Sherlock Holmes

I am quite a crime mystery reading fan. While in Uganda we watched some Sherlock tv programmes and it got me thinking about the books and I realised I had downloaded the entire books on to my England so I started reading. But I didn't want to read them all particularly and I was excited to find this on the Wikipedia entry. 

This became the list I worked through and read. 

Where I'd like to live

For some strange reasons I've started to think more about where I'd like to live in the country in the time to come. I really love the flat we live in now and Oxford is nice enough but I don't feel committed there for life. It's handily a good distance to London and equidistant to our families - all close to two hours. I remember when it came to applying for teaching jobs that it was exciting that I could go anywhere in the country (although when it actually came down to it, the 'whole country' was a bit too much to be trawling through for job adverts!). 

I was walking down a village road during our month return, looking at the houses and got a thrill thinking 'I don't know what sort of house we'll end up living in'. It was a fun feeling of not knowing what's to come. 

Here I will write a little of my house of dreams - on the understanding that it may well be a long way from reality. I love our open plan kitchen and living area and would only maybe like to add a little reception room that could be a library. How nice it would be to have a book shelf lined room with a couple of cosy chairs in it - I love those snuggler swivel chairs. Maybe even that could be a TV snug. I'd also like to have a wall in a room somewhere covered in people photos and I'd also ideally like to have a shell themed/decorated room. 

We also had a bit of a realisation on the sort of town I would like to live in. It came as we were crawling through Oxford on the park and ride. It was in stark contrast to driving through the centre of Malvern the day before with not a hold up. I started do come up with a bit of a criteria and decided that small town is the ideal size. This is what it would ideally include:

- ability to drive through the centre at most times of day

- Easy parking - no multi-storey car park - I'm thinking that might be the sign of a too big town. 

- Shops where you can buy most things that you'd want on a weekly basis. They don't have to be big brand shops but I wouldn't like to be in a shopless village I've decided. 

- Train line would be handy.

- A theatre would be awesome! 

- I'd ideally like to be able to walk in to town on the odd occasion - half an hour or so would be fine. 

- Maybe a swimming pool. 

These are the places that I wondered might fit (not that we necessarily want to live in these parts of the country, just that they maybe fit these criteria): Malvern, Evesham, Melton Mowbray and oddly Didcot (but I just don't think I'd want to live there somehow - maybe I'll have to refine my criteria!). 

So there are my little musings. I don't know if any will actually come true, or even if in the end I'd want them to come true, but they are written there so I can look back on in years to come. 😀 

County Count - to finish

Today (Wednesday 22nd June) we went to Lincoln and had a very nice day.  I was thinking that it might well be the first time I had been to Lincolnshire.  While we were travelling, something made me wonder how many counties I had been to and if it would be a nice little challenge to visit them all.  But to be honest I couldn't think of any English counties but Lincolnshire that I hadn't been to!  I thought I would do some research and make a list of times I've visited counties on here.

Turns out... it's not that easy to get a list of counties.  I found this article from the BBC: 'The baffling map of England's counties' and apparently you can talk about historic counties, ceremonial counties and administrative counties.  According to wikipedia there are 83 metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties in England and 48 ceremonial counties and 48 postal counties.  I feel temped just to talk about cricket counties! I was going to do counties in the whole of the UK, but that now sounds rather daunting, although I think from my research that counties may be a little less confusing in the rest of the UK.  I have definitely not been to many of the Welsh, Scottish or Irish counties.  I think maybe I'll just make my own list of counties that I like the names of...

It's now (Monday 27th June) getting a little close to when we are off travelling again and I have quite of list of blog posts I want to try to write so I'm going to leave this post now and hopefully come back to it with the list in later days. 😀

Funeral arrangements

This is a very strange post to write and I'm not sure if I should ever publish it. I wanted to write something down and it occurred me to write it here but I still don't know. 

Today I went to my friend's mum's funeral. It felt so so very wrong that the event was happening, but I did think the event itself was done beautifully. It made me wonder how I would ever organise such an event. I hope not to have to. I realised it would probably be easiest to do if the person had let their wishes be known. It's quite a hard conversation to bring up with others, so as a first step I thought I would write my own wishes down. 

My number one thought is that I don't mind what happens. I feel a funeral is far more for the living than for the person being remembered. So even if the event turns out to be something that I would consider ghastly, if those that have organised it are happy, then that would make me happy. What I really want is for no one to fall out over the arrangements, thinking that someone is doing something wrong. If everyone gets along and is happy then horray! 

That being said, just in case those organising would like some pointers, here are my next thoughts!

I wouldn't want it to be a massively sober affair. I like the thought of there being laughter and joking and colour. Make jokes at my expense - I'm sure my sister could have lots of ammunition 😉 I don't like people's eulogies making them seem like saints. I'd much rather it be a balanced account. I don't think there's any need for flowers or to be honest I'm not even sure why there's a need for a collection. But it is nice to support charities. I wouldn't mind where a service was or what format it would take. I wouldn't mind who would speak or what music or readings there were. Though now I feel I'm going off the point of this post which was to try and help those organising, so maybe I should think of some. Fun music is good. Check my jump around playlist. Or something Disney is nice. 'Remember the magic' (Disney) and 'old friends' (Dolly Parton and someone) I both like but might be a bit somber tear jerkers. 

I remember reading and studying the poem 'Remember' at school by Christina Rossetti. And I liked the sentiment of it being OK to forget and to smile. I think I have heard better modern ones so am happy with something else, but along the lines of it's ok to move on and be cheerful again. 

Would also just like to take a moment to mention tears. Having said I don't want it to be somber, I'll also mention that I love a good cry - normally over a book or over a film. So it's also fine to have tears at my funeral if that's what you need. 

I don't particularly want to be buried as land seems a precious resource. Ideally as much would go to medical research as possible, but the research I have done in to that makes it seem very complicated and makes death more stressful I think. And so I haven't filled out the forms for it. So maybe cremation would be best and you can scatter or keep ashes as you please. I would imagine scatter would be better as I think it's a little peculiar to have an urn on the mantelpiece, but as you wish! 

So I think that's all I can think of for the moment. Hope it might help. I'm going to publish it but publish a lot more after it in quick succession so it drops down the list. And I'll need to tell someone that the list is here! 

Blogging and ducks

As I mentioned in my last post, I have been really enjoying getting back in to blogging. John and I together have been keeping NewLandsWithTheKirklands.wordpress.com for our travels. It has been fun writing those blogs though what a lot of pressure that people actually read them. They don't normally take long for me to write but then it's usually several days of adding photos, John reading and editing until they finally get online. Then there is the awkward wondering if anyone will comment. So all in all I am enjoying this return to this blog. As I said I was so surprised to discover how many blogs I wrote in 2010. And I'm now beginning to wonder if I might get back to those levels. But maybe it's just because this month I'm free and easy that there is tjme for blogging again. 

I have just dropped the car off for new anti-roll bar linkages and have taken a wander to the river for the mean time. I have just passed a wool shop and I had been hoping to pass one. Sadly I don't have the pattern with me but I think I'll guess and get some wool anyway. 

Down by the river I was looking at the ducks and decided it would be a good idea to record My Great Duck Fact on here. I'm very proud of this fact as it seems pretty major to me, but I don't think I've ever met anyone that's known it, and a lot of people have just not believed me! So, here's The Fact story... 

When I was in New Zealand in the early months of 2004 I remember seeing a great big pond with loads of brown female mallards on it. I asked our friends how come there were only females but they didn't really know. Some years later, I happened across a very small mention in our big RSPB birds book about how ducks malt (don't feel that's quite the right word, but can't really think of another) in the summer and their replacement feathers for July and August look the same and like a female mallard. And incidentally, they can't fly with these interim feathers. So if you go to a river or pond in July or August it will appear that there are only females, and that's the equivalent time that I was in the Southern Hemisphere. A way to tell them apart is by their beaks. Females have a more brown beak and males have a more yellow beak. 

So there you have it. Go on, check it out next summer by the water. 

Here's the evidence from today. You could just see that some males were beginning to be on the turn...

Time and age

I have been thinking more and more about getting older, and not always in a bad way!  Various things are starting to make me realise that I am growing up.  I don't really remember feeling this when I went to uni, when I started teacher training, when I got a job and was responsible for a class full of children, or even when I got married.  Or maybe I did feel it and it was just a continuation of those small pangs that quickly went while I was busy with life.

So why write about it now?  It has been on my mind for a couple of months.  Maybe it's because of our big travels coming up. 

So I started this back last summer, 2015, but didn't get any further than that.  I have been thinking about feeling older again, at the other end of our big travels, so thought it was time to continue the post and get it out there. And I have just been having a bit of a blog update session, looking at how posts are tagged etc.   I was very surprised to discover that I published 158 posts in 2010.  That seems like an awful lot to me!  There were quite a few titles that I didn't remember and am keen to read. I started at the beginning of 2010 with Bringing in 2010 and was interested to find the post about being an adult!  I thought it would be an interesting companion piece to this (yet to be completed) post and it was funny that I didn't really remember writing it.  I'm glad I did though :-)

So here are some of the ways I have been feeling old.

• friends with babies. The last year has been the real take off in terms of friends having babies. We went to five weddings the year we got married. The other four now either have babies or are pregnant. My oldest friend had a baby while we were in Uganda. That was definitely the strangest and hardest to comprehend for me. She is a mum! I got to see them a couple of weeks ago and they all seemed great together - lovely little family. 
• John and I have a shared history of more than 5 years! It's beginning to be hard to remember exactly when things happened. Like did we first go to Stornoway in 2013 or 2014? I take it has a good sign that we have shared more of our life together. Not long after we were married, we were chatting to a married couple. When we asked how long they'd been married their response was 'wow it's four years now, that sounds like quite a long time'. And we are nearly in the same position now! 
• grey hairs! So I have seen the odd grey hair for quite a few years now, since not long after I started teaching. But last summer they started to seem more numerous. I am definitely still in denial about when/whether I'll have to dye my hair. I'll keep putting it off for now! 
• LOKA bus. We went on a bus tour in Australia. And while I felt I seemed and looked (but who knows?) the same age as everyone else, I definitely wasn't a fan of the drinking games and needing to stop every one and a half hours for more booze! So although that made me think I might be 'old', I prefer to think of it as being sensible and more enjoyable! 
• meeting uni friends and it being almost 10 years since we left uni. We are definitely not in the 'just graduated' stage anymore. It was actually quite a long time ago that we left uni. A lot has happened since then. 
• 'middle age'. In a similar way, I realise we are creeping nearer 'middle age'. I didn't mind turning 30, that didn't seem so old for me, especially as John had done it the year before. But approaching 32 definitely feels quite a bit older. We are getting further along as we tick the age boxes on forms and in the Disneyland Unoffical Guide I realised we weren't in the 'Young Adults' category for ride enjoyment, but instead in the 'Over 30s'! 
• aching body...! Particularly in the last couple of weeks, my body seems to be aching whenever I stand up. That definitely seems the clearest indication of age to me. I've never really bothered a lot with stretches after exercise, but maybe I can't get away with that anymore. My shoulder was sore yesterday and still is today! I did manage to sit down cross legged and stand up without putting my hands down, which Angela Rippon apparently said was a sign of living long, but I stood up in an unconventional way so I fear I may be doing more harm than good!
• A sad one to put in, but one of my friend's mum died two weeks ago. It was quite out of the blue and she was definitely too young to die. It's horrible and shocking and again does make me think we are getting older. 
• 90s retrospective. John picked up a free magazine yesterday which had a special feature on the 90s. Now that they are flashing back to a decade I remember, I guess I must have been alive quite a while. 

I want to end with something Grandma G told me. I guess I was in my early twenties and was taking about being older but not feeling grown up. She said she has never felt old. That came as quite a surprise to me, because of course, my grandparents had always been old... I am so pleased that Grandma told me this. It has definitely stuck with me and has been a great encouragement. 

So I'm very pleased that I have finished this post. I hope it doesn't come across as sad or melancholy. I'm not really sad that I'm starting to feel older. I've only written this post to note that I'm feeling older. I'm sure the post will create quite a few laughs in years to come when I read and say 'I thought I felt old at 31!'. To my future self, I hope you're happy with your years. 😀

Expectations for Disneyland

It is high time indeed that there was a post on here about Disney!  Hopefully there will be a few coming up, but I thought I would start with this one which was already prepared as a note on my phone.

We planned and have now been on our Great California Road Trip with Mum and Lizzie in honour of Mamma's 60th Birthday.  As it wasn't just John and I, it meant that we were definitely going to Disneyland and John just had to decide if he wanted to be part of it. He has never been much of a Disney fan so wasn't especially keen and rather daunted by the whole experience.  In an effort to prepare John and give everyone a great experience, I started writing this list.  I wrote it while reading the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland, and as I read things that sparked an idea, I made a note.  So let's get on with it...

(with thanks to S. H. for the idea of preparing ones loved ones for a much loved experience!)

-It is normal to arrive an hour before park opens and have a rest in the afternoon then hit the park again later. 

-It is fun to visit the Disney hotels and look at theming around the lobby. 

-Skipping down Main Street is compulsory at least on one occasion.  

-Stopping for a photo with a character is highly advised! Everyone should smile in at least one photo with a character - no hogging the photographer role!

-Criss-crossing across the park may be necessary and should be considered fun. Don't stress about or get distracted when walking past something interesting; there will be time to come back to it later and enjoy it. 

-Dawdling, especially in the mornings, is a no go. 

-Vacation uniforms are not compulsory. 

-Bumbags are actively encouraged and not to be laughed at in a mean way (a jokey way is ok, as long as you recognise the great benefits)

-(this one mainly for Catherine) Prepare yourself that some rides may be closed for planned or unplanned engineering work. It makes Disney better in the long run. Planned closures when we are there: railroad, all river boats, jungle cruise, autopia, soaring over California, grizzly river run and fantasmic (boohoo 😰)

-Disney characters are real and should not be referred to as men dressed up in costumes. Except when discussing Jennie Kirk as Donald as that's just funny!

-Food may be fast in terms of time spent eating not time spent queuing for it. 

-Queues are inevitable and you must work to enjoy them! They can twist and turn so you don't know how close you are to riding. There is usually lots of theming to be seen around queueing area, and looking at other guests can be interesting, as well as playing games such as 'guess who I'm thinking of' or 'who would you take to the Yule Ball'. Sticking to unofficial touring plan should keep queues under 20 mins. 

-Singing, humming or whistling Disney songs is encouraged. Particular favourites may include Zip-a-de-do-dah and it's a small world. 

-Fireworks etc may be cancelled at the last moment if winds or weather is inclement. 

-Fastpass lines will still involve a bit of a wait - up to 15 minutes. 

-You do not need to know anything about the film a ride is based on to go on it and enjoy. No dismissing a ride because you don't like the film. 

-Anyone is welcome to follow the 'Disneyland no rides, no queues, no stress anti-touring plan', after going on at least one headliner attraction. 

-Anyone is welcome to leave Disneyland after spending at least half a day there, but should be happy with others staying longer. 

-Expect some time to be spent in Disney souvenir shops and to buy a Disney edible treat. 

Interesting points from unofficial guide

- make sure you line up for security in esplanade. 

- 'Queue' is not a word Americans are familiar with - they use 'lines'!!

- Touringplans.com and Lines app

- Lost adult meeting point? Partners statue?

- Family meetings - teehee!

- Breakfast in the mini fridge in hotel room. 

- Fruits and crackers good snacks to bring with you for around the park. 

- Get cast members to take photos of the four of us. 

- Is it worth bringing my autograph book from my other bedroom 

- Check open and close times

- What's the hype around dole whips?

- After dark: Jungle cruise, thunder mountain, carousel , story land boats, cars land, radiator springs. 

- Mental preparation for Catherine: the big rides aren't the first ones on touring plans. They will be done later in day using fast passes. 

- Consider whether we'd be interested in single rider lines. 

- Is it worth a meal for world of colour? Catherine really (that would be italicised if I knew how to!) wants to see it as can't see fantasmic. 

Here is the original for comparison and entertainment. I feel I could have had the first four on my list too! 

Danish ponderings

Hmm, I just decided to start writing these down, but then I got distracted by deleting emails when I picked up my phone and now I've rather forgotten what I was going to write. We are on the train back to Copenhagen from Esbjerg where we have been for 5 days on a sort of school exchange programme. It has been very interesting and not quite as scary as I feared. Ooh, I think that leads me to some of my musings...

- I really wasn't especially looking forward to this trip. I felt John was responsible for this and I wasn't doing any Team Doer work to get us there. I know they wasn't a kind wifely thing to do, I am sorry. And especially as we had such a good time and were treated so well by our Danish hosts. 

- Train doors open between carriages with a close waft of the hand. Sometimes you need to wait around in different places, but it's so much better than uk doors which seem to open if you sneeze in the vicinity. What a totally cliched thing to include a sneeze. I don't know how embarrassed to be. (I've just watched someone else come through the door and I really do feel 'waft' is a very apt description!)

- I suppose really that's one of the nice things about travelling. Observing the small things like how people get through doors differently. I feel that could be as worthwhile as seeing something like the Sydney Opera House.  

- I realise on being here that I really didn't know anything about Denmark, except.... the capital is Copenhagen and they weren't in Eurovison this year and they have an ok sometimes football team with the Schmichaels. Oh and that Danish crime programmes have become popular but I haven't watched any. 

- It was interesting to study a map and discover Denmark's geography and how many big islands there are. 

- It's a very flat country. I wonder just how flat Holland must be for me to know of that as being flat but not Denmark. 

- We broke our weather record here. Well, I guess we really broke it in Fiji with the cyclone, but apart from that we have had better than expected weather everywhere, most notably in Lewis. Here it has been blankets of white clouds, cold and often with drizzle. 

- Cousin leant us his book called 'the nearly perfect people' about Scandinavia at the weekend and John had read the Denmark chapter within a few days of us being here and had lots of interesting facts from it. I am reading it a bit on the journey back and just come across this phrase that doesn't have anything to do with Denmark on its own, but I feel sums me up pretty well! "I am not a joiner. Some have gone so far as to call me a hermit, which is a little unfair, although it is true that there are few evenings out that can compete with a Larry Sanders box set, a box of Jaffa Cakes and a squashy sofa." Swap that for ER box set and Chocolate Digestives and that's me and I'm all set. 

- This was special as it felt like the first 'old place' we had been. I had got quite used to seeing towns celebrating 150 year existence anniversaries and hearing dates in 1800s and 1900s in Uganda, NZ, Australia and USA. Obviously all the places have history before that time, but in terms of settlements and seeing dates, I realise that so much had been relatively recent. This week we were taken to Ribe, Denmark's oldest town with lots of Viking history and more than 1000 years of settlement evidence. I was really struck with what a contrast that was to the rest of our year. 

- Most Danish houses appear to have proper rooms in their loft space whereas as wouldn't normally?! And their roofs seem more A-line to me.  Makes me think of Mrs Robinson's geography lessons and drawing a Scandinavian House and labelling its features for a cold winter. 

- Prams. I was amazed in California to see the variety of buggies. Especially the radical combinations of double buggies, up down, front back... And then in Denmark there was a whole new variety. There were lots of modern but old style prams. Some that four children would sit in. They reminded me of the one mum had for us that is still in the roof. 

- Bikes. Great to see so many people cycling. And again what a variety of child carriers. Those that stand out hugely in Oxbridge were quite commonplace here. 

I wonder if I will continue this series with life musings?!