What spring means to me…
Playing with my dog in the field…
Beautiful views of skies from my house….
And bluebells in the woods….
Weekly Photo Challenge – Spring
28
Category Archives: Daily Prompt
Feb Photo Challenge 27 – Lets Dance
Daily Prompt: Let’s Dance
After reading today’s daily prompt, I just had to join in today. The question they ask is,
What are your earliest and fondest memories of dance?
As a few of you know, but if you don’t dance has been the main factor in my life. It consumed my childhood and I’m still dancing now. So for the last 42 years I have been dancing.
The question above I think is in two parts, first the earliest memory, which for me was at the age of two and a half. That was my first stage appearance. I was performing in a pantomime, Jack and The Beanstalk, and I was the mini jack who popped out of a pie that jack had been put in and he had shrunk, so my part was to hide in the pie side stage, then the giant pie got wheeled onto stage and out I popped. I did a twirl and a curtesy and then ran off stage being chased by widow Twankie. I remember this in so much detail. So that is my earliest dance and stage performance.
Now fondest will be harder to answer, baring in mind I was going to ballet from the age of two, dancing classes every night whilst at primary age, then off to ballet school at the age of eleven, then off to performing arts college at sixteen, then becoming a performer, then a dance teacher and still a dance teacher till this day. So as you can imagine in the last forty years I have done hundreds of performances, exams and classes, in all sorts of different places, in fields, in theatres, in residential homes, in studios, in village halls, in schools, on floats to name but a few. So to choose the fondest is very difficult.
But then if you look at the question, it says the fondest memory ‘of’ dance, so my fondest memory, that sticks with me, is when I was a child, I don’t know what age, I was taken to see the ballet Swan Lake at the big top. I remember the emotion I felt as I was watching the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I was mesmerized, glued to the ballerinas, watching their feet, their extended legs, the mens high jumps and the music just swept me away. Still now when I watch it I could cry all the way through because it is so beautiful, in fact there is a lump in my throat now just typing this. It’s amazing how something can touch you like that, and for someone else they feel nothing.
Feb Photo Challenge 19
I thought I would link my daily post today with the daily post because it got my mind a ticking!
The question posed is…
Which vice or bad habit can you simply not abide in others?
Well there are many things really, bad manners, rude, grumpy people to name but a few, but there is a vice that really makes my skin curl and sick really, what I’m about to say will probably offend some people, I apologise for that, but we are all initialed to our own opinions, aren’t we.
One word for you ‘gluttony’, I’m not talking about enjoying the odd big meal, I like my food just as much as anyone, but I mean people that eat way too much all the time, pig themselves out, abuse their bodies by feeding it, and feeding it, which in turn transforms them into a very large human body, thus making them ill. Why?
I know there are many deep deep psychological problems why people over eat, I do know, I was brought up by someone that was one of those people. Which is probably why I am discussed by it. A person that when they fell over it took four grown men to get them off the floor, a person that ate an apple but coated it in sugar, a person that would rather feed themselves than their family, a person that would fry everything to a point that there was a coating of grease on everything you touched.
So I suppose there maybe some issues of my own!
Feb Photo Challenge 10 – Rainbow
Amongst the grey clouds as I was leaving school tonight a double rainbow was across the sky. But of cause by the time I get my camera and fire it up the double part has faded and my picture doesn’t do it justice! But here it is anyway!
It would be so cool if I had the patience to do proper photography, but I’m a bit of an instant girl, if it doesn’t look great first time I’m done. I look at some of the bloggers pictures I follow, and don’t, their pictures are just stunning. Mine, just a grey blob!
Nevermind, can’t be good at everything! X
Feb Photo Challenge 9 – Winters Day
Firstly, I’m a bit chuffed with myself that I’m on day nine of my challenge and I haven’t missed a day yet! Which is quite good for me because usually life takes over.
I’m feeling exhausted today, got a real Sunday feeling. Still have to do usual Sunday jobs.
What’s your usual Sunday jobs?
Mine, bins, washing, hoovering, washing and more washing! Lots of muddy towels and clothes at the moment! …. Oh and yes, walking the pooch!
I thought this picture sums up the day really, a typical winters day. This is another beautiful picture my OH took.
Note to OH when you read this…..start taking some pictures again, get your camera out of the cupboard, cos I’m missing your lovely pictures!
Love ya! X
Feb Photo Challenge 8 – Dotty
Went this evening to visit my granddaughter, and my son of cause, he took this picture of her doing her first ballet pose! Obviously takes after her nana! (Still a bit weird saying that)
Her first tooth has just pushed through and is now standing up around the furniture, as you can see!
See you tomorrow! X
Feb Photo Challenge 6 – Dragonfly
Just having a look though some pictures, trying to get some inspiration for a post today, I found this picture which I would say is one of my favourite pictures my OH has taken. This fella landed on my finger on a summers day and sat there for a pose! I love the detail of the wings.
See you tomorrow! (I’m managing to keep up with daily post, quite chuffed, shall go off and shine my chuffty badge)
Feb Photo Challenge 3 – Dog Training
As you read yesterday we have now had our hairy friend for a year and for nearly every Monday of that year we have been going to training with him. We started in the puppy class, were he took his bronze kennel club award, then we was moved up to the big boys class, which is where he is practising for his silver award.
Monday night at training is one of the most entertaining evenings of the week, you might be thinking ‘blimey she doesn’t get out much’, but honestly it is so entertaining! The lady in charge is hilarious, and a little scary, but each week something makes me laugh. Some weeks all the dogs are just mental, full moon, other nights they behave. You have dogs and owners all shapes and sizes and she calls my dog ‘the big boy’, the mop and bucket comes out every week
Going to training has totally been the making of me and my dog! I don’t think I could have done it without the support I have had there, it has been something that OH and me have been going to together and something that we have keep at.
The best evening was the Christmas party, you haven’t lived until you have seen dogs playing musical statues, I think musical chairs was the highlight for me, which my boy won! There is a Saturday night ITV show in that I tell you!
Feb Photo Challenge 2 – Happy Birthday Ty
It’s been a year today that Tyler the German Shepard has been living with us! It has gone quickly but it also feels he has always been here. He has fitted very well into our family, I never thought that I would have time for dog in my life but we have managed to make it work without having to leave him for long periods of time, in fact he comes everywhere with me! He loves the car and I brought a car with an extra big boot especially for him, because he is a very big boy, the biggest german Shepard that I have ever seen. That normally the second thing that people say when they meet him, the first being, isn’t he handsome, the second, he is big! We have a good weekly routine between me and my OH to have him and he goes to doggy day care twice a week, training classes once a week and I’m going to start agility at Easter when the weather cheers up!
The things I miss…
Having lie ins, even though I am a morning person, which is just as well, I never like to leave him without going outside longer than 8. I’ve had to start my working day earlier to fit him in for a walk before work! The dark and wet mornings have been a joy! Not!
A clean house, even though I’m not a show house kinda person, you can’t be living on a farm, having a dog brings more mess, more dust, hair on the carpet, muddy paw prints, half chews smelly bones and doggy toys.
Going out for long periods of time and not having to worry that you need to get back for the dog, that is always at the back of your mind when you are a dog owner, how long have you left them.
The things having a dog has brought to my life…
Pure joy, I love having him, in fact my grown up children say I love the dog and treat him better than I do them…. They are probably right!
Exercise, since having him I have lost a stone and a half just because of walking every day. He has about two hours a day!
Comfort, his cuddles are amazing he snuggles right in and sometimes that is really needed!
Security, when he sits proudly by my side I feel safe and reassured, he is very protective of his pack. I walk confidently in dark woods knowing no one is coming near me with him beside me! When walking down the street people give me a wide birth.
Advice I would give if you are thinking of getting a dog…
I wasn’t planning on getting a dog because I didn’t think with working full time it would work but you do make it work if you have a helpful partner and don’t mind spending out on doggy care.
It is expensive having a dog, he eats a lot, treats, toys, training, care, crate, bedding, insurance and the biggest expense vets. So you do need to budget for it.
He chose me I didn’t go out looking for a dog, I saw him out with his breeder one Saturday afternoon and it was love at first sight, he just sat at my feet and looked up at me, then that was it. Really I never thought I would get a German Shepard breed because I was always scared of them after getting bitten by one as a child, but I don’t see that when I look at him.
It is the same commitment having a dog as having another child in the house, they need structure, routines, love, security and consist disipline.
Walking, if you don’t like walking then don’t get a dog. You have to go out everyday come wind, rain, sleet, hail, cold. I have got myself some good warm waterproofs. The mud and rain lately has been getting on my nerves a bit now, roll on the spring and summer! I go out about three times a day, one of those being at least an hour walk. I am lucky I live in the countryside surrounded by fields and woods and I have the moors ten minutes away and beaches.
So now for the pictures…
This is him just before he come to us.
This is in his first week with us.
This is one of my many favourite pictures because this is him how he is at home playing.
In fact, this is my favourite picture of me and my dog!
And this is him this morning a year on!
As you
As you can imagine I could have shown you hundreds of pictures, he has been in woods, on beaches, on the moors, up farms, in a caravan, in a lodge even in a speed boat, so not a bad life, is it? X
Finish Me!
What a great idea today from the ghosts in your dashboard when I looked in my drafts I had three unfinished works. So I have taken your idea of setting a writing challenge and getting one of my readers to finish it for me.
This isn’t one of the daily prompts from WordPress but this is one of my ideas for a writing prompt I wanted to share with you. The trouble is I am not so good at writing about what I haven’t experienced, I am much better at non fiction about my life. So if somebody feels they would like to carry on where I started I will show you where I got to (not far) or if you wanted to use it as one of your writing prompts please do, but link me somehow so I can read it, that would make me very excited, (doesn’t take much does it!)
Go to your bookshelf, choose the 6th book along, open that book up to page 28, and use the first sentence on that page to open your story!
So here’s mine, the book was called ‘Yes’ or ‘no’ by Spencer Johnson
The young man grinned and said, “What are my options?” Hiro laughed
As he shunted the gun harder into their unwelcome guest ribs. The young man looked around the room he had found himself in and weighed up his options…..
Daily Prompt: Unleash Your Inner Dickinson
National Poetry Writing Month is nearly at at end. To celebrate it, try your hand at some verse.
On my seat….
Sit here and think
By myself
Once was busy
Now is bare
Sit here and think
Time for me
Just one minute
Then I’ll be ready
Sit here and think
You can come too
There’s room
On my seat
I wrote this poem a while ago, I’m not any kind of poet or anything but this picture, which I took at ‘Dartington Hall’ in Devon, just must have inspired me to break out into verse!
Thanks for dropping by! X
Daily Prompt: Menagerie …. More like zoo!
Do you have animals in your life? If yes, what do they mean to you? If no, why have you opted not to?
I would imagine that this subject will be a popular one because people’s pets are just as important and sometimes more important than members of their family!
We often refer to our house as a menagerie, because I love animals and have never been in a house without some sort of animal living with me. Probably comes from growing up on a farm. I still live on a farm, unfortunately not mine but I am still surrounded by animals. I feel they bring life to the house without them it would be empty. They teach us and children so many things, love, compassion, patience, about grief, responsibility, calm to name but a few!
So who is living in my house at the moment…. we have Razzle the boss, he is old, fat, grumpy, has a heart condition, he has used all is nine lives when he had a heart attack a few years ago!
Then we have Maccy, our male model. He is defiantly a wimp, but a lovely cat!
And this is what they spend most of their time doing! Well until our newest member appeared!
Our newest baby is Tyler piggy, or just Ty! He is a 5 month old German Shepard who as I type this is in the kitchen howling because we have just told him off for barking at the cats! Having time out! He is a 6th generation pedigree and has more paperwork than the car! We are taking him to puppy training classes and it is just like having a new child in the house!
We also have mice, unfortunately we did have three until last week so now have two!
We also have two fish tanks one tropical and one cold water, and a fish pond! So all in all about 25 fish and a frog! Outside on the farm there is ducks, geese, chickens, pigs and cows! So as you can see I do like to surround myself with the little critters! Poor OH, who grew up with hardly any animals!
In an ideal world I would not be teaching I would have my own small farm, which would open for visitors and let children from inner cities, special needs adults and children, adults with mental health problems all come a visit for free! Anyone could come volunteer to feed the animals, milk the cows, and generally help around. I could call it Queenies Sanctuary. X
Daily Prompt: Buffalo Nickel…. 2000
Dig through your couch cushions, your purse, or the floor of your car and look at the year printed on the first coin you find. What were you doing that year?
Well when I read today’s prompt, my initial thought was ‘crap I can’t even remember what year I’m in now, let alone a random year from the past’ so to be honest I didn’t think that I would be posting today! But just for curiosity I thought I wonder what year it would be? So of cause I wouldn’t have money down the sofa because I’m an OCD in practise, and it is to cold to go out to the car, the purse it was then. And the picture above is the first coin I pulled out and I can’t believe what year it was… The year 2000
So much happened in this year, probably the most significant year I had had up to that point!
This was the year because of my unhappy first marriage and to add some excitement to my life I dragged two young children in their pushchair up to London to see the millennium in on the embankment and then had to sleep on paddington station floor with a three and five year old waiting for the first train back to Devon because I couldn’t afford a room for the night!
This was the year after about eleven years of being with someone, one Monday morning in January I packed a suitcase, took the boys and left my marriage and home.
This was the year I moved into a new house as a single mother for the first time.
This was the year I meet my new OH and started a new adventure with them.
This was the year my youngest had his birthday party at my new house, dressed up as ‘woody’ and was so horrible I said I was never going to have a party for him again.
This was the year I adopted a dog and got a kitten, as if I didn’t have enough to do!
This was the year I had my first of many holidays abroad. Since then I have been all over the world to the most beautiful of places.
So as you can see the year 2000 was the year my life began at the age of 29! X
Daily Prompt: B+
Video
Write about what you did last weekend as though you’re a music critic reviewing a new album.
Tricky one! How do you do that? That is going to make us think, so I am just going to find some music that represents my last weekend! It was quite boring really!
Saturday, taught at theatre school and we are learning a charleston for a performance in a few weeks. The children are enjoying learning all the steps! Our inspiration came from strictly!
Saturday evening I did want to go to the cinema to watch les miserables, but I can’t remember why I didn’t! But I love this song, she sings it very well really for an actress!
Sunday, I stayed at home to potter while OH sorted the boat out!
I’m sure that wasn’t written like a music critic, but to be frank I didn’t quite get what daily post was talking about! It’s a good job we don’t have to put this weekend into music because it might sound like this…. I did look for sound effects but I thought better of it to post it, just use your imagination! X
Daily Prompt: Far From Normal
Many of us think of our lives as boringly normal, while others live the high life. Take a step back, and take a look at your life as an outsider might. Now, tell us at least six unique, exciting, or just plain odd things about yourself.
Six odd things….. Ummm…. Unique…. Exciting…. Lets think….
1. If an outsider was to look into my life they would and have said how confident I am. But that is all an illusion! Inside I am a nervous reck! But that isn’t exciting is it…
2. I am very bendy! Thanks to years of dancing, teaching dance everyday and doing yoga I am extremely supple for someone of my age! …. Of my age? Now that sounds horrid!
3. I am a hippy at heart.
4. Not sure whether I want this to be public, but hey Ho, I used to do Morris dancing! I know, I know…
5. I can bash out a couple of tunes on the piano! I particular like my ‘Les Dawson’ version of ‘The Entertainer’
6. I like to say something wild like …. I can pole dance, but no sorry to disappoint, …. A sixth unique thing, I can make a good cup of tea… Does that count?
That was hard!
Thanks for dropping by! X
hang on, I have just thought of some things odd or weird about me, I have been many different things in performances, like an apple core, lamp post, yes i danced as both,fairy, witches, ballerina, clown, trapeze artist, cowgirl, spoken the whole performance in French even though I can’t say a word of it, and that is just naming a few!
Is that weird enough for you?
Daily Prompt: Musical
Picture credit, Piano dance Painting – Piano dance Fine Art Print – Greg Gierlowski
What role does music play in your life?
Where do I start with this one? Because music has shaped my life and has got me to where I am today!
I grew up in a household of musicians, and surrounded by music. Both parents played instruments from piano to brass. They were the founders of the local brass band. I played my first instrument at the age of two, and spent my time in band room, practice room, in our music room, people coming to the house to play, concerts, my first appearance on stage was at two and a half to perform in front of a live band and audience. All my four brothers were musicians, one going on to play professionally (see him here) I was exposed to all forms of music from classical to rock, ‘Queen’ being my particulate favourite.
Then I went to ballet at the age of three, that was it, music played a big part of my life again, even my mother played the piano to my lessons. So through dancing I learnt to express, appreciate, and dissect music.
Because dancing was everything in my life, I spent my secondary school years at a ballet school, which I have started to write about here At school I sang, played piano, danced and even learnt the double bass but not very well! I performed, and performed and performed, like a little performing monkey.
So with this strong foundation in music and dance, fast forward to now, and that is exactly what I do every day, teaching dance and music throughout my school, and now even teaching teachers to teach music!
So you could say music has been the most important influence to me personally and professionally!
Thanks for dropping by! X
Daily Prompt: Ready, Set Go
Set a timer for ten minutes. Open a new post. Start the timer, and start writing. When the timer goes off, publish.
I can do 10 mins!
I always need a visual prompt, (being a visual learner) so I thought I would chat about the subject that seems to be in everyone’s vocab at the moment, the snow!
This picture is the view yesterday from my classroom. Driving to school it was snowing and I knew it was going to be a mad day. Children are like cats, when the day is windy or snowy the children go bonkers, wild, up the wall. And I was right. I thought to get it out of their system a bit I would take them out first thing and let them skid, run, use me as a snow ball target, etc. And no the health and safety form probably didn’t cover all of that, but hey, kids need to have fun! But that was not the end of the madness, they then spent the rest of the day with attitudes, falling out and general horribleness.
Bugger 10 mins done already, that went quick!
Thanks for dropping by x
Daily Prompt: Clean Slate
Explore the room you’re in as if you’re seeing it for the first time. Pretend you know nothing. What do you see? Who is the person who lives there?
Sitting here in my living room, it tells me that people live and use this room, lived in i think is the words!
My first impression is this person likes warmth, comfort and romance, by the huge corner sofa, with big cushions and fury blanket to smuggle under, the deep red colours that are splashed around the room, deep red muslin framing the windows instead of curtains and the flowers and red roses that decorate the corners. There are used candles everywhere. A big wood burner centre pieces the room with oak furniture everywhere. A bit of an art lover possibly? By local artists paintings hung on the walls.
This person likes organisation because of the remote controls lined up like soldiers on the coffee table, the books against the wall are stacked in colours code, descending from white to black. The chairs spaced exactly around the table.
Just looking around the room you can tell this person is an animal person by the fish swimming around in a big tank, three mice racing around a wheel, in a cage I might add, and two lazy cats curled up on the sofa.
This is a family room because there is a large six seater oak dining table, pictures with smiley faces from exotic places on the walls, and technology pickled around the room with laptops, PCs, tablets, phones, wires, chargers, large flat screen tv. So probably not only a place for relaxation but a place to work too.
Oh and quite a bit of dust! X
Daily Prompt: Take Two
Run outside. Take a picture of the first thing you see. Run inside. Take a picture of the second thing you see. Write about the connection between these two random objects, people, or scenes.
I ran outside, well more like strolled, and baring in mind it is dark and peeing down with rain, this is the first thing I saw! Our pond that is made out of a 50p bath.
Then strolled back inside and the first thing I see is my dining table and on it is the beautiful flowers my OH gave me for our wedding anniversary last week!
The connection is my lovely OH (other half) because OH made the pond outside and OH gave me the flowers! Simple! X
Daily Prompt: 1984
You’re locked in a room with your greatest fear. Describe what’s in the room:
Can I just start with saying I am a little excited because I have come across this blog a while ago The Daily Post and I have been reading it everyday, but not quite understanding how it all works and being a little scared to give it a go, but here I am building the courage to join in!
So back to the above question…well I do have a big fear and it might even take me a while just to be able to type the word, because even that makes me feel sick just thinking about having to do that! In this house they are called ‘Cs’ because I can’t even say the word and everyone is banned from saying it. And it is a good job I live in a country where they are not common. I did go on holiday in Florida and they have millions of them, to the point where my poor OH spent the whole time on edge and thought that we would have to come home because of me freaking out. I wonder if you have guessed what it is yet?
I think I do have a deep psychological reason why I don’t like them and that is thanks to my peppered dragging up… See I am delaying saying the word….
So here goes…. And to most of you you will probably think what is the problem, stupid women, but those of you that have a great fear in something you will understand the feelings of sickness, heart racing, faintness, sweaty palms, frozen in fearness…. So I suppose you now want me to tell you… Well sorry, I just can’t so I will leave you guessing.
So if that is what is locked with me in a room I probably would die of …. Something!
p.s the picture is my happy place where I go when I’m scared
p.p.s I will be very chuffed with myself if this post ends up where I hope it might! X
Small Steps 