Here at WordPress to unpack a life lived. Enjoying the Daily Prompts at the moment. Lives in England with my faithful Rescue companion. I love him x
intheboomerpigeonhole.co.uk
- ‘Friendship is Magic’
If you could be a character from a book or film, who would you be? Why?
If I could be any character, I’d pick Pinkie Pie from My Little Pony. She’s basically joy with hooves-baking cupcakes, throwing parties, and occasionally defying the laws of physics just because it’s Tuesday.
She’s the pony who can turn a disaster into a dance number, and honestly, that feels like a life skill worth borrowing. If I’m going to be anyone, let me be the one with the party cannon and the unshakeable belief that everything is better with sprinkles. - Charles Bukowski
What animals make the best/worst pets?
You may have read (thank you for stopping by) in my posts that I share my life with Patch-the dog. But I also love cats. Fact is I’m a total animal lover.
What follows is a light, gentle poem by quite an interesting character who grew up in Los Angeles …
My Cats
I know. I know.
they are limited, have different
needs and
concerns.
but I watch and learn from them.
I like the little they know,
which is so
much.
they complain but never
worry,
they walk with a surprising dignity.
they sleep with a direct simplicity that
humans just can’t
understand.
their eyes are more
beautiful than our eyes.
and they can sleep 20 hours
a day
without
hesitation or
remorse.
when I am feeling
low
all I have to do is
watch my cats
and my
courage
returns.
I study these
creatures.
they are my
teachers.Charles Bukowski (1920~1994)
- Giving your time
What job would you do for free?
Walking the dog/s of folk who need some help, I would happily do, but there are several pet service businesses around here. If word got out, I was doing for free, I’d be lynched, I’m sure.
In the past I’ve worked in charity shops, and enjoyed that. Especially when I get to do the window display. Years back I worked at an Oxfam shop ( some time ago dubious behaviour by outreach workers was reported, though. Which is shameful)
There are several local food banks. I have already thought about asking them if they need an extra pair of hands.
Or maybe a hospital visitor. I am sure there are people who have no one close by to drop by, say hello, and hopefully cheer up a little?
I think if we put our minds to it, we could all find a little something to do to make the world a better place.
- Khalil Gabrin
And a youth said, Speak to us of Friendship.
And he answered, saying:
Your friend is your needs answered.
He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.
And he is your board and your fireside.
For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.
When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the “nay” in your own mind, nor do you withhold the “ay.”
And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;
For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.
When you part from your friend, you grieve not;
For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.
And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.
For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.
And let your best be for your friend.
If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also.
For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?
Seek him always with hours to live.
For it is his to fill your need but not your emptiness.
And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.
For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.Khalil Gibran (1883~1932)
From The Prophet (1923). - Foiled
What Olympic sports do you enjoy watching the most?
Fencing is televised but not on any channel I have. There are many production challenges, and it is difficult to follow, so maybe why it’s not more accessible.
Technology will soon be broadly stepping in, and before long, I think it may become a different but more exciting watch for a wider audience.
- Hope you don’t mind
How would you improve your community?
As an outsider to this hood, I can tell you the community has absolutely nailed it. There is nothing I could do or say to improve it.
Instead, as you know, when given the space, I will put the words of others. Several of you have told me you love this poem, as do I. So I’m sure you won’t mind me posting it again..and again..and again 🐦⬛
Hope is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –
And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –
I’ve heard it in the chillest land –
And on the strangest Sea –
Yet – never – in Extremity,
It asked a crumb – of me.
By Emily Dickinson ( 1830~1886)
- Keep on dreaming
How have you adapted to the changes brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic? ****** If it’s all the same to you, WP, I’ll give this DP a miss and use the space for the words of another..
Dreams
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.By Langston Hughes
(1901~1967)
‘ The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams,’ Eleanor Roosevelt
- 60 minutes in the life of
What are your morning rituals? What does the first hour of your day look like?
A gentle breeze kisses my cheek.As I open my eyes, I see the floor-length feather-light billowing curtains part. A ray of sunshine lets itself in.
Stretching like a cat feels good. I rise and slip into a swimsuit, tightening the belt of my robe around my waist. Downstairs freshly brewed coffee sits ready on the marble surface.
Heading outside to the infinity pool, I feel the sun has warmth in it already, but the tiles beneath my feet hold just a hint of a chill.
The tide is out and the beach is quiet.
The water wraps around me, caressing my skin and time stands still.
Hunger pangs arrive, and on the balcony, I find my breakfast laid out. Watermelon juice, and more coffee. Olives, labneh, za’atar, avocado, olive oil, lemon juice, markook, and eggs. Bliss.
The Reality
Patch roughly nudges me awake. It’s still a little dark. It is a lot cold. I get dressed quickly in the first things I can find, pull on a coat, put on a hat, and head out. The End
- OK, question
Is it possible to have a 2nd WP blog with a different profile?
All thoughts appreciated x
- Like peas in a pod…or not
Which aspects do you think makes a person unique?
We all agree, I reckon that it’s our genetic make-up, our DNA, that is the mother of our uniqueness?
After that, it’s pretty much the wildwest-I was going to say where do we start? But I guess the beginning is a good place as any.
We were created by and from two souls who brought a whole bunch of baggage to the table.
Our upbringing and could on the surface be similar to a sibling, but there will be differences from the off. And dont forget, identical twins will have different fingerprints.
The conditioning that is absorbed and that rejected. An inane sense of self may begin quite young. There again, maybe sometimes that never develops.
Does a child feel supported, guided, safe, and loved? Is it well fed and nourished in all ways every single child should? Everything that happens around them will affect their way of looking at the world. Or do they look the other way in denial, shutting down their developing brains for safe keeping?
Personal life experiences, triumphs, failures,challenges,perspectives, perceptions, values, beliefs, morals, passions, natural abilities, goals,authenticity, and choice? It all has an effect.
Our ability or inability to express ourselves with so many varying communication styles. Or unable to at all, causing innumerable issues.
Where does self-reliance and strength of character become a thing?
When/how is an honest or dishonest person formed?
What makes a human being kind, open, friendly, and compassionate?
Why are some folk cold, hard, remote?
What makes us unique is a topic worthy of a thesis. Methinks
How complex.
- I hear you
If you could have something named after you, what would it be?
The building would not have my name, but a nod in a way, to someone from my past or present, whom I hold in my heart.
A space where people can go to be heard. Be listened to.
Men, women, elderly, young, I think there are probably many who would welcome being able to slip into a hub and speak freely, without interruption or judgement. And be able to leave feeling lighter, less burdened.
- Yikes
- I miss the laughter
What makes you laugh?
A while back, I pretty much gave up all the Socials, and I’ve found that I really do miss the things that made me laugh whilst scrolling. Usually, it was animals doing crazy things. Cats v dogs are always funny. Not so funny for the dogs, though, as they generally come out worse.
Years back, I lived and worked overseas, and together with one workmate/close friend,Mary, we would often find ourselves falling about laughing. I loved it, and I miss those days.
In fact, as I write my blog piece this morning, I can clearly see that I need to bring some joy back into my life. Oh dear, poor me, lol.
Edit. What I have failed to add is that there is a lovely blog here on WP. They often post jokes, which never fail to make me smile. Thank you
http://www.issuesthatmatterdotblog.com
I must add Eric, too. His take on the world and his way with words invariably makes me smile
- The Lost Generation
When you were five, what did you want to be when you grew up?
The Lost Generation are those born between 1830-1900 and include Ernest Hemmingway, F.Scott Fitzgerald, T.S Elliot and Eleanor Roosevelt.
Currently, we are at Generation Beta. Those born between 2025-2029
A.A.Milne, the creator of Winnie the Pooh wrote for adults too. Today’s DP brought this little poem to mind. There is also a book of the same name. ‘Now We are Six.
When I was One,
I had just begun.
When I was Two,
I was nearly new.
When I was Three
I was hardly me.
When I was Four,
I was not much more.
When I was Five,
I was just alive.
But now I am Six,
I’m as clever as clever,
So I think I’ll be six now for ever and ever.A.A.Milne (1886-1956)
The following poem The Lost Generation was published in his book Behind the Lines, in 1940
YOU were the Lost Generation, decadent, nerveless, slack,
(Bom to the sound of the guns and of death dropping down from the air) ;
You slouched to your casual dates with a languorous curve to your back.
And we didn’t admire your manners, and loathed the length of your hair.
We stood in front of the fire-place and eased our stiffening hocks
(Wc who had fought in Flanders, we who had flown in France)
And damned the whole generation — you and your girlish locks ! —
Poor effeminate creatures, boys who had had no chance.
We pitied you more than blamed you ; what could you hope to be.
Born to the fear of war by frightened women, and then
Living your life with women whose men were over the sea ?
Taught to be men by women — how could you grow to be men ?
Youth of the Lost Generation, sons of the men that were.
Taught to be men by women who made you all that you are.
How could you grow to be men, who have grown to be gods of the Air,
Who have set in the skies for our nerving a flame of Faith like a star ?
Each night we crouch by the fire-place, and listen with tight-held breath,
Humbled to tears in wonder, strengthened to tears in pride,
As the Youth which we dared to pity makes casual date with Death,
“And, fired by a spirit we know not, goes off on its deathless ride.
With which salute to brave men I close. It is June now ; one of those lovely, still, country evenings, blue and green and golden ; such an evening as almost compels faith in the doubting, courage in the fearful, by the calm and steadfast assurance of its beauty. Italy is in the war. France has fallen. Well, we are alone. Much will have happened before these words are in print, but, be it good or ill, may we live and die as gallantly as those happy few, upheld by something of their spirit.”
Behind the Lines was a collection of poems written during the first nine months of World War II, serving as a sort of diary of the war’s early days. The poem “The Lost Generation” specifically praises the generation that was “raised by women” and made fun of during WWI, but went on to fight during WWII. - Don’t wish to unnerve you, but
What’s something most people don’t understand?
Okay WP, I have given this DP some thought and have decided to change the word Understand for Remember.
I think maybe peeps really don’t often remember that they have no idea what may be coming around the corner. How their lives can totally change in a split second. Perhaps it’s a positive thing that they forget sometimes, else they may exist in a constant state of dread or hope. Neither a healthy option.
But around that corner could be many things. Are you ready?
- A Brave New World
How has technology changed your job?
Err, WP, heads up! You are presuming everyone has a job?
Personally, I can say the digital era has enhanced my existence. I love it. Technology per se is a challenge, though.
One of my brothers gave up his career as a talented professional photographer when ‘film’ went digital, and everyone suddenly had a camera.
My other brother was ahead of his time he would have embraced the progress. Pity he did not live long enough to see it.
Not my brothers, simply a cute pic
- Palantir’s billionaire CEO says only two kinds of people will succeed in the AI era: trade workers — ‘or you’re neurodivergent’
Billionaire Alex Karp tells Gen Z to skip elite college degrees, as one-fifth of Fortune 500 companies recruit more neurodivergent talent by 2027. https://fortune.com/2026/03/24/palantir-ceo-alex-karp-two-people-successful-in-ai-era-vocational-skills-neurodivergence-gen-z-career-advice/?utm_source=native_share&utm_medium=mobile&utm_campaign=share_test
- Just Say No!
How often do you say “no” to things that would interfere with your goals?
1982, in the US, as part of the ‘War on Drugs Campaign, led by Namcy Reagan,’ the term ‘ Just Say No’ was coined. Sadly, researchers view it as having being ‘ too simplistic’ ( no weight?) and deem it unsuccessful.
My favourite First Lady by far is Eleanor Roosevelt. ( The longest ever serving FL-12 years) A prolific writer, speaker, and activist for human rights. She encouraged self empowerment. What a woman!
“Do one thing every day that scares you.” She said.
Understanding that stepping out of your comfort zone builds character and resilience.
The bronze statue of Eleanor Roosevelt stands in West Potomac Park, Washington D.C. Over the years, I have read many quotes attributed to her. I love this one…
” The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams”
- Making sense of it all
What’s a secret skill or ability you have or wish you had?
A bit late to the table today with my offering. And it will be about Patch. Of course it will!
I once wrote about it being possible for him to communicate with me, so I could learn about his previous troubled life. And why, after 5+ years he gets really cross with me sometimes.
There have only been two other people I could tell he really didn’t like. In hindsight, he was spot on. It’s only me now he takes out his frustrations on.
On holiday in Cornwall, on the steps of our Shepherds Hut. He sits for the longest time, just taking it all in. For today’s prompt, I would like the ability to sense what he does. Depending on which data you follow its estimated they have 100-300 million olfactory sensors, whist human have between 5-6 mil.
This means that dogs have a lot going on when they are out and about. I always notice when other dogs are not allowed to stop and smell the roses. With their people just walking them. I get it folk don’t always have the time to let their canine companions inspect every blade of grass. But to them it is everything.
- Let it rain
What is your favorite type of weather?
Oh dear, WP. You’re asking a Brit about the weather. Don’t you know we have a bit of a reputation for chatting about it with anyone who will stand still long enough?
To be fair, we are islanders, so historically, it was a subject everyone wanted and needed to know about. Farmers and fishermen were especially aware of how quickly the climate can change and their livelihoods depended up on it.
By now, we in the UK have had enough. So when it was the hottest March day recently, since records began, it all kicked off, and it was wonderful. Lawns were mowed. Outside furniture painted. Curtains washed. Way to go!
The atmosphere was bordering on electric, palpable. The relief was immense. It was exciting. It was fun to see folk fired up and living in the moment.
Of course, there will always be miserable gits amongst us ‘ Hello, nice day,’ you’d say in passing. ‘ Won’t last’ they’d reply. Best give these kind a wide berth, but sometimes I want and occasionally do say ‘ look, if the worst thing that happens to me is I get soaked walking the dog, I’ve got off lightly’. Food for thought, I hope. Although it probably lands on deaf ears.
I do identify as a pluviophile. I love the rain. Obvs, it’s not very nice when it is accompanied by really cold conditions and strong winds and you have to be out there. But the rest of the time, it’s great. The icing on the cake is the puddles are where birds can drink and bathe in.
- Easy does it
Who was your most influential teacher? Why?
Mr Grant my English teacher was given the honour, this time last year. He was cool, no doubt about it.
But today thinking about those days I can’t honestly remember a thing he taught me. I certainly wasn’t singled out.
What does come to mind are pictures. I can see him striding into class, all shoulder-length hair and long legs. A coudory jacket moleskin trousers, desert boots.
I also remember his presence very well.This steadiness I have been writing about recently. He was from a lifetime ago,but today I can finally see it was what he brought to the room. And this is something I’m appreciating in fellow humans right now. That calmness.
There is a degree of unhinged I like too. Not in a chronic way. Just a flash of it, now and then is fun. Creatives do that well. It’s the light getting in
So, thank you, Mr Grant, I’m sure you taught me plenty in the short time you were at my school. I was gutted when you left.
- What I could do less of, is
What do you wish you could do more every day?
Who needs a device to doom scroll? Not me, I can do it all in my head.
As Patch ages, he needs to go out more. So there are times I find myself awake, maybe 20 minutes or so, before sun up lying in bed in the dark, too alert to go back to sleep.
And so it begins..I think about animals caught up in war zones, I think about how our amazing planet is getting hammered inside out. The insane few fighting between themselves, but involving millions. I see the oceans, the waterways, and airways constantly polluted.
Our country is currently at the in-between stage of a cash and cashless society. A beggar asks if you have any spare change, and you realise you’ve not held any coins, or notes for that matter, for sometime, let alone it being spare. The situation must be causing numerous, widespread issues.
I see the kids with their faces, their heads, completely inside their phones. I don’t judge them, it’s what they do, how they live. But I do fear they are not connecting with anything else.
There are more online newspaper articles now by journalists as they watch their craft being replaced by A1.
The students with massive debts are hardly able to pay off the Interest on their loans. How are they supposed to get on the property ladder starting their young lives like this?
There are endless thoughts like these, keeping me company, first thing. And then a robin awakes and let’s me know of his existence with a beautiful song.
As it becomes light, he is joined by the chorus. And I thank the gods for that. Reminding me there is a beautiful world out there and not to forget that.
- There’s nothing new about tatts
What tattoo do you want and where would you put it?
This time last year, I wrote about the world’s oldest known evidence of tattooing. Otzi the Iceman. A 3500 year old mummy, but ‘experts’ now reckon getting inked-up could go back 50,000 years.
Me getting a tattoo? Nah, that ship has sailed. But if I had to, they would be tiny symbols to honour my animals past and present, on the inside of my arms.
- I see you
What is one word that describes you?
Just the one word, today, eh WP? Okay Observant
And now, with an empty page below, I will fill it with the words of another…..
The Enemy of All
The frog half fearful jumps across the path,
And little mouse that leaves its hole at eve
Nimbles with timid dread beneath the swath;
My rustling steps awhile their joys deceive,
Till past, and then the cricket sings more strong,
And grasshoppers in merry moods still wear
The short night weary with their fretting song.
Up from behind the molehill jumps the hare,
Cheat of his chosen bed, and from the bank
The yellowhammer flutters in short fears
From off its nest hid in the grasses rank,
And drops again when no more noise it hears.
Thus nature’s human link and endless thrall,
Proud man, still seems the enemy of all.By John Clare ( 1793 ~ 1864)
- Words making a difference
What was the best compliment you’ve received?
Since joining the WP community, I’ve received some lovely comments. Compliments that have warmed my heart and encouraged me to keep doing what I’m doing. I can’t thank you guys enough for your time and kind words.
Yellow roses say thank you - My old boy
The lighter nights are wonderful for lots of us. But Patch is struggling. Kids out in groups, playing ball, on bikes or scooters
He can’t handle it. He doesn’t know what to do or where to go. He flees noise.
I’ve just brought him early from a walk. He’s out there now, in his own safe space.
- Trains n boats n planes
You’re going on a cross-country trip. Airplane, train, bus, car, or bike?
That would be in my car, WP.
Having said that, the price of petrol at the pumps is increasing by the day. So what to do?
But it’s the total freedom aspect that compels me to say my own wheels. Especially with old boy Patch to think about.
Cyclists, especially the skinny ones wearing lycre, are one of ( and there are a few) his bugbears. A nice old chap happily pedalling along the country lane? No problem. Lycre-incoming is a bit of an issue.
As are buses. He has actually got close enough to a stationary single decker once that found him gnawing at the front bumper ( much like he does with the hoover). Oops.
By rail wouldn’t work, either. He would hate it. I have had more than my fair share of train journeys to be fair, and I enjoyed most of them. But that was then.
We wouldn’t fly, obvs. Although I can clearly remember like it was yesterday, I was on a plane coming back from India with two street dogs ( Tony & Joe) in the hold. 21 years ago, wow.
Where did that time go?
- Every day is a school day:Lessons in confidence from Nick Ferrari
Who is the most confident person you know?
There’s a phrase I’ve borrowed over the years: Every day is a school day.
Nick Ferrari says it occasionally on his LBC breakfast show after learning something new. It’s a small phrase, but it tells you everything about the man.
When WordPress asked today’s prompt, ‘ Who is the most confident person you know?’ My mind went straight to him.
Nick Ferrari has spent a lifetime in journalism: newspapers, television, political debate, and now radio. He interviews politicians with the tenacity of a dog with a bone, circling back to a question until it is answered or calmly stating that it hasn’t been. He doesn’t let power slip away from accountability. He doesn’t soften the truth. And he never pretends not to notice when someone is trying to dodge it.
That, to me, is confidence.But it is the other side of him that completes the picture.
When he stumbles over a word, as we all do, he corrects himself, apologises, repeats it properly, and moves on. No fuss. No ego. Just a man doing his job with clarity and self-respect.
He is self-effacing without shrinking himself.
Direct without being cruel.
Firm without becoming brittle.I often think what an extraordinary mentor he must have been, or could have been, for young journalists. Someone who would teach them that confidence is not swagger. It is purpose. It is the ability to hold your ground without losing your humanity.
What stays with me is not only his tenacity but the steadiness beneath it. He listens with intent, challenges with purpose, and refuses to be diverted from the truth. There are no theatrics in it, no ego, just a disciplined clarity that invites others to think more clearly, too.
Confidence, in his case, feels less like a performance and more like a practice. And I find that inspiring.
- This
What strategies do you use to cope with negative feelings?
There are many ways people can find to help them cope with negative feelings. Today I choose this….
My head’s in the sand
Dreaming of a land
Of elves and fairies
Fruits and berries
Cities made of trees
Gates without keys
Singing bees, dancing birds
Plenty of unknown wordsA realm where jesters rule
And a simple stone is a jewel
By Kostas Lagos ( Greek, contemporary poet) - #youbettheydie
Sky News: Third horse dies at Cheltenham in his last race.
https://news.sky.com/story/third-horse-dies-at-cheltenham-in-his-last-race-13519361
- In the moment
What activities do you lose yourself in?
WP you asking bloggers about which activities they lose themselves in. Mmm, now then, I wonder what one of them may be?
Is being out in nature an activity per se? Walking is obvs, but I am talking about immersing myself in nature. Being mindful of every single moment, movement, sound. The smell of the woods, hearing the stream race along. The sun shining through the trees or rain dropping from the sodden leaves. The crunch underfoot or the slosh of puddles of mud. The birds.
I’m wondering. Maybe I lose myself in everything I do now that I have the time and space to do so?
Messaging with friends, making coffee, listening to the radio, looking out of the window-watching the squirrels, reading the posts of my fellow/favourite bloggers, driving everything, and anything i can think of. even chilling. Yep, they all have my undivided attention, thesdays.
- In the words of Derek Walcott ( plus short edit re DP
What movies or TV series have you watched more than 5 times? – Nah, WP, not today. But thank you
Hi. I shall use this space to put the words of another.
Derek Walcott ( 1930-2017)
Love after Love
The time will come
when, with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other’s welcome,
and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was yourself.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved youall your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.🤔Edit… it has just occurred to me that I no longer have the time ( to spare) to rewatch stuff. Time is of the essence, right?
- US (UK, complicit) responsible for deadly missile strike on Iran school, preliminary inquiry says
This has quickly left the ‘ news’, hasn’t it?
And, the British are complicit in this!!!
- Away with the fairies
Are you superstitious?
When I looked up superstition, I was surprised by how sharp some definitions were. A few make it sound like a flaw in thinking. But that has never matched how it feels to me.
Britannica offers something more balanced. It suggests that superstition is simply one of the ways people have tried to understand uncertainty. That feels closer to the truth, especially here in England, where so many old beliefs still linger quietly in the background.
Some superstitions began as common sense wrapped in a story. Don’t walk under ladders was never about magic. It was an early safety warning. Even the old idea that bridesmaids shouldn’t wear green has roots in folklore, scandal and for a time, poisonous dyes. What survives now is only the faintest echo.
I’ve realised that a lot of superstition is really old wisdom in a folkloric coat.I don’t believe the universe is keeping score, but I do understand the small rituals people keep. A familiar object, a repeated gesture, a moment of steadiness before doing something uncertain. That isn’t superstition to me. It’s human. And if I sometimes imagine a little magic in the world, maybe a glimmer in the woods with Patch, a stone on the windowsill catching the light — that’s simply my way of staying open to wonder.
So no, I’m not superstitious in the traditional sense. But I do understand why people reach for these old beliefs. They’re about being human, and that feels like the most grounded truth of all.
And perhaps that’s all superstition ever was, our way of finding a little steadiness in a world that has always been bigger than us?
- Paws for thought
Which animal would you compare yourself to and why?
WP, if it’s all the same to you, I will answer instead ‘which animal would you like to be?’ And in this case I would also add for one day only.
That would be a cat. A British domestic type.
When I first read this Prompt, my mind wandered into the realms of a Feline-Existence. Immediately put in survival mode, it came to me all of the places on Earth where it wouldn’t be a safe option. War zones, obvs. That would include civil and any areas where there is conflict. I wouldn’t want to be a Stray in, say, Saudi Arabia or any of those regions worldwide ( and there are more than you would imagine) where I may be considered a tasty morsel. So, with that settled, let’s go back to being a Moggy in the UK.
Without a doubt, I would be a cat ‘allowed’ outside. There will be plenty of warm and sheltered places to nap. I would check out the hood, be tolerant of other furry residents, and generally have a fun and easygoing time. If I was hungry, I could go indoors. My people have kindly installed a flap-door for me. Or I could nip into the neighbour’s’. Or I could test my patience by sitting close, facing a stone garden wall, and wait for Mousey to come out.
In the early afternoon, after a roll about in the Catnip at number 14, I like to head into Tom’s shed. The door is always open then, and jump onto the shelf at the window. It’s a bit dusty and cobwebby, but I don’t mind. The sun streams through there for about an hour. Bliss!
- P.S. I Love You
Write a letter to your 100-year-old self.
Dearest You
Who knew it would take me all morning to stumble over the words I have in my head for you. Let alone get them down in print?
I’m concerned you may not be as comfortable in that skin as you once were. I’m worried that you won’t have a companion cat or dog because you would spend endless hours every day fretting what would become of them when you spin of this Mortal Coil.
I would like to be there to hold your hand and look deep in your eyes, and feel how your heart is holding up.
You will not be best pleased what ageing has done to your physical appearance. Not in the vain ” ooh aren’t I pretty” kinda way, but in a ” yes, I can scrub up ok” when I try.
You will have done your best to keep your eye on the ever-changing landscape. If you have a device on your lap, that would be wonderful.
Someone to give you a hand and chat to if you need that. The ability to get out into the fresh air and light, maybe a short stroll. To enjoy fresh food.
As I write this today, my very being is full of hopes for you. Remember Emily Dickinson’s Hope is a Thing With Feathers? Do you still enjoy poring through poetry books? I’d like to think so.
And now it’s time to close.
It’s March 10th 2026. It’s cold out there, but the spring flowers are doing well, and today, there’s not a cloud in the perfectly blue sky. There is even a little warmth in the sun.
May you find a ray of sunshine to sit peacefully in each day. May your sight be clear to see the natural world. May all your senses be your friends.
🩵💚🩷
- Miracles do happen
Where would you go on a shopping spree?
It has to be said I have enjoyed some magnificent shopping sprees over the years. And it’s a good job I can remember them so well as it is unlikely I will be venturing down that road anytime soon.
Central London (with a close friend of mine) was our stomping ground. We had an absolute blast. A two/three day city break was awesome.
But never say never..it could happen again.
- In the words of Emily Dickinson
What is your middle name? Does it carry any special meaning/significance?
I’m Nobody! Who are you?
Are you – Nobody – too?
Then there’s a pair of us!
Dont tell! they’d banish us – you know!How dreary – to be – Somebody!
How public – like a Frog –
To tell your name – the livelong June –
To an admiring Bog!Emily Dickinson 1830~1886
- Thank you 😊
The WP powers that be inform me it is day 400 of my streak. Yay.
And .. thank you soo much to 206 subscribers.
- Ah, ok
What is the last thing you learned?
At the moment, I’m living rural side, so cross paths with a gamekeeper from time to time. I don’t like anything he stands for, so try and keep time around him as brief as.
However, it’s quite handy for intel, sometimes.
The other morning after a short walk with Himself, I was driving us right into sticksville.
On the way, I thought I saw what were very young pheasant haring across a vast open field. I was puzzled, to say the least. It is totally the wrong time of the year for the little ones to be about.
This is where said gamekeeper comes into play. I asked him about the birds. He puffs himself up, knowing all, looks at this know nothing-from-the-city and informs me they are not young pheasant but quails..So, there we have it.
Young Pheasant 
Quail - Paul and Adrian
What is one question you hate to be asked? Explain.
I don’t like to be asked about my siblings. Because..
- You fall down, you get up
How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it”
Maya Angelou ( 1928~2014)
- And so it begins..
You’re writing your autobiography. What’s your opening sentence?
My story begins with the one thing I’d sworn never to say out loud….
- Words from William Wordsworth
What are three objects you couldn’t live without?- I’m hijacking today’s DP space
Hawthorne Lines Written in Early Spring
I heard a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sate reclined,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind.
To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.
Through primrose tufts, in that green bower,
The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;
And ’tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes.
The birds around me hopped and played,
Their thoughts I cannot measure:—
But the least motion which they made
It seemed a thrill of pleasure.
The budding twigs spread out their fan,
To catch the breezy air;
And I must think, do all I can,
That there was pleasure there.
If this belief from heaven be sent,
If such be Nature’s holy plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?William Wordsworth ( 1770~1850)
- Where the Light Finds Us
What experiences in life helped you grow the most?
“There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in” Leonard Cohen ( 1934~2016)
Some questions make it sound as though growth comes from a few big, defining moments. As if we’re meant to point to the dramatic scenes and say, there… that’s where I changed. But most of the time, we’re growing in quieter ways.
There are the cracks life gives us without warning. Loss, change, surprise. They open something in us, and the light finds its way through before we’ve even had time to steady ourselves.
There are the tiny cracks, too, the ones we barely notice at the time. A kindness that shifts your mood. A disappointment that slows your pace. Small openings that don’t feel like lessons, yet they soften us all the same.
And there are the cracks we choose. The boundary we finally hold. The truth we stop swallowing. The moment we walk away from something that no longer fits. These openings carry their own quiet courage, and the light that enters through them feels earned.
Together, they shape us. Not in neat chapters, not in grand arcs, but in a steady, ongoing way. Big moments open us. Small moments shape us. All of them let the light in.
And maybe that’s enough to notice for now — the way the light finds us, softly, through whatever openings we have. - Written in the Stars?
Do you believe in fate/destiny?
Different cultures use a different language to explain why a life unfolds in a particular way, but the underlying ideas are surprisingly consistent. Fate refers to the conditions we do not choose: the circumstances of birth, the limits, and advantages that shape our starting point. Destiny refers to what develops through our decisions, values, and actions, the direction we grow into as we become ourselves.
Between these two sit the unpredictable element: the chance events, timing, and small choices that can alter the course of a life. Modern science calls this chaos, though older traditions recognise the same principle without naming it.
Despite their differences, most belief systems agree on one thing. Life is influenced by forces outside our control and by the choices we make, and the meaning of a life emerges in the interaction between the two.We are never entirely determined and never entirely free. We live in the space between what we inherit and what we create.
- Once upon a time
Describe a phase in life that was difficult to say goodbye to.
Caitlin Moran is an English author, writer, and broadcaster.
It was a long time ago now, but she wrote something in one of her weekly columns, which resonated and has stayed with me.
‘shutting the door behind me and heading into the night’
I, too, was that young woman leaving the family home early evening to catch a bus into Birmingham (UK) with no idea how the night would unfold. The city night scene was busy in those days, lots going on. Vibrant, welcoming, exciting.
In hindsight, a kind of magical time.
- En garde
If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be, and why?
Being an Olympian on the day she picks up gold for fencing
- Becoming who I always was
Describe the most ambitious DIY project you’ve ever taken on.
My biggest DIY project has never involved a hammer, a paintbrush, or a YouTube tutorial.
It has been me, growing up without guidance, without a blueprint, without the scaffolding of family or social support. I built myself from whatever scraps of stability I could find. I learned by doing, by failing, by getting back up, and by trusting that forward was the only direction available.
For years, I didn’t see it as a project at all. It was just survival. But now, in later life, I can finally step back far enough to see the whole picture: the joins, the seams, the improvisations, the quiet triumphs. As Soren Kierkegaard wrote, “Life is understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” Only now do I understand the truth of that.
David Bowie said the best part of getting older is that you become who you always were.
He was right. I didn’t arrive here by accident. I carved my way here. And now, with the noise behind me, I can finally see the shape of the woman I’ve been building in the dark for decades: steady, unborrowed, unmistakably myself. Not new. Just finally visible.
This DIY project is ongoing. There are still loose ends and unfinished corners, and there always will be. But the structure holds. I hold. And what stands today is a life built from resilience, instinct, and a kind of courage I had to teach myself one day at a time.
It turns out the bravest thing I ever built was myself.
Author’s Note
Written in recognition of the woman I became, and the long road it took to meet her. - Two words
If you could permanently ban a word from general usage, which one would it be? Why?
Banning these words won’t make it go away.. but when I hear them, I fear the implications for all involved
Mass Redundancy
- Rudyard Kipling has the words
What is the biggest challenge you will face in the next six months?
The Power of the Dog
There is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.
Buy a pup and your money will buy
Love unflinching that cannot lie—
Perfect passion and worship fed
By a kick in the ribs or a pat on the head.
Nevertheless it is hardly fair
To risk your heart for a dog to tear.
When the fourteen years which Nature permits
Are closing in asthma, or tumour, or fits,
And the vet’s unspoken prescription runs
To lethal chambers or loaded guns,
Then you will find—it’s your own affair—
But… you’ve given your heart to a dog to tear.
When the body that lived at your single will,
With its whimper of welcome, is stilled (how still!).
When the spirit that answered your every mood
Is gone—wherever it goes—for good,
You will discover how much you care,
And will give your heart to a dog to tear.
We’ve sorrow enough in the natural way,
When it comes to burying Christian clay.
Our loves are not given, but only lent,
At compound interest of cent per cent.
Though it is not always the case, I believe,
That the longer we’ve kept ’em, the more do we grieve:
For, when debts are payable, right or wrong,
A short-time loan is as bad as a long—
So why in—Heaven (before we are there)
Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear?By Rudyard Kipling ( 1865~1936)
Patch - Growing Up in Different Worlds
What advice would you give to your teenage self?
Every generation grows up in a different world, shaped by its own noise and illusions. Today’s young live through screens, influencers, and “reality” that isn’t real, and I worry they’re losing touch with the quiet truths of nature. But my generation had its own distortions too.
So the advice I’d give my younger self, and them, is simple: hold on to what’s real, stay curious, trust your own eyes more than the world’s noise, and pay attention to the quiet things because they’re the ones that last. In the end, the task never changes. Keep your focus on what’s real, not what’s loud.
- In the words of Derek Walcott
Love After Love
The time will come
when, with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other’s welcome,
and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread, Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.
Derek Walcott ( 1930~2017) - The Dog, the Door, and the Grain of Things
What bores you?
Patch asks to go out, so I open the door. He pauses on the threshold, reading the air like it’s a message meant only for him. He steps out, then reappears moments later, nose pressed to the French window, fogging the glass with fresh nose‑art. I open the door again; he doesn’t come in. He just stands there, undecided, as if the threshold itself is the point. When I step outside to usher him in, he runs away. This is where I recognise boredom, not mine, his. I try to be the best Mom, but he would test the patience of a saint.
And yet boredom requires a blankness I don’t possess. Even in these tiny domestic loops, the world offers micro‑textures, the shift in light, the slant of a thought, the way Patch listens to something older than sound. These subtleties unfurl easily for me. They keep the moment textured and full. With so much quiet detail to inhabit, boredom has nowhere to settle.
- It’s impossible to choose just one
What is your favourite drink?
There are four drinks I could live on forever. All are so delicious, and each holds memories.
Coconut water, watermelon juice, Turkish coffee, and chai.
- The People Who Steady A Room
Who are your favorite people to be around?
Generosity of spirit has so many facets: patience, kindness, steadiness, the ability to see others clearly without judgement. I could write about all of them, but today I’m choosing just one or two that feel especially true to me.
I love people who move through the world with a sense of emotional abundance, as if kindness isn’t something they’ll run out of, but something that grows the more they use it.
These are the people who steady a room simply by being in it.
Who leave others feeling a little more seen, a little more human.
Who remind me that goodness doesn’t need an audience.
- 2. Footwear? You ask us girls about shoes?
Tell us about your favorite pair of shoes, and where they’ve taken you.
Feb 2026. Below is the reply to the DP I wrote a year ago. Not long after, I had begun blogging again. I’m tempted to rewrite the whole thing. But no. I’ll leave it be.
Feb 2025. Currently, I spend most of my time in wellies. It’s February, in England and I walk my dog a lot in the muddiest of areas. My choice, I know.
But asking a female about favourite footwear? With any luck, we’ve all had quite a few pairs that have made us happy. Yes, I can see I’ve generalised there, and yes, there are going to be lots of ladies that have had the one special pair, and I look forward to reading about them.
Cowboy boots, desert boots, moccasin boots, Converse, Birkies, platforms, killer heels, bejewelled sandals, clogs, the list goes on.
I don’t buy leather anymore, but I did once upon a time have the most beautiful chestnut coloured sandals that encased my foot. It’s impossible to describe, really but memorable. They took me to Saudi Arabia- and thinking about that, I imagine I gave up my beloved biker boots at that same time. Wouldn’t be needing those in the desert.
- When giving is all we have
Share one of the best gifts you’ve ever received.
One river gives its journey to the next
We give because someone gave to us.
We give because nobody gave to us.
We give because giving has changed us.
We give because giving could have changed us.
We have been better for it,
We have been wounded by it—
Giving has many faces: It is loud and quiet,
Big, though small, diamond in wood-nails.
Its story is old, the plot worn and the pages too,
But we read this book, anyway, over and again:
Giving is, first and every time, hand to hand,
Mine to yours, yours to mine.
You gave me blue and I gave you yellow.
Together we are simple green. You gave me
What you did not have, and I gave you
What I had to give—together, we made
Something greater from the difference.Alberto Rios (1952 ~ )
- At what cost?
Write about your approach to budgeting.
With more going out than coming in, I have no choice but to be mindful
- What remains when symbols are stolen
Are you patriotic? What does being patriotic mean to you?
I envy the ease with which the Scottish, Irish, Welsh, and Cornish lift their flags ~ symbols of heritage carried without suspicion.
For many of us in England, the St George’s Cross has been burdened by years of appropriation, its meaning bent out of shape by people I don’t stand with. And so the question comes: am I patriotic? Not in the loud, performative sense. But in the quieter ways ~in wanting fairness, in caring about the land beneath my feet, in feeling protective of the humour, the contradictions, the decency that still runs through this place ~perhaps I am.
And if patriotism includes affection for your own people, then yes, I feel that, too. I’m especially fond of my fellow Brummies: their warmth, their wit, their refusal to take themselves too seriously.
I’m grateful as well for the small mercies of this island ~even our weather. We have our floods and our wildfires, of course, but not with the ferocity some countries endure; there’s a gentleness to our climate that mirrors the quieter loyalties I carry.
Yet I can’t pretend there isn’t a shadow side. I’m often ashamed of how many of the titled and entitled make the headlines for all the wrong reasons, as though their behaviour stands in for the rest of us. It doesn’t ~but it still stings.
And perhaps that’s the heart of it. My patriotism isn’t blind. It isn’t boastful. It isn’t borrowed from flags or slogans. It’s a kind of stewardship ~loving a place enough to see its flaws clearly and still wanting better for it. A loyalty that doesn’t shout but stays. A loyalty that hopes. - You’re nicked!
Have you ever unintentionally broken the law?
It was mostly to have been a Wednesday, the day they lurk at the side of the road, waiting for you to come along at speed.
The country road coming out of town has a multitude of speed change signs. A ridiculous amount.
I saw the police van ahead and approached the village with caution. You’d be hard pushed to knock someone down there as the pavements are wide and the houses set back. A one horse kinda place.
I drove past at a snail’s pace and could see the new speed sign to my left as I drove out of the place. Because there was an incline, I put my foot down a bit. And that was me, toast!
A week or so, the fine comes through the post. Points on my licence and an insurance hike for something like 3-4 miles over the limit. Great!
- What’s in a title?
If there were a biography about you, what would the title be?
Hmm. Interesting, WP. You state biography, not autobiography. Suggesting the title would have been chosen by someone else? In which case maybe Sailing–Close to the Wind.
My choice? I’m Still Standing. Many thanks to Sir Elton John for that.
- Words by Philip Larkin
What were your parents doing at your age?
They f*ck you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had
And add some extra, just for you.
But they were f*cked up in their turn
By fools in old-style hats and coats,
Who half the time were soppy-stern
And half at one another’s throats.
Man hands on misery to man.
It deepens like a coastal shelf.
Get out as early as you can,
And don’t have any kids yourself.Philip Larkin (1922~1985)
- The dictatorship
If you had the power to change one law, what would it be and why?
The heavy hand of the supermarkets needs addressing. They dictate to the farmers on buying prices, quality, packaging, and delivery.
Plus payment terms, demands to fund promotional costs, and forced return of unsold merchandise across the board.
Despite not drinking milk or eating meat, it’s impossible not to see the injustice here and empathise with the farmers who struggle to keep their heads above water. They have so many factors to take into consideration to earn an honest crust. Whilst the Suits at supermarkets sit at their desks and rake it in.
- Dream on,dream on
Write about your dream home.
And so we get another chance to write about our dream home. Last time, I may have said a converted chapel or old school house on the edge of a market town in England. I thought and still do think it would be amazing to leave your front door and walk to the beach one way or the shops another. Bliss.
Another time did I say a little house in the woods. The sun dappled through the trees? A porch to sit out on with a cat and a dog. All manner of wildlife would live in close proximity. Another state of bliss.
This time I would like to think my dream place would be a townhouse in central London. I love the vibe, the parks, and so much to do if it pleases you. Yes, there you have three shades of bliss.
- Words by W.H.Davies
You get some great, amazingly fantastic news. What’s the first thing you do?
Great, amazingly fantastic news? I imagine I would cry.
And now, with the DP answered and a lovely empty page below, I will put Nature’s Friend a poem by one of my favourite peeps, W.H. Davies.
Say what you like,
All things love me!
I pick no flowers –
That wins the Bee.
The Summer’s Moths
Think my hand one –
To touch their wings –
With Wind and Sun.
The garden Mouse
Comes near to play;
Indeed, he turns
His eyes away.
The Wren knows well
I rob no nest;
When I look in.
She still will rest.
The hedge stops Cows,
Or they would come
After my voice
Right to my home.
The Horse can tell,
Straight from my lip.
My hand could not
Hold any whip.
Say what you like,
All things love me!
Horse, Cow, and Mouse,
Bird, Moth and Bee.
by William Henry Davies (1871 ~ 1940)
- Jeff, my Happiness Engineer
‘ Becareful what you wish for, lest it come true’
This was suggested to us by Aesop in the sixth century. Have I learnt nothing?
To cut a long story short, I was a bit miffed with the repeated Daily Posts, so put in a query about it, twice.
Jeff, a Happiness Engineer, understood where I was coming from, or so I thought. Now, someone in their wisdom on the team has left me unable to answer, said Daily Posts, by marking them ‘answered’ two days running.
And of course, now I want back in and be able to answer those repeated DP’s. 🤣
- DP ‘ answered’?
Huh?
I was just ready with my thoughts to answer the Daily Prompt, only to read that I had answered it. Yes, WP, this time last year, but not today.
I’ll tell you what WP, I’ll save those thoughts for another day x
- Enough already
Do you need a break? From what?
A little break from the ageing process would be cool.
All those formative years aching to be older, like it was a superpower. Then you get there, and maybe it’s not so magical after all?
I’m enjoying slow living now, absolutely loving it, but it’s going far too quickly. I had no idea! I thought being older would give me all this free time. The days would be endless, maybe to the extent of having time on my hands. Not a chance.
Bam and another day has gone. Pretty damn freaky tbh.
- Imagine
The most important invention in your lifetime is…
I have been searching high and low this morning for the name of an invention, but I can’t find it. Maybe you can help?
It has the facility to strip Man of his greed and his thirst for power. It takes away that absolute cruel streak, which stops at nothing to achieve its goal.
It opens eyes, hearts, and souls. It instils gratitude.
Compassion and empathy are inbedded, and authenticity is there by default.
Oh, silly me! There is no such thing
- Under the radar
Describe your most ideal day from beginning to end.
It would be a perfectly ideal day to get from A-B breathing. Unscathed from a day where all manner of incidents and accidents were waiting to happen.
From around that corner, I ask for no bad and sad news from those whom I care about waiting.
- Tick tock⏳️
How do significant life events or the passage of time influence your perspective on life?
Significant events and the passing of time change all of us, but lately I’ve been noticing the particular ways they’ve shaped me. Now that I’m retired and finally have space to reflect, the bigger picture is coming into focus.
My life hasn’t been the easiest, and I’ve had to navigate most of it without much support. I’ve weathered storms on my own, learning resilience the long way round. I’ve also learned a lot about people — mostly that I tend to hope everyone is kind, and I’m often disappointed when they’re not. But even those lessons have helped me grow clearer about boundaries and what I deserve.
One constant through the last twenty years has been my dogs. Their loyalty and presence have kept me grounded and sane in ways I can’t fully put into words.
These days, I see every day as a school day. I’m not the same person I was yesterday, and I won’t be the same tomorrow. Not because I’m lost, but because I’m still learning, still growing, still becoming.
- Well, the fairies won’t do it
Something on your “to-do list” that never gets done.
An overflowing inbox needs some attention, as does a haphazard photo gallery. Despite not using email that much these days, it continues to have a life of its own, which does not include self-cleaning. So, WP that is something that never gets done.
Another thing is the car, inside and out. At present we live rural side, it’s February, it has rained a lot of late. There is mud everywhere, across the fields, splashed all over our wheels, and the interior has not escaped either. The difference between this ‘to-do’ and my inbox is that the car will be done sooner rather than later.
- The big breakfast
What’s your favourite thing to cook?
I’d driven Patch to one of our favourite walks this morning, and when we approached the car, he seemed to want to simply stand still and take in his surroundings.
We know this is how dogs take in information about the world around them. Each nostril sniffing a different area. They sense unseen animals and people, weather conditions, and even changes in the bodies of their humans who accompany them.
Allowing your companion to have a fullfilling sensory experience is one of the best things you can do for them each day.
I was rewarded for standing around on a chilly February early morning with the sighting of a barn owl swishing back and forth across the field in front of me. Magnificent.
And then it was home for breakfast, which I think I mentioned last time you asked WP is my favourite and the main meal of my day at the moment.
Mushrooms with Sumac, wilted spinach, poached eggs, avocados( olive oil, lemon juice salt n pep) with haloumi, or veg sausage/bacon for an occasional treat. Delish.
- It was dial-up!
Write about your first computer.
It was in 2000, whilst I was living and working in Saudi Arabia that I found myself buying a copy of The Internet for Dummies. It didn’t help. Just washed over me completely. Starting with the theory was not a good move.
Earlier during the late 90’s( in the UK) I became aware that some of my office-bound pals were using email.
But it wasn’t until 2001 when I was in India that a real live princess ( I kid you not) taught me how to use a computer. The only thing I remember about it was that it was dial-up. It was pretty tricky when the electric supply went off and came on at will.
The one day that will stay in my mind forever is when the horrific events of September 11th unfolded. Everyone else was watching it on TV. But I just sat there in front of the screen in disbelief, immobilised.
- You like?
Okay, I get it. Influencers ( read straight up advertising) want/need likes to attract companies with services/stuff to sell.
But on blogging posts? It doesn’t sit right with me. It feels outdated/out of place. I’d love to see a ✔️ instead. What do you think, WP Bloggers? To me, it would mean I’ve read, acknowledged your post/thoughts/work, and thank you. Clean, neat, and to the point.
Today, I’m on day 365 of a streak. A year completed with this blog. Tomorrow, my 2nd year will begin, possibly answering a repeated DP. No, not complaining, simply just saying, WP.
I’ve really enjoyed getting to know some of you guys a bit, and I thank you all 190 subscribers. I love the diversity here, ages, locations, situations, and styles of expressing yourselves. With more hours in the day, I really would read more of your posts.
I’ll just mention the voyeurs. Those beings who lurk in the shadows, read our posts, and fade away without a nod. You guys could try harder?
To the rest of you, beautiful people, thanks for being you and sharing part of your lives with us all. Stay safe.
Oh, almost forgot. Should have read down the post and landed here and be the Someone who comments from time, please add your initial/s. Then I’ll know who I am replying too. Love love x
- Thanks but no thanks
What’s the thing you’re most scared to do? What would it take to get you to do it?
In a previous life, I have abseiled and tried paragliding once.
Today, nothing on this Earth would have me handgliding, bungee jumping, mountain climbing, on a zip wire or sky diving. Likewise, being on a submarine or any submersible. Nah, not happening.
- I can see clearly now
What do you complain about the most?
After a short walk this morning, I drove Patch a short distance to one of our favourite walks. As I slowed down for a cattle grid, the most beautiful of Red Kites swooped down in front of us and all but kissed the ground. A haze of amber, and it was gone. What a truly amazing start to this cold, damp, and grey January day.
It’s possible I’ve reached a stage where complaining has ceased altogether and been replaced, not by apathy, but something else.
A slight shake of the head, a tad expelling of breath, a flash of expletives through my brain, or simply nothing at all.
The big picture is bright. I don’t miss much, but I’ve ceased responding to my own detriment.
I will always be a compassionate and empathetic soul. An imploding planet, pathetic world leaders, and the mass suffering of humans and animals will always sadden me deeply.
But for now, self-preservation is crucial.
Witnessing that majestic Red Kite sweep before me this morning was awesome.
- Words by William Ernest Henley
What are your favourite sports to watch and play? WP, I’ve got no words of my own for today’s DP. As ever I give this space to another
Invictus
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.By William Ernest Henley (1849~193)
- Each to their own
What would you do if you won the lottery?
WP, you have certainly stirred the thoughts, hopes, and dreams of your blogging community today. It’s been good to read everyone’s ideas of where a lottery win would fit into their lives.
Had you asked me last year or 5 years ago, I know my answers would be different. Today, I reckon I know how this would play out.
For two or three days, maybe as long as a week. I wouldn’t tell a soul. No, I take that back. There’s an older lady who has known me all my life. I’d tell her immediately, and she would instinctively know that she would be safe.
Next, I’d call the garage and get 4 new tyres put on my trusted Peugeot.
I’d arrange an appointment ASAP at the local cosmetic dentist to plan new veneers.
We are lucky in the UK to have the NHS, but I would quickly sign up to BUPA, so I was no longer a burden on the system.
My no frills ‘click n collect’ funeral would be paid for in full, immediately.
My new (refurbished) phone now has a crack on the screen and my tablet is tired. I’d like to replace those devices. I don’t need an IPhone.
I think I could get all this sorted relatively quickly.
A visit to Space NK would definetly be on the cards for a few treats plus a bottle of Portrait of a Lady perfume by Frédéric Malle. Something I have lusted after for a very long time.
After the trip into town, I would be tempted to pick up a bottle of Bolly, but probably not as I would need a clear head for a few days. It could wait.
Lastly, I would be scrolling the likes of OnTheMarket.com and WhatCar.com to find a suitable home for us and some nice new wheels.
And then that would be me done. I would carry on my life as usual.
It should go without saying, really, but for those who don’t know me at all, I would be giving much of the winnings away. Once a financial plan was in place to keep us ( Patch n me) secure, I would like to top up on what I’d already and quickly passed on to friends in need and charities I already support.
- AI and Me
What books do you want to read?
Over time, Copilot and I have developed a shared language — a climate shaped by the conversations we’ve had. It responds to the rhythms I return to: gentleness before depth, clarity before complexity, metaphor as a way of thinking. It doesn’t know my inner workings; it knows the patterns I’ve shown it, the threads I revisit, the emotional weather I bring.
I’d had The Body Keeps the Score sitting on my shelf for years, unread, and only recently realised that much of it has quietly become outdated. Because Copilot understands my sensibilities so well, I asked for help finding books that speak more accurately — and more kindly — to the realities of past stress.
The intelligence here is collaborative. I bring the sensibility; it brings the structure. Together we’ve built a way of working that feels cumulative rather than transactional — a quiet, evolving archive that makes this reading path feel genuinely tailored.
From that shared language — and from realising that the book long resting on my shelf had aged out of usefulness — came the impulse to look elsewhere, and together we shaped a reading path that feels true to who I am now.
What emerged is a year in four books, each chosen for its emotional climate as much as its content — a seasonal way of reading that honours gentleness, pacing, and the slow deepening of understanding.❄️Winter — Wintering by Katherine May
A gentle beginning. A book that teaches rest, seasonality, and emotional spaciousness — the perfect winter companion.
🌱 Spring — What Happened to You? by Bruce Perry & Oprah Winfrey
Relational warmth and humane clarity. A soft introduction to how early stress shapes us without overwhelm.
☀️Summer — Anchored by Deb Dana
A grounded guide to understanding and regulating the nervous system. Clear, kind, and deeply practical.
🍂 Autumn — The Deepest Well by Nadine Burke Harris
Depth, evidence, and compassion. A scientifically current exploration of how adversity affects long‑term health.So I’ll take this reading year gently, choosing what feels right and keeping the pace honest. Patch will steady the rhythm beside me. It’s a small beginning — and enough.
- In the words of Sara Teasdale
Write about a few of your favourite family traditions…WP we have zero family traditions to write about. Instead, if I may, I will happily give over this space to the words of another. I love this poem
There will come soft rains
(War time)
There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground.
And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;
And frogs in the pools singing at night,
And wild plum trees in tremulous white,
Robins will wear their feathery fire
Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire;
And not one will know of the war, not one
Will care at last when it is done.
Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree
If mankind perished utterly;
And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn,
Would scarcely know that we were gone.
Sara Teasdale (1884~1930)
- Words from William Wordsworth
What do you enjoy doing most in your leisure time? WP, I am hijacking this DP as we’ve written about our lesuire time recently enough. Thank you.
Daffodils
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
William Wordsworth (1770~1850)
- Way to go
Name an attraction or town close to home that you still haven’t got around to visiting.
It is with thanks to Eric’s blog here on WP ( http://www.ericfoltin.com ) that I was reminded I have yet to visit a place in North London that has captured my imagination more than once.
In one of his recent posts, he mentioned something called atlasobcura.com. A fabulous website that suggests places around the world you may be interested in visiting. There are 562 ideas for London alone.
Highgate Cemetery/ Nature reserve. 37 acres of Victorian Gothic architecture and atmosphere with 170.000 interments -graves/urns.
The list of inmates is a long one, and so very impressive, were their accomplishments: Artists, scientists, writers, historians, surgeons, industrialists, furniture makers and engravers, and so many more.
Most of the names I didn’t recognise, but well done them for achieving what they did.
George Michael, Bob Hoskins, and Douglas Adams are there along with Charles Dickens and his family, as is William, Gabriel, and Christina Rossetti 💜
- 🎼 Girls just wanna have fun 🎶
List five things you do for fun.
‘ The simplest pleasures are sometimes the most extraordinary’
Edgar Allan Poe ( 1809~1849) American writer, poet, editor, literary critic.
These days, you would barely notice me having fun.
Writing my blog, walking my dog, being in nature, feeding the birds, decluttering/pottering, exercising grey matter…opening a bottle of wine.
Plenty of fun still to be had in my little world.
- Talk to me
If you could make your pet understand one thing, what would it be?
Thanks, WP. I’ve especially enjoyed reading through the DP’s my fellow bloggers have posted today.
If you have gathered anything about me at all, it’s animals and my passion for them, especially dogs. I can’t help myself, something I was clearly born with.
Patch. My companion of the last 5 years. Who is at least 12 and came to share my life after being in 3 previous homes ( or should that read ‘houses’? ) has clearly had a difficult time of it.
What I’d like him to know is I wish he could talk to me about those days instead of keeping it all inside
- Being Joe
Write about your first name: its meaning, significance, etymology, etc.
You may recognise this scrappy little pup. I’ve posted about him before.
This is the first photo I took of him over 20 years ago.
I’d been overseas for many years, and for a multitude of reasons ( all stories in themselves), I decided it was time to head back to the UK. ( Was that wise? Yes, another story there)
For the last 6 months of my stay, I rented a house in Palavakkam, just off the East Coast Road, heading south out of Chennai city.
( I owe a great deal to a taxi driver, Michael, who found and secured the place for me. It was perfect. I’d like to thank him more, but have so far run aground trying to trace him….but I digress)
The van from The Blue Cross of India would drop me at the end of my road each evening. Giving me some time to decompress before I reached home.
One night, this little pup was in the street, hanging out with the big dogs amongst the traffic. I scooped him up and brought him back with me…..There’s much I could write about here… but this post is how he got his name.
A lovely old friend and workmate of mine said she would have him when I returned to the UK….She was called Mary. So I called him Joseph. Joe.
On the afternoon I took him over to her house he had a great time hanging out with her kids, and then he raced up to me, sat himself at my feet and said,’ can we go home now?’ …We did, and he came with me and my big older boy Tony to England.
We shared a life for 14 years ❤️
- Ducks in a row?
What’s your dream job?
A dream job would be the one getting up in the morning and ready for work would be exciting..or at least easy, no slog.
Maybe it would showcase abilities, gifts, and passions. Childhood ambitions fullfilled.
Fullfilling, yes, that’s a good word, isn’t it, to describe a job that suits you perfectly? And there we go, another expression ‘ suits you’..The working environment and access to, the life work balance and rewards suit you.
Yep, a few ducks to get in a row there, but I’m guessing it begins with a passion?
If a publisher, editor scout, whomever believed my style of writing was worthy of payment, that would do it for me.
- In the words of Stephen King
What makes a good leader?
‘A cowardly leader is the most dangerous of men.’
Stephen King ( 1947~ )
- 43% of global arms trade is from US
If you could un-invent something, what would it be?
Some of you lovely bloggers today have said that univenting algorithms would be a good idea. I concede, they certainly mess with people’s heads.
( It did cross my mind.’ I wonder if the covid kids are aware of how much they are being manipulated? There is a lot of pressure on that generation, coming from all sides – another topic for a post, I guess)
My initial thought when I read our DP was to say guns. What an idiot I am, as if taking away firearms would stop people harming each other?
Humans have harmed each other, physically mentally and emotionally from day one, I imagine.
Chinese Taoist Alchemists accidentally discovered gunpowder whilst seeking an elixir for immortality in the 9th century. By the 10th century, they were stuffing bamboo tubes with it and voila! Shooting each other.
In the late 13 century, metal barred firearms came into being, and by the 14th, true gun development was happening.
And here we are
- Fur love
Can you share a positive example of where you’ve felt loved?
Every animal I have walked with along this path called life, I have loved wholeheartedly.
And yet they have given me more
- Sorted
Where can you reduce clutter in your life?
My email. I love sorting, decluttering, call it what you will,but with a stylists head on. Not an officey kinda thing. So the inbox will need to wait.
Years ago, when I was about to leave a nanny’s job in Saudi. I was given a task, made for me, really.
Sheikh A and his family were moving into a seaside lux apartment, facing a mosque.
I had been there two years’ call to prayer was nothing new, but I didn’t think I could hack the early doors version. Luckily, I was headhunted for a new position in a neighbouring country.
On one particular day, I was given a lovely space in the apartment, which was to be the kids’ play room. All their kit, their toys, books, etc. had literally been collected up and dumped into the containers.
‘ Bring it on’.
I spent several hours doing my thing. Unpacking and arranging. No one had dropped by, so when they did I was soo pleased to read their faces. They were taken aback. I’d excelled myself. The space looked amazing.
I left the next day. Job done.
- For the love of dogs
What is your favorite animal?
In two weeks’ time, it will be a full year since I began this blog. Turning up 356 days straight for the Daily Prompt.
WP, I am pretty sure this is the 3rd time you have asked us our favourite animal
random pic of cute pup .
Sooo, just to clarify, it’s dogs, dogs, and dogs all the way for me. My old boy Patch? I’d be totally lost without him. My companion in life, my rock.
I am passionate about all animals generally, but something about the brown bear..
- And the first prize goes to WP
In what ways do you communicate online?
It really depends on how the mood of the moment takes me. What it is I need or want to achieve at any given time. Much like the rest of the population, I guess.
There are platforms to catch up with old friends, to go to for a smile, for information or advice.
But WordPress is my happy place. Tackling the DP, reading my favourite bloggers’ posts, exchanging a few comments, and finding new writers whose style I understand, it’s all here.
Thank you WP for the space and fellow bloggers and buddies for turning up day after day…. and being you.
- Once upon a time, many moons ago
Think back on your most memorable road trip.
OK. Let’s get this out there. I’m going to tell you about a road trip in a year, probably before your parents were born. There it is. Strange but true, lol. In our defence, we were youngsters at the time.
There were eight of us in three Kombi vans, 4 girls, 4 boys and a little kid, a girl.
VW Kombi Over 1800 miles one way. That’s a long ol’ stretch for Brits.
We drove through France and Spain and over to Morocco.
Take it as a given, we had a blast.
I can’t remember at what stage of this 3 month trip it was, but our menfolk, were recruited to work as extras on a movie. £20 a day, not to be sniffed at, back then.
The catch being our beautiful surfing hippy lads went off one day and came back minus their gorgeous flowing locks.
Obvs, we girls were thrilled to each be given a fabulous room in a hotel in Agadir for the duration. What a treat!.
I remember the night the boys came back off set. There were two of us crouched down on the balcony waiting to see the returning buses. To say it freaked us out is an understatement they all looked the same.
The film was March or Die with Gene Hackman and Cathrine Deneuve and Terence Hill and directed by Dick Richards.
Our boys had become French Foreign Legionaires. We had new men.
I’ll look through our own pics tomorrow and replace with an original - Words by Christina Rossetti
Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann’d:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.Remember Me by Christina Rossetti 1830~1894
- Give me a minute
What snack would you eat right now?
At this moment in time, I’m not in snack-needed-mode, but thank you, WP.
Coming up to 6.30am on a dark cold January morning, two large coffees in, is enough for now.
Patch can’t quite decide if to get up or not, but I think it’s only heading one way and before I know it he will be giving me three minutes to sort myself before he wants out.
Snacks can wait. Maybe later, if I need something salty to fill a gap I will reach for some olives, something sweet, it will be dates.
Snacking can go two ways. It’s relatively nutrious and fills a gap. Regulating sugar levels and providing energy during the lows, or else with a life of its own and becoming addictive, stuffing your body with rubbish.
I simply don’t buy cakes, biscuits, crisps or beige food that will speak to me through the kitchen cupboard door. They will have the upper hand, and I find I’m not happy until I have seen them off. Best I don’t put them in temptations way to start with.
- With words by Edgar A. Guest
Come up with a crazy business idea.
Oh dear WP!..I just can’t get my ahead around this DP today. There is zero in the tank, so forgive me whilst I go off-piste.
Back in time, there were discrepancies about the original author of this poem Today, historians and librarians give credit to British born American Edgar A. Guest ( 1881-1959)
Keep Going
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must—but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow—
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out—
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit—
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit. - Hippy Daze
Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it?
My beloved Afghan. Oh, how I loved that coat. Setting off out to the city on cold winter nights, I was totally comfortable, warm, and secure in it.
Then I went away to work a summer season somewhere, and when I came back, my dad’s third wife had cleared out my bedroom and redecorated. That was a shock.
This photo is the nearest I can find. It’s not exactly the same, but you’ll get the idea
- Food for thought?
What is your mission?
The initial knee-jerk reaction to the DP today was ‘to stay breathing‘. I left it there, wondering how I was going to fill the page. I honestly could think no further. Not often stuck for words, but hey.
Out about with Patch, early doors in nature soon got me thinking a bit more.
Then it became obvious,to keep showing up here each day to do my stuff and read yours.
It’s my happy place. Simple as.
Then out preparing the buffet Round Two for the birds and squirrels it came to mind that this weekend maybe I will unpack a box which has been sealed for some time, with previous writings, scribbles and thoughts, and see what lerks there. Yes! That would be a perfect mission.
It’s funny how being outdoors always kick starts a fruitful thought process.
Where do my fellow bloggers find inspiration? You guys certainly inspire me when my tank is momentarily empty. So thank you for that.
IN THE BOOMER PIGEON HOLE? 
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