I have chosen an Abhanga. A poem in any number of 4-line stanzas with 6-6-6-4 syllables each. L2 and L3 rhyme. The end rhyme scheme is abbc. It is customary to title your poetry. The Abhanga is of childhood memories, mum cooking spring greens.
SPRING GREENS
Such childhood memories The smell in the kitchen I didn’t love it then Mum cooked just right.
Those viridescent veg They will make your hair curl Make you a healthy girl Mum was so right.
The verdant early leaves Fresh like the new season Taste reminds me of fun Mum cooked just right.
LindaGHill is back again with today’s Jusjojan prompt, she said: “Good day! We’re back with the regular daily prompts. Today marks our nineteenth prompt for Just Jot it January 2023, and it’s brought to us by John. Thank you, John! Please be sure to visit John’s blog to read his posts and say hello. And follow him while you’re there, if you’re not already.
Your prompt for JusJoJan January 19th 2023, is “complaint.” Use the word “complaint” any way you’d like. Have fun!
If you’d like to see what I have so far on your prompt list and what’s to come, you can find it HERE.“
I used to work in Customer Services in a large supermarket, I had to deal with all sorts of complaints, difficult customers, visitors and queries… Not mention take orders for party food and cakes and at Christmas, Turkeys and Geese! Easy one hand tied behind your back stuff!
Well you would not believe some of the daft things we had to deal with. EG : Lady wearing Barbour Jacket and headscarf throws any empty egg carton at me . ” These eggs all cracked when I boiled them ” she screeched! I replied that eggs do crack when they are boiled occasionally. “WRONG!” She replied “they never crack when I boil then! ” I will not bore you with what happened next but in the end I gave her a refund and another box of eggs! I also had to smile at her and apologise for her inconvenience??
Another day a woman came up to the desk and told me that her husband had been in at the weekend and a cashier has been rude to him. I asked if she had the receipt so I could see which cashier had served him. …. Imagine my delight when she handed me a bill for the Local Tesco’s … I smiled sweetly and said sorry madam but the incident did not happen here.
I got thing’s wrong too, one evening we were checking the returns .. ” who dealt with this prepacked Colli ” the supervisor asked, I said I had. “what did you do for the customer ” she asked sounding irritated. I told her I had done as always given her a replacement and a refund. She almost smiled. “Great , they are from Marks and Spencer’s” we did all chuckle !
I won’t go on but below is an Acrostic Nonet about the time a man came in and thrust a bunch of flowers into my face. ” They don’t smell, they are seven days old and were guarantied for ten day. ” … what could I do apart from smile? Yes a refund and a new bunch of flowers!
This week Lauren at LSS Attitude of Gratitude said “I’m going through a crazy time in my life right now. I’ve gone from trying to herd kittens to running after a few ducks that keep getting out of line. I have surgery next week and I’m uncertain how long I will be out of commission. So, I’m cheating a bit this week and asking questions like I did in a former Throwback Thursday. They are different questions, but the same style.”
So this week’s rerun prompt is: That Was Then And This Is Now
1) When you were a kid, what were your creative outlets.
Painting, dancing, singing, writing.
As an adult, what have you created that you are most proud of?
Three sons?…I guess you mean creatively…My blog.
2) Have you ever saved someone’s life? Did you ever witness someone’s life being saved? Did someone save your life?
I don’t think I have ever saved anyone’s life…I am not aware of having done so. My Dad saved my life once he pulled me out of the River Isis in Oxford. I was very young but I still remember it. I think I helped to save my mother in law’s life by quickly realising she was having a stroke.
3) Did you ever get lost as a child? How did you handle it? Do you get easily lost now?
I don’t really remember but I probably did as I have terrible sense of direction and I am always going in the wrong direction 😃
4) Did you search out presents your parents hid from you?
Yes indeed we all did in our house!
Did you get caught?
We did but we never got into trouble because we never tried to open any.
Do you hide presents from family members as an adult?
Yes I have !
Are they ever found?
Not to my knowledge.
5) Do you have a special song that was sung to you by either of your parents.
My Dad always sung Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Dad would often change the words ! He often sang: Twinkle Twinkle little Bat how I wonder what your at! Up above the world so high like a tea pot in the sky.
Did you sing to your children?
I did but they’d laugh at me now!
(or pets) Care to share the tunes?
I sing to Ruby it’s usually a made up song.
6) What’s something you were afraid of as a child?
Being lost and alone.
What is something you are afraid of as an adult?
Being homeless.
7) What do you wish you would have learned more about in school?
Everything.
8) Is there something outside of school you were so interested in you taught yourself about it as an adult?
Welcome to Throwback Thursday the brainchild of Lauren and Maggie. This week it’s Maggie’s turn and she said : “Here we are again, taking a trip back in time. This week might take a little memory work to recall a few things, but it should be fun. Part of growing up is finding you own way of self expression. This comes about in many ways so think back. Are you ready? If you care to join us, it’s easy.”
This week’s prompt is: Transitions and Modifications
Think about your first haircut. Were you the kid that cut your own hair? Did you go to a salon or did your parents cut your hair? Did your parents save a lock of your hair?
Right…. Mum was a hairdresser before she married dad she actually had her own salon in Oxford. Like most little girls in those days I had long hair and every night mum would tie it in rags so as to produce long thick ringlets. The trouble was it was a very uncomfortable process and I hated it! As I got older mum would always cut my hair as she had everyone else in the family. She even did my first perm …. A disaster, I got really teased about that. When I was about thirteen I got my first professional cut at a salon I had a Cilla Black cut! Not unlike the style I have now. In between I have had all sorts and colours!
How about shaving? Fathers often teach their sons to shave. Most girls I know, decided for themselves when to shave their legs and their underarms. Some cultures do not shave at all.
My sister’s gave me tips on when and how to shave , though we also used to use Immac Cream which is now called Veet Cream a lot safer than a razor .
Did you alter your clothes? Cut jeans into cut-offs? Cut the sleeves off t-shirts? Wear graphic tees? Tie-dyes? Sew patches on your jeans?
I used to buy Jeans then sit in the bath until they shrank to my size. I did a lot of tie-dyed, cut off T-shirts and jeans too.
Was there a time you remember challenging the authority in your household. Do you remember the first time you found your voice?
No not really….I can remember arguments with mum …. But never with Dad . I might of muttered behind his back but never to his face.
What about piercings? Girls getting their ears pierced was a rite of passage for girls. Then boys started getting one ear pierced. As time passed, piercings became more mainstream and accepted.
I never had piercings even to this day I have no piercings.
Did you walk on the wild side? Smoking? Drinking? Did your parents know?
Yes I tried both but I was married by seventeen. At first I didn’t tell my parents but as I got older they knew. I stopped smoking in my late thirties and never looked back.
What about tattoos? Did you get a tattoo while still living at home? Did your parents approve?
Never wanted a tattoo I don’t think any of my brothers or sisters had them either. Two of my son’s have them .
What about language? Was swearing allowed in your family? Did you use the same language around your friends as you did at home with your family?
We were not allowed to swear or blasphem. We also had to speak correctly. Again I found people would take against me if I spoke correctly and they would call me posh . Yes I did speak differently with friends and school to when I was at home.
Think back to high school. Girls, did you iron your hair? Did you color your hair? (using Sun-in counts!) Guys, did you grow a beard or moustache? Did you grow your hair long? Feel free to share a photo of yourself back in the day.
I was definitely au natural at school, we were taught by nuns!!
Many people think our authentic self is the person we were as young children. Are you still inherently the same person you were as a child or have you changed your personality and demeanor along the way?
I am what I am always was and always will be. What you see is what you get …. perhaps a little wiser and definitely a lot older. Now I colour my hair and my nails Dad would call me a painted lady if he saw me now.
I love dogs, the are the most loving animals, they work with us and for us. The most important thing is they give us unconditional love.
Our Dog Ruby is a retired guide dog, we have taken her for her free run exercise time since she started working at eighteen months, when she retired she came to live with us.
® willowdot21
In 1967 I was very much in love with the Rolling Stones. I was still at school and I had a Saturday job in a boutique in Ealing West London. I had met hubby…..
“Ruby Tuesday” is a song recorded by the Rolling Stones in 1966, released in January 1967. The song became the band’s fourth number-one hit in the United States and reached number three in the United Kingdom as a double A-side with “Let’s Spend the Night Together“. The song was included in the American version of Between the Buttons (in the UK, singles were often excluded from studio albums).
“Ruby Tuesday” was recorded around November 1966 at Olympic Studios, during the sessions for their album Between the Buttons. The song was produced by Andrew Loog Oldham. Brian Jones plays a countermelody on an alto recorder, while the double bass was played jointly by bassist Bill Wyman and guitarist Keith Richards; Wyman did the fingerings while Richards bowed the instrument.
Richards explained that the lyrics are about Linda Keith, his girlfriend in the mid-1960s, who had left him for another superstar rocker and sent him into an emotional tailspin. In Life, his autobiography, he says, “Basically, Linda [Keith] is ‘Ruby Tuesday.
“That’s a wonderful song,” Mick Jagger told Jann Wenner in 1995. “It’s just a nice melody, really. And a lovely lyric. Neither of which I wrote, but I always enjoy singing it.” Wyman states in Rolling with the Stones that the lyrics were completely written by Richards with help from Jones on the musical composition. However, Marianne Faithfull recalls it differently; according to her, Jones presented an early version of this melody to the rest of the Rolling Stones. According to Victor Bockris, Richards came up with the basic track and the words and finished the song with Jones in the studio.
Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (born 29 December 1946) is an English singer and actress. She achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her hit single “As Tears Go By” and became one of the lead female artists during the British Invasion in the United States.
Born in Hampstead, London, Faithfull began her career in 1964 after attending a Rolling Stones party, where she was discovered by Andrew Loog Oldham. Her debut album Marianne Faithfull (1965) (released simultaneously with her album Come My Way) was a commercial success followed by a number of albums on Decca Records. From 1966 to 1970, she had a highly publicised romantic relationship with Mick Jagger. Her popularity was further enhanced by her film roles, such as those in I’ll Never Forget What’s’isname (1967), The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968), and Hamlet (1969). However, her popularity was overshadowed by personal problems in the 1970s. During that time she was anorexic, homeless, and a heroin addict.
Noted for her distinctive voice, Faithfull’s previously melodic and higher-registered vocals (which were prevalent throughout her career in the 1960s) were affected by severe laryngitis, coupled with persistent drug abuse during the 1970s, permanently altering her voice, leaving it raspy, cracked and lower in pitch. This new sound was praised as “whisky soaked” by some critics and seen as having helped to capture the raw emotions expressed in Faithfull’s music.
After a long commercial absence, Faithfull made a comeback with the 1979 release of her critically acclaimed album Broken English. The album was a commercial success and marked a resurgence of her musical career. Broken English earned Faithfull a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and is often regarded as her “definitive recording”. She followed this with a series of albums, including Dangerous Acquaintances (1981), A Child’s Adventure (1983), and Strange Weather (1987). Faithfull also wrote three books about her life: Faithfull: An Autobiography (1994), Memories, Dreams & Reflections (2007), and Marianne Faithfull: A Life on Record (2014).
Faithfull is listed on VH1‘s “100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll” list. She received the World Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2009 Women’s World Awards and was made a Commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the government of France.
There is so much that Marianne went through it is an amazing story if you have time do read here it is worth it.
Lauren’s in the hot seat this week for Throwback Thursday and she says:This week’s prompt is: Hanging Out Feel write about a place or places you liked to hang out in your youth.
Throwback Thursday is the brainchild of Maggie and Lauren.
So here we go HANGING OUT.
Did you spend more time hanging out at friend’s houses or away from the eyes and ears of parents?
Yes I did , I did not have a great many school friends but I did have a few really nice ones , we used to stay at eachother’s homes occasionally it always fun to be somewhere else. Most of them had big gardens and houses so we always had plenty of places to hide and play. One girl had a great big garden that had a hole in the fence which lead to a huge field we had a whale of a time in there just running wild!
If you stayed home, how did you spend your time?
Colouring , playing with Teddy , reading and as I got older listening to music 💜💜
Did you have a favorite eatery.
With friends? Two really the fish and chip shop at the top of our road and the Wimpy Bar in Ealing Broadway!
Did you go to the mall with friends?
We didn’t have Malls in the UK. But we had high streets and occasionally we go shopping in a group, only window shopping, we never had much to spend!
Did you choose to socialize at bowling alleys, arcades, or roller rinks?
No really definitely not until I was about sixteen and even then very rarely. I can remember bowling once or twice, I loved it. Arcades were were we went on holiday by the sea, usually penny machines. I never ice or roller skated but my sister’s did.
Did you go miniature golfing or do another outside activity?
Again miniature golf was when we were on holiday. I spent a lot of time at the park it was a huge place with a museum, cafe, play area, boating lake, fishing lake, and all sorts of pitches. It was in the same road I lived in.
Did you hang around after school killing time? What did you do?
I always went straight home unless I was on detention …. Hang around at school…never couldn’t get away and home quick enough.
Did your parents typically know where you were?
Yes mostly.
Did you prefer to “hang” with friends or family members?
Hard to say I loved both.
Was it “cool” to be seen hanging out at any particular place?
The Wimpy Bar, the Cinema, and I loved our local youth club that was the place to be! That’s where I met hubby 😉
Was there a place you wanted to hang out, but weren’t allowed to?
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..
Today is a sad day. We heard of the death of our Bestman and friend Bob. We never lost touch with him but we had not seen him face to face for nearly forty years. Last year we met up with him at our Golden Wedding anniversary and again this year with five other friends from the park we used to go to as teenagers.
For Bob
Playing football after dark Meeting mates down the park Two lads growing through their teens. Full of hopes , fun and dreams.
Both became each others right hand man. One made best man, so grand. Each had the others wing Staying friends was their thing.
As years went by the meetings dwindled Though memories were often kindled. Eventually a yuletide greeting With promises of a reunion meeting.
The years and miles kept them separated. Til an anniversary meeting was fated. Soon the years just fell away As they celebrated 50 years since that wedding day.
Then a meeting with friends from the park. Food and beer talk of aging, having a lark . Talk of knees and operations Grandchildren, bills and vacations.
A simple operation on the cards Who’d of thought the outcome could be so hard. The heart once so big and strong Could not cope and he was gone.
We are left behind unbelieving Only just back together, now left grieving.
Thursday was yesterday which means it time for Maggie and Lauren’s join venture.
It’s Lauren’s choice for this week’s prompt for Throwback Thursday : Going to the Movies.
Do you remember specific times you went to indoor movies or drive in theatres?
We didn’t have drive in Movies in the U.K. until very recently and as yet I have never been to a drive in movie!
Do you remember the first time for either?
The first film I can remember seeing as a child was when my mum took me to see Snow White , the original Disney version. It was truly the most wonderful thing I had ever seen.
I believe I went to see “A man for all seasons” a fantastic historical film set in the court of Henry VIII and the man for all seasons in question was Thomas Moore. Our convent was a five minute walk from the cinema so we all walked upon crocodile formation.🐊
Do you remember going with friends and not parents?
I remember going to the cinema with a girl friend or friends we usually went to see pop star films . We saw “Catch us if you can” starring the Dave Clarke Five, “Hold on” starring Herman’s Hermits. There were other films but I really can’t remember them 😊
Please share one or more experiences about going to the movies.
My sister Frankie took me to see Westside story again I was totally enthralled by the sing and dancing I loved it.
I must of been to the cinema in my courting days with hubby but I can’t remember…. I can remember more recent trips but not early ones. I also remember us taking the boys and often their friends to cinema : Star Trek, Star Wars, Flash Gorden (that was fun) A film where we all stood up and cheered!
.
and took the children to many more!
I also remember hubby and I and friends going to see Brave Heart…we stood and cheered at his speech before the battle and I don’t think there was a Scottish person in the cinema!
As I say there have been many many more and concerts too 💜💜
Today its Thursday and it’s Maggie’s turn to pick the Throwback Thursday Challenge. The subject is Technology Influences. Maggie’s post should be interesting because she has had a long and varied career in I.T.
What kind of technology existed around your house as a child? We had huge wireless full of valves which too years to warm up! Dad had a telephone, it was part paid for by the NUVB National Union Of Vehicle Builders, because he was a union rep and shopsteward for the organisation and worked tirelessly for them every evening and occasionally weekends after a long day’s work at his day job. He was an upolster and made the seats for the London Tubes and Buses… He was a body maker for London Transport.
What technology do you remember coming into your home for the first time? The Telephone of course, The electric iron poor mum had to cope with a heavy iron irons that you heated up on the stove! When I was about twelve/thirteen years old our first TV arrived! We rented ours from The Rediffusion retail chain, renting and servicing TVs, radios, VCRs and hi-fi systems, was common on high streets until it was bought by Granada Rentals in 1984. The VCRs and stereo system were beyond our means! What kind of televisions or radios did you have – post pictures if you can find them. We had a rental T.V. black and white and not very big. As I said the radio / wireless was huge and like the T.V it had valves too. Eventually my brothers and sisters got transistor radios, they seemed tiny and we had a red and grey Dansette record player and there was a reel to reel tape recorder.
How did music technology change in your lifetime? Well we went from scratchy 78s to 45s and 33¹/³ vinyl to tapes, cassettes, CDs to streaming on line and funnily enough back to vinyl! When was the last time you purchased music? In what form was the music? Streamed from iPlayer Imogen Heap, and a CD also Imogen heap! Did you have a home computer? If so, what was it? Not when I was young …my hubby had one from work a Toshiba I believe. Our eldest first purchase in his early teens was an Amiga. The boys progressed to towers and laptops, tablets and phones!
Did you have a webcam? Did you stream content with it? Yes I do but no not really. What kind of phone did you have? Do you have a landline today? I have a Moto 600 5G.Yes we do have a land line . Did you have toys with integrated technology, robots, automation, etc? No but the boys did.A dog robot.
What technology ‘blew your mind’? Nothing really I just accepted it all!
When did you get your first cell phone? I held out against a cell / mobile phone for ages , I guess it was late 90s and was either a motoroller or Samsung.Compared to my present phone it was a brick and was just a phone.
What brand and model was it? Did you carry a pager? As above but no I never had a pager but hubby and the boys have all had them for work . I remember in 1988 hubby came home from work and he had a brief case which when opened up had a large phone in it almost like a walky talky lol we were impressed a mobile phone!
Is there any current technology you refuse to own or have in your home? No I don’t think so …not keen on internal security cameras but they do help us look after Ruby 💜💜
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