A GIVE-AWAY - my first ever !

This was to have been entitled "A Saturday Stroll around My Life" but then I decided to 'sell myself' a bit better and have a give-away, about which more later.

On Wednesday night the sky was bright and clear and we had a quarter moon (we only see one side of the moon, of course, so a quarter moon appears to us as a perfect semi-circle). This is the first time since the 1930s and the only occasion in my lifetime when we will have a quarter moon on February 29th. I took Son-who-watches-films outside to look at it. The next one is due in 2088 and he was born in 1988 so I pointed out to him that if he lived to be a hundred he should get them to wheel him out so he can see it again!

Dr Seuss has never been as popular over here in the UK as in the States and I came across The Lorax for the first time recently, thanks to Kay's blog. I like it when children's stories have a moral as well as good storytelling. The Lorax is definitely in that category sand deserves to be better known to my generation.

My Laptop is back from hospital. It's had it's MLB replaced and its DMI updated and various other internal surgery. The human anatomy I know something about but where the MLB is or why the DMI needed updating I'll probably never know and so long as it works I couldn't really care.

I have been enjoying one of these every evening, at bedtime, with either a cup of tea or a little glass of limoncello. They were given to me by Friend-über-special. Yummmmm. Sadly Partner-who-drinks-tea doesn't really like them. (Did you hear the silent “Yippee, all the more for me,” in that sentence?)


Friday was so Spring-like that I forsook the various computers that I was trying to sort for partner's business and spent an hour gardening.

The bees were around, the ladybirds emerged and all in all it was a beautiful day.

It was truly delightful to be out in the fresh air and making a start on tidying the garden borders. And by Jove they need it! The Snowdrops have just begun to go over but still brighten the front garden enormously.

The miniature Daffodils were coming out on the patio. You can get some idea of their size by comparing them with my wedding ring.

There are a few frogs around the garden but no signs of mating as yet.

I've decided to do a 'Give Away' this week. All I have to do now is decide what to give! In the meantime the rules are simple. Drop a comment on any of this week's postings (Saturday 3rd to Saturday 10th inclusive) and I'll put the names of all those who have commented in a hat (assuming I can find one – it may have to be a saucepan or some other substitute) and draw out the winner on Sunday 11th. I decided to ask Google for ideas as to what I could offer as a prize. Nearly all the answers suggested using something associated with your blog topic. The only consistent topic on my blog is Me (and Partner-who-drinks-tea has said I can't give myself away) and over the years I've covered everything from Anderson's Salamander to Angry Penguins; Auctions to Blood Tests; e.e.cummings and Exeter Football Club. Grafitti in Pompeii, Hamlet and fur coats have all turned up – could there be a more diverse blog? Even the <i>Grimpoteuthis</i> or Dumbo Octopus made an appearance. I couldn't see this brief look through my blog helping me decide at all.

In the end I decided to offer the winner a choice of one of the following books - all of which scored 10/10 on my book blog last year.

Helen DUNMORE - “The Siege“ (2001)

Khaled HOSSEINI – “The Kite Runner” (2003)

Alice HOFFMAN – “The Ice Queen ” (2005)

Khaled HOSSEINI – “A Thousand Splendid Suns ” (2007)

Muriel BARBERY – “The Elegance of the Hedgehog” (2008)

Paul TORDAY - “The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce - a novel in four vintages" (2008)

David MITCHELL – “The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet ” (2010)

Terry PRATCHETT - “Snuff“ (2011)

I look forward to all your comments.