A View From My Summerhouse

Writing, Tennis and Summertime Awards

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Sherri Matthews

With the word ‘Tennis’ in the title, you have your first hint at the lateness of this post, meaning I started it a good couple of weeks ago during Wimbledon. Which also means that it is now redundant. Thank goodness for cut and paste is all I can say, best invention EVER.

Still, I’m left struck with the idea that tennis is a bit like writing: some matches end quickly and efficiently in straight sets thanks to a few forehand smashes, but others are slogging matches, filled with crushing lows, victorious highs and endless umpire calls.

In such matches, players grow weary, frustrated, angry even; they can’t believe what’s happening. They worked so hard, hit the ball just right, gave it their all but are left wondering where all the chalk-dust has gone. Surely the ball was in, you cannot be serious!

Face it, the ball was out.

Some go on to victory. Either way, they don’t give up; they keep practicing, listen to their coaches and ask, “How can I improve?” They dream of their comeback and don’t give up. After all, there is always next year, right?

Ultimately, they aim for the prize no matter what.

As do we writers and in turning to our writing friends and mentors to encourage, guide, and coach us, we thank them from the bottom of our hearts.

So what better time than now to thank some lovely writer/blogging friends who help keep me on the ‘write’ track? Not to mention, for spoiling me rotten with goody-bags stuffed to overflowing with awards.

Starting with two wonderfully talented and inspiring writers. I’m proud to call these strong, dynamic, and amazing women my friends.:

First lovely Jo, amazing published author, supporter of indie writers everywhere. Just look at this incredible bundle of goodies:

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Wow!

Then lovely Irene, whose memoir writing is at once fascinating and poignant, popped a few more into the bag, making it so heavy that I could hardly carry it:

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Three more amazing and lovely bloggers added to the treasure trove: Marlene nominated me for the The Versatile Blogger Award, Brenda for the Most Influential Blogger and Maria for The Liebster Award.

Marlene is a new blogging friend with a zest for life, new challenges and writing. Brenda, my ‘Cotswold’ friend who found my blog in the early days, writes delightful poetry and prose and Maria, my lovely Aspie friend, has recently changed her blog to reflect the wonderful, positive changes in her life. So happy for her!

Thank you so much all you lovely ladies for these wonderful awards!

Finally, I have three great guys to thank:

My good pal and partner-in-crime Steven for The Leibster Award (see above). I say this about him because he and I have great plans for turning my summerhouse into the TARDIS and who knows what could happen then? No doubt plenty of shenanigans and high jinks…bring it on!

Don Charisma and Bespoke Traveller both of whom so graciously nominated me for the Most Influential Blogger Award.

Don is known by most of you I think, he is one popular guy with a huge following due to his kind, charming ways.

Bespoke Traveler is a fantastic travel blog written by Jesse and Atreyee whose mission is to bring ‘curated tales for the curious traveler’.

Thank you so much, you guys are wonderful!

As always with awards, I find the hardest part is knowing who to nominate (and I know that not all of you accept awards), but please know how much I love and appreciate you all. Your visits here to this little corner of blogland mean the world to me, my summerhouse would be very dull indeed without your company.

Since I’ve already participated in many of these awards, the awards I’ve chosen to send on this time (with their corresponding rules) are:

The Award for Love and Kindness (from Jo)

The Rules:
1. Share an act of kindness another blogger has done for you.
2. Thank the person who nominated you for the award, and link back to their blog
3. Nominate those bloggers whom you feel practice Kindness and Love — you choose how many! (I would give you all the Award for Love & Kindness, for all that you show me….)

Wonderful Team Member Readership Award (Jo and Irene)

The creator of this award said: “As bloggers, we are also readers.
That is a part of blogging as listening is a part of speaking.”

The Rules:
1. Show appreciation of the blogger who nominated you, and link back to them in your post.
2. Add the award logo to your blog.
3. Share 7 things about yourself (I’m breaking this rule, I share enough here about moi as it is!).

The Angel Award (from Irene)

The Rules:
Guess what? There are none! Just a beautiful award to show great appreciation to all you beautiful Angels out there. This one is for you all too, so please take it!

Most Influential Blogger

The Rules:
1. Display the Award on your Blog.
2. Announce your win with a blog post and thank the Blogger who awarded you.
3. Present 10 deserving Bloggers with the Award.
4. Link your nominees in the post and let them know of their being awarded with a comment (or a pingback).
5. Include an embedded video of your current favourite song. If a video is not possible you can embed a SoundCloud track.

It is my honour and privilege to nominate these wonderful bloggers for all the above awards and many congratulations to you all:

Irene (Right back at you for the Award for Love and Kindness)
The Write Might
wanton word flirt
Lisa Reiter – Sharing the Story
brickhousechick
Patsy’s Creative Corner
this man’s journey
Kev’s Blog
moggiepurrs
moodsaplenty
Jennifer K Marsh
Breaking the Cycle
Carrot Ranch Communications
emmasouthlondon
Longandluxe
TanGental
Tally’s Magic Tales

Another award post will follow this one later today but I have one more rule to fulfill: for rule number 5 above, my choice is the amazing classic ‘Summer Breeze’ by Seals and Crofts (although I do also love the Isley Brothers’ cover version). This three-minute clip is worth watching for the beautiful images alone. If this doesn’t get you in a summer mood this Monday morning, then I don’t know what will.

Enjoy and Happy Monday to you all. Love Sherri x

Posted in Awards, Writing | Tagged Awards, Blogging, Friendship, love, Seals and Crofts, Summer Breeze Song, Tennis, thank you, Wimbledon, writing | 78 Comments

Bite-Size Memoir: Cycling and Sherlock Holmes

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Sherri Matthews

When Lisa set her cycling prompt for this week’s Bite Size Memoir challenge, the first thoughts that came to mind were not so much the riding on but the falling off a bicycle.

My first bike was for my seventh birthday present. I loved it. We had a narrow pathway between the side of our house and the neighbour’s fencing. I remember practicing riding for hours by keeping one hand on the wall of our house and the other on the fence to help me balance. Oh the joy when at last I was able to ride whilst holding the handlebars instead!

When we moved to Suffolk, I usually had to get the bus to school but on good days in the summer, it was a treat to ride my bike. During the summer holidays, me and my brother hopped on our bikes with our hastily packed lunches (usually consisting of jam sandwiches and a packet of crisps) stuffed into our saddle bags and took off to the nearby town for a game of tennis.

These games usually ended in blazing rows over who had to pick up the balls when we missed our shots (which was constantly). Somehow the bike rides home seemed much quicker than the ones heading out…

We often used to ride out to a nearby village with its isolated, leafy road and steep hill which we loved to race down, hands-free no less. With nothing but the rush of summer air whipping past our heads and the smooth whirr of oiled chains at our feet, we urged each other on to ride faster and faster. So what if we ended up crashing into a bed of nettles with a few stones embedded in our kneecaps from time to time? All part of the fun.

Me on a family friend’s bicycle at the back of our house in Surrey. 1960’s
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

On one particular occasion, our antics backfired. My brother, racing ahead as he always did (even though younger than me but always much more daring) and yelling for me to come after him, suddenly disappeared over his handlebars. A stick or something had jammed into the spokes of his front wheel and now he was face-down on the road.

I cycled as fast as I could to get to him and was horrified by the sight of what looked like to me one of his entire kneecaps sheered off. What to do? I must have learnt something in the Girl Guides (earning my First Aid Badge for one, but a fat lot of good it was going to do for my brother out there in the middle of nowhere).

So I got him up and somehow managed to walk him and both bikes to the first house we came across. A nice, elderly lady took us in and called my mother on the telephone while she bathed my brother’s knee in something antiseptic. Funny what sticks in our minds: I remember her saying something like: “I would put iodine on it but that would send you to the roof!”

Later on, when the panic of the moment had died down, I asked my mother what iodine was. When she told me, I don’t know who was more glad that the elderly lady hadn’t used it – me or my brother!

He ended up going to hospital and had to keep a plastic bag over his dressed wound for the rest of the summer to keep it dry. Since we spent a few weeks that summer in Brighton with my dad, trying to keep my baby brother out of the sea and his wound dry proved to be darn near impossible. But that’s another story.

So with all these cycling memories coming to the fore, and by no small coincidence harking back to my Girl Guide days, here is my 150 word bite (no more, no less!):

Cycling and Sherlock Holmes

For a year or two I was a Girl Guide. By the time I turned 13 I lost interest, preferring to mope about at home instead.

I loved riding my bike and got the idea that it would be fun to cycle to an evening meeting. Fixed up with a headlamp and dynamo, off I pedalled.

Still light, the rural road was deserted but it was dark for my return, and no street lights. This might not have been a problem had I not just finished reading ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’. The surrounding fields were dark and menacing and I was all alone. As I pedalled furiously, those headless hounds of hell, tongues of fire blazing from their necks, chased me all the way home.

Bursting in through the front door, I could hardly breathe. I never did cycle to Guides after that. In fact, I quit soon after.

Posted in Bite Size Memoir, Childhood Memories, Family Life | Tagged Bicycles, Bite Size Memoir, Childhood memories, Cycling, Family Life, Girl Guides, Memoir, Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of the Baskervilles | 104 Comments

The Prisoner’s Daughter

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Sherri Matthews

Holistic Wayfarer (she of her community-inspiring site ‘A Holistic Journey’) very kindly invited me to take part in her ‘Belonging’ series. This week will see daily posts from other bloggers sharing their story and today I’ve shared some of my thoughts.

A Holistic Journey

A vague sense of displacement has clung to me throughout my life.

I have moved many times, internationally as well, and these relocations naturally brought with them times of loneliness. But even while making new friends and learning to embrace the changes, I always felt different – even from a young age. Writing about it now has helped me define this feeling more clearly.

I was ten when I was first aware of not fitting in. After my parents split up, my brother and I started a new school hundreds of miles from where we had grown up. The kids spoke with the local dialect and made fun of – what seemed to them – our ‘posh’ accents. After surviving some playground scraps and adopting a few local expressions such as ‘watcha’ for hello (much to my mother’s indignation), we were ‘in’. Thus I learned early on how to adapt…

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Posted in Alcoholism, Childhood Memories, Family Life | Tagged Alcoholism, Childhood memories, crime, Family Life, fathers, hope, Musings, prison, Prisoner | 17 Comments

My Heart Whispers Of Poetry Publication

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Sherri Matthews

What a week it’s been! I’ve shared stories about my cats, my granny and my love of dressing up, all the while managing (barely) to watch Rafa lose his match at Wimbledon as well as witness the spectacular crash and burn of one Andy Murray. One or two of us have shared running commentaries on this sorry subject, so I know I’m not the only one whose week has been one big balancing act.

As for the World Cup, I’m amazed at how prolific football (as we Brits call it) has become in the States. When we lived there, my boys played on soccer teams but I don’t think the World Cup was mentioned once. Seems things have changed since I left. I will restrain myself from mentioning England’s performance, but I will say well done USA! Moving swiftly on…

It is fitting then, I think, to be able to end the week on a high because I have some exciting news to share with you, which is to say that two of my poems have been published in an anthology! It hasn’t sunk in yet and I can’t quite believe it!

Compiled by my blogging friend Russ Towne, Heart Whispers is available now on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Russ has worked incredibly hard to bring about this beautiful compilation, described in this way:

“An anthology of nearly 100 poems selected from over 20 modern poets. Poetry that isn’t just read, it is experienced. Such poetry can remind you of the greatness and goodness within yourself and others. When one listens to the whispers of their heart, lives can be transformed, beauty is created, healing happens, connectedness occurs, and kindness prevails.”

For those of you who might be interested, Michael over at M. Zane McClellan (Poetry Channel) shares his production of the beautiful preview video of Heart Whispers (only 3 minutes long!).

This is the first time, ever, that I’ve had any writing published in a book, and I am truly honoured to have my poems appear alongside so many wonderful, talented poets, a couple of whom are fellow bloggers and friends.

Thank you so much Russ for making the publication of this beautiful anthology possible.

But none of this would have happened if it wasn’t for you, my dear friends (and family!) who have given me the confidence to go this far with my writing.

I was so scared the first time I posted a poem here, thinking I would be laughed out of blogland, but instead you have given me the best gifts a writer could receive – the space for creative freedom, the breathing room for the raw expression of some of my deepest and darkest thoughts, and the inspiration to explore forms of poetry I didn’t even know existed.

On top of all that, you have given me the courage to keep going.

So I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Who would have thought that all those years ago on this date, barbecuing on a beach with my children and watching fireworks somewhere on the Central Coast of California, that on this 4th of July back here in the UK, I would be blogging about my first ever poetry publication?

Life can bring hardship, pain and loss but it can also bring joy, hope and the realisation of long-held dreams.

View of overlooking the hills of Los Osos, California, Spring 2013. (c) Sherri Matthews 2014

View from the heights of Los Osos overlooking Morro Bay, California, Spring 2013.
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

Finally then, in remembering those precious family gatherings from a distant past, I wish all my dear American friends today a very Happy 4th of July. I celebrate with you on your independence day and raise a glass to a star-spangled future for us all.

Posted in Blogging, Writing Updates | Tagged Blogging, California, Celebrations, Heart Whispers, July 4th, Poems, Poetry Anthology, Publication, thank you, Wimbledon, World Cup, Writing Updates | 90 Comments

Dressing Up – My Favourite Thing!

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Sherri Matthews

Dressing up has always been something I’ve enjoyed. My grandfather used to take cine film of us as kids, and in one scene you can see me as a three-year old in my sticky-out dress, clopping about in my mother’s high heels. I called them her ‘shopping shoes’ because she always wore them, a nice coat, hat, and gloves when we went into town. Such was the way of things in those ancient times.

I had a string of fake pearls around my neck too and I obviously thought I was ‘with it’. The fact that I could barely walk in my mum’s shoes was beside the point. In fact, I couldn’t walk at all. But it was the start of things to come, no doubt.

I remember when I was six (and forgetting everything about tonsils), I was a bridesmaid in my uncle and auntie’s wedding. Mum made me a long, pale blue dress which I wore with matching pale, blue shoes. Oh I loved those shoes, my ‘party’ shoes as I liked to call them, because they were sparkly.

After the wedding my mother, ever the skilled seamstress and very resourceful (it was the mid 60s and the waste-not-want-not culture left over from the war was still very much in play), turned my long dress into a shorter party dress.

Wearing it with great pride to my cousin’s birthday party, with my party shoes of course, I discovered how much I enjoyed dressing up for special occasions, and still do. Shame that I was always the kid with chocolate around my face (still am, ha!).

Me, with my brother and cousins (and uncle and auntie in the background) enjoying the party in my party dress and sparkly shoes. And yes, I do have chocolate on my face! Mid 1960's (c) Sherri Matthews 2014

Me (right) with my brother (left) and cousins (and uncle and auntie in the background) enjoying the party Note my sparkly shoes. And yes, I do have chocolate on my face which I’m obviously trying to hide! Mid 1960’s
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

I’ve shared stories here about the fun I had with my children when living in California and all the Halloween outfits we conjured up from next to nothing.

When we returned to the UK, I was delighted that I finally got a chance to dress up in costumes (or fancy dress, as we call it), for my first ever Murder Mystery Party held at my brother’s house. We’ve done a few over the years and my characters have been everything from a conniving Italian ex-model down on her luck, a cowgirl, rock-chick and a swinging 60’s ‘yeah baby’ chick.

Yeah Baby! Ooops...is that a glass of bubbly in my hand? I think I might be getting a bit of a reputation around here but to be fair, it was my birthday...! (c) Sherri Matthews 2014

Yeah Baby! Ooops…is that a glass of bubbly in my hand? I think I might be getting a bit of a reputation around here but to be fair, it was my birthday…! And you can see, I still love those sunglasses!
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

Me with Hubby – Yes, you get to see him at last. In disguise, haha! This is a wig in case you were wondering. Now who do you think he looks like? BTW, he is wearing one of Nicky’s t-shirts and I’m wearing my daughter’s Goth skirt. I don’t normally dress like this…but we are Old Rockers!! (c) Sherri Matthews 2014

Any excuse to come up with some wild and wacky disguises.

So you can see my dilemma for Lisa’s Bite Size Memoir Number 8 this week, the theme of which (in case you didn’t know it already by the huge hints above) is ‘Dressing Up’. I could really go to town with this one!

Thanks Lisa for a fabulous prompt! Just what we all need, some light-heated fun to lift the spirits a little. I’m beaming from ear to ear just thinking about all the laughter and silliness. Life has to be full of these kind of moments doesn’t it? Goodness knows, it can be heavy enough in the every day.

I hope this brings a few smiles, here is my entry, 150 words, no more no less:

A Strange Town

A couple of years ago, hubby and I were invited to a costume party so I turned to the family expert for suggestions: My Aspie daughter.

Her forte is dressing up. As a female Aspie, role-playing and disguise comes naturally as it helps her seek out her identity, her ‘fit’ in the world. As such, she has an array of outfits. And wigs.

I settled on a long, flaming-red wig coupled with an old, black dress slashed at the hem and my sparkly wedding tiara. Hubby wore an Arabian Thawb, something he had brought back from a business trip to Saudi Arabia.

On the way to the party, we realised we had forgotten to bring some wine, so we stopped off at our local supermarket. It wasn’t until we got back into the car that we remembered how we were dressed.

The strange thing was, nobody had batted an eyelid.

Apologies for the blurring…still, you get the gist…
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

Posted in Asperger's Syndrome, Bite Size Memoir, Family Life | Tagged Asperger's Syndrome, Bite Size Memoir, Costumes, Dressing Up, Family Life, joy, laughter, Parties | 81 Comments

True Calling: Flash Fiction at Carrot Ranch

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Sherri Matthews

Blogging and writing is full of adventure isn’t it? You just never know where it might lead. For instance, until recently I had no idea what flash fiction was, but since I started taking part in a few challenges here and there, I have developed a real enjoyment of it.

Such are the connections we make, I have now met Charli who runs a weekly Flash Fiction Challenge over at Carrot Ranch. She gave me a lovely welcome when I jumped on board the wagon train, and there is plenty of room for more!

In sharing some of her family’s history, which runs like the cowboy films I grew up with and so holds a deep fascination for this Brit, Charli has challenged us this week to consider our own history, near or far, and write a flash about it in 99 words, no more, no less.

So many possibilitites, but today one special lady’s story calls out the loudest.

……………………………………………………………..

True Calling

Madeline Dorothy was stubborn and she knew what she wanted to do with her life. Looking after her mother wasn’t it.

Brought up as a Baptist Minister’s daughter, the middle child with two brothers during the tail end of Edwardian Britain, there was every expectation that she would forgo a career and stay at home.

The Roaring Twenties charged in and when Madeline announced that she wanted to pursue a nursing career in London, it did not go down well. She ran away and fulfilled her ambition of nursing sick children.

It was years before Madeline’s mother forgave her.

……………………………………………………………

Madeline Dorothy was my grandmother. She really did run away to London so that she could train as a nurse, something she always felt called to do.

As a girl, I used to love visiting my granny. We talked for hours, something that continued throughout my life. I was fascinated about her younger life: how she had lived in Australia for seven years as a young girl when her father took up ministry there and how she had met my grandfather at the hospital where she worked. For her day, she was older than most (28) when she had her first child, my mother.

Granny never learnt to drive and in her later adult years, right up until she was 92, she rode an adult’s tricycle. A bad fall put an end to that, and she never recovered from the loss of her only means of independence.

Even when my grandfather left her after 35 years of marriage for her ‘best-friend’, Granny, though devastated, got on with life. She had to give up her beautiful home and she moved into her flat in Chichester in West Sussex where she lived until the end of her life at the grand old age of 94.

Ironically, when my mother was about 16, my great-grandmother and her sister, my great-aunt, moved into their home (it was a large, Victorian house in the leafy suburbs of Hale, Cheshire with an attic, a cellar, and that lovely summerhouse which so inspired me!).

When grandfather left her, Granny took them both with her to her flat and there the three of them lived, with Granny looking after them until their deaths (86 and 92 respectively).

I remember helping Granny set out their tea trays in the afternoons with tiny milk jugs, sugar bowls with sugar lumps no less and Colclough porcelain cups and saucers. What a life!

My Granny reading to Aspie D – England 1990s
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

During my visits, just before we were about to eat our evening meal, she would quickly ‘pop’ out with a plate of food covered with a tea-towel for old Mr such-and-such down the road. The fact that Granny was herself in her 80s was beside the point.

She always seemed to have massive amounts of ironing. When I asked her one day why she had so much (and she loved ironing, starched everything so I called her Mrs Tiggy-Winkle), she told me that it was for her ‘elderly’ neighbours, most of whom were much younger than she.

There are so many stories to be told about my granny. The irony isn’t lost on me that as a young woman who took a huge risk in disobeying her mother by running off to London to pursue a totally ‘unsuitable’ career (as it was seen in those days), she went on to look after her mother for the rest of her life.

Afternoon tea on trays and all.

Posted in Family Memoirs, Flash Fiction | Tagged Creative writing, Family History, Family Memoirs, Flash fiction, Grandmothers, writing | 87 Comments

Weekly Photo Challenge: Contrasting Cats

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Sherri Matthews

The theme for the Weekly Photo Challenge this week is ‘Contrasts’. Michelle asks:

‘Light and dark, tall and short, happy and sad — this week, share a shot that captures a contrast.’

Thinking of light and dark, what springs to mind immediately is the contrast between my two cats when it is hot and sunny as it was here in the West Country a few days ago.

Maisy, twelve, is a Californian cat. We got her when my daughter was ten from a cat shelter not far from where we lived on the Central Coast. They had a kitten room and despite my initial protestations (as in, “not another pet!”) you don’t walk into a kitten room and leave empty-handed.

Maisy’s mother was feral but had been rescued just before she gave birth, so Maisy was handled and socialised immediately. The staff advised us to keep her indoors because of the risk of skin cancer to her white ears with the sun being so strong in California.

We brought her back with us using the Pet Passport Scheme when we returned to the UK and she still is primarily happy indoors – until the sun shines. Then she loves to pad outside to the garden and sunbathe.

Since she goes out now and then and the sun isn’t as strong here, it isn’t a problem. She never wanders off or jumps the fences, she has far too much finesse for that kind of thing.

She is very well-behaved and knows what she likes. Remind you of anyone?

Maisy loves to sunbathe, the more sun on her furry tummy, the better (c) Sherri Matthews 2014

Maisy loves to sunbathe, stretched out on our picnic table. The more sun on her furry tummy, the better.
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

Eddie on the other hand, is a different kettle of fish (pun ~~not~~ intended).

He was born a farm cat in the rural countryside of Dorset. Naughty Eddie, along with his just-as-naughty brothers and sisters, was raised on fresh rabbit and lived the life of Riley, having the run of the farm. He could do what he wanted, when he wanted, thank you very much.

He likes to think he is tough but surprisingly, it is Maisy who will see off another cat if one dares venture into our back garden. Yet, despite being neutered as a kitten, he can’t wait to go outside to patrol his territory. Looking sleek and tough as he prowls about, he thinks he owns the place. He is also ruled by his stomach despite his regular meals at home.

We have to feed the cats separately otherwise he will gannet his down and then barge in on poor Maisy to eat hers if we don’t keep an eye on things.

Once he appeared at our back door with a freshly cooked, seasoned pork chop. Someone was in for a shock when they sat down for dinner that night.

That’s the kind of cat he is.

But he is my boy and he is lovely. He is the only cat I know who lets me hold his paws and when he is cuddly, he is really cuddly. He is a soft ball of furry mischievousness but his thick, black coat doesn’t suit him when it’s hot. Unlike Maisy, he prefers to be indoors when it’s too hot.

He knows where his bread is buttered (or pork chop cooked, as the case may be).

Eddie luxuriating on the back of the safe, keeping cool (c) Sherri Matthews 2014

Eddie luxuriating on the back of the sofa, keeping cool
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

I will forgive him anything, even when he wees in his box during visits to the vet:

What a Cool Cat
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

These are my contrasting cats!

Posted in CATalogue, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tagged cat shelter, CATalogue, cats, kittens, Pet Passport Scheme, Photos of Cats, postaday, Weekly Photo Challenge | 87 Comments

In Which Fast Cars, Steve McQueen and Champagne Bring Out My Inner Diva

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Sherri Matthews

Thanks to freebie tickets, Hubby and I took off yesterday to spend the day at Goodwood Festival of Speed. This is not what we usually do on a Thursday but it was a lovely distraction.

The festival we attended is held in the grounds of Goodwood House, a country house owned by the Duke of Richmond. The motor circuit was created by the 9th Duke of Richmond, Frederick Gordon-Lennox, in 1948.

Goodwood Motor Circuit
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

This type of event is something totally new to us so we were intrigued as soon as we arrived to see what it was all about. First though, it was down to business, meaning lunch. The grounds are huge with a vast array of food vendors but we settled for the organic burger stand.

Happy with our burgers (they were delicious), we set off to drool (Hubby, not me) over the mind-boggling variety of cars on show.

First these beautiful American classics and surfin’ USA:

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These old AA vehicles really took me back, especially this refurbished AA box. I’m sure a few of you will remember seeing these by the side of the road back in the day:

Goodwood Festival of Speed June 2014 (51)

Goodwood Festival of Speed June 2014 (53)

Goodwood Festival of Speed June 2014 (60)

Then a few sport’s cars:

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Not to mention these beautiful Ford Mustangs:

1960s Ford Mustang
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

As above
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

It was during this time that my somewhat diver-ish ways began to surface, although they were already on alert when I spied the champagne tent near the burger van. Perfect, I thought, for a lovely summer’s day. Obviously the only people buying it didn’t need to ask the price, as I did, which the barman coolly informed me was a mere £75 ($128).

“How about a glass?” I asked innocently. £14.75 ($25) for a glass (plastic at that) was my answer. Good job Hubby had already finished his burger, otherwise he would have choked on it.

Never mind. It didn’t take me long to find the next best thing: a nice glass of Pimms. So far so good. I put any thoughts of drinking bubbly out of my mind until we came across these:

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The largest one would take up my entire garden and swallow up my little summerhouse, but what fun it would be to spend an afternoon in one with a nice bottle of fizz chilling in that ice bucket. Not sure about the TV though…

The race track is used for speed trials and some of the cars whizzing around throughout the day really moved, but there weren’t any super-duper race cars on show unfortunately.

Amazing sculpture outside Goodwood House
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

They will probably be racing during the weekend but it was fun to stand by the hay bales and imagine we were at somewhere like, oh, I don’t know, Le Mans.

All day long cars like these zoomed by on the motor circuit.
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

Toyota Hybrid Le Mans Race Car (c) Sherri Matthews 2014

Toyota Hybrid Le Mans Race Car – Now that’s what I’m talking about!
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

Talking of which, who can think of Le Mans and not think of Steve McQueen? I know I can’t. Some of you already know my feelings about the King of Cool from my post about my friend Clint (as in Eastwood).

No explanation necessary

This is what happens when certain movies are watched by an impressionable girl. I’m talking about The Great Escape, what else? I was doomed from the very start.

So it was only natural that I headed to my favourite pit stop of the day – this beautiful replica of the 1968 Ford Mustang GT used in his classic 1968 movie Bullitt:

Replica of the Ford Mustang GT in Steve McQueen's move 'Bullitt'. (c) Sherri Matthews 2014

Replica of the Ford Mustang GT in Steve McQueen’s move ‘Bullitt’. I would love to take this beauty out for a few circuits…
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

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Remember the iconic scene when Steve McQueen is chasing two hitmen in a Dodge Charger through the streets of San Francisco? Surely this is one of the coolest movie moments ever, exuding as it does the epitome of a man who knows his cars and a few other things besides.

If you can spare even one minute, that’s all you have to wait before you see the man himself:

Steve McQueen. Fast cars. My Pimms was dry. Then out of nowhere, I saw it. A restaurant, simply called: Seafood & Champagne. Oh why oh why hadn’t we seen this before our burger lunch? Still, considering that it cost £18 (about $30) for two burgers and a bottled water, it was probably just as well.

Darn it.

And then, my inner diva exploded. Dear friends, what did I see? Not only was it a vintage Airstream but it was loaded with French Champagne, Veuve Clicquot no less.

See here and know I do not jest:

A Vintage Airstream filled with French Champagne. Voila!
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

As if this wasn’t enough, it was towed by a Ferrari. Of course it was.

Oh the possibilities!

A Ferrari towing an Airstream. For Real.
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

I think this wonderful day out in the summer sunshine, catching the buzz of the day and enjoying a lovely time of R&R with Hubby has given me ideas above my station. Still, one can dream as I’ve said before, and I did mention as we trekked back across the fields that perhaps we could return next year and pre-order the champagne hamper as a starter before heading out to the Seafood & Champagne restaurant for lunch?

Not forgetting to watch the speed trials too of course.

Me, a diva? No, never.

Me in white plastic sunglasses - Norfolk Broads 1960s Diva in training? These sunglasses fell into the water shortly after this photo was taken and I was so sad to see them float away...story of my life, ha! (c) Sherri Matthews 2014

Me wearing white plastic sunglasses – Norfolk Broads 1960s
Young Diva in training?
These sunglasses fell into the water shortly after this photo was taken and I was so sad to see them float away…story of my life, ha!
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

“I’m not sure whether I’m an actor who races or a racer who acts.”
– Steve McQueen

Posted in Current Affairs, Family Life, Travel | Tagged Airstream, Cars, Champagne, Classic Cars, Diva, Family Life, Goodwood Festival of Speed, Racing Cars, Sports Cars, Steve McQueen, travel | 66 Comments

WPC: Between The Trees On A Croatian Island

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Sherri Matthews

This week, the Daily Post features Danielle Hark for the Weekly Photo Challenge. Danielle is a photographer, writer, life coach and founder of her blog Broken Light Collective which empowers people affected by mental illness using photography.

She was kind enough to recently feature my post, Broken Tree, in which I shared some thoughts about my personal struggles in helping my Aspie daughter.

Danielle sets us the prompt ‘Between’ for this week’s challenge and asks:

‘Between. Capture something in the middle of two things. It can be a person or object, or simply the space in between. It can also be a feeling or relationship — a bond that connects people, or a space that separates.’

Thinking then of trees, how would you like to join me on a little tour of the tiny Croatian island of Lokrum? Only a 15 minute ferry ride from Old Town Dubrovnik, this delightful island is home to peacocks, a botanical garden and over 500 different kinds of trees, plants, vegetation and plants (brought over from the Canary Islands by Maximilian of Hapsburg in the late 1800s who made his home on the island).

There is also the Olive Meadow, a cave and a tiny salt water lake called the Dead Sea, a fort, and a fifteenth century Gothic-renaissance Franciscan Monastery. No wonder the locals refer to it as a treasure island.

Its earliest claim to fame came in 1192, when it provided a home to King Richard the Lionheart upon his return from the third crusade.

The ferry transports visitors regularly. Here it is, between Lokrum Island and the mainland, having just dropped us off:

Ferry to Lokrum Island, Croatia
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

Once on the island, you can take a walk between the tall Cyprus trees:

A cooling walk between the tall pine trees on Lokrum (c) Sherri Matthews 2014

A cooling walk between the tall Cyrpus trees on Lokrum Island, Croatia
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

Or between the statuesque palm trees…

Lokrum Island, Croatia
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

Here, you can see a palm tree between a gap in a hedge in the botanical garden…

Botanical Garden, Lokrum Island, Croatia
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

How about a stroll between the old olive trees in the Olive Meadow? They pose with every twist and curve of their branches…

Olive Meadows, Lokrum Island, Croatia
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

Before we leave, there is one more ‘inbetweener’…

This cheeky peacock poses between me and the Adriatic Sea just beyond his magnificence. Lokrum Island, Croatia (c) Sherri Matthews 2014

This cheeky peacock poses between me and the Adriatic Sea which lies just beyond his magnificence. Lokrum Island, Croatia
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

Reading between the lines, you can see that Lokrum Island truly is a little treasure and this is just a taster!

Posted in Asperger's Syndrome, Travel, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tagged Asperger's Syndrome, Broken Light Collective, Croatia, Lokrum Island, Peacocks, Photos of trees, postaday, travel, Travel Writing, Weekly Photo Challenge | 69 Comments

June in England: Glastonbury, Stonehenge And A Country Garden

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Sherri Matthews

There is something in the air at this time of year, and I’m not talking about the pollen. For one thing, I am reminded by strategically placed, temporary road signs that once again, our home turf is about to be invaded by hoards of revellers descending upon a field in Pilton for the Glastonbury music festival.

Thankfully, we live far enough away so that unless heading out on the A303 and out towards Stonehenge we won’t be affected by the horrendous traffic jams.

Having said that, I wouldn’t mind going if it wasn’t for the dreadful state of the loos, from what I’ve heard. Eldest son doesn’t let this stop him, he goes every year and has a great time.

This time of year also reminds me of boarding a plane at LAX with my children, making ready for our annual, long-haul flight out of California to England.

We waved goodbye to the sparkling sea and said hello through cotton-wool clouds to the patchwork landscape of my home.

This green and pleasant land announced its reminder of cooler temperatures, summer rain and a happy, family welcome for a few short weeks.

View of Somerset fields Spring 2014 (c) Sherri Matthews 2014

View of Somerset fields taken from Stoke-Sub-Hamdon
Spring 2014
(c) Sherri Matthews

The reunions were joyous, my mum always waiting to meet us at Heathrow. Jet-lagged but excited, the prospect of spending time together stretched out before us like a picnic blanket loaded with delicious summer fare.

The two hour or so drive home to her house took us past Stonehenge which is clearly visible as it looms up from Salisbury Plain just off the A303, the main artery carrying summer traffic between London and the West Country. The sight of this magnificent landmark meant we were more than halfway there.

Stonehenge - Courtesy English Heritage June 21st, Summer Solstice, brings the annual gathering of Druids

Stonehenge – Courtesy of English Heritage
June 21st, Summer Solstice, brings the annual gathering of Druids

I remember as a girl the very first time I visited Stonehenge. In those days, we were allowed to walk right up to it. The cold touch of the ancient stones cannot fail to stir up the imagination and ask questions of the secrets buried deep within this mystical settlement of windswept Wiltshire.

Stonehenge is a place that we drive by often because of where we live, yet it never fails to fascinate and I am thrilled to have been able to share the experience of visiting it with my children over the years.

After one such summer visit to England, and safely returned to our life in California, my children started a new school year in the fall. When my middle boy, Nicky, started 6th grade (he would have been eleven), the class was asked what they did that summer. Everyone shared their stories of vacations and activities.

When it came to Nicky’s turn, he of course shared all about his time spent in England but it wasn’t until the teacher asked him about specific places he’d been to that he mentioned Stonehenge.

All the kids and the teacher were amazed, which he hadn’t expected. Upon being asked by the teacher if he had travelled far to visit it, he told them, “Not really, it’s just down the road from my Granny’s house!”

The teacher ended up asking Nicky to talk about his experience and used it for one of his lessons, his philosophy being that learning is every bit as vital outside the classroom as it is inside.

We certainly had our fair share of troubles, as a lot families do, but I will always be thankful that I was able to give my children the opportunity to travel and experience life in both America and England.

It wasn’t what I had in mind when I started my family but then life is full of wonderful surprises. Just like having a Granny who lives next door to Stonehenge!

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June in Somerset also means taking an afternoon walk through the gardens of Barrington Court. Some of you may remember my post from early May. Spring flowers have given way to summer’s glory. I’ll show you the difference if you would like to take a short walk with me through the walled gardens:

Gone are the tulips. Now the place is teeming with gloriously scented roses:

Barrington Court and Gardens, June 2014
(c) Copyright Sherri Matthews

Although the sun wasn’t shining much this particular afternoon, it was warm and sultry.

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The catmint and lavender are blooming:

Barrington Court
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

Reminders once more of The Secret Garden but this time the door in the wall is open, inviting us to walk through and see what is on the other side.

The door is open at the end of the path, leading anywhere you wish….
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

The ponds are teeming with life and beautiful Lilly pads:

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Rambling roses scale the walls:

Gorgeous roses in ful bloom growing up the old stable (c) Sherri Matthews 2014

Gorgeous roses in full bloom growing up the old stable
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

Vines, lush and full, climb along the walls and creep up and around windows.

But what has really come on are the veggie and herb gardens. They looked so sparse just a couple of months ago.

Is that Mr McGregor’s garden fork ?
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

All that was missing was naughty Peter Rabbit. I did look for a little brass button hidden among the lettuces and carrots and I’m sure I caught a glimpse of a little blue coat…

Kitchen Gardens, Barrington Court
(c) Sherri Matthews 2014

Wouldn’t it be great to have a kitchen garden like this?

A noise like a hidden brook.
In the leafy month of June,
That to the sleeping woods all night
Singeth a quiet tune.

(Samuel Taylor Coleridge)

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Jo takes us on wonderful walks every Monday. I hope that she will enjoy this one through the gardens of Barrington Court. If you want to join in, do pay her visit, she will be delighted to take you along. Until then, have a great weekend everyone and I’ll catch up with you over the next day or so 🙂