Why Are There No Aspirins In Romford?**

  - and a second riddle, what connects these four pictures?

The wonderful Hepburn/Bogart film, Jimi Hendrix, the Great Storm, and a Surrey Petshop?

Do you know? can you guess? It's this vibrant green bird, 

The rose-ringed parakeet [aka psittacula krameri, ring-necked parrot or Kramer parrot]  This beautiful bright green bird is a wild-living, non-native parrot, found in the UK - mostly in London, and the South East. There are estimated to be about 12,000 breeding pairs! 

Nobody is quite sure how so many of these birds, with different subspecies native to Africa and India came to be flying around our Metropolis [The Esher Rugby Club has named its women's team The Parakeets in tribute to the profusion of birds around their training ground]

The four most popular theories [none of which has been fully endorsed by ornithologists] are these

[1] Some birds imported to Ealing Studios for the 1951 film escaped 

[2] Jimi Hendrix, who lived in London in the late 60's released some in Carnaby Street

[3] A number accidentally escaped from a Surrey Pet Shop in 1970

[4] Some aviaries were damaged in the Great Storm of 87, and scared birds flew away
In truth nobody knows when or how this influx started!  But we do know they were first spotted way back in 1855 [here in Norfolk, of all places!]

In the last 25 years, more people have had cameras on their phones, and so pictures, and therefore awareness has increased.

There are some living in Rosie's Street in London - and I was surprised to see them out of the bedroom window on Saturday morning [we had stayed overnight with Julian in Romford]

There were three being quite noisy round the neighbour's bird feeders, but as I got my phone out, one flew away. There is concern about their impact on the environment, but some of our native birds [sparrowhawks, peregrine falcoms and hobbies] have been observed preying on them [and predator numbers in London have increased] But their presence has been likened to that of the grey squirrel- increasing and maybe destroying native species.
But they did brighten up my Saturday morning.

**There are no Aspirins in Romford because the Paracetamol/Parrots Eat Em All. 

Sorry! This old joke only works in the UK. as my US friends call the second drug Acetaminophen,

On Monday We Went To Paddington

 

There's a new guy in the city, sitting in the sunshine outside the Cathedral . Nicky suggested I should go for a photo-op, and so Rosie came with me.

There were a dozen or more people ahead of us in the queue. Some with fancy cameras. Others [like us] with pre-prepared snacks. 

But everything moved very smoothly, and we didn't have to wait long

The sun was bright and the sky was so blue,,,[the weather was still a bit chilly] The lady behind us kindly took a photo of us both, I offered her my sandwich in exchange for this. Her little girl declined, but the family behind were pleased to have a photo 'prop' as they'd forgotten to bring a sandwich. Rosie happily ate her sandwich on the way back to the car!

Half term is proving great fun thus far, more stories to follow.

Taking Stock

Back in August 2018, Liz and I had a long discussion about the concept of a Brexit Box. Groceries we could set aside in case of some sort of breakdown in Food Supply after we left the EU the following March. But April came, and the deadline had been pushed back to October, so we sorted out the stuff still properly 'in date' and took that to the foodbanks**, and ate up the rest. And then I prepared a fresh box as October approached. That stayed in the cupboard over the winter - and I was so glad of it in March 2020 when lockdown happened and Bob and I were already quarantined with covid.

Since then I have always maintained a reasonable stock of non-perishable food in the cupboard. The village shop is nearby but has a limited range of goods, and is not the cheapest. It is useful to be able to rustle up a meal from stores if there are unexpected visitors [taking my cue from Matthew 25;4]

It's five years since covid arrived - and eighty five since WW2 Rationing started [end of January 1940] I came across a list of foodstuffs which the government recommended to housewives in 1939, as something to keep in stock in the event of an emergency, as the War started. [we will ignore the assumption that all food shopping was done by the females!]

Have a look at this, and compare it with your cupboards

I have to admit I currently have most of these things in store, but...

• No 'tinned fat' - but definitely cooking oil 
• Plain Biscuits and rusks replaced with sweet biscuits and cheese crackers 
• No Bovril [but there is always Nutella for the children] 
• No saccharine, but I do have some Stevia for a friend who likes sweetener in her tea
• No jellies or dried eggs
• Peas are in the freezer, and beans in tins
• No pickled or dried eggs- ever!!!!

How has our diet changed? Well my Brexit Box definitely contained rice and pasta- two staples of my store cupboard for 40+ years, but not a regular part of the British diet in WW2 [although the list has curry powder, so what did they serve with their curries?] And a bottle of fruit squash.

Which of these items are usually in your cupboard?

Which do you never buy?

And what is missing for you?

**I usually put a few extras in my trolley at the supermarket when I do a big shop, and leave them in the foodbank donation bin on my way out, as well as supporting our regular collections at the chapel. And I try to be mindful about it - nobody wants an unvaried diet of baked beans, or pasta and sauce. 

Time Out

We are barely 2 weeks from Shrove Tuesday, and the start of Lent. The first Sunday of Lent will be March 9th. Since 2010, most years, I've done some sort of weekly "Pause in Lent" - a tradition started by my friend Floss in France. The idea is to take some time to reflect, either in a specifically Christian way or just in a more general 'spring-time, new-life' manner, on what this season means.

To be honest, I have had no inspiration as yet as to how I will mark Lent this year. But I hope to come up with something in the next few days [I’ve read through many Lent resources, this site is particularly helpful, with list of many plans] I am looking for something that will impact my thoughts and actions, and hopefully have a positive impact on others around me too. 

Lent is about taking time out, time out from the usual quotidian activities, time out to "pray, fast, give" as many of the Catholic websites put it 

Prayer? yes definitely. 
Fasting? I need to think hard on that one, I admit it is not a regular feature of my Christian life
Give? must ponder on giving up or giving away, or both

Are you doing anything special for Lent - does your Church have any Lent activities planned [other than Pancake Parties!]

Sow, Sow, Quick, Quick, Sow*

 

On Thursday I went full on Good Life- donning my best Felicity Kendall dungarees and purple gardening clogs [and thermals underneath as it was freezing outside] and did some Serious Gardening

I've planted lots of seeds, now on the kitchen windowsill, and repotted a few bits and pieces. I trimmed the geraniums in the mini greenhouse, all 3 seem to have survived the winter 

and two of the cuttings I took before Christmas have flourished and are now in larger pots on the bathroom sill. 

I put a large bucket over the rhubarb. It is currently looking rather pathetic, but maybe this will force some sweet pink stems...

The two troughs of bulbs by the oil tank are showing green shoots. And I've tidied up my herbs.

I was given a few snowdrop plants on Tuesday, I've planted them in a circle round the pear tree. I hope they will flourish there in the grass. These came from next door - the property has been empty for well over a year. The sale should have gone through this weekend. My neighbour's daughter came to visit for one last time, and borrowed a trowel to do a bit of gardening - she returned the trowel with the snowdrops.

And after all my gardening activities, Bob kindly cooked lunch - then we popped over to Foulsham, to hang a banner outside the chapel. Lent is fast approaching!

*older readers, who can remember a time before "Strictly" may recall Victor Sylvester, who came on TV and taught us to dance the foxtrot, and his catchphrase was slow, slow, quick, quick, slow...

Love Is...

Back in the 1970s an artist called Kim Groves started sending little cartoons to her fiancé Robert. They were usually a picture of a cute little couple and underneath a little phrase beginning love is...

My mum was very fond of them.  She often sent me little ones she'd clipped from magazines. I kept one as a bookmark for years. It said "love is never forgetting to say you are sorry" 

On Valentine's Day, it is good to remind ourselves that love is more than red roses, and romantic gestures. Love is positive action, wanting the best for somebody, showing you care, showing them they matter. There is someone who loves you, and someone you can love.

I shall be attending a funeral today - remembering a lady who was full of love for others, and greatly loved by many. There will be both joy at a very long life well lived, and sadness at losing her. Many folk will find today difficult, remembering those they have loved but see no more. 

Let us take the words of Saint Paul as both a comfort and a challenge. Love, and be loved

Branch Lines

Here's the February picture of MyTree2025, this time taken on a gloomy February afternoon, not a sunny January morning. I like the starkness of the black branches silhouetted against the sky. But there does not seem to be much change in the tree itself, although I note that the crop in the field around it is coming along slowly. The plants are thicker and greener than a month ago.

I have taken to calling cheerily "Hello Tree!" whenever I drive past.