THE TALE SPINNER
Vol. XVI, No. 37
September 11, 2010
IN THIS ISSUE:Vol. XVI, No. 37
September 11, 2010
Lyle Meeres writes about exploring London
Kate Brookfield visits the the zoo and the palace in Edinburg
Friends will be sorry to hear of the death of Jack Peaker
Kate is coping with an excess of tomatoes
Barbara Wear's story compares whales with mermaids
Carol Dilworth and Gerrit deLeeuw send examples of surprising sentences
The editor has a problem with plastic bags
Sites are suggested by Bruce Galway, Carol Dilworth, Gerrit de Leeuw, Tom Telfer, and Tom Williamson
Lyle Meeres and party are exploring London as part of their
BALTIC CRUISE
Our 49th anniversary was August 31st, but Pat came down with the cold, so that made it less celebratory for her. We walked to Buckingham Palace, where we had a short wait for our tour to begin. The tour started with the State Rooms - it didn’t seem as if there were 19 of them, but that is what the ticket information said. The tour was well organized. We were each given a tape and earphone set that was, as the locals would say, “Brilliant.” It was clear, orderly, and it allowed us to punch in numbers for extra information when a painting or statue or display interested us, and then to return to our place.
The rooms themselves were more reserved than the gilt and baroque of Versailles, where I preferred walking in the gardens. Personally, I like the British monarchy’s less cluttered approach to filling a palace with treasures. This is not to say that everything there was colourless. There were beautiful chandeliers and paintings, and plenty of gold, but individual pieces seemed to stand out more clearly. The queens' dresses and jewellery were effectively displayed, and even I found this part of the tour interesting. I could see how certain designers and styles dominated in different eras. Even the location where the queen would appear was carefully considered for the effect of her attire.
We went through the gift shop but Pat and I made no purchases, less from lack of interest than from lack of suitcase space. Then we walked in the garden, where I took one picture of a pretty part of the small lake. We found the Big Bus stop, bought our expensive tickets, and were off. After a chunk of touring, we got off and took the river cruise, which added another perspective, and more pictures.
We got off, walked to the British Airways London Eye, bought our expensive tickets (notice a London pattern developing around the word “expensive”), ate an expensive lunch, and took “flight.” Actually, considering the long snaky line, we took flight quite quickly. Each slow- moving capsule of this giant ferris wheel can hold 25 people, but we had lots of room in ours to walk around or sit. At first a youngster on board was a bit uncertain, but the slow movement means it feels like NO movement, so soon he was walking around and talking about what he was seeing. Gradually, passengers get superb views. I took pictures of other capsules as well as scene shots. Pat Davies had said she was uncertain about bothering to do this “ride”, but afterwards she was so glad she had, and I can see what she meant. Paulette was a bit uncertain about the sense of height, but walked around taking pictures, not bothered by the 450-foot height unless she looked down. Adding this perspective helped Pat to get a grasp of direction and layout in London, which proved helpful with all the walking we did.
On the way back to the hotel we stopped at Marks & Spencer’s, where we were able to buy gin and tonic mixed in tins, scotch and ginger for Paulette, and munchies, so for the first time on the trip, drinks were in our room. I made certain I pointed out that I had reserved the rooms and ours had a small fridge and a strange air-conditioner. Paulette said she didn’t believe me, and anyway, their room had TWO closets - but hey, what good is a closet if it won’t keep your gin cool?
After drinks we went out and walked by several eating places and chose to return to one that looked like the best bet. Once again we were almost the only WASPs present, and one man refused to sit at a table beside us, the visible minority. Many men in the place had almost nothing to eat or drink - they saw it as a place for conversation - and they often treated the female servers as inferiors. Our waitress was interesting. She said she was leaving in two and a half months, and she kept saying how nice it was to serve us. I told her that Donna should not get any dessert because she didn’t eat enough of her dinner, and the waitress teased us as though we were fellow conspirators. With us she was upbeat, but I noticed that otherwise she looked hard-done by. When we finished our meal, she told us no tip was necessary, and none appeared on the bill, though 12 or 15 per cent had been standard on this trip. It was a good meal, well-served, and we did tip her. I felt sorry that two cultures had not managed to learn how the other felt about situations. There is a real need for education as our world gets increasingly “in the face” of others. t is one thing to learn to live the urbanized life, but it is a greater challenge learning to live with differences at the same time.
September 1: After an 8:30 full English breakfast (included in room cost) downstairs in the hotel, we walked to a corner at Hyde Park, and since we were still within our 24 hours, caught a Big Bus. The agent on duty sold Pat and me tickets to St. Paul’s Cathedral and sold Paulette and Donna tickets to the Tower of London, which we had seen on an earlier trip. The Big Bus guide was hilarious so we hardly noticed the time it took to get to our stop.
At St. Paul’s, we sat and looked around; changed to different chairs, and sat and looked around. This spot is special for churches because there has been one in this location since 604. Add to that Christopher Wren’s architecture topped by a 365-foot dome, the wood of the choir stalls, the view to the stained glass, and painted scenes, and there is much for the eye. Even with the baroque additions, Wren’s clean lines demonstrate some of his intention to create an open church. Eventually we went down to the Crypt where many famous people such as Florence Nightingale are buried.
After seeing St. Paul’s, we walked across the Millenium Bridge to the Tate Modern, where the building is part of what’s on view. Pat and I looked at some photography. One wall, for example, was filled with portraits of expressionless people, presumably because the photographer was exploring objectivity. We looked at some paintings, a few of which we recognized, before going for a very different and expensive lunch in the Tate. We drank a very dark, very British ale with our meal.
After lunch we walked to the Globe Theatre. There were no tours because “A Comedy of Errors” was playing at the time. We met up with Donna and Paulette, who had enjoyed their visit to the Tower of London.
We took a taxi to Covent Garden, which is a market resembling an overgrown flea market. Some stalls are more like stores, and an Australian on a bike at the top of a pole was entertaining in one arena-like area. Later we saw other street performers. We walked through to Leicester Square and on to Trafalgar Square, where we went into the National Gallery. Pat and I looked at paintings by Van Gogh, Constable, Turner, Seurat (“The Bathers”), and others in the East Wing. Then we caught a taxi back to the Claverley Hotel.
A bit after six, Pat and Gordon Davies came to our room. We had met Pat before in a teacher exchange program, but not Gordon. After introductions and conversation, we walked in the usual direction but took a different side street. Lo and behold, there were many restaurants suitable for the rich and famous. We chose a Thai restaurant where we had a very good meal that was rather spicy and quite expensive.
To be concluded.
Kate Brookfield continues her story about their visit to
SCOTLAND
The following day we had an interesting outing at Edinburgh Zoo. The March of the Penguins was highly promoted, so we found a good place on the penguin walk to watch the parade. Each day, the penguins are let out of their enclosure and they walk in a circle around a picnic area and into another enclosure. The crowd was thick waiting for this event. However, it started to rain and the staff decided it was too wet for the penguins, so they cut short their walk. So in the end, we saw only the backs of heads of humans.
However, we did walk round the penguin enclosure and it was fascinating to see penguins with their eggs, and one penguin was kind enough to give us a short glimpse of a newly-hatched baby.
My photo album of the zoo tells it all: http://arunaurl.com/3m58
On Saturday we spent another exciting day touring Edinburgh Castle. For our Canadian grandchildren this was like being in storybook land. The castle stands on a hill and dominates the city, so is an imposing sight for adults as well. For a detailed tour of the castle, you are best to go the excellent web-site: http://arunaurl.com/3le4. There is also a 3D panoramic view of the castle complex that lets you zoom in to specific areas.
The volcanic rock on which the castle stands formed about 350 million BC. Since 900 BC, the rock has been used by humans as a fortress. The first historic reference was about 600 AD, when it was called "Din Eidyn", which means "fortress on a rock". In 638 AD it was captured by the Angles and renamed Edinburgh ... pronounced "ed-in-buru" or "udinburu" but no "g" at the end!
Queen Margaret was from the English royal family, but spent some of her early years in Hungary. She came to Scotland when she was married to King Malcolm of Scotland. After his untimely death, she devoted her life to prayer and pious works, and was canonized as Saint Margaret after her death in 1093. Her son, King David, built the first castle on the rock in 1130, and he included a chapel dedicated to his mother. This chapel is said to be the oldest building in Edinburgh.
Between 1296 and 1341, the castle changed hands several times. King Edward I of England seized it first, and Robert the Bruce won it back for the Scots; the English took it again, and the Scots won it back in 1341. King David II rebuilt and extended the castle in 1356, adding David’s tower. The castle remained the seat of power for subsequent Scottish kings and in 1457, James II of Scotland received the gift of a giant cannon known as Mons Meg. The cannon was later taken to London, but returned to Scotland in 1829, and is an important exhibit on the parapet. Every day at 1:00 p.m. there is a 24-gun salute from a cannon, but not Mons Meg. In 1511, James IV built the great hall. In 1574, more rebuilding and fortifications were carried out over a period of four years. At this time, the Half-Moon Battery and Portcullis Gate were added to improve its defences against invasion by the English.
James VI of Scotland became James I of England on the death of Elizabeth I. He returned to Scotland for his 50th anniversary as King of Scotland in 1617, and the Royal Palace inside the castle was extensively renovated for the occasion.
Charles I was the last monarch to sleep in the castle in 1633, on the night before his coronation as King of Scotland. In 1650, England executed King Charles I and Oliver Cromwell invaded Scotland and captured the castle. At this time, the Scottish crown, sceptre, and sword, known as the "The Honours of Scotland", were buried for safe keeping from Cromwell and his army. Sir Walter Scott, the writer and researcher of Scottish history, was responsible for finding them again in 1818, when they were returned to the castle. They are now on display in the Crown Room of the Palace. The Honours were buried a second time in David’s tower in 1941 when a German invasion was expected, and remained there until 1945.
Between 1757 to 1814, part of the castle was used for prisoners of war captured during the wars of that time: the Seven Years War, the War of American Independence, the French Revolutionary Wars, and Napoleonic Wars. There is a display with sounds of men’s voices showing the conditions of this prison.
In 1950 the first Edinburgh military tattoo was held on the Castle Esplanade, and this famous annual event with its spectacular setting continues to draw crowds who come to see the pipe bands and dramatic productions.
To enter the castle area you have to walk up a lot of steps from the road through terraced gardens. I find walking up steps tiring, but it was a good excuse to stop and admire the view of the city.
A wedding was in progress conducted in St. Margaret’s Chapel, so we had the added pleasure of seeing the bride and bridesmaids in beautiful gowns and the groom and his male attendants splendid in their full kilt ensemble.
It was a very full day with lots to see, dioramas of the history described above, the palace rooms. The thing that fascinated me was a dog cemetery, with headstones, but I could not see how you could get down to it. It was situated on a grassy ledge jutting out from the steep rock walls. We saw it from above and the only entrance seemed to be closed to the public. This is where the royal dogs were buried over the years. You may see a picture of this cemetery and other views of the castle at http://arunaurl.com/3m3c
To be continued.
ED. NOTE: If you go to Kate's Picasa page and click on Kate's Gallery, you can see all her albums.
Jack Peaker's many friends will be saddened to hear of his death earlier this month. Here is his obituary from the Guelph Mercury:
PEAKER, JOHN (JACK) MORLEY
Jack Passed away peacefully at Riverside Glen on Friday, September 3, 2010 at the age of 85. Beloved husband of the late Iris Amelia (2007), whom he met in 1950 when she came from England to work for Acme Carbon and Ribbon Company in Toronto. They were the loving father and mother of Alison Mathieu, Marie Male (Steven) and Avril Swanston (Alan). Dear grandfather of Matthew, Laura and Jeffrey. Also survived by loving sister Nora (Bill) Watson of Kemptville. Predeceased by parents Cora and Morley Peaker, brother Jim and his wife Gwen. Survived by many nieces and nephews and friends. Jack’s 26 years in the carbon and ribbon industry included positions of sales manager for Burroughs Business Machines in Toronto and Vancouver. A later move to Montreal as general manager lead to a change of careers. In 1971 he became general manager of the Canadian Angus Association and in 1981, general manager of the Canadian Guernsey Association in Guelph. Between 1987 and his retirement in 2002 he was a financial consultant with Regal Capital Planners of Guelph. Club Memberships included Rotary Club of Guelph for 24 years, Guelph-Wellington Men’s Club, St. George’s Snow Shoe Club, life member of Canadian Professional Sales Association, life member of the Canadian Angus Association and the Dairy Shrine Club. He served as Deputy People’s Warden at St. George’s Anglican Church. In retirement years he was a life member of the Probus Club of Guelph, the Evergreen Senior’s Computer Club, Walking Club and Writer’s Club, where he wrote a monthly article for their Sentinel Publication. Memorial contributions to St. George’s Anglican Church, Guelph, or to the charity of one's choice would be appreciated. A tree will be planted in Jack's memory in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest, University of Guelph Arboretum. Dedication service, Sunday, September 18, at 2:30 p.m.
WHAT TO DO WITH A SUPERABUNDANCE OF RIPE TOMATOES
Kate Brookfield finds herself with a glut of tomatoes, due to the fact that her plants were attacked by the dreaded blight. I suggested she leave them on neighbours' doorsteps in the dead of night, to which she replies:
I have given a lot of tomatoes away to friends and neighbours, but this blight made me act quickly or I would have lost the lot in a day.
I make tomato sauce that I use quite a lot for Italian meals like spaghetti, lasagne, etc. I put onions, celery, green peppers in pan with a small amount of olive oil and cook them very slowly; then I add all the tomatoes, only skinning them and set them on the stove at a low temperature with a lid on. This helps keep the flavour in. When they are soft with plenty of liquid, I quickly bring them to a boil and then can and freeze them. Some of them I sieve to take out the seeds, although most of the seeds seem to disappear when I simmer slowly, and this makes a nice tomato soup.
But it takes a lot of time as I have to work quickly with these blighted tomatoes. I cut off the blighted parts and use the unaffected parts. The green ones I put in a cardboard box and let them ripen naturally, and use as fresh tomatoes. The excess of perfect ones I put in large plastic bags and freeze as is. When they come out of the freezer, the skins come off easily and when thawed, they are just like canned tomatoes. Not so nice as fresh, but good enough for a sauce.
Barbara Wear sends this story about a poster that appeared in the window of a large French city. It showed a young, thin, tanned woman, and the caption read:
THIS SUMMER DO YOU WANT TO BE A MERMAID OR A WHALE?
A middle-aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.
To Whom It May Concern:
Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans). They have an active sex life; they get pregnant and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins, stuffing themselves with shrimp. They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia, the Barren Sea, and the coral reefs of Polynesia. Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs. They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans. They are loved, protected, and admired by almost everyone in the world.
Mermaids don't exist. If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis. Fish or human? They don't have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them, not to mention how could they have sex? Therefore they don't have kids either. Not to mention, who wants to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store?
The choice is perfectly clear to me; I want to be a whale.
P.S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver, and a piece of chocolate with my friends. With time we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room, it distributes out to the rest of our bodies. So we aren't heavy - we are enormously cultured, educated, and happy.
Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, Good gosh, look how smart I am!
Carol Dilworth and Gerrit deLeeuw both sent examples of
PARAPROSDOKIAN SENTENCES
So what are Paraprosdokian Sentences?
A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe or reinterpret the first part. It is frequently used for humorous or dramatic effect, sometimes producing an anticlimax.
I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn't work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.
Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on the list.
If I agreed with you we'd both be wrong.
We never really grow up; we only learn how to act in public. (And some never learn!)
War does not determine who is right - only who is left.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
Evening news is where they begin with "Good evening", and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.
A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station.
How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?
Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish.
I thought I wanted a career; turns out I just wanted pay cheques.
A bank is a place that will lend you money, if you can prove that you don't need it.
Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says "In an emergency, notify:" I put "DOCTOR".
I didn't say it was your fault; I said I was blaming you.
I saw a woman wearing a sweat shirt with "Guess" on it ... so I said, "Implants?"
More next week....
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESKTOP
I find myself in the ironic situation of having to scrounge for plastic bags after having carried my own shopping bags for years to avoid needing them.
I am all for saving on plastic bags, and even for banning them, but I have no idea how I would wrap garbage, including kitty litter, so that it would not scatter widely nor smell bad, if I didn't have plastic bags.
I've been trying to remember what we did with garbage over my long life, and find I have no memory of doing anything much with it when I was living in Salmon Arm. There was a garbage dump out of town, at the foot of Mt. Ida, but residents had to dispose of it themselves. There was no collection of garbage in the city, and certainly not in the surrounding countryside.
I suspect we had far less garbage, for one thing. In the depression and during the war years, everything that could be salvaged or used again was frugally saved, and products were not wrapped the way they are now, when you have to beat your way into them with a hammer and screwdriver. I do remember having a barrel outside in which we burned everything that would burn, so that probably took care of a lot of it. I guess there must have been tin cans - certainly Spam came in a can! - but I don't remember what happened to them.
Now we carefully salvage everything that is recyclable and try to avoid unnecessary waste, but I always feel guilty about throwing kitchen scraps into the garbage pail because I have no way of composting it. I believe the city is about to initiate a program where houses will be equipped with bins for kitchen waste, but there is no similar plan for apartment buildings. I could keep a worm composter, but the logistics of caring for a tub of red wigglers in my limited space is daunting. I wonder how the cat would like a compost bin beside his litter box?
We know there is a gigantic island of plastic in the Pacific Ocean, and that it is affecting the birds and sea life in ways too distressing to watch: http://arunaurl.com/3m6f
But what is the answer? What did we do before plastics, which have been around only since about the early 1950s? How have we become so dependent on plastic? It is pervasive - it is in everything, and even things that appear to be something else, like furs and cloth, are plastic. If anyone has any suggestions about what I can do with my garbage that will not involve plastic bags, please let me know.
SUGGESTED WEBSITES
Bruce Galway knows we have seen this video before but believes it is well worth watching again:
Stand By Me | Playing For Change | Song Around The World from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.
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You may also read this newsletter online at:
http://nw-seniors.org/stories.html
A process which led from the amoeba to man appeared to the philosophers to be obviously a progress, though whether the amoeba would agree with this opinion is not known. - Bertrand Russell
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