Yeah, I know, I’ve used this picture before, but frankly, I don’t really do symmetry, so had a struggle to find a suitable picture (and no, since you ask, I couldn’t think of anything to snap on this horrible cold and rainy day), but searching through my archive, the symmetry of this birds wings set in front of the most perfectly symmetrical and beautiful building in the world seemed to be the obvious choice.

The photograph was taken in the early morning, and the heavy morning mist made the Taj Mahal seem even more magical and ethereal. Seeing it then for the first time took my breath away.

February 2, 2015 by rebootingkaye

A ho hum week in song…

Written as part of the Daily prompt challenge – ‘Playlist of the Week’

Well, I saw this prompt and thought ‘yeah, that’s doable’, although when I came to think about it, last week wasn’t a particularly cheery one. Nevertheless, I think these five songs are fairly representative, in a rather literal way!!

Walking the Dog – Rufus Thomas: well, I do that every day, rain or shine, bad foot or no, otherwise Suki starts climbing the walls!
Give me Novocaine – Greenday: Had an injection in my foot on Friday, and I now have an attack of the Shingles, not in anyway related but both really ouchy!
At the Car Wash – Rose Royce: Yep, went there with husband in his car, not mine. Mine is still mangled after the prang I had the week before. It needs a bit of Novacaine too 😦
Born to Lose – Ray Charles: Sat and watched the Australian open final in its entirety on Saturday morning (well, I had a badly foot!). Was really hoping Andy Murray would do it this time, and he was playing superbly for a bit, but eventually had a melt down, and was ‘bagelled’ in the last set (6/0) d’oh!
So Tired by The Kinks – works on two levels – I am indeed very tired, thanks to the Shingles virus and some strong painkillers, and also tired of waiting for a parcel to arrive…

Hope your week was a better one!

January 27, 2015 by rebootingkaye

Without the need for words…

Weekly photo challenge – express yourself

‘Allo..what you got there then? On no, not that bloomin’ camera again…’

‘Ok, I’ll pose. Just the once, and you’ll have to remove the background, ‘cos I sure ain’t moving’

‘That’s enough, I’m bored now’

‘You’ve played with your toy,now it’s time to play with mine!’

December 29, 2014 by rebootingkaye

Keeping warm in Pingyao

Ok, I apologise, this is not technically a great picture, but I think it captures this week’s photo challenge theme ‘warmth‘ well enough to share it. It was taken on our trip to China whilst we were staying in the ancient city of Pingyao. We were there for Chinese New Year, which was one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life – wonderfully chaotic!

It was bitterly cold, the coldest I have ever been, but the gorgeous old courtyards in our beautiful hotel each had their own charcoal brick fires (like the one pictured), and you can also see the doors to our rooms covered with blue duvets to keep the drafts out. The fire and the lanterns gave it all a magical glow. It was still too bloomin’ cold to stand out there for long though!

October 13, 2014 by rebootingkaye

Reading Revolution

I love to read, I really do. Anything. Everything. I read every day. Emails, newspapers, other peoples blogs, posts on facebook. Do you know, I sometimes even read books.

In fact, these days I’m reading a lot more books than I used to.

One of my favourite things about our holidays is the bit at the airport when we go to Waterstones or Smiths and choose three books each to take with us. Just light stuff, nothing deep and meaningful like you’re supposed to read. Even, dare I say it, chicklit sometimes. In the past though, this would be the one time of the year when I allowed myself to fork out for the luxury of books.

If ever I had any money given to me for birthdays or Christmas, it would usually go on books too. Better ones. ‘Literary fiction’ that requires some time and thought rather than the throwaway holiday reads.

But often there would be a lean period where I was half-heartedly perusing our bulging bookshelves for something worth reading a second time, or to search for one that I’d half read but didn’t enjoy, to find out if it was any better second time around.

So yes, often I have been without an open book for months at a time. But things have changed. Oh yes sirree!

I got myself a Kindle. (other ereaders are available!!)

Now, I know ebooks are not everyone’s cup of tea. You’ll hear loads of people sniffily say

‘I prefer the heft of a real book’.

Well so do I, except when I’m in bed trying to hold a heavy tome up with a tired arm, or trying to fit it in my handbag to read on the train, or carting it about while it takes up valuable space in my hand luggage.

The ebook is a revelation to me. The choice is wide and varied and I can peruse the ‘book shop’ at my leisure. There are some free ones (which frankly, I’ve learned to avoid, since on the whole, they seem to be a load of tosh, even to me), but even the ones you pay for are cheaper than the paper variety.

So now, I read a chapter or two every day. I’ve read things I wouldn’t have dreamed of buying if I’d seen them in a conventional bookshop. In fact, I probably wouldn’t have discovered them since I tend to only go to the shelves loaded with my preferred authors or genres. I’ve been re-reading, or discovering for the first time, some of the classics too. At the moment I’m reading ‘Cider with Rosie’ and I’ve got half a dozen other books already downloaded and waiting in the wings. With its built in backlight I can even read at night without disturbing my husband, who lies right beside me snoring in the depths of dreams.

It’s not only me either. My mother (whom, if you’ve been reading my blog, you’re well acquainted with by now) has her own kindle which she loves. She is an avid reader, but since having a stroke was finding holding large books, and their varying type sizes, difficult. With the ereader she can enjoy any sized book, and change the font quickly and easily.

Ereaders will never replace real books, nor should they. If (when) electricity does finally run out, and the internet fizzes to a halt, this wonderful, sharing and illuminating world we’re enjoying will no longer exist, it will be the libraries full of dusty books that will remain to tell the stories.

In the meantime, come on everybody, lets just appreciate the words however we choose to read them!

Written in response to the daily post ‘Readers block’

January 19, 2013 by rebootingkaye

Apply Yourself

I have a wii. I know I’m an oldie and probably shouldn’t be allowed. But I do. It’s mine. I bought it for myself. I bought it a few years back with the wii-fit thinking that it would only take a couple of months before I would be sylph like and full of energy. Like wot the advert said I would.

Now, its fair to say it took some time for me to master any of the basic activities, but the one that, to my dismay, still defeats me every bloomin’ time is the skateboarding. Why can’t I do it? It can’t be that hard. Just put the board sideways, scoot with your foot, and lean backwards or forwards to steer. Bob’s yer uncle. Easy peasy.

Nope. Doesn’t work for me. I cannot, cannot, steer the thing. My little mii crashes into the fences, goes the wrong way, misses the obstacles, whilst big me is floundering backwards and forwards and cursing. Nil points. Nada.

Coz is a whiz at it. Without any effort at all she’s on the thing, and her mii is waving its arms in joyful victory at the massive score she’s attained without a hiccup. So it’s obviously not quite as impossible as it feels to me it is.

I can ski. Ski jump. Fly. Hula Hoop. March about and all the other stuff with varying degrees of success, but the skateboard is my nemesis.

I’ve never tried a real one, perhaps I should, you know, to get the hang of it a bit. But frankly, given the virtual experience, I’d probably break my neck.

Actually, I’ve just thought of the other thing that I really, really, can’t do – Baseball.

Sport is not my thing in the real world. I’m not competitive and am generally rubbish at all and every team game. I can’t run, throw or catch. I wish I was better, but I’m not. I’ve come to terms with it and am happy to leave it to others to do. But how I wish I could hit that virtual ball.

I’m always ‘a little late’ or ‘a little too early’ (I can hear the derision in its words). I know I’m cackhanded in real life, but in the virtual world too? That’s rubbing salt in the wound.

I wouldn’t mind, but after all this time of trying, I’m still not sylph like, not even virtually!

December 10, 2012 by rebootingkaye

This post is challenging

Writing a post feels like work today. I’ve got loads of other things to do. It’s that time of year. The time when I should be dashing about shopping, wrapping, writing cards, panicking about who’s doing what. Instead, I’ve been sitting here for an hour or two, trying desperately to write something vaguely interesting, as well as vaguely entertaining.

Three times I’ve written stuff and deleted it before I’ve got to the end.

I didn’t mean for it to become work. It was supposed to be fun. Supposed to get me in writing mode. But today it’s pressure. I haven’t posted anything for a few days, I must do it. Must post. Must post…

Do other blogger’s feel like this? I don’t want to lose the (very) small number of readers I’ve got by abandoning them at the first hurdle. Regular posting is the way to build followers they say… Must post something…

The daily prompt wasn’t helpful. ‘My Hero’. Hmm. Can’t think of one. I could be cheesy and say someone who’s been battling adversity, some celeb or other, or a superhero (well, those tight outfits they wear can be quite fetching). What about a sporty type? Nope, not a big fan. Besides the only sports I watch (never participate in, please note) are team jobbies – Cricket, Rugby. Though of course, did watch our Bradley winning the tour. He was a bit of a hero for that, but overall, not really ‘my hero’ material.

What about a band, a musician that’s inspired me? Some talented bod who’s made a ton of money by doing a bit of singing. Nope, not exactly hero’s are they?

Explorer’s? People that battle against tough terrain, freaky weather, fearsome animals to get….somewhere. Why…? Nope, don’t get it. Just sounds reckless, feckless.

Spacemen? People hurtling into space, thrown around, eating dried food and seeing their pens float away (not to mention pooing in funny toilets). No, again, don’t get it. So you see the Earth from a distance? So what? (I’ve bought a globe, it’s much easier) Only crazy individuals, not hero’s, would volunteer for that surely?

Bet lot’s of people would say their dad, and all I would say to that is… No, no, and thrice no.

No sorry Daily Prompt people, I failed, miserably, to come up with anyone. Thinking about it, I don’t think I even know what a hero is now.

Well, I’m gonna have to give up now. Got to get off out there shopping, organising, wrapping, writing. panicking. Only 15 days to go aargghh…

Come to think of it, you know I was wrong before, writing this post isn’t like work. Getting ready for Christmas is though.