Photostory Friday - a man and his dog

One man and his dog

 

wait for me...

by the River Eden

totally oblivious

I was there too, obviously!

low water under the Eden bridge 

btw this is the dead centre of the city, the Park runs along side the Eden, including Park, football pitches, tennis courts, cows abound or not, Playgrounds, criket and sports open arena.

Visit MamaGeek and Cecily, creators of Photo Story Friday.

( These images should enlarge if you click on them)

In through the back door?

This door, can you see it?

Is hidden in the stage backdrop of this outdoor cafe

A closeup Mr De Ville?

For earlier posts in this series, check out The Doors Archive.

ABC Wednesday

S is for SAMYE LING

One Sunday last month 

 Larry and I took a drive up into the Scottish Borders

where nestled between the Border hills

serenely sits the Buddhist Community

Kagyu Samye Ling

Buddhist Tibetan Monastery

in Eskdalemuir, Nr Langholm, 

Dumfriessshire, Scotland

Prayer Flags

Eorupe's oldest Buddhist Centre & Momastery

it is a very peaceful place to visit

you are free to roam around the grounds and Temples

Retreats & Meditiation and Buddhist courses 

are held regularly here

Guru Rinpoche

Dome of the Prayer House

Samye Liberation Gate

Nagarjuna Statue in Pond

The Victory Stupa

For the home of ABC Wednesday, go to Mrs Nesbitt's Place.

A Bear's necessities

I'm assuming his parents were not sadists, but in my book IF that is his birth given name they should be charged with emotional cruelty! Funny how appropriate it has turned out though, as an adventurer, climber and all round good egg! 

Bear Grylls has been appointed Chief Scout from July 2009, in the footsteps of Sir Baden-Powell the original scout.

Anyhow I digress, I was just listening to this man talking in the car - well on the radio in the car actually- and my pal Lulu over at Family Affairs was discussing the 

positives of having Bear as the new Chief Scout ...and Bear Grylls mentioned that there are 30,000 kids on the waiting list to join groups! The factor here that prevents their movement from said list to enjoying themselves and learning new skills and having real boys fun.. is the fact that there are not enough volunteers to get organise! There must some incentives, in the good work, for some men to come forward and make these boys week!It seems ludicrous to me, that people are out of work and there is potential here on so many levels!

Well come on Gordon and co stop counting your receipts and...do something bloody useful and positive for a change, stop sitting on the proverbial hedge sorry fence,get something organised. 

We are so quick to judge 'the youth of today' in this country and generalise and label them, 'louts, scroungers, lay abouts' and worse. 

I think it was the Jesuits who said 'give me a boy of 8 and I shall show you the man', or something very similar (I hope), here is a huge opportunity to give these kids some hope and build confidence and self respect by recruiting volunteers to lead them BIG-TIME in quantities. Get A plan stick with it...these kids are our future, lets not waste this opportunity.

btw please don't go all political on me and let girls in too!(they have the guides and brownies and somewhere over the Rainbows.

A day in the life...

On Wednesday I had my day fully organised. This is usually met with love and loathing. Love in that I have finally managed to organise and arrange some tasks and deeds I have been meaning to do for weeks. Loathing in that on a day off work I cannot just sit on my fat arse and crash, either with a book, a film or my computer. So having shelved the housework, the gardening and any necessary food shopping I just got up and cracked on when the alarm woke me at 6.50am.

I started with the usual morning ablutions followed by sorting the kids, dogs and myself into some semblance of order. Then printed off two sets of directions from the nice multimap people, filled up the car with petrol and the requisite playlists, bottles of cold water, sucky sweets and swizzler's lollipops.

I headed east towards the sunnier and warmer climes of Newcastle about 60 miles away, then with my first set of directions not very securely held at my steering wheel I pointed the car towards Gateshead and Fhina. I only had to circle St. James Park twice before I was sure I was in the correct locale and found myself a place to park. I was just taking a photo of the gate to China town - I didn't know Newcastle had one, but then most big cities do don't they! - when I spied the wide smile and the promised red coat and shoes on this woman of (no?) importance beaming at me from across the road. From that moment on I was enchanted by Fhina, she expresses the same quirky humour and sharp insight she displays on her effervescent and entertaining blog.

She then, and thank god for her, helped me find my way and accompanied me to the French Consul. Where I formally completed my application for my French passport and Identity card. Monsieur le Consul was very debonair and friendly, he put me at my ease as by now I was twisted up in excitement like a child's spinning top (we just don't see them anymore). I was asked about my thoughts on the current global financial disaster and the MP's expenses crisis.. Well I hope it was just polite conversation or peut-etre I was being taped for training purposes or other more sinister raisons! I may not even pass muster, knowing a little about  French bureaucracy it isn't a given. He did say I was a special case. I know not why he said this. He could have been referring to my political savvy. Or perhaps my beauty and style. I can only guess it may be unusual for a FF and fifty year old applying for her birthright so late after the event!

I left feeling slightly lightheaded, from the questioning and lack of air. I hold my breath when I get excited, so it may have been that. The lovely Fhina and I then drove back to town central and I dropped her off for some well deserved therapy shopping. She was by this time probably grateful to be relieved of this FFF excitable and talkative - till her ears bleed - southern blogging dervish - not to be confused with the whirling of religious ecstasy you understand.

Not to let myself off lightly by returning home for a quiet night in with a good book or other, I alighted to Ikea. I had checked availability of the items I needed before I left and 35+ of each item were in stock. But could I find them? Could I heck! I asked at customer services. Their computer said NO! Apparently they were stacked in the warehouse in such a way as the guys in there had been prohibited from moving them by the very pc guardians of Health and Safety . So I asked for the display pieces and that I would sign a waiver for non-returnable items. The computer or supervisor said NO! By now I was perspiring like a good'un and getting not a little cross. I found suitable and more expensive alternatives. Complaining not to effusively but sweating enough for the customer services to want me out of there, they offered me a reduction 'for my journey and disappointment' . Utterly defeated and somewhat disheveled I managed the trolley and car into a neighbouring space whilst eating a jumbo hot dog. Unable to lift the boxes by myself - after eating said hot dog? - I appealed to the guy beside me, who gallantly helped me. I drove back to Carlisle, telephoning ahead ensuring they knew every detail of my difficulty, so they were expecting me with a fresh pot of tea and smiles. I hoped.

Enfin. Home. Tea. Replenished and hearty enough to help put together my son's wardrobe and leave the rest for the weekend. At 10.30pm I sat at the dining table to unwind and checked out some blog posts. 

Tomorrow is another day. My last day off until next Tuesday. I planned to sit on the couch and crash. Did I?

 Did I heck!

Here's a post I wrote earlier about my 'birthright'

A contender for post of the day at Authorblog, thanks again for the mention David!

From acorns big Treen grows

Walking with Pippa a few evenings ago

we took the river side further than our usual trek

we wanted to blow away some particularly sticky cobwebs

we stood watching the cattle wend their casual way along the waters edge, 

I was rather hoping to catch up close

when I was distracted by an interesting tree trunk

 

I went to admire the pattern

then behind  it was very ruddy looking tree

I walked closer

and closer

and closer to get a better look

that's some sculpting

more info HERE

Beloveds

Stirred into action to find some photos of our dogs for a friend 

and then Moannie posting her pooch pic

I have this beauty to share

Pippa is our black labrador now approx 14yrs

Barney a Jack russell/terrier was her best friend

he died 3 years ago at the great age of 20yrs

they slept like this day and night

Pippa deferred always to Barney

after he died she started to whine at night

to sleep by one of our beds

no wanting to be alone

during the day she would keep watch

 by the window until our return

or perhaps looking for Barney

my daughter took this picture one day 

when she was home alone sick

Pippa obviously hadn't realised anyone was still home

Good for a laugh!

My son and daughter often send me links and 

youtube thingies to look at...

I thought Id share this one. One many may relate to....

.... and turn UP the volume

Line Dancing

I watch the wet washing as it billows

 in the blustery breeze

 the shirts soak up the sunlight 

as they haphazardly dance upon their tightrope

so trying to escape their tethered prison

I change my camera settings and I dart amongst 

the furious folds of cotton 

 

 I am compelled to capture these stunning shapes and smiles.

Post of the day at Authorblog, thank you  David!!!

Another home, another time - Photostory Friday

Visit MamaGeek and Cecily, creators of Photo Story Friday.

 Whilst I am in Kent, walking Milou with Mum

we always pass this quaint looking thatched cottage

it stands guard on a cliff top

it overlooks the sea

in another time it was  my parents' home

one of many homes I have to say

and I believe it to be a very favoured home

I was already long gone 

and married when they lived here

but I do remember Christmases, a 25th Wedding Anniversary,

lounging in the summer sun in the pretty garden, 

listening to the tennis fortnight whilst devouring spicy chicken wings

and many, many meals shared around the refectory table

Mum walks past it everyday

it cannot be more than 150 yards from where they live today

when they first lived in the village in the 1980's

they also ran the local fish and chip shop for a time

(one of their many incarnations)

 they made fab fish suppers

 the cottage had a compulsory purchase order upon it

 as it was in grave danger of falling into the sea

-it is 25 feet away from the cliff edge-

since then the coast line there has been reinforced

and it may be there for many more years...

a solitary naked tree in front garden, 

Mum will have to tell you what type it is

the view from the home front

The cliff path passes by the wood fence and hedge boundary

on a clear day Reculver Towers are visible in the distance

Happy days!!

Me, Dad, Mum & Sis 1985

Cliff Cottage

Visit MamaGeek and Cecily, creators of Photo Story Friday.

Great Quote #5!

This is my simple religion. 

There is no need for temples; 

no need for complicated philosophy. 

Our own brain, our own heart is our temple;

 the philosophy is kindness. 

HH THE DALAI LAMA

A Cathedral Walk

During my lunch (half) hour one day last week. 

I walked through the neighbouring Cathedral precincts. 

 luckily I had my phone with me. 

I shall have to try and take my camera next time!

Carlisle Cathedral- East elevation

West view

The Fratery

East Elevation

Cathedral Entrance

THEN today I wondered through with my camera proper!

Did it make any differences?

Elvis is in the garden!