Impossible Exchanges: Reg, the Lincoln Cathedral Cat

/ minor6th / Leave a comment

 

IMG_0469

 

This is part of the “Impossible Exchanges” thread, an opportunity for fact to cross into fiction. And maybe back again?

 

Lincoln, UK. April 2013

Whilst on holiday in Lincolnshire a couple of years ago, Si and myself decided to combine a visit to Lincoln cathedral with a spot of geocaching.

Close to the northwest corner of the cathedral is a cache. For non-cachers, a couple of terms below need explanation: GZ means cache location and muggles are non-cachers.

If you want to know more about geocaching, try visiting this Geocaching Guide.

 

But back to the exchange….

We had been searching the GZ for longer than we would have liked, given the number of muggles in the vicinity. Si asked for the clue again and I read it out – I’m not going to give it away here, that would be breaking geocaching etiquette. He was still perplexed. We both were.

All of a sudden, he started to grin, like the idiot he isn’t (or so he tells me). Not grinning at me exactly, but at my ankles. Well, just behind my ankles to be precise. Leaving me perplexed on two counts.

Then I felt something familiar on my lower leg and looked down to see a splendid tabby and white cat rubbing itself against my jeans.

We both crouched down to say Hello, and gave the chap a tickle behind the ear. We decided it was a chap on size alone. After much purring from our new friend, with that familiar cutesy voice reserved for pets and infants, I asked,
“Do you know where the cache is old chap?”

Of course I do, but if you don’t stop talking to me like a baby I am not going to help you.

“Good Lord! A talking cat!”

Good Lord! A human who understands!

Like triumphant cachers in a city centre, we both scanned the area to see if anyone else was aware of our discovery. Then asked

“So, you can really talk?”

Oh yes, but please keep it to yourself. I don’t want to draw attention to us. Do you promise?

We both nodded. “Guide’s honour” I said.

The cat stared at Si, and you?

“I wasn’t a guide, but you have my word”

 

Another scan of the square revealed that no one was paying us any attention. Phew!

“Tell us a bit about yourself. What’s your name? Do you live in the cathedral?”

You can call me Reg. Everyone else does.

Reg yawned, stretched and sauntered over to a nearby bench. We followed him, then we all sat down. Si, Reg and me.

To answer your second question, no, I do not live in the cathedral, but I like to think of it as my study. It’s a magnificent building, don’t you think?

We agreed, thinking back to when we had entered the knave earlier in the week. We were both brought to tears by the serenity to be found in such an immense space.

“You are lucky to have such a palatial study”.

Oh yes, but that’s only part of my abode. I have a comfortable bed and the promise of regular food with my keeper, but I am blessed to be able to roam around this part of the city. People adore me and I like their company, but I’ve never stopped for a proper chat until today. Thank you for catching my attention.

“Well, you caught our attention”.

Are you cat servants yourselves?

“We used to be, until last January. A particularly special old boy did us the honour of his companionship for over 10 years. Let’s just say that we are between cats”.

Reg appeared unimpressed with this terminology, BETWEEN CATS? He asked pointedly.

“Sorry, we re currently not in service“.

That’s a shame. You should put that right as soon as you can.

“You are probably right, but he was so special that it will be difficult to find the like again”.

Then don’t look for the like. We are all different. Beyond our paws and soft snouts there are different personalities. And I’m not probably right, but definitely. By the way, do you have any treats on you?

We shook our heads.

Shame, next time visit the cheese shop in St Martin’s Lane. Splendid place. Not that they would welcome me, but should you be passing this way again I would welcome a little piece of their wares.

“We’ll bear that in mind”

See that you do. There are several good food shops around the Cathedral quarter and not far beyond. You should take you time to explore this area. Beautiful buildings. Copious amounts of history.

There was a slightly awkward pause, then Reg cocked his head to one side and gave us a long hard stare.

You are probably wondering how it is I came to be able to talk. What you should really ask yourself is how you are able to hear me.

Then he nodded towards where the cache was hidden and winked at us. Not a two eyed cat blink but a very deliberate left eyed wink. I’d never seen a cat do that before and to be honest, I found it quite disconcerting.

And with that, he jumped down from the bench, and chased after a leaf caught on the April breeze.

 

MinG

  • Reg can be seen on Google Street view here.

 

The Liebster Award Nomination.

/ minor6th / 3 Comments

liebster-1-e1422620241514

I woke up this morning to read the wonderful news that I had been nominated for this award. I’ve just enjoyed completing blogging101 at WordPress university, which was educational, inspirational and fun. This is the icing on the cake.

Thank you to https://paypackandfollow.wordpress.com/ for the kind nomination.

This award is intended to spread the love, and encourage growth, and is supported by the following rules:

  1. Display the Liebster award on your blog.
  2. Thank and link back to your nominator.
  3. Answer the nominator’s 11 questions.
  4. Nominate 11 other bloggers with about 200 or fewer followers and link to them.
  5. Draft 11 new questions for your nominees.
  6. Notify your nominees via their blogs or social media.

Right down to business. I have been asked the following questions:

1.How do you fit blogging into your life?

With a shoe horn! Working full time and other interests (like eating and sleeping) limit the time available, but I’m trying to build it into a regular routine. I have to be honest, there’s still some blogging101 homework I need to complete….

2.Do you spend more time posting on your own blog or looking at other blogger’s material?

It depends upon how inspired I’m feeling or if I’m looking for that inspiration. At it’s probably 50:50.

3.Vegemite, Promite, or Marmite? (Careful, – this could be a trick question!) :).

Marmite.

4.How have your friends and family reacted to your interest in blogging?

Hmm. It’s a bit of a secret. My husband knows and is a great proof reader, although he probably wishes that I didn’t disappear into my den so much….

5.If you had to spend a whole day inside a building, which one would it be?

Lincoln Cathedral. Our first visit reduced my husband and myself tears. It is so magnificent. I can only begin to imagine how it would have inspired wonder and awe when it was first built. We hope to return this year.

6.What gives you the most pleasure, – the journey or the destination?

The journey. I haven’t reached the destination yet, just stopping off here and there.

7.Where are you right now?

In my den (box room) at home, sitting on a rescued piano stool.

8.Who are your heroes?

My Mum, in her late eighties and still energetic and mischievous. So many musicians, and composers, so I’ll pick Michael Stipe. Where did he get those words from?

9.Why do you blog?

To get things out of my system, to share what I find funny, beautiful and/or inspiring, and to connect to the rest of the blogging network.

10.If you had to lose one of your senses, which would it be?

Oooh. Tough one, but probably touch. Might make geocaching difficult. And blogging. Hmm, not sure I know the answer to this.

11.Would you rather be a whale or a shark? (Definitely a trick question!).

A whale. Or maybe a whale shark?

Here are my nominees, in no particular order. I am aware that this award is moving around a bit at this time, so I make no apologies if you have already been awarded, I second that nomination!!

I know that the award is for new blogs and some of these are far from new, but they are new to me…

I also encourage anyone who reads this post to take a look at all of the following.

https://jointhejoyfuljourney.wordpress.com/  “Surround yourself with people that reflect who you want to be and how you want to feel”. Which is what I am doing ….

https://snapshotssnippetsandscribbles.wordpress.com/  Some great photos and very honest blogging. I’ll be revisiting and revisiting for photography tips.

http://temasekgarden.com/  Thank you for inviting me into your world. It’s fascinating.

https://beyondboredom.wordpress.com/  Thoughtful posts on a variety of subjects. Kind enough to comment upon my posts with suggestions.

https://quiltmusings.wordpress.com/  Vibrant quilts and insight into techniques. I will learn to quilt one day, in the meantime I am enjoying this visual oasis.

http://alphawhiskeyfoxtrot.com/  This blog is so beautiful. Please take time to look at the Secret Messages Project. My daily visit gave me a real lift on those dark January mornings.

https://thatchickpiggy.wordpress.com/  Great sense of humour. A varied and interesting read. A book lover too.

http://9colours.wordpress.com/  I’m selfishly awarding to try to encourage him to post more photos!

https://solwhovian.wordpress.com/  A creative blog to make you feel good – thank you!

https://johanbrouwer.wordpress.com/  I love a good photo blog and this is one of my current favourites, I keep returning and finding more incredible shots.

https://vadare1.wordpress.com/  Selfish award again, I would like to encourage more from vadare1. I really like her style of writing. More please!

Ok, here are my 11 questions:

  1. What made you start blogging?
  2. What is the most important thing that have you learnt since you started blogging?
  3. Three words that describe you.
  4. Three words that don’t!
  5. Bus or Train?
  6. How would you change the world outside your window?
  7. What was the last thing to make you laugh out loud? I mean really out loud.
  8. If you were a musical instrument what would it be?
  9. What is your favourite song lyric or hymn phrase.
  10. Ironing or Vacuuming?
  11. What will you be having for dinner tonight?

Thank you for reading and here’s hoping we continue to enjoy this journey together.

MinG

Impossible Exchanges: Woman at the Supermarket

/ minor6th / 5 Comments

Fear Of The Lord

It was just another ordinary Wednesday. I had popped into our local supermarket on my way to work to buy lunch. I was just about to leave the lobby area when I heard a haunting voice warning about “the storms”.

The anxiety in the voice was clear and I would normally have feigned deafness and quickened my step towards the safety of my car. This time I glanced to my right. The voice was that of woman, about my age, huddled over what I assumed to be a baby, telling it of her fears.

“The storms are coming. They will be bad. We all need to take cover”.

The baby, on closer inspection, turned out to be a holdall, and as our eyes met, I knew instantly that the forecast snow was the least of her problems. This is definitely the point where I should have produced an awkward smile and headed for sanctuary.

I was on my way to work.

I had deadlines.

My parents warned my about talking to strangers.

She was talking to herself.

She was shouting at passers-by.

What if she had a knife?

I had pressing deadlines.

I wouldn’t normally do this.

I walked towards her.

I sat down on the bench, next to the holdall.

“Oh I don’t think it will be that bad. The media like to whip up a story when there’s no real news.”

She didn’t mean the snow. She knew about the snow. That would pass. Her storms were beyond measurement by Beaufort. She asked me my name.

I lied. “Jennifer”.

Her name was Jennifer too and she was 47. My age. She said, that despite appearances, she wasn’t homeless and thanked me for not patronising her with the offer of a cup of tea or coffee. Besides, both were evil in her eyes. Poison. She came to the store daily to pass on her warnings. Messages from a higher place. People normally ignored her, but she could see that I believed her. Believed.

There was a pause as we took each other in. We aware of only each other and our reflections in the perfect plate-glass which surrounds the lobby and shielded us from the biting wind.

“I don’t know if I believe. What are the storms?”

Ignoring me, Jennifer outlined her life so far. She came from a caring family and had left school with a good education. She worked in insurance for over twenty years, then set up as an independent financial advisor. She lived alone in the centre of the town, in a lovely apartment overlooking the park. She avoided her neighbours. They were self-centred, media obsessed retail junkies and worthless.

“They must have some good qualities”.

Giving me a piercing stare, Jennifer reminded me that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.

“Yet it was the basis of your career for so long. It provided for you and I expect it helped you buy your apartment?”

Jennifer said that this contradiction fuelled her inner storm. She did not live a life of excess, enjoyed the simple things, but could not let go of her comforts bought by dubious means.

“But you were providing a service to people. Products that they wanted for their own security”.

To satisfy their greed, to provide false hope, to protect them from their own stupid actions when they should be more responsible. Consequences are lessons to be learned. Many forms of insurance are just self-denial. They allow fools to continue unchecked. The weak and the meek couldn’t or wouldn’t buy this illusion, and the fools prosper.

She paused. Financial products make money from money, not from honest hard work. No materials. No finished product. There was no craft in what she had done. The storms were coming and I had to prepare myself.

“Where are the storms?”

Inside you.

“Storms of the mind? Of the soul?”

Precisely. I had to choose. To continue my apathetic existence, surrounded by and feeding greed and ignorance. Or to fight against it. I had to choose. Just as she had chosen.

“But have you? You still have your apartment. How does that fit with the storms?”

She said nothing.

I looked to the floor, thinking about my own house, career, car, possessions, savings. My world, in financial and material terms. I had not come by them through craft. Arguably I had used skills, but those skills had built increasingly efficient systems to put hundreds, perhaps thousands, out of work. My path had been similar to Jennifer’s.

I looked up. She had gone.

All that was left was my own reflection in that perfect, spotless, plate-glass.

MinG

Endless Impossibilities…

/ minor6th / 3 Comments

The most recent post from the blogging101 course has probably been the most inspirational one for me. I have enjoyed the various exercises, but I felt that my blog was lacking direction. I knew that I had things to say but I wasn’t sure exactly what and why. What would I write? And why would people continue to follow and read?

The idea of building in a regular feature, filled me with dread. How could I keep that up? What common theme? But the suggestion of looking at what had brought the most positive responses gave me a “eureka” moment.

 

I was so excited in the car hat I started talking to myself, and selling myself the idea.

 

This might only be based upon limited feedback (I don’t have many followers), but it created that spark which had eluded me for the past week or so. The inspiration came from an earlier post : Dear Sweet Impossible You.

My theme is “Impossible Conversations” (this is a working title and may change). The basis is a series of conversations that have not taken place and, for various reasons, just cannot. They might be:

  • A discussion with a person who I only met briefly, but who I found inspiring and/or interesting in some manner;
  • A conversation with an inanimate object;
  • A tribute and response to and from someone who has touched my life without our paths ever crossing;
  • How I imagine a chat with an animal would be if we could have such an exchange;
  • What I might learn from a tree or building who had seen their surroundings change.
  • A meeting with someone special who has left my life.

There are endless possibilities, and I find the idea of blending a real encounter or experience with fiction to create an impossible exchange that could have been.

I’ve started work on that first conversation…

 

More later,

MinG

I do apologise, but I’m not going to have much access today for the blogging101 assignment, so I opted for a photo post format.

WP_20140215_022

(can you spot the geocache?)

And here’s another photo of a post.

WP_20140419_09_17_53_Pro

Sorry – couldn’t help myself!

MinG

ps On another day I will tell their stories….

Post Haste

/ minor6th / 1 Comment

The spirit counts!

/ minor6th / Leave a comment

Following today’s blogging101 assignment, I found myself here.

Pavs Kumar Author's avatarBeyondthepuddle

What makes people unique is their individual experience -all that the world has exposed them to and how they have perceived it. It is the only thing that sets us apart from any other human being.

One such thing that we all perceive differently is our community. For a person that has lived in the same town for their entire lives and gone to school with the same bunch of people, community has a completely different meaning to a person who has been on the move forever.

I’ve lived the life of a nomad and loved it! My dad is an officer in the Indian army and we moved so often that I can’t even remember half the places we’ve been to! I do know that I’ve been to nine school in twelve years! Being an only child, I found the moves exciting; a chance to make new friends, start…

View original post 585 more words

Pleased to meet you neighbour, part 2

/ minor6th / Leave a comment

Musings on a Comment

Sorry neighbour, but this one is about me, me, me.

In the final assignment from last week’s blogging101 course, we have been encouraged to blog further on a particular comment left as part of a previous exercise. In that exercise, we chose four+ blogs which we had not previously visited and left a comment.

One of my comments was at Words Like Honey  on a post Sweaters in Waiting

Such evocative photos of yarn. I have never mastered any form of knitting, but your call to action has me reaching for the sewing box….

And that summed me up. Or at least where I am at the moment, recently.

I hear a call to action…

and I reach…

I might even grasp…

And start to…

… but rarely complete.

When it happens, I might beat myself up (not literally) about yet another unfinished project – sometimes not even started.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

And then I mulled over whether this is a recent trait or something more ingrained in my character. And why might this be. The above proverb has been interpreted in a number of ways, but I think that you can see how I’m reading it.

This blog might seem a little self centred when it started with a reference to another blogger, but this is where my train of thought took me, and given that I at least want to complete this post, I’m sticking with it.

So, back to non-completion. Why? It could be any one of the following:

  • Lack of real intention
  • Procrastination
  • Too many commitments
  • Lack of skills or resources to complete the task
  • Laziness
  • Fear

I don’t think that I suffer from a lack of real intention. Previously I was  occasionally be guilty of the false acceptance of an invitation that I didn’t really want. I’ve just about given this up and learnt to say “No”.

Procrastination. I hope you don’t mind if we come back to that later. No really.

I do sometimes lack the skills or resources to progress sometimes. And I’m too bloody independent for my own good. I just do not like asking for help. That’s a whole topic in itself. But this blogging101 project has made me have to ask questions. Small steps, small steps.

Very few people would call me lazy, but I do feel that I don’t quite reach my full potential. Is that a form of laziness? Perhaps.

Which brings me round to…

Ah yes, fear, my old friend.  Fear has “guided” me on many occasions. The reunion invite I accepted, but I was too scared to attend because I worried that I wouldn’t live up to the achievements of others. The geocaching social gatherings that I am too scared to attend alone. The walk up the hill that I didn’t undertake in case it started raining. The unanswered question in the staff briefing because I thought everyone else would know and I would look like an idiot, or worse still an idiot who had not paid attention earlier.

And yet, I’ve stood up, played and sung my own words in front of that most critical audience, my peers. I’ve asked the question that everyone else wanted to hear the answer to, but were too afraid to ask themselves. I do talk to strangers, actually that’s a cheat because quite often you won’t see them again so you won’t have to know what they think of you. And at the last reunion invitation which I accepted, people found me and my life interesting (I was quite surprised!).

And yet, I’m always scared to be judged. Even if it means approval.

And of course, fear drives procrastination, if procrastination can be driven!

So what now? Is it all about fear? Fear of being judged? Fear of failure? Fear of what others will think?

A fellow blogger has written a post,  “four kinds of people on earth” , where he suggests that the most common type of person is the coward. Well at least I’m not alone!

Yours, going back behind the sofa for a while,

Min6

Pleased to meet you neighbour, part 1

/ minor6th / Leave a comment

One of the best things about taking on the blogging 101 assignments has been discovering just a few of the fantastic blogs out there.

Not surprisingly there are a myriad of topics to scan for and many different takes on some similar subjects. Having already made some new contacts in an earlier assignment and just by being here, how was I going to tackle the latest assignment. For those aware of the blogging101 diary, I am still (at least) one day behind, and the widgets and formatting will have to wait until the weekend.

So, back to the problem of choosing. My job has to follow certain rules and regulations and is driven by numbers. Whilst analysis of results allows for some interpretation and imagination, it is generally about how things are. Out of work, I like a bit more random. So I went for two blogs chosen by some logic, and two (almost) totally random.

Based on what people following you follow: Words Like Honey 

Wonderful photos and some good advice. As I don’t have many followers, you may have already been here. If so, thank you for the recommendation. If not, why not take a look.

Based on the first thing I saw when I looked up from the reader:  Calico Moon 

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Check out the music too.

I didn’t really see a multi-coloured moon. Our cat is a calico shorthair.

Based on what people with similar interests follow: So many books

If you love books and reading, head here. There are thoughtful posts and links to many book related blogs.

If you want to see a funny and apt banner photo, take a quick look. It made me smile. God I know that feeling!!

Based on a fairly random typing in of former holiday location (Lugano): Stai Al Borgo

Again, great photo content, and I could almost smell the Panini featured in one of the posts. Colourful and I am now regretting not cooking a Tuscan stew for dinner tonight.

I hope that you have the time to look and enjoy as I have,

MinG

Now go to the back of the class

/ minor6th / Leave a comment

Well it’s been a large week so far at work. Getting to my wordpress assignments without damaging my eyesight and health (screen use and lack of sleep) was always going to be a challenge.

So I gave myself permission to be a little late with my homework. After all, whoever is out there is not sat just behind me, unlike my boss. Let me get one thing straight though, he’s a decent man and very supportive.

Updating the “about me” page was quite daunting (to use my mother-in-law’s favourite word). Surely I am my own Mastermind specialist subject? But how to describe me? Hmmm.

The page did need updating and I make no apologies for using some of the words already posted when introducing myself. I haven’t changed that much since last Monday! One things I have spotted that changes is the way I sign off. Sometimes MinG, sometimes min6, or Min6.

I reserve the right to sign off whichever way. Oh yes, I also changed my tag-line, again.

I remain consistently inconsistent.

Anyway, tis done. For now. Please take a look and enjoy (I hope)

MinG
-x-