Potato Antidote

In case you need an antidote to something serious that is happening in your life, like tax returns, or a sore back (I have both, probably related) here is the Potato Song.

Tommy Emannuel

It's been such a long time since I listened to this fellow, let alone posted any of his music.
Here's Struttin'.
Incredible.
His standard is high.  And I read it took him 25 days solid work to get this particular piece up there.
That's about my average for an art work too.
Not that there's any comparison.

Dictionary Words

From an article in the Times `2008, but worth posting here just for the sheer fun of it, I think.

"Dictionary compilers at Collins have decided that the word list for the forthcoming edition of its largest volume is embrangled with words so obscure that they are linguistic recrement. Such words, they say, must be exuviated abstergently to make room for modern additions that will act as a roborant for the book.

Readers who vilipend the compilers’ decision and vaticinate that society will be poorer without little-used words have been offered a chance to save them from the endangered list Collins, which is owned by News Corporation, parent company of The Times, has agreed that words will be granted a reprieve if evidence of their popularity emerges before February, when the word list is finalised."

Exuviation: Before full metamorphosis to the imago, this newly-hatched mantis will need to undergo several skin exuviations and after each will be vulnerable to predation until the new skin has hardened.

Mr Phil Warren and His Matches.

For quite a few years now Phil has been making ships and aircraft from matches and their boxes.

I think such steady application should be rewarded, so I dedicate this post to him.
I have also written a poem in his honour.

I make my ships from matches
I've constructed flotillas and fleets
Some people think I'm crazy
But it's kept me off the streets.

Good Day For It

My day: Raining. Tax return. Exercycle. Tax return. Drying washing. Ironing. Paperwork. Exercycle.

The blue stuff in the satellite image is, needless to say, rain. 

Paddington

thetimes.co.uk

When I was just two, Michael Bond published the first of his delightful 'Paddington' books, so it wasn't surprising that they were part of my growing up years.
Sweet-natured and polite, but rather clumsy and with a marmalade habit (which I approved of, much preferring it to honey - the addiction of another of my childhood bears Pooh), Paddington Bear was, to me anyway, the stereotype of restrained British sensitivity, understated humour, and kindness, which I also met in Paul Gallico, Millie-Mollie-Mandy, The Famous Five, and Rupert (who of course, although looking like a bear, was really far more boy-like).

I think they've done a really rather topping job of the Paddington movie that came out last year 2014, but that I've only just seen.

I especially loved the cameo appearance of Michael Bond himself, tipping his glass to Paddington through a restaurant window.  If you see the movie (and I recommend you do, no matter how old you are), see if you can spot him.

Cold

It's a bit chilly today here in the usually sunny Bay of Plenty. I woke with a bit of a sniffle so I boiled the kettle, put half in a hot water bottle which I have stuck down the front of my second pair of trousers, and poured the other half over the peel and juice of a lemon and a tablespoon of bush honey. 

It's so handy that the mandarins and lemons all bear fruit in winter, just when we need the vitamin C!

I've also chopped a few for marmalade. Mmmm, love the smell of citrus wafting through the house!