Metadata

Friday 20 March 2015

TGI Friday: 5 Random things from the week that was ...

And once again we've made it through to Friday. Phew! I'm so glad it's the weekend.

1. A Vernal Equinox Cake

And it's the Vernal Equinox, which I'll admit doesn't usually set my world on fire, but I found myself making a big noise about it as an excuse for baking a cake. It's a long and torturous logic that got my cake baked, and, if you're interested, it was a mighty fine cake. You can check my recipe here: the very best Marmalade cake in town ....



2. The Earth travels counterclockwise around the Sun ... if you're looking down from somewhere up above the North Pole ...

I got to thinking about this as I was sitting watching Emi plough through the water at swim club. I have to explain that I often get very, very bored at swim club. I'd been reading about the Vernal Equinox for my post here: And a very Merry Vernal Equinox to you too ..., and thought I'd draw a diagram. It all started to look very complicated. The lady sitting next to me on the mum's bench, who never, ever smiles or says Hello, shifted so close to read over my shoulder that I started wondering whether she'd developed a girl-crush.

I didn't have a Wifi connection so I sent a text to Mr B, who was out hob-nobbing with clients in a swanky restaurant. Out of nowhere, and apropos nothing, the sweet man got a text from his nearest and dearest inquiring whether the earth revolves clockwise or counterclockwise around the sun. Not missing a beat, or pausing to ask why this urgent issue had arisen and needed to be dealt with immediately, he promptly replied saying that it goes counterclockwise.

Sounded wrong to me, the sun seemed to be going east to west last time I was able to catch a glimpse, but, on being questioned further on the matter, he explained that the Earth turns clockwise on its own axis giving us day and night whilst at the same time moving around the sun on a counter-clockwise orbit. Because of how the earth is turning it looks as though the sun is rising in the East and travelling across the firmament to the West in a clockwise fashion, but in reality we're cruising counter-clockwise ... .

I decided to ditch the diagram and substitute a nice photo of some daffodils instead. I understand daffodils.



3. I am half-ways towards having Emi's summer wardrobe sorted  ...

I don't know what my son does, but he wears his trousers out faster than a Trappist Monk who spends all day on bended knee on the unforgiving flagstones of a medieval monastery.  Every other part of his trousers is pristine except for the knees. And now that he's gone past the age 7 to 8 jeans size, I've noticed that there's a hole in the right knee of every last pair of jeans that starts to appear at exactly 43 cm down from the top of the waistband. Whatever he's doing, he's doing it regularly and systematically. I could calibrate my measuring tapes with that hole in the left knee of his jeans.

On the plus side all this clothing-carnage makes it pretty easy to measure where the cut-off should be to transform a worn-out pair of jeans into a cool and groovy pair of shorts for summer. Feast your eyes on this cornucopia of shorts, waiting for the size 16 jeans sewing machine needle to arrive in the mail so that I can finish those turn-up seams:


4. St. Patrick's Day

We had a cold, grey, cloudy Saint Patrick's Day here in London. Back in Ireland they used to believe that if it was sunny on St. Pat's Day, the good Saint had turned the sunny side of the stone up, and an early spring would follow. Sadly it's been a bit grey and gloomy since the big day, so Come on Saint Pat, pull yourself together and turn the miserable stone already!.


5. Today we had a solar eclipse in London ...

Which sounds jolly exciting. Sadly we were able to see nothing, absolutely nada, not a sausage because of the clouds. On the news they said it was the astronomical event of the century ... so I'm guessing we should buckle our seat-belts for a very dull ride. 

All the best for a truly stellar weekend,

Bonny x









13 comments:

  1. I saw on the news that it was foggy in London and you all couldn't seen the solar eclipse. How terrible! They told us that in the US we will have a total solar eclipse in 2017. I would love to see it. I am going to have to figure out where I need to go to see the eclipse the best. Your cake looks wonderful, love the little flowers. You will have to put a video camera on your son to figure out how he is putting holes in his jeans. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fun post! I giggled at the "wears his trousers out faster than a Trappist Monk who spends all day on bended knee on the unforgiving flagstones of a medieval monastery" ... Amen! :) A solar eclipse, full moon and spring springing all on one day. The universe is busy! Lovely daffodils and cake. Have a lovely week.

    ReplyDelete
  3. i too was underwhelmed Bonny, just a bit gloomy...Boys and holes in their jeans I remember well. Good thing he had to wear shorts to school !!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What fun you have given me this morning! i enjoyed every bit of your Friday 5 . . . That summer wardrobe is gonna see a lot of adventure and THANK YOU for explaining our rotation stuff . . and choosing daffodils . . . you have been good to my childlike mind.

    ReplyDelete
  5. OMG... I love the way your write... you had me in stitches! Your cake looks so yummy... thank you for sharing the recipe.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your cake looks very yummy -
    We had the solar eclipse too, it was a strange light mood today in the morning.
    Have a great spring weekend

    ReplyDelete
  7. Your cake is beautiful! I never cease to be cheered by daffodils, and your photos is lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  8. The first blood moon we had could have been seen here, except it was cloudy. Today the haze is now starting to lift, but it was way too foggy here this morning to see anything.

    I always bring a book to read for swim practice and swim meets. never know when things will be delayed...this way I don't get bored.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your narrative was delightful! I loved all the info on the rotation of the earth, and then how you posted the daffodil photo because you understand THEM! Loved your mention of turning the stone over on St. Pat's...had never heard that before. I also am sorry you missed the eclipse!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Pinned the cake but i draw the line at making the marmalade so will begin the great search for some. After raising 3 boys, I do get the hole-in-the-knee thing.I would like to know what he is doing to make them though.

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a fun post! I love all the explanation of the counterclockwise movement of the earth and a diagram -- and then a photo of daffodils. Makes perfect sense! And I chuckled at your clothing predicament. My son's jeans lasted usually one wearing before he would come sliding into a room or outside on the lawn and there's the hole in the knee! I handed down all of my daughter's clothes to friends. And NONE of my son's clothes. But he enjoys life, and that's what matters, right?!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Kids outgrow or wear out clothes so quickly. Beautiful cake.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Bonny, Every day in your life is such an adventure! I suspect that the events are much like those in my own life, but you look at yours with such curiosity, enthusiasm, humor and energy. You could describe a speck of dirt on the floor in a way that would make me howl with laughter. Your cake looks so delicious! I really tried to keep up with your explanation of the rotation of the earth, but in the end, I was just as happy with the daffodils. Your story of Emi's pants is hilarious. I do think this is a mystery worth solving . . . that predictable hole in the knee! I admire your ingenuity in making the pants into shorts, too! Another wonderful look into your world!

    ReplyDelete