Armistice Day
Topic: Anniversaries

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them."

....... Fourth stanza of 'For the Fallen' by Laurence Binyon (1869-1943)

Did you know that today, the anniversary of Armistice Day on 11th November 1918, is a public holiday in Belgium? They always hold a Service of Remembrance in Ypres and a special Last Post ceremony at The Menin Gate Memorial. Belgium has never forgotten the sacrifices made by so many young soldiers - some of them just boys who pretended they were older. Now on Remembrance Sunday, the nearest Sunday to the 11th November, we honour and remember the dead of all wars and conflicts.

Did you know that an American Lady called Moina Bell Michael, from Georgia, was the person responsible for the poppy emblem? She was inspired by John McCrae's poem "In Flanders Fields" - especially the last verse, "To you from failing hands we throw the Torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die, we shall not sleep, though poppies grow in Flanders Fields." She made a personal pledge to 'keep the faith' and always wear a red poppy of Flanders Fields as a sign of remembrance.

In the United Kingdom, we hold a two minute silence at 11 am - the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Sadly, not everyone remembers or cares. I can recall a time shortly after the end of World War II when everybody did care. I was in the car with my Dad, I think we were in the Finchley Road going towards Golders Green. ALL the cars came to a standstill - ALL the drivers and passengers got out and stood to attention, stiff and silent, for two minutes. Not a sound could be heard anywhere in London. It made a huge impression on me.

Do you wear a poppy?

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My Early Childhood
Topic: Memories
I read somewhere very recently (and I can't remember where!) that most people's earliest memories don't go back further than age three or four. The trouble with most early memories is that you don't always know exactly how old you were when something happened. Also, you may think you 'remember' something because you were told about it so many times or because you saw a photograph. Anyway, it got me thinking about my earliest memories and I thought I'd share some with you.

• Tasting salt! I was being carried and I know I was keeping my eyes shut and salt was put on my tongue. The only thing this could have been was my baptism and I was four weeks old. So, is this a real memory?
• I can definitely remember standing up in my cot. It was against the wall just to the right of the door inside our 'Drawing Room'. The door opened and my sister, Maud, stuck her head round and called out, "She's been sick" and disappeared.
• I think I can remember having a bath in the wash basin but I am not sure because there is a photograph of my eldest sister, Marie-Claire, sitting in the wash basin.
• I was in a long corridor with my mother and there was a nurse and a large pair of scales. My mother had to remove my clothes so that I could be weighed and I felt very indignant because strangers were walking along the corridor and I was naked!
• Further forward in time, I can remember being in a bed which was at the bottom end of my parent's bed. Again, Maud came in and this time she put bitter aloes on my thumb to stop me sucking it. It tasted AWFUL! I sucked my finger instead.
• Having whooping cough. I was sitting on a fluffy green rug in front of the fireplace in our front room, coughing away. My mother had just opened the door to someone who was in the hall looking in and who commented, "She is still whooping a lot".
• The sound of the Air Raid Siren. Standing under the stairwell and wondering why my sister Marie-Claire was rubbing and rubbing a plate with a tea towel (she had been helping with the washing up when the siren went).
• The droning sound of a doodle bug, the German V-1 unmanned rocket bombs in 1944, (I was 2?) - I told my mother "C'est un mechant avion" (a naughty plane) - she ran to the window to listen and I can remember her fear.
• Eating red berries growing on a bush outside the window and being given lots of milk to drink.
• Going to hospital to have my tonsils out, the sweet smell of chloroform on a mask a man in white put on my face, the nurse sitting me on a potty inside my cot and my upsetting it, my sore throat, my parents bringing me ice cream, the boy in the bed in the same room.
• A summer's day, Marie-Claire pushing me in my pushchair and I was urging her to run faster.
• Looking behind the garden shed and seeing several little spitting kittens. My mother didn't believe me at first but yes, there they were, as wild as anything. Later on, we saw the mother cat carrying her babies away one by one. A day or so later, my sister noticed our cat, Tibby, sitting staring at something in the garden. Every now and then, his paw shot out and patted something. It was one of the wild little kittens. The convent school gave it a home. It was a hot summer's day (probably July 1945) and I was playing in the front garden with the boy next door. He was called in and I thought of the kitten. So, off I went down the road. It was a nearly a mile to the school but I knew the way. I left my cardigans on garden walls. (My mother called the police). I remember being at the school - a summer fete was going on, someone gave me a glass of lemonade, I was having a great time. Then, I saw my sister Pauline coming across the lawn and telling me I was a very naughty girl. I remember going home with her on the bus.

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"Homo Hostilis"
Topic: Terrorism
Did America vote the right way last Tuesday? I don't know. But I am not alone in wondering what is happening in the world. Are we heading to World War Three? I sincerely hope not. But what is happening in Iraq is absolutely terrible for the Iraqi people. How many of them have died or been murdered as a result of this war? Acts of terrorism have been increasing, innocent hostages are taken and beheaded, ordinary Iraqis trying to do a responsible job to earn money and to help their country are murdered because they are linked to the 'Infidel'. Why is it that religion causes so much hatred? Sunni against Shiite, because of a war long long ago over the rightful successor to the prophet Muhammad. Christian against Jew. Protestant against Catholic. Whatever our skin colour or ethnic origin, we are all Human Beings of the species Homo Sapiens - 'Wise Man'.   What a misnomer!   'Homo Hostilis' would be a better name.

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American Elections
Topic: In the News
Been watching more news coverage on the American Elections tonight. It seems to be a very close thing and I wonder who will win. However, I was amazed yesterday to hear that some Americans are urging people to vote "the way God would"! The implication was that one choice was good and the other evil, which I find appalling. All human beings have free will to make their own decisions and no one should ever presume to imagine that they know whom God would choose! From this side of the Atlantic, I just hope that the best man wins. And you, my American cousins, should all get out tomorrow and exercise your right to vote as every vote DOES count. God bless America and all the rest of the world too.

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A Poem for Halloween
Topic: Special Days
Halloween or All Hallows Eve, the time when witches, wherewolves, ghosts and ghouls are supposed to be about. Why do we frighten our children with these tales? Are they really frightened or is it all part of the magic of growning up? Certainly, it seems to be a more popular 'festival' these days than when I was a child. I don't remember doing anything special at all and I was far more frightened of the Bogie Man than of witches and ghosts. An excuse for parties and fun? Well, why not. Trick or treat? No - that is an American custom and, unless parents accompany their children and they only knock on friend's doors, it is, unfortunately, a potentially risky pastime for young children.

Halloween to me seems to be a dark night before the brightness of All Saints Day. Like this poem taken from "Selections From Modern Poets" made by J.C. Squire, [Published 1934 - London: Martin Secker Ltd.], hope you like it too:

THUNDERSTORMS
by W.H. Davies

My mind has thunderstorms,
That brood for heavy hours;
Until they rain me words,
My thoughts are drooping flowers
And sulking, silent birds.

Yet come, dark thunderstorms,
And brood your heavy hours;
For when you rain me words
My thoughts are dancing flowers
And joyful singing birds.

P.S. Last Tuesday, baby Andrew took his first two steps all by himself and then repeated his feat several times. He is just 9 months and 3 weeks old. Amazing! His Dad got it on video, which I am looking forward to seeing.

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Blood Pressure
Topic: Health Issues
Still Catching Up with Last Week
Tuesday, 19th October, I saw the doctor again. She had the result of my blood pressure readings. Explained to her that I had been up in the middle of the night for well over an hour, which probably was the reason for the readings not going down. I had been advised to put the machine under the pillow when I went to bed but, of course, I was waiting for it to take a reading. Perhaps I dozed off and missed one but eventually I started to think I had disconnected something. Put the torch on, which slightly disturbed hubby who turned over and started to snore! So, I went downstairs to have a look. Made a coffee. Switched on the computer and went on line searching for information on ambulatory blood pressure moniters. Eventually, I pressed something on the top of the machine and it took a reading at 3 am. Had a sandwich! It finally took another reading at 4 am so I went back to bed thinking that perhaps it was programmed to take readings less often during the night. Anyway, the doctor has put me on tablets. One diuretic in the morning and one Ramipril at night. From tomorrow, two Ramipril for another week, then three for a week, then four. The list of possible side effects is frightening. Still, I suppose it is better than a heart attack or a stroke.

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Andrew's Christening
Topic: Grandchildren
Well, the last week seems to have gone by in a flash! Sunday, 17th October, was a very special day for little Andrew and all the family when he was Christened at the Church of St Clements with St Peter. He seemed to be very interested in everything that was going on (especially the candles) and was very well behaved indeed. Everyone went back to my son's house for a buffet lunch. I was pleased that the Chocolate Cheesecake I brought seemed to go down very well with everyone - I had been a bit worried that it wouldn't arrive in one piece after our long drive up. Afterwards, it was fun watching the little children playing a form of musical envelopes. David was in charge of the music and tried hard to let each child get his or her chance to open an envelope - which wasn't easy as they were passing them around too quickly! I think one little person got more goes than she should have had! Then the grown-ups joined in with a whispering game - you had to pass a message round and then listen to what the last person heard. This reminded me of a story my father used to tell which he said happened during the war before messages could be sent by radio so, probably the Crimean War or the First World War. The Commander at the front sent a message back by runners to tell his superiors that "I am going to advance. Please send reinforcements". This was passed on several times before a young lad arrived at HQ saying that the Commander says, "I am going to a dance, please send three and fourpence". I know - you've probably all heard it before.

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Unsettled
Topic: My Web Pages
I have been unsettled for a while. I discovered a major problem with one of my pages a couple of weeks ago, which I really must address. Wrote to the Editor of a large website for advice regarding copyright about ten days ago and no one has bothered to reply! In the meantime, I haven't been able to concentrate on working on the rest of the website.   Had my hair done last Tuesday - the whole works, lowlights and all - amazing how that makes you feel better! Then I nearly lost the car today! Had to see the nurse this morning to collect a 24 hour blood pressure monitor. It takes a reading every 30 minutes but, as I wandered round the shops, I noticed that it would take a second reading after one minute if I didn't keep still. Of course, it chose to take a reading just as I arrived back home in the car. Turned into the drive and sat still. Went indoors and, yes, it took a second reading. About five minutes later, hubby looks out of the window and comments that the car "is very near the drive entrance and looks odd". Rushed back out - I had only forgotten to put on the handbrake and the car had rolled back down the drive and was halfway across the pavement! Thank goodness he noticed.

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To Buy or Not to Buy - Zone Alarm Pro
Topic: Computer
My free trial period for ZoneAlarm Pro ended yesterday. First thing I noticed during the trial was that the 'Valid HTML', Valid CSS' and 'Icra Label' links had all disappeared from my pages. That meant I could no longer do a quick check when I uploaded a revised page by clicking on the links. So I removed ZoneAlarm's Ad Blocking for "Banner/Skyscraper ads", which solved that problem but meant I had to put up with the odd pop-up ad appearing. Then I found I couldn't read the "Times OnLine" because it uses cookies so, I unchecked "Block Third Party Cookies". Maybe I could have put this site into Trusted Zones? Anyway, PestPatrol has a "Cookie Cruncher". The outcome is that I have decided to go back to the free version and put up with all the pop-up ads.

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Text Only Web Pages
Topic: Web Design
Found another useful web service today which allows authors to see what their pages look like (sort of) when viewed with a Lynx text-mode browser on this Lynx Viewer. They recommend that you should download a copy of Lynx itself and run it locally but this is the next best thing.

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