Throwback Thursday – #44 – Fireworks Celebrations

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This week Lauren has asked us about our memories and feelings about our childhood experiences with fireworks.

1) What are your earliest memories of watching fireworks?

I think I was probably three and I can remember being carried around by my eldest sister. I was wrapped in a blanket, I remember the light and heat from the huge bonfire. The noise and the pretty lights. I remember feeling warm and safe and tomato soup hot and warming.

2) Were you more afraid or excited at the time?

I was excited but mainly I was tired but I remember good feelings.

3) What occasions were celebrated with watching fireworks?

When I was a child it was only Guy Fawkes night Nov 5th ….one of my bothers got married on that date I guess it was a good way of never forgetting his Anniversary!

4) Did you travel to fireworks shows, or did your family have their own, safe and sane explosives?

I don’t remember the family ever traveling to a display. We had a small back garden but our nextdoor neighbours had a huge garden that ran down to the Cemetery…it was huge. Most years we had a party there with a big bonfire that neighbours and friends would spend a couple of days building. There were always lots of people there . Everyone brought fireworks but it was the duty of about four of the men to be in sole charge of the display.
There were always jacket potatoes and tomato soup and usually a pudding too.

5) Did you ever light off illegal fireworks?

I don’t remember ever doing so but I was a scary cat! I remember my brothers would throw “jumping jacks ” around and ‘bangers’ too and that used scare me . I know of several people who were maimed or blinded my rogue fireworks or misshandled usage.

6) Did you typically have a family celebration before the nighttime display? What did it include?

We always had a gathering before we all went next door and often afterwards too. Usually some food, alcohol and drinks for the adults. It was always impromptu and when I was old enough to join in fun!

7) As you grew older, did your feelings about fireworks change?

No, not at all they are fine at a distance and properly organised. I am not keen on big displays …I don’t like, crowds or noise . As our boys got old enough to enjoy fireworks we always, if hubby was around or on my own if he was working, went to the Guy Fawkes night parade from our town centre up to the big field where a bonfire was lit by the Mayor. There was always a fun fair and food and drink stalls. The boys loved it. I was always exhausted when we got back because I had had to pretend it had been fun!

8) Now the thinker: Many places are restricting fireworks now because of the trauma it can cause to pets, young children, and sensitive adults. How do you feel about restricting fireworks?

I totally agree, they should not be on general sale. If you want fireworks you should go to a properly organised display. All too often these days people let fireworks off for birthdays, weddings, parties, New Year’s any old excuse.
Unfortunately these days fireworks sound like guns and bombs and are very unsettling for pets, nervous people and children alike. There is a new reason too we have many Ukrainian refugees staying in the UK there some staying near to us , I doubt they want to hear them a odd times..

This is part of Lauren and Maggie’s brainchild, Throwback Thursday.

#TANKATUESDAY WEEKLY #POETRY CHALLENGE NO. 235 #EKPHRASTIC #PHOTOPROMPT

WELCOME TO TANKA TUESDAY!

It’s the third week of the month! Time for an Ekphrastic #PhotoPrompt

This challenge explores Ekphrastic writing inspired by visual art (photographs). Annette Rochelle Aben from last month’s challenge has provided the photo for this month’s challenge. Remember, it’s not so much about describing what’s in the photo. Look beyond the obvious to find new meaning.

Image Credit: Annette Rochelle Aben.

such hidden treasure
kept secure under the waves
my deepest secrets.

This time I have chosen a simple longer Haiku, I am trying to express the depths of my feelings.

Daily Prompt – JusJoJan the 20th, 2020. Humour.

Monday is here and with the start of the workweek we have the 20th prompt for Just Jot it January 2020. Today’s prompt comes to us compliments of Sadje. Thank you so much, Sadje! Please be sure to visit her blog to read her post and say hello. And follow her while you’re there!.

Your prompt for JusJoJan January 20th, 2020, is “humor.” Use the word “humor” any way you’d like. Enjoy!

Humour, well you see I am English and we spell some of our words differently, and that can lead to humour on occasion.

Below is an article I found on the ancient theory of The Humours.

The four humours and their corresponding qualities.

Credits:Wellcome Library, London.

Humoral theory, also known as humorism or the theory of the four humours, was a model for the workings of the human body. It was systemised in Ancient Greece, although its origins may go back further still. The theory was central to the teachings of Hippocrates and Galen and it became the dominant theory in Europe for many centuries. It remained a major influence on medical practice and teaching until well into the 1800s.

In this theory, humours existed as liquids within the body and were identified as blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile. These were in turn associated with the fundamental elements of air, water, earth and fire. It was further proposed that each of the humours was associated with a particular season of the year, during which too much of the corresponding humour could exist in the body – blood, for example, was associated with spring. A good balance between the four humours was essential to retain a healthy body and mind, as imbalance could result in disease. Such notions of internal balance have parallels in other medical traditions, notably Ayurveda, Unani Tibb and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The treatments for disease within humoral theory were concerned with restoring balance. These could be relatively benign and focused on changes in dietary habits, exercise and herbal medicines. But other treatments could involve more aggressive attempts to re-establish balance. As well as having the body purged with laxatives and emetics, or the skin blistered with hot iron, individuals already weakened by disease might be subjected to bloodletting because practitioners mistakenly believed that their bodies contained an excess of blood. You can find this article, for which I own no credit here.

Well that was a jolly article not much humour there. Let’s have some music.

Andrew John Hozier-Byrne (born 17 March 1990), known professionally as Hozier is an Irish musician, singer, and songwriter from County Wicklow. Isn’t he gorgeous and Oh! That voice! He certainly raises my humour.

Now we all know that there are other meanings to the word, you can be in a good or bad humour, meaning your mood. You can be accused of having no sense of humour, or you can be a laugh and have a good sense of humour. It’s all relative really.

Humour is big business we have comedians male and female who all have vastly different ideas of humour. Here is one of my favourite comedians Peter Kay.

And here is my favourite comedienne of all time Victoria Woods who is sadly no longer with us singing one of her comic songs.

There is also Ricky Gervais who has a dark sense of humour, he writes dark sitcoms, he has been in films and is also he is a great stand up comedian…but an acquired taste. Here he is at the Hollywood Golden Globes ripping the Glitterate and Establishment apart. He is only telling the truth! I like him😜 Not everyone’s sense of humour.

Well I think that’s enough humour for today, have a good one everyone 💜

One-Liner Wednesday.12/6/19

When you feel at your lowest, smile your biggest sing your loudest dance your silliest it will raise your spirits.

willowdot21

Badge by Laura @ riddlefromthemiddle.com

This is part of LindaGHill’s #1linerWeds.

Lord of the Deep, Into the Deep part 2

Urshanabi leads Gilgamesh to the Deep Underworld. And so for nine hours Gilgamesh has to out run the sun.
And he does out run the sun, though how I do not know.

Continued

After nine exhausting hours with the sun hot on his heels Gilgamesh emerges from the underworld into the garden of the Gods.

The garden is a place that even, the mighty King of Uruk has never seen the like of. He was dazzled by trees and plants that have flowers and blossom of precious and semi precious stones and gems. It was quite amazing.

Then Gilgamesh is confronted by an ordinary man, Utanpishtim. The king of Uruk is surprised he was expecting a God that he would have to fight.

Weaponless Gilgamesh has to talk to Utanpishtim who asks him why he looks so tired and wan. Gilgamesh tells him how he has spent his last nine hours outrunning the sun. He also tells of the loss of his dear brother Enkidu and how he King of Girt – Walled – Uruk wants Immortality for himself and his people .

Utanpishtim says he has wasted his time venturing to these shores and all he has done is bring himself one day closer to death.

You can run but you cannot hide

Death reachs across the divide.

Immortals and men do not mix

All men die it’s written in stone, fixed.

Now Enlil had gathered the Gods together after the Flood and granted Utanpishtim and his wife Shiduri immortality. The question now arose who would grant this to Gilgamesh, what deeds would he do to gain his goal.

Utanpishtim set Gilgamesh the task that he must stay awake for seven days and nights with no sleep. The big ego that is Gilgamesh agreed to this blindly.

The task is set

Gilgamesh accepts and yet

In seconds he is asleep

Unable to his boastful words to keep.

He will lie says Utanpishtim

He is man as duplicitous as all his kin.

Shiduri will bake for everyday he sleeps a loaf.

He will lie, for all his mighty ways he’s just an oaf.

Shiduri bakes a loaf each day for the seven day and lays them infront of the sleeping Gilgamesh when the seventh day arrives Utanpishtim wakes Gilgamesh.

Of course he lies and tells Utanpishtim and Shiduri that he had not slept a wink.

He does not fool the wise couple who knew the outcome would always be a fail compounded by a lie. Shiduri shows Gilgamesh the seven loaves and gets him to feel the rock hard first and the soft warm last one.

Death around Gilgamesh creeps

Fear and failure into his soul seeps.

Lies from his mouth have made him fail

The useless the efforts of his travail

Will he be banished empty handed.

As a hopeless fool branded.

To be continued….

The story of Gilgamesh is one older than time and one that is repeated in all ancient and modern religious books and stories ..though the names and places change the stories do not.

Here is a clip from one of a trilogy of films called The Chronicles of Riddick. The characters in the clip have to outrun the sun, which waits for no man.

As I am nearing the end of my account of my feelings and experiences at The Silent Eye Spring Workshop I find I want to linger with the memories and stop time.

Little Meg.

If you read Sue Vincent’s post Full Circle: Spiral Dance.

You will learn a great deal from her knowledge. I can’t match that wealth of knowledge but I can tell you what I experienced.

Little Meg

Permission sought from those who went before. We entered the field following the line of the hedge to avoid the deep mud. Again I felt the rush and crush of those who had had passed this way before.

We enter with respect

Our thoughts circumspect

Seeking out the our inner seed

We call them out, our souls to feed.

Again we join in Meditation

We assend to to space

Looking down on Gia’s creation

The light that fills me makes me warm

I am reluctant to return

I want to see forever, to fly and burn.

This photo is From Sue Vincent’s blog

More thoughts from The Silent Eye‘s : The Full Circle : Finding your way home, weekend in Cumbria.

Darkness falls.

Darkness falls

Deep dark, the dogs back

I am drowning no hope left

So empty  depressed.

Hopelessness just engulfs me

Where is the light,where is hope.

                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Image from Pixabay

Acrostic: Cathedral

Cloisters echoing  to  the  sound  of  millions of  feet

All nationalities wondering  round  hopes  and  dreams  complete

Tinglings  through  my  soul  who has  trod  this  way before

Holy sounds  from the  naive, monks  singing behind  a  door.

Ever moving ever flowing  like  a  river  the  people tread

Dodging gravestones in the  floor, don’t  step  on the  dead

Relics  yes, in  golden caskets, fabulous  statues  to  saints

Angels fierce  with  swords resplendent in gold  leaf  and paints

Lingering  spirits of  the  past  repose  here in  the  Cathedral

Emotions : Nonet

Our emotions, how  they  ebb and flow

Pent up inside, hidden below

Calm exteriors, all that  show.

Explosions  build  and grow

Vicious blasts  will blow

Why hide them so

They will grow

Ebb, flow

Blow

How sharper

How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is 

To have a thankless child!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

True mother love

Shakespeare  said  this  and  he  was right

For  thankless  or  not  I feel in this  plight.

To  have  and hold  a baby new

Is  the  most wonderful  thing  you  can do.

 

To  watch  them  grow  and  become the  apple  of  your  eye

You teach them to  love  and care, you  kiss away  tears  when they  cry.

Sharing  all  their  triumphs  large  and  small

To pick  them up  and  brush them off  when they fall.

 

Sacrificing  your  hearts  desire for  all their  dreams

You’d  die  for  them, give  your  all, sometimes,  for  naught  it  seems

They  grow  and  fly  make  their  own  nests

Sometimes  they include  you  and  you  feel truly  blessed

 

To  have  a  child  who’ partner   shuts  you  out

Is  the  most  painful  thing  without  a doubt

To see  a  grandchild  so rarely that  he  hardly  knows  you

Is  pain  beyond  pain, try  as  you may  there is nothing  you can  do.

 

Why

I feel so sad  I have  committed  no sin

Why  am I  on the outside  looking  in?