Sunday 27 December 2009

Images of Christmas



A lovely family Christmas! Fourteen of us sat down to a marvellous dinner cooked by our daughter, the house and table beautifully decorated. She had worked so hard to make it the resounding success it was!

We all had a hilarious time afterwards playing a game that I don't think anybody really understood but we drew, acted, guessed wildly and showed off our ignorance!

Our little great-granddaughter was there for part of the morning, and we all watched her as she tried to understand the mechanics of crawling, but couldn't quite work out how to get her other leg from underneath her. But it won't be long before she is all over the place and into everything!

Unfortunately my sister was taken ill on Boxing Day, and so we spent part of the morning down in the Hospital. She managed to rally a bit until she went home this morning (Sunday) with strcit instructions to go and see her own Doctor.

Now the snow has gone, and its cold and wet out there, not at all nice. Deinitely time for a good book tucked up indoors!

Tuesday 22 December 2009

Snowy Christmas



I managed to get out into the Park on Monday. The snow looked really beautiful, the children were out with their sledges, and there were lots of excited dogs racing around. What is it with dogs and snow?



One excited dog! that is our back fence in the picture.



This was taken from a bedroom window, but it was hard to see all the sledgers because of the trees in the garden next door! But the hills at the back look lovely in the afternoon sun.




There was only a very small unforzen space in the lake. I thought the gulls looked very miffed!




Our garden seat looked as though it had been upholstered!

But its not so good for those driving around, or hoping to go somewhere for Christmas. I do hope my sister and brother-in-law manage to get here tomorrow.

If I don't blog again before Christmas, I hope you all have a great time!

Sunday 20 December 2009

Thematic Challenge - Abstract



Carmi's Photographic challenge this week is Abstract.

This is actually a photograph of the light shining through a green glass ball I have on my window sill. I found it, many, many years ago on a remote shore of a sea loch on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It was one of our first camping trips, and we had driven across the Highlands and onto the ferry to the Isle of Skye. It was so very beautiful there, deserted shores, unfamiliar birds, and (for that bit, anyway) sunny skies.

I loved that glass ball, which was a float used by fishermen then to mark the position of their nets. I guarded it carefully for the rest of our holiday, and it has survived four house moves and still gives me pleasure as I think of that lovely, lonely shore.

I also love abstract photographs and paintings. Maybe I can feel the emotions they bring forth more easily than in a straighforward representation?

Tuesday 15 December 2009





ROSES IN THE DARKNESS

Roses in the darkness
The tight buds pointed under my fingers
Slowly their petals unfold
Softness around a well of fragrance.
I bury my face and drink deep
Of that heavenly perfume
Which unlooses memories
Of the days of long ago
When I could see their infinite shades.
The pure white of virginity
So easily marred by rain.
The pinks of young girlhood
Innocent, shyly modest.
There, golden hues
Of laughing womanhood,
And the rich red fullness
Of maturity and experience.
Now as I feel those silky petals
My fingers bruise their loveliness.
Their perfume lingers as I pass by
My roses in the darkness


© Gillian Peall

I wrote this poem some years ago - it was a challenge, we were given the title, and asked to write a poem. This is what sprung out from my mind! I sent it up to a sort of Knock Out competition on the Guardian website once, but it got knocked out!

I think I was maybe a bit subtle - not everyone realised I was writing about a blind person. Actually, I was imagining a blind man, elderly, having difficulty walking, but enjoying the smell of his roses. Not sure what that says about me!

I have always dreaded going blind. Books mean so much to me. I am fortunate in that I can still see very well, especially now I have had a cataract removed. I don't know how I would react to losing my sight.

But we never know how we would react to a sudden loss of a sense, or an ability. Would we sit and moan? Get angry? Try to blame someone? Or make the best of what we had left to us? Probably a combination of them all!

Gloomy sort of blog for a gloomy sort of day! Honestly, I'm quite cheerful really, but blogging and procrastinating about getting the Christmas decorations up!

Monday 7 December 2009

Reflections




I think it must have been all the rain we have been having, making puddles everywhere, that got me thinking about reflectionsr

Not just reflections in water, though they can set me off being quite profound!

When you look into a puddle
do you just look at the surface,
the scum, bits of paper, dirt?
Or do you look at the trees, the buildings?
Wonder at their wobbles
as the wind blows the surface?
Or do you look at the sky,
and ask about eternity?


No, I got to reflecting on my life. None of it seems to have been easy. Though not, of course, as hard as some have had. But it has been a struggle, never seeming to fit in, or deliver what was expected.

And now, just when the papers and magazines are full of advice as to "How to make the best of your life together now you are retired" sort of thing - you know, holidays in Spain, Africa, India, or Vietnam, Thailand and China. Be active, go walking, white water rafting, abseiling, parachute jumping! (For my friends across the pond, abseiling is called something different, only I can't think what it is, but it is descending rock faces with just a rope!)

But no-one tells you your plans can be halted, sliced off, just like that through sickness or disability.

If anyone had told me I would be disabled, I would have said, "Oh no, I've taken care of my body and health, that won't happen to me!"

Ha! These things strike the nicest people!

But there we are, funny sort of reflections I've been having. But I have lots of interests, a wonderful family, and some great blog friends. Would never have had time to blog if I'd been white water rafting all the time! ;)

So? Well, my life has made me what I am. I've done the best with what I was given, and am still open, I hope, to new ideas and experiences.

Now then, where did I put my writing pad and a nice sharp pencil......?
I have something stirring in my mind!

Tuesday 1 December 2009

Water, more water and ice!



Today was a gloriously bright, frosty morning when I went out with the faithful hound. Even the lake had ice on it, and the ducks looked a bit miffed!



Yesterday was another story! Like the days we've been having it was water, water everywhere, and the little stream did its best to get down the waterfalls round the fallen leaves.




However, I did manage a better photo of the heron!



Puddles made lovely reflections.




But there was a lot of water where it wasn't welcome! The powers that be are doing something drastic to the Children's playground, only I don't think they will be moving for a while. Mud-bound seems to be the word for it!





The reflections in our little pond at the end of our garden are rather nice, too.




And just to prove that I do go on holidays sometimes, this is the sea shore on the Menai Straits on Anglesey, in Wales.

I am determined we are going on holiday next year. It is our Golden Wedding Year, and I think we should celebrate in style! I've been looking at short cruises, round the British Isles, but then I keep thinking, it does get a bit rough, even in summer......

But its fun planning!