Three Things Challenge #435

Welcome to The Three Things Challenge.
Below are three things that may, or may not, be related. The challenge is to simply read the prompt and see where your creativity takes you.
You can use one, two or all three words in your post, there are no restrictions regarding length, style, or genre apart from keeping it family friendly.
You can use the 3TC, #threethingschallenge or TTC as a tag and the logo if you wish.
Don’t forget to invite us along by creating a pingback to this post, then leave your link in the comments so that other people can read your writings and I’ll see it to respond to you directly. While you’re there, why not check out some of the other posts too!

The challenge is scheduled to go out around 6.30 am UK time, but pingbacks have to be approved manually so they might not show immediately. This could be because I’m late accessing my blog or due to time differences, but I will get there, I promise!
Your support continues to be amazing, so my thanks as always to all of you for taking part.

Have fun and these are your three things today are:

CHORTLE
FLUFF
WHITE

Exotic Fruits

Dr Tanya is our hostess for the 5 Things challenge.
https://saltedcaramel670.wordpress.com/2020/12/01/5-exotic-fruits-you-love/

The 5 Things tag keeps surfacing on WordPress. I am not sure who first thought of it but I have always found it fun to do. I thought “Why not make it a weekly feature?” If you participate in a post of your own please tag it #5things. Your concept of exotic varies with the variety of foods freely available around you. In western countries, mangoes would be considered exotic but in my part of the world they are the commonest seasonal fruit in summer.
I was never a fruity person (get your mind out of the gutter), just your basic oranges, apples, and bananas, with seedless grapes and strawberries in the summer and satsumas or pomegranates at Christmas.
That’s all changed now and you can have practically any fruit any time of the year.
Mangoes.
I was introduced to mangoes in 1993 when on holiday in Amsterdam.
I love them!

Kiwi fruit

Memories of my trip to NZ (picture left, but not mine), but kiwi and raspberries for dessert? Yummy!!

Melon.

 

Melon is good for a starter or dessert. It’s light and refreshing. One of the family dogs loved it, and would be ‘smiling’ with his own wedge!

Pineapple:
I love fresh pineapple, but it is so acidic, it gives me mouth ulcers.
However, fresh pineapple in some of my recipes brings a whole new dimension of flavour to the dish, and not just dessert.

Star Fruit

In 1994, I was on a diet coming up to Christmas and to show willing for our department Christmas meal, I ordered an exotic fruit starter, traditional dinner and a fruit salad for dessert.
The only difference between my starter and dessert was star fruit on one, and cream on the other.

Photo Challenge #343

Nekneeraj is our host for the Tuesday Photo Challenge:
This week he’s chosen an image by Oleg Oprisco.

‘I know you said you had a surprise for me Tom, but somehow I didn’t expect this’.
‘Me neither. I’m sorry Jackie. I thought I’d followed the instructions to the letter.’
The two were training to be conjurers and had come across an old book about the powers of illusion. Somehow, they got more than they bargained for.
‘How long do you think the spell will last?’
‘About 24 hours I think. I’ll stay with you though.’
‘Thanks. Let’s hope it doesn’t rain. You’ll get wet.’
‘Yeah. There is an irony though.’
‘How so?’
He turned to look at her and grinned.
‘Now I’ve got my own personal Jack in the Box!’
Jackie sighed.
‘Remind me to hit you when I get out of here!’

 

FOWC with Fandango — Comfort

Take comfort from others,
A trouble shared is a trouble halved.
Rest your weary head on someone’s wider shoulders,
And let your emotions flow.
In time, you may be the comforter,
Hold a hand, and dry tears of sorrow.
Be a friend, a listener, say nothing,
Sometimes your presence is enough.

Written for https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/79388113/posts/3051888261

Truthful Tuesday: December 1st 2020

It’s Tuesday, so Frank sets us the Truthful Tuesday poser.
https://pcguyiv.wordpress.com/2020/12/01/truthful-tuesday-december-1st-2020/

The Question

With the exception of blogging (assuming it’s a hobby and not your profession), do you have any unique hobbies or pastimes?

I don’t know if you’d class them as unique, but I love to do jigsaw puzzles.

These are 1000 piece puzzles hanging in our lounge. Two are of narrow boats, and the one in the centre a cottage in the woods. The largest I ever did was 3000 pieces in 1976, but that ended up going back in the box.

Then of course I have an interest in, and love of, dogs. It doesn’t matter what size or breed, I seem to have a rapport with them all, though know the difference between an excited yap and a warning bark!

But I think my greatest hobby now is card making. I get so much enjoyment out of making them, especially when ideas come together.

Today is Tuesday, 1st December

Hello everyone. White bunnies and all that for the first of the new month, which as it happens is the last of this abysmal year.

My cards are in the post, and if I receive one from anyone I haven’t sent one to, that’s because I don’t have their address. I literally went through my address book and sent a card to everyone in it, though there are a few crossings out now. I didn’t bother with a newsletter this year, probably the first time in over two decades, but the news for everyone is grim with Covid and our year hasn’t exactly been rosy.

The day started sunny, but oh so cold. It had been raining in the night so the grass is too wet to cut. We’ve had our first walk though, walking through the park. We met a few of our friends, one of which said it looked really odd to see us without Maggie. Her dog is a 10 year old GSD, who is very protective towards her, but knows us now, so we can stop and chat. Sometimes, but not always, she’ll allow you to fuss her, the dog that is, not the owner.
I also got a fuss from a black and white border collie who was just a pup when we arrived here. They have spent so much time training her, and she walks off lead most of the time, responding to hand signals just as Maggie used to.
Finally, it was the turn of the little dogs, and I got trashed by a pair that have always been glad to see me. When Covid first hit, they were so confused as to why they couldn’t cross the street to be fussed, so we improvised and I went through the stroking motions on my side whilst their owners did the actual stroking on theirs. It seemed to work anyway, and Maggie was used to sharing me.

I had to wait outside for the Post Office as it’s tucked away in the corner of a small shop, so only has room for one being served and one waiting. Luckily there was only one other lady outside and it wasn’t raining. My parcels cost almost £4 each to post, I topped up my phone, bought some more stamps to replace the ones I’d used, and took a tenner for pocket money as my purse was practically empty.

From there we went to the Co-op to get Hubby’s yogurts. We buy three or four packs to tide him over a couple of weeks as they are the only place that stock this particular flavour which suits him.
All in all we’ve had a good day so far. The house smells of curry which is pleasant on the nose as I don’t make it too strong, and although he was disappointed he couldn’t have the coconut on the top yet, it went down very well with no after effects. The pain in Hubby’s side is diminishing, though still a little uncomfortable, but at least he doesn’t have to have any more tummy jabs now that his INR is back in range.

Hope you’ve all had a good start to your day.
Take care and keep safe.

Memories of Christmas Past

The jingly music is already in the shops and although we have no TV, the news channels Hubby tunes into are running the Christmas ads. So much is ‘in yer face’ it makes some of us wish for hibernation.
Don’t get me wrong, we enjoy Christmas, but what annoys us more than anything is the commericalism and profiteering.

Last year I had a problem finding turkey steaks for our Christmas dinner. Now that there is no family to feed or expected visitors, cooking a whole bird just isn’t practical for the two of us. When I did eventually find a tray of three, the price was ridiculous, so we had chicken. It looks like the same thing is going to happen now as tens of thousands of turkeys are to be culled due to an outbreak of bird flu. If I remember correctly, that was the excuse for shortages last year.

Before Hubby and I got together, I would be preparing for Christmas in the way of gifts from August. Money was tight so I spread the cost as best I could, but still managed to overspend.
The company I worked for gave everyone a turkey so that saved a few pounds, and Christmas Eve would see me preparing veg for a meal for at least a dozen on Christmas Day. There was our family of four, foster kid and boyfriend, the Ex-wife and fiance, partner’s mother and her husband, plus HER sister and husband at HER invitation to our house. No help offered for washing up either, but it was fun to watch excited and impatient hands ripping paper and screams of delight when Santa had brought what they wanted, except one year when £300 of stocking fillers plus gifts were carelessly tossed on the pile with the comment ‘where are we going to put all this junk?’
Out of the mouths of babes, except this was no babe, but the thorn in my side of a blue-eyed ‘angel’ used to getting his own way and always playing his divorced parents one off against the other.
To add insult to injury, I’d spent a week’s wages on a gold chain for my partner as he did not want one with a St Christopher or Crucifix on it, and not only didn’t see him open it, but received no recognition or thanks. When asked if he liked it, he said it was OK, and I could buy the cross to go on it for his birthday. He didn’t get it.

You may ask why I was still there, as the original plan was to leave in December 1988. It was nothing to do with Christmas, but loyalty, however misplaced, to a guy who had been accused of something he hadn’t done, and I felt I had to clear his name first. No-one had any idea of what was to follow in a few months, and although I’m not exactly pleased with myself for the way I left, I have never regretted my decision.

Hubby and I have always had terrific Christmases, from our penniless first to the present day. We put the dekkies up and a tree, and have a traditional Christmas dinner. It’s going to be a little different this year, but we shall still have a lovely day, just the two of us.
Photo: our Christmas Tree last year.

Three Things Challenge #434

Welcome to The Three Things Challenge.
Below are three things that may, or may not, be related. The challenge is to simply read the prompt and see where your creativity takes you.
You can use one, two or all three words in your post, there are no restrictions regarding length, style, or genre apart from keeping it family friendly.
You can use the 3TC, #threethingschallenge or TTC as a tag and the logo if you wish.
Don’t forget to invite us along by creating a pingback to this post, then leave your link in the comments so that other people can read your writings and I’ll see it to respond to you directly. While you’re there, why not check out some of the other posts too!

The challenge is scheduled to go out around 6.30 am UK time, but pingbacks have to be approved manually so they might not show immediately. This could be because I’m late accessing my blog or due to time differences, but I will get there, I promise!
Your support continues to be amazing, so my thanks as always to all of you for taking part.

Have fun and these are your three things today are:

FESTIVE
PRETTY
DRY

Butterflies and Rainbows

Something I wrote in the hospital car park today.

Butterflies and Rainbows

A butterfly flitting from flower to flower,
Delicate wings absorbing light,
Rainbows awash with vibrant colour,
Reflections of my life.
Touching souls and hearts alike,
Leaving no mark as they pass,
Beauty and wonder, behold the sight
Captured forever through glass.
Warm thoughts and wishes,
Love knowing no bounds,
Sweet caresses and kisses,
Smiles replacing sad frowns.
Butterflies touching rainbows,
Colour and fragility combined,
The swell in my aching heart grows
As I see them in my mind:
My loved ones waiting patiently for me,
Fur babies, parents, all,
Alive and whole, young and pain free,
They’ll greet me when I get The Call.

MLMM Wordle #217

Monday is Wordle Day set by Yves at Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie.
You can join in here

Ice
Spill
Bestow
Obstinate
Crumble
Lighthouse
Murky
Garble
Drama
Print
Quiver
Surrender

She was obstinate in her ways, and unlikely to bestow her attention on you.
Many said she had ice in her veins, but I knew different. I had seen that bottom lip quiver, the tears threaten to spill and her attitude crumble as she stood at the foot of the lighthouse that had once been her home.
Few knew of her murky past, something forever printed in her mind, a time when she would garble her words following a beating from an enraged father and imagined drama as he surrendered to his demons.