Camera Critters - My Sister's Horses

These are my sister's two horses, Spot and Merlin.

To see more participants of Camera Critters hosted by Misty, go here: http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/

Sunday Bridge.

http://bayphoto.blogspot.com/


Last month, I went with friends associated with the ESOL class of t Albert Baptist Church on an outing. We went on a long train ride to the west of Auckland. At this new Swanson station, we had to cross the tracks on an overhead bridge. We had to walk two flights of stairs. There are two elevators for those who can't walk the stairs.

We walked again to Cafe Redwood, and I had this mini quiche of ham and spinach.
on

aheading Home for Weekend Reflections

Heading home with the sun behind my back.

Have You Ever Been To A Writing Workshop...

and come home with one of these?

I made it myself!

Imagine my surprise when I went to Eryl's workshop last night (see here, http://thekitchenbitchponders.blogspot.com/2010/07/dasein.html - after the pictures of drying military costumery) to walk into a room where sugarcraft, gift-box making, patchwork flower brooch making and tea and cakes were also on offer! It was a woman's group! And much fun.

Also slotted in an Open Mic the evening before, at So You in Dumfries. Premiered three poems from my new pamphlet-in-progress, and the one I was thinking of cutting was the one everyone complimented me on. People do so interfere with the creative process.
Anyway, here is a very tall singer/songwriter whose name completely eludes me but whose new CD is available from Barnstorm Records. I will be seeking it out. He was jolly good.

Update: Blimey, he was in the paper tonight. His star is in the ascendant, his name's Lewis Fergusson and the EP is called "Head Keeps Spinning".

If anyone could remind me what my husband looks like, would be most grateful.

Miss Fries and durian

Miss Fries was my Math and Physics teacher when I was in Methodist school, in Sibu, Sarawak Borneo. I admired her for coming all the way from USA to teach us. I admired her more when she told us more about herself when she came to stay with us in 1999. I wish I could write her memoir.

Today, Miss Fries sent an email. I am so pleased she remembered Sam's birthday. Sam was born 7 years after Andrew died. He is my pride and joy. God made me whole again.

Sam started reading very early, and here he is at two years old reading to my American teacher. She was so impressed that she made a recording of him reading to take back to America.








There are many stories about this revered King of fruits. How do I describe the fruit. It's like a good thick custard. A good fruit is not just sweet. It should have a touch of bitterness. The best way to eat durian is to squat on the floor.

Most Europeans and China citizens do not eat durian, they can't stand the smell of it. The aroma indeed is so strong, that it is not an understatement that it smells like s***. There is a saying, if you like durian, you will come back again.

When Miss Fries came to stay with us, I was surprised she said that she eats durian.that So we bought some, and I told her," Lets eat the proper way." I got her a stool, I sat on the floor, the water engineer cut opened the durian on the floor of our balcony, we ate and laughed.

Durian is very heaty, it makes you warm and eating too much can make you very sick. We have known for ages that if you put some salt in the husk and add some unboiled water, drinking this concoction direct from the husk will counteract this. My siblings and I may be in the 21st century, and living in Australia and New Zealand, when we eat durian, we still do this.

You must never ever combine durian with alcohol. Some skeptics have ignored this and almost met with their death. One family has its own story to this warning. I won't go into details as this is a very personal issue.

Durian is an aphrodisiac. After eating durian, you have a warming effect. You know what I mean. There is a Malay saying," When the durian fall, the sarong drops." Some people take its literal meaning. In fact, it means people like durian so much that they will pawn their sarongs to get money to buy the durian. If this scenario is true, plus the pungent smell of the durian, it is far from being an aphrodisiac, if it causes fights in the family.

The water engineer and I went to buy durian. He was wearing his summer shorts in the humid Singapore. He bought the best ones, Sultan, Mountain cat or civet, D24 and the bill went to almost a hundred dollars. I was in the car, and he told me to get his wallet from his pants in the car boot. I took out his long pants and cheekily joked with the vendor that we don't have money and would he take the water engineer's pants. He laughed and said if he took our pants, he would soon be selling used pants instead of durians.

The queen of fruits, is the mangosteen. According to the Singaporeans and West Malaysians, the mangesteen is cooling, and hence an anecdote to eating too much durian. I learned this from my friends C.P. and S.L. Across the South China Sea in Borneo, it is believed that if you eat mangoesteen, you must not eat sugar, or you will die. I never had any mongoesteen when I was a child. My parents were cautious, they didn't want any of us 9 kids to die. I queried Dad, "But I will not eat sugar." Dad replied, it is not just white sugar, it is sugar hidden in biscuits and soft drinks." When I became an adult, I ate lots of mangoesteens.

I have lots more durian stories, I think I will leave them in my book.

Just one more for the road, the cultural centre, the oddly shaped Esplanade building, in Singapore has the look of the durian. Initially people got upset when it was referred as such. Soon, it became a term of endearment. Everyone calls it the Durian. Since the durian is such a well loved fruit, why not?

Sky Watch Friday - Demolished

I took this a few months ago in Bellefonte. If you enlarge the photo by double clicking on it you can see one of the workers in the upper window.

To see more participants of Sky Watch Friday go here: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Pond Reflections for weekend reflections

Reflections in the Currie Pond.

Weekend Reflectionshttp://newtowndailyphoto.blogspot.com/:is a meme where you can view beautiful reflections captured by others. Just click on the logo on the right to see what others have captured with their cameras. Today promises to be a fine sunny one,

Looky, Looky, I'm In A Booky!

Well, I think I am. It's certainly my story (A Woman's War, here: http://titusthedog.blogspot.com/2010/04/story-and-story-about-story.html ), but it's attributed in the index to Jo-Anne McKay, my biog is also that of Jo-Anne McKay and on the facing page the story is by Jo-Anne McCay.

JoAnne McKay. It's not that hard, is it?

Anyway, I'm still delighted. May I present Stories of Loss and Deception - An Anthology of Stories from The Hay Short Story Competition, 2008 - 2009. I like the cover.

Blue sky and ocean for Thursday challenge

blue, is this week's photographic theme for Thursday's Challenge. To view more photos posted on this theme, or to join in on the fun yourself, just 'click' on the highlighted name.

waves coming in for watery wednesday

Watching the waves come in from the bay of Funndyat Mispec beach . A wonderful day at the beach of fun in the sun.


Waterty Wednesdayhttp://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/ is a delightful meme where you can enjoy almost any aspect of water scenes or activity. This meme offers a wide choice of topic. To view contributions of others or to post your own contribution, please click on theWatery Wednesday icon on the right sidebar on this page and enjoy. A Happy Wednesday wish to all!

ABC Wednesday: Letter B

This is technically NOT a BED. When I saw Mrs. Nesbitts' poor cat Ella all cramped in a round pot as a bed, I told her that I will cyber Ella a more comfortable bed.
http://mrsnesbittsspace.blogspot.com/2010/07/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.html

This is a Chinese BUN called BAO. This is eaten by the Northern Chinese. They call them a Flower Bao. After kneading, they score lines on the dough. When it is steamed, the lines open up, and hence a flower. It is eaten in place of rice with meat or vegetables.
http://abcwednesdayround3.blogspot.com/
ABC Wednesday is hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt

I normally post this meme on my Photos site, but decided to do it here as it is a food.
Denise, I hope Ella will have a good night sleep and she has plenty of room to stretch her legs. This pot is 6 inch by 10 inch. The pattern is not exactly like yours, but the colour looks alike.

male hummingbird for Ruby Tuesday

This species has been shown before, but this glimpse of a young male Ruby-throated hummingbird perched in a tree appears to be so refreshing and new that its seems appropiate to post its image again for my red contribution to RubyTuesday. Please click on the picture to enlarge for a closer view.

Got photos with red? want to share them?To check out other postings on Ruby Tuesday just click on the Ruby logo on the side bar or here:http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/. My appreciative thanks to Mary/the teach for hosting this meme

J'adore Le Jumelage!

When most people think of twinning I suspect what comes to mind is those signs on the outskirts of towns and cities - "Twinned with (insert name of suitable place abroad, of comparable size, here)".
Aside from the occasional visit of dignitaries, photographed for page 9 of the local newspaper, who actually knows what it's all about?

Well, in rural France and rural Scotland things are delightfully different. Long united in their shared detestation of, and wars with, the English, The Auld Alliance (La Vielle Alliance) is vibrant, wild and one of the weirdest things I participate in each year.
It works like this - one year residents of Penpont, Tynron and Dunscore travel to four small villages in Picardie (Le Deluge, La Neuville D'Aumont, Le Coudray and L'Abbaye Ressons) and stay with people there, and the next year they come here and stay with us. And so on. It's brilliant, you often stay with people you've never met before and frequently people who speak no French become great friends with people who speak no English (well, Scottish). There's a formal programme, visits to sites of cultural importance, aperitifs at 11am every day and meals that last 4 hours which whole villages attend.

A few highlights (OK, holiday snaps) to demonstrate L'Esprit de Jumelage.

Formal Declarations


For Celebrations


Bar Flies


Kilted Guys


Blue and White

Party Night


Scotland Scores

Eat Outdoors

Pick the Winner


After Dinner

ABC Wed. "B" = Don't let the Dinosaur Bite You in the Butt!

I took this photo at the Boalsburg Arts & Crafts Festival. I didn't realize when I was taking the photo of the dinosaur that it looked like it was biting this boys butt. Oops! (ABC Wed. "B" = Bite and Butt)

To see more ABC Wed. participants, go here: Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC Wed.

Happy Birthday B.E.

Last Thursday, was my new friend's birthday. I knew B though his wife R. I admire the love they have for each other. They have been married for 61 years.

I had lunch with them, and B told me about his son J.

Happy Birthday B. This tall strong tree seems right for you. It was so tall I had to photograph it in two sections.

The Poetry Bus: Where's the Bus Stop? Is It Monday? Who's Driving?

Well, it's Poetry Bus time and confusion reigns with Niamh!
The challenge was to write about confusion, and I have Domestic Oubliette to thank for this one. Her last post took me back to times I would very much like to forget, when days rolled into nights and I lost a lot of my mind...

Other confused minds may be found here:
http://variouscushions.blogspot.com/2010/07/bus-departs-wheres-your-ticket.html

The Ring-Pull Can

The kitchen is grey, and grey, and grey.
It was turquoise and orange.
Clock. 3 am.
Why? I know I must eat.
Cupboard, bearing,
baked beans,
I find the tin-opener, and pierce
a ring-pull can of Heinz.
Eat two spoons cold
standing at the sink.
I sway, and pray.
It is them.
They are mine ergo I love them.
They are here; I want them gone.
Something is wrong.

marco flowers: magnolia

Thank you Maia.

First I love flowers. Second, the badge for this meme is the North Borneo Orchid. My Dad's favourite flower. It gives me warm fuzzy feeling every time I see this flower.

Join Macro Flowers Saturday, a photo meme for macro photos and close-ups of flowers, garden flowers, wildflowers, blossoms, flowers with insects and butterflies (no insects without flowers), flowers with raindrops and whatever beautiful plants, plant seeds or berries you have, in close-up.

First time visitors, please read the rules. They are simple but I do ask that you, please, use a MFS badge or link back to MFS in some way. Thank you.

Macro Flower Saturday

n

In New Zealand, it is winter. The Magnolias are blooming.

http://annkschin.blogspot.com/2009/01/magnolia-2.html

http://annkschin.blogspot.com/2009/01/magnolia.html