That Could Have Been Me

Over at Veg Plotting I've already spoken about how I love receiving everyone's news at Christmas time. However, sometimes that news catches you by surprise and gets you thinking a bit.

I've just had a long e-mail from E and M, the couple who are responsible for NAH (though of course he wasn't NAH at first!) and I meeting. I'd signed up for a photography evening class in Durham just after I moved there to take up my first permanent job, and I'd got to know them well. Over a pint one evening, we discovered a mutual liking for swimming, so I was invited to accompany them to a weekly social swim at Whitley Bay leisure pool. That's where I set eyes on NAH and liked what I saw immediately. However, it soon became clear he was already taken, so I had to put him out of my mind.

The months passed and I became friendly with some other guys from the swimming group. J invited me out, but that was a once-off. It turned out he'd decided that he was going to find a girl to marry and invited a succession of us out one week. I think I was Tuesday, K was later on in the week. That's who he married - I went to their wedding ceilidh. E and M had news of them, having kept in touch and I smiled at the memory I've just told you about.

A few more weeks passed and I was convinced either P or M from swimming would ask me out. In the meantime E and M arranged a pub lunch (at The Cock O' The North pub!) and walk around Durham one Sunday. That afternoon NAH and I talked to each other non-stop, even though his girlfriend was there. Somehow we contrived to exchange phone numbers and for the first time I contemplated taking the initiative and asking a boy out instead of the other way round. In fact I geared myself up to do so - 'if he hasn't rung up by the time this side of the record's finished, I'll do just that'. The record was City to City by Gerry Rafferty. He phoned during the last track. The rest is history.

What of the girlfriend? Well, just after NAH and I got together, she started going out with M (yes, one of the guys I thought would ask me out) and married him. Sadly this Christmas' news includes M dying from leukaemia this year. I'm not saying I would have ended up marrying him had we gone out together, but you never know. So I'm counting my blessings an extra time this Christmas. Strange how you think things will happen one way, then fate lends a hand to completely reshape them isn't it?

What Timing

The wand of good fortune has waved over us this week, not once but twice. We've both had one of our Premium Bonds picked out for a prize. You can always tell when these arrive in the post, so the envelope gets oohed and ahhed over until the ceremonial slitting open by the winner takes place. It's almost always the minimum prize, but welcome nevertheless as the spoils get shared for us to spend on whatever takes our fancy.

I feel the need for a little light shopping over at Amazon coming on...

What's in a Name?

This has got to be one of the best headlines ever in my view. EmmaT seems to think so too. However, I think Skimble and Jess would be a little peeved if I did get a dog.

Namewise the past couple of days have been a little trying - Victoria's in agreement today. Blotanical has had one of its revamps (sigh) and as a consequence we've had to re-sign in with our user names. For most people it's not a problem as their name is more than 4 characters and there aren't that many duplicates even though membership's over 1,000 strong. However, I've had to leave go of VP in there and it's been quite a wrench. VP is me!

I've got very fond of her over the past year even though VP came about by accident. When I signed up for a blog, I was soon faced with a decision on what I was going to be called. Being totally naive in the ways of blogging and the internet, I was more than a little nervous about being my true self. Also Veg Plotting was a bit of a mouthful and I imagined people not wanting to type in my whole name when leaving comments, so it seemed sensible to shorten it to VP. It immediately reminded me of the hilarious cartoon strip Bill Tidy used to do for CAMRA called Keg Buster. The main character's name always got shortened to KB in the strip itself, so VP's also a bit of a homage to Bill Tidy's sense of humour and characterisation.

Having read Victoria's piece today, it's been great to see the speculation from others on what my new Blotanical name would be. It actually mirrors the thought process I went through. Veg Plotting? No, that's the blog, not me. VeePee? Better, but I might get a few jokes about the Pee bit! So, eventually I plumped for EmmaT's occasional name for me - Veep. It retains the quirkiness of VP and rhymes with beep. What could be better?

If only VP or Veep had been acceptable to Emma's revamped Indyblog - it's the full blown VegPlotting on there nowadays. Help - I'm in danger of developing a multiple personality in here!

Secret Santa!

We offer a 'Secret Santa' service to our neighbours at this time of the year. We take in their larger presents which they might find difficult to keep hidden from excited, prying eyes. This year we're looking after this very pink motorbike which I'm sure E is going to love - don't worry, she's only six and doesn't read this blog. Until yesterday it was a very large box in our dining room, but then M came round, put it togther after E had gone to bed and returned it to us for safe keeping until the big day. Do you think she'll let me have a go?

How Far Can You Make Coffee Go?

How far can you make coffee go? In my husband's case much further than you think. We have a bit of a weekend ritual, the kind of thing that marks it out as different and more special than the rest of the week. Part of that ritual is a pot of freshly brewed coffee. This morning was no different. Except he caught the pot with his sleeve and in rescuing the coffee, our favourite mug fell to the floor. The one bought on the last day of our holiday in Australia 5 years ago.

It may not seem much to anyone else, but that little mug has bought so much pleasure. I can clearly remember us deciding to buy it in the gift shop close to the Central Station in Sydney and wrapping it up carefully to survive our trip home. We don't usually go for china mugs, never mind one by a wildlife artist, but this one reminded us of the trip to the koala hospital just outside Port Macquarie on the first week of our holiday and a whole host of other things about that magical trip. I smiled at the memory of such happy times every time I reached for it when the kettle was boiling. Ah well.

The coffee went all over the floor, cupboards and a wooden trolley we keep the television on. Even the insides of drawers and cupboards weren't immune to a touch of coffee grounds. All needed cleaning ready for the Christmas holidays, but I wasn't expecting to do so quite as soon, or as thoroughly - coffee grounds are the pits to clean up! Until we go to Australia again, this picture of our little broken mug will have to suffice.

One day I'll write up the diary of our trip I kept whilst we were on our travels. Perhaps then you'll understand just what I'll be missing from now on.

Wiltshire Without

Click on View All Images if you'd like to see an enlarged version of this Slideshow.

Here's 42 pictures taken this year which haven't appeared on Veg Plotting. I hope you enjoy them. The show's called Wiltshire Without because all the shots were taken outside of this fair county. A lot of the parishes around here have two main components: a Within part - the central area, which is in turn surrounded by a Without one. This often extends well beyond the built up area.

Guess what the Wiltshire slideshow's called...

Wiltshire Within

Click on View All Images if you'd like to see an enlarged version of this Slideshow.

Here's the sister slideshow to Wiltshire Without! 31 photos taken in 2008 around Wiltshire and not posted over at Veg Plotting.

Introducing Your Messages

The Garden Monkey's always a good source of entertaining or thought provoking material and yesterday I was delighted to be sent this link to the intriguing Your Messages project. The challenge is to write a 30 or 300 word response to a thirty word theme and a different one is posted each day in November.

My regular blog is just on a year old and although I have posted more than 1 post per day during that time, I live in constant fear I'll run out of things to say. That's why I signed up for a WEA creative writing course at my local Arts Centre recently. It mentions fear of the blank page and is aimed at both fiction and non-fiction writers, so I thought I would give it a go. I'm finding I'm well outside my comfort zone. For me the class exercises are quite trying - we have 5 minutes or so to come up with a response to an idea, write it down and then talk or read to the class about it. That spontaneity is very hard: everyone busily writes away and I stare into space looking for inspiration. It's my transition from logical, informative viewpoint to a more creative world that's getting in the way. By the end of each class I find myself close to having a panic attack.

So I've decided to try Your Messages as my own class exercise to get over the problem. A quick read of the theme, then 5 to ten minutes to come up with a response. I'll be trying to avoid cliche whilst keeping an awareness of what if and the element of surprise. My responses are posted as Comments on the website - but I also want my own record of what I've come up with - where better than here in my Box of Delight?

This post forms the start of the series, but of course will be published as the latest one posted, even though it's the first. Ahhh, the joys of blogging!

Here's the explanatory blurb from the website - together with my commented response to it. Using 30 words of course!

November 2008 and Your Messages is Back...

...by popular demand! But in a different incarnation because there’s no way we could duplicate November 2007’s amazing project that culminated in the launch of Your Messages at the Poetry Café in London in February this year.

Every day during the month of November 2008 we will post a writing prompt of exactly 30 words and you’re invited to respond, via the comments box, with your own original piece of writing which may be either exactly 30 words or 300 words long.

At the end of the month we’ll be choosing one response as the overall prize-winner (although we may well comment on one or two others as well) and the writer of that piece will receive signed copies of our books: Leading the Dance, Learning How to Fall, Something Beginning With and The Oven House.

And how will we make our decision from so much fine writing? Here are a few things to bear in mind:

1.There should be some kind of link to the prompt, e.g. theme, image, word or phrase
2.It should be a stand-alone piece of writing.
3.It has to be brilliant! :-)))

We look forward to meeting up with as many old and new ‘Messagers’ as possible online from 1st November.

Let the writing begin. Again!

Sarah & Lynne

My Comment (the 17th to the original post):

What a brilliant idea! I'll get my thinking cap on now. And if that doesn't work, I'll enjoy everyone else's contributions. A great way to brighten our dull November days.

And then I looked more closely at the two organisers and realised one of them is Sarah Salway, who kindly donated to my Open Garden fundraiser. Even more reason to keep on trying with this during November.

Snowscenes

Your Messages - prompt for Day 30

He calls them his little worlds. With one shake, he can change everything - not just the weather but the way their stories end. He lines them up. Which one today?

It's the last prompt for the month and this year, so I felt it needed more than just my simple response. I'd also pointed out on yesterday's prompt they'd called it Friday again rather than Saturday, hence my thanking them for the mention in the introduction for today.

Thanks for the mention! I've thoroughly enjoyed my month here, especially reading everyone else's efforts. It's been so much better than the creative writing course I've been attending locally. And no, this is not a shameless effort to sway the judges - it's what I think! Good luck to everyone and here's my final effort:

My nephew often lives in his own little world and whispers conspiratorially to his special companion. My niece teases him mercilessly. He emerges from his reverie shaken but not stirred.

Now to add my responses to last weekend's prompts here (I missed them because we were away in Leeds) and to add some of the stuff from my creative writing course as a record for posterity!

Just One Cornetto?

Your Messages - Theme for Day 29

He wants a banana split with ice-cream, strawberry sauce and chocolate. And he wants it now. Otherwise he will scream. His mother sighs, sees too much of herself in him.

My response:

Knickbocker Glory's always been my favourite. A last day treat at Forte's on seaside holidays. With a spoon as long as my arm and eyes much bigger than my tummy.

We're Off to See The Wizard

Your Messages - Theme for Day 28

The blisters make walking agony. She wishes she wasn't vain, that she wore flat shoes, stomped happily. Then she looks down and sees the red sequin flash. Home, she sighs.

My response:

Dorothy was tired of following the Yellow Brick Road. Her companions were really getting up her nose. She clicked her red shoes together. 'There's no place like home', she said.

I really liked today's prompt (my favourite so far), so immediately wrote another:

I love my wellies! Who needs high heels when there's all those splashy puddles to explore? Wheeeeeeeee! See - I can cover you in mud, no problem. I'll never grow up...

It's Better to Travel

Your Messages - Theme for Day 27

You can want something so badly it hurts, even when you know it's not right. The gold crucifix with paste jewels, the low cut t-shirt, the curly haired ticket collector.

My response:

What happens when you achieve the unattainable? It's one sweet moment of pleasure followed by a lifetime of loss and disappointment. Sometimes it's best not to arrive at journey's end.

This Old House

Your Messages - Theme for Day 26

They ignore the dripping taps and the damp spots. Look at the cherry blossom view, he says. They kiss, they dance. Months later, they can't stop worrying about the cracks.

My response:

Hunkered down into the landscape, the old house had seen it all. Its cracked windows and skewed slates could tell many a fine tale. If anyone was prepared to listen.

Go Fish

Your Messages - Theme for Day 25:

Ever since the Giant Pike Accident, he keeps his mouth shut when swimming. Alone in the night, lips twitching, he can still feel the fish flap deep inside. Searching.

My response:

He felt Esox lucius' kisses a thousand times in its quest for air and freedom. It mashed up his insides and brain until he could only speak in cod latin.

Esox lucius = latin name for Pike

Champagne Charlie

Your Messages - Theme for Day 24:

She thought she might be one of those women who only drank champagne, wore silk negligees, smoked Turkish cigarettes, laughed twinkily and talked about nothing. Luckily, events worked against her.

My response:

The smart WAAF uniform and the thrill of delivering planes to the edge of the theatre of war was exactly the wake-up call she needed. She'd never felt so alive.