This must sound like an odd title for a blog, but I’m sure most of you know that feeling of wading through papers every time you want to find one thing. I’m talking about the papers that stay on your desk, initially in some sort of order, which probably only you can follow, but they have to stay there until you can get around to dealing with them. Once they’re filed, or put away somewhere that makes the desk appear tidy, you forget about them – at least I do – until a nasty bill appears, or you receive an email from family, a friend, the tradesman who gave you that great quote which you promised to follow up and meant it. I mean the kind of quote that will increase dramatically when you ring again, or the tradesman will be overseas for six months if he hasn’t gone out of business.
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Natural History Museum and Goodbye UK
This week marks the end of my Travel Tales for a while. Susanne and I left York after our one night stay in the hotel and caught the direct train back to Banbury, where we had booked three nights in Whately Hall, the local Mercure Hotel. They responded to my request for a quiet room with a suite overlooking lawn and gardens at the rear of the building so we heard very little traffic, even though this hotel is situated on the main road in Banbury. Having these final few days near London meant that we were able to spend time with my son and daughter-in-law, plus a day with the youngest members of my family.
The Natural History Museum has to be one of the most fascinating places in the world, particularly for curious children. We arranged 
to meet in the huge foyer, knowing that the children would go immediately to that enormous skeleton model. All we had to do was keep an eye out for them.
He moves up and down and roars at the excited children.
Like all children, these two were fascinated by the moving, roaring dinosaurs.
I’ve been to London’s Natural History Museum at least four times, mainly with various grandchildren, and have discovered something different each time, but that is what sticks in children’s memories.
Return to York via Bolton Abbey: The Church of St Mary and St Cuthbert
After several weeks of writing things other than Travel Tales (which I hope you enjoyed) I will now tell you about our return to York on the 9th June 2016. We were supposed to make our way to Stratord-on-Avon, see a Shakespearean play, enjoy the town, then return to Banbury by a series of trains with a major change in Birmingham.
However, after the recent terrifying drive through the storm in the Lake District, further possible adventures were removed from our itinerary and we decided to return to York on a road we now knew (sort of), spend a night in a hotel there and get back to Banbury by direct train the next day.
By ten o’clock we were loaded up and on our way out of Ambleside. The car had to be back at the depot in York by 5pm, but we had plenty of time.
A Gypsy Caravan. Sorry if the term offends, I don’t know what else to call them.
Susanne had never seen a gypsy caravan, so we stopped to photograph this colourful example, parked at the side of the road, as we drove into a village at about midday.
My tired sister, waiting for our pub lunch
Adding character to the decor
Getting Lost in Google
I can’t stand it anymore, the frustration of trying to find information on the internet. I guess you, too, have spent hours, wasted away a whole day at a time, or at least an afternoon, with Google, investigating sites that disappear as soon as you try a tangent, or once you’ve started on a path, lead you off to another one that is actually in Russia, or Lapland and has absolutely nothing to do with the information you seek.
Yesterday I had that sort of afternoon. I want to enter a couple of my stories in Australian Writing Competitions. Why don’t the promoters of such competitions give you the closing date, up front, in clear print? By the time I have investigated heaven knows how many sites, almost invariably finding that the closing date was yesterday or last week, my head’s in a mess. The one good chance that I did discover allowed me to read the winning entries from the last ten years. WOW! I can actually see what sort of material they want. Great. Now all I need to do is find the story which I’m sure will gain me the next prize if they would just let me know the closing date for this year’s entries. And if I can just remember what title I used for the last version so that I can find it again. Maybe it got lost when my laptop had a meltdown, but, a few deep breaths, quick prayers to whoever or whatever might be the patron saint, guru, karma of budding writers, and I’m sure I will have that little treasure resurrected and ready to enter.
Favourite Books From The Last 12 Months
This weekend I am at the Writers’ Festival in Perth, so I thought it would be a good time to review some of my favourite reads since the last festival. I had the pleasure of listening to and meeting Louise Allan, a lovely, natural lady, who seems surprised and perhaps a little overwhelmed by the success that has come her way. I hope you will all read this, her first novel, and love it as much as I have.
I think all of my choices are excellent reads, but would love to hear your opinions and comments. I’d also like to know what your favourite books were.
The Sisters’ Song: Louise Allan
I am reading this book for the second time, partly because I recommended it to my book club and we are meeting to discuss it next week. I’m enjoying it even more the second time.
Wordsworth’s Cottage and a Monster Storm
Dove Cottage
We had planned for our last day in Ambleside, to visit Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum, Ruskin’s house at Coniston and generally enjoy driving around the picturesque countryside.
Mary Mary Quite Contrary (our name for the GPS system that came with the hired car) behaved quite well; only one little detour and we were parking beside the cafe attached to William Wordsworth’s former home.
With tickets in hand we soon joined the merry group of Wordsworth admirers for the tour of Dove Cottage where he lived with his sister Dorothy (who seems to have done much of the work around the place while His Nibs swanned about, creating his poems.)
We began in a small room on the ground floor where Wordsworth received his guests. Coleridge was a regular and, from what I’ve read of Dorothy’s diary, he stayed with them often.
Busy Bee and Evocative
I receive heart-warming responses from some of you for my poetry, so here are a couple more. I may have posted ‘Evocative’ before; please forgive me if that’s so. It’s one of my favourite poems and one that I hope you will all enjoy. Please let me know if my images stir your memory.
If you’re not a ‘Busy Bee’ yourself (I’m certainly not one these days) I’m sure you will recognise a friend who is, in this poem. Please pass it on to them with love and appreciation; where would we be without them?
BUSY BEE
She buzzes about
ever so busy
my busy bee
darting from daisies
to dahlias and dianthus
dusting them all
with pernicketiness.
Collecting pollen
and flicking it in flowers,
where would my garden be
without her?
EVOCATIVE
Sweaty armpits, old gym shoes,
potatoes rotting in a cupboard,
dirty nappies, pig manure,
a drunk, lolling in his vomit.
Burning tyres, gutted homes,
flames roaring through the bush.
Fried onions, vanilla beans,
bacon and toast and percolating coffee.
Leather seats in a new car,
rain on parched earth,
a baby, fresh from the bath.
Eucalypt leaves on a wet day in London.
Yardley perfume that granny used,
sweet peas, picked from a garden.
Old spice after-shave,
the coat you always wore.
Holehird Gardens: Lake District UK
When Susanne and I received our tickets for the Chelsea Flower Show we were also given a year’s membership of the Royal Horticultural Society which included information about, and free or reduced entry into, amazing gardens all over the UK.
Discovering that Holehird Gardens was nearby, we had to take a look and as you will see from our photos, it was well worth the visit.
Stone walls surround the first, enclosed section of the garden which is managed by a group of enthusiastic volunteers. The day was warm but with rain forecast, we included umbrellas in our back packs. I love the way they have used the stone as a feature in the plantings.
Colours and textures are combined in a way that makes me want to paint these images, but as I’m not an artist, these photos have to satisfy that desire.
Lake Windermere Cruise: 2016
Lake Windermere
The whole of the Lake District in England is noted for its beauty – blue water lakes, mountains, gardens, elegant architecture and lots of rain to make the countryside green.
Ambleside, our chosen town, is at the northern end of Lake Windermere, a perfect place for boarding one of the ferries that carry tourists around this idyllic waterway.
Leaving Ambleside
After our long drive the previous day, we were in no hurry to venture out, so it was after 1pm when we boarded our boat and headed for Bowness.
We were extremely lucky to have picked a fine day. Everywhere we looked, people were enjoying themselves on yachts, motor boats, 
small rowing boats or just playing around in the water. The bird life was having fun too.
Friends In My Garden: Banished Rhus, A Pair of Doves
Today I intended to write about our cruise around Lake Windermere. Unfortunately I’m using a different computer and the photos won’t show up as I want them to. Instead I will share more of my poems from my book, ‘Friends In My Garden’ and hope that you like them .
I wrote these poems for friends and family, depicting each one as something found in a garden. ‘Banished Rhus’, as the name implies, was one person who I thought was my friend but, while staying at her home for a few days I realised that she was actually not a friend at all. If you have been badly hurt by someone who you believed to be your friend, I’m sure you will relate to this poem. You might even want to pass it on to her or him, although I never did. Banishing her from my garden of friends seemed the best tactic.
The second poem was written for a couple who visited Australia each year from their home in England. Sadly, he has since passed away, but for all of you who are in happy relationships, or who have benefited from a loving marriage or partnership in your life, I hope you enjoy this. You might even want to share it with your loved one.
As always, I’d love to read your comments which you can write in the ‘comment’ box at the bottom of the page.
Banished Rhus
I had a rhus tree
with leaves that were brilliant
enticing
inviting
admired from a distance.
I stepped too close
she attacked
spewing poison from her leaves
and dripping fiery sap.
Instant
was my reaction.
Even now the pain recurs
the rash appears
on tissue scar
when I recall
the venom of her wrath.
She’s gone of course
rooted out
and if ever I see her again
I’ll take care
to keep my distance
from false vindictive rhus.
A Pair Of Doves
Two white doves
return every year.
I love to hear their cooing
a gentle sound that soothes the soul.
While he’s out during the day
she tidies and titivates the nest
chats with other birds
gathers garden goodies for tea
then fluffs out her feathers to look her best
when he returns.
They share a meal
and snuggle down for the night.
Ripples of kindness float across the darkness
encompassing me.