Alice In Wonderland may have been the book which made this phrase famous, but Blogger has certainly taken it to heart and is apparently attempting to provide its own variations on a theme. Of a sudden, instead of producing tiny portraits or symbols alongside each and every comment, it's changed the rules, at least on my blog. The first five replies are honoured with illustrations, but from there on, only blank squares accompany the comments. Has anyone else noticed this phenomena, or am I alone in being rationed? Perhaps Blogger is only disgruntled with me... I shall start quaking in my shoes for fear I've upset him.
On quite a different tack, Poet In Residence will lead you to the poem Sleepless in Limbo, which follows on beautifully from my last subject. If your curiosity has become curiouser, now I've given you a link to indulge your version of Alice's affliction. Thanks, PIR, for today's interesting detour into the past - 18 February this year, to be exact...
You will see today what a grasshopper mind I have. No sooner did I read '18 February', than it flipped a switch that said 'NJT's birthday' - but not in 2009. Far from it. I was a mere seven year old when this particular cousin put in her appearance for the first time. But my train of thought, once started trundling down this track of time, continued to choo-choo its way through the years.
It finally stopped at the station in 1954. NJT was then a bubbly kid, who loved to to play with my brother and I - especially early in the morning. But our patience wore a trifle thin occasionally, due to her penchant for singing in a high pitched, piercing voice, the following refrain, 'This is a proper woman's v o i c e.' It was sung all on the same note until the last word, which soared to painful, long drawn out heights of ear splitting volume and frightening vibrato. Where, or why, the words originated, we had no idea, but believe me, after the umpteenth repetition close to your Saturday-morning-pillowed- head, it loses it's attraction. That is if it had any to begin with!
Aren't you glad you don't have to suffer my grasshopper mind too often? I hasten to add, NJT improved with age, and as there is no chance she will ever read this blog, I feel quite safe with sharing this snippet. We love her really.
I usually just read comments via email, so I seldom think to look at the real things. Hmmm ... just looked and I don't see any pictures, just the blogger symbol on each.
ReplyDeleteMy blog list isn't updating on every one.... so I guess blogger is trying to drive us each crazy in a different way!
ReplyDeleteBlogger is certainly playing up. I have noticed that problem on many blogs I visit. Not just you!
ReplyDeleteI have even been stopped visiting other people's blogs once or twice and have been barred from my own once. Strange happenings.
Nuts in May
Blogger will occasionally come up with some quirk that totally disengages my rational thought :-)
ReplyDelete(Not a hard trick to accomplish, I grant you, but still...)
I loved the story of your cousin's singing, laughed so hard as I pictured you covering your head with a pillow....blogger always throws something new at us when we least expect it but as long as we are still here it's great.......:-) Hugs
ReplyDeleteGremlins in blogland, Jinksy - there is a poem in there somewhere.
ReplyDeleteHow strange. I don't use blogger any more so can't offer any help, sorry.
ReplyDeleteBlogger is truly consistent in its inconsistency. Sometimes I get all the pictures and sometimes only a few.
ReplyDeleteIt's either tricks or treats sometimes with blogger...I have 2 blogs that freeze up when I try visiting...so I e-mail them so they won't blame me!
ReplyDeleteI'm jumping right with your grasshopper mind, jinksy!...and laughing at your reaction to your cousin's...well...shall I call it 'singing'..?
ReplyDeleteGood post.
The photos are doing the same thing on my blog. Do you think 'they' (whoever they might be) don't notice??
Smiles,
Jackie
Jinksy
ReplyDeleteThe absence of familiar avatars is very likely another 'Google Glitch'.
Laughed at your recollections of the singing cousin!
Hello Jinksy,
ReplyDeleteI suppose we should all be grateful that Blogger doesn't have sound effects or your cousin might come over loud and clear! The gremlins are still at work I think.
well me you bob wit and sissy are quadruplets ...read wit and you will see, i started in salford in barley farming john james jonnathan when it was fields in 1758....now i hear salford isn't rural, well i knew that when i took the rail out to see uncle jo barlow in 1963 with my grandpa and saw him jumping up and down with his brother...spent 4 years in brogmigham...i know it is birmingham, but you guys say hi holburn wrong too(ioburn it made me laugh{loff} to see a calf{cough} walk down the pof to see...well you get it cockney
ReplyDeleteJinksy, I am astounded! I have illustration accompanying all of my comments on my blog and i have blogger too. That is some kind of blogostatic phenomenon for sure.
ReplyDeleteJinksy, I have to add that my picture was inside the comment box but disappeared as soon as I hit post comment. (Insert Twilight Zone theme music here. I hope you know what the Twilight Zone theme is. If not, I'll have to find it and post it on my blog.)
ReplyDelete"But my train of thought, once started trundling down this track of time, continued to choo-choo its way through the years...It finally stopped at the station in 1954..." If this kind of beautifully constructed and poetic prose is the result of your "grasshopper thinking," then I'll have some of it myself please!!! Even your everyday posts are exquisite! Love to you, my friend~Janine XO
ReplyDeleteI truly have never noticed whether some or any or all of my commenters' comments have accompanying photographs. Now that you have piqued my curiosity, I must be off to check that very thing.
ReplyDeleteBlogger keeps "upgrading", causing old blogs to disappear because they have not been updated for the new format. If you notice, I look updated in my square, and so I can navigate again.
ReplyDeletep.s. I don't see my new picture above. Never-you-mind: my explanation is already too old.
ReplyDeleteBlogger loves playing tricks every now and then, I adhere to the notion of if I ignore it, it will eventually go away again (as I tend to do with most inconvenient things). Hope the glitch rectifies itself soon!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely snapshot you painted of a fragment of your childhood - funny how something you haven't thought of in years can suddenly catapult itself into your conscience again, isn't it?
I'm only getting symbols against comments too. Not to worry - at least we are still getting comments - for now anyway....
ReplyDeleteInteresting how the minds flits about isn't it. Very creative.
Blogger is behaving for me, at the moment. I must have done something right for a change!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment about Langstone beach. We stayed there once, but have now settled on Southsea, as we have found an hotel which is quiet, comfortable, reasonably priced and most important, convenient for the ferry terminal when we need to be there at 7.15 am. If we do that trip again I shall try to remember your whereabouts.
Just checking in to see what my favorite poet is up to...Sending you my love, Jinks!!!! Can't believe we share the same directional challenges as well!!! You're the best!!! Love you~Janine XO
ReplyDeleteJust when I think I may have to jump ship and join WordPress, Blogger stops acting up...I've been trying to get in here, for instance, and darned blogger wouldn't show me the way...but that's okay, I've got his number now! And a direct line to Jinksy!
ReplyDeleteSandi
I've been hit by the five avatar-only blogger rule. Here I thought I got by unscathed.
ReplyDeleteI agree the American import of Halloween is one of our stupid customs--my mother called it begging, so I did not participate.
ReplyDeleteHowever, maybe the evolution of the tradition here is dying due to several social, religious and most importantly some tragic events of perverted persons poisoning the treats, putting razor blades in apples, etc.
The fun was the adults who loved to bake, make candy, and candy apples was killed with the evil-doers, so kids were instructed to only accept commercially wrapped treats.
Maybe that, too, will jump the ocean!