Lady in the Van

Posted on October 13, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Alan Bennett, dame Maggie Smith, her story, Life, memoir, The Lady in the van, Time2 Comments

I’m watching the film, The lady in the van starring Maggie Smith who died recently. She was famous for her portrayal of the elderly homeless woman called Miss Shepherd who camped out for years in her van on the driveway of Alan Bennetts house.

It’s very surreal seeing her dressed in a “bag lady” costume as she was well known for her roles in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Harry Potter and Downton Abbey. As the film progresses we learn more about the lady’s history and how she got into the predicament she was in.

I won’t give too much detail incase you want to watch it.

The whole country except me!

Posted on October 11, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Astronomy, Auroras?, disappointment, Exciting, Green, Late night, Photos, Pink, Red, Time, ViewLeave a comment

Last night sparkling red /pink /green auroras shone over the UK and I missed them! They apparently were around at about 10.15pm, I normally look out after midnight. Suddenly my Facebook feed was inundated with photos. Oh I was miffed. I tried to take some pictures but not much was visible, the aurora had clearly wandered off somewhere else. Then as I was going to bed at about 1.30am I just caught a glimmer of a glow in the sky. Rather than going outside in the freezing air I looked out the kitchen window and managed to get some shaky shots. Well there may be another chance tonight xxx

The clouds roll in.

Posted on October 10, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged cloud rolling in, Clouds, colder, Glow, Life, Photo, Poem, Poetry, Red, Sky, Sunset, TimeLeave a comment

As the sun set the clouds rolled in

Underlit by red sunlight

Boiling like a pot of shrimp?

But really calmly moving.

The nights are lengthening

Sunset comes earlier

Darkness encompasses us

I yearn for spring.

When the sun starts to return.

Going

Posted on October 8, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Bulbs, Gardening, Hanging baskets, Life, Memory, Plants, Time, wilted, winter pansiesLeave a comment

These were my plants in summer, now they are starting to wilt. I will be sad when they are gone. I want to time travel to next summer till the next lot of flowers can be planted. I might get some winter flowering pansies to cheer the yard up in the meantime.

I’ve bought loads of bulbs to put in the big garden for winter/spring. Somehow I need to get them planted.

Shall I leave X?

Posted on October 6, 2024October 6, 2024 Posted in UncategorizedTagged bought, Decision, Musk, orange one, Social media, Thinking, Time, Twitter, Website, X3 Comments

When a billionaire takes over a social media company what do we expect? Impartiality? Caring? compassion?

Seeing what’s happening recently I am trying to decide whether to leave it. X I mean. Seeing him standing next to the Orange one on a stage is worrying. If he is endorsing right wing politics and banning investigative journalists then how many voices will be silenced? There is also a loss in the value of the company since it was bought by Musk. Doesn’t that indicate it’s changing status?

I’m not a big X/twitter user, I barely have any followers, which does make me wonder why I’m on it. I posted a bit of art and sometimes try and add witty replies, but is anyone even listening? Thinking about it.

Losing photos

Posted on October 6, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Chimney, Factory, frustration, Lost, Memory, Mixed up, Optimised, Photo, Pictures, TimeLeave a comment

I decided to optimise my photos as I haven’t done it for a while. Now it looks like 50% of my photos were taken today. Plus they are all mixed up. If I go back a few hundred they were suddenly taken in March. I wish it wouldn’t do that, I’ve been searching for something for half an hour because I wanted to share it? Can I find it? No, so I just decided to post a photo of an old factory from a few months ago. And great to see an undemolished chimney.

At a Youth Hostel

Posted on October 3, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Chatting, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2080, dormatories, foreign language, Life, our of place memories, Time, Tired2 Comments

Tell us about a time when you felt out of place.

My hubby and I were on holiday in the South West but the weather was bad and so we decided to stay our last night at a local youth hostel.

We arrived and booked a double room. But were then asked if we could stay in dormortaries as a group of foreign students had arrived and the teachers wanted to sleep seperatly from their pupils.

We agreed and I politely tried to say I only spoke a little of their language.

Evening meal and then bedtime. The girls I was sharing the dorm with started talking and continued chatting and giggling late into the night. I had absolutely no idea what they were saying and spent two or three hours with the pillow over my head trying to block out the sound.

It was awful, I felt so out of place, I barely slept and had a long cycle ride ahead of me in the morning.

Would I do it again? Yes to be polite, but I might have to think about it first

Long day

Posted on September 30, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Choir, Enjoyment, Joy, Life, Memories, Music, Poem, Poetry, Rhyme, Singing, Songs, Time, TiredLeave a comment

Been to choir twice today

Morning songs, evening tunes

Now I’m tired and so I lay

On the chair, ready to sleep.

Music gave me a good day

Raised my spirits up in joy

Made me feel less dark I’d say

Summer returned

When that music did play…

How to alleviate symptoms

Posted on September 29, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Communication, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2077, Doctors, Dr Google, Help, Illness, Life, memory understanding, Patient, TimeLeave a comment

What details of your life could you pay more attention to?

When you have lots of illnesses it’s hard to keep track of what’s going on. Different things go wrong and you take medication, but it’s hard to know how to manage things. Which symptom is the most concerning, how do things interact, should you exercise more or less? What diet would improve your health?

But also don’t rely on Dr Google or online miracle workers. Many people have been affected by malpractice and con artists. Use your intelligence and listen to what professionals say, but with a pinch of scepticism. If you are unsure don’t be afraid to ask questions. Not the “I want a second opinion” type maybe? But try and get a sensible answer. Doctors are not infallible, they can make mistakes, but I do try and communicate with them. Fingers crossed by doing this I can pay more attention in how I look after myself.

Newt dream!

Posted on September 29, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Canoeing, Dream, Environment, Imagination, Life, memories newt, Nature, Pond, TimeLeave a comment

I just woke from a weird dream. I was in a wooden hut/ nature reserve and was with a large group of strangers. The team leader bought up the question that people were asking about, could we go canoeing?

I put up my hand to speak, but whilst other people voiced their opinions I was studiously ignored. Suddenly I saw a newt in a corner and I didn’t want it to get trampled. I went over and gently picked it up, wondering if I was allowed to. Don’t you have to have a licence for newt handling?

I came outside by the front door into a lovely natural wood, but the newt had dissappeared. I had to find it again. Meanwhile I was in a garden with a pond. I saw the newt and picked it up. I placed it in the foliage by the pond, and as I stood up I saw the newt tail in my hand.

Then I woke up! I have no idea what it meant. I was just glad that I remembered it. I don’t think it was a lucid dream but it was interesting. I wonder why I dreamt it?

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Time