Top Droppers for May

I haven't acknowledged my most loyal EC droppers for too long. I'm always impressed by those who can find time to drop consistently through the month. Thank you all so much. Your loyalty is really appreciated. I will return the favour as often as I can, and am only sorry it can't be every single like, like some of you.

If you're not in this list, you are more like me and just can't do it every day. But be assured I appreciate your visits just as much. If you are not familiar with any of the blogs in my list, I encourage you to check them out. Each one is fascinating in its own way.

Isn't blogging a great way to learn things you didn't already know?

The Third Uncle
AsTheCrackerheadCrumbles
Sparkle
Photography by KML
Computer Aid
Ask Ms Recipe
Secret forest
Laane on the World
Gadget World
Wood Burning Art Creations By Lucy

Quinta das Cruzes, Funchal, Madeira

I was looking for inspiration to find something to post about and decide to skim through my blog archive. It looks like I haven't posted anything about our holiday in Madeira, which was actually a wonderful break. You can actually read my article about it here.

One day we found the museum of Quinta das Cruzes in an 18th century mansion built on the site of the home of Zarco, who discovered the island in the 15th century and was its first Portuguese governor. It was surrounded by a beautiful garden, part of which was enhanced by stone ornaments and crosses. Perhaps that's how it got its name, which translates as the Mansion of the Crosses. Here's one of the ornaments, which looks like a royal coat of arms.



The mini-pic of me in the sidebar was taken in this garden. When we were there in October 2007, we were suffering from the heat and we found some lovely cool spots in the garden, like the one below.



I wonder how it fared in the February floods. The news pictures of water rushing down from the mountains were horrendous, as were the reports of loss of life. Tourism is the main industry there and the survivors must still be struggling to restore the beauty of Funchal and the rest of their enchanting island.

Dealing with Mobility Problems

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of NMEDA. All opinions are 100% mine.

I have cousins living in Memphis. Like me, they are getting on in years, so could well have mobility problems looming. I wonder if they know about NMEDA, the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association.

This is a not-for-profit organisation of members who work together to enhance the lives of people with disabilities with equipment to help them get around. Members can be mobility equipment dealers, driver rehabilitation specialists or others whose work finds and provides better transport solutions for those with impaired mobility. The members have to follow the NMEDA guidelines that detail recommended practices on equipment installation and modification, and are updated every year.

This national association developed in 1989 from an earlier one limited to Florida. It now has more than 600 members spread across the US and even over the border in Canada.

The laudable raison d’etre of NMEDA is the belief that transportation is the key to freedom. I must say I heartily agree as I rest my creaking leg joints. And I guess if you live in North America and need mobility solutions for yourself or a loved one, it would be sensible to choose a dealer that is a member.

I’m off to write to my cousins to let them know I found a dealer member on Summer Avenue in Memphis. You can find one near you if you visit the NMEDA website, click on locate a dealer and type in your zip code.

Pansies - Home and Away

My rows of pansies are filling out nicely and giving me a very colourful display I can view from the kitchen window. They weren't enough to fill the bed so I've added some other plants to keep them company - still have some holes to fill though. Here's a close up of a particularly beautiful one.



When I was in Bournemouth last week I took some photos in the Lower Gardens. One of them was the award winning display of pansies below. I don't think mine compare too badly, do you?

The Readathon

Bournemouth is celebrating 200 years of existence this year and all sorts of things are going on there. I took a bus there this morning and headed for the foyer of the Pavilion where the local Literary Luncheon Society was holding a Readathon that included as a guest reader, Michael Dobbs, who read extracts from All Quiet on the Western Front (by H M Remarque) and his own recent novel, The Reluctant Hero.

I timed it well as a group of them were outside with a local press photographer when I arrived. Some of them were unaware of my taking the first photo when they were still talking to her. You can see her hand and camera on the left but I managed to crop the rest of her out, and you can see those group members who were all dressed up in the costume of the period of the books they read from. Then some of them dispersed and the rest of them posed beautifully for me, with Michael Dobbs play-acting in the centre.

I only stayed for the next part of the programme, which did include the author himself, because there were other things I wanted to do in Bournemouth - more of that in another post.

It was a very pleasant interlude, and wasn't I lucky to get those photos? I have to print some off and send them to my friends.

Quote Contest

photo: Wikimedia-Commons User Túrelio, Creative Commons BY-SA 2.0-de

I'm getting plenty of inspiration for blogposts from fellow bloggers at the moment. Today it's the turn of Fullet at Secret Forest, who is actually running a really interesting contest. To celebrate a full year of his blog, which comes up on May 29th, he's inviting bloggers to join his Weekly Quotes and put a quote in a blog post. And for one lucky participant, to be randomly selected, he generously offers a $35 Amazon voucher.

If that comes my way, I'll be buying books for writers. If not, I've been having great fun looking up different quotes. The one I've selected is this one from a very wise, and wonderfully giving, Mother Teresa.

Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you.

The 8th Photo Tag

I've picked up Sunday's tag from Poetic Shutterbug, to post the 8th photo in my 8th picture folder. It was taken last November when I went for a walk with my camera looking for some cheery winter colour in my local neighbourhood. I thought this really did fit the bill.

I will copy her and say to all of you: please pick up this tag, post your photo and tell us something about it. Then, if you feel inclined, pass it on to 8 specific bloggers, or just do as I have and let anyone pick it up.