Autumn thoughts

The summer has well and truly flown. I was waiting for the bus today, to go into Bangor, and I regretted not having lifted a pair of gloves. Even on quite bright late October days, the wind can be quite fierce. 

Here is a Kyreille poem to remind you of summer days communing with nature. 

Deliverance

Come
Walk with me
Wind will cool your brow
Stand beneath the sighing trees
Soothe your aching heart and mind
Hear the wilderness
Feel the peace
Dream

Donegal

The lake at Glenveagh Forest Park in Donegal 

The gardens at Glenveagh Forest Park

Creating Childhood Memories

The excitement ripples for weeks beforehand.  The long-awaited day crawls closer as meticulous preparations are made.  Three generations are united by one desire.

There is a bitter-sweetness to the memories of our past holidays.  Four generations setting off in anticipation of the joys of a simpler life are now reduced to three by the natural cull of passing years.  A short respite from the hectic pace of work and school and a chance to recharge the batteries spurs us on.

These long-established trips have entered family lore.  Each year we add to our common storehouse of shared pleasures and strengthen the ties of blood with shared experiences.

The music of the Spheres urges the Valkyrie conquerors towards the West.

Family Easter

When I was a child Easter was a big thing in my life.  Apart from all the chocolate, it started weeks before.   I didn't often get new clothes, but for Easter mother would take me shopping for a new "Sunday go to Meetings" outfit.    Sometimes she would have it made for me by a friend of hers and I would get to pick the material.  It was also the time when I got my summer sandals, and a new hat or bonnet.

We had a family ritual.   Sunday morning was for church, of course.   After church we would walk a mile and a half to my grandmother's for a big family lunch.   Almost everyone walked in those days, as ordinary people couldn't afford private cars.   The style was fabulous, everyone out in their Easter finery.   After our evening meal at home we would boil and decorate eggs for the next day.

On Easter Monday we would travel across the city to Belfast Zoo, two bus rides away.   The place would be thronged with people.   The Zoo was on Cave Hill, above the city so lots of slopes for egg rolling.   We would meet up with family friends and have a picnic outside the Floral Hall (a local dance hall) before returning home for our evening meal.

On Easter Tuesday we would walk 3 miles to the Belfast Botanical Gardens and the Ulster Museum.  There was a tropical ravine in the gardens with exotic birds and fish in a little river.   I loved exploring the little paths of the ravine.  We would climb to the top of the museum and walk back down through the galleries, looking at the pictures(I loved art even as a small child).   Until we reached the Egyptian gallery.   They had a mummy in a glass case and my brother had me convinced that she was asleep.   I would watch carefully to see if I could see her breathing but, of course I never did.

These days, I have my family to stay and we continue the traditions.   Sadly, the Zoo and the Botanical Gardens are no longer on our schedule as we now live too far from the city.    We do enjoy the festivities in our home patch, a local seaside resort.

This year we are having our big family dinner at my house on Easter Saturday as my grand-daughter must return to university in Cambridge early on Easter Sunday, but we will still be painting our eggs and rolling them down some hill on Easter Monday as usual.

Dark chocolate Easter eggs

In my childhood, I was an indiscriminate chocolate eater.  I wouldn't have got chocolate very often, so would eat whatever I was offered.  This meant that it was always special when Easter came around and I could often make the Easter treats last for over a month.  I would have to keep them well hidden or my older brother would snaffle this treasure trove.  

As I grew older, I became more discerning.  My early favourite was 'Nuts, whole hazelnuts' and since 'Cadbury's take them and they cover them with chocolate', I grew to like milk chocolate.  I think this was because the nuts toned down the sweetness of the chocolate.  

My godmother bought me a box of Black Magic chocolates one Christmas. 'Who knew the secret of the Black Magic box?'  Well, I found it out.  I was hooked.  I tried all sorts of dark chocolate.  In those days, dark chocolate had a much smaller percentage of cocoa solids than we have available today.  The higher the percentage, the higher the price.  I would save my pocket money and treat myself from time to time.  I preferred dark chocolate but still ate a fair amount of milk chocolate.  

White chocolate was not prevalent in the shops.  I can only think of one, The Milky Bar.  I can still sing the Milky Bar Kid advert, but the chocolate was almost too sweet for me.  I would eat it if I was given it, but my preference was always for the dark.  Fry's Chocolates Cream was a favourite with its minty centre, as was Cadbury's Bourneville.  If I was given a box of mixed chocolates, the dark ones always went first.  

I have retained this love of the dark to this day, though my tastes are much more refined now than they were.  My favourite of the moment is Lindt Dark with a Touch of Sea Salt.  The hint of salt seems to enrich the flavour of the chocolate. 

I also have a lifelong love affair with Chocolate Oranges, the plain ones, of course, which are only available on the run up to Christmas.  I have noticed that over the last few years, Rowntree's have been marketing these in egg form coming up to Easter, but only in the milk chocolate variety.  I only buy dark chocolate, these days, but wouldn't turn down a milk chocolate if it was offered.   

I would have to say that one of my other lifelong favourites has been the Cadbury's Crème Egg.  I am a dyed-in-the-wool traditionalist on the Easter front.  Who ever heard of an Easter Bunny Hunt.  Birds don't lay bunnies, they lay eggs.  Chicks, eggs and chocolate epitomise the British Easter. 

Bunnies were an import from Europe and they tasted 'funny' due to the fact that they didn't use the same ingredients as British made chocolate.  Also, chocolate bunnies didn't contain the extra chocolates inside, so weren't as attractive to the chocoholic in me.  I have a collection of decorative eggs which I display each  year on a special tree made from twigs.  They are mostly, hand-painted and many are gifts from friends.  I also use them I  flower arrangements for Easter.  I don't have any Easter Bunnies.

So my ideal Easter present would be a Lindt Dark chocolate, with a hint of Sea Salt, Easter egg filled with Terry's Chocolate Oranges.  The only way I will get one of those is to make it myself.  

Now, where did I put that chocolate egg mold and the double saucepan? 

Ski Sunday

Walking through Hinterglem yesterday, we came upon these snowboards seats. They were quite comfy. Brenda takes her ease on one of them.

This morning I watched Michael getting ready. Layer 1....

...layer 2...

...layer 3...

...layer 4...

..layer 5...

...and finally off....

...with Trevor. 

Captain's Log #Star Date 2: Thursday 6th February 2014

I am sure Southampton is an interesting city to visit, but not on a February day in a steady downpour. We were not best pleased to discover that a medical emergency near the Azores had delayed the arrival of the Good Ship Boudicca which was due to take us on a long awaited Norwegian Oddessy.  Initially, it was to be a short 5 hour delay.

A hurriedly organised spot of retail therapy amply filled the time until we could drop off our luggage. As we sat in the warmth of West Quay Centre, finishing a leisurely lunch, we were disturbed by the trill of Michael's mobile.  It was not good news.

The text told us that the bad weather had lengthened the delay. Boudicca would now arrive in the early hours of Friday morning and embarkation would be mid morning.

Our initial annoyance was partially mollified when we discovered that Fred Olsen's had booked us into a plush suite in the Marriott Meon Valley, dinner, bed & breakfast included.  The only downside is that Michael will miss his trip to the  Aviation Museum in Bodo and some of the other trips may change. All part of the adventure of cruising. One never knows what will come along to heighten the excitement.

Hey Ho! Nothing is set in stone!  We travel in hope!  An early breakfast at 6.30 am is still preferable to the 3.30 am start we had this morning.

Morning Call

The strident call awakens me from slumber.
My sleep-filled eyes beheld the ghostly glow.
The digits said the hour was very early.
With weary feet we made our way below.

The taxi horn told us that time was pressing.
The luggage filled the hall behind the door.
Alarms all set, we locked the door behind us
Intent on being adventurous once more.

Captain's Log. #Star Date 1: 19th January 2014

I have been so stoked about my trip to Norway that I have posted entries haphazardly. This is my attempt to put things into chronological order. 

My Christmas present from Hubby was a cruise in search of the Northern Lights up the coast of Norway at the beginning of February 2014.  This was something that I had hankered to do for some time so my excitement was epic.  I wrote this poem in January in anticipation of this event.  I am sure the trip will not disappoint. 

Northern Lights

My love and I are sailing North 
into the twilight zone.
Where chill winds blow, no sun shines 
endless night winds moan. 

Nor dawn nor dusk marks  passing time;
nor sunset stains the sky. 
The pale moon wanes and waxes 
as the Milky Way floats by. 

Oft the heavenly firmament 
pulsates with rainbow hues 
as solar flares bombard the earth 
her surface to abuse. 

They beat with burning energy 
upon Von Allen's belt.
This shields and dissipates the wrath,
which would be harshly felt. 

The Aurora Borealis 
lights up the Arctic  skies 
with undulating curtains 
before our ravenous eyes. 

The beauteous spectacle we see 
serves to remind us all 
that God the father does protect 
and will not let us fall. 

(C) 2014 Terri Richardson 

Our final day in Norway

After two weeks of cruising up the coast of Norway into the Arctic Circle we did question the sanity of the fast cruiser we had booked to go round the Hjorundfjord at Alesund.  It was soon obvious that the money was well spent. 

The rising sun silhouetted the mountains in some places and added sharp contrasts in others. 

The spectacular mountains were covered by a fresh covering of snow. 

The cold of the air was heightened by the speed of the boat, but it was worth it to see the beauty of this wonderful country.

Soul-song of the lights

Soul-song of the Lights

Life is rich and varied on the Good Ship Boudicca,
so many things to occupy our days.
While we cruise along the fjords the sun lights up our stern;
snow-capped mountains mirrored in the millpond bays.

The midnight hour approaches, the Aurora comes to call,
a stampede to pay homage swamps the decks.
Shimmering drapes waft and waver with the soul-song of the lights,
with wonder in our hearts we crane our necks.

The full moon salutes Venus, but no-one seems to see.
They are pale against the Aurora curtained skies
which lights the Northern skies with pulsing rainbow hues
reflecting in the skyward gazing eyes.

Our Odyssey successful, we settle to enjoy
the wonders of this chilly Arctic land,
to learn about the Sami and the reindeer that they herd
as they fight the battle that these lands demands.

(C) 2014 Terri Richardson

14th Feb

The sheltered life

Cruise ship passengers have a cosseted existence.  Our every need is catered for.   Pleasant smiling faces surround us ready to do our bidding.

It amazes me to see the lengths the staff go to to make sure we have a good experience.  Our comfort is of paramount importance to these willing workers, who frequently go beyond what is required, with genuine good spirit.

Last night we stayed up beyond midnight and on entering one of the lounges we discovered a diminutive uniformed young lady, sitting at a table with her shoes kicked off, making strings of paper hearts which her male co-worker was festooning around the room. Both were humming away and looked happy and relaxed.  It was Valentine's Day and they were doing their bit to make it memorable.

The adventure continues

After the unavoidable delays we finally boarded our ship, the Boudicca, just before noon on Friday 7th February, duly setting sail for points north at about 3pm. Despite the delays the atmosphere on board was generally relaxed and jolly, with the exception of the usual professional complainers who seem to take their only pleasure in finding fault. I tend to steer clear of these misery mongers.

The day was set fair as we sailed into the North Sea. Settled in a comfortable cabin, we set off to explore the extensive facilities of our home for the next two weeks. There was a good programme of activities to amuse us, from classical music to light entertainment, wonderful talks, dance classes and other physical pursuits, craft, quizzes and many more too numerous to mention.

In the early evening we met our four dining companions, who proved, over the course of the next few days to be very agreeable and good fun to be with. We found we had innumerable areas of common interest.  We retired around 10.30 pm and were soon fast asleep in our comfortable berths.

Nearly ten hours later we awoke refreshed and hurried to dress to avoid missing breakfast. Strict vital hygiene measures were the order of the day for the first 72 hours as the Captain was determined that none of his passengers were going to be inconvenienced by ill health brought on board.

Captain Sten Ronny Jensen's broadcast of his Master's Report amuses us each day at noon, prefaced with a cheery "It's me again!"  He regaled us with details of where we were, our speed, bearings, etc, liberally sprinkled with anecdotes. From time to time he would point out landmarks and places of interest as we passed them.

So here we are steaming north through the Arctic Circle having already achieved our objective. After several false calls of "the lights are showing" we finally were rewarded at around 10.30 pm by a dazzling display above us as we sailed under a clear star-lit sky. The Aurora was visible for a full 25 minutes!  Success!  Anything more will be a massive bonus. Still lots to enjoy on this journey.

Chill

Foul Winter stalks the autumn wood,
rips molten hues from branch and stem.
Chill zephyrs cloud the evening mood 
crowned with a stellar diadem.

An icy touch turns all to white
beneath a crystal sprinkled sky.
Before my face a ghostly sprite
hangs in the air as I walk by.

A chilling stillness seeps into
the marrow in my shiv'ring bones.
Where, once, the north wind, raging, blew
it creeps among the trees and moans.


Hunched up against such freezing might
I wander through the depth of night.

(C) 2014 Terri Richardson 

A Sonnet onWinter

A New Day

The dawn of a new day

This was one of those rare days after a period of cold, wet weather.  I woke to a world bathed in glorious golden light. The sky faded from a deep rich violet through mauve to peach and then a brilliant gold as the sun rose above the horizon. It is a joy to be alive on a day like this.

The morning clouds slowly clear
As the sun rose the clouds burnt off and gradually the sky cleared to a brilliant blue. It looks set to be a wonderful day. 

The Curious Passenger

The double-decker bus is a delight to the curious suburban passenger.  It provides them with an elevated viewpoint that raises them above the height of all but the tallest hedge or fence, with a window onto the usually private domains of the residents.

Such buses are rare on the route I travel each Friday morning on my way to and from the Latin Study Group that I belong to.  This lunchtime on my way home, I was privileged to board one of these exotic beasts and mounted the stairs to sit in splendid isolation enjoying this unexpected treat, a pleasant change from the normal, unedifying journey past high walls, fences and hedges. 

On this journey I was privy to a plethora of the flights of fancy of latent Inigo Jones and Capability Brown wannabes, with intriguing glimpses of gazebos, statuary, arbours and ponds.  Even in small back gardens, the residents had some intriguing displays of ingenuity. 

These little havens are the unseen pride and joy of their owners.  Many of them provide welcome habitats for our wild creatures.  In my own garden we have had foxes and badgers along with myriad birds attracted by the food put out for them by my nature-loving spouse. 

This was taken outside the kitchen window where he was foraging among the seed dropped from the feeding stations in a rowan tree.

Here he was a few days later hunting snails among the vegetables in a raised bed.  He must be quite light as he is walking along the top of a clipped box hedge.

We surprised this boyo outside the kitchen window after returning from a night out with friends.  There must have been rich pickings, as he stayed around for quite some time, turning up at about the same time each evening.

The journey home today reminded me of the rich diversity that lies hidden behind the front hedges and fences of our urban streets.

May all your journeys lead you to the promised land.

Starry, Starry Night

This is an animated version of a watercolour painting I did just before Christmas as a tribute to Van Gogh's painting of the same name.

Annie

It was a sad morning for me. I had to attend the funeral of an old college friend who had been suffering for some time with Altziemers. We  were members of a small group of mature students realising our ambitions to become teachers. 

 As mothers of young families, we helped each other through the difficulties of juggling home and college commitments. We made sure that anyone who missed a lecture got plenty of study notes from those who were there. We enjoyed many social outings and field trips together, keeping in touch after we graduated and realised our dreams of becoming teachers. Annie was especially gifted in teaching less able children and excelled in Special Education. 

 Now in retirement, we were meeting more regularly. Unfortunately, Annie had not been able to join us for some time because of her condition. We had gradually lost our wonderful friend over the last couple of years, difficult for us, but even more so for her family. She had deteriorated over the past few weeks and passed away peacefully in her sleep last Friday. 

 Annie was a lively, caring person, very active in her local Presbyterian church. She was no stranger to tragedy, having lost her beloved husband, Brian, in the Chinook Helicopter disaster in 1994. Brian was just about to retired from the RUC and they had been looking forward to spending some quality time together. Annie pulled herself through that and devoted herself to her family, friends and pupils. She will be very sadly missed. 

 Annie 

 Friends are hard to come by, 

 especially those, who care. 

You may not see them often but, 

you know that they are there. 

 We just lost a good one. 

 Our father called her home. 

 While we see her through a veil of tears,

 in Paradise she will roam. 

 She is flying with the angels 

 hand in hand with her true love. 

 Her troubled heart at peace, at last, 

 in God's mansion, up above. 

 In Memory of 

Annie Joyce Fitzsimons 

1938 - 2014

 (C) 2014 Terri Richardson