Share one of the best gifts you’ve ever received.
This question stopped me in my tracks for a moment.
As I stared at the empty page wondering where to begin, it became clear. There, the very ability to look at the space, waiting for me to collect my thoughts. Sight
One of the best gifts I was given at birth was the ability to see.The best gift I can give someone else is to be on the NHS national data base for all organ donations.
Write about your approach to budgeting.
George Washington, born 22 February 1732 and first president of the United States had the right idea. ‘ We must consult our means rather than our wishes.’
Are you patriotic? What does being patriotic mean to you?
Once upon time patriotism must have been wonderfully positive and emotive. Today, in my minds eye I see the emotion, but it being a negative. That it now smacks of extremesism and not in a good way?
I ike being English, a Brit. Our young royals are doing a sterling job, all things considered. I’ve never considered myself a royalist, far from it, but Dianna Princess of Wales was something else. A very special lady. It was tragic she lost her life just as she was gaining control of it.
The world has become a terrifying place ( yes, I understand we are now more able to see what’s going on everywhere, more than ever before)..It feels uneasy…but I digress. Am I a patriot? Not per se, it’s more to do with gratitude. I can think of many places worldwide I wouldn’t have liked/survived being born and growing up in. So, England I thank you and I’m happy to be here.
This morning on LBC Radio they spoke about Trump and his latest moves, keeping Europe out of discussions regarding Ukraine and from that moment on I began to have feelings of Patriotism for Europe. I voted to remain during Brexit and we lost that. Is that flame now going to be rekindled? I hope so.
Have you ever unintentionally broken the law?
I think today’s lesson was two fold…The Prompt; the lesson in writing and Lesson Two being the reminder that I’m an idiot and I’m sharing that fact with you. More than an idiot, really. Absolute irresponsible, just about sums it up.
What did I do?
If I had been caught, maybe had a car accident because of it, I could have been fined £5000, an appearance in court and my insurance company very unhappy with me. Worse still someone could have got hurt and more.
Getting ready to come back from the park my dog’s raincoat was wet and muddy, so I took it off so he could get warm. I got in the front and drove the few miles home.
Only when I got here did I realise I hadn’t secured his harness. He’d been unrestrained. If I’d had an accident and stopped suddenly he could have been hurt. If he had distracted me and I’d collided with another vehicle…we’ll, I don’t want to think about that.
What I will think about is being more careful in future. He will be secured at all times.
If there was a biography about you, what would the title be?
To see a biography about me on a book shop shelf would be quite something. It would mean I had realised my final ambition/dream and was being recognised for it. ‘ Yikes!’ we might say in England, when something extraordinary happens.
What were your parents doing at your age?
The daily prompts are fun. They have been invaluable to me, really- for getting back into writing.
But today’s task is something I don’t want to participate in.
My baggage is in store and I will unpack it.. unwrap it when I’m ready.
Initially it was the point of my blog, but I’ve been happily distracted with these daily exercises, which I love.
Have a good day, all.
If you had the power to change one law, what would it be and why?
It has been so interesting to read all the contributions to today’s WordPress blog prompt. The opinions have been so wide. Some waving the question goodbye as they have found it simply too complicated to even get their thoughts around. Others have suggested their blogs are their happy places and such this particular topic is not for them. I respect each and every one of you for your views.
The simple thought of the death penalty is an emotive one. Miscarriages of justice I am sure have kept many souls awake at night. It is reported one in 10 people on Death Row are innocent. Luckily for some there are many organisations worldwide ready to campaign for those deemed innocent.
But I ask you to consider this one case. Ian Watkins the front man of a Welsh rock band called The Lost Prophets, given a twenty nine year sentence ( plus 6 years on license and 10 months added for being in possession of a mobile phone in person). He is currently serving the time in HM Wakefield. His crime? Multiple sex offences, including sexual assault of young children and infants.Plus being in possession of extreme child and animal pornography.
It was recorded in 2013 that only fifty eight countries retain the death penalty. The UK gov turning their back on it in 1965.
The overall annual expenditure for all prisons in the UK is Four billion, and some.
In 2022/23 the cost of keeping one inmate amounted to £51,724 a year.
In the case of Ian Watkins, surely that money could be better spent in society?
Write about your dream home.
My dream home would be located in or around the civil parish and town of Marazion, on the shore of Mounts Bay in Cornwall, UK. Within walking distance of one of the beaches would be perfect.
A converted chapel or an old school house with big windows and original features, would make me happy. Inside it would be minimalist with high end workmanship, fixtures and fittings.
Downstairs the under heated natural floors would be wooden and stone. Ethnic style rugs would bring colour and extra warmth.
On the ground floor there would need to be a bedroom with french windows which open onto an unfussy south facing walled garden. There would be herbs growing and sweet smelling honeysuckle on the far wall. Clematis and jasmine elsewhere. This room would be used by me if I had a dog with mobility issues at the time. If not it would be a guest suite.
The large kitchen/ family would be the simple shaker style with an island, a top of the range Aga and comfortable stripey sofas. The table to seat ten, easily.
I would like a study, not that we get much paperwork admin these days, but a place to keep the remaining books I have, to do ‘ officey ‘ ( is that even a word?) things and write. A desk, a sofa bed ( incase push comes to shove I have an extra guest to accommodate at short notice. Admin Corner, I’d probably call it.
An open plan sitting room/dining room which could be divided by double sliding doors if necessary. Chunky velvet sofas and an upmarket realistic but fake fireplace ( I would need to research these). A decent size screen I guess is a given, especially with friends staying over for any length of time.
A downstairs bathroom of some description is also a given.
Upstairs simply two good size suites, a master and guest.
Outside I’d like there to be adequate off street parking, a garage and some form of lean-to/car port when I could park and unpack the car, safe from the elements. There would be a side door which opened into a boot/laundry room.
There would be a covered sit-out. One of those places you can be, regardless of the weather, rain or shine, to breathe the air, be quiet…..or maybe have chatter and fun with friends.
On roof would be solar panels to capture the sun.
Yes, I can see it now..
You get some great, amazingly fantastic news. What’s the first thing you do?
It’s now Feb 2026. This post has come to light as it was a response to last year’s DP….
A sharp intake of breathe would probably be an instinctively first reaction to recieving the best news ever. Swiftly followed by gratitude to the powers that be.
If I had been standing I’d probably quickly sit, or stand if id been seated. I would need to gather my thoughts and a walk with my dog would be the fastest way to calm a jittery heart a nervous system thrown into chaos.
Good news could come in many forms and would that be for me personally or for someone I care about? Either way it would be a wonderful moment everyone should get to experience at some stage.
Relief may be a major player in this event. Did someone survive against all the odds? Has a healthy baby been born or conceived? Has an effort been recognised or a due reward given? A new journey begun or one completed safely? Has there been an encouraging medical diagnosis? Has Lady Luck played me a divine hand? If we think on and on there are endless reasons what the positive news may be. I have mentioned but a few, in no particular order.
Yes, a long, quiet and peaceful walk with my dog would be the first thing I would need to do should my stars align.
Are there any activities or hobbies you’ve outgrown or lost interest in over time?
I wasn’t read to as a child..boo hoo! And I didn’t grow up with my mom, double boo hoo…but I did inherit her love of reading. Especially as I got older we both shared a love of auto/biographies. She was so easy to buy for on special occasions, I would simply visit the book shop and see what was new.
Weekly comics; The Beezer and Sparky were bought for me by a lovely elderly lady who looked after me on a regular basis, and the Famous Five books really captured my Imagination.
The comics were replaced by magazines for teenagers like Jackie and I loved the little booklets that were readily available which had the lyrics of all the latest pops songs in.
Then came the glossies; Cosmopolitan,She, Marie Claire, Red, Elle, I loved them! Eventually they became really quite expensive and worse was the increasing amount of ads. Full pages and lots of them.
I then got into novels, especially historical ones, where I could learn something. There is an author Annie Murray who writes about stories around Birmingham, like the Cadbury’s factory and the Jewellery Quarter. Fabulous.
And then the World Wide Web was launched..and it changed everything, and books were laid aside.
I mourned the loss of interest in books. I would pick them up and try, but I simply couldn’t get into them…..and this went on for years, too many years.
Then recently out of the blue a book in Waterstone’s caught my eye. I was in there buying Christmas presents for other people. That day I left with a book for myself and so my love of reading rekindled.
IN THE BOOMER PIGEON HOLE? 
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