HI EVERYBODY...IT'S SANTA HERE.........Ruth won't be near a computer until the New Year so she's asked me to drop by to wish you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS.

ABC WEDNESDAY - U

abc wednesday

I'm really stuck on the letter 'U'. I don't have a UKELELE (ukulele), an ULTRAVOX album or a copy of ULYSSES . I've been wandering around the house hoping a 'U' will jump out on me....hang on......what do I see on these shelves.............................

U IS FOR UNICORN

If you'd like to learn more about Unicorns just click on my photo above.

Just a brief update on what's happening here in Suffolk for those of you who so kindly drop by to see if I've posted. I'm staying at Leanne's (Crowsfeet Anonymous) tonight as one of our Grandaughters is singing in the choir at Colchester castle....really looking forward to it but must make sure I have tissues at hand...hearing youngsters singing always brings a tear to my eye. It also means I've managed to post this as I'm using her computer! I've been working hard on my History and Literature Assignments in the Childhood Module....all handed in now. My Sociology survey I have to write up over the Christmas Holidays. We will be moving on to the Gender module next......I guess they'll be a few feminist issues raised over the next few weeks as we've only one man on the course!

I'm totally unprepared for Christmas which is unusual for me......I do have a few of my Cristmassy knick knacks scattered about though. It's going to be a difficult Christmas this year but I'm going to Manda & Co for Christmas dinner...it will be so strange not cooking it myself!!!!!

It will be some time before I'm back on the computer properly......but I'll try to get the rest of my ABC's posted each week. It'll take me a year I reckon to catch up with you all!!!!....till then

STAY WELL AND KEEP SMILING!!

ABC WEDNESDAY - T

Posting from a friend's computer so hope this works.....

T IS FOR TINY

and here are some of the TINY plants in Wisley's Alpine House

TIS ALSO FOR TOADSTOOL

these were for sale at Wisley...aren't they fabulous!!!!

abc wednesday

T IS ALSO FOR THURSDAY

so while I'm on a computer here's my Thursday Thought for Tomorrow (tomorrow starts with T too!)

Four times a year we get a small free magazine called the CORNARD NEWS. The Winter edition arrived last week and when I saw one of the articles I thought what a perfect Thursday Thought it would be...............

A.A.A.D.D. - AGE ACTIVATED ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER

This is how it manifests itself;

I decide to water my garden. As I turn on the hose I look over at my car and decide it needs washing.

As I start towards the garage I notice mail on the table that I'd collected from the letter box earlier. I decided to go through the mail before I wash the car.

I lay my car keys on the table, open the bills and put the junk mail in the recycling bin and notice that it is full. So I put all the bills back on the table and take out the rubbish first.

But then I think, since I'm going to be near the post box when I take the rubbish out I may as well write out the cheques for the bills and get them posted.

I take my cheque book off the table and notice there's only one cheque left. My new cheque book is in the desk drawer so I go over to my desl and find the can of Coke I'd been drinking earlier. I'm going to write out my cheques but first I need to move the can so I don't accidently knock it over. The Coke is getting warm so I decide to put it in the fridge.

As I head towards the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of flowers on the worktop catches my eye --they need water. I put the coke on the worktop and find my reading glasses that I'd been searching for the day before. I set the glasses back down and fill a container with water. I suddenly spot the TV remote control has been left on the kitchen table.

I realise that when we watch TV tonight I'll be looking for the remote control but won't be able to remember that it's on the kitchen table. So I decide to put it back by the TV where it belongs; but first I'll water the flowers. I pour some water in the vase but some spills on the floor...so I put the remote control back on the table while I wipe up the spill.

Then I head back down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day:

• 
  
  the garden's not watered
  


• 
  
  the car isn't washed


• 
  
  the bill's aren't paid


• 
  
  here's a warm can of coke sitting on the worktop

• 
  
  the flowers don't have enough water


• 
  
  the bill's haven't been paid


• 
  
  the recycling bin is still full


• 
  
  I can't find my glasse


• 
  
  I can't find the remote contro


• 
  
  and I can't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day, and I'm really tired.

Don't laugh...if this isn't you yet, your day is coming.

GROWING OLD IS MANDATORY

GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL

LAUGHING AT YOURSELF IS THERAPEUTIC

Sorry I'm so out of touch with you all at the moment...normal service will be resumed A.S.A.P.

so one last 'T'......Tatty Bye for now!

ABC WEDNESDAY - S

S IS FOR SUTTON HOO

Sutton Hoo is an estate in Suffolk that is the site of an early burial site. One of the most important archaeological finds was the remains of the ship burial of the Anglo-Saxon King Rædwald, who died in AD 624/5 along with one of the greatest treasure-hoards ever discovered which included the gold and regalia of a warrior-king and silver feasting equipment. A couple of months ago I was lucky enough to join some of the local school children when they visited the site as part of their Anglo-Saxon History lessons; I promised to post some photos on my 'S' post.

Sadly on the day of the trip the weather was pretty bleak.......................and there were many heavy downpours as we made our way to the burial ground. We passed Sutton Hoo House where Mrs Edith May Pretty J.P. who owned the estate used to live.She and her family had often wondered what the strange mounds were in the grounds.On the way we passed the grave of a warrior's horse.................it was quite common in those days for a dead warrior and his horse to be buried side by side.In 1937 Mrs Pretty sought advice from Ipswich Museum's curator, who in 1938 released Basil Brown to work for her. He opened three mounds in the first season. He found plundered cremation burials with goods in two of them. In the larger mound he found iron ship-rivets and a disturbed chamber burial with fragments of metal and glass artifacts. In 1965–1971 re-excavation took place to resolve certain problems posed by the first discovery. The ship impression was again exposed (this is a photo of a photo in the museum) A plaster cast taken, from which a fibre-glass shape was produced. The mound was afterwards restored to its pre-1939 appearance.

After a long wet walk .................we finally reached the mound in which the remains of the buried ship was found.........
Archaeologists have reconstructed how the burial at Sutton Hoo must have taken place. A long trench was dug atop a 100 ft. high cliff above the River Deben. The ship was dragged up from the river and set in the trench. In this photo you can see the river and part of the hill that the ship was dragged up.A hut was built in the centre of the ship, and there was placed a large coffin and the grave goods. The trench was then filled in and a large mound erected over the top.

On the way back and absolutely soaked...(the rain was torrential when we stood on top of the mound...no chance of taking photographs!)...we were shown the remains in one of the smaller burial areas. The actual bones had long gone but the impression they had left had been filled with plaster.

After a hasty lunch we went into the museum and saw a recreation of an Anglo-Saxon hut.

I loved the cooking utensils....just think how much jam I could make in a pan as big as this!We also saw this replica of the Sutton Hoo helm or 'battle mask'. The original (which had to be reconstructed from fragments) can be seen in the British Museum. Unfortunately with 29 children jostling to see my photos of the gold coins and the sword belt buckle came out rather blurred....My photo of the Anglo-Saxon alphabet is clearer........I guess the children weren't quite as interested in seeing this!!!!It was a really long day; the journey itself was over an hour each way and when you consider how wet and tired the children were...they were really well behaved. I think they and we adults were glad to go home rather than back to the classroom.

abc wednesday

S is also for

"Sayonara"

...not sure if that's the way to spell it but I think it means Farewell. Unfortunately I'll no longer be on the Computer for an indefinite period...apologies for all the posts I've not read yet, all the emails that will go unanswered and the Blogspals Birthdays etc I'm going to miss.....including ICARUS whose birthday is on Friday (there is a card in the post Icarus...hope it gets to you at some point). I do have some ABC posts still in draft which I'll try and post through a friends pc........admittedly they could turn up any day of the week...but I'd like to get to 'Z'.

SKY WATCH FRIDAY

SKY WATCH BLOGROLL

We've had no snow yet here in Suffolk though I know some parts of Britain have. I'd love to take a photo of a snow laden sky on Christmas Day................

speaking of Christmas...AKELAMALU has a Christmas Carol Quiz on her blog.........if you fancy giving it a go click on her name.......if you get any right she is giving away this cool scroll for your blog.

For my blogpals who wondered what I meant by 'soldiers' yesterday..

Have a great weekend!

THURSDAY THOUGHTS

"Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself."
~Chinese Proverb~

I'm doing a lot of thinking at the moment.........

In 'student mode' I'm thinking about the next Literature Assignment I have to do.."Compare and contrast the presentation of childhood in works by William Blake (Songs of Innocence and Experience) and George Eliot (Silas Marner)".

In 'teacher mode' I'm thinking..." I wonder how the Maths Afterschool Club will go this afternoon?"

In 'gardener mode' I'm thinking I really need to get into the garden and finish clearing away the frost-bitten plants.....
I'm also thinking...."how on earth have these roses still managed to bloom?


despite the cold temperatures...........................

at the same time as the Winter Jasmine's started flowering"...............In 'hungry mode' I'm thinking ...."I need to cut some soldiers to dip in my boiled egg!"

But most of all I'm thinking......................

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL MY AMERICAN BLOGPALS

ABC WEDNESDAY - R

R is for REMEMBRANCE

Many of my regular visitors will remember my posts about the building of a garden in remembrance of one of the teacher's at our local primary school. Last week the garden was officially opened. I was so pleased to see blue skies as the crowds gathered.....and it was fitting that many ex pupils like one of my grandaughters, who owe much of their primary education to Mrs. Wimms, attended.....The local Mayor and members of Mrs. Wimm's family also came......Father Jamie dedicated the garden and the whole ceremony was very moving.....The garden is a Friendship Garden.......
Chidren who are feeling lonely can sit on this bench and other children will realise that they need someone to play with.........
I wish you could hear the children singing this........it was beautiful....
Inside the school were many photos of us all in the process of building and planting the garden...And then we all had a cuppa and cake!!!

ABC WEDNESDAY BLOGROLL

abc wednesday
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