Friday, October 31, 2014

Holiday: Part Two (Monkey World)

Those of you who have followed my ramblings for a while will know of my love for chimpanzees.  For my birthday my family sponsored a chimp for me at Monkey World in Dorset and my sister and I got to spend a day there.  



Monkey World does incredible work rescuing and rehabilitating primates (many of which have been drugged and abused) as well as working with governments all round the world to stop the smuggling of primates from the wild.  It was fantastic to see all they have accomplished since I last visited them almost two decades ago.

Holiday: Part One

It had been eighteen months since I'd been home last so one of the most important things for me was spending time with my family.  The older I get the more I miss them.  It may be the realization just how precious and fleeting time is. 

 
My mum lives in a small market town called 'Wantage' (approximately 15 miles south of Oxford) which is where I grew up.  It's always interesting to take a walk down memory lane and to see the different changes each time I visit.
 
Some of the images below were taken at Aston Pottery which is a really neat place.  It has beautiful gifts and a great tea shop with home baked cakes.  With all the tea and coffee houses I went to, and all the home baked goods I ate, I've come home more than a few pounds heavier.
 
 
My sister lives in Bournemouth so I travelled down a couple of times to see her.  It was cold and windy but we couldn't resist a stroll along the beach.

 
My brother and sister-in-law have done so much work to their garden since I was there last.  It was great to finally be able to see what they'd been up to and to add some painted terracotta pots to the mix. 

 
One of the downsides about travelling to the UK is that I miss my hubby and furry kids.  Thankfully my family have their own furry's to keep me company while I'm there.

 
The images below are me with my sis, bro and sister from another mister.  It's always a laugh when we're together and I miss their antics and humor.

 
My next post will be about some of the places I visited like Monkey World, Oxford and London. 
 
 
Happy Halloween.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Back Home

I had an the most amazing time while I was home in the UK.  So much fun with family, friends, furry and feathered critters.  Right now I'm battling jetlag and 1,000's of photos (not to mention laundry) but hopefully come next week I'll be back into the swing of things.

 
Hope you are all doing good and by next week I should be more with it and back to making the rounds visiting you all.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Back Soon


I've just spent the last four days visiting with in-laws and tomorrow evening I'll be flying home to see my family in the UK.  I am an anxious traveler and wish for the day when I can just be teleported somewhere without all the hassle of flying.  Still, despite the stress, I am excited to see everyone. 
 
Right now I am running around like a headless chicken trying to get all those last minute chores and errands done.  There's been a lot of cursing and wrestling with luggage so that its not over the weight limit.  Think I've finally won.
 
I'll be absent from blogging for a few weeks but I hope you all enjoy the rest of October and I look forward to catching up with everyone when I return.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Bolts of Self-Deception


pondering wanders with absent mind
arms outstretched
fingers trailing blindly
the dark dank sides of spiral's braille

elbow of momentum at your back
allure of gravity to your fore
the magnitude of obscurity
compressing distorted assumptions

reflections fail to consume the pitch
of sharp keys turned to unlock nothing
as bolts of self-deception echo

Linking up with Imaginary Garden With Real Toads