An aztec bar was multi layered, as Wikipedia explains:
Aztec was a chocolate bar produced by Cadbury’s from 1967. It was made of nougat and caramel covered with milk chocolate and was sold in a deep purple wrapper. The Aztec was created by Cadbury’s to compete with the Mars Bar, but it was discontinued in 1978. Wikipedia
I think they were actually tastier than Mars bars, if they were in the shop it was what I spent some of my 50 pence pocket money. That and comics like the Bunty and Judy. Life was so simple then. Only exams to worry about I would time travel back if I could!
Do you remember your favorite book from childhood?
I loved the school book about Greek Myths and Legends we had to read. I remember short stories about Pandoras Box, when the box was opened all that was left was Hope. Then there was a story about Jason and the Argonauts, and his quest for the Golden Fleece. I think there was a tale of the Titan Atlas being sentenced by the god Zeus to support the heavens on his shoulders.
Each story had lovely illustrations, and the inside covers of the book were equally well decorated.
Getting the attention of children with artwork aswell as words is a way of catching them at an early age. I know a lot of books are now online, but I think real books are wonderful treasures.
List three books that have had an impact on you. Why?
My list are:
The first: Old Yeller (can’t remember the author)
I read this when I was about 10 or 11. I had only ever read gentle children’s adventures and Old Yeller is the story of an old dog that has caught rabies. I remember being shocked by the story, by the descriptions of what happened. It was the first book that felt realistic and not safe. I’m glad I read it as it opened my mind to the world.
The second : The Plague Dogs, by Richard Adams.
Set in a laboratory where dogs and other animals are experimented on, two dogs join forces and escape. Lost on the Cumbria fells they eventually meet “the Tod” a fox, a wily character. All three animals are being hunted by the lab and the police who have dubbed them “the plague dogs” because of scaremongering by the press. Will they escape ?
(Richard Adams also wrote Watership Down.)
The book influenced my style of writing, there is a section in one chapter on how to write a newspaper article. The book also gave me an idea of how animals can suffer at the behest of mankind.
The third book is: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Attwood.
I read it in the 1980s before it was very famous. I’ve seen the TV series which is far more in depth than the original book. As a young woman I was shocked by the mysogeny of the world the women in it lived in. I saw it as a warning and never believed that anything like it could happen in the real world? And yet so many things have happened that seem to want to drag women back to the home and dispel the rights they have fought long and hard for.
I would recommend all of these books if you want to open your eyes to different ideas.
Describe one simple thing you do that brings joy to your life.
I love singing.
When I’m anxious it helps regulate my breathing. Concentrating on the music makes my heart swell with joy when we get it right. Time seems to flow. Music and song are so simple, so inate to being human. It brings joy to my friends too. We got together to sing for a friend recently. I’ve not included my friends faces because I haven’t asked their permission to use their images.
That’s the thing about anxiety, so many rules to remember and think about. What can I do? What should I do? But singing calms me, pulls my mind up and out of bad feelings. I would recommend it to anyone thinking of coping with anxiety. If you can take the first step and keep singing. X
What would I have done without the caring nature of my friends? Each time I have been down there have been caring words that have helped to bring me back up.
No one turned against me, no one ignored me. They were all there in one way or another. Life can throw bad things at you and your family and friends, so we all need to care for each other. And why not? No one should think they are superior to others. What would life be like if people didn’t care for one another? I don’t want to find out! Support and kindness are two other great qualities to value.
I’m not saying what! A few of the people here know what my jobs have been, but I am not willing to share with everyone, and as these prompts are viewed by more than my friends those other people do not need to know.
I’m not a secretive person but I think we all have a responsibility to ourselves to keep our information safe. There is an increase in the amount of phishing on the Internet.
I will say I have had full and part time jobs, I’ve worked with people and on my own, also with machinery. I’ve never been a manager, thankfully. I enjoyed working with most of the staff although I could tell some tales about the bad behaviour of some and the wonderful things others have done beyond what was necessary.
Prompts are interesting, they make you think, but some are easier to answer than others. Work gets you money to pay bills and pay for housing, the ability to use sports facilities and other entertainment. I am glad I had responsible jobs but I’m glad too that they are behind me now.
They didn’t exist, then the green light started blinking… The cursor came later, they were glorified typewriters. I don’t know if they came with a mouse?
I wasn’t a member of the computer club. But about five were lined up in the science lab at school. I sometimes saw green text on them.
One day I went to an exhibition about computer art. There was a pc set up and on the screen it said type something, a phrase, can’t remember. But I typed the words… Nothing happened,,, I typed again, and again and again.. Nothing. I typed till the screen was full and the original message had gradually disappeared off the screen!
I wonder what the people running the exhibition thought? It was only a few months later that I found out about the ENTER key!
Margaret Rutherford played Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple
I often write here about Art and other activities I’m good at, but one of my favourite things is solving TV crime mysteries. I’m relatively good at it, I often know who the guilty party is well before the end. I have to stop myself saying who it is though, as its an irritating thing to do if I’m watching with someone else.
I would imagine that the makers of films and TV shows want people to guess so they include clues, but unless it’s a programme like Columbo where they show you the guilty party straight away it can be more of a challenge.
It’s a bit of a niche skill though, reality is not the same as a story. Life isn’t a tale we tell ourselves. I don’t think I would ever want to be a real detective, it would be too messy and upsetting. I just enjoy the fantasy of being good at guessing the criminal !
What does “having it all” mean to you? Is it attainable?
Having it all? Enough to live, enough to share, enough to give…..
Freedom to learn, freedom to understand, freedom to care for others as well as yourself. Friendship….
Time to think, time to follow a dream, time to allow life to happen.
Having it all does not mean being selfish, or prejudiced. Misogenistic or Misanthropic, and I think it also means keeping idealism alive.
People who have it all should support the world and nature as much as they can with the means they have. Fairness above all is important, and a wish to care.
I don’t get to speak to some people often enough. My sisters live away from here, miles away, so I’ve got to talk to them over the phone, or on the Internet. It’s the same as being on a zoom call, still friendly but no hugs. I get to see one of them occasionally.
I know I have lots of friends, but I still isolate myself when I’m feeling down. Certain things like choir cheer me up but it’s still a big effort and when I’ve had a shaky day like today it’s just hard to reach out. I don’t want to impose on them. I wish my cats could speak, what gems would they pass on? I imagine the words feed me would come up frequently!
Mallaband-Brown 