Diamond Jubilee

This year marks the Diamond Jubilee of HRH Queen Elizabeth II.  Sixty years as the monarch of is a wonderful achievement, now second only to Queen Victoria who reigned for just a few months shy of 64 years.

I do remember the Silver Jubilee in 1977 when I was 9 years old.  For a months before the celebratory year money was collected each week from houses on several streets around where I lived all in readiness for a huge street party.  Around the corner from me was Coronation Avenue so this was an obvious choice for location.

We had a fancy dress parade in the morning, me as a Spanish Flamenco dancer, my brother as a clown.  A girl dressed up as the Queen won…imagine that J.

After the parade was a kids party tea and then later Coronation Avenue was cleared and tressle tables set up that were soon covered with food and drink and music blared from a neighbours stereo that poked out the living room window.  What a time we had! All the kids were given a Silver Jubilee coin at school which I still have today and will pass along to my kids one day.

There is a great website up right now www.thediamondjubilee.org with all kinds of stories, history and photos for the Diamond Jubilee.

Wherever you are in the world I hope you find time to celebrate this milestone and join me in wishing Her Majesty many more years to come.

All About the Accent.

A young college friend of mine recently asked for my help in her final project before graduating at Northern Kentucky University.  She is directing a play and needed help for some of her cast members as they attempted British accents for an Oscar Wilde play An Ideal Husband.

I was happy to help but also a little concerned as I researched the play to find it was written about very aristocratic characters and although I am no Eliza Doolittle I am not either Margaret Thatcher!

We actually had a lot of fun with it.  The first young man I worked with alone, who had to come earlier than the rest of the cast, actually did really well and I thought this would be a breeze.  However at the first run through of the Act I with the rest of the cast was not so encouraging although a few did quite well.  Even Caitie, the director, had to chastise those that didn't even try.

Working with those that needed more help out in the hall was an interesting exercise for myself.  We never really think too much on how we speak so examining it closely and trying to explain the differences was quite a challenge...especially as we were going for an accent far "posher" than mine.

Some of the most telling differences I found were vowel pronunciation in words like "can't" and "horrible".  Also when a r was present as in the characters name "Robert" which an American seems to say using the back of their throat whereas we use our teeth to make the sound.  Making sure that every 't' was pronounced clearly and "d's did not become 't" sounding as in the name "Basildon" that they kept saying "Basilton" seemed also to be a challenge.

As the evening practice wore on they did improve greatly and I may work again with them next week if needed. I look forward to attending the actual performances. I was happy to help Caitie but also enjoyed very much examining how I spoke and how I sound to my American fellows...after all it "aint arf posh" as Eliza would say :)

What I saw in St. Petersburg

With our upcoming conventions in St. Petersburg this June myself and the other NEC members headed for a preview at the hotel for our bi-annual NEC meeting.

I had never been to St. Petersburg before and I found myself within one day of being there texting my husband that I wanted to move there!  The hotel is very near to the marina and pier.  Restaurants, shops, museums and parks were all within walking distance or you could take the local shuttle for a whopping 50 cents, (25 cents for seniors) around the town.

I saw pelicans hanging out at the pier and dolphins swimming by.  Two women wearing tiaras as they drank their coffee outside a cafe and a man riding a unicycle.  Banyan trees whose roots went upwards draping across the branches and kapok trees with beautiful blooms and twisted trunk. There is something relaxing about being near the water which I loved.

I look forward to going back in June to see more of the sights as we were limited to time during our meetings.  Hope to see you there and don't forget your tiaras!

A most Illuminating Show

With the crazy winter weather we have had this year I decided to share with you a short story I wrote for fun a year or two ago, I hope you enjoy it :)

The alarm sounded loud and clear, clanging and vibrating as it danced its way across the nightstand.  A groan came from beneath the heavy blankets as a hand reached out groping blindly for the complaining clock until finally silence fell once again over the dimly lit room.

Mother pulled herself to a seated position rubbing her eyes and blinking at the weak sunshine creeping through the crack in the curtains.  “That time already” she thought,”my how time flies.”  Carefully, she planted her feet firmly on the carpeted floor, stepped in to her fluffy slippers and shuffled slowly in to the bathroom. 

With cool water splashed across her face she gradually began to feel more awake.  Catching sight of herself in the mirror as she leaned over the sink, she studied carefully her sallow skin and drooping eyelids.  With a frown she wondered just how was it that sleep, that was supposed to be restful, often left you looking like a shar pei dog that just got in from a rough night on the town!  Perhaps she had just slept too long.  The pink curlers placed before she went to bed were still in place and would later curl her hair beautifully; at least it would not be a bad hair day.

The kitchen was warm and cozy as Mother stepped to the sink.  As water flowed in to the coffee pot the back door flew open and in bounced Jack grinning from ear to ear.  “Good grief!” Mother exclaimed “are you just getting home now?” Jack winked mischievously at Mother as he took off his coat and hung it on the hook.  “Well, I decided to have one more night out, catch a few people of guard.”  Mother shook her head “well I’m glad you find it funny.”

“Old man went to bed a while ago” continued Jack, “and I got bored with no one to hang out with.”  “You’d best get going” said Mother with a roll of her eyes, “I have work to do and I don’t need you under my feet.” Jack moved past her with a peck on her cheek and headed to the stairs, “yeah, I guess  I am tired now, see you later.”

With the kitchen to herself once again, Mother poured herself a cup of coffee and began to contemplate the tasks ahead of her.   Looking through the early reports on her desk, Mother noted that the projects planned last fall were beginning to show their colors.  The daffodils were heralding in the blue skies with yellow trumpets sounding the charge accompanied by tiny snow drops that hung delicately with their bells swinging gently in the light breeze.

Switching on her lap top computer, Mother checked her online calendar noting the reminders for the day.  It was time to turn up the heat a little and opening the toolbar she moved the slide bar up a couple of notches.  Slowly the temperature rose and the sepia landscape began to develop with patches of color dusting the hillsides.  Delicately the tiny leaves uncurled and blossoms started to open like popcorn in slow motion.

Hitting the volume button the returning birds began to sing a little louder and the thawing brooks began to babble once again as  Mother sat back in her chair and viewed her work with an approving eye. “I think this might just be my best work yet” she thought with satisfaction.

 Leaning forward she reached out for her writing tablet to make a few notes on her days work and crash, her cup of coffee spilled forward over her desk and she looked with horror as the brown puddle crept slowly around her keyboard.  With a mad dash to the kitchen Mother grabbed a roll of paper towels and hurried back to her desk…too late, the coffee had surrounded the base and with a sizzle and a pop the screen flickered twice and then went blank.

Outside the world grew dark, high winds began to blow across the countryside bending the flowers to the ground as the rains came pouring down.  Flash! Lightening struck the budding trees and the thunder rolled around the hillside deafening the world.

Jack came running down the stairs.  Mother, what are you doing, that is so cool!  With her curlers now hanging in disarray around her head Mother yelled, “oh no, what a disaster!”

“Think, think, think” Mother told herself, “there has to be a solution…bloody computers!” Hurrying to the closet she pulled out her old planning book and opened to the day one of spring.  Grabbing her ball point pen she began to write.  With each stroke of her pen the world outside began to calm. Looking out her window Mother could see the damage left behind from the storm.

After several hours of writing, drawing and coloring the world slowly returned to spring.  By evening Mother fell exhausted in to her armchair with a glass of wine in her hand.  “That’s what I get for trying to hurry it all along” she thought to herself, “I must make that a lesson learned, sometimes the old ways were there for a reason”.  With a click of the remote the high definition television mounted on the wall sprung to life, “ah,” she thought, “I think I will just check out the shopping channel, I believe they have a new gadget out that may save me a little time tomorrow”