It's a Small World

This week's theme is 'miniatures'. Obviously young children are enthralled by small figures, animals, vehicles etc that they can hold in their hands, move about into different positions, enact with, talk to and generally enjoy.

When my son was very young I made a play mat from a sheet... there was a railway track went round the centre for his clockwork train, roads led out with crossings and junctions. On one corner was a farm with space for 'Lego' buildings, fields for animals, a farmyard with tractors. The opposite corner had a zoo for all his 'wild' animals and a duck pond in the centre... to this day I am not sure who got the greatest pleasure from playing with this ! For I was transported back to the doll's house I had as a child. It seems that adults are drawn to a  miniature world, as many women have a doll's house that they decorate, furnish and tend to. I would be tempted to have one, if I had the room! Men too can enjoy model making, collecting model cars, flying model planes, wargaming and the like. So it seems that it it might be good for the soul to interact in some way with a miniature world. 

As my son grew older he was enthralled by 'Star Wars' and collected the charterers and craft from the films. He also did wargaming... which I must admit was beyond me!

So it is that the 'small' world is captivating. Why! Small figures accompanied the dead on their way in many ancient cultures. 

My piece for today is about the doll's house I was given by a friend of my father. He had made the house and the furniture inside. It was, thinking back, in a 1940's style... I loved playing with it, making curtains, bedspreads, rugs etc  and was rather upset when my mother decided it was time for it to go to a family with 3 girls... I wonder what became of it ?

Doll's House

Look through the window-
An eternal fire is burning in the grate.

The furniture is 1940's style -
Handmade.
The dog on the rug is silent and never moves,
A baby in the cot doesn't grow!
Mother is in the kitchen, leaning against the wall-
She has to , else she'd fall!

Look at the garden!
Climbing roses painted on the porch-
A small tree in a pot-
Plastic.
Table and chairs set out on painted grass
Nothing ever needs pruned!
Father is by the driveway, lying down-
He has to, he'd fall down!

Open the house front -
Yes! the whole front swings open,
Making it much easier for me
To play.
I move mother to the bedroom to sleep-
Father is laid beside her, inert.
The two don't love- never love!
How come a baby in a cot ?

Close the door, dim the light
On that cosy miniature home of mine-
Built by my father's friend -
Gone now.
Given to others to enjoy.
Do they look in the window and wonder,
Move the figures with in their home?
I wish I had it still...


Thank you for reading , Kath

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Summit..climb every mountain or not ?

I've been hillwalking since aged 8. My parents took it up at the same time, so it was a family pastime. With a hiking club, we did indeed attain some summits, but basically it was a walking group and did not just focus on mountains.

That's always been my mantra since then. If I happen to ascend a peak whilst on a walk, then that's just fine, but I don't set off to 'climb' and then descend...because it's the walk I enjoy. Many enthusiasts don't get it and on one particular fb page I was rather nastily treated. I don't care, I know what I enjoy.

As I've got older, of course, it is more difficult for me to gain height at a goodly pace and I need a walk first to warm the old muscles up. Last year I set off up Parlick from the car park at the base. To say I was slow is putting it mildly ! I huffed and puffed, with many stops to admire the view. Once up there I then enjoyed the Ridge walk and spent a happy day pootling along the footpaths - but the sudden ascent was hard on my poor legs !

I have successfully walked out the distance of the Jungfrau glacier at 12k feet, and I didn't feel the affects of the altitude. For , you see, I'd gone up to the "Top of Europe" on the train so the walk then was great. In the Rockies I attained over 12.5k as the walk up was very slow and very long, so I'd got warmed up and into my stride.

Nearer to home I did, however, want to go up Pendle Hill. The route I like is slow and gentle to begin with, then meanders slowly upwards to the summit. I've been up twice...never seen the view ( due to mist) and I've continued round and descended by a different path. It's a nice circular walk. I must , though, really do it again to see the view !

Views make reaching the summit worthwhile. It's wonderful to look upon the countryside from a height. Just to sit and dwell upon the vista. Absorb it. Take it all in. Relax. Ponder. Admire. Just sometimes I'm reluctant to leave a place because I'm overcome by the beauty, and overwhelmed to think that I will , probably, never return to that place again, and I keep glancing back, not wishing to forget.

I wrote two poems about making for Pendle Hill, so I'll choose one to share with you today.

Remember, though, not all summits are on a mountain top......

  Pendle Hill (1)

   My eyes were drawn towards the towering slope.
   Oh! Pendle Hill I've oft looked at you.
   The vista might give rise to joy and hope,
   So sure, indeed, there'd be a wondrous view.

   First time I went it started poor, you see.
   With rucksack packed I set off full of verve,
   But sky was grey, no sun shone down on me.
   Still hopeful, I set off with steely nerve.

   Oh! Pendle Hill, you fickle mountain top-
   The moorland soon by fog was duly kissed,
   The mist came down - I did not want to stop.
   So thick, so chill, so fearsome drifting mist.

   The summit reached.The mist descended cold.
   The view obscured, my hopes no longer bold.


  Thanks for reading, Kath.

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