To view foregoing pages dibble your mouse about and click over Betty Blogs 16 on menu bar above. You'll find all our old pages the same way
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BETTY BLOGS 162023
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To view foregoing pages dibble your mouse about and click over Betty Blogs 16 on menu bar above. You'll find all our old pages the same way
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BETTY BLOGS 162023
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31st December 2023
We had a really jolly afternoon yesterday when the little guys descended on us. Despite the damp and cold they decided to dive outside into the garden eager for some fresh air and a run round after being holed up waiting for Santa and important things like that. I think it was Nana Carol who managed to get them to sit still for a few seconds for a quick pic. They hadn't brought any of their new toys so we were quite amused that they were all happy to play with the basket of toys I keep here and which they've played with for the past 5 or 6 years. They can all just about fit on our old sofa. Left to right, Josh Jai Freddie Finley Ralfie and Rory. Jai is missing a couple of teeth at the moment, but explained that he's growing some new ones. |
27th December 2023
Wednesday: here we are: post-boxing day and the radio continues to churn out carols. Nevertheless, today feels like we're surfacing after a deep sea dive and coming up for air. OK so things will linger a bit longer but I've already shuffled the cards to shift a bit of dust in an effort to restore normality. I was lucky enough to be gifted this lovely book, a big fat tome which offers a poem for every day of the year. I've already overstepped the allotted dosage and wantonly wandered into February. It's a captivating mix for a poetical fix. I've rediscovered some forgotten ones and there are many others to explore. I think we respond to poetry in the same way we do to music. What suits your mood one day, may not suit you tomorrow. I like to meander, dipping in randomly, losing oneself for a while, enjoying what takes your fancy at that particular moment in time. I've just looked out of the window, yuk! Back to the book for me! |
22nd December 2023
Good morning all, Winter Solstice greetings. We nipped to M&S in Bridgnorth this morning for some shopping rather than hot footing it to Stonehenge to dance round the stones. Boredom Warning: Solstice basics coming up: tonight sunset will be around 4 pm. The solstice takes place at the point when the sun's path in the sky is at its farthest south and the sun travels the shortest path through the sky resulting in the day with with the least sunlight and longest night. From then onwards the days become increasingly long leading up to the summer solstice and the longest day of the year. Sounds like an astrological treadmill doesn't it - noteworthy for some and nerdy for others. Each to his own. |
How's your inbox? - mine gets full to the gunnels, bursts at the seams, overflows with virtual drivel. If we could peer into cyberspace I imagine it would look like a thick fog of nonsense floating in the air trying to squeeze it's way into cringing little laptops. I saw red yesterday on receiving a waste of time e-mail from the Sainsbury's Chief Executive who began his letter with 'Dear Betty' as if he knew me (pretentious git) telling me about the wonderful things I can buy in his store. I felt like writing back to tell Mr CEO I'm familiar with his store and shop there weekly, I don't need a silly letter from someone I don't know to make sure I turn up for his 'bargains'. Waste of time, waste of money, waste of resources and thousands of others will have received the same letter which actually says sod all. It takes me longer to delete the trash than it does to read the proper stuff. No wonder the Eco Warriors have need to campaign.
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18th December 2023
Yay! They've gone... we've shoved all the Christmas cards into a letter box, time for a breath-easy moment as we enjoy a sense of achievement. Nobody warns us that these tasks become far too onerous when one is knocking on a bit but at least, nowadays, we don't have to lick the stamps. A little task which today's young people are not confronted with. Envelopes are more suited to the squeamish nowadays as the sticky-stuff sticks without lick - it's lick-less if there is such a word. Years ago in my office days, I hated licking stamps and envelopes knowing that glue is made with bones, hide and other left over bits of animals. Glue making begins with washing the grisly collection of animal "stuff" to clear dirt, debris and dubious smelly gunge. Then it's all soaked in water to soften and release collagen. This is followed by a treatment with lime and acid to release more collagen. Next step is to remove the acid and boil down the collagen/water mixture until it becomes a gelatine-like substance. Delightful it's not! |
12th December 2023
I'm not doing so well this year... keeping up with Chrimbo stuff I mean. I've been quite 'out of sorts' this week with health matters having a fling etc etc - I'll spare you the details, but I've not even done the cards yet, let alone coughed up a fortune to buy the stamps. Oh dear, I think I threatened to get the cards done a couple of days ago and still they await my attention. I think I've arrived at a stage in life when I could happily bypass the festivities and all the fuss involved. Stop right there! it's Time to give myself a good talking to before anyone addresses me as The Grinch. At least I've rummaged in the upstairs cupboard and brought out two Christmas friends whom we call Shelf Elf and Grumpy Santa. |
Here's Grumpy Santa - he's lived with us for ages, in fact so long we've forgotten how old he is. We found him in the old Beatties store when it was still a bit upmarket. We brought him home because he made us laugh. I reckon his apathetic air has rubbed off on us but he's happy(ish) to pose on the piano.
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This is little Shelf Elf - and it's his second year of doing kitchen shelf duty. We met him in Dobbies Garden Centre last year. He's happy to retire when the cards come down and the dust needs shifting. He hibernates with Grumpy Santa on the top shelf in my wardrobe - they will cosy up with other Chrimbo clutter to wait for Xmas 24.
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This is the month I bring out the Green Gloves. My friend Hilary got wind of my December thoughts some years ago and presented me with these.
Here's waving to you Hilary, My lovely glovelys are still going strong and continue to spread the word. |
10th December 2023
This morning I wondered if it was stir-up Sunday today; then I discovered it took place at the end of November. Never mind, we're not keen on Christmas pudding anyway. Traditionally, the Christmas pudding is made on Stir-up Sunday – these days in the form of a dried fruit-based dessert. In earlier times, it would have contained meat and been eaten at the start of the meal or alongside the meat. It would have been wrapped in a cloth and boiled. Nowadays they just bung it in a basin. |
3rd December 2023
Wow! It was a bit of a winter wakeup call this morning. Snow indeed... something I can do without these days. Do you remember the days some 70 or so years ago when you rushed for your wellies and woolly hats and couldn't get amongst it fast enough. Nowadays I say, sod that for game of soldiers - too cold! Strange expression isn't it? - I wonder where its roots lie. ( Inevitable quick Google ) Various forms of this phrase are in use, some less offensive than others, but no mention of its origin. Just saying... in case, like me, you're a bit of a word nerd. |
1st December 2023
OK I relent, we can give up the daft euphemisms now, December is here I'm willing to talk Christmas without reprimand. The weather has jumped in before me to enter into the spirit of the season - we have a sparkling frosty morning and so I give in by banishing bah-humbug and practising 'Frosty the Snowman' on the piano. Due to my musical ineptitude and arthritic hands, the result was abominable - one could say my rendition was a metaphorical 'abominable snowman'. The big white mythical monster is also known to as a Yeti. Did anyone ever prove he existed? Courtesy of Google - the latest scientific thinking is that the Yeti was just a big bear that left big footprints in the snow... and so the myth grew... but who knows what's really out there? |
28th November 2023
Brrr... hope everyone's splashing the cash to keep warm - it's cold enough for bed-socks and hotty-bottles today. I poked my head out of the door this morning for a moment, a very brief one, and decided not to quibble when Bern offered to peg the washing. Do you remember the notice that said 'keep calm and carry on'? Someone has come up with a replacement which fits the bill. And no, I didn't go back to bed even though it was a nice thought. I tidied the kitchen cupboards instead, needlessly rearranged stuff, and already forgotten where I've stashed stuff. |
22nd November 2023
Good morning. Well, for November it's reasonably good, the rain has stopped and it's a tad warmer. I think November is a bit of a doldrums month - the weather's not worth a mention, no high-days nor holidays this month, we only have Armistice Day which is sad. Right now everyone's worrying about heating bills and dreading the cost of Chrimbo. Best thing to do is to hang on until early December, put the tree up, switch on the lights and smile. Whilst respecting everyone's thoughts on Christmas I remain an agnostic and as most people celebrate the old story of 2,000+ years ago, I prefer to ponder the miracle of our planet which came into being millions of years prior to Angel Gabrielle announcing the arrival of a saviour. The horror of it is that I see "believers" who consider their version of their faith the "right one" - they began back in the day and they're still killing each other and fighting over religion - I despair! |
I had an amusing moment the other day, I'm easily pleased. It was a little ray of sunshine which hit the mirror in the sitting room. The light bounced from the mirror into the dining room and landed on the piano. I was highly amused because the piece of music sitting there was "Somewhere Over The Rainbow". I don't deny I'm in the senility zone, so profuse and abject apologies if I've under-whelmed you with my little rainbow lurking at the bass notes end.
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I spent yesterday afternoon tackling the writers' group homework. The half-term break has allowed me a little more thinking time - it's a bummer when the Muse goes missing.
My main achievement this week is securing a Sainsbury delivery for "C" - it's a push and shove business booking one before all the slots (as they call them) are gone. Yay! No mad trolley dash for me at Santa time! That's "C" groceries sorted. |
The postman also delivered our "C" card order today. In recent years I've decided that if we have to spend money on a pile of paper it may as well benefit a charity. I've chosen to support Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF). Their medical teams work in crisis zones treating patients based on medical needs alone, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation. They don't takes sides in conflicts and provide life-saving care in challenging situations. If only the people of the world would agree to "live and let live" and stop the bloody wars.
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31st October 2023
Hang on while I just park my broom. Ooh... spooky times ahead, bring it on. And yes, I have a little pumpkin - a ceramic one courtesy of Jay and Lesley. That's Hallowe'en sorted in our house. Warning: I hear our little ones will be at large tonight so watch out all peaceful villagers of Shifnal, Pattingham, and Fradley. |
EIGHTY-THREEWISHING I WAS TWENTY-THREE |
26th October 2023
I was birthday girl yesterday and had a wonderful day- thank you everyone for cards, gifts, good wishes and birthday visits -I loved every minute. A get well message for Doreen - she's under the weather - get well soon Doreen and thanks for your card. Carol, James, Lesley, Brother, Sister-in-law, Cousin Jan and Bern joined in a cake-eating session. |
24th October2023
Apologies I didn't get back to you on the 22nd, I was on a mission to find a replacement laptop as my current one is huffing and puffing a bit, feeling it's age I guess just like me. We ended up in Curry's making a brave attempt to talk Giga-whatsits, Terabytes, ROM, RAM, and Bob's your uncle. I finally decided upon a neat little job that now awaits Richard (the computer man) to oversee the data move and get it up and running. It was less expensive than the one I'm about to abandon but there's no point spending too much as I'd be truly miffed if it outlived me! |
15th October 2023
The time has arrived when we need to replace light bulbs - I'm aware that we're in a sort of 'transition time' when it comes to illuminating our homes, hence my light bulb moment of discovery. Inevitably I had to involve Google to aid my research and what (not watt) a flipping minefield I found. Watts are no longer de rigueur, lumens are the thing these days. I'm still trying to unravel the mathematics of converting Watts to lumens to ensure I buy the right bit of kit. If you need to know the formula it is: divide your usual wattage by 12.5 and multiply by 10. [ e.g. 100 watt bulb - divide by 12.5 - multiply by 10 = 1000 lumens. ] |
I guess it's also time to face the awfulness of the pre-Crimbo hype for a few weeks. I can guess what you're thinking and I agree with you - I'm a misery-guts - but there's so much to moan about these days.
One last gripe: scleroderma / systemic sclerosis / Raynaud's / Sjogren's have united to gain the upper hand of late. Good days are becoming scarce and I'm dreading the winter. My friend Cora has been thinking ahead and turned up with this lovely gift yesterday - how cosy is that - watch out Raynaud's. By the way, I promise to do less whinging next time I pop in for a chat. |
5th October 2023
What do you think of this little fellow? He has a fancy official name but he's better known as a bed bug. I read about them in last weekend's press, and again this morning. They're big news right now as they're causing havoc in France - mini-monsters that are enjoying a population explosion. We're warned they're heading our way to infest beds, bite us to bits, and generally make a nuisance of themselves. Time to Google folks and get the lowdown on dealing with bedbugs. Fun times ahead it seems... we have creepy creatures on a mission to proliferate and wander round the world doing their thing. They say, 'every dog has his day,' I guess it's time for these un-endearing little insects to have theirs. |
1st October 2023
Blimey! September has buzzed off already. But not to worry, I've turned the page on the calendar and the world can gallop at its own pace whilst we shuffle along in the slow lane. This morning started with the intention of a good tidy up in the garden; After a brief spell of bending to do some weeding, we both ended up feeling quite giddy. We reeled our way indoors and settled for coffee and biscuits instead, and decided we may have to resort to spraying the fast growing little blighters with something toxic. |
30th September 2023
Good afternoon one and all. We tootled off to M&S in Bridgnorth this morning to buy things I'd forgotten to order in yesterday's Sainsbury's delivery. Talk about bird-brain! My head will never save my legs (as my old Mum used to say.) Oh well... it was nice to have a look round and check how M&S are approaching the season about which we do not yet speak. And yes... it's all happening in there too. and their chocolate items look especially nice. I only took a little peep down that aisle, much too tempting. I was bemused by the packs of tomatoes I bought labelled "round tomatoes". Does anyone know of tomatoes' other than round? I guess square ones would be more practical for sandwiches, |
24th September 2023
Hi friends and family (and passers-by if you've wandered in for a look round). I guess that we've now passed the point of no return as far as summery weather is concerned. We've just reached the autumn equinox and the shops are filling up with that which I refuse to mention until December; all the near future holds for us is misty mornings, and a few session of tidying the garden before it goes to sleep. Which reminds me, we need to replant the bulbs I dried off earlier this year. |
My mother's cyclamen plant has woken up again, I've brought it indoors and it's sitting in the back porch looking green and leafy. No flowers yet but I think it's up for another season. (left is last year's pic) You've been having to suffer this story for a few years now (apologies) but this feisty little plant has been going strong since my mum died in 2002 - I remember taking it from her window sill when her house went up for sale, I've no idea of its true age.
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Yay! the weather lady said 'high pressure' which means we'll be grabbing a bit of summer in the next few days (fingers crossed). Our decorators finished yesterday - then we faffed about trying to remember where I'd shoved things out of the way while they were working. Having unearthed the 'lost' stuff we're ship shape again. Before the painter guys left I got them to promise they'd be available if we haven't snuffed it by the time it's all grubby again. Many thanks to Mike and James.
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30th August 2023
Hi again, it's time for a bit of moon mention. Have you been watching the blue super moon getting larger? I've been leaving the blinds open so that the moonlight creeps in through the window. OK so I'm barmy but it's too late to worry about it. This month we have a rare super blue moon. It'll be at its best on Thursday night. Two full moons in one month occurs only once in every two or three years. It will appear larger than usual rising around 8 pm BST and setting around 6 am on Friday. Keen star gazers are excited about the two rare events taking place this month - a super blue moon and a super-moon. Odd thing is, in this instance the word 'blue' has nothing to do with colour - so I had to Google and I'm still no wiser... |
29th August 2023
Hi everyone, what a chilly Tuesday. Brrr! Jay has just sent a photo - he and Lesley are mooching round the Home Bargains store and sent this picture for me to share with you. They reported that on entering the store they were greeted with Halloween stuff big time. On into the next aisle and they happened upon the scene on your right - too much, too soon, we're still in August for goodness sake! For the time being, as far as I'm concerned, the bloody Santas and elves can stay in the store room until December. Bern and I are lurking upstairs today as our delightful decorators, Mike and James, are working downstairs having completed three bedrooms, hall, landing, bathroom, downstairs loo, and kitchen. Sitting room completed today, only the dining room and back porch to do. |
Please, not yet.
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Carol has popped over to Rotterdam again to catch up with Zara, Jon, and Miso the dog. They all hopped on a train this morning to visit The Hague where they plan to visit the Escher Museum which is housed in the Lange Voorhout Palace.
I've always been curious about M C Escher's works - they are complicated detailed drawings of buildings, some of which on close inspection are clever creations of impossibility. I remember coming across the pic on the left years ago and it drove me mad trying to make sense of it. At first glance it looks OK - any thoughts? |
Here's Zara and Jon on their way to The Hague - Carol said they're discussing food, their main topic of conversation i.e. recipes, menus, ingredients etc. They're keen foodies and love their jobs in a fashionable little Rotterdam restaurant. |
24th August 2023
Good morning, we still have our lovely painter chaps for company. We had a bit of an embarrassing moment yesterday with the final "dénouement" (outcome or big reveal) this morning. Sorry about the big word, but I'm quite partial to them. Here's the story: yesterday, after lunch, the painters were busy upstairs so Bern and I were huddled on the sofa watching something boring on the telly - so boring the inevitable happened and we both dozed off. When we awoke we realised the decorators had gone. We felt quite sheepish having done the typical oldie thing and succumbed to a lengthy snooze. This morning: big grins from the chaps: they explained how they'd realised we were 'out cold', but it was knocking off time and they were all packed up ready to go home. Once outside they had second thoughts and came back in to make sure we were OK. They told us they had rattled the door handle, coughed loudly, etc. etc. hoping to ascertain whether or not we'd snuffed it, but although breathing we remained as dead as a couple of dodos. |
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14th August 2023
Good morning everyone, apologies for my poor attendance, yet again. We're in a bit of a turmoil at the mo, not us, I mean the house - we have the decorators in and it's going to be a longish job as they're doing the entire house, top to toe. It's the first time we've not tackled it ourselves. We discovered that one of the joys of getting old is the giddy turns when you perch on a stepladder to paint a ceiling. |
While we're in Mother Earth mode, I'll remind you that August is an exciting month for moon lovers with two super-moons. Tonight we're getting a full Sturgeon Moon rising around 9.30 pm. It will appear larger and brighter than usual because it is closer to Earth than usual - just 222,159 miles away. On 30th August we can do it all again to see a Super Blue Moon,
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24th July 2023
I've had another of my little mishaps today. I'd just settled down to get on with some writing. Feeling a bit squirrel-ish I tipped a little heap of nuts on my desk. Eyes glued to the screen, I reached out for a couple of said nuts and proceeded to chomp on them. Suddenly, there was a loud crunch and I realised something was amiss. I'd chewed a plastic hair clip which I'd left on my desk hence a smithereens scenario - I just managed to avoid an attempt to swallow it. I'll not be going back for seconds but there's a happy outcome - one hair clip is still intact. |
20th July 2023
Hope everyone is having a good week. I'm a bit cheesed off with the lack of opportunity to get on with some gardening. Too wet, too cold, or is it only me who has this opinion? I managed to have a quick dibble in the soil a couple of days ago when we planted some new lavender plants. They hadn't got the variety I wanted (Lavender Hidcote) at the local garden centre so I ordered some online. As usual I cocked up. Having Googled Dobbies, I ordered the required stuff, and when the acknowledging e-mail arrived it was from Dobies - one 'b', not two. Anyway, the little plants are all tucked up and watered and waiting for some sunshine. I was pleasantly surprised with the price, quality, and service when they arrived two days later in excellent condition and ingeniously packed for their postal journey. Apologies to Dobbies and a thank you to Dobies. I've mentioned before that I'm getting old and daft so I'm easily bamboozled. |
54 years ago people all over the world watched on TV the first manned spacecraft, lunar module Eagle, land on the moon - part of the Apollo space mission. Crew: Neil Armstrong, Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin, Michael Collins who remained in orbit in the command module Columbia. Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon (sounds like a fairy story doesn't it?) and he said 'That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.' They arrived back on Earth on 24th July. (Buzz Aldrin is the only one of these three astronaut alive today |
I'm dubious about the need for numerous types of fertilizer - stuff for roses, stuff for tomatoes, something different for every flipping plant. Bit of a bandwagon on the go I reckon, maybe we should leave the banana skins for the monkeys.
Does anyone use good old horse muck these days? I learned something else while tackling this topic - we should be using a 'z' rather than an 's' when spelling fertilizer. All my life I've been an 's' person but in the interests of 'doing the right thing' I'm now a zedder. |
10th July 2023
Apologies, I mislaid a few days last week. I had three hospital sessions last week, probably the cause of my muddle-headedness and failure to turn up here. Nor can I stay long today as I've another one this afternoon, gastroenterology this time, they want to mess about with my liver. I'm getting my money's worth from the NHS - so thank you NHS. We called in on my brother and sister-in-law on the way home from the last visit - Bernard and Trudie. They were enjoying a quiet moment in the garden until we rolled up for cold drinks, a mooch round their garden, and a chat. |
28th June 2023
Today's dilemma - the packet of pills that's too big for the box. I have a few pills to swallow first thing and had to open a new pack of Clopidogrel. I noted the square of sticky tape that sealed the ends of the box and wondered who had the job of applying it. They did a good job - the sticky little blighter was immovable. I couldn't grip it tightly enough to peel it off thanks to arthritis - kitchen scissors did the trick. Having swallowed said pill I tried to put the new box in with the other stuff I have to down each day. New pills, new brand, and new size. It refused to fit into my see-through container. Scissors still handy, I doctored the strips of pills then redesigned their packing so said pills could join all the others that see me through the day. A pointless waste of time no doubt but they're all tucked up and renamed Opidogrel instead of Clopidogrel. Apologies for this useless information, must dash, we're off to the eye-infirmary now. |
26th June 2023
Good morning, Well I thought it was until I sat down to log in just after breakfast. While my laptop yawned into life and prepared itself for imminent onslaught, I noticed that I'd written myself a note to remind me of something. I'd left it on the desk right next to the computer. I assume I'd left it right there, under my nose, to ensure I didn't miss it. I had written "26th to 30th June". It's deffo my writing, trouble is I don't remember writing it and I haven't a clue what I meant or if the dates are important. I've asked Bern and he's clueless too. If anyone has an inkling about what's happening on said dates and what it is I'm supposed to remember, please let me know. |
21st June 2023
Were you up before dawn to greet the Summer Solstice? Confession: I missed the first sunbeams but would have watched it had I been awake. Pigs might fly! Nevertheless, the sun popped up at 04.44 and sunset will be at 21.34 giving us 16 hours and 2 minutes daylight. And if you're interested, the moon will rise at 07.19 this evening, you'll find it if you look to the north west. I hear 10,000 turned up at Stone Henge to greet the day. Wow! |
We get maximum hours of daylight today because of Earth's position in relation to the Sun. Earth's geographical pole - on either the northern or southern hemisphere - is its most inclined towards the sun position. At the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, the Sun will be at its highest point.
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20th June 2023
Today looks like being a damp one - never mind, farmers and gardeners will be ecstatic - good job we did the washing yesterday. Hang on while I have a word with myself: "Stop it! No one wants to hear about boring washing!" OK, so here's another little story. On this very date in 1649 Richard Brandon, the City of London's official executioner, died at home in Rosemary Lane. It is thought that he was the chap who decapitated King Charles I. A rare tract published at the time, tells us Brandon acknowledged he had received £30 paid to him in half-crowns within an hour of doing the deed. N.B. King Charles 1 was beheaded for treason on January 30, 1649. He ascended to the English throne in 1625 following the death of his father, King James I. A grisly little story, just the job for a wet Tuesday. RIP Mr Brandon despite your career choice. |
More news on the Amigurumi thing (see 15th June post) if you're a Facebook user have a look at a group called "Random Acts of Crochet Kindness" and you'll see what the Amigurumi fans are up to.
I've found free patterns on this website: www.lovecrafts.com and also here: www.hookedbyrobin.com (left click to follow the links) |
15th June 2023
Whew! a tad warm I think. We were wilting by lunchtime following a 10.30 trip to the hospital: I was there for a check up with the cancer nurse while Bern was scheduled for the blood test department. We have such fun outings. Back home, a reviving cup of coffee, and it was time for a trip round the Internet. I happened upon something called Amigurumi. Never heard of it: I wondered whether one wore it, cooked it, planted it, or maybe it's a rare animal? A quick Google told me I was wrong on all four counts. It's on trend - the "in" thing - and more precisely, it's the latest crochet fad. |
10th June 2023
Four of our little chaps are in Spain this week, they're busy building sandcastles, paddling, swimming, and generally having fun. Josh has discovered the best thing to do after a dip in the pool is to grapple with a mammoth slice of melon while the sun dries his hair. Oh to be nearly five years old and eating a melon slice - just the job for this hot weekend. I spent Saturday afternoon having a bone scan at New Cross Hospital, however it was delightfully cool and airy in there so no complaints. |
6th June 2023
There's still a few veterans left to acknowledge today's 79th anniversary of D-Day. I was not quite four years old at the time so I doubt I paid it much attention. I've been wondering what the D stands for - Google came up with the answer - D is for Day. So called by the military when covert, critical operations are carried out and are referred to as Day1, Day2, Day3, etc. depending on the duration of the action. Hope the old guys making the journey to France enjoy their trip. |
Thankfully it's the latter... I'm a honey addict and I also enjoy hearing to hear the busy bees buzzing round the lavender plants. We have a tiny wooden bee house in the garden where stray bees can hole up for the winter. In late summer I tie up little bundles of dry grasses and twigs and hide them round the garden for insects to cosy up through the winter months. World Bee Day 2023 takes place on Saturday, May 20. The date was chosen as World Bee Day by the United Nations to honour the birthday of Anton Janša, who was a pioneer of beekeeping during the 18th century.
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17th May 2023
My suspicions are confirmed - there's a sort of buy-one-get-one-free thing going on - i.e. drift into old age and the daft part comes free: now I know why I've carelessly let 10 days slip by without a chat. Time to rattle my faculties and wake 'em up. Hope you are all well and ready for summer to arrive. I see the scientists are reporting continued raised temperatures in the years to come. My thoughts are that we'll evolve into a race of humanoid kippery type people - all creased and brown. Time to invest in factor fifty and a giant sombrero before it's too late. |
7th May 2023
Good morning - hope you enjoyed the pomp and ceremony of King Charles' and Camilla's coronation - quite a "do" wasn't it. I think the old gold bone-shaker looked somewhat outmoded - I wonder how many more times it''ll get dragged out before it's declared defunct, and if we're going to mention anachronisms, that coach fits the bill. |
1st May 2023
Not a bad day today, but I could do with it being a tad warmer. We have lots of young birds chirping away and hopping round the garden this morning, otherwise there's not much happening in our world today. Carol popped in on Saturday and we had a laugh when she told us about Jai (No 1 great grandson) he had questioned her about Gagga (Grandad Gary). Jai: "Can Gagga see into the future? Nana: I'm not sure, why do you need to know that? Jai: I want you to ask him if Arsenal are going to win the league." |
Middle English lyrics
Sumer is icumen in, Lhude sing cuccu! Groweþ sed and bloweþ med And springþ þe wde nu, Sing cuccu! Awe bleteþ after lomb, Lhouþ after calue cu. Bulluc sterteþ, bucke uerteþ, Murie sing cuccu! Cuccu, cuccu, wel singes þu cuccu; Ne swik þu nauer nu. Pes: Sing cuccu nu. Sing cuccu. Sing cuccu. Sing cuccu nu! |
Just a thought: I wonder if
they urged the cuckoo to sing sing sing, in order to drown the goat's performance. Oh dear... |
Modern English translation
Summer has come in, Loudly sing, cuckoo! The seed grows and the meadow blooms And the wood springs anew, Sing, cuckoo! The ewe bleats after the lamb The cow lows after the calf. The bullock stirs, the goat farts, Merrily sing, Cuckoo! Cuckoo, cuckoo, well you sing, cuckoo; Don't ever you stop now, Ground (sung by two lowest voices) Sing cuckoo now. Sing, Cuckoo. Sing Cuckoo. Sing cuckoo now! |
24th April 2023
Good morning all - here we are in the last week of April. At 3.00 pm yesterday (Sunday) the blast from my phone made me jump. I remembered the warning and realised Orwellian happenings were afoot. The powers that be were ordering the proletariat to attention, i.e. "listen and do as you're told!" They had plenty of practice during the recent pandemic, now they're tracking us via our phones. I guess it's good that we can be warned of an imminent danger but I'm wary of the connotations... how long before we're wearing utilitarian workwear with our names and numbers stamped on our backs? I reckon there's bound to be someone itching to step into Winston Smith's shoes. Thank you George Orwell, real name Eric Arthur Blair, for warning the plebs of what lies ahead. Trouble is we didn't really listen back in he 40s, but you were right. In fact, maybe it's time I got round to reading your book. Wikipedia says: "1984" is a dystopian novel by George Orwell, published in 1949. It depicts a totalitarian super-state called Oceania, where the government controls every aspect of life and persecutes independent thought. The protagonist, Winston Smith, is a mid-level member of the ruling party who secretly rebels against the regime. The novel's all-seeing leader, Big Brother, becomes a symbol of oppressive bureaucracy. Well, there's plenty for us to ponder today. Don't forget, Big Brother is watching you... |
I have Lee's permission to show you this fabulous photograph which I found on Facebook. Lee tells us... (via Facebook) " A large earth-bound solar flare hit Scandinavia last night illuminating the sky. Activity was extremely strong, which enabled the Aurora to be seen from anywhere in the UK providing you had clear skies. Amazingly, this is the third event this year, but I missed out on the previous two. So glad I managed to see and image them... perhaps a once in a life time chance? This image was around 11.00pm last night at Mitchell's Fold Stone Circle, Shropshire." ( 23rd April by Lee Nuttall Photography) |
14th April 2023
How typically April today - sunshine, showers, and birdsong. I had a quick look round the garden; the daffs are nearly over and the weeds have woken up. Trouble is they're performing like triffids. Four more hospital appointments have rolled in this week - two face to face and two telephone ones, making a total of six before the end of May. With that and a few weeding sessions we've no time to get bored, life's a thrill a minute. |
7th April 2023
Looks like we'll have to forego little Finley's first birthday party tomorrow - we're both still zapped by a chest infection and dreadful cough. We're also still in the middle of the roof saga. Today's the day they cut a hole in the ceiling ready for the skylight. Just what you need when you're feeling shivery. The piano is looking very feminine, it's wearing an old pink sheet to keep the dust out of it while the plasterer does his thing. |
Why is it called Good Friday?
Christians believe that, although Good Friday marks the day of Jesus' crucifixion, it can be interpreted as 'good' because it denotes a start of his resurrection. Hmmm.... there's a bit of skewed thinking there. Good? But I'll not refuse a hot cross bun. |
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: To Elaine and also Doreen's hubby, Brian, both on 31st March. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to great grandson Finley - 1 on April 1st.
WEDDING CONGRATULATIONS to Aled and Kate who get married today. We'll be joining Finley for his 1st Birthday Party next weekend - the party took a back seat as he and Freddie and the other 4 little guys are doing page boy duty at the wedding. |
29th March 2023
The BBC website tells me today is World Piano Day. The founder's key thoughts were 100% music related. The day is celebrated on the 88th day of the year, which happens to be the number of keys on the piano - thinking on a grand scale I guess. World Piano Day was founded by a group of like-minded people whose aim was to create a platform for piano-related projects to promote the development of music and to share the joy of playing the piano. FootNOTE: if they heard me play they'd quaver, or maybe stave off the celebrations before everyone becomes crotchety and begs, pianissimo please. |
I went for my bi-monthly blood test today. Unsure if I'd used the right word I looked up "bi-monthly". Google said: yes I have and no I haven't. Bi-monthly can mean twice a month OR once every two months. What's the point of a word that contradicts itself? There's bound to be an occasion when the writer means one thing and the reader interprets it differently.
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The saga of the flat roof is temporarily halted. Dave, the roofing chap turned up this morning but so did the rain. He took the opportunity to cart the discarded old roofing material to the tip so we're looking a bit tidier but in the meantime we're wrapped up in black waterproof stuff.
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27th March 2023
It's a fine March morning, I hope it finds everyone in good spirits. Blue sky and sunshine work magic on one's mood. I'm sitting here for a (virtual) chat with friends and family and I've just discovered how a goldfish feels as he views the world from his little glass bowl. As I write this, on the other side of my glass bowl, oops. I mean window, two chaps are on the flat roof ripping off the old felt ready to fit a more robust covering. I can see their smiley faces bobbing past the window as they carry on roofing. Is that what you call what they do? At some stage in the process they'll be fitting a skylight to allow more light into our gloomy dining room. |
The forecast is not good for the next few days. My little car has been turfed out of the garage so the new timbers and other stuff can be kept cosy and dry until the weather is suitably clement for further roof work. It's going to be a long week methinks as we watch the weather and wait for the job to get finished... as I said earlier, c'est la vie!
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17th March 2023
Happy St Patrick's day begorra! I don't know anything about St Patrick but I quite like leprechauns, not that I've ever met one. I was also tickled pink to find that there's a leprechaun museum in Dublin which had me thinking, wouldn't it be great if they were real. It's a Folklore Museum - sounds interesting. |
Did anyone watch the programme on Channel 4 called The Piano? It was the final this week - the girl in the centre won. All these young people have had trauma, troubles and illness in their lives. Lang Lang (top notch pianist) helped them come up to scratch to perform at the Royal Festival Hall, London.
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it was great to witness how human kindness and the joy of making music helped restore self-worth in troubled young people - thanks to Lang Lang and Mika who were so generous with their time
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I've never seen such a moving story of success over adversity. We watched the entire series but the final episode, when the young pianists performed in concert, was outstanding. Some didn't have a piano at home, or some had just a small keyboard. At the end of the concert each competitor was presented with a state-of-the-art new piano.
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Lang Lang was born in 1982. His parents are musicians and were displaced to work on rural rice farms in the country during the Cultural Revolution, before Lang was born. The Tom and Jerry episode, The Cat Concerto featuring Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 inspired two-year-old Lang to learn the piano. He began at age three. He won first place at the Shenyang Piano Competition and performed his first public recital when he was five.
Right: Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr., known professionally as Mika, is a singer-songwriter born in Beirut, Lebanon, and raised in Paris and London. |
I rang the given number and was told they couldn't deliver after all, telling me I must collect my shopping from the Amblecote store, about 14 miles away from us. My logic was If their delivery vans couldn't cope with the weather, I had little chance. I cancelled the order, fumed and ranted, decided to "make do" with the local Co-op. It's still too cold for my aches and pains so I've jumped off my high horse, buried my resentment, and placed an order for this weekend. Here's hoping it turns up.
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Today 1781, the 7th planet from the sun was discovered. It was named Uranus, after a Greek mythological figure. Other names considered were Hershel (its discoverer) and Georgium Sidus (in tribute to King George II). However, Uranus it was and, as we hear from time to time, the butt of many a joke... please pardon the pun.
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8th March 2023
I'd just got into my PJs last night and, as always, I peeped through the blind to see if the moon was lurking above. Wow! - it was a beauty. I looked it up this morning to find it was a Worm Moon, inevitably, I was compelled to get Googling. It is the first and only full moon that occurs in March. It is so named because we are nearing the end of winter and creatures such as worms start coming up from their homes for a breath of fresh air. This morning though, as I look at the falling snow, I reckon they'll soon be back under their warm worm duvets. The magnificent March moon also qualifies as a Supermoon. |
2nd March 2023
Good morning all. I'm up and running today, just pegged some washing and discovered it's a bit brisk but the sunshine is welcome. Twice this week we've had a phone call, purportedly from Open Reach, telling us our computers are running slow. As you might guess, it's a scam. Don't respond if you get a similar call. I Googled Open Reach and found a statement saying they will never call you "out of the blue". The caller told us to put a code number which he dictated, into the browser and they would be able to fix the fault. He forgot to mention that he might also empty our bank accounts should we be daft enough to do it. Two days running we had the same call. The second time we were less than polite so they just hung up. Be careful folks. |
Further to my comment of the other day, I reckon spring is definitely in the air now... we're currently plagued with pigeons perching on our fence doing what pigeons do at this time of year. Not only that, they're scattering twigs all over the place as they try to build their ramshackle nests in our holly tree. Then I think, poor pigeons, they have to put up with their own clumsiness as well as being utterly gormless. To add insult to injury they're tone deaf when it comes to singing their one note coo-coo song is bottom of the heap in the birdsong stakes. Cheer up little pigeons, we've put some birdseed out for you. Yours is on the ground so please stop squeezing into the hanging feeder that's for the little birds. Don't be greedy!
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21st February 2023
Hi everyone, the daffs have their heads above ground nearly ready to toot their yellow trumpets and we also have patches of crocus and snowdrops. The witch-hazel is in full bloom (Hamamelis Mollis). I detect there's a feeling of spring in the air and I reckon that's the most important snippet of gossip this week. Does anyone join me in being a Susie Dent fan? She's the word wizard women on TV Countdown. I keep a copy of her book "Word Perfect" on my desk - the strap line is "Etymological Entertainment For Every Day of the Year. OK so I'm nerdy... but I like it and I found today's word quite amusing so I'll share it with you. The word is snaccident.
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16th February 2023
Morning all, I'm saying "alleluia" today as it feels a tad warmer. Yesterday I was puzzled by a junk mail leaflet that found its way into our letter box - it was promoting a care home for dementia patients, telling us they provided cutlery-free meals. I just don't get it! It set me worrying in case the patients were served only sandwiches and biscuits. I could do with enlightenment on this matter. Carol is back from Rotterdam where she spent a few days with Jon and Zara. They had non-stop sunshine and took the train to explore the historic cities of Utrecht and Dordrecht, |
The new 50p coin is pretty cool. The first of the new coins showing King Charles' III head has Dumbledore on the reverse side. Love it. I've also just read that the reverse side of a coin is called 'tails' and the head side is called 'heads'. Duh!!! penny has dropped!!! - that's why we say heads or tails when we toss a coin. What sort of prize plonker am I? - put it down to old age. I assumed that numismatists and/or the Royal Mint might have coined (ha ha) a more technical and obscure word when naming the sides of a coin. As my old Dad used to say, "you could have knocked me down with a feather".
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14th February 2023 I made valentine cards for our little chaps - when I first started doing this I only had one card to make, nowadays it's 6! There's a puzzle inside - Freddie was first to solve it and untangled the letters to work out who had sent it. I wonder who was first to eat their chocolate Freddo which was attached. |
8th February 2023
Richard, (IT whizz) came today - my laptop was getting lazy and needed a bit of a sort out. As always, Richard fixed it, but he pointed out that it's ageing - he was alluding to the laptop (I hope). He reckons within the next two years it won't cope with the expanding wonders of Windows and the version I'm using (Windows 10) will be unsupported by Microsoft after 2025. Oh well, it's looking like a hefty expense in two years time, if I haven't lost the plot by then. |
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Audrey in Hampshire. |
I had a phone call yesterday from the feet clinic. They have an official title but I can't recall it at the moment. Anyway, they've put me in their system now and I'm due another foot-heaven encounter next month. I can barely believe that in the throws of one's dotage excitement and pleasure mean a trip to the feet people.
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I have a little factual story relating to today's date Feb 1st. Alexander Selkirk (1676-1721) was marooned on a desert island for four years and four months on the uninhabited Chilean island of Mas a Tierra. On Feb 1st 1709 Mr Selkirk was rescued. His story inspired English Writer, Daniel Defoe, to produce his famous novel, Robinson Crusoe, which was published 25th April 1719. Crikey, it took him ten years to write it. I guess as they didn't have laptops, spell-checkers, and probably had to slave away with a quill made from a goose feather, it's good enough excuse for requiring an elongated deadline date. I read this book years ago and enjoyed it. I wonder what happened to Man Friday who was in the story.
I see there are still paperback and Kindle editions available. I reckon, all things considered, Daniel Defoe did a pretty good job back in the day. Now I'm tempted to read it again, sometimes an old half-forgotten book is as comforting as your cosy old dressing gown and slippers. Why not chuck in a hot water bottle while we're at it? Luxury! |
26th January 2023
I've just been reading about the asteroid that's heading towards our planet. It was spotted by an amateur astronomer and is due to whizz over the southern tip of South America during the next few hours. They say it will be close to earth, i.e. 2,200 miles away. This figure, in astronomical terms, is considered to be "a close shave". Even so, it will be closer to us than the satellites which orbit. It is estimated that a small asteroid hits earth once in 100 years. |
The experts consider today's rock to be a small one. Oh well, that's a relief, and it looks like it won't be landing in our garden. I sometimes wonder about the human race and its lack of common sense. We've littered the planet and nigh on poisoned the sea, so now we've set about cluttering space with satellites and loads of other abandoned stuff we've left drifting around up there.
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Chinese New Year / Lunar New Year. Whatever you call it, 2023 is the year of the rabbit. I've a notion the Chinese are superstitious, and having found a website about their celebrations, I discovered how to be lucky and prosperous throughout the year. If you're into Feng Shui, the advice for 2023 is to wear azure blue and apple green. Good luck will come to those who wear them. I quite like the colour combination - in the interests of research and winning the lottery, I might give it a test run.
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20th January 2023
Oh dear, I'm getting older and dafter - checking the date, I note that I've been a bit of ground hog again. Apologies if you've popped in and found me missing. The way Jack Frost has been performing it looks like it might be the real Ground Hog Day before I'm properly functional again - freezing weather sees me holed up and close to the nearest heat source wearing an extra pair of knickers. |
The social calendar is pretty quiet this month, only three mini appointments: blood pressure check last week, and next week its blood test for rheumatology consultant, and then a check of this and that by the eye infirmary. Underwhelming excitement but at least it's an 'outing'. My Raynaud's is in overdrive so I've been trying to do my piano practise wearing fingerless gloves, Where there's a will there's a way despite the will wavering now and then.
We've been doing a bit of binge watching the last couple of evenings - (recommended by Jay) - available on BBC iPlayer - Mystery Road. We've enjoyed it - set in Australia in a hot dusty small town - worth a watch if you fancy something a bit different. |
Hey, you up there, get back down your hole and don't wake up until 2nd February
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Does anyone, like me, see January as a lack of motivation month? I'm eager for spring to happen but winter keeps getting in the way. I've just consulted a website called Time & Date and you'll be thrilled to learn that we have gained around 1 minute per day extra daylight since 1st Jan - we're now 11 minutes lighter so far. By the end of the month we'll see about half an hour extra daylight. Albeit barely noticeable, the year does manage to move on and I can just discern the tiny points of our daffodils peeping through - I look forward to their jolly yellow trumpets giving us a springtime silent fanfare - bit of an oxymoron that... hey ho!
We have a book recommendation: The Glass House by Eve Chase. A review on Amazon says, 'A captivating mystery: beautifully written, with a rich sense of place, a cast of memorable characters, and lots of deep, dark secrets.' It gets another thumbs up from my friends, Linda and Maggie - they're both hooked.
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Talking of books... no, I'll not be buying Prince Harry's revelations, I've no inclination to read it. Like all the so-called "tell all" type books, it's another tasteless tome that's wasted a paper mountain for the sake of washing dirty linen in public. Get over yourself Harry and quit wailing. All families suffer tragedy, squabbles, and lifechanging happenings. We plebs have to grin and bear what life deals us, nor do we bother writing it all down and expect a pay out for boring the masses and wasting paper.
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6th January 2023
It's Twelfth Night, so said some chap on the radio this morning. Now I find there's some controversy as to whether Twelfth Night is on the 5th or the 6th. For goodness sake, somebody sort it out once and for all as the world must have witnessed at least 2022 Christmases by now and still no one knows for sure when to bin the decorations. However, I slung ours out over a week ago so I don't have to work out whether to do it on the 5th or the 6th, so there! The conundrum comes about because there's dispute whether you celebrate the first day of Christmas on the 25th or the day after. Twelfth Night arrives at the Christian Epiphany causing further confusion. I resisted the task of untangling it all. Shakespeare put his oar in too with his play entitled Twelfth Night - when things overlap, boundaries become blurred. I'll not delve further into that little story, maybe next year (or maybe never). Bottom line is, chuck the tree out and put your baubles away, otherwise folklore pertaining to twelfth night decrees you'll be in for a load of bad luck if it's not done on the right day. |
1st January 2023
Here we are safely landed in 2023. Happy New Year one and all. Mutterings around the world don't speak of kindness and good will at the moment and Covid seems to be having a bit of a revival in certain hotspots. When contemplating the pic for top of the page, I thought some jolly sunflowers would help us to put on a happy face to greet 2023. These are the ones I grew last summer All the old waffle is still accessible via the menu bar but I thought a new page for the new year might encourage us to look ahead and hope for better things to come. |