Easter Holidays

Image by epicnom via Flickr

I remember coming home from boarding school for Easter holidays. It always felt a much more optimistic time of year in many respects than Christmas, with the longer days and the flowers and leaves starting to come out. I particularly remember the late snowdrops that grew in my parent's garden and their elegant little shapes and colour. In Cornwall now, we have the gorse and daffodils out as well as some camelias. It really is beginning to look a little more spring-like despite the wind which is still quite cold. Unfortunately, I've been unable to grow any snowdrops . . .

Trains

Image by Prestwick via Flickr

Although I have a wonderful car of which I'm very fond, I prefer to travel by train if I'm going any long distances. It's nice to be able to relax and read or do a puzzle while travelling rather than having to concentrate on the road all the time as you have to do when driving. I'm writing about trains today, as I travelled by train to Plymouth when we went to the Argyle game on Saturday and I'll be travelling by train tomorrow when I attend a meeting in Exeter. On Saturday, the journey to and from Plymouth was easy and fairly comfortable. I hope that the same will apply tomorrow when I go to Exeter.

British Summer Time

Image by Ben Dodson via Flickr

The clocks went forward in the UK this morning, for British Summer Time. Although I welcome the longer evenings that we will now have, I definitely found getting up in the dark again this morning hard going. Still, the mornings will soon lengthen out as well. It's hard to realise that it is nearly the end of March already. Certainly the weather today is not at all encouraging as it is wet and still fairly cold. Warmer weather couldn't come too early for me after what seems such a long winter and now such a wet spring.

Visit to Plymouth

Image via Wikipedia

My son has generously provided tickets for my Significant Other and myself to go to an Argyle game tomorrow. I have to admit to mixed feelings as although it will be good to visit Home Park again after an absence of over a year, the team are in a dodgy position in the Championship and need all the wins that they can get before the end of the season to stay up. If they win tomorrow against Blackpool, it will be great, otherwise . . .

Nature's Beauty

I am amazed by the range of the beauty in nature. The hues and colours of birds and flowers, in particular, are quite staggering sometimes and are enough to take my breath away on occasions. The same can be said for the scenery around where I live. Particularly on a sunny day (alas this is not one of them) the colour of the sea and land can be quite stunning.

Daffodils

Image by Lydia Elle via Flickr

Because winter was so long and cold, the daffodils are late this year. Still, it's lovely to see them now along the banks and in gardens with their cheery yellow flowers. They make everything seem so spring-like now even if the weather doesn't always live up to expectations.

Goldfinches

Image by LuLu Witch via Flickr

A few weeks ago I bought a couple of birdfeeders because I felt so sorry for the birds with this long winter. What is really nice is to be able to sit in the conservatory, when it is warm enough, and watch the birds come to the feeder. Mainly they are sparrows and blue tits, with a great tit now and then but today I saw a flock of goldfinches, in breeding plumage, who'd been attracted to our garden because of the willow flowers. They really are such pretty birds with their red faces and gold wing bars. I enjoyed watching them fly around but the sparrows took some issue with their presence and tried to see them off. Later though, the goldfinches returned.

Rain

Image by John-Morgan via Flickr

The susseration of drops on the
Conservatory roof
Tells me that rain
Has come once more

Jackdaws

Image by foxypar4 via Flickr

It's 06.00 Greenwich Mean Time
Jackdaws stream past my window
Chattering to each other
To welcome the dawn.

Asparagus

Image by Preethy S. via Flickr

Many years ago when I was a child, my family went to stay with one of my aunts and my mother mentioned that we would be having asparagus when we got there. I'd never had asparagus before and had no idea what it was so I asked my mother 'Is it a fish?' (I didn't like fish very much at the time.) She explained that it was a vegetable that was delicious eaten with melted butter. It was all a novel experience for me then and asparagus was comparatively rare and expensive. Looking back on that memory now, it seems incredible that I didn't know what asparagus was when it is now so freely available in supermarkets.

Unexpected Visitor

Image by Vicki's Pics via Flickr

I wonder how often we welcome the unexpected into our lives. There is always a tendency to hold on to what is familiar, routine. There is a sense of security in thinking that we know how our lives will turn out in either the short- or long-term. And then something unexpected happens which forces us to change our perspective for a time as well, perhaps, as our familiar routine. In some cases the unexpected can be such a huge change that our lives will never be the same again. That takes a longer time to assimilate and accommodate our patterns around. And yet change is the norm not the exception.

A Little Bit of This and That

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The other day when I was meditating this title came into my mind. I have no idea what the 'this' or 'that' referred to in the title is. I liked it because it had a lighthearted feel of a mixture of different things or approaches and reminded me a bit of a patchwork quilt or the crocheted squared that I sometimes make from different coloured wools. Perhaps it refers to a future project that includes both stories and poems, with perhaps a bit of artwork. I will wait to see what will appear.

Evensong

Image by Richard Carter via Flickr

Blackbird on a gorse bush
Singing in the evening
With liquid trilling notes
As the Sun sinks slowly
Below the horizon.

Later as the blackbird
Continued as the soloist
Raucous jackdaws
Added the chorus.

Saturday Football

Image via Wikipedia

A couple of years ago my son bought me a season ticket to Plymouth Argyle home games. I would travel with my husband to Home Park about once a fortnight to see them play. That was one of the better seasons for them. Sadly, since then they haven't been playing too well and are now near the bottom of the Championship. Each Saturday now I sit at home (I can't afford a season ticket any more) waiting to receive the teamsheet and the results via my mobile. It can be a nerve-wracking experience! As my son says it's the hope that kills you!

Shopping

Image by Pieter Musterd via Flickr

We've been having lovely bright weather in West Cornwall for the past few days but the wind is still quite strong and surprisingly cold. I looked out of the window this morning and thought about going for a walk as it's been too cold and windy for me to walk for quite a while. The moment I stepped outside the front door I changed my mind though! Went shopping instead to buy a few things. Increasingly though, my Significant Other and I are finding it harder to buy the products that we want from shops and are increasingly relying on buying items over the internet. Whilst this is in some ways much easier and more convenient I don't feel that it helps the local shopkeepers and employment issues down here. It's a kind of downward spiral really, people can't find what they want so they shop on-line so the stores have fewer customers and can stock only a narrow selection of goods - and so it goes on.

Crocuses

Image by Annies Pics via Flickr

Plants seem to be waking up more now. The daffodils are coming out and yesterday, on my drive back from the swimming pool I saw some beautiful purple crocuses in a garden just down the road from me. The weather over the past few days has been sunny but still with that cold wind and the nights frosty. I think that this must be the latest in the year that we've had frost for quite a while.