Simply a moment - - - Mother Nature's Jewels

10.44 - Saturday 16th February 2013

- - - the car climbs steadily up the Sloc - and the higher we climb the more we are enveloped by the mist - until the Artisan switches on the headlights. "I was really psyched up for a nice weekend" he says - disappointment tinged his voice - and I smiled ruefully - yesterday was so lovely I thought - why couldn't it have stayed bright for one more day? He works so hard - his weekends so precious - and when he can't get out to enjoy the great outdoors he gets so down. My thoughts wander. As always  - I find myself surprised by the clarity of colours on these damp grey days - an unexpected gift that never ceases to surprise me. The bare branches of the fuchsia hedges are the most glorious golden honey brown - - and the moss and ferns bright jewels of emerald green - - - on the radio Prince sings The Most Beautiful Girl in the World - the melody is so lovely and I find my eyes filling with tears. I look hastily away, I don't want the Artisan to see that today I am not really coping well, I don't on grey days - I gaze unseeing out the window, battling hard with my feelings of loss - I win - my thoughts drifting back to the wonderful colours Mother Nature paints our world with, until suddenly we are almost in Purt ny Hinshey - I drag my head back to the present - - we are pulling into Fenella beach car park - a walk round the castle walls by the sea and a quick drop in at the kipper factory for todays tea beckons - - -

Alexa at Trimming the Sails runs this meme each month - if you pop over to visit her here - you will find lots more "moments". Go on - you know you want to - and maybe you have a moment of your own to share too?

Thanks for stopping by

 'til later,  Bannaghtyn J xx

Storytelling Sunday - February

- - once more blogland is full of stories today - - thanks to Sian from High in the Sky for hosting - and as I made a promise to myself to try to participate more often this year, here I am again.
Sian's suggested theme - precious - has lots of scope (details can be found here, )so do feel free to join in by sharing a story of your own.

Precious Perfume

The small girl stood at her side, looking up hopefully - the woman picked up the small black bottle and turning to the child bade her "hold out your hand". The little one obeyed delightedly - the smile stretching as granny squeezed the small, net covered rubber bulb - spraying sweet violet scented perfume on to her wrist - - - - -

It lives now in the pine cabinet in the alcove of the hearth -  just a small, rather pretty bottle, the gilding a little worn and the base slightly chipped, missing a couple of the small sparkly gems around the neck of the top - yet the painting/transfer/enamel on the sides is still in perfect condition- dating from the late 1940's or early 1950's. I am not sure just how old it is - not yet an antique or even very valuableI guess.

It used to sit on my Granny's dressing table  - and I remember it from when I was a tiny girl and she still had the shop - I have no idea how she got it - a gift from my mum perhaps?
It came to me as a 15 year old - I am not sure whether grandad or mum said I might have it when Granny died - but I suspect grandad - I can hear his voice in my head - "You have it, missy" is what I hear - he always called me "missy" ( and my sister was "little missy") but I am really not sure, the memory of grandad saying that to me could cover a myriad of small items!!
I need only to turn this little bottle round and round in in my fingers to be transported back in time - once again that small girl standing at granny's dressing table as she sprayed a little of the perfume it contained onto my wrist. The bottle still holds traces of that sweet violet perfume - - - the scent of granny - perfume was her only concession to "cosmetics" - and I think it might have been a Yardleys Eau de Toilette from the floral collection they made. I am not sure  any longer - I only know my little chipped glass bottle is priceless - to me and my mum anyway - another "precious".
Its home is rather cluttered with lots of "nick-nacks" - dust collectors really - and as I return my precious bottle to its home in the cabinet  I realise I ought to tidy it out. Maybe later.

There are a lot of stories to be found around the web today - you can find them here.

Thanks for stopping by
'til later,

Bannaghtyn - J xx

A Mini Album - -

I did intend Journalling my Christmas,along with Shimelle or keeping a December Daily, with Ali Edwards -- with not a lot of success - but this year however, I have made a mini album, where I have tried to put photos of what we did to try to create a little happiness to remember from our rather quiet and sad festive season, so thought I would share a few photos. It is a very small album - made using the inside of toilet rolls to make pockets to hold tags.

 Thanks for stopping by.
'til later.

Bannaghtyn - J x

Simply a moment - - - Robin

Photo from rspb.org.uk

12.25 - Monday 21st January 2013
I sit down with my lunch sandwich  - heavy grey skies - with their threat of snow - have kept the whole morning dark and somewhat gloomy in the garden - -

Through the window I can see large wet flakes of snow drifting steadily down - melting as they land. The roof of the greenhouse is beginning to turn white, yet it looks too wet to really stick - and on the post robin stands  - a small, fat, round, red, grey and brown ball of fluff - giving some  indication of how cold it might be out there. He flutters up to the bird table and tucks in greedily to the scraps of bacon fat I snipped up and put out earlier - before disappearing into the high hedges - what disturbed him I wonder - then see a flash of red through the hedge as someone comes down the path to a neighbouring cottage.
A car swishes past on the road  - just above my head, and as the blue tits suddenly appear on the bird feeder, the blackbird scurries out from behind the bench to take advantage of the infinitesimal bits of fat and nuts that fall as they feed. I am just thinking to myself that the agility of these tiny birds is amazing - when to my astonishment robin flies up to the hanging fat block to join them  - he frightens them of course - and they are gone in a flurry of flashing yellow and tiny wings, but robin manages to hang on - upside down and clinging on desperately it seems - long enough to snatch a few beakfulls of food before flapping his wings madly and landing on his favourite post. The Rayburn is warm on my back -  - I sit watching a little longer as the blue tits return - - The kettle behind me begins to sing - and I rise - coffee calls methinks - - -

Alexa at Trimming the Sails runs this meme each month - if you pop over to visit her here - you will find lots more "moments". Go on - you know you want to -

Thanks for stopping by

 'til later,  Bannaghtyn J xx

Storytelling Sunday - - Precious

- - is back for another year. Many thanks to Sian from High in the Sky for hosting - and I am going to try to participate more often this year, and have set myself a target - whether I hit it or not remains to be seen.
Sian has suggested a theme - and details can be found here, so do feel free to join in by sharing a story of your own.

Precious

It hung just to left of the mixer tap, with its’ easily recognisable logo, a great example of your typical “souvenir” - just one of a whole bunch that the boy had received as “freebies” as he built up his collection of favourite TV series and films. He had started his first collections as a young teenager - gradually replacing his original video tapes with the later DVDs. His love for these old TV series never left him - there he could escape - back to his childhood and early teens - when he had been himself - his real self - happy, smiling, kind and full of fun and laughter. The free gift of this set had delighted him - though maybe not so much his mum - “Where am I going to put them????” she had almost wailed when they had arrived!!
His DVDs hadn’t bothered her as much - they could live happily in his room - even though they were usually spread across his floor instead of on the shelves! But these - where was she to keep them for him?? Storage space was at a premium in her home - everything was “compact” and to the best of her ability she operated on a “one in/one out” system - with everything they purchased, and even with that in place their storage was full to capacity - to add an additional 8 items to her already overcrowded spaces felt like madness!!
Yet she couldn’t bring herself to say anything to him - he was SO pleased with them - he was almost himself again - light shining in his eyes as he unpacked them one after another . “I”ll use them, mum. You don’t mind, do you? You and  dad can use them too - no problem.” he said, looking at her hopefully - - -

What could I say? They made him happy - even if only for a brief moment in time - and now - this blue one is one of only two that were unbroken - - this one left here in the cottage, the other in his hands - - - - circumstance has made this mass produced souvenir unbelievably precious - - - a very basic navy blue mug - not even fine bone china at that - with the logo that proclaims “Trekkie” - and for me - infinitely precious. And to anyone who knew my boy - speaks his name as clearly as if he was still in the room with me, so that this year it became a way for him to be sharing Christmas with us - and that logo is especially significant now - My bright shining star - - - -

Thanks for stopping by - there are lots more stories around today, you can find links to them all here,
  'til later

Bannaghtyn,  J xx

Happy New Year - -

- - to all my readers. Your visits have helped me so much and have a value far more than a simple "Thank You"can express. I wish you all health, love and joy for 2013. Many thanks to Karen for sharing this wonderful photo at a time when all my days seemed dark.

Bannaghtyn, J xx

Oh ChristmasTree - -

- - thank you Prince Albert - for bringing this tradition from Germany to the UK when you married our Queen Victoria. You will ever know how much pleasure you have given me over the years of my life. There are no truer words than "in the eyes of children every Christmas Tree is 30 feet tall" and we are always children at heart - however old the outer skin becomes!

Thanks to balletnews.co.uk for this image

Once upon a time - there was a small girl called L- - - - -, who was perhaps a little what they would nowadays call "hyperactive" and a very great chatterbox. She could always find something to talk about - so much so, that to her loving mummy - felt that the only time she stopped talking was when she was asleep - and she didn't seem to do a great deal of that!!
She was soon to be 4 years old - a small loving, dark-haired little girl - excitable, not very good at concentrating and completely unable NOT to talk!! This particular December - her birthday month,  the Royal Ballet were dancing The Nutcracker in the big theatre in the city just 12 miles from her home - and as her mummy loved to go to the ballet - tickets were purchased for a Matinee performance when L- - - -  celebrated her own special day the day before Christmas Eve.
Mummy - with Granny to accompany her took L- - - - off to the city for the day. A trip to the best Department store in town was planned for a visit to the Man in Red in his magical grotto - then lunch before the theatre outing. The slightly apprehensive adults found their seats as the small girl chattered incessantly - asking questions, exclaiming at the numbers of people in the seats ( did I mention the theatre was almost full - very few seats empty!!), bouncing about on her seat, excitement - always very close to the surface with L - - - - making her giddy; so that mummy and granny began to wonder if they had made a huge mistake bringing this excitable little girl to such an event!
But mummy wanted her to see not only the magic to be found in a theatre, at the ballet - but in this particular story - to mummy's mind one of the most magical Christmas tales. Slowly the house lights darkened - the theatre quietened and children everywher settled into their seats - all except L - - - -. who of course was bobbing up and down like a yo-yo - softly the dark space was filled with music as the orchestra's playing swelled into the opening notes of the overture.
L - - - -sat down abrubtly - silenced by the swelling music and the lights playing across the curtains on the stage as they slowly opened to reveal the beautiful, fantastical set that was everyone arriving at Clara's party. She sat transfixed as this delightful ballet played out in front of her - telling her the wonderful story of the enchanted Prince - Nutcracker - and Dr Drosselmeyer, and Clara and the Mouse King and Sugar Plum Fairy - - particularly the Christmas Tree scene - it silenced her completely - - when it grew before her eyes to disappear into the top of the Proscenium arch.
Mummy was stunned - marvelling that this performance had lit "candle eyes"in her small daughter - the child sat totally still and completely silent up to the interval - when of course ice cream was enjoyed by all 3 - and also by the fact that L - - - - was waiting excited - but QUIET - and expectantly for the lights to go down again - to be silenced again and transported once more into the magical world of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet.

avaballet.blogspot.com

We were never able to re create the magic of that afternoon - as the Ballet Company didn't return - but oh I am so glad they came that once - it is one of my most wonderful Christmas memories - and I never, ever hear any snippet of the Nutcracker Suite without being transported back in time to that afternoon - 30 years ago this year. I know if I lived anywhere near a place that performed that ballet every Christmas I would want to go - and make it a family outing Christmas tradition - if only to try to re capture the magic of that day - and I have never been able to forget her small face as the Christmas tree grew, and grew, and grew on that stage!

Thanks for dropping in
'til later

Bannaghtyn J xx