Blogging, Comments (and my realisation)

Hello, it has been a little while since I updated. I have been lost in a project and whenever that happens I tend to disappear into some strange timewarp and lose track of time! So, I just took a break and read the latest post at realia that talks about blogging and her objection to the term 'lurker' for the secret readers, the ones who visit and never comment.

As I read, I had the realisation that before I started blogging myself I used to love to read other peoples blogs, and that I never even once dreamt of commenting! it was just like reading a magazine or a book, it didn't seem like a two way thing. Of course as soon as I started blogging my perspective changed and I realised how appreciated the comments are. Just shows how our views can change depending what side we are observing it from.

Do you leave comments?

If not, is your reason the same as mine was? (aha - "anyone notice my cunning plan" ;-))

By the way, all visitors to my blogs (comments or not!) you are all very welcome.

Painting: Sunrise by Susannah Bec.

Caterpillars and Green Leaves - Memories

I was 5 years old and wasn't too fond of school and was always glad when 'home time' came. I remember leaving the school gates and walking between my Mum and the tall closely clipped privet hedge that bordered the school playground and being totally amazed at the hundreds of brightly coloured caterpillars that made it their home.

Bejewelled, arched, eating machines, with soft hairs covering their wiggly bodies, I was fascinated. I'd pick up the fat caterpillars and place them on my arm, stroking their furry little backs with one finger, I giggled with glee.

As I walked along the hedgerow with my caterpillar jewellery, I would pick the small bright green privet leaves and fold them between my fingers. I loved the feeling of the 'snap' as they broke in two and I carried on with my green origami until the broken leaves could fold no more. Before the hedgerow ended I would carefully replace my caterpillars and gather leaves to snap on the journey home.

Isn't it funny that some memories are completely forgotten, locked away until they are triggered by some random thing - a picture, a sound, a smell and there it is - complete, untainted, fresh. Still existing in its little time capsule, carefully tucked away somewhere beneath the surface.

Supposed to be Shopping

Well, I was supposed to be shopping but I had my camera with me and the surface of the supermarket car park was just begging me to take photos.
I just love the colour of that powdery cobalt blue on the ground!

Yes, before you ask, people WERE staring at me and wondering what on earth I was doing! :-)

Mere colour, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways. - Oscar Wilde

Seeing Red

Today, we walked up to the village postbox and after the weeks and weeks of seeing nothing but white in our snow covered world, everywhere I looked I was struck by the colour Red!

"Normality has returned. White absorbed into the green and brown earth. Trickling water pours into deep drains. Puddles on grey pavements quietly reflecting the sky. White world, thawed." - My Name is Zing

Thought For The Day

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
- Theodore Roosevelt

Explosive Memories - (Beware of a Hot Wash)

Roll back twenty years and picture a busy young lady with a broken washing machine. So, she asks her boyfriend if while she was at work, he would mind taking her washing to a laundrette so that she wouldn't have to resort to appearing at the office in her pajamas! The next evening she was really happy to see him and her pile of newly washed and dried clothing, and she breathed a big sigh of relief.

Next day she dressed for work, donning her nice clean clothes and to add to the look she pulled on her high waisted 'control' knickers - black with lacy flowers, very effective and definitely much needed! - Excellent, off she went to work.

Then, sitting in a meeting later that morning she had the strangest sensation! all of a sudden she felt this popping, she shifted slightly in her seat and tried not to let her face show any trace of the strange thing that was happening in her knickers. It was very unnerving and started to pick up pace, she could bear it no longer and excused herself, (to the sound of much sighing and paper rustling) and hurried off to the ladies bathroom to investigate.

There to her horror, she discovered that her tight 'ladies stretch control briefs' were spouting holes like a sinking ship, and each new hole that appeared freed a perfect circle of her fat belly and bottom, protruding like little molehills popping up on a bowling green. It was a rare and unsettling sight! and it showed no sign of abating - they were popping like firecrackers, until she was more out, than in.

It transpired that ALL her washing had been done on the highest temperature the machine allowed - Luckily it was another two weeks before she found the pure new wool jumper!

(She made it a priority to buy herself a new washing machine - but, severely traumatised, it was a while before she could bring herself to buy another pair of 'high waisted ladies control briefs'! lol)

My Top 5 Highlights of 2009

A few days ago my friend Barbara over at Seeking Serenity passed my new blog a 'meme' - as she herself says in her post "I wasn't too clear as to what a meme was but think I get it" - well that goes for me too. :-) - So I looked up 'meme' and came across Wikipedia's description - The term Internet meme is a phrase used to describe a catchphrase or concept that spreads quickly from person to person via the internet. Right, thanks wikipedia - I got it now!

So here is my part in the High 5 Meme and in no particular order here are . . .

My Top 5 Highlights of 2009.

EXPLORING - Well early last year, a project that my lovely man had been working on came to fruition, and after a lot of work, a tired old minibus was transformed into a lovely motorhome. We had loads of great days out throughout the summer and the cats came on some of the trips too! For those of you that haven't visited before we documented our days out in a blog called Journeys Close to Home. That really was a highlight of the year, it was great to explore in such comfort - I can't wait for Spring, so we can begin again!

BLOGGING - Although I had websites in the past, it was only at the beginning of last year that I began blogging. I loved it! To write regularly is a great way to keep in touch with yourself. I also find that as my other blogs are pretty subject specific it stretches me to be more creative in my writing. If for instance I see my poetry blog hasn't been updated for a while - I write something! it brings my attention to these things and makes me more productive, it makes writing easier, more natural.

WRITING - I used to write a long while ago but it faded into the background when I began to use images as a creative channel - painting and making things took over! Then I discovered making images digitally and I was hooked and rarely wrote anything! There were always those odd times when I would be going about my business and I would hear a line repeating in my head and I would quickly grab a pen and start to write - these poems came unbidden and were almost involuntary - I just had to write them down. My love affair with paint began to wane and though I mourned it and for a while did nothing creative. Eventually I started writing again! I am so glad I did - long may it continue.

FRIENDS - One great and unexpected bonus of blogging and using twitter is all the great people I have met. Really nice people from all over the world, some who have become good friends. I love the way that the internet destroys the barriers of distance and space. Just people connecting and communicating with others around the globe, from the comfort of their own homes. Now I think that is excellent!

FOCUSING - Another great thing that this last year has done, although probably only really appreciated in hindsight, is helped with focusing, with finding out what had energy for me. When the year started I bought forward all the things I used to do. By the end of the year I found that lots of things no longer had any energy for me, so I let them drop. I have so much more clarity now about what is important to me.

So that's it, my highlights of 2009. I am now supposed to pass this meme on to 5 others but as this blog is pretty new I doubt I will manage that many! So I shall suggest a few people to take up the baton if they would like to - no pressure but we would love to hear your 5 highlights.

Tamara over at Semicolonsmile - Though I really don't think that her Christmas pet sitting job will be one of her highlights! :-)

Jen Morrison at Realia - I would enjoy reading her 5 highlights as she shares her stories so well.

and finally Shelagh - I know you don't have a blog of your own but I do know that you read this one! So how about sharing your 5 highlights in the comment section - what do you reckon? I hope you will. :-)

If anyone else reading would like to play along, please leave your top 5 in the comments. I would love to hear them.

Photo: Sammy and Bina sitting in the cab enjoying the sunset.

Summer Memories for a Winter Day

I remember when I took this photo, I was absolutely awestruck at the sheer beauty of these peonies!

So today, after seeing nothing but white out of the window! and with there being no signs of the snow thawing - I was craving colour and found this picture and decided to post it here.

How are you faring? What is the weather like where you are?

Snow, Hungry Birds and Sorting Out the Cupboards

It was SO cold today and the already 6 inch deep snow just kept on falling.

The last of the wild bird seed had gone out this morning and was quickly polished off by the small birds on both bird feeders. The doves came down looking for food and I started to worry about not having anything else to put out for tomorrow.

So I took myself off into the kitchen and started emptying the cupboards! It is amazing what was in the back, hidden behind all the things that are regularly used. Finding leftover bits of pasta in almost empty packets and lots of other things languishing there, I managed to whip up this culinary delight, seen here cooling on two plates.

Lets just hope the birds appreciate my ingenuity tomorrow when I stock up the bird table! :-)