Wordways Caribbean

LOKI

2012-01-22T16:09:00.000-08:00

We brought home a new puppy yesterday - Loki or Low Key, depending on who you are talking to. Andrew and I agreed on the former, while Dick thinks the latter more apt. He is a fat, softie of seven weeks. His companion, Aris, now twelve weeks is lean and likes rough stuff.

The Aris Chronicles

2012-01-18T16:34:00.000-08:00

Aris overturns the laundry basket and settles in for a nap.

Go, Girl

2012-01-18T15:56:00.000-08:00

I received a notification for Fresh Milk III, described as a space for dialogue between artistes and the public. It was held at Annalee Davis's studio in St. George. So many turn up for this event that several spent the evening in the gallery listening.

Visual artists, Alberta Whittle and Harriet Rolitt, having recently graduated with MFA degrees, shared their experiences. These two quite different presentations were both informative and Alberta and Harriet explained their objectives and thoughts when creating the images presented.

There was a changed of format for the remainders of the programme where Dorothea Smart, Adrian Green, Linda Deane and Harriet Rollitt made presentation in the pecha kucha format. Here the artiste is allow ten minutes and twenty images to share their memories and thoughts on the chosen theme, which was ABROAD - any interpretation or meaning.

Photoed is Linda Deane during her presentation of memories of England. She combined song and dance to achieve a riveting performance.

Speculation at Limegrove

2012-01-15T17:37:00.000-08:00

The low land just east of Holetown flooded every rainy season; the rest of year, depending on rainfall, it was a swamp or dry waterway - attractive only to a naturalist or children looking for small fish and water birds and later to land speculators, who saw the possibilities for cheap land so close to the famed platinum coast. Thus out of the swamp rose Limegrove Life Style Centre, a magnificent, three storied edifice housing a range of local and global retailers in a setting built around three distinctly different courtyards, to become the newest and trendiest places for Bajans and tourists to shop, dine and lime.

In one of the many cool and shaded nooks at Limegrove, two women sat on a brown, slatted wooden bench. They had chosen one the second floor; off the beaten path that affording them a view across the atrium of the walkways and shops on three levels. They were too far back though to see the four fountains splashing in the pool below.

The older woman leaned towards the younger, her arm stretched along the back of the bench; each comfortable in the other’s space. She wore a straw hat with a small upturned brim. A ribbon of the same colour circled the crown and was tied in a bow at the back. A large spray of yellow flowers decorated the front. Her yellow ochre, short-sleeved shirt style dress looked freshly laundered. Sensible low-heeled shoes completed her outfit. Otherwise unadorned, her sparse build spoke of industry and pride – an olde tyme Bajan dressed for the occasion.

The other was glamorous in a champagne, strap sheath and gold wedged strappy shoes. She pressed a large, olive, sequined shoulder bag snug against her body. The straight, shorthaired, black wig glistened. Fawn coloured, medium sized earrings and a matching necklace completed her outfit. She was slim, dark and smooth skinned. She too was meticulous in dress, neat and clean; appearing more educated, more moneyed, more sophisticated.

Mother and daughter, I speculated. The latter now leading; showing Mum the latest and trendiest in Bim and the new Bajan lifestyle.

Giant African Land Snails (GALS)

2012-01-13T18:12:00.001-08:00

Like most Bajan gardeners, I'm at war with GALS. I hate the senseless killing but I don't plan on eating them. I also don't want to use the traditional poisons, which will also kill Aris. Initially I used a bleach solution with some success. I usually collected the snails in the early morning. I missed this morning and after the rains today I noticed that several snails were about. I got my bucket and assistant (Aris) and collected my largest harvest yet. I decided to use a saline solution and left the snails to expire in due course.

Not long after that, Dick went to change a washer in the garden tap and he shouted for me to come - a break out was in progress.

Limegrove Lifestyle Centre

2012-01-12T17:06:00.000-08:00

Limegrove Lifestyle Centre is the current trendy place to shop, dine, and lime. It is located in the heart of Holetown, covers ten acres and includes approximately 85,000 sq. ft. of retail space.

The Barbados Photographic Society was given permission to shoot there last weekend. The first photo shows some of our members in action in the courtyard.

There were several people around the centre eating, liming or just enjoying the ambiance of this lovely location. I'll definitely have to return to sample the offerings of one of the many restaurants. There are many boutiques with attractive showcases. I was pleased to see a cinema - one was long needed on the West Coast.

Limegrove's offering includes: an art gallery, hair dressing saloon, wellness centre and a gourmet food store. This is reading like ad copy and I'm not getting paid :) I did not make any purchases so it would be unfair to comment on pricing .

Making Friends

2012-01-02T15:45:00.000-08:00

When I told a friend I had a JR, she commented, "Escape artist." I boasted that my yard was secure with chain link fencing reinforced with 2x2 mesh.

I noticed a few days ago that Aris was at the fence making friends with the neighbour's cat. They made gentle noises. Aris would stick his nose through the fencing and the cat would extend a paw; both cautious and withdrawing before contact.

Yesterday Aris was not around the house for a while. A search was mounted and he was discovered asleep in our neighbour's yard with the cat curled around him. We are not sure where he dug out but Dick spent the afternoon reinforcing our perimeter.

Perhaps I should take a lesson from Aris and make some new friends for the new year.

Wishing health, happiness and prosperity to all reading this post.

Aris

2011-12-18T03:04:00.000-08:00

Back at 4 Austin and making home home. Home wouldn't be complete without a JR. We collected Aris a week ago. He is adorable but my first shock was that he had a bad case of worms, which meant a visit to the vet the morning after bringing him home. We had only gone to view the day before, but the breeder said he was ready to go, so we took him. Dick was off to the supermarket in search of puppy chow that night.

During my three years in England I was impressed with the friendliness of the dogs. When they met other dogs, whether on or off their leases, they would sniff, romp and wag tails. I never saw an owner have to break-up or prevent a fight; unlike the Barbadian scene. I resolved that Aris would be a sociable.

Two nights later when I visited my sister, who has two dogs, I took Aris along. He likes to travel in a soft, cloth shoulder handbag. On arrival, Barney, the very large male, was very excited and circle and hovered around me. Bubbles, the female, displayed no interest in the contents of my bag. I decided to let Barney get to know Aris slowly by getting closer and sniffing the bag. When Barney poked his nose in the bag, Aris bit his nose and Barney responded quickly with a nip to Aris's neck, who squealed murder. Barney was barely controllable in his excitement and was put on a lease for the rest of our visit and Aris stayed in my bag.

Goddards Enterprises NIFCA Literary Arts Gala

2011-11-09T12:22:00.000-08:00

For the past seventeen years Goddard Enterprises has sponsored the literary competition in our National Independence Festival of Creative Arts. It is the highlight of local writers' (junior, adult and professional) calendar. The results of the competition are kept secret and award winners are announced during the gala; the exceptions are writers presenting their entries. It is a fun evening listening to the outstanding entries read by their authors. This year my name was among the winners. My submission, Marina Sings, was awarded Bronze.
Marina is a mermaid, who like many people I've met, believes she cannot sing. Sorry but the rest is a top secret for now. No pictures of Marina yet either!
It's good to be back home.

Time Machine

2011-10-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

I've done just about all I can for my move to Barbados. Barrels shipped with most of my stuff. So I've got little to do except wait... I decided to sort my photos; make good use of the time and would you know - I lost a very cherished album. The only thing I've missed so far.

I've had Time Machine running on my computer for about two years but have been too scared to run a restore test. I took a deep breath and hit a few buttons. I really wanted to recover that file. It worked like a dream. The easiest back up and restore programme I've ever used.

Ping Pong - Endorsement by Nailah Imoja Folami

2011-10-10T02:57:00.000-07:00

I have long been a fan of June Stoute, Barbadian children’s writer, and am happy to have passed my love of her work on to my daughter and to the many children I encounter as a teacher.

We immensely enjoy the whimsical, often humorous ways, June weaves her tales, and the excellent artwork that accompanies them, as well as the interesting facts which usually appear at the ends of the books.

Each book seems to surpass the next in excellence, always making the latest book our favourite.

Ping Pong is no exception!

In this book, using that quintessentially Caribbean instrument – the steel pan – as her focus, June has captured the very essence of the Caribbean in words while her illustrators, Suzette Humphreys and Jehanne Silva-Freimane, have “kept pace” beautifully with their interpretations of the work.

Those of us who know about and love the steel pan know exactly what Rosa (the young protagonist of the book) means when she declares her love for this unique instrument and its sounds. For those unfamiliar with pan, this book will open a door to this world of “magical” music.

As a teacher and writer, I have read many accounts of the history of the steel pan, but none quite as enjoyable as “Rosa’s Notes on Pan”. In simple terms, June provides an invaluable overview of pan yesteryear and today. We even learn how steel pans were made in the old days! These “fact sheets” are also enhanced by colourful, beautifully rendered drawings.

Ping Pong brings back memories of Panorama (Trinidad), Pan on de Sand (Barbados), Pan on the Hill (Barbados) and Pan in de City (Barbados); makes me yearn to revisit the famous pan yards of Trinidad. Why? Because Ping Pong is pan. And I love them both.

And I’m sure children (from 4 to 94), particularly children of the Caribbean, will love this book too.

Nailah Folami Imoja

Educator/Writer

Barbados

August 2011

An Indian Summer

2011-10-09T03:26:00.000-07:00

This has been my best summer in England. It started in Spring and we were treated last week to an Indian Summer. This coincided with a visit to friends in Devon. The first picture is the river Exe at low tide as it passes Topsham, where we stayed for the weekend.

We dined close by at the Passage House and the sunset was fabulous; and as it always is when I leave my camera behind, there were great photo ops. Food at the Passage House was good and I had an interesting encounter.

When I came to the UK in 2008, a friend urged me to contact Tony H, who lived near Reading at Newbury. I did not want to call a stranger and so... As it happened, our hosts at Topsham had a neighbour, who claimed Barbadian connections, and they invited him to meet us for a pre-dinner drink. And surprise, surprise! None other than Tony H, newly relocated at Topsham from Newbury. We must have been fated to meet as I return home in less than a month.
A consequence of an Indian summer is everyone at the beach. We went to Exmouth, where the Jurassic Coast begins, and could only glimpse the red cliffs. There were no free parking spaces. We did view the exterior of Nelson House, the home of Lady Nelson and repaired to A La Round Round House, a National Trust site, for cream tea and a tour. Dick and I have grown fond of cream teas.

Next day was a trip to Dartmouth, a lovely town. Many families were sitting on the quay fishing for crabs. I chose a crab sandwich for lunch; I erred not having acquired a taste for it.

Every where we go in the UK, there is history. This last picture shows the point of departure of the Pilgrim Fathers to America.

Dartmouth is also the home of the HMS Dartmouth - not a ship was one would expect but Britannia Royal Naval College. Royal Naval officers have trained at Dartmouth since 1863. Initially, they were housed in two wooden boats moored in the River Dart but in 1905 moved into their impressive accommodation on a hill overlooking the town. Our hosts had arranged for us to do the guided tour, an interesting event.

Anansi and Herald, The Fowl-Cock Reviewed

2011-10-09T01:44:00.000-07:00

Book Review: Anansi and Herald, The Fowl-Cock by Summer Edward, MS.Ed

As the title suggests, this is an Anansi story-- those never get old! This one is set on a plantation in "The Isle of Spice," aka Grenada.

On the Belle Plantation in the lush Isle of Spice, Herald, the fowl-cock, puffed out his chest, thrust his neck to the sky and crowed, Coco-ro coco', Coco'ro coco'. Rise up Nyame, rise up. Wipe the sleep from your eyes. Rise up, Nyame, rise up. Time to rise in the skies.

"It's still dark. Give it a break," Anansi pleaded. "The bats are still about and I need to get my rest."

Yet Herald continued, Coco'ro', Coco'ro coco'.

Can you guess what's coming next? Well, if you know anything about the trickster, Anansi the spider, then you already know that Anansi is not going to stand for anyone inconveniencing him, fowl-cock or not. And don't worry if you don't recognize the reference to Nyame; it's all explained within the story, as well as in the helpful "Did You Know?" section at the back of the book. Nyame, incidentally, is the African sky god who takes the form of the moon and the sun and who, as legend has it, is Anansi's father.

The thing is, ever since a hurricane blew over the mango tree where Herald used to roost, Anansi has been sharing his nutmeg tree with the aggravating rooster, who not only wakes him up every morning with his deafening crowing, but also manages to break Anansi's web every so often when he shakes the branches of the nutmeg tree. Anansi strongly advises Herald that it would really be best for him to find another tree to roost in, but of course, the haughty Herald doesn't listen. Wrong move Herald! Anansi devises a trick to throw Herald's biological clock off balance so that instead of crowing at sunrise, Herald crows at all hours of the night, inviting the ire of "Yes Boss," the plantation owner. Will Herald finally listen to Anansi and find another tree to roost in? Or will Yes Boss find out Herald is the trouble-making rooster throwing the plantation out of kilter and serve him up for Sunday lunch?

Anansi and Herald, The Fowl-Cock is your perfect read-aloud story. The animal characters are full of personality, the well-written plot keeps the reader or listener engaged, wanting to know the outcome of Anansi's machinations and the descriptions and dialogue do a decent job of establishing the Caribbean setting. Supplementary material at the back of the book includes a "Did You Know?' section explaining cultural references, a list of new and familiar vocabulary words, discussion questions and writing activities for children that build off of the text.

The glossy pages give glistening clarity to the vibrant, saturated tones of the illustrations; the glossy finish works particularly well with some of the luminously painted night-time scenes; even pre-readers will be attracted to the shiny pages of this book. Jehanne Silva-Freimane's illustrations have a noticeable whimsy to them, a quality akin to what you see in classic nursery rhyme illustrations. The anthropomorphic illustrations in particular are lively and often hilarious, conveying for example the bodily attitudes of a few gossiping farm hens or the smug satisfaction on the face of the cunning spider. The clever use of motion lines, perspective and other techniques lend an engaging cartoonesque element to the visual narrative, which works to really bring the story to life. Mostly illustrated with montages and vignettes, double- and full-page spreads are cleverly and appropriately saved for the establishing shot and final pages of the book.

On a personal note, I like this book because it strongly reminds me of this textbook filled with Caribbean folktale stories I had as a child in primary school. I used to love that book, textbook and all! There were stories about Anansi; I remember the centrality of a calabash gourd and another explanatory folktale about the Kingfisher-- I wish I could own that book again! Of course, I have no idea what the title of the book might be. I just remember the feeling I had reading the book as a child, the feeling of being swept up into the mythical landscape of the West Indian forest with its folk life and timeless animal tricksters. I imagine it's the same type of feeling a child might get reading Anansi and Herald, The Fowl-Cock.

Thus, I recommend it! Read Together: ages 5 and up. Read Alone: ages 7 and up. FYI: Anansi and Herald, The Fowl-Cock is a picture storybook which means it's heavier/longer on text and lighter on illustrations compared to a picturebook. It is still, however, an "easy reader."

End Review

Thank you, Summer.

Anansi and Herald, The Fowl-Cock is now available at your favourite on-line store and in Barbados at gifts shops island-wide

2011-10-03T02:07:00.000-07:00

The 40th Reunion of Dick's engineering class at Sir George William (now Condordia University) took us to Montreal. It was a single day event but we went for six days giving me a chance to see Montreal and Dick to revisit his old haunts. The reunion dinner went well for Dick as a few of his close friends showed up.

We were also fortunate that Andre, a friend from Dick's Western days, was in town. He offered us a trout fishing expedition a little north of the city. It was my best fishing trip ever and first catch. The lake was calm and Andre is the perfect host, baiting my hook with the worms and taking the catch off the hook. I got the fun part of feeling the bite and reeling the fish in. I had several strikes, but only managed to reel in two. The latter, a catfish, was undesirable, as they are not eaten in Montreal. Dick got a strike just as we were calling it a day and landed a smaller trout. Fishing was followed a lunch of barbequed hamburgers (the trout were destined for smoking) and then a walk in the woods by the lake. Later to be rounded off by a gourmet dinner at Andre's. A great first day.

Day 2 was a long day - a 12 hours coach tour to Quebec City. We were not s0 fortunate with the weather as it rained most of the time. It did give as a break of a few hours to walk in the city. Our guides were resourceful and turned what should have been a walking tour into a bus ride. The boat for the river tour was dry and we went quite close to the Montmorency Falls. As with these type of tours, I was reminded of history lessons, long forgotten, and lots of interesting bits, which I am sure never made it into the books. Did you know that Admiral Wolfe was shipped to England for burial in a barrel of rum? That's not even on Wiki!

Quebec City is really picturesque and deserves more than a cursory day trip.

Our last day was spent visiting friends in the Eastern Townships, very close to the US border. There was a fund raiser in one of the township close to our destination and we stopped by. A back in time experience.

Stratford-on-Avon

2011-09-10T15:13:00.000-07:00

One thing I dislike about living in the UK is the necessity to make plans long in advance. And so it was a cold, windy, grey day that we headed up to Stratford-on-Avon.

Stratford is a quaint heritage town with many stunning examples of period buildings in the Old Town and High Street. It is also the home of the Royal Shakespeare Company's modern theatre complex and The Swan Theatre.

Our tickets were for The City Madam at The Swan which is described as "a wonderfully atmospheric galleried playhouse. The original Victorian building fell victim to a fire in 1928. The new building was built in 1932 and the inside has been designed to reflect an actual Elizabethan style theatre."

I found the theatre very comfortable and the seating afforded unobstructed viewing. As the theatre filled I remarked to Dick, "Only seniors here." The play by Philip Massinger was billed as a comedy but there was no laughter from the audience. Indeed it was such purgatory that we exited at intermission. Our penance perhaps for the sacrilege of booking other than Shakespear in his birthplace.

Play apart, it was a pleasant outing. Ticked box: 'Stratford-on-Avon.' Had a delicious dinner at the hotel across the street from the theatre and enjoyed my first plaice.

Fun Stuff

2011-08-30T04:54:00.000-07:00

A year ago I gave my first digital camera, a Olympus Camedia, 4-megapixil, model to Aleks (7) and Gabriela (5). I figured that it might quickly end up broken in the toy box. As with all new things, there was an initial flurry of interest by both children, but Gabriela's interest was sustained.

Last week we went on our first photo-shoot together. The sheep were in the shed having their siesta and I figured that we would head over and take some portraits. By the time we had our gear together the sheep were back in the field and most of them had their rumps to the sun :( — A few of the more inquisitive approached. One wondered if it could get a nibble off my Nikkon.

Gabriela gets some interesting shots and this shot of 'Ma' is an example. I hope to have more opportunities to shoot with Gabriela.

Shepherding 101

2011-08-30T03:55:00.000-07:00

I was back in Latvia for a quick, last visit before heading home early November. Jehanne and family have recently acquired a flock of twenty-six sheep. The sheep are kept on pasture land adjoining the house and retained by an electric fence. To my inexperienced eyes, it appeared that the sheep have plenty room but —the grass is always greener on the other side.

These beasties ignore the electrical current and frequently breakout. As a highway is close by, these episodes are dangerous and need countering. Jehanne, the children and the dogs usually deal with this. I joined the roundup team for my week there, shooed sheep and helped repair the lines. Here is a photo of Gabriela in action and Brunis, the ram, leaping the fence.

Being so close the the sheep, I was able to make several observations:

They look quite different and are easily distinguishable by features and personality. There are leaders and followers. There is one that is always last. When herded some choose to go under the wires, some in between and others jump, like Brunis. There are two non-conformist in the flock that must be outside the wires.

Sheep start their day early and take rest breaks back at the shed and return to it before sunset. They are neither particularly smelly or noisy. Their presence adds to the pastoral atmosphere of Jehanne's home.

Christophore – Available Worldwide (almost)

2011-08-23T00:03:00.000-07:00

My first post on this blog, back in October 2008, was about Christophore. I had just signed off with Cole's Printery and rushed to the airport for my flight to the UK. It is perhaps fitting that I should return to Christophore before relocating home in November.

I figured I could break into the UK market by being on the spot and calling on various institutions and establishments. I soon learnt that the system is closed and it is necessary to go through the channels – get an agent, be accepted by a publishing house, stocked by a wholesaler etc., be in a position to offer massive discounts off retail to resellers and take back any books they do not sell. This was clearly not happening for several reasons.

I'm too impatient and I love the publishing process, working with my illustrators and editors; calling on my resellers and coming up with marketing strategies. And then I found Lightning Source Inc, a print on demand printer with a vast distribution network. As a UK resident, I was able to meet their qualifiers. Still there were other challenges. My books did not comply to their standard formats. I learnt InDesign and made massive strides in my Photoshop skills and FINALLY Christophore has made it through and is available on line. Anansi and Herald is almost through and my new book, Ping Pong, should be on line by the end of September. I'm currently working my way through Away to Bequia, Would You Please Fetch Me A Pail? and Giant African Land Snails.

If you have purchased any of these books and liked them, please spare a few minutes and write a customer's review on the website where you purchase. Many thanks.

Shoreham Air Shore 2011

2011-08-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

Dick and I drove down to Shoreham for the Royal Air Force Association's Airshow. Everyone participating is a volunteer and the proceeds finance the associations activities and charities. It was my first airshow and a rather pleasant day.

It is a family airshow. The large venue is split between displays of aircraft, an 'amusement park' and bazaar selling a myriad of different objects. The spectators sit or stand at the edge of a field and watch the aerial displays while chatting and picnicking.

There were many different types of aircraft flying. I recognised many from my days of purchasing model kits at Laurie Dash. There were booths doing brisk trade selling such kits. I'm afraid model kit building seems to be a male thing. I saw no girls purchasing and I am ashamed of myself for not purchasing one for my granddaughter. One of the pilots of one of the modern jets was female though.

One our way home we heard a news report that a pilot of a Red Arrow taking part in the the airshow at Bournemouth crashed. The Ministry of Defence subsequently announced that the pilot died.

Cambridge

2011-08-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to visit Cambridge for two months. Andrew's availability and good weather kept postponing the trip. Last weekend it looked like it was all coming together. I checked the weather forecast daily. Initially it was partly sunny. This deterioted to mostly cloudy and the day before the trip light rain was forecast. I took the decision to press on and it turned out to be a good choice.

We were joined by Rebeca, a Cambridge resident and friend of Andrew. She helped us find our way around quickly. When I think Cambridge, I also think compact, cathedrals and colleges. All the tourist attractions are clustered so we were able 'to do' Cambridge in two hours. Granted a very cursory 'do'. The architecture is phenomenal and the city has a 'nice feel' about it. There were hordes of summer tourists.

Punting is a must at Cambridge. The scene on the river was riotous. There were so many punts going every which way that it was like being in a dodge 'em or bumper car. Our punter was a taciturn young man. Dick tried unsuccessfully to draw him out. He was skilled enough to navigate us up and down without mishap, which in this instance was the more important. Also we were close enough to other loud prattling punters to get the gist of the spiel.

Baltic Cruise 6 - Nynashamn, Sweden

2011-08-14T01:16:00.000-07:00

The choice at our final port of call was the quiet town of Nynashamn or a helter-skelter trip to Stockholm. The horde went to Stockholm but our team were too lazy and, besides, towns were beginning to look very similar.

Nynashamn is a small seaside resort. The church in the background was the most outstanding building I saw. For its size, it has a large marina. The town centre was an easy walk from the harbour. At the end of the cruise, it was good to wind down.

Baltic Cruise 5 - Helsinki, Finland

2011-08-04T14:01:00.000-07:00

After a much needed restful day at sea, we called in at Helsinki. There are several ports in Helsinki and the Eurodam was moored a little ways from town. A continuous shuttle bus was available so it was easy to head downtown to explore on foot.

I liked Helsinki with its beautiful Hanseatic architecture and green spaces down town. The downtown tented market was a beacon for tourist. Lots of people about, but not much trading. Originally an agricultural market, most of the stalls now cater to tourist.

There are around 330 islands off the coast of Helsinki. After a lunch of danish specialties, Dick and I went on an Archipelago cruise from the market square.

Another Light Raid - Reading Writers

2011-07-28T23:17:00.000-07:00

"We are a small and varied group of people of all ages who are united in our love for words. We encompass performance poets and stand-up comedians as well as writers of autobiography, local history, romantic fiction, crime fiction, science fiction, fantasy and just plain fiction. Some of us have been published, some are still looking for a publisher, and some of us just write for sheer joy. We believe first and foremost that writing is an activity to be enjoyed, and any further rewards are a bonus. Each of us is happy to give help and support to everybody else." - Group's website.

I have been fortunate to be accepted into this group (founded in 1949) shortly after relocating to Reading. I've enjoyed the camaraderie and and benefited greatly for the manuscript critique evenings. Earlier this year we published an anthology, Another Light Raid, which has been shortlisted for the National Association of Writers Groups 2011 Anthology Award.

The anthology contains poetry, fiction and non-fiction from sixteen members reflecting their varied interest and is a great read. Part of the proceeds from sales will be donated to the Duchess of Kent House. It can be purchased at Lulu.com in print or eBook format.

Baltic Cruise 4 - St. Petersburg Russia

2011-07-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

On the second day in Russia, we head out to Catherine's Palace, summer residence of the Russian tsars, located in the town of Pushkin 12 miles from St. Petersburg. Although commissioned by Empress Elizabeth it carries the name of the original palace at the location, which was built for her mother, Catherine the Great. The tsars retreated there from the stench of the city summers.

The Palace was spectacularly lavish. It certainly rivals Versailles for grandeur and magnificence. What I saw of the gardens though were not comparable. I confess that I am not comparing like as I viewed Versailles with Dick on a winter's day when the tourist herd would have been diminished. We were on our own there for the day and moved at our leisure. By comparison this was high season and we were there for three hours, most of which was spent waiting to get in... get into the building; get into the security check area; get into a room; get into the toilets :) In photo holding 'our standard - 5' is our tour guide.

On exiting the palace we ran a gauntlet of souvenir venders. I fell to the most unlikely. An elderly artist who made pictures from pieces of trees and flowers. She did excellent work and I am pleased to have that as my souvenir of Russia.

Baltic Cruise 4 - St. Petersburg

2011-07-24T08:14:00.000-07:00

The prospect of visiting St. Petersburg was very exciting and tense. We choose to book tours with the ship for both days of our stopover, as visa would then not be required; but would our Barbadian passports be accepted? Yes, they were and we cleared immigration very quickly.

Situated on the River Neva and the Baltic Sea, St. Petersburd is the second largest city in Russia. It is a sprawling city with over a million inhabitants. Our tour consisted of a one hour coach ride and three hours of exploration on our own. As with large cities, there several brilliant architectural gems among a lot of 'regular' buildings. Many of the regular building would have benefitted from a new paintjob. Nevertheless, It was beautiful with the river flowing through it and its large boulevards. The Church of Our Saviour on Spilled Blood(in photo) alone was worth the visit.

Lunch was pricey (in a tourist area) even though our guide said the salaries were low, and that salaries in the Civil Service were generally half of those in the private sector. A typical home consist of two bedroom and a kitchen. Life was hard.

There are on average 62 sunnys days a year in St. Petersburg. We were lucky to enjoy one.

Baltic Cruise 3 - Tallin, Estonia

2011-07-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

After a day at sea we called in at Tallinn, the capital and largest city of Estonia. Tallinn's Old Town is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Tallinn is among the top ten digital cities of the world. Internet access was readily available and free in many restaurants and bars in Old Tallinn. As one would expect of a World Heritage Site, the city is in excellent condition. The medieval architecture is striking with many examples of very ornate doors and wall carvings. Much of the old city walls are standing. The streets are cobbled and often narrow.

Old Tallinn is small and we walked around most of it in the morning. It caters to tourists with a preponderance of jewellery and souvenir shops. I succumbed to temptation and purchased a green amber necklace with matching earrings as a memento .

Baltic Cruise 2 - Warnemunde, Germany

2011-07-21T01:25:00.000-07:00

Our second port of call was Warnemunde, a small seaside resort (pop. 8,400) situated at the estuary of the river Warnow. Originally a fishing village, it became part of Rostock in 1323.

It was a grey, wet morning and it was only because I had prepaid for a tour of Warnemunde and Rostock that we put on our raincoats and headed for the bus and Rostock's Old Town.

Rostock was once an important Hanseatic League City. It has preserved much of the architecture from that period, which reflects the wealth of the medieval merchants. Rostock is still important as a trade centre and it is also a university town - home to the oldest university in Europe (1419). The construction of a modern cruise terminal in 2005 boosted tourism.

Our guide was a sprightly lody of 75. She made great effort to please. She was very knowledgeable of the local attractions, which resulted in information overload and I retained little. I do remember that she said life was tough due to rising cost of living and stagnant wages. There is still a great disparity in the wages of Eastern vs Western German 20 years after reunification. This she stated was unsatisfactory. Prices in the shops looked great to me... after Copenhagen :)

Baltic Cruise 1 - Copenhagen

2011-07-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

Copenhagen, the capital and largest city of Denmark, was our first port of call. It was a glorious day with blue skies and bright sunshine. Just outside the port, we took an open top hop-on hop-off bus. This is usually a pretty good way to see the city but unfortunately our stop over was short and we did not have time to line up to view the places of interest. A glance at the crowd outside the Trivoli Gardens reinforced this choice.

Copenhagen was crowded with tourists. I suspect that some of its one million + residents were in there somewhere. The traffic was snail-paced so we abandoned the bus and explored the downtown on foot.

Copenhagen is expensive. Dick forgot to pack his swimming trunks and we purchased his most expensive swimming trucks ever there. The hurtful part is that his inexpensive M&S one looks better.

I liked Copenhagen. Its bustling, clean, pretty and not over large. There are canals and pretty waterfronts as the city straddles the islands of Zealand and Amager. If you are wondering, 'Why with all that natural and architectural beauty did I post a shot of bicycles.' It's because I decided to post what struck me most. I said, 'Wow! That's a whole lot of bikes,' followed by 'They aren't locked'. The significance of this is that I've determined (from observation over the past two and a half years) that to secure a bike in Reading three locks are necessary. One for each wheel and one for the frame and you still risk of losing the saddle.

Here's what Wiki had to say:

"First documented in the 11th century, Copenhagen became the capital of Denmark in the beginning of the 15th century. During the 17th century it became a significant regional centre.

Copenhagen is a major regional centre of culture, business, media, and science, as indicated by several international surveys and rankings. Life science, information technology and shipping are important sectors and research and development play a major role in the city's economy. Its strategic location and excellent infrastructure, with the largest airport in Scandinavia have made it a regional hub and a popular location for regional headquarters and conventions.

Copenhagen has repeatedly been recognized as one of the cities with the best quality of life. It is also considered one of the world's most environmentally friendly cities. The water in the inner harbour is clean and safe for swimming. 36% of all citizens commute to work by bicycle. As of 2010, Copenhagen is ranked as the 10th most expensive city in the world according to Forbes magazine."

Eurodam - Baltic Cruise

2011-07-10T08:21:00.000-07:00

High on my '2do' list was a cruise in the Baltic while I was still living in England. Jean and Doug had been feted on an Holland American cruiser while it was in Bridgetown and were sold on this cruise as well, so off we four went from Dover on 27th June for a 12 day cruise.

We booked on the Eurodam, which is the largest ship of the Holland America Line. Commissioned in July 2008, she carries 2,104 passengers. Depending on the season, she sails the Med, Baltic or Caribbean. We had requested a low mid-ship berth to cope with my tendency to motion sickness but on check in found that we had been up-graded to a stateroom with a balcony aft of the ship on deck six. This turned out fine as the North Sea and the Baltic Sea were flat. The cabin was adequate and the bed was super comfy. The food was great but entertainment mediocre. I was irked by being charged for sodas and water. There was a great gym, Internet cafe/library and a screening room, which ran new movies several times a day. I will blog separately on each port of call.

The ship called at Copenhagen, Denmark; Warnemunde, Germany; Tallinn, Estonia; St. Petersburg, Russia; Helsinki, Finland; Nynashamn, Sweden before returning to Dover on the morning of 9th July.

My birthday coincided with our stop at Copenhagen. It was a great day. The sky was blue and almost cloudless. I got a bit of a suntan was we 'sight-saw' Copenhagen. At dinner the waiters sang Happy Birthday to me in Indonesian, clapping their hands, banging dessert bowl cymbals and singing into pepper grinder mikes. At the end of the song I was presented with a little cake - this after a dessert.

Dick thought this was not enough. Later in the Piano Bar when the pianist asked if any one was celebrating anything he kept a racket, "Birthday here! Birthday here!" - Result a couple of dedications.

Legoland - Windsor

2011-06-12T05:27:00.000-07:00

Alek (8) is an avid Lego builder. When he arrived at Gatwick with Jehanne and Gabby, it was, "When are we going to Legoland?" Fortunately, we decided to go early in their visit as the weather was good. Later in the week it became cold and rainy and Alek caught a cold.

Legoland is a great amusement park for the under 12s in as much as their rides are not too scary. The wait to ride though is TOO LOOOONG. Several rides had a waiting period of an hour. They also have a systems where, if you are willing to pay an extra £20 per person in addition to the hefty entrance fee, you can go straight to the front of the line - in front of all those who have lined up for the hour. I think this sucks! I think they need more rides for the numbers they admit. The line up for the toilets or food was short, so they got that right in relations to numbers. To expect children to stand on line for an hour is unreasonable. Also unreasonable was the eye-watering price of the food.

"My team" enjoyed their day as they were happy to go on climbing frames, have a painted face and build at the creativity centre, which they elected to do as they were frustrated by the long, slow moving lines. They did not rate Legoland as the highlight of their visit, which I can understand.

Highclere Castle

2011-05-31T14:36:00.000-07:00

Dick and I visited Highclere Castle this afternoon. Its website describes it as 'one of England's most beautiful Victorian Castles set amidst 1,000 acres of spectacular Parkland' while Wiki describes it as 'a country house in high Elizabethan style'.

Whichever is correct, it is massive and quite impressive. I found one of its architectural features unattractive - a number a vertical ridges, which gave the impression of scaffolding :(

The furnishings appeared to be authentic antiques. I have no expertise in this area and base my opinion on signs of age. There is an impressive collection of oil paintings and ceilings which are ornately decorated. The TV series Downtown Abbey was filmed here.

The parkland is lovely. This photo shows the field of daisies. I only noticed one such field. We indulged in a cream tea, which was delicious :)

Hughenden

2011-04-22T15:12:00.000-07:00

Lightly through the woodlands go

Tread not on the indigo cover

Silent bells tolling “May”

Irish Road Tour 2011

2011-04-19T07:42:00.000-07:00

I've just been across the sea to Ireland and arrived at the closing of the day...

Last Thursday Dick and I left our home in Reading early in the morning. In a minibus with four friends we drove to Pembroke where we boarded the ferry. It was a smooth crossing and we arrived at Rosslare at the closing of the day. Our hotel was nearby and offered a view of the harbour.

The following morning after breakfast we started our ten day road tour. We moseyed west on through Kilmore Quay and Hook's Head Lighthouse to settle in Glengarriff for three days.

From there we explored the Killarny National Park area and visited Bantry. Our next stop was Bunratty which we approached via Dingle and the Burrens. While there we enjoyed a medieval banquet.

I had chosen the White House for our base at Galway as it was located on Ocean Spray Road. I figured that I would see the sun go down on Galway Bay. Didn't happen :(

I had allotted two days for Galway. However, as Galway turned out to be a much smaller town than I imagined, we took the opportunity to explore Connemara.

It was Dublin next for a two day city stay. We did the usual - the hop on - hop off bus tour, a dinner show with Irish music and dancing. I saw it reviewed as cheesy and twee but that suited us tourists fine.

On our last night we found a great french film, Little White Lies. After the show we walk around town a bit before making our way home. The town was alive with more people out on the streets that Friday night than we had seen during the day.

Then it was south to Rosslare via Kilkenny, which bills itself as the medieval centre of Ireland. There is a nicely restored castle there.

At Rosslare we stayed in the same hotel as before so I felt quite a home. An Elvis Presley tape was playing when we checked in around 3.00 p.m. and I heard Elvis songs until I retired after dinner. This was okay as several were old favourites, which I had not heard for a while.

We were booked on an early sailing and I jumped out of bed when I mistook the fog horn for my alarm. It was a little eerie sailing in a fog with the horns blowing frequently. The sea was calm and we enjoyed another comfortable crossing.

Ireland is a great place to visit. The scenery is pretty and varied, the people friendly and helpful and the food tasty and too plentiful.

Pancake Day Race

2011-04-02T02:14:00.000-07:00

"During Lent there are many foods that some Christians - historically and today - would not eat: foods such as meat and fish, fats, eggs, and milky foods.

So that no food was wasted, families would have a feast on the shriving Tuesday, and eat up all the foods that wouldn't last the forty days of Lent without going off.

The need to eat up the fats gave rise to the French name Mardi Gras ('fat Tuesday'). Pancakes became associated with Shrove Tuesday as they were a dish that could use up all the eggs, fats and milk in the house with just theaddition of flour.

Pancake races are thought to have begun in 1445. A woman had lost track of the time on Shrove Tuesday, and was busy cooking pancakes in her kitchen. Suddenly she heard the church bell ringing to call the faithful to church for confession. The woman raced out of her house and ran all the way to church; still holding her frying pan and wearing her apron." BBC website.

This year I was free on Strove Tuesday and so went down town to watch the action. It was noisier than usual and I headed in the direction of the amplified voices. On part of the main street, which is a pedestrian only area, there was small crowd. The racing had already started and I had to worm my way to the ropes to be get an unobstructed view to shoot.

It was eliminating relay racing of two team of four. A frying pan and pancake took the place of the baton. The participants had to flip a pancake as they ran.

CSI On Our Doorstep

2011-02-24T02:29:00.000-08:00

Last night the police knocked on our door. A body had been found that morning on View Island and they were going door to door questioning all the nearby residents. Had we been to View Island? Were we there yesterday? Had we seen anything unusual in the area? "No, so sorry. Can't tell you anything about the body. At the moment we are treating it like foul play." There are a lot of fowls in the area, but I don't think he was punning.

View Island is tiny and just a little further out into the Thames than Heron Island. It is connected to the mainland by a bridge, from the park where I walk to the Caversham Lock. It is uninhabited and I imagined that it was conceptualised as a fantasy playground for children. I took this picture when I was exploring there. I've been out there a couple of times. It has always been deserted. I guess I will no longer wonder around there on my own.

This morning there were two mobile police stations at the junction of the road to Heron Island and the park. The entrance to the bridge was blocked by a car, yellow tape was tied across the uprights and a policewoman stood guard. About six policeman were milling around and they questioned a cyclist, who was on route to the bridge.

I was really delighted when I moved to Heron Island, almost downtown but in an idyllic, country setting. Now Stephen King has moved in.

Expedition to Windsor

2011-02-22T13:57:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking of visiting Windsor for a while now. Dick and I passed through there on two hikes with the Berkshire Ramblers and it looked like a fun place, the Castle, a theater and lots of boutiques and restaurant. It was summer when were last there. The place was buzzing and looked really pretty. Our stop was so short that I determined that Windsor deserved a second look.

We had nothing planned last weekend so...
We ascertained that the castle was open and booked tickets at the Theatre Royal for the BBC production, Dinner Ladies. I forgot to check the weather forecast. We planned an afternoon visit and luckily the rain stopped by the time we arrived.

We toured the castle. A benefit of a grey, dreary day is no lines. No Royals were in residence, which meant that we also toured the private apartments. 'Windsor is the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world,' so says Wiki. I was very disappointed that photography was restricted to the grounds and building exteriors. Here is a shot, which I played with in PICNIK, a great new feature of Picasa.

While the State Apartments were resplendent with their Rococo, Gothic and Baroque furnishings, it was St. George's Hall that caught my attention. I liked too the foyer with the statue of Queen Victor surrounded by the plunder from The Empire. In other areas they have made beautiful art by the arrangement of old armaments. I did not purchase a guide book and so now cannot refer to the many interesting features. Guess you will have to go and see for yourself.

At Theater Royal, we only stayed 'til the intermission in the show as we could not understand the accents of the actors. No sense sitting through a comedy and missing the punch lines. This though gave us time to have dinner and retrieve our car before the car park closed at 8.00 p.m. Windsor is an affluent suburban town with some of the some expensive housing in the UK. It is picturesque, the cobbled side streets are lined by touristy shops and restaurants. Going by the crowded restaurants that evening, its residents are not feeling the economic pinch.

The Ode Less Travelled by Stephen Fry

2011-02-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

I received this book as a gift three Christmases ago. It has only now reached to top of my '2do list'. I am enjoying it immensely.

I was surprised to read the following in this book:

"Every child is musical. Unfortunately this natural gift is squelched before it has time to develop. From all my life experience I remember being laughed at because my voice and the words I sang didn't please someone. My second grade teacher, Miss Stone would not let me sing with the rest of the class because she judged my voice as not musical and she said that I threw the class of key. I believed her which led to the blockage of my appreciation of music and blocked my ability to write poetry... So writes one Sidney Madwed."

I know too well of what Sidney Madwed writes. Since I was the only child singled out in my class for this type of abuse, I felt very embarrassed. I had never heard this happening to any other child in my school. Victims cloak their shame in silence or jest. I realise now that it was not I who was lacking but she.

So if you've got children, sing with them. Fill your life with laughter, acceptance and joy. We all improve with practice.

Photo: Christmas concert at a kindergarten, Latvia.

Making Your Picture Book Buzz!

2011-02-05T10:40:00.000-08:00

I was really excited last September when I learnt that the Society of Children's Books Writers & Illustrators (British Isles) was offering a Master Class entitled, Making Your Picture Book Buzz. I hesitated and the course was over subscribed. I was delighted when I heard that they would run it again and I signed up like a shot. Today was the day. I traveled up to London hoping to learn some tricks of the trade and I've learnt.

The workshop was conducted by author/illustrator, Garry Parsons. There is only one word for it:

Brilliant.

You can check out his work at http://www.garryparsons.co.uk/.

Garry comes to picture books from an illustrating background and he showed us how to see material from this perspective. Picture books are usually written in less than 500 words. I've been struggling with an idea, wrestling to trim it down to size. Garry's tip was let the images do the talking. He showed us how to apply this concept and I think I'll give it a go.

I was fortunate to get Garry alone for a few minutes and discuss my upcoming book, Ping Pong. His feed back was positive, and he gave me some tips on how it can be tweaked to buzz. A day well spent.

The above image was from sirwiseowl, Flicker.

Birthday Celebrations

2011-02-03T11:27:00.000-08:00

Continuing our practice of celebrating without food, Dick's birthday event this year was seeing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. It was playing at our local theatre and I had heard many rave reviews.

I enjoyed the show. Keith Jack has a beautiful voice and his diction is clear. The music was lively and costumes varied and colourful, but the show lack that WOW! Perhaps on a London stage the backdrops may be spectacular. The playwrights used several famous melodies and changed the lyrics. I found this disturbing as my mind was singing along with the old lyrics and not recognising the new and, therefore, I missed the sense of some songs.

It was a pleasant evening and I've seen worse. If I went my audience applause, I would have to declare that it was a great show.

Xmas Day Haiku

2011-01-22T05:45:00.000-08:00

cool christmas breeze blows

ruffling the sea, rustling leaves

chasing blues away

We had bruch with Harry & Tessa on Xmas day. The view from their porch was glorious.

A Carrot Is Your Best Friend

2011-01-22T04:49:00.000-08:00

There comes a time in most parents life when their offspring believe that they know more. I am ready and happy to concede this now. After the Christmas Indulgences, I had a tough love sessions with son, who dished out advice on diet, exercise and life style, confirming that what you give, you get. At the close of the review he declared, 'A carrot is your best friend.'

I learnt the following interesting facts (selected excerpts follow) about my new best friend from www.browfarm.co.uk. :

Carrots, like our other friends, come in many sizes and shapes: round, cylindrical, fat, very small, long or thin.

Native to Afghanistan, carrots were known to both the Greeks and Romans. In fact, the Greeks called the carrot "Philtron" and used it as a love medicine--making men more ardent and women more yielding. The Roman emperor Caligula, believing these stories, forced the whole Roman Senate to eat carrots so he could see them "in rut like wild beasts."

India, China, and Japan had established carrots as a food crop by the 13th century. In Europe, however, they were not well known until well into the Middle Ages. At that time, doctors prescribed them for everything from sexual maladies to snakebite--which some would argue, are biblically connected. In Holland, the original red, purple, black, yellow, and white varietals were hybridized to today's bright orange, with its potent dose of beta carotene.

From thence, carrots moved to England, during Elizabethan times. Some Elizabethans ate the roots as food; others used their feathery stalks to decorate their hair, their hats, their dresses, and their coats.

Carrots arrived in the New World with the early colonists, but they were allowed to escape cultivation and subsequently turned into the omnipresent and delicate wild flower Queen Anne's Lace. If you doubt it, pull up a plant by the roots and surprise your nose with its carroty smell.

NUTRITIONAL FACTS
Serving Size: 1 medium carrot (78g)
Calories 35
Calories from Fat 0 % Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 40mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 8g 3%
Dietary Fibre 2g 8%
Sugars 5g
Protein 1g
Vitamin A 270%
Vitamin C 10%
Calcium 2%
Iron 0%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Eat to Beat Breast Cancer
New research has uncovered one reason why what you eat may protect you from breast cancer -- or put you at risk. Among a group of women with a family history of breast cancer, those who began eating more vegetables and less beef and pork had less damage to their DNA, the genetic material that controls the function of all your cells.

The picture is from Flickr site by CarbonNYC. I chose it for it captured the mood of the tough love session.

Lego - Stronger Than Ever

2011-01-04T13:05:00.000-08:00

I am once again purchasing toys and I am amazed by the continued popularity of Lego.

I worked for 25 years in the toy trade as a purchaser but I've been away from that industry for ten years and have now returned as a consumer to purchase for generation 3.

I was immediately struck by the fact that apart from the electronic stuff there is little new in the basics, just old concepts with new licences.

A survey of parents indicated that a lego was very popular with the boys. I purchased sets for boys aged 4 - 8 and it would appear that these were very well received. Apparantly one can't have too many bricks.

Photo from Flickr by Dunechaser

Ticking The Boxes

2010-11-06T05:55:00.000-07:00

In keeping with my resolve to make the most of our sojourn to the UK, Dick, Andrew and I planned a visit to the Royal Albert Hall.

We went to hear Carmina Burana performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Choral Society, the London Philharmonic Choir, the English Concert Chorus, The Southend Boys' Choir. I will not pretend that I knew what I was about. I was just out for a different experience and this performance certainly filled the bill. I chose this photo by Cormac 70 from the Flickr site as it recreates what we experienced last Saturday.

The programme was varied. There were three items. The first piece was an orchestral piece, the second featured the Hall's very impressive organ and the third was choral. I don't know enough about music to discuss the merits of the performance but the sounds were harmonious, pleasant and thoroughly enjoyable.

Sleuthing O\*

2010-11-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

I gave it little thought before assenting when family genealogist, Leon Dash, asked me to do a little research. Our common fore bearer, Humphry Dash, was an early settler in Barbados. He died there in 166? leaving 10 acres of land in St. George to his wife, Elisabeth nee Booth and their children. There is no record of Humphry's entry into the island and my mission was to see if the records in the UK National Archives had an entry of his departure. I contacted another genealogy buff, O\E, and made plans to meet at the National Archives at Kew.

Research on line indicated that I needed to get a Readers Ticket to look at the old Colonial Papers. This was more complicated than expected. In addition to the standard proof of identify and residency, I had to read a 27 page file on document handling and answer multiple choice questions at the end of each page. It was after noon by the time all this preliminary stuff was completed. Hot chocolate and carbs relieve stress.

After another security check I gained access to the Reading Room and the first volume of Colonial Papers for the year 1625 - 1628. I was very excited then I realized that these handwritten documents were just about impossible to read. My eyes wouldn't focus, the style of English was unusual and the spelling irregular. Most disappointing of all was the fact that there was little specifically relating to Barbados or the first voyage to the island. I did find the Grant of the Islands of the West Indies to the Earl of Carlisle by James 1. I never imagined that I would ever touch that document.

What I did discover using the computers at the Archives is that in the 1881 census the name Dash occurs in England but not in Ireland or Scotland. Most of the Dashes were located then, as they are now, in the South West of England. There were 571 person with that name; Swindon and Truro were the towns with the most Dashes.

Having failed miserably in my mission, I am relying on the power of the Internet and the principle of six degrees of separation to yield the answer to these questions - where did Humphry Dash come from? When did he arrive in Barbados?

*O\ - Sign of a sleuth.
The illustration is the work of Tall Chris, Flickr site.

At Home On A Small Island.

2010-10-23T06:44:00.000-07:00

Our landlords returned from Australia earlier than scheduled and wanted their home back, but there is never a bad happening. We had two months noticed and found a modern townhouse on a tiny island in the Thames. A very short bridge connects it to the shore. The development is about 20 years old and has less than 100 units. Our new home ticked all the boxes on my wish list so I'm really happy.

We've turned the small bedroom into an office for me. It is on the top floor and is warm. The garden room on the ground floor was turned into Dick's office. The development is nicely landscaped and maintained. Nearby on the mainland there are many walking paths and open green spaces. We are closer to town and within walking distance of many local shops. I think we lucked out when we got turned out.

This photo is of the river between the island and mainland. Ducks, swans, seagull, herons and coots are often here, particularly in the morning. I suspect that there will be many shots of bird families next spring. We've just settled in and I've not had the opportunity to wander around with my camera.

On The Home Stretch

2010-10-18T22:13:00.000-07:00

I'm often asked how long it takes to write a book. "Ages," surprises most folk. After all, it is only a 28-page picture book.

Back in '07, I met Alejandra Coy at The Brighton Market, where I was selling my books. She was studying at UWI and was doing research on Anansi and asked if I could introduce her to authors writing Anansi stories. I agreed but came up empty when I asked around my circle of writer friends. So I invited Karen Van Sluytman, a colleague who had produced two DVDs featuring Anansi, and Peggy Zabriskie, a friend who had lived in Ghana and had a collection of old Anansi books, to meet Alejandra.

And thus the idea that I could write modern Anansi stories took root. For sometime I had been struggling to write a story around the myth that cocks crow only before dawn. Anansi was the key. For several months I worked on the story at the National Cultural Foundation's Writers' Clinic where the participants and facilitator, Nailah Imoja Folami, offered valuable critique. That year I entered it in NIFCA and received a Silver Award.

Eighteen months ago, Jehanne and I begun to work on the layout of this book. The picture book format could not work and so we settled on the idea of an illustrated story. There was still a challenge - the word count was a tad long. Could anything be cut? No. Eureka! The introduction of chapters. Jehanne finished her artwork about a month ago.

In the meantime Linda Deane, of Linda's Ink, agreed to edit. To gauge a European response to this story, I took it to Reading Writers (my UK writing circle) on manuscript critique night. Their response was positive and their suggestions for improvement helpful.

I'm now working on Linda's suggested edits and waiting for the allocation of an ISBN number from the Caricom Community Secretariat in Guyana.

I'll be in Barbados next month to co-ordinate the printing with Cole's Printery Ltd., to start visiting shops and to arrange some publicity. So, yes, I'm on the home stretch but there is still lots of work to cross the finish line.

I would like to thank Alejandra, Karen, Peggy, Nailah, Linda, the folks at the National Cultural Foundation, Reading Writers and Jehanne for their inspiration, support and help in making this happen.

The Scottish Road Tour 2010

2010-09-04T23:40:00.000-07:00

Dick and I have just returned from a wee drive around Bonnie Scotland in our wee Nissan Note. I searched through my pictures to determine which image would best capture the trip. The scenery was so varied east to west, lowland to highland, that I decided that the constant was our little Note which carried us safely and comfortably over the 1700 miles. I will put the pictorial of the trip in a web album.

To make the journey manageable, and to visit an old friend, our first stop was in Cockermouth, Cumbria. We then went on to Glasgow, Isle of Mull, Isle of Skye, Inverness, Falkirk, and Harrogate. We had glorious weather, as can be seen in this shot.

Everywhere you go in the UK there are reminders of the past battles and conflicts. So this trip took me back into the pages of history books, long forgotten. Soon after my arrival in Reading, I noticed much 'talk' about the Second World War (1945). It would come up within my writing circle, in a class on the history of photography and there are numerous television programmes around it. I attributed this to the fact that most families would have had a grandparent or uncle, who fought or died in the war. The war for them was very personal. I was a little taken back though to find the Scots talking about the Battle of Culloden (1745). Embers of Scottish independence smoulder.

Prior to this trip Scottish cuisine to me was Haggis, porridge, oatcakes, smoked salmon and Angus beef. I was delighted to discovered I erred. We enjoyed scrumptious meals at ever stop, fresh seafood, local produce and succulent lamb.

Other highlights of the trip were:

A stop at Loch Lomond
Inter-island ferry trips
A visit to the Isle of Iona
A boat trip to Staffa
A walk along Loch Ness
A ride on the Falkirk Wheel
A walk along Hadrian's Wall

Latvia In Review

2010-08-23T21:38:00.000-07:00

Bloomberg revisited Latvia last week. As I was just there, I was very interested in what they had to say a year now after the financial meltdown.

Latvians, who had been on a spending spree in the boom time, experienced the biggest bust in Europe. Their economy contracted by 18%. Unemployment is now 15%, having peaked at 17%.

Construction projects are still at a stand still. A construction worker interviewed stated that he used to work for LVL 5 - 8 per hour and considers himself lucky if he can earn LVL 2 per hour.

Education was hardest hit by the government's cutbacks. Many small schools have been closed and teachers felt a 30% - 50% wage reduction.

In hard times like these prudent savers hope to pick up bargains. This is not the case here. The banks have shipped out repossessed cars to more affluent regions and purchase properties on their books at public auctions.

Elections are coming up soon. The Prime Minister in his interview stated that the IMF was the cheapest source of funds so whoever wins will have to carry on the austerity programmes.

Adventures In Latvia

2010-08-16T02:12:00.001-07:00

The trip from the UK was uneventful and we arrived on time. As usual we were challenged at Immigration, 'Where is your visa?' I explained that since May last year we no longer needed a visa due to a treaty between Barbados and the EU. We were taken the the supervisor, who declared a visa was necessary. More talk. The arrival hall was now empty save Dick, I and the two immigration officers. Referral to the computer system and some searches confirm our claims and we are welcomed to Latvia. Now they want the name of Jehanne's street. Jehanne does not live on a named street but they finally accepted her postal address and we are through. The baggage area is deserted except for Dick's bag on the belt. Mine eventually emerges and we make off to the car rental office. Our outfit is no where to be seen and I did opt for an airport pick-up.

Closer inspection of our documentation reveal that our outfit is located in a hotel about 150 meters from the airport. Friendly airport officials direct us and we head off. Dick has his sail bag over his shoulder and bulging brief in hand. I've got a large hand band slung like a postman's sack, a back pack and am dragging my suitcase behind. We locate the hotel and office easily. Another customer is ahead of us and there is one attendant on duty, so we wait. Dick supplies all the required documents and the clerk points to a large black bus. I mumble that I've ordered a six seater station wagon. I spent ages on the net to find a company offering this option. Our contract reads supplier can offer ... 'a similar replacement.' I see no similarity between a six seater station wagon and an eight seater bus. When we get to the bus it has too many dings and dents to note. I take about 30 shots of this crap-mobile and we are on our way. The location is off Garmin's map but we make our way to the highway easily.

As we head on down the highway we notice that Garmin is behaving strangely. Dick pulls over, turns her off and on and set out. No change. We are represented by an arrow in the middle of nowhere and directions are to continue on A8. We continue and repeat the process. No change but we cross the river and we know this is required. Dick zooms out the map and we see a flag marking destination's end and we are heading in that direction. We continue in this manner, hoping that at least the destination is correct. We follow a bus through a confusing looking area until we don't like a turn it makes. I begin to see names on the signposts which appear familiar and finally I can say, 'YES! We are going the right way. My telephone rings. It's a text from Jehanne, 'Where R U?" I don't reply as we are just turning off the highway into the road to their house.

There are faces at the windows looking for us. Everyone is well. The presents were much appreciate. Just before bedtime Gabriela suggest that I could go home and come back with more presents!

Rain, Rain & More Rain

2010-07-16T14:38:00.000-07:00

But, the rain did not wash out play. For a number of years Dick and I have been talking about taking a trip on one of the canals in England. This week, thanks to the organisation of Tim and Eileen, we accomplished this goal but I should never have taken my swimsuit. I never intended to swim but after the warm, sunny weather we were having I thought it would have been the ideal opportunity to sunbathe. This was not to be but between the rain showers we did have moments of glorious sunshine. It was a great trip with good food and great company. Gliding along the hillside we looked onto the quilted farmlands of South Wales and beyond to the forested hills.

The Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal runs for 32 miles through a national park. Built between 1797 and 1812 it linked Brecon with Newport and the Severn Estuary and was part of the system used to transport stone and processed lime from nearby quarries. By 1930 the canal was no longer used for this purpose. During the 'Sixties it was was restored and used for recreational purposes. All the way alongside the canal is a footpath. As we traveled at less than 3 m.p.h., Dick sometimes got out and walked ahead for exercise.

I learnt to operate locks on this trip. There were five in a row at the end of our second day. As it was a linear route we had to negotiate the locks on day three as well, finally getting the hang of it when the skill was no longer required.

The canal passed through a lot of farmland. On day two I was awaken by a loud, plaintive bleat - a rather distressing sound. After four repetitions, I was definitely awake but it was barely morning. Then I hear the voices of joyful lambs, but that was not the end of the matter. I looked out the window and in the low light a flock of sheep were moving beneath the trees. I swear I heard the voice of each in turn.

On the last night of the trip we were determined to find a pub. Maps etc. indicated that the Goose and Cuckoo was in the vicinity of Bridge 80. The pub was not riverside but we got directions for a residents and set out. 45 minutes later, most of which was spent in a uphill walk we arrived. We were a bit damp as we had walked through a drizzle part of the way. We have a delicious meal of lamb shanks and veggies. When we left the pub, it was raining hard and when we reached the boat we all were, in varying degrees, wet. My waterproof trousers were drenched.

We finished up with trip with a stop in Hereford and a visit to the Hampton Court there. A fun relaxing week. A canal trip is good to get away and unwind.

Lavender

2010-07-10T10:46:00.000-07:00

On route to Italy I purchased a Digital SLR Photography magazine at the airport. I was pleased to find 'A quick guide of where to visit and what to shoot this month!' One of the suggestions was Lavender in Norfolk. Norfolk is a long way from Reading so I googled and found The Hartley Park Farm down in Hampshire. This was only about an hour away so Dick and I took a drive over today. It was a glorious day and I needed to test my new lens.

The farm only opens to the public two weekends a year before harvest. The farm was small and situated on the edge of an industrial estate. On arriving at an industrial estate, I thought I had made an error but then saw the signage and a number of cars headed in the same directions.

From the gift shop I purchased some lavender jelly for Dick and oil for myself. I ate a lavender and honey ice cream while there but... It is said that scent compliments taste; I have prior to this experience only associated lavender with soap and powder and at times I wondered if soap had got into my ice cream.

Is it all it's cracked up to be?

2010-07-03T14:34:00.000-07:00

"Venice is one of the most important tourist destinations in the world, due to the city being one of the world's greatest and most beautiful cities of art. The city has an average of 50,000 tourists a day (2007 estimate). In 2006, it was the world's 28th most internationally visited city, with 2.927 million international arrivals that year." [Wiki]

When we checked into our hotel the clerk said, "You're from the Caribbean and come here! Why? It's much better there."

"We like to see different things," we replied.

We deposited our suitcases and valuables in our room and went out, eager to explore. Venice, like Greece, had always intrigued me and now I had arrived.

We were soon roaming the streets and crossing bridges as we explored the area near our hotel. It was late evening and we found a picturesque restaurant with a canal view. Dinner was edible and expensive.

The next morning we explored on foot the districts of San Polo, Santa Croce and Dorsoduro, taking pictures as we went. After lunch we adjourned for a siesta and continued our roaming in the evening. Lunch had been a large calzone stuffed with tinned mushrooms. For dinner that night I chose a banana split, something I was sure to enjoy.

The next morning we took to the water and went into the San Marco area via San Giorgio Maggiore. We returned to the area in the evening for dinner before going to a Opera Concerto. Both the dinner and the concerto were enjoyable.

On our last day we decided to take the ferry to the islands of the North Lagoon. We stopped at Murano and Burano. It was almost four when we made it back to our hotel. We took a break before going to dinner. My skill at choosing a restaurant was improving; dinner was excellent.

Somehow Venice did not live up to my fantasy. It was picturesque; has some stunning architecture; it is unique; the cuisine can be delicious; the transportation systems easy to use, even if crowded. There were canals and bridges aplenty. Of the places we visited I liked Burano best. The streets seemed a bit wider, the pace more leisurely and the crowds thinner.

The Wedding Photographer

2010-07-02T15:14:00.000-07:00

When we got invited to a friend's wedding I figured that I would take my camera along and perhaps I would be lucky and get a few shots that I could give them. I was somewhat dismayed when she told me that she did not bother to hire a photographer and paid me many compliments and hoped that I would take photos. I was now under some pressure to produce.

The wedding was a lovely affair, great food, music and people. The guest were friendly and tried to communicate even though they did not speak English or I Italian.

We were in Genoa two days before the wedding and got to visit many local haunts. We were in a bar when the Italian football team lost. We went to restaurants and bars which as a tourist I would never find and so felt that I was experiencing the real Genoa.

We stay at a heritage hotel situated in the main shopping area just outside the old town and so enjoyed the best of both worlds.

The Spirit World

2010-06-13T00:24:00.000-07:00

Colin Fry's Free Spirit Tour came to town. I was there, in the back, at the Reading Concert Hall, a very beautiful space actually. In the eighteen months I've been living here I've noticed many adverts for many spiritualistic shows but never made the plunge. Why Fry? Perhaps it was the familiarity of the brand as he has a TV show, of which I may have watched one episode. But there Dick and I were.

There was an announcement, before he made his entrance, that this was an entertainment and make what you will of the events that followed. Fry is a good entertainer and kept us amused as he explained how he went about his business. There was a big screen at the back of the stage where images of the recipients of messages would be projected. They would be given microphones and so that the audience would be able to see and hear all. During the evening six to eight contacts were made. The recipients of the messages were very moved and often tearful. Fry was guided by signs of energy, invisible to me, to certain sections of the audience and then he described the contacting spirit and ascertained if the target in the audience acknowledged this spirit. Most of the time he got it right. The spirit then revealed some details of the person's life to certify authenticity.

Here's what I learnt of the spirit world:

To get through to us they usually need a medium and it is like lining up at the single telephone both in a village to jostle for a turn. Your loved one maybe there but just can't make it to the top of the line. So don't be disappointed if you don't get a contact the first time you show up. Pay your dues, keep coming with thoughts of your loved one in mind.
Spirits continue to take an interest in the everyday happenings of their loved ones. They are with you all the time protecting you.
They can speak in their (pre-death) voice in the 'proper settings'.
They can move physical objects.

What are my beliefs since the show?

Some guy's going to get his walking papers soon.
A kid's going to bawl for being denied permission for a trip/outing.
Medial appointments will be made.
If the recipients of messages were plants, it is indeed a real sad world that so many would stoop to dupe.
It is a kind of sad world that I cannot accept what I saw and heard at face value.

I also came away with some burning questions:

Is there a spirit following me around?
All the time?
Whose?
Do I get any privacy or is my mother watching me when ... ?

New Toys

2010-06-08T23:30:00.000-07:00

I purchased some extension tubes from Jessops. Recently I found time to play with them. I am pleased with the results. The tubes I purchased can sync with the through the lens technology of my camera. However, I found it more effective to use manual focus.

The Tempest

2010-06-08T11:10:00.000-07:00

Buoyed by the wonderful, warm weather I booked tickets on line for National Trust Event - The Tempest in the Prior Park Landscape Garden in Bath. The weather changed; it was wet and windy as the days to The Tempest grew closer. The weather forecast stated cold and windy.

The day of the performance was cold. Dare I wear some of my winter stuff? Pride prevailed over comfort and I layer up discretely. A landscape garden is a large informal garden which looks like a manicured woodland and whose natural features are enhanced.

The performance was in a grotto. There were about two hundred attendees. Dick and I settled our chairs, which we had to carry with us to the event, in the semi-circle and munched on our 'dinner' while we waited for the performance to get under way.

The show was put on by The Lord Chamberlain's Men, a travelling company. Following the original performances, the cast was all male. When the heroine first appeared (the guy with the red bloomers) in his turquoise gown, the audience twittered a bit and then settled. It was a good performance and I did not miss lightening and electronic sound effects which are standard for productions these days.

The actors were good and my imagination easily followed them.

Bourton-on-the-Water

2010-06-08T10:50:00.000-07:00

The photo club chose Bourton-on-the-Water as our destination for our trip this year. I couldn't make that date so figured that if the Brits chose it for the Club's outing it must be picturesque. Not to miss out entirely, I persuaded Dick to drive the hour and half to Bourton-on-the-Water. I had visions of a quiet, little village on a river, interesting cottages of Cotswold stone, a tasty leisurely pub lunch and lots of shots of an idyllic location.

Trusty Garmin got us there but when we turned into the 'down-town' area, what a surprise! There were thousands and thousands of folks lining the sides of the river and picnicking on the adjacent grass. It was past noon when we arrived so lunch was first on the agenda. The restaurants were crowded but we managed to find a table in a garden cafe and settled for a fish and chips, figuring anything more exotic would result in a long wait.

After lunch we strolled around taking photos and purchasing a bottle of perfume made in the area.

Rothamsted's Open Weekend

2010-05-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

Curiosity always gets the upper hand with me so when Son informed us that Rothamsted was having an open day, we turned up.

Well, they are doing lots of stuff with wheat. One of the projects is to make the white part of the grain more nutritious since most people won't switch to whole grain products.

Another model of a wheat plant demonstrated the rooting system, which was comparable in size to the above the ground growth. The exhibitor assured me that large trees have a similar branch/root distribution. This has me wondering where the roots of the mahogany tree I have in the front yard at Austin Drive are!!!

They are also working on a non-poisonous insect repellent. There were experiments so see how attractive you are to mosquitoes. Dick beat me hand down on this. Bed bugs and dust mites were under the microscope. These are singularly, unattractive bugs.

There were lots more interesting exhibits and demonstrations and as I looked at them, nodding and listening to the exhibitors, I knew it was information overload and I would remember little of the facts I found fascinating at that moment. So look out next year for Rothamsted's Open Weekend.

A Day Dream Believer

2010-04-27T15:42:00.000-07:00

I have long longed for a place by the sea. An interesting thing about dreams, they materialise unexpectedly and in a different form than conceptualised. So here I am sitting in a condo listening to the Atlantic ocean roar ashore, also listening to Itunes and blogging.

These two photos were taken early morning from the balcony. The development is horseshoe shaped, set in spacious gardens and every condo has an ocean view.

The first three weeks of this trip was spent doing all that was necessary to take delivery of the place. The next two was spent visiting showrooms and selecting furniture; making arrangements for services. ADSL was obtained yesterday and cable is still weeks away. Less than half the furniture has arrived and I'm waiting for the living room suite and dinning set to arrive in the island. Rumour has it that that event is imminent.

On my web album I will post more pictures of the condo and the beach. We have decided to put the unit in the short term rental pool, so all who wish a great place to stay: www.barbadosrealtorslimited.com

NEVER ON A SUNDAY

2010-03-24T14:48:00.000-07:00

I should have known better. Andrew always said never book him a flight on Sunday. But I was booked to fly on Monday, so all was well. That was until I started thinking about the 5.30 am train to Gatwick. Dick tempted me with, 'Let's book into the Hilton the night before.' So said, so done. Bliss and anticipation until Saturday evening when I looked at the train schedule. Two changes on most trips, travel on the underground and twice the regular fare. Too late to cancel my hotel booking without penalty.

We settle on a trip with one transfer. We leave Reading by coach after 5.00 p.m. for Guildford where we will catch a train to Gatwick. There is a train every hour on the half hour. Our coach driver does not know the way. Passengers take turns in directing. We ramble a bit. It is apparent that the driver does not know how to operate the GPS. We arrive late just missing our connection. So it is dinner at the Costa in the train station. I'm feeling sorry for myself - dinner is a BLT and diet coke. Then I hear the attendants saying to newcomers, 'Sorry. We are closed.'

My perspective changes; perhaps I'm lucky not to go hungry. We pass the hour. The platforms are cold. The train is on time and we finally reach the Hilton around 9.00 p.m.

Here the receptionist tries to sell us an upgrade but we are not tempted. Then we are advised that the room booked is not available but we will be upgraded to a family room without additional costs. This is a large, if not grand, room. There is sleeping for five; we settle for the king. A comfy bed, a good night's sleep and a leisurely start to the trip the next morning. An uneventful flight home and here I am in sunny Barbados. YES!!!

Paris in the Winter

2010-03-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

I love Paris in the springtime.
I love Paris in the fall.
I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles,
I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles.

As I was writing this old Nat King Cole song popped into my head. My first visit was in the fall so it follows that the next trip would be in the winter. I picked up where I left off. I purchased a ticket for the Open Bus Tour, wrapped up warmly and did the circuits which I had missed. Versailles and the Sacred Heart Basilica were checked. The Sacred Heart is in Montmatre, the artists' district. I took the opportunity to make the acquaintance of Salvatore Dali. Greatly impressed by the exhibit and with good intentions, I purchased a book on his work, which apart from on the train, has remained closed.

We stayed at Villa de Pantheon and a block away I stumbled upon ??? The Pantheon!! An unscheduled tour ensued.

What does one photograph in the winter? Architecture and bear, bare trees. I had already pictured many of the landmarks on the first trip. What did catch my eye as the building below. Each section is a different style. I would even say that the change represents a timeline from traditional to modern.

New Doc on the Block

2010-03-07T04:47:00.000-08:00

We went to visit with Joan last weekend to celebrate. Bar the formalities, the degree is assured. We found a very relaxed and smiling Joan and a ‘ginormous’ tome. Joan is the first female in the clan to achieve such academic heights. Go girl!

Folks we are talking some 80,000 words. I must confess been obsessed by the size as I am yet to write a story in excess of 3,000. Getting serious and going beyond size, Joan has not indulged in some obscure or esoteric subject to submit has her PhD thesis; she choose to tackle ‘Mentoring’ , which is an integral part of the delivery of an education at universities in the U.K. She critiques the systems and proposes changes, which could be beneficial to future students and could gain her a chapter in the history of education. This subject choice was daring as it challenged the establishment. The fact that she has successfully defended her assertions is proof that she did a great job. She took risks here and it has paid off. Congratulations!

Celebrating Without Food

2010-02-12T14:14:00.000-08:00

I'm organizing Dick's birthday celebrations. Due to slimming efforts I decided to celebrate without food. Have you ever tried? I thought I had solved this dilemma. We will meet Andrew in London in the morning. Catch the Veolia Environment Wildlife Photo Exhibition at the Natural History Museum, a light lunch and then see the Lion King. As it's so dark early I was happy to get tickets for the matinee show.

The photo exhibition was inspiring. It's the second year I've been and enjoyed both occasions immensely. Lunch was larger than planned, but what the heck, we wouldn't be doing dinner.

The Lion King was a spectacular show. I would rate it 8/10 because while it was visually exciting I had hoped for some more memorable lyrics but readily concede that the harmonies were enjoyable. I should admit it was perhaps unrealistic to expect significant deviations from the Disney movie. The producers WOWED me with the opening act and I anticipated a more wondrous finale. So, when the finale was a repeat of the opening, it was anti-climatic. The costumes through exhibited great creativity and ingenuity as did the stage sets as the planes of Africa were conjured. A good show, well worth the price of admission.

Our tummies were rumbling after the show and a time check indicated that dinner in London would be very desirable and practical. After a browse along near streets we settle in at Le Cafe Du Jardin and tucked into a scrumptious meal. Yeah. So much for celebrating without food.

Frozen

2010-01-19T13:50:00.000-08:00

It snowed non-stop for twelve hours and this was the scene on our street the next morning. The first things we did was to head to the 'corner shop' and get in some supplies. We then got our cameras and went on campus. I think only emergency services worked that first day as the residents were sledding and building snowmen. It was several days before the bus service resumed on our street.

By the end of the week we had cabin fever and picked out way on the icy sidewalks into the town centre and saw AVATAR. Good entertainment.

Juliet Dash - 17th Nov 1919 - 23rd Nov 2009

2010-01-16T22:40:00.000-08:00

When contemplating the eulogy, I grappled with words seeking the spirit that was. Who or what was Juliet? The key was found, in the words of comfort in the voices of friends.

‘She was quite a lady.’

‘I’ve lost a good friend.’

‘A powerful lady and will be long remembered.’

Known as Letty by her parents and siblings, I adopted the name Aunty Letty and often thought that Letty was given because everyone let her have her way and say. I recall her ability to keep my father in check, and I revered her as the matriarch of the family. As a kid I believed that she could fix anything, I told her that the TV picture was ‘rolling’, and shortly after a black and white RCA arrived at home brought by David. After enjoying her toast one day I said "that mom won't give dad the money to buy a toaster" and again, a toaster arrived.

Aunty Letty said 'if you troubled her family, its like you troubled an ants nest' and true to her word, when thieves stole from our open garden, Queen Ant - Letty arrived and said " Laurie said..." and from there measurements were taken, fence bought from the Foundry and Aunty Letty supervised the workmen, "Nobody tell me anything" she declared to Mom, as she showed proof of Uncle Laurie's pistol in her handbag.

When it was time for me enter school at 2 1/2 years she called home and once again declared to mom "Laurie said… that he went to school when he was seven years old and he is now a successful businessman, you are sending a baby to school and robbing him of his childhood". Years later, when she often and quickly introduced me as "her brothers son”, I could see the pride she felt in seeing what I had grown to be, and the reminder which I gave her of Ulric. She declared more than once that “The Nascimento's are good looking people. Their parents left nothing but hard work in the will for them.”

Certainly what I recall from my years of visiting Durants was the whole wheat rock buns on top of the green refrigerator and the fresh jug of lemonade which we all enjoyed and of course, the jug. The house was always well stocked and everyone welcomed. Fruits of all kinds were plenteous at Durants, and were shared with family and sold to the supermarkets.

Often eyeing the stack of drinks by the side door next to Laurie's golf clubs, I would whisper to Dad "drink" for I loved a coke, but even he, did not dare usurp Aunty Letty's authority. “Boy have your lunch with milk, NO DRINK" was the firm but gentle reminder she gave.

A glimpse of a younger Juliet was provided by Michael Stoute. While he was playing with June at her home in Highgate, he “ran home hard as hell,” when Juliet started sharing hot lashes. June did not escape.

Juliet was a strong, feisty woman who will be remembered. She was a devoted wife to Laurie, who was centre stage in their sixty-four year marriage. She was a tough-love mother to her brood of five children and nieces, who lived with her from time to time, and whom she sternly guided along the straight and narrow as she saw it.

A hard worker and a perceptive business woman, she co-founded Laurie Dash & Co. Ltd. When starting up business Laurie could not afford to hire staff, and so said to Juliet, ‘Leave the children for a while and come and help me get started.’ That while lasted forty years. She enjoyed the bustle of business and the camaraderie of her customers. Indeed many became friends who stopped in for a chat, an ear to listen, or to obtain some advice, of which she was never short.

Born to Francis and Beatrice Nascimento on the 17th November 1919, she was the fourth child of five, and the only daughter of that marriage. Her brothers, Ulric, Frank, Neville and Romeo all lived to a ripe old age but all have predeceased her. Her father Francis Nascimento died when Juliet was six years old, and she lost her mother, Beatrice, by the age of thirteen. Juliet then went to live with her aunt Manna. She was unhappy there.

When she was sixteen her brother Ulric, who had moved to Barbados, sent for her, and she sailed up to Barbados on one of the Lady Boats. She kept house for Ulric and while doing this, caught the eye of the dashing but penniless Laurie, who arranged an introduction by mutual friends.

On Jan 12th 1938 they exchanged vows. Born of that marriage was Laurie Jr., Deanna, Anthony, who died in infancy, Jean, June and Patricia. Fourteen months after the marriage, England was at war, and as a colony, so was Barbados. Supplies of almost all commodities became scarce during and after the war. Even as things were becoming harder she was adding to her family. Ulric, working with a large grocer, could not obtain salted nuts. Juliet, learning of this, seized the opportunity and started production.

In the evening Juliet would set her four children to shell nuts. Even the young June did not escape. Her fingers were too weak so she had to crack the nuts between her teeth. Juliet would then fry and salt the nuts - all perfectly hygienic. From this source, Juliet was able to accumulate a nest egg. When Laurie wanted to set up business it was this nest egg which purchased their first vehicle.

Their first venture was a very basic hardware store in a semi-converted warehouse in Tudor St. The working hours were long. Next followed a radio shop in the Bridgetown Plaza. This expanded to include the sale of radiograms and records. Juliet was the public face of this business and a very persuasive salesperson. Tony Cummins, a customer from those days remarks, ‘She was able to sell me records when I did not even own a record player.’

In the late1950’s Juliet and Laurie purchased their Bay St. property. Laurie Jr. joined them, and eventually all their children would join them. What they sold and did, changed over the years. They sold furniture for a while; operated jukeboxes; opened two snackettes with pinball machines, but found it too onerous to supervise day and night operations.

Eventually Deanna introduced toys into the range of products sold. As the family acquired expertise in this area, the store grew to become the leading independent toy store in the island. After that, Patricia started the craft section which was subsequently enlarged by Jean.

Juliet believed that ‘the children’ needed to work for strangers before joining the family business. By the time they were leaving school, Juliet had job interviews lined up and the children in employment before the summer holiday was over. Once employed, her children were required to contribute to the upkeep of the home. Juliet was generous too, as these contributions were then refunded upon marriage but this policy was kept secret.

Juliet went further and she helped all of her children acquire homes be it a gift of a plot of land or an interest free loan. She loved having her house full of family. Laurie & Mary, Gerald and Deanna all returned to her home after marriage, to save towards their home building. June returned between marriages. Her nieces, Margaret and Bridget, lived several years with her during the Sixties and the political unrest in Guyana. There was always room in home and heart for her family.
In a society which valued male heirs, Juliet had given birth to four daughters, and perhaps, because of her situation as a girl among boys, Juliet believed in women’s rights, entitlement and fairness, and she was determined that her girls would not be unfaired. Whereas most mothers were pleased to see a young man expressing interest in their daughters, Juliet was very choosy about the young men who came courting. She had four attractive daughters and there were many suitors. Juliet soon acquired the reputation of being a dragon.

Jean had caught the eye of young Douglas Newsam. Word was out that he would come calling on Sunday. Juliet dressed and sat in the gallery, waiting. Her eye was on the open doorway and her plan was to drive him back before he could gain a foothold. And as she sat, and watched she just about jumped out of her skin when a voice from behind said, ‘Good afternoon, Mrs. Dash, I’m Doug Newsam.’ The enemy was within and all was lost. Doug had scaled the sweet lime hedge and crossed the lawn undetected. It is suspected, that he had inside information on where the defences were weak.

At the age of sixty-five, Juliet and Laurie retired from the Bay St. store. In retirement Juliet and Laurie, constructed an apartment block, and helped Wayne acquire Manor Farms. If you visited them during that time, you were likely to find them picking limes or harvesting shallot. It was a particularly happy time for her, as her beloved Laurie was constantly at her side, and her children and grandchildren were well. Great grans were also appearing.

While a strict disciplinarian with her children and grandchildren, she was mellow and indulgent with the great grans. It was as if, she had absolved herself of the responsibility of their training, and given herself permission to enjoy. Jodie liked her "Great Granny Dash." They had their special thing: where ever Juliet left or intentionally hid her walking stick, Jodie was sure to eventually find it and have to return it to her, and only her.

When Laurie passed in 2002, Juliet would say that she felt as if she had lost her life as well as her husband. She lived among her daughters for several years but found it difficult to accept help. This was probably a consequence of her childhood after her parents died. Juliet preferred to give rather than receive and at the age of 87 she moved into her own apartment.

Her specialities of flying fish, fish cakes, coconut bread and rock cakes continue to materialize from her kitchen, up until the last year, when her health did not permit her to live on her own.

Words and memories have now reminded us who and what Juliet was.
To Mrs Marshall and the gentle staff at Age Assist Nursing home, our heartfelt thanks to you, for the loving care and concern shown to Juliet and the support which you gave to our family in these last memories.
To those along this journey of Juliet’s 90 years, we appreciate and thank you for sharing with us today.
To Jean, Deanna, June and Laurie Jr, a labour of love well done!

Written by June Stoute & Kevin Nascimento

Happy New Year!

2010-01-09T12:53:00.000-08:00

When our friends invited Dick and I to spend New Year's Eve in West Bay, I was delighted. Waking up the first day of the year and looking unto the ocean!!

We celebrated New Year's eve with a fabulous dinner prepared by Gerry, a gourmet chef, and then we were off to the bright lights of Bridport. We found a place with some good music and danced till midnight. No sense trying to talk above the din. As is the local custom, at midnight everyone assembled on the main square for the countdown and some fireworks.

We strolled home after that caterwauling all the way. The new year was off to a good start too by an invitation to a party from a neighbour.

Xmas in Barbados

2010-01-06T10:33:00.000-08:00

It was great having the children at home with us this Xmas. It's been two years since the extended family has seen them. The trip had been planned as a farewell to Juliet, but she checked out a few weeks prior. Thanks to Skype and MSN messenger the children knew some of the family. Even with the family they did not know they were friendly with immediately.

One of the highlights of the trips was a dive in the Atlantis Submarine. It was a bit murky that day but the children had a great time in this totally new experience.

Also, and very important, Santa knew where to find them and their loot surpassed expectations. An additional suitcase was needed for the return trip.

Juliet's Funeral

2009-12-16T22:53:00.000-08:00

We had a beautiful day for the funeral. The floral tributes were here at the Newsams so we had to go across to Coral Ridge before 9.00 to set up for the family viewing. Jean and Deanna had spent most of the previous day making elaborate arrangements. They had chosen yellows and oranges and the tributes were quite spectacular. At 9.00 a.m. the family members gathered. The casket was open at that time; Jean was not taking any chances about having the wrong body. Juliet was beautifully made up; would compete with any make-over on a realty show. While my siblings oohed 'how beautiful she looks;' I muttered I'm sure she would wash her face, if she could. It was this disconnect which kept my eyes dry. I placed a rose, a beautiful yellow specimen, in her hand for my absent children.

By special request, the attendees were asked not to wear mourning clothes so the occasion took on a festive air. I was rather flamboyant in a red and white skirt and white bodice. The church was full, though not crammed. Friends of all 'the children' came. Absent friends were represent by their offspring and some of Juliet's contemporizes, their bodies bent and twisted by age, were assisted into the church. I mourned the vibrant adults I knew as I hugged and thanked these old friends for whom it was have been a strenuous effort to attend.

A retired Anglican cleric officiated. He did a reasonable job and managed to make it personal in spite of not knowing Juliet's life. He had been a satisfied customer of Laurie Dash. Kevin was spectacular in his delivery of the eulogy, the congregation was laughing. He was followed by Kim, who wanted to speak. Tessa read the gospel and a staff member from Laurie Dash sang. She did a soulful/jazzy rendition of Bridge Over Troubled Waters. Her voice had a rootsy quality, which I liked. The other songs in the service were Amazing Grace and Morning Has Broken.

The family went to Jean's & Douglas' home after the service. I had been assigned the catering and so was very busy keeping the table full. We had ham cutters and chicken/vegetable soup. We sat around and chatted and reminisced. I last guest left around 5.30 and I was knackered. I had been up cooking since 5.00 a.m.

2009-11-15T13:28:00.000-08:00

On 6 th November we accepted an invitation to visit with Tim (Dick's cousin) and his wife, Eileen. They live in East Sussex, an area which we had not explored and little did we know it, we were in for a treat - experiencing a rich local tradition. Bonfires and Guy Fawkes Night are big in East Sussex and we went to the celebrations at Battle put on by the Battel Bonfire Boyes. This is a very important event there as Battle is located in the wooded Weald of Sussex and has a long tradition of providing oak and other timbers for Navy Shipyards, cannon balls and gunpowder.

We dressed warmly on the night of the 7 th and headed out into the town of Battle, which was the site of the Battle of Hasting and the death of King Harold. An Abbey, now in ruins, was built close to where he died. The town was crowded; the crowded expectant and high spirited. There was a parade of persons dressed in period costumes carrying flaming torches down High St. culminating in the square in front of the Abbey ruins. Fires, the constant sounds of explosives and smoke filled the night. The atmosphere was eerie. To me it was like the enactment of a manhunt and I felt so compelled that I goggled the event. Sure enough in addition to Guy Fawkes, the people of East Sussex mark the burning of 17 Protestants martyrs in the nearby town of Lewes from 1555 to 1557 during the reign of Mary Tudor.

When all were gathered before the Abbey ruins there was a fireworks display at the end of which we made our way in the dark, following a large crowd unto a field at the back of the Abbey all the while trying to keep sight of Tim and Eileen. I didn't think we would find them once separated. A massive bonfire had been erected in the field with a 'Guy' at the top. This was lit and we watched it burn, hampered somewhat by light showers of rain. The event then culminated with a spectacular fireworks display.

Jubilation!

2009-11-04T12:30:00.000-08:00

I've taken this photo by Lola_Tc off Flickr to demonstate the emotional state of the residents of #38. It is all set. Andrew starts work mid month. He has a position with a research institute. It is his 'dream' position so he is very fortunate. Feeding the world is very much on the minds of many world leaders and researchers and so he is indeed fortuate to have landed in a leading institute in this field. He will be in a small town / village of 30,000 but he will be as close to London as we are in Reading and less than two hours away from us. We are happy on all fronts.

Snowdon

2009-10-26T12:08:00.000-07:00

Taken from Wikipedia: Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales and is Great Britain's highest mountain south of the Scottish Highlands. It has been described as "probably the busiest mountain in Britain." It is located in Snowdonia National Park in Gwnedd. The summit is known as Yr Wyddfa, Welsh for "the tumulus" and lies at an altitude of 1,085 metres (3,560 ft) above sea level. The English name Snowdon comes from the Saxon "Snow Dun," meaning "snow hill," although the amount of snow on Snowdon in winter has been decreasing recently, having dropped by more than 55% since 1994. Snowdon has one of the wettest climates in Great Britain, receiving an annual average of more than 4,500 millimetres (180 in) of precipitation.

When in Aberystwyth, I discovered that we were two hours away from Snowdon and that there was a train that took tourists to the top. So we returned to Reading via Snowdon. I can appreciate that it is called the 'busiest' mountain. All the paths were full of hikers. We would have liked to say we hiked up as well but we were unprepared and time did not permit this. So, we settled to just having been on the top. We were luckily to get seats on the train even though this entailed a 4 hours wait. Like most people waiting to catch the train up the mountain, we passed some of the time at the Slate Museum taking in some history of the area. An informative tour and we learned something of the history of slate mining and the town of Llanberis.

The trip up the mountain was on an antique small gauge train. It took an hour to get to the summit. We were allowed to look around at the top for half and hour. The return trip also took an hour. Our luck held as it was a clear day which allowed us to see for miles around. The picture above is of the highest point. Everyone walks up there. As you can see, then some just sit and enjoy. Dick is somewhere in the melee.

Aberystwyth

2009-10-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

The last weekend in September Andrew, Dick and I drove out to mid-Wales. It was about a five hour trip. We spent two nights in Aberysthwyth. It took me a while to sort out the spelling and pronunciation of this lovely seaside town. We stayed at a hotel on the promenade shown in the picture. It was great being on the shore again; feeling the bracing sea breeze; hearing the surf and smelling the ocean. The hotel did not have any single rooms so we had booked two doubles; somehow Andrew got a lovely big room with a view while Dick and I competed for space on our bed.

On the outside of the town there is the Rheidol Hydro-Electric Scheme. It is the most powerful of its kind in Wales and England. It consists of a plant and three lake reservoirs. We did a tour of the plant and walked along the lower reservoir. I learnt all about the design and workings of the scheme and, interestingly, fish farming. A small fish farm is set up in the compound of the plant for farming rainbow trout. These are used to restock the lakes.

Wales is a very pretty country; green hills dotted with white sheep, green valleys dotted with white sheep, lakes, do I dare say it, with banks dotted with white sheep and rivers. The roads are narrow and winding generally. There are not many places to pull over and take pictures of the beautiful landscape as there always seems to be a carry behind. Must return to Wales later.

Bathampton Morris Men

2009-10-25T00:58:00.000-07:00

While in Bath on 2nd May, I encountered the Bathampton Morris Men Celebrating 75 years of dancing. It was delightful to witness an local tradition. It is great to see cultural diversity. Most of the dancers were older men which leads me to believe statements that morris dancing will shortly die out. The dancer I spoke with assures me that the movement is vigourous and many people are joining to ensure that morris will continue. Morris dancing is one of the oldest surviving English customs, stemming from male ritual dances in pre-Christian festivals. Dances were taught from father to son.

The above information was extracted from the Bathampton Morris Men Summer Dance Programme. Thinking I would like to add a bit more I looked to wikipedia only to discover that, like everthing else, there is dispute to several claims. Below is the extract from wikipedia:

"A morris dance is a form of English folk dance usually accompanied by music. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers. Implements such as sticks, swords, and handkerchiefs may also be wielded by the dancers. In a small number of dances for one or two men, steps are performed near and across a pair of clay tobacco pipes laid across each other on the floor.
There are claims that English records of the morris dance dating back to 1448 exist, but these are open to dispute. There is no mention of "morris" dancing earlier than the late 15th century, although early records such as Bishops' "Visitation Articles" mention sword dancing, guising and other dancing activities as well as mumming plays. Furthermore, the earliest records invariably mention "Morys" in a court setting, and both men and women are mentioned as dancing, and a little later in the Lord Mayors' Processions in London. It is only later that it begins to be mentioned as something performed in the parishes. There is certainly no evidence that it is a pre-Christian ritual, as is often claimed."

Whatever the facts, it was fun to watch.

The Longest Running Play in the UK - The Mousetrap

2009-10-19T12:39:00.000-07:00

Family visiting the UK resulted in a visit to London and the question of what will Steve, a globe trotter, find entertaining? What hadn't he seen or done? I had The Mousetrap on my list of 'round to do'. I reasoned that I could not live in the UK without seeing the longest running show, now in its fifty-seventh year. Luckily Steve had not seen it so tickets were procured through lastminute.com and we were set.

We dined at a Scottish restaurant off Trafalgar Square - great food - great prices too and then walked to St. Martins. Fifty-seven years and the place was full.

So what did I think of the show? Dated but interesting as a bit of history. We all know Agatha does murder so that so no surprise. Acting was good. I've been told that everyone who's anyone in the theatre in London has appeared in The Mousetrap at sometime in their career. It did offer some insights into human nature. After all, human nature is dated too. So a pleasant evening - a rating of 7.5 and recommend it if you want to be part of the longest running show.

The Soloist

2009-10-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed this movies. This caused me to pause. How can I say I enjoyed watching a movie about mental illness and homelessness?

The issues were sensitively handled. There was great photography and wonderful music to distract from the appalling condition of where the homeless live. But, it caused me to think and feel a bit guilty .... perhaps I ought to find someway to help ... and quilty about how I regarded the homeless before The Soloist.

Well worth an afternoon and the price of admission.

Calling All UK Bajans

2009-10-11T07:20:00.000-07:00

Last week Prime Minister of Barbados, David Thompson visited Reading to launch the Friends of Barbados Club in the Town Hall, a lovely building. I was there. Outside of our island home, Reading has the largest population of Bajans and their descendants. I am told around 4,500.

The Prime Minister brought two messages, 'Your country needs you to promote the island by encouraging your friends to visit' and 'Lobby your Parliamentarians for the removal of the Airport Passenger Duty.' Times are tough throughout the world and this tax will negatively and severely effect our tourist trade.

So take a team home for Xmas, Jazz on the Hill, Crop Over or just to cool out.

Paris - One weekend is not enough!

2009-10-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

When the Eurostar opened, oh so many years ago, I said NEVER. Be in a tunnel with the ocean above? But there I was, with Dick, on 4th September ’09 on the Eurostar, doing mental stress relief exercises as I looked into the darkness of the tunnel, speeding towards Paris. I soon decided that out of sight was out of mind and turned my eyes on fellow passengers.

We arrived at the Gare du Nord two hours after departure. The first thing that I noticed was that Paris was cosmopolitan. Within a few streets of the train station we came upon our first impressive building and the camera was whipped out. Later we joined Judy and Chris, instigators of the trip at their hotel. That evening we walked about the city, mainly on the banks of the Seine. We hopped on one of the open top tourist boats and went from the Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tour. It was dusk when we board and became quite cold. A great dinner at a seafood restaurant closed the show.

Next day was the Louvre and some travelling on an open top bus? The Louvre is massive. Spent four hours there and saw only a small percentage of the works on display. Yes, we saw the Mona Lisa and thought of the Da Vinci Code movie as I recognise the buildings in the scenes. Next day was Notre Dame, La Chapelle, the D’Orsay Museum and more bus trips.
In addition to the beauty of the architecture, sculpture, paintings is the sheer scale of the buildings and squares. They are massive. I am convinced that the rulers of France were megalomaniacs. But, they did cause much beauty to be created. The reverence and veneration with which the rogue Napoleon is held was evident. To the French, he is a hero; a man under whom France became a world power. A view at variance to my British, colonial, monarchical education.

With all these fantastic buildings, it was a hard choice on which picture to use on this blog. I’ve chosen a shot from the 18th District, a place where people live; not the tourist areas where Parisians mainly go to work. Sidewalk Cafes are regular feature all over the city. The chairs are often placed to face towards as watching, while sipping wine is their pastime. As you can see from the shot, Parisians still enjoy a cigarette.

You're Never Too Old To Play Hokey!

2009-10-02T07:34:00.000-07:00

11th September Dick and I headed off to Bristol. He had enrolled in another conference on philosophy at the University there. We drove along the M1 and arrived around noon, checked into The Clifton Hotel and then walked to the University to check out the location. We lunched at a ‘historic’ restaurant downtown. Dick headed off to his course and I to the museum to view an art exhibit and then went back to my hotel to chill and catch up on reading some course work. If Dick’s course finished early, perhaps we could explore the Clifton Area. The village of Clifton was highlighted as a spot to visit and there was the suspension bridge too. Dick returned by teatime. The course was not the branch of philosophy that interested him. So we headed off in the direction of Clifton with our cameras. The view from the bridge of the valley and town was spectacular. Clifton’ Royal York Crescent, consisting of 46 houses, is reputed to be the longest terrace in Europe.
The next day boarded an open bus which passed closed to our hotel and stayed aboard for their entire tour. I find that these tours give a great overview of a city. I just like to do the circuit and then decide where I wish to go.
Bristol is no longer a busy, bustling port of its heyday in the 17th Century. Commercial vessels are too large to come up the river to the city centre and it appears now to be mainly a university town with a vibrant tourist industry. On the tour we came across names that reminded of the links between Bristol and the Caribbean. The home of Planter John Pinney, of St. Kitts & Nevis, is reputed to be the best example of a Georgian architecture in its original state. We also saw the Culpepper Herbal Shop and thought of Culpepper Island off the southern coast of Barbados. I remember hearing a claim that there was a connection between the Culpeppers of Bristol and Barbados. This is plausible due to the part both Bristol and Barbados played in the Triangular Trade. There was a time when Boston, Bristol and Bridgetown were the most import cities in the new world. Quite a come down from that status now.

We next checked out the river cruise in what appeared to be converted long river barges. This seemed to be a popular activity and we piled in with many other tourists. It was a great, sunny day and people were sunbathing, sitting on the wharves or just strutting their stuff. The children opted to play in the fountains. These fountains are non-traditional, I hesitate to call them modern, and their jet was described as resembling that of an old man with prostate problems.

The next day we return to Reading via the Kite Festival.