modern life

Tuesday Tiny Tale – The Letter

~ tidalscribe.com ~ 21 Comments

If you are reading this I am probably dead. I wonder who found me? A police officer, the neighbours… did my solicitor pass the letter on to you?

Of course, it may be that you yourself called in unexpectedly and got a shock. But this is not a suicide note. I have no idea as I write this when or how I might die. I am fit and well, but it is the elderly well living alone who are prone to dropping dead suddenly, a nice way to go for the deceased, maybe not for anyone else involved, so best to be prepared. Hopefully my departure will be dignified, tucked up in bed or sitting in my recliner with a good book in my lap, not the way your poor father went.

I could be a skeleton, preferable to a less advanced state of decomposition. Perhaps if you had phoned more often, or at all, I would not have reached that state. Scooped up by the council for a pauper’s funeral.

There is no need to contact my solicitor; no money, no house to sell, I did one of those release your capital schemes. I had a great time spending it on myself, or rather working out how best to spend it on myself. Tried a cruise, but that was full of old people, too depressing, though it livened up when a chap fell overboard. You wouldn’t believe how long it takes a floating tower block to stop, let alone turn around. Of course there was no chance of finding him. His wife apologised for us missing our next port and urged the captain to get underway. We reassured her that she might as well enjoy the rest of the cruise.

Where was I, oh yes, in the end I decided to buy an art gallery and exhibit the entire collection of my art. The young man next door got down those larger paintings you put in the loft. I am having a good deal of success under my pseudonym. I also have an adjacent studio, exploring my third age creativity and inviting young artists to share the space.  If you came across my gallery you would be unlikely to recognise it as mine as you never looked at any of my paintings or sculptures.

Well Michael, it was good while it lasted, until you were about ten. Enjoy the rest of your life.

                            Mother

‘Amelia, Mrs Haversham, can you hear me, I’m a doctor, you’re in hospital. Squeeze my hand if you can hear me, you have been in a coma for three months, you had a stroke. Your son is here. …Talk to her Michael… ‘

‘Hello Mother, I got your letter.’

Tuesday Tiny Tale – Old Photos

~ tidalscribe.com ~ 19 Comments

‘Hey, look what I’ve found.’

‘A book, who still reads books?’

‘This is a special book – CHRISTMAS 2025 OUR FAMILY’

‘Old photos, who wants to look at old photos?’

‘I do, they must have lived in this house.’

‘Ha ha, look at what they are wearing.’

‘The garden has changed a lot since then, rather cute, flowers all different colours.’

‘Boring, turn over…. Yuk, what is that?’

‘A baby, what some people used to have instead of cats.’

‘Why?’

‘Not sure, maybe all will be revealed if we keep turning the pages.’

‘Why are they sitting on the ground looking at water?’

‘I’ll do a historic data check…. Sea side, that’s what a beach looks like…’

‘Boring, turn to the next page. That baby thingy seems to be getting bigger.’

‘I’ll data check… it’s growing.’

‘Why?’

‘It doesn’t say, just that they grow quickly.’

‘Keep going, oh it’s standing up, I wouldn’t want one of those things clinging to my leg.’

‘Look, here’s the front of our house, more flowers, lots more people, wonder how many lived here?’

‘Strange clothes, next page… they have put those baby things in boxes with wheels, our cats wouldn’t put up with that. Last page, what on earth is that great big green thing? I’ll data check… a Christmas tree, a tree chopped down and put indoors, no wonder there aren’t any trees left outside.’

‘Right, it’s time we went to check if the cats have finished playing with the humans.’

‘Shall we show this book to the humans?’

No.. no I don’t think so, it might upset them.

Silly Sunday – sELFies

~ tidalscribe.com ~ 35 Comments

He’s Back!

When you get carried away with your Christmas lights…

A Heavenly message ?

Or a Harbinger of Doom?

It’s raining here, but thanks to digital magic here is my favourite brightest Christmas tree from Australia.

Don’t know how I managed that, the bottom 12 % must be really rubbish! Minutes spent includes being distracted, playing with your phone, answering the doorbell and falling asleep – discovering the next morning you are still in the middle of a lesson.

And finally – Home of the Week

Have you got any elves on your shelves?

What décor do you favour for your home?

Tuesday Tiny Tale – Hidden

~ tidalscribe.com ~ 15 Comments

The front door slammed and she sighed with relief, that was everyone gone to work and school and she could have a good tidy up. She switched the radio on, what rubbish had they been listening to? She turned over to Radio 4, bound to be someone talking about something clever. At least they had put the dishwasher on, but what was that letter doing on the counter top? Just rubbish by the look of it, recycling box.

She drifted into the hall where a bright pink glove lay on the floor, Evie’s, her hands would be cold, it was frosty out.  Car keys just dropped in that dish, don’t they ever think about security? Mason’s scarf left on the stairs, probably deliberately, he always insists he won’t be cold. She picked the scarf up and carried on up the stairs.

The bedrooms were a complete mess as usual, well making beds was not on her agenda. On the landing she tried to straighten up the ghastly picture, but it fell off the wall, hook fallen out. Dan would have to fix that, it was about time he improved his DIY skills. Someone was going to trip over that toy truck, put it away safely. She could do with a cup of coffee, pity she wasn’t drinking it any more. £20 note just lying on top of the dresser, put that in the money pot, see if anyone missed it.

She looked out of the front bedroom window, new people moving in across the road, how many times had that place changed hands? Library book on the floor, hmm due back tomorrow, better put it by the front door …and reading glasses on the floor, they could go safely in that drawer.

Was that the time already, end of the peace and quiet…

‘Don’t leave your school bags on the floor… no not till you have got changed and done your homework….. I can hear voices in the kitchen! Wait in the hall. It’s okay, the radio was on, but I’m sure I switched if off and I never listen to Radio Four…   I’m coming upstairs to make sure you’re getting changed and not playing with… hey who knocked Grandma’s painting down.’

‘Not me it was Evie.’

‘No it wasn’t, it was Mason.’

Hello Darling, hello kids.’

‘Dan, can you fetch my reading glasses down, they’re by the bed. I need to read the instructions on this packet.’

‘Who knocked the picture down, I only put it up last week. Couldn’t see your glasses.’

‘They are with my library book.’

‘Just give me the packet, I’ll read it out to you… See what you mean about the tiny writing, well whatever you are supposed to do you have to do it for five minutes. Now where is that letter I got yesterday, I left it in the kitchen so I would not forget to phone them.’

‘Mummy, where’s my new truck?’

‘I don’t know, where did you leave it, surely it’s too big to lose.’

‘I can’t find my reading glasses anywhere and I can’t find the library book. It’s book club tomorrow and I still have two more chapters to go.’

‘Why do you have to read in bed anyway?’

‘I always read in bed.’

‘Borrow my Kindle, you can just make the writing big, now that’s funny, when did I last have my Kindle?’

‘How am I supposed to know?’

‘Evie, did you find your other glove? Mason will you put your scarf on, there’s a cold wind. What do you mean you can’t find it? Not on the coat hook or in your school bag? Look it’s getting late, I think we’d better go in the car.  That’s funny, where are the car keys?’

‘Hello Darling, how was your day?’

‘Don’t ask… Dan, do you think I’m going through the perimenopause?’

‘The peri what?’

‘Brain fog, I keep losing things, or at least forgetting where I’ve put them.’

‘Everyone mislays things. You wanted a nice big house, but it’s easier to lose things than when we were in the flat. Either that or it’s haunted, like on that programme ha ha.’

‘Dan, you don’t really think… the neighbours reckon we got this place cheaper because some old lady died here and her family wanted to sell quickly.’

‘Cos they needed the money probably. Well it was our luck.’

‘Certainly was and all clean and tidy when we viewed it, not like we were expecting, good thing she can’t see it now.’

Thoughtless Thursday

~ tidalscribe.com ~ 16 Comments

What if you woke up one morning and couldn’t think what to write or blog…

Revolutionary new technique shows what the inside of a writer’s mind actually looks like.

When your home made Christmas cards go wrong.

When you are tasked with finding the venue for your club’s Christmas Do

What a writer’s mind looks like when they are asleep.

When writers are distracted from writing

A day in the life of a writer’s computer

Cartoon courtesy of Big Issue magazine.

Sunday Stroll – Hengistbury Head

~ tidalscribe.com ~ 30 Comments

Follow the path to the first point of historic interest.

He was the first Briton to be killed in an aeronautical accident with a powered aircraft, when the tail of his Wright Flyer broke off during a flying display in Bournemouth. He was aged 32.

Nearby is the popular Hiker Café, popular with the many dog walkers, but as we discovered when we went with my friend’s dog on a very windy rainy day, dogs are not allowed inside the café. Plenty of seating outside and very pleasant inside. Considering how many places let dogs in you might be surprised, but with the strong possibility of dogs getting wet and muddy you can see their point! A short walk takes you to the visitor centre where you can see the history of the headland back to the busy days of the iron age.

‘Long before the arrival of the Romans, Hengistbury Head was a thriving trading port. Some have commented that Hengistbury Head was probably the first urban settlement in England. It was without doubt one of the the most important sea ports in the the whole of England.’

Reassuring to know nature can take back urban areas.

It’s time to make our way up.

Did you guess anything about this monolith in Friday’s blog? It was hard to find anything about it; alas it is neither ancient nor extra terrestrial, but still interesting. Created by sculptor Briony Marshall in 2016.

‘Layers of Bournemouth is a rammed earth sculpture that invites passers-by to slow down and contemplate the beauty and age of our precious natural world.‘

https://briony.com/project/layers-of-bournemouth/

Time to walk up to the top and enjoy the views of Christchurch Harbour..

Then return another way for sea views as the short winter day draws in.

You would have had time to walk further if you hadn’t stopped for coffee and cake at the café! Come back another day to explore more.

PS At one stage Henry George Selfridge bought Hengistbury Head with plans to build a magnificent castle. Fortunately the plans never got off the ground.

Have you been here, or do you have a favourite hill or iron age fort to walk round?

Friday Fun – November Nonsense

~ tidalscribe.com ~ 37 Comments

Where does this door lead? Find out further on.

What is your latest time waster?

One could say it’s a good warming up exercise for writers. Words with Friends, will they still be your friends after frenzied competition? If you have friends or relatives on other continents there will always be someone who is awake to play, even if you are up very late or early. Unlike Word Blitz and Quiz Planet there are no time constraints, so I do not have the excuse of my hands not working quickly enough for losing all the time.

In the meantime I don’t seem to be getting very far with Duolingo and the owl is always sending me sad or cross email reminders.

Meanwhile back in the real world, did Aliens leave this strange monolith? Find out where it is at the weekend.

Do you like peeping in windows? Who lives here?

Not sure… perhaps you prefer eavesdropping.

Cafes provide ideal opportunities to listen in to other tables, perhaps even snap what they are eating…

‘It was so windy his hearing aids blew off.’

‘She’s a tidy sort of person, so usually when she says the house is a complete mess she means she hasn’t emptied the dishwasher, but when we went to stay, the house was a complete mess.‘

When you hear a whole coffee and cake’s worth ( slowly eaten ) of a holiday from hell you are tempted to join in. ‘Oh that’s just like when we went away with… ‘

But you don’t need to pretend you are looking at your phone or absorbed in your cake. The queue at the shop till is just as fascinating. This is why we must keep human beings at the till. The young chap on the till is busy taping two large rectangular multi photo frames together for a customer. She had explained in great detail what happened last time she bought two such frames and why she needed them taped together to make carrying easier. She then went on to explain why she had bought and was buying again these frames and detailed how many grandchildren she had, referring to how many children she had had and probably about to describe how she had met her husband, but by that time he had finished wrapping. A self service checkout would not have helped her, nor listened with interest to her saga…

How has your week been? Eavesdropped on anyone interesting?

Do you play any addictive games?

Silly Sunday – November Nothings

~ tidalscribe.com ~ 31 Comments

Random ponderings on First World Problems and out of world experiences.

Miserable November afternoon

Happy November morning, welcomed by a Robin singing his heart out.

It has been a discombobulating month so far. WordPress would not let me download new photographs; how could I go on any walks if I couldn’t use my photos! The naughty elf who runs WordPress seemed to be suggesting my gallery was too full. I deleted lots of pictures to no avail and causing havoc to my posts and pages.  To be fair to WordPress this was on my desk top computer which is still on Windows 10, now no longer supported, whatever that means. Cyberson2 had suggested I didn’t need to worry or at least there was no point in doing anything, as my old computer would not cope with Windows 11. He had downloaded extra protection when they were visiting recently… And hey ho, I have heard scary things about Windows 11…   So I created a test blog on my iPad and whoopee, pictures were accepted, so now I download pictures to the gallery then do my blog on the computer where my word documents are…

Anyway, back to real life. One of our local towns is in lockdown or gridlock… there are always road works somewhere, but this is work on the bypass that does not bypass the town, but ends at the roundabout. Only one side at a time is being closed over the next three weeks, but apparently locals could not drive or catch a bus with any hope of getting there. No problem for me, I don’t drive, don’t live in the town and I walk there.  But it turns out walking across the river to your writers’ group or coffee morning is not much good if nobody else is there. Like any group we arrive from all directions to a central point.

Meanwhile, no such problem in Southbourne for our monthly book club, only one person absent. The only problem being half of us had not read the book and only one person loved it, nobody else liked it! After the previous month’s enjoyable hardback in good print size, we were faced with a thick paperback in small print. This is a famous novel many people have loved over the years. Find out what it was at the end of this blog. With two lots of visitors staying and blogs to write, I started reading, but decided I must abandon it. I met one of the other members out and about and was relieved to hear she had not read it either.

It is looking like autumn, but too mild. I have just given my so called lawn its third final mow of the year. Talking of global warming, we seem to have heard too little about Prince William’s Earthshot prize and ten year project. While world leaders preside over wars and destruction, clever people are working and innovating to look after the planet.

And talking of the planet…

Years ago my husband came back indoors one night and said he had just watched the space station fly over Ken’s garage. He had asked another neighbour why he was staring above Ken’s garage. We hadn’t known we could go on line and track its many differing orbits. After that we were obsessed for the period it was passing over Southbourne, or Dorset or England…

The International Space Station, that shining beacon of humanity, science and international cooperation is coming up to retirement or abandonment. My scientific knowledge usually comes from tuning in to the middle of intelligent radio programmes, so it may or may not be true that a space station does not stay in orbit of its own accord and is reliant on the occasional blast of propulsion, worked by the Russians. To bring it down safely to some remote Mexican desert is not guaranteed, dependent as it is on international cooperation. Russia’s MIR was successfully brought down in the desert, but Skylab was scattered over Western Australia in 1979. To have a piece of ISS come down in my road would be blogworthy, but possibly more inconvenient than work on the bypass.

Possible scenario of bits of ISS falling on Bournemouth seafront.

The novel was Catch 22 and the person who loved it also loved my novella Pandemonica and gave it a five star review on Goodreads, so she is obviously a good judge of books...

Have you read Catch 22… or Pandemonica?

Have you spotted the space station or perhaps even been to the space station?