Earth Hour - Lost Opportunity

It was Earth Hour last night. No not the one that went missing during the night here in the UK that has everyone under the age of eight puzzling over the mysteries of time. Oh no you mean it was just me that wondered where it had gone, why it had gone and whether it would ever come back?
We duly switched off and sat in candlelight, a brief reminder of a more romantic past. I showed Stumpy pictures of buildings all over the world with lights switched off so he didn't think it was just me being mean.
I was a little peeved at the TV news as they seemed not to have noticed it was going on. I'll stand corrected if there was anything on the other side but I didn't see anything on the news about lights going out, all they seemed to want to show is a few thugs kicking seven bells out of each other in Northern Ireland.
Was it on? Did I miss it when I nipped out for a Custard Cream? Or was it deemed not newsworthy (depressing) enough?

Darwin Song Project

It's been a while, I have several other projects on the go and since my wife returned to work in September we are ships in the night so time is precious. I wanted to post a link to this R4 programme though about the Darwin Songs Project. I just found it such an interesting an offbeat project and the music and lyrics so evocative I can't wait for the CD to come out. The BBCiplayer link is here.

Stumpy's First Poem

Sundays Stumpy comes to the shop, he is my right hand man and for six manages to make an amazing contribution. I'd left him in the office fiddling around on the laptop which normally results in him ending up watching old Power Ranger episodes on You tube. This Sunday was different I stuck my head around the door to see how he was getting on and he had created this, below, I may have to change his online pseudonym to something more appropriate like Wordsworth or Alfred.

Winter Poem

icicles are sharp.

snow is cold.

snow is freezing.

you can go sledging.

you can cut icicles down.

Amazing Journey

It would be wouldn't it?

The Aeolus Airship designed by Christopher Ottersbach, find out more here.

In the meantime close your eyes and imagine flying, slowly at cloudspeed. Pack a cake or two for lunch.

Relax.

King Cooper's Doomship

Much of life has two sides,that's why there are so many of those old sayings "Two sides to every story", "double-edged sword", "every cloud has a silver lining" etc. It struck me again yesterday after a chance comment from Stumpy in the car journey home from school.
Yes I said car, I know I should walk, but the hills and with a double buggy, let's just say I've noticed the calves on the mothers that walk up that hill, I'll leave the rest to imagination.

As we reached the top of the hill on the way home the vista opens up from woodland to a big open grassy scene where a kind, benevolent opencast mine contractor has planted a thousand trees around a massive hole in the ground and called it a community park. I digress, it was a reasonable day, bit of blue sky, pleasant enough, Stumpy suddenly says "That cloud looks like King Cooper's Doomship".
"Which cloud?" I quickly asked trying to buy some time as I mentally flicked through my list of kids TV shows, characters et al not wanting to be caught out.
"That one, the long thin one" came the reply in no time.
By this time I still had no clue as to who King Cooper was and why he had a Doomship so in desperation I attempted a guess,
" Is he a baddy from Ben Ten?"
Silence, a look and my shame was out, it was now obvious to my six year old I didn't have the first idea who King Cooper was. I hung my head, the all important act of male bonding lost somewhere between the generation's, ripped on the cutting edge of ever changing children's culture.
Then it dawned on me, King Cooper and the inner workings of his Doomship might not be my specialist subject on Mastermind but there was a positive from this. My boy was seeing things in the sky, he was creating pictures in the clouds. Joy, all those passing references to dragons and fish and bearded ladies hadn't fallen on deaf ears, we have a bond, we have something to hold onto. When in the future, things have got a bit heated, when we've had words then hopefully I can break the ice, casually mention that I saw a cloud today, it was the just like Thunderbird Two.

Sitting Outside, Playing with Stones.

As you can tell I'm having a little tea break from the blog. We're all still here though. Huck and Edge and I sat outside and played with stones in the warmth and calm of this morning. Sometimes you just have to sit outside and play with stones, quiet and thoughtful until you have something to say.
I'll be back when I have something to say.

Saturday and I'm Confused

Blame the holidays, I can't be alone in getting confused about the days and having days that feel like other days over the holiday period. Isn't it weird how a Saturday and a Sunday feel different? There's something slower about a Sunday like it's walking in slippers where as a Saturday kind of feels sporty and whizz bang ( I borrowed that term from Judith over at Wife in the North).
I'm giving up shopping anywhere that isn't eccentric in 2009, so without further adue check this store out. It's a bit niche but I love the humour and attitude.
Fancy an Elvish name, try this.
Prefer cooking? Surprisingly this book wasn't top of my Christmas wish list.
I've become someone's addiction, I'm going to make a mix tape.

Must dash, nearly time to go home to vomiting daughter. Joy.