Hallowe'en
Bring a candle!
Bring a light -
it must be Hallowe'en
tonight!
I saw a pixie
small and fine
dancing
on the washing line...
I saw a witch
go riding high
on her broomstick
through the sky...
I saw a giant
ten feet wide
with half a dozen
ships inside...
I saw a fairy
like a dream
top the milk
and sip the cream...
I saw a goblin
plump and brown
turn the church clock
upside down!
Come as quickly
as you can -
I saw the back
of a bogy man!
By Jean Kenward, taken from My Very First Poetry Book
Friday, 31 October 2014
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Words of the Week: Week 5
20/10/14 to 26/10/14
Monday: deictic - Relating to or denoting a word or expression whose meaning is dependent on the context in which it is used (such as here, you, me, that one there, or next Tuesday)
Tuesday: bimble - (British informal) Walk or travel at a leisurely pace: e.g. 'on Sunday we bimbled around Spitalfields and Brick Lane'
Wednesday: retroflex - Turned backwards: e.g. 'a retroflexed endoscope'
Thursday: rebuff - Reject (someone or something) in an abrupt or ungracious manner: e.g. 'I asked her to be my wife, and was rebuffed in no uncertain terms'
Friday: oleaginous - Rich in, covered with, or producing oil; oily: e.g. 'fabrics would quickly become filthy in this oleaginous kingdom'
Saturday: demoralise - Cause (someone) to lose confidence or hope: e.g. 'the General Strike had demoralized the trade unions'
Sunday: hominoid - A primate of a group that includes humans, their fossil ancestors, and the great apes
Words and definitions from Oxford Dictionaries Online's Word of the Day.
Monday: deictic - Relating to or denoting a word or expression whose meaning is dependent on the context in which it is used (such as here, you, me, that one there, or next Tuesday)
Tuesday: bimble - (British informal) Walk or travel at a leisurely pace: e.g. 'on Sunday we bimbled around Spitalfields and Brick Lane'
Wednesday: retroflex - Turned backwards: e.g. 'a retroflexed endoscope'
Thursday: rebuff - Reject (someone or something) in an abrupt or ungracious manner: e.g. 'I asked her to be my wife, and was rebuffed in no uncertain terms'
Friday: oleaginous - Rich in, covered with, or producing oil; oily: e.g. 'fabrics would quickly become filthy in this oleaginous kingdom'
Saturday: demoralise - Cause (someone) to lose confidence or hope: e.g. 'the General Strike had demoralized the trade unions'
Sunday: hominoid - A primate of a group that includes humans, their fossil ancestors, and the great apes
Words and definitions from Oxford Dictionaries Online's Word of the Day.
Friday, 24 October 2014
Conkers
I love conkers!
I'm not sure why but I've always found finding conkers exciting, and there's something very satisfying about opening the spiky green case and finding the lovely shiny conker inside. I think conker colours are gorgeous. This year I only found one, but then my dad turned up with loads!
- I've heard a lot the last couple of years that conkers are meant to repel spiders - given my great fear of spiders this makes me love conkers even more! I don't think there's any proper scientific evidence though.
- There is such a thing as a World Conker Championship! It started in 1965 in the village of Ashton near Oundle in Northamptonshire in England. It's held on the second Sunday of October each year - I don't know about you but this is going in my diary, I need to go to this!
The men's champion is crowned King Conker, and the women's champion is Queen Conker. Here are this year's winners (note the conkers on their crowns!):
In case anyone doesn't know about the game of conkers, it's played by two people, each with a conker threaded onto a piece of string. They take turns, with one player letting their conker dangle on the string, and the other player swinging their conker to hit it. Points are gained by the conker breaking the other conker.
Maybe get some practice in and enter next year's World Championship?!
I'm not sure why but I've always found finding conkers exciting, and there's something very satisfying about opening the spiky green case and finding the lovely shiny conker inside. I think conker colours are gorgeous. This year I only found one, but then my dad turned up with loads!
Some conker trivia:
- In the UK there was a campaign asking everyone to collect conkers during the first and second world wars and donate them to the government. They were a source of starch to produce acetone, which was used in military armament factories.
- There is such a thing as a World Conker Championship! It started in 1965 in the village of Ashton near Oundle in Northamptonshire in England. It's held on the second Sunday of October each year - I don't know about you but this is going in my diary, I need to go to this!
The men's champion is crowned King Conker, and the women's champion is Queen Conker. Here are this year's winners (note the conkers on their crowns!):
|
In case anyone doesn't know about the game of conkers, it's played by two people, each with a conker threaded onto a piece of string. They take turns, with one player letting their conker dangle on the string, and the other player swinging their conker to hit it. Points are gained by the conker breaking the other conker.
Maybe get some practice in and enter next year's World Championship?!
Wednesday, 22 October 2014
Fairies in Autumn
You perch upon the leaves where the trees are very high,
And you all shout together as the wind goes by;
The merry mad wind sets the leaves all afloat,
And off you go a-sailing in an airy wee boat.
Your fly to the edges of the grim grey cloud,
And you all start a-dancing and a-singing very loud;
The cloud melts away in a shower of peevish rain
And you slide down from heaven on a slim silver chain.
From The Rose Fyleman Fairy Book
Tuesday, 21 October 2014
Words of the Week: Week 4
13/10/14 to 19/10/14
Monday: apologia - A formal written defence of one’s opinions or conduct: e.g. 'an apologia for book-banning'
Tuesday: doublethink - The acceptance of contrary opinions or beliefs at the same time, especially as a result of political indoctrination
Wednesday: nickelodeon - (North American) A jukebox, originally one operated by the insertion of a nickel coin
Thursday: indwell - Be permanently present in someone’s soul or mind; possess spiritually: e.g. 'the Holy Spirit indwells God’s people'; (as adjective indwelling) 'the indwelling God'
Friday: braggart - A person who boasts about their achievements or possessions
Saturday: contretemps - A minor dispute or disagreement: e.g. 'she had occasional contretemps with her staff'
Sunday: vinaceous - Of the colour of red wine
Words and definitions from Oxford Dictionaries Online's Word of the Day.
Monday: apologia - A formal written defence of one’s opinions or conduct: e.g. 'an apologia for book-banning'
Tuesday: doublethink - The acceptance of contrary opinions or beliefs at the same time, especially as a result of political indoctrination
Wednesday: nickelodeon - (North American) A jukebox, originally one operated by the insertion of a nickel coin
Thursday: indwell - Be permanently present in someone’s soul or mind; possess spiritually: e.g. 'the Holy Spirit indwells God’s people'; (as adjective indwelling) 'the indwelling God'
Friday: braggart - A person who boasts about their achievements or possessions
Saturday: contretemps - A minor dispute or disagreement: e.g. 'she had occasional contretemps with her staff'
Sunday: vinaceous - Of the colour of red wine
Words and definitions from Oxford Dictionaries Online's Word of the Day.
Sunday, 19 October 2014
The Rose Fyleman Fairy Book
I came across this battered old book in a local charity shop, and it is utterly charming!
It's full of poems and beautiful colour plates.
And the dedication is very special!
Wednesday, 15 October 2014
Pesky Pockets
Does anyone else have a problem with pockets?!
You try on a dress, you love it, BUT - it has pockets. The inset type of pockets that sit fine now, but once it's been through the wash will go all bunchy and annoying, and give you odd looking lumps on your hips. It's a pet peeve.
Admittedly, maybe the real problem here is that I don't iron things. Maybe ironing is the secret?! But dammit I'm not starting now!
My current solution is whip-stitching the pockets closed, then cutting them off and dabbing fray stopper on the raw edges. There's probably a better and more proper way, but it's easy and it works.
Pesky pockets, be gone!
Sunday, 12 October 2014
Words of the Week: Week 3
6/10/14 to 12/10/14
Monday: entelechy - The realization of potential
Tuesday: trite - (Of a remark or idea) lacking originality or freshness; dull on account of overuse: e.g. ‘this point may now seem obvious and trite’
Wednesday: tapster - A person who draws and serves alcoholic drinks at a bar
Thursday: sfumato - (Art) The technique of allowing tones and colours to shade gradually into one another, producing softened outlines or hazy forms
Friday: contronym - A word with two opposite meanings: e.g. sanction (which can mean both ‘a penalty for disobeying a law’ and ‘official permission or approval for an action’)
Saturday: arrogate - Take or claim (something) without justification: e.g. ‘they arrogate to themselves the ability to divine the nation’s true interests’; ‘In this, the government with a good majority is actually arrogating the powers of Parliament'
Sunday: crotchety - Irritable: e.g. ‘he was tired and crotchety’
Words and definitions from Oxford Dictionaries Online's Word of the Day.
Monday: entelechy - The realization of potential
Tuesday: trite - (Of a remark or idea) lacking originality or freshness; dull on account of overuse: e.g. ‘this point may now seem obvious and trite’
Wednesday: tapster - A person who draws and serves alcoholic drinks at a bar
Thursday: sfumato - (Art) The technique of allowing tones and colours to shade gradually into one another, producing softened outlines or hazy forms
Friday: contronym - A word with two opposite meanings: e.g. sanction (which can mean both ‘a penalty for disobeying a law’ and ‘official permission or approval for an action’)
Saturday: arrogate - Take or claim (something) without justification: e.g. ‘they arrogate to themselves the ability to divine the nation’s true interests’; ‘In this, the government with a good majority is actually arrogating the powers of Parliament'
Sunday: crotchety - Irritable: e.g. ‘he was tired and crotchety’
Words and definitions from Oxford Dictionaries Online's Word of the Day.
Why start a blog?
Starting a blog is an idea that's been floating around in the back of my mind for ages. Finally a couple of months ago I started googling blogging, you know the kind of thing - 'how to start a blog', 'blogging tips', 'why start a blog'...
It was that last search that turned up an article on Becoming Minimalist called 15 Reasons I Think You Should Blog, and it really struck a chord. Of the 15 reasons given, 5 in particular stood out for me personally:
I was convinced! It was the little nudge I needed. I decided to give it a go, and so here I am!
It was that last search that turned up an article on Becoming Minimalist called 15 Reasons I Think You Should Blog, and it really struck a chord. Of the 15 reasons given, 5 in particular stood out for me personally:
- You'll become a better thinker
- You'll live a more intentional life
- You'll develop an eye for meaningful things
- You'll become more comfortable being known
- You'll become more confident
I was convinced! It was the little nudge I needed. I decided to give it a go, and so here I am!
Sunday, 5 October 2014
Words of the Week: Week 2
29/9/14 to 5/10/14
Monday: bamboozle - Cheat or fool: e.g. ‘Documents rarely set out to trick historians, but they can bamboozle the unwary at every turn’
Tuesday: bouffant - (Of a person’s hair) styled so as to stand out from the head in a rounded shape: e.g. 'a blonde lady with bouffant hair'
Wednesday: flagitious - (Of a person or their actions) criminal; villainous: e.g. ‘Such a flagitious attempt could only be made under some general pretence by a state legislature’
Thursday: jaunty - Having or expressing a lively, cheerful, and self-confident manner: e.g. 'there was no mistaking that jaunty walk'
Friday: obstreperous - Noisy and difficult to control: e.g. 'the boy is cocky and obstreperous'
Saturday: peripeteia - A sudden reversal of fortune or change in circumstances, especially in reference to fictional narrative: e.g. '1936 is the peripeteia, the point where the action turned'
Sunday: hippogriff - A mythical creature with the body of a horse and the wings and head of an eagle, born of the union of a male griffin and a filly
Words and definitions from Oxford Dictionaries Online's Word of the Day.
Monday: bamboozle - Cheat or fool: e.g. ‘Documents rarely set out to trick historians, but they can bamboozle the unwary at every turn’
Tuesday: bouffant - (Of a person’s hair) styled so as to stand out from the head in a rounded shape: e.g. 'a blonde lady with bouffant hair'
Wednesday: flagitious - (Of a person or their actions) criminal; villainous: e.g. ‘Such a flagitious attempt could only be made under some general pretence by a state legislature’
Thursday: jaunty - Having or expressing a lively, cheerful, and self-confident manner: e.g. 'there was no mistaking that jaunty walk'
Friday: obstreperous - Noisy and difficult to control: e.g. 'the boy is cocky and obstreperous'
Saturday: peripeteia - A sudden reversal of fortune or change in circumstances, especially in reference to fictional narrative: e.g. '1936 is the peripeteia, the point where the action turned'
Sunday: hippogriff - A mythical creature with the body of a horse and the wings and head of an eagle, born of the union of a male griffin and a filly
Words and definitions from Oxford Dictionaries Online's Word of the Day.
Drying lemon verbena leaves
Earlier this year I got hold of a lemon verbena plant. It smells beautiful, and helps satisfy my love of herbal tea - just pluck some of the leaves and pop them in boiling water, it tastes gorgeous!
It's starting to lose it's leaves now, which is normal for this time of year. Come Spring it should start blooming again.
To stretch out my little home grown supply, I've been harvesting and drying the leaves. They dry out SO easily - I just lay them out on some kitchen roll for a couple of days and that's all that's needed.
A pot of tea with these will inject a little lemony sunshine into a grey Autumn/Winter day!
It's starting to lose it's leaves now, which is normal for this time of year. Come Spring it should start blooming again.
To stretch out my little home grown supply, I've been harvesting and drying the leaves. They dry out SO easily - I just lay them out on some kitchen roll for a couple of days and that's all that's needed.
A pot of tea with these will inject a little lemony sunshine into a grey Autumn/Winter day!
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