The Next Thought That Changes Things - Part 1

Hands up if you remember the covid summer.

You know the one, when the days were warm and neighbours shouted at each other through (make sure the blue side is out) face masks over garden fences making sure that you were at least 2 metres apart.

How many of us noticed the change in the English language.?

I complained to nobody about how since time immemorial the English have copied the French when this word was written, taking that the potential originator of it was, well, French.

Why did distance disappear and instruments used for the recording of, amongst other things distance, appear?

Way back in my youth meters were gadgets read by the gasman or the electric man. Not to forget the ones that lovely Rita read. Did it also apply to poetry in some way?

Were the Olympic events where distance was important wrong in using the old term?

Since Covid and the “warning notices peoples” capture of the English/French entente cordial over this word, we’ve lost the battle and I fear the war. LONG LIVE METRES

(This could run and run)

Back to my mention of Covid and the garden. You’ve had noticed that in the attempt to avoid the dire disease no front gardens got the care and attention they deserved, all efforts were in the back garden. People began to realise that there are more flowers than daffodils and tulips, that those strange people on gardeners world knew more than they let on, that garden centres despite the meters/metres thing, were places packed things called shrubs, conifers, fruit trees and more flowers than you can shake a stick at!

Gardens bloomed and blossomed, friends began to look at friends planting, the will to be garden supremo took over, neighbour fought to outdo neighbour, the world as we knew was crumbling before our eyes. So in the midst of all this gang rivalry what did yours truly do amidst all this carnage?

He invited fairies into the bottom of the garden!!

What a great idea! I hear you cry ( in between the gales of laughter).

So to show what a brilliant idea it is I grab Lyn by the elbows and manoeuvre her to the bottom of the garden. Lyn looks at the site of “Fairynuff” city, and immediately reacts not into extravagant praise but lowers and slowly shakes her head and says ‘yes dear’ .

So begins the saga, a tale of a man proclaiming his intention of creating a piece of heaven.

Burke.

Lyn wanders back indoors, sniggering into her sleeve, trying hard not to trip over because she can’t see where she’s going for tears in her eyes.

Unperturbed (fabulous word) the designer and architect of this splendid dream looks into the corner of the garden he’s been given imagining…..

you’d have to have a bl…y good imagination to sort this jungle.

I’m torn between the two impressions I have of the prospective site

First impression-the forbidden forest, I even think I can see Hagrid’s cottage there. No no my mistake it’s a garden shed. How long has that bu…r been there? . At least since the death of Nelson by the state of it. Wonder what’s inside - King Kong i wouldn’t be surprised.

Second thought “do the Japanese know that the war is over.”?

The area has two gigantic conifers surrounded by a rockery.. didn’t there used to be a fish pond there.?

It’s going to take an age to cut down the foliage remove the rubbish, pick up all the rocks boulders and branches to be able to get anywhere near finding out what the patch looks like.

But not to worry – I just uncovered eight stepping stones, hexagons (6 sides I think) which will edge the grass (sorry) lawn to make it easier to mow.

What about the fairy city you scream?

What can I say other than I was set on building an empire and a capital fairy city beyond imagination.

But I’ve got to hang out the laundry now , a slaves work is never done.

I know, I’ll start tomorrow.