I'm An Unashamed Hoarder

 

Bob bought me this fabulous book last Christmas. It is a linguistic treasure, full of words from "Old English" - some of which we recognise and use today [like word]  and others like fneosung [pronounced f'nay-oh-zung] which means sneeze. 

The author, Hana Videen, did her doctorate in Old English at King's College, London. In 2013 she began tweeting an OE word everyday. She is now a writer and bigger based in Canada. 

Hana's research is meticulous, and her writing style is informative and readable. It's a bit like the best fruitcake - each mouthful densely packed with a huge variety of tasty morsels. 

This means I can only read a chapter at a time as there is so much to learn. Each chapter has a theme [eating and drinking, wildlife, learning and working etc] and there is a list of new words at the end of each chapter. Much of the OE writing we have is religious - but also there is poetry, like the story of the great warrior Beowulf. 

Hana explains hapax - those words which only appear once in OE literature, so there is speculation about their interpretation. She shares kennings, words which are two words combined. Words such as gar-leac [gar-leak] from gar [arrow/dart/spear] and leac [herb/plant] Just look at the pointy leaves of a garlic plant and you'll understand. 

I suspect that future blogposts will feature words which have really excited me - and I hope you will enjoy them too. Now I shall eat some  bread & butere. Strictly speaking bread in OE meant food, and I should say hlaf [pronounced h'lawf] This book is utterly addictive! [thanks Bob] 

And obviously, as hord means treasure, wordhord means a treasure trove of words. Some OE religious writing refers to "Christ, the Guardian of the Way, unlocking his wordhord" I love that idea! 

Bring Up The Bodies

No, not part 2 of Mantel's Tudor Thomas Cromwell Trilogy [which I greatly enjoyed] I wish to make a comment about clothing. In Tudor times, women often wore a garment made of two attached pieces of fabric, covering the chest and the back, known as 'a pair of bodies' and subsequently this term was contracted to bodies whi ch became our word bodice. Move on 500 years, and Wonderwoman* & Co graced our screens

 Their all-in-one leotard/swimsuit garment was referred to as a body. By the late 1980s these were everywhere as a fashion garment - a tee-shirt or vest type top which fastened at the crotch with poppers, buttons or Velcro. The idea was that the top stayed tucked in to the waistband, and gave a smooth line under jeans or slim fitting skirts.

We all had them - M&S sold them, so they were quite respectable!

Obviously we didn't wear them without a skirt or trousers on our lower regions. They were initially very popular. And now I understand they are the must-have garment for Autumn/Winter 22. Strolling round the Trafford Centre with Steph, I noticed a number of shops selling bodysuits as we are now meant to call them. Primark, Next, Matalan, M&S and more have racks of them. 

My girls have often said to me "if you wore a fashion first time round, think hard before you wear it again". They have a point. Last time I discovered that although you may get a smooth line and good fit at first, beware when you wash a body. Either it will stretch, and you'll have wrinkling, baggy surplus fabric, or it will shrink, and the discomfort of the row of poppers pulling hard, attempting to bisect your torso will cause inelegant squirming. 

Worst of all - you may return from the loo having failed to "tuck and pop" in everything closed, and although you look fine at the front, you will have a "tail" flapping behind. And once you realise this you will be covered in embarrassment. 

Look again, Ang! I for one will not be rushing to buy another body. In the mid 1990s I took the ones I did have, and cut off the flaps and poppers, turning them into regular tee shirts. 

*I shall never forget the 11 year old pupil, back in the 1970s who announced to the class that in his family they did not watch Wonderwoman "because my Dad says you can never trust a girl who tucks her vest into her knickers" Maybe he had a point... 

Reading The Signs

Steph and I went to the Trafford Centre on Monday morning. My first visit there for over 10 years. There were lots of stores to see, and signs to read. Perhaps I should have gone to Specsavers - I thought at first this was sewing happiness, and was a little disappointed to realise it was serving ice-cream** 

John Lewis haberdashery was really depleted compared to last time - so very little sewing happiness there either. The cushion was encouraging though

Steph and I were quite unfamiliar with some of the newer shops, and the fashion brands have such intriguing names. 

I thought Stradivarius made violins, and "Pull and Bear" sounds like some sort of instruction to engage in hard labour! 

This had to be the strangest name! Whatever do they mean by it? 

We also looked at - but did not buy - the bags of meringue sweets

Live lightly and brightly ✔️ Fair trade ✔️

Recyclable ✔️ Vegetarian ✔️

Gluten free ✔️ Natural colours and flavours ✔️

75% + white sugar? ? Not quite so good

There's a wonderful building firm locally, we've seen their vans out and about

In these days of national mourning, it lifts one's spirits to come across the cheerful name of "Rejoice and be clad" doesn't it? 

It takes ages to get round the shops when pushing the buggy - every other woman wants to look at Jacob and comment on how tiny he is, and how well Steph looks, considering she gave birth just 3 weeks ago. 

**As well as gelato, you can also buy 'rolled ice cream' which is a very strange concept [website here] but seems extremely popular amongst the Mancunians. 

Initial Reactions

I do the Guardian cryptic crossword online everyday and people post their thoughts beneath the puzzle. One of the comments said "Almost a pangram" 

A word puzzle, or piece of text, which contains every letter of the alphabet is called a pangram. 

The most well-known is perhaps  the sentence about the quick brown fox. 

Change the initial letter of pangram and you get tangram which is a Chinese shapes puzzle.

I thought about other pairs of words where changing the initial seriously alters the meaning.

Is your yellow sauce sweet or spicy? custard/mustard

Is the animal swinging happily in the trees eating bananas, or miserably talking to Pooh Bear? monkey/donkey

That one letter change completely alters the meaning. Then instead of nouns I thought about verbs. By changing the initial, you can produce a very different reaction. Here are a few examples... 

Are you feeling utterly pessimistic or do you believe that things will work out eventually? moping/hoping

Are you focused simply on improving your own existence, or on helping others around you? living/giving

Are you depleting the planet's resources, or working towards sustainability? taking/making

Are you irritating people or nurturing them? bothering/mothering. 

We often need to choose how to respond to a situation - and that can make all the difference to how things work out. 

Not always easy. My Mum used to quote "Proverbs 3v5&6“ and Dad said “refer continually to James 1;5“ Wise words when making big decisions. 

Last week Rosie asked her Mum about a possible family activity, and was told that her parents had not made a decision yet. She put on her concerned face and said solemnly

"When I have to make a decision, I often find it helps to go eeny, meeny, miny, mo" 

This sage piece of advice will definitely be noted in the family annals!

Buttons, Bicycle, Baby

For my August contribution to the Postcard Project, I added two things. I found my box of Dorset Buttons in the loft, and decided to. make a few more. As I did the foundation ring, I was struck by the similarity to a bicycle wheel. Apart from that week of really hot weather, I've tried to do at least one ride a week since July [to the Library, Craft Group or Egg Farm]

So I stitched a bicycle - using two curtain rings for the framework, and a tiny black plastic button for the chain guard. And of course,  I had to stitch a small Aida banner declaring the details of Baby Jacob's arrival. My 'flat gift' for Kirsten was a card of my ”Blandford Cartwheel " Dorset Buttons.

Both of us have had a chaotic time recently, family wise, and agreed to have a Stitch-free September [our project, our rules] but now we are thinking that our postcards should acknowledge the Queen's passing this month in some way.

 

The Postman Always Visits Twice

Last year, PomPom sent the Jolly Postman on a world tour, to find a wife. He went all over the place. He reached Cornerstones in August. Rosie and I did our best to keep him amused - he went to a castle like Hogwarts, a jungle in a Garden Centre, a wedding in Dorset, and much more...And this summer he visited us for a second time.

This time, the big red felt envelope was bulging... The journal told stories of his adventures, the pink envelopes contained twenty one possible spouses, and the passport bore stamps from Ireland, Scotland, England, and four states of the USA. Rosie and I spent ages, looking at all the possible partners- and although we were rather fond of those drawn by Auntie Steph, we decided that choosing someone called Elizabeth was an excellent idea [just like Mummy Liz]

Rosie was very taken with the 'extras' -bible, knitting, butterfly, mouse, scarf and kilt. "I must make them some accessories for their new home" she declared. And rushed off to draw and cut out Jess-the-cat, and a jar of honey.  The best part of the package was the new book PP had sent us as a gift. The third book in the JP trilogy -

 the Jolly Pocket    Postman- in which our intrepid mailman shrinks to the size of a postage stamp.

This story comes with all sorts of added inserts, 

including a magnifying glass for reading the teeny tiny tiniest print. We had enormous fun with this book. Jolly meets some well known 

characters from other children's books, most notably Alice in Wonderland and Dorothy in Oz. Rosie and I had watched The Wizard Of Oz, last year, so she knew that story, and was also familiar with Alice's adventures.

I thought the book was extremely clever - I notice some reviews imply it is too hard for children under eight - but I think that would depend on whether they already knew about the other characters. The map shows his route, and we picked out lots of literary links. Rosie and I both rated it *****

Thank you PomPom for initiating this blogfest - and all the other participants who put such time into adding their pieces to the story.[I love the kilt, Annie, and not surprised by the crochet scarf, Mags] 

Last week, Rosie and I read a chapter of Alice's adventures at her sleepover [the wonderful Tea Party Chapter] and mused about living in a treacle well [too dark and sticky, we thought] 

Grandad Bob kindly made his famous pancakes at the sleepover breakfast, so we could put treacle [aka syrup] on them!

A happy summer holiday - it ended too soon!

Have you read any good children's books in your family recently?

Complete

I watched the Service of Prayer and Reflection from St Paul's Cathedral on Friday evening. [You can download the order of service here] They said the hymns and music were all favourites of Her Majesty. One piece, by Charles Wesley, is a favourite of mine too, it was my College hymn. It does seem to sum up our Queen's promise that "be it short or long" her whole life would be committed to fulfilling her calling to service.

O Thou who camest from above, the pure celestial fire to impart kindle a flame of sacred love upon the mean altar of my heart. There let it for thy glory burn with inextinguishable blaze, and trembling to its source return, in humble prayer and fervent praise. Jesus, confirm my heart's desire to work and speak and think for thee; still let me guard the holy fire, and still stir up thy gift in me. Ready for all thy perfect will, my acts of faith and love repeat, till death thy endless mercies seal, and make my sacrifice complete.

 

 

 

 

 

[most popular tune is Hereford ]

Moonlit Apples

Please do not think I have forgotten the national situation... but I'm sure that Her Majesty would not want us all to spend the next 10 days in a state of inertia. I plan to write my daily blog as usual, recognising there are other things going on in the world.... Did you ever read this poem at school? 

Moonlit Apples 

At the top of the house the apples are laid in rows,
And the skylight lets the moonlight in, and those
Apples are deep-sea apples of green. There goes
A cloud on the moon in the autumn night.

A mouse in the wainscot scratches, and scratches, and then
There is no sound at the top of the house of men
Or mice; and the cloud is blown, and the moon again
Dapples the apples with deep-sea light.

They are lying in rows there, under the gloomy beams;
On the sagging floor; they gather the silver streams
Out of the moon, those moonlit apples of dreams,
And quiet is the steep stair under.

In the corridors under there is nothing but sleep.
And stiller than ever on orchard boughs they keep
Tryst with the moon, and deep is the silence, deep
On moon-washed apples of wonder.

John Drinkwater [1917]

I thought about it again on Friday, when my brother and SIL brought me a huge crate containing all the apples from their trees [they moved house yesterday] I didn't have time to deal with them immediately, so last Saturday, Bob and I put them into store. They are temporarily laid out in a well ventilated space [the old garage] using 5 bricks, and that free fireguard to make a shelf.

They are sweet enough to eat now, but I shall prepare some of them for using in the winter. Maybe freeze them, or possibly make some chutney.

John Drinkwater was born in Leytonstone, London, but later moved to Birmingham and worked in insurance. He was one of the "Dymock Poets" who met in Dymock in Gloucestershire  - they included Rupert Brooke, Robert Frost and Edward Thomas. Sadly the group broke up in 1914 at the start of WW1.

There's an added twist - on Saturday afternoon, I met a friend in the village who grew up in Leytonstone, and I said I'd been given some apples and "the apples are laid in rows" She immediately said "John Drinkwater - Moonlit Apples - he came from Leytonstone, Angela" 

When I told her that was why I was sure she would know the poem, she was really pleased. And said when I get home from Manchester, I must call round and borrow her fancy apple-peeling machine, to speed up the preparation process! I have such thoughtful friends. Thanks Judy

An Historic Day

 

Today, our Queen has died. She was a woman who had a deep sense of calling and duty. A woman of faith and service.

As I type this, [6:50pm Thursday] the BBC is showing a picture of the flag at Windsor Castle flying at half mast - and a rainbow is shining across the sky. I suspect she would be pleased at that - a symbol of hope for the future. 

Tonight my thoughts are with all those for whom she represented a dearly loved family member and personal friend. And especially with our new King. God bless and guide him right now. 

Elizabeth II - may she rest in peace. 

It's In The Can!

This is an old bit of slang meaning "It's finished, ready to be shown" and comes from the early days of film making. Rolls of film were stored in metal cans [being highly inflammable,  and damaged by exposure to light] Unfortunately here at Cornerstones right now,  this phrase means the exact opposite.

It is months since we tried out tester pots on the walls and agreed on a colour for the atrium.  The previous owners extended the property,  and so there is a large space right in the middle.  The ancient Romans always called such a space The Atrium.  So that's what we call it.  

Since retirement we've rearranged rooms, the Atrium is now our dining area. It is currently a tired yellowish magnolia shade. We tried three testers from Wilko,  named Ahoy, Almond,  and  Natural Twine. #1turned out identical to the existing shade. #2 great name but too 'cold' #3 just right. [But I'm amused that the name twine seems very similar to Farrow&Ball's best-selling shade string.]

There has been a lot of fuss in the press of late regarding 'green' paint [ie eco-friendly, I don't mean sage, emerald, eau-de-nil etc] Upmarket paint companies are encouraging us to buy their products, and to shun cheaper ranges. 

The high end stuff is water-based, and low in dangerous VOCs, they say. [VOCs are volatile organic compound, which can cause breathing issues, allergies etc] 

Well, we think Wilko's own brand [water-based, and low VOC] is both good quality, and excellent value for money. The only problem in our home is that the paint is still in the can! I'm hoping that by the end of September, the walls will be suitably entwined! 

[nb I understand that in the USA that phrase can also mean "in the loo"!]

Well Trained

The train journey from Norwich to Manchester (cross country via Nottingham) takes 4 hours and 42 minutes. Adding in the car journey from Cornerstones to the station, and another at the far end, I knew it would be a long, long day. I packed drink and snacks and things to keep myself occupied.

☕🍌🍪📗☕🍌🍪📗

I was surprised that a train going from Norwich to Liverpool only had two carriages, but maybe other people pay more for the route via London which is a little faster [but you have 2 changes and a tube journey]

🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂

The first hour and a half, I had a delightful gentleman sitting across the table, he was en route to Leeds for a retreat. We discovered that we had much in common - our faith, despair at some of the current directions in English education, and good literature. We enjoyed great conversation about all sorts of things like the last Montelbano novel, and why I ought to read Mansfield Park. After he left, I got out my sewing...

Bob and Steph kept in touch via WhatsApp, and everything went well. Watching the couple at the table opposite working hard on their laptops, I felt very low-tech with my needle and thread. But I had such fun creating my little oiseaux des fêtes. [Story here]

For the final hour of the journey, I was joined at my table by a pleasant couple going to. Manchester for a 3 day city break. They'd never visited before. The guy went to sleep, clearly tired and in need of the holiday. His wife and I chatted about where to go in the city, and what to see. I packed away my sewing. Steph and Jacob were waiting for me outside the station, and the train arrived on time. All good

How do you pass the time on long train journeys??

Ready For Take-Off?

Riddle for today ;  What one word connects the Queen's estate at Sandringham, a floor mop, some eggs, and the Royal Air Force?

Answer; Curlews!

Here's the story...Curlews are Europe's largest wading bird, breeding on rough grassland, moorland and bogs - but they are in significant decline. One quarter of all curlews live in Britain - but the UK population has more than halved in the last 30 years. They love East Anglia - especially all the airfields we have here- the flat ground and rough grassland by the runways is an ideal nesting area. BUT just one curlew taking off at the wrong moment could get sucked into a jet engine and cause a crash, and the loss of millions of pounds of machinery. For some years, the RAF has been able, under licence, to destroy any nests on airfields "For the purposes of ensuring air safety"

Fortunately, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust have been able to come to an arrangement with the RAF - they are now collecting eggs from nests on Norfolk airfields. These are being taken to Pensthorpe Conservation Trust,  a wildlife centre just up the road from here, on the edge of Fakenham. Here they are incubated and hatched. Once hatched, the chicks are placed in a box with a heated light - and a 'mop mum'. The head of a floormop is the ideal soft thing for a chick to nestle into and feel safe! After five days, they are placed in large outdoor pens and fed special pellets. This technique of raising them in captivity is called "Headstarting"

Then the birds are released at a few well-chosen sites, including Wild Ken Hill [a Natural England Project, often on TV] and the Queen's Estate at Sandringham. Graham Irving, from Natural England, was the guy who persuaded the RAF to work with them in conservation, rather than apply for licences to destroy. It has worked really well - not all nests on airfields are in danger zones, so some eggs can be left to hatch in situ. 

This project is really helping to stem the decline in the curlew population. Well done to all those who are collaborating to make it happen!

All Change!

This is going to be a rather busy week... 

Lots of moving and changing and re-adjusting to the autumn

SIL Gary has finished Paternity Leave, and has is back at work.

Liz and co have returned to London - Jessica will be back at Nursery and Rosie will be in a new class [she's Year 2 now]

And my bro and SIL are moving house. Their new place is not available just yet - so they will be staying at Cornerstones for a few days

To give them some quiet space, Bob is moving into Liz and Jon's cottage up the road.

And I'm going up to Manchester for a few days to support Steph and the boys. 

My return ticket turns out to be for the day when a rail strike is planned ... so I hope to get back...sometime..

And thank you to all those who commented on yesterday's post - so  many kind friends out there - I hope you felt the love and prayers winging your way, Sandra

WIP

 When we were walking round the Walled Garden at Holkham on Wednesday I came upon a bed at the end of one row which looked rather sad. The glass which had been in this Cold Frame was missing, and the wooden structure was disintegrating in places. It was not clear what plants were growing haphazardly inside. Frankly, in comparison to the rest of the place it was Rather Messy. But it had a very neat sign

It struck me that I am a Project In Progress [and have been for over 60 years] There have been moments when my life's felt a bit messy, or I've felt things are disintegrating around me, or my growth [physical, spiritual or emotional] has not been as healthy as it might be. But I do believe that things are In Progress, and I am being made into a better person [slowly!], transformed by God.

There's a great verse in Isaiah where God says "I have not forgotten you, I've written your name on the palm of my hand"

People used to do that a lot [before the incessant pandemic handwashing] If they wanted to remember something, a phone number, a date, a shopping item, whatever, then they would grab a biro and scribble it on their hand. Right where they could see it often, in a place where they wouldn't lose it.

Today I am so grateful not only that God has not forgotten me, and considers me a Work In Progress - but also grateful for family and friends who constantly remember to show love and support even on days when I am not at my best. 

Here's a very old hymn, written 150 years ago, which makes reference to that Isaiah verse. I learned it as a child, but love it even more since a new tune was written in 1997. Have a great Sunday!

A Shameless Plug

Our word of the day is eructation,  which is, as many of you will know, the correct medical term for burping. In polite society it expected that you will say 'excuse me' if you burp loudly in company. In some parts of China and India, it is apparently considered a compliment to the chef. 

Here one should feel slightly ashamed of burping in the presence of others.

However, here at Cornerstones, there is frequent, shameless, burping in the bathroom. It started the summer of 2020, when Rosie was coming to Grandma's Nursery School every day. Whenever she washed her hands after using the loo, she'd pull out the plug from the handbasin, and as the water drained away, it made a satisfying burrrppp! noise. It became a great game, listening for the good 'plug burps'. The budding little scientist realised that more water made a longer burp, and that hot or cold water didn't appear to affect the results. 

Thursday night she had a sleepover with us - and here she is on Friday morning, plug in hand, listening for the burp! Yes, that is the same dressing gown her mother wore over 30 years ago! Rosie thinks it's like a Princess Gown.

I am so relieved that following the installation of the new basin last year, the burps still happened - if anything they are even better now!

But what really amused me was the question Rosie asked last week. "Grandma, WHY do we play the Plug Burp Game at your house? We don't do it anywhere else" And I had to confess that it was one of Grandma's devious educational ploys**
"Rosie, when you came for Grandma's Nursery, you were only 4, but you could manage going to the loo by yourself. But sometimes you forgot to wash your hands afterwards. You enjoyed the Plug Burp Game so much, it was a good way to get you into the habit of automatic handwashing"

I suspect it will not be too long before she is teaching her little sister the game too.

**I also taught her my Hand wash Song [here]

Overwhelmed

One third of Pakistan has been submerged by the monsoon floods. I cannot imagine what that means. 1000 dead, 1600 injured, and thousands of homes and livelihoods destroyed.

Christian Aid have published this helpful prayer

Lord, help us all to respond with generous hearts and wise actions

Oh! Deer!

We spent yesterday up at the coast with the family - first to Wells for coffee and crabbing, and then on to Holkham Hall Estate, where we met up with SIL Barbara, and all the 'niblings'.

Rosie was so excited when we drove into the estate and paid the woman in the HiViz jacket for our parking. "We came here before, I remember. I love it" then she saw a herd of animals grazing in the distance 

"Oh! Deer!" she exclaimed, pure joy in her voice

"Oh dear!" I replied in a more miserable tone.

"No Grandma, not ...not...'Egg-on-the-floor-oh-dear' I mean 'Oh, look at the deer!' " - I told Rosie that was an utterly brilliant explanation.

We had a lovely day with all the family, my SIL and I walked round the lovely walled garden. They have a most amazing amount of vegetables growing there, which supply the café and the shop. Barbara pointed out a few things which will help with my ongoing gardening project, including useful stuff about growing herbs. There was so much space though - they had an area the size of my raised bed which was nothing but parsley.

We had a fun day together and it was good to catch up with family.

One final photo, from the coffee shop in Wells. I had to snap this sign. Definitely one for my word365 [normal for Norfolk?]

Pot Luck

 

As I watered my orchids last week, I realised they were looking a bit pot-bound. So I read up on what to do and then purchased some larger orchid pots at the garden centre.

They were Stewart ones [and I was pleased to see they are recyclable] 

I was even more pleased that afternoon to see some bushes laden with blackberries, and a tree covered in apples. And we had three empty pots in the car to collect our foraging.

There are two theories about the word potluck - one is that it has been in use in England for over 500 years [one of Shakespeare's contemporaries wrote of the luck of the pot but others claim 

it came via the Native American word potlatch meaning food which is given away.

Either way, my orchid pots will yield a few potluck puddings! [the fruit has been replaced by the orchids - but I am now struggling to find bigger cache pots]