker), or Broken Biro ( a flock of starlings) while other options took me on a tour of the world.

Then I sent a different picture to Crafty Green Poet, and Juliet emailed me like so:-

"Hi Pen
I just wrote this, forgive the rabbit, they tend to creep into everything...

Without my glasses, colours blur
like patterns in rain-washed windows:
hills of orange and skies of pink
and a lakeside view in violet.
Watching it all, a rabbit floats
high in the clouds with ears of yellow
that stretch across the sky.

best wishes and thanks for thinking of me with this!"

And talking about the same picture, Elizabeth said:-

"From the soft pastels of babyhood, to the deep purple of personal power, all underlined by the dark red of banked creative fire. I think we agree!"

Suddenly I feel as though I am in at the start of something big...

Trompe L'Oeil?

2011-05-08T13:45:00.005+01:00

Thinking Sepia Saturday, although it's Sunday, I've created this illusory landscape. I wonder how it appears to you?

Believable?

If so, where in the world might it be? And how would you describe what you see in it? Let's hear what your imagination decides...

Seeds Of Change

2011-05-05T16:29:00.001+01:00

Something is germinating, today. After discovering the poems that Elizabeth Crawford had written for April's 'Poem a Day' at Writer's Island, I contacted her, and we've been trying to work out a way of collaborating. Her words and my pictures, or vice versa. So here is the first of her words written for my illustration. The basic idea could lead anywhere - this is merely the first step.

White barked tree trunk
waves aloft deep blue essence.
Lavender perfume spills
across spring landscape.

I decided to post this on Napple Notes, and Alias Jinksy, to see which, if either, blog caught people's ttention. With the lavender colour spilling over in my mind this morning, I created this flight of fancy too.

Would You Like A Nibble?

2011-04-30T08:28:00.004+01:00

With the word wedding being bandied about this weekend, I thought I'd keep it going by using this version of a wedding cake photo for Sepia Saturday. It was from a black and white print, but didn't my computer do a grand job of 'aging' it for me?
I can no longer remember who I made it for, but I do know the roses on it were palest blush pink. And I'd love a slice to eat right now. For breakfast. Instead of which, I shall have my usual porridge with a dash of cream the milkman will have left on my doorstep this morning.

And thereby hangs a tale. I stopped blogging at this point, and went to retrieved milk, cream and cheese from the mercy of the elements. It had been sitting there for a good two to two and a half hours, as the milk cart hums by at about 5am. As I picked up the carrier bag, bottle and a leaflet, the sound of a snail dropping onto my pathway made a crack not unlike a pistol cap.
But it was only when I opened out the flyer that I realised where he'd been clinging, and why.

I bet his jaws ached by the time he'd worked his way through that tasty morsel!

Of all the strange pictures I've posted since Hilary of The Smitten Image fame tempted me into the world of illustration, this one must surely rank amongst the most peculiar. Nobody could ever say my Napple Notes blog is too predictable for words...