Christmas day edition 2021

On the ball or not this has been hastily put together as we are able to do a bit more than last and so we will have a few visitors today.

Christmas here is very much a repeat of how things were cos I haven't changed, I remain pretty much like a child any so a staple is annuals connected to comics so we have this years Beano Annual which may of caught up with the Spotty as Scotty renaming in the Bash Street Kids following Fatty becoming Freddie or possibly not but will have the two new classmates in.

We don't have a Dandy no more outside of the Summer Special but we do have an all new annual to look forward to.

Recently there has been themed compilations of classic cartoon strips from the Dandy and Beano from the past and this years looks at stories featuring characters doing art and drawing within the comic.

 Although I am familiar with the aria's from it I hadn't a copy of the full Madama Butterfly opera by the Italian composer Puccini and in the christmas stocking is a new acclaimed recording.

 Spinning at 33 1/3rd, I had the limited edition Dusty Springfield Atlantic singles set from 1968 thru 1971 on ruby red vinyl that uses the original mono singles mixes.

I also had some money I can take with me once we are clearer how the start of next year is likely to be.

The Christmas pause edition

The past is always in present here from posts about today's adventures inspired from then to posts about the past as experienced by me, the worlds just are co-joined.

Around this time of year things get busy, Mummy has to be helped with the zillion odd things that just must be done as we complete the ritual in all its detail we loved as children called Christmas.

From carolling, to buying presents and sending cards there was a magic in it that made the effort seem so worthwhile.

There are things you can make too!

In what was a year not like any other we had experienced beyond last year but thankfully one we could do more it remains for me to wish you all a Happy Christmas and all the best for Twenty Twenty-Two 

Going backwards for Christmas

This weekend may not seem up to much so I'm getting this done earlier than usual as it is blowing a gale outside as I type this.

That if you did not recognize it is the front cover from Princess Tina in an 1971 edition, a comic from the 1970's drawn by the Spanish comic artist Purita Campos who died in 2019 aged 82.

What you may not know is she was a prolific contributor to girls comics in the UK throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

Her most popular strip was Patty's World which began in Princess Tina in 1971. She also illustrated many covers for that comic and others.

To me such series were very much the whole nature of girlhood specifically as it applied to school life writ large.

That was taken in these conditions too, this years "Christmas" tree to which majority opinion is somewhat under impressed by paid and put up by the Council.

The cottages  in the background date to the late Victorian era built for workers at the local mill since demolished for housing and yes the ground they are on is lower than the road thanks to subsidence.

Things for Christmas are arriving here as I get on with writing a few cards with torch at hand lest the power go off today.

Until next week, bye.

Preparing edition

 As we start the great countdown nom'ing through the Advent calendar I am planning for the next two editions having just checked the calendar over ready to deal with the family Christmas activity plus allowing time to get back to B:2 after getting my Covid Booster coz  fear without that not only would I be at risk of becoming seriously I'll (I'm pretty vulnerable and had a few near misses btw) but if we all don't we may have more restrictions back which I'm sure you will remember from last time was no fun at all.

Last week was at least here in the Midlands a rather white affair with pretty low temperatures on a few days and we had snow which is great for tossing snowballs (do mind passing cars though).

I did manage to trudge through it with some new trainers with great soles for grip as the men who've been keeping an out for me during lockdown noticed as they know the wobbly lower paws make getting around in Winter difficult.

I've been replacing the odd thing or two  after checking and trying somethings on that haven't wear much since that first Tv Covid press conference in March 2020,

Things will paws here on the Twentieth and on the other blog the Friday before with Tumblr and FA following suit I think.

Attractively sticky countdowns

It's Monday after the snow and as I said at FA I had rather been expecting things last week to arrive like my Christmas Cards and given the season we are moving into, something else!

That Bear from deepest darkest Peru gets everywhere and this year he's counting down Christmas here with a chocolate Advent calendar.

Kinnerton's ones are by design nut allergies safe which for some of us is a absolute most.

Thursday strangely enough saw me dressed in a kilt skirt which as warmer than you might think said this cat with dragon's blood and enjoying it.

You just have to remember things like where your hands go, how to bend when your tape box falls off and needs picking up from the floor and that although it's not super short.

It may not be twenty ten but I'm slowly getting out of the fog since you-know-what started in March last year.

Tidying up week

This week I've been continuing sorting through some of my older tapes, redoing a few that the sound was a bit intermittent on due to wear or they sounded a bit dull on newer tapes of which I have several boxes of.

I do tend to check on their condition especially any that bought in batches having had some bad instances of them having had problems brought on by incorrect storage. 

 

We've been clearing out the freezers of bits of stuff frozen and then promptly forgotten like clumps of mixed veg or last years bits of turkey ready for this years stuff as with current conditions it's a matter of getting stuff while its still in stock.

As well, bits of things like cardboard boxes, letters and the like are being gone through and removed from around the dining room and front room as with any look we may have a few people come unless things change unlike last year. 

Paying our respects

I'm recovering here for being a bit pawley this weekend, today isn't good so I guess I'm not really missing much but I do hope Sunday turns out fine.

This last week is always a bit special cos that's when my thoughts go back to those who served this country and those who got caught up in the conflicts as warfare has moved beyond the battlefields since WW1.

Thursday was Armistice Day, the very day, month and hour we mark the end of that conflict and Sunday does happen to be Remembrance Sunday where events will be held across the UK not least at Whitehall, London.

It is important to think about what happened to all those who did serve, those who died and those who returned some with physical and mental scars serving our country.

Lots of people were involved during WW1 and 2 people who kept things running while the men went to war, boys and girls in scouting who helped with message relaying or doing countless other things to help. 

Beyond reflecting, there are other ways to explore what it means and to pay tribute as this Scouts and Girlguides from Bridgnorth, Shropshire did with art  apart from much excellent material being made available by the Scouting movement to explain to children and young people what it was like and understand how war affected children like them at that time.

Like many I'll be paying my respects too.

The littlest spooky affair

As explained previously whenever something happens over a few says there is a week long delay in the publication of a post about on here and that's why this week we're looking at last weekends fun.

Never has that one word seemed more apt given that we'd missed what would of been last years Littles Halloween Party thanks to you know what and for some people actually it was the first time they'd seen each other for near enough eighteen long months.

Even though I had been able to get to littles camp in July and had by the skin our our teeth's made February 2020's I'd not seen the totally awesome Sammy and partner for that long.

For me it was an early start as I had to meet with the organizer who themselves was going to busy so I had to be up on time with my stuff including contribution to the evenings buffet for a taxi which both arrived a few minutes early and was much cheaper than expected to the best railway station in the Northwest Midlands.

I arrived at GHS Central and after just missing each other for a moment made my way towards Miss Green in the pouring rain (that thankfully cleared up later on) to meet with Andi for a lift in her car to the venue.

In time everybody started to arrive so we had a bite to eat, beefburgers with onions much appreciated given I'd last eaten at five in the morning.

As we entered the afternoon our first scheduled event, the Treasure Hunt took place outside where we had to find some eighteen packets of Jaffa Cakes of different flavours well hidden.

I managed to find three which wasn't bad going.

Then it was time to start making our Lanterns from Pumpkins, to save carriage Miss Green had picked one up for me so across a couple of tables and armed with cutting plus scooping devices we worked on them. I kept to plastic tools as I need adult supervision!

Here are a few in various stages of completion.

By this point tealights had been inserted ready for being placed on a wall.

Sandwiched, good pun eh?, between the first half of the evening buffet comprising of things bought by all of us and the second which had deserts, we went outside to see the bonfire lit roaring away.

Then it was the turn of Miss Green and Andi to light up a most amazing set of fireworks although one catherine wheel didn't want to behave firing up ones tail with excitement as an array of different colours and shapes emerged before ones eyes.

By then it was time for the second half of the buffet as I went for a cake and pink blancmange before the great 1971 Year of Decimalization quiz in which I did get 19 points which wasn't too bad given I missed a chunk of grown up programming back then.

We then chatted to Ghoulish background music from three cds - forget playlists! - until about 1 where I took up cat position opposite the coal fire. 

Needless to say we all got up later although naturally I was up first quietly changing the outer fur and washing the paws in time for a smoked bacon sandwich at half past nine before we got read to go up the road to a pub for a meal.

Obviously some restrictions still apply so naturally we entered with face masks until we arrived at our table to place orders with myself having a Turkey Roast with Sticky Treacle pudding with cream.

Naturally this was punctuated with much talk but a common theme was just how long we'd missed being together where upon a most unexpected and highly generous act of one in paying the entire bill lead to the conversion of a contribution to the drinks bill being converted to a tip for the staff for excellent food and service.

Return as people departed was complicated by a combination of engineering works around the Trent Valley and storms with heavy rain leading to cancellation of services so my part way rail replacement bus turned out to a coach all the way to the rail station and other had to pick a totally different route!

I arrived although some people waiting for taxis were not following the proper rules about who gets picked up next snatching cabs as they arrived which delayed me a bit.

The weekend showed very much what we needed and had missed this eighteen months.

Thanks to everyone not least Miss Green for assistance at the station and sorting the messy transport out ad Andi.

Boo!

Well I may be up to writing something later on but I'm resting right now cos it's been a busy weekend way with some ghostly goings on and almost as many bangs as Boos!

The other thing is that it does take time to write a blog, typically todays would be written at the weekend  at the latest but I'm not here this weekend and a fair bit of week has been taken up with preparations like sorting my clothes out, packing my case and ensuring I do get the sleep in I need for an early start on Saturday morning.

In a way it's good that we are cos last year with the never ending changes to restrictions we never got to do this cos for one thing you couldn't have strangers stay over apart from anything else but a change in routine does effect other stuff.

But it's worth it!

Strange notions...

 

Rather an odd week so my mind is really thinking more about playing battle type games which my mates did and I did tag along although I will stress no child was ever hurt in the games we played back then and any kind of play guns we had were treated with respect as much as firing them was fun adding something to concept we'd come up with.

Girls most certainly exist when it comes to electronic gaming, being actually very good at it as much as the wannabe "Sid the sexist" types like to pretend otherwise and be generally pretty boorish with it and in that world you can be pretty much anything you wish when it comes to species, gender and that.

If I was up to using a console I'd most probably play something like her, creeping around the undergrowth hunting down our enemies over playing a Magical Girl probably cos I could let off a lot of frustration that way.

Anyway week will be busy for the weekend. Boo!

Fall thoughts

This is no ordinary week sadly and there is much I can say that goes way beyond what this blog is about and will ever be about.

We are in throws of The Fall here which is one reason I have been about a fair bit of late determined to enjoy the last of warm low sun and that free spectacle in your local parks, playgrounds and woods which as damaged in parts as this area has been for being on fringe of a City Region we are fortunate to possess.

The glow of the forever changing colours of the leaves is vivid and yet a day or two later, you find them down on the grass in an expanse of golden brown carpet ever growing to the point eventually the trees will be denuded.

You might that is sad as it's usually followed by colder weather including snow but come the spring it all rejuvenates and that's what we look forward to.

Whatever happens in the awful adult news this week, just remember the good people have done and that the result of that good will triumph over all else.

 

Challenges

Typically this gets typed up across the weekend unless I'm most likely to be away in which instance I'd try to do it before hand and if noteworthy I'd make the next entry about that event.

That way hopefully I keep this blog fresh which is at times a uphill struggle when you bear in mind how long it has been going trying to recall if you covered something and if anything has changed around it to the point revisiting a topic is worth while.

This last eighteen or so months has had lots of challenges and "zombie crazyness" in it and just as in some ways thing were getting a bit better for being able to see each other, travel a bit more and generally have more of a life we seem stuck in a world wide problem getting things to where they need to be and facing a energy crisis.

While all of this is a bit of a worry and some it's better to focus on what we can do and that is meet each others needs as people rather than the things we can't change ourselves, reaching out to anyone who appears to be struggling.

If you can, try to get out a bit and stroll, enjoying your surroundings, noticing what is going on rather being glued to your smartphone or laptop and talk with people even if it might be a simple hello.

Play games or do things that leave you feeling happy, content and are fun, ideally with others where you can which for those of us who are Smol ought to be easy but sometimes isn't and let your little person out.

Our wellbeing matters.

Would you liked to of been in an alternate world?

 It's been a rather damp sudden drop into Autumn here which has affected my ability to get out with torrential downpours and strong winds so it's been a relatively indoor kind of a week.

The kind of week you start to both reflect on things and imagine how things might of been as you read your comics and favourite books which with me is something that's a hangover from school recesses in the winter months.

Imagine if you could throw a switch that might not so much take you back in your time but rather on level where you'd be the same age but in a different era altogether where some things may be similar but others less so?

What if might of landed in nineteen fifties England in a property newer then than the one I'm in now of which in this city region there are a fair number between the all too conspicuous rows of two story terraced houses with big bay windows side windows and even a garden built from the nineteen twenties to the start of WW2.

The idea that we've moved up a little in our world would not be just reflected in what we might grow in our garden but also about getting a fuller education than our mothers may of had before being expected to marry and run the home.

A world that would include not a far bit of homework to do outside of our many academic subjects in a modern building and opportunities for sports as you formed friends facing the common enemy - the staff - and their rule book.

It would be an era where there were no teenagers to start with and you were still very much seen and treated as a child run very much by the grown ups who were likely to stick up for each other if you crossed them.

But on the other hand you could and still played a lot as much as you got that homework done the same sorts of games as you did only watching a film with friends with strict return time home compared to when you were younger.

That world would include things like school uniforms subject to inspection and had knitted cardigans and dresses galore before you became your Mom looking like and acting more like her.

How would you feel being that child then? 

Age ranges and you

It was a dull wet Saturday morning that I started to get to grips with writing this blog as to be honest I've always been a slow starter apart from finding blank pages off putting.

Hovering about from various places a few thoughts mercifully free from much of the groan up drama this weekend came together and really it is about how much of you really fits in one slot or is it that we're a bit of a mixture.

Given I come from more of a age regression/age dysphoria direction one of the things you do tend to see is people saying things such as as "Can I only be one age", some people may have two or more ages which poses questions about how they blend.

In my head I visualize it rather like the relationship between these two illustrations although they've tried to make them individual, as one gets 'older' you do keep parts of the 'younger' as your thoughts become more sophisticated.

You may find the younger side wants to play with the older even so to me rigid ideas about your 'little' or IK age tend not to work.

Another way of looking at this thing is to ask what is it beyond calendar years is age really about, with me for instance I know I'm limited cos of my developmental disabilities so rather than necessarily getting 'older' as in being more mature in some ways it is more getting better through more practice and experience of being at that younger age.

It's a bit like polishing something up, it gets better but is basically the same.

For me hovering around 12, letting out the younger spread of my developmental age makes more sense although that does mean there's more oversight needed from either someone who is letting their older teen out or around as the groan up rather than just letting me sit in corner reading to enable me to do that safely.

That helps me to learn from my younger side those bits that remain badly impacted though practise knowing I won't be allowed to get the point I'm out of my depth and possibly in danger.

Cuter and cuter

Week was warmer than expected to be honest so I have been out rather a lot not least in trying to recover from this bug apart from watching my usual tv shows after dealing with a duff piece of electric equipment that needed sending back for refund and reading the odd comic or two.

When looking at such a mouthwateringly cute display one feels like having the whole darn lot and quickly working that out at current exchange rates they're not that expensive.

I had some more flowers and so I took a few pictures of them.

There's something about a Sunflower that goes beyond the stamen and petals and that's the hairy leaves on the stems which are well caught.

Now for a nap.

Thoughts from this girls bed

 Lying very much in bed one can only dream of the adventures you'd of loved to had either in the past or to have in a restored past today with your temperature, achy body and a mind whose ideas are beyond what you can note down for future use.

There are some people who tend to say you can only have such an experience only with things of your own era in it and I would agree a lot needs to but when you think about it in going round the sun 12 times indefinitely might we not grasp some newer things as in effect our ability to be 12 is polished?

If you can add things like using the internet to what this means today, then surely to play games or watch tv shows that are for people of your 'mindset's age' can be in their as much as a the odd change in attire.

It's hardly a period reproduction worthy of a BBC drama series we are looking at just a space for you to be that eternal child of your age with much from it in there.

Wishes: A Reflection

We week just gone has been rather all over the place with the weather although the weekend just gone has been fairly warm and I wasn't too good for a few days.

It's a time that had led me back to those amazing unstructured discussions we had in twos and threes as children where we felt free to say thing that perhaps we might not in our usual fuller social groups where we let out more of ourselves and our most intimate thoughts to those we felt closest to.

One thing I would of wished for was to of known more of my former boss  when I was younger who died  a few days ago that had the most amazing and yet practical takes on being disabled tackling low expectations, learning to project more from that space, being supportive without telling you how to run your life  and being involved across many areas of life such as helping out able bodied running groups.

Another would of been for people to just felt free in our social circle as kids to of been more themselves less likely to felt ridiculed without having to adopt any specific and often narrow sense of identity because it seems to me that for wanting more inclusion that individual variation gets lost in a zillion tight definitions.

Some people fit into very narrow pigeon holes but often others just don't so rather than just hundreds that you have to adopt and for good measure are seen as mutually exclusive sometimes just better to accept people as they are - individuals.

Another more personal one would of been to felt up to talking to people I never met before because of my at times crippling social anxiety and for them to had know how they could of helped with it.

That was really it, in a world where it seemed most were in groups that may of made you feel stronger for being together it just seemed the bits that made everyone unique including those things we struggle with got over shadowed.

1,000 posts

There I was on Saturday having sat out in the sun thinking about working on this weeks entry and actually it dawned on me that actually something pretty special was approaching and really that's what we need to mark.

See this blog goes back a pretty long time to the days of scribbled notes of what I thought was note worthy at the time, a blogging facility of sorts at an early social media site where I learned at the sharp end blogging and then as the all powerful FaceBook took over it all got put into here or at least the more Smol side of life.

It saw me move from a big Tower Unit with separate monitor and keyboard to a Chromebook for more portable working and from dial up internet through the most slowest, unreliable broadband together to Fibre to the cabinet with a pretty decent speed even with the built in Wifi.

This place is very much a place of and for an eternal child that mixes in some interests that are also associated with grown ups although I had them in my early teens with other things that are very much child-like.

There was point where some as is not uncommon try to push you away from at least being seen to be like that, taking away things on the presumption erroneously you had outgrown them and to play act a older child or even an adult instead for their benefit and certainly not yours.

Overtime much of that has gone away cos it couldn't be sustained, cracks would appear in that pavement and so we are more at one with a life that is more like a younger teen with the same interests, hobbies and such like that might take in say a wildlife documentary as much as So Awkward and Dangermouse in much the same way a twelve year old me in the past saw Jacques Cousteau, Jackanory and Rhubarb and Custard.

It also was a world that saw comic and their annuals mixed in with classical music as much as The Hobbit with Joke books. It was also a world that I'd sooner be a schoolgirl from the past rather than some "young lady".

It's why it's the eclectic sometimes electric mix that it is.  

Happy Birthday "The World of Joanne Chan"!

Girls in charge!

As I write this I've just come in soaking wet drying the lower half of my body off with a towel after what was supposed to had been a short brisk walk in a light shower turned out to be a torrential downpour.

One reason for doing this apart from finding going out helps with my anxiety and related issues is if I don't move at all much, I soon become stiff to the point I'd struggle to get out of the chair.

When it's like this is normally in time honoured style I'd read comics and more girlhood based story books just to escape the confines mentally of four walls and instead place myself in adventure or school based story as that young girl following the plot an laughing out loud at the antics.

One thing I often fantasized over when I was between ten and thirteen was what it would be like if a girl had to step up to be the school mistress or perhaps a teacher and what being in such a setting would be like.

Would they be as the expression goes "as hard as nails" for knowing everything we'd all get up to which was something a few of us forget at a training place when a former trainee took a job there or would it be "all girls together".

The closest we got to it was when the Head Girl took the register for a short period and a teacher having set us some work to do, she would supervise us.

It was and remains an intriguing concept.

Working on the special interests

It's the weekend so there's a few things to be getting done here like checking through some of my discs as I reduce their storage requirements by using smaller form storage systems cos I've some of these since the mid 1980's.

Some do have the odd mark on them, even from new in the days stored the cases and discs separately and usually they'll play fine but thicker radial marks can cause skipping so I do play anything that falls in that category.

So today that means I have a few discs to check through and if needs be look for replacements, probably used given some are no longer on catalogue.

Music is generally a special interest of mine, always was from a young child which isn't untypical of autistic people although it must be remembered we are people not "the autistic" and do have variations.

This is a pretty good chart that shows how many traits can mean, you may be autistic even if may show in different ways and I have a good 85% of these.

Learning to feel good about your autism matters and being able to share a special interest can help.

Being

The more distance you can put between intrusive thoughts from the groan up world and you, the better I feel handling this sense of being forever a child gets because while some things cannot be helped like working if you are capable of it, the more we try to act more like what other people want us to be, the more sadder and frustrated we become.

That's because in effect we take on a 24/7 acting role trying to play a person who we are not just to please them or make them feel more comfortable at the expense of our own comfort and mental wellbeing.

Sometimes you need to climb up the ladder to the Tree House, just to let the real authentic you out without thinking all the time, "Oh gawd what will they think" as you're jumping up and down with your stuffie or being more concerned about how they see your presentation rather than respecting you own style and for some too your identities too.

Finding yourself takes time and people can and do make mistakes along the way, but the best thing for all of us is to respect people as they themselves are no matter the journey and where it took them too.

*With inspiration from "Shine" by Sammy.

 

The week away

This year we did actually get to have our Smol camp in The Lakes which was fitting as the last one we had was at the same location but weeks away from and the last time any of us saw the group tm together so things were different and obviously emotional.

That's why this entry is being done a little different apart from me being a bit jetlagged.

One of things we often do is assemble model kits of things such as Castles and this year we did Hogwart's, home of the best school ever and the setting for the Harry Potter novels and movies.

We also completed two jigsaws between us but I didn't get a picture of that as I was unwell for a day and bit which isn't untypical unfortunately.

There usually is a a themed competition and this years by Miss Green was the Fiftieth anniversary of Decimalization of the UK's currency from Pounds, Shillings and Pence (and a few other bits tossed in) to just Pounds and (new) Pence.

This was her display which took three weeks to put together with just above that samples of bank notes from the last century to today with our plastic coated five, ten, twenty and fifty pound notes with examples of aids and guidance for children, people in the service sector like shops and the then British Rail and adults and other promotional material.

There were examples of magazines such as the Radio Times, Practical Wireless and comics such as the Beano and Tiger from the week before and after decimalization showing the prices and how advertising in them had to use both for a period during the changeover.

Needless to say I and a friend didn't win after all I was brought up with units of ten with both decimal currency and metrication so never used it.

There was a Fairy Tea Party on Thursday for dollies and teddies to attend where we learned about Fairies and everyone was given a Fairy Neckless.

On the Tuesday people made fairy cakes and biscuits for it, decorating for good measure.

Wednesday was a Damp Squid tm. so we held a small outdoor games the day after it was planned where we did archery where we seemed to have more success in sending our arrows beyond the target one landing in a Fairy Card which wasn't very sporting.

There was an Egg and Spoon race as well as a water filling relay race with buckets to run with to see who got the most water in the container, not me as I got my socks a bit wet!

There was a target game and a beanbag relay event to see which team could run balancing a beanbag on their heads.

Here's some of the kit we used and the organizers clip board for recording the scores although to be honest it was all played for fun rather than deadly serious.

I did venture out for a stroll towards the shoreline although it soon turned rather wet and my camera needed drying out carefully, cleaning the built in zoom lens by hand when I got home which was fun itself between bad weather, road works and an incident that left three lanes closed for a period and half hour delays for us coming back

Thanks for everyone who helped whether or not you run an event, assisted with food, put stuff out and away and for just taking part.

Thanks to Suzy for organizing it in the most challenging of times we've ever had.

Away we go-go!

 Phew! That was a jam hot week wasn't it folks?

It probably was not the best of weeks for thinking about and starting on the task of sorting things out for LG Camp which is actually going to happen given it was cancelled twice with covid and it's associated restrictions preventing both the travelling and staying together under one roof during that time.

It won't be as previous ones have for a number of reasons such as concerns still about infections if we were likely to to any visitor attractions with high numbers as in England we have a good number of the under forties yet to have their second vaccination apart from those  that won't have any.  

No doubt there will be a chore chart or similar to help make light work of what it takes to get a self organized event happen in a fair way and we have a provisional schedule but their should be some things for people to do creatively apart from going on walks, quizzes' or sitting out and play.

See you next week!

BP round up

This week things may be a little slower  and less deep than usual in that I'm preparing to be away  at LG camp which should be fun checking everything all off on lists so I have what I need without taking the kitchen sink with me while melting as this is being typed in the sun, keeping well hydrated.

It also means a bit more time spent on one site where much of the discussion and planning for this in the bigger sense takes place which does take me a bit away from other things of necessity.

It is also worth my mentioning that it does effect stuff in the period I'm away not just Tumblr and the Music Site but blogging so I'll see if something can't be set up to run although I won't be around to post links and all that..

Most people know what my favourite all time tv show is - and it's run for over sixty years - and until 2011 there were year books (later annuals) of which this one shows then current presenters Matt Baker, Konnie Haq, Liz Barker and I think Simon Thomas.

Lindsey with Henry the dog.

On last Thursday one of the current presenters Lindsey Russell left after a eight year run starting in September 2013 with Barney Harwood after a audition followed by show audience vote.

May 2018 saw her undertake a challenge flying with the Red Arrows, taking control for herself and this is the one thing she says was her favourite, learning a lot about herself from it plus Piloting a hot-air balloon across the Arctic, Climbing mountains with the Swiss Army and Interviewing David Attenborough.

There wasn't just the usual wall of post from the shows young audience that included letters drawings, paintings and crafts connected to her but another great big wall too.

She had some challenges to do such as fastest getting changed into Cricket Whites in which she set a new record of just over 38 seconds adjudicated by Guinness the records people and identifying by touch three objects in boxes.

She was presented with a Blue Peter Gold Badge by Richie Driss who was the presenter who joined just after her and took under her wing for a period.

Tributes were paid by Radzi, Katy Hill and Konnie Huq amongst others including some children views from the Blue Peter Fan Club which is online and after a competition she went up as the credits rolled in a hot air balloon over the studio at Salford's Media City to a crowd of school children cheering and waving.

It was sad, these things just are but she was brilliant.

On posts elsewhere

There will be no doubt other stuff going on when this post is set to be published however that may turn out and that's why I tend to do things a bit in advance.

I'm not really much good at that on social media having never really got the hang of scheduling posts so whenever I'm doing something that may involve being away from a keyboard given my cellphone is not "smart", then you can expect no posts.

And that's before you take in the disinclination to with off colour messages and people with pretty disgusting everyday morals that try to interact with you with the time it takes to block people and sadly file reports too in extreme cases.

I'm working on a new style of posting that I might enjoy more as I find the constant discourse and tension tends to take me away from the very reason I made an account in the first place and that seems to be working out much better.

I should be able to log in and just feel like making posts rather than agonizing over how that might seem to one group or other so long as they're decent.

That's the thing going forward.

Bruch and classical music

It is something of a dull day as I write this with much rain so I'm listening to some music startingwith my 1994 disc of music from The Last Night of the Proms, that evergreen series of concerts of classical music for all, final night.

Like much else that too was impacted by Covid but touch wood we should be able to have a near normal season this year unlike last which full orchestras and soloists.

Recording new performances too has been impacted so new releases have drop off a little but recently I did get a brand new disc from Alpha Classics.

Max Bruch is a composer whose works outside of his famous Violin Concerto I had not explored.

This is packaged in a Digipak, a mixture of thick card with a glued in plastic well to hold the disc.

This disc covers string works which is an genre I do enjoy listening to and here we have two Quintets and an Octet on a generously filled disc performed by the chamber players of the German broadcaster WDR's symphony orchestra.

That picqued my interest and although this is a regular cd, it is very well recorded sounding like players playing live responding in real time to each others playing.

I really enjoyed it as sometimes when you've played say a lot of Mozart and Beethoven, hearing something very different is appreciated.

The eternal things

 To-day it is that still I'm sadly not to good here.

While I'm like this, I'm just thinking about what I feel is a part of all of this which isn't all how you might dress or what plushies and that you have but is really about something that soon goes missing.

It's really what I call authentic actions, acting on what it is that we are about such as the feelings and emotions we have for each other which might be to ask how someone is, being prepared to just listen and comfort them.

It is to share the fun you could have by doing things with others, co-operating such as playing games, to help less well off children through gifting things that you know they'd just love to have the opportunity to have.

It is to be of service to others in whatever way you can rather than waiting for others to do it, being prepared to make an offer first.

It's also holding on to a sense of innocence and being helpful not holding cynical and suspicious thoughts about others and their motives that you share space with. 

Weekend thoughts

Yesterday was Grump Day aka Father's Day which in the mixed up messy world of my family is awkward as most of these things just are . 

I just love vintage cards like that rather then the materially centred or smutty humoured sort you see in many card racks.

It was despite the many reports of expected thunderstorms and heavy rainful pleasant enough to walk out although the many mowed lawns around here do nothing for my hayfever unfortunately.

I like undisturbed meadowlands rather like this with dandelions and daisies growing in them being left alone rather than mowed into a boring super smooth grass patch that does little to sustain bio-diversity.

Why can't we leave these things alone until they truly need it?