Tag: dailyprompt

#1060 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Daft QuestionsLeave a comment

What details of your life could you pay more attention to?

Sometimes these prompts from my blog hosts are useful and other times not at all. I am a life long gatherer of random knowledge. There is so much in my personal hippocampus/ temporal lobe archive, an archive that is not the tidiest,that it seems to be getting harder to retrieve my idiosyncratic collection of useless trivia. A question like the one above has me flummoxed. I have no idea what details of my life I could pay more attention to. Which of my details is not fully fleshed out   or completely explored and understood. Who is the judge of personal details that have been given proper attention to and those that need a little more work?

Flummoxed I maybe but I rather like the thinking process that makes my mind tingle with trying to create an answer. Right now I am trying to work out if this  is a good or bad prompt. I know it is not fully bad or of no interest because I scroll right past those. It is also not fully good because I don’t have an immediate response to blog about in a negative or positive way.

In conclusion I don’t know which aspect of my life needs closer attention, but I have given the matter some thought.

I have spent a few weeks with an old school friend digging out memories that we have both archived for more than fifty years. I am hugely surprised how quickly we could recall all that old data.  Even more impressive is the way other forgotten trivia continues to surface in my mind. All a bit pointless now as we are once again half a world apart.

#1058 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Daft Questions1 Comment

In what ways does hard work make you feel fulfilled?

Hard work in itself does not make me fulfilled. Hard work with a positive outcome is very fulfilling. But hard work  that fails to bring a good outcome is not fulfilling in any way. My hard work of the summer, painting an already white, heavily textured wall continues to reward me. I had no idea that a refresh of white paint would make such a difference. Especially now we have lost summer light, the optical brightness of the walls really enhances the more flimsy light of autumn. Hard work seems much harder to recover from when it does not bring the desired positive or pleasing result. I cannot imagine enjoying it for its own sake. I know plenty of people do. Thank goodness I am an optimist or I would never get out of bed without a guarantee of success.

There is a world of hard work for hard work sake that I rarely experience. The Gym for instance, great for physical recovery but once the recovery is achieved I have little interest. Is there any hope for me?

Absolutely, optimism is a superpower that trumps my aversion to pointless hard work.

theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Words1 Comment

What’s the trait you value most about yourself?

I don’t know that I value so much, as rely on my ability to stick to a commitment once I am commited even if the task or project seems a little beyond what other people might need or expect of me. Until recently I would describe this ability as ‘goat-like’ meaning that no matter what the job, it would be completed. Maybe not elegantly or with style but with confidence and determination. With the diligence that goats show when taking difficult paths.    In recent times Goat has come to mean something entirely different. Greatest Of All Time.

Now that, may I say is not how I would describe myself.

The nuance of my interactions with people changes outrageously with this new Goatish accolade.

” Would you like help with that shopping”

” No , don’t worry, I am a goat”

Meaning ‘I am fine the bags are balanced and are not too heavy’

Or

“Leave me, I am the Greatest of all time at carrying shopping without a scintilla of modesty”

Language is an evolving and perplexing creature.

However I think the world would be a better place if Goat stood for, Gets Onwith A Task.

Greatest of All time is overated.

#1053 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Serendipity2 Comments
Cat on a chair in Monomvasia

What could you do more of?

Travelling, off the beaten track. I will freely admit that often the ‘off the beaten track’ is an error of my navigation or a misfiring memory. But ‘the road less travelled’ has always been fascinating to me. As for todays blog I have decided to go with some alliteration.

If it is Monday it must be Monomvasia, although, in truth we visited on a Tuesday. Images from Monomvasia 2 weeks ago will illustrate this blog.

Perfect Pomegranates in Monomvasia

First my aversion to alliteration, like swearing I believe alliteration should be used sparingly. Too many people on Social Media use it as a reliable tagline.

I once protested, by swearing, when someone running a Social Media account gave me a list of alliterations to use for the month when I was taking the account over. Despite me explaining gently that I was alliteration averse. Not my finest hour.

Greek Urn Geek, Monomvasia

By nattering on about alliteration I have ably demonstrated how easy it is for me to go off the beaten track. But I needed to explain myself as I delve into ‘Its Monday, it must be Monomvasia’

Steep steps, Monomvasia

Monomvasia was a misfiring memory. When it was suggested as a destination on our road trip my head thought Mount Athos. A monastery destination near Thessaloniki which is closed to women.

Colourful cottages, Monomvasia

Both places played a part in my vivid imagination as a child with access to the National Geographical magazine.

Best bar, bar none. Monomvasia

The adult me never thought to question why women would be admitted, I suppose I imagined some form of orthodox emancipation had occurred. Regardless Monomvasia was  everything I had hoped and welcomed women. Which is always a good thing. The unexpected road less travelled did not disappoint and off the beaten track is always thought provoking. Plus  Alliteration can be useful in small doses but it can be taken too far.

Oleaginous Olive Tree, Monomvasia

The End.

Warm water, Monomvasia

#1049 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn SerendipityLeave a comment

Which topics would you like to be more informed about?

The world is a complicated place and I have a magpie mind. Never really knowing what will interest me next. Frequently I surprise myself. This week I have been intrigued by football chants and songs. Who knew?

Goodness knows what it will be next week. I also plan on baking macaron biscuits some time this week. Not delicate little french ones but chunky almond coated ones to accompany coffee. I also have a rather ugly piece of furniture that needs some TLC to make it acceptable as my bedside book store. I sense my magpie mind is busy storing projects to get me through the winter months, once this glorious early autumn descends into dreary dreariness.

Post holiday the yard is working hard as a drying space. The climbing plants managed very well while I was away. Climbing and flowering in my absence.

Probably happy not to have my interfering fingers trying to encourage them in directions of my choosing rather than their natural urge to find the best sunny spot for their new shoots.

Our yard planting is all about improving privacy and encouraging wildlife, alongside creating an outdoor space that we want to sit in.

Our first new visitor of the autumn is a Pug Moth.

Named, apparently, because at some angles it resembles the dogs with the same name. Not from any angle I could find. Maybe that is something I could be better informed about!

#1047 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn pondering1 Comment
© Gill Bobber

What would your life be like without music?

In theory, rather empty, but my head has the most delightful, personal Juke Box, playing in my subconscious, on demand. Sometimes in the form of earworms, when I least expect it.

©Lee Hunt.

As I write this Avalon by Roxy Music is playing. Absolutely no idea why.

©Lee Hunt.

#1046 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn autumn, Serendipity1 Comment

How do you celebrate holidays?

I am not sure that I have a way of celebrating holidays beyond enjoying them in whatever form they take. Our most recent holiday ended yesterday as we eased our Australian friends into their hire car and set them free to explore North Wales and East Anglia without us. It has been a holiday of joyful surprises and beautiful places. Embellished with great conversations around all subjects both ancient and modern, great and small.

The picture above was taken in a small mountain village called Stemnitsa in Arcadia. Early autumn leaves edging a storm drain. I knew, when I saw it, that this image would somehow symbolise the end of summer for me. Here we are now in the middle of September and it seems only sensible to accept that Summer 2024 has slipped away. Accepting that allows me to celebrate autumn.

Not with fat, fresh figs as I could in Arcadia but definitely with the fruits of an English Harvest. I am on the hunt for Quince again and optimistic for autumn sunshine. Both things to celebrate a summer well spent and an acceptance of a change of season.

#1042 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Holidays1 Comment
Back to home bedding.

Do you see yourself as a leader?

I don’t particularly see myself as a leader because I am happy to follow while observing and learning. But life has a way of sometimes clearing the path and  leadership finds me. At that point I like to be certain that i am providing a safe environment for others to learn and move forward. I worry when people push forward as leaders without the skills or understanding that leading requires.

I am back to my home bedding folds. Yesterday my last holiday bedding fold looked like this.

With the addition of a breakfast tray to bring sunshine to my morning, high up in the attic of a Greek writers house.

I was certainly NOT leading yesterday as we drove from the Mani in Greece to Athens and then on to the West Country of England after a four hour flight

I was a back seat driver on a journey from overburdened Orange trees in vivid sunshineso to a chilly autumnal dawn, with apples already falling to the ground and blackberries on dew covered bramble bushes as we arrived home in the early hours.

So much blogging to be had in the next few weeks, sometimes I will lead but other times I will follow, always pondering a random thought.

#1034 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Greece1 Comment
Waiting for a ferry boat

If you had to give up one word that you use regularly, what would it be?

Any number of swear words. I like to think I use them wisely and to make a point. But they slip out a little more often than they should, because I am a grandparent to impressionable small people.

Enough of my swear words.

The word I have used a lot today is luck and lucky.

For many more reasons than I need to go into here. Specifically because we took a ferry to a beach which looked like this four years ago

The owner made the decision to get rid of sunbeds, restrict trading to one taverna and have a well cared for public toilet.

The result for us was a quiet, peaceful beach approaching the end of the summer season.

Untroubled by mass tourism we swam and chatted on a near deserted beach. The water was crystal clear and we had a wholesome late lunch in the one remaining taverna.

Spetses you have been fabulous.