ABC Wednesday......

R is for Rolo....

ROLOs are soft caramelly toffee covered in milk chocolate. I remember them from my childhood. They were made by Rowntree-Mackintosh back then. Nestle bought the company but I'm pleased to say that they didn't change the recipe. Although......... I'm sure the pack used to be bigger! Here is the pack I bought yesterday, with Bob T Bear (esq) for scale. (Bob is an 8inch Bear.)The shape of a Rolo is unique:

This pack says "NEW creamy toffee" but they've always been soft and creamy, so I don't know what this means.Once you unwrap them they all come tumbling out..In the early 1980s an advertising campaign was started with the tag-line, "Do you love anyone enough to give them your last Rolo?" I was still at school, and can testify to many teenage crushes around me being made official by the exchange of a last Rolo.

The tag-line has stood the test of time in the UK. Receiving a last Rolo is like receiving a single red rose.

Last year, I bought my partner a solid silver "Last Rolo" for his birthday:
WAIT a minute!!
WHAT the????
Oh dear- never leave a Bear near an open pack of chocolates, especially Bear-size ones...

Ahh!
For me?
Oh, thank you, Bob! The last Rolo? I love you too!

*****

For more info ABC Wednesday posts, go to

Mrs Nesbitt's blog

where you will see info on how to join in, and a table of links to those taking part.

*****

ABC Wednesday......

Q is for QUACK!

Meet Jemima.....My partner teaches at a primary school (ages 4-11). The school buildings form a rectangle round a central courtyard, in the centre of which is a small pond.

For the last 4 or 5 years, a duck has flown in at the first sign of spring, and made a nest. The children have named her "Jemima". Here she is, two week's ago, with this year's batch of new quackers hiding under her wings.....here they are just two days old...

There were 12 eggs and 11 hatched.

The sides of the pond are too steep for the youngsters, so the school caretaker put in a ramp for them:

Here's a short film of them using the ramp, proud mum standing by and going "Quackackackack". The food is special grain bought by the school from a pet shop.

These next pictures were taken this Monday. Look how they've grown in less than 2 weeks!A proud and happy mum.

Still 11, all present and correct!

There will soon come a time when the pond is too small for them. Luckily, the school has a larger one. Unluckily, it is on the other side of the buildings- remember, the pond is in a courtyard enclosed by classrooms. Well, don't worry! When the time comes, they open the door of one of the classrooms and lead the family straight through and out the other side, much to the amusement of the children.

*****

For more info ABC Wednesday posts, go to

Mrs Nesbitt's blog

where you will see info on how to join in, and a table of links to those taking part.

*****

ABC Wednesday......

P is for PURPLE......

Lots of purple coming up in my garden. Most of this was planted by the previous owner of this house. I thought that maybe she had just been mad on purple, given the number of purple flowers. Then I read that purple and blue plants grow in the shade whereas brighter colours might not be shade tolerant: more than half the garden is in shade for more than half of the day.

I think this is Honesty.....
This osteoperum (sp!) was cut from a huge spread of the stuff in my mum's garden. This is its first flower here. I'm glad it's "taken".
This is Periwinkle......
.....it was spreading across the ground and choking everything else, so I've cut it back a lot. Now I'm trying to train it upwards. I think it looks good against the glossy ivy.
Ahh... an iris. My favourite flower. These ones are huge. And something I didn't find till I cut back some almost dead lavender. What a nice find!
Now that the weather has cheered up, I'm enjoying getting out and planting some new things. Today I'm looking for a suitable patch for some fennel. I never imagined I'd get into gardening, but I love it.

... this is what I love:

• the smell of the soil as I dig;
• the lift I get inside when I see something I've planted and looked after is thriving;
• using herbs I've grown in our cooking;
• the birdsong, and the cheeky brave robin that keeps me company;
• making two gardens in one- a tidy bit to admire, and scruffy corners and edges to keep the wildlife happy. .....P is for perfect!

*****

For more info ABC Wednesday posts, go to

Mrs Nesbitt's blog

where you will see info on how to join in, and a table of links to those taking part.

*****

ABC Wednesday......

O is for Overcast........ views from my back garden half an hour ago. It's sunny but more rain is approaching.

It's hard to plan things at the moment. One day it's fine, the next we have downpours. Saturday was the warmest day of the year so far. Now it's cold and rainy again. See? How do you plan things? Yesterday wasn't so bad and I bought some herbs to plant out today. Looks like they'll be staying in pots for little longer!


O is for Overgrown.......Another snap from my garden half an hour ago! This is rosemary. I think it may be a little overgrown!

But why trim it back? All it will reveal is boring decking. I'd rather have the rosemary. Frogs hide under the lower branches sometimes. And when baby sparrows have first fledged, they snuggle in and hide here too, waiting for parents to return with food.

Sometimes part of the garden might look a little scruffy to human eyes, but these are the places nature likes best!

*****

For more info ABC Wednesday posts, go to Mrs Nesbitt's blog

where you will see a blogroll of those taking part.

*****

ABC Wednesday......

N is for National Day..

Today is St George's Day, the patron saint of England, and is England's National Day.


I don't have a St George's flag. I do know where a few are being flown today, but thanks to a horrible cold virus I'm not going anywhere today...

I do, though, have a few dragons. So here you are.This is a Chessell Pottery dragon called Wilbur. Chessell no longer exists so as dragons go, he is quite rare. This is called "Wilbur's First Flight". Ahhh....
These little ones are called Norbert. Both of them. So I call them Norbert 1 and Norbert 2.

Happy St George's Day, to anyone with any Englishness in them!

*****

For more info ABC Wednesday posts, go to Mrs Nesbitt's blog

where you will see a blogroll of those taking part.

*****

A New Look At Cats

Watch this.
Just do.
Watch it.
I don't care if it's 6 minutes long.
It'll be one of your best 6 minutes, I promise.
Oh, and watch out for the yodelling.

ABC Wednesday......

M is for MINSTEAD................

.......................and MAISY

MINSTEAD is one of the villages we visited when we were in the New Forest last week.
It's a tiny place.
But it had something in the graveyard that I wanted to see...

....so, up the hill to the church we went:

...see the double lych gate? Apparently they're very rare. The block in the centre of this one is a coffin rest. You rest the coffin there as you walk in either side....

Just inside the gate is half a yew tree. Really! It was very old, and split after a storm a few years ago. The parish voted to keep what was left. The resulting carcass effect is a rather eerie welcome....

We walked around to the back of the church, and here it is, what I came to see:

The grave of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,
writer and creator of Sherlock Holmes.

STEEL TRUE
BLADE STRAIGHT
Arthur Conan Doyle
Knight
Patriot, physician & man of letters.
22 May 1859 - 17 July 1930
and his beloved wife
Jean Conan Doyle
reunited 27 June 1940

I love the way someone has left a pipe!The grave is near to a big oak tree:
In actual fact, he isn't buried here. This is his wife's grave. Arthur was not permitted to be buried in the main part of the graveyard because he was a Spiritualist. Instead, he is buried "on the outskirts of the graveyard". Hmmm...

Anyway. We turned to walk the other way back to the front of the church- because when I was little I was told that it is unlucky to walk anti-clockwise round a church- "Never go widdershins round a church" was the saying. But don't ask me where "widdershins" comes from!

On my way I spotted this unusual angel:It stood out to me because, although not overlarge, the figure was clinging to the back of the headstone. I've never seen this kind of memorial before. Angels usually kneel at the front or stand hugging a cross, or have their backs subsumed into the main headstone. This is different: meditative, thoughtful. Even a little playful.She is draping some roses over the stone.
I was moved, and wanted to know who had inspired this.....MAISY Elisabeth Smith.
She died at just 10 weeks old on 26th April 2000.

I wanted to take more photo's but something held me back from doing so. It seemed wrong.
The Conan-Doyle grave was different- maybe because he was famous. Or perhaps because that was longer ago. I didn't know Maisy's family. To take more pictures felt like a sneaky theft.

So instead I stood the flowers up that had toppled over. Tidied off a few dead leaves and read the inscription. When I got home, I was surprised to see that I hadn't even photographed that. But I do remember the gist of what it said: that Maisy had been so "loving and giving, and exactly what the world needed, but maybe Heaven needed her kind more, to help look after us all". I think that was it.

I felt uncomfortable beside the austere cross of the Conan Doyle grave. But I had to pull myself away from this one. It was starting to rain, my partner had started to walk back to the car, and maybe this interest in a grave was starting to look weird. So eventually I left Maisy and her angel behind.

It had been nice to see a more recent and more tender monument, seemingly beautifully indifferent to being in the shadow of an 800 year old building, its fractured yew and its more famous residents.

I don't have any faith to speak of any more. And that's another story. But like I recently read of Julian Barnes, "I don't believe in God, but I miss Him." ...I have to admit there was a sweetness around this little resting place. I left it with a lilt inside that returned now, just as I typed this. And I will remember it far longer than the more renowned grave by the impressive oak.

*****

By the way, I didn't think about using "M for Maisy" when I took the photo's. This only occurred to me the other day. I think if I had thought of it at the time it would have stopped me taking the pictures at all.

It seems her anniversary is coming round soon (26th). Spare some thoughts for Maisy and her family when it does, won't you?

*****

For more info ABC Wednesday posts, go to Mrs Nesbitt's blog

where you will see a blogroll of those taking part.

*****

ABC Wednesday......

L is for LATE.....

and LYMINGTON

...and LOW.....

I was away last Wednesday.
My partner & I went off to the New Forest for a few days.
Hence the late posting for "L".

So here we go.....
...some cobblestones from Lymington, one of the places we visited...
....first looking uphill...
then pointing the camera straight down:

and some LOBSTER POTS from LYMINGTON HARBOUR

The harbour was cold but busy and refreshing....

But despite LONG walks through beautiful scenery,I began to sink LOWER
and LOWER.......till on Friday I was Lower than I have been in a very long time.

Regular observers of this blog will know a little about how Bi-polar disorder affects my life.
Friday was a Low day.

In Medieval times there was an instrument of torture called The Rack.
Your ankles were fixed at one end, your wrists at the other.
Wheels were turned and your wrists and ankles were pulled in opposite directions.
You were stretched, tendons torn, sinews breaking, limb from limb.

Imagine a rack in your head.
The inner workings of your head are fixed to it.
And stretched.
All at once your mental strings are plucked, punished and pulled.

In the end I was hitting my head with my hands.
Crying.
I wanted to bang my head against the wall.
My partner stopped me.

A few Little blue pills.
A Long sleep.

It's Sunday.

I'm surfacing.......

....back to Life....but for how Long?

*****

For more info ABC Wednesday posts, go to Mrs Nesbitt's blog

*****

ABC Wednesday......

K is for Kit....

Here is my bear, Bob, in his Gillingham FC kit.When Bob wore this kit last season, Gillingham won. He therefore surmised that it was lucky and so refused to change out of it. Over the next few weeks, Gills got 6 wins in a row and were saved from risk of relegation.

Obviously, removal of such a lucky kit was a big event and so was caught on video:

-And that video took about 140 photo's to make, so I claim the biggest photo post!!!!

*****

For more ABC Wednesday posts, go to Mrs Nesbitt's blog, and check the comments on her ABC post..... the other participants are leaving their links there!

*****

ABC Wednesday......

J is for Joy.....

This is my God-daughter skipping through the woods last spring.
I could have posted this under H for Hazel, her name.
Or W for woods....S for skipping..... maybe I for innocence....
But Joy seemed to sum it up best.

I took this photo' with my old 35mm automatic, before I had a digital camera.
So I wasn't able to just shoot off loads and keep a good one.
I took two; the other was a blur.
I've just scanned it in, no retouching.
What a good fluke!
Funny, I hadn't noticed that slight blur around the top of her head before.

Cropped this way it might be a metaphor for her journey ahead......

I keep this photo in a plain wooden frame on my mantelpiece. It reminds me, especially on bad days, that there is more to life.....

*****

For more ABC Wednesday posts, go to Mrs Nesbitt's blog, and check the comments on her ABC post..... the other participants are leaving their links there!

*****

ABC Wednesday....

I is for IDLE DOODLING...........

This is a typical doodle of mine.

Sometimes I colour in some of the shapes.

But mostly I don't like that.

It doesn't "feel" right.

It frustrates me and I end up tearing it up and starting again, this time leaving the shapes "open".

I know you get graphologists, who try to interpret your handwriting, but do you also get doodle-ologists? If so, I'd be intrigued to know what they would make of this.....

Intersecting, curling swirls. Teardrops, possibly. Or flowers. Hmmmm.... do you see anything? Other than the men in white coats approaching...?

*****

For more ABC Wednesday posts, go to Mrs Nesbitt's blog, where there is a list of participants.

*****

ABC Wednesday....

H is for...........

HOBNOBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ahhh........ yummy OATY biscuit, so much finer than your little wheaty cousins...
Let us look into your family tree.....

First there was the ORIGINAL HOBNOB:
Then came the MILK CHOCOLATE HOBNOB ahhhh... the perfect dunker..... :
Then came the only possible improvement- the DARK CHOCOLATE HOBNOB!
Alas!
No more!
They stopped making them last year....
how COULD they??? HAIKU for the departed Dark Chocolate HOBNOB:

Poor little dark one,

not too sweet, always just right,

oh, how we miss you.

Next came HOBNOBS IN A TUBE... perfect for the drawer at work.....

(well, NEARLY perfect- perfection would have included a padlock device)

And then... Oh Heavens! can it be?

The HOBNOB CREAMS:

But lo! Here come the imitators......

HA!

Well it's nice to see the 'own brands' trying an oaty bic at last, but frankly, they don't come close.

Did you know that wherever there are biscuits there will be found Bears?

So which Biscuit is best?

Let's let the Bears decide.... !!!

Click on the video link to see!

If you can't see the video here, try HERE instead!

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For all the other bloggers doing ABC Wednesday,
go to the list on Mrs Nesbitt's Site.
Enjoy your browsing- & why not join in yourself?!

*********

Uncle Shadows

If Depression were a person I would hate him.

Oh true, he does bring gifts. But it's like having a horrible relative who turns up just when you were having a decent day with everyone else. In he walks, uninvited, but his foot is in the door before you can refuse. You force a smile for the sake of everyone else in the room. I hate him for that forced smile.

Then he proffers a little plastic carrier bag in which a few gifts are bulging. "Oh," thinks everyone else, "he can't be that bad. What was she moaning about?"

You take the bag graciously and sneak a peek: a few unusual gifts inside- unwrapped, and a little rough round the edges. You'll investigate them later. For now, you are on autopilot. Must keep the other guests comfortable. Must carry on. Must appear normal.

After a while, the time for the others to leave comes round. They see you are coping with him. In fact, he seems to fit in well.

In the following days and weeks he saps your strength with his demanding presence. Then, after a time, he starts to nip out. A 10 minute walk here, a half hour stroll there. One day he doesn't come back. You can't believe it, keep looking out the window, up and down the road. Eventually it sinks in: he's gone.

You set to work tidying your home, flushing out the last of him. And you come across that bag.... what's in it? A listening ear..... a few creative brain cells.... a packet of sense of humour.... he's a personal relative, remember, so for you the bag might be different.

I loathe him.

He is a robber of time. His domineering presence takes up half of my alloted space, leaving me living a half-life. Add up every visit and he owes me years. YEARS. And all that those years were meant to contain.

Tonight I realised that he had been lodging here for a while again. Ah! That explains the messy house! And why I haven't been able to sleep lately. And why the impetus to do anything has been drained. Ah yes! He is here again. Must have sneaked in when I wasn't on guard.

I am on autopilot again, half alive, living a half life. Sometimes only the anger keeps me going. Anger at the cheek of him, and determination that he doesn't take the other half as well.

ABC Wednesday....

G is for Graffiti

Normally, graffiti annoys me. It's nothing to do with entering my 40s: I've always been a grouch on this one.

And the writer/artist can't win: if it's scruffy, spelt wrong or rude, I think those responsible should go home and read a few books. If it's artistic, neat and original, I think "Why can't they use that talent somewhere else?"

It's rare that I actually feel any admiration for it. Banksy is an exception (click link for a blog that has some of his stuff on display).

But then came lots of followers, imitaters. It all got very samey, this 'street art', and entered it's own arena of annoyance.

-I do worry that I sound like my father when I moan about such things.

But then I saw this.....

This piece of graffiti (a graffito, I'm told) appeared not far from my home about a month ago. It made me smile..................

"Thanks for my birthday card Lucy, all my love, hugs and kisses, Thinking of you every day, Dad xxx"

It made me ask lots of questions....

• The writing looks like "typical female writing"- you know, neat and rounded. Yet it's apparently written by a man.
• Why did he leave a message here?
• Are he and his daughter's mum estranged?
• Is this his only way to get a message to Lucy?
• Does he live miles and miles away, and did he drive up in the night and leave this for her?
  

There are lots of possible stories behind this very human message. This is why this is a piece of graffiti that I actually enjoy walking past. It makes me smile. It makes me think.

No fancy lettering, colouring or slogans. Plain and simple. Unflashy and "uncool". But it grabs my attention every time.

I hope Lucy saw it.

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For all the other bloggers doing ABC Wednesday, go to the list on Mrs Nesbitt's Site. Enjoy your browsing- & why not join in yourself?!

****************************************************************

ABC Wednesday....

F is for feathers............


...Like the ones on this European Eagle Owl.

His name is Sid.

A close up of Sid's feathers..........and one that he decided he didn't need any more:Some people can paint birds onto discarded feathers....they must have buckets of patience!

This one is an inch high. We bought it in Edinburgh:
These two were gifts from Nicaragua:

(This one is my favourite. I like the look on his face.)

Here are a few more feathers, these ones found in my garden.......

first, from a wee goldfinch (see the gold?)
this one is from a sparrowhawk. Those are white lines, on the top edge....
Lastly, here is an unusual Christmas decoration: a wreath made of feathers!

The sales assistant was trying to encourage purchases by telling people it would also make a great Easter Centrepiece. Hmm... not sure! But it's lovely and soft and fluffy.

And speaking of Fluffy, here's one of my cat, "Fluffy"! She's a fantastic friend!

*****
You can see more of Sid The Owl and his friends on this video of my Falconry Experience Day, where I met him:

*****

I bet there are lots of feathers in this week's ABC Wednesday! If you'd like to check out the other participants, or find out how to join in, please visit Mrs Nesbitt's blog!

*****

ABC Wednesday.... E is for......

....Evidence of the English Civil War.........

I moved to Colchester in 2003 and am still learning about the history of this town, rumoured to be England's "oldest recorded town".

The English Civil War ran from 1642 to 1649. Colchester was under siege in 1648. The siege, lasting 76 days, was one of the most important events of the war. Evidence of some of the violence that took place is still easily found around the town. Yesterday I went out and photographed two examples....

Bit of background info. re. the siege: A Royalist army, gathered from Kent, Hertfordshire and Essex occupied colchester. They were supporting King Charles I against Parliament. Once inside the town walls, they were surrounded by the Parliamentarian army, commanded by Lord Fairfax.

The siege lasted through a very cold and wet summer, ending on August 28th 1648. By this time, the residents of the town were so desperate for food that they had begun to eat rats.

(1)The Old Siege House, East Bridge, East Street.

[above] The Old Siege House showing East Bridge in the background (the car is about to drive over it). It still bears the marks of a night-long battle from 1648.

The Old Siege House, taken from the bridge