Monday 24 September 2012

One from the weekend

'Gracious living': a term used to describe any attempt to improve the presentability of food or place settings, eg using a tea spoon rather than knife to get jam out of a jar.

Monday 3 September 2012

The verb 'to brain'

Just a quickie from a recent tele-con with Beck. She was describing how an armless Paralympic swimmer finished her lengths by bashing her head into the side of the pool or, to coin a Dad-ism, "braining" herself. "I'll brain you!" Pa used to say when he was getting very cross with us.

Saturday 11 August 2012

Two from the Poode's visit to York

1. When driving too close to the car in front: "You're much too close!" Followed by: "Come down! Come right down!" Also tooting the horn when approaching a tight bend on a narrow road (eg in Devon) to forewarn advancing motorists of his approach. Usually followed by complaints from Mum.

2. Referring to spilling stuff "on the carpet" even in rooms which were uncarpeted. We know what he meant.

Wednesday 1 August 2012

Catching tennis balls

Found myself with Aidan this afternoon in Dukes Ave garden with a tennis ball and racket and started to play catch.  It recalled those endless summers evenings when we all used to stand at intervals in the back garden and Dad would punt ball after ball for us all to catch.  No matter how weak or errant our throws back to him, he always seemed to get it back with out having to move.

Biscuits

Dad's penchant for a weak joke was revived earlier today when Beck offered me a chocolate digestive biscuit and I corrected her that it was a chocolate "suggestive" - this was a standing joke with the lady in the Market Cafe who loyally laughed every time - I think she must have been a few sandwiches short of a full picnic...

The phantom arm

John and I sat down to look at this blog and as we squeezed up in front of the screen I just silently and creepily put my arm around Nonny's shoulders, which we realised was a Dadism!

Monday 16 July 2012

Dad look-a-like in the Dales

I think this blog is moribund. Oh, well. I'll carry on posting from time to time. Here's a pic of Bertie on a walk in the Yorks Dales yesterday. Doesn't he look like Dad? Especially his eyes and thin smile. Similarities to Uncle Andrew too. Very Kirkwoodian, anyway. [Click on the pic to view at full size].

Tuesday 22 May 2012

The Aldbourne Avenue Event, June 1977

Does anyone remember much about this? Been thinking back to it what with all the diamond jubilee stuff coming up.

I think that the 'event' may have been a treasure hunt. Beck, John and I somehow ended up finding someone's lost dog [not part of the hunt] and thereby dubbed ourselves [in a silly voice, said in unison]: "The dog finders!" My diary [pocket format only at the time, unfortunately] says that there was a bike race and swimming. I also recall that we befriended Karen Done and her family during the festivities and build-up.

Funny to think that our kids are roughly the same ages now as we were when.