Curiouser and curiouser! cried Alice

"One promised to restore honour, the other is campaigning to restore sanity. Neither is likely to have much luck."
Guardian

Julie hosting Fun Monday,from her blog 'Another chance ranch' sets topical questions
"I want to know what you think about the state of our country.  Or, is there a particular issue being voted on that you feel strongly about?  What are your thoughts?  Keep in mind, I don't want to know whether you are a Democrat or a Republican.  I am just curious as to what is going through your mind."
Being 'across the pond' I admit to finding politics confusing, especially US. So here's my take...

Two satirists Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert hosted a rally 'to restore sanity'.

Targeting over-heated debate and media ‘laziness’...a non-partisan call to purge America's politics of the extremist rhetoric that is dividing the country" [ibid]

Placards from their rally included...

I Want YOU – to switch to decaf

 

You are entitled to your own opinion, but not your own spelling

 Even God gave it a rest for one day – tone it down America

 

1 nation – worrying together!

I added the images, taken from an Open Source site. Probably, all I've done is add to the confusion!

Next, our news has reports about the 'Tea Party' (cue the Mad Hatter?)

Apparently, Tea Party stands for "Taxed Enough Already"

I think I'll stick to 'Alice in Wonderland'!

Faye's Fun Monday topic

Faye writes
Let's celebrate Halloween and the pleasures of dressing up by sharing costumes. Now don't hesitate to play because you're not partying this year. If you were going to dress up, who or what would you be? 

Traditionally, Hallowe'en has a different connotation over here, it's only in recent years that the US version seems to have been adopted.
In fact, local police forces campaign each year to make Hallowe'en safe.
Police use Twitter
Hallowe'en guidance from police nationwide.

Hallowe'en 

No  trick or treat

Please enjoy your night

Without disturbing Ours.

As kids we knew it as 'Mischief Night' and it had nothing whatsoever to do with partying. Quite the opposite if you lived in country areas.
The area I'm from is called Pendle and in English history is associated with the "Lancashire Witches''. 
They are described in court records, and works of fiction such as "Mist over Pendle" by Robert Neill. Here you'll find a view of Pendle and info about the witches.
Follow this link to find out about the area. 

 The whole area is hilly with beautiful scenery.

 A song sung by folk group...the Houghton Weavers


Oh Pendle, oh Pendle, thou standest alone,
Twixt Burnley and Clitheroe, Whalley and Colne,
Where Hodder and Ribble's fair waters do meet,
With Barley and Downham content at thy feet.


When witches fly on a cold winter’s night,
We won't tell a soul, but we’ll bolt the door tight, 
We’ll sit by the fireside and keep ourselves warm,
Until once again we can walk on your arm. 
 
Oh Pendle, Oh Pendle, by moorland and fell,
In beauty and loneliness ever to dwell,
In life’s fateful journey where e’er we may be,
We’ll pause in our labours and oft think of thee.


Places mentioned in the first verse are local towns and villages. Hodder and Ribble are the two local rivers.

Why would folk 'bolt their doors tight?' Because local folklore has it that no -one would want to venture out and run the risk of becoming Hag-rid, plaything of witches and their ilk.

I was brought up on folklore tales such as
Dule upo' Dun or the 'Devil on a dark horse'.

Tales of the 
Lancashire Witches
Peg O'Nell


I could go on and on...about my neck of the woods. Perhaps you might like to follow some of the links above?

cold callers

Folk, usually salespeople calling at the door unannounced and unwanted...

Today, a young person arrived probably 20 something. She was polite, and wanted to ask if we'd consider having a new roof...?
I pointed at the roof and told her 'it's new'.
She said she thought it had been colour-washed and was it 'Marley'?

I struggled to keep a straight face...and replied 'it's proper tiles, Rosemaries' and that 'it'll see us out'.
Digging a metaphorically deeper hole for herself, she asked if we had any flat roofs needing repair. I told her that I wouldn't have one if she paid me.

Needless to say she didn't get any sales from us.

Told D and we both laughed for quite a while...

Faye's Fun Monday topic

Faye writes...

Please share your three favorite ways of procrastinating. Is your plan for time management similar to Maxine's? Or, do you have other strategies for putting off that work equally well?

"Work is great...I can sit and watch it all day"  was on one of my favourite posters in my room at college.

I admit to living in 'organised chaos' ...

I love reading, photography, listening to music, knitting, crochet and surfing the Web.
Like Faye, I find myself visiting social networking sites. The OU (Open University) has it's own social network of online student groups. I'm a regular participant in the conversations at the 'Dog House' where we share latest news of our canine companions.

As you might guess each passtime is a good way to procrastinate. Sorry Faye, I'm such a good procrastinater, I have many ways of avoiding chores.


When I first retired, my favourite way of procrastinating was to sleep. Even today there are times when sleep feels overwhelming.

October and Faye takes up the challenge

October 4 Topic: Favorite Family Photos--share one--or two--that has special meaning for you and tell us why.
Many thanks to Faye for her generous offer to host Fun Monday throughout October...

I'm going to dig thro' my photo archives, I might even need to use my scanner to digitise some older images. Thank you Faye, you have set a lovely task (smile)

Let me fess up now, there's bound to be some pix of family dogs...

Darling K, gone but not forgotten. Aka 'K_bear' as she loved cuddles and was so fluffy with a luxurious coat.

L, my canine companion...now...

 Family...today...

Family of yesterday...

Going back in time...1971
Time it was...I have a photograph, family memories...special people in my life...

Uncle C, survivor of WW1 and beside him, my father...

 Aunties I and D taught me housekeeping, cooking and baking.

I remember that suit! I thought I looked grown-up. It was very pale pink and made of bouclé. The shoes were grey suede.

Returning to 'now'

2010 and my favourite person in the whole world!
As I often say...
'Drives me mad; and keeps me sane'. My wonderful guy...companion, gardener, soulmate and all-time pragmatist.





 

three wishes?

The lovely Sayre has done an excellent job of hosting Fun Monday for September.
"I'm going to play genie in the lamp - I want to know your heart's desire in the form of three wishes."

Faye has kindly volunteered to provide topics for October. A big Thank You to you both.

I'm going to blame my age as in advancing years, or tis how I feel. But, with age comes contentment?

Go back to my youth and wishes would include
1. Qualifying for my career
2. Finding that 'certain someone'
3. Travelling to Iceland.

All accomplished...

Wishes now? Hm another big Ask...
1. To have known what I know now about sciences/maths and used it in exams at school then folk might not have considered me such a non-entity.
2. To have had the confidence I have now and not been such an anguished teenager.
3....To enjoy my retirement


If, wishes were horses...beggars would ride...

Sept 20 - Your quiet place

Sayre (bless her) is setting memes for September Fun Mondays...
My quiet place...is the half hour a day 'he' plus doglets leave the house for their constitutional.

Another lies quietly in my mind, to rise unbidden, yet most welcome in the snoozy doze before I must wake to face the day...

Then there are the quiet times when my memory takes me to times past...the echoes of my mind...

this is a no go area

Sayre asks
Sept 13 - Who would be your freebee (person you would leave a relationship for) and why?

Having been ensconced for 30+ years, although 'he' drives me mad...he also keeps me sane.
I could no more envisage leaving than sprout wings n fly...

Sorry, Sayre...nothing else to add... 

September - learning

Sarah wants us to look at 'learning something new'.
Faye has written about taking up knitting. Something I've done since before school days. However, there's always something new to learn even for an 'old hand' like me. A friend has introduced me to knitting for charity.
We have a large teaching hospital which includes a specialist eye hospital (St. Paul's). Diabetic retinopathy causes blindness as a result of diabetes.
Add the above and you get...
Me knitting for charity!

As for learning something new?
I am studying with the Open University, and soon I'll face a new challenge. Until now I've done courses at levels 1 and 2.
Now it's time to move up to level 3. 'The environmental web' an online course.