Beach

Imagine my delight when I went for a walk at Overcombe beach yesterday morning and saw PINK seaweed!

It was such a beautiful morning and there were quite a few people swimming

with the backdrop of huge cruise ships sitting in the bay. There have been up to 10 at a time out there as they sit out the pandemic in the shelter of Weymouth Bay

They are quite a sight – some are enormous!

But I was far more interested in the seaweed and just looking at the pebbles 

and other finds

meet Rocky (found on different day)

and this is when Rocky met Bob, who lives at my daughter’s house

and this is me (on the left) and my sister on Newgale beach in Pembrokeshire, circa1962.

Who had one of those bathing suits? And why on earth did we have to wear those horrid hats in the sea!

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Little Altars at Home

Anyone who has been reading this blog for a while will know how much I loathe housework, but these are strange times! Today found me actually wanting to give the bathroom a thorough going over!

As I was putting things back on the windowsill, I realised that every item has a special memory or significance to me.

Left to right:

There is an Umbrella plant, that I grew from a root cutting given to me by a dear friend who I see only rarely nowadays. She is currently staying somewhere in deepest India, unable to return home due to the transport system in that country being under lockdown. The glass bowl it sits in, has been with me since I got married in 1972, nothing special, not beautiful, but it has become an old familiar friend.

In a little pot next to it are some honeysuckle cuttings, waiting to see if they grow roots, so that I can give some little plants to my daughter as requested.

The fish shaped little dish holds a bumble bee that sadly died in my bathroom, I know Little Miss M (7) would love to see it, so I am keeping it for when she is able to come into my house again.

The clay dolphin was made by Miss E when she was about 8. I took her to some wonderful sculpture and stone-carving worshops when she was being homeschooled.

I bought the brass incense burner with the Ohm symbol when I was travelling in 1994 and visiting Buddhist communities all round the world – such powerful memories. It reminds me of chanting in the echoing valleys of the Himalaya Mountains.

The scallop shell was given to me by my neighbour, who is a diver, and brings me yummy scallops in the summer. The shells it holds all come from the beaches of my beloved Pembrokeshire, collected on my month in a treehouse by the sea.

Sea glass, collected on my local beaches, in times gone by.

A collection of tiny white pebbles – there is something so beautiful about them.

The twisted piece of wire with beads: this was a spiral Christmas decoration I had been making with my grandchildren

One of them sat in the bathroom, and after the twins came to stay – I found this one had been just too tempting to resist – I rather like the resulting tiny wire sculpture.

The jam jar has more honeysuckle cuttings,

and the shell on the right was given to me by my Mum when I was a teenager.

A whole lot of family, friends and memories on that tiny windowsill.

Do you have similar little collections about the house?

Silly Saturday with Birdy

Birdy had such a handsome face

In flight he was elegance and grace

As he rested on the beach

He heard a loud screech

Sid Seagull flicked sand in his face.

 

Sid was loud and uncouth

And strutted with the arrogance of youth

Swinging his hips

And gorging on chips

He teased Birdy for being long in the tooth!

 

Birdy challenged Sid to a race

The seagull laughed in his face

With my youth and my size

I’ll easily take first prize

But his boasting was sadly misplaced!

 

As Birdy flew high in the sky

Sid regretted pecking that meat pie

With all the chips and the bread

He felt as heavy as lead

He couldn’t leave the ground if he tried!

 

Birdy was not one to boast

He won doing what he loved most

Flying along with the breeze

Above the crystal blue seas

He loved his life on the coast.

 

Poem by Judy E. Martin

 

Birdy McBirdface hopped in for a brief bit of silliness ……..

Judy’s poem resonates with me as we have a real problem with gulls swooping down to scoff any food you might have about your person and pestering you if you sit on the harbour wall with a juicy handful of fish and chips.

Happy Saturday!

 

In a Bowl on Monday

As seen in a hotel.

I love the simplicity of this for a winter arrangement.

Pop over to Cathy’s to see what she has in her Vase this week.

 

Silly Saturday with Shelma

Shelma was going out on a date

So excited she just couldn’t wait

She was looking her best

In her January Sales dress

The evening was going to be great

~

Sandy lit Shelma’s fuse

She loved his winkle picker shoes

It brightened her mood

To be with such a cool dude

He banished her January blues!

~

They wanted to paint the town red

But painted the beach blue instead

A moonlit walk along the sand

Strolling together hand in hand

Anticipating what lay ahead.

~

poem by Judy E. Martin

shell art by Sandra Dorey

 

 

What lies ahead for this couple I wonder, any ideas?

Will it be calm seas or stormy waters?

Judy and I have enjoyed teaming up again this week. I do love her take on things, pop across to Judy’s Blog to read more of her delightfully beguiling work.

Did you know you CAN still buy Winkle-Picker shoes? I’ll be looking out for them now.

I recently found the pebbles that my grandchildren children had drawn on last Summer, lurking in the bottom of a bag. They had obviously been lying in wait, ready for an appearance in a ‘Silly Saturday’ or two.

 

Silly Saturday: Shell Show

Walking to the seaside one day

Grandpa and Granny met friends on the way

They had quite a fright

Realising something wasn’t right

At a loss to know what to say.

 

There was an Ugly Shell Show

And the friends had decided to go

They transformed their features

Into hideous creatures

That, Grandpa and Granny didn’t know.

 

Granny had got such a scare

What had happened to poor Wilbur’s hair?

And Micky’s disguise

With massive bug eyes

And those lips…Wow, what a huge pair!

 

Even their little Sonny joined in

With the sockets of his eyes coloured in

Jill’s face was so flat

Like she’d been hit by a bat

Now who you YOU think will win?

 

poem by Judy E. Martin

picture Sandra Dorey

~

Another fun collaboration this Saturday with Judy. I send her a photo of some shell characters – and I just love what happens next – Judy gives the characters life and let’s me know what on earth they are up to and that in turn sparks another idea in my mind and sends me back to the boxes of shells, pebbles and pieces of coral.

I expect you know by now how much I love to join forces with other creative minds. If any of the characters that appear on our Silly Saturdays spark an idea for a story or a poem, please get in touch. Judy and I are tentatively thinking of putting a little book together and we would both love it if it could be a group effort from our wonderful blogging community. All very much in the early stages and we welcome thoughts and ideas. I’m wondering about an ebook with sales going to charity … but all those details are up for discussion. Here’s a reminder of the characters so far.

 

Let’s go shopping

“Those who can not hear the music think the dancer is mad”

Let’s Go!

yodel.ayy.eeee

Hi, I’m Maggie!

I do hope you are having a very Silly Saturday.

We are being battered by yet another storm here – it’s been given the name Brian – I’m not sure I like this naming of storms.

A good excuse, if one were needed, to get on with my crochet, whilst dreaming up another bit of fun to have with the Shelleys and the Stones.

 

Silly Saturday: Meet Pete

Hi Everybody, I’m Pebble Pete

The cheeriest chap you could hope to meet

The beach is where I spend my days

With my crew I like to play

We often meet up on the shore

For fun and games, never getting bored

Riding on the waves in the clear blue sea

You’ll find the Stone and the Shell family

I will introduce you to everyone

So you can join in with our fun

Whether in the sea or on the sand

I want to welcome you to Seaside Land!

 

poem by Judy E. Martin

photo by Sandra Dorey

 

Welcome to another Silly Saturday!

I just LOVE working/playing/creating with Judy. I sent her the photo of a pebble and she not only created a fabulous fun poem but gave him the perfect name. I’m always excited to see what Judy does with the images I send her.

Judy and I have been thinking about creating a little ebook of our characters and we thought Pete was just the right character to introduce the Stones and the Shelleys and possibly take up the role of narrator, we’ll have to see where he takes us.

AND

Hot off the press

The first batch of cards have been printed!

They are blank inside and all come individually packed with an envelope.

What is it about seeing ones work in print – it’s thrilling!!!

The guy who prints the cards hadn’t read the poems at first as he gets so many to do, but as he was checking through the proof he read them and just couldn’t stop giggling – he was still laughing as he was telling me how funny he thought it was. Lovely to get such a spontaneous reaction.

The cards will be appearing in my Etsy shop soon.

You, my lovely Daffodil followers, can have them a little cheaper at mates’ rates if you send me a message via the Contact Me Page.

I do hope you are having a wonderfully Silly Saturday – if you are doing anything Silly, I’d love to hear about it!   😀

 

A walk to the sea from Prospect Cottage

Windblown shacks and old decaying boats create a fascinating open air ‘museum’.

The sea, the tide out for miles and people digging in the sand flats, maybe for cockles?

Looking back at the road, with Prospect Cottage on the horizon, just right of the van

Returning along an abandoned track

Dungeness on Tuesday

I’ve wanted to see Derek Jarman’s Garden for at least 15 years and on Tuesday, after a long drive across the bleak, flat marshes we found it more easily than I thought we might.

Although it is not as he made it (he died in 1994), it still has an aura, an atmosphere about it and the current owners have kept much of the basic structure of the garden.

It is not so isolated as I had imagined, and quite a walk from the sea……