at long last

MJM got together for coffee, laughter and to 'put the world to rights'...


The charity has benefited from some unwanted Christmas presents which added another £300 to the funds. 
One is a tea/breakfast collection from us which is to be raffled next month. Am still puzzling why we received it as our friends know we only keep tea for visitors; neither of us would drink it by choice.
M is busy knitting chicks and the other M is tasked with adding their beaks. M's friend in Orkney posted a parcel to her; and as both Ms were out it was left with us. Turns out is contained creme eggs, hundreds of them as fillers for the knitted chicks.


I really ought to pick up my knitting again soon...


Have been browsing the Lowry theatre website looking for musicals. Starlight Express returns in June; hope I can convince my theatre-going friend to see it again.

Eventful...

My school friends and I are of a 'certain generation' and this year sees another milestone in our lives.
God-daughter is excellent at planning and organising. Knowing of the approaching milestone, she began planning last July and it all came to fruition on January 20th.

Her Dad is well-accustomed to public speaking and being Master of Ceremonies.

Between them they convinced my friend that she was being taken to Scotland to celebrate her birthday.

Standing on the left of this photo is my friend and focus of the celebrations.

H grandmother to my god-daughter who greeted me with 'You must join the family table'.

In any gathering there has to be one with the mulligrubs. 

Too old to be with the younger children, but, not old enough to party with the older teens.

Time it was...

I have a photograph from twenty years ago...

Grey showing in his beard has become white and so has his hair. I gave up perming my hair when I retired 10 years ago.
Wishing Happy Birthday to my bff who has her birthday on Monday...

This

was going to be yet another forray into sadness, bitter-sweet times past. Then I ventured into Facebook to find one of my OU and click of the mouse friends had put up some photos.
Thanks to Susan England for giving me permission to borrow from her set of photos. 


A long, long time ago before colour photography became commonplace, let alone the marvels of digital imagery, I visited Coventry cathedral as part of a youth group. I remember the awe in the truest sense of the word when I first set eyes upon the tapestry.

Graham Sutherland tapestry

The city of Coventry was blitzed in WWII. Amongst the devastation was the ancient cathedral. As with other blitzed cities a decision was made to incorporate the old with the new. 

This year marks the cathedral's Golden Jubilee.

January

Two-faced Janus
Harbinger of sorrows
Memories of departed friends and family.


Why must you haunt the year's beginnings?


Birthday month riddled with deaths.
One by one the days arrive,
Each with a death tag...


Birthday month for self and friends.
Why must death drown out all celebrations?


'Come, celebrate with us!'
Celebration?
Not for this traveller; locked in an enduring embrace with her ghosts.


@2012

Wordless Wednesday

One of my friends with grandson #2

Little Sweetie another friend's daughter

With her mother and brother.

Looking back...

In the news today I came across a couple of health stories

• Whooping cough cases increase
• Rickets

I had whooping cough when I was young, but no idea at what age. Must have been pre-school and what a nasty illness it was. Lying in bed, under a sheet, blankets and eiderdown. Finding it difficult to breathe, no recollection of seeing the doctor, but house visits were no problem for doctors then. So, I must have been very young and no doubt was visited by the doctor. 

• "Cases increased from 421 in 2010 to 1,040 in 2011,"

This is not the place to go into details of the illness itself; suffice it to say that it was most unpleasant.
A comfortable memory of that time was when I was well enough to get out of bed. Sitting in the bedroom chair wrapped in the eiderdown in front of a coal fire. Then, of course there was the treat of eating semolina pudding as that was food for 'invalids'. 


If rickets is on the increase then that is a worrying development. It's classified as a Dickensian illness; something 'cured' by the Victorians. Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin. Apparently, children are spending too much time indoors.


Cue nostalgia...I've been reading Paul Feeney's book "A 1950s Childhood". (Kindle e-reader). So, dear reader, if you are of similar 'vintage' to me...it's a must read. 

First Monday 2012

Sayre of Sayre smiles writes
"Christmas is over and now the process of changing over to a new year is in progress. It's a time for looking back and looking forward (hence the name January - for Janus, the God who looked to the past and the future). For this First Monday I'd like to hear about one accomplishment from the past year, and one thing you want to accomplish in 2012!"


Accomplishment...

"I am pleased to confirm that you have satisfied the requirements for the Diploma in Geosciences of the Open University"

In the future? tba


One of my friends is a talented artist who for the past few years has been working in stained glass.

I just had to share this with you...
It looks like banded agate...tho' it isn't...
So what is the pendant composed of?  Stained glass, designed and made for me by my friend as a birthday present and to celebrate my diploma.