Splash & Fun

I love the beach and the sea. Swimming in calm, clear blue sea is great in the summer heat.

I like small boats too. My stepfather had an old life boat called Kingfisher. It was 30 ft in length. I slept there whenever I could with the back open, watching coots, swans and ducks swimming past and honking. My job was to pump the bilges.

I just love water, but not torrential rain, although the odd storm can be exciting.
Do you go to the beach in the summer or own a boat?
Have you been on a cruise, or traveled in a small boat?

I often travelled by boat in Turkey, by ship to Izmir from Istanbul, by ferry crisscrossing the Bospherous, or staying on yachts and rowing ashore for raki, a Turkish drink for the crew, being the only one who didn’t drink. They were astounded a lassie could row and tie a boat. We found isolated coves and swam there…heaven!

I also like to laze in a warm bath tub, to relax, tho lately I’ve taken to showering, especially several times a day in the summer heat, if its like last summer.

As a child, I loved clambering over rocks, picking winkles to cook for dinner… I never ate them.
In Australia, I played with sting rays, dropping clams into the sea. The Sting rays would flip their wings, so the shell opened, and they eat them in a flash.

In Australia, I was waiting for good-looking lifeguards to swab sunscreen on me, but they were all old and wrinkly, not like in the adverts, tall, suntanned and handsome.
We have a lot of beaches here, but mainly rocky. Daredevils dive into deep seas in dangerous places.

What type of holidays do you like? By the sea, in the cities, sight seeing, countryside, or another type of activity?

Remember, no politics or religion.
Post memes, gifs, videos, music, chat with friends! Most of all, enjoy.
Lian and Kieran

Shoes…Can Be Hell Or Heaven

Styles have have changed through the ages, especially in the last few decades.

Many people wear more comfortable, sensible shoes these days.
There are also fun shoes around.

More people wear flat shoes rather than high heels.
In the sixties, everyone wanted pointed-toed shoes, did you?
Do you go for fashion or comfort?
I have some shoes that aren’t that comfortable to wear for special occasions when it’s necessary to present a particular image.

Elvis Presley - Blue Suede Shoes

For daily wear, comfort is the issue and warmth in the winter and furlined.
Wellies and waterproof shoes for wet weather.
Love boots like this!

I love shoes, boots and warm furry slippers.
It’s difficult to buy shoes where I live, as they are imported. Many shoes don’t come in the correct standard sizes. From China, shoes seem too small, and Italian imports aren’t comfortable.

Pistol Annies - Hell On Heels

Your feet and nose apparently continue growing,so you probably need a larger size than previously.
I rarely throw shoes away and have boxes stored in cupboards. Yet I tend to wear the same shoes every day.
What type of shoes do you wear or like?
Do you wear open shoes in the summer, flip flops, or have beach shoes? Or do you wear sandals?

Would you pay this for a pair of shoes? Cost more than my house!!!!

Do you buy expensive or cheap shoes?
Fun or ridiculous?

Paul Simon - Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes

Remember, respect all commenters, no religious or political comments, please.
Post memes, gifs, music, chat with friends

Lian and Kieran

Ice, Wind, Rain, And Cold, And Weather Extremes

The weather had been nothing but extreme in the last year. Many of us have had bad storms, endless rain, snow, or extreme heat. It has been unpredictable and difficult to keep warm, or to cool down.

What was your experience like last summer?

How do you heat your home or keep it cool in the summer? Do you find it expensive to run?

Heating systems, warm the house, keep cool. Our interest has often veered to the weather, almost on a daily basis.
I took out a coat I hadn’t worn for years this morning and bought a soft, velvety blanket, sewn with two sides together for under a goose-down duvet, so I’m in heaven on cold nights and have a nice warm coat and mittens. The shop that sold me the mittens would insist they are fingerless gloves!!!

Our houses here are built for heat, but we had six weeks at 48 centigrade in July and August. The hottest temperature ever recorded. People slept in the airport and were advised to go to government buildings to keep cool.

I really need to install air conditioning and have just found a new electrician, but we will have to run new cables over the house as I have two buildings.

It’s extremely cold at the moment.
I wish I had a fireplace with a nice warm fire to snuggle around this winter!

Many of you have had floods, and the bad weather continues unabated.

Are these extremes the new norm?

We’ve all experienced these extremes in the last year. What has your experience been?

Have your animals enjoyed the snow, rain, heat, or been afraid of storms?

So post memes, gifs, music, images of your weather, and solutions to being comfortable, and chat with friends.
Remember, no politics or religion here, please.
Most of all, enjoy.

Lian and Kieran.

Was School An Education For Life?

I certainly left school reasonably uneducated! On my first day at school, I was bullied by older kids…so I cried.
How was your first school day memory?

In my early teens, I had the good fortune to move into the family home of a film director. I was given the job of cooking the evening meal for the family and went to college from their home. I also took an evening job to fund myself.
I went through uni and qualified to teach.

I had had had a conventional state education, which really did not suffice for a work environment.
Previous to living with the rich family, I could see that my education had been pretty poor, with huge gaps. Family meal times gave me an education! The arts and politics were readily discussed.
There were three teens living in the house from thirteen to sixteen. I was a little jealous of their education, they had attended an experimental school called Summerhill.

Summerhill was founded by AS Neil. It sounded like heaven to me. Children did not need to attend lessons. They could play, or join any level they wished or subject. The children made the rules and meted out any punishment. One girl avoided lessons for two years. Of the three friends, one became a first violinist, one bought a farm growing exotic vegetables, and the third married a pop star and became a film director.

The only rule made by an adult at Summerhill was not to walk on the grand piano.

What type of education did you have? Was your education useful or did life experience educate you? Did you ever change your career path after your education? Did your education prepare you sufficiently for life?

Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall

Cat Stevens - Remember The Days Of The Old School Yard

Remember, no politics or religious comments! Post memes, gifs, trailers, and communicate and chat.
Have fun

Lian and Kieran.