Thursday, 20 June 2013

Another mystery solved

Do you remember the hobbit structure Peter and I came across on one of our walks around the village?


Yesterday I mentioned it to Hilary and she said they also came across a similar structure when walking around their village. They decided it was some kind of bunker from WW II.

They have a group taking French lessons with a local woman and Hilary asked her what it was.

Peter was right all along: It's a water pump. We live near mountains and there are springs all over the place. These pumps take water from the springs and distribute it to the villages.

I suppose it's easy to assume the thing is a bunker, considering that this area had a very strong resistance movement in the last world war...

Wednesday, 19 June 2013

Turning sixty...

Thank you for your good wishes on the last thread. I found some one liners about turning sixty to help me celebrate with a bit of a laugh.

Fortune tellers read your face instead of your palm.

People call you “spry” and you’re not offended.

You know your way around but you don’t want to go anywhere.

The candles on your cake set off the sprinkler system.

Your favorite classic rock is now elevator music.

You wonder why the TV remote isn’t working, then realize it’s a cordless phone.

Your childhood toys sell for a fortune on eBay.

Not wearing a bra tugs the wrinkles right out of your face.

You can never totally, completely trust a fart.




Tuesday, 18 June 2013

A big thank you

CC's niece Laura is back from Africa and has this to say:

To everyone who has wished me luck and kept me in their prayers, thank you so much! I can't tell you how incredible my trip was and how blessed I am to have been there. Fortunately, I was very well taken care of and felt extremely welcomed by the people and more importantly, the children. It's heartwarming to know that I have so many people thinking about me and praying that all went well. I will continue to pursue helping this orphanage by means of raising money. I've created a page with a paypal account to make funding easier and more accessible, please share it! Any bit of awareness helps and all donations are appreciated and go a long way!

Please visit the page.


Once again, thank you so much for everything and keeping me in your thoughts! I can't express how blessed I feel. :) Thank you, thank you, thank you!

The goal is very modest, but the amount would go a long way in Kenya...

Thank you for doing this, Laura.

Monday, 17 June 2013

Mise à jour - Le jardin

It's a garden update, really.

It stopped raining long enough for the potatoes and tomatoes to recover. The poor things were drowning!

Amy will be comforted by the fact that French slugs are just as greedy and despicable as their American counterparts. I'm a bit of a sadist when it comes to these slimy creatures and love to sprinkle salt on them.

Fortunately, only one of our potato bags was the target of a very vicious attack by the slugs from hell. I made a barrier of coarse salt around all the bags, just in case.

The slugs almost destroyed the potatoes in the blue bag

Remember the wild strawberries growing on moss? I thought that if I planted them in containers with soil, we would be feasting on delicious strawberries by now. Ha ha ha, not so. The other day I was googling weeds and found out that my lovely wild strawberries are in fact weeds. We've been nurturing weeds for a year now. Duh!


The pots on the steps are doing well. Not everything has started flowering yet, but I think it looks ok.


Please note the weeds at the bottom of the steps. Since I took the photo and noticed their presence, they have been duly dispatched. .

The forecast this week promises quite a bit of rain. As long as it doesn't go on and on and on for weeks on end, I'm ok with it. It saves some watering...

We plan to have some barbecues on our little patio this summer. What could be nicer than some meat with homegrown new potatoes and extra fresh tomatoes?

Sunday, 16 June 2013

Men...

Amy sent us this hilarious video, with this comment: "If a man is talking out loud in a forest with no one to hear him, is he still wrong?"



Thank you, Amy.

Saturday, 15 June 2013

Toeing the line

Tumbleweed mentioned "toeing the line" in the last thread and Peter told me a story about how the expression came into use. I googled it and found out that his version is not based on true events.

I found this:


One explanation that is often repeated is that the phrase derives from the British House of Commons. Arguments in the House are often heated. To deter members of opposing parties from attacking each other, two parallel red lines are marked, two sword-lengths apart, on the floor of the house. MPs are expected to stay behind these lines when a speech is in progress. Members, of course, no longer carry swords, but the tradition remains. Visitors to the House of Commons are very likely to hear this tale related by a tour guide. Counting against this supposed derivation is the fact that the current Commons Chamber dates from only 1950, when the building was rebuilt following WWII bomb damage. Paintings of earlier Commons chambers, from the times when members might actually have worn swords, show no such lines.

And this:

It is commonly and erroneously thought that its origins lie in the British House of Commons where sword-strapped members were instructed to stand behind lines that were two sword-lengths apart from their political rivals in order to restore decorum. However, there is no record of a time when Members of Parliament were allowed to bring swords into the Chamber. Historically, only the Serjeant at Arms carries a sword as a symbol of his role in Parliament. There are loops of pink ribbon in the Members' cloakroom for MPs to hang up their swords before entering the Chamber to this very day as a result of this rule. In fact, there were not any lines in the Chamber in the days that gentlemen carried swords.




It seems the correct version is this one:

The most likely origin of the term goes back to the wooden decked ships of the Royal Navy during the late 17th or early 18th century. Barefooted seamen had to stand at attention for inspection and had to line up on deck along the seams of the wooden planks, hence to "toe the line". The first mention of this use in literature stems from a story about navy life widely published in 1831 and written by Captain Basil Hall RN. Hall served in the Royal Navy from 1802.


The first site confirms this version:

Other early examples of 'toe the ...' have a nautical connection. In the 19th century, sailors were expected to prepare themselves for group punishment by standing in formation on deck and 'toeing the line' between boards - also called 'toeing the crack'. This usage is the earliest that I've found for 'toe the line' in print - from The Edinburgh Literary Journal, January - June 1831:

"The matter, therefore, necessarily became rather serious; and the whole gang of us being sent for on the quarter-deck, we were ranged in a line, each with his toes at the edge of a plank, according to the orthodox fashion of these gregarious scoldings, technically called toe-the-line matches."

Oh well, Peter's story may not be correct, but researching it led to learning about the pink ribbons, which I find very interesting indeed.

Under the best vaulted ceilings neo-Gothic architecture has to offer, the old is in constant friction with the new. MPs are provided with Dell laptops and BlackBerry Curves, but in the House of Commons cloakroom, they are also allocated their own coat hangers, each of which has a pink ribbon — for hanging up their swords.



How quaint...

On the other hand, they have party whips:

A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy.

That's one way to ensure the MPs toe the line!


Friday, 14 June 2013

Cats...

We like cats here at What Time. We even have our very own cat lady (in denial, but you can guess who she is, can't you?). Sleuth sent us this funny video... about cats, of course! Thanks, Sleuth.



I also have a couple of recent photos of "les chats."

Pirate

Pirouette


Thursday, 13 June 2013

No stress

View_From_Here sent us these wise words:

If you can start the day without caffeine,

If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,

If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,

If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,

If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,

If you can conquer tension without medical help,

If you can relax without alcohol, 

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,


Then You Are Probably
The Family Dog!

Handle every Stressful situation like a dog.
If you can't eat it or play with it,
Pee on it and walk way.

Thank you, View.

Wednesday, 12 June 2013

Musical Painting

This is a lovely video. Make sure you have the sound on...

Tuesday, 11 June 2013

Hey TW, don't call the cops!

I couldn't resist posting this old favourite after TW's comment about some loud neighbours: "If you put on some Van Morrison.....I won't call the cops. Maybe."



The next one makes me go all oooh...

Monday, 10 June 2013

One of the joys of summer

This is just a quick post because we have to go to the supermarket, which is not such a joy...


Sunday, 9 June 2013

Wonderful world

Amy sent us this spectacular video. I'm a great fan of David Attenborough and never miss any of his fantastic programs.



Thank you, Amy.

Saturday, 8 June 2013

He's not cheap...

GrannyJ sent us this story about Lee Trevino:


One day, shortly after joining the PGA tour in 1965, Lee Trevino, a professional golfer and married man, was at his home in Dallas, Texas, mowing his front lawn, as he always did. A lady driving by in a big, shiny Cadillac stopped in front of his house, lowered the window and asked,

"Excuse me, do you speak English?"

Lee responded, "Yes Ma'am, I do."

The lady then asked, "What do you charge to do yard work?"

Lee said, "Well, the lady in this house lets me sleep with her."

The lady hurriedly put the car into gear and sped off.

Thank you, GrannyJ.

Thursday, 6 June 2013

Living walls

I was googling something and came across these pictures. These walls are pretty and very low maintenance...






Wednesday, 5 June 2013

The handsome stranger

This story is by a Brazilian writer, Fernando Sabino, an old favourite of mine. It's a loose translation, but you'll get the story... It takes place in Rio de Janeiro, many, many years ago. I hope you'll enjoy it.

A teacher was waiting in line at the bank, looking forward to cashing the check for her monthly wages. A tall, well dressed, handsome man was waiting in another line. He smiled at her. She blushed and looked away, but her eyes had been warm and welcoming when he smiled. She decided that he was also a teacher drawing his money for the month.

The line moved, it was her turn, and she was distracted counting her money, carefully wrapping it in a paper tissue and putting the neat package in her handbag. She looked around for the handsome man. He had vanished.

She sighed, left the bank and hailed a taxi. When she reached for the handle, an arm appeared and opened the door for her: "Allow me. I was about to get into this taxi, but you were lucky and got here first..."


It was her "teacher."

"May I ask your destination?"

"I'm going home," she answered.

"Where would that be?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Well, perhaps we're headed the same way and could share the taxi," he said with a smile.

"I live in Rio Comprido."

"Now, that's a coincidence! I live very near Rio Comprido. May I accompany you?"

She was aprehensive, didn't want to appear to be an easy girl, but what could she do? If she refused, she might never see him again. He was so nice and polite, so handsome... and that smile! She just shrugged, feigning indifference, and entered the taxi. He entered after her.

The young woman gave directions to the driver, then discretely looked at her companion. He was sitting very still, his gaze fixed ahead, but he still had that smile. She thought it was strange, almost sinister.

His hand moved and she thought he was reaching for her hand. When she looked down, she saw the gun pointing at her.

"Open your handbag very slowly," he whispered. "Place the little package with the money by my side. Any reaction from you and I'll shoot."

Shaking from head to toe, keeping her eyes on the gun, she fumbled into her handbag, felt the package and placed it on the seat next to his thigh. He casually picked it up, put it in his pocket, put the gun away and told the driver, "I'm getting off here." As the taxi slowed down and came to a halt, he continued, "I'll give you a call later, darling," while he kissed her on the cheek. As he left the car, he added, to the motorist: "Get her home safely, please."

She was completely confused. She even thought he might actually ring her...

The taxi resumed the journey. After a few moments, she came to her senses and started shouting, "Stop the car! I've been mugged!" The driver stopped, turned around and asked how was it possible, why would her boyfriend mug her?

She explained everything in a very confused manner, but he understood it in the end.

"Shall we go to the police station to report it?"

"How can I report it? All I could tell them is that I was stupid enough to give a lift to a well dressed, smiling stranger! They won't be able to do anything. You'd better take me home."

She had to borrow money from her sister to pay the taxi fare. When she told her what had happened, the sister shook her head and said, "What were you thinking? How could you allow a complete stranger to ride with you?"

"Ok, ok, I was stupid. But how am I going to survive the month? How am I going to pay all the bills, get to work, eat???"

The sister was very practical: "You could get a loan. I know somebody at the bank and he can cut a few corners so you can get the money quickly."

They went to the bank by bus. The guy from the bank was very helpful and sympathetic when he heard her story. In no time at all the forms were filled in. "All I need now is a photo ID with your signature and we're done," he said.

She rummaged through her handbag looking for her ID card, but found something else: Her neat tissue wrapped package containing her money!

"I don't need a loan. I found my money!" She was crying with joy, but laughing uncontrolably at the same time.

Her sister and the bank employee were visibly puzzled.



"I gave the mugger a sanitary pad!"

Monday, 3 June 2013

Very handsome birds

View_From_Here sent us photos of some spectacular birds. Thanks, View.

Sup - Polish Chicken

Bleeding Heart Pigeons

Flamecrest

Formosan Magpie

Golden Pheasant

Green Jay

Himalayan Monal

Lady Amherst's Pheasant

Nicobar Pigeon

Quetzal

Peacock

Sunday, 2 June 2013

Orchids

These orchids look quite unusual. Maybe it's my eyesight, but I think they look like bunches of daffodils...


Saturday, 1 June 2013

Posh bird

Doesn't this bird look aristocratic with his dashing moustache? I tried to find out its name, but google is playing up and won't load the page...