Itchy snitch

 

Itchy snitch

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

If your nose itches, the saying is, ‘Be kissed, be cursed or shake hands with a fool.’ At least, that is what I remember. However, in Wiltshire, the response  is, ‘Should your nose itch you will either be kissed, cursed, vexed, run against  a gatepost, or shake hands with a fool,’ whereas in Norfolk, the saying is, ‘If  your nose itches you'll hear some news: left side – ‘bad', right side – ‘good', or you will be kissed by a fool.’

I can find neither rhyme nor reason for these sayings – they’re just nonsense. They must have started somewhere, but under what circumstances?

An itchy nose is sometimes a precursor to a sneeze.

Sneezing had several explanations in less enlightened times. In the Middle Ages people believed that sneezing rid the body of evil spirits, or that the body was laid open to the Devil to make his entrance, overcome and take possession of the sneezer.

During the Black Death in the 14^th century in Europe, sneezing was a worrying symptom that might lead to bubonic plague. That was a natural and logical reaction.

Meanwhile, the Christian church believed the heart stopped during a sneeze and some people still believe that a person is closest to sudden death while sneezing.

None of these seem to lead logically or seamlessly to being kissed, cursed or shaking hands with a fool! That is, apart from bubonic plague, which would certainly be a curse.

Three little pigs

 

The three little pigs

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

I saw a version of this on another site and it made me smile.

 

The three little pigs went out to dinner one night.

The waiter came to take their drink orders.

‘I’d like gin and tonic,’ said the first little piggy.

‘I’d like white wine,’ said the second little piggy.

‘I’d like water, lots and lots of water,’ said the third little piggy.

 

When the waiter asked them if they were ready to order their main course, the first little piggy said, ‘I’d like a big, juicy steak.’

The second little piggy said, ‘I’d like fish and chips.’

The third little piggy said, ‘‘I’d like water, lots and lots of water.’

 

Asked if they’d like dessert, the first little piggy said, ‘I’d like apple pie and custard.’  

The second little piggy said, ‘I’d like lemon sorbet.’

The third little piggy said, ‘‘I’d like water, lots and lots of water.’

 

The waiter was puzzled and said to the third little piggy, ‘Excuse me for asking, but why have you only ordered water for every course?’

The third little piggy said, ‘Well, one of us has to go wee, wee, wee all the way home.’

 

The Keel Row

 

The Keel Row

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

 Thinking about the Kiel Canal brought to mind the song, ‘The Keel Row,’ only because Kiel and Keel rhyme! As with most folk songs, there are variations.

https://youtu.be/qZ8u1ZE-reo?si=K4q7Tg8YnvL8OzA6

As I came thro' Sandgate,
Thro' Sandgate, thro' Sandgate,
As I came thro' Sandgate,
I  heard a lassie sing:
      "O, weel may the keel row,
      The keel row, the keel row,
      O weel may the keel row
      That my laddie's in.

He wears a blue bonnet,
Blue bonnet, blue bonnet,
He wears a blue bonnet
A dimple in his chin.
      And weel may the keel row,
      The keel row, the keel row,
      And weel may the keel row
      That my laddie's in.

‘The Keel Row’ is a traditional folksong based on the work of the keelmen of Newcastle upon Tyne. Keels were flat-bottomed boats, which carried coal from the shallow banks of the river to small wooden coal-carrying ships called colliers. The colliers waited in the Tyne to transport the coal down the east coast to London.

Each keel carried a skipper, two crewmen called ‘bullies’ and a boy. ‘Bully’ meant brother or comrade.

The keel row was a huge oar used to propel the boat and was manned by the bullies and the boy. In lieu of a rudder, a ‘swape’ or steering oar at the stern determined the direction of travel. Presumably, the skipper worked this oar.

The life of the keelmen was hard. They had to load the coal, row the heavily laden keel to the collier, navigating the currents and the shifting sandbanks, and unload it. That was made more difficult because the keel lay lower in the water than the collier. In addition, the men were exposed daily to coal dust, often resulting in respiratory problems.

The job was passed from generation to generation, sons taking over from their fathers when they were thought strong enough. Most men were unable to continue working after their forties because of the arduous nature of the labour.

In 1702, the keelmen built the Keelmen’s Hospital in Sandgate, an almshouse for sick and ailing keelmen and their families. It was supported by contributions from each keel’s crew.

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

The mention of Sandgate in the song refers to the fact that the keelmen lived in Sandgate, an impoverished, overcrowded area outside Newcastle city walls.

Cephalopods

 

Cephalopod

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Cephalopods include octopuses, squid, cuttlefish and nautilus. There are over 800 species of these fascinating animals. Octopuses have eight arms. Squid and cuttlefish additionally have two long tentacles which are used for capturing prey, so are usually described as having ten arms. Nautilus has anything from 50 to more than 90 tentacles, but only 42 are visible.

The Quintopus is a rare and colourful member of the Cephalopod family. It has a soft body, covered in a furry substance, and bright blue eyes surrounded with long lashes. Remarkably, the quintopus has only five tentacles, which contain material that rustles when touched.

It is a favourite of Gilbert’s.

The Quintopus, like the octopus, can change colour!

Fouetté

 

Fouetté

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

I woke up with this word on my mind. I have no idea why as I haven’t been watching ballet recently and have never studied it in great depth.

The word comes from the French fouetter, meaning to flog or whip.

A fouetté or ‘fouetté rond de jamb en tournant’, to give it its full name, is a movement in ballet in which the dancer stands on one foot and moves the free leg in a whipping motion in front or behind the body while spinning. It is an extremely difficult move to perfect and takes determination and hours of practice.

Most professional ballet dancers train for about six hours a day for six days of the week and are judged to be among the fittest of all athletes. The nature of their work means that their bones are strengthened as well as their muscles, because dancing is a weight-bearing occupation.  After eight to ten years of training, a professional ballet dancer’s life as a performer does not usually last beyond the age of thirty-five. There are exceptions, of course.

The ballets in which thirty-two fouettés can be seen are Swan Lake, in the pas de deux of the Black Swan, and the wedding pas de deux in Don Quixote.

Summer holidays

 

Summer holidays

The latest postbox topper anticipates sunny days on golden beaches.

We can all dream!

People are looking forward to a change of pace.

 I will soon discover what the  Pumpkin Mice have been doing .

Friday

 

Friday

Friday was graduation day for my third grandson, Louis. He has worked extremely hard for three years to achieve his Physics degree. I don’t know what the future will hold for him, but it has been a privilege to watch him and his older siblings growing up.

It will be several years before my three youngest grandsons have to decide whether they will go to university and what they will study. Who knows what options will be available to them?

Friday also marked the end of term and the end of the academic year in Berkshire. My fourth grandson, Frankie, has finished primary school and must now move on from being a big fish in a little pond to becoming a tiny fish in a markedly larger lake. His cousin, Isla, my eldest great-granddaughter, breaks up on Monday in Dorset, and, like him, will move to a much bigger school in September.

Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles watch with hope and interest as all these young people move forward to the next phase of their lives.