26th May 2017
A story using the word master
"Come on little man, you're doing so well , you'll master it it no time", Kevin beamed at his four year old grandson, legs and arms splashing about as he was holding him just on top of the waves.
He taught all twelve grandchildren to swim in exactly the same way , as well as his own five children, and they all loved the sea because of it.
A lot of them were there today , some with him in the water and others sitting with their grandma on the beach, or playing a ball game on the sand.
Kevin looked over at Julie, his wife of nearly forty years, catching her eye for a brief moment the sadness they were both trying to keep hidden, at least for the moment, was visible on both their faces.
"Dad," his daughter called from the little group sitting a few feet away from the water, "We're going to have the picnic now, so can you bring Noah out please so he can get dry?"
Kevin picked Noah up with ease and threw him in the air and walked back with him to his mum wondering how on earth He and Julie were going to tell the family
Also ...
I would like to master Spanish so that when we go to Spain with our camper next month I'll be able to converse with the natives. I know, I know, I've left it a bit late, but I'm always a last minute pony and usually come up with something.
However, I think this is going to be a difficult one, especially as I have very little time to spend on said learning, what with getting everything ready to go.
But my theory is that when we're there, surely it will be easier, hearing the language all around me, to pick it up and I will have to try because we'll be in some remote places where my tiny bit of Spanish will be the only way to communicate; not for us the popular places for tourists where all the staff speak English.
We want to go down country lanes and talk to the local people in the small villages. So, I'd better go and find my phrase book now .
Friday, May 26, 2017
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Thre e Years On
24th May 2017
Three Years On
Three Years On
Today there was a "memory" waiting for me on facebook of the start of my blog . It told me that three years ago today I began my blog. It feels like so much longer !
Anyway, I lost it and couldn't retrieve it but it got me thinking. I clearly din't know how it was going to go - and I still don't, obviously .
But I do have a lot of writing on the blog and over 30,000 visits , so it must be relatively successful.
I enjoy posting and will continue because it has been a wonderful tool to get me writing . Short stories, poetry and ramblings of various sorts.
There have been great comments from a host of lovely people who sometimes say encouraging things about what I write , which is wonderful.
I've had a few spin offs , one of them when I was to review an authors work, someone who is already well known . That gave me a bit of a boost. And getting involved in the napowrimo month which I love.
I get to read and comment on other poet's work and mine is also read by them.
So, from that shaky beginning I have not looked back.
I hope to improve how I work and to reach many more people.
Stay with me
Give me ideas
And share you writing too
Below is that first , uncertain post . The day I set out on my blogging adventure with just a laptop and no idea what to do with it.
24th May 2014
Ok, so here goes. Let's see how I get on with a blog. No idea what I'm doing but I trust that it will work.
And I hope, if anybody ( yes you) does come to read it, that they will enjoy it and enter into conversation with me. And maybe we can do some "putting the world to rights" or something.
Just heard on the news that they found the upturned boat that the four British sailors were on with the life raft still attached, which means that they are dead. Very sad news indeed. My heart goes out to the families whose hope has now been dashed.
But stars only shine in the darkness and I believe that even from this painful situation good will emerge.
I did shiver when I thought of them drowning, though. That would be my least favourite way to die, I have to say.
So, what will I write on this blog?
I think I shall answer all sorts of dilemmas. The sort that they have in the women's magazines. And if you have a different opinion then by all means let me know. It could make for an interesting chat. It would be like you were in my kitchen joining in the debate. For today I just want to see if I can get started.
So God Bless.
Talk again soon.
Anyway, I lost it and couldn't retrieve it but it got me thinking. I clearly din't know how it was going to go - and I still don't, obviously .
But I do have a lot of writing on the blog and over 30,000 visits , so it must be relatively successful.
I enjoy posting and will continue because it has been a wonderful tool to get me writing . Short stories, poetry and ramblings of various sorts.
There have been great comments from a host of lovely people who sometimes say encouraging things about what I write , which is wonderful.
I've had a few spin offs , one of them when I was to review an authors work, someone who is already well known . That gave me a bit of a boost. And getting involved in the napowrimo month which I love.
I get to read and comment on other poet's work and mine is also read by them.
So, from that shaky beginning I have not looked back.
I hope to improve how I work and to reach many more people.
Stay with me
Give me ideas
And share you writing too
Below is that first , uncertain post . The day I set out on my blogging adventure with just a laptop and no idea what to do with it.
24th May 2014
Ok, so here goes. Let's see how I get on with a blog. No idea what I'm doing but I trust that it will work.
And I hope, if anybody ( yes you) does come to read it, that they will enjoy it and enter into conversation with me. And maybe we can do some "putting the world to rights" or something.
Just heard on the news that they found the upturned boat that the four British sailors were on with the life raft still attached, which means that they are dead. Very sad news indeed. My heart goes out to the families whose hope has now been dashed.
But stars only shine in the darkness and I believe that even from this painful situation good will emerge.
I did shiver when I thought of them drowning, though. That would be my least favourite way to die, I have to say.
So, what will I write on this blog?
I think I shall answer all sorts of dilemmas. The sort that they have in the women's magazines. And if you have a different opinion then by all means let me know. It could make for an interesting chat. It would be like you were in my kitchen joining in the debate. For today I just want to see if I can get started.
So God Bless.
Talk again soon.
Monday, May 22, 2017
Found
22nd May 2017
The birds are making a racket but I love it and am thankful. I don't think I can get to TTOT today ( Ten Things Of Thankfulness)
One more though - I did do a book review for a magazine this morning and sent it off.
That'll do for now.
A little story from the prompt "found".
Found...
Sally rolled out of bed,
stretched, took her pink dressing gown from behind the door and slowly put it
on taking time to tie a neat bow at the front.
She loved its softness against her skin and hugged herself as she went
to open the curtains. The bright sunlight
that entered the bedroom, showed up dust and untidiness, which she hated, so she
set about making the bed and clearing the clothes from the floor, taking extra
care with her husband’s things, folding everything neatly and putting them in
his drawers.
She arranged the items on
his bedside table as she liked them: the
lamp with movable head so he could read in bed, the photo of him with a lump of
rock - apparently a particularly important find. She spat on it, then polished it with her
sleeve and placed it back with delicate precision. Lastly she picked up the book he’d been
reading for over a week now, “Reading The Rocks” by Marcia Bjormerud, a present
from her the previous Christmas.
Instead of putting it back
she took it with her downstairs to the kitchen, where, after filling the
kettle, she sat and opened it. On the
inside of the cover she had written-
To my dear husband with much love.
Hope this gives you many rocky moments
to remember.
Happy
Christmas,
Sal
Rocky moments - she
thought he would find that amusing, but, as with most things, he wasn’t moved
at all. Apart from seeing him reading the book avidly night after night she
would never have known if he appreciated it or not.
She flicked through a few
pages aimlessly, then threw it down on the table and went to make herself a cup
of coffee, switching on the radio as she went by.
And
now the news where you are. – she pours water into the mug - Early
this morning the body of a man was found
in the River Colne, three miles north of
Watford. – she puts sugar in, one,
two, three, stirs, takes her cup and sits at the table - The
police haven’t released his name but say they are asking for witnesses and
think it may be suicide. There have been two other deaths in the past year in
this stretch of the river, both of which turned out to be suicides.
Sally sips her coffee.
Friday, May 19, 2017
Bees
19th May 2017
I was enjoying watching the bees this morning. So...
Bees
Eight little bees around a rhododendron bush
Buzzing away, collecting nectar
So they can pollinate our food for us
Eighty percent of the food we eat is pollinated
By the bees
So, let's protect them and help them along
heir work is immensely worthwhile
Without them
Where would we be
Could you invest in some plants
To encourage them to breed
Could you please
Photo courtesy of "publicdomain.com"
Here's a poem I found :
I was enjoying watching the bees this morning. So...
Bees
Eight little bees around a rhododendron bush
Buzzing away, collecting nectar
So they can pollinate our food for us
Eighty percent of the food we eat is pollinatedBy the bees
So, let's protect them and help them along
heir work is immensely worthwhile
Without them
Where would we be
Could you invest in some plants
To encourage them to breed
Could you please
Photo courtesy of "publicdomain.com"
Here's a poem I found :
The Hive
The colony grew in my body all that summer.
The gaps between my bones filled
with honeycomb and my chest
vibrated and hummed. I knew
the brood was healthy, because
the pheromones sang through the hive
and the queen laid a good
two thousand eggs a day.
I smelled of bee bread and royal jelly,
my nails shone with propolis.
I spent my days freeing bees from my hair,
and planting clover and bee sage and
woundwort and teasel and borage.
I was a queendom unto myself.
The gaps between my bones filled
with honeycomb and my chest
vibrated and hummed. I knew
the brood was healthy, because
the pheromones sang through the hive
and the queen laid a good
two thousand eggs a day.
I smelled of bee bread and royal jelly,
my nails shone with propolis.
I spent my days freeing bees from my hair,
and planting clover and bee sage and
woundwort and teasel and borage.
I was a queendom unto myself.
Thursday, May 18, 2017
Cue
18th May 2017
The word this week for the six sentence story challenge is "cue". Where do I go with that.
Getting Up
Every day lately seemed to be a struggle and this morning she woke with an empty feeling deep within and was not looking forward to what the echoes of all her yesterdays would bring.
She could hear cups clattering and the fridge door opening in the kitchen which meant her husband was making their morning tea and forcing herself to get out of bed she reached for her pink dressing gown.
Not being up for much conversation, she took her laptop, started it up and hid in the anonymity of the words in her emails, hoping to find something to make everything worthwhile.
And that's when she spotted the , email from "Recording Life Under the Radar", with its cue for today, which, she just realised, must be Thursday and with that thought the daze was cleared, and she prepared to busy herself with words, thinking , this day will be good after all.
When she'd finished she got out her journal and started making plans, plans to find more time to write as this was the only way she could save herself.
The word this week for the six sentence story challenge is "cue". Where do I go with that.
Getting Up
Every day lately seemed to be a struggle and this morning she woke with an empty feeling deep within and was not looking forward to what the echoes of all her yesterdays would bring.
She could hear cups clattering and the fridge door opening in the kitchen which meant her husband was making their morning tea and forcing herself to get out of bed she reached for her pink dressing gown.
Not being up for much conversation, she took her laptop, started it up and hid in the anonymity of the words in her emails, hoping to find something to make everything worthwhile.
And that's when she spotted the , email from "Recording Life Under the Radar", with its cue for today, which, she just realised, must be Thursday and with that thought the daze was cleared, and she prepared to busy herself with words, thinking , this day will be good after all.
When she'd finished she got out her journal and started making plans, plans to find more time to write as this was the only way she could save herself.
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Scattered
17th May 2018
My daughter and grandaughter are in Rome today.
Scattered
In our scattered lives,
with innumerable calls on our resources,
with so many scattered thoughts
in our weary minds,
with even the people we love being
more scattered than we'd like,
there is God,
who just is
who changes us,
and stays, with us
in a restful presence.
Rome
Today's date, is always a reminder to me of this day in 1992 when my husband and I went to Rome for a few days for the Beatification of, the now, St Josemaria.
With a baby of three weeks in tow and after having had a cesarean section, it never occurred to me to question whether I should go or not. But, he was baby number eight and I had learnt what items are vitally important how little was needed to travel with a tiny baby. However, I hadn't factored in my needs after the surgery, so we didn't run around Rome like we might otherwise have done. Now, after all these years, I am still waiting to make it back as a tourist rather than a pilgrim.
On the day of the celebration St Peter's Square was sweltering and to cool us down and stop people getting sun stroke they had organised water sprinklers, which cooled us down but almost instantly the sun dried us.
A good job I brought a wide brimmed hat, I thought, as I snuggled the baby to feed under it's shade. He was amazingly content the whole time, making things much easier for his parents than they might have been. We were with friends too who were happy to take him for a walk in his buggy for short periods, which again was much appreciated.
+
The huge crowd of people that assembled were just a small number of the many who had been touched by the life of this one man. He is the founder of the Opus Dei Prelature which has members and friends all over the world since it's beginnings in 1928. So those that were there were representing a whole multitude of others who would have liked to be there but couldn't. We felt privileged that we were able to make it.
There was a special family atmosphere in the square that day. It was a day of many blessings that are still being lived out in the lives of those who were there.
China
Today I am also thinking of the trip to China that I went on with my mum and my two sisters. Can that really be more than ten years ago in 2007. I wouldn't have said it was that long ago, but thankfully I have proof in a little notebook I wrote at the time.
There are so many things that happened . I can see my mother now climbing walking along the Great Wall. She was in her mid seventies but nothing was going to stop her. Always up for an adventure.
I think I'll come back to this again . Would you like to hear more?
Bye for now
My daughter and grandaughter are in Rome today.
Scattered
In our scattered lives,
with innumerable calls on our resources,
with so many scattered thoughts
in our weary minds,
with even the people we love being
more scattered than we'd like,
there is God,
who just is
who changes us,
and stays, with us
in a restful presence.
Rome
Today's date, is always a reminder to me of this day in 1992 when my husband and I went to Rome for a few days for the Beatification of, the now, St Josemaria.
With a baby of three weeks in tow and after having had a cesarean section, it never occurred to me to question whether I should go or not. But, he was baby number eight and I had learnt what items are vitally important how little was needed to travel with a tiny baby. However, I hadn't factored in my needs after the surgery, so we didn't run around Rome like we might otherwise have done. Now, after all these years, I am still waiting to make it back as a tourist rather than a pilgrim.
On the day of the celebration St Peter's Square was sweltering and to cool us down and stop people getting sun stroke they had organised water sprinklers, which cooled us down but almost instantly the sun dried us.
A good job I brought a wide brimmed hat, I thought, as I snuggled the baby to feed under it's shade. He was amazingly content the whole time, making things much easier for his parents than they might have been. We were with friends too who were happy to take him for a walk in his buggy for short periods, which again was much appreciated.
+
The huge crowd of people that assembled were just a small number of the many who had been touched by the life of this one man. He is the founder of the Opus Dei Prelature which has members and friends all over the world since it's beginnings in 1928. So those that were there were representing a whole multitude of others who would have liked to be there but couldn't. We felt privileged that we were able to make it.There was a special family atmosphere in the square that day. It was a day of many blessings that are still being lived out in the lives of those who were there.
China
Today I am also thinking of the trip to China that I went on with my mum and my two sisters. Can that really be more than ten years ago in 2007. I wouldn't have said it was that long ago, but thankfully I have proof in a little notebook I wrote at the time.
There are so many things that happened . I can see my mother now climbing walking along the Great Wall. She was in her mid seventies but nothing was going to stop her. Always up for an adventure.
I think I'll come back to this again . Would you like to hear more?
Bye for now
Friday, May 12, 2017
Wedding Day.
10th May
I have been away from my computer for nearly a week due to my husband and I attending the wedding of my grandaughter to her beloved . It was so beautiful, from the nuptial mass to the dress that she made herself, to the horse and carriage that was a surprise from her new husband .
And then, of course it's one of those rare times when all my family come together. So that was an added bonus.
Marriage - The Start
As they walked out of the sacristy after signing the register, she gave her long dress a little shake to the side to make it fall properly so she could walk.
They processed down the aisle of the church, smiling at family and friends, followed by parents and bridesmaids all linking arms with their opposites and all looking joyful.
They were now husband and wife, tied to each other in the wonderful bond of marriage, the future unknown but the adventure of it welcome by both.
What a day it was with all the photos, the sit down dinner, the speeches, the dancing, the many conversations and then it was over.
We know it won't be easy and this is just the beginning, but we wish them well and also we know that they are both used to hard work and waiting for things, so as long as they keep praying and loving all will be well.
It was such a special experience for us grandparents who could just go and enjoy the celebration without being responsible for it in any way as we have been for our own children.
I have been away from my computer for nearly a week due to my husband and I attending the wedding of my grandaughter to her beloved . It was so beautiful, from the nuptial mass to the dress that she made herself, to the horse and carriage that was a surprise from her new husband .
And then, of course it's one of those rare times when all my family come together. So that was an added bonus.
Marriage - The Start
As they walked out of the sacristy after signing the register, she gave her long dress a little shake to the side to make it fall properly so she could walk.
They processed down the aisle of the church, smiling at family and friends, followed by parents and bridesmaids all linking arms with their opposites and all looking joyful.
They were now husband and wife, tied to each other in the wonderful bond of marriage, the future unknown but the adventure of it welcome by both.
What a day it was with all the photos, the sit down dinner, the speeches, the dancing, the many conversations and then it was over.
We know it won't be easy and this is just the beginning, but we wish them well and also we know that they are both used to hard work and waiting for things, so as long as they keep praying and loving all will be well.
It was such a special experience for us grandparents who could just go and enjoy the celebration without being responsible for it in any way as we have been for our own children.
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