Hallowe'en, by Jean Kenward

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

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.

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!

 

 

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.

 

- 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!):

Men’s Champion John Doyle from Leamington Spa Ladies' Champion Stephanie Withall from Towcester

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?!

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

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.

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!

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!