Words for Wednesday

 

This meme was started by Delores a long time ago.  Computer issues led her to bow out for a while.  The meme was too much fun to let go, and now Words for Wednesday is provided by a number of people and has become a movable feast. 

Essentially the aim is to encourage us to write.  Each week we are given a choice of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music or an image.   What we do with those prompts is up to us:  a short story, prose, a song, a poem, or treating them with ignore...  We can use some or all of the prompts.

Some of us put our creation in comments on the post, and others post on their own blog.  I would really like it if as many people as possible joined into this fun meme, which includes cheering on the other participants.  If you are posting on your own blog - let me know so that I, and other participants, can come along and applaud.
 
This month the prompts will be posted here.

This weeks prompts are:

1. invincible
2. wander
3. goofy
4. supreme
5. purring
6. pretend

And/or

1. linen
2. kick
3. puny
4. immense
5. zoom
6. sound

The prompts will be here again next month but provided by Margaret Adamson and her friend Sue Fulton.  The prompts will include photographs taken by Margaret's friend Bill.  Cindi has offerred to provide the prompts for January 2018 and will post them on her blog.

After that it is open to offers.  If you are willing/able to provide the prompts please let me know in the comments, specifying which month(s) suit you best.

 

Sunday Selections #355

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files.
 
The meme is now continued by River at Drifting through life.  The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River.  Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.

Like River I usually run with a theme. I don't think I am alone is saying that we don't explore our own city enough.

Lake Burley Griffin is a lovely addition to my city.

Last week we went on a small outing, down to the lake.  After himself's recent trip the Beijing Gardens seemed an entirely appropriate place to visit.  They are close to the Chinese Embassy and while we quite often drive past them I don't remember stopping in before.  A mistake.  We enjoyed our visit.
 
The Cninese Embassy.

Beijing is one of the cities which has 'sister city' status with my own, and the Chinese gave us the Beijing Gardens to honour the connection.

We could just see it, through the trees.

 

 This is titled 'Bronze Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow' - which isn't an act of cruelty (precisely) but signifies just how fast the horse is travelling.

 The 'Stone of Appreciation' which signfies the recognised qualities of fineness, openness, perforation and wrinkling.

The next photos come from a sculpture depicting the four Celestial Symbols.

 The Azure Dragon (East/Spring).

The Scarlet Bird (South/Summer)

The White Tiger (West/Autumn).

 The Black Tortoise (North/Winter)

Some detail from the roof of the pagoda.

Isn't it a lovely area?  Nearby is a garden established to recognise our sister city status with Nara in Japan.  I will take you there soon too.

Next week we are going back to our National Gallery to see the hyper-real exhibition.  Photographs from the exhibition suggest that some of it will be very beautiful and some I will find confronting.

Words for Wednesday

 

This meme was started by Delores a long time ago.  Computer issues led her to bow out for a while.  The meme was too much fun to let go, and now Words for Wednesday is provided by a number of people and has become a movable feast. 

Essentially the aim is to encourage us to write.  Each week we are given a choice of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music or an image.   What we do with those prompts is up to us:  a short story, prose, a song, a poem, or treating them with ignore...  We can use some or all of the prompts.

Some of us put our creation in comments on the post, and others post on their own blog.  I would really like it if as many people as possible joined into this fun meme.  If you are posting on your own blog - let me know so that I, and other participants, can come along and applaud.
 
This month the prompts will be posted here.

This weeks prompts are:

1. river
2. dashing
3. free
4. shrug
5. interest
6. naive

And/or

1. light
2. wax
3. winter
4. bucket
5. disillusioned
6. super

And an image.

This beauty, which is a hand-made paper cut-out was given to the smaller portion as he left his hotel in Datong.  He invariably meets with kindness in his travels.

PS:  I am moving off topic a bit here - but it is still connected with writing.  Some of you will have read my last entry into the WEP challenge.  I won it.  Which shocked and amazed me.  And today I have a guest post up at the WEP site.  If you get the chance, please check it out  here - and consider entering the next challenge yourselves. 

Sunday Selections #354

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files.
 
The meme is now continued by River at Drifting through life.  The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River.  Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.

Like River I usually run with a theme. For the next few weeks I am reverting to the theme I was using this time last year - Home and Away.

Starting with some grafitti in a local bus shelter.  All our bus stops and shelters recently became smoke free which is a positive move.  This addition (around Halloween) tickled my childish fancy though.

Then to the garden (again).

I really like this double poppy and think it looks nearly as good from the underside.

Another wallflower, which I hope is as happy in the garden as the purple one.

I often describe the garden as a jungle, and this shot gives you some idea why.  I am decidedly not a minimalist.

We know this epiphyte as 'old man's beard' and acquired it (twenty years ago?) from himself's mama.  Like so many things in the garden it is laden with sentiment and memories.

Strawberries in a hanging pot by the back door.  I will be watching them with interest.  So will some of the birds.

And a late addition.  Late on Friday afternoon a hail storm tore through.  Some of the hail stones were marble sized and it was incredibly noisy.  

Hopefully not too much damage has been done.

And then to the much more exotic part of the post.  Himself is home (arrived last night) but I have been very grateful for the photos he has shared.  And when, in the fullness of time, he wakes will interrogate him about the trip.

Sadly he told me that a lot of the 'old buildings' have been torn down.  Progress I suppose.

He adores markets.  And who doesn't?

Loved the reflection here too.

In other trips he/we have got all 'templed out'.  I wonder whether he did this time.  And love the tea urn/samovar at the bottom of the steps.

Words for Wednesday

 

This meme was started by Delores a long time ago.  Computer issues led her to bow out for a while.  The meme was too much fun to let go, and now Words for Wednesday is provided by a number of people and has become a movable feast. 

Essentially the aim is to encourage us to write.  Each week we are given a choice of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music or an image.   What we do with those prompts is up to us:  a short story, prose, a song, a poem, or treating them with ignore...  We can use some or all of the prompts.

Some of us put our creation in comments on the post, and others post on their own blog.  I would really like it if as many people as possible joined into this fun meme.  If you are posting on your own blog - let me know so that I, and other participants, can come along and applaud.
 
This month the prompts will be posted here.

This weeks prompts are:

1. agonizing
2. murder
3. sleet
4. stimulating
5. flowers
6. offer

And/or

1. dramatic
2. distinct
3. zany
4. typical
5. sip
6. discovery

I have thrown an image into the mix as well.

 Have fun.

 

Sunday Selections #353

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files.
 
The meme is now continued by River at Drifting through life.  The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River.  Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.

Like River I usually run with a theme. For the next few weeks I am reverting to the theme I was using this time last year - Home and Away.
Starting with home.  We have had some very welcome rain recently.  One night last week we had a shower just as the sun was setting.  Which produced a sort of rainbow.

The sunset was lovely too.

The garden and I welcomed the rain.  I am not sure that the birds did.

This poor galah looked miserable.  And just sat there hunched up in the rain.

It is probably anthromorphism (like my comment about the galah) but the bearded raven looked a tad peeved to me.

The garden has been thriving.

I am ashamed to say that I cannot remember what the purple flower is.  I planted it, and it is thriving, but its name escapes me.  If any of you know, please educate me (again).

And now to much more exciting images.

He is eating well.  And I think eating better than he does at home.

This was the hallway in a Youth Hostel he stayed in.  I think it looks really attractive.

 I think that one looks bizarre, and wil have to ask him what he knows about it.

Coming into Kirghistan.  Where he was very lucky.  He landed around 1am, used a machine in the airport to get some local currency and checked into a hotel.  When he woke again he discovered he didn't have his card, and is pretty sure he left in the machine (six or seven hours before he surfaced).  It wasn't at the airport, but when he went on line to cancel the card he discovered that no money had been spent on it after his withdrawal.

He was talking about climbing that hill (Suleyman Peak) for the view but I think he wimped out.

Yurt shops.

And a nearby three level yurt which surprised him, and me.