Christmas carols bring tears to my eyes. I can’t explain why. Some affect me more than others. Hark the Herald Angels sing, oh come all ye faithful and oh little town of Bethlehem particularly. Choral music especially when it’s in close harmony is wonderful.
I think its from hearing them in childhood, their sentiment stuck with me. That gentle music touched me. Sung at school and church. The music raises my spirits.
I know that when I hear the Christmas service of nine lessons and carols on the radio I have to stop and listen to the beautiful sweet voices singing wonderfully. I love going Carol singing with friends and that can make me feel teary. I can’t really say any more than that.
Koi carp, big goldfish. Did you know goldfish grow to fit the size of their container, they stay small in a bowl, but can grow much bigger in a lake or pond. These were at Biddulph Grange garden a couple of years ago. You could climb down some steps near the top of the lake and see them swimming. I think the shop there sold fish food? But I don’t really remember. They certainly came up to the steps when people stood on them.
I think fish must be able to think. Not just have three second memories, their behaviour makes me think they can learn. I wonder what it’s like to be a fish? And I think carp can live to quite old ages. Anyway that’s all I know about them!
Interview someone — a friend, another blogger, your mother, the mailman — and write a post based on their responses.
I talked to my hubby about being deaf.
What’s it like being deaf?
I have gradually lost my hearing over several years. It can make me feel grumpy, angry and lonely.
When did you first notice it?
I first noticed it when I was working in heavy industry for several years, but I was the child of a mill worker and the children had a creche at the mill, so I was always in a noisy environment. I really noticed it while working at my final job in a warehouse. There were conveyor belts everywhere and trucks, with loud music blaring out.
What can you hear?
I can hear very loud noises but without my hearing aids speech is just a wah wah wah noise.
How do you cope?
I have to try and lip read sometimes unless someone has a really loud or low voice. I can’t hear the higher registers of singers and music is distorted. It frustrates me when people have to repeat themselves and I know my hearing is diminishing. My mind retreats into childhood memories, it’s very isolating and now I’ve retired every day flows one into the next.
What about entertainment?
Subtitles on the TV help but I have to turn up the volume sometimes. I can use a hearing loop with my hearing aids but we don’t go out much anymore to the theatre or cinema.
What other things bother you?
Sometimes I get tinnitus or burbling noises like rushing water. I think that’s the blood pulsing in my ears. It’s hard to sleep when that happens. Also I think my brain fills in the gaps in the silence, I sometimes hear my name being called, or loud noises when there are none, it can be very disturbing.
We hadn’t really talked about it much so I’m glad I answered this prompt. It’s given me a bit more insight into how things are for him. I get frustrated that he can’t hear me, but it must be so much worse for him.
I can almost see a koala bear in this collaged photo. Above and below that I can see eyes on stalks. It’s called Pareidolia, and it’s something I seem to do all the time.. I saw patterns in wallpaper when I was young. Roses became teddy bears somehow. Green leaves became fairies. I could see faces in bowls of fruit. I think I’m weird!
Almost metallic, huchera leaves look like copper in the moist air. The pattern was achieved using a symmetrical collage tool on a photo I took a few years ago. I need to do more of these, it’s fascinating to see how the symmetrical pattern enhances the shapes. This could almost be a bowl with a drain in its centre.
What was the last thing you searched for online? Why were you looking for it?
So I could draw it
I had to do a drawing prompt for an art group that I’m in and I wanted to draw something old with ‘nooks and crannies’ which was the prompt.
I love the phrase, I think of old buildings, of old corridors and priest holes that people could hide in. Like Cavaliers hiding from Roundheads. Of hidden treasures, or pirates gold doubloons.
Mow Cop Castle is actually a folly, it was built on top of Mow Cop Hill that looks out over the Cheshire plain. It was never a ruined castle, but built to look like one, with the walls built to appear like they are tumbling down, and it’s silhouette is very striking as you look up to it. If you go up to it you can see the Jodrell Bank Observatory over at Holmes Chapel.
The drawing is not a good representation but it gives you an idea of how it looks.
Happy bottle oven day! 29.8.23. It’s celebrated every year. I think there are only 47 bottle ovens left from the thousands that used to be in Stoke on Trent. A lot of them are deteriorating but hopefully the heritage of them will be preserved. The potteries, with their bottle ovens were the creative heart of the city.
There were a lot of Sci fi programmes when I was growing up. The Tomorrow people, Thunderbirds, Star Trek, UFO, Space 1999, Dr Who, each one had it’s theme and ideas. Some were more idealistic than others, some were frightening. The variety of adventures were fascinating. Some of the sets were very shaky, you could see the walls move if an alien bumped into them! But it was the storyline that was important.
They really seemed to be more thoughtful than modern Sci fi. I think because they didn’t have fantastic special effects, and the English versions were less lasers and cowboys in space type stories, and slightly more philosophical.
It’s surprising how much I remember after seeing this prompt. I’d like to see some of these shows again just to see if I remember them correctly. I’ve recently watched Fireball XL5 on a station that shows old TV programmes. I used to love it when I was little… It’s awful now!
Somewhere I’d like to visit again. We haven’t been this year and I miss it.
Biddulph Grange garden is run by the National Trust and is a garden built on a slope that is made up of seperate areas… The Japanese garden, Egyptian garden, Swiss cottage, China area and other sections. The Daliah walk should be in full bloom. There is also a lovely tea room within the Grange building, although it can be quite busy.
It’s one of many attractions that are within a short distance of the city of Stoke on Trent in Staffordshire. So if you are in the area check out its visiting times and prices. Worth a day out.
