The Dilemma!

As a self confessed solitary, who prefers her own company more than most others; hates groups; who is really uncomfortable socialising other than one to one and grows more inclined this way as every year passes - I ask ...'WHAT, the hell was I doing on a social networking site like Facebook'???
I have tried!
Joined years ago, de & re-activated my account according to my mood but mainly to keep contact with my younger Prairieland cousin Peterpan, however, no matter how much I try, am NOT comfortable/happy there.
Yesterday, two new contacts finally DID it for me.
My Cousin, Headmistress, on Facebook was a surprise!
But, her finally joining the Internet world was NOT the problem, good for her!
But, Squeall requesting to become my friend was.
Now you have to be a long standing blog reader of mine, with an even longer memory to recall who she is!
Squeall is Little Buddies sister!
Once they were very close, she, then happily knew of our 'relationship'.
But things have changed, they are now mortal enemies over farmland issues.
Little Buddy reading this, is now curling up in the fetal position in panic!
Rather than risk, a innocent remark leading to a link back to me here, I have again quit Facebook, never to return.
I just hope, my Blog friends that I briefly connected with there, will not take offence & my Cousin will not be further upset with me - Please to both!

Two fer Tuesday - Alice about Town!

Okay, admit, I am going a bit - well, a lot, overboard re Alice, as of 'Alice in Wonderland' fame @ the mo!
But, she is part of Dreamingspires, and every time, I walk into Town, I pass this bold sign...It is opposite to Christ Church College's gardens, the real Alice Liddell's home territory due to her father, being Dean there...

The shop its-self sells a variety of Alice souvenirs from the 'cheap & chearful' to the exclusive, but is actually where she, Alice used to buy her barley sugar sweets.

And, it features as the 'Old Sheep Shop' in Lewis Carroll's 1871 book 'Through the Looking Glass'.

Sadly, someone recently stole the Alice figure from its front, leaving the White Rabbit standing there alone...

My city could do much more to promote the Lewis Carroll literary connection.

The 'Dreamingspires Story' which closed the other year, did tell Alice's & his history - photo's are from my visit there days before its final 'ride'...

Now, it's left to the The Museum in St Aldates - it's home to a minuscule collection of Alice memorabilia - her silver scissors, a buckle of hers & Lewis Carroll's pocket watch - hardly riviting stuff!!!

Christ Church College does do better.

The Library which houses around 40,000 rare books & manuscripts on Theology, Arts, Law & Medicine, where Dodgson [Carroll] was sub-librarian, does contain his works along side Milton as it's only literature.

And, this tableau of 'Wonderland' characters...

There is also, a window dedicated to Alice in Christ Church's Cathedral /college chapel, which shows her & charactors from the childrens books - but as I've never taken a remotely half decent shot of it, this image is 'borrowed' from Flickr ...But, to me, the 'fun' Alice feature is in the Colleges Dinning Hall, where the elongated headed brass fire-dogs in the huge fireplace, must have inspired the author into stretching necks...

Two-fer, which is your subject choice in two or pairs of photo's is friend Jonna's idea!

Monochrome & Odd Shot Monday - The Mad Hatter's Table!

Am staying with the 'Alice' theme from the week-end!
Earlier this year, along with friends, I visited Carsington Water in Derbyshire, England's ninth largest reservoir.
Walking around it's perimeter, as the Winter sun began to set, we came across this unusual carving!
I guess, we were just too late in the day to see The Mad Hatter, Alice & the other tea party guests!
The B&W version is for Aileni's Monochrome Maniacs meme...

In colour, for Katney's Odd Shots...

Camera Critters Sunday - "I'm Late!", cried the Rabbit!

Continuing on from Alice's Day yesterday, one of the characters I remember best from the story 'Alice in Wonderland' is the White Rabbit - this fine fellow I've personally encountered...He's just one of many released domestic Bunnies 'gone wild', that live contentedly in Minoru Park, in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.
I, affectionately re-named it 'Bunny Park', as sit quietly there for a few moments & out pops another rabbit...I wrote about this peaceful, green oasis & their story, with more bunny shots in a previous Camera Critters post to be found HERE!

From the Walt Disney's 1951 film "Alice In Wonderland", which I remember being taken to see as a child.
Alice was sitting on the riverbank, with her cat, when all of a sudden, a funny little rabbit in a waistcoat came rushing by...

Camera Critters is Misty Dawn's creation!

Color Carnival - Alice's Day!

Whilst in town today & earlier this week, the Celebration Cake Shop's window reminded me of a bit of local literary history.
This colourful cake showing Alice @ the Mad Hatters Tea Party is the clue... The story goes like this...
One golden afternoon, 147 years ago today, the Reverend Charles Lugwidge Dodgson, a don @ Christ Church, who wrote mathematical & philosophical books and had an interest in photography, which is how he initially met the family of the Dean, took Alice Liddell & her sisters Lorina & Edith on a boat trip on the river Isis from Folly Bridge to Godstow lock.
It seems the girls were were frequent companions of Dodgson on such expeditions along Dreamingspires waterways - do, wonder what would be made of such a friendship now!!!
Anyway, on that particular outing on 4th July 1862, Dodgson to amuse the children, related a story about a little girl sitting bored by a riverbank, who finds her-self tumbling down a rabbit hole into the topsy-turvy world called 'Wonderland'.
The tale so delighted the 10 year old Alice, she begged him to write it down.
It wasn't til some months later, that he delivered the completed hand written & illustrated story, then called 'Alice's Adventures Underground' to her.
Friends, who saw the little book, urged him to publish it, which he did under the pseudom Lewis Carroll, which I learnt recently, comes from reversing & adapting his real name - Carroll from the Latin for Charles & Lewis from Ludwidge his mothers maiden name!
The story, renamed 'Alice in Wonderland' broke all previous publication records & has never ever, ever been out of print - the sequel 'Through the Looking Glass', followed.
Both, marked a turning point in children's books and Alice & Lewis Carroll became part of Dreamingspires literary history.

Re Alice herself...
She went on to do the 'Grand Tour' with her sisters.
But, did not marry til she was 28, so, would have been by then, viewed as an old maid.
And, re her original copy of 'Alices Adventures Underground', she finally sold it after becoming a widow.
She died in 1934!

Color Carnival just requires a colourful photo.
Martha is the creator & host.

Saturday Photo Hunt - Pink AND Happy American Indepenence Day!

For this weeks prompt from host tnchick, I was thinking along the lines of Pink flowers, till I came to look for a photographic image for the 4th of July!

It's obviously a trick of the light as no editing was involved here but in all my shots taken this March, of 'New York, New York' in Las Vegas, the clouds behind their Statue of Liberty & 'The Stars & Strips' appear decidedly Pink...

To all my American friends I wish an enjoyable Independence Day & Long Weekend!

And, to tnchick & her family, I hope her husband is soon well again & out of hospital.

Sky Watch Friday - Pretty & Pink!

Clear brilliant, blue skies have been big this week!
And, this blossom, spotted, because of tomorrows Photo Hunt prompt re pink just stood out against them...
I'm still going it alone & not joining in with the now 300+ Sky Watchers as just too crowded for me!

Lemonade!

After reading Peggy's TCT post Lemomaid, and then seeing the Rocky Creek Scotties likewise thought, I was reminded of a recipe I borrowed, with her permission last Summer from Cee-Cee, a friend of BJ's.

It worked wonderfully & tasted great.

As here in England, we are enjoying an unusually HOT balmy spell, am giving up the Gin & Tonic with Lemon, and am this afternoon making this refreshing nectar instead...

The receipt goes like this...

Cee-Cee's Lemonade [from her friend Michelle]

5 lemons
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
Combine the sugar & water in a saucepan along with the rind of 4 lemons

Bring it to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer.

Let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes to infuse with the lemon rind.
Juice all the lemons and add, with pulp to the syrup you just made.

This is now your "Base" you add water and ice to taste.

If you like it strong, add less water, weaker then add more water.
Cut lemon slices and add to the drink for a garnish.
For a stronger lemon flavor you can add 1/4 teaspoon (not a lot) of lemon extract or just add 5th lemon rind when you make the syrup.

The bonus...
With the boiled rind - you can make candied fruit strips.

Just take out of the water, roll in sugar and you're done.

sounds odd, I know, but the sharp bitter taste is gone & they are actually good!

True Colours Thursday - LEMON!

Apologies again, as Blogger once more failed to publish this 'scheduled' post on time!

Last Thursday, New Zealanders Bodie & Doyle, the highly entertaining Professionals, on seeing what this weeks colour was, wrote... "Sheesh, Blue what planet you from? Lemon's a fruit!"
They may have a point, but LEMON is also a subtle shade of yellow!
You can clearly see the difference, can't you???
Having been 'Colour me Beautiful' colour coded back in the 1980's in Praireland Canada, I certainly can!
Being, declared a 'Summer' with 'Winter' tendencies, I was asvised I could wear the former pale shade.
But, not the brighter latter one - like, I didn't know that before???
And, LEMON does complement next weeks NAVY blue very well... It also seems, I wore LEMON as a baby!
Yes, this dress now worn by Miss Cassandra, one of my many bears is mine too...I found it carefully wrapped in tissue paper amongst my late Mothers hidden treaures.
It was obviously hand made & smocked for me - arhh...Whilst we're tripping down memory lane, this genuine Mink fur & silk LEMON rose was my Mothers...I recall her wearing it on a dark brown suit that had Mink buttons circum the 1960's!
She was a great lover of Roses, especially the fragrant rambling variety like these...
Now, you would think finding a LEMON cake to photo would be a piece of cake - no pun intended.
However, NO!
Getting desperate, I was planning to resort to this, a photograph, of a well used cook book recipe for LEMON Madeira Cake, from the days when I baked for a living...Then, in town yesterday, found the Celebration Cake Shops window marking Alice Day on Saturday!
They saved the post, if only via - LOL - LEMOM icing & Blonde Alice hair & Mad Hatters ears...PS - If you want the receipt to my cake, please let me know!

To join True Colours Thursday, all you need, is to post a photo/photographs & text, or better still both, on the specified colour of the week.

If you simply want to use the idea as a 'prompt' for a post, as I do now, with many memes, that's fine.

But, if, you'd like others including me, to visit you, please leave a comment below, so we know you are 'IN'!

For this meme only, I lift my 'Comment Moderation' to help players connect with each other.

Everyone, who to my knowledg participated last week, is named & linked in my side bar.

AND, I will try to up-date the list throughout the day.

Next weeks colour is NAVY - and not the Navy sung about by The Village People in the 1970's either!

If, anyone has a suggestion for a future 'Colour', please feel free to say via comment or email!

Am now off to enjoy my well earned Gin & Tonic with LEMON...

Wordless Wednesday - Happy Canada Day!