A to Z challenge

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A to Z Challenge – K is for Kitchen Garden

I live in the country with enough space in my garden for an area dedicated to the production of food;  about fifteen years ago I enclosed the vegetable patch  with hedges and fences which immediately lifted its status to “Kitchen Garden.”  

I use the raised bed system where each bed is four feet wide so that once the initial deep digging is finished  you do not need to walk on the soil again because you stand on narrow paths between the beds to carry out all the cultivations and harvesting. Now that there are only two of us living here, planting short rows of the different crops about once a fortnight means that, in theory at least, there is always something to pick for about seven months of the year.   Sadly,  theory is just that and the rabbits, deer, moles and all the other creatures who live in my garden regard this place as either their larder, playground or underground highway route;  oh how I long for a walled vegetable and fruit garden which would keep out everything that did not have wings.   Like many other passionate gardeners I visit private gardens that open under the National Gardens Scheme; I  choose places that have walled kitchen gardens where fruit and vegetables are still grown in at least part of the space and I stand in them and dream about having one of my own.   It will never happen of course because I would need to win the Lottery to pay for it and the Local Council would refuse planning permission.

The first rewrite of my novel is underway and I am at the point where the main female character Ellie struggles with her desire for a walled garden when faced with an important decision about her life.  I’m not sure I would make the same choice as her, but then I know what happens next.

If you have never visited any NGS gardens I recommend that you try one in your local area;  you can buy a copy of the “Yellow Book”  which lists all the openings or visit the website and search online for free.

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A to Z challenge – J is for Jargon

I dislike people who attempt to use Professional Jargon in order to make me feel inadequate.  

About 25 years ago I was invited to become a member of a steering group for a new local scheme being considered by the National Health Service ;  several other people from outside the NHS also took part and generally we all worked well together and made good progress.   It was obvious from the start, however, that a few of the professionals did not want the outsiders to participate in the discussions; they used various strategies to keep us excluded but their  weapon of choice was Jargon (with added acronyms.)

I have also been assaulted by Jargon when talking to accountants, lawyers, builders, car mechanics, vets and those terrifying ladies at the beauty counters in department stores.  It’s not that I mind them using technical terms related to their professions,  I do that myself, it’s the way that they use them I find objectionable.

I am currently rewriting sections of my novel having completed my own rigorous first edit;  I had made a brief reference to the use of professional jargon by one of the male characters but I am expanding on it now to build sympathy for his wife’s character in the first chapter.  This is proving harder than I expected because I do not know enough about his working environment so it’s back to research mode again.

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A to Z challenge – I is for “Imitation is the sincerest (form) of flattery”

Charles Caleb Colton (1780–1832) was a British author, clergyman and art collector.  In 1820 his book Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words : Addressed to Those who Think was published.

I came across him when given an assignment to write and deliver a speech about what is probably his most famous quote “Imitation is the sincerest (form) of flattery”.  I  do not remember all the points I made so many years ago but I do recall droning on about how revered national traditions were just a form of imitation  and  little different to a kitten creeping up on birds because its mother crept up on birds.   I imagined that I was being incisive and innovative  but I think I was flattering myself.

I particularly like three more of Colton’s quotes; they relate to books and writing.

“Next to acquiring good friends, the best acquisition is that of a good book.”

“We should have a glorious conflagration, if all who cannot put fire into their works would only consent to put their works into the fire”

“To write what is worth publishing, to find honest people to publish it, and get sensible people to read it, are the three great difficulties in being an author.”

Almost 200 years on his words are still relevant;  I wish I could imitate him.

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A to Z Challenge – H is for homonyms, homophones and homographs

I  confuse the definitions of  homonym, homophone and homograph and judging by the websites I have read on the subject this is not unusual.

According to the OED  the definitions are as follows:

Homonym means each of two or more words that are spelled and pronounced in the same way but have different meanings and origins.

Homophone means each of two or more words that are pronounced in the same way but have different meanings, origins or spelling.

Homograph means each of two or more words spelled  in the same way but with different meanings and origins and often different pronunciations.

It doesn’t really matter that I cannot remember which is which  as I am  happy just reading books proofread by people who understand that new and knew (homophones) are not interchangeable. Reviewers like to moan about the grammatical errors and spelling mistakes of new Indie authors and sadly their criticism is sometimes justified;  however,  recently I have downloaded  several classic novels and been presented with here instead of hear,  there instead of their etc. in spite of the earlier hardback versions, produced by mainstream publishers, using the right spellings. Presumably reviewers do not read these ebooks as the stories are well known and will continue to reserve their diatribes for the Indie author community.   

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A to Z Challenge – G is for Garage Band and Grandmas

I had not heard of Apple’s Garage Band software until I switched from  a pc to a macbook in 2010; I hated the music lessons I had to endure as a  child  and think this is a brilliant way of learning the basics at your own speed.   I enjoy listening to an eclectic mix of music but wish I could play the piano with greater proficiency.  

I’m learning the piano using Garage Band,

The lessons are  downloaded,  the kids gave me a hand

Grandpa’s at the bowls club,  I’ve made a cup of tea

Plugged in my new keyboard,  hurrah for iPad3

I’ve moved on to the guitar, things are going swell

I’d start on the drums next week if they taught them as well

No more knitting jumpers, no afternoon tv

No playing bridge with Stan & Midge,  it’s Garage Band for me

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A to Z Challenge – Films from Fiction

How can we judge films based on our favourite fiction;  is it ever possible to view the film as a stand-alone project?

Like many other people I often wonder why the physical features of characters in novels are ignored when the actors are chosen for the film of the book.   I wrote about The Enchanted April  on Monday;  fair ladies from this story turned into dark haired beauties as they hit the screen.  Did I mind?  No,  because I saw the film first and read the book afterwards and I was captivated by both of them.  It is when they release a film based on a book I know and love that I struggle to accept changes in build or a different hair colour for the main characters.  If you have a mental picture of a fair, slender young woman do you want to watch a curvaceous brunette say her words?  I am still working towards the publication of my first novel but I have already  chosen the actress I would like to play  the main character Ellie, not because I dream of fame and film rights but because it has helped me to write about her.

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The A to Z Challenge – E is for Expense Account

I occasionally buy expensive handbags although only  in the sales or at an Outlet Village;  it fascinates me to see how differently I am treated   when  I am “dressed-up”  instead of in my usual country clothes.  It is very sad to see the amount young people spend  copying their celebrity idol’s expenisve brand addictions.

With my own expense account, I’d smile ecstatically

For given an expense account I’d spend the lot on me

With so much to choose from  I’d dress exquisitely

My clothing would be elegant,  my taste exemplary

I’d buy some shoes from Jimmy Choo, a justified expense

And a nice smart watch from Rolex  would make perfect sense

Seen at all the best events I’d dazzle with my eloquence

For Money talks you see.

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The A to Z Challenge – D is for Diary

Is keeping a daily diary  one of your New Year’s resolutions?  How many days pass before you desist?

Every December I place my  new desk diary on the writing-table in my bedroom, determined to fill its pristine pages with delightfully disparate descriptions of my  diverse days to delight my descendants.   The reality is that by mid-March I give up and my only diary entries are scribbled appointments in my  pocket diary, backed up by  iCal  dashing between my devices.  I have decided that next year I shall delay the start of writing  in my desk diary until  April 1st so at least different dates have detailed data of my  daily doings.  

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The A to Z Challenge – C is for Cloves and Childhood

What stirs your childhood memories?   Is there a  sound or smell that reminds you of visiting your grandparents?  Perhaps just reading this will remind you of something you had not thought about for years.  

Cloves are the  small flower buds from a tropical tree and may be used to produce clove oil. I use cloves in cooking but I also keep a small jar of them just to sniff,   not sure if that makes me a clove addict.   My maternal grandparents lived in Aberdeen and I spent many of my summer holidays with them;  as a treat they gave me clove candy  which was round and flat, constructed like a coil of rope. Over the years I have tried to buy  something similar but I have never found any that looked or tasted like that childhood clove candy.

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The A to Z Challenge – B is for Botanic Gardens

If you have never set foot inside  a Botanic Garden I hope this short piece will encourage you to visit one;  not only are they fascinating places but one day they may play an important part in our survival.

I was lucky enough to grow up in Oxford where my father worked for the University;  visiting the Botanic Garden  (Oxfordbg.blogspot.co.uk) was  a regular part of my childhood and, combined with my mother’s love of gardening,  led to my becoming a passionate gardener with a large greenhouse that competes for my time with preparing my book for publishing.

The Garden lies next to the River Cherwell and is a peaceful oasis in the centre of the city; it was founded by Sir Henry Danvers in 1621 for “the glorification of God and for the furtherance of learning”.  The walls and arches are on a very grand  scale and building them used up most of the money  Danvers had donated to set up the Garden so it took some time for the plant collection to increase;  however, the conditions created within the walls enable a wide range of plants from all parts of the world to grow there.

The oldest tree in the Garden is an English Yew;    in 1645 when it  was planted by the Botanic Garden’s first official curator, Jacob Bobart,  it would not have been considered a medicinal plant but many people now donate the clippings from their yew trees to be used in the production of cancer-fighting drugs.

When I was on the Italian Gardens Tour I mentioned in yesterday’s blog I felt privileged to visit the Pisa Botanical Garden  which is the oldest university Botanic Garden in Europe having been founded in 1543 by the physician and botanist Luca Ghini  who was given the post of  Chair of Botany by Grand Duke Cosimo I de” Medici.

  I hope that it has retained the same feeling of history nearly twenty years on.

In 1997,  when  visiting St. Louis, I  was given the most wonderful guided tour of the Missouri Botanical Garden;  my guide was a lady volunteer with a real love of, and enthusiasm for sharing, this wonderful place.  Founded in 1859, this is the youngest of the three Gardens mentioned in this article but is the USA’s oldest Botanical garden in continuous operation and within its 79 acres   holds one of the world’s largest collections of rare and endangered orchids.

Visit these places if you get the chance,  they are living history.