The Primulas are out in force

This blog contains the ramblings of an amateur gardener and the insane weekly experiences that nature provides

24/03/2017 – Busy Week

Quince blossom

We’ve had a busy week.

Monday ... was World happiness day – did you all join in?

The day really felt like a Monday with the weather and traffic jams playing their part, so I am not sure there was much room for happiness, but if you signed up on-line apparently you could join in. You also got the following;

*  Happiness Guidebook  *  Happiness Pack for Kids  *  World Happiness Report  *

I am dying to know what was in the guidebook and the pack for kids. I would have thought that if you need to sign up on-line to find out how to be happy then you might need a happiness day more than once a year, (or maybe I am just being cynical).

 

Tuesday ... was International day of forests – did you all go and hug a tree or dance around in the forest in a delirious state with no clothes on?

(Oh was that just me then!!)

Seriously, this day was supposed to bring awareness to the plight of the world’s forests but I do think it was under recognised. I found out about it when I was driving home and the Radio 2 DJ announced a song because it had something to do with trees. Not quite the impact that the day was supposed to have. I will come back to this day later in the blog.

 

Thursday ... was World meteorological day.

(This is beginning to sound a bit like a Craig David song).

The world officially recognised some new clouds, including the wave-like asperitas cloud. See the link below for a picture of it that you can look for.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-39351843

I have to say I would love to see some of the new clouds in real life but I don’t expect to recognise them. But at least I now know where to go if I want to. If you are interested in clouds then look below.

https://cloudappreciationsociety.org/

 

Today ... is International “day with the world’s longest title” day - International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims

I’m sure this is a really important day but I have to say they need a slicker title. It is not one that people will remember easily and I am not sure the Radio 2 DJ will easily find a record to play in support.

 

What happened to Wednesday ... I hear you ask?  

Well that was a nothing special day as far as I am aware but if it was special for you please feel free to let us know and i hope you had a great day!

Mother’s Day / Mothering Day - Sunday

Daffodils always make a nice bunch of flowers

But the really important day for me this week is Mother’s Day on Sunday. I plan to spend this with that special person who I am lucky enough to still be able to spend time with. She is a massive support for everyone who knows her and it is good to be able to call this out in public. I suspect most people would say that about their mum, but in my case it is definitely true.

She does read this blog so I hope she isn’t too embarrassed.

Looking at the origins of Mother’s Day is interesting. In the UK this day was originally Mothering Sunday. It was a day when domestic servants, and later children who were “in service”, could have a day off to go to their mother church with their family. It was the only time of year when they could all be off together.

They would often pick flowers on the way and put them in the church or give them to their mothers. This later evolved into a tradition of giving gifts to mothers.

Mother’s Day was a separate event celebrating Mother’s in a similar way to the other celebratory days honouring family members. These two days have now merged into one in the UK so call it what you wish but make sure you don’t forget it.

It is probably a bit like having your birthday on Xmas day – you now only have one celebration.

If you haven’t yet got your gift, then you have a few days to go. I’m taking my mum out, what are you doing?

Clocks Spring Forward

Sunday is also the day when the clocks spring forward and we lose an hour’s sleep but gain an hour of daylight at the end of the day. This apparently makes us work longer as we feel guilty leaving work when it still seems early – well that is the theory anyway.

Judging by the stampede that I witness regularly I can’t see it having too much affect!

Special Day in the Cat Calendar

Monday was also a special day in the cat’s calendar. The International “leave me a rat when I wake up” day was particularly troubling as I have a complete hatred for them.

I was getting ready for work at 5am and I went into the spare bedroom to get dressed. I stepped over something several times that I thought was the toy mouse that they often play with before I came to my senses and realised that it was actually a dead rat. Small, perfectly formed but dead, and a rat!

It took all my will power to get me to pick it up by the tail and I kept half-expecting it to come back to life. But it didn’t and I got rid of it. A rat’s tail is a horrible thing because there is no pretending it is anything other than a rat. Cats don’t eat rats either so chances are if they catch one you will have to see the whole thing in all its splendour.

As I write this blog I now have the naughtiest of my two cats sitting on my left shoulder. He decided that waiting for me to finish before being fed was not good enough. He leapt onto my back and fell down the back of my chair sticking his claws in my shoulder as he fell and drawing blood. Not content with being stuck between my back and the chair he clambered back onto my shoulder.  Just what I need to help me 🙂

International Day of Forests

The spirea brings an autumnal feel to spring

The really sad thing about this day for me is the lack of awareness of how bad the forest situation is in the world. We lose 130,000 km2 of forests every year and an estimated 10 species a day in tropical rain forests. I know this blog is supposed to make you feel happy on a Friday but with this in mind we really can’t be that happy while this continues.

So today I am imagining how good I would feel if we managed to stop this, and then maybe what I could do to help. Maybe you would like to do the same or maybe you already are, enough said.

Something for the Weekend

The Burgundy Primula

I saw a new sport for the first time this week that you can play with all the family – Car Curling. All you need is a few battered old cars, an ice rink or similar and two teams of burly people who are happy to lend a hand pushing the cars. It is a bit like being young again and having the knackered mini that we used to have.

It really does look fun – see the link below. Maybe not one that everyone can do but the face on the person inside the car shows it is fun.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-sports/39339321

It could be a sport coming to a winter place near you. I can see the Polish team I work with enjoying this!

The river freezes over for several months in Poland so maybe this is a good way to take advantage of the opportunity it gives. Although this could lead to the UK phenomenon of finding metal trolleys in the bottom of your water supply, albeit in this case replaced by cars.

The record that the DJ was playing for International forest day was the following – I hope you enjoy it. Don’t ask me what the video is about though!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxSsol3Zd7k

Have a great weekend!

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Comments

24.03.2017 20:41

Mum

Did you receive my comment? I can't see it in your listing

24.03.2017 22:09

Friday story

Maybe I will also teach you how to comment 😀

24.03.2017 09:21

Rosemary

Very informative, so many special days,and just out of interest we have Mothers Day at the beginning of May and no dead rats thanks,🐀Yuk xx