Month: May 2023

#627 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Serendipity, WordsLeave a comment
Drinking out of a blue glass in the back yard.

A grey morning has quickly made me realise how wonderful the recent sunshine has been. The beauty of planning to do holiday type stuff, but from home and then getting great weather is that the pressure is off. There is no need to make the most of every moment because you are ‘away’

A forest of Echium at dusk.

Not being away, we gave ourselves permission to watch a couple of dramas over the long weekend. Great dramas for certain but rather too close to home for us.

Maryland on ITV x and Supernova on BBC. Both recommended by friends and coincidentally both about planned suicide by someone in the mid-stages of Dementia.

Both of our mothers died traumatic deaths. My mother had early onset dementia that started in her early 40’s and had her well and truly gripped by 50. Hannah’s mother was killed by a car in her early seventies as she walked her dog. Neither of them planned suicide. But Dramas always use leitmotif to punctuate the air with acid sharp poignancy. They are a stab in our hearts and souls and are seemingly unavoidable but two consecutive dramas using them exhausted us over the long weekend. Hence the blue illustrations, by the end of the second one we were tearful and sad, incapable of cooking or eating supper.

How do these things affect people with no experience of such moments? Do they set the scene and give depth and umami to the drama. A patina of feeling or experiencing something that most people are lucky enough not to experience.

Our list.

The first time your mum does not recognise you.

Identifying a body in a mortuary with a Police Officer.

Being allocated a Social Worker or a family liaison officer.

The sound effects of a car on human collision.

Police officer at the door.

Air ambulance flying over head.

Having to rescue a dementing parent from a difficult or dangerous situation that they have placed themselves in.

I realise this might seem a bit glum, and we were pretty glum having daftly watched two sad dramas with no light intermission. But my point, now I have got to it, is that writers could construct drama that is entertaining and informative without using this ‘bingo-card’of set scenarios. A clear indication that they are simply writing fiction with no depth of empathy or experience. Just ticking off boxes for dramatic and entertaining effect.

All that moaning, I would still recommend them as a good watch. But not back to back.

#626 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Devon2 Comments

And that, my friends, was quite the Bank Holiday Weekend. So much went on and all close to home. Most importantly new bean bags arrived for me to lounge on in the garden. Lola found a jacuzzi at Buckfast Abbey in the early morning sun.

A small person came to visit.

The mums still insisted on taking us for walks in the early morning and evening when things were cooler. There is no way I can share the wonderful sniffs on here,or the great places we chose to eliminate but I can say that Lola drinking the jacuzzi water was not a smart idea. Some arty sunset shots were taken.

And apparently some bobbing occurred, although we are never invited.

Boule was attempted.

A good weekend, had by all.

#625 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn blogging, pondering, Serendipity2 Comments

Using a prompt today, not because I was lost for a subject to ponder, but more because there is always something to ponder.

Early morning pondering in the van, waiting for coffee. Two dogs on my lap.

What are you good at?

I’ve always been a ponderer and on the whole pondering is a private occupation, unless a daily blog is written. So with some self judgement I would say that I am a particularly avid and accomplished ponderer. Being good at something carries responsibilities, I have been accused of having too vivid an imagination or being lost in my own world. Well I adore vivid, that’s why some of my images are over-saturated and trust me,I have never been lost in my own world. I know exactly where I am.

So after all that self-justification here is todays ponder which is a little late and ludicrously vivid.

A chance encounter with a patient took us to Buckfast Abbey early this morning.

It was the most peaceful spot for an early morning dog walk with friends.

So peaceful that, beyond the vivid stained glass,I forgot to take photos.

The whole place is rather overwhelming and the Stained Glass is certainly a show stopper.

But coupled with an organ recital of some contemporary music the whole experience was quite other worldly.

Which I suppose is the point of an Abbey.

#624 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Home Towns, Plymouth, pondering, SerendipityLeave a comment

Yesterday we started a day of dull chores with a free gift of coffee. Just enough for four double espresso. Our gift came from Monmouth Coffee in Borough Market.

And before that it came from Bolivia.

We needed something pretty perky to make a day of chores magical.

As it turns out Finca Floribondio did not do a bad job at all. Our first Industrial Estate of the day, yes, it was ‘that’ kind of a day, turned out to be not what you might expect at all. Commercial Road in Plymouth was an Industrial Estate long before such things were invented. We go there to get our car and van tyres fixed or replaced. That was job number one of the day. Me and the dogs walked while Hannah took the van. The magic or dreamlike powers of Floripondio gave me a great view and water for the dogs to play in.

View of the Citadel from Teats Hill slipway.

Some time had passed since the first dose of coffee so we made a plan to rendezvous at a coffee shop in a Motorbike Dealers. Once again the magic of Floripondo made things a little dreamlike.

A motorbike showroom where bikes are allowed on carpet!

Window view to prove we were in an Industrial Estate.

Now with full disclosure I must say I know nothing about motorbikes beyond an artistic love of sprockets.

©theoldmortuary.design I painted this some years ago as a Memento Mori for a biker whose ashes were scattered on the Thames at Bankside not so very far from Borough Market.

But this motorbike must be quite special.

Motorbike cafes have a dress code which we only just fitted by accidentally wearing dark colours. Leather is de rigour. Fabulously engineered leather to keep its wearers safe in case of incidental or accidental damage. Human skin and tarmac or gravel at high speed is not a good combination, neither is collision good for bones or internal organs. Motorbike leathers are phenomenal. However they can make their wearers look like a cross between a storm trooper and a lizard/insect. As we enjoyed our coffee and a bacon sarnie every one of these beautiful lizard insects stopped to pay homage to this beautiful object.

Now the coffee at this cafe was also wonderful but without the hallucinogenic properties of Finca Floripondio we were returned to normal humans who had chores to do in utterly banal and dull industrial estates. The magic of a freeby wiped out by normal life.

The magic only returned when we started researching actually buying some Finca Floripondio beans.

The first hit on Google was a surprise and took us straight back to one of our favourite Hong Kong coffee shops. Internet cookies are powerful things, no calories though!

However nothing could tempt us to pay HKD 468 for 200g of beans even as a holiday treat.

Our coffee treat will come from London, when we deserve it.

Buy Coffee

https://www.theacademicsgroup.com/

https://g.co/kgs/Eqk8us

And that, my Sunday friends is a ponderous ponder inspired by a day of really dull jobs.

#623 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn pondering, Serendipity2 Comments
2014

Every now and again Facebook memories jogs me into a realisation that there was a time in my life without daily blogging. Pondering before blogging was an entirely personal and private dialogue. Often occuring in the commuting time between work and home.

©theoldmortuary.com

I had completely forgotten the quote from 2014 or even the work based incident that made me find it and post it on Facebook.

The quote is quite brutal in its takedown of the value of an apology. I don’t think the world of an apology is quite as black and white. Post-Covid in Britain the value of apologies has been utterly besmirched by the governing Conservative Party, who managed to be quite possibly the worst users of the hollow apology in history.

The broken plate analogy is perfect for this ponder. Because I believe the Japanese have a way of mending plates that demonstrates how a good apology can build back a beautiful broken plate into something different, maybe stronger, definitely a valuable transition.

While a bad apology, a missed apology or a failure to change just creates fragments of plates. Fragments that can echo down through history .

So, somewhat late to considering my 2014 quote, Facebook has prompted a good old ponder which I can share.

The gold standard of apologies is Kintsugi while Roman Pottery is of no value in the world of good apologies.

I always aim for Kintsugi but fear that at times I have taken the Roman Pottery road.

On the receiving end I have wonderful Kintsugi apologies that have strengthened and enhanced my life. Life has also dealt some Roman Pottery style apologies or non apologies. Things to step over and move on.

How good would it be to fix all of lifes broken pots with Kintsugi.

Ponder over, thank you Facebook 2014. I’ve managed to programme in a bit more wisdom since that post.

#622 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn SerendipityLeave a comment
Wembury

Yesterday was a mix of plans coming together and plans falling apart. Up to 3pm things pretty much went to plan, two art projects were finished in enough time to get me to Wembury for dog grooming. I even managed to get the best parking spot above the beach .

After top grade parking the plan was to swim and read while the dogs were being pampered. Tide and weather slightly changed that plan. I hadn’t checked the tide and the clouds occluded the bright sunshine.I found myself a warm rock and basked on radiated heat while reading my book. Other beach goers provided unexpected entertainment if I allowed myself to drift away from my novel. The beach was full of teenagers away from school for the exam season. There was also a group of mothers planning an after school party. I was in awe of the amount of stuff they transported onto the beach, sadly most of it,very environmentally unsound. The tide was going out and making the beach huge. They relocated three times, each time having to move enough stuff for a mini festival. Time ticked away while I listened to teenage drama, George, Lauren and an anonymous girl were particularly good value. Eventually though, and after an unplanned snooze it was time to collect the dogs. The beach had reached peak business and the smell of barbeque was overwhelming.

Our evening plan had been to swim after collecting the dogs but we had failed to remember the seasonal ban. However a coastal path walk took us to a rocky bay not too far away.

We were the only people there and the water was warm. My swim was essential. During the unplanned snooze, or it may have been a deep sleep. I had managed to squirm off the warm rock and onto fine sand. The sand was everywhere, absolutely everywhere. Driving home to sort things out would have been an exercise in whole body exfoliation. Not an experimental beauty treatment I was prepared to trial.

While I sorted myself out, Hannah basked on non invasive rocks and the dogs had a whole new beach to explore, without sand ruining their newly primped good looks.

A day that survived planning errors rather well.

#621 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn dog walksLeave a comment

The usual early morning view, but photographs don’t tell the whole story.

Out on the horizon and beyond there are warships taking part in Thursday Wars. A weekly Royal Navy plus others, event when war-like scenarios take place all around Plymouth Sound. What these tranquil views can’t show is the sound of rapid fire gunshots and weaponry being practiced out at sea. Conversely they also can’t show the amazing and constantly changing fragrances that were floating in the early morning air.

On mornings like this the dogs push for a longer walk than usual, if I am enchanted by the fragrances they are overblown by the smells of late Spring. Without dogs I would have been tempted to swim, but that is scheduled for this afternoon. But our extended walk did present a long anticipated treat.

A cinema is nearly ready to open close to home, no more schlepping out to a character-less box, on an entertainment park or going to the new but disorientating cinema in the city centre.Time to enjoy films and the experience of being at the cinema.

And after the dog walk, breakfast of a spinach smoothie while doing some window-box care.

May is my favourite month.

#620 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Holidays2 Comments

Holidays are not just about the human members of the family. Hugo and Lola go on their holidays too. To somewhere they consider their second home. They have different responsibilities on holiday too. Hugo is an under gardener and Lola is security. Where they stay has sweeping views of the Tamar and Lyner River.

Are the dogs aware of the views, probably not. but they are very aware of their own geolocation in that landscape. They are also unaware that they holiday in the shadow of a castle.

Sometimes it is refreshing to just follow them round and photograph their significant places. In May every pause for a sniff is surrounded by wild and often overlooked plants.

Ten minutes in the Bracken gave me these two abstract and glorious images.

Being on holiday for the dogs is exhausting but exhilarating. The first night at home they sleep as if they have been working at optimum for two weeks. Then they swiftly return to normal home behaviour, just like their humans really, but without the washing pile.

There is no doubt that they absolutely love their holidays and their holiday family. We are very lucky that they have such a happy place to stay.

#619 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Books, SerendipityLeave a comment

This quote appears on the back of a book that I am about to read. Just reading it exercises me greatly. What would be the purpose of my three hearts if I were so lucky.

One would certainly be my actual anatomical heart, working hard keeping me alive.

The second I think would be a super resilient heart to house all heartbreak, sadness and grief that life serves up.

But number three, well that would be the heart of love, the one that makes every day special, the one that expands as required. The one that looks into a sunset and concludes that another day has been well-lived.

#618 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn BobbingLeave a comment

6 bobbers and their dogs slipped anchor from Firestone Bay and camped and swam at Talland Bay over the weekend. It feels a bit like a superpower to walk, untroubled into the sea when all other beach visitors are tentatively dipping in their toes and squealing as an incoming wave splashes up their legs.After swimming we basked like reptiles in the afternoon sun.

There was a beach cafe too, that took card payments, which is quite a luxury for us. So cups of tea and a gooseberry ice cream followed our sea immersion.

When it was time to leave the beach we had a lovely late lunch to enjoy, cooked by an apostle of Ottolenghi. Wonderful Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food made with love and flavour. Humous so silky that it could be a beauty treatment.

Fresh lemony cake followed, and with that the most fascinating conversations. Bobbers follow eclectic topics of conversation on a normal day, but fueled by good food and sunshine we were off down more fascinating rabbit holes than the average rabbit explores in a lifetime.