Away for a Few Day

I'm off to stay with my daughter in Stratford on Avon for a few days. I'll be back again next Wednesday. Hope you all have a good week.

ABC Wednesday - B

Bottlebrush



with a visiting bee



another bee on a blossoming bush (not sure what it is)



and a butterfly on the buddleia




Many thanks to Mrs Denise Nesbitt and her team who host ABC Wednesday. For more looks at the letter B, please click here.

I really enjoy listening to the radio.

At the weekend, among other programmes, I listened to "Sounds of the Sixties" presented by Brian Matthew, who has been presenting it since 1990 and to "Desert Island Discs" which is now presented by Kirsty Young. During these two programmes I heard three songs that I haven't heard for a long, long time. The guest to be cast away on the desert island this week was interviewer Lynn Barber and one of her choices was made because it reminded her of her father who used to sing it.

Do you remember this




The day before on Sounds of the Sixties I had heard this - I could only find it in German on You Tube so part of the translation is below also.



Darling, go home, your husband is ill
Is he ill, let 'em give him a pill
Oh come, my dear Franz
Just one more dance
Then I'll go home to my poor old man
Then I'll go home to my poor old man

Darling, go home, your husband is worse
Is he worse, well I am no nurse
Oh come, my dear Franz
Just one more dance
Then I'll go home to my poor old man
Then I'll go home to my poor old man

and so on ......... you get the drift and I expect many of you will remember it.

Finally I was delighted to hear the following Anthony Newley song. Being a huge fan of his I love all that he did. OH and I were lucky enough to see him in the title role of "Scrooge" at the Bristol Hippodrome many years ago. This is the song I heard on Saturday



All great fun.

3D or not 3D (that was the question)

I have really enjoyed the "Toy Story" films - they are funny and fun and charming - so when I realised the new film "Toy Story 3" was showing locally I asked husband if he would like to go with me. He agreed and we went on Wednesday afternoon. The weather has been stormy this week but it was fine and sunny when we left home to stroll along to the cinema, though we did go armed with raincoats and an umbrella as well as our sunglasses.

Wednesday afternoons are cut price for retired folk and our tickets cost us less than £10 even though the film was showing in 3D - bargain! I asked H if he had seen a recent 3D film but he hadn't watched 3D since he was a boy. I've seen "Scrooge" and "Alice in Wonderland" and said to him that he would love the modern effects.

The time came for us to don our 3D glasses and a short animated film was shown but I was uncertain as to why I should have to wear my glasses then as there was no 3D effect, however soon it was time for the main film to begin. Well, after a few minutes I still could see no 3D effect. I whispered to H "are you getting a 3D effect"? And, yes he was. I gave my glasses another clean with the wipe that had come in the bag with the glasses and tried again. No, no 3D. So I decided to take them back to the pay desk and ask for another pair, as these, clearly, were not working! I rummaged in my bag for the plastic bag and brought out - what's this - my 3D glasses! I had been wearing my sunglasses!!

So, I enjoyed the rest of the film and at the end told H what I had done. He is still laughing!

Great film, by the way.

Skywatch Friday

We have had stormy skies this week but each evening the setting sun has said goodnight.










Grateful thanks to the Skywatch Friday team who host this each week. For more skies from around the world, please click here

ABC Wednesday - A

Here we are again at the start of another round of ABC Wednesday.


I'm having to look through the archives for pictures today - so, A is for Aircraft above in azure blue skies







The next two pictures are from our recent trip to Alaska -




This is the tail of our airplane that brought us back to the UK. You can see that Calgary Airport seemed to be having arctic conditions that day.




Thanks to Mrs Denise Nesbitt and her team who host ABC Wednesday. For more looks at other takes on the letter A, please click here.

Skywatch Friday

Evening skies clearing after an overcast day





Many thanks to Sky Watch Friday team - especially as today is the 3rd anniversary of SWF. To look at skies around the world - please click here

ABC Wednesday - Z

Z is for Zuiderdam

MS Zuiderdam is the ship that we sailed on to Alaska recently.







A few technical details for those interested:

The total mileage for our voyage, from Vancouver to Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan and back to Vancouver was 2017 nautical miles and the average speed was 15.9 knots.

Gross tonnage - 82,305 tons
Max speed 23 knots
Length 935 ft
Width - 106 ft

There were 2000 guests on board and 794 crew


Thanks to Denise Nesbitt and her team for hosting ABC Wednesday. For more looks at the letter Z, please click here.

My 2nd Blogging anniversary

I can hardly believe that it is 2 years since I first began blogging. I had only been retired for about 7 months and initially thought that my blog would be a diary of sorts but it hasn't quite worked out that way.

So much has happened in the last 2 years too. I have had some wonderful holidays - to Australia (twice) to see my family, to India, visiting the Taj Mahal and more recently to Alaska and Canada seeing some wonderful scenery including the beautiful Rockies.

I have a new grandson, Matthew, who is now nearly 2 years old. He lives in Australia and he was part of the reason for one of my trips there.

Last year we finally managed to sell our house and moved into our present home on the coast.

I had no idea either that I would be "meeting" so many new people and making so many blogging friends. I have enjoyed it all so much even if I don't post as much as I would like. It has been a great experience for me as I am actually quite a shy person and tend to keep myself to myself. So I'd like to thank everyone who looks in at my blog from time to time and leaves such warm and generous comments - I really do appreciate it.

Skywatch Friday

A beautiful sunset



and the lovely afterglow







Thanks to the SkyWatch Friday team. To look at wonderful skies around the world - please click here

ABC Wednesday - Y

Y is for Yachts

There is a small sailing club just along the road from us so we often see yachts out on the water, particularly at the weekends. This summer the sailors and jet skiers have been taking advantage of our lovely weather.









Thanks to Denise Nesbitt and her team for hosting ABC Wednesday. For more looks at the letter Y, please click here.

Today's Flowers

Some of the lovely flowers we saw at the Eden Project last week.













Thanks to Luiz, Denise, Laerte and Sandy who host Today's Flowers. To look at more beautiful and unusual flowers from all over the world, please click here.

Mothers and Daughters

Once again I am bemoaning the fact that I haven't been visiting blog world as much as I would like. My own fault and I cannot really say why I haven't - time and energy I suppose (or lack of it). I have at least kept up with ABC Wednesday simply because I really want to complete the alphabet!

Since our holiday I have spent quite a lot of time dealing with my mother. She is fine really, fully recovered from her fall at Easter and when we are away she copes very well and tells everyone that she is well. A different story when I return from wherever I have been, however. She has this complaint or that and because she is 88 I cannot ignore it and have to make whatever arrangements or appointments etc etc. So we have been to the doctor, the dentist and the optician and I have had to arrange a hospital appointment for her to have a check up as her GP cannot find anything wrong! Then there is the weekly shopping trip and hair appointment as well as helping her with household bills - checking and filing, not paying - housework, ironing etc. And so the time goes on! All this and my own household to deal with - no wonder I run out of time and energy.

I also take time to chat with my own daughter on the phone, 2 or 3 times a week. I usually call in the evening just before 9 pm, when I know her little girl will be tucked up in bed and daughter will have, hopefully, finished most of her own chores. Last evening I took the opportunity to call and she told me a story about my grand-daughter (age 6, just). I will try to keep it as brief as possible!

Last Wednesday had been the 40th birthday of my daughter's friend J and the two of them had a "Pamper Day". J's husband volunteered to pick both their little boy and my grand-daughter, Imogen, up from school so that they didn't have to rush back and the day was very enjoyable and the girls returned to J's house suitably pampered and relaxed. Wednesday happens to be Imogen's swimming lesson day so daughter asked her if she wanted to stay and play with B or go swimming, there wasn't time for both. Immy decided on staying to play but when home time came announced that she would like to go swimming now! "No time" said daughter, "I gave you the choice and you decided on staying here". At that, Imogen threw a real tantrum, making a terrible fuss, crying and shouting and saying something about not having cake!

Daughter apologised to her friends, manhandled the unruly child into her car and got her home, where she manhandled her into their house. There she made no bones about telling her what an ungrateful, rude and naughty girl she was and that she was ashamed of her. "Why have I got to be grateful" Imogen asked. "Because A picked you and B up from school, gave you a lovely tea and you have had a lovely time playing. It is J's birthday, it was supposed to be a birthday tea for her and you have been very rude". Imogen, now realising what she had done, was mortified and immediately said that she felt very ashamed. She was told she would have to write a letter of apology to J and her husband and little boy. So Imogen got on with the letter and this is what she wrote -

"Dear J, A and B, I am really sorry for behaving so badly at your house today if there is any cake left can I have some please".

Daughter read it and said "you cannot send this because it looks as though you are only apologising because you want cake. Do another letter". Second letter was done - "Dear J, A and B, I am really sorry for behaving so badly today and I am ashamed of myself. I hope I can come to play again. love Imogen". The letter was given to J at school the following morning.

After the children had gone into school my daughter showed J the original letter. J laughed out loud, thought it extremely funny and asked if she could keep it to show Imogen when she is grown up. Daughter said she would let her have a copy! J also said that Imogen had written what we would probably all like to say but it is only children that have the nerve to say it.

So a lesson learned I think and her punishment was no TV for the rest of the week, which she accepted without any objection! I must add too that Imogen is a very sweet little girl and well behaved normally, but does have her "moments"! But then, don't we all!